The Rec Center #260
Hi folks! Since it’s Christmas day, we’re just delivering the rest of our holiday & winter-themed fanfic recs, plus some beautiful Star Wars fanart. Have a safe holiday!
Love, Elizabeth & Gav
fanworks
Dragon Age-styled Poe & Finn fanart by moishpain
If you’d like more holiday & winter recs, check out last week’s list—and thank you to everyone who contributed a rec!
“Christmas in Kansas” by Unpretty. 20K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: DCU/Justice League (tagged on the site as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman); Ships: Jonathan Kent/Martha Kent, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Bruce Wayne
Recced by: ramarama (twitter: @ramarama_bih)
Backstory: Clark Kent invites Bruce Wayne and Diana of Themyscira to his parents’ farm in Kansas for Christmas. That’s it, that’s the fic.
Rec: Perfect characterization of three coworkers (friends, Bruce!) spending the holiday together—a little awkward, very funny, plenty heartwarming. Embarrassing teenage Clark stories, Diana gets an ugly sweater, Bruce suffers through a Christmas photo—what more do you want?
Content warnings: N/A
“KILF (Knits I’d Like to Fuck In)” by ScarlettStorm. 36K words (WIP), rated Explicit.
Fandom: The Untamed, Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù; Ship: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian (Lan Zhan/Wei Ying)
Recced by: anon
Backstory: Wei Ying had a hard upbringing and is always cold. His boyfriend Lan Zhan decides to solve this by learning how to knit.
Rec: It’s incredibly cozy and literally encouraged me to buy more cozy knit materials. Also good queer and mental health rep.
Content warning: Sex work
“In the Bleak Midwinter” by Ashura. 7.1K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: The Dark Is Rising Sequence – Susan Cooper; Ship: Bran Davies/Will Stanton
Recced by: elainasaunt
Backstory: This 5-novel teen-YA series (1965-77) based on Arthurian, Celtic and Old English legends is set at various times of the year but always feels wintry to me—perhaps because I read the title novel first. Second in the series, it opens at midwinter, and although Christmas figures in the events, it’s grounded in pagan myth—Will is an immortal, and Bran, who makes his appearance in a later volume, is the human heir to a legend.
Rec: Bran and Will’s days fighting ancient evil as children are now years in the past, but the bond they formed then has never really weakened. They were the most interesting main characters in the books, and the progression from ancient-evil-fighters to lovers seems natural—but, as in the books, the real stars of the story are the setting and atmosphere.
Content warnings: N/A
“Hymnal” by BurningTea. 8K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Supernatural; Ship: Gen
Recced by: ExpatGirl
Backstory: When Castiel meets Mary on the way to the Bunker, they end up talking about the past, and about doubt, and about decisions. Castiel recalls a past Christmas, one where Anna was ordered to carry out God’s will in a village no-one now remembers, and he finds he isn’t so sure of when his first steps towards Falling were taken.
Rec: The dynamic between Cas and Mary had such interesting possibility, and this fic is a bittersweet look at how these two might have related.
Content warning: Biblical slaughter (offscreen)
“in the depths of winter (there was in me an invincible summer)” by apockalypsis. 5.6K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Final Fantasy XV; Ship: Prompto/Noctis
Recced by: Serie11
Backstory: Prince Noctis hasn’t been able to see much of the ’normal’ sides of his city; Prompto wants to show the winter festival to him. Set pre-canon, no canon knowledge is needed to appreciate this fic.
Rec: This fic really captures how the relationships between people create a warmth that can break through the winter chill. This is a really sweet getting-together fic that I would recommend to anyone.
Content warnings: N/A
“The Most Adequate Christmas Ever” by igrockspock. 4.6K words, rated Teen.
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe; Ships: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanoff (mostly Background, but semi-plot relevant)
Recced by: imgoingtocrash
Backstory: This takes place some time after Iron Man 3, in which Tony displayed his love of both Pepper and Christmas loud and proud through decorations and a large stuffed bunny. This fic shows Tony—used to giving Big Gestures of Affection—giving Pepper a quiet, loving Christmas instead as a change of pace.
Rec: This fic is a warm holiday joy filled with Tony teaching himself to go lowkey in the hopes of making Pepper happy, and asking Clint and Natasha for help as he tries not to mess it up. It’s a lot of banter and comedy, but overall the writing gives a real warmth and heart to the simple things people do to make each other happy during the holidays.
Content warnings: N/A
“Frostiana: or a History of Aziraphale and Crowley in a Frozen State: And The Wonderful Effects of Snow, Ice and Cold in England” by LaydeeMayhem. 1.5K words, rated Gen.
Fandom: Good Omens; Ship: Aziraphale/Crowley
Recced by: heatheratops
Backstory: The angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley visit the last Thames Frost Fair in 1814, where Aziraphale is particularly excited to see a novelty printing press
Rec: I love Good Omens fics that explore real life history, and the winter market vibes of this old London festival make a cosy setting for a very cute fic
Content warnings: N/A
And a comic!
“Going Postal” by Dustmouth. 125 pages, rated Teen.
Fandom: Harry Potter; Ship: Harry/Draco
Recced by: Dont-stop-her-now
Backstory: Harry and Draco are ministry coworkers who have a tentatively more-than-friendly correspondence throughout the year while Harry is on assignment. When Christmas comes and Harry returns, their connection is missing something, much to Draco’s chagrin.
Rec: Draco’s outfits and expressions in this comic could make it a rec alone, but there is something just so grounded and real in the way Draco and Harry misunderstand each other and get together anyway that makes my heart melt every time I read it.
Content warnings: N/A
FINAL THOUGHT
Just a reminder: every January, we start off the new year with Yuletide recs! If you encounter any Yuletide favorites in the next week—even before reveals, we’ll be able to grab author names by the time the list comes out—please send them in (and add “Yuletide 2020” in the themes field, to make it easier for us to sort them). <3 — Elizabeth
Have a favorite one-off rec? Please send it our way! We’ll use it in a future list. Other fanworks—comics, vids, zines, etc—are strongly encouraged as well. And if you have any interest in doing an entire rec list, explainer, or ship manifesto, please get in touch! elizabethandgav at gmail dot com.
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