fleurlb | I *heart* Yuletide

This was my first year participating in Yuletide and I'm blown away by the complete and utter awesomeness of it. All kinds of stories in fandoms that I didn't even realize I was interested in. I'm also blown away by the quality of writing - there are some seriously talented people creating wonderful gift stories.

My gift, Please Please Me, was amazing. I'd just sort of randomly selected Mad Men as my fourth fandom, even though I'd never read a Mad Men fic before and I vacillated wildly between fascinated and irritated in the last season. (But that last episode was awesome enough for me to forgive all of the stupid flashbacks and bizarre dream sequences that smacked of sheer laziness and time-filling.)

I was delighted and surprised when I read my gift and found a touching and finely tuned character study of two of my favorites: Sal and Peggy. I cannot say enough good things about the story - just go read it, especially if you've any interest in Mad Men at all.

Friday Night Lights
Fades, If You Let It - a reunion story set in Tim's ranch house. The interactions between the characters, especially Tim and Landry, are perfect. Bonus points for the fact that this is EXACTLY the sort of future Tim deserves.

We Will Fix Our Hearts Over - a delicate and beautiful Tim-centric story that parallels Season 4. I can't really describe it. It's just beautiful.

Sons of Anarchy
More Than Kin and Less Than Kind - awesome backstory for Tara and Jax in which the Tara voice is spot-on.

Double Joy, Half Sorrow - more backstory for Tara, Jax, Opie, David, and Gemma, told uniquely through Wayne Unser's point of view.

Mad Men
Broken Alphabet - a really lovely story about Peggy finding her place as a copywriter at Sterling Cooper.

Dirty Dancing
A Real Grown-Up Name - a story that vibrates with the essential essence of both Baby and Johnny. I'm convinced this is what happened after the film ended.

Breakfast Club
Most Likely To - future-fic that details what happened to Brian the Brain and his ultimately sweet and unexpected relationship with John Bender.

Lost in Translation
Post Parting - an unexpected reunion story for Bob and Charlotte, 10 years after Tokyo that really captures the spirit of the film.

LOLCats
In the Beginning - funny parable that explains how goggies were created.

The Cheezburger Run in the Sky - hilarious look at the LOLCat afterlife.