Yuletide 2016 Haul

I was given a sheer embarrassment of riches this year! Not one but THREE main collection fics, and then another amazing piece in Madness. For the Vorkosigan Aral-Jole-Simon folks out there:

My main gift was A Winding Walk (2936 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Simon Illyan/Aral Vorkosigan
Characters: Simon Illyan, Aral Vorkosigan
Additional Tags: Breathplay, Dubious Consent, Mentions of Cordelia Naismith, Mentions of Ges Vorrutyer, Book: Shards of Honor
Summary:Simon didn't deliberately drop in on Aral Vorkosigan while the latter was drunk.

Besides the kink (ALL THE KINK), it's got Simon triaging Aral before Cordelia comes back to kick ass. Self-destructive Barrayaran-ness is a given.

Then there're my treats:

Only Memories Mine (1750 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Oliver Jole/Aral Vorkosigan, Simon Illyan & Aral Vorkosigan
Characters: Simon Illyan, Aral Vorkosigan, Oliver Jole
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Time Period: Vorkosigan Regency, Bitterness, Exhibitionism, Aral jerking Simon's chain
Summary: Aral gives Simon enough material to oust him with.

This here is Aral giving Simon plenty to... work with. If you were wondering what Cordelia meant by Simon being in a bit of a tizz when he found out about Jole, this fic presents a wonderful reason why.

Then there's the magnificently cracky and yet poignant Never Getting Back Together (Like, Ever). (1444 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Aral Vorkosigan/Ges Vorrutyer
Characters: Aral Vorkosigan
Additional Tags: 2016 Yuletide, Yuletide Treat, Crack, Epistolary, I'm Sorry, Captain Awkward, The Bad Advisor, Advice Columns, Darth Vader Ex, Canon-Compliant, mentions of canon-typical violence
Summary: My dear Captain, I need some scripts for dealing with my Darth Vader ex, who happens to be the brother of my ex-wife.

I'm not even going to try to summarise this guy. Just go read it.

they're changing guard at Buckingham Palace (Christopher Robin went down with Alice) (327 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Simon Illyan/Aral Vorkosigan/Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan, Oliver Jole/Aral Vorkosigan/Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan
Characters: Simon Illyan, Aral Vorkosigan
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Polyamory
Summary: It was not possible for a man to stop loving Aral Vorkosigan.

This is Simon on the sane side of Providing Good Bad Ideas - another twist on Jole, and a great one.

Yuletide 2016 Recs

Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Tools of the Trade (9095 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 昭和元禄落語心中 | Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (Anime)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Yotaro/Konatsu
Characters: Konatsu (Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu), Yotarou (Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu), Kikuhiko | Yuurakutei Yakumo, Yuurakutei Sukeroku, Miyokichi (Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Kiku/Miyo/Suke OT3, Misses Clause Challenge, Yuletide Treat
Summary: All they needed was a prop for the show. But sometimes, those old tools can seem to have a life of their own.

So here's 9K of something far different from the heart-string-ripping of the anime: it's a mundane/supernatural AU in the best of ways. Yotaro is a wonder, and Konatsu both practical and heartfelt. 

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Than Dreamt of in Your Philosophy (1775 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin
Additional Tags: Crueltide, Supernatural Elements, Lovecraftian
Summary: Stephen could not even have said what woke him, after - he only knew that something had called him and he had gone, up to the deck, barely decent.

So, Lovecraftian/weird fiction has been a sleeper runaway this year for the stuff I've read, and this here. My god. The mystery of the seas combined with just perfect, perfect back-forth dialogue between Stephen and Jack. Subtle and perfect and bless the Tom Pullings cameo. Bless this whole fic, really.

Tang Dynasty RPF

A Change of Season (3456 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Táng Cháo | Tang Dynasty RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Shàngguān Wǎnér/Wǔ Zétiān
Characters: Shàngguān Wǎnér, Wǔ Zétiān
Additional Tags: Misses Clause Challenge, Chromatic Source, Chromatic Yuletide, Palace Intrigue, strong women of history, corridors of power, Poetry, Love Poems, Mentor/Protégé
Summary: Shangguan Wan-er could think of no reason for the Empress to summon a palace slave to her presence. No good reason. It would be the first meeting of two of the most powerful women of Chinese history.

Hngngngngngn I'm not even halfway through the historical RPF this year but this one is just. It's Wu Zetian, for one. And has poetry, and court politics.

HP Lovecraft

The Long Summoning (2410 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Cthulhu Mythos - H. P. Lovecraft
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:Time isn't real. There is only what you need, and what it costs.

I think I said in my AO3 bookmark, "holy crap this is good." Holy *crap*, this is good. 

Batman vs. Superman

Precision (4197 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Lex Luthor/Bruce Wayne
Characters: Clark Kent
Summary: Precision. Like a knife sliding through flesh and muscle, avoiding bone and striking a beating heart.

If I chant "this is the Lex/Bruce I have waited a lifetime for" three times in the mirror, will I get more fic?