Yuletide Recs, Part 1
Dec. 28th, 2010 09:49 amI did some archive hopping, trawled other people's rec lists, and finally settled on systematically working my way up from Z (I'm currently in S!), so this first set is a bit of a grab bag:
History of Film (Community, gen/bob): "Awesome," Jeff says. "Listen, Troy, you can stay here and worry about how gay you might look in those chaps, or you can come watch a man – maybe two – take a pie to the face. I know which one I'm going to do." || For me! So nice I've recced it twice.
Special Seminar in Romantic Comedy (Community, Troy/Abed): Abed realized he loved Troy when the two of them were standing in Shirley's kitchen. He was placing a precise line of candies across the top of a cupcake when it occurred to him that they were decorating six dozen of those cupcakes for a bake sale, to raise funds for a purpose that defied easy explanation, which was why Annie was in the next room making posters that lied about it.
Halves and Holes (Final Fantasy 6, Terra/Shadow): She could tell the exact minute the magic had left her, its last life-throes, because her body would relax – but there was no release in it; it was the softening of defeat, a dull ache of loss, and Terra would lie in bed with her muscles throbbing an awkward symphony and stare at the ceiling. || I'm not sure I can coherently express how much I love this fic. FF6 is one of my oldest and most beloved canons and this story does it justice - magic has left the world and everything (and everyone) is a little broken, but that doesn't stop them from moving forward. Amazing world-building, amazing characterizations, and *long* (27,000 words long).
Wizards in Winter (Birds of Prey (DCU)/Young Wizards, gen): It was a simple assignment--clean a lake of toxic sludge. But when Kit & Nita decided to try a more 'creative' solution, they ended up chasing a garbage-eating alien through an impossible town, with the help of some rather unusual new friends. || I didn't know I wanted this crossover until I got it.
Four Seasons (Oglaf, Lesbian Mercenary/Snow Queen): “Really.” Oyun sighed. It just wasn't working. “Look, drop the shape. Do the one you had before. The hot fiscal one. No - not the moneybag head! A real head! A human head, Aron!” || Glee, glee everywhere - the hot lesbian mercenary and the snow queen are my two favorite Oglaf characters and this is an excellent continuation of their stories. Plus world-building! And a surprise crossover near the end!
Love Like a Cannonball (Sky High, Will/Warren): Being a superhero is harder on some days than others. Being a superhero in love with your best friend never gets easier. A series of scenes in the progression of Will and Warren's relationship.
Tales of the Bathhouse (Spirited Away, gen): Three stories of the bathhouse and its inhabitants. Gorgeous, gorgeous expansion of canon.
Like A Fairytale With Combat Boots (The Losers, Cougar/Jensen): the one where Jensen plays Sleeping Beauty, Pooch bakes, and everyone totally doesn't panic.
Moil and the Man: Sixty-Three Ways to be Heard Over the High King of Hoovers (Un Lun Dun, gen): Revolution seemed pretty easy sometimes, compared to all the work that came after. || Extreme bookaneering is my favorite forever.
Rasa (Un Lun Dun/Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Deeba/Haroun): See, here, there was a city — 1100 years ago they had baths and street lights and tooth paste. It was Islamic Spain then, and people went to Baghdad and they had libraries and factories and a port and markets. But it fell apart. Got sacked and burned. And the abcity's been getting smaller for 900 years, but it's still been here. || The language and imagery here is lovely and perfect for both canons.
Grandpa (Up, gen/bob): "I was wondering if I could call you Grandpa. It's okay if I can't. It's just, both my grandpas that I already have are dead, and I sort of think of you like one and you show me stuff and you let me come over and you help me with my homework and you know everything and--"
Relative Terms (or, Not Exactly Christmas Elves) (Young Avengers, Billy/Teddy): It started, like a lot of things, with Teddy being the best boyfriend ever.
Yay!
History of Film (Community, gen/bob): "Awesome," Jeff says. "Listen, Troy, you can stay here and worry about how gay you might look in those chaps, or you can come watch a man – maybe two – take a pie to the face. I know which one I'm going to do." || For me! So nice I've recced it twice.
Special Seminar in Romantic Comedy (Community, Troy/Abed): Abed realized he loved Troy when the two of them were standing in Shirley's kitchen. He was placing a precise line of candies across the top of a cupcake when it occurred to him that they were decorating six dozen of those cupcakes for a bake sale, to raise funds for a purpose that defied easy explanation, which was why Annie was in the next room making posters that lied about it.
Halves and Holes (Final Fantasy 6, Terra/Shadow): She could tell the exact minute the magic had left her, its last life-throes, because her body would relax – but there was no release in it; it was the softening of defeat, a dull ache of loss, and Terra would lie in bed with her muscles throbbing an awkward symphony and stare at the ceiling. || I'm not sure I can coherently express how much I love this fic. FF6 is one of my oldest and most beloved canons and this story does it justice - magic has left the world and everything (and everyone) is a little broken, but that doesn't stop them from moving forward. Amazing world-building, amazing characterizations, and *long* (27,000 words long).
Wizards in Winter (Birds of Prey (DCU)/Young Wizards, gen): It was a simple assignment--clean a lake of toxic sludge. But when Kit & Nita decided to try a more 'creative' solution, they ended up chasing a garbage-eating alien through an impossible town, with the help of some rather unusual new friends. || I didn't know I wanted this crossover until I got it.
Four Seasons (Oglaf, Lesbian Mercenary/Snow Queen): “Really.” Oyun sighed. It just wasn't working. “Look, drop the shape. Do the one you had before. The hot fiscal one. No - not the moneybag head! A real head! A human head, Aron!” || Glee, glee everywhere - the hot lesbian mercenary and the snow queen are my two favorite Oglaf characters and this is an excellent continuation of their stories. Plus world-building! And a surprise crossover near the end!
Love Like a Cannonball (Sky High, Will/Warren): Being a superhero is harder on some days than others. Being a superhero in love with your best friend never gets easier. A series of scenes in the progression of Will and Warren's relationship.
Tales of the Bathhouse (Spirited Away, gen): Three stories of the bathhouse and its inhabitants. Gorgeous, gorgeous expansion of canon.
Like A Fairytale With Combat Boots (The Losers, Cougar/Jensen): the one where Jensen plays Sleeping Beauty, Pooch bakes, and everyone totally doesn't panic.
Moil and the Man: Sixty-Three Ways to be Heard Over the High King of Hoovers (Un Lun Dun, gen): Revolution seemed pretty easy sometimes, compared to all the work that came after. || Extreme bookaneering is my favorite forever.
Rasa (Un Lun Dun/Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Deeba/Haroun): See, here, there was a city — 1100 years ago they had baths and street lights and tooth paste. It was Islamic Spain then, and people went to Baghdad and they had libraries and factories and a port and markets. But it fell apart. Got sacked and burned. And the abcity's been getting smaller for 900 years, but it's still been here. || The language and imagery here is lovely and perfect for both canons.
Grandpa (Up, gen/bob): "I was wondering if I could call you Grandpa. It's okay if I can't. It's just, both my grandpas that I already have are dead, and I sort of think of you like one and you show me stuff and you let me come over and you help me with my homework and you know everything and--"
Relative Terms (or, Not Exactly Christmas Elves) (Young Avengers, Billy/Teddy): It started, like a lot of things, with Teddy being the best boyfriend ever.
Yay!