tsukibal - Tumblr blog

tsukibal · 7 years

Text

Fic Recs Mega Post

Whenever I write one of these posts I’m struck by the sheer amount of incredible writing talent in this little fandom of ours. It is quite astonishing, and it’s a privilege to get to read all of this wonderful work. Below there’s a small selection of the fantastic stuff I’ve been reading recently, featuring gods, monsters and feral jungle men - and that’s just for starters!

Storms (series) by @lovecrimevariations (KareliaSweet): This frankly astonishing series starts out in barnstorming but fairly innocuous style in Where Are The Storms I Was Promised, in which Will Graham, famous monster hunter, is called to deal with the Wendigo that’s been terrorising an entire town. And then it proceeds, over the course of a further six instalments, to document the beautiful, bloody, often painful course of the relationship between Will and Hannibal, constantly deepening and recontextualising the ‘verse as it goes. Reading this series is almost like watching a really good magic trick – every time you think you’ve got its measure, it pulls something new and surprising out of its hat. And it’s not just flash and sparkle either, the writing is utterly beautiful, the characters are perfectly captured and it is both deeply funny and enormously moving (I was genuinely weepy a number of times throughout). Plus, it also features a majestic, powerful, do-not-under-any-circumstances-fuck-with incarnation of Bedelia, who is worth the price of admission all by herself. Seriously, she was my favourite part of this whole series and I love it beyond any sense or reason. If you have any love of writing whatsoever, read this series, it is a masterclass.

You’ll be in my heart by @starkaryen: Based on the totally beautiful art (here and here) by @camilleflyingrotten, here Will is a scientist on an expedition to find and study gorillas. Instead, he ends up finding Hannibal, a mostly-feral man who lives in the jungle, has an adopted gorilla family, and takes an immediate shine to Will. Who, because this is Will and Hannibal, finds himself taking a shine right back. And all is rosy in Camp Hannigram, until Jack damn Crawford sticks his nose in (like always) and threatens Hannibal’s way of life. As befits the utterly gorgeous artwork, this fic is just lovely from start to finish. It features a particularly adorable version of Hannibal – the scenes in which he indulges his obsession with Will’s safari hat are nothing short of precious – and a charmingly earnest Will. It’s a simple, innocent bit of loveliness, which is rather refreshing in this dark and sophisticated fandom of ours XD.

(Also, if you’d like a little more Tarzan AU, this time with an A/B/O flavour, check out Hannizan by @hotsauce418, which is just pure filth and utterly wonderful with it XD.)

We, the common by @thelongcon23 (thelongcon): A retelling of the show (and beyond) in omegaverse style, this fic alternates masterfully between Hannibal and Will’s POVs as the omega becomes fascinated, obsessed, and ultimately falls in love with the alpha. The result is that while the course of events remains largely the same (Will still gets framed and gutted, and they still go over the cliff in each other’s arms), others change drastically (the way Will locates Hannibal in Florence, for instance, gets a very clever omegaverse twist). And their relationship after the fall? Well, I can pretty much guarantee you’ve never seen it go down quite like this before. If you’re looking for fluff, I suggest you go elsewhere, but if you’re after passion, intensity, and that terribly Hannigram sense that love and cruelty are not mutually exclusive, this is the fic for you. The writer has a firm grip on the characters’ voices and motivations and is uncompromising and incisive in their betrayal of both. This is not necessarily an easy read (particularly towards the end, when Hannibal gives Will a reckoning of his own) but it is a compelling and fascinating one.

Cookies by @desperatelyseekingcannibals (TigerPrawn): Now, those of you who are after some fluff, here’s some of the best around. Tiger’s non-cannibal AU is an absolute treat, full of emotional idiots, kick-ass women and a totally adorable kid (and I don’t say that lightly cos kid!fic ain’t my thing!). It all starts when Will accompanies his daughter Abigail as she goes door-to-door selling cookies for charity and finds himself face to face with the ever-so-handsome Doctor Lecter. And then somehow, before he knows it, Will is agreeing to a date in exchange for Hannibal buying all of Abby’s stock, and soon finding that he might have stumbled into a real relationship. Not that it’s smooth sailing, of course, this is still Hannigram we’re talking about! It is my deep and ardent belief that Hannibal dreams of being a romcom when it grows up and with this utterly charming, romantic, as-sweet-as-its-name-suggests fic, that dream is made a reality. Anyone who’s ever wanted to see Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter fall in love the old-fashioned way (you know, without all those annoying stints in prison and near-fatal injuries), treat yourself and read this fic. I guarantee it will melt even the most dark and twisted of hearts.

Picture Imperfect by @shiphitsthefan: Will Graham is a very special alpha – unlike many of his sex, he can be trusted not to turn into a hormonal animal around omegas. It’s how he’s made his career as a photographer. That is, right up until he’s in a room with concert harpsichordist Hannibal Lecter and everything goes to hell when they scent each other and can barely keep themselves from ripping their clothes off and bonding right there and then. Seems like they’re true mates and it’s only a matter of time before they give into their urges – so Will, being a decent and respectful alpha, has to get this courtship show on the road before that happens. Well, mostly before that happens. Given the UST inherent to the plot, this is every bit as intensely, stupidly hot as you’d hope, but it’s also a really clever, thoughtful exploration of the omegaverse concept, set in a ‘verse in which omegas are the ruling gender, a nice reversal of the usual a/b/o setup. Plus it has an almost indecently adorable version of Hannigram, in which progressive Will and traditionalist Hannibal attempt to conjoin their lives so that they can get on and shag already! Smart and sexy a/b/o is one of our fandom’s greatest strengths and this is truly just an exemplary version of it.

Space Invader II: A Very Darko Sequel by @devereauxsdisease: A sequel to the utterly wonderful Space Invader (and if you haven’t read it, I’m begging you, go remedy that this instant), this return to Dev’s Spacedogs ‘verse sees Adam and Nigel still ensconced in blissful coupledom. So blissful, in fact, that it’s making Darko wonder if he might want some of that relationship stuff for himself. Cue the appearance of a certain sassy lab tech last seen working for the FBI. That’s right, Beverly Katz is alive, in town and about to rock Darko’s world XD. This is just an utter joy to read, stuffed with Dev’s trademark mix of fantastic dialogue, heartfelt emotion and wickedly dirty jokes. And best of all is her way with the characters, all of whom are wonderfully loveable and who work beautifully together. I spent the whole fic marvelling at the way in which these disparate characters come together and feel like they were always meant to be that way – they make a lovely, entertainingly weird family and are never less than an utter delight to spend time with.

Forgemaster by @llewcie: Valhalla Enchanted by way of the Greek gods now, in this peerless piece of sweetness by the lovely Llew. Char and Ella are the new Dionysus and Aphrodite (in this ‘verse, the gods can retire and be replaced) and live like brother and sister, i.e. bickering, winding each other up, pushing each other’s buttons… They particularly like making bets, which winds up with Ella making Char agree to three dates with Hephaestus, being played in this fic by One Eye. Given that One Eye is unsociable, ragged, and constantly dirty from his forge, Char is less than impressed with his companion and says so… somewhat unfortunately within One Eye’s earshot. So when, despite himself, Char finds himself falling for the blacksmith god’s charms, he’s got a lot of work to do to convince One Eye that he’s worth the trouble! Llew has the charm turned up all the way to eleven in this gorgeously frothy, funny little comedy of errors, with a sweetly vain version of Char melting under the steadily growing appeal of One Eye’s gentle strength. If you need cheering up for any reason, this fic should be your first port of call.

Pure Imagination by @constructfairytales (beforethedawn and Destinyawakened): Stranger Things was one of my favourite shows last year (admittedly it’s no Hannibal, but what is?). It was smart and weird, and as an 80s baby it pressed every last one of my nostalgia buttons, from soundtrack to costume design. So, of course, it was with nothing but delight that I started this crossover AU, in which Will is police chief of the town where young Will Byers goes missing and Hannibal is the psychiatrist he brings in to counsel the traumatised community. And I wasn’t disappointed – this is a fantastic blend of Hannibal’s surreal romanticism with the full-on monstery weirdness of the ST ‘verse, with plenty of unexpectedly but pleasingly fluffy Hannigram at the centre of it. Though it follows the basic plot of ST, having Will and Hannibal involved inevitably shakes things up (Will’s empathy is given a brilliant twist) and predictable this certainly ain’t. Instead it’s fun, thrilling and playful, with at least one story development that genuinely had me on the edge of my seat. And did I mention the Hannigram? Cos, yeah, there’s no slow burn here. Our boys are goners from the second they meet and the intensity of their connection is all kinds of wonderful.

The Estate by @bokuno-jinsei: Amusingly, the tags on this fantastic fic eventually turn into a short plea for Will Graham to stop thinking so much (a plea which anyone who’s written the over-analytical little shit will know is hopeless). Fortunately, Will clearly paid no attention, and so we readers are treated to this charmingly introspective piece of canon divergence. So, Hannibal gets as far as sitting Will at the dinner table in Florence. But, before he can get out his bonesaw, he seemingly has second thoughts and so Will wakes some time later to find himself ensconced in the last place he expected to revisit – Lecter Castle. Where, he finds, Hannibal has decided to change the game between them: if Will agrees to see if they can live together, Hannibal will cease any attempts to change or influence Will. So the pair find themselves as the unlikeliest of roommates as Will wrestles with his demons, his desires and, inevitably, his feelings for Hannibal. Anybody who enjoys intense conversations, brewing sexual tension and Hannibal in waders (yes, really), step this way, you’re in for a treat.

Inevitable by Vulcanmi: I do adore canon divergence. And I have a weakness for prison fics (love Hannigram falling in love while incarcerated). So this fic is entirely my jam. It picks up in the second half of s3: Hannibal is in jail, Will is “happily” married to Molly, and Jack is still desperate to have his pet empath back on board to deal with the Tooth Fairy. Except in this ‘verse, Will decides not to give into Jack and remains with his family, far away from Baltimore. In order to make it up to his former boss, though, Will writes a letter to a certain inmate, suggesting that he offer his services where Will cannot. Of course, it’s not the last letter Will ends up sending to Hannibal. Not by a long shot. And we all know what happens once Will gives Hannibal an inch… (hey, I didn’t mean that kind of inch, you filthy perverts!). Though it starts out as an angsty exploration of Will’s determination to separate himself from Hannibal, somewhere along the way this fantastic fic transforms into a twisted yet adorable romcom, as our murder muffins confront their feelings and try to figure out whether there’s any version of the world in which they might be together. And, frankly, it’s an utter delight to read. One for those (*raises hand*) who like their hurt/comfort 20% hurt and 80% comfort.

Inside the Imitation by @belladonnaq (Belladonna_Q) with artwork by @reapersun: A confession. I’ve never seen The Thing (because I’m a scaredy-cat who doesn’t watch anything that could remotely be described as scary. “But Vic, isn’t Hannibal scary?” Yeah, yeah, I contain multitudes, now hush mango, I’m working). However, I’ve never let ignorance get between me and my Hannigram and so I jumped headfirst into the The Thing/Hannibal crossover which, fortunately, works utterly brilliantly with absolutely zero knowledge of the film. So, once again Jack Crawford finds reason to call upon the services of Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. Except this time, it’s not in order to investigate the Minnesota Shrike, but a strange case with its roots in a decades-old tragedy in Alaska. Soon things turn weird and monstery and Will and Hannibal find themselves reluctantly (well, as ever, Will’s reluctant, Hannibal’s thrilled) investigating a burned-out government building with something truly frightening at its core. This is thrilling, clever and wonderfully creepy, a fantastic reframing of canon (especially the Hannigram) and tons of fun throughout. I have to admit, I did not see the twist coming in this fic (though that’s possibly because I’m a dim bulb when it comes to plot) and it was delivered brilliantly, turning everything on its head and upping the stakes for our beloved murder muffins. Oh, and make sure to check out @reapersun’s fabulous artwork that accompanies the fic, it’s staggeringly gorgeous.

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Volume 2 by @fragile-teacup: A continuation of the marvellous The Spaces Between series, this picks up a little after volume one, with our boys enjoying Argentinian high society. Unfortunately, while the end of the previous instalment hinted at full-blown murder husbandry, it quickly turns out that Will and Hannibal haven’t quite sorted out their feelings to anyone’s satisfaction (you’re shocked, I can tell). Fortunately, we’re pretty much out of slow burn territory here and the idiots manage to get their act (mostly) together just in time for some ghosts to rear their perfectly-coiffed, millionairess heads and throw a spanner in the works. This sequel continues the achingly lovely tone of its predecessor, with romance a-plenty amongst bouts of emotional idiocy and bloodlust. It’s sweet and tender without compromising on the intensity and darkness of our beloved boys and builds their relationship with care and patience, allowing for a believable building of trust and love between them. It is, in other words, a treat to read in every way, so get yourself to ao3 and have at it!

As ever and always, if I’ve miscredited anyone or if there are bad links, please let me know and I’ll correct it ASAP. Happy reading, lovely fannibals!

761 notes · View notes

tsukibal · 8 years

Photo

I wanted to primarily use this to promote lesser known writers, but I’ve only been in the fandom (online) for a little over 6 months I’m not always sure who is a lesser known writer and who isn’t. I think sometimes it depends on the pack they run in so, I’ve just chosen some of the fics I’ve really enjoyed lately that aren’t from the really big BNFs.

(I also started on all of this before Fresh Meat asked that we only rec one fic per Friday, which I will do from now on but didn’t want to waste all this effort!)

So - in no particular order…

Pride by DrJLecter ( @drjlecter) 500 words Teen And Up Audiences // F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi // Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter / Hugh Dancy & Mads Mikkelsen // Summary: They are shooting scenes for Hannibal at a real Pride Parade and everyone gets carried away in the elated atmosphere.

OMG! I fucking screamed whilst reading this and for a full 5 minutes after. I love everything I’ve read by this writer but this one is just magical. If you have 2 minutes to spare today you should be reading this!

Busted by FauxFidele ( @hannimeow) - 2k words Explicit // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // Summary: Will is busted for watching porn when Hannibal is away teaching a class at the local university. Cue the dirty pictures.

This is a wonderful tale from a fantastic writer! I was actually a little on edge reading this, not wanting Will to get found out but at the same time jealous on Hannibal’s behalf. For smut it definitely pulls the feels and the ending is just perfect!

We’ll meet again by Moonstruckidiot - 2k words General Audiences // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // TAGS to note: MCD kind of? Some angst. Summary: Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham died in each others arms after falling from a cliff into the Atlantic ocean; their bodies were lost to the sea. 37years later… Will walks into the art gallery of artist ‘Hannibal,’ both men discover a mutual interest in the sea Or - Hannibal knows he is the reincarnation of Hannibal Lecter and he has been waiting for ‘his’ Will to come into his life.

This is absolutely wonderful and needs to be continued! I was hooked with the opening prologue and the rest of the story took my breath away! This is such a rich world, a new home for the characters we know and love.

Marbles by Llewcie ( @llewcie) - 5.5k words Teen And Up Audiences // M/M // Nigel (Charlie Countryman)/Adam Raki // TAGS to note: underage as both characters are kids/teens (no u/a sex),bullying, mild angst Summary: Adam moves to a new neighborhood and promptly loses a prized possession to the neighborhood bully. But when the tables are turned, Adam extracts a promise from Nigel that will follow them through the years. The friendship that develops as a result will end up meaning more to them than they ever could have anticipated.

I’m not going to lie, Llew is one of my favourite Spacedogs writers (you should also check out Craigslist and Merrie). This fic is heartbreaking in it’s journey and is just beyond amazing! Following these mismatched kids from enemies to friends to (eventually and very incredibly well done) lovers will make you weep in the best possible way!

Eunoia (series - 3 fics) by murdergatsby ( @ - 4k words Mature, Teen And Up Audiences // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // TAGS to note: Temporary Character Death, some angst and panic, Drowning Summary: Well mind, beautiful thinking. Post-The Wrath of the Lamb Murder Husband Softness™

I don’t think the tags do justice to how to the fluffy and soft aspects of this little series. It is just delightful and a wonderful with just the right balance of feels! This writer never disappoints and this is no exception!

Reeling Him In by Devereauxs_Disease ( @devereauxsdisease) - 4kwords Explicit // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // Summary: Will wonders why Hannibal hasn’t kissed him, even though they’ve been dating for months. Hannibal would like to know what Will is talking about.

This is just glorious! I love this cracky version of the boys but with their usual *if only they’d talk to each other* misunderstandings! A fantastic ending that just proves what a food lover Hannibal is!

Still Beautiful by fragile-teacup (Mrs_Gene_Hunt) ( @fragile-teacup) - 1k words Explicit // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // TAGS to note: Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: A 1000 word post-TWOTL fic. Works as a stand-alone but is also an alternate take, from Hannibal’s POV, on a chapter from my current post-fall WIP fic, ‘The Marriage of Heaven and Hell’, which is written from Will’s POV.

This is just such a beautifully written piece. The fact that so much passion and need is captured in 1000 words is just masterfully done on the part of the writer!

Physis by Chifuyu ( @staticraining) - 4k words Teen And Up Audiences // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // Summary: After everything that has happened in Italy, there is still one last obstacle Will Graham has to overcome before he can try and pick up the broken pieces that once were his life: Being a witness at Hannibal Lecter’s trial.

The entire premise of this fic is fantastic, because of course Will is a compromised witness either way, and the characterisation of Lecter’s lawyer feels perfect. Watching Will squirm in the stand shouldn’t be this fun,and if it sounds like crack, it isn’t it is absolutely spot on!

Touch (Sweet Touch) by Hannigrammatic ( @hannigrammatic) - 1.5k words Mature // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // TAGS to note: Touch-Starved Summary: Starvation of touch can be just as debilitating as a lack of nourishment. (or, Hannibal is distant after the fall, and Will misses him in more ways than he has words for.)

So refreshing, interesting and touching to see this focus on both Will and Hannibal, with snippets from Hannibal’s pov especially interesting, in what is often a scenario that focuses solely on Will. This was wonderfully done and gave me lots of feels!

Awakening by Rakusnow ( @rakusnow) - 1.5k words Mature // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // TAGS to note: Canon typical violence Summary: They had recently moved to Bamfield, a small corner of the coast of Vancouver Island. They knew no-one and kept to themselves.

I just love the relationship that plays out in this fic, and blood lust Will is just wonderful!

Any Club That Would Have Us As Members by victorine ( @victorineb) - 1.2k words General Audiences // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Summary:Will has always hidden parts of himself from other people. With Hannibal, that no longer seems necessary. Will wants to share every part of himself. And if that means settling in for a movie with a legendary killer and cannibal, well Will thinks that’s just fine…

Again a writer that I always enjoy, but I particular love this fic. It’s just so perfectly crafted and so well captured! Just…. urgh! The ease of their relationship and Will being able to be himself is just so beautiful and wonderfully written! But also so many feels! Will is delightfully written as free and easy. And his wonderful observations of Hannibal and their shared laughter paints them as best friends as well as murder husbands. An utter delight.

Defend Myself by The_owner ( @gio-hannigram) 1.7k words Teen And Up Audiences // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // TAGS to note: heavy angst, MCD. Summary: Will’s heart pounded at Hannibal´s tone, there but at the same time so far away, almost lost. A whisper against his skin the only proof he was there, behind him.

This is a really beautiful fic that gave me a lot of feels! Beautifully tragic, with rich imagery and the poetic confessions. I don’t often read heavy angst but I even loved the sadness here - because sometimes we need to explore this potential type of regret.

WIPS you should be reading!!

Whisked Away by shiphitsthefan ( @shiphitsthefan) - 25k word WIP Explicit // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter / Bedelia Du Maurier & Hannibal Lecter // TAGS to note: Agoraphobia, Disordered Eating, Dom/sub Undertones, Non-Sexual Submission, Past Abuse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary: Coffee Shop AU - Will has always seen too much of the lives of others to ever want one of his own. On the other hand, Hannibal, as proprietor of Whisked Away, his hobby coffee shop and café, is living the public life he’s always wanted. Still, he longs to be seen and understood for who he really is. Neither ever saw this coming.

THIS!!! OMG I am loving this so much!! I’m a sucker for coffee shop AUs and this has so much more beyond that. It is rich and complex and the characters are so incredibly well drawn from the show into this setting. It is a slow burn I am more than happy to bake in until I catch fire!

12 Steps Wayward by BloodToInk, bonelines, & howlscastle - 17k word WIP Explicit // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter // TAGS to note: Drug Use, Drug Addiction, Sex Addiction, Rehabilitation, Violent Thoughts, Canon-Typical Violence, Obsessive Behavior,Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary: AU where Will and Hannibal, both young and at the age where most would be attending university, meet while staying in a rehabilitation facility. They’re both there for different reasons. Will, who has been struggling with his sex addiction, immediately begins lusting after Hannibal, who is recovering from a drug addiction that caused him to have to drop out of med school.

As this continues the characters feel more and more like the Will and Hannibal we know, but in this incredibly different AU setting. The writers manage to weave together an amazing tale that is more than you would expect from the premise of “sex addict Will”. This is complex and well thought through and for being a slow burn(ish) incredibly damn hot!

Why are you smoking? by HotSauce418 ( @hotsauce418) - 20k word WIP Explicit // M/M // Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter / Will Graham/Nigel (Charlie Countryman) // TAGS to note: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics OmegaVerse, Alpha/Omega, Alpha Nigel, Omega Will, Alpha Hannibal, Mating, surprise bond, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary: Set during Season 1 - Hannibal doesn’t make his move fast enough and Will ends up accidentally bonding with his doppelganger in the throes of heat.

I am a big fan of fluffy/non-abusive ABO (as it can often be used as an excuse for such). The premise of accidental bonding can have the potential to go down that route but this is not the case here. This expertly takes the characters and puts them in this situation in a way true to their characters. What happens next is fantastic and feels true - and oh dear lord Will and Nigel are such a good match (I guess I have enough room in my brain for another ship, right?!)

There’s actually a bunch more fics I could add in here but it will go on forever, so I will just end with recommending reading anything by @slashyrogue @starkaryen @taeaelin and @samui-sakura88 they are just wonderful!

145 notes · View notes