[02] (indiv.rec:jess) KHR! Recs
KHR! is my main fandom at the moment and I’ve got several great friends who I'm happy to be able to rec it for. So Linda, cinderscape , doomcake , and everyone else? These next few posts are all for you guys. ♥
INDIVIDUAL FIC RECS: KHR!
(assorted pairings,
see bottom of post for specifics)
TITLE: In Puppetry, Strings Are Always Attached
AUTHOR: Rinja @LJ @FF.N @MediaMiner
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: Mukuro/Gokudera (6959)
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: soft R, one-shot, implied sex, mild violence, implied character death, second person
SUMMARY: The target has always been Sawada Tsunayoshi’s body. Always. So when you get a chance to work your way to the top of the Vongola through none other than its Right Hand Man, you aren't going to let it slip by. However, you should know by now that many of your schemes have yet to go as planned.
SNIPPET: The stronger Gokudera’s determination grows, the closer the end of the road seems to you. The path to Truth burns strongly in your altered eye, and when it burns at its strongest, you know that it’s time. You pause again and focus your gaze directly into Gokudera’s eyes.
Hades is about desire, you remember, so you ask him a final question: “What is it you desire most?”
Without looking away or hesitating, Gokudera answers, “To succeed - for the Tenth and the Vongola, and for myself.”
THOUGHTS: I dare you to find another Mukuro/Gokudera that’s from Mukuro’s POV or this long and involving. That’s right, you can’t. This fic is brilliant in its characterization; I can feel them yanking each other farther down, unable to escape, unable to even fathom wanting to escape. The tension in here is so thick, but it’s dramatic tension, not the usual action-and-politics found in this fandom. I’ll admit it’s a hard read, because there’s so much to grasp in such a short amount of time and, by the end, it all feels obvious enough that you just want to whack yourself over the head. Fics like this are why I love Gokudera and Mukuro, really.
In Puppetry, Strings Are Always Attached: @LJ | @FF.N
---
TITLE: Plus One
AUTHOR: Mai @LJ @FF.N
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: soft R, one-shot, mild sexual situation, inconsequential OCs
SUMMARY: Behind the wheel and wide awake.
SNIPPET: “Have you finally sustained permanent brain damage from all those injuries to the head?” Gokudera demanded. He gestured at the room at large. “We’re not dressed for the occasion!”
Yamamoto just stared at him. Raising an eyebrow, he gave their appearances a quick once-over. Black suits, black ties, black leather shoes-and diamante skull cufflinks from Vivienne Westwood, in Gokudera’s case. He bit back a curse. There were a very limited number of occupations where the day-to-day attire could also pass for formal wear; professional mafioso just had to happen to be one of them.
Curiously, he’d never once regretted his career choice until this very moment.
THOUGHTS: This fic is stunning. Not that I was expecting otherwise, but still, I feel the facts must be stated upfront. It’s so fine-tuned with each part being essential and emotionally fit, whether hilarious, tearjerking, hilarious, revelatory, hilarious, quiet bonding time, or hilariously hilarious. In fact, I’m afraid to re-read this story because I always get caught up in it and then binge-read this author’s stories for another two days. Part of the problem could be that this fic feels like every 8059 fic ever written and then some. And, if you must know, I would love this fic even without my heavy Gokudera bias, I swear it.
Plus One: @LJ | @FF.N
---
TITLE: The Only Living Boy In New York
AUTHOR: June @LJ
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: PG-13, one-shot, mentions of violence, implied sex
SUMMARY: Really, this is just a story about two people getting together.
SNIPPET: "It's ugly and pretty," he blurted, opening his eyes to see Gokudera still very close to him. "You like it because it's ugly and pretty."
Gokudera blinked and then snatched the headphones away from him, sitting back in his seat and adjusting them so they fit his own head better. Yamamoto had a bigger head, he guessed. "You can't really like something that's just one thing," he said to the table. "If it's all beautiful, then it's shallow. If it's all angry, then it's stupid. Nothing in real life is only beautiful or ugly."
THOUGHTS: [cue flailing] Oh my god, I love fics like this, fics that are inventive and make you see a whole new way to write. I’ve read fics that had a soundtrack or were written to a soundtrack or were prompted by a certain song, but this one? This one takes the cake: It is the soundtrack. All these songs and the reasonings behind them, what they say about the characters, the fact that the whole fic is like one big Gokudera mixtape, just. I love how subtly insightful each section is and I especially love how the author captured them throughout the years.
The Only Living Boy In New York: @LJ
---
TITLE: At Least This Way…
AUTHOR: Tony @LJ
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: PG-13, one-shot, AU
SUMMARY: Gokudera never went to the Japan, but Tsuna's still managed to rise to the occasion and become the incumbent Tenth boss of the Vongola. At the age of 21, Tsuna and the Guardians move operations to Italy where Yamamoto finally meets Gokudera.
SNIPPET: When the woman walked back to the kitchen, Yamamoto asked, "So what are we having?" Gokudera opened his mouth to answer, but Yamamoto held up one hand to pause him. "Don't tell me what it's called, tell me what it is."
Gokudera's face completely transformed into a smile and he even coughed out a little chuckle. The laugh didn't last (from what Yamamoto'd picked up over the last few days, Gokudera didn't smile or laugh very often), so Yamamoto added his own to keep it going. Gokudera grinned (it was more like a smirk, but he tried) at Yamamoto and shook his head. "At least you know you're an idiot. It's good, that's what it is."
THOUGHTS: I admit it: even with all the warning, I cried a little at the ending. It’s definitely not AU the way I first picked it up and expected; it’s worse, because all the build-up and foreshadowing is there, it just doesn’t slam you over the head until you get to the last sentence. The way the author writes them grabs me by the throat, shakes me a few times, and leaves me feeling a little dizzy, a little breathless, and a lot thinking This is them, this is the way it could have happened. I don't even need to re-read it, because my mind remembers each scene down to the most minute details. This fic is lovely, in a heartbreaking way.
At Least This Way…: @LJ
---
TITLE: Flip A Coin
AUTHOR: Fizzy @LJ
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: gen, implied Yamamato/Gokudera (8059), Gokudera, Yamamato
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: PG-13, one-shot, implied death
SUMMARY: Twenty-one scenes, twenty-one instances. Moments that flicker in and out of your memory-one deep breath and it's all gone. Just like that.
SNIPPET: It'll never stop amusing him just how fast Gokudera can switch from being the angriest person alive to someone who's all smiles and eager to please. He watches as Tsuna tries to say that it's fine if they had to share the food, because there's no way he'll be able to eat it all, and grins a little wider when Gokudera agrees-sure, Tenth, of course!-but insists that the food is still for him and not meant for that stupid baseball freak.
Yamamoto can only laugh.
They'll be here a while, he thinks.
Especially since Gokudera's distracted again and is asking just what the fuck is so fucking funny?!
"Hahaha," it's wholehearted and simple, "You're a funny guy, Gokudera. You're a funny guy."
THOUGHTS: The way this fic is organized is just breathtaking; how it touches on everything important but doesn’t linger too long. All the parts that make them up are here: mafia politics, games, friendships, missions, loss, sacrifices, change. The change is why I hate re-reading this fic, because I watch them grow up and get better and my heart aches the entire time-even if they’re changing and changing, in some ways, they’re staying exactly the same. (Also, I dislike the sensation of an aching heart.) I have so many favorite scenes in here, though, that it’s worth it. This fic is both complex and simple, with a wonderful flow.
Flip A Coin: @LJ
PAIRINGS IN THIS POST INCLUDE, in no real order:
Gen: Yamamato + Gokudera
Background: Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
Focus: Mukuro/Gokudera (6959), Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
INDIVIDUAL FIC RECS: KHR!
(assorted pairings,
see bottom of post for specifics)
TITLE: In Puppetry, Strings Are Always Attached
AUTHOR: Rinja @LJ @FF.N @MediaMiner
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: Mukuro/Gokudera (6959)
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: soft R, one-shot, implied sex, mild violence, implied character death, second person
SUMMARY: The target has always been Sawada Tsunayoshi’s body. Always. So when you get a chance to work your way to the top of the Vongola through none other than its Right Hand Man, you aren't going to let it slip by. However, you should know by now that many of your schemes have yet to go as planned.
SNIPPET: The stronger Gokudera’s determination grows, the closer the end of the road seems to you. The path to Truth burns strongly in your altered eye, and when it burns at its strongest, you know that it’s time. You pause again and focus your gaze directly into Gokudera’s eyes.
Hades is about desire, you remember, so you ask him a final question: “What is it you desire most?”
Without looking away or hesitating, Gokudera answers, “To succeed - for the Tenth and the Vongola, and for myself.”
THOUGHTS: I dare you to find another Mukuro/Gokudera that’s from Mukuro’s POV or this long and involving. That’s right, you can’t. This fic is brilliant in its characterization; I can feel them yanking each other farther down, unable to escape, unable to even fathom wanting to escape. The tension in here is so thick, but it’s dramatic tension, not the usual action-and-politics found in this fandom. I’ll admit it’s a hard read, because there’s so much to grasp in such a short amount of time and, by the end, it all feels obvious enough that you just want to whack yourself over the head. Fics like this are why I love Gokudera and Mukuro, really.
In Puppetry, Strings Are Always Attached: @LJ | @FF.N
---
TITLE: Plus One
AUTHOR: Mai @LJ @FF.N
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: soft R, one-shot, mild sexual situation, inconsequential OCs
SUMMARY: Behind the wheel and wide awake.
SNIPPET: “Have you finally sustained permanent brain damage from all those injuries to the head?” Gokudera demanded. He gestured at the room at large. “We’re not dressed for the occasion!”
Yamamoto just stared at him. Raising an eyebrow, he gave their appearances a quick once-over. Black suits, black ties, black leather shoes-and diamante skull cufflinks from Vivienne Westwood, in Gokudera’s case. He bit back a curse. There were a very limited number of occupations where the day-to-day attire could also pass for formal wear; professional mafioso just had to happen to be one of them.
Curiously, he’d never once regretted his career choice until this very moment.
THOUGHTS: This fic is stunning. Not that I was expecting otherwise, but still, I feel the facts must be stated upfront. It’s so fine-tuned with each part being essential and emotionally fit, whether hilarious, tearjerking, hilarious, revelatory, hilarious, quiet bonding time, or hilariously hilarious. In fact, I’m afraid to re-read this story because I always get caught up in it and then binge-read this author’s stories for another two days. Part of the problem could be that this fic feels like every 8059 fic ever written and then some. And, if you must know, I would love this fic even without my heavy Gokudera bias, I swear it.
Plus One: @LJ | @FF.N
---
TITLE: The Only Living Boy In New York
AUTHOR: June @LJ
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: PG-13, one-shot, mentions of violence, implied sex
SUMMARY: Really, this is just a story about two people getting together.
SNIPPET: "It's ugly and pretty," he blurted, opening his eyes to see Gokudera still very close to him. "You like it because it's ugly and pretty."
Gokudera blinked and then snatched the headphones away from him, sitting back in his seat and adjusting them so they fit his own head better. Yamamoto had a bigger head, he guessed. "You can't really like something that's just one thing," he said to the table. "If it's all beautiful, then it's shallow. If it's all angry, then it's stupid. Nothing in real life is only beautiful or ugly."
THOUGHTS: [cue flailing] Oh my god, I love fics like this, fics that are inventive and make you see a whole new way to write. I’ve read fics that had a soundtrack or were written to a soundtrack or were prompted by a certain song, but this one? This one takes the cake: It is the soundtrack. All these songs and the reasonings behind them, what they say about the characters, the fact that the whole fic is like one big Gokudera mixtape, just. I love how subtly insightful each section is and I especially love how the author captured them throughout the years.
The Only Living Boy In New York: @LJ
---
TITLE: At Least This Way…
AUTHOR: Tony @LJ
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: PG-13, one-shot, AU
SUMMARY: Gokudera never went to the Japan, but Tsuna's still managed to rise to the occasion and become the incumbent Tenth boss of the Vongola. At the age of 21, Tsuna and the Guardians move operations to Italy where Yamamoto finally meets Gokudera.
SNIPPET: When the woman walked back to the kitchen, Yamamoto asked, "So what are we having?" Gokudera opened his mouth to answer, but Yamamoto held up one hand to pause him. "Don't tell me what it's called, tell me what it is."
Gokudera's face completely transformed into a smile and he even coughed out a little chuckle. The laugh didn't last (from what Yamamoto'd picked up over the last few days, Gokudera didn't smile or laugh very often), so Yamamoto added his own to keep it going. Gokudera grinned (it was more like a smirk, but he tried) at Yamamoto and shook his head. "At least you know you're an idiot. It's good, that's what it is."
THOUGHTS: I admit it: even with all the warning, I cried a little at the ending. It’s definitely not AU the way I first picked it up and expected; it’s worse, because all the build-up and foreshadowing is there, it just doesn’t slam you over the head until you get to the last sentence. The way the author writes them grabs me by the throat, shakes me a few times, and leaves me feeling a little dizzy, a little breathless, and a lot thinking This is them, this is the way it could have happened. I don't even need to re-read it, because my mind remembers each scene down to the most minute details. This fic is lovely, in a heartbreaking way.
At Least This Way…: @LJ
---
TITLE: Flip A Coin
AUTHOR: Fizzy @LJ
PAIRING, CHARACTERS: gen, implied Yamamato/Gokudera (8059), Gokudera, Yamamato
RATING, LENGTH, WARNINGS: PG-13, one-shot, implied death
SUMMARY: Twenty-one scenes, twenty-one instances. Moments that flicker in and out of your memory-one deep breath and it's all gone. Just like that.
SNIPPET: It'll never stop amusing him just how fast Gokudera can switch from being the angriest person alive to someone who's all smiles and eager to please. He watches as Tsuna tries to say that it's fine if they had to share the food, because there's no way he'll be able to eat it all, and grins a little wider when Gokudera agrees-sure, Tenth, of course!-but insists that the food is still for him and not meant for that stupid baseball freak.
Yamamoto can only laugh.
They'll be here a while, he thinks.
Especially since Gokudera's distracted again and is asking just what the fuck is so fucking funny?!
"Hahaha," it's wholehearted and simple, "You're a funny guy, Gokudera. You're a funny guy."
THOUGHTS: The way this fic is organized is just breathtaking; how it touches on everything important but doesn’t linger too long. All the parts that make them up are here: mafia politics, games, friendships, missions, loss, sacrifices, change. The change is why I hate re-reading this fic, because I watch them grow up and get better and my heart aches the entire time-even if they’re changing and changing, in some ways, they’re staying exactly the same. (Also, I dislike the sensation of an aching heart.) I have so many favorite scenes in here, though, that it’s worth it. This fic is both complex and simple, with a wonderful flow.
Flip A Coin: @LJ
PAIRINGS IN THIS POST INCLUDE, in no real order:
Gen: Yamamato + Gokudera
Background: Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)
Focus: Mukuro/Gokudera (6959), Yamamato/Gokudera (8059)