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i come bearing yuletide gifts! i had an extremely amazing yuletide, with gorgeous gifts and generous feedback, and so i return over sixty recs for glorious fics in amazing fandoms. enjoy!
first of all, MY LOVELY GIFTS:
playing cards on a marriage bed
the fire's stone - tanya huff
words: 1,280
darvish, chandra and aaron on the wedding night. careful, gentle, loving exploration, with some beautiful details thrown in - like darvish and chandra playing cards for flower petals, and the petals in aaron color being the most valuable.
(especially adorable: chandra's prowess at cards).
aaron is skittish but learning to trust, chandra is practical and kind, and darvish can't stop himself from giving poetry; and i'm so happy.
pink iris (important to me)
赤髪の白雪姫 | akagami no shirayukihime
words: 4,883
the last words anyone expected to hear coming out of shirayuki’s mouth were, “zen’s been kidnapped!” but that was what had happened, and now it was up to shirayuki, obi, kiki, and mitsuhide to get him back.
if only they would let shirayuki help!
an excellent action/adventure story that reads straight like a missing episode from canon. shenanigans in the woods! crafty bandits! zen lying his head off for shirayuki, obi trying to be do things all by himself and needing help, kiki and matsuhide bailing everybody out with quite competence and shirayuki ruling the day with her secret herbalist badassery. so awesome.
the change: family
the changes series - rachel manija brown & sherwood smith
words: 17,150
mia lee has to check a pipe leak, and rather than have the horror patrol of the century along with her, asks ross and jennie to act as her support team. kerry, at loose ends, invites herself along on what they all anticipate will be a pleasant outing.
what could possibly go wrong?
well, starting with kerry's dysfunctional family. . .
i absolutely don't know what i did to deserve it, but this is an amazing fic. it's practically a sequel to hostage, slotting into place surely and steadily, and it has everything i love about these books - steadiness, friendship, love, negotiating complicating relationships, aiming for love and cooperation rather than strife and conflict. and all the character beats were perfect - kerry not regretting her princess life but missing it (and gloating in the end over the death of her enemies, and knowing not to show it; i loved it so much), felicite angry, ross self-sacrificial but willing to learn other way, mia bashful but valiant, jenny longing but learning to be different. and the action sequence was hair-rising, and the conclusion extremely satisfying. go read it, if you didn't; it'll tide us over until the third book is out.
and the other recs (note that they're not sorted by fandom):
delle seyah's slave for runnerfive
killjoys (tv)
words: 10,167
delle seyah has information dutch needs. the price? being her slave for a night at the kinkiest lesbian sex party in the quad.
scorching hot, indecently amazing delle seyah/dutch dubcon lesbian orgy party fic none of us deserved but we've all gotten anyway. the author is doing very important work here (since the canon made it pretty obvious that delle seyah would like to ride dutch like a pony, and dutch would let her, villainy or not).
chenelo's treasures for boundbyspells
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 4,000
maia comes into his inheritance.
so much beautiful, intricate kindness in this story: maia comes into his mother's inheritance (saved and salvaged by her sister, of course), and shares it with people dear to him, and it's so gorgeous and so delicate and so sweet. such a balm to heart.
one and one makes one for kerithwyn
the hero from otherwhere - jay williams
words: 1,810
after their adventure in gwyliath, rich and jesse don't need to talk about what's between them. it's just part of who they are.
and then one day jesse stops coming to school.
oh my god. i had this book when i was a kid and i loved it so much; i need to find it and reread it, this wonderful story reminded me why i loved it, exactly. rich's surly, dark loyalty and his longing for jesse, and and jesse's poetry, and bravery. of course rich's saved him from worse places; of course they both will be going to a better one. love it to pieces.
the war of the worlds and all that for wotwotleigh
jeeves & wooster, jeeves - p. g. wodehouse
words: 7,145
i relayed the information i’d so masterfully committed to memory in my youth, re: the prophet elijah being taken up to heaven while still alive and in full possession of his faculties. i’d won a prize for scripture-knowledge and so had details of this sort at my fingertips.
“although,” i said, as we neared what i took to be the stratosphere, or some kind of sphere at any rate, “just now my resemblance to the prophet elijah escapes me.”
this was absolutely hilarious, weirdly plausible (honestly, if aliens every come? i really really want bertie and jeeves to be their first contact, too), charmingly hopeful and genuinely touching. bertie! being kind! being brave! being sacrificial! jeeves! happy endings! heroic memoirs! i'm so happy.
this is my body; this is my blood for ariadnes_string
killjoys (tv)
words: 1,760
there are many ways a man can worship. the fact alvis loves this, and loves her, makes it more sacred, not less.
really fantastic; i always find alvis fascinating, with his weird mix of revolutionary conmannery and genuine worship and service, and here he is all of it, and it's wonderful. this moment where he tells her to stop is amazing.
(and johnny! oh, johnny).
tired with joy for chibi1723
the fire's stone - tanya huff
words: 1,876
it hadn’t taken as long as darvish had expected for the three of them to settle into chandra’s homestead
love it! domesticity suits them; it's never going to be completely smooth, but here they are, holding each other against the world and within it.
shelter for khaleesian
the eagle | the eagle of the ninth (2011)
words: 1,242
while evading the seal people, marcus and esca sleep in a small cave for the night.
bird and bear and hare and fish for edonohana
dark tower - stephen king
words: 11,149
“roland, aside from giving us the heebie-jeebies about getting eaten by the giant painting we all have to sleep in front of, did that story have a point?”
this was pretty damn phenomenal; i'm glad there was a rec because i've read dark tower long enough ago i might've given this story a skip otherwise, and now i'm very very happy i didn't, and i actually want to reread the relevant bits of dark tower books again. so beautiful and so surreal and so tightly woven together with ties of friendship and love and destiny and - i don't know, kinship, determination, closeness; humanity.
intelligent disobedience for quasar
vorkosigan saga - lois mcmaster bujold
words: 1,304
a well-trained dog obeys his master, but the very best dogs know when to refuse to obey.
oh simon. of course he would, and of course aral would, and it's so perfect and so pointed and so sad.
the empty sky for lefaym
earthsea - ursula k. le guin
words: 2,286
re albi kept the day of sunreturn in silence and hunger until the feast at sunset, as was proper in the hardic lands.
the atmosphere in this fic is really amazing, and the writing, too: so gorgeous, fitting, quiet, reflective. i loved this small journey, and it made me miss ged and tenar.
the steerswoman's trail for silly_cleo
steerswoman series - rosemary kirstein
words: 3,447
nine months ago rowan left the outskirts, searching for the wizard slado. now, bel is finally free to follow her.
that was so satisfying. i spent most of this book biting my nails and wishing bel was there to cover rowan's back, and in a sense, with this fic, she was; it was wonderful. i love her thoughts about her song, and i love her observations, and i love her seeing the situation from the side, and i adore the ending. possibilities are three, indeed :d
on the nature of miracles for keerawa
chalion saga - lois mcmaster bujold
words: 1,475
even the mother's miracles of healing have limits
this was really fafscinating and carefully done: the miracles that grow and the miracles that excises, and the limits to both god and human power. (and all these little clever penric references, hi); and mercy and gentleness in the end.
ida in the labyrinth for flamebyrd
monument valley (video game)
words: 1,321
ida keeps walking.
i really enjoyed reading. the structure and the repetition works beautifully, and the result is haunting (and makes me want to replay the game again).
out on the wild and windy moors for elwing_alcyone
behind you (webcomic)
words: 2,151
an encounter on a walking holiday.
ack this was so perfectly and beautifully creepy and conveyed the feeling of the original exactly and then built on this foundation such a solid structure. and then this ending!
modern medicine for labocat
wynonna earp (tv)
words: 1,640
wynonna's got a cough.
wynonna needs all the hugs and i'm so, so, so there for doc as you write him to give them to her (and to find dolls for her, and to hold everything together for her, and just stay, out of all the denials). he's not going anywhere, and it's glorious and kind. love it so much.
thine eyes are mirrored starlight for zdenka
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 1,092
while current fashion dictates that elves turn their eyes away from the gods, the same cannot be said of the reverse. or: three women cstheio careizhasan saw.
i loved this so much: quiet, unhurried, meditative and greatly gentle and hopeful. i'm glad the goddess still watched, and i'm glad she got to be watched in turn.
the goat shed for wnnbdarklord
thor (movies), the tiffany aching series - terry pratchett, discworld - terry pratchett
words: 1,041
loki woke with his head aching and his back uncomfortably cushioned by shards of splintered wood. if that wasn't enough, there was something trying to eat his hair.
i'd say that granny's cabin might literally be the best place on earth to get your mind and your priorities in order.
the green man's gift for linndechir (restricted)
rivers of london - ben aaronovitch
words: 3,749
peter tries to sacrifice himself for nightingale. it's not quite what he expected.
oh my god, that was so hilarious and delectable and adorable. and, well, hot :d
salvation for shadaras
the librarians (tv 2014)
words: 1,105
ezekiel remembers, but doesn't want the others to know. of course, one does.
yessssss please, this is an excellent follow-up to episode and a lovely little story on its own. of course ezekiel will hide and of course eve would find out, and honestly, if there is a better person to put you together after you fall apart than eve, i'm hard pressed to imagine it. loved it!
art above the ordinary for lazulisong
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 1,926
jingyan discusses the protocols for horses and other unrelated issues with mei changsu. set during the montage in episode 28 after jingyan receives his five-pearl crown and before shen zhui arrives to ask jingyan to handle disaster relief.
what a lovely moment between the two of them, simple on the surface and with layers and layers, as always there is when mei changsu is concerned.
a rabbit hole of edwardian pornography for franzeska
rivers of london - ben aaronovitch
words: 17,593
peter stumbles across some pre-war pornography in the folly's reading room. he's not entirely sure how he gets from that to nightingale pontificating about the quality of erotic writing in different languages, conversations about close and not always platonic bonds between wizards and their apprentices, and discovering a whole lot of things peter hadn't been into before.
and he's been trying so hard not to think about how much he wants to sleep with his boss.
this was really amazing! hot, of course, but also sharp and smart and so satisfying, characters and relationships wise; i loved every word of it.
an unquiet beast for ignoblebard
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 6,663
she had burned with love. it was a fire that had lasted over twenty years. well, all fires ran out of fuel in the end.
a study of hesero nelaran and setheris nelar, in the first spring after their reunion.
this is really a work of art, no other word for it. poor hesero! glorious hesero, rather; in this story about the way love does and doesn't want to. i always wanted to know what happened to her, afterwards, not-a-bad-person who loved her husband who was, undoubtledly, a bad person but not only, and now i know, and i'm utterly satisfied.
feeling better for mokuyoubi
live free or die hard (2007)
words: 3,647
the kitchen isn’t a separate room so much as a corner of the living room where the wood floor turns into ceramic tile. there’s a note on the fridge, scrawled in emphatic capital letters: eat something. matt obediently peers inside and finds it better stocked than he expected. milk and butter, eggs, apples, about six different kinds of mustard, a few tupperware containers with what looks like leftover spaghetti and meatballs, and, front and center, a plastic-wrapped sandwich with a post-it note that says, in the same scrawled hand: start here.
awwwwww, my god. i read like five thousand variations on matt-staying-with-john-after-the-
pure as snow for valderys
killjoys (tv)
words: 2,103
johnny jaqobis didn't grow up in the quad. his brother left long ago; and then all his ties to home unravelled entirely.
oh man, i wanted something dealing with johnny and scarbacks ever since that episode where he did the rites, and i can see it so easily, the way he'd be perfect at taking the others pain. so lovely and so hurtful; this message to d'avin, my god. excellent.
the last for liar_of_lesbos
the queen's thief - megan whalen turner
words: 1,050
there is no way to carry the gods’ warnings lightly in the heart and mind.
god, eddis; what a gutpunch of a story, how gorgeous.
parallax for schneefink
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 1,606
the work of the jiangzhou alliance is never done.
jingrui! yujin! my heart! this is perfect, i love it so much; continuing their parents work and doing it anew, so much them, so much love.
the next life for venusmelody (rosaxx50)
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 17,377
such a cold response comes as a shock. he'd expected impassioned pleas from her-- he had been steeling himself to endure them. instead, he is left to consider, with a sudden sense of foreboding, how formidable nihuang could be as an enemy.
post-series, alternate ending. lin shu ends his engagement with nihuang. nihuang lets him. jingyan finds this unacceptable.
holy shit this author did it, wrote an ending that tackled ls-mcs dysphoria and self-hatred and denial head on and gotten all of it so unflinchingly and without ever turning away. the same things that make him so great also make him so awful to himself and to others, once he doesn't have a higher purpose excusing him, and here's mcs and all his people not letting him fade quietly into the darkness, making him learn to live beyond the wandering ghost revenge. it's amazing and so painful and so glorious, glorious, glorious. i honestly don't know whom i loved more - lin chen! nihuang! jingyan! jingrui! tiny glaring mu quin! god i love everybody here and want to roll in this fic forever.
pray for the sun to rise for alessandralee
emelan - tamora pierce
words: 2,647
four longnights that tris, briar, sandry and daja spent apart, and one they spent together.
ahhhh this made me feel warm and peaceful and quiet and full of love. all of them, tomorrow and apart: family.
home, your many windows for quettaser
old kingdom - garth nix
words: 4,809
all sabriel wants to do is go home. the fact that she's not exactly sure where home is complicates matters.
i love the quiet urgency of sabriel's travel here, and her professionalism and her unsurety and her longing. and when they reunite with touchstone, it's just - so right, and so great. what a great beginning.
omo wooster and the standing stones at midnight for slavetohiscat
jeeves & wooster, jeeves - p. g. wodehouse
words: 4,477
in the thick of the great war, intelligence officer reginald jeeves is injured, and forced by circumstance to rely upon the help of hapless, well-intentioned medical orderly bertie wooster
oh, what a wonderful story. i love how much had changed for it while staying absolutely the same: jeeves collected and efficient, bertie scattered and determined and loyal and brightly kind, and two of them gravitating towards each other because there's no other choice. perfection.
can't fight against the youth for jenn_calaelen
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 5,173
over the course of his first six months as the heir-apparent to the ethuveraz, idra learns a great deal of his uncle the emperor.
i really adore this story; the relationship between idra and maia is fascinating, and this quiet growth of support and love and understanding is extremely heartwarming. and idra and vedero! what a wonderful touch.
on the relative importance of hats, horses, and trust among new partners in criminal enterprise for owl_coffee
gentlemen of the road - michael chabon
words: 3,208
zelikman has a bad habit of becoming attached to things that can be killed, lost, or stolen.
oh my god, this made me laugh so much and also made me a bit sad, and made me re-adore this cranky pair and their cranky relationship again. awesome.
(god, this must've been some awful, perfect hat).
hospitality for ryuutchi
natsume yuujinchou | natsume's book of friends
words: 2,946
footsteps began to appear, burned deep into the ground and foul to all things that lived. at first, they wandered the foothills to the east and then they began to find purpose. rumours began to spread. a youkai, the youkai—the youkai that had reclaimed his name from natsume reiko—had returned from its wandering of the forests beyond the human world.
how gentle and delicate and sweet and full of promise. love it!
all the words that ever were or ever will be for cartesiandaemon
chalion saga - lois mcmaster bujold
words: 2,825
"the gods held mountains in their minds, and all else besides, all at once." -curse of chalion
perfect. this is pretty much how it's going to work in my mind from now on: all this godly attention, focused and scattershot at once, powerful and helpless, kind and cruel, asking to be let in. poor cazaril! blessed cazaril.
there are things we learn by heart for whatsubtext
the fire's stone - tanya huff
words: 10,923
aaron has something he wants from darvish, but is afraid to ask for. fortunately he has chandra to support him - or nag him - when the opportunity arises.
loved it! it's kind of hilarious for chandra to turn out to be the voice of sanity and good relationship communication between the three of them, but i can absolutely see that, too, the other two being aaron and darvish. how sweet and how warm ♥
sword and shield for elemental
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 5,086
beshelar's first impression of edrehasivar, seventh of his name, had been... well - not much of one at all. the youth seated in the tortoise room was nothing like varanechibel - not in presence, nor in stature - indeed, he had little family resemblance to the late emperor save the winter-grey of his eyes, and the long, slender fingers twisting nervously together in his lap.
in which beshelar realises that first impressions don't actually count for much - and that there is more to edrehasivar than meets the eye.
ah, how lovely and kind! i wanted all the outside pov fics for this fandom, and this story had delivered so beautifully, with beshelar in all his straight-laced, judgemental, protective, angry, loyal glory. this made me very happy.
roosting winds. by anonymous
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 2,708
it is seven years later.
i love this! it's lowkey but peaceful (even though there can never be complete piece in da liang), and it's a good way out for everybody, good settling place. i'm happy jingyan finally met mcs again, and i'm glad tingsheng thing didn't turn into a mess it could turn into, and just - this is soothing, and good.
revisions to a 'dear writer' letter, yuletide 2035. for aishuu
the martian - andy weir
words: 1,313
to whoever matched me on nasa rpf and didn't just now default, you are my hero.
awwwwww, how touching and sad and hilarious at once. i can just imagine the trials and tribulations of whoever was the intended author!
peven's tower for raa
riddle-master trilogy - patricia a. mckillip
words: 2,169
after battling the shape-changers at erlenstar mountain, morgon disappears. raederle's search for him leads her to a place both unexpected and familiar.
oh, this is such a perfect mckillip voice, and this little bit slots into place seamlessly and perfectly. this is so beautiful. raederle! raederle and this riddle.
the poppy and the water for mapped
아가씨 | the handmaiden (2016)
words: 2,048
what hideko carries with her, from one life to another.
beautiful, delicate, painful and full of hope: excellent all around. i love hideko reclaiming and building little piece of herself, and i love sook-hee being there, every step of the way.
weaving for azurish
emelan - tamora pierce
words: 1,048
no one would ever write an ode to chopping parsley in a friend's kitchen, but maybe someone should.
what a heartwarming glowing amber of a story; i always had a special place in my heart for these two, and for sandry in particular, and this is an interlude and a promise and a beginning and a hope.
step forward for alessandriana
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 1,620
jingyan had known this day would come, but for years xiao-shu had done him the favor of allowing him not to think about it.
oh jingyan; however things fall out for you, they still end in the same point, don't they? this was a wonderful what-if.
heart-tree for telarna
uprooted - naomi novik
words: 21,159
i didn't want marisha to have to be brave. i wanted to save her, or failing that, for someone else to save her, as nieshka had saved me—first from the dragon, then from that terrible tree—and after that, saved us all.
what an epic, glorious work, full of such messy feelings and such dirty politics and such beautiful determination and shining through with such love. nieshka growing into herself out there and kasia in here, and them coming together so slowly, so surely, so inevitably. i absolutely love the way how you resolved things with the summoning, because of course, and this description of the healed wood in the end soothed my heart. perfect.
the minnow and the dragon for penintime
earthsea - ursula k. le guin
words: 3,100
vetch and yarrow: an afternoon together, a short journey, and what they find at the end of it.
yarrow! be still my beating heart, just how amazing was this, this was entirely amazing. yarrow and vetch, growing a bit apart and staying completely together, and yarrow saving the day because the dragon reminded her of her lizard and her daughter at once, and so much bravery and so much kindness and so much hope. and of course the lullaby, in the end; exact and perfect touch.
with our way lit only by stars for edonohana
earthsea - ursula k. le guin
words: 4,582
there would be no great deeds on this trip, no wicked wizards or dark shadows to fight, only the balm of old friends long unmet, and the sea, as timeless and unchanging as it ever was.
oh i love this so much; an adventure after the end of adventures, a gift of love and care, a voyage of curiosity and hunger for the world. this is so - peaceful, in the best way, and full of such care and gentleness; i adore it.
(i especially loved the detail of tenar knowing ged is growing bored by him quoting the deed of erreth-akbe to the goats. ha!)
sweet ollie oliver for song_of_staying
piszkos fred | dirty fred series - rejtő jenő, jenő rejtő - works
words: 3,559
rozsdás leguggolt a kölyök mellé a földre, és néhányszor megütögette az arcát, majd kinyitotta a fiú kabátját. csak egy másodpercig habozott. azután megkezdte a mesterséges lélegeztetés.
(avagy mi lett volna, ha edith leven tényleg harry leven lett volna.)
*
rusty crouched down beside the kid and gave him a few slaps, then opened his coat. he only hesitated for a second. then he started giving mouth-to-mouth.
(or, missing scenes from the au where edith leven really was harry leven.)
i don't know this canon at all, but i adore the care and the thought put into this story, and the larger-than-life, old-school adventure fit to it, grandiose and hilarious and humane (colonialism or not), and the romance sounds damn awesome, boot kink included. this was so much fun! thanks for writing it.
the fragile skiff attains the shore for dashi
master and commander: the far side of the world (2003)
words: 13,362
stephen's letter, folded inside his jacket, pressed against his heart like a hot poker.
to captain jno. aubrey, r.n., hms surprise:
i ask you to sail on as scheduled. do not come looking for me.
i really love this - the mood, the setting, the immaculate attention to details, the perfectly caught voices. of course stephen would go, of course jack would follow, of course jack would not care about the grating, of course stephen would. of course even wily deserters would love stephen at once, too. and this interlude in the boat and the fog, quiet, gentle, tense, transcendental - i adore it. what a great gift.
the wisdom that you brought for blueorangecrush
chronicles of amber - roger zelazny
words: 7,395
vialle's connection to amber began much earlier than when she first met random.
what a glorious glorious story! vialle; i always wanted to know more about vialle than the books gave me - it's amazing how much mental space she took up for somebody who got maybe ten lines to her name; and i love the way she's here, strong and hidden and cunning and practical and reasonable and full of quiet inner strength and an eye for beauty. she and random suit so well, and there's so much more to her than that.
and still of a winter's night for sadlikeknives
benjamin january mysteries - barbara hambly
words: 10,895
when a young woman turns up dead during carnival, shaw needs ben's help with the investigation -- or, rather, dominique's.
this was so good! the voices are pitch-perfect, and the case itself combines seriousness and a potential for amazing hilarity, and both were delivered in spades. dominique got her chance to shine! shaw cleaned up really really well! ben, as always, is a sucker for do-gooding! rose is the cavalry! hannibal didn't do much but was fabulous on the sidelines, as he should. this was an excellent, excellent adventure, i'm so happy with it.
waiting for a voice to come for julieandrews
dirty dancing (1987)
words: 2,451
johnny wants the best for baby. baby wants johnny.
i really love the quiet steadiness of it, that there's not a whiff of 'misunderstanding, rejection, pining away in despair' from frankie; that she up and gets control of what she wants and what she needs, and steers her ship so steadily. i'm glad her letters won't go unanswered anymore.
bodyguard (carry me, carry you) for filigranka
natsume yuujinchou | natsume's book of friends
words: 1,932
madara watches.
madara my love, how good he is for natsume and how bad he is about his own denial. of course he doesn't care, of course he doesn't watch, what a bald-faced lie, nyanko-sensei. of course there is so much love because it's pretty much impossible not to love natsume, and he's been doomed before the start. and natsume here! flinging himself in the fray, burning his hands, perfect, excellent. this was such a glorious story.
fox's promise for bitofpixiedust
inda series - sherwood smith
words: 4,026
fox enjoys inda's visits, while never giving a hint of his covert purpose. one of his cover purposes. meanwhile, inda is not the only one who wonders if fox is going to disappear one day . . .
how bittersweet and warm and poignant and lovely. fox knowing more about inda than he does himself, and being so careful to give him a good time, and this palpable longing. inda is a fixed point and fox is planning to be transient, but it's inda who'll go first; it warms my heart and breaks it at once.
deliver me courage, deliver me strength for pentapus
scrapped princess
words: 6,354
throughout his life, shannon casull has dedicated himself to protecting his sisters, particularly pacifica. but he is not the only protective person in orbit around pacifica. sometimes, shannon himself needs a protector.
moments highlighting various guardians told through a few short scenes set before, during, and after the series.
awwwwwww, shannon. it's been such a long time since i've seen scrapped prince but there's a special place reserved for it in my heart, mostly because of the relationship between shannon and his siblings, and you've gotten it perfectly, with all the crankiness and sweetness and protectiveness and taste of destiny, and all the love. brother and sisters, yes, perfect.
biscuits by the ocean for aurilly
psmith - p. g. wodehouse
words: 1,382
in which mike recovers from meeting psmith's real father, whose name should properly be preceded by 'dread'.
yes! yes! god, this is perfect in absolutely every conceivable way. of course psmith is an (adopted) eldritch monstrosity, of course mike will roll with it, of course they will save the world with the power of their love and good manners, everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.
lovely in her fall for calenlily
kushiel's legacy - jacqueline carey
words: 10,054
a life told in visits to the houses of the night court.
this made me cry a bit, in unexpected places - balm, but not only balm, heliotrope and eglantine too, and cereus. what a lovely, nuanced, sweet work, not just porn and not just a character study, but truly a sense of sense lived through the houses. love as thou wilt.
and the roots grew for framlingem
killjoys (tv)
words: 2,786
in the wake of the massacre in old town, alvis considers what service he can possibly offer to his friends.
god, i love this; i love alvis' service and his worship and his quiet, un-ostentatious friendship, and his reliability and his sweetness and his edges. praise the trees, indeed.
spymaster's duties for chokolattejedi
tortall - tamora pierce
words: 5,387
dove needs a consort, and its kind of a mess. luckily, she has a spymaster who loves messes.
i really appreciated this story, the quiet practicality and humor and zest of it. dove and aly, friends and conspirators and revolutionaries and giggling girls, all at once; perfect.
salt and sea and weathered stone for frostfire
books of the raksura - martha wells
words: 2,587
a series of conversations on the journey home.
ah, this is so soothing and sweet (after the sad cliffhanger of this finale, too). arbora look out for moon, and moon is finally rooted in one place enough and believe in them enough to start giving back: my heart sings.
a tale concerning the emperor's wedding for chibisquirt
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 4,037
on the day of maia drazhar's wedding to csethiro ceredin, a subject creates a complication.
csethiro finally got to fight for maia's honor, and in her wedding dress to boot! and wiped the floor with the asshole who was making troubles! there's nothing about this that's not pure love and happiness.
getting some breakout oscillations for kiyala
田中くんはいつもけだるげ | tanaka-kun wa itsumo kedaruge | tanaka is always listless
words: 1,617
tanaka does very little, but is still (somehow) a good friend.
i can't imagine how hard it is to get the tone of this show right, and yet this story manages so effortlessly! i love how peaceful and bright it is, and how tanaka, for all his slothful ways, is a good and caring friend, and how ohta's easy solid reliability and kindness stabilizes everything. echizen and myano are the cutest! echizen's mom is the coolest! tanaka and ohta are life partners, always, forever, amen. loved it to pieces.
peace and quiet for james
vorkosigan saga - lois mcmaster bujold
words: 5,836
light and genteel laughter spilled out of the foyer. a large group of barrayar's high society had just arrived, clustering in small groups as they waited to be greeted by the emperor. ivan hesitated on the edge of the group, mind racing in circles as he scanned the crowd. he resisted the urge to rub at the spreading patches of red on his hands. i don't want anything to do with this.
ivan! how great he is when he's trying not to be a hero, despite the way he should really just give in already and admit he is one. and gregor, so desperately worried, and the way acclaim just slides off the back of ivan's unruffled loyalty.
(also, boots. ahahaha boots. poor gregor!)
old town home for sally (team_fen)
killjoys (tv)
words: 1,293
this is what home means to pree.
i love the mood of it! fierce and unhurried and settled in, just as pree as. what a lovely look at him.
first of all, MY LOVELY GIFTS:
playing cards on a marriage bed
the fire's stone - tanya huff
words: 1,280
darvish, chandra and aaron on the wedding night. careful, gentle, loving exploration, with some beautiful details thrown in - like darvish and chandra playing cards for flower petals, and the petals in aaron color being the most valuable.
(especially adorable: chandra's prowess at cards).
aaron is skittish but learning to trust, chandra is practical and kind, and darvish can't stop himself from giving poetry; and i'm so happy.
pink iris (important to me)
赤髪の白雪姫 | akagami no shirayukihime
words: 4,883
the last words anyone expected to hear coming out of shirayuki’s mouth were, “zen’s been kidnapped!” but that was what had happened, and now it was up to shirayuki, obi, kiki, and mitsuhide to get him back.
if only they would let shirayuki help!
an excellent action/adventure story that reads straight like a missing episode from canon. shenanigans in the woods! crafty bandits! zen lying his head off for shirayuki, obi trying to be do things all by himself and needing help, kiki and matsuhide bailing everybody out with quite competence and shirayuki ruling the day with her secret herbalist badassery. so awesome.
the change: family
the changes series - rachel manija brown & sherwood smith
words: 17,150
mia lee has to check a pipe leak, and rather than have the horror patrol of the century along with her, asks ross and jennie to act as her support team. kerry, at loose ends, invites herself along on what they all anticipate will be a pleasant outing.
what could possibly go wrong?
well, starting with kerry's dysfunctional family. . .
i absolutely don't know what i did to deserve it, but this is an amazing fic. it's practically a sequel to hostage, slotting into place surely and steadily, and it has everything i love about these books - steadiness, friendship, love, negotiating complicating relationships, aiming for love and cooperation rather than strife and conflict. and all the character beats were perfect - kerry not regretting her princess life but missing it (and gloating in the end over the death of her enemies, and knowing not to show it; i loved it so much), felicite angry, ross self-sacrificial but willing to learn other way, mia bashful but valiant, jenny longing but learning to be different. and the action sequence was hair-rising, and the conclusion extremely satisfying. go read it, if you didn't; it'll tide us over until the third book is out.
and the other recs (note that they're not sorted by fandom):
delle seyah's slave for runnerfive
killjoys (tv)
words: 10,167
delle seyah has information dutch needs. the price? being her slave for a night at the kinkiest lesbian sex party in the quad.
scorching hot, indecently amazing delle seyah/dutch dubcon lesbian orgy party fic none of us deserved but we've all gotten anyway. the author is doing very important work here (since the canon made it pretty obvious that delle seyah would like to ride dutch like a pony, and dutch would let her, villainy or not).
chenelo's treasures for boundbyspells
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 4,000
maia comes into his inheritance.
so much beautiful, intricate kindness in this story: maia comes into his mother's inheritance (saved and salvaged by her sister, of course), and shares it with people dear to him, and it's so gorgeous and so delicate and so sweet. such a balm to heart.
one and one makes one for kerithwyn
the hero from otherwhere - jay williams
words: 1,810
after their adventure in gwyliath, rich and jesse don't need to talk about what's between them. it's just part of who they are.
and then one day jesse stops coming to school.
oh my god. i had this book when i was a kid and i loved it so much; i need to find it and reread it, this wonderful story reminded me why i loved it, exactly. rich's surly, dark loyalty and his longing for jesse, and and jesse's poetry, and bravery. of course rich's saved him from worse places; of course they both will be going to a better one. love it to pieces.
the war of the worlds and all that for wotwotleigh
jeeves & wooster, jeeves - p. g. wodehouse
words: 7,145
i relayed the information i’d so masterfully committed to memory in my youth, re: the prophet elijah being taken up to heaven while still alive and in full possession of his faculties. i’d won a prize for scripture-knowledge and so had details of this sort at my fingertips.
“although,” i said, as we neared what i took to be the stratosphere, or some kind of sphere at any rate, “just now my resemblance to the prophet elijah escapes me.”
this was absolutely hilarious, weirdly plausible (honestly, if aliens every come? i really really want bertie and jeeves to be their first contact, too), charmingly hopeful and genuinely touching. bertie! being kind! being brave! being sacrificial! jeeves! happy endings! heroic memoirs! i'm so happy.
this is my body; this is my blood for ariadnes_string
killjoys (tv)
words: 1,760
there are many ways a man can worship. the fact alvis loves this, and loves her, makes it more sacred, not less.
really fantastic; i always find alvis fascinating, with his weird mix of revolutionary conmannery and genuine worship and service, and here he is all of it, and it's wonderful. this moment where he tells her to stop is amazing.
(and johnny! oh, johnny).
tired with joy for chibi1723
the fire's stone - tanya huff
words: 1,876
it hadn’t taken as long as darvish had expected for the three of them to settle into chandra’s homestead
love it! domesticity suits them; it's never going to be completely smooth, but here they are, holding each other against the world and within it.
shelter for khaleesian
the eagle | the eagle of the ninth (2011)
words: 1,242
while evading the seal people, marcus and esca sleep in a small cave for the night.
bird and bear and hare and fish for edonohana
dark tower - stephen king
words: 11,149
“roland, aside from giving us the heebie-jeebies about getting eaten by the giant painting we all have to sleep in front of, did that story have a point?”
this was pretty damn phenomenal; i'm glad there was a rec because i've read dark tower long enough ago i might've given this story a skip otherwise, and now i'm very very happy i didn't, and i actually want to reread the relevant bits of dark tower books again. so beautiful and so surreal and so tightly woven together with ties of friendship and love and destiny and - i don't know, kinship, determination, closeness; humanity.
intelligent disobedience for quasar
vorkosigan saga - lois mcmaster bujold
words: 1,304
a well-trained dog obeys his master, but the very best dogs know when to refuse to obey.
oh simon. of course he would, and of course aral would, and it's so perfect and so pointed and so sad.
the empty sky for lefaym
earthsea - ursula k. le guin
words: 2,286
re albi kept the day of sunreturn in silence and hunger until the feast at sunset, as was proper in the hardic lands.
the atmosphere in this fic is really amazing, and the writing, too: so gorgeous, fitting, quiet, reflective. i loved this small journey, and it made me miss ged and tenar.
the steerswoman's trail for silly_cleo
steerswoman series - rosemary kirstein
words: 3,447
nine months ago rowan left the outskirts, searching for the wizard slado. now, bel is finally free to follow her.
that was so satisfying. i spent most of this book biting my nails and wishing bel was there to cover rowan's back, and in a sense, with this fic, she was; it was wonderful. i love her thoughts about her song, and i love her observations, and i love her seeing the situation from the side, and i adore the ending. possibilities are three, indeed :d
on the nature of miracles for keerawa
chalion saga - lois mcmaster bujold
words: 1,475
even the mother's miracles of healing have limits
this was really fafscinating and carefully done: the miracles that grow and the miracles that excises, and the limits to both god and human power. (and all these little clever penric references, hi); and mercy and gentleness in the end.
ida in the labyrinth for flamebyrd
monument valley (video game)
words: 1,321
ida keeps walking.
i really enjoyed reading. the structure and the repetition works beautifully, and the result is haunting (and makes me want to replay the game again).
out on the wild and windy moors for elwing_alcyone
behind you (webcomic)
words: 2,151
an encounter on a walking holiday.
ack this was so perfectly and beautifully creepy and conveyed the feeling of the original exactly and then built on this foundation such a solid structure. and then this ending!
modern medicine for labocat
wynonna earp (tv)
words: 1,640
wynonna's got a cough.
wynonna needs all the hugs and i'm so, so, so there for doc as you write him to give them to her (and to find dolls for her, and to hold everything together for her, and just stay, out of all the denials). he's not going anywhere, and it's glorious and kind. love it so much.
thine eyes are mirrored starlight for zdenka
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 1,092
while current fashion dictates that elves turn their eyes away from the gods, the same cannot be said of the reverse. or: three women cstheio careizhasan saw.
i loved this so much: quiet, unhurried, meditative and greatly gentle and hopeful. i'm glad the goddess still watched, and i'm glad she got to be watched in turn.
the goat shed for wnnbdarklord
thor (movies), the tiffany aching series - terry pratchett, discworld - terry pratchett
words: 1,041
loki woke with his head aching and his back uncomfortably cushioned by shards of splintered wood. if that wasn't enough, there was something trying to eat his hair.
i'd say that granny's cabin might literally be the best place on earth to get your mind and your priorities in order.
the green man's gift for linndechir (restricted)
rivers of london - ben aaronovitch
words: 3,749
peter tries to sacrifice himself for nightingale. it's not quite what he expected.
oh my god, that was so hilarious and delectable and adorable. and, well, hot :d
salvation for shadaras
the librarians (tv 2014)
words: 1,105
ezekiel remembers, but doesn't want the others to know. of course, one does.
yessssss please, this is an excellent follow-up to episode and a lovely little story on its own. of course ezekiel will hide and of course eve would find out, and honestly, if there is a better person to put you together after you fall apart than eve, i'm hard pressed to imagine it. loved it!
art above the ordinary for lazulisong
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 1,926
jingyan discusses the protocols for horses and other unrelated issues with mei changsu. set during the montage in episode 28 after jingyan receives his five-pearl crown and before shen zhui arrives to ask jingyan to handle disaster relief.
what a lovely moment between the two of them, simple on the surface and with layers and layers, as always there is when mei changsu is concerned.
a rabbit hole of edwardian pornography for franzeska
rivers of london - ben aaronovitch
words: 17,593
peter stumbles across some pre-war pornography in the folly's reading room. he's not entirely sure how he gets from that to nightingale pontificating about the quality of erotic writing in different languages, conversations about close and not always platonic bonds between wizards and their apprentices, and discovering a whole lot of things peter hadn't been into before.
and he's been trying so hard not to think about how much he wants to sleep with his boss.
this was really amazing! hot, of course, but also sharp and smart and so satisfying, characters and relationships wise; i loved every word of it.
an unquiet beast for ignoblebard
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 6,663
she had burned with love. it was a fire that had lasted over twenty years. well, all fires ran out of fuel in the end.
a study of hesero nelaran and setheris nelar, in the first spring after their reunion.
this is really a work of art, no other word for it. poor hesero! glorious hesero, rather; in this story about the way love does and doesn't want to. i always wanted to know what happened to her, afterwards, not-a-bad-person who loved her husband who was, undoubtledly, a bad person but not only, and now i know, and i'm utterly satisfied.
feeling better for mokuyoubi
live free or die hard (2007)
words: 3,647
the kitchen isn’t a separate room so much as a corner of the living room where the wood floor turns into ceramic tile. there’s a note on the fridge, scrawled in emphatic capital letters: eat something. matt obediently peers inside and finds it better stocked than he expected. milk and butter, eggs, apples, about six different kinds of mustard, a few tupperware containers with what looks like leftover spaghetti and meatballs, and, front and center, a plastic-wrapped sandwich with a post-it note that says, in the same scrawled hand: start here.
awwwwww, my god. i read like five thousand variations on matt-staying-with-john-after-the-
pure as snow for valderys
killjoys (tv)
words: 2,103
johnny jaqobis didn't grow up in the quad. his brother left long ago; and then all his ties to home unravelled entirely.
oh man, i wanted something dealing with johnny and scarbacks ever since that episode where he did the rites, and i can see it so easily, the way he'd be perfect at taking the others pain. so lovely and so hurtful; this message to d'avin, my god. excellent.
the last for liar_of_lesbos
the queen's thief - megan whalen turner
words: 1,050
there is no way to carry the gods’ warnings lightly in the heart and mind.
god, eddis; what a gutpunch of a story, how gorgeous.
parallax for schneefink
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 1,606
the work of the jiangzhou alliance is never done.
jingrui! yujin! my heart! this is perfect, i love it so much; continuing their parents work and doing it anew, so much them, so much love.
the next life for venusmelody (rosaxx50)
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 17,377
such a cold response comes as a shock. he'd expected impassioned pleas from her-- he had been steeling himself to endure them. instead, he is left to consider, with a sudden sense of foreboding, how formidable nihuang could be as an enemy.
post-series, alternate ending. lin shu ends his engagement with nihuang. nihuang lets him. jingyan finds this unacceptable.
holy shit this author did it, wrote an ending that tackled ls-mcs dysphoria and self-hatred and denial head on and gotten all of it so unflinchingly and without ever turning away. the same things that make him so great also make him so awful to himself and to others, once he doesn't have a higher purpose excusing him, and here's mcs and all his people not letting him fade quietly into the darkness, making him learn to live beyond the wandering ghost revenge. it's amazing and so painful and so glorious, glorious, glorious. i honestly don't know whom i loved more - lin chen! nihuang! jingyan! jingrui! tiny glaring mu quin! god i love everybody here and want to roll in this fic forever.
pray for the sun to rise for alessandralee
emelan - tamora pierce
words: 2,647
four longnights that tris, briar, sandry and daja spent apart, and one they spent together.
ahhhh this made me feel warm and peaceful and quiet and full of love. all of them, tomorrow and apart: family.
home, your many windows for quettaser
old kingdom - garth nix
words: 4,809
all sabriel wants to do is go home. the fact that she's not exactly sure where home is complicates matters.
i love the quiet urgency of sabriel's travel here, and her professionalism and her unsurety and her longing. and when they reunite with touchstone, it's just - so right, and so great. what a great beginning.
omo wooster and the standing stones at midnight for slavetohiscat
jeeves & wooster, jeeves - p. g. wodehouse
words: 4,477
in the thick of the great war, intelligence officer reginald jeeves is injured, and forced by circumstance to rely upon the help of hapless, well-intentioned medical orderly bertie wooster
oh, what a wonderful story. i love how much had changed for it while staying absolutely the same: jeeves collected and efficient, bertie scattered and determined and loyal and brightly kind, and two of them gravitating towards each other because there's no other choice. perfection.
can't fight against the youth for jenn_calaelen
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 5,173
over the course of his first six months as the heir-apparent to the ethuveraz, idra learns a great deal of his uncle the emperor.
i really adore this story; the relationship between idra and maia is fascinating, and this quiet growth of support and love and understanding is extremely heartwarming. and idra and vedero! what a wonderful touch.
on the relative importance of hats, horses, and trust among new partners in criminal enterprise for owl_coffee
gentlemen of the road - michael chabon
words: 3,208
zelikman has a bad habit of becoming attached to things that can be killed, lost, or stolen.
oh my god, this made me laugh so much and also made me a bit sad, and made me re-adore this cranky pair and their cranky relationship again. awesome.
(god, this must've been some awful, perfect hat).
hospitality for ryuutchi
natsume yuujinchou | natsume's book of friends
words: 2,946
footsteps began to appear, burned deep into the ground and foul to all things that lived. at first, they wandered the foothills to the east and then they began to find purpose. rumours began to spread. a youkai, the youkai—the youkai that had reclaimed his name from natsume reiko—had returned from its wandering of the forests beyond the human world.
how gentle and delicate and sweet and full of promise. love it!
all the words that ever were or ever will be for cartesiandaemon
chalion saga - lois mcmaster bujold
words: 2,825
"the gods held mountains in their minds, and all else besides, all at once." -curse of chalion
perfect. this is pretty much how it's going to work in my mind from now on: all this godly attention, focused and scattershot at once, powerful and helpless, kind and cruel, asking to be let in. poor cazaril! blessed cazaril.
there are things we learn by heart for whatsubtext
the fire's stone - tanya huff
words: 10,923
aaron has something he wants from darvish, but is afraid to ask for. fortunately he has chandra to support him - or nag him - when the opportunity arises.
loved it! it's kind of hilarious for chandra to turn out to be the voice of sanity and good relationship communication between the three of them, but i can absolutely see that, too, the other two being aaron and darvish. how sweet and how warm ♥
sword and shield for elemental
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 5,086
beshelar's first impression of edrehasivar, seventh of his name, had been... well - not much of one at all. the youth seated in the tortoise room was nothing like varanechibel - not in presence, nor in stature - indeed, he had little family resemblance to the late emperor save the winter-grey of his eyes, and the long, slender fingers twisting nervously together in his lap.
in which beshelar realises that first impressions don't actually count for much - and that there is more to edrehasivar than meets the eye.
ah, how lovely and kind! i wanted all the outside pov fics for this fandom, and this story had delivered so beautifully, with beshelar in all his straight-laced, judgemental, protective, angry, loyal glory. this made me very happy.
roosting winds. by anonymous
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 2,708
it is seven years later.
i love this! it's lowkey but peaceful (even though there can never be complete piece in da liang), and it's a good way out for everybody, good settling place. i'm happy jingyan finally met mcs again, and i'm glad tingsheng thing didn't turn into a mess it could turn into, and just - this is soothing, and good.
revisions to a 'dear writer' letter, yuletide 2035. for aishuu
the martian - andy weir
words: 1,313
to whoever matched me on nasa rpf and didn't just now default, you are my hero.
awwwwww, how touching and sad and hilarious at once. i can just imagine the trials and tribulations of whoever was the intended author!
peven's tower for raa
riddle-master trilogy - patricia a. mckillip
words: 2,169
after battling the shape-changers at erlenstar mountain, morgon disappears. raederle's search for him leads her to a place both unexpected and familiar.
oh, this is such a perfect mckillip voice, and this little bit slots into place seamlessly and perfectly. this is so beautiful. raederle! raederle and this riddle.
the poppy and the water for mapped
아가씨 | the handmaiden (2016)
words: 2,048
what hideko carries with her, from one life to another.
beautiful, delicate, painful and full of hope: excellent all around. i love hideko reclaiming and building little piece of herself, and i love sook-hee being there, every step of the way.
weaving for azurish
emelan - tamora pierce
words: 1,048
no one would ever write an ode to chopping parsley in a friend's kitchen, but maybe someone should.
what a heartwarming glowing amber of a story; i always had a special place in my heart for these two, and for sandry in particular, and this is an interlude and a promise and a beginning and a hope.
step forward for alessandriana
琅琊榜 | nirvana in fire (tv)
words: 1,620
jingyan had known this day would come, but for years xiao-shu had done him the favor of allowing him not to think about it.
oh jingyan; however things fall out for you, they still end in the same point, don't they? this was a wonderful what-if.
heart-tree for telarna
uprooted - naomi novik
words: 21,159
i didn't want marisha to have to be brave. i wanted to save her, or failing that, for someone else to save her, as nieshka had saved me—first from the dragon, then from that terrible tree—and after that, saved us all.
what an epic, glorious work, full of such messy feelings and such dirty politics and such beautiful determination and shining through with such love. nieshka growing into herself out there and kasia in here, and them coming together so slowly, so surely, so inevitably. i absolutely love the way how you resolved things with the summoning, because of course, and this description of the healed wood in the end soothed my heart. perfect.
the minnow and the dragon for penintime
earthsea - ursula k. le guin
words: 3,100
vetch and yarrow: an afternoon together, a short journey, and what they find at the end of it.
yarrow! be still my beating heart, just how amazing was this, this was entirely amazing. yarrow and vetch, growing a bit apart and staying completely together, and yarrow saving the day because the dragon reminded her of her lizard and her daughter at once, and so much bravery and so much kindness and so much hope. and of course the lullaby, in the end; exact and perfect touch.
with our way lit only by stars for edonohana
earthsea - ursula k. le guin
words: 4,582
there would be no great deeds on this trip, no wicked wizards or dark shadows to fight, only the balm of old friends long unmet, and the sea, as timeless and unchanging as it ever was.
oh i love this so much; an adventure after the end of adventures, a gift of love and care, a voyage of curiosity and hunger for the world. this is so - peaceful, in the best way, and full of such care and gentleness; i adore it.
(i especially loved the detail of tenar knowing ged is growing bored by him quoting the deed of erreth-akbe to the goats. ha!)
sweet ollie oliver for song_of_staying
piszkos fred | dirty fred series - rejtő jenő, jenő rejtő - works
words: 3,559
rozsdás leguggolt a kölyök mellé a földre, és néhányszor megütögette az arcát, majd kinyitotta a fiú kabátját. csak egy másodpercig habozott. azután megkezdte a mesterséges lélegeztetés.
(avagy mi lett volna, ha edith leven tényleg harry leven lett volna.)
*
rusty crouched down beside the kid and gave him a few slaps, then opened his coat. he only hesitated for a second. then he started giving mouth-to-mouth.
(or, missing scenes from the au where edith leven really was harry leven.)
i don't know this canon at all, but i adore the care and the thought put into this story, and the larger-than-life, old-school adventure fit to it, grandiose and hilarious and humane (colonialism or not), and the romance sounds damn awesome, boot kink included. this was so much fun! thanks for writing it.
the fragile skiff attains the shore for dashi
master and commander: the far side of the world (2003)
words: 13,362
stephen's letter, folded inside his jacket, pressed against his heart like a hot poker.
to captain jno. aubrey, r.n., hms surprise:
i ask you to sail on as scheduled. do not come looking for me.
i really love this - the mood, the setting, the immaculate attention to details, the perfectly caught voices. of course stephen would go, of course jack would follow, of course jack would not care about the grating, of course stephen would. of course even wily deserters would love stephen at once, too. and this interlude in the boat and the fog, quiet, gentle, tense, transcendental - i adore it. what a great gift.
the wisdom that you brought for blueorangecrush
chronicles of amber - roger zelazny
words: 7,395
vialle's connection to amber began much earlier than when she first met random.
what a glorious glorious story! vialle; i always wanted to know more about vialle than the books gave me - it's amazing how much mental space she took up for somebody who got maybe ten lines to her name; and i love the way she's here, strong and hidden and cunning and practical and reasonable and full of quiet inner strength and an eye for beauty. she and random suit so well, and there's so much more to her than that.
and still of a winter's night for sadlikeknives
benjamin january mysteries - barbara hambly
words: 10,895
when a young woman turns up dead during carnival, shaw needs ben's help with the investigation -- or, rather, dominique's.
this was so good! the voices are pitch-perfect, and the case itself combines seriousness and a potential for amazing hilarity, and both were delivered in spades. dominique got her chance to shine! shaw cleaned up really really well! ben, as always, is a sucker for do-gooding! rose is the cavalry! hannibal didn't do much but was fabulous on the sidelines, as he should. this was an excellent, excellent adventure, i'm so happy with it.
waiting for a voice to come for julieandrews
dirty dancing (1987)
words: 2,451
johnny wants the best for baby. baby wants johnny.
i really love the quiet steadiness of it, that there's not a whiff of 'misunderstanding, rejection, pining away in despair' from frankie; that she up and gets control of what she wants and what she needs, and steers her ship so steadily. i'm glad her letters won't go unanswered anymore.
bodyguard (carry me, carry you) for filigranka
natsume yuujinchou | natsume's book of friends
words: 1,932
madara watches.
madara my love, how good he is for natsume and how bad he is about his own denial. of course he doesn't care, of course he doesn't watch, what a bald-faced lie, nyanko-sensei. of course there is so much love because it's pretty much impossible not to love natsume, and he's been doomed before the start. and natsume here! flinging himself in the fray, burning his hands, perfect, excellent. this was such a glorious story.
fox's promise for bitofpixiedust
inda series - sherwood smith
words: 4,026
fox enjoys inda's visits, while never giving a hint of his covert purpose. one of his cover purposes. meanwhile, inda is not the only one who wonders if fox is going to disappear one day . . .
how bittersweet and warm and poignant and lovely. fox knowing more about inda than he does himself, and being so careful to give him a good time, and this palpable longing. inda is a fixed point and fox is planning to be transient, but it's inda who'll go first; it warms my heart and breaks it at once.
deliver me courage, deliver me strength for pentapus
scrapped princess
words: 6,354
throughout his life, shannon casull has dedicated himself to protecting his sisters, particularly pacifica. but he is not the only protective person in orbit around pacifica. sometimes, shannon himself needs a protector.
moments highlighting various guardians told through a few short scenes set before, during, and after the series.
awwwwwww, shannon. it's been such a long time since i've seen scrapped prince but there's a special place reserved for it in my heart, mostly because of the relationship between shannon and his siblings, and you've gotten it perfectly, with all the crankiness and sweetness and protectiveness and taste of destiny, and all the love. brother and sisters, yes, perfect.
biscuits by the ocean for aurilly
psmith - p. g. wodehouse
words: 1,382
in which mike recovers from meeting psmith's real father, whose name should properly be preceded by 'dread'.
yes! yes! god, this is perfect in absolutely every conceivable way. of course psmith is an (adopted) eldritch monstrosity, of course mike will roll with it, of course they will save the world with the power of their love and good manners, everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.
lovely in her fall for calenlily
kushiel's legacy - jacqueline carey
words: 10,054
a life told in visits to the houses of the night court.
this made me cry a bit, in unexpected places - balm, but not only balm, heliotrope and eglantine too, and cereus. what a lovely, nuanced, sweet work, not just porn and not just a character study, but truly a sense of sense lived through the houses. love as thou wilt.
and the roots grew for framlingem
killjoys (tv)
words: 2,786
in the wake of the massacre in old town, alvis considers what service he can possibly offer to his friends.
god, i love this; i love alvis' service and his worship and his quiet, un-ostentatious friendship, and his reliability and his sweetness and his edges. praise the trees, indeed.
spymaster's duties for chokolattejedi
tortall - tamora pierce
words: 5,387
dove needs a consort, and its kind of a mess. luckily, she has a spymaster who loves messes.
i really appreciated this story, the quiet practicality and humor and zest of it. dove and aly, friends and conspirators and revolutionaries and giggling girls, all at once; perfect.
salt and sea and weathered stone for frostfire
books of the raksura - martha wells
words: 2,587
a series of conversations on the journey home.
ah, this is so soothing and sweet (after the sad cliffhanger of this finale, too). arbora look out for moon, and moon is finally rooted in one place enough and believe in them enough to start giving back: my heart sings.
a tale concerning the emperor's wedding for chibisquirt
the goblin emperor - katherine addison
words: 4,037
on the day of maia drazhar's wedding to csethiro ceredin, a subject creates a complication.
csethiro finally got to fight for maia's honor, and in her wedding dress to boot! and wiped the floor with the asshole who was making troubles! there's nothing about this that's not pure love and happiness.
getting some breakout oscillations for kiyala
田中くんはいつもけだるげ | tanaka-kun wa itsumo kedaruge | tanaka is always listless
words: 1,617
tanaka does very little, but is still (somehow) a good friend.
i can't imagine how hard it is to get the tone of this show right, and yet this story manages so effortlessly! i love how peaceful and bright it is, and how tanaka, for all his slothful ways, is a good and caring friend, and how ohta's easy solid reliability and kindness stabilizes everything. echizen and myano are the cutest! echizen's mom is the coolest! tanaka and ohta are life partners, always, forever, amen. loved it to pieces.
peace and quiet for james
vorkosigan saga - lois mcmaster bujold
words: 5,836
light and genteel laughter spilled out of the foyer. a large group of barrayar's high society had just arrived, clustering in small groups as they waited to be greeted by the emperor. ivan hesitated on the edge of the group, mind racing in circles as he scanned the crowd. he resisted the urge to rub at the spreading patches of red on his hands. i don't want anything to do with this.
ivan! how great he is when he's trying not to be a hero, despite the way he should really just give in already and admit he is one. and gregor, so desperately worried, and the way acclaim just slides off the back of ivan's unruffled loyalty.
(also, boots. ahahaha boots. poor gregor!)
old town home for sally (team_fen)
killjoys (tv)
words: 1,293
this is what home means to pree.
i love the mood of it! fierce and unhurried and settled in, just as pree as. what a lovely look at him.
no subject
Date: 29/12/2016 10:32 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 29/12/2016 10:46 pm (UTC)From:you're welcome! i didn't have time to do a rec post last year, and it's haunted me for an entire year, so this one i made an efford.
no subject
Date: 29/12/2016 11:24 pm (UTC)From: