Weekly rec post 1.1 (the reboot)
Jul. 27th, 2011 06:55 amOkay, lets try this again. But maybe a bit differently.
This time, please rec us your favorite long, plotty, multichapter fics. Whatever pairings you like, or gen. WIPs are okay too.
Please use the following template:
Title:
Character(s)/Pairing(s):
Rating:
Warnings (if applicable):
Summary:
Why it's great: (optional, but, again, we'd love to hear it! A favourite quote would be fine too)
Link(s): (if the story is posted in several places, it'd be great to have links to all of them, since that way we're less likely to lose it in the future, but that's not required. You can also put the link in the title if you want.)
This time, please rec us your favorite long, plotty, multichapter fics. Whatever pairings you like, or gen. WIPs are okay too.
Please use the following template:
Title:
Character(s)/Pairing(s):
Rating:
Warnings (if applicable):
Summary:
Why it's great: (optional, but, again, we'd love to hear it! A favourite quote would be fine too)
Link(s): (if the story is posted in several places, it'd be great to have links to all of them, since that way we're less likely to lose it in the future, but that's not required. You can also put the link in the title if you want.)
no subject
Date: 2011-07-27 05:17 pm (UTC)Title: Variation on a Theme by Scribbler
Characters/Pairing: Mainly Anzu, Yuugi, Yami, sort of Yuugi/Yami
Rating: T
Warnings: the kind of violence you'd see in the series
Summary: When Yuugi was ten, he gave away something to cement a friendship: The Millennium Puzzle. But the safety of the world needs the Puzzle solved, right? Well, yes. Yuugi's friend Anzu didn't realise what kind of gift she was accepting.c
Why it's great: A re-telling of the anime where Anzu is the one possessed by Yami. Scribbler writes the most amazing Anzu, very flawed and passionate. She gets all the characters, really, but her Anzu is particularly great to read.
Link(s): http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2630951/1/
Now Xparrot does the Kaiba brothers well. She characterises both of them and their relationship beautifully, but what's also nice is how the other YGO characters get their turns to shine and contribute to the action. These fics give the feeling of the series really well because of that.
Title: Safeguard by Xparrot
Characters: Kaiba-centric, main cast
Rating: Teen and up
Warnings: some violence
Summary: When tragedy befalls Kaiba, Yugi and his friends fear such a devastating loss may be too much for him, and now, unless he can fight a hostile takeover, he stands to lose Kaiba Corporation as well. Or is something else wrong?
Link(s):http://archiveofourown.org/works/88732
Title: Legally Insane by Xparrot
Characters: Kaibas-centric, main cast
Rating: Teen and up
Warnings: some violence
Summary: According to popular belief, going more than three days without sleep means you're legally insane. Mokuba's kidnapped, Kaiba's losing it, and Yugi and his deck are just trying to help...
Link(s):http://archiveofourown.org/works/88738
no subject
Date: 2011-07-29 01:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-29 01:07 pm (UTC)Character(s)/Pairing(s): Anzu/Yugi, Mai/Joey, Honda/Shizuka/Otogi triangle, Malik/Ryou, Seto/Kisara + other characters
Rating: T
Summary: Two years after graduation, a Duel Monsters tournament brings the whole gang together again...
Why it's great: It's a whole, long series that gives all the characters some spotlight and gets them and their relationships right, has a great awesome plot, and feels a lot like the source material. Connections, centred on Ryou and Malik, can stand on its own, whereas you should probably read Revival before Identity – though imo, the writing is even better in Identity.
Link(s): The whole thing has eleven parts, so I think it makes the most sense to link to her author profile on ffnet; the Revival Prologue is story 23 atm, and except for Revival II they're all posted in order from there on.
Title: Where Angels Fear to Tread by PsychoticTiger
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Eventually minor SxJ, YxY, BxR
Rating: T
Warning: WIP, probably abandoned
Summary: AU. In a desperate attempt to save his sister, Joey sells his soul to the Devil, but nothing's ever that simple. Meanwhile, Yugi struggles to accept the voice inside his head telling him he's destined to save the world..
Why it's great: First of all, I love the writing style: it's fun, light, entertaining on its own; then, the whole AU world is very interesting, and the characters' roles in it very fitting; and I love the evolution of relationships, Seto and Joey especially.
Title: Being Dead Ain't Easy by Being D
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Seto/Joey
Rating: T
Summary: Tragedy strikes. Joey Wheeler is gone forever. Or is he? Joey POV. Post Duelist Kingdom AU. Will eventually be sort of Seto/Joey.
Why it's great: It's a puppyshipping classic, and I think it's well deserved; the evolution of the relationship is great and believable, the plot very interesting (as a Yami Bakura fan I'm very found of his involvement in it and his characterisation), and the plot very interesting.
Nenya85 writes great, plotty Prideshipping fic that converted me to that pairing with how convincingly she writes them (and with how much I enjoy every bit of interaction between them); the writing always feels very tight and precise (and often pretty!), the characterisation is one of the best I've seen, the relationships (the romance, but also between the Kaiba brothers, Yami and Yugi, and others) are really well done, and she always finds new, interesting ways of exploring the characters.
Title: It's Deja Vu all over again
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Yami/Kaiba, Mokuba & others
Rating: M
Summary: A 13 year old Seto and an 8 year old Mokuba are sent to present day Domino where they meet, of course, their counterparts. AU. Eventual Yami x Kaiba or KY. Brace yourself Kaiba, Yugi's not the only duplicate in Domino!
Title: There's no such flavor as Kaiba Light
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Yami/Kaiba, minor Yami/Yugi & Seto/priest Seth, Mokuba
Rating: M
Summary:
Runs with the flawed premise that the Millennium Items can grant the wishes of the heart. Basically, Kaiba's got company, and Yugi and Yami get dragged into the ensuing mess. Occupies the underpopulated HumorAngst category.
Title: The Newly Revised Book of the Dead
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Yami/Kaiba, Mokuba, Yugi & others
Rating: M
Summary:
A fairy tale that begins the moment the manga ends and takes Kaiba, Mokuba and Yugi on a quest to find Yami. Of course, as a very wise and Holy Elf points out, seeking and finding are two very different things. Prideshipping; Kaiba / Yami; Yami / Kaiba
Title: Giving Up the Ghosts
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Yami/Kaiba, Mokuba, Yugi & others
Rating: M
Warning: WIP
Summary:
After Alcatraz, Kaiba takes Yami's advice to defeat his personal demons a little too literally and builds a virtual world to do just that. But mixing technology and Millennium Items is rarely safe. Prideshipping eventual Yami / Kaiba AU.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-30 07:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-30 07:06 am (UTC)Character(s)/Pairing(s):That's rather up in the air still, but it looks a lot like Tendershipping (Yami Bakura/Ryou Bakura). Also there's pretty epic offscreen Puppyshipping (Kaiba/Jounuchi)
Rating: T
Warnings (if applicable): Uhm, psychological scarring due to the canon events?
Summary: Time changes people. And three years is a long time for change, as the spirits - especially a certain Thief King - discover upon their return to the modern world and their former hosts. For one of those hosts, it's a dream come true. For another, it's their worst nightmare. And for one, it's just another painful part of their downward spiral.
Why it's great: This story is mostly known as "the one where Ryou reacts to Bakura's return by hitting him with a baseball bat", although I mostly love it for realistic post-canon character development and for actually dealing with the issues the show brought up instead of glossing over them. It is awesome and long and not even close to finished and gets still updated.
Title:Serpentine 'verse by
Character(s)/Pairing(s):Tendershipping (Yami Bakura/Ryou Bakura),Tornshipping (Yami Bakura/Malik Ishtar/Ryou Bakura)main, others
Rating: M
Warnings (if applicable):Rape.
Summary:
Why it's great: I would quote, but there's way too much of it. It starts out kinda like a look at "How the other half lives",fixing a couple of mythology mistakes while at it, and then evolved into this epic that just blows you away. I usually don't like angst, because mostly because usually it's angst for the sake of angst, but this story is so close to canon and at the same time isn't, and never deters from the plot.
Link(s): Delusions,Bad Religion,Interlude,Final Eclipse. Has also two prequels Bloody Dawn and Speak. Can also be found in her Journal here
And because it just needs to be mentioned:
Title:Flight Forwards by Aramis-chan
Character(s)/Pairing(s):Tornshipping (Yami Bakura/Malik Ishtar/Ryou Bakura)
Rating: T
Warnings (if applicable):I might just be loopy from sleep depravation, but I don't think so.Do you have to warn for cardgames?
Summary:The Ishtars ask Yuugi for help after Malik is kidnapped by someone who demands the millennium rod as a ransom.
Why it's great: Quote, because it's too awesome for me to properly explain. (And this is hard too, because I have so many favorite quotes that would totally spoil the awesomeness):"He finished the duel instead of you," Malik explained, feeling bad for even having agreed to finish playing.
"Oh... I guess I should have expected him to take over. Did he win?"
"You won," Malik snapped unhappily. "He only played your last move."
"Oh. Doesn't really matter." He shrugged, and glanced up at Malik, who was looking at him intently. "What?"
"I just... A few days ago you tried to tell me to stop him, and now you talk as if... On whose side are you?"
"I'm on no-ones side," Ryou said calmly, and recollected his cards.
Long quote is long, but the awesomeness lies between the words.
This fic made me love this ship. And I regret nothing.
Maybe I'll think of more when I'm less tired.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-08 12:51 am (UTC)Character(s)/Pairing(s): Tornshipping (Yami no Bakura/Malik/Ryou) and Danceshipping (Mai/Anzu)
Rating: T
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: Life has much to offer those who step outside their allocated role. When Anzu is whisked into a royal palace and Ryou is propelled into a den of thieves, both face Promethean politics and a cold war of rival empires. Steampunk AU.
Why it's great: WIP, updates regularly. Very clever, and amazing world-building. All the characters are awesome but Marik and Bakura steal the limelight for me. Quote from chapter 7:
'It is with an acute sense of encroaching peril that Ryou comes to breakfast on the fourth morning to find his hosts silent and grinning, practically twitching with barely suppressed excitement. That Marik is deftly polishing a pair of revolvers does not particularly help matters.
"We," says Bakura, with an elegant flourish at nothing at all in particular, "are pirates."'
Link(s): http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6925221/1/Stars_From_the_Gutter
Title: Enchantment
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Psychoshipping (Yami no Bakura/Yami no Malik), Sickleshipping (Thief King Bakura/Yami no Malik), Angstshipping (Malik/Ryou)
Rating: M
Warnings (if applicable): Sexual content. And violence, I guess.
Summary: Egypt is a land devoid of magic. Sold into slavery and haunted by his brother's death, Malik understands this. The gods are dead. Myths have lost all meaning. Where, then, is he to turn? Certainly some hope still burns between the desert and the sky!
Why it's great: Beautifully written and never a dull moment.
Link(s): http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3898752/1/Enchantment
no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 01:15 pm (UTC)Pairing(s): Yami no Yuugi/Yuugi, Atemu/Mana, implied Mahaado/Atemu, Otogi/Shizuka, unrequited Anzu/Yami no Yuugi
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: whiteout: character death in alternate timelines
Summary: Every world, every universe, has to obey the Great Timeline – that which holds all worlds together, directing them towards the right course of time. What if some of the timelines were disturbed, impacting events that could change lives and worlds?
Why it's great: This fic is epic. Mahado and Mana travel to different universes where a small thing went differently, with all the consequences, as well as to the "original" timeline; the plot is really engaging, the characters and relationships are extremely well done, the writing is great.
Link(s): http://www.darkmagick.net/challenge/2006/fic/pastpresentfuture.php;
she also started posting it here on ffnet (and I figure if she's prodded about it she might finish, in case the novella challenge site ever goes up in flames. Btw, all the novella challenge fics are definitely worth a read!)
Title: Hunting Games by Tuulikki
Characters/Pairing(s): Jounouchi & Kaiba, Ryou/Kaiba
Rating: PG
Summary: Jou is a Hunterborn Lord, Seto a young thief in the King's City. At the age of eight the Hunter's Oath throws them together. Life as brothers isn't always that easy, but it's the least of the problems they'll face.
Why it's great: It' a fusion fic, but you don't need any knowledge of the other fandom to read it. I love the role reversal between Jounouchi and Seto, where Jou is the one with "status"; the relationship between them is really well done, the descriptions of the "hunt" lovely, and I enjoy the plot a lot!
Title: Snow on the Sahara by Jaswinder
Pairing: Thief King/Ryou
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: whiteout: character death
Summary: Set in Ancient Egypt. A young thief named Bakura is rescued from the brink of death by a farmgirl named Ryou, who's more than 'she' appears...
Why it's great: Gemshipping classic, and well-deserved as well. Heartbreaking, Lovely evocation of ancient Egypt, great evolution of the relationship, ...
no subject
Date: 2011-08-13 01:23 pm (UTC)Title: Padded Cells by Yami hitokiri
Pairing: YY RB MM KJ
Rating: PG-13
Summary: AU After a series of strange accidents Yugi's sent to a mental hospital. What is this voice inside his head? What is hidden in the Red Wing? How are there other people with his powers?
Why it's great: Wasn't really grabbed by the setting as first – Yugi in psychic ward because of the pharaoh's presence in his mind, not that we stay stuck there! – but it worked really well; the similarities and differences between canon and the AU world are very interesting, and the characterisation lovely.