Small Fandoms/Yuletide Recs
So, I put this together in December after Yuletide went live but then a ton of stuff happened and I never got to actually writing out my comments/posting it. I'm getting to this now, though, because I love all of these fics and they deserve recs!
FIrst, I want to talk about my own gifts because they were incredible! I was sooo lucky this year, guys! I got TWO gifts for my Historical RPF request <3
May You Find Some Comfort Here by bofoddity is a an adorable bit of hurt/comfort in which young Karl Peter, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (later Peter III of Russia) sneaks into the rooms of his chamberlain during a storm. They're both still very young, just budding into their teenage years and everything that happens here is completely platonic but also absolutely snuggly and sweet <3
sine qua non by misura is basically a non-explicit love triangle of Andrei Gudovich/Peter III/Christian von Brockdorff. But no, no none of that over-dramatic angst love trios tend to bring. This is a short and sharp piece full of posturing and banter and spot-on characterization of basically everyone involved. Misura's style is, as always, light and poignant and delightful. I've re-read this so many times, tbh, and I even feel like you don't need to be very well versed in who these people are toe enjoy their interactions here because they just jump off the page and speak for themselves.
Here are the rest of my recs. There's slash, femslash, het and gen. Rating vary. Please check headers/tags for warnings before reading.
David Blaize
Demon of the first innings by MildredMost (Cruikshank/Frank Maddox)
This is such a wonderful missing scene! I think my favorite thing about it is how well it captures the feel of the book, especially all the old-school British slang. My other favorite thing is definitely the fact that we get to see Frank from the POV of someone who thinks of them, mostly, as equals, without the layers of hero-worship and suppressed desire (fight me on this lol) that plague David's POV.
Dickensian
courting him in fisticuffing waltz (4364 words) by spock (Meriwether Compeyson/Arthur Havisham)
This is so painful, but so wonderfully in character. An AU it may be, but Compeyson is still himself and so is Arthur and the gasslghting and manipulation and dark!fic-ness is real. But so, so deliciously well written!
Captive Prince
turning into black and white by derogatory (Aimeric/Jord)
It starts as kind of a romcom but it gets so much deeper (and darker) than that! Modern!AUs have the pitfall of often being too cliche but this really isn't and the characterizations are really well done. All topped off with a gorgeous writing style. And a happy ending to boot!
The Subtle Beating by SlashMyDreams (Jokaste/Lykaios, Damen/Jokaste, Damen/Lykaios)
This is such a wonderful and thoughtful (and creepy) exploration of Alkielon slavery. And it's interesting, also, to see Damen from the POV of someone who is neither himself nor someone who loves/admires him. Also this fandom needs more femslash, lbr, even if it's only really implied UST here.
as a matter of right by SlashMyDreams (Ancel/Kallias, Ancel/Mathe)
There are several things about this that I like. Ancel, for one, is great in this. For another, the A/K relationship is sweet without being sugary - it's wonderful, really. And, perhaps my favorite part, is the bit of politics we see, both in the exploration of the precarious position of pets in Veretian society and the realistic fact that far from everyone is going to be happy with Laurent's ascent to the throne.
Excerpts from Policy Matters by yhlee (Damen/Laurent, OMC)
Premise being, a historian comments on Damen and Laurent's corespondence many-many years in the future. The bits of characterization are great and the OMC historian's comments are delightful. Also - fantasy politics/policy!
Historical RPF
A Mighty Warrior by Kastaka (Onfim, Danilo, Onfim's Tutor)
Look. This is just really adorable, ok?
Penny Dreadful
The Physical Secrets of the World by Gileonnen (Victor Frankenstein/Dr. Henry Jekyll)
A wonderful and heartfelt exploration of Henry and VIctor in their school days. Some very poignant explorations of their characters and their relationship. It's...dark, honestly, but you don't really notice it the way you usually would with a fic like this and I think it's an advantage here.
Politics RPF
One Of Us by blue_spruce (Sonia Sotomayor/Elena Kagan)
I mean, warning for all of your Election Night/post-election angst feels to come right back and bite you in the ass, but this was such a, paradoxically, warm and hopeful little fic about two very accomplished women finding strength and hope in each other.
The Americans
One day in the life by gorseflower (Elizabeth Jennings, Elizabeth's Mother, OCs)
Some very good research obviously went inot his fic, for one. And, also, it's a vividly drawn and realistic portrayal of what Elizabeth's life could have been like as a child. It's compelling and it makes Elizabeth far more sympathetic than I ever found her to be in the show.
FIrst, I want to talk about my own gifts because they were incredible! I was sooo lucky this year, guys! I got TWO gifts for my Historical RPF request <3
May You Find Some Comfort Here by bofoddity is a an adorable bit of hurt/comfort in which young Karl Peter, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp (later Peter III of Russia) sneaks into the rooms of his chamberlain during a storm. They're both still very young, just budding into their teenage years and everything that happens here is completely platonic but also absolutely snuggly and sweet <3
sine qua non by misura is basically a non-explicit love triangle of Andrei Gudovich/Peter III/Christian von Brockdorff. But no, no none of that over-dramatic angst love trios tend to bring. This is a short and sharp piece full of posturing and banter and spot-on characterization of basically everyone involved. Misura's style is, as always, light and poignant and delightful. I've re-read this so many times, tbh, and I even feel like you don't need to be very well versed in who these people are toe enjoy their interactions here because they just jump off the page and speak for themselves.
Here are the rest of my recs. There's slash, femslash, het and gen. Rating vary. Please check headers/tags for warnings before reading.
David Blaize
Demon of the first innings by MildredMost (Cruikshank/Frank Maddox)
This is such a wonderful missing scene! I think my favorite thing about it is how well it captures the feel of the book, especially all the old-school British slang. My other favorite thing is definitely the fact that we get to see Frank from the POV of someone who thinks of them, mostly, as equals, without the layers of hero-worship and suppressed desire (fight me on this lol) that plague David's POV.
Dickensian
courting him in fisticuffing waltz (4364 words) by spock (Meriwether Compeyson/Arthur Havisham)
This is so painful, but so wonderfully in character. An AU it may be, but Compeyson is still himself and so is Arthur and the gasslghting and manipulation and dark!fic-ness is real. But so, so deliciously well written!
Captive Prince
turning into black and white by derogatory (Aimeric/Jord)
It starts as kind of a romcom but it gets so much deeper (and darker) than that! Modern!AUs have the pitfall of often being too cliche but this really isn't and the characterizations are really well done. All topped off with a gorgeous writing style. And a happy ending to boot!
The Subtle Beating by SlashMyDreams (Jokaste/Lykaios, Damen/Jokaste, Damen/Lykaios)
This is such a wonderful and thoughtful (and creepy) exploration of Alkielon slavery. And it's interesting, also, to see Damen from the POV of someone who is neither himself nor someone who loves/admires him. Also this fandom needs more femslash, lbr, even if it's only really implied UST here.
as a matter of right by SlashMyDreams (Ancel/Kallias, Ancel/Mathe)
There are several things about this that I like. Ancel, for one, is great in this. For another, the A/K relationship is sweet without being sugary - it's wonderful, really. And, perhaps my favorite part, is the bit of politics we see, both in the exploration of the precarious position of pets in Veretian society and the realistic fact that far from everyone is going to be happy with Laurent's ascent to the throne.
Excerpts from Policy Matters by yhlee (Damen/Laurent, OMC)
Premise being, a historian comments on Damen and Laurent's corespondence many-many years in the future. The bits of characterization are great and the OMC historian's comments are delightful. Also - fantasy politics/policy!
Historical RPF
A Mighty Warrior by Kastaka (Onfim, Danilo, Onfim's Tutor)
Look. This is just really adorable, ok?
Penny Dreadful
The Physical Secrets of the World by Gileonnen (Victor Frankenstein/Dr. Henry Jekyll)
A wonderful and heartfelt exploration of Henry and VIctor in their school days. Some very poignant explorations of their characters and their relationship. It's...dark, honestly, but you don't really notice it the way you usually would with a fic like this and I think it's an advantage here.
Politics RPF
One Of Us by blue_spruce (Sonia Sotomayor/Elena Kagan)
I mean, warning for all of your Election Night/post-election angst feels to come right back and bite you in the ass, but this was such a, paradoxically, warm and hopeful little fic about two very accomplished women finding strength and hope in each other.
The Americans
One day in the life by gorseflower (Elizabeth Jennings, Elizabeth's Mother, OCs)
Some very good research obviously went inot his fic, for one. And, also, it's a vividly drawn and realistic portrayal of what Elizabeth's life could have been like as a child. It's compelling and it makes Elizabeth far more sympathetic than I ever found her to be in the show.