Snowflake Days 1 & 2

[amberdreams]

Yes, I managed to miss the first day of snowflake_challenge! Not a great start, but not to worry, because combining days 1 and 2 actually makes sense. Day 1 was:

In your own space, talk about your Happy Place—the things that give you joy, calms you or keeps you sane.

My answer to that one is - right here is my happy place. Online, on my sites where I can have conversations with like-minded people about the show that I love, whether it's debating the direction Supernatural is taking or celebrating all the things that made it so addictive; whether it's about ships or kinks or gen fic vs gencest vs any kind of 'cest. Where I can make art and share it, and admire the fantastic talents that this fandom (and other fandoms) is so rich with. Where I can read imaginative, adventurous, thrilling, moving and sexy stories written by some great writers, and where I can post my own stories and get feedback that gives me the motivation to keep creating.

Which brings me nicely to Day 2.

Rec at least three fanworks that you didn’t create.

Here goes:

1. I'm reccing this because I re-read it just this week, and it moved me just as much as it did the first time I read it. Close to the Sun in Lonely Lands by de_nugis. And no, I don't love this just because it was written for some of my reversebang art. It's awesome because it dissects Dean and Sam so beautifully into their component parts. Here's Dean the single focused, Sam-dedicated, big brother who doesn't know how to let go, and will go to extreme lengths to preserve Sam's life. And here's Sam - logical, exasperated, insightful and clever - finding a way to resolve their situation. It's fanfic gold. 
2. This one is one I only discovered very recently, though it was written back in 2007. Battering Ram by astolat. A future!Fic, set in a dystopian, post apocalyptic world, and the summary pretty much explains why it's so good. This imagery permeates the fic and it's so grimly beautiful I want to hold this story in my heart forever. I'm gonna hit the highway like a battering ram/On a silver black phantom bike/When the metal is hot and the engine is hungry/And we're all about to see the light.
3. This isn't a single fic but a whole series by the same author - again, not new, but excellently done. I have a real weakness for Dark Angel's Alec, and minxmix writes him so well. But then she went and wrote a wonderful crossover AU, where Alec is Sam's son and it's just fabulous. All the SPN characters are totally in character, and the melding of the two worlds is fab. I'd recommend starting with With a Bang and take it from there.

I could add more but it's bed time so rather than miss another day, I'm posting! 

Comments

[laughablelament]

OMG Battering Ram is one of my all-time must-reads! Don't think I've read the other... hmmm...
<3

[amberdreams]

I've read loads of other Astolat fics, I'm not sure how I managed to miss that one until now!

[kiki_eng]

Reading this made me nostalgic for SPN. ♥

[amberdreams]

I'm still watching, but it's moving in such different directions now, and is so inconsistent. There are still great episodes in amongst the dross though. I'll be honest, it's mostly fandom - all the great fanfics and art - that keeps me going. :D

[spikedluv]

Yes, hanging out with like-minded people really is a happy place. <3

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

These sound delish, Amb!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

The Dark Angel one is a bunch of fics, but they are episodic so you can dip in and out.

[tifaching.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I haven't tead the second two and they both sound amazing!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

There are so few DA fics at all, so I was delighted to find these - not only are they mostly about Alec, in the crossovers she really nails both Dean and Sam. I love the way she's managed to bring the two universes together in a credible way - and they are good adventures too. Plenty to dip in and out of!

The Astolat one is just - yummy. Also if you read and like that one, and you haven't read it, I think you'd also love indiachick's Speak of the Devil

[madebyme-x.livejournal.com]

LJ is the most happiest of happy places to be! I love it here.

And yay for recs!!! I'll add these to my collection :)

[tyrsibs.livejournal.com]

I love Alec, too, and have read some really cool crossovers, but this one I missed--I'll have to give it a try!

[aerynsun5.livejournal.com]

So looking forward to the recs! One of the reasons I'm so behind in LJ, though, is that discover new writers and am compelled to read everything they have written. Oh, well, one day...