Yuletide Recs, 2012
21 fics in 16 fandoms : 4th & 5th Century RPF/Confessions - St. Augustine, Bend it Like Beckham, Bourne Legacy, Brave, Constantine, Elementary, Fandom Meta/AO3 Tags, Lewis, Love Actually, Luther, My Drunk Kitchen, Pitch Perfect, Professional Griefers, Sabrina, Scandal, Twelfth Night - Shakespeare
I'm used to reccing to friends more than a general comm, so apologies if it's all vague. These are all fandoms or source materials I'm familiar with, and with the exception of The Very Secret Diaries of Saint Augustine, 5 Games Jess Played In, Working With Dinosaurs, and Move Like We Both Don't Need This, I think they'd all benefit from some understanding of canon. But that's my opinion. If you want info on the canon or something other than my GO READ THIS non-rec, please comment :)
4th & 5th Century RPF/Confessions - St. Augustine
01 The Very Secret Diaries of Saint Augustine T, 1185 words
I may not have read St. Augustine' Confessions ntil I'd left Catholic school, but this is so much of a hilarious take on the early history of the Church/Christianity that all I can think about is if only religion class had been taught like this, I might've paid attention more. The summary speaks for itself, "40 Correspondence Jerome continues. Infuriating. Do not understand why he does not see my point! Translation of "gourd" vital to understanding of gospels."
Bend it Like Beckham
02 5 Games Jess Played In G, 2899 words
Bend It Like Beckham Quidditch AU. You should already be convinced. In case you're not, it's Jess Bharma/Jules Paxton and there's still the loving, if overbearing Indian mother and still secretly cuddly but initially disapproving father. Just a really lovely fic.
Bourne Legacy
03 if you want to sing out T, 1076 words
This fic reminds me o Flowers for Algernon, without the depressing ending, but that wonderment and new-foun cynic nderstanding the character comes to have of the world he lives in. A little bittersweet, but fantastically well-written.
Brave
04 Some Unexpected Properties of Wood G, 6897 words
You loved Brave because of it was an awesome mother-daughter adventure movie, right? Have almost 7k words of continuation peppered with backstory that feels like it completely inhabits the canon world
Constantine
05 Golgata T, 1736 words
I know I'm not supposed to like the movie adaptation of Constantine, but I do. And I adore this fic. The back and forth banter between John and Chas is just so spot on. How could I resist a fic about symbolic tattoos? Really? Come on, now
Elementary
06 the long summer G, 1841 words
Case!fic but without the plotty bits. And I don't mean that as a dig in the slightest! It's structured as connected vignettes and the emotional points are there in full force. I'm starting to fall in love with Elementary's Sherlock; very different than the BBC version, but I think that's best.
07 A Secret History of Sherlock's Socks T, 3810 words
Sock!fic may be my kryptonite. No, not fics posted under sock accounts, but fics where socks form a major plot point. IDEK. But this is a great character study of Sherlock through Joan's eyes via Sherlock's socks
Fandom Meta/AO3 Tags
08 The Bar at the End of Fandom M, 3911 words
I don't think a Yuletide rec list can be complete without a truly bizarre Other Media fic, and this is as close to crack that I've read. Well-crafted and tightly-plotted this fic is not, but it's a very self-aware look at fandom and totally fun
Lewis
09 Working With Dinosaurs G, 1942 words
I love the bromance between DI Lewis and his DS, James Hathaway, and this fic is an origin story of sorts, a gap-filling character study and it is so very good. It's partly a novelization of the pilot episode of Lewis, but there's plenty of value added in Hathaway's POV and observations.
Love Actually
10 Down At Your Door T, 3646 words
A look at Billy Mack and Joe's relationship a year later, because even middle-aged men need to work up some courage to confess their love to their best friend. Again. But this time with mutually understood romantic feeling. And Billy is appropriately callous and cowardly by turns, and Joe is long-suffering
11 Life, Actually T, 2104 words
Snippet continuations of each storyline. The author does a great job of implying what's happening with each character, without it ever feeling cumbersome. If you liked the movie, you'll adore the fic. Enough said
Luther
12 the heaviness of all things T, 3887 words
Alice and Luther are the poster couple for dysfunctional relationships. I love Alice, how she's casually sadistic at times and so convinced of her own rightness. She's the sort of character that has the story we all want from her. If Alice and Luther had to end their cat-and-mouse game, this is the way I'd want it to happen.
13 intimacy is the art of licking wounds T, 1287
"Dysfunctional Family" is the perfect tag for this fic. John and Mark a sort of muddling through, trying their best with Jenny, and Alice is this constantly present patron saint who is very Old Testament in her application of God's wrath
My Drunk Kitchen
14 now let me hear those sounds you sing to me (or: hannah's drunk life) - T, 3222 words
Fair warning this is Hannah Hart/Jenna Marbles RPF, but in the most deliciously unrequited and heartbreaking kind of way. But don't let that scare you away! The humour is incredibly punny and spot-on for MDK. And it's definitely a good pain, and so worth it
Pitch Perfect
15 One Hand On the Trigger of a Telephone T, 1825 words
Amy is the actualfax best, and of course you wanted to know how she got Bumper's number. This is the fic that gives you bamf!Amy kicking ass and taking names and Bumper being, well, Bumper. Great characterization, great fic all-around.
16 Trio [You, Me, Her] T, 1626 words
Polyamory! And so well written, in-character, believable progression and what I really want from Pitch Perfect fic. It gives equal weight to Beca/Chloe as it does to Beca/Jesse although it doesn't get to Beca/Chloe/Jesse, but I can live in hope.
Professional Griefers
17 Move Like We Both Don't Need This E, 2928 words
Porn. Porn with backstory! Porn with backstory and worldbuilding :D If you've got a humiliation or a submission kink, this is totally your cup of tea
Sabrina
18 A Larrabee Christmas G, 1111 words
Indulgent, fluffy holiday fic, and just lovely and nicely written. It very much captures the feeling of the original movie, the Larrabbees and the Fairchilds and somehow Sabrina and Linus manage to bring them together
Scandal
19 Benefit of the Bargain G, 2476 words
I have some problems with canon Mellie and how she's treated and acts in certain situations. But this fic is such ridiculously good and has totally informed my headcanon views of her
20 Heavy Is The Head T, 4435 words
This is an addition to the original list. I hesitated when opening tab after tab of fic because I'm not really a fan of Mellie/Olivia, bu this fic. It's a Mellie-as-President-AU and she is kept so deliciously in-character that most of my usual protests about the pairing were completely erased. So glad I gave this a second shot.
Twelfth Night - Shakespeare
21 as we drifted towards the storm T, 1870 words
Twelfth Night is one of those plays that I know, but haven't read, but the fic's summary intrigued me and I'm so glad I took a chance. It's a series of vignettes that deals with the duality of the characters incredibly deftly, and leaves you wanting nothing more than a thousand more words and continued introspection.
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I still can't believe that in addition to my wonderful main gift, I got two other treats, which were both so much fun to read.
Duty and Pride (Gladiator, M, 1794 words) is a great take on Lucilla's backstory, and her relationships with her father, her brother, and Maximus. Endless Road (Lewis, G, 1136 words) is a lovely little fic all about Scarlett Mortmaigne and being the scion of a noble family in which duty and honor and pride are still incredibly important. Laura's Day Off (Lewis, G, 223 words) is a little Bechdel Test passing drabble because there are so many fantastic women in Lewis and I wanted to see them be their fantastic selves.
Writers, again, thank you! I hope your Yuletides have been as wonderful as mine