Recs to make you smile

[beboots]

 I've noticed that many other people have been making fanfiction recommendations recently, which I greatly appreciate. :) I thought that I would thus return the favour and rec a few to make you smile and get the new year off to a good start. :) Some of these are very recent; others have been favourites of mine for years. A mixed bag so there will be something for everyone. :)

Furthermore, in the spirit of good cheer and well-wishing, if anybody wants more recommendations of any fandom, feel free to comment and I'll see what I can dig up for you from my brain and/or Delicious archive. :) (Also, huzzah for the rumours of Delicious' demise being greatly exaggerated?)

Counting the Hours by Forthright 
Fandom: Inuyasha
Summary: "When Inuyasha calls in a favor, Kagome sacrifices her holiday in order to help him fulfill an annual familial obligation. Missed flights, misunderstandings, and mistletoe conspire to bring two strangers together."
This fic is absolutely lovely. Anything by this author is, but this fic makes me smile. Realistic fluff. The first chapter was posted over Christmas last year; the second chapter picks up where the last one left off, only covers the week afterwards, and was posted only a few days ago. The author intends to make this an annual thing, and I don't know whether or not to glee or be dismayed at having to wait a whole other year for an update... Of her other fics, I particularly love Unspoiled for sending Kagome to a past in which she encounters a very young and adorable Sesshoumaru. But really, if you love the series, read all of Forthright's works. 

This Kid I Once Knew by Minnow
Fandom: Calvin & Hobbes
Summary: "Daniel sends their whole improv group an e-mail saying "check this out its fun1!1" and a link to a web comic called The Adventures of Spaceman Spiff."
If you loved Calvin & Hobbes when you were younger like me (and still love it, again, like me), you will love this fic. :) And possibly The Roommate of +10 Confusion, a Calvin & Hobbes crossover with Foxtrot, in which Calvin and Jason become roommates and awesomeness occurs. Thanks to beckyh2112  for pointing these my way. 
Oh, and speaking of Calvin & Hobbes, this should make you smile (especially, but not necessarily, if you're a history dork like me): "Few historians know of the heartwarming friendship between French Reformation theologian John Calvin and English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes, the latter of whom may or may not have been real, considering he was not even born yet."

Strange Girl by Sunfreak
Fandom: Spirited Away
Summary: "She's a strange girl. They all say it. She talks to rivers and trees and animals and won't dissect the frogs in science class. And she always wears that same silly hair tie, no matter how she does her hair."
Oh come on, when you saw that movie don't tell me you weren't aching for Chihiro to meet Kohaku again, weren't you? ;_;

Flying Again by esama
Fandom: Harry Potter AND Temeraire. Crossovers = <3
Summary: "Harry learns languages and philosophy and mathematics and misses something important, while elsewhere Charlie thinks of pearls and foolish dreams and is unable to find the right dragon." 
A story told in (adorable and touching) drabbles, in which William Laurence is reincarnated as Charlie Weasley, and Temeraire as Harry Potter. Give it a chance, if you love Temeraire. Also, dragons.

The Kids Aren't All Right by Christine Everhart(?)
Fandom: Iron Man, movie!verse
Summary: “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.”
...AKA someone actually wrote that article that the reporter chick was working on throughout the movie. You know the one, she who slept with Tony at the beginning of the movie, provided exposition throughout, and prompted him during That Press Conference to actually confess who he was. This fic has an amazing voice and really could be a part of official canon. It's amazing. Also, has pictures, like a real magazine article would!
This one is probably on my list of the top 10 most amazing fanfics of all time. This is the fic I point to/explain when someone asks me what the point of fanfiction is. 

The Cold We Hate by VioletzeEcoFreak
Fandom: Hetalia
Summary: "The North American Ice Storm of 1998, an indisputable example of the cold Canadians and Americans alike loathe."
America and England help Canada through a rough patch. I have a weakness for hurt-comfort fic. Also, Canadiana. This fic is particularly appropriate at this time of the year.

The Care and Feeding of Hobbits by Baylor
Fandom: Lord of the Rings
Summary: "Ruminations on the Little People by Boromir, Man of Gondor."
An oldie but goody. Lord of the Rings was one of my first fandoms, way back in junior high. This one is still one of my favourites, and holds a special place in my heart. Fluff, but believable fluff, with hobbit cultural tidbits and not-a-bastard!Boromir. :)

I saw The King's Speech a few days ago with my Mother dearest, and I have to say that it was one of the most uplifting movies I've seen in a long time. It was funny, engaging, entertaining, intelligent... I especially loved the swearing scene, nearly cried at the scene where Bertie actually began to talk about his childhood and could barely get it out, and gleed when the speech therapist's wife came home early and found the Queen of England sitting down for tea in their tiny little flat... as well as dozens of other beautifully done scenes. :) Amazingly well done film. Even the trailer makes you feel awesome, watching it:

And as for tomorrow... I'm going to post those postcards and letters, apply for jobs, and actually work on my thesis. I promise. >_>

Comments

[avocado-love.livejournal.com]

OMG I WANT TO READ MOST OF THESE.

*Bookmarks like crazy*

[beboots.livejournal.com]

Glad to be of service! :D I enjoy being a fanfiction procurer. Sometimes it's very difficult finding what you want, scrolling through pages and pages on fanfiction.net and livejournal and others...

[dayadhvam-triad.livejournal.com]

hurrah for Delicious!

You remind me I've been planning to make a sharp_teeth + Yuletide rec threads for ages. I will have to take care of that. XD

[beboots.livejournal.com]

Yay! Spread the love for awesome fanfiction! :D

[dayadhvam-triad.livejournal.com]

here you go :D

[beboots.livejournal.com]

Yaaaay! <3

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

OMG all of them, pretty much. I've found a few absolutely stunning Calvin & Hobbes fics, and that one is right at the top of the list. (I've also seen the picture of the philosopher and the theologian before, and it made me crack up.) Baylor and Forthright are both authors that I follow (coughstalkcough), and if you haven't seen "The Girl Who Aimed Straight," you completely should. There's a second part (The Jewel of Brandy Hall, I think), but it's an in-canon relationship where Frodo had a wife, and didn't know he had a daughter.

I haven't finished the Iron Man piece, but I just watched Iron Man 2 with the family a few days ago. Usually I don't like it when they replace actors, but Don Cheadle rocks my socks off. He can keep up the one-liners all day if he felt like it. The only thing I would add is the addition of a female in a practical outfit, but I think that's impossible in a superhero-based world. Ugh. Women do NOT fight crime in bustiers and high heels unless they're drawn by/for men. Tennis shoes and a sports bra would be much more comfortable.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

I totally second that motion about action movie/comic book heroines in impractical outfits. :P Is it too much to ask to have the occasional practical outfit? It can still be skintight, for Pete's sake! ;)

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

The GI Joe movie made me give up. I just wanted some mindless action with occasional glimmers of character development and cool special effects. I ended up watching the Law of Inverse \\\\Armor--the less armor the hot woman wears, the less often she is touched. If her armor involves a miniskirt (especially a leather one) and cleavage, the worst she's going to get is a few light scratches. Also, WAY too many women have their hair all loose and pretty, where it will
A. get in your eyes
B. provide an excellent handle
C. get covered in blood spatter and/or gunpowder and
D. seriously, WTF? You can do amazing things with bullet protection using a very thin material that still shows the curves of a boob all the way around, but three strips of fabric (even if they ARE tape) will not maintain breasts in gigantic hemispheres that don't flap right out of the minimal coverage. Pick two: breasts are large/high-sitting/real. If you have three, they're made of plastic or silicone, or maybe some nice saline gel.

/end rant. It's kind of depressing when guys look doubtfully at breasts when you're in a bathing suit that doesn't double as a wonderbra, and they're a bit lower than usual, and... grrg. I'm annoyed with boys in general right now, because I keep meeting guys and having all these crazy not-quite-dating relationships that people would not believe if I worked them into a story.

So yeah. I think Batgirl (Cassandra Cain edition) managed to have a decent costume, but she's the only one I can think of off the top of my head--except Catwoman, who only occasionally does the occasional thing on the side of the capes.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

I applaud your list. Seriously. Unrealistic. :P My action heroines will always wear clothing. ;)

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

I think it's a hazard of having way too many men writing comic books/designing comic books for men. If a woman does make it into the field, she won't go far unless she does the same "ridiculously stupid-looking body" thing.

Instant example: Powergirl. I'm not devoted to comics by any means, but my friend likes talking about them, and he is smart enough to realize that she's rather impossible. This is actually one of the more proportional images: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8v1GsU0mXjw/TJDztcj2eZI/AAAAAAAAAB8/fAs4gZcahso/s1600/powergirl.jpg

It's like comic book designers conveniently forget that there is a gigantic artery in the leg that can (and will) make you bleed out in three-to-five minutes if it's cut/severed. There's also a little area just above the collarbones where one hit can puncture a lung, sever a nerve that lets half of the diaphragm work, cut a large artery and vein pair (that can cause bleeding to death), AND potentially make the victim's arm completely useless.

I'm an anatomy geek. I got a Victoria's Secret catalog in the mail yesterday, and my mom watched me while I was reading it. I went through and critiqued their Photoshopping. They actually were better than most magazines (just because VS models are that crazily skinny), but there were a few images where they removed about four ribs and added impossible curves and got a little too happy in smoothing out the leg. My mom insists that leg was natural, but the edges were too smooth and the backdrop didn't contrast to it well.

I like nerdy boys. I tend to date them, with hilariously bad results. I can give a half-hour monologue on cue about the entire sordid history of "nerdy boys like me, but then they don't want to date me."

[beboots.livejournal.com]

Have you ever visited the "Women in Refrigerators" website? It critiques women in comics, and it's quite interesting: http://www.unheardtaunts.com/wir/

Oh man, I can imagine that photoshopping is crazy in such catalogues. I'm sure it drives you insane as an anatomy student. D:

I enjoy the nerdy ones as well. ;) Unfortunately, they are in strangely short supply in my city - at least, the single ones are for some reason. :P

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

One of my first favorite characters to write ended up on the Women in Refridgerators list for multiple entries. The Teen Titans show on Cartoon Network (I think) was very fun to play with, even if I sincerely regret deciding that I should write an AU with a high school. It's still the most known thing that I've done, and I wrote it while IN high school. Bah. Anyway--Raven has a backstory that makes her the instant "okay, nothing going on this week--let's have her go evil again."

At some point in my life, I'm going to snap, whip out a Sharpie, and draw the actual lines of the woman's body on magazine covers in a store. It's just a matter of time.

I can find nerdy boys. I can even find single boys. They just tend to be conservative enough that I can't talk politics with him (I make a base assumption that homosexuality is an inherent part of who you are, and if they're racist they're out just as fast). They usually think that I'm conservative, and are shocked to figure out that I'm not. I'm still planning out an outrageously liberal shirt to scare off the hyper-conservative boys. So far it involves rainbows and feminism, but it still needs the crowning touch.

I actually still like one of my ex almost-boyfriends, but he was old-fashioned. Cool. He wanted the guy to make the first move. Okay, you're pushing it since you apparently like a feminist, but whatever. So--he wanted to ask me out, he backed off fast on the occasions when I asked him out, and we might have gone on a date at his prompting once, but Mr. Traditional didn't make a single move toward the check, so I don't think he counted it as a date.

I had a lot more hope for him after my roommate found his stash of anime porn (because if he can keep that around, maybe I could have gotten him to second base within a couple more months), but that's the problem with nerdy boys. Some of them just don't know what to do. I was the first not-quite-girlfriend, so I think that eventually he'll have had enough experience to make it work with somebody.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

"At some point in my life, I'm going to snap, whip out a Sharpie, and draw the actual lines of the woman's body on magazine covers in a store. It's just a matter of time." DO IT! :D

"They usually think that I'm conservative, and are shocked to figure out that I'm not. I'm still planning out an outrageously liberal shirt to scare off the hyper-conservative boys. So far it involves rainbows and feminism, but it still needs the crowning touch." That would be a hilarious defense mechanism to ward off the unwanted hyper-conservatives! ;)

I can accept some traditionalism in men: in fact, that's one of the things I find attractive in some of the men that work at the same historical park that I do. They're not quite historically accurate, but they respect women, treat them with deference, they will open the doors for you when you go through them... and even though it falls to us womenfolk during the day to make the food and repair their moccasins or sew on loose buttons or whatever (all of that domestic stuff that is sometimes frowned upon today, but which we must do as a matter of course as a part of our characters with no question that the men won't be doing much to help), at the very least they thank us very kindly for the work we do, and try to help us out in a more masculine way. I've had men chop wood for me (even though I can/should do it myself), and the blacksmith has made me a cloak pin, a cross, and a fire steel before in exchange for delicious lunchtime meals cooked in a cauldron over open fires... Yeah, we live in the past and live within the past gender hierarchies, but it works for us because we have mutual respect (which is, again, probably historically inaccurate ;) ). Anyway, I don't even remember what I was saying... Oh, yes, traditional men! I think I was still on-topic. >_> I dunno, one of the things I really like about those who work at Fort Ed is that so often they must really improve their posture and diction, so they look so much more refined, which I really like over men who slouch and who don't take much pride in their appearance. Still, we're all history dorks together. ;)

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

I usually don't mind if a guy likes to be traditional, but it works much better if he doesn't mind me bringing up why specific aspects of typical man-woman interactions aren't really necessary. He doesn't need to pay for meals, but when I end up with somebody I will expect help with the dishes (unless we break up the chores in some other way, like if he does all the outdoor things and I do the vacuuming/dishes. I'm flexible, but I'm not doing it all by myself.)

I worked at a Taco Bell when I was right out of high school, and a lot of the guys would flirt. The only one to get my number was the sweetheart that grabbed a dish and started helping. The others would stand around when they had the chance and I was catching up on my gigantic sink of dirty dishes, but he came back and helped me. That meant that he could stay longer (he was busy, and we had enough staff), and when all the dishes were taken care of I helped him with the prep work.

It makes a lot of sense to use more traditional relationships in that kind of setting, and any guy that has the mutual respect thing going on is somebody I can work with. I've dated a couple that freaked if I opened a door for them, when I was closer and they were carrying something.

My posture only got better when I was helping out at the Girl Scout camp's barn. I spent most of that time fetching saddles and blankets and sitting on barrels correcting posture. I would feel like a hypocrite telling little girls to sit up straight while I was slouched over, and I was there often enough for it to become a habit.

[beboots.livejournal.com]

Guys that actually pitch in - and do more than pitch in - around the house are awesome. I don't think I'd consider dating someone who expected me to do all of the work all of the time. :P