Yuletide recs 2021

[regshoe]

Having already recced my own excellent gifts, I've spent a very enjoyable few days reading around the Yuletide collection. Here are some of the highlights!



I was hoping for good things for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell with the new Worldbuilding option, and we've certainly got them! This fic is magical-historical worldbuilding done through the device of a clickbait listicle—and makes the most of this inventive format to convey some intriguing worldbuilding ideas in a very entertaining way.

The Top 9 Trends To Bring Back In 2022! (1115 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Yuletide 2021, Clickbait, Worldbuilding, Future Fic
Summary:

The last one won't shock you!

Piranesi fandom has also made good use of Worldbuilding! This fic uses the story of an OC to explore the House as a place of healing. It's a beautiful, quietly thoughtful piece combining a gentle and strong story of healing with some very interesting ideas about the nature of the House and some lovely evocative imagery (and some excellent birds!).

The Woman Who Watches the King (2764 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Piranesi - Susanna Clarke
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Characters
Additional Tags: Healing, Worldbuilding, Birds, Mythology References, Depression, Yulebuilding
Summary:

For some, the House is a prison. For some, it's a place of healing.

I think I've occasionally mentioned my feelings about The Charioteer here... well, anyway, this year there is an Andrew/Laurie fic in the Yuletide collection, I was very happy indeed to see it there and I love it. It's a beautiful, quietly sweet story, featuring a lovely Andrew POV and a gentle fix-it plot.

You're here (1757 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Charioteer - Mary Renault
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Laurie Odell/Andrew Raynes
Characters: Andrew Raynes, Laurie Odell
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary:

Andrew arrives at the EMS hospital and strikes a friendship with one of the patients that changes his life—five scenes from his point of view, and following a slightly different path than the book.

This Malory Towers fic combines my long-time OTP, Bill/Clarissa, with a ship that had never occurred to me before but which I certainly ship now, Alicia/Moira. These are very different pairings and their dynamics complement each other wonderfully. The story is both hilarious and very sweet, and the Bill/Clarissa in particular involves some excellent pining.

Olive Branches (5565 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Malory Towers - Enid Blyton
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Clarissa Carter/Wilhelmina "Bill" Robinson, Moira Linton/Alicia Johns
Characters: Clarissa Carter, Wilhelmina "Bill" Robinson, Moira Linton, Alicia Johns
Additional Tags: Rivals at Truce to Lovers, The Christmas Show Must Go On, Bill is Oblivious to the the Meaning of Her Feelings, Moira is Just Oblivious, In the Fifth at Malory Towers, Schoolgirls Kissing, Everyone Keeps Leaving Stationery Behind at Opportune Moments, First Kiss, Schoolgirls in Love, Bill/Clarissa Mutual Pining, Horse-mad Best Friends to Lovers
Summary:

Moira wants Bill.to improve her standing in Geography so she won't be booted out of the Christmas panto. Bill just wants to be left alone with Clarissa to figure out all the terrifying but lovely things Clarissa makes her feel.

As for Alicia, who ever knows what Alicia truly wants? Certainly not Moira.

Another Blyton boarding school fandom and a very different fic. This St Clare's story explores the characters' last year at school as the Second World War looms. It does an amazing job of combining a canon-style mood and details with a wider and more serious historical context, and features the excellent framing device of a memoir written by one of the characters after the war (which I would totally read if it was a real book!).

Sixth Form at St. Clare's (7088 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: St Clare's - Enid Blyton
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Pat O'Sullivan, Isabel O'Sullivan, Mam'zelle (St Clare's), Original Female Character(s)
Additional Tags: references to wwii, Yuletide Treat
Summary:

It's everyone's final year at St. Clare's, and two (foreign and somewhat mysterious) new girls have joined the form. Mysteries will be unraveled and secrets revealed -- hopefully in time for a midnight feast.

I have to say, BBC Ghosts fandom has excelled itself this year! 15 fics in the collection, and every one of them worth reading. I had a hard time narrowing it down to just two or three to rec, but here's an attempt...

This fic could have been an episode of the programme—not just in the spot-on character voices and canon-style humour, but also in the plot and structure of the story, which is cleverly and elegantly done and develops the characters in an interesting way that combines comedy with a bit more depth. And it's very funny!

The First Annual BUTTONFEST (3379 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Alison (Ghosts TV 2019), Mike (Ghosts TV 2019), Kitty (Ghosts TV 2019), Robin (Ghosts TV 2019), Also everyone else but in minor roles
Additional Tags: Music, Heavy Metal, Ghosts, Comedy, Bad Decisions
Summary:

"Wrathmaster? Tormentonomicon?" The Captain eyed the garish poster dubiously. It had BUTTONFEST scrawled across the top in jagged letters, above a list of other names. "And what, pray tell, is a Flesh Nugget?"

"It's one of the groups playing. I'm surprised you can even read that," Alison said as she pulled an armful of tangled extension cords out of a battered cardboard box. "All those band names just look like a pile of bent twigs to me."

"I think it'll be such fun to have musicians play in the garden!" Kitty said, clapping her hands in delight. "We can all dance and it will be a lovely party, almost like a ball!"

"I'm not sure you can really dance the way you're thinking to a band called Chalice of Malice," Alison said. "It's a heavy metal concert."

This story reunites the Captain and Havers and gives them a happy ending, which made me very happy! It features some top-quality emotional repression and pining, excellent canon voices and tons of good comic detail, as well as lovely adorable shippiness.

someday, sweetheart (9973 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: The Captain/Lieutenant Havers (Ghosts TV 2019), Button House Ghosts & Lieutenant Havers (Ghosts TV 2019), Alison/Mike (Ghosts TV 2019), Alison & Button House Ghosts (Ghosts TV 2019)
Characters: Lieutenant Havers (Ghosts TV 2019), The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019), Alison (Ghosts TV 2019), Pat Butcher (Ghosts TV 2019), Mike (Ghosts TV 2019), Julian Fawcett, Mary (Ghosts TV 2019), Kitty (Ghosts TV 2019)
Additional Tags: POV Multiple, Reunions, Being Repressed Doesn't Mean You Can't Have Feelings Loudly, Canon Gay Character, Christmas Miracles, Mutual Pining, Post-Season/Series 03, Getting Together, Happy Ending
Summary:

“I’ve just remembered,” she said, as Mike gingerly rested a tea towel full of ice on her wrist for the third time — it kept slipping off. “The uncle was hanging about. Following the nieces around looking like a wet weekend, the poor guy.”

Mike hummed thoughtfully. “Didn’t know ghosts could do that. Our lot are stuck in the grounds of the house, right?”

“Yeah,” she said, chewing on her lip. “I guess it’s not exactly a science, is it? I mean, a lot of the ghosts I see out and about are sort of… uncommunicative. Maybe there’s lots of different types of them.”

“Like Pokemon,” said Mike.

This is my favourite of several very good Captain-centric stories which I suspect may be by the same author (if so, I admire both their prolificness and their Captain voice a great deal!). In this one the Captain tries to come out to each of the other ghosts in turn, with variously comic and sweet consequences. Again, great canon voices and warm humour.

Lend Me Your Ears (4433 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019), Lady Fanny Button, Kitty (Ghosts TV 2019), Thomas Thorne, One Whole Humphrey Bone, Robin (Ghosts TV 2019), Mike Cooper
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat
Summary:

Talking can be difficult, but getting someone to listen might be even harder.

This We Are Lady Parts story follows the band as they embark on a tour, or 'tour', and Amina and Saira as they work out an understanding of their feelings for each other. It captures the chaotic mood of canon very well, the character voices are spot-on and the Amina/Saira shippiness is both in-character and very sweet.

No Pleasure Cruise (9372 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: We Are Lady Parts (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Amina Hussein/Saira
Characters: Amina Hussein, Saira (We Are Lady Parts), Ayesha (We Are Lady Parts), Bisma (We Are Lady Parts), Momtaz (We Are Lady Parts)
Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Touring, Tour Bus, Festivals, Comedy, Oblivious Pining, The Band is Chaotic, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Vomiting, Swearing, Recreational Drug Use
Summary:

The Tale of a Tour; featuring mysterious van smells, broken strings, lost merchandise, unexpected teenagers, disaster, triumph, and aunties. Oh, and a Kiss.

This Carmilla story is full of darkly vivid imagery (including but not limited to some very good use of vampire-appropriate blood imagery), creepy and haunting and memorable in a way that's perfectly fitting for the canon and characters.

le baiser sanglant (1091 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Carmilla - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Carmilla | Mircalla Countess Karnstein/Laura
Additional Tags: Blood, Dreams
Summary:

Laura dreams.

And finally, this Persuasion story explores the character and backstory of Sophia Croft, and conveys a beautiful sense of her personality and her developing relationship with Admiral Croft, and their love and respect for each other. It reminded me of what I like about their relationship in canon, which I ought to re-read one of these days (or maybe Mansfield Park first...)

Her Keener Powers (1181 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Persuasion - Jane Austen
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Admiral Croft/Sophia Croft
Characters: Sophia Croft, Admiral Croft (Persuasion)
Additional Tags: Character Study, Developing Relationship, Pre-Canon
Summary:

Sophia always trusted her own judgement.

Comments

[lannamichaels]

Thanks for reccing my fic! :D

[regshoe]

You're welcome—thank you for writing such a fun story :D

[luzula]

I look forward to the Laurie/Andrew fic! But I won't get to C for a while yet--I always start in the middle of the alphabet, then work downwards and loop around.

[regshoe]

I hope you enjoy it :) And I like your alphabet strategy—very fair! I'm much less organised—I usually start by looking for fandoms I know, click on anything else that catches my eye while doing so, then work through the list A-Z or Z-A.