Yuletide Gifts 2018
The Yuletide Challenge fanfic exchange is one of my favorite fandom activities and one of the highlights of the holiday season. I've been participating for over ten years and each year has been full of delightful surprises! The talent and passion that go into making the exchange successful never ceases to amaze.
This year I was thoroughly spoiled with two stories for Moby Dick AND two stories for The Venture Brothers. I am quite sure I have not been so good this year as to deserve such riches, but I will happily receive them with a glad heart!
Fandom: Moby Dick
Title: Or, The Complete Lack of Whale
Author: Anonymous
Characters & Relationships: Ishmael/Queequeg, Starbuck/Mary Starbuck
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Summary:In which Moby Dick, to almost everyone's disappointment, eludes the "Pequod" completely, and its crew following an unfortunate if not fatal accident must work out what to do with themselves.
This is the fix-it ending I've always dreamed of - wherein Moby Dick is never found and thus the Pequod's adventures come to a different end. The author absolutely nails the Ishmael narrative style and voice, down to the cultural asides and philosophical musings. Ishmael, Queequeg, and Starbuck manage to finish their contract and make it back to Nantucket. The story is just soaked in atmosphere and little moments that defined the first quarter of the novel beautifully that it makes for the perfect bookend to the story. Ishmael and Queequeg's relationship is steadfast and affectionate as in canon and I loved the addition of Starbuck's reunion with his own family. You will sigh happily in contentment as this coda that-ought-have-been.
Fandom: Moby Dick
Title: Ishmael in his Coffin
Author: Anonymous
Characters & Relationships: Ishmael x Queequeg
Rating: Explicit
Summary:Since they'd started fucking, which was about three days after they'd met, the harpoon jokes had been pretty much constant-- but the skills really did transfer. Hashtag coffin porn, hashtag sea blowie.
Yessss, a story featuring smoking hot Ishmael and Queequeg who are completely infatuated with each other and grab what privacy they can aboard the ship. Set just after Queequeg's illness and recovery, this story nails the wry humor of the couple and what makes them fit together so well. Sex in a story should always be more than just describing sex to be effective and this author Gets It. The intimacy here tells us about the characters, their cultural backgrounds, and even delves into the hierarchy aboard whaling ships and its implications.
Fandom: The Venture Brothers
Title: The Road to Villainy
Author: Anonymous
Characters & Relationships: Dean Venture, Sirena Ong, Dean x Sirena, Dean & Sirena, Background Ensemble
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Summary: Frustrated at being unable to save VenTech from his father’s incompetence and uncertain of his own future as he prepares to graduate from college, Dean decides his best bet is to become a supervillain.
Fandom has long bandied about the idea that one or both of the Venture twins might become a supervillain and this story does a fantastic job showing how that might come about. Dean's progression through the Guild ranks, his various villain personas, his chemistry with Sirena, everything is just scrumptious! If you're feeling the itch for more Venture goodness in this post season hiatus then read this to hype up your Venture spirit once more.
Fandom: The Venture Brothers
Title:Beer and Supportive Head Nods
Author: Anonymous
Characters & Relationships: Dean Venture, Brock Samson
Rating: General Audiences
Summary:
Brock shows up to the reading of Dean's first play, and tries his best to give some advice.
There is nothing I love more than the familial relationships on this show, especially within Team Venture. Brock being a supportive parent figure to the boys is one of my favorite aspects of the character as it subverts his OSI machismo. This is a short, but excellent fic giving us a peek at future success for Dean and how Brock gives his parental approval. Chock full of Brockitude and earnest Dean, how can you go wrong?
This year I was thoroughly spoiled with two stories for Moby Dick AND two stories for The Venture Brothers. I am quite sure I have not been so good this year as to deserve such riches, but I will happily receive them with a glad heart!
Fandom: Moby Dick
Title: Or, The Complete Lack of Whale
Author: Anonymous
Characters & Relationships: Ishmael/Queequeg, Starbuck/Mary Starbuck
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Summary:In which Moby Dick, to almost everyone's disappointment, eludes the "Pequod" completely, and its crew following an unfortunate if not fatal accident must work out what to do with themselves.
This is the fix-it ending I've always dreamed of - wherein Moby Dick is never found and thus the Pequod's adventures come to a different end. The author absolutely nails the Ishmael narrative style and voice, down to the cultural asides and philosophical musings. Ishmael, Queequeg, and Starbuck manage to finish their contract and make it back to Nantucket. The story is just soaked in atmosphere and little moments that defined the first quarter of the novel beautifully that it makes for the perfect bookend to the story. Ishmael and Queequeg's relationship is steadfast and affectionate as in canon and I loved the addition of Starbuck's reunion with his own family. You will sigh happily in contentment as this coda that-ought-have-been.
Fandom: Moby Dick
Title: Ishmael in his Coffin
Author: Anonymous
Characters & Relationships: Ishmael x Queequeg
Rating: Explicit
Summary:Since they'd started fucking, which was about three days after they'd met, the harpoon jokes had been pretty much constant-- but the skills really did transfer. Hashtag coffin porn, hashtag sea blowie.
Yessss, a story featuring smoking hot Ishmael and Queequeg who are completely infatuated with each other and grab what privacy they can aboard the ship. Set just after Queequeg's illness and recovery, this story nails the wry humor of the couple and what makes them fit together so well. Sex in a story should always be more than just describing sex to be effective and this author Gets It. The intimacy here tells us about the characters, their cultural backgrounds, and even delves into the hierarchy aboard whaling ships and its implications.
Fandom: The Venture Brothers
Title: The Road to Villainy
Author: Anonymous
Characters & Relationships: Dean Venture, Sirena Ong, Dean x Sirena, Dean & Sirena, Background Ensemble
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Summary: Frustrated at being unable to save VenTech from his father’s incompetence and uncertain of his own future as he prepares to graduate from college, Dean decides his best bet is to become a supervillain.
Fandom has long bandied about the idea that one or both of the Venture twins might become a supervillain and this story does a fantastic job showing how that might come about. Dean's progression through the Guild ranks, his various villain personas, his chemistry with Sirena, everything is just scrumptious! If you're feeling the itch for more Venture goodness in this post season hiatus then read this to hype up your Venture spirit once more.
Fandom: The Venture Brothers
Title:Beer and Supportive Head Nods
Author: Anonymous
Characters & Relationships: Dean Venture, Brock Samson
Rating: General Audiences
Summary:
Brock shows up to the reading of Dean's first play, and tries his best to give some advice.
There is nothing I love more than the familial relationships on this show, especially within Team Venture. Brock being a supportive parent figure to the boys is one of my favorite aspects of the character as it subverts his OSI machismo. This is a short, but excellent fic giving us a peek at future success for Dean and how Brock gives his parental approval. Chock full of Brockitude and earnest Dean, how can you go wrong?