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Yuletide Recs, Round 1
There are so many awesome Yuletide fics this year, several of them written for older book series that made me nostalgic for the canon sources! There are still a lot of fics I haven't had a chance to read yet, but here are some of the ones that I've read so far:
It's kind of embarrassing to be so late, but here are a few very belated recs for Yuletide 2011:
Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs:
Warren and Kyle (5894 words) by Rachael Sabotini
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kyle Brooks/Warren
Characters: Kyle Brooks, Warren (Mercy Thompson), Mercy Thompson, Honey (Mercy Thompson)
Summary: Big patterns are woven out of tiny threads.
A beautiful story that tells how Warren (a gay werewolf) and Kyle (his human lawyer boyfriend) first met and how their relationship developed. The books are told from Mercy's POV, and while she isn't a werewolf, she is a shapechanger who is familiar with werewolf culture, so it's quite interesting to see things from Kyle's POV in this story. We get to see his suspicion that Warren is hiding things from him, and his shock when he discovers that Warren is a werewolf, as well as his outrage at the way the other wolves in the pack treat Warren. (Werewolf society, unfortunately, tends to be rather sexist and homophobic. The pack leader is a decent man who isn't bothered by Warren's sexuality, but many of the other pack members only grudgingly accept Warren and would be just as glad to see him gone or even dead.) We don't get to see a lot of Kyle in the books, so I really loved getting to see his side of the story here. I also really liked getting to see a bit more of Honey (a female werewolf) and learning a little more about her marriage, which is only hinted at in the books. The author captures the characterization and voices very well--it felt so much like the books that I had to stop to think about which parts of the story were canon and which were fanon.
Conundrums: Every Family Has Its Quirks (6180 words) by Idahophoenix
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kyle Brooks/Warren, Mercy Thompson/Adam Hauptman
Characters: Kyle Brooks, Warren (Mercy Thompson), Darryl (Mercy Thompson), Mercy Thompson, Adam Hauptman, Jesse Hauptman
Summary: Sometimes being a human living with werewolves can get complicated. Especially if you're the daughter of the Alpha. Or the boyfriend of the only gay werewolf in the pack.
Another human POV story--this one is told from the POV of both Kyle and Jesse, the daughter of the pack leader Adam. Once again, it's great to see how the human characters deal with the complications of living with a werewolf pack, and I really love Jesse and her determination to someday become the first alpha female werewolf. (Though I also sympathized with Adam's and Kyle's concerns regarding that, since the process of being changed into a werewolf is often fatal, especially for women.) I loved the humor in the story (the Twilight reference really cracked me up!), and also the little details that show Jesse's relationship with the pack, like the way she gets annoyed with Darryl, but comes to his defense when Kyle criticizes him.
Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
A Fine and Public Place (2408 words) by cest_what
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ivan Vorpatril/Byerly Vorrutyer
Characters: Ivan Vorpatril, Byerly Vorrutyer
Summary: High Vor gossip is both a volatile threat and a tool to be used.
Ivan/By is a popular slash pairing in this fandom, and I've read a couple fics that I enjoyed, but I never particularly shipped these two--until now. Maybe it's because Ivan is such a womanizer in canon that I need to be sold on him becoming involved in a same-sex relationship (especially in conservative Vor society), or maybe the fics I read previously just didn't grab me, for whatever reason. But this had me hooked from the moment By kissed Ivan in a very public place, and then by Ivan's shock at his own reaction to the kiss. There's humor in the story and in the reason behind the kiss (By wanting to cause some scandalous gossip as a political distraction), but also an unexpected poignancy and deep emotion as Ivan grapples with the realization that he's attracted to By. It also nicely takes care of the womanizing issue: He really wasn't very good at lying to himself – the Vorpatril psyche was a clear pool, for the most part. Something as big as this was only ever going to have held together if it was absolutely undisturbed. It had only taken the length of the trip home for these particular self-delusions to come crashing down, and it was obvious, really.
As I've told the author, this has become my new Vorkosigan OTP, and I loved the story so much that I couldn't help being a little disappointed with the latest official novel, Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, in which Ivan and By get female love interests. I really do like Ivan's bride-of-convenience Tej, who is a strong and interesting female character, and I never expected Ivan/By to become canon...but still. The ruling Vor society is conservative and militaristic, with sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic attitudes that are slowly changing in the younger generation, and it would have been interesting to see how they would cope with an openly gay Vor lord. Ah well, at least there is plenty of Ivan/By fanfic that I can now seek out and read!
Moving on to 2012:
Calvin & Hobbes, Hobbes & Bacon
I had never heard of it before, but there is a...I guess you'd call it a fancomic?...called Hobbes and Bacon, based on Calvin & Hobbes, which shows Calvin as an adult. He is now married to Susie, and Hobbes has been passed down to their daughter Bacon. It's really adorable and captures the spirit of the original strip very well, imho!
a brief history of western philosophy (702 words) by tashlae
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Calvin & Hobbes, Hobbes and Bacon
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Calvin/Susie Derkins
Characters: Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes), Mr. Bun, Susie Derkins, Calvin's Mother (Calvin and Hobbes), Bacon - Character
Summary: It's Susie's idea to name their daughter Bacon.
A delightful ficlet explaining how Bacon got her name, and I love that it's Susie who comes up with the name, not Calvin, whom you'd expect to come up with a weird name for his child! And I love that Susie's old stuffed toy Mr. Bun gets passed on to little Bacon. ^_^
"Worked okay so far?" (3440 words) by lalaietha
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hobbes and Bacon
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Calvin/Susie Derkins
Characters: Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes), Susie Derkins, Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes), Bacon (Hobbes and Bacon), Mr Bun (Calvin and Hobbes)
Summary: Sometimes Susie worries about whether her daughter's fantasy life is actually fantasy.
Another sweet and funny Hobbes and Bacon fic! Adult Calvin and Susie seem like perfect extensions of their child-selves, and Bacon is adorable. Once again, Susie comes up with Bacon's name, although it's more of an unofficial nickname here. I love the interaction between Bacon and Mr. Bun and Hobbes--I love that she's inherited both of her parents' old friends, and I also love the interaction between Mr. Bun and Hobbes. It's great to see Mr. Bun come to life in this story! This was so much fun to read, and I'm so happy that Yuletide introduced me to this new fandom!
Attack Chickens, Children, and Other Hazards of Suburban Life (1361 words) by finesharp
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Calvin & Hobbes, Hobbes and Bacon
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Calvin/Susie Derkins
Characters: Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes), Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes), Calvin's Mother (Calvin and Hobbes), Calvin's Father (Calvin and Hobbes), Bacon (Hobbes and Bacon), Susie Derkins
Summary: “I'd hate to have a kid like me.” - Calvin, The Authoritative Calvin And Hobbes
Yet another wonderful Hobbes and Bacon fic! Adult Calvin and Susie are perfectly in character--Calvin is a loving dad, but he still comes up with wild ideas, like attack chickens. And Bacon is obviously Calvin's kid, though with tempered with some of Susie's common sense. The origin of Bacon's name is slightly different from the other two fics, but quite funny! And once again, it's great seeing Hobbes being passed down to Calvin's daughter.
Castle of Deception - Mercedes Lackey & Josepha Sherman
Death and the Dancing Girl (8871 words) by kitsunealyc
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Castle of Deception - Mercedes Lackey & Josepha Sherman
Rating: Explicit
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Eliathanis/Naitachal
Characters: Eliathanis, Naitachal
Summary: Death is no barrier to a necromancer.
This was a real blast from the past! It's based on a tie-in novel to the Bard's Tale video games, which I bought years ago because it was written by Mercedes Lackey (better known for her Valdemar series). The main character of the book is a young bard named Kevin (and the series later continues with other young bardic protagonists), but what I loved most about the series was the character of Naitachal, a dark elf Necromancer who rejects his heritage of dark magic to become a bard. When I first read the book, I had not yet heard of fanfiction or slash, but now I can definitely see the shippy potential between Naitachal and the white elf Eliathanis, who first regards Naitachal with hatred and distrust, but gradually comes to accept him as a friend.
This is somewhat of a spoiler for the book, but since the fic gives it away, I guess it's okay to discuss it below:
The story shows us Eliathanis and Naitachal's slowly blossoming romance, though Naitachal is at first unaware of his feelings. They are still very much in character and it meshes beautifully with the canon story, as if we are seeing something that happened behind the scenes of the novel. We also get to see a wonderfully funny "missing scene" from the books, in which the male characters have to disguise themselves as dancing girls! But the tender and funny scenes are presented as flashbacks, memories of Naitachal as he makes his way into the underworld to seek out Eliathanis, who was killed in the novel. The story ends on a note that is almost heartbreaking, yet leaves hope for the future, and the author has promised to write a sequel, which sounds even more hopeful.
Dave Brandstetter Mysteries - Joseph Hansen
I Kept Waiting for You to Guess (2790 words) by storyfan
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dave Brandstetter Mysteries - Joseph Hansen
Rating: Mature
Warning: Underage
Characters: Carl Brandstetter, Dave Brandstetter
Summary: Dave left dozens of clues along the way. It was too bad Carl never picked up on them. Or did he?
I reviewed the Dave Brandstetter series a little earlier, here--it's one of my favorite mystery series. Dave, a gay insurance investigator, has a rather complicated relationship with his father in canon. They love each other, but have problems connecting with and understanding each other, and Dave's father Carl seems not to have fully accepted Dave's sexuality, though he knows that Dave is gay. This wasn't always the case, since one of the books mentions that one of Carl's many marriages ended because he was jealous of how close his young wife grew to Dave, and Dave felt that he could have saved the marriage if he'd had the courage to come out to his father at the time.
Because of that, I've often wondered how and when Dave came out to his dad (or perhaps, how and when the dad figured out on his own that Dave was gay). So I was really delighted to see this story, where the author deals with that issue and expands on Carl and Dave's complicated relationship. After reading this, I can totally believe that Carl knew all along, and simply ignored what he didn't want to believe. I also quite liked Storyfan's observation of Carl in the comments: I used to think that Dave got his confidence from his father, but after writing this story I wonder about that — confident men don't commit serial marriage. Carl now strikes me as a man who is afraid to be alone and who is afraid of dying. His younger and younger wives are supposed to make him feel young, but they don't quite do the trick. I hadn't really thought of it that way before, but it makes perfect sense and gives me a little more insight into Carl. Perhaps the marriage to Lisa would not have worked even if Dave had come out, not just because Carl already knew (consciously or not) that Dave was gay, but because Carl's fear of loneliness and death could not have been completely eased by any woman.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the story and the meta thoughts that it inspired.
Forgotten Realms
There were two stories based on the Forgotten Realms novels featuring Danilo Thann (the Song and Swords series), that are based on the old Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game. It was an entertaining series and well worth the read if you enjoy (mostly) light-hearted fantasy. The main characters are Arilyn, a half-elven swordswoman, and Danilo, a bard who poses as a foppish, foolish nobleman as part of his cover for the Harpers, a sort of secret society that works to fight evil in the world of Forgotten Realms. Elaith Craulnober is a rogue elf of dubious morality with a connection to Arilyn's past; he is at times an adversary and at other times an ally to Danilo and Arilyn. The original paperbacks are out of print, but are available as Kindle ebooks for less than $6.00 if you want to give them a try.
Lady Cassandra's Fears (1305 words) by Silverfox
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Danilo/Arilyn
Characters: Danilo Thann, Elaith Craulnober
Summary: Elaith goes to find out why the birth of another grandchild has made Lady Cassandra Thann seem worried rather than happy.
Wonderful post-canon fic with both humor (the banter between Danilo and Elaith) and a touch of angst, when we learn why Danilo's mother is less than happy with her new part-elven grandchild. It's great to get a glimpse of these characters in the future, though now it's making me want to read a longer fic about how Lady Cassandra deals with the fallout of little Arun's birth.
A Winter Journey (10160 words) by Silverfox
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Danilo Thann, Elaith Craulnober
Summary: In the winter after the events of Elfsong Elaith and Danilo find themselves unwilling travelling companions once again. Unfortunately each other isn't the worst they will have to cope with on this trip either.
Another story by the same author--great fun to read, and it feels like it could be a missing chapter from the books! Once again, I loved the humor--particularly Elaith's irritation at Danilo's endless chatter. I really love seeing these two sort-of enemies being forced to work together, and the author makes very clever use of D&D tropes, such as Danilo carrying around firewood in his bag of holding.
Ichigenme... The First Class is Civil Law
And Riches Untold (1033 words) by misura
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ichigenme... The First Class is Civil Law
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Tamiya Kensuke/Tohdou Taka-aki
Characters: Tamiya Kensuke, Tohdou Taka-aki
Summary: A conversation at the dinner table.
I love this yaoi manga by Fumi Yoshinaga, a story about two male law students who fall in love. The series is only 2 volumes long, so it was great to see more of the characters in fanfic here! The author has the characters' voices down very well, with Tamiya being so practical and Tohdou wanting a little more romance and reassurance. A lovely fic that really feels like a missing canon scene--go check it out! It's only got a couple of comments, and it deserves more love than that. If you haven't read the original, you should check that out too--it's a very well-written story about two mature men, or perhaps in the first volume, two young men growing into maturity, and it avoids most of the typical BL stereotypes.
In Death - J.D. Robb
My gift story was Reminder in Death, which I have already recced here. It's an awesome fic that feels like it could really be canon, so check it out if you like the novels!
There was also another fic written in this fandom:
Moments in Death (1869 words) by celli
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: In Death - J. D. Robb
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Eve Dallas/Roarke, Eve Dallas & Delia Peabody
Characters: Eve Dallas, Roarke (In Death), Delia Peabody, Lawrence Summerset, Galahad (In Death)
Summary: Dispatch! Dallas, Lieutenant Eve. Darling. Selected excerpts from the next In Death novel.
The author has the voices down perfectly, and I particularly enjoyed the humorous exchange between Eve and Peabody (“Peabody, should I know about your ass?”) in the 2nd excerpt! I also like how the author portrayed the way that Eve and Summerset care deeply about each other, though they'd never admit it. The fic is presented as excerpts from a new In Death novel, and my only complaint is that I wish could read the entire "novel"!
New Amsterdam
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy (1315 words) by snakeling
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: New Amsterdam
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: John Amsterdam, Omar York
Summary: Omar likes to associate his father to the happy events in his life.
The canon is a TV show in which the main character, John Amsterdam, has been gifted--or cursed--not to die until he meets his true love. After centuries of immortality, he longs to live out a normal lifespan, and is desperately searching for that "true love." Omar, a jazz club owner, at first seems to be something of a father figure to John, but we eventually discover that Omar is John's son by a woman he married in the 1940s.
One of the things I liked most about the show was the relationship between John and Omar, so it was nice to see a story focusing on the bond between them--it was really moving and tender. I don't know if it had something to do with his immortality, but John could sometimes be immature and self-centered (young in mind as well as body?), so it was also nice to see that he gained some maturity in this post-canon fic, and has stopped obsessing about finding his true love, realizing that you can love more than one person.
Pegasus - Robin McKinley
Your Friends Come Flying (2853 words) by Jougetsu
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Pegasus - Robin McKinley
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sylvii/Ebon
Characters: Ebon, Sylvi, Niahi
Summary: Sometimes it takes a little while to get to where you're going.
The book ended on a heartbreaking cliffhanger with no sequel yet in sight, so I've been craving fanfic that would resolve what happens to Syvlii and Ebon. This lovely fic does just that: it was wonderful to see Sylvii and Ebon getting back together again, and I loved seeing Ebon flying to Sylvii on a secret rescue mission!
Person of Interest (TV)
He knows if you've been bad or good... (6334 words) by sally
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Person of Interest (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Harold Finch, John Reese, Joss Carter, Lionel Fusco, Root (Person of Interest), The Machine (Person of Interest)
Summary: ...so be good, for goodness sake!
A wonderfully hilarious Christmas fic that is full of awesome: the Machine acting on its own and having a sense of morality! Root working for the Machine...both intriguing and scary. I bust out laughing when John's new security job turned out to be a mall store Santa! There is also a hilarious prank involving John and Fusco and a Justin Bieber T-shirt. ;-) Also, any mention of Bear makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
There are a lot of other Person of Interest fics this Yuletide, but I haven't had time to read the others yet. I've seen some recced around the Yuletide comm, so I'm hoping to get to them soon!
Ristorante Paradiso
It Pays to Ask (2212 words) by quietcuriosity
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ristorante Paradiso
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Nicoletta (Ristorante Paradiso)/Santo Claudio Paradiso
Characters: Santo Claudio Paradiso, Nicoletta (Ristorante Paradiso), Luciano de Luca, Furio (Ristorante Paradiso), Gabriella (Ristorante Paradiso)
Summary: Months later, Nicoletta still doesn't know where she stands with Claudio. She intends to find out.
The original fandom is a manga in which Nicoletta travels to Italy in order to confront her estranged mother, but ends up falling in love with an older waiter at her stepfather's restaurant. This fic is a lovely post-canon story in which Nicoletta resolves to take her somewhat ambiguous relationship with Claudio to the next level. The manga left me wondering what happened between them, and this answers that question very nicely. The author captures their personalities very well, and Nicoletta's impatience and Claudio's hesitation are both very much in character.
Tron - All Media Types, Tron: Legacy (2010)
Whatever Makes You Happy (1823 words) by Amethyst Shard
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Tron - All Media Types, Tron: Legacy (2010)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ed Dillinger Jr./Sam Flynn
Characters: Sam Flynn, Edward Dillinger Jr.
Summary: For the first time, in a long time, Sam is happy. Really happy. Ed Dillinger Jr. may or may not have something to do with it. Sam is admitting nothing.
When I first saw this pairing nominated for Yuletide, I was quite intrigued by the idea of two old enemies' sons falling in love (and was also intrigued by the brief glimpse of Dillinger's son in the movie), so I was very happy to find this fic! The natural assumption would be that Sam and Ed would be enemies like their fathers, so I love that they go against type by being friendly rivals and lovers, and that their absent fathers have given them something in common. I really enjoyed this fic, though selfishly, I wish that it was longer because I'd love to see more of Sam and Ed.
Yotsuba to! | Yotsuba&!
Four Stories (1017 words) by serenissima
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Yotsuba to! | Yotsuba&!
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Ayase Ena, Hayasaka Miura, Ayase Asagi, Ayase Fuuka, Takeda Takashi (Jumbo), Koiwai, Koiwai Yotsuba
Summary: There are many theories about where Yotsuba is from and why she is the way she is. Some of them may even be true.
I love the manga, and I've always wanted to know where Yotsuba came from, and perhaps, what exactly she is (if not a normal human girl), so I really enjoyed this! (I'm kind of half convinced she might be an alien from outer space, myself. ~_^) I'm intrigued by the possibilities presented, and I loved the banter between Jumbo and Fuka--two of my favorite characters--which felt very much like canon. Also loved the way that at the end, Yotsuba takes everything in stride, just as she does in the manga.
It's kind of embarrassing to be so late, but here are a few very belated recs for Yuletide 2011:
Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs:
Warren and Kyle (5894 words) by Rachael Sabotini
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kyle Brooks/Warren
Characters: Kyle Brooks, Warren (Mercy Thompson), Mercy Thompson, Honey (Mercy Thompson)
Summary: Big patterns are woven out of tiny threads.
A beautiful story that tells how Warren (a gay werewolf) and Kyle (his human lawyer boyfriend) first met and how their relationship developed. The books are told from Mercy's POV, and while she isn't a werewolf, she is a shapechanger who is familiar with werewolf culture, so it's quite interesting to see things from Kyle's POV in this story. We get to see his suspicion that Warren is hiding things from him, and his shock when he discovers that Warren is a werewolf, as well as his outrage at the way the other wolves in the pack treat Warren. (Werewolf society, unfortunately, tends to be rather sexist and homophobic. The pack leader is a decent man who isn't bothered by Warren's sexuality, but many of the other pack members only grudgingly accept Warren and would be just as glad to see him gone or even dead.) We don't get to see a lot of Kyle in the books, so I really loved getting to see his side of the story here. I also really liked getting to see a bit more of Honey (a female werewolf) and learning a little more about her marriage, which is only hinted at in the books. The author captures the characterization and voices very well--it felt so much like the books that I had to stop to think about which parts of the story were canon and which were fanon.
Conundrums: Every Family Has Its Quirks (6180 words) by Idahophoenix
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kyle Brooks/Warren, Mercy Thompson/Adam Hauptman
Characters: Kyle Brooks, Warren (Mercy Thompson), Darryl (Mercy Thompson), Mercy Thompson, Adam Hauptman, Jesse Hauptman
Summary: Sometimes being a human living with werewolves can get complicated. Especially if you're the daughter of the Alpha. Or the boyfriend of the only gay werewolf in the pack.
Another human POV story--this one is told from the POV of both Kyle and Jesse, the daughter of the pack leader Adam. Once again, it's great to see how the human characters deal with the complications of living with a werewolf pack, and I really love Jesse and her determination to someday become the first alpha female werewolf. (Though I also sympathized with Adam's and Kyle's concerns regarding that, since the process of being changed into a werewolf is often fatal, especially for women.) I loved the humor in the story (the Twilight reference really cracked me up!), and also the little details that show Jesse's relationship with the pack, like the way she gets annoyed with Darryl, but comes to his defense when Kyle criticizes him.
Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
A Fine and Public Place (2408 words) by cest_what
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ivan Vorpatril/Byerly Vorrutyer
Characters: Ivan Vorpatril, Byerly Vorrutyer
Summary: High Vor gossip is both a volatile threat and a tool to be used.
Ivan/By is a popular slash pairing in this fandom, and I've read a couple fics that I enjoyed, but I never particularly shipped these two--until now. Maybe it's because Ivan is such a womanizer in canon that I need to be sold on him becoming involved in a same-sex relationship (especially in conservative Vor society), or maybe the fics I read previously just didn't grab me, for whatever reason. But this had me hooked from the moment By kissed Ivan in a very public place, and then by Ivan's shock at his own reaction to the kiss. There's humor in the story and in the reason behind the kiss (By wanting to cause some scandalous gossip as a political distraction), but also an unexpected poignancy and deep emotion as Ivan grapples with the realization that he's attracted to By. It also nicely takes care of the womanizing issue: He really wasn't very good at lying to himself – the Vorpatril psyche was a clear pool, for the most part. Something as big as this was only ever going to have held together if it was absolutely undisturbed. It had only taken the length of the trip home for these particular self-delusions to come crashing down, and it was obvious, really.
As I've told the author, this has become my new Vorkosigan OTP, and I loved the story so much that I couldn't help being a little disappointed with the latest official novel, Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, in which Ivan and By get female love interests. I really do like Ivan's bride-of-convenience Tej, who is a strong and interesting female character, and I never expected Ivan/By to become canon...but still. The ruling Vor society is conservative and militaristic, with sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic attitudes that are slowly changing in the younger generation, and it would have been interesting to see how they would cope with an openly gay Vor lord. Ah well, at least there is plenty of Ivan/By fanfic that I can now seek out and read!
Moving on to 2012:
Calvin & Hobbes, Hobbes & Bacon
I had never heard of it before, but there is a...I guess you'd call it a fancomic?...called Hobbes and Bacon, based on Calvin & Hobbes, which shows Calvin as an adult. He is now married to Susie, and Hobbes has been passed down to their daughter Bacon. It's really adorable and captures the spirit of the original strip very well, imho!
a brief history of western philosophy (702 words) by tashlae
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Calvin & Hobbes, Hobbes and Bacon
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Calvin/Susie Derkins
Characters: Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes), Mr. Bun, Susie Derkins, Calvin's Mother (Calvin and Hobbes), Bacon - Character
Summary: It's Susie's idea to name their daughter Bacon.
A delightful ficlet explaining how Bacon got her name, and I love that it's Susie who comes up with the name, not Calvin, whom you'd expect to come up with a weird name for his child! And I love that Susie's old stuffed toy Mr. Bun gets passed on to little Bacon. ^_^
"Worked okay so far?" (3440 words) by lalaietha
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hobbes and Bacon
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Calvin/Susie Derkins
Characters: Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes), Susie Derkins, Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes), Bacon (Hobbes and Bacon), Mr Bun (Calvin and Hobbes)
Summary: Sometimes Susie worries about whether her daughter's fantasy life is actually fantasy.
Another sweet and funny Hobbes and Bacon fic! Adult Calvin and Susie seem like perfect extensions of their child-selves, and Bacon is adorable. Once again, Susie comes up with Bacon's name, although it's more of an unofficial nickname here. I love the interaction between Bacon and Mr. Bun and Hobbes--I love that she's inherited both of her parents' old friends, and I also love the interaction between Mr. Bun and Hobbes. It's great to see Mr. Bun come to life in this story! This was so much fun to read, and I'm so happy that Yuletide introduced me to this new fandom!
Attack Chickens, Children, and Other Hazards of Suburban Life (1361 words) by finesharp
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Calvin & Hobbes, Hobbes and Bacon
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Calvin/Susie Derkins
Characters: Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes), Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes), Calvin's Mother (Calvin and Hobbes), Calvin's Father (Calvin and Hobbes), Bacon (Hobbes and Bacon), Susie Derkins
Summary: “I'd hate to have a kid like me.” - Calvin, The Authoritative Calvin And Hobbes
Yet another wonderful Hobbes and Bacon fic! Adult Calvin and Susie are perfectly in character--Calvin is a loving dad, but he still comes up with wild ideas, like attack chickens. And Bacon is obviously Calvin's kid, though with tempered with some of Susie's common sense. The origin of Bacon's name is slightly different from the other two fics, but quite funny! And once again, it's great seeing Hobbes being passed down to Calvin's daughter.
Castle of Deception - Mercedes Lackey & Josepha Sherman
Death and the Dancing Girl (8871 words) by kitsunealyc
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Castle of Deception - Mercedes Lackey & Josepha Sherman
Rating: Explicit
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Eliathanis/Naitachal
Characters: Eliathanis, Naitachal
Summary: Death is no barrier to a necromancer.
This was a real blast from the past! It's based on a tie-in novel to the Bard's Tale video games, which I bought years ago because it was written by Mercedes Lackey (better known for her Valdemar series). The main character of the book is a young bard named Kevin (and the series later continues with other young bardic protagonists), but what I loved most about the series was the character of Naitachal, a dark elf Necromancer who rejects his heritage of dark magic to become a bard. When I first read the book, I had not yet heard of fanfiction or slash, but now I can definitely see the shippy potential between Naitachal and the white elf Eliathanis, who first regards Naitachal with hatred and distrust, but gradually comes to accept him as a friend.
This is somewhat of a spoiler for the book, but since the fic gives it away, I guess it's okay to discuss it below:
The story shows us Eliathanis and Naitachal's slowly blossoming romance, though Naitachal is at first unaware of his feelings. They are still very much in character and it meshes beautifully with the canon story, as if we are seeing something that happened behind the scenes of the novel. We also get to see a wonderfully funny "missing scene" from the books, in which the male characters have to disguise themselves as dancing girls! But the tender and funny scenes are presented as flashbacks, memories of Naitachal as he makes his way into the underworld to seek out Eliathanis, who was killed in the novel. The story ends on a note that is almost heartbreaking, yet leaves hope for the future, and the author has promised to write a sequel, which sounds even more hopeful.
Dave Brandstetter Mysteries - Joseph Hansen
I Kept Waiting for You to Guess (2790 words) by storyfan
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Dave Brandstetter Mysteries - Joseph Hansen
Rating: Mature
Warning: Underage
Characters: Carl Brandstetter, Dave Brandstetter
Summary: Dave left dozens of clues along the way. It was too bad Carl never picked up on them. Or did he?
I reviewed the Dave Brandstetter series a little earlier, here--it's one of my favorite mystery series. Dave, a gay insurance investigator, has a rather complicated relationship with his father in canon. They love each other, but have problems connecting with and understanding each other, and Dave's father Carl seems not to have fully accepted Dave's sexuality, though he knows that Dave is gay. This wasn't always the case, since one of the books mentions that one of Carl's many marriages ended because he was jealous of how close his young wife grew to Dave, and Dave felt that he could have saved the marriage if he'd had the courage to come out to his father at the time.
Because of that, I've often wondered how and when Dave came out to his dad (or perhaps, how and when the dad figured out on his own that Dave was gay). So I was really delighted to see this story, where the author deals with that issue and expands on Carl and Dave's complicated relationship. After reading this, I can totally believe that Carl knew all along, and simply ignored what he didn't want to believe. I also quite liked Storyfan's observation of Carl in the comments: I used to think that Dave got his confidence from his father, but after writing this story I wonder about that — confident men don't commit serial marriage. Carl now strikes me as a man who is afraid to be alone and who is afraid of dying. His younger and younger wives are supposed to make him feel young, but they don't quite do the trick. I hadn't really thought of it that way before, but it makes perfect sense and gives me a little more insight into Carl. Perhaps the marriage to Lisa would not have worked even if Dave had come out, not just because Carl already knew (consciously or not) that Dave was gay, but because Carl's fear of loneliness and death could not have been completely eased by any woman.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the story and the meta thoughts that it inspired.
Forgotten Realms
There were two stories based on the Forgotten Realms novels featuring Danilo Thann (the Song and Swords series), that are based on the old Advanced Dungeons and Dragons game. It was an entertaining series and well worth the read if you enjoy (mostly) light-hearted fantasy. The main characters are Arilyn, a half-elven swordswoman, and Danilo, a bard who poses as a foppish, foolish nobleman as part of his cover for the Harpers, a sort of secret society that works to fight evil in the world of Forgotten Realms. Elaith Craulnober is a rogue elf of dubious morality with a connection to Arilyn's past; he is at times an adversary and at other times an ally to Danilo and Arilyn. The original paperbacks are out of print, but are available as Kindle ebooks for less than $6.00 if you want to give them a try.
Lady Cassandra's Fears (1305 words) by Silverfox
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Danilo/Arilyn
Characters: Danilo Thann, Elaith Craulnober
Summary: Elaith goes to find out why the birth of another grandchild has made Lady Cassandra Thann seem worried rather than happy.
Wonderful post-canon fic with both humor (the banter between Danilo and Elaith) and a touch of angst, when we learn why Danilo's mother is less than happy with her new part-elven grandchild. It's great to get a glimpse of these characters in the future, though now it's making me want to read a longer fic about how Lady Cassandra deals with the fallout of little Arun's birth.
A Winter Journey (10160 words) by Silverfox
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Forgotten Realms
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Danilo Thann, Elaith Craulnober
Summary: In the winter after the events of Elfsong Elaith and Danilo find themselves unwilling travelling companions once again. Unfortunately each other isn't the worst they will have to cope with on this trip either.
Another story by the same author--great fun to read, and it feels like it could be a missing chapter from the books! Once again, I loved the humor--particularly Elaith's irritation at Danilo's endless chatter. I really love seeing these two sort-of enemies being forced to work together, and the author makes very clever use of D&D tropes, such as Danilo carrying around firewood in his bag of holding.
Ichigenme... The First Class is Civil Law
And Riches Untold (1033 words) by misura
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ichigenme... The First Class is Civil Law
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Tamiya Kensuke/Tohdou Taka-aki
Characters: Tamiya Kensuke, Tohdou Taka-aki
Summary: A conversation at the dinner table.
I love this yaoi manga by Fumi Yoshinaga, a story about two male law students who fall in love. The series is only 2 volumes long, so it was great to see more of the characters in fanfic here! The author has the characters' voices down very well, with Tamiya being so practical and Tohdou wanting a little more romance and reassurance. A lovely fic that really feels like a missing canon scene--go check it out! It's only got a couple of comments, and it deserves more love than that. If you haven't read the original, you should check that out too--it's a very well-written story about two mature men, or perhaps in the first volume, two young men growing into maturity, and it avoids most of the typical BL stereotypes.
In Death - J.D. Robb
My gift story was Reminder in Death, which I have already recced here. It's an awesome fic that feels like it could really be canon, so check it out if you like the novels!
There was also another fic written in this fandom:
Moments in Death (1869 words) by celli
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: In Death - J. D. Robb
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Eve Dallas/Roarke, Eve Dallas & Delia Peabody
Characters: Eve Dallas, Roarke (In Death), Delia Peabody, Lawrence Summerset, Galahad (In Death)
Summary: Dispatch! Dallas, Lieutenant Eve. Darling. Selected excerpts from the next In Death novel.
The author has the voices down perfectly, and I particularly enjoyed the humorous exchange between Eve and Peabody (“Peabody, should I know about your ass?”) in the 2nd excerpt! I also like how the author portrayed the way that Eve and Summerset care deeply about each other, though they'd never admit it. The fic is presented as excerpts from a new In Death novel, and my only complaint is that I wish could read the entire "novel"!
New Amsterdam
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy (1315 words) by snakeling
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: New Amsterdam
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: John Amsterdam, Omar York
Summary: Omar likes to associate his father to the happy events in his life.
The canon is a TV show in which the main character, John Amsterdam, has been gifted--or cursed--not to die until he meets his true love. After centuries of immortality, he longs to live out a normal lifespan, and is desperately searching for that "true love." Omar, a jazz club owner, at first seems to be something of a father figure to John, but we eventually discover that Omar is John's son by a woman he married in the 1940s.
One of the things I liked most about the show was the relationship between John and Omar, so it was nice to see a story focusing on the bond between them--it was really moving and tender. I don't know if it had something to do with his immortality, but John could sometimes be immature and self-centered (young in mind as well as body?), so it was also nice to see that he gained some maturity in this post-canon fic, and has stopped obsessing about finding his true love, realizing that you can love more than one person.
Pegasus - Robin McKinley
Your Friends Come Flying (2853 words) by Jougetsu
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Pegasus - Robin McKinley
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sylvii/Ebon
Characters: Ebon, Sylvi, Niahi
Summary: Sometimes it takes a little while to get to where you're going.
The book ended on a heartbreaking cliffhanger with no sequel yet in sight, so I've been craving fanfic that would resolve what happens to Syvlii and Ebon. This lovely fic does just that: it was wonderful to see Sylvii and Ebon getting back together again, and I loved seeing Ebon flying to Sylvii on a secret rescue mission!
Person of Interest (TV)
He knows if you've been bad or good... (6334 words) by sally
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Person of Interest (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Harold Finch, John Reese, Joss Carter, Lionel Fusco, Root (Person of Interest), The Machine (Person of Interest)
Summary: ...so be good, for goodness sake!
A wonderfully hilarious Christmas fic that is full of awesome: the Machine acting on its own and having a sense of morality! Root working for the Machine...both intriguing and scary. I bust out laughing when John's new security job turned out to be a mall store Santa! There is also a hilarious prank involving John and Fusco and a Justin Bieber T-shirt. ;-) Also, any mention of Bear makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
There are a lot of other Person of Interest fics this Yuletide, but I haven't had time to read the others yet. I've seen some recced around the Yuletide comm, so I'm hoping to get to them soon!
Ristorante Paradiso
It Pays to Ask (2212 words) by quietcuriosity
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ristorante Paradiso
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Nicoletta (Ristorante Paradiso)/Santo Claudio Paradiso
Characters: Santo Claudio Paradiso, Nicoletta (Ristorante Paradiso), Luciano de Luca, Furio (Ristorante Paradiso), Gabriella (Ristorante Paradiso)
Summary: Months later, Nicoletta still doesn't know where she stands with Claudio. She intends to find out.
The original fandom is a manga in which Nicoletta travels to Italy in order to confront her estranged mother, but ends up falling in love with an older waiter at her stepfather's restaurant. This fic is a lovely post-canon story in which Nicoletta resolves to take her somewhat ambiguous relationship with Claudio to the next level. The manga left me wondering what happened between them, and this answers that question very nicely. The author captures their personalities very well, and Nicoletta's impatience and Claudio's hesitation are both very much in character.
Tron - All Media Types, Tron: Legacy (2010)
Whatever Makes You Happy (1823 words) by Amethyst Shard
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Tron - All Media Types, Tron: Legacy (2010)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Ed Dillinger Jr./Sam Flynn
Characters: Sam Flynn, Edward Dillinger Jr.
Summary: For the first time, in a long time, Sam is happy. Really happy. Ed Dillinger Jr. may or may not have something to do with it. Sam is admitting nothing.
When I first saw this pairing nominated for Yuletide, I was quite intrigued by the idea of two old enemies' sons falling in love (and was also intrigued by the brief glimpse of Dillinger's son in the movie), so I was very happy to find this fic! The natural assumption would be that Sam and Ed would be enemies like their fathers, so I love that they go against type by being friendly rivals and lovers, and that their absent fathers have given them something in common. I really enjoyed this fic, though selfishly, I wish that it was longer because I'd love to see more of Sam and Ed.
Yotsuba to! | Yotsuba&!
Four Stories (1017 words) by serenissima
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Yotsuba to! | Yotsuba&!
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Ayase Ena, Hayasaka Miura, Ayase Asagi, Ayase Fuuka, Takeda Takashi (Jumbo), Koiwai, Koiwai Yotsuba
Summary: There are many theories about where Yotsuba is from and why she is the way she is. Some of them may even be true.
I love the manga, and I've always wanted to know where Yotsuba came from, and perhaps, what exactly she is (if not a normal human girl), so I really enjoyed this! (I'm kind of half convinced she might be an alien from outer space, myself. ~_^) I'm intrigued by the possibilities presented, and I loved the banter between Jumbo and Fuka--two of my favorite characters--which felt very much like canon. Also loved the way that at the end, Yotsuba takes everything in stride, just as she does in the manga.