leavethesky

So, a few recs (because my torec list is completely off the hook!):

First, some BTVS:
Ghost by Sailor80 is Buffy/Willow and some Faith/Buffy, Mature, novella. I don't think I've ever rec'ed this pairing before, but that's not because I don't like it. It is one of the rarest animals in the femslash world. Following the events of S7 and the closure of the Hellmouth, Buffy wanders aimlessly, seeming to become more and more detached. Is she detached, going crazy, or is there something more magical at work? What I love about this fic (besides the fact that it's a fantastic story and Faith figures prominently) is the depiction of the aging slayer(s) and witch and the emotional complexity of their interactions as the new generation of Watchers and slayers try to take over what were once their roles. Extraordinary. Also, did I mention there's a prophecy? And the Hellmouth? Perfect story. PERFECT!

these two come via firstmoment's BTVS recs:

when all the wild summer was in her gaze by solvent90 is Buffy/Faith, PG. This is a short and beautifully breathless fic about the aging slayers.
Faith dreams, sometimes, at abrupt intervals, of Buffy as she used to be

Gemini by only_passenger is Buffy/Faith, PG. and it's just extraordinary. If she could cut herself in half, part of Buffy would follow Faith anywhere.

Then some Criminal Minds:
two entangled fics from _astralis: Real Time and Colour and Light the Bitter Dark, both JJ/Emily, PG. These are both lovely and understated glimpses of this fragile relationship as it develops in the stolen, secret moments within and between the horror of their work. Beautiful. The Will storyline has really destroyed this pairing for me, but astralis does a wonderful job of returning this pairing to us.

and finally, some Pepa/Silvia:
Over Again by random_flores is Pepa/Silvia, Mature and was written as part of ralst's Pepa/Silvia ficathon. This is another exceptional fic from flores. What I love about this fic is the way she fills in the past for us, revealing so much about the characters and their motivations. As you're all probably aware, I love this pairing, but there isn't really a lot of story for them, which is either a problem or an opportunity and flores makes the most of it.

Shit Happens by omiceti (omiceti is back!!!!) is PG-13. This is really a stolen moment at the beach for our girls and it's absolutely lovely.

There's more pepa/silvia fic (that I haven't read yet or that was written by me) and spectacular vids at the Pepa/Silvia ficathon so check it out! I'm hoping this is only the beginning of MUCH more Pepa/Silvia fic and work because this canon pairing is just too hot and lovely to pass up.

Phew!

It appears that, as usual, I was wrong. ralst pwns Criminal Minds. then again, I'm pretty sure that ralst owns most of teh fandoms. [Unknown site tag] does have the highest fic rate. So, thanks to that post and the comments, I have a few more recs:

Predilection by harper_m is Criminal Minds, Emily/JJ, OFC/JJ R. Very hot character study of JJ and her type.

Five Times Jill Barnhart Had Sex With Lindsay Boxer, And One Time She Didn’t by trancer21 is WMC, Lindsay/Jill, NC-17. Okay, this is a spectacular fic. Not only is it scorching hot (including meeting the criteria for this post of favorite kinks), but it's also a gorgeously rich character study, or relationship study. Or lack-of-relationship study. trancer21's mastered the show-don't-tell with truly amazing results. This isn't fluffy and there's no happy ending. In fact, the story runs backward, so...no happy beginnings either. But hot ones. absolutely! And a gorgeously written and heartwrenching study of Jill's motivations and Lindsay's manipulations. Because really? Who could resist the Boxer?

tremblingmoon told me to check out fewthistle's Throw Your Arms Up to the Sky (Criminal Minds, Emily/JJ, PG-13) and described it as breathtaking, which it is. I'm not a big fan of Xmas fics (because I'm a grinch), but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Maybe it's the sad note that runs throughout despite the fact that there's a happy ending for the couple. There's still that subtext of making new family because your 'real' family doesn't get you and never will. Which is sad. But also liberating. And fewthistle makes it just that. And breathtaking.

My new obsession is updating my own alien_altars-inspired rec list...too frequently. I think this is proof that inspiration and often brilliance can come from a new approach to what should be a tired old cliché. Or it's proof that I'm insane. This is also, as usual, a cry for help. In the sense that I'm always looking for more cliché fic to add to my collection. Bring 'em if you've got 'em. Support my madness.

My list again:

About to die, must have hot sex
Like You Really Like It by Xena's Little Bitch is Xena/Gabrielle, Mature, impending apocalypse...again.

Aliens made us do it
Upset, Upended, and Upgraded is SG-1, Pink Rabbit. Also from the SG-1 fandom is Another Sip of Wine by JSwrdsmth.

Amnesia

Fade Out to Black by bluflamingo is Mature, Laura Cadman/Katie Brown. Wonderful fic!

I just recced two Xena fics by Ella Quince that met this criteria:

The Tavernkeeper's Sister and Well of Sighs both by Ella Quince. Both are NC-17, both classic and both stories use amnesia as a plot device to very different ends. I'm convinced Ella Quince (yeah, I finally get it -- Eloquence) is the pen name of a professional writer. Her prose is just that good. It's efficient and elegant with moments of absolutely breathtaking writing. But beyond that, the stories are wonderful and her classic Xena and Gabrielle are flawless.

and there's also the wonderful Purest Love by Seana James.

and Everything You Know by Nut56

Bound by Bailey B, J/7, Voyager. There's also Symphony Twisted also J/7.

There is No Fucking in Hades by mirabile_dictu is SGA, Teyla/Elizabeth, NC-17 and if I haven't recced this already I should have. It's EXQUISITE!

Je me souviens by queen_zulu is Buffy/Faith, mature.

In the SGA fandom a standout from alien_altars: Fade Out to Black by bluflamingo is Laura Cadman/Katie Brown and the author deftly uses amnesia to essentially recreate Atlantis for Cadman. Amazingly done.

Another brilliant fic from the SGA fandom, must be something here by lilysaid is Teyla/Sora, Mature.

Aphrodisiacs/Sex pollen
from the Xena fandom there's The Enchantment by friction.

Daring by Blaze is SG-1, Sam/Janet.

Caught masturbating
The Water's Edge by Tegan Jovanka, Xena, NC-17.

Everyone thinks we're doing it<
Rumours of Love by Ella Quince is Xena/Gab, Mature.

Forced marriage
From SG1 and alien_altars there's the hilarious and entertaining Hey Baby, Let's go to Pegasus" which is Sam Carter/Laura Cadman.

Forced to share a bed/sleeping bag/tent
Fuzzy morning after or "do you remember what we did last night?"
Genderswitch (one or both women is turned into a man)

Huddling for warmth
Snow by Rebelgirl is Voyager, T/7

Insomnia


Jealousy
Family by Harriet (SG-1, Sam/Janet) is the first fic to come to mind for this category.

Rumours of Love by Ella Quince is Xena, Mature. This could also be characterized as Everyone Thinks We're Doing It and is.

Kid fic
ugh!
eta okay, I've changed my mind. You MUST check out wizened_cynic's AJ fic (scroll to the bottom and start with the fic there). This is the crackiest crack!verse ever. This version of the crackverse has Alex knocked up at 16 and A.J. is the result. The rest of the cracky Alex/Lorelai is told from kidpov.

Multiple universes (the characters meet versions of themselves from a parallel universe)
Wow, I just realized that I completely misunderstood this category. Most of these are one character meeting another version of another character from another universe. uh, yeah.
I think SG-1 pretty much pwns this category. As One by Harriet has an alternate Janet coming back.
and Everything by Pink Rabbit involve alternate Sam's and are two of my fav fics in this fandom.

Tempus Fugit by me (yes, I'm a walking cliche!) is BTVS, Willow/Tara, Faith/Buffy.

The Broken Thread by Ella Quince is Xena, Mature.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained by Tonya Muir is Xena, Mature. Xena chooses to stay in the "Remember Nothing" AU with the slave, Gabrielle.

16 Hours by Bailey B, J/7, Voyager.

Pregnancy (hey,women can get pregnant too)
wizened_cynic's Alex/Lorelei fpreg Rosemary, Rosemary over in the bun_in_oven comm devoted to that strange fic creature known as fpreg.

Found Family is SGA Teyla/Sora

That Unfamiliar Activity by Xena's Little Bitch is Xena, Mature.

Baby, the Skies'll Be Blue is Imagine Me & You, Rachel/Luce, PG-13, mystical lesbian pregnancy!

It's Yours is Ash/Scribbs, PG-13, Murder in Suburbia (of course!) by the goddess herself, ralst.

Slave fic
I'm pretty sure Xena's Conqueror stories pwn this category so I'll only mention a few:
The Conqueror's Touch by Xena's Little Bitch.
Penance by Penumbra
The Gift by Megan O'Brien is uber.
The Gift by Carola "Ryûchan" Eriksson is PG-13 and turns the tables making Xena the slave. Also by Carola is Gladiator which is warrior!Gabrielle hotness!
Tale One:Journey's End by LJ Maas is essentially a sexfest that goes a bit crazy at the end in search of a plot. But definitely, entirely of the hothothot!!
Conquering Liaisons is another Conqueror fic.

Telepathy/Soulbond
Tether by Harriet is SG-1, Sam/Janet. Not my fav Harriet fic, but still good.
A Warrior By Any Other Name by Melissa Good is actually only the first part of this enormous Xena, soulbond epic.

Già Cogli Angeli, Ivanova? by Penumbra is Babylon 5, Susan/Talia.
also Babylon 5, Susan/Talia Night by Metis. Hot telepathic sex in a shuttlecar.

Trapped together in a cave, shack, etc
A Moment of Truth by Curiositee is Xena, Mature.

Apparently, "trapped together in a turbolift" is such a cliché in the Voyager fandom that ralst's P&P has devoted an entire page to these fics: Turbolift Stories.

Undercover as a prostitute
I got nothing. sorry.

Undercover as lovers or a married couple
Chicago 5am by L.N. James is Xena uber/original and it's a great story with a smokinghot love scene.

Not sure if this counts, but Weir and Cadman posing as a couple in order to stay together on a Wraith slave planet is surely worth something: A Place Called Home by muppetmanda is SGA, Weir/Cadman, Mature.

Undercover(s) by racethewind10 is CSIMiami, Natalia/Calleigh, WIP. A serial killer is targeting lesbian couples: one blonde w/blue eyes, one brunette w/dark eyes. hmmm, sounds like most of the f/f pairings on my list.

Dating Undercover by the_girl_20 is WMC, Jill/Cindy, R.

Undercover by mercury_chkita is WMC again, Lindsay/Cindy, R. Same prompt from ralst.

Virginity or virgin sacrifice
I'm not sure if this is what the mods had in mind, but Ella Quince's Return from Poteidaia is an extraordinary first-time/virginity fic. Then again, half the Xena fics are first-time fics.

Voyuerism


We almost died, must have hot sex
Near Miss by Meghan O'Brien is Xena, uber, Mature (of course!).

I'm Right Here by Rebecca Hall is X/G, Mature.

Yenta
Yes! My first Yenta fic! Profiler, Profiled by lysachan is Criminal Minds, Emily/JJ, PG-13. Garcia's the yenta...of course.

That's all I've got now. I'll add more later...

edited to remove the first time ever I've had to remove a fic. I thought it ended at the second installment (it really, really should have), but the author added two more parts of truly horrific (as in disturbingly violent including rape scenes) stuff. I don't get it. It was a great fic...



You should also check out ein_myria's very own femslash cliché rec list. There is some overlap, but a LOT less that you'd think.