Guest recs: Character pieces

[innocentsmith.livejournal.com]

Hi, I'm innocentsmith, and I'll be guest reccing stories for the month of October.

Due South has a lot of things going for it, but one of the things that makes the show so appealing for fandom purposes (I mean, aside from all the slashbait) is how character-driven it is. The leads are fascinating and multilayered, the secondary characters are full of interesting contradictions that make for great fic fodder. And even the most minor characters show flashes of depth and humanity.

So this month I'll be reccing character pieces, with a mixture of gen, canon pairings, femslash, and slash. Let's start off with a selection of fics that take place Long Ago, and, in some cases, Far Away. Who are these characters, where did they come from, and how did they get to be the people they are?

Bullet Challenge by sageness (Gen, G) - A short epistolary piece that somehow manages to be the best bit of Bob Fraser fic I think I've ever read. Here he is in all his chatty stoicism, understated heroism, and completely facepalm-y priorities.

Home Schooling (Gen, G) - A brief window into Benton's childhood through the eyes of Martha Fraser. I have a major weakness for Martha-fic, having been close to an irascible, larger-than-life grandparent myself, and luzula always does great things with an underrepresented character.

white gloves and wet umbrellas by Pares (Gen, G) - Stella waits to be picked up after dance class on a rainy afternoon, and has a brief interaction with a boy named Ray. No, another boy named Ray.

Scars by estrella30 (Kowalski/Stella, PG) - Little Ray K and Stella, with the best of intentions, leaving marks on each other. Sweet, and yet suggestive of what's to come for these two: I never read this one without wibbling a bit.

Deserted by nos4a2no9 (Gen, PG-13) - Young Fraser finds a postcard from a faraway place. A lovely, bittersweet little piece, suffused with longing.