Warcraft/Fanfic Recs

Proof that the remaining 10% is worth dying for here.

These are recommendations made by Tropers for Warcraft fanfics, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

Page Reconfiguration in Progress: Fan Fic Recommendations is being split into pages for each individual series, so help is needed to classify each entry into the appropriate category, and to format it according to the template.

Authors, and Websites
Travels Through Azeroth and Outland by Destron
 * Recommended by Farseer Lolotea
 * Synopsis: A Forsaken mage who's still able to pass as a human explores the whole world...of Warcraft!
 * Comments: The author takes established lore and skillfully embellishes, creating a fanfic that's both intricate and believable. A long, on-going series that's still being updated. It also has a TV Tropes entry here.
 * Voidwalker: Certainly a must read for lore enthusiasts and role-players, Destron's journey throughout Azeroth and Outland adds considerable depth to many different aspects of the game world. While some of these embellishments ended up being Jossed by subsequent releases, there is still a great volume of established details that could otherwise be easily overlooked when playing the game or reading the tie-ins. Additionally, the author appears to be aware of this site and provided links both to the main page and the above entry.

General Fics
''Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.''

Unbroken by Micky Neilson
 * Recommended by Qit El-Remel
 * Synopsis: Nobundo, a damaged and disillusioned former paladin, finds—or is found by—a new calling.
 * Comments: Unbroken, which is now hosted on the official World of Warcraft site, is widely considered to be better than certain official tie-in novels. It's pretty much an explanation of why draenei can be shamans...but that doesn't come anywhere close to doing it justice.

Blood & Light by Kerrah
 * Recommended by Wulfang
 * Synopsis: Lordaeron is in total war as The Lich King amasses an incredibly large army, enough to overwhelm the united powers of the mortal races. Meanwhile, a group of Scarlet Crusaders travels to Gilneas in hopes of activating a powerful magic that will allow them to rebuild their shattered order.
 * Comments: Blood & Light is Kerrah's third fic, sharing characters, facts and events with the other two and forming what we've dubbed "The Kerrahverse" (which are also on Scrolls of Lore). This fic is Kerrah's best work until now, featuring interesting and well-developed characters, complex plots, twists you wouldn't see coming in a thousand years and wonderfully constructed battle scenes. A must read, like any other work of his.

Netherwing - The Movie Part 1 and Part 2 by Stormscape.
 * Recommended by Ephemeral Night
 * Synopsis: A gorgeously machinimated dramatization of the World of Warcraft questline that earns players the Netherdrake mount. The Scryer and Aldor factions send operatives undercover with the Dragonmaw Orc operation on Netherwing Ledge with the aid of the Nether Dragon Mordenai and other parties with the ultimate goal of bringing down the encampment from within and freeing the young netherdrakes from slavery.
 * Comments: Netherwing - The Movie holds the honor of having won 2nd prize in a Warcraftmovies.com contest in late 2007. The machinima takes several creative liberties with the plot of the questline, partially to smooth out what would have been boring sections and partially to fit the story into the 15 minute limit imposed by the above mentioned contest. It's low point is most certainly its voice acting, which due to time constraints the creator was forced to do himself, and he admits readily that he is not a very good actor. High points include its superb pacing and nearly flawless technical execution.

Zinwrath by Myndflame.
 * Recommended by Tacitus
 * Synopsis: In this critically-acclaimed WoW Machinima, Zinwrath, one of the most legendary warlocks ever (at least in his own mind), pays too much for a bronze tube, is asked to join a hyperactive gnome's guild, recounts his grudge with Orcish trickster Abraham Lincoln, and screws up a summoning.
 * Comments: Notable for its...NotableOriginalMusic, "M.C. Raiders," and the origin of the "Arcanite Reaper, hooooooo!" meme.

Illegal Danish: Super Snacks by Myndflame.
 * Recommended by Tacitus
 * Synopsis: A sequel of sorts to "Zinwrath", this machinima follows the Illegal Danish guild as they protect the titular artifact from a diabolical undead alchemist, while investigating whatever's been screwing up teleports and summonings. A cross-dressing paladin winds up in Orgrimmar and crashes a wicked sweet party at Club Thrall.
 * Comments: Very, very high production quality, particularly a fight against a Humongous Mecha and an extravagant dance sequence at the end. Features the full version of "M.C. Raiders" over the credits.

The Grind by Oblivious Films
 * Recommended by Tacitus
 * Synopsis: Another WoW-based Machinima. In Episode 1, an Alliance guild tries to figure out why they're losing to Onyxia, a Guy in Real Life suffers a mental breakdown after being hit on one too many times, and a gnome rogue goes on a peyote trip. In Episode 2 they turn to the Horde to advice, while the gnome rogue tries to escape from Orgrimmar sans equipment...or clothing.
 * Comments: Since the Halloween Special it doesn't look like these guys have made any new films, making this sadly a Dead Fic.
 * Comments: Never fear! Episode 3 was released...a while ago actually. I'm surprised no one has updated it.

Commiseration by Rowan Seven
 * Recommended by Kerrah
 * Synopsis: In the aftermath of the Battle for the Undercity, Thrall and Sylvanas reflect. Contains WotLK spoilers.
 * Comments: Rowan Seven perfectly captures the spirit of the Horde, narrating the history of the Forsaken in it and how they eventually turned from allies to friends, along with showing Thrall's philosophy in life and his feelings about the upcoming Alliance/Horde conflict. The interaction between Thrall and Sylvie is beautiful, and without a hint of shipping (luckily).

Tales of the Past by Martin Falch
 * Recommended by Ironeye
 * Synopsis: An old dwarf tells the tale of Eden Aurorae, an Alliance guild that is blackmailed into starting a war with the Horde. However, it seems that the Lich King might be behind everything after all. By the third (and final) part, canon characters start showing up, including Jaina, Thrall, and other fan favorites.
 * Comments: Though the first installment of the series isn't anything special, the second was good for its time, and the third is quite possibly one of the best full-length dramatic Warcraft machinma out there. Be aware that as the series goes on, it increasingly relies on Rule of Cool and Tear Jerkers. Also, the series was completed before the release of Wrath of the Lich King, so the Arthas model and the Ashbringer story are very much non-canonical (not that the rest of the series places a particularly heavy emphasis on canon).

The Journal of Far Lands by Faryn Schnapp.
 * Recommended by Main Tank.
 * Synopsis: The Far Lands series consists of three books: In The Farthest Fields, War Cry and The Beginning Of All Things. They tell the tales of the Night Elf hunter Faeryn and his travels. We see the World (of Warcraft) through Faeryn’s eyes, as he is guided by invisible forces on a mission that may turn out to be quite important…
 * Comments: This Fanfic is LONG. The three books combine in about 1300 pages. If you’re afraid of walls of text, this is not for you. That said, this troper found Faryn’s writing style to be very enjoyable. His interpretations of the lore are sometimes far-fetched but intriguing. Action mixed with drama and philosophy. More information and other works of the author can be found on the site.

Unlikely Heroes: The Lich Phage Marrowice by Sickle Yield
 * Recommended by Sickle Yield
 * Synopsis: A recently created, overworked and severely understaffed Lich is assigned to set up a base on the edge of the Barrens. Phage Marrowice has to contend with a local Night Elf base staffed by a grouchy career noncom, a possible insurrection by an overly zealous acolyte, and the fact that his lone necromancer is an inveterate coward. Turns out it's possible to have a headache without technically having a brain...
 * Comments: This is set between the events at the end of Warcraft III and the beginning of WoW canon. There are three further stories in this series with some gradually-building fanon for a group of red orcs from Draanor. Please bear in mind when reading that the ridiculously huge canon of WoW did not yet exist when these were written. Notwithstanding that, I've heard surprisingly few complaints, possibly because the fics are mostly about groups of OCs rather than game canon characters. All of these have some humor emphasis, although the one cited here is probably the strongest in that area.

In the Shadow of the Sun by Sarah Pine.
 * Recommended by User:Jack Slack, Haustere
 * Synopsis: Torn between the political realities of the Sin'dorei, the Horde and Dalaran, Lor'themar Theron struggles to keep the Blood Elves a united nation in the face of the Lich King's invasion.
 * Comments: The winning entry in the Blizzard Global Short Story Contest. No violence to speak of, but with excellent characterisation of Lor'themar Theron and Sylvanas Windrunner. A worthy winner.
 * Tal 9922: Seconded, and here's hoping Blizzard crowning this as the winner means they're canonizing it in some way, as it adds some sorely needed background and characterization to the Blood Elf leadership, not to mention being a great tie-in between 2.4 and WotLK.
 * Now that it is featured on the short stories list of the official website, it has effectively become canon.

The Last Days of Crank Fizzlepop by Sean Riley.
 * Recommended by User:Jack Slack
 * Synopsis: A young gnome inventor attempts to win his fame, fortune and love while also finding time to bring about world peace on Azeroth. Nothing goes to plan.
 * Comments: A runner up in the Blizzard Global Short Story Contest. A black comedy, PG rated at most. No canon characters, merely the setting is used.

Kuma's Song by Tzu-Mainn Chen
 * Recommended by User:Jack Slack
 * Synopsis: A tauren warrior goes into battle; he emerges torn apart by the realities of war.
 * Comments: A runner up in the Blizzard Global Short Story Contest. War story, built on themes of the horrors of war. M rated.

Dalaran Noir by E.F. Kelley
 * Recommended by Farseer Lolotea
 * Synopsis: A gnome P.I. attempts to acquit an orc death knight of murder. It's Better Than It Sounds.
 * Comments: An honorable mention in the Blizzard Global Short Story Contest. Written, as the title would suggest, in the style of a hardboiled detective story.

Hell for the Company by Mirari1
 * Recommended by 2percent
 * Synopsis: A dreadsteed theft attempt gone wrong lands a human warlock and her gnomish mage companion imprisoned on Xoroth, a world already controlled and ruined by the Burning Legion. They must now find their way back to Azeroth, an impossible task while surrounded by demons, unless they gain some... unusual allies...
 * Comments: There is little about this story that isn't awesome. Well worth the read. There's a sequel in progress as well.

The God of Death by Tyrant of the East
 * Recommended by USA Bobcat
 * Synopsis: A Space Marine is brought by the Emperors divine will to the world of Warcraft! Awesomeness Ensues
 * Comments: My god. The beginning is a bit slow, but lordy lordy how it picks up when Avarian starts getting a little character development. Chock full of awesome lines and tie ins to the background of 40k. Any gamer from 40k will love this fic, as it will suck you in. Anyone who loves Warcraft will see the logic and reasoning of Warcraft get curbstomped by 4Warhammer 40000k
 * Comartemis: Decent, but it suffers from a few very major sticking points. Avarian is perfectly in-character for your typical Space Marine, which means he's an insufferable prick to just about everyone on this xeno-infested world and yet he's somehow managed to pick up the beginnings of a harem despite making it very obvious that he has nothing but contempt for everyone around him—they're either filthy xenos who need to be cleansed or traitors and heretics who also need to be cleansed. Worse still, Avarian's massive tech advantage and various Space Marine augmentations make him so much deadlier and more intimidating than anyone else that he can walk all over everyone from instance bosses to faction leaders and get away with it. Bobcat might think it's awesome to watch everything on Azeroth get curbstomped by a Space Marine, but for most Avarian will probably just invoke Boring Invincible Hero hard; we're 36 chapters in as of this writing and Avarian has yet to encounter anything even remotely resembling a serious challenge, though the author has stated that Avarian will be facing Arthas sooner or later and that the Lich King is going to be anything but a walk in the park even for an Astartes. Arguably, the only reason Avarian doesn't invoke Jerk Sue is because he is undergoing Character Development, albeit at an absolutely glacial pace. The writing itself also has a few issues; the plot moves at the pace of a dead snail swimming in molasses in January and Purple Prose is scattered liberally throughout the narrative; stick these two together and you get the current arc with the Scarlet Crusade and the battle for the Plaguelands, which has been going on since around the beginning of summer and the end is still nowhere in sight because Tyrant bogs down the story and inflates the word count with the aforementioned Purple Prose instead of getting stuff done. I do recommend it in spite of everything, but not right now; give it a few months and then burn through the whole thing in one sitting instead of waiting for another criminally-short update every week or two.
 * User:USA Bobcat: Hmm.... yeah... I was a little hasty there. Recently, the plot has gone even further off the rails, and Avarian has ditched the leaders of every single faction without them being seen or heard of in (I think) 15 chapters. Ouch. I agree with the previous assessment. Get a playlist full of Iron Maiden and Sabaton, then skip to where Avarian gets an army, then begin.
 * Now has its own page!

The Sirens of Azeroth by T. Mirai
 * Recommended by USA Bobcat
 * Synopsis: From FF.net's summary: The Red Thorns is a harem of the most beautiful and desired women of Azeroth. When a young night elf finds herself inducted into their group, will their lascivious, wild lifestyle be too much for her? Or will it give her the adventure she always wanted?
 * Comments: Despite it being about courtesans (it is made very clear several times that the ladies take great pride in their job - they are decidedly not whores. See for example Leyla's outburst and Bella's retort in chapter two, and Leyla confronting Azurian and discussing her current life with her brother in later chapters), it is not a lemon-filled only sex novel. It explores how the isolationist Night Elf's prejudices, and still has large part of adventure that fit in so well that any WoW player will love it. The characters are well developed and well used. The Horde isn't stereotyped as evil, and the Alliance is shown to have people just as bad as the Horde. All in all, this fic is a must read.

The Craft of War: Blind by perculacraft
 * Recommended by Halinmonk
 * Synopsis: A Blood Elf rogue breaks into Stormwind to try and assassinate Lady Katrina Prestor. The leader of the S:17, Mathias Shaw, a buttload of soldiers, and a dark secret stands in her way.
 * Comments: Quite easily the best WoW machinma to date. You have to see to believe.
 * That's no machinima! That's a spacesta—ordinary 3d animation.

Cold Comfort Castle by Lord Goregore (You may also look at its being-developed page here.)
 * Recommended by Ping Zing
 * Synopsis: A human mage and draenei warrior are trapped in a ruined castle in the Alterac Mountains by an apparently-malevolent blizzard. They must find a way to survive the harsh conditions, demons without and within, and each other.
 * Comments: Easily one of the best pieces of character development I've seen in fan fiction in a long time. The main characters come across as very human (or draenei, as the case may be), with their motivations and intent becoming progressively clearer, chapter by chapter. With everything from an alchemy-brewed booze-substitute to excellent fight scenes, I highly recommend this. A sequel/spinoff of sorts named Feat of Clay is currently being written.

Tribulations of a Megalomaniac Warlock by Synapse, translated by Curufinwë.
 * Recommended by Lordyoshi 01
 * Synopsis: The story follows a young human warlock named Synapse who wants to take over the world. Her journey plays out like that of a player's in that she starts in the starting zone and works her way through the levels to higher zones, going through dungeons and raids. The whole story is filled with humor and for a long time lacks much seriousness.
 * Comments: A great, and epic, read. The story spans hundreds of pages and is still going, though since the writer is French all new chapters need to be translated into English, but due to great translation efforts the translated chapters are pretty much caught up with the untranslated ones. The story is quite silly and doesn't follow the lore within the game, though pretty much everything is played for laughs. That said it has a great story, with great characters, and one of the funniest fanfics I've ever read. Note the above link is a recent forum created due to the previous one being used went over 600 pages. A link to the previous forum can be found here. There is also a official site that has many of the chapters, but stopped updating some time ago, found here.

A New World by Pognut
 * Recommended by Terrace
 * Synopsis: A minor accident with an experimental portal device on Tol Barad results in a portal opening into the Southwestern United States.

Straydog Saga by Ori Whitedeer
 * Recommended by Demon Something
 * Synopsis: When wayward warrior Shandori and her questionable companions accept a job to obtain dragon bones, the group of mercenaries find themselves fighting for their lives, the fate of Azeroth, and enough gold to buy their next ale.
 * Comments: Set Twenty Minutes Into the Future of Warcraft, this fic displays great characterization and backstories that are definitely tragic, but don't necessarily end up in wangsty characters. A very good read, if marred by spelling errors.

Shadow of Shadowmoon by Odeena Sabnach
 * Recommended by Jake Sparerib
 * Synopsis: The main focus of the series is Vaala Dawnstrike, a Blood Elf rogue who winds up working for the wrong side during the war against Illidan Stormrage. Although reluctant to serve her new master at first, Vaala ends up not only accepting her new condition, but also fighting to keep a tenuous balance between blood ties and her new-found loyalty. There are also a number of sub-plots which feature minor characters, both canon and original.
 * Comments: I've been a loyal reader of Shadow of Shadowmoon since chapter two of the first book (there are two of them, one completed and one in-progress). While staying true to canon, the first installment of the series presents the other side of the war for Outland in a way that not only makes it believable, but also takes generic stock characters and really brings them to life. There isn't much action at first, but the amount of attention given to the setting and character development more than makes up for it. The second installment appears to go the Alternate Universe way but looks really promising so far, even though the single most important plot point is yet to be explained (I can't give it away here, but if you take the time to read through the first chapter you'll see why).

Demon Hunter by Nex-thanarak
 * Recommended by Jake Sparerib
 * Synopsis: “Demon hunters. Those who devote their lives to finding and slaying minions of the Burning Legion. Fueled by hatred, they'll use the demons' own magic against them. But how long can they last steeped in such corruption before they become what they despise?” (from the FF.net summary.) Nex-thanarak, the main character of this two-part series, was born and raised with one purpose: to fight and kill demons. After a summoning ritual gone wrong, Nex finds himself orphaned and with no path other than to hunt and kill the dreadlord responsible for it. Eventually, he ends up working for Illidan Stormrage, who promises him untold power in reward for his servitude.
 * Comments: In my humble opinion, it's definitely the single best WoW fanfic I've read to date and could be placed right up there with Jeff Grubb or Christie Golden's works in terms of faithfulness to canon, character development and immersion. No detail is too small, no scene is too insignificant to be looked over. The author updates weekly and even though the chapters are long, they always leave me eagerly awaiting to read what happens next. This story is a must-read for all Warcraft fans!

By Fang and Spell by Ashadel MG
 * Recommended by Maeora
 * Synopsis: The Cataclysm has come, and not only the world has found itself shattered. Follow a group of would-be heroes as they discover that what it takes to survive isn't always as easy to see as black and white.
 * Comments: The author is fantastic at 'show don't tell' story-telling, and the characters are believable. She paints a vivid picture of the races she uses, and there's no clear sign of who is bad and who is good. Her writing is such that you are pulled into the character's headspace, taking the reader into a world from the eyes of another. While there is romance, it is not the whole of the story, showing that matters of the mind are just as important as matters of the heart. This reader is anxiously awaiting every update.

Frostblood by Poicephalus
 * Recommended by Greymalkin
 * Synopsis: An AU coming off of patch 4.1 where Jaina Proudmoore accidentally becomes the next Lich King. The story is about her dealing with her new role, her memories of Arthas, her relationship with Kel'Thuzad (who is portrayed magnificently) and what remains of the Northrend factions such as the Argent Crusade and the Nerubian Empire.
 * Comments: Jaina is the brilliant, strong female character and advocate for peace in this fic that she always should have been in canon. Northrend feels like a tangible, real setting, and the characters around her are all fascinatingly human. Kel'Thuzad in particular almost steals the show with his pensive internal monologues and side-scenes. Can't recommend it highly enough.
 * Enthusiastically seconded. Humanizing The Dragon Kel'Thuzad without making him OOC? Check. A realistic portrayl of Jaina adjusting to being the new Lich King? Check. Jaina delivering a perfect combination of Reason You Suck Speech and World of Cardboard Speech to Garrosh, Fordring, and Thassarian? Very Check. This troper has only read two arguably better fanfics/series: Diplomacy and the Dor'ash and Sarah Nebula stories.

Equinox: Defender of the Horde by Equinox.
 * Recommended by Pimpdaddy
 * Synopsis: A screenshot webcomic detailing the adventure of a dopey Tauren Man Child as he strives to become a champion of the horde, along with his priestess Troll girlfriend, and his slightly evil best friend Quatermass.
 * Comments: Incredibly silly at times, incredibly emotional other times. It's a small classic among warcraft fans in the horde ranks.

Honoring the Fallen by TerraZeal
 * Recommended by Llirra
 * Synopsis: Tirion mourns his wife and son at Caer Darrow on the anniversary of Taelan's death. Extremely angsty.
 * Comments: No idea when this is set, assuming some time after Cataclysm due to Tirion's comments. Its a really sad, well-written piece that involves Tirion finally mourning his lost family at Caer Darrow, the place he said he's only ever really felt the bond of love and family. A'dal ends up showing up and telling Tirion that his family's death was necessary. Tirion is obviously very upset but manages to stay in character and recover very well, which leads to A'dal granting Tirion a few moments with his family, finally allowing him to be at peace with himself. Several reviewers have admitted to crying upon reading this. The fact that it was written and posted on 9/11, the anniversary of many fallen loved ones' deaths, cannot be coincidence.
 * Very lovely story and truly very sad, but I can't help but notice this author has a real passion for Thrall and dragonflight fics as well, all of which are also rather well-written, especially the one with Thrall taking on End Time by himself and meeting with Jaina. There is also a strangely creepy yet sad Tirion/Darion, Tirion/A'dal slash fic by this author.

Shipping Fics
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.

Diplomacy by Weiila (Has its own page under construction here)
 * Recommended by Qit el-Remel, Corben Cypher, greymalkin, GG Crono, Poke_Freak
 * Pairings: Jaina/Thrall
 * Synopsis: In order to form stronger political links between Theramore and Ogrimmar, not to mention getting the Horde and Alliance to start thinking cooperatively again, Jaina proposes an extreme solution to Thrall. That is to say, she proposes.
 * Comments: Jaina/Thrall shipping, and very well done. It covers both their feelings on the matter, the political motivations behind things, and the rather crazy and possibly extreme repercussions of trying to make peace between the Alliance (or at least Theramore) and the Horde. Still incomplete as of this edit, but don't let that deter you.
 * Seconded by jarell88. The story is fantastic, and the fight scene between Thrall and the Lich King is not one to be missed.

Northrend on Thirty Silvers a Day by jackofnone
 * Recommended by sxizzor
 * Pairings: Asric/Jadaar
 * Synopsis: When Asric finds himself somewhat unexpectedly reunited with Jadaar, he's not sure if his life is about to get better or worse. Regardless, they need to get out of the middle of this frozen war zone and into somewhere civilized. The only thing standing between them and Dalaran are angry vrykul, inclement weather, scheming Forsaken, local wildlife, past mistakes, and each other. What could possibly go wrong?
 * Comments: Some cute, some humor, some action. Mostly, it's Asric and Jadaar trying not to make their current situation any worse and failing miserably. A really fun, not-too-serious (but not too light, either) read.

The Obsidian Dawn by Dusty the Umbravita
 * Recommended by kyneska
 * Pairings: Bolvar/Onyxia
 * Synopsis: From her mission in Stormwind to the tunnels of Icecrown and places in between, follow Onyxia and a fragment of the Black Flight as they fight for their race's very survival against an entire world that wants them dead - including Deathwing himself.
 * Comments: A brilliantly well-planned and subtle AU shipping fic that reinvisions the relationship between these two characters—and between Onyxia and the rest of her flight. Yes, it's romance, but it's so much more than that, too. Awesome female characters, an extraordinary Villain Protagonist (if you can call her that…), a light-handed and delicate treatment of an unlikely pairing, reflections on free will and moral strength, and, oh yeah, time travel handled intelligently.
 * Comments: The story falls firmly into Darker and Edgier territory after Chapter 39. And after the timeskip  The author believes in Earn Your Happy Ending.

Jaina's Clover Story Music and video editing by Mr.Lohaf, drawing and words by Charalue.
 * Recommended by Dermonster
 * Pairings: Jaina/Arthas
 * ''Synopsis: Jania reminisces about a past event in childhood spent with Arthas in a clover field.
 * Comments The artwork is fantastic, the story heart wrenching, and the music sorrowful. Very high recomendation.
 * Seconding the recommendation. This still-frame video does a very good job underscoring just how much pain Arthas's corruption caused Jaina.

One Week a Month, or: Asric and Jadaar Go to the Darkmoon Faire by Silverr
 * Recommended by Squid
 * Pairings: Asric/Jadaar
 * Synopsis: Asric and Jadaar take jobs at the Darkmoon Faire. They meet Griftah. Asric nearly gets murdered. Adventure ensues.
 * Comments: A fun, well-written fic with good characterization. Worth reading even if you're not a fan of slash.
 * Tags: Mild sexual references, slash. Most of the fic qualifies as pre-slash.