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recs the first (yuletide 2013)
Hey hey, recs under the cut. I think it's 22 in 21 fandoms? Or thereabouts. I've jumped around a lot in the archive so don't look for any rhyme or reason here. I said on Twitter the other day that the criteria for making the rec list cut seems to be: did it make me cry? All of these are yes. (Some happy, some sad, some because overwhelmed by how much I LOVED IT.)
BUT FIRST MY GIFT FICS.
Greek and Roman Mythology
I asked for a story about Persephone, Demeter, Hestia, and/or Eileithyia that didn't do the usual sort of Yuletide Persephone/Hades thing, though I certainly wouldn't have minded if it did, because that is my jam. And I got TWO completely wonderful gifts using that prompt and I'm over the fucking moon STILL. I can't stop re-reading them.
Kore
(Persephone, Demeter, Athena, Hermes, Artemis, Hades, Hestia, Eileithyia, Hecate, Zeus) M; 5700 words
OMG I literally did not know that I wanted the things in this story until I was reading them in my bed on Christmas morning and completely burst into tears over Athena about halfway through. Just. All of this hit the want-bones in my body. Almost every single one. I love the twist to Persephone, I love the way she included the pantheon and showed how they embody such a wide range of humanity, I love the running joke about Zeus, I love the expectation vs reality of the underworld. I love.
and to them all things to overflowing
(Demeter) G; 1500 words
HOW DID I GET SO FREAKING LUCKY to get two revisions of the Demeter/Persephone story? This one is in Demeter's voice, telling her history and the story of Persephone to Triptolemus while teaching him to bring life from the earth, and she dances around so much of the story--telling it without actually giving voice to parts she might want to deny or keep for herself. It reads like a translation of an ancient poem, so beautiful. My capslocking can't possibly do it justice. Just a wonderful and welcome gift. I want to print it out and fold it up inside my copy of Edith Hamilton.
AND THEN someone also gifted me with this Yuletide Madness story that's so perfect I read it like seven times on my phone while with family opening presents because I COULD NOT STOP.
14th Century CE RPF
Remembrance of a Weeping Queen
(Anne of Bohemia/Richard II) T; 600 words
Not only is this Anne/Richard II fic tiny and perfect and heartbreaking and amazing, it also has all this contextual information to help explain the circumstances if you're not familiar, and is basically the info I was reading when I did my requests that made me want to ask for Anne of Bohemia fic in the first place, and oh god please let there be hundreds of thousands of words of this somewhere that we can all read someday.
*___________________*
10th Kingdom
Stayin' Alive
(Blue Bell, Blabberwort, Burly) G; 3400 words
In the dark, in the rain, somewhere in the wasteland of the blank spaces of the map of the Fourth Kingdom, the children of a King were wandering in exile.
DE. LIGHT. FUL. The Troll King's children get a Happily Ever After.
Call the Midwife
Episode 8A
(Trixie, Cynthia, Sister Evangelina, Jenny, Sister Monica Joan) G; 2000 words
When they looked back on it later, one or another would say, "The day started out so normally!"
A sweet, strange little crossover, but knowledge of the other fandom isn't necessary because it fits Nonnatus House so perfectly.
Fifth Element (1997)
Life Important
(Korben Dallas/Leeloo) T; 3100 words
"Hey," Leeloo says, "can we go get burgers?"
Really sweet post-movie relationship fic, where Leeloo's exploring the world and her place in it
Friday Night Lights
Tyra and Tami in Five Short Chapters
(Tyra, Tami, Eric, Julie) G; 2300 words
What it says on the tin. And as much as I love Tyra and Tami, it was the Tami & Julie scene that really got to me.
Hark! A Vagrant
An Analysis of the Implicit Rules of Expletive Infixation (Or, Where the Fuck do You Put the Fucking Fuck?)
(Vanessa, Mystery Solving Teens) T; 7960 words
Everything I ever wanted from a story In which Vanessa and the Mystery Solving Teens Uncover a Dastardly Plot, Participate in Civic Life, Stake Out a Villain's Headquarters, Lie to a Small Child, and Ramble through Nature Au Naturel
IT Crowd
What Happens In Hull
(Douglas Reynholm/April) G; 2500 words
Douglas Reynholm stared at his Wall of Success with eyes narrowed, legs apart, and groin pointing in the direction of success.
I really have no words. Read it. Lol with mild horror. Admire the art. Die someday. Hopefully in that order.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
paddy's pub: lesbian nightlife hotspot
(Dee Reynolds/The Waitress, The Gang/bad decisions, Dee Reynolds/Dennis Reynolds) M; 2800 words
But he was a kind and gentle soul, and his sister was in desperate need of his help.
Oh god, if you're tempted to read it, then you already know to heed the warnings. It's absolutely filthy, horrible, stupid, ridiculous nonsense that feels like it fell right off of the show as it careened wildly through the night, leaving destruction and hilarity in its wake. The only thing missing is a big ol' plate of denim chicken.
Luther (TV)
folie à deux
(Alice Morgan, John Luther/Zoe Luther) G; 3900 words
"Dr. Morgan, I presume?"
Great, moody, atmospheric, fucked-up Hannibal fusion; ahhhhhh for this Alice to be our Alice
Psycho (1960)
Flotsam
(Lila Crane) G; 2500 words
Lila goes on in the aftermath of Norman Bates.
Filed under: things I've always desperately wanted without realizing it.
Red 2 (2013)
Prices Paid
(Victoria Winslow/Han Cho Bai) T; 3900 words
Victoria Winslow is not intimidated.
He didn't think she would be.
God almighty WHY WAS THIS NOT THE WHOLE MOVIE. I mean, don't get me wrong, Red 2 was fab and I bet the comics are fab too but VICTORIA/HAN CHO BAI. If this fic were 39000000 words long it would still be too short.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Peppermint
(Yukon Cornelius/Hermey) G; 1400 words
"Here I am trying to set up a dental practice and you're trying to undermine me!"
"Not unless your dental practice is on top of my peppermint vein!" Cornelius replied.
It's sweet and cute and I love it. I haven't seen the movie in a hundred years but every last second of it came rushing back by the second paragraph. Let's just call this an unfilmed sequel because it's perfect.
Saga (Comics)
Better in Blue
(Alana/Marko) M; 1200 words
DO YOU READ SAGA? A) why not; B) please start; C) PLEASE. It's so great. I'll wait. Okay, now that you're caught up, go read this fic because it's sweet and hot and perfect and I love it and you should love it and everyone should write more Sagafic and the issues should come out more often than they already do and it should last forever.
Sharknado
my heart is a weapon of war
(Nova) T; 3100 words
If you can get swallowed whole by a shark and live to tell the story, you can do anything.
Okay. Sharknado is such a gloriously stupid, hilarious, entertaining, beautiful piece of televisual genius. Nova was clearly the best part of it (other than the chainsaw, obviously. And the inexplicable opening scene? And... Yeah, no, still Nova, though). This is the perfect what-happens-next for her.
Singin' in the Rain
To The Stars
(Lina Lamont) G; 4200 words
"Well of course I can act," Lina said. "I can even act when people don't write out my lines ahead of time! I fooled all of America into thinking I was in love with you didn't I?"
Never, in all the times I've watched this movie and cooed over it and swooned for the fic about it, have I rooted for Lina Lamont. Not once. And now this fic makes me see how BLIND I WAS. It wasn't written for me but it sure feels like it could have been.
The Fall (TV)
Doubling
(Stella/Dani) T; 2000 words
Paul Spector's last victim was finally awake.
An introspective, moody and interesting post-finale aftermath piece, with some hotness, because obviously.
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey
Nameless
(Faina/Garrett) G; 1900 words
she would take him in her arms and forget again, for a little while, to want the woods or the great blue sky
A) read the book because it's hard and painful and gorgeous and hopeful; B) read this fic because it's basically a new POV on a one of the best and most heart-breaking parts. I love it to pieces.
The Stand - Stephen King
West
(Dayna, Sue, Fran, Nadine, Lucy) T; 9000 words
Post-Abagail fix-it: Four women walk into the wilderness to face Randall Flagg.
SO GOOOOOOOOD. omg I straight flooded Meg's DMs while reading this because I was freaking out so hard
The Ten Stupidest Things I've Heard Since Richard III's Remains Were Identified (Blog Post)
R is for Richard
(Richard III of England, The Archaeologist, The Actor, The Ricardian, The Osteologist) T; 2800 words
How further revelations about Richard III's remains inspired a cunning plan and got everyone in trouble with the Bosworth 1000th Anniversary Committee of 2485.
I just can't with this. I can't. I love it and it's 100% the (")truth(").
Fewer Than Ten Scenes From the Second Coming of Richard III
(The Daily Mail, The Ancestors, The Osteologist) T; 5600 words
And so is this one: The discovery of Richard III's remains in Leicester brings a number of visitors to the city, most of them dead. Tourism may suffer. A handful of vignettes from this critical turning point in English history.
(THE PAIRINGS!!!)
Two of a Kind
And The Jet Plane Lands
(Kevin Burke/Carrie Moore) T; 7100 words
Post-series finale. I can't even blurb this one because SCREAMING. All of the SCREAMING. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FIC SINCE 1999.
What's Your Number? (2011)
nothing to keep us apart
(Ally Darling/Colin Shea) T; 2800 words
Colin's band takes off and Ally feels a little weird about it.
Ahhhhh really great & realistic but wish-fulfillment-y relationship stuffffffff with just the right amount of reminders that Chris Evans is ungodly hot. (You know, the important things.)
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Homebound
(Wreck-It Ralph, Vanellope von Schweetz) G; 3900 words
For the first time in their lives, Ralph and Vanellope have a place to call home. It's time to spread the wealth a little.
As absolutely sweet as the movie, with a great grasp on the character's voices.
BUT FIRST MY GIFT FICS.
Greek and Roman Mythology
I asked for a story about Persephone, Demeter, Hestia, and/or Eileithyia that didn't do the usual sort of Yuletide Persephone/Hades thing, though I certainly wouldn't have minded if it did, because that is my jam. And I got TWO completely wonderful gifts using that prompt and I'm over the fucking moon STILL. I can't stop re-reading them.
Kore
(Persephone, Demeter, Athena, Hermes, Artemis, Hades, Hestia, Eileithyia, Hecate, Zeus) M; 5700 words
OMG I literally did not know that I wanted the things in this story until I was reading them in my bed on Christmas morning and completely burst into tears over Athena about halfway through. Just. All of this hit the want-bones in my body. Almost every single one. I love the twist to Persephone, I love the way she included the pantheon and showed how they embody such a wide range of humanity, I love the running joke about Zeus, I love the expectation vs reality of the underworld. I love.
and to them all things to overflowing
(Demeter) G; 1500 words
HOW DID I GET SO FREAKING LUCKY to get two revisions of the Demeter/Persephone story? This one is in Demeter's voice, telling her history and the story of Persephone to Triptolemus while teaching him to bring life from the earth, and she dances around so much of the story--telling it without actually giving voice to parts she might want to deny or keep for herself. It reads like a translation of an ancient poem, so beautiful. My capslocking can't possibly do it justice. Just a wonderful and welcome gift. I want to print it out and fold it up inside my copy of Edith Hamilton.
AND THEN someone also gifted me with this Yuletide Madness story that's so perfect I read it like seven times on my phone while with family opening presents because I COULD NOT STOP.
14th Century CE RPF
Remembrance of a Weeping Queen
(Anne of Bohemia/Richard II) T; 600 words
Not only is this Anne/Richard II fic tiny and perfect and heartbreaking and amazing, it also has all this contextual information to help explain the circumstances if you're not familiar, and is basically the info I was reading when I did my requests that made me want to ask for Anne of Bohemia fic in the first place, and oh god please let there be hundreds of thousands of words of this somewhere that we can all read someday.
*___________________*
10th Kingdom
Stayin' Alive
(Blue Bell, Blabberwort, Burly) G; 3400 words
In the dark, in the rain, somewhere in the wasteland of the blank spaces of the map of the Fourth Kingdom, the children of a King were wandering in exile.
DE. LIGHT. FUL. The Troll King's children get a Happily Ever After.
Call the Midwife
Episode 8A
(Trixie, Cynthia, Sister Evangelina, Jenny, Sister Monica Joan) G; 2000 words
When they looked back on it later, one or another would say, "The day started out so normally!"
A sweet, strange little crossover, but knowledge of the other fandom isn't necessary because it fits Nonnatus House so perfectly.
Fifth Element (1997)
Life Important
(Korben Dallas/Leeloo) T; 3100 words
"Hey," Leeloo says, "can we go get burgers?"
Really sweet post-movie relationship fic, where Leeloo's exploring the world and her place in it
Friday Night Lights
Tyra and Tami in Five Short Chapters
(Tyra, Tami, Eric, Julie) G; 2300 words
What it says on the tin. And as much as I love Tyra and Tami, it was the Tami & Julie scene that really got to me.
Hark! A Vagrant
An Analysis of the Implicit Rules of Expletive Infixation (Or, Where the Fuck do You Put the Fucking Fuck?)
(Vanessa, Mystery Solving Teens) T; 7960 words
Everything I ever wanted from a story In which Vanessa and the Mystery Solving Teens Uncover a Dastardly Plot, Participate in Civic Life, Stake Out a Villain's Headquarters, Lie to a Small Child, and Ramble through Nature Au Naturel
IT Crowd
What Happens In Hull
(Douglas Reynholm/April) G; 2500 words
Douglas Reynholm stared at his Wall of Success with eyes narrowed, legs apart, and groin pointing in the direction of success.
I really have no words. Read it. Lol with mild horror. Admire the art. Die someday. Hopefully in that order.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
paddy's pub: lesbian nightlife hotspot
(Dee Reynolds/The Waitress, The Gang/bad decisions, Dee Reynolds/Dennis Reynolds) M; 2800 words
But he was a kind and gentle soul, and his sister was in desperate need of his help.
Oh god, if you're tempted to read it, then you already know to heed the warnings. It's absolutely filthy, horrible, stupid, ridiculous nonsense that feels like it fell right off of the show as it careened wildly through the night, leaving destruction and hilarity in its wake. The only thing missing is a big ol' plate of denim chicken.
Luther (TV)
folie à deux
(Alice Morgan, John Luther/Zoe Luther) G; 3900 words
"Dr. Morgan, I presume?"
Great, moody, atmospheric, fucked-up Hannibal fusion; ahhhhhh for this Alice to be our Alice
Psycho (1960)
Flotsam
(Lila Crane) G; 2500 words
Lila goes on in the aftermath of Norman Bates.
Filed under: things I've always desperately wanted without realizing it.
Red 2 (2013)
Prices Paid
(Victoria Winslow/Han Cho Bai) T; 3900 words
Victoria Winslow is not intimidated.
He didn't think she would be.
God almighty WHY WAS THIS NOT THE WHOLE MOVIE. I mean, don't get me wrong, Red 2 was fab and I bet the comics are fab too but VICTORIA/HAN CHO BAI. If this fic were 39000000 words long it would still be too short.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Peppermint
(Yukon Cornelius/Hermey) G; 1400 words
"Here I am trying to set up a dental practice and you're trying to undermine me!"
"Not unless your dental practice is on top of my peppermint vein!" Cornelius replied.
It's sweet and cute and I love it. I haven't seen the movie in a hundred years but every last second of it came rushing back by the second paragraph. Let's just call this an unfilmed sequel because it's perfect.
Saga (Comics)
Better in Blue
(Alana/Marko) M; 1200 words
DO YOU READ SAGA? A) why not; B) please start; C) PLEASE. It's so great. I'll wait. Okay, now that you're caught up, go read this fic because it's sweet and hot and perfect and I love it and you should love it and everyone should write more Sagafic and the issues should come out more often than they already do and it should last forever.
Sharknado
my heart is a weapon of war
(Nova) T; 3100 words
If you can get swallowed whole by a shark and live to tell the story, you can do anything.
Okay. Sharknado is such a gloriously stupid, hilarious, entertaining, beautiful piece of televisual genius. Nova was clearly the best part of it (other than the chainsaw, obviously. And the inexplicable opening scene? And... Yeah, no, still Nova, though). This is the perfect what-happens-next for her.
Singin' in the Rain
To The Stars
(Lina Lamont) G; 4200 words
"Well of course I can act," Lina said. "I can even act when people don't write out my lines ahead of time! I fooled all of America into thinking I was in love with you didn't I?"
Never, in all the times I've watched this movie and cooed over it and swooned for the fic about it, have I rooted for Lina Lamont. Not once. And now this fic makes me see how BLIND I WAS. It wasn't written for me but it sure feels like it could have been.
The Fall (TV)
Doubling
(Stella/Dani) T; 2000 words
Paul Spector's last victim was finally awake.
An introspective, moody and interesting post-finale aftermath piece, with some hotness, because obviously.
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey
Nameless
(Faina/Garrett) G; 1900 words
she would take him in her arms and forget again, for a little while, to want the woods or the great blue sky
A) read the book because it's hard and painful and gorgeous and hopeful; B) read this fic because it's basically a new POV on a one of the best and most heart-breaking parts. I love it to pieces.
The Stand - Stephen King
West
(Dayna, Sue, Fran, Nadine, Lucy) T; 9000 words
Post-Abagail fix-it: Four women walk into the wilderness to face Randall Flagg.
SO GOOOOOOOOD. omg I straight flooded Meg's DMs while reading this because I was freaking out so hard
The Ten Stupidest Things I've Heard Since Richard III's Remains Were Identified (Blog Post)
R is for Richard
(Richard III of England, The Archaeologist, The Actor, The Ricardian, The Osteologist) T; 2800 words
How further revelations about Richard III's remains inspired a cunning plan and got everyone in trouble with the Bosworth 1000th Anniversary Committee of 2485.
I just can't with this. I can't. I love it and it's 100% the (")truth(").
Fewer Than Ten Scenes From the Second Coming of Richard III
(The Daily Mail, The Ancestors, The Osteologist) T; 5600 words
And so is this one: The discovery of Richard III's remains in Leicester brings a number of visitors to the city, most of them dead. Tourism may suffer. A handful of vignettes from this critical turning point in English history.
(THE PAIRINGS!!!)
Two of a Kind
And The Jet Plane Lands
(Kevin Burke/Carrie Moore) T; 7100 words
Post-series finale. I can't even blurb this one because SCREAMING. All of the SCREAMING. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FIC SINCE 1999.
What's Your Number? (2011)
nothing to keep us apart
(Ally Darling/Colin Shea) T; 2800 words
Colin's band takes off and Ally feels a little weird about it.
Ahhhhh really great & realistic but wish-fulfillment-y relationship stuffffffff with just the right amount of reminders that Chris Evans is ungodly hot. (You know, the important things.)
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Homebound
(Wreck-It Ralph, Vanellope von Schweetz) G; 3900 words
For the first time in their lives, Ralph and Vanellope have a place to call home. It's time to spread the wealth a little.
As absolutely sweet as the movie, with a great grasp on the character's voices.