Recs For All Occasions

It's Yuletide season!!

I couldn't let myself go to bed without getting my Yuletide recs out there. Part of the joy and challenge of Yuletide is getting recs out before the author reveal, thus the lack of authors on the recs. As such these recs are hasty and shorter than is my wont and, of course, no authors are listed. I'll edit and link back to this post after the reveal to reflect authoral attribution.

It's once again a fabulous season for the small fandoms, so fabulous that I've put my recs behind a cut for length.

ETA: Edited to include author names.

In Which A New Child Comes to the Forest by loligo - A.A. Milne - Winnie the Pooh books -- In which a now grown Christopher Robin brings his own son to the forest where he used to play. A lovely little story about parents and children and how we all need our own little corner of the 100 Acre Woods.

Trousers by kadrin - Blackadder -- A silly baudy little story that reads like it could be a lost episode from the Elizabethan years. "Lord Edmund Blackadder was concerned about the state of his tights."

Four Yules for Jane Brailsford by ekaterinn - Caroline Stevermer - College of Magic Series -- A glimpse of four moments in the life of Jane Brailsford. This is the kind of character-centric fic I love, just these little slices of time that cut straight to the heart of the character. Also, I love this fic just for existing. This is one of the fandoms I was really hoping would spawn fic this year.

Grown Men Do Things Together by kattahj - Coupling (UK) -- Jeff expounds his theory on how straight men watching straight porn together is inherintly a little bit gay. Drop-dead hilarious and the author captures Steve's voice perfectly.

Too Young, Too Old by vongroovy - C.S. Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia -- What's it like to go back to being a boy when you still can distantly remember being a grown man and king? A perceptive look at the awkward place Edmund finds himself in in The Vogage of the Dawn Treader.

Faith by fanaticalone - C.S. Lewis - The Chronicles of Narnia -- Uncle Andrew dreams of Narnia and finds his way home. More than any other piece of Narnia fic I've ever read this story captures the spiritual feel and the faith at the heart of the books.

A Donne Deal by bronze_ribbons - Dorothy Sayers - Lord Peter Wimsey Series -- Peter and Harriet go to dine with the Honourable Freddy Arbuthnot and his wife Rachel. There is banter and wordplay and Donne and a little bit of a mystery thrown in.

Whither Thou Goest by niahm_sama - Dorothy Sayers - Lord Peter Wimsey Series -- Peter and Harriet's first Christmas together, snowed in at Talboys. A lovely evocative story that wondefully captures the feel and voices of Sayer's universe and characters.

Dear Friends and Ruin by mctabby - Frances Hodgsen Burnett - A Little Princess -- This is the kind of gem I look forward to finding in Yuletide. The story of Sarah's father and his friend Tom, in India and before. It's about love and friendship and the road to ruin and it's absolutely perfect.

Theseus and Ariadne Try Again by Vanzetti - Indiana Jones -- Marion Ravenwood has always been my favorite of Indy's love interests; she complements his strengths and has absolutely no time for his weaknesses. Here, Marion and Indy meet again, on the island of Crete, just in time for a German invasion. A great adventure in classic Indy style.

Even Later by sanj - Into the Woods -- The Ever after of the ever after. A short, perfect coda to the play.

Bed by jjtaylor - Laurie R. King - Mary Russell Series -- Holmes and Russell's changing relationship as shown in a series of moments on the periphery of sleep. Understated and lovely, only slightly marred by a somewhat abrupt ending.

Foolproof by millefiori - Lois McMaster Bujold - Vorkosigan Series -- Despite his best efforts, Ivan just can't keep himself from worrying about By Vorrutyer. The premise is a little forced but the conflicted Ivan point of view is priceless.

The Talent of Imose by shusu - Lois McMaster Bujold - Vorkosigan Series -- I love this story more than words can say. An Ivan-centric story that takes some of the most compelling loose ends left dangling around the Nexus and runs with them. A complex, twisty and tightly-paced plot, coupled with a stellar Ivan characterization makes this story a true delight from start to finish.

From Mathematics Further Off by fox1013 - Madeleine L'Engle Novels -- The mathematics of Meg's life. A lovely piece of character-exploration.

The Murmuring of Bees Has Ceased by gritkitty - Patrick O'Brien - Aubrey/Maturin Series -- Stephen's bees and a run in with some rather misguided French privateers make for a perfect little glimpse into Jack and Stephen's relationship and the value they place on each other.

Every Good Girl Does Fine by kissmeagain - Peanuts -- Every year it seems like there's one story that stands out as the piece everyone's reccing. This seems to be the one this year, and it's totally worth every rec. Yes, this really is Peanuts fic; not only that but it's the Peanuts gang all grown up. It's the story of Patty and Marcie's senior year of high school, so perfectly told I can see it all happening. They may be older but they are still utterly and completely themselves, from Patty's overdramatic gestures to Marcie's unflappable "sir"s and everything in between.

Two Must Be Twain by lyra_sena - Historical RPF -- It's Shakespeare/Marlow in iambic pentameter. Really, do I need to say any more?? Utterly and completely brilliant.

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by widget285 - Singin' in the Rain -- Don and Cosmo in the vaudeville days. A great look at their relationship and what keeps them together, with dialogue that simply sparkles.

In Bloom by ladyvyola - Stage Door -- A late night conversation between Jean and Terry that could have been written by Edna Ferber herself. The dialogue is razor sharp and I can almost see Ginger Rogers and Katherine Hepburn delivering the lines.