newsletter # 12 (January 2012)

[harrigan.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the spn_littlebro newsletter #12 for January 2012!






Happy New Year! New episodes - yay! *And* People's Choice awards for Best Sci Fi and Best Drama! \o/ Apparently we here at spn_littlebro aren't the only ones who enjoy seeing Sam bleeding and choked and tortured and... happy swoon!

In the spirit of New Year's, how about a New Year's Resolution for us all? If everyone makes just one rec this year, we'll have 300+ more recs in our archives for everyone to wallow in. C'mon... pledge to share the next completed hurt!Sam or hurt!Jared fic over 1K that you enjoy. Or visual media, too! Just check our theme posts for handy templates to make it easy! (As always, self-recs are welcome, too!)

To get us started, here are some recs by your mods this month. Enjoy!

Fevered Ramblings:

Here's a handful of things your spn_littlebro team is raving about right now. (And if you like these as much as we do, don't forget to comment to the person who created it!)

Who's Hurting Sam or Jared Lately?

• vail_kagami would like to share one of the first hurt!Sam fics to be posted in 2012 -- Kitsch by checkthemargins. Summary: Sam gets his soul and body back from Hell, but RoboSam doesn't go anywhere, and now Dean's got both of them to deal with. This is Dean/Sam/Robo!Sam, 2-3K, NC17, involving Hell-issues, self-harm, soullessness (sort of). Our rec'er says, "It's a delicious mix of crack, porn and angst, with Robo!Sam being his own person and helping Dean take care of a very broken Sam. In between, there's sex. They love each other (or at least sort of in an unemotional way need the others). It's cracky and heartbreaking and kind of beautiful."


• Here's another recent fic by the same author and rec'd by the same rec'cer: When it Happens. It's around 10K, Sam/Dean, hard R, and involves non-con, nightmares, hallucinations, post-hell, scars. Summary: They've got a house. They've got a life. Sam is healing. Dean isn't. vail_kagami says it's about "the aftermath of rape in the aftermath of Hell. Sam is so much better at dealing than Dean is, except his hallucinations are kind of trying to kill him. It's such a great fic dealing with with such a horrible trauma for both of them."


• This month, cherry916 has battled some PC issues to bring you a couple recs. The first is a recently completed (over 40K) epic by wincest_whore called Take Me Away. It's SPN, Slash, Sam/Dean, NC17, in which we see Sam abused, beaten, hospitalized, with broken ribs, cuts, bruises, etc. Summary: While on a case at Stanford, Dean must pose as a student to get information on a demon he is hunting. As the case progresses, he realizes that a quiet, anti-social student, Sam Wesson, may be related to his case and just might be able to help him blow the thing wide open. The only problem is, Sam refuses to let him get close enough to get his help. After Sam shows up at Jessica’s apartment with a particularly nasty looking bruise and a few scratches, Dean doesn't ask for Sam's permission to help; he tells him he's helping and there's nothing Sam can do about it. Unfortunately, the two of them working together only causes more problems for Sam and could just be the thing that pushes this monster over the edge. cherry916 says, "Well I haven't gotten to finish this story yet but it is completed and from the chapters I read it's a heartbreaking AU case fic where Sam and Dean grew up apart (not as brothers) and Sam finds himself in an abusive relationship that has mysterious tie ins to something of the human kind."


• Cherry also recs Follow Your Voice Home by authoressnebula. This is SPN gen, around 2K, with hallucinations, head injury, bumps and bruises. Summary: Dizzy/disoriented/hallucinating Sam falls in the shower. He is hurt: cue massive amounts of comfort, Winchester-style. Preferably with lots of cuddling. Our rec'cer says, "This came out of the ohsam fic challenge and is a chilling and rather schmoopy tale of how Sam can't even take a shower without Lucifer there. There is oodles of hurt/comfort afterwards after Sam's impromtu slip and fall."


• Another from cherry916 - this one a hurt!Jared WIP with psychic powers, hospitalized, nose bleeds, and kidnapping called What Do You See? by annie46. Summary: When a millionaires wife is kidnapped plain clothes cop Jensen Ackles is persuaded to use a successful psychic. Can he put his cynical feelings aside and trust Jared to do the job? And when Jared's abilities get them closer to the kidnapper and his victim, will Jensen be able to save him?. Our rec'cer says, "This is a WIP and the latest story i'm scouring over for updates. Mainly because I love Jared with any psychic power and mixed in with cop!Jensen you definitely have an adventure, love and case that will keep you reading to find out not only what happens but how their love progresses."


• harrigan would like to point out the Whumped!Sam Awesome!BigBrother Dean Appreciation Month hosted by dragonfly_sg1. Features recs and a fic challenge all month long -- check it out!


• j2noauchallenge, reports cherry916, is a new comm "where you can write a non-au story, provide artwork for a story or provide a prompt that someone might write about. This can be your chance to indulge in a little non-au hurt!Jared whether on a writing field, artistic field or leaving a prompt for someone else to tackle. All rules and other info can be found at the community itself."


• Finally, hurray for ohsam, which is hosting another comment fic meme! \o/ Check out the link for rules, prompts and fills!

Featured Fic Recs:

• Two of our rec'cers just had had fic prompts filled, both SPN gen, around 6K, and we're so blown away by the results that we just have to feature them here!
  • The Best We Can with What We've Got by ratherastory. Summary: Sam gets sick, and somehow that's the least of their problems.. vail_kagami says, " I don't need to tell anyone that ratherastory is a fantastic author, so when she picked up one of my prompts, I was thrilled. The result is incredible. It has such delicious Sam-hurt with him still being the hero, saving Bobby and killing the monster and trying to do what's best for everyone in a somewhat messed up way. There's a great original character telling Dean and Bobby that they are the worst caretakers ever - and the way the story deals with Dean's issues and alcoholism isn't pretty or sympathetic but makes clear better than anything that this man had a problem and needs to do something about it."
  • Northern Birds by roque_clasique. Summary: Sam's in pain, and so is his brother. Pain is very complicated. harrigan says, "I love how she tied that silly prompt in to the whole 'using pain to banish the hallucinations and stay in the present'. To be honest, much as I love and crave good h/c, what makes it something to savor and cherish for me is when the h/c gives us an opportunity for character exploration or insights or discovery. (And where the writer *gets* both brothers.) roque_clasique is the master at that. Dean and Sam are in such a fascinating (but painful) head space right now in season 7 and she explored that brilliantly. I love her Dean! Always. But she gives us Sam's POV so poignantly here. And yet she balances all this heartache with LOLs that are so in character I just want to hug the boys. And her."
  
  
• ash48 wants to spotlight an author this month. She says, "I have been immersing myself in zuben_eschamali's fic lately. SO many wonderful stories. Many featuring hurt!Jared. She creates amazing universes, and her characters are so well drawn. I'm an absolute sucker for good J2 adventure romance and she has them in bucket loads. (She also writes wonderful SPN gen).
  
  Some of my favourites include her current Long Hard Ride 'verse. Jared/Jensen (NC17). She has written 8 parts so far with more to come (lots more I hope!).
  
  I adore her Darker Pieces of the Night 'verse (otherwise known as winged!Jared). Lot's of yummy h/c and Jared with wings is to DIE FOR! (pdf also)
  
  The fic that started my journey into all her fics was her pirate 'verse: The Sea with its Deepness. It starts of with captive!Jensen but there's plenty of hurt!Jared later on. Again, the h/c makes me feel like I've died and gone to heaven. (pdf also)
  
  Her adult rated fics (incl J2) can be found at zuben_fic. Her SPN gen fics can be found at zuben_eschamali. If you haven't discovered this amazing writer then I suggest you start your own journey of discovery. Enjoy!"

Other Media:

• art: cherry916 loves Goodnight Moon by kamidox on deviantart, and says, "This is actually a drawing from the story Goodnight Moon by dragonfly_sg1 which was recently finished. It's about Sammy being de-aged and has a ton of little adventures with little Sammy with Sam being sick. I would reccomend it for any de-age fan and take a peek at this cute picture for some pictures to go a long with the story."


• music videos: Shake It Out by ashdoode is getting raves from our resident music video connoisseur, ash48. She says this is "a gorgeous character study of Sam. The vidder really captures the essence of what it is to be Sam. The editing is top notch also. :D". Music video summary: "And it's hard to dance with the devil on your back.." A tribute to one of my favorite characters ever. The world tells him he's a monster -- that it's his destiny to fail, but he constantly fights against his fate and never gives up. His faith is unwavering. (Viewing may be blocked in some countries.)


• audiobook/podfic: We're a little light on hurt!Sam or hurt!Jared podfics to rec this month. (So if you know of any, please comment to our newsletter here - we'd love to find more!) Meanwhile, anyone who is a fan of J2AU is probably well-familiar with the classic QB 'verse by pianoforeplay. And since this is SuperBowl season in the USA, harrigan is going to rec the newly recorded 'verse here: here. Link provides access to the masterpost that in turn directs you to individual stories, art, downloadable versions on AO3 and the new podfic recorded by "the AMAZING chemm80." This is a verse that includes two epic spn_j2_bigbangs, wherein Jared and Jensen are US pro football players. If you're looking specifically for hurt!Jared, you'll find most of the trauma associated with that career (concussions, bruised ribs, separated shoulder - fun times!) in the latter half of the fic Hail Mary. The author has provided supplemental info (linked from the first of the bigbangs - Next Man Up) to make the fic even more accessible to those unfamiliar with NFL football. harrigan says, "Given the sheer word count, the h/c isn't a driving factor in this fic. But it's a most satisfying seasoning! And the 'verse is a classic, heart-wrenching and complex and vivid. This time of year, I couldn't help rec'ing it!"


• eBooks, etc.: See the zuben_fic Feature Fic rec and the QB 'verse rec'd above for long fics you can indulge in on various eReader, etc. formats!

What Else? Anyone have some suggestions for what you'd like to see from the spn_littlebro newsletter (or comm in general) in 2012? Drop us a comment here!

Comments

[ruby-jelly.livejournal.com]

Oh my lordy! I need a drink after reading all that! I started to have palpitations, pushing myself to finish reading and not be distracted (tempted/ seduced) with following the prompts. Excited by the the goddies! (oops, I mean goodies, but they really are gods, no?)

[ash48.livejournal.com]

It's pretty awesome isn't it? I love newsletter time. :DD

[zubeneschamali.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the recs! :D

[ash48.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! *fangirls*

I'm reading Identity at the moment and loving it. It made me get The Bourne Identity out again to watch. :D