Yuletide recs (part one)
As promised!
These are a tiny handful from a first and rather erratic sweep of the archive. There will be more - when I finally make it through the whole alphabet! (As ever, I had to stick to mostly short things, although there is - amazingly - a 30,000 S&S fic featuring original Elements which I will have to go and print off, because... amazing.) There are more fics for many of these fandoms! There are whole novels and things in there... *waves hands in incoherent admiration of the 2014 Yuletide Collection*
How Old My Heart (5488 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Archer's Goon - Diana Wynne Jones
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Howard Sykes, Torquil (Archer's Goon)
Summary:
Howard has tea with Torquil every week. He thinks Torquil almost understands.
Archer's Goon is one of my favourite DWJs, and one I've re-read an awful lot, and it's easy to forget how much isn't explained as well as how many questions are left about the future at the end. This fic is not only a great look at Howard and Torquil, but deals with a lot of those things: who the parents of the seven wizards are/were, what happened with Torquil and Hathaway, and what might/will happen on board the spaceship and to Howard, Awful, and Erskine in the future, and the author has such a good feel for DWJ's style throughout.
A Night at the Opera (2534 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Avengers (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: John Steed, Emma Peel
Summary:
Steed chases a ghost. Emma becomes the mask.
This is just pitch perfect Avengers - fun, charming, unlikely plots, wordplay, villains defeated, and Emma being awesome. It's also a sort of fusion with Phantom, which works perfectly.
Trousers (2589 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blackadder
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Edmund Blackadder, Baldrick (Blackadder), Prince George (Blackadder)
Summary:
A cunning plan goes awry - how could it be any other way?
If I say this could be a lost episode of Blackadder III, that's all that's needed, isn't it? Because it could, and it's great.
All the things you should have learned in school (2315 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blake's 7
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Kerr Avon, Roj Blake, Tynus (Blake's 7)
Additional Tags: Pre-Series, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
On the prisoner transport London, Avon reflects on the mistakes which led to his downfall.
Brilliant look at some of Avon's backstory, which feeds into and deepens his initial scene in the series - excellently done.
Mrs Harry Biscuit's Book Of Household Decorum (4892 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Bleak Expectations (Radio)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Gently Benevolent/Pip Bin, Harry Biscuit/Pippa Bin
Characters: Gently Benevolent, Harry Biscuit, Pippa Bin, Philip "Pip" Bin
Summary:
Mrs Harry Biscuit's Book Of Household Decorum.
Being An Infallible Guide To All Matters Which Concern The Family Circle. Containing all necessary Recipes for every Occasion from a Pauper's Supper to a Ducal Banquet, Hints on the Conduct of Servants, Advice On The Removal Of Orphans And Stains, Chapters Upon Cutlery, Mourning, Etiquette, Bees, Drains, Swans, Etc, Etc, Etc. With Five Colour Plates Depicting The Art Of Pie Raising, And A Fine View Of Bude.
I actually requested this fandom and 'any', so this is almost like getting an extra gift by accident. It's amazing and I laughed all the way through. How well it'll work if you don't know the radio show, I don't know, but if you do, it's a Dickens parody crossed with (in this case) a Mrs Beaton parody. With unlikely inventions, evil laughter, swans, and just about everything you'd expect. Except for the underwater squirrels. Unless I missed them.
weather with you (1529 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Grizel Cochrane, Deira O'Hagan, Jacynth Hardy, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Teacher-Student Relationship, Canon Compliant
Summary:
Grizel has left her life as a music mistress behind her - or has she?
And I was thinking of requesting Chalet School and Grizel, and look what somebody else got? This is a lovely fic, not only for Grizel, but another good character I've not seen in CS fic. Anyway, it's a quiet but great character piece for someone who's probably the most complex character in the series.
Peaceable Kingdom (1420 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Chronicles of Prydain - Lloyd Alexander
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Coll (Prydain), Dallben, Taran of Caer Dallben
Summary:
Coll had been perfectly happy in his semi-retirement, farming his peaceable kingdom. Then Dallben came home from the wars, with a baby in his arms...
This is a beautifully written character portrait/piece of backstory, and I loved it. I didn't know I wanted fic about Coll, but apparently I did.
The Best Cake In The Universe (1429 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn Smythe
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Cake
Summary:
The Doctor is just trying to bake. Unfortunately, the universe seems to have other ideas.
Death by Chocolate Cake (2271 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn Smythe
Summary:
The Doctor and Evelyn bake a cake in an unusual kitchen
There were a whole bunch of Six & Evelyn fics, and one of Evelyn and Benny, but I probably liked these two best. You can't really have too much Six, Evelyn and cake, can you? ♥
title to be explained later (1112 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who)
Characters: The Master (Pryce), Thirteenth Doctor (Fatal Death)
Additional Tags: Crack, Fluff
Summary:
The black hole turned out to be a wormhole and things got a little funny.
The Curse of Fatal Death characters go through a wormhole and wind up in canon-Doctor's universe (using the word canon loosely and for convenience here, of course). Cracks ensues.
The Day(ish) Night(ish) Time(ish) of the Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (3036 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Sylvester McCoy (5ish Doctors), Steven Moffat (5ish Doctors), Peter Davison (5ish Doctors), Colin Baker (5ish Doctors), Other Cameos (5ish Doctors)
Additional Tags: Humor
Summary:
Steven Moffat wants to do another multi-Doctor special. Will Peter, Colin, and Sylvester get any voicemail messages this time? Read on, because this fic is not about some flash-in-the-pan 500-million-dollar picture! This is important!
There were several Five(ish) Doctors fics this year and you should definitely check them all out if that appeals, but this one made me laugh out loud the most. If they ever made another, this is probably how it would go.
50 Shades of Gus (2289 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Drop the Dead Donkey
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Gus Hedges, Dave Charnley, Helen Cooper, Henry Davenport, Joy Merryweather, Damien Day, George Dent, Sally Smedley
Additional Tags: BDSM
Summary:
Sometimes dreams can come true. Sometimes nightmares can also come true.
Set after S5E12: Sex 'n Death
Since I'm usually more gen than ever at Yuletide, I'd best note that this one's rated mature, and with reason, but for very funny and disturbingly canon-compliant reasons. Did I say very funny?
Ring in the True (1200 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Thomas Lynn, Ann Abraham, Edward Davies, Samuel Rensky
Additional Tags: Musicians, Magic
Summary:
As the Dumas Quartet prepare for a performance they must once again contend with Tom's enemies, this time in the form of his cello.
This one is such a great idea for a missing scene. The book does hint at the Dumas Quartet winding up having some equivalent of the adventures made up for them by Tom and Polly, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone write them, and this is great, with that F&H sort of bite to it, as well.
the play's the thing (542 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Thomas Lynn/Laurel Leroy
Characters: Thomas Lynn, Laurel Leroy
Additional Tags: Backstory, Fairies
Summary:
A snapshot from Tom and Laurel's life together (Or: two times the Lynns attended the theatre.)
And in other F&H things I've not seen much of before, someone wrote a Madness ficlet about Tom & Laurel's marriage that's just pretty much perfect. So much going on in it, plus the perfect use of stuff being told through literature (plays in this case), and again, definitely got the right tone, and a bite to the ending.
...To Their Graves Like Beds (1719 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hamlet - Shakespeare, Henry IV Part 1 - Shakespeare
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hamlet, Prince Hal (Shakespeare)
Additional Tags: Crossover, Annoying Latin Puns, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Claudius picks just about the worst possible time to ship his nephew off to England. Hal benefits from the diversion.
Hamlet and Hal meet. It's an excellent as you would hope.
And (last but actually most importantly!), my two gifts:
All At Sea (2789 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sapphire and Steel
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Silver (Sapphire and Steel), Sapphire (Sapphire and Steel), Steel (Sapphire and Steel)
Additional Tags: Time Travel, Fix-It, Assignment Six, Episode Tag, Prehistoric Marine Animals
Summary:
Where is Silver at the end of Assignment Six? Why, he's working to save Sapphire and Steel, of course. Well, that's the plan at least. Before he can do that, he needs to save himself.
This answers my burning question at the end of A6 - where is Silver?! - and does it brilliantly and imaginatively, both making the most of Silver's predicament (stuck in prehistory as threatened) and of the opportunity to explore who he is and how he thinks and works. Plus, "a molestation of ammonites" and him getting chased by something large and vicious...
Assignments and Enquiries (1061 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sapphire and Steel, Public Eye (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Steel (Sapphire and Steel), Sapphire (Sapphire and Steel), Frank Marker
Additional Tags: nothing is resolved, frank's mug
Summary:
Frank investigates a phone call which doesn't make much sense.
A bittersweet cross written for me in Madness, taking pity on my love for one of the most obscure fandoms ever (Public Eye), and having one of Frank's cases intersect with Sapphire & Steel's assignment. (I especially love Steel's "It's his own fault," both because it's so very Steel, but also because Frank would absolutely agree. ♥)
Crossposted from Dreamwidth -- Comments there:
These are a tiny handful from a first and rather erratic sweep of the archive. There will be more - when I finally make it through the whole alphabet! (As ever, I had to stick to mostly short things, although there is - amazingly - a 30,000 S&S fic featuring original Elements which I will have to go and print off, because... amazing.) There are more fics for many of these fandoms! There are whole novels and things in there... *waves hands in incoherent admiration of the 2014 Yuletide Collection*
How Old My Heart (5488 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Archer's Goon - Diana Wynne Jones
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Howard Sykes, Torquil (Archer's Goon)
Summary:
Howard has tea with Torquil every week. He thinks Torquil almost understands.
Archer's Goon is one of my favourite DWJs, and one I've re-read an awful lot, and it's easy to forget how much isn't explained as well as how many questions are left about the future at the end. This fic is not only a great look at Howard and Torquil, but deals with a lot of those things: who the parents of the seven wizards are/were, what happened with Torquil and Hathaway, and what might/will happen on board the spaceship and to Howard, Awful, and Erskine in the future, and the author has such a good feel for DWJ's style throughout.
A Night at the Opera (2534 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Avengers (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: John Steed, Emma Peel
Summary:
Steed chases a ghost. Emma becomes the mask.
This is just pitch perfect Avengers - fun, charming, unlikely plots, wordplay, villains defeated, and Emma being awesome. It's also a sort of fusion with Phantom, which works perfectly.
Trousers (2589 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blackadder
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Edmund Blackadder, Baldrick (Blackadder), Prince George (Blackadder)
Summary:
A cunning plan goes awry - how could it be any other way?
If I say this could be a lost episode of Blackadder III, that's all that's needed, isn't it? Because it could, and it's great.
All the things you should have learned in school (2315 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Blake's 7
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Kerr Avon, Roj Blake, Tynus (Blake's 7)
Additional Tags: Pre-Series, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
On the prisoner transport London, Avon reflects on the mistakes which led to his downfall.
Brilliant look at some of Avon's backstory, which feeds into and deepens his initial scene in the series - excellently done.
Mrs Harry Biscuit's Book Of Household Decorum (4892 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Bleak Expectations (Radio)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Gently Benevolent/Pip Bin, Harry Biscuit/Pippa Bin
Characters: Gently Benevolent, Harry Biscuit, Pippa Bin, Philip "Pip" Bin
Summary:
Mrs Harry Biscuit's Book Of Household Decorum.
Being An Infallible Guide To All Matters Which Concern The Family Circle. Containing all necessary Recipes for every Occasion from a Pauper's Supper to a Ducal Banquet, Hints on the Conduct of Servants, Advice On The Removal Of Orphans And Stains, Chapters Upon Cutlery, Mourning, Etiquette, Bees, Drains, Swans, Etc, Etc, Etc. With Five Colour Plates Depicting The Art Of Pie Raising, And A Fine View Of Bude.
I actually requested this fandom and 'any', so this is almost like getting an extra gift by accident. It's amazing and I laughed all the way through. How well it'll work if you don't know the radio show, I don't know, but if you do, it's a Dickens parody crossed with (in this case) a Mrs Beaton parody. With unlikely inventions, evil laughter, swans, and just about everything you'd expect. Except for the underwater squirrels. Unless I missed them.
weather with you (1529 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Grizel Cochrane, Deira O'Hagan, Jacynth Hardy, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Teacher-Student Relationship, Canon Compliant
Summary:
Grizel has left her life as a music mistress behind her - or has she?
And I was thinking of requesting Chalet School and Grizel, and look what somebody else got? This is a lovely fic, not only for Grizel, but another good character I've not seen in CS fic. Anyway, it's a quiet but great character piece for someone who's probably the most complex character in the series.
Peaceable Kingdom (1420 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Chronicles of Prydain - Lloyd Alexander
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Coll (Prydain), Dallben, Taran of Caer Dallben
Summary:
Coll had been perfectly happy in his semi-retirement, farming his peaceable kingdom. Then Dallben came home from the wars, with a baby in his arms...
This is a beautifully written character portrait/piece of backstory, and I loved it. I didn't know I wanted fic about Coll, but apparently I did.
The Best Cake In The Universe (1429 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn Smythe
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Cake
Summary:
The Doctor is just trying to bake. Unfortunately, the universe seems to have other ideas.
Death by Chocolate Cake (2271 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn Smythe
Summary:
The Doctor and Evelyn bake a cake in an unusual kitchen
There were a whole bunch of Six & Evelyn fics, and one of Evelyn and Benny, but I probably liked these two best. You can't really have too much Six, Evelyn and cake, can you? ♥
title to be explained later (1112 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who)
Characters: The Master (Pryce), Thirteenth Doctor (Fatal Death)
Additional Tags: Crack, Fluff
Summary:
The black hole turned out to be a wormhole and things got a little funny.
The Curse of Fatal Death characters go through a wormhole and wind up in canon-Doctor's universe (using the word canon loosely and for convenience here, of course). Cracks ensues.
The Day(ish) Night(ish) Time(ish) of the Five(ish) Doctors Reboot (3036 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Sylvester McCoy (5ish Doctors), Steven Moffat (5ish Doctors), Peter Davison (5ish Doctors), Colin Baker (5ish Doctors), Other Cameos (5ish Doctors)
Additional Tags: Humor
Summary:
Steven Moffat wants to do another multi-Doctor special. Will Peter, Colin, and Sylvester get any voicemail messages this time? Read on, because this fic is not about some flash-in-the-pan 500-million-dollar picture! This is important!
There were several Five(ish) Doctors fics this year and you should definitely check them all out if that appeals, but this one made me laugh out loud the most. If they ever made another, this is probably how it would go.
50 Shades of Gus (2289 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Drop the Dead Donkey
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Gus Hedges, Dave Charnley, Helen Cooper, Henry Davenport, Joy Merryweather, Damien Day, George Dent, Sally Smedley
Additional Tags: BDSM
Summary:
Sometimes dreams can come true. Sometimes nightmares can also come true.
Set after S5E12: Sex 'n Death
Since I'm usually more gen than ever at Yuletide, I'd best note that this one's rated mature, and with reason, but for very funny and disturbingly canon-compliant reasons. Did I say very funny?
Ring in the True (1200 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Thomas Lynn, Ann Abraham, Edward Davies, Samuel Rensky
Additional Tags: Musicians, Magic
Summary:
As the Dumas Quartet prepare for a performance they must once again contend with Tom's enemies, this time in the form of his cello.
This one is such a great idea for a missing scene. The book does hint at the Dumas Quartet winding up having some equivalent of the adventures made up for them by Tom and Polly, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone write them, and this is great, with that F&H sort of bite to it, as well.
the play's the thing (542 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fire and Hemlock - Diana Wynne Jones
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Thomas Lynn/Laurel Leroy
Characters: Thomas Lynn, Laurel Leroy
Additional Tags: Backstory, Fairies
Summary:
A snapshot from Tom and Laurel's life together (Or: two times the Lynns attended the theatre.)
And in other F&H things I've not seen much of before, someone wrote a Madness ficlet about Tom & Laurel's marriage that's just pretty much perfect. So much going on in it, plus the perfect use of stuff being told through literature (plays in this case), and again, definitely got the right tone, and a bite to the ending.
...To Their Graves Like Beds (1719 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hamlet - Shakespeare, Henry IV Part 1 - Shakespeare
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hamlet, Prince Hal (Shakespeare)
Additional Tags: Crossover, Annoying Latin Puns, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Claudius picks just about the worst possible time to ship his nephew off to England. Hal benefits from the diversion.
Hamlet and Hal meet. It's an excellent as you would hope.
And (last but actually most importantly!), my two gifts:
All At Sea (2789 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sapphire and Steel
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Silver (Sapphire and Steel), Sapphire (Sapphire and Steel), Steel (Sapphire and Steel)
Additional Tags: Time Travel, Fix-It, Assignment Six, Episode Tag, Prehistoric Marine Animals
Summary:
Where is Silver at the end of Assignment Six? Why, he's working to save Sapphire and Steel, of course. Well, that's the plan at least. Before he can do that, he needs to save himself.
This answers my burning question at the end of A6 - where is Silver?! - and does it brilliantly and imaginatively, both making the most of Silver's predicament (stuck in prehistory as threatened) and of the opportunity to explore who he is and how he thinks and works. Plus, "a molestation of ammonites" and him getting chased by something large and vicious...
Assignments and Enquiries (1061 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sapphire and Steel, Public Eye (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Steel (Sapphire and Steel), Sapphire (Sapphire and Steel), Frank Marker
Additional Tags: nothing is resolved, frank's mug
Summary:
Frank investigates a phone call which doesn't make much sense.
A bittersweet cross written for me in Madness, taking pity on my love for one of the most obscure fandoms ever (Public Eye), and having one of Frank's cases intersect with Sapphire & Steel's assignment. (I especially love Steel's "It's his own fault," both because it's so very Steel, but also because Frank would absolutely agree. ♥)
Crossposted from Dreamwidth -- Comments there: