#yuletide2019

[idanit]

Yuletide 2019 recs

Yuletide 2020 is upon us, so what better way to get into the spirit than to finally finish that rec post I started compiling months and months ago? For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, Yuletide is an annual exchange centred around small fandoms and I love it fiercely. If you have canons you love, but which don’t have much of a fandom, there’s no better way to get some content for them than to participate.

Yuletide 2019 was the first edition I took part in and I read around 60 stories from the collection. These are my favourites, loosely grouped by canons or themes. There’s some experimental stuff, some crack treated seriously, some fluff, some character studies, and lots of excellent writing and cool concepts inside. The fics are mostly very short and most of them are inspired by book canons because I’m me.

Girls from past centuries, now older

A niveous vignette, or a snow story Anne of Green Gables | T (F/F) | 1K Cozy winter fluff you can wrap around yourself like a blanket. Anne and Diana live together and Rachel Lynde makes sure the rest of Avonlea doesn’t whisper a single bad word about it.

A teacher’s work is never done Anne of Green Gables | G (F/F) | 0.3K ...and this is what Anne’s teaching life could be like if she lived with Diana. I loved this little glimpse into how an older queer person might support a stray younger one.

Altogether Too Queenly Anne of Green Gables | T (F/F) | 2K  Katherine Brooke longs for Anne Shirley despite herself. It was a really nice character study and Katherine is sometimes altogether too relatable.

Discipulae A Little Princess | G (F&F) | 6K Sara uses her fortune to learn new things and encourages Becky, who remains faithfully at her side, to also acquire new skills. They make sure that those who might be less fortunate have good lives, as they always did. It was a lovely and a wholly believable extension of the canon.

Secrets You Keep Alice in Wonderland | G | 0.1K And, at last, a little 100-word snack. Alice from Wonderland, grown up. I love the first sentence.

Children

Stretched Too Thin His Dark Materials | G | 1K This was a fic with some of my favourite things from this canon: Lyra’s Oxford years, rulebreaking, rooftopping, shapeshifting, and a focus on the relationship between her and Pan. Very nice.

Free To The People. A Series of Unfortunate Events | G | 1K An excellent Snicket voice. The Baudelaires in a library.

Iconic male duos of classic literature

Ubi sunt gaudia Raffles | G (M/M) | 5K  Raffles and Bunny and Christmas in the countryside, quite atmospheric.

Relics Frankenstein | G (M/M) | 5K Written like the novel is written—serious, heavy, slow and so good. Victor is dead, but Robert can’t move on just yet. The necessary conclusion of this one made something in me want to protest, which just goes to show that the fic made me feel things.

The Vast Unknown Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea | G | 3K Aronnax doesn’t leave and things have to change. It reads like Verne, in a very good way, and contains some linguistic tidbits I really enjoyed.

beautiful meanings in ugly things The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde (Comics), The Picture of Dorian Gray | T (M/M) | 5K What delightful writing and characters. The investigation runs parallel to the romance, one complementing the other.

Full House 221B Baker Towers | NR | 9K A casefic made all the more interesting by the setting and the characterizations of John and Sherlock. I wish there was more of this to read.

beneath closed eyelids I do not cease to guard this  A Study in Emerald | T (M/M) | 2K A character study of Watson. I really liked the loving, desperate arms this fic extends towards the canon, once-removed (the Arthur Conan Doyle’s one) at the end.

Ancient times

New Under Heaven Akkadian Empire RPF | G | 0.3K Enheduanna was the first poet we know the name of. This is an intriguing triple drabble, a glimpse into what she might have been like.

Easy to Love Tanakh | G (M/F, M/M) | 1K This one has an extremely unusual narrative voice for a fic—one of an experienced, loud, oral, old-timey storyteller. It’s short, it’s chilling, it has an interesting idea, it reminds me of what fanfic can do as a piece of transformative writing.

Aliens, magic, ghosts and sentient vehicles

Strange Fandom Strange Planet | T | 0.1K A bite-sized explanation of what fics are, Strange Planet-style. 

Ain Humans Are Space Orcs (meme) | G | 1K Blessed be confusion! Two species meet on a planet that has been saved from a supernova blast. A fascinating glimpse into what feels like a rich world.

The Bargain 19th Century CE German Literature RPF | G | 4K There’s music and magic and deals made with folk creatures. I really enjoyed the main character—rational, but still a child with a childlike imagination—and the place art has in this world.

Rotten Heart Behind You (webcomic) | T | 5K  This one has a very fun protagonist for a ghost story and some enjoyable trope subversions. I called it a student gothic, the giftee called it an academic thriller.

12foot4 11Foot8 Bridge (anthropomorphic) | G | 2K An adorable story (very nicely) written for a cracky prompt. Cars and bridges are sentient and surprisingly relatable.

The Author of the Acacia Seeds

An Orchid Keeps Its Secrets G | 1K Art can sometimes transcend species. Orchids write fanfiction. I loved this so much—a worthy fic to a great canon.

Mother Bonesplitter's Children G | 2K This one is just as worthy. It’s a fictional academic paper related to a paradigm-shifting fictional conference about some fascinating ideas and hyenas.

4′33″

Portable 4′33″ G | 0K For starters: the experience of the piece, presented as an app/game for our modern sensibilities.

273 Moments of Silence. G (F/F, F/M) | 2K Sentences full of silence that IMO could work as guided meditation.

John Cage Collaborates with the Archive's Terms of Service G | 0K Socratic dialogue. Is 4'33" music? Is this a fanfic?

The Sound Of A Yuletide Fic Not Being Written. G | 1K And a fun meta thing to finish it off. If you’ve ever struggled with your Yuletide assignment, you will probably relate.

[hello-delicious-tea]

Dear Yuletide Author

Dear Yuletide Author,

We’re starting another Yuletide! I’m very excited, and I hope you are too! I’ve been doing this for... the last decade... and it continues to be a source of pleasure (and stress) each holiday season.

Hopefully, the following ideas will be more pleasure than stress for you!

For Gilgamesh, I would love, love, love Ereshkigal and Ishtar sister!fic - rivals, friends, mortal enemies as they were. Perhaps they are discussing Gilgamesh and Enkidu - Gilgamesh does ask Ereshkigal to walk beside him after his death, after all, and Inanna was rather famously rejected by him. I would also love Gilgamesh/Enkidu because THERE IS NOT ENOUGH. Or something about my pet conspiracy theory, that Shamhat and Ishtar/Inanna and Siduri are all faces of one goddess, guiding her chosen mortal on his path to becoming the great king he is meant to be. Throughout the text, we see these women intervene, ever so gently (mostly) at key points in the narrative - I’d love to see this pet theory of mine developed and expanded I LOVE GILGAMESH OKAY

If you’re more into the middle-grade mysteries, I’ve always wondered about the experience of parenting Daisy. It must be an extremely challenging role, and it’s not one her parents always or often rise to, as flawed and as odd and as engaging as they are. I’d love a fic from the perspective of one or both of her parents. OR A FIC WHERE MISS FISHER INDUCTS DAISY AND HAZEL INTO THE ADVENTURER'S CLUB AND HIJINKS ENSUE. OR PREVIOUS HIJINKS LEAD TO INDUCTION. CROSSOVER OF MY DREAMS.

Finally, if your taste tends to ridiculous paranormal romance under the thin veneer of plot, one of the things I love about this ridiculous show (and the equally, if not more, ridiculous series) is the women. I'd like to see a fic where Sophie and Diana spend some time together - doing what, I do not care. Or, if this is something you’re comfortable with, I’d really, really, really like to see Satu from the show - they’re doing something very different with her and I am more than intrigued. Where is she going in her character development? She is capable of so much more empathy than in the series, and she seems to be growing into her own form of wisdom - and her own role as a weaver. (just... no Benjamin, please) I’d like to see her confront her own fears and desires - and her own past actions towards Diana.

Things I’m into include sibling relationships, slash (explicit is totally fine, femslash is also totally fine), fluff, philosophy, internal conflict, characters who do wrong to do right, moral ambiguities, struggles to be noble - look, my favorite Shakespeare is Henry V. I have a thing.

Things I’m not into: incest, noncon, dubcon (unless explicitly condemned and wrestled with), watersports, smoking, denigrating language in a sexual context, cruelty for the sake of cruelty.

I can’t wait to see what you write!

Yours,

Hello-delicious-tea (colourofsaying)

[kenjimichael]

Maligayang Pasko! #maligayangpasko #joyeuxnoël #merrychristmas #happyholidays #yuletide2019 #christmastree #gifts #furface #merryandbright #grateful #lavieestbelle #lifeisbeautiful #instatree #greatestgiftofall #redandgreen #worldpeace #happiness #bff #petlove (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6hKvQfhQ50/?igshid=1gs7ey6m81jfw

[rqlalcr16]

Christmas it is 😊🌲 Thanks to my sister, @navikoolit & my cousin, @rryche88 💞 #Yuletide2019 (at Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6eq5e1DZMH/?igshid=pze3eteglmij

[seeyayon]

This beauty is Podium's display for #yuletide2019 Thanks Weng for taking a photo for me, it's just across the street but I have not had the chance to go over to see you in person. But I promise I'll go meet you before #christmasday 🙏 Green, silver and gold 💜 #paskongpinoy #christmasaroundtheworld #christmasfeels #christmasdisplays #christmas2019 #happyholidays #itsmyfavoritetimeofyear #itsthemostwonderfultimeoftheyear🎄 (at The Podium) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5vEF5EHOOlN6Is7KUOHXBEHVlOK04r8qu01sk0/?igshid=ycr07qadebus

[joeygalon]

Happy Holidays✨✨🎄 #yuletide2019 #christmas #christmas2019 #holidayseason #happyholidays #tistheseason #joeygalonatelier #joeygalon #gowndesigner #fashiondesigner #costumedesigner #weddinggowndesigner #realitytvpersonality #fashiontvreporter #fashiontvcorrespondent #designer #artist #filamfashiondesigner #costumedesigner #customdesignedgowns https://www.instagram.com/p/B5rl0cDHtpH/?igshid=conatrfiam12

[herawell]

I now have a spreadsheet with the 45 or so fandoms I narrowed it down to, sub-organized by priority and I am manually entering in how many requests & offers each one has so far.

Did I make a word doc with all the Yuletide fandoms and methodically check each one so that I might know every single possible one? Why yes I did.

[leguin]

someone wrote me an extremely good 6k fic for the fall (2006) for yuletide!

[coppermarigolds]

Happy New Year! I’m not sure if this fic will be of interest to anyone who follows me, but this was my Yuletide assignment this year: 2017 horror film The Ritual, a take on the monster-in-the-woods scenario which has become one of my favorite tropes in recent years (thanks to one Supermassive Games). I discovered this movie when I saw a Tumblr gifset and immediately thought that is the coolest, creepiest monster design I’ve ever seen. So this request for a post-canon scenario was a treat to write.

[theguyinwhite]

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home alone for the holidays . . 🥺🎄❄️ #TheGuyInWhite #Yuletide2019 #NewYear https://www.instagram.com/p/B6neAZPhq8Dx95aRdmSVgrXjC6ZLdeXWbmitho0/?igshid=11735biwctbat

[arjeibrapadas]

Merry Christmas!!! ❤️❄️💚 #Yuletide2019 https://www.instagram.com/p/B6eF43-FWLgcxGNPFeAa9H1KMFXxOIOBvmczic0/?igshid=1wku1dzya409f

[jaimepintojr]

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“Holiday Break 🎄🎄🎄” #kurdapya #yuletide2019 #christmas2019 #familyislove #thankful #happiness #blessed #spreadlove (at Unit E21 Building 97, Dar Al Arkan Residences) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6X3ZSbp9Xa/?igshid=1hg7f72l1pa3p

[kenjimichael]

Réveillon de Noël #reveillondenoel #christmaseve #yuletide2019 #christmasiscoming #nochebuena #nomnom #foodporn #foodpornography #avecmoncheri #dtla #raclette #fromage #happytummy #charcuterie #quichelorraine #prosciutto #steaktartare #boudinnoir #saumonfumé #andouillette #saucissedetoulouse #horsdoeuvres #lavieestbelle #love #holidayseason #champagne #lifeisbeautiful #amusebouche (at Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6fcafRl15y/?igshid=4s6l286jgyiw

[rqlalcr16]

Christmas at home....before my shift tonight 😊 #Yuletide2019 #RainyChristmas🌧️☔️ (at Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6ejUKbjXLr/?igshid=1ar3h51zvr4k2

[seeyayon]

After seeing these photos from @cringkles I think I want to go visit Powerplant l soon. 😍 Traffic please be kind so I can go to Makati and enjoy their #yuletide2019🎄 displays too. 🤞 #paskongpinoy #christmasaroundtheworld #christmasfeels #christmasdisplays #christmas2019 #happyholidays #itsmyfavoritetimeofyear #itsthemostwonderfultimeoftheyear🎄 (at Power Plant Mall) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6DsVxSHgYi5oTEt_SeOIyCB8yiLITWtRAaeh40/?igshid=1psas763gq626

[kattahj]

The gift I got for Yuletide

After years of requests, I finally got a Topkapi fic, and it's lovely! Flat Beautiful, by an unknown author that I appreciate very much, even more so because this is such an obscure little corner to write in. Please, go read the story and give some feedback, to help me make this person feel appreciated!