The Pythian Court

Okay, so since this entire week is basically a review/recommend fic week, I’ve decided to use this day for recommending Chanceverse fics featuring odd or uncommon pairings (because, like, everything is casskin) (understandably). As always, this is not an exhaustive list, just a highlight of my faves. So, here we go:

Lean on Me by Dryad13/ @cherrycoveredpythia

I’ll be honest, when I first heard that people were writing/wanting Fred/Tami fic I was like, what?? This pairing seemed wild even to me, the self-declared Queen of Trash and all around multi-shipping disaster. BUT @cherrycoveredpythia has such a way with pining and beautiful quiet moments and HUMOR that by the end of it I was slavering for more. Which, wow. That’s a testament to your skills, my friend.

The Wedding Date by IsleofSolitude/ @emberfaye

Listen. The more Radu/Gunther, the better. I’ve been trying not to include too many  WIPs during cffaw, just because I don’t want authors to feel undue pressure to finish or like they’re being called out or anything, but this one is too much fun to pass up.

The Next Great Adventure by @chibioniyuri

This was another instance where I felt like I didn’t really want to read about a pairing, but found out that I’m wrong and dumb. This was beautifully written, and so touching and bittersweet and emotional, excuse me while I weep forever.

Winner Takes All by @five-star-hellhole

The Next Great Adventure, by @chibioniyuri (AO3)

Her lips tilt in a frown and she stares at him. She suddenly looks much too serious for a four year old. He doesn’t get a chance to make sure - she’s had a few visions by now, and he doesn’t want her to see what’s going to happen. Not now. Not ever.

As much as I love Casskin fics, I also love works that fill in the Cassieverse. This poignant look at Roger Palmer and Artemis’s relationship–on the last day of their earthly lives–is a little jewel. 

A Delphi High Playlist

Awful by Hole - He’s so deep like dirty water / God, he’s awful

Blue by A Perfect Circle - Call an optimist, she’s turning blue / Such a perfect color for your eyes

Cupid’s Victim by Tiger Army - Wounded, I fall into delirium / And I know…my heart’s no longer mine

Do you Love Me? by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - A mock sun blazed upon her head / So completely filled with light she was

Ever Fallen in Love (with someone you shouldn’t’ve)? by Buzzcocks - You disturb my natural emotions / You make me feel I’m dirt and I’m hurt

The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails - She shines / In a world full of ugliness / She matters / When everything is meaningless

Good Things by Sleater-Kinney - It’s a hard place, can’t be friends we can’t be enemies

Lie Down Here (& Be My Girl) by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Oh don’t worry baby / This old snake banging at your door has got a few skins left to shed

Linger by The Cranberries - Oh, I thought the world of you / I thought nothing could go wrong

Love Kernels feat. Rachel Bloom by Crazy Ex Girlfriend - I do anything for those love droplets

Sad Person by Savages - I wanna know why I hesitate / To brace myself and love you

Somewhat Damaged by Nine Inch Nails - So impressed with all you do / Tried so hard to be like you

When in Love by Savages - Is it love / Or is it boredom / That took me up / To your bedroom

Favorite one-shot: “Love Speaks Like A Rolling Thunder,” by serbocroatan (AO3) 

“Storm’s getting closer,” he murmured.

So are you, she thought, watching him crawl the last inch toward her like a sleek jungle cat.

This was a terribly hard decision. The Cassie fic world is full of terrific one-shots. I picked this one because it *sizzles* and I think it gets at something that will be an issue in future books. Cassie and Pritkin created a lot of power when they finally did the deed. How will they learn to rein it in? What if they can’t?

Cage of Stars + Aesthetic

There are two things I really admire about this fic:

1) Karen Chance has created a wonderful action series, and it’s incredibly difficult to capture the frenetic sequences of near-escapes that she writes in her novels. I think that more than any other author, she really gets at the fun and fast-paced nature of these books! I was seriously on the edge of my seat several times during this fic. 

I sometimes balk at “favorite (blank)” when it comes to actual people, because of course I don’t want anyone feeling left out. I’ll say this: as always, this list is not exhaustive! But I really do want to highlight a few of you lovelies, because your work has consistently knocked my socks off.

@cassie-palmer / TerrusDacktellus - My girl, my pop culture soulmate, I have followed you from the Buffy fandom pits of despair (and the Spuffy dumpster) to the agony of Casskin angst and I couldn’t be happier for it. No matter what you write, I will read it, and I will die a little inside. Your characterization is flawless, your pacing is perfect, and above everything else? You always make me laugh a little and feel a lot. Thank you for being such a gift to this fandom. Please write me some rheaco ;)

@cherrycoveredpythia / Dryad13 - Can I just start by saying how glad I am that you joined tumblr? Because now all I want to do is harass you with send you fic prompts. Every time I read any of your fics, even the fluffy ones, I feel like a knife is twisting in my chest, and that is honestly some of the highest praise I can bestow on a writer. Your work just aches in such beautiful, nuanced ways. I am consistently impressed by what you do. 

@chibioniyuri - You’re another writer that makes me want to fling myself off a cliff because of the feels. (I’m noticing a pattern in my fic preferences here, uh oh.) You have a really lovely, strong writing voice and I really hope you continue to bang out these amazing stories, because I am a huge fan.

Honorable Mention

Another hard one… All of you are so amazingly talented!!! But, there has to be a decision, though.

My personal winner in the favourite-author-category is…..

TerrusDacktellus, also known as @windsurfingthroughhell for amazing stories, that were so much fun to read and perfectly in character, like ‘Cage of stars’, 'Delphi high’ or 'Perfume, clinging to your clothes’, just to name some of them…

I’d be glad to read more!

*harrumphing* please feel encouraged 🙄I’m so curious about the outcome, especially in 'Cage the stars’!!! PLEASE :)

Oh my, it was a really hard decision to choose a favorite, because there are so many beautiful stories that I love! Finally I chose “The test” by rageycakes, because I love the idea of Pritkin babysitting the girls and the end of the story :)

Chanceverse Fan Fiction Appreciation Week: Day One - Favorite Multi-Chapter

The Reinvention of John Pritkin by Dryad13/@cherrycoveredpythia

Most of the Chanceverse fics I’ve found are one-shots, so picking a small group of faves to write about is hard??? Anyway, here’s the short list of the one-shots that I find endlessly re-readable:

Observations by TerrusDacktellus / @cassie-palmer - This was officially the first Cassie fic I ever read, and tbh I haven’t stopped thinking about it in the two or so years since. This fic is brilliant, and I’ll tell you why: CHARACTERIZATION. I hear every single one of their individual voices when I read this. And despite being so different from each other, they’ve all come to the same conclusion: Cassie and Pritkin are lovesick fools for each other, and completely oblivious. This fic is basically acting as the audience avatar; it puts in plain words and observations what we the readers have been shouting about for years. It’s so satisfying.

Love Speaks Like a Rolling Thunder by serbocroatoan / @halfincubus - This fic is 100% electric sexual tension and mooooood, my god. The fact that it manages this without getting smutty, that this is entirely build up, is just. So so good. @halfincubus really has a way with setting a scene and creating an atmosphere, and I hope she writes some more Chanceverse stuff one of these days (wink nudge etc).

Perfume, Clinging to Your Clothes by TerrusDacktellus / @cassie-palmer - Yes, Mai appears on this list twice, because she is just that good. This one is light and fluffy with a side of bittersweet (because of course), and just such a nice moment of understanding between these two people that have been through hell and back together (literally). I really hope we get soft moments like this in canon with the next book, because I think it’s really important for the characters to have these moments of reflection and communication, given the trauma they’ve experienced.

Hey folks! We’re so excited to announce that, after a long accidental hiatus, we’re back with a new event! Since there is some new content coming out this summer (!!!), this is the perfect time to get back into the swing of things, starting with a fan fiction appreciation week! From May 20th-26th, we’re going to be celebrating all things fan fiction:

Day 1 - (5/20): Favorite multi-chap

Day 2 - (5/21): Favorite one-shot

Day 3 - (5/22): Favorite author

Day 4 - (5/23): Playlist day

Day 5 - (5/24): Rec a fic

Day 6 - (5/25): Comment on/review a fic (post a link or a screenshot! authors love getting comments on fan fic sites!)

Day 7 - (5/26): Favorite scene/line/quote

It’s not finished, but it’s really good!

Cage of Stars by TerrusDacktellus