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"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain."
- Emily Dickinson

HEROES: Severus Snape, Himura Kenshin, Kaido Kio, Holden (of maculategiraffe's The Slave Breakers series), Leroy Jethro Gibbs

2008 STORY OF THE YEAR:

"Twenty Thousand Gold Stars: A Novel About an Internet Community" by Dusk Peterson
(Link to the story at author's website)
Recommendation: I will try my best to be concise with this one because there is simply too much to say about TTGS. Briefly, it is a contemporary story based on reality about the struggles of adults attracted to minors. According to her author's note, Peterson spent three years researching this topic and seeking the heart of what is so often misunderstood and labeled "evil." She writes from the perspective of the so-called child-molesters and brings them to life in their interactions with one another, their struggles to find their place in the world, and their fight to not only survive but to love. No excuses or apologies are made, simply an honest, objective exploration of the human character, and the resulting masterpiece is powerful enough to change my perspective of the world and heartwrenching enough to leave me in sporadic tears for the rest of the week. The varying viewpoints in the story are intelligent, articulate, well-informed, in-depth, and thought-provoking. The characters challenge one another and the reader as well, and the characterizations are so real and human that I cannot help but respect - even love - every one of them (the character Gold Star, especially).

"That's why I hope you'll keep posting here, so that we can learn from your story, just as I've learned from the stories of the boylovers I've met here," says one character on the Internet forums in response to the mother of a child abuse victim. I beg you all to give this story a try, despite the sensitive content, because here is a story about love, about friendship, about forgiveness and acceptance and understanding, and I guarantee it will send your world lurching, as it has mine.

Warning: The subject matter is delicate, to put it lightly. Topics include to varying degrees religion (primarily Christianity), human rights, homosexuality, pedophilia, incest, and suicide.

UPDATES:

Rurouni Kenshin/Lord of the Rings: "On the Edge of Kyoto" and "Aragorn's Sorrow" on hiatus. SaiSa, however, is beginning to infiltrate my sanity again.

Harry Potter: Snape, Snape, Snape - this seems to be a mantra I can't escape from. But my God, how intimidating is it to write Snape?

Loveless: There is a collection of Kio/Soubi one-shots in various states of completion on my harddrive, and I'm working sporadically on "Define Faith." Also, I'm collaborating on-and-off with SeimeiAoyagi on, uh, something. Sometime.

Mirage of Blaze: The problem with this obsession is that the canon is so epic I'm perpetually terrified of dirtying its boots with my meager offerings.

FAVORITE FANFICTIONS:

DARK IS RISING SEQUENCE

How Lonely the Earth by Magic Door
"Will is missing, and Alice is dying. Her wish is to see her sons together before she dies. Paul, Simon and Barney check out their last possible clue… a W. Stanton in Trewissick, Cornwall. SLASH."
(This is a two-parter of incredible beauty and humanity. It works with the mystical aspects in Cooper's books and deepens it into reality.)

DEATH NOTE

Before I recommend anything, might I just preface this by saying that anything by Serria is a must-read. I've never seen an author who gets Death Note as much as she does. Every time she writes, I'm left gaping in awe.
Office Politics by RagePrufrock
"L, being a much-lauded and world-renowned genius with several increasingly nonsensical and obscure aliases, should have known from the start that the relationship wasn't going to work out."
(Dry and humorous one-shot. Hilarious, really. One of the earlier DN fanfics, I believe, and just incredibly well-written.)
Trivium by Asper
"There's no denying we feel the third one. His presence lingers here like the manacles that once shackled your lovely wrists. Misa, Raito, L and the place where three roads meet. some LRaito"
(Lyrical, poetic one-shot, slowly tugging you under. "Aquarium Steps" has the same drunk-on-beauty effect.)
The Incidentals by Arislan
"Light x L. Light is willing to go to any lengths to get what he wants. Spoilers for 58."
(A painful, bittersweet one-shot. Some food for thought on the side, as with all decent DN fics.)
Picturesque by Fantastical Queen Ebony Black
"LRaito In the shadows that clutter their bedroom, there is no clear separation between one thing and another. Perfections and imperfections, right and wrong, the space where Raito's hands become L's... Oneshot"
(A beautifully-descriptive one-shot with brilliant details weaving it together. An in-depth understanding of the characters, which isn't easy with those two!)
Mind Games by Wild-filly
"Yagami Raito had considered many potentialities arising from owning the Death Note. One of those potentialities he had not considered however, was becoming handcuffed to a certain sugar reliant insomniac. Shounenai and complete, requests pending!"
(All fourteen chapters are very carefully crafted, telling an enthralling romance underscored with cutesy humor. I love the writing here.)
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Aishuu
"An alternate universe. L and Raito meet under different circumstances."
(An AU and a WIP multichapter, but the good writing and delicious mix of complexity and subtlety is so worth it. ESPCIALLY if you're a DN fan.)
Not So Smart After All by Amindaya
"If they're so smart, then why can't they figure out that they love each other? LightXRyuzaki. Alphabetical A through Z chapter titles, sort of like word prompts but with a continuous storyline."
(Clever and entertaining; there's a lot going on under the surface to the reader who spares the time. A WIP.)

GRAVITATION

100 Ways by Castalia
"Yuki always says 'I love you'."
(This fandom has too many brilliant stories for me to name them all. This one, though, is notable for its classic-Yuki snarky humor and nothing more - thankfully for those without much time to spare. No need for brains here; just grab and gobble and go!)

HARRY POTTER (Look here)

HIKARU NO GO

Boardsong by Asper
"Hikaru, at the end of his life, on the last road back to Innoshima. Sai, AkiraHikaru"
(Stunning writing. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. And yes, that's all I have to say. Just go read.)
Go Fish by Laziness Incarnate
"Only those who are playing can see into the depths." Waya, Touya, Hikaru and a lot of fishy metaphors. Yet no plot or humour whatsoever, sadly. One-shot"
(To begin with, a fantastic metaphor followed by insight after insight. This is one for much adoration. And go read the author's "Memoirs of a Go Player" crackfic on Touya Akira. So worth it.)

LORD OF THE RINGS

Leaves of Gold by Lady Elina
"A portrayal of the friendship and love between Aragorn son of Arathorn and Legolas Greenleaf, spanning from the year before the Council of Elrond to Aragorn's death in the Fourth Age. Warning: this story contains explicit slash. STORY COMPLETE."
(Beautiful, mellow writing, exploring time and love.)

LOVELESS

Lolita by Kamikakushi
"AU Aoyagi Ritsuka smiled at the little butterfly, and took Soubi's breath away. A forbidden affair, a secret love, and all Hell breaks loose when the truth is revealed. R and R. Based on the novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. complete"
(The intensity and sheer magnetism of this story is indescribable. Stylistically ethereal, yet unforgivingly heavy on the angst.)

RUROUNI KENSHIN

A shout-out to Kuroiyousei for her diligent contributions to the Saitou/Sano pairing. She's written a HUGE collection of stories centered on these two characters, covering a wide range of genres, all found on her website. She keeps the SaiSa flame burning.

Ballad of a Lonely Heart by Midori Natari Himura
"(Complete) Kaoru is a world famous singer receiving mysterious death threats. Kenshin is the bodyguard hired to protect her. As they find themselves falling in love, can he protect her from the danger that looms ahead? Pls R&R! (KxK, AxM)"
(Thrilling and fast-paced. A blend of mystery, action, and romance.)
Snowblind by Nekotsuki
"Two rivals, intent on killing each other. One way home. One sword between them. This could get messy..."
(A very intricately crafted story, yet to be finished, with gorgeous, gorgeous descriptions, illustrating the tension between Kenshin and Saitou on a mysterious foray into the harsh winter wilderness. Anything by Nekotsuki is well-worth your time, and this one is my personal favorite.)
What the Day Demands by Meriko
"Two Shinsengumi Captains (Saitou & Okita) with too much time to think, and just enough time to talk. Best-friends, semi-angst vignette. Bakumatasu time period, obviously. The day after the Ikeda-ya massacre. Status: Complete."
(My absolute favorite RK one-shot. A stunning masterpiece and a must-read.)
Dreaming by MsJadey
"Sanosuke's strange dreams are interfering with his life. But what can he do if he can't even remember what they're about? malexmale COMPLETE"
(A SaiSa must-read. It goes without saying that the whole package is well-thought out and well-written. Sanosuke is a bit different from canon, but his growth is entirely believable, even inevitable. Saitou too has his share to learn. A remarkable take on making this pairing work.)
The Courtship of Lady Tokio by misaki-toyodome
"The story of the courtship of Tokio and Saitou. A fictional account based on historical events of the Shinsengumi and the years of the Bakumatsu. Political intrigue, action and a sense of old fashioned Japanese romanticism."
(A hopefully still ongoing story with incredible depth and development and historical details. It's impossible not to fall in love with it.)
West of the Sun, East of the Moon by FarStrider
"COMPLETE A sick Rooster. . . A put-upon Wolf. . . and A SaiSa Fairytale you won't soon forget. . . (Heartfelt thanks to everyone reading this story)"
(I cannot begin to extol the beauty of this tale. A very absorbing, very heart-wrenching story. I love it.)
Descent into Madness by Conspirator
"When Kenshin first came to Kyoto, he was a wide-eyed, idealistic youth. How did he change into a hardened hitokiri?"
(An overwhelming read, weighty and engaging. A huge amount of research and thought was poured into the making, and the masterpiece churned out is incredibly moving. Very, very impressive.)

X-MEN: THE MOVIE

Lover, Brother, Bougainvillea by heyjupiter
"When did Erik meet Mystique? Five ways it could have happened. EC, EM."
(Five subtle drabbles, with bits of startling humor sprinkled amidst the heaviness. Every X-Men fan ought to read this.)

A huge THANK YOU to any and all who have ever taken the time to read and/or leave a review.

-EmptyWord