my pick of the yuletide crop.
Let's do Castle first - I read everything posted in this fandom (and wrote quite a few things... heh, I'll be tickled if the f-list can pick 'em) - and let me say, they're all very enjoyable, but these are my favourites. (And I'll bet you can't guess that I OTP Castle/Beckett like nobody's business when you see these...)
Four Time Alexis Was the Adult (and One Other), a story featuring Alexis and her dad.
“Select your steed!”
“C'mon, Dad,” Alexis said, fighting against a grin. “We came here for snack food.” That was one of the problems with spending every other night in a random motel halfway to nowhere: the mini bars were rarely well stocked.
“You insult me by preferring the company of marshmallows, I demand satisfaction!” A rattling squeak.
Alexis glanced sideways. Her father had armed himself with a roll of gift wrap, had a colander perched on his head, and was dancing around as if his shopping cart was a restive horse.
My Life Is Average had a lot to answer for.
From that last line, I was a goner - swallowed this one hook, line and sinker - (how many cliches do you think I can work into this sentence?). I loved this fic. Alexis and Castle have a gorgeous father/daughter dynamic, and this was a fun take on it.
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Observe and Detect, a story featuring the ensemble and Ryan/Esposito.
Castle wheeled his chair over and peered at Esposito, steepling his fingers. "Did you break a mirror? Walk under a ladder? Did a black cat cross your path? Is Mercury in retrograde? Ooh, I should look that up."
"What are you talking about, Castle?" Esposito asked as Castle pulled out his iPhone and started typing.
"You and Ryan. Your mojo! Your vibe! It's gone! Have you considered couples counseling?"
Not established relationship fic, though it does bring these two crazy kids together. This fic is chock full of snappy, laugh-out-loud funny dialogue and pretty much reminds me of the show, if the show was a love story between our favourite detectives. (Well, ok, Kate Beckett is my favourite detective, but Ryan and Espo tie for runner up.) I love this. It's ... well... it has gay characters being gay, in a no-bullshit sort of way. It's funny, sweet and a great queer narrative all wrapped up in one neat package. (And this is from a self-confessed het junkie.)
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Jeopardy, featuring Ryan/Esposito.
What is Mount St Helen's?" Ryan says through a mouthful of cereal, then pumps his fist in glee when the contestant on screen wins another $12,000. "Excellent."
Esposito sighs. He is so screwed. "You know," he says, because a man should make at least a pretense at dignity, "I bet there's a re-run of Die Hard on or something, we could-"
Ryan puts the now-empty bowl down on the coffee table, flops back so that he's pressed warm and companionable along Esposito's side. "Nuh uh. Partner who has to go into a burning building to rescue the other partner gets to pick the channel. Which, who was that today, oh, I do believe it was me. So we're watching Jeopardy, and you're just going to sit there and keep that ankle elevated, okay?"
If I were to guess, I'd say this offering is from the same author as the previous - it's just as good. A wonderful little established relationship fic. Castle's latest novel is a question on Jeopardy, Esposito's fictional alter-ego is the answer. Just. It's fun and maybe I've been totally converted to Ryan/Esposito in a religious way by this yuletide but heh. Love it. Oh, and OF COURSE Ryan watches Jeopardy over an action flick. Of course.
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Once Bitten, featuring the ensemble and a vampire.
“We should call Castle.”
Beckett pointed a finger at Esposito. “No.”
“But look at it!” Ryan exclaimed. ‘It’ was the body of a young brunette woman which had been dragged from the river and laid out on the bank. There wasn’t anything particularly special about her, except for the two punctures in her neck. “You know what he’ll say.”
“I know exactly what he’ll say,” Beckett replied. “Which is why we’re not…”
“Sweet! A vampire!”
Beckett rolled her eyes skywards, then turned. “What are you doing here, Castle?”
This was already recced at the yuletide community, but I love it. It's fun and serious and it captures the dynamic of the show incredibly vividly, but with a few gothic touches.
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The Next Chapter, featuring ensemble.
In a bar on the corner of a New York City block, there’s a booth, with its cracked leather seats and wood bearing the imprints of a century of diners and drinkers, authors and poets, saints and sinners. As the saying goes, if that table could talk, oh the stories it could tell.
A young woman walks into the bar, and as she does, the piano player starts up a jazzy tune. It’s not his usual fare and it’s that dissonance that turns some heads, the young woman’s long red hair turns others.
The bartender looks up and smiles. “They’re waiting,” he says as she walks by. “The usual?”
“Please,” she answers, flashing the bartender a familiar smile.
Alexis is going away to college and this brings a little tear to my eye! Brilliant, and with a great voice for Alexis.
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two parts alcohol, one part holiday spirit, featuring Castle/Beckett and some booze (so, like, all my favourite things).
His gaze drifts over her face. “Merry Christmas, Detective.”
“Good to know we’re still using formalities even when your hands are distinctly low on my back, Castle.”
THE LAST NAME SEX PEOPLE. So basically, have you met me?, in my opinion one of the greatest lines in fanfiction history was coined by a genius in X-files fandom who used the phrase "last name sex people" to describe Mulder and Scully. Ever since, I have used the phrase to refer to pairings which CLEARLY will keep using last names to refer to each other until the end of time, and especially in bed, because they get off on it. /ramble Point = thank you author, thank you for knowing that kissing doesn't change anything in that department. Also, Castle, Beckett, drunken conversations at a bar about the holidays... come on people, this is hitting all my buttons. (And I am NOTHING if not predictable.)
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Now, onto some of the other fandoms:
A Lie Agreed Upon in Mad Men fandom.
She worked the brush through her hair methodically, smoothing out the tangles. The seat in front of her dresser was cold and hard, and she shifted uncomfortably as she finished her one hundred strokes and pulled out her box of pins. Her fingers worked quickly on each segment of hair, deftly twisting and pinning it so would dry into the correct shape.
Pre-series and canon compliant, I just love this little character piece. So much insight into Betty's character. Sigh.
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Bound and Determined in Mad Men fandom.
As they make a right onto 52nd, he thinks about her waiting on the platform, staring into the tunnel with that plain, intent look in her eyes. He thinks about her sitting on the train, straight-backed with her hands clasped in her lap. There was a time that she would have blushed when she mentioned the coconut bras, he is sure. But years have passed since then, and he feels how far he is now from the time when he knew her.
Peggy and Pete, being interesting and in character and it's just so nice. I adore this little look at them.
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And we could hold hands like paper dolls in Gossip Girl RPF fandom.
Leighton was being proof that deshabille was sexier than naked, her short brown print dress unzipped and sliding down her shoulders to reveal no bra underneath, one pointy pump dangling off her toe and the other kicked across the room. She was her own silent porn movie.
I'm not usually a fan of RPF, multitude of reasons, but for some reasons GG RPF is always superbly written. I adore this, the characters have a life to them and they're so perfect and also, mention of Leighton Meester's terrible fashion sense! Hah.
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love in the time of telepathy in Cougar Town fandom.
“You both realise you can’t actually read each other’s minds, right?”
Jules nods. “Of course not. That would take too long. We think a lot.”
“That’s why we speed-read,” Ellie chimes in.
I love dialogue that the characters say in my head, and this is spot on. Just a nifty little bit of telepathy fic. Brilliant.
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Shooting Stars, Satellites, and Other Flaming Wreckage That Falls Out of the Sky in 30 Rock fandom.
When they moved into her bedroom, he started to fumble beneath her shirt and Liz had never really noticed how big his hands were until they were inching up her waist.
She squirmed underneath him, socked him in the shoulder. "Hey."
"What? You want to stop?"
"No… no… just…." She yanked the bottom of her shirt back down and slapped his hand away. "Can we… not take any clothes off?"
Oh Liz Lemon. ♥ Surprisingly, I loved this -- I would never, not in a million years, have pictured Pete/Liz not bugging me, but this was great. I love a good fic that changes how you view a ship. The author has a great Lemon-voice, and in general, I just love awkward morning afters and ... win. So much win.
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The Peanut Butter Incident in 30 Rock fandom.
“Okay, I think that's overstating it a bit, don't ya think? I happen to be quite the catch if you're looking for a partner who's proficient at Level 3 Sudoku and expert at peanut butter foreplay.”
He stood at his brooding window and heaved a great sigh. “Oh, Lemon.”
See above re: Liz Lemon, a woman after my own heart. (Slash, possibly actually me. It gets confusing.) This is Jack/Liz but not really, but kind of - much more my style. It's HILARIOUS. And, fake dates! Sigh.
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An Inside Look At A Mainline Society Apocalypse in The Philadelphia Story fandom.
“Connor, you look positively hunted,” Dexter said, coming up to him with a champagne glass full of what looked to be orange juice.
“I feel it,” Mike said. “Sooner or later someone in the crowd will get a good look at my necktie and then this whole lot’ll start baying for my blood.”
“Nonsense,” Dexter said. “They wouldn’t dream of running you down without the proper attire themselves.”
“I gather boots and spurs are not considered acceptable wedding attire in polite society, then?” Mike drawled.
“No, we like to save those for the wedding night,” Dexter said, unblinking. Mike choked on his Uncle Willie special.
Honestly, you didn't know how much this film needed zombies until now. It's apocafic, it's got the most spot on character voices you ever did see and it's marvelous. I love this film, and this piece is actually a surprisingly great tribute.
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Against Promise in Pretty Little Liars fandom.
The first time Emily kissed Alison, she was thirteen and she didn’t know any better.
It was the year before Ali took Hanna under her wing, and Aria was still fairly new then, still Alison’s favorite. Emily stood at the island in Spencer’s kitchen, counting the seconds between pops of the popcorn in the microwave and listening to Ali’s laughter from the living room, sharp like a pinprick.
This is my gift and I love it! It's shiny and fits brilliantly into established canon and features Emily with a steel to her that I adore, a wonderful contrast between Maya and Alison and, probably my favourite thing about it, considered, incisive language. Thanks again, YTW, I love this.
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seven times Rhett and Scarlet were together, even when they weren't in Gone With The Wind fandom.
In ten minutes hidden on the sofa, privy to the words she imagined were private, Rhett Butler learned more about Scarlett O’Hara than anyone in her life had ever known. He knew her in that moment better than her mother knew her. It would have wounded Scarlett beyond imagining if she could have guessed that he was right.
Well this is just fun. Those who know me well will know that I adore Scarlett O'Hara and frankly, Gone With The Wind is one of my favourite love stories. This little piece does it justice. It also contains some wonderful character analysis re: Rhett/Scarlett/Ashley and I love it for that.
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Just Another Wednesday in Texts From Last Night fandom(?)
(909): I gave him a handjob while watching the presidential address. Needless to say, it was weird.
Brian shrugged. “I guess it was kind of weird. But he’s a poli-sci major, and I didn’t think too much of it. But then he called me up, out of the blue, four years later.” Suddenly, a wicked grin spread over Brian’s face. “I guess not many people indulged that kink.”
To round it out -- a silly little fic about TFLN. Laugh out loud funny. Explains actual texts sent into the website, so that's GOTTA be fun.
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(Sorry for the repeats, f-list, this is the unlocked version. ♥ to you all for putting up with me.)