Yuletide recs!

[regshoe]

Having already recced my own gift fics, I've spent the rest of the week reading around the collection, and here's what I've found. The first couple of fics on this list either don't require canon knowledge or have a very short canon.



Who Knows Upon What Soil They Fed Their Hungry Thirsty Roots? (4075 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Victorian Way (Web Series)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Mrs. Avis Crocombe, Edgar Ashman, Mary Ann Bulmer, Mrs. Warwick, Fanny Cowley, Mr. James Vert, Sylvia, John Barker, Mr. Lincoln
Additional Tags: Victorian cooking (authentic and not), Good neighbours being neighbourly
Summary:

Unexpected guests at Audley End House bring a professional challenge for Mrs. Avis Crocombe, professed cook in the service of Lord and Lady Braybrooke.

Absolutely brilliant idea, very well executed—this fic presents Mrs Crocombe with an unusual new challenge which she is quite prepared to meet! I don't think you need canon knowledge for this one, just the premise that the main characters are servants in a grand Victorian household.

Ere lang the play was play'd (3840 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sir Patrick Spens (Traditional Ballad), English and Scottish Popular Ballads - Francis James Child
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Sir Patrick Spens/Eldern Knight, Sir Patrick Spens/Sailor (mentioned), Sir Patrick Spens/OMC (mentioned)
Characters: Eldern Knight (Sir Patrick Spens), Sir Patrick Spens, The King (Sir Patrick Spens), Sailor (Sir Patrick Spens), Original Characters
Additional Tags: 17th Century, Scotland, Imperialism, Mentions of enslavement, Non-Graphic Violence, Non-explicit BDSM, Period Typical Attitudes, Scots Language
Summary:

Sir Patrick Spens has a long history with the Eldern Knight.

Really impressively rich, inventive take on the possible context for an intriguing detail from the ballad, full of brilliant historical and character detail.

Discipulae (6463 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sara Crew & Becky
Characters: Sara Crew, Becky (A Little Princess), Tom Carrisford, Ram Dass, Original Female Character(s)
Summary:

"I just realized," Sara said. "Becky, I could have a tutor now. I could hire someone to teach me anything I wanted. All the things that are hard to learn alone from books — Greek and Latin, Sanskrit, algebra, anything I wanted. What would you learn, Becky, if you could?"

A lovely, heartwarming look at Sara and Becky's life post-book, with lots of great period detail and academic optimism.

Enough for Anyone (1734 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Excellent Women - Barbara Pym
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Mildred Lathbury/Everard Bone
Characters: Mildred Lathbury, Everard Bone, Rockingham Napier
Summary:

When Mildred calls off their engagement, Everard asks Rocky for help.

Just the post-canon continuation that Mildred and Everard's relationship needed, and a lovely bit of character development for both of them.

Protectorate (1256 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Helen Burns & Original Male Character
Characters: Helen Burns, Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s)
Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Father-Daughter Relationship
Summary:

Helen Burns and her father, from the beginning.

Backstory for Helen and her father—adds depth to Helen's canon situation in a very plausible and heartbreaking way.

Tincture (1069 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: John Childermass, Gilbert Norrell
Additional Tags: Illnesses, Hurt/Comfort, (but only barely)
Summary:

Childermass was ill. His nose was clogged, his head felt like it was full of cotton, and his throat was full of sandpaper. If he was a wealthy man, he might have rolled over in bed and written the day off as a loss.

Unfortunately, there were no days off from being Mr. Gilbert Norrell's right hand.

A little comedy gem, full of great humour and with some touching hurt/sort-of-comfort for Childermass and Norrell.

Much Better Fun Not Knowing (2359 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Peggy Blackett/Titty Walker, Nancy Blackett/John Walker
Characters: Peggy Blackett, Titty Walker, John Walker (Swallows and Amazons), Nancy Blackett
Additional Tags: Futurefic, World War II, Epistolary
Summary:

Letters from a Wren at a post she can't talk about to a typist at the BBC, and who they might be thereafter.

Very nice period voice and detail, well-imagined futures for these characters and some lovely subtle relationship development.

Comments

[pretty_plant]

So when I was reading this fanfic, I found out that kiwis were originally called Chinese gooseberries and I am so shocked now. I never knew that kiwis were from China!

So now I am still recovering from the shock and how I have been lied to my whole life by marketing strategies.

This fic is also making me hungrier than I should at 3:30 a.m.