Title:  High School AU
Fandom:  Axis Powers Hetalia
Pairing:  Alfred/Matthew [U.S.A./Canada] as main pairing; Elizabeth/Roderich [Hungary/Austria], Ludwig/Feliciano [Germany/N.Italy]
Categories:  AU, romance, humor
Length:  Long [~22,000 words]
Warnings:  are you prepared for a lacrosse game as a metaphor for WWII?


Author on LJ:  jekaro 
Website:  n/a

Summary:  Alfred and Matthew are best friends, and new students at Unity North Secondary.  As they become a part of the lacrosse teams' rivalry, Matthew grapples with his hopeless crush on heterosexual-and-taken Alfred.

Review:  I have never seen in any other fic such a smooth rendering of canon into an AU, or of history into metaphor.  I would never have thought that WWII would ever work as a high school sports rivalry, but it does.  The story works so well on both the literal and metaphorical levels, that I actually didn't realize until the final game that there was a metaphor at all -- and then I tore through the past chapters, finding numerous signposts even on the first page.  Even the smallest details fit, if the reader thinks about it, into some part of the overarching metaphor.

Every single character is spot-on in characterization, and the brief interludes from the East Block characters are wonderful.  Since no countries are ever mentioned, those not familiar with canon can still enjoy the story as just a high school original fic -- but there is a certain pleasure in sleuthing out the identities of the characters who Matthew does not name, or who have no "human" names in canon. (Alfred's "girlfriend Nor" did throw me off, but the bonus material made me slap myself for not realizing who Nor was.)  Matthew is the main character, and it's only his head that we see into, but he's a charming narrator, and so much like a teenager, it's ridiculous.  Part of the fun is in trying to determine whether Matthew is right about Alfred's heterosexuality... he's not, as it happens, but I won't spoil Alfred's explanation, other than to say it is very American. 

High School AU:  Part 1   East Block Interlude   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6 
and additional:  Bonus Material   Sexy Ending  [R/NC-17]
Or read it all together at the Kink Meme

Title:  High School AU
Fandom:  Axis Powers Hetalia
Pairing:  Alfred/Matthew [U.S.A./Canada] as main pairing; Elizabeth/Roderich [Hungary/Austria], Ludwig/Feliciano [Germany/N.Italy]
Categories:  AU, romance, humor
Length:  Long [~22,000 words]
Warnings:  are you prepared for a lacrosse game as a metaphor for WWII?


Author on LJ:  jekaro 
Website:  n/a

Summary:  Alfred and Matthew are best friends, and new students at Unity North Secondary.  As they become a part of the lacrosse teams' rivalry, Matthew grapples with his hopeless crush on heterosexual-and-taken Alfred.

Review:  I have never seen in any other fic such a smooth rendering of canon into an AU, or of history into metaphor.  I would never have thought that WWII would ever work as a high school sports rivalry, but it does.  The story works so well on both the literal and metaphorical levels, that I actually didn't realize until the final game that there was a metaphor at all -- and then I tore through the past chapters, finding numerous signposts even on the first page.  Even the smallest details fit, if the reader thinks about it, into some part of the overarching metaphor.

Every single character is spot-on in characterization, and the brief interludes from the East Block characters are wonderful.  Since no countries are ever mentioned, those not familiar with canon can still enjoy the story as just a high school original fic -- but there is a certain pleasure in sleuthing out the identities of the characters who Matthew does not name, or who have no "human" names in canon. (Alfred's "girlfriend Nor" did throw me off, but the bonus material made me slap myself for not realizing who Nor was.)  Matthew is the main character, and it's only his head that we see into, but he's a charming narrator, and so much like a teenager, it's ridiculous.  Part of the fun is in trying to determine whether Matthew is right about Alfred's heterosexuality... he's not, as it happens, but I won't spoil Alfred's explanation, other than to say it is very American. 

High School AU:  Part 1   East Block Interlude   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6 
and additional:  Bonus Material   Sexy Ending  [R/NC-17]
Or read it all together at the Kink Meme

Title:  High School AU
Fandom:  Axis Powers Hetalia
Pairing:  Alfred/Matthew [U.S.A./Canada] as main pairing; Elizabeth/Roderich [Hungary/Austria], Ludwig/Feliciano [Germany/N.Italy]
Categories:  AU, romance, humor
Length:  Long [~22,000 words]
Warnings:  are you prepared for a lacrosse game as a metaphor for WWII?


Author on LJ:  jekaro 
Website:  n/a

Summary:  Alfred and Matthew are best friends, and new students at Unity North Secondary.  As they become a part of the lacrosse teams' rivalry, Matthew grapples with his hopeless crush on heterosexual-and-taken Alfred.

Review:  I have never seen in any other fic such a smooth rendering of canon into an AU, or of history into metaphor.  I would never have thought that WWII would ever work as a high school sports rivalry, but it does.  The story works so well on both the literal and metaphorical levels, that I actually didn't realize until the final game that there was a metaphor at all -- and then I tore through the past chapters, finding numerous signposts even on the first page.  Even the smallest details fit, if the reader thinks about it, into some part of the overarching metaphor.

Every single character is spot-on in characterization, and the brief interludes from the East Block characters are wonderful.  Since no countries are ever mentioned, those not familiar with canon can still enjoy the story as just a high school original fic -- but there is a certain pleasure in sleuthing out the identities of the characters who Matthew does not name, or who have no "human" names in canon. (Alfred's "girlfriend Nor" did throw me off, but the bonus material made me slap myself for not realizing who Nor was.)  Matthew is the main character, and it's only his head that we see into, but he's a charming narrator, and so much like a teenager, it's ridiculous.  Part of the fun is in trying to determine whether Matthew is right about Alfred's heterosexuality... he's not, as it happens, but I won't spoil Alfred's explanation, other than to say it is very American. 

High School AU:  Part 1   East Block Interlude   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6 
and additional:  Bonus Material   Sexy Ending  [R/NC-17]
Or read it all together at the Kink Meme

Title:  Hooligan and Deliquent AU
Fandom:  Axis Powers Hetalia
Pairing:  Arthur/Gilbert [England/Prussia], Feliciano/Ludwig [N. Italy/Germany] in background
Categories:  AU, romance
Length:  Long [~20,500 words]
Warnings:  light mentions of homophobia, pedophilia


Author on LJ:  elwon 
Website:  n/a

Summary:  The Kirkland and Beilschmidt boys as teenagers in England. Gilbert knew Arthur was worth befriending when he saw him punch Bonnefoy just for speaking to him; Arthur's been burned before by family and lovers, but thinks he might get it right with Gilbert.

Review:  Hetalia fandom loves high-school AUs, and even has an official high-school AU by the creator ("Hetalia Gakuen").  How could I pass up the opportunity to rec a few during this theme week?  The characters of Arthur and Gilbert work so well as teens in a British school, as do the other Nations who cameo.  Ludwig and Feliciano also get a fair amount of attention in the story, and are quite sweet together... in contrast to Arthur and Gilbert, who will never be "sweet", but who help each other through the trials that come with being teens.  

These characters aren't often paired together, and it's a real shame.  Elwon hit on a common trait of Arthur and Gilbert in this fic - in the title, really - namely, that they both are a little too violent, a little too reckless, a little too inclined to play pranks, to fit as perfect students.  In canon, Prussia's an obvious troublemaker who loves a good fight and who boasts of his "awesomeness", and modern England seems to be a very straight-laced tea-lover, but he used to be a pirate and never really got over his glory days as an empire.  This story explores that side of the characters, and does it well. 

I love the little details best of all, I think.  Prussia's uncle Fritz as his most beloved relative was great.  Sealand appearing as Peter Kirkland, Arthur's younger brother, who has been looking for attention and who has endangered himself on the internet (see second warning) was also a nice touch.  Best of all, re-imagining the young versions of Ludwig and Feliciano as actual younger siblings was a wonderful idea, and seeing three Beilschmidt brothers interact was really interesting. 

Hooligan and Delinquent AU  {Index post}

Title:  Hooligan and Deliquent AU
Fandom:  Axis Powers Hetalia
Pairing:  Arthur/Gilbert [England/Prussia], Feliciano/Ludwig [N. Italy/Germany] in background
Categories:  AU, romance
Length:  Long [~20,500 words]
Warnings:  light mentions of homophobia, pedophilia


Author on LJ:  elwon 
Website:  n/a

Summary:  The Kirkland and Beilschmidt boys as teenagers in England. Gilbert knew Arthur was worth befriending when he saw him punch Bonnefoy just for speaking to him; Arthur's been burned before by family and lovers, but thinks he might get it right with Gilbert.

Review:  Hetalia fandom loves high-school AUs, and even has an official high-school AU by the creator ("Hetalia Gakuen").  How could I pass up the opportunity to rec a few during this theme week?  The characters of Arthur and Gilbert work so well as teens in a British school, as do the other Nations who cameo.  Ludwig and Feliciano also get a fair amount of attention in the story, and are quite sweet together... in contrast to Arthur and Gilbert, who will never be "sweet", but who help each other through the trials that come with being teens.  

These characters aren't often paired together, and it's a real shame.  Elwon hit on a common trait of Arthur and Gilbert in this fic - in the title, really - namely, that they both are a little too violent, a little too reckless, a little too inclined to play pranks, to fit as perfect students.  In canon, Prussia's an obvious troublemaker who loves a good fight and who boasts of his "awesomeness", and modern England seems to be a very straight-laced tea-lover, but he used to be a pirate and never really got over his glory days as an empire.  This story explores that side of the characters, and does it well. 

I love the little details best of all, I think.  Prussia's uncle Fritz as his most beloved relative was great.  Sealand appearing as Peter Kirkland, Arthur's younger brother, who has been looking for attention and who has endangered himself on the internet (see second warning) was also a nice touch.  Best of all, re-imagining the young versions of Ludwig and Feliciano as actual younger siblings was a wonderful idea, and seeing three Beilschmidt brothers interact was really interesting. 

Hooligan and Delinquent AU  {Index post}

Title:  Hooligan and Deliquent AU
Fandom:  Axis Powers Hetalia
Pairing:  Arthur/Gilbert [England/Prussia], Feliciano/Ludwig [N. Italy/Germany] in background
Categories:  AU, romance
Length:  Long [~20,500 words]
Warnings:  light mentions of homophobia, pedophilia


Author on LJ:  elwon 
Website:  n/a

Summary:  The Kirkland and Beilschmidt boys as teenagers in England. Gilbert knew Arthur was worth befriending when he saw him punch Bonnefoy just for speaking to him; Arthur's been burned before by family and lovers, but thinks he might get it right with Gilbert.

Review:  Hetalia fandom loves high-school AUs, and even has an official high-school AU by the creator ("Hetalia Gakuen").  How could I pass up the opportunity to rec a few during this theme week?  The characters of Arthur and Gilbert work so well as teens in a British school, as do the other Nations who cameo.  Ludwig and Feliciano also get a fair amount of attention in the story, and are quite sweet together... in contrast to Arthur and Gilbert, who will never be "sweet", but who help each other through the trials that come with being teens.  

These characters aren't often paired together, and it's a real shame.  Elwon hit on a common trait of Arthur and Gilbert in this fic - in the title, really - namely, that they both are a little too violent, a little too reckless, a little too inclined to play pranks, to fit as perfect students.  In canon, Prussia's an obvious troublemaker who loves a good fight and who boasts of his "awesomeness", and modern England seems to be a very straight-laced tea-lover, but he used to be a pirate and never really got over his glory days as an empire.  This story explores that side of the characters, and does it well. 

I love the little details best of all, I think.  Prussia's uncle Fritz as his most beloved relative was great.  Sealand appearing as Peter Kirkland, Arthur's younger brother, who has been looking for attention and who has endangered himself on the internet (see second warning) was also a nice touch.  Best of all, re-imagining the young versions of Ludwig and Feliciano as actual younger siblings was a wonderful idea, and seeing three Beilschmidt brothers interact was really interesting. 

Hooligan and Delinquent AU  {Index post}

Titles:  Created Equal and companion fic Going Marching to the Sea
Fandom:  Axis Powers Hetalia
Pairing:  gen, focusing on America (and England in "Created Equal")
Categories:  drama
Length:  Medium [2,500 words for both]
Warnings:  colonial and modern racism as themes


Author on LJ:  gotosleeplisse 
Website:  n/a

Summary:  "The truth is, neither America nor anyone else has ever, or will ever, know what he really looks like."  England doesn't understand why America periodically shifts to look like his slaves.  America just knows what it means for all men to be created equal.

Review:  Bonus fics!

Sometimes, I'm inspired to patriotism by current events.  The 2008 election was one of those events, and every gay marriage victory is another (hurray, D.C.!).  These two fics remind me of that patriotic feeling whenever I read them.  The first story is England's point of view throughout the centuries he's known America; the second story is America's point of view, but focused mainly during the Civil War.  They may be quite short, but they packed quite the punch when I first read them.  

Lady Lisse's idea, that America changes his race to fit in with his people, is so appealing, so linked to how I think the personification of my country would work, that I can't imagine him any other way anymore.  England and America's relative views on the African-Americans fit their characters perfectly - at least, England's befuddlement and snobbery seems accurate for the British Empire of the 1700s, and it contrasts nicely with America's opinions.  The cameos of African Nations and the Confederacy are perfect as well, for all their brevity.  Finally, the historical notes at the end are very useful, and I know I learned a few things from them... who says fandom isn't educational?

Created Equal
Going Marching to the Sea