Yuletide Recs part 1

[mari4212]

I Am Entirely Sick of Shadows (5361 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Downton Abbey
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Mary Crawley/Matthew Crawley
Characters: Mary Crawley, Matthew Crawley, Violet Crawley, Cora Crawley, Edith Crawley, Robert Crawley, Isobel Crawley, Lavinia Swire, Richard Carlisle, Charles Carson
Summary:

Christmas is coming, and a ghost has moved into Downton Abbey. As usual, Mary is the one to suffer.

Absolutely hysterical, through and through. Mary is well done, Lavinia even moreso.

The River Serpent (1235 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Mulan (1998), Twisted Princess (Disney Fanart)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Characters: Fa Mulan, Shan Yu, Li Shang, OFC
Summary:

Even six months after the Mandate of Heaven fell upon another, the river runs foul all its length, no matter how they dredge it for corpses, or poison.

Atmospheric, disturbing, and fascinating in equal measures. This is fantastic for its tone and mood, and the slow but inevitable buildup to the conclusion. You don’t even have to remember the original movie, or see the original artwork to get this story, though they definitely add something to it.

Immersion (3339 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Twisted Disney Princesses - Jeftoon01
Rating: Mature
Warning: Major Character Death
Relationships: Beast/Belle (Twisted Disney Princesses - Jeftoon01)
Characters: Belle (Twisted Disney Princesses - Jeftoon01), Beast (Twisted Disney Princesses - Jeftoon01)
Summary:

This time, she reached the Beast too late. She would do anything to get him back.

Like the other twisted princesses story, this is dark and atmospheric. But instead of being focused on the larger world and its perception of what is happening with the main character, this takes you tightly inside one woman’s insanity at the point in which her brain breaks. It’s rather horrifying in an altogether different manner, but the writing is fantastic and believable.

A Day In The Life Of (3182 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Disney Princesses
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Megara/Hercules, Jasmine/Aladdin, Beast/Belle (Disney's Beauty and the Beast), Ariel/Eric, Tiana/Naveen
Characters: Megara, Jasmine, Belle, Ariel, Tiana, Naveen, Aladdin
Summary:

It’s all in what you’re used to. Satyrs and fauns and naiads and dryads she can - and has - dealt with. Gods, heroes, and monsters? Sure, fine.

Mice wearing caps and scarves and t-shirts who squeak at her when she doesn’t put the file in the right spot?

What kind of detective agency is this anyway?

For a Disney Princess story on the lighter side, this one is fantastic. Megara is the perfect snarky detective, Ariel can hold her own in battle, Belle is a brilliant inventor, Jasmine is awesome, and Tiana learned her combat techniques from Rapunzel.

What You Wish For and What You Keep (6040 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Cinderella (1950), Disney Princesses
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Prince Charming/Cinderella - Relationship
Characters: Cinderella (Disney Princess)
Summary:

Once, Cinderella had the whole world in her head, and she means to get it back.

Disney’s Cinderella has always bored me, so when I finally encountered a version of her that was well done, I had to celebrate. This gives her so much more depth, and the Prince has a personality beyond handsome, and it’s altogether lovely. Count the references to other fairytales/Disney films.

A Sense of Freedom (10819 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Disney Princesses, Mulan (1998)
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Fa Mulan, Li Shang
Summary:

Mulan is pleasantly surprised when she is given a new post by the Emperor, but nothing ever goes quite as she expected it.

Mulan and Jasmine go on a road trip together, and drag along the boys just for fun. No, really, it works surprisingly well and they save the day together.

Sworn Beyond Blood (1251 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Hand of Isis - Jo Graham
Rating: Not Rated
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Iras (Hand of Isis)
Summary:

Iras once made a vow to the Goddess Isis, and it was never something that she would have changed. She would always hold to the promise she made.

I had two full-length Yuletide stories written for me, and this was the first. This is a beautiful look at Iras and one of the shaping moments of her life.

Seredoc on 'The Tradition' (1048 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms - Mercedes Lackey
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Summary:

You have Qs about the Tradition.

We have some thoughts and answers for you. :>

This was my second Yuletide story, and it’s much more of a dialogue on the Tradition and its role in the story, which is fascinating and offers a unique insight into how the Five Hundred Kingdoms universe might work.

The Cinder-Fellow (11171 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Five Hundred Kingdoms series - Mercedes Lackey, Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, Cinderella - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Godmother Elena, Original Characters
Summary:

A Cinder-Fellow, a reluctant Prince, and a feminist Princess -- and Godmother Elena's got to sort it all out.

Since I’m reccing one story in the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, I might as well rec the other, especially as it covers a theme I’d wanted to see portrayed just as much as something on the Tradition. This is what happens when Cinderella isn’t a heteronormative storyline.