fic_me_twice, posts by tag: anenko - LiveJournal

Title: Envy
Author/ess: anenko (also Northlight at ff.net)
Series: Chrno Crusade
Length: 494 words, one shot
Character/pairing: Azmaria, mentions of Rosette and Joshua
Rating/warnings: G
Summary: It must have been wonderful, to have Rosette as an older sister.

I didn’t really care for Azmaria. Yeah, I know. Her character type just never appeals to me, and I’m not sure why. Then again, Joshua’s my favorite, so go figure. Maybe it was because Azmaria herself seemed sort of flat with not many places to go as a character, but this ficlet gives her a bit more dimension. Azmaria, and the subject of envy.

I’m still mostly impressed by how the characterization in this fits. Even though she did go through all of those hardships, maybe it just hadn’t occurred to me that she’d have such a capacity for envy, nor that she could direct so much of it at Joshua. The voice is pretty strong in this; she speaks with conviction and it sort of pulls at you. And, yeah, Azmaria fic that didn’t leave her flat and boring. So that was cool. All in all, it’s a very intriguing short fic and worth checking out.

Preview:
Azmaria met Rosette and Chrono, and she learned what it really was to be happy, to be wanted, and loved, and part of something greater than herself (greater even than the power she held). Azmaria had everything she had ever thought to dream of--had more than she’d ever dared to hope for, in Rosette and Chrono, and she was happy, so happy, and--

Rosette said that Azmaria didn’t have to be perfect. She said that Azmaria was young, and human, and was heartily encouraged to pout, or cry, or laugh as the situation demanded. Azmaria wasn’t perfect, and had a lifetime of being left behind to enforce her certainty that she wasn’t even passable at being normal.

She wasn’t perfect, but Azmaria wanted to be good, and she was certain that a good girl wouldn’t envy Joshua Christopher.

Title: A Revelation in Pink
Author/ess: anenko
Series: Skip Beat!
Length: 100 word drabble, oneshot.
Character/pairing: Kyouko, Ren.
Rating/warnings: Helps if you know what the Love Me uniform looks like, so maybe you need to have read volume 2? Rated G for GREAT.
Summary: None given, but Kyouko muses (and rages!) on the unfairness of Tsuruga Ren.

Skip Beat! is my favourite manga of all time, narrowly beating out another Nakamura Yoshiki creation, Tokyo Crazy Paradise. It hurts my very soul that there is little to no fic for either of these series, so you can imagine my sheer delight when I stumbled upon this precious gem in the recent entries over at 31_days. People, if you haven't read it and you have time to start a new manga, please, please, please look into the series. It's brilliance in a tankouban, and the story and characters are just so. Damn. Good.

Written for the 31_days challenge Real men wear pink, Kyouko considers her work outfit against what Ren is wearing, and can't help but feel personally affronted at how attractive he looks in something that shouldn't suit him at all.

I love long, chaptered stories, but a concise, well-executed drabble is something that slays me no matter what, and this managed to perfectly capture Kyouko's character as well as her thoughts on Ren. The language was beautiful and each sentence was just right; not a word was wasted and nothing was out of place. It's been a long time since such a short story has resonated with me, but I could almost be at peace with the lack of Skip Beat! stories if every one was as good as this.

Preview: Kyoko’s work uniform was pink: bright, shocking, appalling. It was the colour of her shame, and inescapable.

In response to “DS LIVES!”…barely, really. Sorry for delaying the recs. *dies*

Title: Opaque
Author/ess: anenko (also Northlight at ff.net)
Series: Firefly
Length: 1,125 words, one shot
Character/pairing: Inara-centric, Mal/Inara
Rating/warnings: M/R (though I’d put it at PG-13 ish)
Summary: "Good girls did not become Companions."

Inara will probably always stay my favorite Firefly character, no matter how much anyone else tries to convince me otherwise. (In a good way, you guys, I know XD) From the first moment she appeared on the show, I could tell that her character was going to be insanely complex and would be dealing with a lot of complicated stuff. The show hasn’t let me down with that, for the most part, and nor do fics that nab her voice well. Inara may be a Companion, but she knows what that really means. Musings on herself, Mal, and the both of them.

The first thing that jumps out is the author’s use of repetition. Depending on the section, a key word or phrase is in almost every sentence in some places – but it’s effective and really helps drive the point home. It’s a very believable portrayal of what Inara’s thoughts on Mal and their relationship are, along with what her job as a Companion actually entails and means. And, of course, how Mal would treat her differently if she wasn’t one, as she thinks. The end line is so final and striking, and the rest builds up to the moment. Very interesting take on Inara, and an equally interesting read.

Preview:
Mal did not know that good girls did not become Companions. He called her a whore and she was more of a lady still than any woman he'd known. Inara had fine silk and satin dresses. Inara's skin was always clean--no grease, no blood, as for which Mal could respect Kaylee and Zoe. Inara's lips and eyes were delicately painted. Inara had been taught to walk like a lady, to sit like a lady, to eat and smile and breath most pleasing to those who sought her company. Inara was privilege. Inara was riches. Inara served those whom Mal most hated.

Calling her a whore was easier than anything else he might do.

Title: Controlled Fall
Author/ess: anenko
Series: Ouran High Host Club
Length: 641 words, one shot
Character/pairing: Kyouya/Haruhi to some extent, Ranka (Ryoji)
Rating/warnings: K+/PG, vague spoilers for up to vol.4 of the manga
Summary: Kyoya needs best learn to manage Haruhi.

I like how Ouran gives people a lot of choice with pairings and support for most of them (more or less), especially since I…don’t really care about the main pairing in the series. Kyouya’s about the second to last person I’d ever imagine ending up with Haruhi, so I like seeing fics on their dynamic that makes it all work. Kyouya starts up a back-and-forth of messages with Ryoji, her father, and he starts to notice some things.

Kyouya’s perfectly in character here. He’s in control, of himself and his situation, sees and knows everything, yet also starts to realize things that most of the other characters wouldn’t until a long time after. He’s fascinating here in how, while attempting to stay detached, he analyzes Haruhi in regards to both appearances and behavior and denies that he cares for her all at once, most emphatically to Ryoji – and it’s that analytic, distant (or an attempt at it, at the least) tone of his that made me enjoy this one so. It’s short but extensive, in a way, and it’s a great read.

Preview:
Kyoya spends his days surrounded by beauty. He can--and does--put a price on it. If Haruhi is beautiful, it concerns Kyoya only insofar as how many guests gravitate towards her. Haruhi's fanbase grows week by week. Kyoya keeps meticulous notes.

Haruhi's charm is natural. She genuinely likes speaking to the girls who seek her company. She is an asset to the Host Club, and yet--

Tamaki wears his heart on his sleeve, and continues to make a fool of himself. The twins flirt with Haruhi outrageously--trying to anger Tamaki, to fluster Haruhi--and Kyoya wonders if even they know whether or not they are serious. Haruhi remains blind to her effect on them all.

She is, Kyoya thinks, very dangerous.

Title: game two
Author/ess: anenko
Series: Ouran High Host Club
Length: 822 words, one shot
Character/pairing: Hikaru/Haruhi, Kaoru/Haruhi
Rating/warnings: PG-13
Summary: Hikaru and Kaoru come up with a new twist on an old game.

We all know that Haruhi’s the first to ever win the “which one is Hikaru” game, and thus is seen by the twins as more than just a toy or a normal girl. We know that the twins love to play around, especially with her, and that she’s more than used to the game. And we know that the twins are very ingenious and prone to cause mischief. So the two of them inventing a twist on the game makes so much sense that I wonder why no one else has thought of this idea before.

So perfectly in character that yes, awesome. The twins cause trouble with evil little grins, while Haruhi just tries to get away (and fails miserably). And the game they come up with is completely them. Despite their playfulness throughout, there’s a bit of a soft side there that adds to the pairing-ness, especially with Hikaru. It’s great and has a lot for such a short piece.

And the twist? You can find out when you go read it, though it shouldn't surprise.

Preview:
Kaoru taps at his chin thoughtfully. "I know!" he says, "we should play the which one is Hikaru game!"

Haruhi slides her books into her bag, eying the door. It seems that Hikaru and Kaoru are hardly paying any attention to her, caught up in their own familiar drama.

"Kaoru," Hikaru says, gently chiding, "Haruhi knows us too well for that game to offer any amusement."

Kaoru flushes. His face falls, practiced dejection.

Hikaru grasps his brother's chin, turning Kaoru's face towards him. "Kaoru," he breathes, "don't despair! Your idea was a fine one--we're simply going to have to be especially creative in order to play with Haruhi."

Title: Charmed Life
Author/ess: anenko
Series: Firefly
Length: 1458 words, oneshot.
Character/pairing: Inara, Inara/various.
Rating/warnings: R. Nothing explicit, but definitely sexual situations.
Summary: Inara has a story.

First of all, anyone who knows me and the Firefly fandom knows that I'm not one for Inara. I don't even have an icon of her, which is why a Mal one will have to suffice. (In fact, I find this one quite apt :P). So the fact that I read this one and liked it enough to rec it should definitely carry some weight.

You know those "Five Nevers" fics that are going around now? This one's a "Four Maybes". It's four lives Inara may or may not have led, and they're arranged in such a way, such an order, that it just tugs on your heartstrings like it's tuning a harp. Seriously, I felt for her. I really finally saw what everyone else seems to see, and it was wonderful and vulnerable and already broken beyond repair.

The language used is masterful. The story is just so damn right. It's lyrical and beautiful and I urge you all to read it because I'm certain you'll be thinking about it long after the story itself is over.

Preview: The woman in father's study had skin darker than any Inara had ever seen, so dark it glowed. Her hair was curled at the nape of her neck and a gauzy shawl hung from gently rounded shoulders. Her name, she said, was Anaiya, and she thought Inara was lovely. Father's eyes were shinning and mother was smiling and crying all at once. They were so proud, so very honoured and Inara was too.

Yes, she said, yes she would be delighted to attend the Academy. She smiled and smiled and folded silks and laces into her bags. She was happy, so happy.

This is Inara's story.