A Decade of Yuletide Gifts
Oct. 14th, 2016 04:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedibuttercupIn recognition of my eleventh year of participating in ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
yuletide, and the unusually swift assignment matching this year, have a meme! Herein find all 85,800 words I've written for 38 stories for the challenge since I first took up keyboard for it in 2006.
Yuletide 2006-2015: A Decade of Yuletide Gifts
(2006): 1 Fic
A Clock, Ticking — Equilibrium; John Preston/Errol Partridge
A lifetime of Prozium had left him without the vocabulary for so many simple things.
My first year participating! For many and varied reasons I sort of quailed at the prompt on this one, but I loved the canon, so I made it work. The feedback I got for it (and subsequent difficult-to-write Yuletide fics) is a big part of the reason I've kept participating in fic exchanges, and provided a foundation for the confidence to keep taking risks with my writing over the years.
(2007): 3 Fics
Five Crosses Michael Carpenter Never Bore — Dresden Files (novels); Michael Carpenter/Harry Dresden
Michael had a difficult question to ask. And he didn't think he was going to like the answer.
This one probably counts as the most stressful pairing prompt I've ever been given. But I found a way to work it that felt satisfying to me and also worked for the readers, and thus set the bar for me on what it'd take for me to ODAO or default (aka: I never have for yuletide).
The Man For The Job — The Mummy (1999); Jonathan & Rick
Jonathan hadn't left Hamunaptra empty-handed, after all.
The first Yuletide treat I ever wrote.
Paved With Good Intentions — Drive (TV 2007); Alex Tully
Alex wasn't crazy; he was hallucinating. There was a difference.
And the second. Oh, tiny fandom that died too soon: this is still the only non-crossover fic on AO3.
(2008): 2 Fics
Not-So-Mutinous Insurrection — DOOM (2005); Reaper/Sarge
The scents of powder, gun oil, human sweat, and spilled blood are everywhere around him. Not hell, then; and he's pretty sure heaven would be much cleaner.
The third year running I was assigned a slash prompt, which, statistically, what are the odds? It still makes me blush to reread, but I had some fun applying a bit of a fixit to the movie, and the recipient enjoyed it, and that's what counts.
Right Where to Find You — National Treasure Series; Ben Gates & Ian Howe
All things considered, a little attempted murder between partners was nothing.
A friendshippy fixit treat, because Sean Bean (who isn't dead at the end!)
(2009): 4 Fics
Respecting Tradition — Showdown in Little Tokyo; Johnny Murata/Chris Kenner (ish)
"Hey Kenner," Johnny said. "If we're going to keep sharing the last few seconds of our lives on a regular basis, there's something I should tell you."
This story marked the first time I consumed a new canon because I was not at all sure I could do the prompt I had matched on justice. It reminded me of my cracky love of Die Hard style cop movies and martial arts action and banter all in one source.
With These Two Hands — Trail of Glory - Eric Flint; Henry Crowell
They'd been the right men, in the right place, at the right time.
I still did the prompt I was matched on as a treat, of course; but it's a smaller and more conservative fic.
Strange Attractors — Jurassic Park (Movies); Alan Grant/Ian Malcolm
"That's just what a man likes to hear; that his best feature is his hat," Alan sighs dramatically.
Jurassic Park is one of my real go-to comfort movies. I love all the characters, and when I saw a prompt roll by that tickled my interest, they just started talking to me. My most-commented story that year.
Data Quality Management — Leverage; Alec Hardison
"Can I? Can I? Who do you think you're talking to?"
And finally a teeny Hardison treat, because I'd just discovered Leverage and was having a work-related issue that made writing fic from his POV a breeze. Also one of my more enduringly popular Yuletide stories.
(2010): 5 Fics
Keeping Busy Somehow — RED; William Cooper & Frank Moses
Cooper returned to his office late one afternoon to find the door slightly ajar and the lights already on inside.
I was really spoiled for choice in 2010; it was the first year I knew all of my requester's fandoms! This one's a warm little post-movie tag.
La Luna del Cacciatore — Alien vs Predator (2004); Alexa Woods & Scar
Fittingly, it's another hunter's moon when Alexa Woods' life tilts on its axis for the second time.
For the same assigned requester as the previous, because this is also one of my ridiculous comfort movies. Fixit-fic, because badass chick and honorable warrior, alien or otherwise, deserve their chance. :)
Building From the Ground Up — Ninja Assassin; Mika Coretti/Raizo
When Mika wakes up in the hospital, Ryan's there. Raizo isn't.
Continuing the theme of badass chicks and honorable warriors, which were my jam that year, I guess.
His Own Marking Cord — Four Dragons - Diana Dru Botsford; Yu Huang Shang Ti
And was that not the true measure of a god: that his name and his legacy be endlessly renewed and honored?
This treat was another risky fic for me in a lot of ways; it was doubly derivative (from a novel spun out from a TV show) and was based in a culture I knew very little about. But the concept and characters fascinated me, and the reception made it totally worth all the research put into it.
Just The Way He Likes It — Chronicles of Riddick/Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Riddick/Buffy Summers
Riddick is still settling in to his position as Lord Marshal when they find her.
This was just because, a last-minute snap-up from my friends-list that seems to have induced "...that should NOT work as well as it does" glee in an amusing number of people. Second most popular story that year, after the RED one, and, ah, let's just say not very anonymous. =)
(2011): 7 Fics + 1 NYR
I Whom You Seek — The Mummy (1999); Ardeth Bay & Rick O'Connell
"Any and all in your power, huh?" O'Connell replied. "If you'd caught me three years ago, I might have taken you seriously enough to take that oath, myself."
Oh, this movie series. ♥ This one is Ardeth-centric, so I also ended up doing a ton of research that doesn't really show (at least to Western audiences), but I had fun with it. The Medjai kind of fascinate me. Also Rick O'Connell, whom fandom rarely seems to take very seriously.
Testing the Leash — Grimm (TV); Monroe/Nick Burkhardt
Monroe had never really liked fairy tale protagonists. Their stories never ended well for guys like him.
New fandom love! I was kind of surprised by how well this treat was received, but I seem to have nailed the fanon-favorite slash couple early on. And people commented a lot on my treatment of sensory input.
Only the Journey is Written — The Mummy Returns (2001); Ardeth Bay
Ardeth has always known he would one day meet Rick O'Connell. He just hadn't known what face his brother would wear when he did.
Because my head was already full of Ardeth, and the prompt spoke to me.
The Only Puzzle Worth Solving — Star Wars: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn; Thrawn/Pellaeon (ish)
Thrawn knew the truth: winning an individual's spirit was a far more productive and lasting conquest than mere puppetry or physical subjugation.
My most-recced story that year. People seemed astounded that I tackled Thrawn's POV directly and effectively? It was definitely a challenge, but by now it should be clear that I kind of love those. ♥
So Few and Such Morning Songs — Grimm (TV); Marie Kessler
It might not be the way Grimms traditionally did things – but Marie would do what she had to do to ensure her nephew had a chance to survive.
I was fascinated by this character who'd only showed up in the first two episodes, and her impact on the plot. It took canon another half season to joss my wacky speculation; I half-wanted to continue it as an AU someday, but the last couple of seasons have been very frustrating to me.
The More I Find, The Less I Know — Person of Interest; Joss Carter
She had a name for him, finally. And a face, out from under the grime of beard he'd worn when she'd first met him.
The other new fandom of my heart that year. And another prompt I picked up from my friends list. Probably has the honor of being tied for least-anonymous thing I've ever written for the challenge; there were very few of us writing Joss Carter regularly at the time. A missing scene for the first season break; notable for the fact that I don't think it ever got jossed at all. My most kudo'ed story of Yuletide 2011.
Problem Solving in Complex Systems — Jurassic Park (Movies); Ian Malcom/Alan Grant/Ellie Sattler
"Is there such a thing as a Murphy's Law of Attraction?" Ellie grinned. "Because that would explain a few things."
Returning to the JP well with another warm little story that I grinned all through writing.
A True Test of Skill — Alien vs Predators: Prey - Steve and Stephani Perry; Dachande/Machiko Noguchi
She might be smaller than a female of his kind, ugly with her pale smoothness and oddly formed mandibles, but she was intelligent; she moved well; and they had walked the Path together. And she acted as a proper female would.
Returning to another facet of the Aliens vs Predator fandom to try my hand at another doubly derivative fic that fixit'ed a badass female and honorable warrior pairing. ♥ I ran out of time on it, but liked it enough to keep going and post it two weeks later to the NYR collection.
(2012): 8 Fics
let me tell you something (you already know) — The Expendables; Gunnar Jensen/Barney Ross
For Barney Ross, the Vilain mission ended more or less how it had begun: with an unexpected visitor in his private hangar.
I seem to have a theme of being assigned action movie male pairs to write for? This wasn't a pairing I saw the first time I watched the movies through, but I ended up half-convincing myself it was possible on the rewatch, which is always a mind-bendy experience. Also, I got to write a lot of sensory input again. The fandom didn't embrace it, but the recipient did seem to like it, so I called it a success.
the journey (not the destination) — Safe (2012); Luke Wright & Mei
Luke unfolds the map across the hood of the car, shaking out the sharp pleats and smoothing it flat with a brisk hand.
The gen Papa Wolf-fandom roadtrip treat of my heart! I leaped all over the prompt the moment I saw it. Alas, as with the Drive TV series, my fic is still the only non-crossover in the category on AO3.
on admin error {execute contingency plan} — Person of Interest; Joss Carter & Lionel Fusco
Joss had always known, since the very first time she'd engaged with the Man in the Suit instead of just chasing him, how things would eventually come to an end.
Unlike the previous year's Joss Carter fic, this one got did get, well, jossed. And included background main character death, a departure for me in Yuletide fic. But I put a lot into it - this is one of those fics that burned to be written - and it ended up netting the best reception of all my Yulefic that year. I still get new kudos on it; which is just as well, since I don't think I'll ever be able to make myself watch Season 5 of the source.
Not Real Good With Subtle — Lake Placid; Kelly Scott/Jack Wells
As it turns out, coming back from exile with my name all over the news was even less comfortable for the ex-boss and the ex-friend then having me around while they were making eyes at each other."
I just kept hitting prompts of joy that year, surfing the list for comfort fandoms. This one was so much fun to do: celebrating all the banter and the cute poured into a ridiculous giant monster movie!
Met In Her Aspect And Her Eyes — Snow White and the Huntsman; Snow White/The Huntsman
She stood on the balcony of the tower as he rode away, watching the tide's ebb flash up like jewels from the hooves of his borrowed destrier. He had his ghosts to lay to rest, even as she had hers. He would return.
Back before the fandom backed away from Snow White like she was the poisoned apple, I was really fascinated by the tone of this fairy tale adaptation, and immersed myself in it to write a Snow that didn't do the expected thing, but still got her happy ending.
It's Never Too Late (To Rewrite Your Story) — Hancock; Mary Embrey/Ray Embrey(/Hancock)
"So, hey. You never said," Hancock says out of the blue one night, after an especially busy evening in New York that had played out on the six o'clock news while the Embreys were eating dinner.
Did I mention I wrote eight fics again that year? I wish I had that kind of time and energy, these days. This one featured more banter and warm character interactions set after another blockbuster action movie, this time exploring the possible past of John Hancock as Horus.
Something Indefinable, Springing — Person of Interest; The Machine
The second best kept secret about the Machine is that ... it isn't one.
A tiny treat noodling on the nature of the Machine. AI points of view are intriguing to me; and for such a short fic, this one gathered a lot of kudos, so I guess they intrigue a lot of other people, too!
Playing With Fire — Melanie Rawn - Dragon Prince Trilogy; Ianthe of Princemarch & Sioned of River Run
The debt between them had been settled in Ianthe's favor at last.
And the seed of a potential AU for nostalgia's sake; I devoured those books back in college. I very much wished I had time to reread them to do the idea better justice, but the recipient seemed thrilled to be treated for it at all, so I was glad I went ahead and posted the little I had.
(2013): 3 Fics
We'll Take a Cup of Kindness Yet — Sleepy Hollow (TV); Ichabod Crane & Abbie Mills
Ichabod's eyes widened as he took in the frosted landscape. "Lovely," he said, "but not the best weather for maneuvers. Not even in a motorized carriage, I take it."
Your classic snowed-in-at-the-cabin tale, with bonus UST and historical facts vs. show canon, for that year's new fandom love. Not as popular as the other one below, but a very warm little fic.
In Learning, Teach; In Teaching, Learn — Sleepy Hollow (TV); Ichabod Crane & Abbie Mills
Four times Ichabod was caught off guard by modern technology, and one time he took Abbie back to the basics.
A 'five things' style, Ichabod vs. Modern Culture fic. My most popular Yulefic that year.
Tempered In the Fire of Your Eyes — Snow White and the Huntsman; Snow White/The Huntsman/William
In their footsteps, side by side by side, the kingdom begins to bloom anew.
Because I was still fascinated by the tone of this adaptation, and because Winter's War was not yet out: I chose to fill another non-traditional happily ever after prompt, this time with OT3.
(2014): 2 Fics
The Secret to Building Momentum (Is To Take One Day at a Time) — The Dresden Files (novels); Harry Dresden & John Marcone
For years, I'd lived under a death sentence for defending my own life. Who was I to throw stones at someone else who'd seen the trap he was mired in and chose to rip it down and start over?
My second longest Yulefic to date at 5,600 words; a slight canon-divergent AU that sets up a far different relationship between the two main characters. My most-kudoed and most-bookmarked Yuletide story ever; I guess I'm not the only one deeply invested in this canon!
(give me) things that don't get lost — The Expendables; Lee Christmas/Barney Ross
"This isn't just about Caesar, is it? You haven't been the same since Billy. You never really talked about that, either."
I'd been wanting to write a Barney/Lee ever since that Barney/Gunnar story I was assigned a few years back, and ended up seizing on a "finally got their shit together" type prompt, set post-E3.
(2015): 3 Fics
Lost to Be Found — Battle Creek (TV); Milt Chamberlain & Russ Agnew
The drive to the residence of one Gregory R. Jones, septuagenarian of mysterious origin, followed much the same pattern as similar ride-alongs had before: filled with idle bickering and speculations on the case, with the exception of a marked lack of the bitter undertones that had plagued their partnership since the beginning. As if everything had changed underneath, without changing on the surface at all.
I never really do casefic, because it takes so long to do one properly. Except last year: I was hooked enough on the show and inspired enough by the prompts that I ended up committing 10,000 words of casefic for my assignee, which I guess made it the perfect assignment! Tropey and friendshippy and a lot of fun, and the recip seemed to like it.
Ladies' Night Out in Battle Creek — Battle Creek (TV); Meredith Oberling + Erin Jacocks + Holly Dale + Kim Guziewicz
"I've expanded the rules for tonight," Kim said briskly. "No mentioning Russ; no mentioning Milt; for god's sake no one mention my ex-contractor or my ex-neighbor ... and absolutely no talk about work."
I still had more feels left over after writing the previous, so I mini-filled another Battle Creek prompt, for love of Guz.
now ask me a serious question — Ben Asher/Maggie Asher/Mike Banning
When you're born with "So you're our newest babysitter" written jaggedly across your abdomen and "I apologize, he really needs to get some new lines" slashing across your palm, it's pretty obvious that a) there's likely to be a significant age gap between you and your soulmates, and b) they'll already be together when you meet.
Because my head was already full of the movie due to research for my Small Fandom Big Bang. Also very tropey: a Soulmate-Marks AU fic (my first!) and a Maggie Lives fic, and overall my most popular Yulefic for 2015.
I should probably do one of these for gifts I've received, too; watch this space for that soon!
yuletide, and the unusually swift assignment matching this year, have a meme! Herein find all 85,800 words I've written for 38 stories for the challenge since I first took up keyboard for it in 2006.Yuletide 2006-2015: A Decade of Yuletide Gifts
(2006): 1 Fic
A Clock, Ticking — Equilibrium; John Preston/Errol Partridge
A lifetime of Prozium had left him without the vocabulary for so many simple things.
My first year participating! For many and varied reasons I sort of quailed at the prompt on this one, but I loved the canon, so I made it work. The feedback I got for it (and subsequent difficult-to-write Yuletide fics) is a big part of the reason I've kept participating in fic exchanges, and provided a foundation for the confidence to keep taking risks with my writing over the years.
(2007): 3 Fics
Five Crosses Michael Carpenter Never Bore — Dresden Files (novels); Michael Carpenter/Harry Dresden
Michael had a difficult question to ask. And he didn't think he was going to like the answer.
This one probably counts as the most stressful pairing prompt I've ever been given. But I found a way to work it that felt satisfying to me and also worked for the readers, and thus set the bar for me on what it'd take for me to ODAO or default (aka: I never have for yuletide).
The Man For The Job — The Mummy (1999); Jonathan & Rick
Jonathan hadn't left Hamunaptra empty-handed, after all.
The first Yuletide treat I ever wrote.
Paved With Good Intentions — Drive (TV 2007); Alex Tully
Alex wasn't crazy; he was hallucinating. There was a difference.
And the second. Oh, tiny fandom that died too soon: this is still the only non-crossover fic on AO3.
(2008): 2 Fics
Not-So-Mutinous Insurrection — DOOM (2005); Reaper/Sarge
The scents of powder, gun oil, human sweat, and spilled blood are everywhere around him. Not hell, then; and he's pretty sure heaven would be much cleaner.
The third year running I was assigned a slash prompt, which, statistically, what are the odds? It still makes me blush to reread, but I had some fun applying a bit of a fixit to the movie, and the recipient enjoyed it, and that's what counts.
Right Where to Find You — National Treasure Series; Ben Gates & Ian Howe
All things considered, a little attempted murder between partners was nothing.
A friendshippy fixit treat, because Sean Bean (who isn't dead at the end!)
(2009): 4 Fics
Respecting Tradition — Showdown in Little Tokyo; Johnny Murata/Chris Kenner (ish)
"Hey Kenner," Johnny said. "If we're going to keep sharing the last few seconds of our lives on a regular basis, there's something I should tell you."
This story marked the first time I consumed a new canon because I was not at all sure I could do the prompt I had matched on justice. It reminded me of my cracky love of Die Hard style cop movies and martial arts action and banter all in one source.
With These Two Hands — Trail of Glory - Eric Flint; Henry Crowell
They'd been the right men, in the right place, at the right time.
I still did the prompt I was matched on as a treat, of course; but it's a smaller and more conservative fic.
Strange Attractors — Jurassic Park (Movies); Alan Grant/Ian Malcolm
"That's just what a man likes to hear; that his best feature is his hat," Alan sighs dramatically.
Jurassic Park is one of my real go-to comfort movies. I love all the characters, and when I saw a prompt roll by that tickled my interest, they just started talking to me. My most-commented story that year.
Data Quality Management — Leverage; Alec Hardison
"Can I? Can I? Who do you think you're talking to?"
And finally a teeny Hardison treat, because I'd just discovered Leverage and was having a work-related issue that made writing fic from his POV a breeze. Also one of my more enduringly popular Yuletide stories.
(2010): 5 Fics
Keeping Busy Somehow — RED; William Cooper & Frank Moses
Cooper returned to his office late one afternoon to find the door slightly ajar and the lights already on inside.
I was really spoiled for choice in 2010; it was the first year I knew all of my requester's fandoms! This one's a warm little post-movie tag.
La Luna del Cacciatore — Alien vs Predator (2004); Alexa Woods & Scar
Fittingly, it's another hunter's moon when Alexa Woods' life tilts on its axis for the second time.
For the same assigned requester as the previous, because this is also one of my ridiculous comfort movies. Fixit-fic, because badass chick and honorable warrior, alien or otherwise, deserve their chance. :)
Building From the Ground Up — Ninja Assassin; Mika Coretti/Raizo
When Mika wakes up in the hospital, Ryan's there. Raizo isn't.
Continuing the theme of badass chicks and honorable warriors, which were my jam that year, I guess.
His Own Marking Cord — Four Dragons - Diana Dru Botsford; Yu Huang Shang Ti
And was that not the true measure of a god: that his name and his legacy be endlessly renewed and honored?
This treat was another risky fic for me in a lot of ways; it was doubly derivative (from a novel spun out from a TV show) and was based in a culture I knew very little about. But the concept and characters fascinated me, and the reception made it totally worth all the research put into it.
Just The Way He Likes It — Chronicles of Riddick/Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Riddick/Buffy Summers
Riddick is still settling in to his position as Lord Marshal when they find her.
This was just because, a last-minute snap-up from my friends-list that seems to have induced "...that should NOT work as well as it does" glee in an amusing number of people. Second most popular story that year, after the RED one, and, ah, let's just say not very anonymous. =)
(2011): 7 Fics + 1 NYR
I Whom You Seek — The Mummy (1999); Ardeth Bay & Rick O'Connell
"Any and all in your power, huh?" O'Connell replied. "If you'd caught me three years ago, I might have taken you seriously enough to take that oath, myself."
Oh, this movie series. ♥ This one is Ardeth-centric, so I also ended up doing a ton of research that doesn't really show (at least to Western audiences), but I had fun with it. The Medjai kind of fascinate me. Also Rick O'Connell, whom fandom rarely seems to take very seriously.
Testing the Leash — Grimm (TV); Monroe/Nick Burkhardt
Monroe had never really liked fairy tale protagonists. Their stories never ended well for guys like him.
New fandom love! I was kind of surprised by how well this treat was received, but I seem to have nailed the fanon-favorite slash couple early on. And people commented a lot on my treatment of sensory input.
Only the Journey is Written — The Mummy Returns (2001); Ardeth Bay
Ardeth has always known he would one day meet Rick O'Connell. He just hadn't known what face his brother would wear when he did.
Because my head was already full of Ardeth, and the prompt spoke to me.
The Only Puzzle Worth Solving — Star Wars: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn; Thrawn/Pellaeon (ish)
Thrawn knew the truth: winning an individual's spirit was a far more productive and lasting conquest than mere puppetry or physical subjugation.
My most-recced story that year. People seemed astounded that I tackled Thrawn's POV directly and effectively? It was definitely a challenge, but by now it should be clear that I kind of love those. ♥
So Few and Such Morning Songs — Grimm (TV); Marie Kessler
It might not be the way Grimms traditionally did things – but Marie would do what she had to do to ensure her nephew had a chance to survive.
I was fascinated by this character who'd only showed up in the first two episodes, and her impact on the plot. It took canon another half season to joss my wacky speculation; I half-wanted to continue it as an AU someday, but the last couple of seasons have been very frustrating to me.
The More I Find, The Less I Know — Person of Interest; Joss Carter
She had a name for him, finally. And a face, out from under the grime of beard he'd worn when she'd first met him.
The other new fandom of my heart that year. And another prompt I picked up from my friends list. Probably has the honor of being tied for least-anonymous thing I've ever written for the challenge; there were very few of us writing Joss Carter regularly at the time. A missing scene for the first season break; notable for the fact that I don't think it ever got jossed at all. My most kudo'ed story of Yuletide 2011.
Problem Solving in Complex Systems — Jurassic Park (Movies); Ian Malcom/Alan Grant/Ellie Sattler
"Is there such a thing as a Murphy's Law of Attraction?" Ellie grinned. "Because that would explain a few things."
Returning to the JP well with another warm little story that I grinned all through writing.
A True Test of Skill — Alien vs Predators: Prey - Steve and Stephani Perry; Dachande/Machiko Noguchi
She might be smaller than a female of his kind, ugly with her pale smoothness and oddly formed mandibles, but she was intelligent; she moved well; and they had walked the Path together. And she acted as a proper female would.
Returning to another facet of the Aliens vs Predator fandom to try my hand at another doubly derivative fic that fixit'ed a badass female and honorable warrior pairing. ♥ I ran out of time on it, but liked it enough to keep going and post it two weeks later to the NYR collection.
(2012): 8 Fics
let me tell you something (you already know) — The Expendables; Gunnar Jensen/Barney Ross
For Barney Ross, the Vilain mission ended more or less how it had begun: with an unexpected visitor in his private hangar.
I seem to have a theme of being assigned action movie male pairs to write for? This wasn't a pairing I saw the first time I watched the movies through, but I ended up half-convincing myself it was possible on the rewatch, which is always a mind-bendy experience. Also, I got to write a lot of sensory input again. The fandom didn't embrace it, but the recipient did seem to like it, so I called it a success.
the journey (not the destination) — Safe (2012); Luke Wright & Mei
Luke unfolds the map across the hood of the car, shaking out the sharp pleats and smoothing it flat with a brisk hand.
The gen Papa Wolf-fandom roadtrip treat of my heart! I leaped all over the prompt the moment I saw it. Alas, as with the Drive TV series, my fic is still the only non-crossover in the category on AO3.
on admin error {execute contingency plan} — Person of Interest; Joss Carter & Lionel Fusco
Joss had always known, since the very first time she'd engaged with the Man in the Suit instead of just chasing him, how things would eventually come to an end.
Unlike the previous year's Joss Carter fic, this one got did get, well, jossed. And included background main character death, a departure for me in Yuletide fic. But I put a lot into it - this is one of those fics that burned to be written - and it ended up netting the best reception of all my Yulefic that year. I still get new kudos on it; which is just as well, since I don't think I'll ever be able to make myself watch Season 5 of the source.
Not Real Good With Subtle — Lake Placid; Kelly Scott/Jack Wells
As it turns out, coming back from exile with my name all over the news was even less comfortable for the ex-boss and the ex-friend then having me around while they were making eyes at each other."
I just kept hitting prompts of joy that year, surfing the list for comfort fandoms. This one was so much fun to do: celebrating all the banter and the cute poured into a ridiculous giant monster movie!
Met In Her Aspect And Her Eyes — Snow White and the Huntsman; Snow White/The Huntsman
She stood on the balcony of the tower as he rode away, watching the tide's ebb flash up like jewels from the hooves of his borrowed destrier. He had his ghosts to lay to rest, even as she had hers. He would return.
Back before the fandom backed away from Snow White like she was the poisoned apple, I was really fascinated by the tone of this fairy tale adaptation, and immersed myself in it to write a Snow that didn't do the expected thing, but still got her happy ending.
It's Never Too Late (To Rewrite Your Story) — Hancock; Mary Embrey/Ray Embrey(/Hancock)
"So, hey. You never said," Hancock says out of the blue one night, after an especially busy evening in New York that had played out on the six o'clock news while the Embreys were eating dinner.
Did I mention I wrote eight fics again that year? I wish I had that kind of time and energy, these days. This one featured more banter and warm character interactions set after another blockbuster action movie, this time exploring the possible past of John Hancock as Horus.
Something Indefinable, Springing — Person of Interest; The Machine
The second best kept secret about the Machine is that ... it isn't one.
A tiny treat noodling on the nature of the Machine. AI points of view are intriguing to me; and for such a short fic, this one gathered a lot of kudos, so I guess they intrigue a lot of other people, too!
Playing With Fire — Melanie Rawn - Dragon Prince Trilogy; Ianthe of Princemarch & Sioned of River Run
The debt between them had been settled in Ianthe's favor at last.
And the seed of a potential AU for nostalgia's sake; I devoured those books back in college. I very much wished I had time to reread them to do the idea better justice, but the recipient seemed thrilled to be treated for it at all, so I was glad I went ahead and posted the little I had.
(2013): 3 Fics
We'll Take a Cup of Kindness Yet — Sleepy Hollow (TV); Ichabod Crane & Abbie Mills
Ichabod's eyes widened as he took in the frosted landscape. "Lovely," he said, "but not the best weather for maneuvers. Not even in a motorized carriage, I take it."
Your classic snowed-in-at-the-cabin tale, with bonus UST and historical facts vs. show canon, for that year's new fandom love. Not as popular as the other one below, but a very warm little fic.
In Learning, Teach; In Teaching, Learn — Sleepy Hollow (TV); Ichabod Crane & Abbie Mills
Four times Ichabod was caught off guard by modern technology, and one time he took Abbie back to the basics.
A 'five things' style, Ichabod vs. Modern Culture fic. My most popular Yulefic that year.
Tempered In the Fire of Your Eyes — Snow White and the Huntsman; Snow White/The Huntsman/William
In their footsteps, side by side by side, the kingdom begins to bloom anew.
Because I was still fascinated by the tone of this adaptation, and because Winter's War was not yet out: I chose to fill another non-traditional happily ever after prompt, this time with OT3.
(2014): 2 Fics
The Secret to Building Momentum (Is To Take One Day at a Time) — The Dresden Files (novels); Harry Dresden & John Marcone
For years, I'd lived under a death sentence for defending my own life. Who was I to throw stones at someone else who'd seen the trap he was mired in and chose to rip it down and start over?
My second longest Yulefic to date at 5,600 words; a slight canon-divergent AU that sets up a far different relationship between the two main characters. My most-kudoed and most-bookmarked Yuletide story ever; I guess I'm not the only one deeply invested in this canon!
(give me) things that don't get lost — The Expendables; Lee Christmas/Barney Ross
"This isn't just about Caesar, is it? You haven't been the same since Billy. You never really talked about that, either."
I'd been wanting to write a Barney/Lee ever since that Barney/Gunnar story I was assigned a few years back, and ended up seizing on a "finally got their shit together" type prompt, set post-E3.
(2015): 3 Fics
Lost to Be Found — Battle Creek (TV); Milt Chamberlain & Russ Agnew
The drive to the residence of one Gregory R. Jones, septuagenarian of mysterious origin, followed much the same pattern as similar ride-alongs had before: filled with idle bickering and speculations on the case, with the exception of a marked lack of the bitter undertones that had plagued their partnership since the beginning. As if everything had changed underneath, without changing on the surface at all.
I never really do casefic, because it takes so long to do one properly. Except last year: I was hooked enough on the show and inspired enough by the prompts that I ended up committing 10,000 words of casefic for my assignee, which I guess made it the perfect assignment! Tropey and friendshippy and a lot of fun, and the recip seemed to like it.
Ladies' Night Out in Battle Creek — Battle Creek (TV); Meredith Oberling + Erin Jacocks + Holly Dale + Kim Guziewicz
"I've expanded the rules for tonight," Kim said briskly. "No mentioning Russ; no mentioning Milt; for god's sake no one mention my ex-contractor or my ex-neighbor ... and absolutely no talk about work."
I still had more feels left over after writing the previous, so I mini-filled another Battle Creek prompt, for love of Guz.
now ask me a serious question — Ben Asher/Maggie Asher/Mike Banning
When you're born with "So you're our newest babysitter" written jaggedly across your abdomen and "I apologize, he really needs to get some new lines" slashing across your palm, it's pretty obvious that a) there's likely to be a significant age gap between you and your soulmates, and b) they'll already be together when you meet.
Because my head was already full of the movie due to research for my Small Fandom Big Bang. Also very tropey: a Soulmate-Marks AU fic (my first!) and a Maggie Lives fic, and overall my most popular Yulefic for 2015.
I should probably do one of these for gifts I've received, too; watch this space for that soon!
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Date: 2016-10-15 03:04 am (UTC)