*X overview and recs

[shinra_lackey]

X or X/1999 is a series produced by the manga group CLAMP that incorporates characters from Tokyo Babylon and Clamp Campus Detectives. The main character, Kamui, is charged with deciding the fate of the world by becoming a Dragon of Earth and destroying the kekkai that hold the world together or a Dragon of Heaven and protecting them. Whichever side he chooses, his opposing star will join the opposite side for a final showdown on the fated day in 1999.

The gay, you ask? This is CLAMP people, their ambiguous male parings are practically cannon and have almost as much, if not more in some cases, clout as the straight pairings floating around. The recommendations here will focus mostly on Seishirou/Subaru as they are my hardcore OTP in the fandom with the occasional Fuuma/Kamui, Nokoru/Suoh, or Arashi/Sorata thrown in the mix in the future.
Having only read up to the 10th volume of the manga and watching the horrendous movie adaption, I am woefully behind on cannon. I'm not even sure how the series is supposed to end in the anime, and the I hear that the manga ending is still up in the air as CLAMP may decide to change the ending to whatever the hell they like. They're CLAMP, which pretty much equals mangaka gods.

A little background is needed to understand some of the characters if you're only familiar with one aspect of CLAMP's work, X, TB, or CCD.

In X, Kamui decides to become a Dragon of Heaven and stake his allegiance with the forces out to save the world. This forces Fuuma, his childhood friend to have to take up the opposite side and go crazy in the process. Enter evil!Fuuma and the sexual tension between the two as Fuuma tortures his counterpart. Kamui on the other hand is trying to "save" his childhood friend and this is where we achieve angst.

Kamui, Fuuma, and Kotori

In Tokyo Babylon, Sumeragi Subaru, the head of the Sumeragi clan, is charged with keeping the balance of spiritual power in Japan, and combating those who use onmyoujitsu for evil purposes. Subaru has a twin sister, Hokouto, who is the exact opposite of her brother, loud and self confident where Subaru is quiet and reserved. The two meet a kind veterinarian, Sakurazuka Seishirou, who Hokouto decides to push onto her brother. ***spoilers****

You all know that Seishirou is really the Sakurazukamori, who was just fulfilling his one year bet. The assassin was just toying with Subaru and later kills Hokouto, breaking Subaru's heart.

Subaru and Seishirou return in X, where there is angst.
Seishirou, Subaru, and Hokouto

Clamp Campus Detectives is the least angstful of the three, as it follows around Nokoru, Suoh and Akira when they are all in elementary school. Nokoru, is the elementary school president and the other two act as his treasurer and secretary while solving detective cases and helping women in distress. The three are transported to the X world when Kamui's sword (can't remember the name for the life of me) is kept on the Clamp Campus.

Suoh, Nokoru, and Akira

Two Minute Tokyo Babylon by rayemars (TB, oneshot, crack)
Once Upon a Time in Tokyo... by pengiesama (TB, oneshot, humor)
YET MORE HOW TO SURVIVE A SCARY MOVIE VS. HOW TO SURVIVE A CLAMP MANGA by pengiesama (CLAMP, oneshot, crack)
Russian Roulette by insaneidiot (X, oneshot, crackish) author recced by tomomichi
The Stalker You Know by insaneidiot (X, oneshot, humor)
Sorata's Big Gay Adventure by insaneidiot (X, oneshot, crack)
Happy Families by insaneidiot (X, oneshot, crack)
Whoops by Rackham Rose (X, oneshot)

Fluffy recs this time around, I'll get around to the angst next time.

Two Minute Tokyo Babylon by rayemars (TB, oneshot, crack) A crack filled retelling of the Tokyo Babylon series. I love it because it pokes fun on some of the more capitalized aspects of the TB fandom (the woe is me of S/S for example). Lots and lots of giggles to be had here.

Once upon a time, there were three people living in Tokyo. They were distinguishable from the other 6 million people living in Tokyo, because they had angst. And they were tied up in that whole 'end of the world' thing. Except for Hokuto. She just died. And Seishirou was too cool to angst.

Hm.

Once Upon a Time in Tokyo... by pengiesama (TB, oneshot, humor) Set during Tokyo Babylon, so spoiler free, except a minor one for the character of Kakyou, Hokouto tells Subaru a story. It goes from there. Insanity on the level of CLAMP, an nice look at the Hokouto/Subaru/Seishirou dynamic before it all went downhill. There are also adorable drawings at the end of the fic. Squee!

Hokuto jabbed a finger at her brother. "As your older sister, I demand that you dream about Sei-chan! It's not normal for a boy of your age to be dreaming about petting puppies! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were straight!"

YET MORE HOW TO SURVIVE A SCARY MOVIE VS. HOW TO SURVIVE A CLAMP MANGA by pengiesama (CLAMP, oneshot, crack) OMG crack! Of the best variety. GO read! Shoo!

There will always be lesbians. They usually are not targeted by the rampaging beasts. Use this to your advantage if you are female.

There will always be lesbians AND boysex. They are always targeted by the Angst Fairy. Even if you try to avoid this, you won't escape. Just go with the flow and suck face with the nearest person.

Russian Roulette by insaneidiot (X, oneshot, crackish) author recced by tomomichi Kamui puts forth an ultimatum to Subaru: get laid with the Sakurakuzamori or else. Subaru gives in. What do I love about this fic? While the premise of Kamui forcing Subaru to bed Seishirou a little out there, my favorite part of this story was Seushirou's reaction to Subaru's advances. Here is a character who stays strong in light of his questionable prey and remains in character and just plain awesome.

There were two possible solutions to this, as far as Kamui could see: either Subaru moved on and started a healthy relationship with someone else, or he sorted things out with the Sakurazukamori. In other words?

Subaru needed to get laid.

The Stalker You Know by insaneidiot (X, oneshot, humor) Subaru is home alone and he is getting spooky phone calls. Not as cliche as I just made it sound. *hangs head in shame* Actually, I really did like the idea, I can see where the author would come up with the idea. Subaru is very conservative, I can see him not wanting to bother any of his friends with his problems, but not taking this consideration with Seishirou. *contemplates*

Sorata's Big Gay Adventure by insaneidiot (X, oneshot, crack) Sorata, the pillar of heterosexuality in X, realizes that every other male in X is gay. The poor boy.

"N-no..."

"I think you're lying."

"I'm not! I wouldn't, I- AAH!"

Right, Sorata decided, that was quite enough! He couldn't stand around listening to Kamui being tortured! Maybe he was putting himself in danger- the Dark Kamui was dangerous, he knew that- but he had to help. He couldn't just leave Kamui like that.

He ran out from the shelter of the wall he'd been hiding behind. Fuuma had Kamui pinned against the wall and was...

Licking his neck.

Neck licking. Guh. *dead*

Happy Families by insaneidiot (X, oneshot, crack) Seishirou has apparently got certain ideas about families. You have to read this even if just to wonder what the author is smoking to come up with this idea. *g*

Whoops by Rackham Rose (X, oneshot) Subaru casts a curse on Seishirou. Less than a page fic, so no spoilers. Go check it out.

Fanart Rec: Red & Black by kigami (TB/FMA, fanart, crack) and more of his/her fanart can be found at Tree Spirit.

WIP Update:
President of the Warrior Angel Fan Club part 5 by mobiusklein (SV)
Letter Six by _furorbelli_ aka Abbadon and decerto (HP)
Case Note IX: Blue Note by v_voltaire (DN)
Grey part 17 by treneka (HnG)
Moving Forward 1/? by trinityhelix (PoT)

Also a big shout out to fencer_x for letting me use his/her DN Angel icons>

A link to my fanfic, Oracle over at deathnote100, because I am a glutton for punishment.