Hurry up Uter!

Hope you're all okay!

The episode opens with Cybill auditioning for a part. In comparison to her usual hamming it up (and I say that with affection, obviously), her acting’s actually pretty good for the first 20 seconds of this scene.
 

Absolutely Nothing by likecharity
One of the warnings for this fic is "fucked-up domesticity", which is just about the best thing ever.

NEW Beautiful Disaster by thedreamisreal
"There's little communication after he leaves. Occasionally, they'll be a text or voicemail with just one word, any word."

The First Five Times by likecharity
Dirtybadwrong but with a kind of faded beauty. 

the kids that don't learn by sophieisgod
Try saying "incestuous chan" without thinking you're going to hell. Even if you don't believe in hell. Then read this and try to decide whether or not you care.

lighter fluid by falseeyelashes
This writer's Effy is even more screwed up than in canon. Wait, no - it's not possible.

Like A Sister & A Brother by likecharity
"Fun, in a sick sort of way. That's the only way their relationship can be described." Incest shouldn't be fluffy, after all. It IS twisted and screwy and dark, and so it should be written that way, right? And these characters are nothing if not those things.

Necessities by likecharity
Skins has so many 'gaps' in its canon that it makes sense to write fics filling them in. This does just that, and goes with the general consensus that S3 needed Tony. Effy doesn't make sense without him.

Not Exactly An Epistolary Romance by iridescentglow
A slightly saner Cook and Effy roadtrip, as they visit Tony in Cardiff. The characterisation is spot-on and it's full of brilliant, well-thought out details.

the phoenix must burn to emerge by chairs
"When their breathing evens out, he asks, 'So, who are they? Are they better-looking than me?'" Despite his best attempt, after Gobbler's End, Tony can't fix her anymore.

The Puppet by likecharity
Effy is so manipulative here, which makes her a perfect match for Tony. She seems like the only person around whom he can't help himself.

Bright Blue Saturday by likecharity (Cassie/Tony)
How can a fic about erectile dysfunction be so sweet and sexy? Oh well... post-accident, this pairing seems a lot more sensible than Tony/Michelle. This is a bit unusual but really grew on me. Plus, as you may have guessed, I love this author.

Circuit Breaker by flash_indie (Tony/Michelle/Sid)
It's not perfect sex, or even hot sex; it's awkward, clumsy and messy. Something about Michelle's lack of explicit consent really bothers me here, but I think that might be why it stuck in my mind.

Gossip by jargonelle (Cassie/Michelle)
"Ask anyone..." What people know, what they think they know, and what no one will ever know.

Half-Hearted by likecharity (Michelle/Effy)
YAY this pairing. Seriously. The ending seems a bit crude, in retrospect, and I prefer lots of this author's later stuff, but this was the greatest femslash possibility from the 1st generation, and it was great to find it.

Love Shapes by likecharity (Tony/Sid, Tony/Michelle, Michelle/Cassie, Sid/Cassie)
"This is far more complicated than a love triangle."

my best friend Cassie says, "oh he's just being Tony" by mozartsfriend (1st gen ensemble)
"It's not that he doesn't like Cassie. He likes her fine. It's just. being with Cassie, it reminds him of Sid. And when he thinks about Sid, well, he just doesn't. He doesn't ever want to think about Sid." Classic S2 Skins.

plague your state of grace by fated_addiction (Michelle/Effy)
"Tony loves her so, by default, Michelle’s always loved Effy and her eyes. It’s how these things happen." Oh, yes. This is just how I see this pairing: Michelle looking for rescue when Tony is asleep. A gorgeously written evocation of numbness, with glimpses of smut. Michelle is the focus here, rather than Effy, which is not usually the case, but when a writer as talented as this starts teasing out her character, it's hard to see why.

Say Switchblade by Kyra Cullinan (Cassie/Effy)
Cassie is falling, and meets Effy on the way down.

Skins drabbles by lassiterfics (various)
Some first gen moments; the Chris/Jal one is unbearably sweet.

Today is Tuesday by shesowsfiction (Cassie/Michelle)
"She has a name plaque over her door. This is hers and she owns whoever is inside it; whoever is inside of her."

Assemble the Ways by jengrrrl (Lily/Kat)
Tightly-wound sexual tension fic; the little moments when things change. God, it's a thing of beauty.

NEW a difference in texture by daneorange (Kat/Lily/Megan)
Quite simply, I loved this. I'm such a sucker for the ol' Meg-falling-for-Lil-who's-fallen-for-Kat thing and it's done brilliantly here.

Gravity's Peculiar Work by jengrrrl (Lily/Kat)
Love the themes of truth and acting and whether or not acting is a kind of truth. Love the whole thing, actually. There's a bit of heartbreak, a bit of fluff, and Meg is great.

it's gravity that's been getting us down by twistomatic (Kat/Lily/Megan)
So, as most people know, twistomatic is the queen of Skins RPF. This author's fics are slow, and quiet, and seem to take place where no one else can see. This is ambiguous and wonderful.

it's not that i keep coming back to you, it's that we keep coming back to each other by twistomatic (Lily/Kat)
Sort of heart-hurty, but worth it.

it's not that i wait for you, it's that my arms are doors i cannot close by twistomatic (Lily/Kat)
I had this in my favourites, then I took it out of my favourites, then I put it back again. I couldn't decide if I liked it or not, but when a fic is stuck in my head, it's usually a good sign.

The one thing I shouldn't miss by triptohere (Lily/Kat)
I do love the angst so recurrent in Skins RPF at the moment. This fic has plenty of it; it will break you, but it might not put you completely back together.

Slow Hands by sivim27 (Kaya/Meg, Lily/Kat)
This story is so meta, it features fanfiction and characters watching Skins episodes. That said, I think the characters sivim builds will become fanon for these actresses. This fic is a masterpiece.

the world was built with interchangeable parts by twistomatic (Lily/Kat)
"There's a certain novelty in seeing Kathryn again; she can't quite put her finger on it."

these tiresome paper dreams, honey by twistomatic (Kaya/Meg, Lily/Kat)
I didn't read the pairings for this story, so for the first part I was willing Meg to end up with Kaya. Then she did - happy days! Another of the recent slew of fics where Lily and Kat, rather than being adorable, just need to get their shit together - not that Meg is any better. Something about this fic feels so real; they're teenagers, they're not sure, they have sex and hang out and can't quite figure out what's best for them.

we made a dizzy mess of everything and it was enough by twistomatic (Lily/Kat)
A series of drabbles from the song fic meme. As a series of moments between people that like each other but haven't yet worked up the bravery to say so, it just rings true. Each one is so instantly recognizable.

What's Past is Prologue by jengrrrl (Lily/Kat)
"Hand between Kat's thighs, Lily says, 'Maybe I love you.' " I don't know why, but I think I love this because of the 'maybe'. Somehow it seems more romantic that way. Smutty but beautiful; also really well written, as you'd expect from this author.

Every time I hear the Mamma Mia version of "Does Your Mother Know?" I have this insane desire to see it performed by Frances de la Tour as Mrs Lintott from The History Boys. (Possibly singing to Akhtar.)

...They kind of look alike enough, though, for me to substitute in my mind. Behold:

They have the same haircut and everything.

(Also, how much do I love the way Mrs Lintott is looking at Tanya here? She's all, "Seriously? You're comparing me to that? What is this fuckery?" It kind of makes me want a crossover picspam of the two of them, which in the future I may create for my own amusement.)

I guess if I couldn't have the actual performance, a Mrs Lintott vid soundtracked by this would be almost as awesome in its crackiness.