DS Match Haiku Review

[hyperfocused.livejournal.com]

Due to defaulting last year, I was unable to participate as a writer for this year's DS_Match, which gave me great sadness. Instead, I was instructed to do recs to clean my plate -- er, slate. So here we have a palate cleansing series of Haiku Review for each fic. If you haven't already, go read and vote!

( For Team Whimsy: )

( For Team Reality: )

DS Match Fic: I can see the stars from a million miles

[instantramen]

Title: I can see the stars from a million miles
Author: it's a mystery
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: PG-13
Length: 7300 words
Why I'm reccing this story: In honor of our electricity finally being restored (what's the point of living in the Midwest if the hurricanes are going to get you anyway?), I've selected a story that, as well as being a prime example of the sheer weirdness Team Whimsy is capable of, gave me a bit of extra happiness because I'd finally seen Starman earlier this month and so had that whole improbably scenario pretty fresh in my memory. Beneath the crack it's pretty sad that the aliens' plot nearly goes off without a hitch, but otherwise this fic is a testament to the glory of crack. Everything that happens? Half Huey and Dewey's fault.

( I can prove it. )

I can see the stars from a million miles

DS Match Fic: Truths Like Gravity

[instantramen]

Title: Truths Like Gravity
Author: someone from Team Reality (see, I'm not Whimsy-exclusive!)
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski (duh)
Rating: R
Length: 3800 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: Because deep, dark secrets of fic preferences don't last long when you're reccing stuff to people, I might as well confess to another: I love kidfic. I love my favorite characters being happy, and I love big, tight-knit, not-necessarily-blood-related families, so a well-done combination of the two gives me the warm fuzzies. Team Reality's last mystery author rocks the kidfic hard: everything about Ray and Fraser flying half-blind through the ordeal of raising their three daughters feels honest, at least to my inexperienced self, and <SENTIMENTALITY ALERT> it makes me appreciate my mom even more (which, by this point, is honestly like dumping a glass of water into the ocean to make it wetter). </SENTIMENTALITY> I also got the sense of a lot of family backstory without feeling overwhelmed by exposition, which is always good but especially in shorter stories like this one. Get thee hence to share my warm fuzzies, or check the excerpt if you really need swaying on the whole sentimental parents thing.

( A brief excerpt )

Truths Like Gravity

Insta-rec: "Benton's earliest memories are of stories"

[keerawa.livejournal.com]

Title: Benton's earliest memories are of stories
Author: omphale23
Pairing: gen
Rating: G
Length: 200 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: omphale23 posted this snippet, unremarked and unnamed, in the midst of a bunch of polls and event planning. I nearly missed it! This is a glimpse of Benton on that hinge point of his life, mother gone, father absent, trying to adapt to life with his grandparents. Snippets rarely make me cry, but this one did.

( A brief taste )

Benton's earliest memories are of stories