Do you read what I read?

We’ll Take Manhattan by lachatblanche

It is 1962, and Pendragon Publishing is looking at how to expand the readership of its fashion magazine ‘Camelot’. The decision to bring in newer, younger photographers leads to Arthur Pendragon, the rebellious, innovative heir to the Pendragon empire being admitted back into the fold for one trial photoshoot, but only if he agrees to do things their way. Unfortunately for them, when Arthur claps eyes on Merlin - clumsy, nervous, doesnt-know-how-to-hold-still Merlin - he realises that he has found his Muse and that he will have to fight to keep him, even if it means pushing further than he has ever gone before.

In other words, this will be very much based on the story of photographer David Bailey and model Jean Shrimpton from the BBC’s ‘We’ll Take Manhattan’.

Verdict: Literally the only negative thing I have to say about this fic is that there isn’t more of it.  I just want to read about Arthur and Merlin and everyone else traipsing about Manhattan forever.

Now The People Will Know We Were Here (or: Everything I Know, I Learned From Heritage Minutes) by Chandri

“Figure skaters?” Rodney eyes John critically. “Figure skaters. And weren’t they the ones with the floppy purple shirts?”/”Hey, I had a crush on Jayne Torvill,” John says, defensively, and is glad he’s wearing the hat, because his ears are suddenly burning. Yeah. Jayne Torvill. That was it.

Verdict: SGA team goes to the Vancouver 2010 olympics.  John makes Rodney watch ice dancing with him.  There is literally nothing else I need to add this fic is perfection in Canadiana nostalgia form.

I Bet A Lot Of Folks Can Sing In Harmony by lady_ragnell

Ragnar and Lagertha hear Athelstan busking in a park by chance on the same day they lose their opening act. They convince him to come along with them as they tour their way across the country, and he fits into their lives better than they ever could have hoped.

Verdict: Every fandom needs a band AU and this does not disappoint.  Also have I mentioned how much I love well-written polyamory because yeahhhhh.

Excellent fic.

Another review found on my phone, also Cherik, because there needs to be more on this blog.

The Courtship by dvs

A story about a courtship that began five hundred years ago.

Verdict: A few typos seem to have slipped through the beta, which was a bit distracting at times, but the emotional rollercoaster that is the rest of the fic more than make up for it.  I grinned like a fool and stared in blank horror and nearly cried and on more than one occasion forgot how to breathe.  Maybe it’s the low blood sugar talking, but this fic was really fucking emotional, and really fucking good.

It’s absolutely bizarre to me that I haven’t posted any Charles/Erik fic here yet, since they are actually my number two ship-it-until-I-die OTP, after Kirk/Spock of course.

So let’s start things off with an adorable little AU I read a while back, since I found my review on my phone.

Hum a Few Bars and I’ll Fake it by wallhaditcoming

Erik Lehnsherr, German transfer student, first sees Charles Xavier when his acapella group performs at freshman orientation. Charles makes an impression, and Erik is determined to work his way into his bed. He succeeds, and the results are so spectacular the two chose to make it a regular thing. Everything is perfect, until emotions complicate something that should be simple.

Verdict: So sickeningly sweet it had me grinning like a crazy person on a crowded bus.  It’s just the right blend of adorable and hot as fuck, and if you combine that with the fact that it’s a college AU (which we all know by now that I have one hell of a weakness for) and you basically have the recipe for the perfect little fic.  It even leaves off before it gets too painfully domestic.  Perfection.

Every Day in Every Way by velocitygrass

“I’m here to propose an arrangement. Between us. I assume you remember our talk from earlier today and how… challenging dating can be on Atlantis. And since we’ve established that you’re attracted to me, I think it would be mutually beneficial for us to have sex.”

Verdict: It is very possible that developing relationships through porn is my new favourite trope.  Well, no, that’s a lie, nothing will ever beat out accidental bonding as my favourite trope, but this is becoming a close second. This fic is pretty much exactly how I feel a McKay/Sheppard relationship could actually go and it’s beautiful.

Transcendental by astolat

tran·scen·den·tal (trăn’sĕn-dĕn’tl) adj.

1. Philosophy. Concerned with the a priori or intuitive basis of knowledge as independent of experience.
2. Surpassing all others; superior.
3. Beyond common thought or experience.
4. Mathematics. Of or relating to a real or complex number that is not the root of any polynomial that has positive degree and rational coefficients.

Verdict: There isn’t nearly enough fic (that I’ve found anyway) where McKay assumes command, but I’m not actually sure there needs to be because this fic got it perfect in one.  The interaction and the relationship between Rodney and Sheppard is bang on (in more ways than one) and as far as I’m concerned (though I’m still not all that far into watching the series) the characterizations are pretty much perfect.  Also did I mention they fuck on Weir’s desk while she’s gone because yeah that is a thing that happens repeatedly.

Just go read this fic I cannot recommend it highly enough.

It has begun.

Black Helicopters at Dawn by whizzy

Screw the bet. Rodney was going to prove the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Oh, and incidentally, he might just catch the United States Air Force with their pants around their ankles.

Verdict: This is literally the one and only time that a Canadian cabin AU has ever actually made sense in context.  I’m not even exaggerating.  It’s pretty much perfection.  I was flailing like a crazy person for at least half of this fic.  I liveblogged much of it at Joc, and it was only partly because they’re the only person I could text who would understand the references.

There are side characters named Steve and Todd and it’s beautiful.

Also it hit a good many of my UST kinks and though it didn’t actually follow through (it actually held up the ‘U’ part for once, it was unexpected) and that wasn’t actually a tag which surprises me because damn.

Just read it for the love of all that is holy.

And then read the sequels.

My Son, My Sun by Wordsplat

Just before the events of Iron Man, a baby is left on Tony’s doorstep. He wants nothing to do with it at first, but his time in Afghanistan changes his mind, and Tony vows to become a better man for his son’s sake.

Verdict: Everything about this fic is beautiful and if you need me I’ll be crying in the corner because of my superfamily feels.

 When the Lights Go On Again by seanchai and elspethdixon

Aliens have invaded earth, and the Avengers are scattered. While Steve leads the resistance, Tony once again finds himself playing captive scientist. In the midst of a violent alien regime, separated by seemingly insurmountable boundaries, Steve and Tony have nothing to keep themselves going but each other.

Verdict: Words cannot express how much I love this fic now.  It’s got an interesting alien race, and it’s all the right kinds of dark and depressing while still being just a solidly fantastic read.  Would highly recommend.