Reccomend Dark Agenda fics here

[dark_administrator]

If you've posted lists of Dark Agenda recs somewhere, please leave us a link here. (Thus far there appear to be none... this is an oversight someone should correct!)

If you have some recs that meet the Dark Agenda challenge qualifications scattered amongst your other recs, please repost them here in the comments, and we will add them to our masterlist.

Please do take advantage of AO3s shiny recs and bookmarks feature and remember to tag any fics that meet our criteria with "Dark Agenda Challenge", "Chromatic Character" and "Chromatic Source" as applicable, so that we can find them.

Remember, you can tag fics that you may not have read yet, but whose fandom or characters you might know about! Just call them bookmarks and not recs. (You can also bookmark and tag a fic you might not want to rec, for whatever reason, but which you wish to bring to our challenge's attention.)

Reccomendations for fics that meet the Dark Agenda Challenge criteria

Chromatic Sources

Anywhere You Go and Anydream (let me dream again) (Anyband): both do a fantastic job of expanding on some nine minutes worth of canon. The struggle against the oppressive regime of the Anyband CF takes on new depth and emotional resonance in these two stories. (From anenko)

The Voice of Reason (Ayatsuri Sakon): So thrilled to be finding fic for this fandom! (It's one of Obata Takeshi's older series.) Really liked the way the fic portrayed Sakon and Ukon's relationship. (From troiroyaumes)

Five Days, Five Months (Bend It Like Beckham): Jess Bhamra/Jules Paxton, PG-13. A continuation of canon that captures the whole jumble of emotions that jess must have been faced with on starting college. Jules is perfectly drawn too. Gorgeous. (From berry)

The Kinesis of Flight (Bend It Like Beckham): bend it like beckham wingfic! (From berry)

Faith is Blind (but that doesn’t mean there are no eye rolls) (Bible - OT): "Sarah was silent, which isn't to say that she didn't say a great deal." I love the women of the Old Testament, and the author captures exactly how I think Sarah must have felt and acted. Very true to the restrictions on female behavior of the time, but also shows Sarah's agency despite those restrictions. (From phi)

thy daughter in law, which loveth thee (Bible - OT): "Naomi loves Ruth, but not quite as Ruth would wish." Another gorgeous view into the lives of the women of the Old Testament. This story is touching and bittersweet. (From phi)

Made the Lord God to Grow (Bible - OT; Near Eastern Mythology): "The creation of Yahweh, the garden, and the tree of knowledge. Not necessarily in that order." In the interest of full disclosure, I beta-read this story, but I still just want to jump up and down about how lovely it is. The language is reminiscent of oral story telling traditions and just a treat to read aloud. The twist at the end isn -- well, just read it is all I can say. (From phi)

Four Conversations that Cha Song Joo Never Had and One Conversation She did(Capital Scandal) (From dharmavati)

a history of revolution (Capital Scandal) (From dharmavati)

Touch (Coffee Prince): Eun-chan returns home, and Han-gyeol obsesses over how much she touches him. A nice coda to the series itself, showing the two settling into a life together. (From troiroyaumes)

Encounter Specialists (Dhoom 2) (From dharmavati)

High Tide (Mythology - Inuit): Lyrical, gorgeous, and painful. I found the repetition of "the girl, the girl who was me" throughout the fic especially striking. (From anenko)
This is the story of how Sedna becomes Sedna. It's dark and lyrical and interesting. (Trigger warning for really strongly implied sexual assault/rape in this story.) (From eruthros)

the more you try to erase me (Hip-hop RPF): Kanye/Lupe Fiasco. This is so perfectly Kanye, which means hilarious, entitled, and kind of hot. (From nextian)

victory as a bride's veil (Hong Gil Dong): Alternate timeline where the Hwalbindang survive. Beautifully explores Yi-nok and Gil-dong moving towards their own happiness, while the bandits try to survive and hold onto their dream of a better world. (From troiroyaumes)

His Master's Harshness (Ibis Trilogy - Amitav Ghosh): Gen. A brilliant backstory for a walk-on character that creates the same complex history as the book does. The prose is poetic and deceptively simple, and full of how the sea affects sailors whether they leave it behind or not. This can be read almost as original fic, with mild spoilers for the book. (From dhobikikutti)

Panch Kanya (Ibis Trilogy - Amitav Ghosh): Gen. Five vingettes that flesh out the women of this book in a way that keeps them perfectly in character; quiet and deceptively small, but resounding with the strength and agency that comes simply from women actively engaging with their world. (From dhobikikutti)

Change the World (In the Heights): Benny/Nina (but really mostly focused on Nina), written for me as a Madness gift! (From glass_icarus)

look up at the night sky (In the Heights): Sonny, Graffiti Pete, and mentioned Usnavi/Vanessa. (From glass_icarus)

The First Duty (Kiki's Delivery Service): Kiki returns to Koriko after seven years and finds trouble waiting. Really matches the tone of the original source; Kiki especially sounds in-character. (From troiroyaumes)

El Búho de Engranajes (Love and Rockets): This absolutely rocks. First because it's from the perspective of Ray Dominguez, perhaps my favorite character in the series, which may be because of my sense that he stands in for Jaime Hernandez, who draws him. I also loved this because of all the things that the author captures about these characters and this series--their sexual histories with each other, the ambiguous magical realism of Hoppers, the little California barrio where they live, and the warmth and spontaneity of their relationships. Everything is both dangerous and hospitable. I can't believe this was a pinch-hit! It's very polished. I think it's one of those stories that will draw people to read the original canon. (From schemingreader)

To the Death / The Rambutan Tree (Malay Literature pre-20th Century): "A fairly straight-up retelling of the Hang Tuah story, from his first meeting with Hang Jebat, to Jebat's death at Tuah's hands."
This is another story where I was completely unfamiliar with the source before reading this fic, but a dear friend recced it to me, and I loved it. The rhythm of the language is gorgeous, and the slashy take on the source is so poignant. The last paragraph just slew me. (From phi)

My love, she is nothing (she's only everything) (Mendol) It's a shame that more people haven't read this fic. It doesn't have the kinky crack of the series, but makes Nami and Ray real, and warm, and human. (From anenko)

Thousand Voices, One Fight (Metropolis the Chase Suite): The language in this fic is amazing. I was totally blown away by its musicality; you can almost sing the words out loud. It sucks you into the world and makes you think, this is how a revolution begins. (From troiroyaumes)

Synthesis Song Soul (Metropolis the Chase Suite): Equally gorgeous style. (I half-suspect it's the same writer who wrote the fic above due to a few similar turns of phrase.) This fic focuses on Cindy Mayweather herself and the beginnings of her love story. It left me wanting to read more and more fics for this fandom. (From troiroyaumes)

On This Shore of the World (Motorcycle Diaries): An amazing little scene. It's a moment on the ferry, just an evening, that gets at their giant road trip and the way they're changed by their adventure. And it's got class critique, and this deep sense of devotion, and it made me go "...oh!" and "oh, Alberto!" when I read it yuletide morning. (From eruthros)

Winter into Spring (Mushishi): The seasons that pass before Ginko returns to Suzu. Ginko visits friends but does not stay. (From troiroyaumes)

Bowls of Noodles and Musical Conversation(Nodame Cantabile) While these two stories take the same general idea - Sakura and Mine, after the series - they are both moving in different ways. I love Chiaki/Nodame to bits, but it's a delight to see stories about the supporting characters.(From anenko)

Concerto for Contrabass in Three Movements (Nodame Cantabile): Mine helps give Saku the push she needs to achieve her dream. (From troiroyaumes and anenko)

Brightest perhaps(Nodame Cantabile)(From dharmavati)

Bloom (Paradise Kiss): A really lovely exploration of Isabella's transgender identity and her relationship with George. (From troiroyaumes)

Tactical Dispositions (Chì Bì | Red Cliff (2008)): Once again recommending my Yuletide gift, which explores how the alliance between Wu and Shu, as well as the friendship between Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, begins to fall apart. (From troiroyaumes)

An Empty Cup (Chì Bì | Red Cliff (2008)): A brilliant fic that explores an alternate timeline where Zhuge Liang infiltrates the Wei camp and pits his wits against Cao Cao. (From troiroyaumes)

She is Sun Shangxiang (Chì Bì | Red Cliff (2008)): A simple character sketch of Sun Shangxiang. (From phi)

I'm completely unfamiliar with the source, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this gloriously fierce and strong character study.
Patterns of Laughter (RH Plus): Kiyoi/Michitaka. The last time Michitaka saw Kiyoi, he was 13 years old and his grandfather lay dying inside. Ten years later, the vampire returns and Michitaka wants to know why. (From daegaer)

Romance: It's Harder Than It Looks(RH Plus): Konoe, Ageha, Makoto. Konoe invites Makoto and Ageha to a goukon. (From daegaer)

Yum Cha (Saving Face): Code-switching and secret language backtalk and ridiculous older Asian relatives and the food and Will's ackwardness and Vivian's tense fear of being left behind or out and the two of them together and New York with its 7 train and halal meat and... (From dhobikikutti and glass_icarus)

eating together (Saving Face): A beautifully written, insightful glimpse at Hwei-Lan and her relationship with Wil. (From sallyislike)

The Last Gasp of Chivalry (Saving Face) (From glass_icarus)

Spice of Life (Saving Face) (From glass_icarus)

The Loved Girl (A Portrait in Tabloids) (Skip Beat): Found the fic via aishuu, who was its recipient. Sho, Ren and Kyoko are all starring in the same drama together, and the tabloids misinterpret every development. A really clever format and a thoroughly-well written character study of the relationship between the three. (From troiroyaumes)

Area Codes (Skip Beat): Another great Skip Beat fic focusing on Kyoko and Moko's friendship. (From troiroyaumes)

Becoming (sen to chihiro no kamikakushi / Spirited Away): Haku's story from the very beginning to the future. Beautiful imagery. (From troiroyaumes) haku, chihiro, gen, G. i couldn't really imagine fic for this film because so much of the story seemed visual to me, but this fic really adds to the canon perfectly, with the same sweetness and humour and wonder. beautifully written. (From berry)

Good Children (sen to chihiro no kamikakushi / Spirited Away): Could almost be a missing scene from the movie. Chihiro at the bathhouse after the river spirit leaves. (From troiroyaumes)

The River To The Sea (sen to chihiro no kamikakushi / Spirited Away): myths, legends, and ghosts. ♥ (From glass_icarus)

While We Wait For This Rebirth (sen to chihiro no kamikakushi / Spirited Away): Haku and Chihiro, and the power of stories. (From glass_icarus)

The Girl in the Water (sen to chihiro no kamikakushi / Spirited Away): Chihiro post-series. She can't seem to stay out of the water for long. (From glass_icarus)

Ebb and Flow (Twelve Kingdoms): Youko asks Shouryou's advice about romantic love. (From troiroyaumes)

Good Year in Fucknutsville (US Politics RPF): Barack Obama/Michelle Obama/Rahm Emanuel, PG-15 (maybe R). I'm not sure why I clicked on this, just to see how people write politics rpf I suppose, but it's a really tightly written story that explores the dynamics of how a threesome might develop between people who are already married and don't want to be unfaithful. charming and tender. (From berry)

Give Me Your Hand (Yankee-kun to Megane-chan): I was vaguely surprised to find so much good fic for this fandom; I had no idea it was that popular. Shinagawa realizes that he actually likes Adachi, while the usual shenanigans ensue. (From troiroyaumes)

The Worst Christmas Ever (Yankee-kun to Megane-chan): Adachi is brilliantly, horribly Adachi. Shinagawa gets caught up in her plans, and comes to two separate, equally traumatic realizations. Fun and well characterized. (From troiroyaumes and anenko)

Once Every Year (Y Tu Mama Tambien RPF): Diego Luna/Gael Garcia Bernal, R. It seems crazy to me that there isn't lots of rps about these two anyway because om nom nom, but i think this story does them justice. the prose is quite lyrical and the tone of it is bittersweet but somehow still hopeful. really lovely. (From berry)

Chromatic Characters

The Wrath of Jon (30 Rock) (From dharmavati)

It's Beautiful and So Are You (Across the Universe): Prudence-centric. It takes place after the film, deals with both her backstory (relationship with parents, memories from home) and what she does afterward (trying to find her place in New York with her chosen family), and wraps up with some very sweet f/f romance. Beautiful, start to finish. (From peroxidepirate site="livejournal.com">

Treasures (Aladdin) (From dharmavati)

The Stars Her Destination (Babylon 5): I was lucky enough to get this as my gift, and it is just a perfect story in which Catherine Sakai gets a back story (one which includes her Japanese heritage), a better story, and a voice. The writing is just lovely, and the author has captured the characters and the feel of the show perfectly. (From idella)

Mr Yunioshi's Photographs (Breakfast at Tiffany's): I think it fits perfectly in with the challenge (correcting the racist portrayal of a minor chromatic character in the source). (From troiroyaumes)
I've never watched Breakfast at Tiffany's (I know, I know, it's a classic!), but I have heard about the painfully stereotypical and offensive portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi. This fic turns Mr. Yunioshi into a real, living, feeling person. (From anenko)

a convenient explosion (The Brothers Bloom): Short Bang Bang character piece, and very true to her. (From nextian)

Sick (Children of Men) and After Tomorrow (Children of Men): accidental bookend pieces about Kee and the strength it takes for her to do what she does, be what she is, and stay herself. (From nextian)

The True Death of Frank Gardiner (Cthulhu Mythos): Filipino hero averts the 1906 earthquake. (From nextian)

Like what she sees (DCU - Traci 13) Gen. Even Traci at the heart of a city, all its power open to her, can't save everyone. This is *fantastic*, such a great tribute to Traci's confusing (but ever-awesome) brief canon, all her complicated relationships, and, most of all, her sassy, smart, *brave* character -- someone who knows how screwy the world is and just goes with it. (From gloss)

Five New Love Truths You Need To Know (Dykes to Watch Out For): Janis gen. This fic feels entirely in-universe and well-voiced. Really highly recommended. (From gloss)

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Duckling (Fairytales) This is essentially origfic, as Fairytales fic so often is, and it's about identity formation and transracial adoption and loving yourself, screw all comers. (From nextian)
Oh, this fic was so sly and clever and witty and biting! I love it to pieces and it is my absolute favorite Yuletide fic so far this year. (From phi)

On Friends, Partners, and Other Unattractive Beasts (Gentlemen of the Road): This was one of the first stories to go up, and yet it's one of the best this year, in my opinion. Favorite parts include the bedroll scene, Amram ministering to Zelikman, discussions about Dinah, and the many ways Amram is sarcastic while waking up. (From nextian)

Harold and Kumar and Maria and Vanessa Go To Bed. Together. (Harold and Kumar): (From glass_icarus)

It's the Thought That Counts (Harold and Kumar): (From glass_icarus)

Rejoicing As An Integer (Harold and Kumar): (From glass_icarus)

This Sweet and Bitter Orange Mood (Inspector Chen series - Williams): I am brand new to the Inspector Chen series, and was thrilled to discover such a fantastic story right off the bat. I love this look at Inari, and how her character is fleshed out, and her relationship with both Chen and Zhu Irzh develops. I'm sometimes wary of threesome fics, but there's a true balance between all three characters which I adored here. (From anenko)

Gifts of Love (The No1 Ladies Detective Agency - Smith): Precious Ramotswe, gen, G. man, i loved this. it completely hits all the same notes as the books, and even if you weren't familiar with the canon, i think you'd still enjoy the gentle, dry humour and the very human mystery of this. (also the great female characters leading the cast.) i love the relationship especially between mma ramotswe and mma potokwane, which is antagonistic and respectful and real. also, cake!(From berry)
Sweet and touching and just a tad bit tart, just like the series.(From phi)

The Principles of Professional Pride, by Precious Ramtoswe (The No1 Ladies Detective Agency (TV)): Another sweet and tart story that highlights Precious's love and compassion for her friends. (From phi)This one is only 2,000 words long - give it a shot! (From berry)

A Very Serious Matter. (The No1 Ladies Detective Agency (TV)): This is ostensibly a case story -- and a very well done case story -- but it's really about Grace Makutsi and her relationships. I love Grace's voice in this fic so much.(From phi and berry)

Evolution of a Geek (Leverage) Young Hardison gets his geek on. Adorable beyond words, and very plausible. The last line is fantastic.(From anenko)

The Con Job (Leverage): There is nothing quite so appealing as Hardison in geek mode. The team has a con at a sf convention, and the most difficult part of Hardison's job is getting Parker and Eliot to remember the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek. (From anenko)

The Symbology of Orange Juice (Leverage): Short, sweet, super adorable. It's totally Parker, Eliot, and Hardison as a found family, a bunch of weirdos who get along. Awww. (From eruthros)

The New York ComicCon Con (Leverage): "Hardison, Elliot and Parker steal ComicCon for a young hacker." Oh god, this story slayed me with the many, many geeky references. It is cute and sweet and so adorably nerdy. (From phi)

Alternate Planning (Leverage): "The team tries to pass some time while Nate plans a heist." More Hardison geeky goodness. Adorably yummy friendship fic, and if my OT3 mind read more between the lines than the author intended, I'm sure that's okay. (From phi)

Not to Exceed 4000lbs (Leverage): "Everything was going fine until the elevator spent ten seconds in free fall." More OT3 goodness! I love how this fic perfectly captures how Eliot hides his affection beneath his Hitter persona. (From phi)

Four Times Hardison Told His Nana He Was Sorry, And One Time He Said He Was (But Totally Wasn't) (Leverage): "Sometimes, a geeky fanboy has to do what a geeky fanboy has to do." Hardison! Squee! I love well-written geek!Hardison and this story pushed all my buttons. (From phi)

all your heart-melodies (Lilo & Stitch) (From dharmavati)

in the house we see a light (that comes from what we feel inside) (Modern Family) Ensemble gen. He starts to tell Haley about the tradition behind the alfajores, how his mom taught him to make them, and her mom taught her, even though Haley's clearly not listening to a word he says. Oh well, he'll get the hint eventually, Alex figures. Maybe in like five years, but that's still eventually.
The title doesn't really fit the full-on, note-perfect *accuracy* of this story. I never really thought "could be canon" was much of a compliment for fanfic, but this story changed that view. The voices are amazingly well-done and each character is lovingly detailed. And there's plenty of Manny, though, to my eyes, there can never be enough. (From gloss)

Ode to Enlightenment (Red Dwarf): Lister, Rimmer, gen, G. i was reading red dwarf fic expecting it to be cracky and silly, but this is a sweet, melancholy story about the friendship between the two of them that still manges to be perfectly in character. i read it last night and i've kept thinking about it since. (From berry)

A Garden in the Punjab (The Secret Garden): the story of Mary's ayah, and her daughter, and Mary upon her return to India. Caveat- I am not Indian and thus can't say if there are any cultural missteps (if there are some, I will annotate my reclist accordingly!); however, I did appreciate that the author gave the two Indian women their own stories, and I felt that there was a significant effort to treat them with care and respect. (From glass_icarus)

Five Lessons Chris Learned From Working at Hooper's (And One He Had To Pick Up At Home) (Sesame Street). G-rated dudeslash. "Ernie is his roommate," Susan explained. "They've lived together for... goodness, I think they've been here for longer than we have."
This story is cheesy but sweet, with a nice light touch, and it feels wonderfully in-universe. (From gloss)

Respecting Tradition (Showdown in Little Tokyo) I have to admit, I didn't actually like the movie. But! I'm a sucker for stories about partners/buddies, and this fic has a terrific buddycop (with bonus slashy undertones!) dynamic. (From ananko)

Latika And The Flat World (Slumdog Millionaire) What happens after happily ever after? Lovely story showing us Latika's point of view, post-movie (From phi anddharmavati)

Vertical Desires (Take The Lead) (From dharmavati)

Rescuing E.T. With Harry Potter (The True Meaning Of Smekday): A fantastic little adventure set after the books. The Tip voice especially is perfect. (From sohotrightnow)

While We Tell Of Smekday Treasure (The True Meaning Of Smekday): Again, the Tip voice is what makes this story, although the J.Lo voice is fantastic as well. This is just wonderful, and as in the source there's that same sharp edge undercutting the hilarity and sweetness. (From sohotrightnow)

Field Trip (The True Meaning Of Smekday): FANTASTIC post-book story. The voices are just fabulous, it's well-written, and it's a good solid length so you can totally sink your teeth into it. There's also that wonderful, biting way the source has of tying the story to reality, in Tip's disgust with the news networks. (From sohotrightnow)

Today's Just a Day Like the Day That He Started(The Wire): "Lester Freamon is damn good police. He knows it too." Just what is says on the cover: Lester Freamon is damn good police. Sharp and smart, just like Lester. (From phi)

Back in the Day(The Wire): "A little snippet about Omar's past." What it doesn't say on the tin is that this is delightful and funny and sweet, in addition to being an Omar snippet. (From phi)


Additional resources:
Master list for fic with characters/actors of South Asian descent compiled by dharmavati
Delicious bookmarks of recs tagged by eruthros

Comments

[dark_administrator]

Added, thanks!