Snowflake Meme, Day #6

[nonisland]

I'm still struggling with the reclist for Day 2 of the snowflake challenge--the generalized reclist with a special focus on less-popular fanworks--because every time I think I've decided on what to do I get a sudden urge to add more fics. Therefore, have the Day 6 reclist first: rec at least three fanworks that I thought I wouldn't like but that I ended up loving [or admiring].

I only have two, because I'm bad at reading outside my comfort zone and I pretty much never go into fics expecting not to like them unless they are outside my comfort zone.

I have, here, provided warnings. The fics--both are fics--are recced in decreasing order of how triggering I expect the main reason-I-thought-I-wouldn't-like-it may be to the most potential readers, and skip links have been provided at the beginning of this post after the main warnings so that, if you're using a screenreader or just would rather not scroll past, you can do so more easily. I have tried to put enough space between recs that you will be able to avoid seeing the first one either from the beginning or from the end, and the second one from the middle; my apologies to everyone inconvenienced by this. The first fic contains non-con, and the rec discusses that. The second fic contains half-sibling incest and mostly unrelated possible dub-con, which are expanded on in the warnings to the rec but not elsewhere in the rec. To skip directly to the second rec, follow this link. Other than the two recs, there is no further content in this entry; if neither of these is something you want to read more about, you can leave this entry without missing anything.




















Let Him Kiss Me With The Kisses Of His Mouth by FayJay || Supernatural | Castiel/Dean Winchester | NC-17 | 6300 words

Potential triggers and squicks: The main one is non-con: intercourse is compelled against both participants' wills by an outside agent. There are also some pretty heavily blasphemous elements which may be offensive to people with firmly-held opinions about consecrated ground. There may be additional triggers and/or squicks which I have forgotten because, as much as I admired this fic, I haven't been able to re-read it and it's been a while since I did read it.

I had been very much enjoying many of FayJay's other fics, but I hesitated to read this one because non-con is very much not something I enjoy reading about. I think I finally gave in out of curiosity, and because explorations of the "outside agents make Our Protagonists have sex" tropes (basic terminology "sex pollen" and "aliens made them do it") have always interested me. This is sort of an aliens-made-them-do-it fic, except it's Supernatural so it's a demon with a lust spell instead of aliens, and the trope is taken dead seriously in a way which I've never seen elsewhere. The non-con warning which I and the fic itself provide is not overcautious or an exaggeration. I didn't enjoy this fic--I actually spent pretty much the entire time out-and-out crying for both of the main characters--but I think it's very intelligent, well-written, and an excellent deconstruction of a common trope.




















Interludes and Small Fires by frantic || Merlin | Morgana/Morgause | NC-17 | 4700 words

Potential triggers and squicks: half-sibling incest which is--hm--both involved parties consent to the sex, but one of them may not know they're related. The same person is also sexually inexperienced in a way which pretty much equates to ignorance. If you think either of those render consent dubious (or nonexistent), then...you should be aware of them. If there are specific questions you have about possible other squicks or triggers in this fic, I would be happy to answer them.

So this isn't a pairing I ship, because incest, but frantic writes really good fic, and I was curious, so I investigated and I am quite glad I did! It's strangely, amazingly hot and I can't even figure out how--I've studied it trying to figure out what the Magical Writing Secret is and I really can't--and it also makes some awesome points about sexism in Merlin with regard to female magic-users in the process. I am rather fond of fics that multitask!