Snakeling’s Recs

[Torchwood]

Title: The Long Game
Author: Adina adina-atl
Summary: Ianto had known Torchwood’s retirement policy since the first day he started in London: twenty years and a gold watch, or…less…and a little white pill. And he wanted out. A first season AU.
Characters: Ianto, Jack, team
Rating: PG
Warning: AU

Why?

Too many people seem to forget that Ianto is a master manipulator, as good as playing people as Jack, though they use different techniques. Adina not only doesn’t, she plays it up, to great effect.

[Torchwood]

Title: King and Country
Author: aeshna-uk
Summary: “I should have the sorry lot of you thrown in the Tower!”
Characters: Jack Harkness, King Edward VIII, OCs
Rating: PG

Why?

A brilliant interweaving of history and fiction. Jack is quite creepy, there, taking pleasure in being a mysterious, threatening presence.

[Harry Potter]

Title: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Author: jacquez
Summary: Harry becomes Snape's apprentice. Snark ensues.
Characters: Harry Potter, Severus Snape
Rating: PG

Why?

A thorough description of new branches of magic, which is one of my literary kinks. The relationship between Snape and Harry is never sugar-coated, and very complex.

Unfortunately discontinued, but the first part is complete.

[Harry Potter]

Title: Home Studies
Author: Beth bethbethbeth
Summary: Post-Hogwarts: A Life.
Pairing: Severus Snape/Minerva McGonagall
Rating: PG

Why?

Because the writing is utterly gorgeous! The story is entirely from Minerva's point of view, and we see her relationship with Snape through her eyes. They're first and foremost friends, and their love is just the logical continuation of that friendship.

It's a completely self-aware look at a mature relationship, where the couple is old and ugly, and it's okay.

One of my favourite fics in this pairing, I can only urge you to read it, even if you have little interest in the pairing.

[Torchwood]

Title: Trying to Communicate
Author: Sam Starbuck sams_cafe
Summary: There's an alien in the Hub, and it's trying to communicate.
Characters: Team, with hints of Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Rating: PG

Why?

Complete and utter crack, but the excellent kind. It will leave you in tears of laughter. You'll need to be familiar with the concept of LOLcats.

Caveat Lector

Spoilers for Dead Man Walking (2x07).

[Torchwood]

Title: Everything Changes but Paperwork
Author: basingstoke
Summary: Orientation will be provided by the administrative staff.
Characters: Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness
Rating: PG

Why?

A quiet little story about Gwen signing her Torchwood contract. Fun and somewhat bittersweet.

[Dorothy L. Sayers - Lord Peter Wimsey]

Title: And The Better Man
Author: obstinatrix
Summary: ‘We were together since the War began.
He was my servant, and the better man.’
Pairing: Lord Peter Wimsey/Bunter
Rating: PG

Why?

Again, not a story written for me, but it could as well have been.

All the unspoken feelings between Bunter and Peter, that I can just imagine being there in canon. Lovely, understated, and somewhat heart-breaking.

[Vorkosigan]

Title: The Emperor’s Curve
Author: Yuletide Fairy yuletidefairy
Summary: A Barrayaran Political Science Thesis.
Characters: Gregor Vorbarra, Cordelia Vorkosigan
Rating: PG

Why?

This wasn't written for me, but it could as well have been. A defining moment of Gregor's upbringing, that proves a wonderful hindsight into Gregor's relationship with Cordelia.

[Harry Potter]

Title: Learning to Uncurl
Author: Amorette amorettea
Summary: A decade after hostilities are over, Harry finds his Animagus form to be terribly relaxing and since he thinks Snape needs to learn to relax, suggests Snape learn to be an animal as well. Surprises ensue.
Characters: Harry Potter, Severus Snape
Rating: PG

Why?

This fic features Harry and Snape and their Animagus forms; Harry has found great benefits in spending time transformed and he convinces Snape, who never felt comfortable in his Animagus form, to give it a go.

All too often, Animagus forms are seemingly chosen at random, or for potential hilarity value. Nothing like that here: Harry's and Snape's forms are spot-on, and humour, while indeed present, is restrained and perfectly in character.

Delightful, a little gem of a fic. :)

[Harry Potter]

Title: Games of Skill And Chance
Author: snowballjane
Summary: The war is over and Severus Snape has one more term left to work at Hogwarts. How does he end up running the school games club and how will it affect him?
Characters: Snape, Lupin, students OC
Rating: PG

Why?

If you told me that there was a fic where Snape ends up voluntarily running the games club at Hogwarts, I would laugh it off as so OOC as to share only Snape's name. And yet, Snowballjane makes it work, here.

The war is over, Snape was wounded, and is just tired of teaching. While looking for another job, he ends up, almost by accident, founding and running a games club involving students of all four houses (yes, even Gryffindor).

All the characters are believable and well-rounded, especially the kids. At no point do you get torn out of the plot and say, "wait, it would never happen like that." An excellent feel-good story, even though you might get a little teary at the end.

Enjoy :)

[Torchwood]

Title: The Discovery
Author: kaneko
Summary: Jack and Ianto go on a trip on a Welsh mountain.
Pairing: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Rating: PG

Why?

A short, funny story, with amusing interaction between Jack and Ianto. Jack's glee and awe are completely infectious.

[Torchwood/Doctor Who]

Title: Left Unsaid
Author: Dune seti_drd
Summary: The stories Martha Jones never told the Torchwood team
Characters: Martha Jones, Jack Harkness, the Torchwood Team
Rating: PG

Why?

Powerful stuff. Both Jack and Martha are still suffering from PTSD after the events of Last of the Timelords, and it shows in their interactions. The external POV is very interesting, too.

[Vorkosigan/Doctor Who]

Title: Two To Make Peace
Author: Kathryn Andersen kerravonsen
Summary: “It takes one to make war, and two to make peace.”
Characters: Miles Vorkosigan, the Doctor
Rating: PG

Why?

Although it helps to have a general idea what Doctor Who is about, it's not necessary to be familiar with the actual show, which helped in my decision to choose to read this story.

Miles' voice was spot on, and from the little I've seen of DW, so was the Doctor's. Very enjoyable story.

[Vorkosigan]

Title: A Maze of Twisty Passages, All Alike
Author: Merry merryish
Summary: Thanks to some rather unsavory family connections on his mother's side, Ivan Vorpatril had had occasion in his life to be half-killed by a truly impressive array of instruments and circumstances.
Characters: Ivan Vorpatril, Gregor Vorbarra.
Rating: PG

Why?

There just isn’t enough Ivan/Gregor interaction in the books, but Merry remedies to that masterfully. A hilarious tale, completely in tone with canon.

[Torchwood]

Title: Six Uses For a Stopwatch That Have Nothing To Do With Sex (And One That Does)
Author: Shaggy shaggydogstail
Summary: There's a lot you can do with a stopwatch.
Characters/Pairing: Mostly gen, with a bit of Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG

Why?

Shaggy writes humour very well, and this one's no exception. Some of the ficlets are hysterical, and the Jack/Ianto part is endearingly cute.