Yuletide Recs II
More Yuletide. Incidentally, I haven't had the chance to watch either of the Christmas specials I want to watch yet - Doctor Who and Call The Midwife, that is - and might not get the chance until after New Year. Being with the family is tricky that way. But it does offer the occasional time to read! And thus, without further ado:
Breaking Bad
Excuse Me for a While (1098 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Breaking Bad
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Skyler White
Additional Tags: Future Fic, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Sometimes, when Skyler tells herself that she hates him, that she’ll always hate him, that she always did hate him, she can believe it.
WARNING: Brief mention of self-harm (not by Skyler).
Darker than I like to imagine the future for Skyler, but utterly plausible, and a terrific exploration of her own guilt, the price she pays, and her feelings about Walt.
The Black Place (3305 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Breaking Bad
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Jane Margolis, Donald Margolis, Jesse Pinkman
Additional Tags: Drug Use, Drug Addiction, Father-Daughter Relationship, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Jane, her father, rehab, and relapse.
Jane and Donald Margolis were among the two most tragic and unforgettable characters of the show, but I can't recall fanfic exploring them other than through Jesse before. This story does, and I loved it.
Dexter
And Stars, in their Multitude (4374 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dexter (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Debra Morgan & Dexter Morgan, Debra Morgan & Angel Batista, Debra Morgan & Maria LaGuerta
Characters: Debra Morgan, Dexter Morgan, Angel Batista, Maria LaGuerta
Summary:
Debra Morgan, and the art of moving on.
As a star, she looks down at her brother with something akin to pity, twinkles at him through the small barred slit in his holding cell at the station where he paces irritably. In that moment, she can forgive him, forgive Harry, forgive herself for all the atrocities the trio have committed, and knows that her actions tonight were mercy.
To say I had issues with the later seasons which caused me to drop the show is putting it mildly. However, this story lets Deb make another choice at a crucial point and provides me with superb Maria LaGuerta to boot, with everyone in character, and that made me a very happy reader indeed.
Galaxy Quest
The Space Between (5366 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Galaxy Quest (1999)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Alexander Dane/Jason Nesmith, Gwen DeMarco/Jason Nesmith, Alexander Dane/Gwen DeMarco
Characters: Alexander Dane, Gwen DeMarco, Jason Nesmith, Original Characters
Summary:
Alexander Dane is asked to come out of retirement to play Lazarus Prime in the reboot of Galaxy Quest.
Well, given the obvious inspiraction for Galaxy Quest, someone had to do a "they shoot a reboot" tale sooner or later, but this story uses much more than that gimmick and provides us with a great Alex character portrait. His relationship with Gwen is just the best thing ever, and the mixture between comedy and character drama feels very true to the source.
The Last Unicorn
Cat's Eyes (2888 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Schmendrick (Last Unicorn), Molly Grue
Summary:
“Adventures,” Schmendrick mused, “look for men like Lír. The rest of us are lucky to get one a year, if that.”
Beautiful and poetic, and it includes the best use of the cat in any Last Unicorn fanfic ever.
Psycho
Flotsam (2468 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Psycho (1960)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Lila Crane
Summary:
Lila goes on in the aftermath of Norman Bates.
It's all too easy to overlook the victims and their families (or to demonize them) in a serial killer franchise, which is why I loved this exploration of Lila, having to deal with her grief for her sister and the horror of what happened in the aftermath of the movie.
Robot Stories
Susan Calvin is my favourite Isaac Asimov character ever, and Yuletide reliably delights me by including new cases for her to solve each year. These two, like the best of Asimov's stories, make points about humans as well as robots in what they reveal.
A Woman's Touch (2289 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Robot Series - Isaac Asimov
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Susan Calvin
Additional Tags: Case Fic, Robot/Human Relationships
Summary:
When a U.S. Robots employee is caught trying to steal a prototype robot, Susan Calvin is asked to find out what had caused the man to become so emotionally attached to a machine.
Sonata for Robopsychologist (1855 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Robot Series - Isaac Asimov
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Susan Calvin
Summary:
A robot has been accused of breaking the First Law; Dr. Calvin is called in to investigate.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
Goldenrods (1583 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sarah Jane Adventures
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Gita Chandra, Sarah Jane Smith
Summary:
After the events of ‘Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith,’ Gita stops by for tea.
I loved Rani's parents, Gita and Haresh, and always felt the show wronged them (and Clyde's mother) by continuing to refuse letting them on to the secrets. However, this story manages to give us a great encounter between Gita and Sarah Jane that allows Gita to shine anyway, without knowing, and deepens her relationship with Sarah Jane.
Watership Down
Out of Place (5877 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Watership Down - Richard Adams
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hazel (Watership Down), Thethuthinnang, Fiver (Watership Down), Vilthuril, Hyzenthlay, Bigwig (Watership Down), Bluebell (Watership Down), Pipkin (Watership Down)
Additional Tags: Rabbits, Squirrels
Summary:
Squirrels, of course, spoke the common hedgerow language of all animals, though with considerably more profanity than most. But despite the gifts of discovered caches and general friendliness or indifference on the part of the rabbits, the down’s squirrels were, quite frankly, pests. They pelted the rabbits with nuts when they went out to silflay. “Yah, groundlings!” they jeered, running down the trunks to shake their tails at their victims before racing back up. “Can’t climb tree, can’t jump-fly, yah!” and off they would go, chasing through the limbs and quarreling amongst themselves all the way.
One of Hazel’s favorite things about living on Watership Down was that there were so few trees, and therefore, so few squirrels.
This is an absolutely awesome story which manages to not only use the rabbits superbly - especially Hazel and Hyzenthlay - but also to tackle one of Adams' themes when Thethuthinnang adopts a squirrel, which is really not a rabbit thing to do. There is even an El-rhair-Rha fable being told! I just loved it to bits.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/951912.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
Breaking Bad
Excuse Me for a While (1098 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Breaking Bad
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Skyler White
Additional Tags: Future Fic, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Sometimes, when Skyler tells herself that she hates him, that she’ll always hate him, that she always did hate him, she can believe it.
WARNING: Brief mention of self-harm (not by Skyler).
Darker than I like to imagine the future for Skyler, but utterly plausible, and a terrific exploration of her own guilt, the price she pays, and her feelings about Walt.
The Black Place (3305 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Breaking Bad
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Jane Margolis, Donald Margolis, Jesse Pinkman
Additional Tags: Drug Use, Drug Addiction, Father-Daughter Relationship, Yuletide Treat
Summary:
Jane, her father, rehab, and relapse.
Jane and Donald Margolis were among the two most tragic and unforgettable characters of the show, but I can't recall fanfic exploring them other than through Jesse before. This story does, and I loved it.
Dexter
And Stars, in their Multitude (4374 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dexter (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Debra Morgan & Dexter Morgan, Debra Morgan & Angel Batista, Debra Morgan & Maria LaGuerta
Characters: Debra Morgan, Dexter Morgan, Angel Batista, Maria LaGuerta
Summary:
Debra Morgan, and the art of moving on.
As a star, she looks down at her brother with something akin to pity, twinkles at him through the small barred slit in his holding cell at the station where he paces irritably. In that moment, she can forgive him, forgive Harry, forgive herself for all the atrocities the trio have committed, and knows that her actions tonight were mercy.
To say I had issues with the later seasons which caused me to drop the show is putting it mildly. However, this story lets Deb make another choice at a crucial point and provides me with superb Maria LaGuerta to boot, with everyone in character, and that made me a very happy reader indeed.
Galaxy Quest
The Space Between (5366 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Galaxy Quest (1999)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Alexander Dane/Jason Nesmith, Gwen DeMarco/Jason Nesmith, Alexander Dane/Gwen DeMarco
Characters: Alexander Dane, Gwen DeMarco, Jason Nesmith, Original Characters
Summary:
Alexander Dane is asked to come out of retirement to play Lazarus Prime in the reboot of Galaxy Quest.
Well, given the obvious inspiraction for Galaxy Quest, someone had to do a "they shoot a reboot" tale sooner or later, but this story uses much more than that gimmick and provides us with a great Alex character portrait. His relationship with Gwen is just the best thing ever, and the mixture between comedy and character drama feels very true to the source.
The Last Unicorn
Cat's Eyes (2888 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Schmendrick (Last Unicorn), Molly Grue
Summary:
“Adventures,” Schmendrick mused, “look for men like Lír. The rest of us are lucky to get one a year, if that.”
Beautiful and poetic, and it includes the best use of the cat in any Last Unicorn fanfic ever.
Psycho
Flotsam (2468 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Psycho (1960)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Lila Crane
Summary:
Lila goes on in the aftermath of Norman Bates.
It's all too easy to overlook the victims and their families (or to demonize them) in a serial killer franchise, which is why I loved this exploration of Lila, having to deal with her grief for her sister and the horror of what happened in the aftermath of the movie.
Robot Stories
Susan Calvin is my favourite Isaac Asimov character ever, and Yuletide reliably delights me by including new cases for her to solve each year. These two, like the best of Asimov's stories, make points about humans as well as robots in what they reveal.
A Woman's Touch (2289 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Robot Series - Isaac Asimov
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Susan Calvin
Additional Tags: Case Fic, Robot/Human Relationships
Summary:
When a U.S. Robots employee is caught trying to steal a prototype robot, Susan Calvin is asked to find out what had caused the man to become so emotionally attached to a machine.
Sonata for Robopsychologist (1855 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Robot Series - Isaac Asimov
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Susan Calvin
Summary:
A robot has been accused of breaking the First Law; Dr. Calvin is called in to investigate.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
Goldenrods (1583 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sarah Jane Adventures
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Gita Chandra, Sarah Jane Smith
Summary:
After the events of ‘Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith,’ Gita stops by for tea.
I loved Rani's parents, Gita and Haresh, and always felt the show wronged them (and Clyde's mother) by continuing to refuse letting them on to the secrets. However, this story manages to give us a great encounter between Gita and Sarah Jane that allows Gita to shine anyway, without knowing, and deepens her relationship with Sarah Jane.
Watership Down
Out of Place (5877 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Watership Down - Richard Adams
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Hazel (Watership Down), Thethuthinnang, Fiver (Watership Down), Vilthuril, Hyzenthlay, Bigwig (Watership Down), Bluebell (Watership Down), Pipkin (Watership Down)
Additional Tags: Rabbits, Squirrels
Summary:
Squirrels, of course, spoke the common hedgerow language of all animals, though with considerably more profanity than most. But despite the gifts of discovered caches and general friendliness or indifference on the part of the rabbits, the down’s squirrels were, quite frankly, pests. They pelted the rabbits with nuts when they went out to silflay. “Yah, groundlings!” they jeered, running down the trunks to shake their tails at their victims before racing back up. “Can’t climb tree, can’t jump-fly, yah!” and off they would go, chasing through the limbs and quarreling amongst themselves all the way.
One of Hazel’s favorite things about living on Watership Down was that there were so few trees, and therefore, so few squirrels.
This is an absolutely awesome story which manages to not only use the rabbits superbly - especially Hazel and Hyzenthlay - but also to tackle one of Adams' themes when Thethuthinnang adopts a squirrel, which is really not a rabbit thing to do. There is even an El-rhair-Rha fable being told! I just loved it to bits.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/951912.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.