ds_recsredux | Entries tagged with category: slash

scriggle.livejournal.com

Title: 30 Days in Europe
Author:

capella_fic
Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Rating: From G to NC-17
Word count: Approx. 35K (broken up into 30 shorter stories)
Why I'm reccing this fic: It's a post-CotW established relationship fic. Something that always hooks me. The boys are on a whirlwind tour of Europe thanks to a benefactor. Fraser is undoubtedly Fraser and Ray is... well, Ray. It has a little bit of everything: warm and fuzzy, incredibly hot sex, romance, a touch of angst. All in all, a very satisfying long read.

( A brief excerpt )

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
The last two days

sam80853.livejournal.com

Two stories sprung to my mind immediately:

Title: La Danza Mas Antigue
Author:

mrsronweasley
Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Rating: NC-17
Why I'm reccing this: Because the boys are in Mexico and it's hot - not just in Mexico. And Salsa and ...
You can feel the whole atmosphere like you're there, in the middle of things.

Title: Southern Exposure
Author:

the_antichris
Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Lenght: 4700 words
Why I'm reccing this: C U R L I N G !!! In New Zealand of all place ...

Current Mood: cheerful

hurry-sundown.livejournal.com

Today's post is a bit of a grab-bag (and kind of long). Before we get to the links, though, I need to say something: This right here is the best fandom ever. Ever, do you hear me? There is so much good fic out there by so many talented writers, that when I started looking for what to rec the sheer volume of excellence nearly made me cry. I'm telling you, there were sniffles involved. And that doesn't even count the masterworks of the fandom, like "Hawks and Hands," "Academic Punk," or "With Six You Get Eggroll."

Okay, here we go (and these are in no particular order). It took a while for me to appreciate the merits of cross-dressing. Er, so to speak.

lalejandra made me love it. In "Woman Like a Man" (PG), Fraser and RayK meet under very different circumstances.

Genderfuck, a bit like cross-dressing I think, is one of those genres where you might not get it, until you really get it. My break-through story of this kind is "Gonna Go to Babylon and Get Me Some Whiskey" (NC-17) by

sanyin. Fraser should know better than to leave RayK unattended. I'm just sayin'.

Sometimes, even if you're in both fandoms involved, a particular crossover never would have occurred to you. Meet Benton Fraser, Rogue Demon Hunter. No, that's not fair to say, because it implies that the story is funny, when ... not so much. "Hands on the Wheel, Eyes on the Sky" (no rating, but I'd say PG) by

inlovewithnight is another fic on my short list of best-evers. dS/AtS crossover, Fraser and Gunn on the road.

The next rec actually did make me cry. "By the Sounding Sea" (R) by

cathybites goes AU from "Mounty on the Bounty." F/K, lyrical and compelling, plus it's got Poe.

Oh, geez, those were all kind of serious, huh? Well, here's a hopeful fic, a particularly fine example of The Boys Buy a Clue. "Where I End and You Begin" (rated "no pants") by

visionshadows is a sweet and funny story of what happens when everybody but Fraser and RayK think they're, y'know, boyfriends.

I'm going to wrap this up with two fics that just slay me, for very different reasons. First is "Special Fucking Friends" (R) by

slidellra. I would have rec'ced this one in my crossover post, except ~~I had a total brain blip and couldn't for the life of me remember who wrote it or where I'd found it~~ the fandom it crosses with is Canadian RPF, and the fandom it pulled me into was HCL. When Hugh Dillon loses his passport while in Chicago, where's he gonna go for help? Sheer genius, and so very, very hot.

Finally, if there's anybody in dS fandom who hasn't read this story at least three or four times, please raise your hand. If I had to pick one and only one fic to demonstrate everything I like best about dS fanfic, I'd choose "Ray Is Not Actually Graphing The History Of His Relationship With Fraser - That Would Be Pathetic, And Ray Is Not Pathetic - But If He Was Graphing It, Even Just In His Own Stressed-Out, Messed-Up Brain, It Might Look Something Like This" (NC-17) by

sprat. It's got everything - humor, angst, hotness, relationship advice, and the entire story is one long parenthetical, punctuated by graphs.

So we're done here. Enjoy the recs, and please give some love to the authors when you do.

*smooch*

Current Mood: feisty

hurry-sundown.livejournal.com

Today's instalment of "fic that changed my fannish experience" concerns Ray Vecchio. I love Ray Vecchio. The thing is, I never shipped F/V, or V/K for that matter. F/K is my OTP, zomg!!eleventy!!!!11!! But ... in the right hands, F/V and V/K? Are awesome.

First up is the "Loose Affiliation" series by

spuffyduds (scroll way down for the links) (NC-17 overall). This right here was the moment I realized that yes, Fraser could have it goin' on with Ray Vecchio. And it would be hot. (Don't get distracted by all the other insanely good fic linked in the same post, because I'll undoubtedly be reccing a couple more of them by Friday).

I don't recollect the first V/K that made me say, "Okay, yeah" but this one made me happy in a whole new way. I'm talking about the"Scenes from a Marriage" series by

elementalv (Tara Keezer) (again, scroll down for the links) (NC-17 overall). This is V/K with a twist, a dS/Sentinel/Dresden Files fusion, as the author says (no prior knowledge of the other fandoms required), and it's funny and angsty and hot. It doesn't have a definitive ending, which makes me hope she'll come back to it someday, but it ends in a good place for now.

Finally, how do you get from OTP to OT3? In my case, you read "Mosaic, Piece by Piece" by

china_shop (NC-17). I'd read other F/K/V before this, but this was the story that made me believe it could last. And that was pretty tough to do, because my idea of F/K/V runs more along the lines of

spuffyduds's "One Two Three Two One" (also available from her links page).

Enjoy the stories, feed the authors, and come back on Friday for a grab-bag of other fic that made me go "Hmmn."

hurry-sundown.livejournal.com

"Theme? I don't need no stinkin' theme!"

Well, that's what I said to

dessert_first, anyway. But I do have one. A theme, that is. The theme for this week is "dS fic that changed my fannish experience."

Today's recs are three crossover stories where you don't need to know anything about the fandom being crossed with dS to enjoy the fic, but after reading it you'll likely be adding a new fandom to your list.

First up is "Don't Drink, Don't Smoke (What Do You Do)" by

minervacat (PG-13).

Hot Fuzz? What is this thing you call Hot Fuzz? Only one of the funniest (and, um, grossest) movies ever. I knew nothing about the village of Sandford, nor about Inspector Nicholas Angel and Constable Danny Butterman, before Fraser and RayK landed on their doorstep. Although you don't need to know anything about Hot Fuzz to fall in love with this story, I predict you'll want to rent it fast, and watch it repeatedly. Implied slash in the story and the movie, which has nearly as much subtext as dS.

Next is "If You Can See Where You're Going" by

isiscolo (PG).

I still haven't actually seen Wilby Wonderful (amazon.com is long sold out) but after reading this fic I went looking for every other story I could find. Plus, it's got Frannie! Who can resist a good Frannie story? This fic trades on WW's casting (Paul Gross as Buddy French and Callum Rennie as Duck MacDonald). Non-explicit het, and a little angsty in places. And if anyone has a copy of WW they're willing to lend out, please let me know.

Last but not least is "The Play" by

sam80853 and

missapocalyptic (hard R, at least).

I had already twigged to Slings and Arrows by the time I saw this, but this one pulled me in. Fraser and RayK travel to the town of New Burbage, where festival artistic director Geoffrey Tennant has come under threats for producing *ahem* "Romeo and Julian" (so yes, slash). And be sure to read the notes at the end, which are hilarious. Surprisingly, this fic does not trade on common casting (Paul Gross as Geoffrey Tennant), which is something I still can't figure out.

These are all longish, and should keep at least some of you busy until Wednesday. Hope you enjoy them, and don't forget to feedback the authors.

keerawa.livejournal.com

Title: "If It Walks Like A Duck"
Author: BethH
Pairing: Frasker/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: 28,000 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: The OC here, Sara, is real, funny, and well-rounded. She and Ray are old friends, the kind that can meet up again after decades apart and fall right back into the groove. The plot's a classic: Sara thinks Ray and Fraser are together, Fraser's encouraging Ray to go out with Sara because he thinks he hasn't got a chance with him, and Ray's blind jealous, convinced that his two friends are getting together behind his back. It's sweet and fun, with some low-level angst, a little h/c, and even a case thrown in as a bonus!

Link to the story: If it Walks Like a Duck

Title: "Eight Sessions"
Author:

cesperanza
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: 207k
Why I'm reccing this fic: This tricky, incredible story must be read for a great many reasons. The sheer craft of the author's reveals, scene shifts, and changes in perspective leave me breathless. Fraser in therapy? Painfully funny. But this is an OC Challenge, so let's talk about Ray's therapist, Melissa Wertzer. This woman is utterly brilliant, centered as a Zen master, and so insightful you want to give her a medal. She knows when to push, when to back away, and she does not back down in the face of full-on Kowalski attitude. Here's what Melissa has to say about Ray. "Ray's very resilient, as I'm sure you know. He's like an emotional gymnast—fear, anger, hate, loathing, joy, love, dismount, and the Russian judges give him a 9.8." How can you resist?

Link to the story: Eight Sessions

Title: "Free"
Author: Viridian5
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: R
Length: 12,500 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is an AU where Fraser ends up unofficially partnered with Detective Rachel 'Ray' Walker after Vecchio goes undercover. The two of them try to help out her old friend, an undercover detective by the name of Ray Kowalski. Ray Walker is hot, smart, honest, and caring; a kick-ass detective with a dangerous edge. If I could conjure any fictional character into my bed for a night, she's my pick. Ray Walker also plays a major role in Viridian's Borderlands story, "Nevermore."

Linkt to the story: "Free" and "Nevermore"

belmanoir.livejournal.com

Yay for the Tie Me Down Challenge! I love me some due South bondage. Sadly I have already recced a number of my favorite due South bondage stories (including all the top!Fraser F/V I know of that I didn't write personally, except for that one fic with Fraser and Kowalski topping together which is AWESOME but everyone has already read it because it's AWESOME) in previous weeks. So you get two top!Vecchio F/V stories and an awesometastic Ray/Ray (top!Kowalski! but with potential for switching!).

Title: The Ties That Bind Us
Author: Rushlight (http://www.slashcity.org/~rushlight)
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~11,000 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: Because dude, it's F/V bondage! Straight-up consensual BDSM with collars, floggers, cock-rings, &c. Ray has top's guilt because he's a sweet guy! He doesn't want to hurt Fraser! Except for the part where he really, really does. I really like this story because it's hot, hot, and more hot, and I really like what she does with the complexities of the Fraser/Vecchio power dynamic.

Link to the story: The Ties That Bind Us

( Brief excerpt. )

Title: Ties That Bind
Author: X-Tricks (http://x-tricks.slashcity.org/)
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~1500 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: Because it's hot! Consensual D/s. Also I love Vecchio in this fic. He punishes Fraser for sucking the pleat off his pants! He makes Fraser be untidy! Awwww. Dominate me, Vecchio!

Link to the story: Ties That Bind

( Brief excerpt. )

Title: Spill
Author:

china_shop
Pairing: Ray/Ray
Rating: NC-17
Length: 3700 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: I have already pretty much recced this fic up and down the internet but I have to rec it again because I LURVE IT BEYOND WORDS. Seriously, I soulbonded with this fic at first sight. I mean, it's Ray/Ray bad cop handcuffed-to-a-chair fic set in an AU based on a Dinosaur Comic. It is hilarious, and hot, and did I mention HOT, and cracky, and convincing, and HOT. The tagline:

On a PLANET where INTERROGATION is BANNED

One COP CALLED RAY and another COP CALLED RAY have to TEAM UP to CATCH CRIMINALS

they eventually UNDERSTAND each other and FUCK

also, neither cop is A DINOSAUR we should have put that on the TOP of the POSTER

Link to the story: Spill

( Brief excerpt. )

keerawa.livejournal.com

It was the Salmon Mousse!

Sometimes I just need a little deathfic. So this week I'll be reccing a series of Death, Near-Death, After-Death, and Not-Really-Dead due South fiction. The stories where a brush with death is just what the boys need to push them together. The ones where True Love is a bond that lasts beyond the grave. And a few that rip your heart out and stomp on it.

While avoiding spoilers, I'll let you know where each story stands on the angst to joy spectrum. Without further ado, here are four recs to start off the week.

( Go Gentle, Across the Great Divide, Undone, and Oddness )

bluealbertaskys.livejournal.com

*Screeches to a halt and looks around*

Have I made it in time? Have I? Have I missed it? Do I suck yet?

Ok well the new challenge hasn't gone up and I haven't seen these fics recced yet so I'm going to hope I made it in time for the Amnesty Challenge cos I was lame and completely missed the "Fics of my Heart" Challenge the first time 'round *head/desk*

I can't do pretty links so you'll have to bear with me whilst I regale you with copy+paste html I'm afraid.

Took me the past 2/3 weeks to narrow my choices down to just three for the Amnesty Challenge and hence the main reason I was late to it the first time but I've come up with the three I return to read the most.

Title: Ping
Author:

cesperanza
Pairing: RayK/Fraser
Rating: NC-17
Length: 41k
Why I'm reccing this fic: Because I adore it. The fact that Ray believes he's missed his chance, the semi-stalkerish side that we know Ray has and the fact that Ray K's "voice" is just perfect here. This just got to me and refused to budge from my memory and is one of the first stories I think of when I think of due South fanfiction. I love all of

cesperanza's fic but this one is one of the first I read and is definitely my fave.

Excerpt (did I mention I was rubbish at fancy cuts? Um, yeah.)

( Read more... )

http://www.trickster.org/speranza/Ping.html

Title: Tilt
Author:

elementalv
Pairing: RayK/Fraser
Rating: R
Length: 3300 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is what I call my feel-good fic. The one I return to when I'm feeling low or rather "meh" and need something I know will cheer me up. It was written for one of the

getfraserlaid prompts and I adore it. The idea of Fraser in a gay bar amuses me greatly and Ray being considered someone's "little sister" still had me laughing for ages after re-reading it for the umpteenth time. And the line about Fraser and a social life is one of the best lines ever

Excerpt

( Read more... )

http://community.livejournal.com/getfraserlaid/3671.html

Title: Losing My Religion
Author:

au_kestrel
Pairing: RayK/Fraser
Rating: NC-17
Length: 348K
Why I'm reccing this fic: One of the first things I did when I got into this fandom was to hunt out a central archive and get a feel for the writing and style for the authors in it. I found the due South Archive at http://squidge.org/dsa/ (for any newbies who haven't found it yet :D) and, me being me, promptly went off to find my favourite kind of fic. The Epic! I love huge fics. Something I can really sink my teeth into and lose myself in. Especially in cold weather when I want to stay in the warm and curl up with a brilliant fic. Someone else has already recced Anonymous-co's "Busted" (and it's sequel) for this challenge I believe and so I want to point you in the direction of

au_kestrel's "Near Wild Heaven" Series the first part of which is actually "Three Christmases" but the first epic part of which is "Losing My Religion". I love this fic completely. The characters are spot on and everyone's included, the sex is h.o.t and it's lovely and long and plotty.

Excerpt

( Read more... )

http://www.squidge.org/dsa/archive/series/losingmy.html

These three may well be amongst my top five faves but there are many wonderful stories in this fandom (and the authors for writing them) and I thank you all for helping to make the due South fandom my favourite fandom of all.

(Hope I've done this right. This is my first time posting recs like this. Given it's technically Monday mods, feel free to delete if I've done something wrong by posting so late.)

Current Mood: happy

belmanoir.livejournal.com

This is for the fic of my heart amnesty challenge---and can I just say how thrilled I am that this is going on? Because I went through like all these fics, agonizing over which to rec, FINALLY getting down to three, I had the tabs open, I was all excited about posting---and then I somehow missed the deadline. It was tragic.

Anyway, I decided I had to have a theme or I was never gonna be able to get down to three, so these are three Fraser/Vecchio S1/2 fics that capture something about the Fraser/Vecchio relationship that was amazing to me when I read them (and still is, because these are all fics I've reread like a million times each, but I mean, they were like, epiphanies that first time---like "OMG IT CAN BE LIKE THIS? REALLY? AWESOME!!!1!").

Title: in your corner
Author:

kormantic
Pairing: F/V
Rating: R
Length: ~4500
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is a post-Duel fic where Fraser goes into shock in the Vecchio bathtub, and then stuff happens. I seriously cannot even count how many times I have read this story. Amazing Vecchio voice, there's one of my favorite Inuit stories EVER, I love the epigraph with a burning, burning love...plus OMG the ending! I think this was the first seriously angsty Vecchio I read, and although I choose to believe the ending is unequivocally happy...let me just say that some of the choices she makes for the romance were really exciting to me and taught me something about the freedom that you have as a fanfiction author to write whatever kind of love story you want.

Link to the story: in your corner

( Brief excerpt. )

Title: Conviction
Author:

china_shop
Pairing: F/V
Rating: PG
Length: ~5500
Why I'm reccing this fic: This fic, for me, captures exactly the way I see Fraser/Vecchio towards the end of season 1, that whole arc through "Heaven and Earth." That plotline with Frannie and the scene in the interrogation room is one I've come back to again and again in my own fic, and the way

china_shop deals with it here is just...exactly what I always wanted without knowing it, and here it is! Amazing Vecchio voice, great interpretation of canon moments, and...just the way Vecchio YEARNS for Fraser, this sad hopeless devotion, and Fraser with his own inability to make the first move...just. Wow. Also, awesome Frannie! \o/

Link to the story: Conviction

( Brief excerpt. )

Title: The Sight of the Stars
Author:

brynnmck
Pairing: F/V
Rating: R
Length: ~3000 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is like, the perfect, perfect banter-y two-cops-one-motel-room-one-bed fic. This is Ray and Fraser doing their thing, their awesome, awesome thing where Ray is hilarious and Fraser is secretly orchestrating everything but still insecure, and they're crazy and adorable and care about each other so much. *loves* The first time I read this fic, I pretty much bounced up and down in my chair making squeeing noises for the entire second half.

Link to the story: The Sight of the Stars

( Brief excerpt. )

dessert-first.livejournal.com

You know, you'd think since I have access to the challenge list, I'd sneakily prep for these challenges ahead of time.

You'd think.

Anyway, I can't resist a good declaration of affection. And it was just Valentine's Day, and my cup runneth over with love for due South and fandom and the glorious fanworks out there, so here's my Valentine to Declarations of Affection in fandom. Or at least, Part One, because I am so very going to take advantage of Amnesty week to post again in a few days. :)

Title: Hearts and Flowers
Author:

china_shop
Pairing: F/K
Rating: PG
Length: 3,669
Why I'm reccing this fic:

china_shop has mastered the art of the G-rated romance. She packs in so much UST and expectation and emotion and attraction and passion and love that by the time they get to the declaration, the reciprocation of emotion is actually a satisfying conclusion, even to a confirmed porn-lover such as myself. It's amazing!! How does she do it?

In this story, Ray wants to tell Fraser he loves him. But then there's Diefenbaker *and* dead!Bob putting in their two cents about the romance to an unappreciative Fraser, a field of opium poppies, a deranged former florist, and generally inspired wackiness. I adore the mix of the dS-style case-related nuttiness, the perfect Ray POV and the simple, heartfelt premise—how do you tell the guy you love that you love him? Also, Fraser's reaction to the declaration might just be the best thing ever. Seriously, you've probably read this, bookmarked it and told all your friends, but do yourself a favor—read it again. It's greatness.

( A brief excerpt )

Hearts and Flowers

Title: Seeking Gold and Glory
Author:

joandarck
Pairing: F/K
Rating: G
Length: 2,633
Why I'm reccing this fic: Okay, this is like a Not-Declaration, or a Nearly-Declaration story. Because Ray tries, he really, really tries, and gives up, and tries again, and he just keeps coming back. He's so dogged, like an outmatched boxer in the ring who just refuses to give up. I adore him.

Also, it's hilarious and charming and beautifully written, with a shivery ending, great characterizations, sparkling dialogue and beautiful Fraser POV. I do not hesitate to declare my affection for this story.

( A brief excerpt )

Seeking Gold and Glory

Title: Things I'll Never Say (vid)
Author:

voiceless009
Pairing: F/K
Rating: Not rated, but probably around a G
Length: One minute, fifty-four seconds
Why I'm reccing this vid: Because it's a vid set hilariously tongue-in-cheek to Avril Lavigne (with the vidder's apologies for turning Fraser into a teenage girl), all about Fraser wanting to tell Ray he's in love with him. And having no idea how to do that.

I really love how Voiceless009's vids are telling active stories; they feel like fics. The montage that kicks off twenty-three seconds into the vid is textbook angsty declaration fic: Fraser is fidgeting and hemming and hawing, actually clutching a bouquet of flowers, Ray is uncomfortable with the weirdness, they tug at their collars and shift restlessly and there is such a clear communication going on there between Fraser and Ray, wherein Fraser admits he's being a bit of a dork and Ray agrees while trying to take the sting out of it.

But that's not what Fraser wants to get across. The vid is beautifully intercut with scenes of Fraser speaking and failing completely to engage his listeners on a real level; he can't get past the surface caricature of himself. It's completely charming and funny and sad and poignant, and I defy you to watch this vid without laughing—and wanting to smish poor Fraser. Ray's reaction shots throughout the vid are nothing short of comedy gold.

( A brief excerpt )

Things I'll Never Say

Current Mood: cheerful

sam80853.livejournal.com

This one springs to mind immediately -- I certainly will be back with two more later ...

Title: Watershed
Author:

nifra_idril
Rating: NC 17
Why I'm reccing this fic: because it almost hurt when Ray finally confesses. He so doesn't want to admit that he's head over hells but who is he kidding anyway?

"You're the super genius Mountie, so don't play dumb with me, because I know better. This is fucked, and it has been for a while, and it's your fault, Fraser, okay? Everything was *fine* before, back when we were just partners and neither of us had any kind of ideas about the other one, and now things are - they're not right, and it's messing us up, it's messing *me* up, Fraser. So you have to stop being in love with me."

Current Mood: apathetic
Current Location: HCI, Whitehorse, Y.T.

belmanoir.livejournal.com

Title: Comfort Zone
Author:

lalejandra
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~35,000
Why I'm reccing this fic: This rec is brought to you by my passionate love of top!Fraser. In this fic Fraser wants to explore his sexual boundaries so Kowalski takes him to gay bars. Some stuff happens. Let me tell you, the declaration scene is one of the hottest things I have ever read. A couple paragraphs of it is behind the cut. (It comes a little late in the fic, so if you are very anti-spoilers don't read it, but I don't think it gives away anything big.)

Link to the story: Comfort Zone

( Brief excerpt. )

Title: the person fumbling here is me
Author:

snoopypez
Pairing: Ray/Ray
Rating: R
Length: 2300 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: Because this fic is hot and adorable in about equal proportions, and because I LOVE the way Kowalski tells Vecchio he's interested. Both times. Kowalski is so smooth. NOT. The first time (it comes pretty early in the fic) is behind the cut. The other one is EVEN MORE AWESOME. Just imagine that.

Link to the story: the person fumbling here is me

( Brief excerpt. )

Title: About Time One Of You Lunkheads Said It
Author:

brynnmck
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Rating: PG-13
Length: ~2500
Why I'm reccing this fic: Because Fraser uses the YAWN MANEUVER. Do you REALLY need to know more? I think not. But in case you want to, this fic is AMAZING. It is everything I love about season 1 and 2 F/V: banter, Vecchio bitching and not meaning it, excessive physical contact, Fraser being slightly disingenuous and a lot adorkable...This fic never fails to make me very, very happy.

Link to the story: About Time One Of You Lunkheads Said It

( Brief excerpt. )

zebra363.livejournal.com

I've recced this here before, but it's the dS story of my heart.

Title: Broadway Hotel
Author:

resonant8
Pairing: F/K
Rating: NC-17
Length: 37K
Why I'm reccing this fic: When I think of dS fanfiction, I think of the moments in this story when ( spoilers )

( ( An excerpt ) )

Broadway Hotel

ifreet.livejournal.com

Title: Retired Guy Hobbies
Author:

greensilver
Pairing: Vecchio/Stella
Rating: The author didn't specify, but I'd venture PG.
Length: 4,214 Words
Why I'm reccing this fic: Much as I love Fraser and Kowalski riding off into the sunrise on a dogsled, the endings given to the other characters in Call of the Wild have never set well with me. Could Ray Vecchio and Stella Kowalski really be happy running a bowling alley in Florida? And how did they end up with a bowling alley anyway?

greensilver answers with a beautiful, believable piece from Ray's POV.

( Excerpt )

Retired Guy Hobbies

Title: Exposures
Author:

dsudis
Pairing: F/K
Rating: PG
Length: 12 k
Why I'm reccing this fic: This is an odd one for the "fics of my heart" rec, I know, being a death fic and all. But since the challenge asks for the ones that stay with you, I couldn't leave it out. I think Exposures was the first death fic I read in dS; I'm sure I read it well before I'd watched Call of the Wild, which is probably part of why it got such a grip on me. The other part would be how much of a whallop is packed into so few words.

( Excerpt )

Exposures

Title: The Teeth of the Hydra
Author:

resonant8
Pairing: Kowalski/Stella, F/K
Rating: NC-17
Length: 140 K
Why I'm reccing this fic: Here's another one that I read early on and that has stuck with me. I've told friends about this story and promised to send them a link, in blatant attempts to suck them into the fandom. Unfortunately, I tend to forget that "that awesome Ray and Stella history" is also "that serial-tattooing casefic wherein Ray comes to some Realizations and gets together with Fraser," and, as a result, I've sometimes talked it up to people who won't read slash--and then I am sad.

( Excerpt )

The Teeth of the Hydra

norabombay.livejournal.com

The theme for this week is the Due South Story of our soul. That one or two or three stories that no matter what, you always come back to. I've read 90% of the Due South fic on the internet, but there is one story that always, always, always has me coming back for more.

And never fails to leave me in a happy place. Ever.

Title: Beguiled
Author: Rhi Marzano (who I wish would write a lot more DS)
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17 (But a soft NC-17)
Length: 55k, almost long
Why I'm reccing this fic: I first read this fic back in 2003 or 2004. Forever in fandom time. And I've gone back and read it repeatedly. And it never failed me. Rhi has managed to create what I like to think of as a grown adult fic- her Ray and Fraser are real people, who have real concerns and do real things. In 55k she gets across what some authors fail to get across in 550k. And never once do I have a moment where I question it. it's a domestic piece. Ray & Fraser manage to move in with each other, hearts and lives before they get together. A kid shows up. And an epic battle between wolf and septipus is launched. And the entire time, they steadfastly refuse to talk about it. In short, it makes my happy place go boom boom boom.

Bonus points for :
The excellent use of RayV & Stella- far too often Stella in particular gets demonized, or they do for their relationship. This shows the pain, without making them bad people.
Elise, the neighbor with the Bacardi, who gets three lines, but I want to see again.
And finally for the use of Ray's family, who often get written out or ignored.

This Ray & Fraser could be my next door neighbors, and I love that about them.

I'll intersperse a few excerpts: ( Bits of Beguiled behind the cut )

Read it here: Beguiled

bluebrocade.livejournal.com

Title: Simply Ray
Author:

ardent_muses
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: 12,000 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: The angst! Oh, the angst! I can't read this fic without tearing up. It's so deliciously heartbreaking and so very plausible -- afraid of getting hurt, Ray and Fraser stop talking to each other, make wrong assumptions and end up making things so much worse. Oh, boys!

( A brief excerpt )

Simply Ray

Title: Some Strange Prophecy
Author:

cesperanza
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski, Fraser/various OCs
Rating: NC-17
Length: 53,000 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: I hated this fic the first time I read it. I didn't understand Fraser's actions. I found the whole thing depressing and anti-romantic. But I couldn't stop re-reading the damn thing! Once I finally got a handle on it, I loved it madly. This fic has a very bold concept of Fraser -- but also a very specific one. He may at first seem OOC, but there are very in-character motivations for his actions.

( A brief excerpt )

Some Strange Prophecy

Title: Sestina (the series)
Author:

basingstoke
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski, Vecchio/Stella
Rating: Not Rated (I'd give it an R)
Why I'm reccing this fic: I love how Ray and Fraser are written in this series. They're equals. They're not perfect. They're human. I love the domesticity of it, the little details of their post-CotW 'out but not advertising it' life. I love Vecchio's portrayal as well, his uneasy acceptance of Ray and Fraser and his relationship with Stella. This fic is a crossover with 'Homocide: Life on the Streets' but no knowledge of that show is required.

( A brief excerpt )

Sestina: Zen. Tidal Waves. Cigarettes. Baby's Breath. Collision. North.

simplystars.livejournal.com

Okay, since (like everyone else) there was no way I could choose a mere *three* "fics of my heart," because you should SEE my bookmarks and plus that's just cruel and unusual - I decided to define fics of my heart as those which bring me comfort, which make me smile and feel sooooo happy no matter what. They are classics and I'm sure you've all read them already but you know you want to again, because they are just. that. good. :)

Title: Morning Glory
Author:

aerye
Pairing: F/K
Rating: R?
Length: medium
Why I'm reccing this fic: I guess I have a sleepy!kink, where warm bodies tangle together under toasty covers and wake in that marvelous, lazily-stretching way. And while Fraser might be the morningest of all morning people, Ray isn't, and I like that in my Ray. Aerye gives a week's worth of mornings and hotness and Ray and Fraser being who they are, in addition to being Ray-and-Fraser. ♥

( An excerpt )

Morning Glory

***

Title: Ray Is Not Actually Graphing The History Of His Relationship With Fraser--That Would Be Pathetic, And Ray Is Not Pathetic--But If He Was Graphing It, Even Just In His Own Stressed-Out, Messed-Up Brain, It Might Look Something Like This
Author:

sprat
Pairing: F/K
Rating: explicit
Length: medium-long
Why I'm reccing this fic: Oh,

sprat. How are you so brilliant? This fic has everything - humor and angst and stealth relationship conversations, and misguided!Fraser and fantastically befuddled!Ray and graphs. Actual, mathematically realistic (which I appreciate, being a teacher and all) graphs that will crack. you. up. Oh, and the hotness is *scorching* - should've been a graph for THAT, though I'm not sure it can be mathematically rendered.

( A [perhaps not-so-brief] excerpt )

Ray Is Not Actually Graphing The History Of His Relationship With Fraser

***

Title: Housekeeping
Author:

resonant8
Pairing: F/K
Rating: NC-17
Length: medium/35K
Why I'm reccing this fic: I looooove this story - even though Ray and Fraser are apart post-COTW at the beginning - because wacky things happen and Ray gets to be the undisputed Hero and rescue Fraser (more than once!) and there is banter, and banter-with-Dief, and Welsh's dry wit and a charming cameo by Frannie. With a clever alternating POV and marvelous Fraser/Ray voices, and a happy ending... what more could you ask for in a story?

( An excerpt )

Housekeeping

viciouscats.livejournal.com

It never hurt anyone to re-read great fic, so I decided to go with fandom classics. Here are (some of) The Fics of My Heart:

Title: Kowalski Is Bleeding
Author:

cesperanza
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski, Vecchio/Stella
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~39500 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: All right, what to say about this story? You've all read it, right? Now, go and do it again! *g* Seriously though, how much do I love Vecchio here? I love him like whoa! :) This is my favourite Vecchio out of all Vecchios possible. And Fraser, woobie-ish and so stubborn, determined to find his Ray no matter what. *hearts* Remember that scene with RayK's glasses? Breaks my heart every time. And the structure of the fic? All those flashbacks that show us the relationship backstory? A work of genius, no doubt here. Honestly, I could go on forever, listing things I love about this fic, so let me just say that this is the story I re-read the most in due South. I return to it again and again, finding something that I crave at the moment each and every time (angst, hurt/comfort, friendship, love, slash, het, first time, established relationship, plot, a bit of AU, even humour, etc - you name it).

( A brief excerpt )

Kowalski Is Bleeding

Title: Playing Wolf
Author:

kelliem
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~84300 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: I adore kidfic, no secret here. And this is a kidfic with a twist, which just makes it so much more delicious. [btw, dear strange non-kidfic people, your ways are foreign for me but I love you anyway, so I'll mention that you won't find any babies or children here; come on, don't be afraid! :)] I also have a great weakness for established relationship post-CotW F/K fic and this story satisfies that need perfectly. Add a bit of misunderstanding, a bit of jealousy, some angst about things long past, hot sex, interesting original characters and Kellie Matthews' brilliant writing, and you'll get one happy me. That is why I'm reccing this fic. :)

( A brief excerpt )

Playing Wolf

Title: The Vigil Series
Author: Elaine Walker and Mitch Hudson
Pairing: Fraser/Vecchio
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~135000 words
Why I'm reccing this fic: Four years ago I discovered slash and this was one of the first stories that I read in any fandom. And you know what they say about your firsts: they always stay with you, no matter what. :) So yeah, I have a soft spot for this story, nevermind that, imho, it isn't perfect and I've read better F/V fics since then. If you like long, epic stories (this one covers about 20 years of Fraser and RayV's life together), angst, kidfic, hurt/comfort, fics dealing with coming out and homophobia issues, then this story is for you.

( A brief excerpt )

The Vigil Series (or here (scroll through); Mitch Hudson's parts of the series are here)

nos4a2no9.livejournal.com

Title: Now I've just come ashore
Author:

slidellra
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: R
Length: short
Why I'm reccing this fic:

slidellra has a true gift for language, pacing and storytelling: she's able to convey so much in a small space that even her shortest snippets have great meaning and resonance. I adore her writing, and I'm particularly taken with this piece. I return to it again and again, in both text and podfic form, and it always gives me a warm-squishy-happy glow of contentment. (As opposed to one of her other fabulous stories, such as Practicalities, or Ray and his thinking/feeling/wanting cock which just makes me feel, uh, glowy in other ways). S marries the best kind of erotic fiction with a poignant statement about intimate love in this fic, and sure, the sex in this is smokin' (blowjobs at the breakfast table, anyone?) but it's also tied to a sense of warmth and security. The last line leaves me breathless each and every time.

( A brief excerpt )

Now I've just come ashore

Title: East O' The Sun, West O' The Moon
Author: Hth
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski, Vecchio/Stella, Fraser/Vecchio
Rating: R
Length: long
Why I'm reccing this fic: Hth's ability to capture character voice using first-person narration is a pretty amazing achievement, and I think that particular skill is on perfect display in this trilogy of stories. Each piece is narrated in first-person POV by Fraser, Vecchio and Kowalski, respectively, and each piece is pitch-perfect in the way it captures each man and his complicated sexual and emotional connection to the other two. I think it's probably my very favourite due South fic (at least from a technical angle) and I re-read it at least three times a year. The subject matter is fascinating: Hth explores grief and terminal illness, unexpected parenthood, love, sex and sexuality, and Fraser and his Rays are revealed to be deeply flawed and brave men who seek connection and redemption at a high cost. I'm still a little awed by the narrative talent on display, but the story itself is a fascinating and involving read that should fill anyone's requirement for angst. I know there's a criticism to be made here about the use of the hated "Stanley" moniker, but I find it makes sense given the context and the explanation Hth's Fraser supplies. It's the only downside in a truly marvellous story, and I hope everyone who hasn't already read it (all two of you) will give this story a chance.

( A brief excerpt )

East O' The Sun, West O' The Moon
Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down
The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Title: Written on the Body
Author: Colleen
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski, Mark Smithbauer/OMC
Rating: NC-17
Length: Long
Why I'm reccing this fic: This four-part story is probably an unusual choice for "due South fic of my heart" because it only tangentially involves Fraser and Kowalski and the world of due South: I'd say it actually skirts the line of original fiction. Mark Smithbauer, the hunky hockey player and Fraser's childhood friend from "The Blue Line," is the central figure in this tale about an unexpected May/December romance. Further complicating things is the fact that it's an AU: "The Blue Line" never happened, and when Fraser appears midway through this story it's as shocking to the reader as it is to Mark Smithbauer. The spectre of Dira's Hockey AU looms large here, but I think Colleen does a great job of creating her own unique story about the highs and lows of a career spent in professional sports. Smithbauer is still in the NHL when this story begins, and he is trying to hold his life together and conceal a devestating secret. He's also determined to be alone, and sex for him has always been about satisfying a need, not about making connection. Into his life comes a young farm-team rookie named Todd, who seduces Mark with an easy, sensual charm and soon installs himself in Mark's bed and heart.

Their road to romance is a rocky one and is full of unexpected twists, complications and disappointments: the first half deals with Mark's selfish inability to connect, Todd's inexperience, and the difficulties and insecurities both men feel over establishing a long-term relationship. Once Fraser and Kowalski enter the picture things seem to shift into another gear, and by the end the story reveals itself to be a beautifully elegiac statement about the nature of undying love. Like Hth's story, this one plays with theme and character to produce a fully-dimensional portrait of a human life in all its beauty and complexity. And despite the nature of Mark's secret (I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't yet read this wonderful story) "Written on the Body" is, at the end, a celebration of life. Colleen could have easily recast this as an original novel, and I feel so lucky to have come across it in the due South fandom. It's an amazing read, and I hope you'll give it a shot if you haven't already.

( A brief excerpt )

mark's story, written on the body
interlude: contact
todd's story, written on the bones
epilogue: find the river

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due South Recs Redux

Entries tagged with category: slash

30 Days in Europe

La Danza Mas Antigua, Southern Exposure

Guest Recs for March, 3/3

Guest Recs for March, 2/3

Guest Recs for March, 1/3

"If It Walks Like a Duck", "Eight Sessions", "Free"

"The Ties That Bind Us," "Ties That Bind," and "Spill"

Guest recs: Death Fic

Ping, Tilt, Losing My Religion

"in your corner," "Conviction," "The Sight of the Stars"

Hearts and Flowers, Seeking Gold and Glory, Things I'll Never Say

Watershed

"Comfort Zone," "the person fumbling here is me," and "About Time One Of You Lunkheads Said It"

Broadway Hotel

Retired Guy Hobbies, Exposures, The Teeth of the Hydra

Beguiled

Simply Ray; Some Strange Prophecy; Sestina

Morning Glory, Ray Is Not Actually Graphing..., Housekeeping

Kowalski Is Bleeding, Playing Wolf, The Vigil Series

Now I've just come ashore, East O' The Sun, West O' The Moon, written on the body

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