2018 Yuletide Recs post
I still have another 50+ fics tabs open with YT fic to read, but reveals is approaching, so here are 14 recs in 11 fandoms: 221b Baker Towers, Altered Carbon (TV), Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown RPF, Cleverman (TV), Deep-Space 9 (TV), Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey, The Expanse (TV), Killjoys (TV), Life (TV), Temeraire - Naomi Novik, Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch.
221b Baker Towers
Red Phosphorus (1513 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 221B Baker Towers
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/James Moriarty
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, James Moriarty
Additional Tags: Unhealthy Relationships, Complicated Relationships, Bloodplay, Knifeplay, Break Up
Summary:
They have their own history.
Bookmarker's Notes:
No canon knowledge required. The author's language transported me to the heart of today's London, where Moriarty is building his empire and Sherlock, a brilliant dark-skinned boy with nothing to lose, has tracked him down to demand a place at his side and in his bed.
Altered Carbon (TV)
Promethea (9259 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Altered Carbon (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Quellcrist Falconer | Nadia Makita/Takeshi Kovacs
Characters: Quellcrist Falconer | Nadia Makita, Takeshi Kovacs, Original Characters
Additional Tags: warning for non-graphic animal testing, Transhumanism, speculative mad science, clone murder, a bit wobbly with the timeline on the aliens thing, general ambiguous morality
Summary:
Quellcrist Falconer was born Nadia Makita, and this is how she stole fire from the gods.
Bookmarker's Notes:
A brilliant exploration of the logistics and ethics of immortality.
The Boundaries Which Divide (2508 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Altered Carbon (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Poe (Altered Carbon) & Lizzie Elliot (Altered Carbon)
Characters: Poe (Altered Carbon), Lizzie Elliot (Altered Carbon (TV))
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 01, Fix-It, Canonical Character Death, Character Death Fix, Injury Recovery, Friendship, The Raven Hotel, Identity Issues, Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Summary:
Post-S1 fix-it fic. Lizzie & Poe friendship.
***
Poe otherwise looks the same as he ever did, in so far as his body shows. It's the little details of the virtual environment that give away how he is not the same anymore, because his avatar was never his complete self.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Poe made a back-up before he was destroyed. Lizzie finds it, incomplete and fragmented, and helps him recover, just as he once helped her. Deeply satisfying!
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown RPF and Deep-Space 9 (TV)
Parts Unknown: Bajor (7573 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 11/11
Fandom: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown RPF, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Anthony Bourdain, Benjamin Sisko, Jake Sisko, Jadzia Dax
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Yuletide, Yuletide 2018, references to past violence
Summary:
In the season eight premiere, Tony pays a visit to Deep Space Nine and Bajor.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Sisko cooks soul food, food of the diaspora, of scarcity and necessity. These are things every Bajoran understands.
Cleverman (TV)
Saving You, Saving Me (9138 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Cleverman (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Latani/Alinta West, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Characters: Latani, Alinta West, Nerida West, Background & Cameo Characters, Boondee, Araluen, Waruu West, Koen West
Additional Tags: Friendship, Friendship/Love, Female Friendship, Family Dynamics, Canon-Typical Violence, Mentions of Racism, During Canon, Post-Canon, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:
“You don’t even know me,” Latani says. It comes out much less sharp and a lot more helpless than she meant it to.
“Yeah, but.” Alinta turns to her, dark eyes glowing in the moonlight. “Sometimes you just know, right?”
Latani and Alinta, behind the scenes and beyond.
Bookmarker's Notes:
These two girls found each other in danger and darkness and fought their way through to a place of well-earned joy. Stunning!
Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Written in Another Key (6856 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Menolly (Dragonriders of Pern), Robinton (Dragonriders of Pern), Audiva (Dragonriders of Pern)
Summary:
When Menolly, newest Master of the Harper Hall, visits Igen before a Gather she only wants to make certain Robinton obeys Healer's orders in order to recover from a protracted illness. A stolen relic makes this more difficult, but Menolly is sure she is up to the task of solving the mystery while preventing Robinton from getting too involved.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Menolly case-fic?!? And a wonderful frolic it is. Go read it!
The Expanse (TV) This was a VERY good year for The Expanse! All the stories are well-worth a read. I chose 3 very different fics to rec, highlighting different aspects of canon.
The Gravity of Stars (7663 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Expanse (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Drummer/Naomi Nagata
Characters: Drummer (The Expanse), Naomi Nagata
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Femslash Festivus, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:
Camina Drummer has her principles, her code and her commitment to the Belt. But she’s tired, and she’s angry, and she wants Naomi so badly.
Drummer, from Ceres to the Behemoth, and after.
Bookmarker's Notes:
An outstanding character study of Camina Drummer in all her pessimistic, determined, Belter glory. The Camina/Naomi is very hot and achingly in-character.
Na Desh Séfetiye Napelésh ere Kuxaku (1038 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Expanse (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Joe Miller (The Expanse)
Additional Tags: Lang Belta, Environmental Systems, Pre-Canon
Summary:
Miller solves a problem for a friend.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Joe Miller works a case, off the books. The author actually used lang Belta!
Nor Is My House Now My House (8492 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Expanse (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Arjun/Chrisjen Avasarala
Characters: Chrisjen Avasarala, Cotyar (The Expanse), Arjun (The Expanse)
Additional Tags: Grief/Mourning, Pre-Canon, Childbirth
Summary:
Charanpal dies. Chrisjen plants a garden. Something is born.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Read this for the gorgeous use of language and to see Chrisjen reaching for power, just as fierce, determined, pragmatic and dangerous as she is in canon.
Killjoys (TV)
Johnny Jaqobis and the Idol-o-Many-Hands (4048 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Killjoys (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Dutch | Yalena Yardeen & Johnny Jaqobis
Characters: Dutch | Yalena Yardeen, Johnny Jaqobis, D'avin Jaqobis, Lucy (Killjoys)
Additional Tags: Hijinks & Shenanigans, Space Pirates
Summary:
A warrant. An idol. And a chance to go undercover...as a space pirate! What could go wrong?
Bookmarker's Notes:
Lots of fun, with all the excitement, adventure, and comedy you could desire.
Life (TV)
You can’t get it back, but it does go on (1140 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Life (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Charlie Crews, Ted Earley
Summary:
Sometimes it takes making a new friend in federal maximum security prison to wrap your head around the truth that it really is all connected.
Bookmarker's Notes:
This story features a truly frightening Charlie Crews in prison, who has become the man he needed to be, to survive, and the beginning of his recovery.
Temeraire - Naomi Novik
The Christmas Present (5091 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Iskierka & Temeraire, John Granby & Iskierka, William Laurence & Temeraire, Temeraire & Tenzing Tharkay
Characters: Temeraire (Temeraire), William Laurence, John Granby, Tenzing Tharkay, Iskierka (Temeraire)
Additional Tags: copious application of dragon logic
Summary:
Temeraire and Iskierka discover (something adjacent to) the true meaning of Christmas.
Bookmarker's Notes:
This made me laugh. Temeraire and Iskierka decide to hunt a mythical beast for Thackeray, and it goes as well as you might imagine. The author's done a fine job of capturing that sideways draconic way of thinking.
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch I haven't finished reading all of the RoL fic in the collection yet, but I particularly enjoyed these two, written from Molly's POV.
Duty of Care (5069 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Molly (Rivers of London) & Thomas Nightingale
Characters: Molly (Rivers of London), Thomas Nightingale, Peter Grant (Rivers of London)
Additional Tags: Backstory, World War II, Mail Order Catalogs, Duty of Care, Friendship, Spoilers for Foxglove Summer, Yuletide
Summary:
There is a reason that Molly guards the Folly.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Molly-POV! The dark hints about her back-story, the long quiet years in which she and the Nightingale were the sole inhabitants of the Folly, her vicious protectiveness of the places and people she has made her own - perfection! Check it out!
five to one against (5209 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Molly (Rivers of London), Thomas Nightingale
Additional Tags: Haemomancy, Possession, Friendship, slight spoilers for Lies Sleeping, World War II
Summary:
How Molly and Nightingale discovered haemomancy.
Bookmarker's Notes:
The moon was bright over London that night. But there was a greater danger to the Folly than the bombs. Brilliant, heart-pounding Molly&Nightingale fic, set during WWII.
221b Baker Towers
Red Phosphorus (1513 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 221B Baker Towers
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/James Moriarty
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, James Moriarty
Additional Tags: Unhealthy Relationships, Complicated Relationships, Bloodplay, Knifeplay, Break Up
Summary:
They have their own history.
Bookmarker's Notes:
No canon knowledge required. The author's language transported me to the heart of today's London, where Moriarty is building his empire and Sherlock, a brilliant dark-skinned boy with nothing to lose, has tracked him down to demand a place at his side and in his bed.
Altered Carbon (TV)
Promethea (9259 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Altered Carbon (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Quellcrist Falconer | Nadia Makita/Takeshi Kovacs
Characters: Quellcrist Falconer | Nadia Makita, Takeshi Kovacs, Original Characters
Additional Tags: warning for non-graphic animal testing, Transhumanism, speculative mad science, clone murder, a bit wobbly with the timeline on the aliens thing, general ambiguous morality
Summary:
Quellcrist Falconer was born Nadia Makita, and this is how she stole fire from the gods.
Bookmarker's Notes:
A brilliant exploration of the logistics and ethics of immortality.
The Boundaries Which Divide (2508 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Altered Carbon (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Poe (Altered Carbon) & Lizzie Elliot (Altered Carbon)
Characters: Poe (Altered Carbon), Lizzie Elliot (Altered Carbon (TV))
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 01, Fix-It, Canonical Character Death, Character Death Fix, Injury Recovery, Friendship, The Raven Hotel, Identity Issues, Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Summary:
Post-S1 fix-it fic. Lizzie & Poe friendship.
***
Poe otherwise looks the same as he ever did, in so far as his body shows. It's the little details of the virtual environment that give away how he is not the same anymore, because his avatar was never his complete self.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Poe made a back-up before he was destroyed. Lizzie finds it, incomplete and fragmented, and helps him recover, just as he once helped her. Deeply satisfying!
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown RPF and Deep-Space 9 (TV)
Parts Unknown: Bajor (7573 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 11/11
Fandom: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown RPF, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Anthony Bourdain, Benjamin Sisko, Jake Sisko, Jadzia Dax
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Yuletide, Yuletide 2018, references to past violence
Summary:
In the season eight premiere, Tony pays a visit to Deep Space Nine and Bajor.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Sisko cooks soul food, food of the diaspora, of scarcity and necessity. These are things every Bajoran understands.
Cleverman (TV)
Saving You, Saving Me (9138 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Cleverman (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Latani/Alinta West, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Characters: Latani, Alinta West, Nerida West, Background & Cameo Characters, Boondee, Araluen, Waruu West, Koen West
Additional Tags: Friendship, Friendship/Love, Female Friendship, Family Dynamics, Canon-Typical Violence, Mentions of Racism, During Canon, Post-Canon, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:
“You don’t even know me,” Latani says. It comes out much less sharp and a lot more helpless than she meant it to.
“Yeah, but.” Alinta turns to her, dark eyes glowing in the moonlight. “Sometimes you just know, right?”
Latani and Alinta, behind the scenes and beyond.
Bookmarker's Notes:
These two girls found each other in danger and darkness and fought their way through to a place of well-earned joy. Stunning!
Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Written in Another Key (6856 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Menolly (Dragonriders of Pern), Robinton (Dragonriders of Pern), Audiva (Dragonriders of Pern)
Summary:
When Menolly, newest Master of the Harper Hall, visits Igen before a Gather she only wants to make certain Robinton obeys Healer's orders in order to recover from a protracted illness. A stolen relic makes this more difficult, but Menolly is sure she is up to the task of solving the mystery while preventing Robinton from getting too involved.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Menolly case-fic?!? And a wonderful frolic it is. Go read it!
The Expanse (TV) This was a VERY good year for The Expanse! All the stories are well-worth a read. I chose 3 very different fics to rec, highlighting different aspects of canon.
The Gravity of Stars (7663 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Expanse (TV)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Drummer/Naomi Nagata
Characters: Drummer (The Expanse), Naomi Nagata
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Femslash Festivus, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:
Camina Drummer has her principles, her code and her commitment to the Belt. But she’s tired, and she’s angry, and she wants Naomi so badly.
Drummer, from Ceres to the Behemoth, and after.
Bookmarker's Notes:
An outstanding character study of Camina Drummer in all her pessimistic, determined, Belter glory. The Camina/Naomi is very hot and achingly in-character.
Na Desh Séfetiye Napelésh ere Kuxaku (1038 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Expanse (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Joe Miller (The Expanse)
Additional Tags: Lang Belta, Environmental Systems, Pre-Canon
Summary:
Miller solves a problem for a friend.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Joe Miller works a case, off the books. The author actually used lang Belta!
Nor Is My House Now My House (8492 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Expanse (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Arjun/Chrisjen Avasarala
Characters: Chrisjen Avasarala, Cotyar (The Expanse), Arjun (The Expanse)
Additional Tags: Grief/Mourning, Pre-Canon, Childbirth
Summary:
Charanpal dies. Chrisjen plants a garden. Something is born.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Read this for the gorgeous use of language and to see Chrisjen reaching for power, just as fierce, determined, pragmatic and dangerous as she is in canon.
Killjoys (TV)
Johnny Jaqobis and the Idol-o-Many-Hands (4048 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Killjoys (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Dutch | Yalena Yardeen & Johnny Jaqobis
Characters: Dutch | Yalena Yardeen, Johnny Jaqobis, D'avin Jaqobis, Lucy (Killjoys)
Additional Tags: Hijinks & Shenanigans, Space Pirates
Summary:
A warrant. An idol. And a chance to go undercover...as a space pirate! What could go wrong?
Bookmarker's Notes:
Lots of fun, with all the excitement, adventure, and comedy you could desire.
Life (TV)
You can’t get it back, but it does go on (1140 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Life (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Charlie Crews, Ted Earley
Summary:
Sometimes it takes making a new friend in federal maximum security prison to wrap your head around the truth that it really is all connected.
Bookmarker's Notes:
This story features a truly frightening Charlie Crews in prison, who has become the man he needed to be, to survive, and the beginning of his recovery.
Temeraire - Naomi Novik
The Christmas Present (5091 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Iskierka & Temeraire, John Granby & Iskierka, William Laurence & Temeraire, Temeraire & Tenzing Tharkay
Characters: Temeraire (Temeraire), William Laurence, John Granby, Tenzing Tharkay, Iskierka (Temeraire)
Additional Tags: copious application of dragon logic
Summary:
Temeraire and Iskierka discover (something adjacent to) the true meaning of Christmas.
Bookmarker's Notes:
This made me laugh. Temeraire and Iskierka decide to hunt a mythical beast for Thackeray, and it goes as well as you might imagine. The author's done a fine job of capturing that sideways draconic way of thinking.
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch I haven't finished reading all of the RoL fic in the collection yet, but I particularly enjoyed these two, written from Molly's POV.
Duty of Care (5069 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Molly (Rivers of London) & Thomas Nightingale
Characters: Molly (Rivers of London), Thomas Nightingale, Peter Grant (Rivers of London)
Additional Tags: Backstory, World War II, Mail Order Catalogs, Duty of Care, Friendship, Spoilers for Foxglove Summer, Yuletide
Summary:
There is a reason that Molly guards the Folly.
Bookmarker's Notes:
Molly-POV! The dark hints about her back-story, the long quiet years in which she and the Nightingale were the sole inhabitants of the Folly, her vicious protectiveness of the places and people she has made her own - perfection! Check it out!
five to one against (5209 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Molly (Rivers of London), Thomas Nightingale
Additional Tags: Haemomancy, Possession, Friendship, slight spoilers for Lies Sleeping, World War II
Summary:
How Molly and Nightingale discovered haemomancy.
Bookmarker's Notes:
The moon was bright over London that night. But there was a greater danger to the Folly than the bombs. Brilliant, heart-pounding Molly&Nightingale fic, set during WWII.