ten stories

[schmerica]

makesmewannadie had an entry the other day asking for what people consider as their comfort fics, and I commented there and encourage you to, as well. musesfool, queen of the memes, has taken the idea and made another thing out of it, so.

Five stories that always work for me (aka comfort reads):

These are all due South, F/K. OTPs are comforting, shut up.

1. Mangy Dog by cesperanza -- there is absolutely nothing about this story I do not adore. Fraser, Fraser-Dief, Fraser/RayK, Fraser-Bob, all of it. If I was only allowed to reread one of Ces's stories ever again, I'd pick this one.
2. Homemaking by resonant8 -- smutty and sweet and mmmmmmmmm. This is basically an established relationship PWP, which one would think would tend to be either boring or schmoopy or both, but this is neither; it's just lovely and satisftying.
3. Heavy Bag by katallison -- does it say something weird about me that I have one of Kat's stories as a comfort fic? I don't care; I love this story beyond any concept of reason.
4. Unexpected by shrift -- shrift's dialogue is to die for, man. Bantery holidayfic, yay!
5. Leaving Normal by china_shop -- this story is so perfect it should almost be sickening, but I never get past "eeeeeeeeeeee!"

Five stories of my own that work for me on rereads:

1. Sandwich as Aphrodisiac, Everwood, Bright/Ephram. The story that turned out exactly how it was in my head.
2. Academies, Firefly, gen. My love letter to River Tam.
3. Your Hands, Clasped, due South, Fraser/Kowalski. I think this is as good as I get at balancing style and story, having them work together to the complete whole.
4. The Outline of a Circle, due South, Fraser/Kowalski. I don't remember writing this story, or where it came from, but it feels right to me.
5. Fucking *Girls*, due South, Fraser/Kowalski. There is little I find more satisfying as a writer than good dialogue, and the Fraser-Ray conversations here are some of the best dialogue I think I've written (although there are a few bits of Plate Tectonics that I like a lot, as well).

Comments

[copracat]

does it say something weird about me that I have one of Kat's stories as a comfort fic?

Yup, it certainly does, you whacky chick. She heads my list of "writers who make me weep and sigh, but in a good way". When I was thinking of comfort stories I got to thinking about stories I love that aren't comforting. I decided something by Kat would head that list.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

*snickers* Well, it's not like I chose a deathfic -- or god forbid, End of the Road -- not one of her very much depressing stories. Maybe it's just something about the combination of how damn good the story is, and how engaging it is -- when I need comfort fic, what I really want is to be distracted from my own head, and that one lets me in Ray Kowalski's head instead.

[copracat]

Exactly! End of the Road OMG **weeps silently** **holds broken parts of heart and vainly attempts to rejoin them**

[china_shop]

Oh wow! This has totally made my day! Thank you!! *beam*