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moonbeamsfanfic) wrote2017-05-10 01:02 pm
moonbeamsfanfic) wrote2017-05-10 01:02 pm
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Fic Recs: Shapeshifting into Unusual Creatures
Sure, there's lots of stories out there about characters that can shapeshift. Werewolf AUs are a dime a dozen, and some supernatural-based fandoms have even made it canon. This rec list isn't gonna be about any of those though. This list is for fanfics where characters who normally remain human shapeshift into something completely unexpected for the fandom...
... and thus all the more interesting for it!
Shapeshifting into Unusual Creatures
1. Intellects & Instincts by Kryptaria - Sherlock fandom, slash, John/Sherlock pairing, series
Scratch marks on the stairs. Dead rats in the freezer. An order of pizza that John doesn't share.
And then things get really strange.
2.Twenty-Four Hours with a Rodneysaur by Moonloon - Stargate:Atlantis fandom, gen, crack
Rarr!
3. Jaws by Joe Lawson - Hawai'i 5-0 fandom, slash, Steve/Danny pairing, AU
Danny has a secret. Based on two quotes:
"I swim. I swim for survival, not for fun."
(Danny Williams, Ep. 1.01 Pilot)
"I swim. Very well, actually. I just choose not to."
(Danny Williams, Ep. 1.07 Ho'apono)
4. Horses of Different Colors by James and Wolfling - Houston Knights (+ many other) fandom, slash, Joe/Levon pairing, AU, Crossover, series
Lundy has a secret which he fears could destroy his relationship with LaFiamma. What happens when he's forced to reveal it?
5.Pavlov's Bell by Whiskyrunner - Inception fandom, slash, Arthur/Eames pairing, AU, mpreg
It doesn't surprise Arthur when he hears, eventually, that they've developed a reputation for fighting like cats and dogs—since, in a sense, they are those things.
For my exception to the rule, how can it be anything else than a story where a creature shapeshifts into a person? Turns out there are plenty of stories about that too, but this is one of my favourites...
Bonus Fic Rec: Not all Creature!fics are the same...
6.Gone Is My Past by cyerus - Sherlock fandom, gen, angst
John is an army bomb detection dog who has been turned into a human. Angst. No, really, angst.
... and thus all the more interesting for it!
1. Intellects & Instincts by Kryptaria - Sherlock fandom, slash, John/Sherlock pairing, series
Scratch marks on the stairs. Dead rats in the freezer. An order of pizza that John doesn't share.
And then things get really strange.
John got bitten by something in Afghanistan, something that let him survive to be invalided home to London. Something that makes him a mystery, which means Sherlock can't possibly not stick his nose in - even if it might get bitten off. Jurassic Park is not a documentary, lol!
I love these stories not just because they don't take the obvious route but also because they focus more on being the creature part of the creature!fic than most of these such stories do. It's a learning curve, full of exploration and failure and scientific discovery. Yes, there is character development and some plot too, but at its heart this fic all what it takes to adapt to becoming something else, something you never thought possible.
2.Twenty-Four Hours with a Rodneysaur by Moonloon - Stargate:Atlantis fandom, gen, crack
Rarr!
Also known as "The dinosaur crack that ate SGA", hee! Absolutely not-AU at all as only Stargate can be, a wacky Ancient device turns Rodney into a tiny adorable dinosaur. Not surprisingly, this fic always makes me think about those cute shirts you see with the cartoon dinos on the pockets? Because as we all know "Rawr!" means 'I love you!' in Dinosaur! ;P
Be sure to check out The Illustrated Rodneysaur version for best results! (Alas, only left available on the Wayback Machine web archive. *sigh*)
3. Jaws by Joe Lawson - Hawai'i 5-0 fandom, slash, Steve/Danny pairing, AU
Danny has a secret. Based on two quotes:
"I swim. I swim for survival, not for fun."
(Danny Williams, Ep. 1.01 Pilot)
"I swim. Very well, actually. I just choose not to."
(Danny Williams, Ep. 1.07 Ho'apono)
Only sort of crack, this story does have a plot and manages to actually make some sense which is very cool. I love that the author took the care to write this one seriously, with actual science and research behind it to help bring it to life. Awesome, amazing, and a wonderful good time!
Oddly, the bits about Grace are my favourite parts. :)
4. Horses of Different Colors by James and Wolfling - Houston Knights (+ many other) fandom, slash, Joe/Levon pairing, AU, Crossover, series
Lundy has a secret which he fears could destroy his relationship with LaFiamma. What happens when he's forced to reveal it?
You don't actually have to know anything about the Houston Knights TV show from the 80s to enjoy these stories. And anyway, the Centaur AU eventually became so large that it absorbed other fandoms like crazy. You'll see some of James' The Sentinel stories crossed in with the original series, but if you look around you can also find Stargate: Atlantis, CSI:NY/Numb3rs, and Buffy/Angel. It turns out the idea of an entire fully-developed culture of mythological Greek centaurs living amongst humans today is just such a captivating concept that it spans all fandoms and fits anywhere.
The worldbuilding that James and Wolfling set down in the beginning (the rules behind the shapeshifting, the influence of instincts, the gender politics and dominance issues...) is some of the most intricate and compelling worldbuilding I've ever encountered in a written series - professional novels included. Every detail has been thought out and considered, every variation applied. These stories are not crack at all, despite the fact that some people occasionally have hooves. These stories are brilliantly conceived, carefully developed, and feature a great deal of depth and realism for all that they are about something out of myth.
5.Pavlov's Bell by Whiskyrunner - Inception fandom, slash, Arthur/Eames pairing, AU, mpreg
It doesn't surprise Arthur when he hears, eventually, that they've developed a reputation for fighting like cats and dogs—since, in a sense, they are those things.
Catboys and Werewolves in one fic? Sounds like crack, right? Oh man, not this series of stories... some serious angst to be had in these incredible fics. Arthur's life is definitely not all a ball of yarn, from the moment of his birth on. Eames tries to make it better, but there's only so much you can do when you are of different species even when you're in love.
When I first read this story, I didn't even like the Inception movie. I'm still not overly fond of it (the special effects were cool, but the plot was stupid and I found Leonardo DiCaprio's character annoying) but the fandom has been steadily winning me over with fantastic fics. This fic, this Arthur, were a huge part of that as even when I didn't like the source canon I still couldn't help falling in love with these emotion-filled stories.
For my exception to the rule, how can it be anything else than a story where a creature shapeshifts into a person? Turns out there are plenty of stories about that too, but this is one of my favourites...
6.Gone Is My Past by cyerus - Sherlock fandom, gen, angst
John is an army bomb detection dog who has been turned into a human. Angst. No, really, angst.
If you think humans have a hard time adapting to shapeshifting into a creature, you've got no idea. This fic will make you think, make you feel, make you believe. It's painful and awesome in the most literal sense. There's no explanation provided for why it happened in the first place, but it's not important. what matters is the loyalty given and returned within the fic, with both Mycroft and eventually Sherlock showing their worth better than most humans could because for them the odd is all part of the usual.