Title: Where you're meant to Be
Fandom: Fast & Furious Series
Pairing: Brian O'Conner/Dominic Toretto/Carter Verone
Categories: Angst, AU, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Supernatural
Length: Medium(14k)
Warnings: Forced Marriage, Character death

Author on LJ: wolfspirit07
Author Website: Casey Wolfe’s Ao3

Summary: Brian is a wolf broken and alone, running from a pack who would sooner kill him as pawn him off. Carter, he has his own demons haunting him as he runs Miami's underbelly. Then there's Alpha Dom, hunting for the wolf that was supposed to be his and surprised by what he ends up finding.

Review: This isn’t a serious story, but it is so cute and fluffy that it is my catnip. No pun intended.

A shapeshifter AU where Brian runs away from home, falls in love, and then falls in love again. So that he, Carter, and Torettos all get to be one big furry family.

The plot is a little predictable and fast moving, but its a nice fast paced read.

Where You’re Meant to Be

Title: The Boy Who Spoke With Ghosts
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Crossover, Supernatural
Length: Long (21,794)
Warnings: Ghosts, Violence

Author on LJ: avocado_love
Author Website: AO3 | Tumblr

Author's Summary:
No one suspects Arthur. He's too practical, too organized, too sensible to believe in the supernatural.

Based on the kink meme prompt: Arthur's real name is Cole Sear.

Review:
While this is a crossover with the Sixth Sense, you don't really need to know anything about the movie other than the fact that Cole Sear (Arthur's real name in this fic) can see ghosts.

And let me tell you how much I love that concept, that Arthur has these abilities that he has hidden away his entire life. They're a part of him and he doesn't tell anyone anything, except for maybe hinting towards Mal. The ghosts that haunt him are always present and they usually aren't too troublesome, but they never leave him alone.

This fic takes place a little bit before Inception and a little bit after Inception, seamlessly sliding into place neatly with the movie--like all of this extra business was really happening all along. I really enjoyed the way the author neatly wove the story and the movie together, it was very smoothly done. The relationship Arthur has with Eames is an interesting one; it's not a romance, really, but there's hints of something more. If you're looking for full on romance then this isn't that sort of fic, I would say it's closer to gen than anything else. But it is good, and Eames and Arthur's relationship with one another does take a prominent place in the story.

This is just a really solid piece. Arthur and the rest of them get caught up in some trouble that pings on Eames's suspicions. Said trouble turns even more troublesome and when you couple ghosts and dream sharing... well. It makes for an interesting story, to say the least!

The Boy Who Spoke With Ghosts

Title: Sam's Girls
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/CSI
Pairing: Gen
Categories: Case fic, supernatural, crossover, family, drama
Length: Epic (45,600 words)
Warnings: None

Author Website: Grundy on Twisting the Hellmouth

Summary:
When a Slayer comes to Vegas to deal with a vampire problem, Catherine discovers she isn't Sam Braun's only daughter.

Review:
Set shortly after the end of Buffy and during season 4 of CSI, this is a properly meaty story. Briefly, Buffy goes to Vegas ostensibly to deal with a vampire problem, but also to get away from all the chaos of Slayer Central. Blending the background sketched out in Angel with that of CSI, it shouldn't be a surprise that the major casino owners are well aware of the supernatural side of life, and that the "night life" is generally well-behaved (or else).

The police are much less well aware of what's going on. Some people, like Warrick Brown, have had encounters with vampires and generally keep their mouths shut about it. Most haven't, and the CSIs in particular dismiss the supernatural as nonsense or camouflage.

So pity Catherine Willows when Sam Braun turns out to have a very personal reason for wanting to talk to Buffy.

This is one of those rare things, a crossover between the super-powered/supernatural and the normal (if very smart) that doesn't feel horribly one-sided. The resolution of the plot does depend as much on Catherine's investigative abilities as Buffy's slaying technique. There's no clumsy full disclosure to the CSIs after decades of keeping magic a secret, nothing really to break the worldview of either show. It's a skilful bit of plotting, and the writing is well up to carrying it through.

I often find that when I come back to stories I read and loved a while ago that they don't stand up to a second reading. I start to notice things like characters' voices going awry, or plot-holes that memory had papered over, things like that. Sam's Girls is still as good as when I first read it, and that's very much to Grundy's credit.

There are a bunch of sequels, all rather short. I'm going to stick with the main story as my rec, but they are all linked together conveniently if you want to spend a few pleasant minutes reading them.

Sam's Girls

Title: Province
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Supernatural
Pairing: Xander/Dean
Categories: Crossover, slash, angst, gradually diverging from canon.
Length: Super!Epic (~217,000 words across six stories)
Warnings: Explicit sex, suicidal talk, believed character death, angstorama

Author on TtH: ChessM's author page on Twisting the Hellmouth.

Summary:
Dean and Xander are the same sort of self-sacrificing idiot. It shouldn't be surprising that their relationship is made of angst.

Review:
I'm cheating slightly here; Province is a series of stories that chart a not exactly idyllic relationship between Dean and Xander. I'm not entirely sure that the series is complete — the major plotline clearly isn't resolved &mdash but nothing has been added for quite a while now, so I'm going to claim that all the important stuff is at least rounded off. As far as timelines go, it asserts that the first episode of Supernatural occurs shortly before the fall of Sunnydale, and starts bending canon from there on.

It begins with a break-up. Set The Fire To The Third Bar alternates between Xander and Dean having enthusiastic sex, and Dean calling to break up in the immediate aftermath of Jess's death. It's short, bitter, and makes perfect sense from Dean's point of view, and it's patently obvious that neither of them knows that the other knows all about the supernatural.

From there we watch Xander struggle through the fall of Sunnydale with plenty of taunting from the First Evil, not really having the time to deal. It feels a little strange because we're used to seeing Xander the goofball, and this Xander has too recent a hurt to play that part. Then Dean sees the news reports of the destruction of Sunnydale and loses it, because he knew that was where "Alex" lived. We are treated to exactly the sort of meltdown I'd expect from Dean; tightly controlled until he's too drunk to manage any more, and with Sam hovering and trying to stop his brother self-destructing.

The next story turns the screws. We reach the end of season 1 of Supernatural, and of course the Yellow-Eyed Demon lets John Winchester know that his oldest boy is gay, and lets Dean know that Alex is still alive and now its number one target. This naturally gets the Scoobies involved and things kick into high gear for a while, until Dean and Xander meet up in relative safety. And then the real fun begins.

For all the plot I've just described, and all the rest that I haven't, this is really a family drama. Xander and Dean are both damaged in their different ways, and have both been keeping secrets for that matter. It's not surprising that they have a hard time rebuilding trust. Throw in John, who has a whole barrelful of prejudices of different sorts all pushing his buttons, and a Sam who can't go five minutes without exploding at his father or wanting to know more than Xander will trust him with, and you have a highly volatile situation. The story takes a justifiably long time to work up enough trust that Xander and the Winchesters can function (albeit badly) as a team, and Dean and Xander both come out darker if marginally happier by the end. From Xander we get the overwhelming impression of weariness, and very little of his characteristic humour; from Dean we have a massive lack of confidence after his big decision went so badly wrong, and his trademark cockiness is sorely missing as a result.

This isn't a light or easy read, but it is very well written and nicely observed. The little nods to canon throughout the earlier stories help to anchor the later ones and make the crossover work. All in all, worth the effort if you can stand the angst.


Set The Fire To The Third Bar (first story in the series)

Title: How to be Dead
Fandom: Gundam Wing
Pairing: Heero/Duo (1x2)
Genres: AU, Supernatural, Creature, Horror, Romance, Drama
Length: Long (37,498 words)
Warnings: Gore

Author on LJ: raquel_el_pillo
Author Website: Kaitsurinu @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
It's not Duo's average Friday night. Usually, he doesn't have anyone to talk to, and he shouldn't, seeing how he works at East Central City Morgue.

Review:
Duo, a mortician working the graveyard (hah) shift, comes across a dead body... that isn't quite dead. It's a cool premise for a deliciously creepy little Heero/Duo fic. The author has really done a great job creating a horror movie atmosphere; every scene takes place at night, or in a storm at night, or in dingy little apartments that never see the sunlight. This, the authors mastery of description, and the fact that it all happens over the same night, give this fic a dreamlike - or nightmarish - quality that really suits its creepy overtones.

Every character seems a little off, with Duo driven slightly insane by his work, and Heero the socially awkward character we know and love with an extra dose of supernatural creepiness. Their interactions are both cute and creepy, as a self-hating Heero fights his nature and Duo, exasperated and scared by turns, befriends him through pure brute force. There are also great moments of dark humour and even some sweetness, nicely offset by the horror movie style of the setting.

How to be Dead

Title: Demons of DC
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/NCIS
Categories: Crossover, gen, drama, supernatural, post-series (for BtVS)
Length: Epic (46,800 words)
Warnings: Nothing "on-screen", nothing worse than an episode of either show.

Author on Twisting the Hellmouth: Laimelde
Author on the Pit of VolesFF.net Laimelde

Summary:
Xander joins NCIS and has to prove himself to become a proper Federal Agent. Keeping his past secret is hard enough by itself — will he be able to do so when the supernatural manages to find him in DC?

Review:
Xander becoming an NCIS agent is a common enough means of crossing these two fandoms over. It's been done a few times, with varying degrees of success. What sets this story apart for me is how it resolutely refuses to fall into the usual lazy writing traps. This Xander isn't a Superxan; his Halloween memories give him an expertise with firearms but his Sunnydale instincts are for hand-to-hand, and his eye-patch is offset by Willow giving him perfect depth perception. Similarly this Gibbs is somewhat open to the possibility of the supernatural, but isn't omniscient and has no idea that demons are anything more than indistinct shapes in the desert. And Tony is an ass to the probie, but not to an extreme.

It makes for a refreshingly well thought out story, with just the right levels of trust and secrets flying about. Xander actually has the perfect foil for the team's curiosity about his past; in the official reports, the Scoobies were treated as civilian consultants to the Initiative, so Xander is officially not allowed to tell Gibbs anything. Gibbs doesn't have to like it, but without good reason he does have to lump it, and again the author plays this nicely.

The supernatural element turns up in the form of a vague and ill-defined prophecy that is taken to mean that the someone in DC in the right government job at a particular time will come into lots of power and money. The NCIS team become involved through missing marines, and then Angel and the Slayers show up separately, and Xander has to walk the tightrope of keeping everyone cooperating. This is not easy when Gibbs doesn't trust civilians and the Scoobies don't trust the military, and possibly my only criticism of the story was that I felt Xander didn't quite have a hard enough time of it. It's a matter of degree only, and personal preference at that, but I would have rather seen both Gibbs and Buffy take a little more convincing to play well.

All in all, a well-balanced story.

Demons of DC

Title: kyle wei, tree whisperer
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Gen - Harley, Kyle, Danny (cameo appearance by Stiles)
Categories: H.S., humor, Beacon Hills knows, season 2
Length: Medium (6,590 words)
Warnings: Mentions of canon character death (like Matt Daehler)

Author on LJ: magneticwave
Author Website: magneticwave

Author's Summary: Harley has known Kyle Wei basically forever, just like everybody else born and bred in Beacon Hills, but she’d say that their friendship really begins the morning that Kyle comes by the BHHS newspaper office to ask Harley to help him save his tree girlfriend from Lydia Martin’s patio.

Review:
I'm in love with this new fic. In high school I had a thing for the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which focuses on 2 minor characters from Hamlet, showing us everything that happened to them offstage in the classic, while Hamlet and Ophelia get minor roles. It's a strange, funny perspective.

Here we have 2 very minor Beacon Hills characters in the spotlight. Especially Harley, a girl who was Stiles and Scott's friend early on, with a few lines. Kyle Wei is an unnamed student who had a tree sniffing moment at Lydia's birthday party in season 2 - the one with the wolfsbane spiked punch.

Jump to season 3 and Danny acting like you'd have to be an idiot not to know about werewolves.

Which brings us, finally, to the beauty of this fic. It's funny with great dialogue - smart and lively writing throughout - with a broader perspective than canon and an often irreverent-in-its-practicality take on season 2. Pretty much everyone born in Beacon Hills knows about the supernatural forces behind ongoing attacks and deaths, and rolls their eyes at the idea that Stiles or Scott or Jackson might think they're hiding much from their fellow students. Harley's in the thick of it, editing the school newspaper with the help of a list of synonyms for "unexplained" and the rule that the paper is going to remain "baffled" as long as the sheriff's department's baffled.

( excerpt )

There's more. I haven't even gotten to Kyle Wei and his relationship with the potted tree on Lydia's patio. But if I haven't made you want to take a look at this by now, I've failed utterly.

--

I try not to rec the same authors very often, and this is the first time I've recced one twice in a month. In my defense, I didn't know magenticwave had something else this sharp up their sleeve.

kyle wei, tree whisperer

Title: Dresden Hollows
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Categories: AU, romance, ghosts, paranormal
Length: Long (29,500)
Warnings: Ghosts, mentions of minor character death

Author on LJ: water_nix
Author's website: the-water-nixie on tumblr

Summary: Blaine wants to get away from the city, so when friends ask him to accompany them to a haunted house in Upstate New York to film a documentary over spring break, he's more than happy to oblige. He's hoping for many chances to relax and take in the gorgeous surroundings between helping Artie with his film and participating in Brittany's seances. Instead, he has to deal with power outages, washed out roads, no cell service, and the possibility that all of these events have been set up by the staff. The one bright spot is a very intriguing fellow guest named Kurt, who believes every story about the estate and its infamous otherwordly inhabitants. As Blaine gets closer to Kurt, he finds himself becoming a stalwart believer right along side him.

Review:
March isn't really the season for ghost stories, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate a good one. Especially when it comes with healthy loadings of flirting, comedy and intrigue.

Not gonna lie: when I was reading this, I did jump if someone came into the room or made a loud noise, and not because I have a nervous disposition. It's incredibly easy to be sucked into the story and into the sense of mystery and spookiness, and the twists and turns of the plot have a captivating aura about them.

And not only is it spooky. The flirty banter--and then more--offsets the darkness beautifully, and makes for a beautiful romance between Kurt and Blaine. The tension between them is there from the very first meeting, and continues throughout the whole story.

If you're like me, I wouldn't suggest reading this in the dark!

Dresden Hollows

Title: Turn Into Something Beautiful
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: Rodney/John
Categories: AU, Action/Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Dark, Romance, Supernatural,
Length: Epic (57k)
Warnings:Character death; Child abuse; Mentions of past sexual abuse; Slavery

Author on LJ: blackchaps
Website: Blackchaps

Summary:SGA AU – John and Rodney meet at the Antarctic base, and the fur flies.

Review: This story is Dark. Pay attention to the warnings and please take care when you are reading it.

In a world where feline shifters are considered a lesser breed and forced into slavery the minute they are discovered, John grew up and became a Air Force Shifter. Through the events at the Antarctic base it is discovered that all shifters have the ATA gene.

This changes the course of history as the SGC uses this new information to free the felines. This in turn changes everything about the Atlantis mission.

What really impressed me about this fic is how blackchaps gave John two district but partnered viewpoints. That of himself as a human and that of himself as a feline. Also the fact that Rodney is a cat lover is used to good effect to get him to ignore the self-preservation instinct and become John's biggest supporter. And as for the romance, lets just say my biggest soft spot when it comes to romance is when both of the lovers are willing and able to protect and stand up for each other.

Turn Into Something Beautiful

Title: Widdershins
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Categories: AU, romance, supernatural, modern fantasy
Length: Long (23,759)
Warnings: Alcohol usage, minor background character death

Author's LJ: n/a
Author's website: lurkdusoleil on tumblr

Summary: Blaine is completely and utterly unsatisfied with his charmed life. But a rainy night, a bar, and a beautiful, frustrating man are going to open up his definition of the word charmed.

Review:
I've recommended fic by the wonderful Riah lurkdusoleil before, and with reason. She has a mind that comes up with all these amazing worlds and storylines that I can only aspire to. Widdershins is a perfect example.

I'm a humungous sucker for fantasy, old and modern, and when I come across a story that not online combines old folklore and a modern setting but my OTP as well? There was no way I wasn't hitting that read more button as fast as possible. Widdershins is a bar in New York, run by the magical Fae, under the rulings of one very sexy Kurt Hummel. Blaine wanders in off the street and we, just like him, are hooked.

As I like to read, there's a good dosage of sexual tension sprinkled throughout the first half of the fic, culminating intensely and hotly and making me have to leave to room to find a glass of cold water. The fact that Blaine is a reverse empath and telepath, able to open his mind and thoughts to those around him (cough Kurt cough), just makes every part of his story even more thrilling. His relationship with Kurt is so well handled and grown that it feels organic, just like it should, and makes the ending even more satisfying. I won't spoil you, but let's just say that there's a scene in the last chapter or so that I had to read at at least half my usual speed, just to fully capture the beauty and intensity of the writing.

Kurt is clever and sexy and witty and absolutely perfect, and Blaine is eager and open and loving in all the ways that make him such a wonderful character. The background characters are funny and have depth and meaning. The world is perfectly constructed and seated so well in the Celtic mythology on which this fic is based that I'm surprised it's not real. This fic is so good that as soon as the last chapter was posted today I had to rush over to this site and recommend it immediately. So please. Sit back, kick your feet up, take a sip of your mana-spiked wine, and enjoy.

Widdershins

Title: The Professor's Wife
Fandom: xxxHolic
Pairing: Doumeki/Watanuki
Categories: Romance, Future, Spirits, Supernatural, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (56,217)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: foolish_m0rtal
Author Website: AO3 | Tumblr

Author's Summary:
The students all said that Professor Doumeki had a wife who made him lunches and impeccably pressed his shirts. Watanuki found this hilarious. For the wtfholic fest prompt: "The only people who can see Watanuki are customers with wishes."

Review:
Having read gezana's rec earlier this week, I was suddenly reminded of one of my absolute favorite fics in the xxxHolic fandom. Then I felt this overwhelming need to both reread and rec it because it's just that good.

The Professor's Wife is beautifully done. The prose is pristine and so neatly woven together it's a joy to read. Watanuki and Doumeki are both completely in character, except they've grown up through the years together and you can really see them evolving in such ways. The premise is an interesting one: imagine that after Yuuko has gone away that Watanuki has inherited the store and is waiting for her to come back. Except that nobody can see him beyond people with wishes and others with strong spiritual power. How do you live like that? Cut off from everyone and everything, unable to even stay in your apartment because the landlord thinks you've run off. But then there's Doumeki who's like a rock and the steady progression is mesmerizing.

You have a strong character in Watanuki who is willing to give up what is essentially his future just for Yuuko. Then you have an equally strong character in Doumeki, who isn't willing to let Watanuki go it alone, who is always supporting him and always pulling him back from anything that'd be too much. They have a wonderful relationship, and the fic shows how they grow and evolve together, how they fit together, how they get together, and how they live together.

It's just so good.

I must have read this fic about five times already, and I've loved it every time. It's a story you find yourself going back to time and time again because the plot and the characters are amazing. It's pretty much perfect and was a blast to read from start to finish.

The Professor's Wife

Title: Vulnerability
Fandom: xxxHolic
Pairing: Doumeki/Watanuki
Genres: Drama, Romance
Length: Long (28,728 words)
Warnings: Creepy canon-style supernatural drama

Author on LJ: tyigra
Author Website: Tyigra @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
Watanuki hates being so vulnerable, and hates even more that he has to crawl to Doumeki all the time for help. What he doesn't realize is that dragging his feet every step of the way is putting Doumeki in danger too...

Review:
One of my favourite story arcs in xxxHolic was the one with the spider queen. Just like that arc, this fic is an exploration of Watanuki's unthinking selflessness that is really more like selfishness, the way he takes Doumeki for granted, and how the people he loves are hurt by both of these things. The themes from that arc are carried into the fic seamlessly, creating a story that I could very easily see taking place in the canon. Watanuki is being besieged by evil supernatural creatures, and his best way of protecting himself is letting Doumeki protect him. Of course, asking for help is not Watanuki's strong suit. As usual, Watanuki is oblivious to both his own and Doumeki's feelings, and is hurting both of them by refusing to protect himself.

This is a get together fic with elements of a character study, and a definite focus on character development. It's an exploration of pride and the harm it can cause in excess, and of the lengths Doumeki and Watanuki will go to to save each other. Both of them are beautifully in character, and in particular the scenes where Watanuki realises Doumeki's feelings for him are true to his canon characterisation to an almost painful extent. This is a sweet and smoldering fic with a lovely Watanuki character arc that does a great job further exploring canon themes.

Vulnerability

Title: The Sidhe [pronounced "shee"!]
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Categories: AU, adventure, drama, fantasy, romance, angst, fluff
Length: Super Epic (112,601)
Warnings: Heavily implied rape, other instances of noncon, some violence, slavery and abuse

Author on LJ: n/a
Author's website: chazzam on tumblr

Summary: Epic romantic fantasy adventure, seriously AU, with angst and fluff in equal measure.
The Sidhe are a powerful race of elves that have been weakened and enslaved by humans.  Blaine has always hated the practice, but over the years he has grown resigned to it as a social reality.
But everything changes when he finds himself falling in love with one of the creatures, and becomes determined to help him escape.

Review:
I feel like all the fics I'm reccing at the moment are core fics in the fandom, and this one is no different. When I saw that the theme for this week's recs was Alternative Universe, I didn't even have to think twice about what I was going to do. Because this is the kind of AU that you never forget.

For someone like me who dreams and writes about and absolutely lives in a world of fantasy, reading this story was like I had finally found the one fic that could bring together my love for Klaine and my love for other worlds. It's dramatic, romantic, well-crafted and will haunt you with emotion at the most innaproppriate of times. It's clear how deeply the author understands and knows the world she's created -- important in any story, certainly, but definitely more so in an entirely new world to our own. It's with that knowledge and the precision it brings that Kurt and Blaine fit in so neatly, as two people from entirely different backgrounds, drawn together by the power of fate. And love, obviously.

Although fate definitely deserves a mention when talking about this fic. The brilliantly detailed faerie culture in this world relies heavily on it, and (being Kurt's background) seeps through into the story and the relationship between the two as well. Not only in this fic, but an extremely powerful scene towards the end validates the way Kurt and Blaine always come together, no matter what circumstances or what world, because they were meant to be. And if you're up to date on watching Glee, you'll see how that idea was even adopted in canon.

Fate, magic and love, all stirred together with a healthy dose of angst and adventure: you've got yourself a story that will absolutely blow your socks off.

The Sidhe on FF.net or on S&C

Title: It's an Animal Thing
Fandom: Chronicles of Riddick
Pairing: Riddick/Johns
Categories: AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural
Length: Epic (45k)
Warnings:Past Genocide; Amoral Characters

Author on LJ: casey_wolf
Website: Casey-Wolf

Summary:The first thing Riddick thought of the beast that had just tackled him to the ground was “beautiful.” How was he to know that this predator would turn into an equally attractive man? Johns wasn't sure what he expected when he finally caught up to the convict of legend, but it certainly wasn't to find himself drawn to the man.

Review: This is a shifter AU of the events leading up and including Pitch Black and Butcher Bay.

Johns is a shifter who finds his mate in Riddick. This is pretty much a straight up Paranormal Romance. (With space travel) Johns and Riddick meet their equals in each other and can't seem to let each other go.

Which leads to some interesting changes in the line up of survivors when the events of Pitch Black happen. They also get to meet the crew from the 2013 movie. And you learn about Riddick's bast, all culminating in a happy ending where Riddick and Johns basically ride off it the 'sunset'. Space travel style.

It's an Animal Thing

It's Alternate Universe Theme Week!

Title: they tell me their secrets (will you tell me yours too)
Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Pairing: Gen
Categories: AU, End of season one, Anthropomorphism, John has a secret ability
Length: Medium (2,297 words)
Warnings: Minor character death

Author on LJ: etothepii
Author Websites: etothepii (Stochastical)

Author's Summary: In Afghanistan, the supplies tell him when they're running low, and the cars always, always tell him when strangers have touched them, and John gets known as having a knack (paranoia, his men call it, but he's never missed a single car bomb) for keeping his men safe.

Review:
We get a glimpse of another reality here, just long enough to understand a different John's life, and to see how his unusual perception 1) completely changes the end of The Great Game, and 2) opens up a world of possibilities and a new level of trust with Sherlock.

I recced another etothepii AU fic here; etothepii not only writes what I like --- my last rec was for demon!Sherlock, and this one is full to the brim with anthropomorphism, another favorite theme --- but also takes the time to really think things through. Here the world of sentient and sometimes-talkative objects has its own set of well reasoned rules. For example, "It's one thing to ask an object to do something it hasn't been told not to do. It's an entirely different challenge to make it not do something it's supposed to do."

Despite the story's short length, the premise is well described and so matter-of-fact that I felt myself going easily along with the garbage disposal that doesn't like sitting around with dirty blades (who would?) and the many objects that are wary of strangers.

Of course I would've enjoyed continuing on, but I feel like I have a good idea of what the future will hold for John and Sherlock with a new understanding between them and the ways Sherlock will want to use John's ability in their work together.

they tell me their secrets (will you tell me yours too) (AO3)
On LJ

Podfic by littlewolfstar (lunatique), lunchy_munchy (lunchee), & yue_ix

Get us ready for Halloween with your favorite eerie or paranormal fics. Or hit us with some horror or dark!fic. Go as light or dark as you want, as long as it fits one of the three themes.

• Recced stories can be any fandom and any pairing (or no pairing).
• You don't need to write a review (unless you want to). All that you need to include are title, author, and link to the story.
• Fic or media as a single file are preferred, if available.

Also...

• WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING 1 ADDITIONAL RECCER. Reccers are accepted by invitation only, and the invitations are issued primarily based on responses to RR posts. If you're interested in reccing once each week, respond to this post (or check out previous RR posts at the link below, and respond to one of those instead) with a rec that includes everything in our rec template: Title, Author, Rating, Pairing, Genres, Length, Summary, and Review (including 200 words or more about why you liked the story).
  
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( Totally Optional Rec Template )

Previous Readers' Recs topics can be found here.

Title: Until My Dying Breath
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kurt/Blaine
Categories: AU, future, angst, drama, romance, supernatural elements
Length: Super Epic (140,000 words)
Warnings: Violence, grotesque descriptions, dark setting, fear, minor past character death, vampirism.

Author on LJ: emilianadarling
Author Websites: emilianadarling on tumblr, EmilianaDarling on AO3

Author's Summary: On his way home from campus to his apartment on the Upper East Side, Blaine Anderson happens to come across a beautiful young man with bewitching blue eyes. It doesn't take long, though, for everything Blaine thought was real to fall to pieces. For his world to dissolve into a twisted dance of fear and heat and blood.

Review: Kurt is a dark, sexy vampire, Blaine is a helpless college student -- could it work any better? This story is as gripping and scary as it is weirdly hot, and it certainly fits this week's dark theme.

As in everything she writes, Emiliana handles the pace of the story admirably: the slow burn up to the breaking point, the terror and excitement of what follows, and a very well performed ending. It's always very refreshing to read something written by someone with a true knack for storytelling, and fortunately, that's what we have here.

Despite the violence and fear and, well, vampirism, the true heart of the story lies in the development in Kurt and Blaine's relationship. From flirty to stalking to terrified to strangely caring, every emotion is pulled right into our throats alongside our beating hearts as we watch the characters move around each other. Kurt is dark, brooding, predatory and downright scary; Blaine is just the right balance of resourceful and vulnerable. Together, they're can't-close-the-tab (as opposed to can't-put-the-book-down) brilliant.

The flow of language and plot will keep you absolutely riveted to this creepy, nocturnal romance. Go read it. But just remember to keep an ear open for any strange scratching at the door whilst you do!

Until My Dying Breath

Title: A Murder of Crows
Fandom: His Dark Materials; Snow White and the Huntsman
Pairing: Gen
Categories: AU, Action/Adventure, Dark, Supernatural
Length: Medium (17k)
Warnings:Torture; Imprisonment; Murder

Author on LJ: kaikamahine
Website: antistar_e (kaikamahine)

Summary:Thine heart like a shadow

Review: This is a lushly detailed fic, that takes the already rather dark "Snow White and the Huntsman" and gives it a darker edge by adding in Daemons, and some very old-world symbolism related to what would happen in a world where having to live without your daemon was common.

In most daemon!verse stories I've read the author's shy away from writing a story that would separate a person and their soul permanently. Antistar, instead highlights this very realistic eventuality of war.

For all it's dark beginnings, the story does has a satisfyingly happy ending, so you don't need to worry about starting this if you can't stand to read unhappy endings.

A Murder of Crows

Title: Where the Dead Live
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Eames/Arthur
Categories: Dark, Horror, Supernatural, Vampire
Length: Long (16,238)
Warnings: Violence, Gore, Minor Character Death, Character Un-Death (ha)

Author on LJ: mirabella
Author Website: N/A

Author's Summary:
There's a monster in Arthur's basement. Maybe he shouldn't have invited it in.

Review:
Honestly, I would count this more creepy than straight up horror, but your mileage may vary. But it is rather dark, which is something I apparently adore (as long as I get the requisite feeeeelings along with flying severed heads--I don't even know anymore). I do have to say this: the character death isn't really? But I figured since technically death occurs, well.

But, more seriously, this is a great fic. It's atmospheric and creepy, and yet there's Eames and Arthur who manage to make me crack a grin even under the fingernails-down-one's-spine feeling. It does get a little gory in a couple of parts, but even with a severed head I don't feel as if it goes overboard. The gore adds to the atmosphere, it doesn't overpower it, which is a plus.

Most of it focuses on Arthur and Eames's relationship, with Arthur trying to deal with the fact that Eames is a monster. A very charming monster, but a monster nonetheless. Then there's the sense of inevitability, that Arthur really doesn't have much of a choice in what will happen, and the ending had me torn between 'oh no' and 'yes please'.

A great read with just the right amount of spookiness without going overboard.

Where the Dead Live

Title: The Wild Hunt
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin
Categories: Mystery, Suspense, Halloween, Dark Romance, Modern AU
Length: Long (18,300 words)
Warnings: Major Character Death (sort of), Minor Character Death (offscreen) Dark Themes, Violence, Unhappily Ever After

Author on LJ: asya_ana
Author Website: aa_fic

Author's Summary:
Every year on Samhain, the Wild Hunt terrorises the small Welsh town of Camford. A year after his own father is killed by the Hunt, Arthur is asked to lead a party against it. Merlin Emrys, the ailing recluse who alone escaped the Hunt in the past, may hold the key to Arthur's success in defeating it—or he may be the leader of the Wild Hunt himself. Mystery/suspense, supernatural, Samhain/Halloween, dark romance.

Review:
Atmosphere -- this story has it in spades. From the very beginning, the author sets a dark, gothic tone while building the suspense in a slow, almost deliciously torturous way.

Arthur lives a quiet, lonely life as the proprietor of Pendragon and Sons, Guns and Tackle. He has been touched by loss -- the Hunt took his father only one year prior, and this year he goes forth to face the deathly riders with grim resolve. You can see the King in him very clearly, as he takes his responsibilities to the townspeople seriously and is willing to sacrifice himself for their sake. To give much detail on Merlin would be to risk spoiling things, but I can say that the author does an excellent job of portraying him as a sepulchral figure, almost (but not quite) a tragic hero as defined by Aristotle.

The romance between Arthur and Merlin culminates in a love scene so filled with yearning that it made me ache. I wanted so desperately for them to have the happy ending that simply wasn't meant to be in this funereal piece.

While the story is not entirely without levity -- Gwaine-as-Idris is a particular treat -- the mood is most certainly gloomy, making it a perfect read for someone who wants a dark, supernatural fic without the violence and gore of a more contemporary horror feature.

The Wild Hunt