shut up and let me see your jazz hands

Wow, I totally assumed the two Sky Captain fics of mine that were remixed were by the same person, but apparently two totally different people were interested in remixing Sky Captain! Anyway, I haven't read any other remixes than the ones written for me, but I do have a bunch of other reviews piling up, so I figured I'd post them all.

( Remix reviews: Sky Captain, Harry Potter, Supernatural )

( Non-Remix reviews: Korra, Homestuck, LotRiPS, New Girl, SGA )

So apparently I've felt like reading fic a lot lately? idk.

Harry Potter

Souvenirs and Lost Luggage by girl_tarte Rec
5900 words. PG. In 2003, Petunia leaves Little Whinging for good. It is four years before she can talk about it.

The Dursleys are so over the top in canon, they really don't fit with the rest of the story. It's like for those sections, she's telling a fairytale, but for the rest it's a more realistic story. It's not just that the Dursleys are bad people, but they're bad people in a way that is ver cartoon-y, so I really like fics that try to humanise them. Not erase all their flaws and make them perfect, but make them more realistic. This does a really great job of that with Petunia.

Dudley Dursley and the Elusive Difference by kahvi Rec
4800 words. R. Dudley is intersex, outwardly appearing male. Vernon and Petunia choose to keep this fact from everyone. Even Dudley.

Another one that doesn't make the Dursleys less horrible, just makes them more human. I liked this a lot, and I especially like that things aren't wrapped up all neat and tidy at the end. (And I'm always amazed at fics (especially this long!) that manage to avoid using pronouns altogether and still feel natural.)

Unity by notalwaysweak Rec
4400 words. Teen. Scorpius feels more at home in his Animagus form than in human form. Al likes boys instead of girls. And Rosie's more in love with knowledge than with people. Sometimes people don't fit into the places expected of them.

Having a boy/boy/girl friend trio feels kind of like trying to do Harry/Ron/Hermione all over again, but I do like these three together, and aside from Rose being The Smart One who helps the two boys with their studies, their personalities are different enough that it doesn't feel like a clone of H/R/H. This has a bit of Al/Scorpius, but mostly it's a friendship story touching on various issues of growing up. I enjoyed it.

Sherlock Holmes

Intemperance by basingstoke Rec+
17,800. Mature. "Intemperance," a story from the secret journals of Doctor John H. Watson, intimate friend and long-time companion of the infamous Sherlock Holmes: A most curious and instructive report of the great man's improbable fecundation, gestation, and parturition.

The fic already has well over a hundred comments, so I'm sure most people who might be interested have already read it, but I will rec it all the same! I clicked on it because I am interested in Holmes transfic, and it was excellent in that regard (I really love how everything was handled), but my absolute favorite part was Mary. How so awesome? This Watson is prudish and easily shocked and Mary is just the opposite (omg the ending, ha; I love the idea of Mary going off and having adventures with Holmes, too). This is such a great mesh of books and movie, too. It's not Holmes/Watson, but Holmes is queer and while John is straighty mcstraighterson with eyes only for Mary, the story is from his oblivious POV, so there is certainly room to see Holmes as having a thing for Watson (and I can't see movie!Holmes not). Anyway, I highly recommend this to anyone with the slightest Holmes knowledge. It's a really great story.

Supernatural

I'm Your Villain by fleshflutter Rec+
2900 words. NC-17. The only thing of the old life that Dean keeps is Crowley, and that's only because he can't figure out how to get rid of him.

Wow, this was very cool. I haven't seen more than a couple eps of S6, but so I haven't been too interested in SPN fic lately, but this seems to be written just after the end of S5. I love how things slowly progress between Dean and Crowley as Dean makes deal after deal.

So, when I asked what I should post for 3W4DW, a couple people said fic reviews, and I haven't really been reading a lot of fic lately, but there is what I have read!

Babysitters Club

Accordingly Adorned (The BFF Remix) by velvetmouse Rec+
1300 words. G. Stacey & Claudia. Good fashion sense is gender-neutral. So is friendship.

OMG this is perfect! It's a remix of a fic that was written for me for Yuletide, so it feels like an extra remix present! I'm so thrilled to see more of Claude (or any trans!Claudia).

Full House

Round the Corner Straight by busaikko Rec+
1100 words. Michelle. The first two years, Glen doesn't want to see his family at all, not even cousins or people related by marriage. Joey jokes that he called in his debts, making his voice all Godfather-y, but Glen's pretty sure he actually had to go and explain things to Dad, and that there was a whole bunch of trouble involved.

I...did not know I needed Full House fic about Michelle being trans? (I mean, it actually took me a minute to remember which one Michelle was; at first I got Michelle and Stephanie confused.) But apparently I did, because this is awesome. It makes me want to watch Full House again (I loved it when it was running, but haven't watched it in years and years), but I know that Full House wouldn't be this Full House, so I guess really I just want more of this universe? XD

Harry Potter

Freaks, Geeks and Post-War Resolutions by kaycee
3000 words. PG. Dudley feels out of place at Harry's party until a sweet girl asks him to dance.

I liked the idea of this a lot, but not so much the execution. Very tell, not show. Still, it's cute enough.

Hikaru no Go

Daylight (The Quiet Understanding Remix) by hostilecrayon
200 words. G. Touya/Hikaru. Touya doesn't know, but he understands.

This is a POV shift of my one and only Hikaru no Go drabble. It works really well as a companion piece (and also stands alone, which is always a plus in a remix, IMO).

RPF

Nothing to Say but It's Okay by cesare Rec
500 words. Teen. Jude Law/Ewan McGregor. The man who wriggles out of the linens is every bit as wrecked as the room.

Ces was asking for prompts and I asked for sleepy morning-after-the-first-time sex with either Jude/Ewan, Dom/Elijah, or John/Ronon, and she chose Jude/Ewan, yay! :D It's more funny and cute than porny, which is just fine with me. ♥

Stargate: Atlantis

Ganymede's New Groove (The Erastes Expansion) by sabinetzin Rec
3900 words. Explicit. John/Rodney. It's hard to believe he's twice Rodney's age.

This is an expansion of a drabble I wrote a couple years back for the McShep Match drabble tree. I really like what the remixer did with it. I think I had a more predatory John in mind, whereas this John is just sort of sad (especially in the second and third chapters), but I like that reading a lot. It certainly works with John's character. And I like snarky, jaded teenage Rodney.

Hrm, okay, so maybe I did read a bit more before Yuletide. These can barely be called reviews, but they were all good.

A Woman of Taste by via_ostiense
1300 words. G. Astoria/Pansy. By four o'clock, Astoria was hoping that the wine representative would be bringing samples, and she cursed her parents again for arranging this marriage.

I liked this. Astoria is one of those characters you can pretty much do what you want with, but I liked this characterisation.

Between the Lines by woldy
2000 words. G. Hermione/Cho. When people ask, Hermione tells them she and Cho were brought together by a love of books.

This was cute.

Because It Is My Heart by magnetic_pole Rec+
4600 words. PG-13. Petunia/Alice. Much to Petunia's surprise, not all witches are like Lily.

Oh, this is so good! I love Petunia fic and this is definitely one of my favorites.

Ex Libris by magnetic_pole Rec
1200 words. PG. The summer he is sixteen, Eileen Prince says good-bye to her son.

This is a great look at Eileen. I really liked it.

Burn Him Like a Blazing Star by musesfool Rec
400 words. G. None of them has much heart for fireworks this year.

Molly and the rest of the Weasleys the first Guy Fawkes Day without Fred. I liked this a lot.

And Let You Go by gmth Rec
600 words. PG. The Burrow is empty, even when it's full.

Very similar to the fic above, actually, though written years before Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter

Fist Meets Face (The Ron Weasley Remix) by thelastgoodname Rec+
3300 words. Five perfect moments in Ron Weasley's life.

This is a sequel to Five Times Hermione Granger Punched Draco Malfoy (by thelastgoodname) and Five Times Draco Malfoy Took it in the Face From One H. Granger (by lunabee34). I love those two fics and this is everything I could have hoped for in a sequel and more. I would never have thought of Hermione/Ron/Draco would work but omg it so does. This is so awesomely fucked up.

Changeling by lydiabennet Rec+
2100 words. G. Fred wants a dog more than anything, and he'll do anything to get one. Anything at all.

Wow. Just wow. This is amazing, one of those stories that leaves me totally jealous of the author's skill and imagination. I wish I'd written this!

Happy Families Are All Alike (Until You Look Under the Surface) by anon Rec
2100 words. R. Ron has his happily ever after with Pansy. But all is not necessarily as it seems.

Oh, I really liked this. There's a lot of fic where evil Slytherins have the good guys under a spell or keep them captive til they go insane and construct this sort of fantasy to survive, and I love how the author went the opposite way with this (and how slowly it's revealed).

The Middleman

The Holiday Homecoming Intervention by hematitebadger Rec
6600 words. G. Lacey has the same wish this year that she's had every Christmas. But this year, she just might get it.

Aww, this is just adorable. I could totally see this being an episode.

The Simpsons

Very Deliberately Waiting by gloss Rec+
2200 words. G. "Our children are conspiring against us, did you know that?"

Oh, this is so awesome! It's exactly the sort of Simpsons fic I love best. I mean, I like humor fic, too, but I really like stuff like this that both feels totally right for the Simpsons universe, but gives it depth and isn't just wacky hijinks. And Marge/Manjula is not a pairing I ever thought about, but it works so well here.

Community

Summer Practicum in Women's Studies by gloss Rec+
1700 words. R. Possibly a summer fling, possibly something more.

Oh Shirley! Oh Britta!

I really couldn't picture this pairing in my head, because Britta is just so Britta (I actually like the character a lot, but yeah), but gloss really made it work. I'm so glad I read this.

"Please. I was macking on shorties while you were still figuring out that Barbie is --" Shirley trailed off, scowled, then grinned. "That Barbie is a tool of kyriarchical indoctrination!"

Heee! That is just so perfect.

Glee

Inscrutable by bossymarmalade Rec
500 words. The really stupid thing is that they hold off for so long, because they don't want it to look like of course the two asian kids would get together.

This is awesome. ♥

Harry Potter

No More Hiding From Yourself by queen_ypolita
2800 words. G. "For Merlin's sake Sirius, I know this year's been tough for you, but no, you'll always have to let Snape's little comments get to you. Why couldn't you put some of that energy into all those girls that can't take their eyes off you or something?" It's time Sirius stopped hiding from his confusion and did some hard thinking.

Oh man, this is exactly the sort of fic I dread from lgbtfest. I actually thought the prompt ("Sirius Black, never looking back at all the girls ogling him is less to seem indifferent and more because their glances don't register") showed some promise, but it's 2800 words of tell, tell, tell, plus it's set right after The Prank and has this big long lecture from Remus to Sirius on How Wrong He Was, and dude, I totally think Sirius was in the wrong, but I also think monologue lecturing makes a really dull story and seems more like the author speaking than the character (partly this is because I really don't see them as having talked about it at all). Also the 2nd person POV really did not work here.

Sherlock Holmes

A Terribly Poor Understanding of Love by candle_beck Rec
13,000 words. R. Mary awoke to John saying Holmes's name in his sleep. The shocking thing was how terribly unshocked she was.

Wow. This was great. And the 3rd person omniscient (not something you see often in fandom) works really well here. Also it's super angsty, yay. :D

I have to say, though, that at first when I was reading it, I thought they must be aware of what was going on, that perhaps they had even had some sort of relationship before Mary. But no, it was first-time, totally taken by surprise, never thought of Holmes that way (it was less clear whether Holmes knew he was attracted to Watson or not). So yeah. I really liked it, but I also really, really wished for more self-awareness, more queerness.

Anyone have any recs for first-time stories in this fandom that are first time with each other, but not first time with a man ever?

I feel like there was something else I was going to say, too...oh! There was a line that really gave me pause, when Holmes says to Watson, "it's not white of you" or something like that. I'd never heard the phrase before, but it certainly makes sense for the time period. Still, I cringed, and it also made me think about desi!Watson again (ngl, it does not take much to make me start thinking about desi!Watson) and how that would play out. (Whyyyyyy is writing historical fiction so haaaaaaard for meeeeee???? I have so many ideas!)

Delegation by damned_colonial Rec
2800 words. NC-17. I would have been mortified, but I realised that Lestrade didn't have the faintest idea what had just happened. I suppose he thought Holmes was simply being high-handed and rude, as he so often was, and under the circumstances I was hardly going to correct the misapprehension.

Yes, it's another in the awesome asexual!dom!Holmes/Watson series! This was an excellent use of the "authority figures" square.

Oh, and if you like this series, paperflower86 illustrated one of the previous installments. I like their art a lot. (This fandom has so many great artists.)

The Simpsons

I Recognize That Girl by bossymarmalade Rec
900 words. When Maggie came around, Lisa had been excited. That was when she was six. Now she was sixteen, and Maggie -- contrary to everything Lisa had ever seen or read -- seemed to have no real interest in her older sister, much less any inclination to copy her or be close with her.

Oh, this is so great! bossymarmalade writes such awesome Simpsons fic. The voices are just perfect.

Stargate: Atlantis

The Wave from Coast to Ocean by telesilla Rec
1000 words. NC-17. John's cold and Rodney's wearing warm, soft clothes. What happens is inevitable really.

Oh, how funny. This is for the same kink_bingo square as the Community fic up above, rubbing/grinding. I didn't even notice that at first. This is from telesilla's Ventura Highway series (which, wow, I did not realise had that many fics in it), which I always enjoy. This reads well as a stand-alone, too, though.

Some kink_bingo and Transfic Mini Fest stuff, as well as some random things.

Sherlock Holmes
The Imperative Voice by damned_colonial Rec+
1200 words. "Yes," said Watson. The word came more easily than he had thought it would, as if it had been trapped inside him just waiting to be released. "Yes," he said again, then turned quickly to look out the window, because he couldn't bear to see the triumph on Holmes's face.

This is the sequel to the previously untitled fic I recced the other day (now called Hypothesis) and is just as good (I actually think I may like this one even better). There's going to be a whole series of these (for a bingo, I guess)! This one has Holmes calmly discussing Watson's proclivities while Watson gets all hot and bothered. Mmm...

Quod Erat Demonstrandum by damned_colonial Rec+
1300. Watson gets all hot and bothered at the sight of Holmes all bruised and bloody.

Sequel to the above. This series continues to be awesome. I love how Watson is so confused by what Holmes wants of him, but is eager to do his bidding. And I love the bit at the end with Holmes doing up his robe. He totally did that on purpose. XD

Liability by candle_beck Rec+
6400 words. Watson curls his lip, and shrugs. "I don't begrudge you it. Put me up against a remorseless killer, and I know where your priorities lie."

Ooh, I like this. Holmes sees Watson collapse and goes back to check on him, even though it means letting the criminal possibly escape. And Holmes hates himself for it and takes it out on Watson afterwards and there is ~tension~ and crankiness on both sides and it is just so good. And then Holmes realises what he's doing and why and it gets even better. :D

Stargate: Atlantis

Control Chair by busaikko Rec+
1900 words. John and Rodney talk about a fucking control chair.

I think if I were reading the actual story about John's non-con adventures with the control chair, I would be like, okay, this is good (assuming it was by an author I like/well-written), but wouldn't be wowed, because I just don't really see the appeal of those sorts of scenarios, popular as they are in fandom. But this is much more interesting to me. John tells Rodney his fantasy to get Rodney off...which also sounds like a fairly typical scenario, but I love how this is their way of being intimate. It's not in addition to sex. John just isn't interested in sex, but he'll do this for Rodney. And I always like fics where John's dislike of being touched is acknowledged, but not made into a problem that needs fixing. (One of my biggest pet peeves is John being "fixed". Note to touchy-feely types: not being touchy-feely is not a defect.)

Atavar: The Last Airbender

Sun Blast Your Shadow by pearl_o Rec
1700 words. Zuko had assumed, somehow, that the hard part would be over.

Zuko learns that ruling a kingdom is not that easy and sometimes you have to make hard decisions. Very hard decisions. Quiet and understated. I enjoyed it.

Iron Man

Untitled by helens78 Rec
1500 words. "You want me to shock you in the dick?"

Written for her last year's kink_bingo electricty square. Tony has a fancy new glove he wants Rhodey to try out. :D

due South

New Toys by helens78
3600 words. Fraser and Ray have played around with police-issue handcuffs and velcro handcuffs, but now they've got something better.

I betaed this, otherwise I wouldn't have read it because due South is not my fandom, but even so it was easy enough to follow. Well-written and enjoyable, and if you like bondage and you like due South, you will probably like it even more!

The Forbidden Dance by busaikko Rec
1400 words. A dancing lesson.

This was written for the Transfic Mini Fest. There is crossdressing and dancing and I really love all the little details here.

Harry Potter

Once Upon a Time by busaikko Rec+
1300 words. Some people find out who they really are at age eleven. For Dudley, it takes a little longer.

Another for the Transfic Fest, written for a prompt of mine. I love this so hard. Dudley! ♥♥♥

Now to go read some remix stuff! (All I've read so far is the one of mine, because I was finishing up that Leverage fic.)

Iron Man

The Kids Aren't All Right by samdonne Rec+
11,500 words. "It's been 'a hell of a year' since industrialist Tony Stark owned up to his alter ego in a move that stunned observers and longtime aides alike. With the US facing unprecedented homegrown suicide attacks, Iron Man's contribution to national security is more than ever under scrutiny. As she follows Stark during a year of crisis, exclusively for Vanity Fair, Christine Everhart explores the many contradictions of the man behind the mask, uncovers tales of personal loyalty, patriotism gone awry and corporate betrayal, and asks whether Iron Man is the embodiment of an outdated American fantasy—a self-made, unilateral, technological solution to hopelessly complex problems—and whether he can survive the violent encounter with reality."

Okay, this is just really, really cool. It really does read just like a magazine article.

A Small and 100% Innocent Token of Gratitude by svilleficrecs Rec+
7500 words. He acts like what he's doing is the most natural thing in the world.

Jesus fuck, this is one of the hottest things I have ever read. It also made me all OTP squee-y. (Warning to helens78: Don't click! Foot fetish!)

Follow Your Shame by atrata Rec+
1000 words. No matter how many times they dance, she'll never sleep with Tony Stark.

Oh man, this is super fucked up and I love it so. *flails* Tony you expect to be fucked up, but I always like my OTPs mutually fucked up and this Pepper is totally as fucked up as Tony.

Ugly Betty

MODE: Final Issue! by yahtzee63 Rec+
32,200 words. What happens to Daniel and Betty and everyone else after the final episode.

Wow, this really felt like canon. I don't think there was anything in here that I couldn't see happening on the show. I love it's not just about Daniel and Betty, though they are and have always been my OTP for this show. The sections switch between characters and the author really has everyone's voice down so well. I could hear them in my head. And there were some misunderstandings and some soap opera moments that really made it feel like Ugly Betty; even though those weren't my favorite parts of the show, having stuff like that in the fic really added to the feeling that I was watching a fifth season. And the ending! I was getting to the end and feeling like, nooooo, I hope this doesn't shortchange Marc when everyone else gets their happy ending. But then he did! And even though I am not particularly a Justin/Marc shipper, I really loved this and it worked so well. I loved Justin's "There's someone in the world who's going to love you for the rest of your life." and how Marc never got that he wasn't just talking about in general, but about himself. I wasn't at all unhappy with where the show ended, because it wrapped up things nicely and you could see how things were going to go...and this just took all that to the logical conclusion. I often read a really good fic and say "this is my canon now", but it's usually not something I really think would be on the show or whatever, because TPTB don't roll like that. But this is all glee-making and is exactly what I could see happening on the actual show. I love it so!

Leverage

Survival by Eliot by sullensiren Rec
13,000 words. When a virus ends the world in a plague of zombies, Eliot Spencer travels around with Parker and Hardison, helping pick up the pieces. Hardison builds a website.

This is a really neat idea. There's a website that's meant to be Hardison's website, and it's got all Eliot's zombie-survival tips and stuff, and then after each section on the website, there's a link you can click to read a bit of the fic. Both the fic and the website are really well done (and don't forget to click on the various links at the top of the site; not all of them work, but the ones that do are great, especially the fake DW community).

Harry Potter

Useless Talent (Sundial in the Shade Remix) by ineffabilitea Rec
1800 words. Sirius wants Remus; Remus wants Sirius. Remus loves Sirius; Sirius loves Remus. So why aren't they together like James thinks they are? The answer hinges on confidence, and its lack.

This is a remix of Useless Talent, an old Sirius/Remus fic of mine, and expands a mutual pining double-drabble and gives it a happy ending. I like that it kept the same structure as the original, which had one drabble in Remus's POV and one in Sirius's. Cute and well-written and works well as a remix.

What's this, I actually have some reviews? I've been trying to read some fic every day, but one of them (which was SGA, so it's actually in another batch) was super long and ended up taking me weeks to read, so I still feel like I haven't read much fic. :p

Three Women Who Never Brushed Hermione's Hair by wisdomeagle 4/5 Recommended
300 words. Habits learned in youth can't be untangled.
( I can totally see this being canon. )

Platform Nine and Five-Sixteenths by mtfierce 3/5
1800 words. Luna always considered the lack of imagination in the wizarding world to be one of many reasons Thomas Riddle was able to do all he had done. (She hated the so-smug anagram he made. Not that anagrams weren't neat, just that self-proclaimed honors were, well, premature at best, and if he really wanted to get rid of his muggle name, wouldn't he just call himself something else that didn't include it?)
( Cute and very, very Luna. )

An Unequal Magic by lyras 3/5
11,000 words. When Petunia grudgingly offers Snape sanctuary, the pair discover that they have certain things in common.
( Well-written, but heavily jossed, which made me enjoy it less. )

Thirteen Months by argosy 2/5
6300 words. The Wizarding World has forgiven Snape, but Snape hasn't forgiven the Wizarding World. And gardening.
( I am just not the audience for this fic. Shippers might like it, though. )

The Memory Remains by messageredacted 2/5
Supernatural. 6400 words. Sam always wanted to have a normal life. Why is that so hard to come by?
( Just felt unbelievable to me. )

Foundations by st_aurafina 5/5 Recommended
Harry Potter. 3800 words. A thousand years or more ago, the first stones are being laid at Hogwarts and Rowena is determined that there will be no secrets between the four wizards.
( Excellent. )

A Hundred Happy Things by busaikko 5/5 Recommended
Stargate: Atlantis. 30,000 words. Kaleb's long gone, Jeannie's got a career, Madison has problems, Rodney's got Inner Power!, and Sheppard...is pretty much the same.
( I wish I could give this higher than a 5! )