Title: Bucky and Baymax
Fandom: Big Hero 6/Marvel MCU
Pairing: Gen
Categories: AU, Crossover, Fluff, Domestic
Length: Fan-Comic
Warnings: None

Author on LJ:
Website: Tumblr

Summary: Tony finds Baymax and sends him to help Steve and Bucky

Review: Such a cute little comic. I loved Baymax and the way he helped Hiro with grief in the original movie. Seeing him help Bucky with PTSD is equally as cute.

Bucky and Baymax

Title: Blue Agents of Destruction

Fandom: Megamind/Lilo and Stitch
Pairing: gen, early hints of Megamind/Roxanne
Categories: crack, humour, fluff, crossover
Length: medium, ~6000 words
Warnings: none

Author on Livejournal: n/a?
Author Website: Dal Niente on fanfiction.net

Summary: Roxanne wakes up to find a strange creature systematically destroying her apartment.

Review: ...it had seemed harmless enough at first. And it had been cute -- it's still cute, never mind that it's shredding her sofa. It's gleefully enthusiastic about everything, and the cheerful burring noises it's making provide a rather strange counterpoint to the sound of rending cloth. Big ears, big black eyes, big nose, big grin? And fuzzy to boot. It's adorable.

State of my brain today demands I rec something with a high crack/fluff/cuteness factor, therefore have a meeting between the mutually blue and not-really-evil protagonists of two of my favourite animated movies.

Set pre-canon regards Megamind, when Roxanne Ritchie finds a blue, evil alien making itself a nuisance, and not even the usual one, she calls up Metro Man to help deal with the problem, as you do... only he's busy mid-crisis, but someone else overhears and surprises her by showing up to help instead.

I love the parallels touched upon here between two little blue dudes conditioned by society or creator to think of themselves as bad by default. File under 'crossovers that you didn't know needed to exist'.

Blue Agents of Destruction

Title: January Girl
Fandom: Supernatural/Harry Potter
Pairing: Dean/Luna
Genres: AU, Crossover, Pre-Canon, Romance, Action
Length: Long (33,438 words)
Warnings: Minor character death

Author on LJ: parenthetical
Author Website: parenthetical @ AO3

Author's Summary:
With Sam trying out normal life at Stanford and his father working an undercover gig across the country, Dean is on his own and getting reckless. While investigating a series of mysterious deaths, he runs into a strange witch called Luna Lovegood, who is searching for what she calls a 'Horcrux'. (Seriously?) Suddenly Dean finds himself dealing with evil wizards, broomsticks, Bat-Bogey Hexes, Dementors, mirrors which order him to wear a pointy hat, and much more - all the while trying not to think too much about Luna's last name and whether it's accurate.

Review:
In this AU of the Deathly Hallows, Luna and some other members of the Order are in America tracking down a suspected Horcrux. Dean stumbles across her in battle, and her separation from the rest of the group results in her and Dean working together to track the Horcrux down. Luna is delightfully in character, and that results in an unusual - and all the more sweet for it - romance. Despite the dark subject matters that are Death Eaters and Horcruxes and Dementors, this is a light fic and an easy read. I don't quite believe that a Season 1 Dean would accept that there are good witches quite as quickly as he does, despite his protective instincts. Nevertheless, the fic is still a lovely read featuring a surprisingly compatible rare pair.

January Girl

Title: My Way Home Is Through You
Fandom: Glee/Harry Potter*
Pairing: Kurt Hummel/Harry Potter
Categories: Romance, Crossover, Kid Fic.
Length: Epic [233913 words]
Warnings: homophobia, bullying, past Suicide Attempt, war flashbacks, nightmares and discussion, mentions of cutting, torture, pstd.
Author Website: orphan_account (on AO3)**

Summary: Kurt Hummel wasn't really looking forward to his Junior year. At least, not until he met Harry Black and his son Teddy. Suddenly, things are a lot more interesting, though not always in a good way. {original summary}


Review:
So I needed a break from 1D and this fic just jumped at me. A crossover between Harry Potter and Glee, where everything from Harry Potter happened and it’s been a few years since the war, while Glee cannon follows season 2. Harry and Teddy Lupin are the main characters to crossover, but we do see Ron and Hermione and the best surprise Ginny Weasley and Daphne Greengrass.

The best thing about this fic is the fact Harry is just such a cute and precious dad and Teddy overwhelms me with how well written he is. I love kid fic where the fic is important, but at the same time the central plot is still interesting and this fic just delivers both: we have a lovely romance plot full of drama and sweetness and we have the family unit Harry and Kurt start creating.

Harry is more sassy than Kurt and so damaged that it makes me truly happy to see the growth he gets along the fic, and how healthy portrayed his relationship with Kurt is, which makes the fic move along really well, without turning into a Sabrina novel. There is plenty of bullying and Kurt having to deal with it, but Harry helps him get confidence and Kurt returns with the comfort we all know Harry always needed.

Will is his usual terrible self, so Harry gets a lot of Glee mentoring time, which is both hilarious and delicious - specially when he sang What makes you beautiful and made me cry, because I can’t get rid of 1D. Harry helps not only Kurt, but all the Glee kids and Shannon, which made my heart melt and wish they found a great guy for her.

Anyhow, this fic is cute and funny and full of dramatic content, so it’s just that well rounded reading. I love the fact the author managed to discuss the HP canon in a subtle way, while still charging the war, the nightmares and the flashbacks with the importance they deserve. All Glee character are well represented, Rachel is her annoying self, Finn plays the big brother so awkwardly and Santana is quite amazing, which is no news, but always worth mentioning.

So just go on, read it, comment, and let me know what you thought. It’s one of the best crossovers I read and one of the best in both fandoms.

My Way Home Is Through You

* This review was cleared up with dreamsparkle, who claimed Harry Potter.
** the orphan_account is a place for any writer to post and be anonymous, so other works may be by multiple authors.

Title: An Old-Fashioned Vampire Story
Fandom: Gotham TV/American Vampire
Pairing: Jim Gordon/Alfred Pennyworth
Categories: AU, Crossover, Dark, Supernatural,
Length: Long (29k)
Warnings: Beastialityish - Alfred Shape-shifts into a wolf and there is sex

Author on LJ: manic_intent
Website: Manic-Intents Ao3

Summary: The well-dressed, hard-faced man who had collected Bruce Wayne from the crime scene answered the door with a narrow-eyed look of surprise that threw all of Jim’s instincts. Instead of a polite greeting, there was a curt, “You’re one of the GCPD detectives.”

“Yes.” Jim forced himself to meet the man’s eyes. They were the most unsettling part of him: the pupils were a strange, deep amber that reminded Jim uncomfortably of a feral animal. “You’re… Alfred Pennyworth, aren’t you? I’m Detective Jim Gordon.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“And what do you want?” There was a strange note to Alfred’s voice that Jim couldn’t place, that didn’t seem to sound quite… right: it seemed to pull at something under his skin, somewhere subconscious. It made his skin crawl.

Review: As always Manic-Intent excels at worldbuilding. Even with a relatively short story length and a tight timeline, you will get dragged into the details surrounding the different breeds of vampire, Gotham's politics, and the problems with past lives.

The plot is very straightforward, but given the amount of world building it is nice to not have to keep track of too many details.

Please mind the warnings. There are some sex scenes, and fantasies involving Alfred in Wolf-form so if you aren't comfortable with that, I would suggest skipping this story.

An Old-fashioned Vampire Story

Title: Skywalkers
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts/FF7/FF8/Advent Children
Pairing: Leon/Cloud, Sora/Kairi
Genres: AU, Crossover, Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Sci-Fi, Wingfic, Action
Length: Epic
Warnings: Attempted suicide, past non-con, past abuse, past torture, body horror, past major character death

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Lady Karai @ Adult-FanFiction.org

Author's Summary:
Leon was used to living alone and going through the motions of his easy but dull life. Then, one night, a strange blond crashed into his bushes from out of nowhere, and he was drawn into a world no human ever dreamed of.

Review:
Leon, going through the motions as he writes trashy romance novels and mourns the death of Rinoa, his only contact with the outside world his little brother Sora (of KH fame), has his lonely life shaken up by the abrupt entry of Cloud. Damaged physically and mentally, Cloud is a fallen soldier bearing unwanted enhancements in the form of wings and superhuman power, and embroiled in a war he has never wanted any part of. A lot of this fic is about his slow recovery and the equally slow development of his and Leon's relationship. The hurt/comfort is a balm against all the horrors that Cloud has been subjected to - which are all thankfully offscreen, keeping this story from being pure angst despite its dark themes. The other half of the fic is devoted to the action, with Sephiroth and his three clones the antagonists, Clouds former torturers who are eager to claim him back. Leon's protection of Cloud is definitely satisfying, but best of all is that even when Cloud is understandably fragile, his bravery and compassion still shine through, and he fights at Leon's side.

The characters are all either their KH or Advent Children versions. There are some Organisation X cameos and the KH trio of Sora, Kairi and Riku are main characters, but as long as you know those three you hopefully won't be too confused. Leon is pretty much an older and less bratty Squall. Cloud is definitely his angstier Advent Children self, as is Sephiroth.

Skywalkers

Title: Men of Legend
Fandom: Merlin/Supernatural
Pairing: Gen
Genres: Crossover, Action, Friendship, Casefic
Length: Long (33,957 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: hells_half_acre
Author Website: hells_half_acre @ AO3

Author's Summary:
When a sorcerer summons monsters from another world, Merlin must summon heroes from another world to help save Camelot. Meanwhile, Dean and Sam Winchester didn't even know they were summon-able.

Review:
A gen fic full of great characterisation and realistic interaction between the two groups. The rapport between the main four and the knights of Camelot is all great, with no greater emphasis on either fandom - though obviously the setting does lean towards Merlin. All characters strengths and weaknesses are portrayed equally, with neither fandom being 'stronger' than the other, all wrapped up in a case fic and supernatural drama. Pretty much everything you'd want in a gen crossover.

Men of Legend

Title: Whisper Your Name Into the Sky

Fandom: Daredevil / Fantastic Four
Pairing: gen
Categories: character study, friendship, crossover
Length: medium, 3,653 words
Warnings: none, unrated by the author but I'd put it around PG13

Author on LJ: tartanshell
Author Website: Tartanshell on AO3

Summary: The Thing and Daredevil walk into a bar...

Review: Ben...Ben reminds him of his dad. All rough edges and warm, beery breath; sandpaper voice, broad shoulders, heavy fists. He's a literal mountain of a man, the way Battlin' Jack was when Matt was a kid. Still is, in his memories.

Matt Murdock and Ben Grimm... probably everyone else is less dim than I was, going into this story the first time with a sort of perplexed interest, wondering "what would they have to talk about?"

But it quickly moves to deeper places than Ben simply seeking Matt's advice about dating a blind girl. This is all about ways of seeing, appearances, anxieties, and what lies beneath the surface, the odd foundations of the friendship it builds up between these two very different men.

There's the nod to certain not-very-secret identities, and the author does fantastically with the details of Matt's senses and unique view of the world -- particularly I love the aspects of how he does perceive Ben -- but most of all it's just a lovely, warm fic with some gorgeous lines that doesn't go entirely where you expect it and feels like it's just kicking back and letting the characters talk. I can hear their voices in this.

Whisper Your Name Into the Sky

Title: Unsettled
Fandom: Sherlock BBC/His Dark Materials
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Genres: AU, Fusion, Sci-Fi, Drama, Angst, Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Long (33,879 words)
Warnings: Past child sexual abuse, torture

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: AxeMeAboutAxinomancy @ AO3

Author's Summary:
Sherlock's dæmon hadn't settled. Once John realised that, so much made sense. Though so much else didn't, because it practically wasn't possible.

Review:
I absolutely love daemon!fic. Seeing what reasons different authors give for their decisions about what daemons characters should have is something I find interesting in and of itself, and daemon-related angst and hurt/comfort pleases me even more. The presence of daemons gives an extra dynamic to any drama, being an obvious physical avatar to look at matters of the psyche and the soul through.

It's HDM canon that intense trauma can cause a daemon settle early, or in this fics case not settle at all. John struggles with his growing feelings for Sherlock as he finds out just how strange the man and his daemon are. As expected, Sherlock's daemon is far from normal, even aside from being unsettled, and the gradual revelation of all their idiosyncracies was a compelling read. I loved all the daemons in this fic, and thought that the authors 'casting' decisions for them were fitting and well-reasoned. The inclusion of a daemon-specific crime to solve adds a new avenue for drama, and is just as tense and horrifying as it should be when we're talking about toying with peoples souls. The romance is gradual as Sherlock's past and with it the reason for his daemons unsettled form are revealed. The author is careful to show that not all wounds can be fully healed, and the ending is all the more heartwarming for its realism.

Unsettled

Title: Percy Weasley: Rogue Demon Hunter

Fandom: Harry Potter / Angel fusion
Pairing: gen
Categories: humour, action/adventure, crossover (ish)
Length: epic, 68,476 words
Warnings: none

Author on LJ: viola_dreamwalk
Author Website: Viola Dreamwalk on AO3

Summary: It's the summer after OotP, and Percy Weasley is a man without a mission.

Review: Once outside, he looked down at the card. It read:

Career Analysis: Weasley, Percy

1. Wand Salesman
2. Lounge Singer
3. Personal Administrative Assistant
4. Chartered Accountancy
5. Champion for the Good of Humanity

First off, disclaimer that this series is listed as a single incomplete chaptered story on AO3, but it's posted elsewhere -- and I read it originally on LJ -- as several self-contained stories. So I feel justified that at least in terms of the earlier installments I'm not reccing something unfinished, although the series remains open-ended. I'm not sure how likely it is to get more installments at this stage, but the author did post Part 6 after a long gap.

So after Order of the Phoenix, Percy washes out of the Ministry of Magic with the rest of Fudge's administration and proceeds to get fearsomely drunk. Then, eventually, when the hangover wears off and he picks himself up out of bed, he tries to find an alternative career.

The jump-off concept of the story is that Percy Weasley is Wesley Wyndam-Price transposed to a whole other canon with a different name. Which, well. Heh. The portrayals of Percy, Ginny and Kingsley Shacklebolt working together channel season 2's Angel Investigations-without-Angel consisting of Wes, Cordelia and Gunn. The only Angel character that physically appears as himself is Lorne, and yes indeed, there is karaoke. (And yes, there are vampires.)

It's funny, in a restrained, wry, sarcastic-sideways-look-at-the-universe fashion. It's got a unique whimsical rhythm and charm all of its own. It gleefully abuses both its fandoms in terrifically fun ways. It stands in its own little world of gentle, self-effacing crack. And after something over a decade, it's probably still one of my favourite pieces of fic writing on the internet.

Percy Weasley: Rogue Demon Hunter

Title: Acquainted With the Night

Fandom: Daredevil / The Sentinel / Gargoyles
Pairing: gen
Categories: Crossover, action/adventure
Length: Long, 27,728 words (if you trust ff.net's word counts)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: n/a?
Author Website: Vathara on fanfiction.net

Summary: A murder witness goes on the run... to Cascade.

Review: The crossovers I've been reccing lately started me thinking about this old favourite. I should own up to having only ever seen one of the source fandoms because I read this first out of my interest in the Daredevil movie, but I only know The Sentinel from fic and I only know Gargoyles from this fic. Vathara writes crossovers, and this story exists in a sort of wonderful mish-mash world where fictional universes collide and assortments of other fandoms not even credited could get referenced any moment (for eg., the Ghostbusters exist in the same universe, here, too).

This story sees Matt Murdock, still kind-of-sort-of-pretending-not-to-be-Daredevil, agree to travel with reporter Ben Urich on a case to help out a girl on the run, and it picks up and carries the developing buddy relationship between the two of them that was hinted at in the movie, providing the movie's isolated version of the vigilante some friendly support. The case is complicated by the missing girl being a gargoyle, and by folks in The Sentinel's side of things finding alarm and interest in Matt Murdock's arrival on their turf.

The main draw for me is the relationship between Ben and Matt, and the fact I can see and hear these scenes with the same vibrancy of the better moments of the movie, but all its varied cast seem interesting and distinct even if I don't have enough idea of the other fandoms to put a face to them. The author handles Matt's blind but sensory enhanced perspective on the world and the crossover's tangle of other enhanced senses with fascinating details, and the dialogue exchanges just zip along. And it's just neat. I love Matt's connection to Urich, the perfect characterisation, the understated moments, everyone's alternate canon explanations of enhanced senses confuzzling the issues, the style and pacing and wackiness.

Acquainted With the Night

Title: Maṭṭaltu

Fandom: Angel / Leverage
Pairing: gen
Categories: Crossover, adventure, case file
Length: Long, 41,883 words
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: n/a?
Author Website: Lithiumdoll on AO3

Summary: Things are going pretty well for the Leverage crew until Lindsey McDonald shows up on their doorstep. Then, not so much.

Review: "Excellent." Nate rubbed his hands together briskly. "Let’s go steal some souls."

So my usual reaction to any crossover somehow equating one character to another played by the same actor across both shows is a lot of eyerolling. But I was looking for Angel fics to rec which were more current than my old favourites because I haven't read in this fandom since the end of the show, and somehow was sucked into this story despite my misgivings of the crossover treatment. And there you go, because here I am reccing it.

This jaunt manages to give even space to all of its assorted cast, integrating the worlds of both fandoms, providing the Angel Investigations crew just as much to blink about as they discover how the Leverage bunch do business as the Leverage crew discovering that demons and vampires are real. I think nearly all of the cast get little moments between each other one-on-one, though I admit to being especially fond of Parker and Illyria's little bonding. And Nate and Lorne's... not-really-bonding.

"So, you’re criminals."

"You could say that, sure. If you wanted to be…" Nate waved the glass as he searched for the word.

"Accurate?"

Close enough. "Accurate, right. We like to say we pick up where the law leaves off. And you’re a demon from another dimension with a thing for Judy Garland, and Angel’s a vampire with a soul who helps the hopeless. Catchy."

On the Angel side of things, as someone who hadn't previously felt compelled to seek out any post-finale fic, I was surprised how moved I was to see the gang back together again even without Wesley. It filled a hole I hadn't realised was there, particularly in the way of rectifying how canon left us on Lorne and Lindsey.

And that explanation for Christian Kane's presence in both shows as different characters? Is actually integral to the plot and the continued existence of Lindsey MacDonald post-Not Fade Away in a very satisfying fashion.

Maṭṭaltu

Title: Wish You Were Here

Fandom: Haven/Criminal Minds
Pairing: gen with background Audrey/Nathan
Categories: drama, casefile, crime, crossover, outsider POV
Length: Long, 36,894 words
Warnings: canon level violence

Author on LJ: tassosss
Author Website: Tassos on AO3, Vast Universes

Summary: When the FBI's BAU follow a serial killer to Haven, Maine, they find that murder and mystery are a lot more complicated in the unassuming sea-side town. The local cops don't want them there, the crime scenes don't make sense, and it doesn't take long for them to get in over their heads.

Review: This is a gen/casefile crossover set in season 4 of Haven and season 7 of Criminal Minds. It's basically channelling both shows, and juggling their sizeable casts so everyone gets their moments in the bargain. This collision could happen on screen and I would believe it.

It's told from the perspective of the members of the BAU team as they follow a case to the strange town of Haven and have to deal with prickly, secretive law enforcement and hostile, secretive townsfolk and alarming and occasionally violent town factions as well as their UnSub of the week. The outsider POV on Haven and its troubled detectives is a treat if you're familiar with the show and I should imagine it works if you're only familiar with Criminal Minds as well. Much (enjoyable) build-up is given to the revelation of Haven's town secrets and enabling Prentiss, Morgan, Hotch, and co. to accept and adjust to the somewhat unusual conditions under which murders might occur in this particular little seaside town. The casefile itself and the manner the mystery ties in with the troubles is also interesting.

I have no capacity to be intelligent about this one, only to glee fannishly, because the BAU comes to Haven and everyone is so exactly themselves. It's a perfect in-character intersection of the two shows.

Wish You Were Here
Alternative link to Wish You Were Here on Dreamwidth as AO3 appears to be down tonight

Title: Wish You Were Here

Fandom: Haven/Criminal Minds
Pairing: gen with background Audrey/Nathan
Categories: drama, casefile, crime, crossover, outsider POV
Length: Long, 36,894 words
Warnings: canon level violence

Author on LJ: tassosss
Author Website: Tassos on AO3, Vast Universes

Summary: When the FBI's BAU follow a serial killer to Haven, Maine, they find that murder and mystery are a lot more complicated in the unassuming sea-side town. The local cops don't want them there, the crime scenes don't make sense, and it doesn't take long for them to get in over their heads.

Review: This is a gen/casefile crossover set in season 4 of Haven and season 7 of Criminal Minds. It's basically channelling both shows, and juggling their sizeable casts so everyone gets their moments in the bargain. This collision could happen on screen and I would believe it.

It's told from the perspective of the members of the BAU team as they follow a case to the strange town of Haven and have to deal with prickly, secretive law enforcement and hostile, secretive townsfolk and alarming and occasionally violent town factions as well as their UnSub of the week. The outsider POV on Haven and its troubled detectives is a treat if you're familiar with the show and I should imagine it works if you're only familiar with Criminal Minds as well. Much (enjoyable) build-up is given to the revelation of Haven's town secrets and enabling Prentiss, Morgan, Hotch, and co. to accept and adjust to the somewhat unusual conditions under which murders might occur in this particular little seaside town. The casefile itself and the manner the mystery ties in with the troubles is also interesting.

I have no capacity to be intelligent about this one, only to glee fannishly, because the BAU comes to Haven and everyone is so exactly themselves. It's a perfect in-character intersection of the two shows.

Wish You Were Here

Title: Righting the Universe
Fandom: Blade Trinity/Chronicles of Riddick
Pairing: Hannibal King/Drake; Richard B Riddick/Vaako
Categories: Action/Adventure, AU,Crossover, Romance, Supernatural, Time Travel
Length: Long (32k)
Warnings: Soulmates, Canon Character death

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Taibhrigh’s Ao3

Summary: Vaako had lived more than two thousand years without finding his balance, his soulmate. Then his sire died and soon other vampires were bursting into flame and ash on national tv but he went on. Now the ghost of a woman long since dead tells him all he has to do to find his mate is promise to go to the future and save the universe.

Review: An interesting take on the fix!it fic.I’m a sucker for snarky people and soulmate AUs, so this fic is right up my alley.

Vaako and Hannibal are snarky friends who help each other find their mates by dealing with time!travel, ghostly mothers of their respective soulmates, and the events of two different movies set a few thousand years apart.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that Taibhrigh was able to create a soul-mate AU that fit perfectly with both movies even while it completely changed both canons.

Righting the Universe

Title: The Shadows Feel like Home
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia/Torchwood
Pairing: Edmund Pevensie/Jack Harkness
Categories: AU, Crossover,Family, Time-Travel,
Length: Epic (52k)
Warnings: Character Death, Dark, Aliens

Author on LJ: burntcopper
Author Website: Burntcopper’s Ao3

Summary: In which the Pevensies trip, fall, and somehow end up in Torchwood. It's not Susan's fault she shot an alien that was trying to kill Jack Harkness.
Review: This story takes place in the same universe as the National Service Series I recced three years ago, but it can easily be read independently.

This is a fun and fast-moving fic that explores the idea of a Pevensie family that survived post Narnia and what they would do if they fell into the Torchwood Continuum. Particularly what the younger three Pevensies would do with Jack Harkness.

Usually in Torchwood fics Jack is seen as this kind of imovable force because he’s lived so long, so it is interesting to see him run into a bunch of young adults that have lived multiple lives in multiple worlds and don’t give him any kind of respect he doesn’t earn first.

The plot is pretty much episodic and it moves quickly to the point that sometimes things get forgotten along the way but it is tons of fun if you are looking for a bunch of capable, irreverent, damaged people saving the day.

The Shadows Feel Like Home

Title: Parts of the Process
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, platonic Doctor/Ianto
Genres: AU, Crossover, Adventure, Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (49,182 words)
Warnings: Torture, one instance of period-specific racism

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Asrai @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
And although Ianto goes hurtling through the universe, crossing time and space seems to teach him one thing in particular – that all roads lead to Rome.

Review:
I love me some Ianto fic, and the rare and beautiful fics where he interacts with the Doctor really make me happy. Set during Jacks absence from Torchwood, the Doctor crash lands and regenerates in Ianto's garden. Keen for a break from a Jack-less Torchwood, Ianto joins the Doctor as a companion. What follows is, of course, adventures through space and time, including Ianto meeting some past versions of Jack and training at the Time Agency academy.

The best feature of this story is the relationship between Ianto and the Doctor. Rather than regenerating into the usual adult white man, the Doctor is instead an Indian teenager. This doesn't come off as gimmicky at all; it's rarely mentioned directly by the author, and the changes it makes to the Doctors interactions with strangers and the usual Doctor/Companion relationship are made obvious through show rather than tell. His youth means strangers talk to Ianto before they do him, and also tones down his usual confidence/arrogance into something a little more vulnerable and human. This different dynamic makes for plenty of touching and funny moments, and elevates the fic into something lovely and unique with a surprisingly sweet tone.

Parts of the Process

Title: california girls (we're unforgettable)
Fandom: Teen Wolf/Veronica Mars/Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: gen (references to canon pairings)
Categories: angst, crossover, family, friendship
Length: short
Warnings: afterlife, canon character deaths

Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: on ao3

Summary: Allison never really believed in an afterlife. But then, she didn't believe in werewolves either until she met one.

Review: I still really haven't accepted Allison's death, but this fic makes it okay. It's a gorgeous little fic about Allison's journey into the afterlife and all the remarkable women she meets there. The tri-crossover works *really* well here, grangerbutstranger captures all the characters beautifully and makes you wish that they had the chance to meet during life (someone ought to write that). It's the best of female friendship and bonding, and the strength forged from fighting for something you believe in.

california girls (we're unforgettable)

Drabbles are hard. That's one reason why I'm a drabble purist; if it isn't exactly 100 words, you're taking the easy way out and I won't be impressed if you claim it's a drabble. You have just enough room to show an idea, set up a punchline or whatever, and making that sound plausible while still keeping to the strict word count is quite a challenge.

In an effort to have less words of review than actual content, I hereby offer you three drabbles from three different authors that I picked off Twisting the Hellmouth. All are PG, gen, and need no warnings. And they're all 100 words long, of course.

Title: The White What?
Author: P.H. Wise
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Dune
Categories: Crack, crossover, eugenics, real family

Summary:
Xander has a powerful magical heritage that he is only beginning to discover...

Review:
"Real families" are a common trope in BtVS crossover fanfic. It offers an easy way into a crossover to declare that someone (usually Xander or Willow) was adopted/kidnapped/hidden, and have them discover or be discovered by their real (crossover) parents. This drabble is the reductio ad absurdam of that idea, and a caution to overly enthusiastic breeding programmes everywhere. The repetition at the end is a little weak, but I'll let it off that for a good idea well expressed.

The White What?


Title: What's in a Name?
Author: Speaker to Customers
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Star Wars
Categories: Crack, crossover, real family

Summary:
An incredibly stupid variation on the 'Character X's Real Father' theme.

Review:
If "The White What?" was a reductio ad absurdam, this little gem is just plain absurd. If you're faster than me you might well see the punchline coming, but enjoy the concise, clear writing anyway.

What's in a Name?


Title: Hiding in Plain Sight II
Author: Marcus L. Rowland
Fandom: Highlander/Top Gear
Categories: Crack, crossover, driving, faked death

Summary:
If Richie Ryan isn't dead, where is he?

Review:
Marcus is one of the most prolific drabble writers I know. I picked this story not because of the surprise idea — if you know anything at all about Highlander and Top Gear you'll have already guessed it — but because it's a great demonstration of how to structure a drabble to read naturally.

Hiding in Plain Sight II