Yuletide recs 2020: Part 2!

[wakeupnew]

UNFIT TO PRINT - K.J. CHARLES
Brand New Chapter
(This is absolute perfection - Gil and Vikram continue to find their way together postcanon. Love stories that continue after the get-together or after the happy ending are my absolute kryptonite and this feels like the most natural continuation of the novella possible. It will forever in my mind be What Happens Next, to the point where every time I reread Unfit to Print [which is a lot], I'll now finish with a reread of this fic. Gil and Vikram are funny and stubborn and crushingly romantic here; they know each other so well and have known each other so long, but they're also still finding their way as romantic partners, and the author handles it all so beautifully. I love that Gil and Vik are able to work out potential conflict together, I love Sunil and the new bookshop and Satan. I can feel the care and the consideration that went into writing this as a story for me and I feel personally attacked in all the best possible ways!! The SOFTNESS, the yearning for someone who's right there with you, the domesticity, the kissing, Gil's hesitance as he lets down his walls and Vik awkwardly, tenderly trying to do right by him!!!! IT'S SO GOOD)

Upstairs, Vikram kissed him with a yearning that made Gil’s stomach flutter and his blood run hot. His fingers lingered on Gil’s face and curled into his hair, scratching at Gil’s skull and tugging lightly. Gil put his face into Vikram’s neck, mouthing at the hot and tender skin, as he shivered under Vikram’s big, elegant hands.

Satan was nowhere in sight, and Gil sent a prayer of thanks that the beast had disappeared at the most opportune time for once in his mangy life.

JANE EYRE - CHARLOTTE BRONTE
An Accomplished Lady
(Adèle reads Jane's autobiography. This is so lovely - Adèle's thoughts on herself and Jane and their relationship, realizing that Jane is not infallible, and especially Adèle planning for her own future now that she is a young woman are all beautifully written and moving. A perfect ending for Adèle. Also I deeply appreciated Adèle repeatedly dunking on Rochester in ways that are both extremely in-character and extremely deserved.)

“All young people wish to travel,” he said. “And I suppose young women in particular wish to marry. And the unfortunates who cannot hope for either of those must wish for a good situation. What do you wish for?”

I thought for a moment, picking at a loose thread on my gloves. I looked away from the house; the setting sun on the horizon behind was blinding.

“Adventure, sir.”

JONATHAN STRANGE & MR. NORRELL - SUSANNA CLARKE
Check Change Go!
(This is so funny and so depressing - magical bureaucrats wildly trying to mitigate the effects of magical Brexit. I cackled, because it's so well-written and also what else can you do?? The diplomatic fuck-you's from other countries are a delight.)

Due to failure to agree ongoing power share agreement:

Failure of some magical devices in very rare and isolated cases

We have proactively identified most of these and are confident that the majority are manageable

OUR TARGET IS NO CASUALTIES OR DEATHS ON DAY 1

JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS
Unlifestyles of the Rich and Famous
(A thoroughly delightful take on the cliffhanger at the end of season 1! The Caleb voice is perfect - arrogant and evil and grandiose. I laughed out loud!)

Luke's arm tightens around her shoulder as she glances over at Nick again. “We've got your back,” he promises.

“Always,” Alex agrees.

“I still think the holy water thing's promising,” Reggie says, sounding almost excited.

“I already did holy water,” Carlos protests.

KIPO AND THE AGE OF WONDERBEASTS
Good Science
(A delightful look at the world post-canon -- at Song and Lio figuring out how to parent a group of kids who are more capable than they are and at Song learning to be human again. The character voices and canon-style details are perfect. So funny and sweet!)

"It's not safe for any of you," Lio said, crossing his arms.

Wolf rolled her eyes. "Our call," she said tersely. She put one hand down onto Mandu's head.

"That's right," Dave chimed in. "If we want to - what are we doing again? whatever it was - we will not be turned aside or obstructed in our mission. But seriously, what was it."

Nobody answered, although Mandu snuffled at him supportively.

LILYWHITE BOYS SERIES/SOCIETY OF GENTLEMEN SERIES CROSSOVER - K.J. CHARLES
A Chance Encounter
(What a marvelous crossover! I loved Alec's conversations with both Silas and Dom, and seeing Silas and Dom's ease with each other through outside eyes. The character voices for all of them, including Jerry and Absalom, are wonderful, just right.)

Alec flushed. "He's very handsome, in a dignified older gentleman sort of way. Not that I want to, of course," he added hastily. "For that matter, I have hardly any idea what we'd do together, if we both like, well." He was positively cherry red, he was sure.

"It's a pretty picture, to think of two men like you, trying to make it work, just waiting for someone like me to join you and give you what you need," Jerry said lazily. "Not that I have any intention of sharing you, of course."

MIGHTY DUCKS
buddies
(Oh god, oh jesus, all I want from every ship is at least one truly excellent fic where they fall in love while co-parenting a child and this is it, we found it, we did it kids!!!! This is so fucking good. It's hysterically funny, sweet, and disastrous in turns in all the best ways. I'm obsessed with how much the two of them love each other and Charlie's - their - son Jem. Adam plays professionally for the Canes and all the hockey details and lingo are a joy. Hook me up to an IV of this years-long domesticity.)

“Holy fuck.” Adam drops onto the couch like he’s been shot, throws his duffel in the diminished pile of baby supplies by the door. Charlie figures he deserves a white knight who shows up unasked and then freaks out; it matches the rhythm of this last month. “You have an actual kid. Shit, Conway. That’s a real baby.”

Charlie blinks down at Jem, awake and pleasantly snuggly. Jem blinks back, and a surge of something heady zips down his spine. All the yawns he’s swallowed, gathered into a sharp knot in his stomach, dissipate.

OCEAN'S 8/OCEAN'S 11
crime wave
(I want to know EVERYTHING about Debbie and Danny's childhood now - what absolute mayhem that must have been. This has fabulous character voices and insights on their relationships with each other and with their respective partners. It feels so lived-in!)

Of course, somewhere deep inside Debbie is the seven year old girl who switched out all the toys in Danny’s toy box with replicas. It took the better part of six months and as much money as she could scrounge up, but Debbie’s willing to sacrifice a little for a good cause. They’re thieves; everything is better when it used to belong to someone else.

Plus, Danny had spilled jam on her favorite sweater and she was a little pissed. No matter how much she cleaned it, it was always faintly sticky after that.

POIROT - AGATHA CHRISTIE
The Murderer is Among Us
(A modern AU in which Hercule Poirot and co. turn to Among Us to entertain themselves during lockdown. The character voices are truly excellent, so funny, and all the small Among Us details cracked me up.)

“Hastings, for the last time, I will not join your discord! It has no order and method! The very name betrays its chaotic nature!” Poirot drew in a deep breath. “We will use the zoom, and I will set up the game now.”

“Oh, I’ve already created a private lobby and optimized the settings,” Miss Lemon said. “I’m putting the code into chat now.”

“Ah.” Poirot adjusted something on his desk. “Your efficiency is as pleasing as ever, Miss Lemon. Épatant, we shall commence.”

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE - CASEY MCQUISTON
today (or: henry tries to get alex to sleep)
(Alex isn't getting enough sleep in law school. Henry takes matters into his own hands. This is sweet and funny - Nora in particular had me hooting.)

Nora Holleran
just crush some sleeping pills into his protein shake

June Claremont-Diaz
that's fucked up

Nora Holleran
but effective!

Henry
I'm not going to put sleeping pills in his protein shake

Nora Holleran
good call it'll be better in his food

A Tall Drink of Moonshine
(This is just cute as hell. I loved the groupchat and I thought Henry and Alex's voices were great and funny!)

Henry tasted like garlic and tomatoes, and Alex made a “Mm” noise as he chased the taste further into Henry’s mouth. The remote was suddenly between him and some serious groping, so he tossed it in the general direction of the coffee table - it landed with a splat, possibly in the marinara sauce, he’d have to investigate later - and slid his hand down Henry’s side. “Messy,” Harry said, licking at a spot on Alex’s cheek.

“Is that a description or a request?” Alex managed to ask, and Henry laughed again, this time deeper.

SENS8
Just Three Things
(I'm so soft for the warmth and affection in this Rajan/Kala/Wolfgang fic! The character insights are really lovely - I loved Wolfgang matter-of-factly preparing for the worst, in his head, but then not actually having to; I loved Rajan's easy acceptance and curiosity.)

Kala reaches behind her for Wolfgang's arm, dragging it over her waist and encouraging him to nestle closer to her, and then Rajan takes his hand. Held between the two men, she is a little over-warm, but she's willing to endure some discomfort, considering the profound gift they have given her. The warmth also tempts her to close her eyes and drift back to sleep, until Rajan rolls over and sits up.

"Where are you going?" Kala asks.

"Breakfast should be coming soon, and at least one of us should be clothed enough to accept it without causing a scandal."

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Heart of Gold
(Such a brilliant epistolary fic! Archival notes on historical materials related to Cosmo Brown. Each piece feels like it was chosen with such care, and, taken together, they form a gorgeous story of Cosmo [and Kathy, and Don] through the years. The humor and Cosmo's witty voice is just right. This feels so lived-in and so real! I love the nods to queer history and I desperately wish that the fake movie here was real.)

Archivist’s note: the following three photographs were taken on the evening of the 6th Academy Awards, 16th March, 1934. The second photograph, in which Brown and Lockwood plant a kiss on each of Selden’s cheeks following her win, was published in Variety. The other two, in which the three repeat the pose for Brown and Lockwood’s wins, were not, and were only discovered in Brown’s archives later.

[Photograph one: Selden’s win. A handwritten note on the reverse reads “our pirate queen reigns supreme”]

[Photograph two: Lockwood’s win. A handwritten note on the reverse reads “a win for the king”]

[Photograph three: Brown’s win. The reverse shows different handwriting to the other photographs, and reads “our heart of gold is true”]

SIMON FEXIMAL SERIES - K.J. CHARLES
Ashen-tree, Ashen-tree
(Simon Feximal casefic! This felt like a missing short story from K.J. Charles - I don't want to spoil the resolution of the mystery but I legitimately gasped; clever and moving! And I loved Simon, Robert, and their family doing their best to give the ghost a proper sendoff.)

“We shall make it a night to remember,” I assured Simon firmly. A new thought surfaced, and I asked, “Do you think it will be dangerous at all? Nick and Judith said the ghost was a friendly one, just restless and mischievous.”

Simon frowned. “There’s always a chance, but in this case, I think the risk is small enough. Why do you ask?”

“I was just thinking,” I explained, a smile slowly creeping out over my expression, “we might make this a family affair.”

SINS OF THE CITIES SERIES - K.J. CHARLES
Christmas at Talleyfer's
(THIS IS THE LOVELIEST!! Perfect character voices for Clem and Rowley during a cozy winter evening at Talleyfer's. This fic embodies so much of what I love about Clem and Rowley's relationship - their regard for each other, their mutual appreciation of a quiet night in, and the give and take as they support each other.)

"I think I can face the decorations now," he said. "Or—I will still need help, I think. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Rowley stood up. "Can you tell me what the trouble is?" He knew that Clem would understand the question: he was asking if Clem knew why it was difficult as much as he was asking what the difficulty was.

"Let me think about it for a moment," Clem said, and Rowley waited.

SOCIETY OF GENTLEMEN SERIES - K.J. CHARLES
Accept a Double
(Listen, I didn't think to request Cyprian/Shakespeare/Will for Yuletide and I would like to thank the requester for their forward-thinking excellent taste and the author for sharing their immense talent. This is hot af and I love the character insights, especially Cyprian's reactions to Jon and Will.)

"All right." Jon started rubbing up and down David's back, friction warm against his skin. "I should have known he'd have a clever tongue. All that boot-licking he gets up to." David glared up at him, outraged, and Jon laughed, deep and booming.

Will laughed too. "Clever as he is, I'd think he'd get the lords to lick his."

That was more like it.

Repique
(Francis's take on some of the ups and downs of his friends' relationships. The piquet framing device felt very apropos and I loved all of the conversations and character voices!)

Francis smiled, although he doubted it was an especially nice smile. "Maltravers gave me a hard time the first day he met me and I couldn't provide an ancestor he wanted to recognize. I generally assumed no one disagreed with him until you punched him in the face at Michaelmas. And they didn't even belt you for it."

"Maltravers is a blight," Richard said with a sigh. "But why did you decide we were friends?"

"Richard," Francis said gently. "You punched the boy who was making my life a living hell. You punched everyone who gave me a hard time. Or Dom. Or anyone who didn't deserve it. Of course we wanted to be your friend."

Bring me my Bow of burning gold
(An absolutely marvelous Silas voice as he settles - or doesn't settle - in to Richard's household at Arrandene. Gorgeous expansion on canon and Silas's frustration and fury as he finds himself stuck in a situation that doesn't fit him, obliged to curb his tongue. THIS, AND I SAY THIS IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY, HURT ME GREATLY)

He wouldn’t have gone back to gaol if you paid him ten times what Lord Richard did. But in gaol he’d been angry, had been furious and on fire with it. He’d organized petitions of his fellow prisoners for better conditions, had smuggled out letters to the radicals’ wives who came to visit the lot of them who’d been sentenced. He’d done things, even as he’d been starved and frozen and locked away.

Now, full-bellied and warm and free, he wasn’t anything. Tongue cut, teeth pulled. Angry to no purpose and alien to the people he should’ve fit in with. And the one man who would’ve made it close to worth it hated him for what their relationship had turned him into.

Aye, well, Silas thought. Same here, Dom.

STAR WARS: X-WING SERIES - MICHAEL A. STACKPOLE AND AARON ALLSTON
Tonight We Party
(This Wedge introspection, complete with knowing interruption from Tycho, really hit the nostalgic spot, especially with the recent news about the Rogue Squadron movie. I loved the details about the Rogues lost, and explicitly tying Rogue Squadron to the Rogue One crew. Also any mentions of Elscol Loro and Plourr Ilo fill me with joy.)

“So why don’t you let me mope?” Wedge grumbled.

“Because there’s no Rogue Squadron without you,” Tycho said. “You’re the heart of it, and everyone wants a chance to spend some time with you. So if you don’t come down, we’ll all just take turns coming up here. While we’re doing that, Janson and Hobbie will probably start a fight, start a bar crawl, or come up with some other plan that involves whoever is sober picking them up at the local jail.”