Hurt/Comfort Recommendations

I've been on a WK kick lately (it's probably the anticipation of waiting for the BW fanart calendar I bought a few days ago). And I don't know if it can really be called a proper rec if I'm reccing pretty much everything ever written in the sneezefic genre for the fandom(er, well, not mine)... but what the heck. Nice to have it listed all in one place, no? And, honestly, I haven't yet read a bad WK sneezefic!


First, there's all of magictoes11's fics. *happy sigh* She has a few good intro pages that I know I made use of before I was familiar with the series: General info about Weiss (with especially yummy pictures) and Weiss character info.

One Man's Mission by Magictoes11 was the first WK fic I ever read. And, as such, has a very special place in my heart. I read this fic over and over again just for the lovely image of Ken running around in socks kicking a ball of newspaper for lack of having a ball. Something about that is just so perfectly Ken and so adorable at the same time. Not to mention that I have a weakness for 'snowed in cabin' fics in general *blush* The Ken & Yohji dynaimc is brilliantly written. Case in point:
"Not to worry, Yohji. I think I've got this thing going pretty well now. You'll be warm as toast in no time." Ken placed an additional log onto the fire before backing away, joining his teammate upon the couch.
Yohji pulled the afghan higher, wrapping it firmly around his chest with his free hand. "Only thing that would make it better would be a pretty woman to hold," he murmured, smirking lightly.
"Sorry, Yohji, looks like you're stuck with me, instead." Ken's grin was wide, a little too impish for Yohji's liking.
"Hardly a substitute, Ken-Ken. You're built the wrong way to do anything for me," he said casually, flicking the ash from his cigarette into an ashtray sitting upon the coffeetable beside him.
"Behave." Ken leaned back, one leg bouncing slightly in restless anticipation.
There's something about Yohji that begs to be slashed. I don't have any clue why, as he goes after anything in a skirt...maybe I feel like he's overcompensating or trying to hide something. But I love slashed!Yohji when the fic acknowledges his canon actions as well. And I just adore playful & caring Ken. And the reprise of this bit later on in the fic is my favorite, but I didn't want to give anything away by quoting it here. LOL *sigh* I love this fic.

Gentian Rain and Freesia Dreams by Magictoes11 beg to be read together in one sitting. The Ken/Omi dynaic is fantastic. The repetition/echos from one to the other are fantastic. Clearly, I think these are fantastic stories. LOL There's a great balance of angst and fluff, and something deeper under the surface when it comes to Ken and Omi. My favorite part- which was inevitable and had potential to turn cliche or cheesy but is written so perfectly- is when Ken gets kicked off the mission because he's sick. Aya is (to be fangirly about it) omgsoperfect!!! Not to say that everything else isn't perfect... I just really love that part especially. In general, it's a really nice set and the boys are written so very well and in character. And I just want to snuggle Ken the whole time whether he's in the hurting or the comforting role :-)

Mad Season also by Magictoes11 is just great. I love Omi's sneezes. And love his inner angst about sneezing, as well as the comments he makes about them. I adore the description in the third paragraph about the different types of sneezes from the boys... because it sets the situation up so well (and because I adore this take on their sneezes!). And I especially love how Ken's the one he confides in and sneezes in front of. *sigh*

Her fics are definitely my favorites... but probably just because I have such a thing for Ken *G* However, there's also a fantastic page on the website with pics from fan comics in which Ken is sneezy and sniffly and utterly adorable *snuggles* Sniffly Ken-ken. Love this. Much much!



traprose's Too Much of Nothing fascinates me. Short (well, not really that short) and... well, not really sweet either. It's mischievous and a little naughty. And it's perfectly Schwartz. And when I'm in the mood for Schwartz, this is... ohh it's yum. I'm NOT by any means a Bradfangirl. I think maybe the only kind of Crawford fics I like are Carford-tortures ;-) Which is probably why I enjoyed this one so much...
"--k'sh!" Not even two hastily raised knuckles could quite smother that one completely. Schuldich, rapt, savored the strangled sound of it.
Blinking, Crawford at last turned around. "If that's you, Schuldich," he said, but there wasn't quite enough menace in his tone, because his breathing was irregular and his hand was again halfway to his face.
Schuldich's eyes half closed in pleasure, wondering how in Himmel this had never occurred to him before. It wasn't only the turmoil of his unsteady thought, or the slow-rising tide of uncertainty in the taste of his mind-- Schuldich could see the man struggle, watch the troubled rise and fall of his breathing! Purely poetry.
This fic is pure poetry. The word choice and sound of the sentences (not to mention the sneezes!) in my head is gorgeous. It's a pleasure to read.



And now we come to Gayle's fics. *dies* Such a fabsulous writer, and has the characters down so absolutely perfectly that it's scary at times (especially because Schwartz is pretty scary at times!)
Speaking of which, there is Viewpoints by Gayle is a very interesting read. Not even a sneezefic can make me think of Crawford as a little less evil. I do like his concern for Shuldig in the story. But little details like him continually "thinking" he knows what's best for
Shuldig just go to prove that he's a controlling jerk. LOL It's so delightfully in character... I was hooked from the very beginning- with the opening scene out in the cold. And I must say, of all the Shuldig moments in the series, my favorites ever are the images of him leaning back against trees
looking all sexy and cocky and suave and Mmmmm *purrrrrr* I was thrilled at the parts in the story where he does that *G* I love the little details of the beginning scene- it played out beautifully in my mind, with the description of the snowflakes and the interaction between the characters. And sick!Shu is... guhh. I love when writers are so good at writing characters so in character while sick!

On a Day Like This by Gayle- If I had to pick my favorite allergy Weiss fic, I'd pick this one in a second. Sure, everyone has those fantasies (and fics!) about the typical "allergic to flowers at work" scenario, because it's just so perfect given their situation. But this one is so yummy that it's irresistable! Just... just everything. All the little details... and nothing going right for poor Ken.
"But I don't have allergies!" Ken protested, trying to ignore the fact that another sneezing fit was building up. "I never… never… HUH-ESHUUU! EHSUUUU! ESSHHHUU!"
Awwwwwwww I loved that. Yeah, suuuuure you don't have allergies... And I love how the other boys sneezed a bit at the flowers as well *snuggles Omi for his little red nose* Probably makes Ken feel much better to know he wasn't alone in it. But the idea of all the lads in there sneezing and trying to get rid of those flowers... yum. Snuggly, fluffy, and adorable. Definitely how I like my Weiss boys!

Last but not least, there's Disguises by Gayle which makes me go all weak and giggly every time I read it. The choices as to which characters get sick makes for a wonderful dynamic among the pairings (the, ah, fighting pairings, I mean... yeah, that's what I mean...) The stuffy talking is to die for! And Aya & Ken and the box of tissues at the beginning... *dies* Also, excellent H/C elements over-all. ALSO just how I like my Weiss boys- hurt and angsty (as though they could ever NOT be angsty!)


Did I miss one somewhere? (I'm sort of just pulling this off the top of my head and my e-mail folder) So if I missed a fic somewhere, please let me know! :-)

Possibly my favorite original character fic of all time is Evensong by traprose- Every time I read it I am immediately sucked in as though it were my first reading. I relive the soft, subtle introduction to the almost mysterious albeit spectacular characters. I am instantly drawn into the delicious prose, the tone, the word choice, the imagery, and the magical beauty of the event. It's a world I feel compelled to learn more about, but I especially wish to learn more about the characters.

I'm a character-story kinda gal, and the two main characters here are to die for. I fall in love with the narrator, secretly knowing his name and his role upon my re-readings but trying to block it out so I can enjoy it fresh again. But with his narration I am attached to him. He's someone I can trust, feel attached to, fall in love with. Traprose makes me care about him, so much that I suddenly care about his role in the event and those he cares about. He has that religious, untouchable feel to him. Yet I can't help but want to see him expressing his affections for his star pupil in more than the normal ways. And their interaction is to die for. I love the dialogue. The words. The gentleness and the separation but closeness... it's so very lovely. As are the sneezes.

Oh yes, the sneezes. A whole variety. Sneezes that make me really feel for him. I want to be on his side so that the event isn't spoiled... yet I long for him to sneeze in order to find out what the main character's reaction to it is. And when he does... ohhh that reaction! I love their interaction- both in public and in private. Such tenderness. Such affection. It's as though I completely understand their culture and ways just through my understanding and trust of the narrator. I don't want to give away the ending for anyone who's actually still reading this instead of going straight to the fic, but by the end I do nothing but sigh and feel all warm and fuzzy.

Reading this story is like an event in and of itself. One I adore. Even when I'm just going to serotica to see if there's anything new, I usually go over to it and give it another read.

And while I'm still thinking about it... I thought I'd give credit to the wonderful artist who created the drawing I'm currently using as my default icon. :-) The Marauders visiting Remus in the hospital wing after a full moon, bringing him candy and hugs *G* Yeah, I edited Peter out. Sorry. He just didn't fit. LOL I had this picture on my desktop as wallpaper for the longest time. Always made me feel all warm and fuzzy :-)

But the rest of her art is utterly fantastic, too. I can't get enough of it and check her journal and site often for more: seviet and her site Art Dungeon. Sadly, she took down all her slash stuff- but you can contact her for the link to it. She does the most MAGNIFICENT drawings of the twins together- her Weasleys in general always thrill me to no end. And her marauders are fantastic. Not to mention all those lazy sleepy-boy pictures. *deep sigh* Beautiful. The type of art that tells more than 1,000 words per picture :-)

I've been thinking about putting together a rec journal with hurt/comfort-themed materials and sneezefics for a while now. So here it is :-)

I made the banner for this journal weeks ago when I practiced with my screencapping DVD software and just after Long Way around aired and I was watching The Serpant's Kiss. I was thinking about completely changing the layout of my website to accomodate the picture. But I also didn't want to part with my pretty pre-Raphaelite art layout. So using it here was the perfect solution, I thought.