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I moved, then had family visiting for the holidays, then traveled, and so I have been very remiss about sharing the absolutely lovely gifts I got for Yuletide--all three of them!

I have always loved the Riddlemaster Trilogy, but I've always been wary of requesting fic for it--worried it wouldn't live up to my feelings about the books. But there was gorgeous fic for it in last year's Yuletide, so I took a chance and requested it. And, oh my goodness, what a good decision that turned out to be. I received not one but two fics in the fandom, both post-series fic that focus on the consequences of the events of the novels for the two main characters, Morgon and Raederle, and on their somewhat idiosyncratic love for each other. Both stories give us very grown-up, nuanced, versions of the characters, and beautiful details about their (new) world. These are just beautiful, moving, thoughtful stories--read them if you love the books!

Tuning (3313 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Riddle-Master Trilogy - Patricia A. McKillip
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Morgon of Hed/Raederle of An
Characters: Morgon of Hed, Raederle of An
Additional Tags: Post-Series
Summary:

Morgon and Raederle drift across the realm, and the earth's harp is tuned to the dawn of another new age.

I love the way this story works the connection between magic and the natural world, and its overall concern with the value of peace.

Like Petals from the Bough (3841 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Riddle-Master Trilogy - Patricia A. McKillip
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Morgon of Hed/Raederle of An
Characters: Raederle of An, Morgon of Hed, Nun (Riddle-Master Trilogy), minor OC characters - Character
Additional Tags: Grief, Loss, dealing with eternal life
Summary:

Raederle deals (or doesn't) with the fact that she is not dying.

I love the way this fic, like the novels, considers how you can love someone but need to go away from them for a while. Its consideration of grief is also very moving. As the author's note says, not a happy story, but in the best possible way.

AND THEN--someone wrote me Limetown fic! As in Limetown the podcast (you can now listen to the whole first season--it's like Serial meets the X-Files, or maybe Lost). This story is about how one of the other, barely heard from, characters might have thought about the events of the first season, and is very nicely done!

Thank You for Listening (2962 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Limetown (Podcast)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Lia Haddock, Mark Greene (Limetown)
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Post-Season/Series 01, Yuletide Treat
Summary:

"The thing was, when Lia had first pitched the idea of doing a series on Limetown, it hadn’t seemed dangerous." Producer Mark Greene's take on the events of Season One of Limetown.

So much gratitude to all the writers for making these tiny fandoms come to life!

(and now that I'm back, I'm going to try to read some more in the archive!)

Remix going live coincided with our week long,fun but strenuous road trip/family visit, so I was entirely remiss about posting about the lovely fic I got, or reading anything else in the archive. Now everything has been revealed, but better late than never, I hope!

This was my gift:

Nestling (The Fledglings Remix) (3342 words) by opalmatrix
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Eagle | The Eagle of the Ninth - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Marcus Flavius Aquila/Esca Mac Cunoval
Characters: Marcus Flavius Aquila, Esca Mac Cunoval, Sassticca (Eagle of the Ninth), Stephanos (Eagle of the Ninth), Original Characters
Additional Tags: Illnesses, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Slash
Summary:

The winter after the journey was hard on both of them.

This is Esca's POV on the events of the story, and I loved the way it fleshed out his experience, especially the crucial parts of the story that go on inside Esca's head, and that Marcus can only guess at. I haven't thought about the Eagle, or my Eagle fic for a long time, and this remix made me remember how much I love the characters and setting. So a big thank you to opalmatrix!

I wrote two remixes myself:

Though Seas Between Us Broad Have Roared (the 20x20 remix) (1632 words) by ariadnes_string
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Peter Grant & Lesley May, Beverley Brook/Peter Grant
Characters: Peter Grant, Lesley May, Beverley Brook, Thomas Nightingale
Additional Tags: Remix, Retrospective
Summary:

After the events of Foxglove Summer, Peter remembers some of the good times with Lesley.

This was my assignment. I think templemarker and I matched on H50, but I actually remixed one of their H50 stories for a previous remix, so I went looking for something else, and was delighted to find RoL fic. Since I'm still processing the events of Foxglove Summer, I recast this lovely older Yuletide story in the light of the current story lines. It made it a bit (well, a lot) sadder, but I was glad of the chance to reflect on Peter and Lesley's relationship, which I haven't really done before.

Five Times Rust Cohle Stayed Alive (the lend your lungs to me remix) (1226 words) by ariadnes_string
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: True Detective
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Rustin "Rust" Cohle/Martin "Marty" Hart
Characters: Rustin "Rust" Cohle, Martin "Marty" Hart, Travis Cohle
Additional Tags: Remix, Suicidal Thoughts
Summary:

The thing about the ocean is, it rises up to the meet the sky as if it doesn’t know there should be a line between them. Rust loves it, and he fears it, because it makes him forget about other lines as well.

This was a pinch hit. The original is a gorgeous story about Rust in Alaska, from Yuletide 2014, which I hadn't read before. As always when I write TD fic, I had to go back to canon to figure things out (I may never have watched any other show as many times), but, as always, canon produced new riches, and that, combined with the wonderful details of the fic, made this fun to write (though I wish I'd had a bit more time!). The script and performances in the middle episodes of TD S1 are just amazingly layered, I've found.

And that was remix, which I always enjoy! As per usual these days, the huge bulk of fic was MCU, which I don't read, but I will try to go back and find some stuff from other fandoms.

Y'all, I got the most wonderful ficlets from purimgifts!

The rules for this exchange are: three ficlets, 300-1000 words, about Jewish characters, female characters (in honor of the Purim story), or evil viziers. My gifts were all Erik-centric, which I adore. Two are Erik/Raven, which is a pairing I've never thought too much about, but really enjoyed in the hands of this author. They are all lovely, but my favorite might be Yarzeit, for the complex way it works through mourning, ritual and different valences on family, all in less than 1,000 wds. Two of them them are sad stories, but their artistry really brightened my day!

( 3 Erik stories )

And I got icons too!

Woo-hoo! The super-early Yuletide reveal miraculously coincided with the only 15 hours I have free from family obligations the whole holiday season!

Thus I was able to read my lovely gifts in peace. They were:

Ar Haner Nos yn Glir y Daeth (Upon the Midnight Clear) (1920 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Y Gwyll | Hinterland
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Tom Mathias & Mared Rhys
Characters: Tom Mathias, Mared Rhys, Siân Owens
Additional Tags: Yuletide, Ghosts, References to Welsh Mythology
Summary:

A seemingly open and shut case results in Mathias and Mared hanging about the castle ruins late one night - and they find they're not alone...

First of all, I can't believe someone wrote me Hinterland fic--that seemed like such a long shot to ask for. But they did, and it's fabulous--very atmospheric, a hint of the supernatural, and just the right prickly, protective relationship between Tom and Mared.

Ancillary Ghost (2229 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Seivarden Vendaai
Summary:

Seivarden as honored guest, and the importance of tea.

Takes place after Ancillary Sword (spoilers).

Thank you very much to my betas, who will be credited after reveals.

I can't say too much about this without spoiling Ancillary Sword for those of you who haven't read it, BUT, if you were intrigued by the ending of the novel, and love Seivarden, as I was and do, this is an amazing fic! The author gets the tone of the books just right, and seamlessly builds onto the world-building, as it were. I loved the sense of the ancientness of the Radch (and its fragility).

I haven't read much else, but if, by some chance, you love the radio program Bleak Expectations as much as we do in my house, you should know that there's a brilliant fic in the archive this year.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Christmassy or non-Christmassy day!

(my December meme is morphing into a January meme, but I'll get to it all, I promise!)

Merry Christmas to everyone who's celebrating it!

I am not, but I will spare you my rant about being a Jew in the South, because right at the moment, it's working to my advantage, and I am enjoying a very peaceful, very silent, morning alone with my dog and my Yuletide gifts!

I got two this year, both in the Raven Cycle (The Raven Boys) fandom, and both are fabulous, though they are very different.

I was surprised at the number of fics posted for these books (10)--more than any of the other fandoms I requested put together, actually. This makes me happy, since I didn't realize so many other people out there liked the books. They certainly make for good fic!

I am rec'ing both of these hard!

Ronan Wakes Up (5179 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Richard Gansey III/Ronan Lynch
Characters: Richard Gansey III, Ronan Lynch, Adam Parrish, Noah Czerny
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Dreams, Ronan's Dreams, Mint Leaves
Summary:

Ronan dreams. Gansey is in the forest.

This is the h/c fic my id was craving (sick!Gansey), but the writer gives it the edge the books also have, tinged with desire and the dangers of magic and magical power. It's Ronan's POV, and his feelings for Gansey (not just desire) ring very true.

The Sword and the Shield (4721 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Richard Gansey III, Ronan Lynch
Additional Tags: Bloodplay, Dom/sub, Knifeplay, Painplay, spoilers for The Dream Thieves
Summary:

A king is only as good as the sword in his knight's hand. A knight's sword is only as good as the devotion in his heart. See notes for warnings.

And this one is the Ronan/Gansey fic my id was also craving. I know not everyone wants to start their Christmas morning with some strong blood!play and knife!play, but I sure as heck did, and this made me very, very happy (it's super hot). I don't mean to sound flip, though, because what really makes the fic work is the intensity of emotion between the two guys: if trust is your kink, this fic is for you; it'll turn your heart inside out. Beautifully written, too.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the fics posted for the fandom!

Wishing you all a lovely day, whatever you're doing. I have no greater ambitions than making myself go for a run in the cold, and making a pie in time to go to my friends' for dinner later.

Oh, and posting about other stuff--I am so behind.

I got two (two!) wonderful stories for Yuletide!

Lines of Salt (6359 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Killing
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sarah Linden & Stephen Holder
Characters: Stephen Holder, Sarah Linden
Summary:

He’s sitting in the waiting room (gauze on his cheek and elbow. His hoodie is destroyed and he sort of thinks that’s the true tragedy of this entire operation), watching Carlson’s triumphant press conference on the criminal he just collared, when Linden hobbles out of the back. He stands gingerly and meets her halfway. “Want the good news or the bad news first?”

There is so little fic for the awesomeness that is The Killing, and this is wonderful. The relationship between Holder and Linden is absolutely my favorite part of the show, and this writer captures it beautifully from Holder's point of view.

Other Days for Dreams (2751 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Homeland
Rating: Explicit
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Nicholas Brody/Carrie Mathison
Characters: Carrie Mathison, Nicholas Brody
Summary:

What brought them together was gone; what was left?

This is a great fic focusing on a pivotal scene at the end of Homeland S2. Carrie and Brody's relationship is endlessly fascinating--and this writer brings out the hotness as well

Also! My gift for the Lewis Secret Santa exchange was posted last week--the very first one!

A Christmas Story (PG, v. mild Lewis/Hathaway first time).

A lovely story featuring H and L as the good eggs they are. It made even a non-Christmas-celebrating Grinch like me melt.

Hope you all had a good holiday, whatever it is you do or do not celebrate

I didn’t think I’d be able to do a Yuletide rec list this year, but before I knew it I had a bunch of fabulous fics I wanted to spread the word about, especially because a few of them are from fandoms that I don’t think have been mentioned in the com's rec posts yet.

I’ve already flailed over my own gift, No Rules for Fools from the Hour fandom here.

Here are six more, arranged alphabetically by fandom.

Grimm
Wolves in Waiting
Author’s summary: Nick has a key, and a lock. (Nick/Monroe, E, ~5.7K)

I go back and forth on whether I really want this to be a sexual pairing, but this fic has definitely done a lot to help me make up my mind. Amazingly hot, but also filled with perfect character notes.

Jane Austen Fight Club
Jane Eyre Has a Posse
Author’s summary: After an initial success, Jane Austen's Fight Club has become tedious and routine. If fight club is to thrive, the ladies will need a serious intervention, Brontë-style. Featuring exciting crossover action! (All the Austen and Bronte heroines—all of them!, G, ~3.8K)

This story is hysterical, edifying, and pretty much makes all the literary criticism on why Austen was not on Charlotte Bronte’s list of favorite writers beside the point.

Regeneration
Where Unknown, There Place Monsters
Author’s summary: “He had the rest of the day to get through before he could talk to Rivers, but he was glad of that. It was right that the first confusion and pain should be borne alone."
This is what happens at the end of that day. (Prior/Rivers, M, ~5.2K)

It wasn’t written for me, but this story exactly fills one of my prompts. Even if that wasn’t the case, though, I would still adore it. I guess it has a somewhat limited audience, since it takes place at a very specific point towards the end of the second novel in the trilogy. But the language is pitch-perfect and the current of feeling is amazingly strong and intense. If you’re at all interested in the relationship Barker suggests between these two men, this story is a must-read—I don’t have the words to recommend it strongly enough.

Sherlock RPF
The Scene is Now
Author’s summary: They told him: "It will change you, if you let it." (Benedict, Martin, Amanda, M, 5K+ words)

Pitch-perfect fic featuring a confused and poignant Benedict—all UST, which is how I like this pairing. A flistie steered me to this fic, and I’m so glad she did.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Felicitations
Author’s summary: If this were a mission he would assume it was compromised
(Haydon/Prideaux, M, ~2.5K, book ‘verse, but I think expect it works for the movie)

Killer fic for a killer pairing. Great Jim POV and voice—and the ending packs an emotional punch.

Wicked Gentlemen

Bliss is an Abyss
Author’s summary: There are things worse than pain. A peaceful life in the country, for one, and an honest man. (Explicit, Harper/Sykes, ~1.4K)

Lovely snippet of post-novel Harper/Bellimai.

Happy New Year, all!

So this was an enjoyable episode, filled with lots of Harvey/Mike byplay (though I thought the Rachel plot was kind of stupid).

I was particularly fascinated by the semiotics of high school sports:
( Read more... )

I haven't been reading all that much in the fandom, but I have stumbled across some good fic:

Can I Have It In Writing? by entangled_now "Writing on the Body" (Harvey/Mike PG-13)

and, since I know some of you like h/c as much as I do: No Florence Nightingale by zinfic (Harvey, Louis, gen).

Also, I've added Wolf Hall to my pile of unread books, since my rarely-attended book group is reading it. Has anybody read it? I read the first 20pp and enjoyed them, but then realized that no way was I going to read 600 non-work pages before the end of Sept., so got the audiobook to listen to in the car.

So there was some talk of the boys and I going to see Thor on Sunday, but in the end we went to see the G-rated Rio, which is about a blue macaw boy chick stolen from the Brazilian rainforest, and reared by a bookstore owner in Minnesota, who is then brought back to Brazil to mate with a girl macaw (to preserve the species, you know!). Adventures ensue, and Blu, the boy macaw, who never learned to fly in Minnesota, eventually finds his wings through love. As one does.

It wasn't the best plotted animated movie I've ever seen, though pretty to look at, what with the tropical birds and all. Still, we found it endearing because it reminded us of our pet Cockatiel, Gerry, who also had a hard time learning to fly (and still doesn't do it right)--though he was hand-raised in North Raleigh, rather than being snatched up by the illegal bird trade.

The funniest thing about the movie is that Blu, the boy macaw, is voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, so I kept imagining a different movie in which Jewel, the girl macaw dumps him, and he goes off in a huff to invent "BeakBook" in revenge. But birds apparently don't get hung up on those sorts of things, so Blu and Jewel flew off into the Brazilian nature reserve to make babies instead.

It also reminded me of this awesome Sherlock bird!fic I read recently. I am not much for pet stories, but, obviously, I have a big soft spot for birds, and this story works like a charm. Even if birds aren't your thing, it's still a wonderful John-Sherlock-Lestrade friendship fic.

The Case of the Unexpected Guest by thirdbird_fic

Also, let me draw your attention to the fantastic Five Acts fill brighteyed_jill wrote for me--the acts are fever, touch and dancing, and it's John/Sherlock (gen)--do I really need to say anything more?

Sadly, I haven’t done any kind of organized or concerted reading of the Yuletide 2010 archive. I’ve mostly justly been wandering around—in a virtual way, that is—stunned that people are writing fic for the fondly remembered authors of my childhood: Swallows and Amazons! Rosemary Sutcliffe! The Dark is Rising! I haven’t yet been able to bring myself to read any of this fic—I just stare at it, kind of gobsmacked at the wonders of fandom.

Still, I wanted to pass along three recs:
( Read more... )

We are leaving Friday to spend New Year’s with my parents, so I’ll miss the reveal. I’ll have to catch up with everything next week.

And a question of etiquette: do people re-post their stories after the reveal? Or just leave them in the archive?

Happy New Year, folks!