Recs For All Occasions

Figure Skating RPF

In better light everything looks clearer (8921 words) by sophiahelix - Javier Fernandez/Yuzuru Hanyu

A slow-burn romance that's really more of a character study. This is quiet and intimate and lovely.

Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF

On Location (1278 words) by Roga - Anthony Mackie/Sebastian Stan, Tom Holland

In which everybody, at some point, has a Chris Evans problem. Well, almost everybody.

Call Me By Your Name RPF

Take Me Home (Home Where I Belong) (12421 words) by th_esaurus - Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet/Armie Hammer/Elizabeth Chambers

This is the kind of beautifully written, gentle, poly hopefulness I needed to end my year with.

FiveThirtyEight Journalism RPF

Outlier: A FiveThirtyEight Chat (1139 words) (archive locked) by implicated2 - Harry Enten/Nate Silver

Delightful holiday romantic silliness in a spot-on imitation of a FiveThirtyEight chat transcript.

Hamilton/In The Heights/Freestyle Love Supreme RPF

The Crack of the Dawn (4858 words) (archive-locked) by stickmarionette - Christopher Jackson/Lin-Manuel Miranda

Mutant superhero AU case fic with a serious meet-cute. I love Chris's deeply bemused yet charmed initial impressions of Lin.

Vantablack pigment feud RPF

Context

Color Theory (2257 words) by blahblahwhy - Stuart Semple, Anish Kapoor

There is a strong argument to be made that there is nothing in the world more wanky and pretentious than artists statements. This is the distilled essence of that pretentiousness in fic form and it is wonderful.

Black 2.0 (2153 words) (archive-locked) by Anonymous - Anish Kapoor/Stewart Semple

Creepy and surreal, first-person, quasi-lovecraftian supernatural weirdness.

Deeply Strange Deep Sea Animals Anthropomorfic

letting the stranger in (1061 words) by Addison R - Original Male Character/Original Male Character

Adorable domestic ficlet about a stranded Greenland shark selkie and the bartender who takes him in.

Space Exploration Anthopomorfic/Historical RPF

7:55:46 AM, EDT (1090 words) by ohtempura - Cassini (Saturn Orbiter), Planet Saturn, Giovanni Cassini

In which Giovanni Cassini gets to learn exactly how far science has come, and meet the beautiful piece of technology that was given his name. Pure fictional joy.

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.