straightforwardly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
straightforwardly) wrote2016-12-27 12:50 pm
straightforwardly) wrote2016-12-27 12:50 pm
Entry tags:
104 | Yuletide 2016 Rec Post
Time for my yearly Yuletide recs! I’m not actually 100% done with my diving through the Yuletide archives, but I am done for now. By that I mean: I didn’t read any of the The Goblin Emperor fics yet, because it’s been awhile since I’ve read the book, and many of the details have faded in my memory, so I’d like to refresh myself before reading them. I also haven’t read any of the Akatsuki no Yona fics (despite the siren song of a 31K fic, holy hell) because I’ve only seen the anime at this point, and I don’t want to accidentally run into any spoilers.
I would also like to mention my gift again— it’s about 1.7K of adorable Jessie/Lavinia + a cat for A Little Lily Princess.
And now, I have 20 more recs in around 16 different fandoms.
A Sanctuary for Birds (7226 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Bastion (Video Game)
Characters: Zia (Bastion), The Kid (Bastion), Zulf (Bastion), Rucks (Bastion)
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Post-Canon, Evacuation Ending (Bastion), Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, mentions of attempted genocide, Referenced Semi-Canonical Minor Character Death, Coping, Hope, Conversations, really a lot of conversations
Summary: Journeys hinge on ones – one step forward, one choice to make. The end of the world – and the beginning of a new one – won’t change that.
Hi, perfect and thoughtful take on what happens post-Evacuation Ending! I was so in love with this fic that I couldn’t even fit everything I wanted to say into a single comment, which. Should tell you something.
War Honey (100 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Chalice - Robin McKinley
Relationships: Liapnir | The Master/Mirasol (Chalice), Mirasol (Chalice) & Bees (Chalice)
Characters: Mirasol (Chalice), Bees (Chalice)
Additional Tags: Yuletide Madness Drabble Invitational, Yuletide Madness 2016, Yuletide 2016, Drabble, Honey, Bees, Just More Bees
Summary: Mirasol contemplates a gift
A lovely bit of world-building.
saga hwæt ic hatte (4485 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Exeter Book
Characters: The Wife, The Seafarer, The Wanderer - Character
Additional Tags: Curses, Gold Rings, the old work of giants, mentions of sickness and death, and the end of the world
Summary: Say, do you know my
name, my own one?
Where am I now,
oak-sleeper?
And, old one, when?
when will the midnight come?
Hours, earth years,
æons, little minutes?
Even the air runs
red, grows cold.
On what shore will I,
earth-stepper, end?
This has such lush and beautiful writing, and characters that really come to life. If you like Anglo-Saxon-style stories, read this.
Clad in Moonlight (3862 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Relationships: Golbez/Kain Highwind
Characters: Golbez (Final Fantasy IV), Kain Highwind, Rydia (Final Fantasy IV), Edward "Edge" Geraldine
Additional Tags: Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It of Sorts, Developing Relationship, Guilt, Playing the Reverse Blame Game, Post-Canon, Not After Years Compliant
Summary: In which flowers bloom, brothers argue, and there's no time like the present for poking old wounds.(Kain and Golbez fumble their way towards something approaching forgiveness.)
I’m usually indifferent to Kain and Golbez, but this was a really good story about redemption, and how it’s easier to forgive others than it is to forgive yourself.
Voices Calling (8680 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Relationships: Golbez & Rosa Joanna Farrell, Rosa Joanna Farrell/Cecil Harvey
Characters: Golbez (Final Fantasy IV), Rosa Joanna Farrell
Additional Tags: Family
Summary: When Cecil falls into a deep sleep, it's Rosa's turn to save him—Rosa, and a not entirely unexpected ally.
See above comments about indifference, though you’d need to subtract Kain and add Rosa. (My tastes are not in line with the rest of fandom, I know.) That being said, this was an excellent plotty story, and the development of the relationship between Rosa and Golbez was perfectly done. I loved it.
would my heart be changed (10158 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Gladiator - Dami Im (Music Video)
Relationships: White Warrior (Gladiator - Dami Im)/Princess (Gladiator - Dami Im)
Characters: White Warrior (Gladiator - Dami Im), Princess (Gladiator - Dami Im), Mentor (Gladiator - Dami Im)
Additional Tags: Imprisonment, Trauma, Misunderstandings, Mistaken Identity, Amnesia, Yuletide Treat
Summary: Min will rescue the sacred princess. She knows this, and always has; it is foretold. But the girl she finds in the Shadow King's fortress is not the princess she had expected, and she does not understand it.(aka, your average fairytale: girl argues with girl, girl saves girl, girl saves girl right back, with a side of bedsharing and amnesia and stubbornness.)
Great world-building, great characters, and a compelling relationship between them. I need this to be a kdrama yesterday.
Wedding Bed (1127 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer
Relationships: Charles Rivenhall/Sophy Stanton-Lacy
Additional Tags: First Time, Yuletide
Summary: “Damn you, Sophy,” he grated out. “What do you suppose my uncle should say to me?”
I don’t remember this book as well as I ought, but based on what I do remember, this has a spot-on character voice.
These Simple Gifts (3648 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Hakuouki
Relationships: Toudou Heisuke (Hakuouki)/Yukimura Chizuru
Characters: Toudou Heisuke (Hakuouki), Yukimura Chizuru
Summary: Ask her? I can't. I can't just give something so casually like that. She's special and deserves something special, right?
I described this story in my comments as having a “carefully crafted sweetness” to it, and, really, I think that’s the best way to describe it. It never forgets the sadder bits of canon, but it’s also genuinely cute.
Dangers Untold And Podcasts Unnumbered (5118 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Hello From the Magic Tavern (Podcast), Labyrinth (1986)
Relationships: Arnie Niekamp/Sarah Williams (Labyrinth)
Characters: Arnie Niekamp, Chunt (Hello from the Magic Tavern), Usidore the Blue, Sarah Williams (Labyrinth), Jareth (Labyrinth)
Additional Tags: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Dimension Travel, Final Battle, Magic, Time Shenanigans, New Parents, Old Friends, References to David Bowie
Summary: When Arnie disappears off the face of the Earth, and there are traces of magic lingering around the Burger King, Sarah has a feeling she knows who's behind it. But Jareth swears he wasn't involved. A story about goblins, magic, interdimensional boon companions, and reordering space and time for the one you love.
I’m a sucker for a well-done crossover, and this one is no exception. The characters were spot-on, and I loved the structure.
Four Women of Fortune (2056 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: La fiancée hésitante | The Hesitant Betrothed - Auguste ToulmoucheRelationships: Bride/Dressmaker
Summary: What can dutiful sisters do to appease a bride who will not wed?
This had excellent characters, and the relationships between them were touching. I loved the main character’s sisters.
Les Femmes Acharnées (1467 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: La fiancée hésitante | The Hesitant Betrothed - Auguste Toulmouche
Additional Tags: 19th Century, Spies & Secret Agents, Female Friendship, Misses Clause Challenge, Yuletide
Summary: Blanche has a plan, Céleste has a plan - really, everyone has a plan.
This story has such a beautiful structure to it? I mean, the plot, characters, and relationships are all also really, really good, but the lit nerd in me can’t help but gush over the structure too. So good.
Resolve (100 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: La fiancée hésitante | The Hesitant Betrothed - Auguste Toulmouche
Additional Tags: Yuletide Madness Drabble Invitational, Yuletide Madness 2016, Yuletide 2016, Drabble, Inspired by Art, Three Words from a Hat, Women Being Awesome
Summary: Helena is not a plaything.
This is a drabble, so there’s not much I can say without spoiling it. I loved the final two lines.
It's a Neighborly Day in This Beautywood (2998 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Antler Guy (Sculpture/Tumblr post), A House I Pass on the Way to Work Has This Sculpture in Its Yard - elementalmw
Characters: Antler Guy, Steve (A House I Pass...), Sharon (A House I Pass...)
Additional Tags: Neighbors, First Meetings, Yuletide Treat, Lasagna As a Form of Tribute, POV Nonhuman
Summary: The Old One, The Sleeping Beast, Seeker of Blood and Devourer of Souls, Haunting Abomination of the Darkened Woods, woke to find his sacred grounds were no longer there. The new ways are more than a bit confusing, but there's no reason an ancient god can't adapt with the times.
This story left me flailing in delight. Just. IT’S FROM THE ALIEN PERSPECTIVE OF AN ANCIENT GOD. I don’t even usually like modern day settings, but that sold me.
It Takes Three to Catch a Fish (2808 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Relationships: Hanzo/Sariatu (Kubo and The Two Strings)
Characters: Beetle (Kubo and the Two Strings), Monkey (Kubo and the Two Strings), Hanzo (Kubo and the Two Strings), Sariatu (Kubo and the Two Strings), Kubo (Kubo and the Two Strings), Raiden the Moon King
Additional Tags: Everybody Lives, Marriage, Romance
Summary: Their marriage has changed a lot, but the magic is still there.
This is such a beautiful, thoughtful, well-crafted story. This is everything that I loved about the movie, and more.
No prince in the ballroom (2194 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: A Little Lily Princess (Visual Novel)
Relationships: Lavinia Herbert/Jessie Abbott
Additional Tags: Femslash, Romance, Post-Canon, mentions of Sara/Ermengarde, mentions of Sara/Jessie
Summary: Being the companion of a princess is not always easy.
Lavinia in this is a delight. So horribly, bitingly cruel, but also strikingly vulnerable. I loved it.
Education (100 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Mulan (1998)
Relationships: Fa Mulan & Fa Zhou
Characters: Fa Zhou, Fa Mulan
Additional Tags: Drabble, Pre-Movie(s), Father-Daughter Relationship
Summary: An educated daughter is dangerous.
Interesting look on Fa Zhou’s perspective on his daughter, pre-movie.
Fine Feathers (5140 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Quiet Gentleman - Georgette Heyer
Relationships: Gervase Frant/Drusilla Morville
Characters: Drusilla Morville, Gervase Frant
Additional Tags: Romance, Engagement, Epilogue, Marianne and Lord Ulverston are also in this, but not enough I felt it was fair to include them in the tags, Martin even smiles!, Fluff
Summary: Six weeks is not so long to wait. (Even if it seems like an interminable engagement.) Drusilla's transition from Miss Morville to Lady St Erth.
What an amazing epilogue to the novel. This really feels like the most natural continuation.
Five Times Amarelle Had Cause to Consider the Wizard Ivovandas (1080 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: A Year and A Day in Old Theradane - Scott Lynch
Relationships: Ivovandas/Amarelle Parathis
Characters: Amarelle Parathis, Ivovandas (A Year and A Day in Old Theradane)
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat
Summary: And four times she might have smiled, doing so. (But possibly not.)
I’m not sure how to describe this without spoiling it. Let’s just say that it portrays Ivovandas/Amarelle in exactly the way I would have wanted to have it.
Rise and Fall of Empires (5363 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: A Year and A Day in Old Theradane - Scott Lynch
Characters: Amarelle Parathis, Sophara Miris, Brandwin Miris, Shraplin Self-Made, Scavius of Shadow Street, Jadetongue Squirn
Additional Tags: Libraries, Librarians, Books, Heist, Magic
Summary: In which failing to return a book to the library of Hazar leads to entirely unexpected adventures.
Such an excellent story! It nails the tone of canon (and the characters within) perfectly, and takes a unique approach to why Amarelle might have stolen that book in the first place.
Something Normal (2445 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Zootopia (2016)
Relationships: Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Characters: Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Bonnie and Stu Hopps
Additional Tags: Background Case, Slice of Life, Love Confessions, Fluff and Angst, off-screen violence
Summary: Judy and Nick talk about family and the holidays during a dark moment on the job.
I really loved the structure of this fic, and the quiet understanding between Judy and Nick. The case in the background was really intriguing as well.
I would also like to mention my gift again— it’s about 1.7K of adorable Jessie/Lavinia + a cat for A Little Lily Princess.
And now, I have 20 more recs in around 16 different fandoms.
A Sanctuary for Birds (7226 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Bastion (Video Game)
Characters: Zia (Bastion), The Kid (Bastion), Zulf (Bastion), Rucks (Bastion)
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Post-Canon, Evacuation Ending (Bastion), Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, mentions of attempted genocide, Referenced Semi-Canonical Minor Character Death, Coping, Hope, Conversations, really a lot of conversations
Summary: Journeys hinge on ones – one step forward, one choice to make. The end of the world – and the beginning of a new one – won’t change that.
The Kid makes his choice, and her heart starts beating again.
Hi, perfect and thoughtful take on what happens post-Evacuation Ending! I was so in love with this fic that I couldn’t even fit everything I wanted to say into a single comment, which. Should tell you something.
War Honey (100 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Chalice - Robin McKinley
Relationships: Liapnir | The Master/Mirasol (Chalice), Mirasol (Chalice) & Bees (Chalice)
Characters: Mirasol (Chalice), Bees (Chalice)
Additional Tags: Yuletide Madness Drabble Invitational, Yuletide Madness 2016, Yuletide 2016, Drabble, Honey, Bees, Just More Bees
Summary: Mirasol contemplates a gift
A lovely bit of world-building.
saga hwæt ic hatte (4485 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Exeter Book
Characters: The Wife, The Seafarer, The Wanderer - Character
Additional Tags: Curses, Gold Rings, the old work of giants, mentions of sickness and death, and the end of the world
Summary: Say, do you know my
name, my own one?
Where am I now,
oak-sleeper?
And, old one, when?
when will the midnight come?
Hours, earth years,
æons, little minutes?
Even the air runs
red, grows cold.
On what shore will I,
earth-stepper, end?
This has such lush and beautiful writing, and characters that really come to life. If you like Anglo-Saxon-style stories, read this.
Clad in Moonlight (3862 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Relationships: Golbez/Kain Highwind
Characters: Golbez (Final Fantasy IV), Kain Highwind, Rydia (Final Fantasy IV), Edward "Edge" Geraldine
Additional Tags: Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It of Sorts, Developing Relationship, Guilt, Playing the Reverse Blame Game, Post-Canon, Not After Years Compliant
Summary: In which flowers bloom, brothers argue, and there's no time like the present for poking old wounds.(Kain and Golbez fumble their way towards something approaching forgiveness.)
I’m usually indifferent to Kain and Golbez, but this was a really good story about redemption, and how it’s easier to forgive others than it is to forgive yourself.
Voices Calling (8680 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Relationships: Golbez & Rosa Joanna Farrell, Rosa Joanna Farrell/Cecil Harvey
Characters: Golbez (Final Fantasy IV), Rosa Joanna Farrell
Additional Tags: Family
Summary: When Cecil falls into a deep sleep, it's Rosa's turn to save him—Rosa, and a not entirely unexpected ally.
See above comments about indifference, though you’d need to subtract Kain and add Rosa. (My tastes are not in line with the rest of fandom, I know.) That being said, this was an excellent plotty story, and the development of the relationship between Rosa and Golbez was perfectly done. I loved it.
would my heart be changed (10158 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Gladiator - Dami Im (Music Video)
Relationships: White Warrior (Gladiator - Dami Im)/Princess (Gladiator - Dami Im)
Characters: White Warrior (Gladiator - Dami Im), Princess (Gladiator - Dami Im), Mentor (Gladiator - Dami Im)
Additional Tags: Imprisonment, Trauma, Misunderstandings, Mistaken Identity, Amnesia, Yuletide Treat
Summary: Min will rescue the sacred princess. She knows this, and always has; it is foretold. But the girl she finds in the Shadow King's fortress is not the princess she had expected, and she does not understand it.(aka, your average fairytale: girl argues with girl, girl saves girl, girl saves girl right back, with a side of bedsharing and amnesia and stubbornness.)
Great world-building, great characters, and a compelling relationship between them. I need this to be a kdrama yesterday.
Wedding Bed (1127 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer
Relationships: Charles Rivenhall/Sophy Stanton-Lacy
Additional Tags: First Time, Yuletide
Summary: “Damn you, Sophy,” he grated out. “What do you suppose my uncle should say to me?”
I don’t remember this book as well as I ought, but based on what I do remember, this has a spot-on character voice.
These Simple Gifts (3648 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Hakuouki
Relationships: Toudou Heisuke (Hakuouki)/Yukimura Chizuru
Characters: Toudou Heisuke (Hakuouki), Yukimura Chizuru
Summary: Ask her? I can't. I can't just give something so casually like that. She's special and deserves something special, right?
I described this story in my comments as having a “carefully crafted sweetness” to it, and, really, I think that’s the best way to describe it. It never forgets the sadder bits of canon, but it’s also genuinely cute.
Dangers Untold And Podcasts Unnumbered (5118 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Hello From the Magic Tavern (Podcast), Labyrinth (1986)
Relationships: Arnie Niekamp/Sarah Williams (Labyrinth)
Characters: Arnie Niekamp, Chunt (Hello from the Magic Tavern), Usidore the Blue, Sarah Williams (Labyrinth), Jareth (Labyrinth)
Additional Tags: Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Dimension Travel, Final Battle, Magic, Time Shenanigans, New Parents, Old Friends, References to David Bowie
Summary: When Arnie disappears off the face of the Earth, and there are traces of magic lingering around the Burger King, Sarah has a feeling she knows who's behind it. But Jareth swears he wasn't involved. A story about goblins, magic, interdimensional boon companions, and reordering space and time for the one you love.
I’m a sucker for a well-done crossover, and this one is no exception. The characters were spot-on, and I loved the structure.
Four Women of Fortune (2056 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: La fiancée hésitante | The Hesitant Betrothed - Auguste ToulmoucheRelationships: Bride/Dressmaker
Summary: What can dutiful sisters do to appease a bride who will not wed?
This had excellent characters, and the relationships between them were touching. I loved the main character’s sisters.
Les Femmes Acharnées (1467 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: La fiancée hésitante | The Hesitant Betrothed - Auguste Toulmouche
Additional Tags: 19th Century, Spies & Secret Agents, Female Friendship, Misses Clause Challenge, Yuletide
Summary: Blanche has a plan, Céleste has a plan - really, everyone has a plan.
This story has such a beautiful structure to it? I mean, the plot, characters, and relationships are all also really, really good, but the lit nerd in me can’t help but gush over the structure too. So good.
Resolve (100 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: La fiancée hésitante | The Hesitant Betrothed - Auguste Toulmouche
Additional Tags: Yuletide Madness Drabble Invitational, Yuletide Madness 2016, Yuletide 2016, Drabble, Inspired by Art, Three Words from a Hat, Women Being Awesome
Summary: Helena is not a plaything.
This is a drabble, so there’s not much I can say without spoiling it. I loved the final two lines.
It's a Neighborly Day in This Beautywood (2998 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Antler Guy (Sculpture/Tumblr post), A House I Pass on the Way to Work Has This Sculpture in Its Yard - elementalmw
Characters: Antler Guy, Steve (A House I Pass...), Sharon (A House I Pass...)
Additional Tags: Neighbors, First Meetings, Yuletide Treat, Lasagna As a Form of Tribute, POV Nonhuman
Summary: The Old One, The Sleeping Beast, Seeker of Blood and Devourer of Souls, Haunting Abomination of the Darkened Woods, woke to find his sacred grounds were no longer there. The new ways are more than a bit confusing, but there's no reason an ancient god can't adapt with the times.
This story left me flailing in delight. Just. IT’S FROM THE ALIEN PERSPECTIVE OF AN ANCIENT GOD. I don’t even usually like modern day settings, but that sold me.
It Takes Three to Catch a Fish (2808 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Relationships: Hanzo/Sariatu (Kubo and The Two Strings)
Characters: Beetle (Kubo and the Two Strings), Monkey (Kubo and the Two Strings), Hanzo (Kubo and the Two Strings), Sariatu (Kubo and the Two Strings), Kubo (Kubo and the Two Strings), Raiden the Moon King
Additional Tags: Everybody Lives, Marriage, Romance
Summary: Their marriage has changed a lot, but the magic is still there.
This is such a beautiful, thoughtful, well-crafted story. This is everything that I loved about the movie, and more.
No prince in the ballroom (2194 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: A Little Lily Princess (Visual Novel)
Relationships: Lavinia Herbert/Jessie Abbott
Additional Tags: Femslash, Romance, Post-Canon, mentions of Sara/Ermengarde, mentions of Sara/Jessie
Summary: Being the companion of a princess is not always easy.
Lavinia in this is a delight. So horribly, bitingly cruel, but also strikingly vulnerable. I loved it.
Education (100 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Mulan (1998)
Relationships: Fa Mulan & Fa Zhou
Characters: Fa Zhou, Fa Mulan
Additional Tags: Drabble, Pre-Movie(s), Father-Daughter Relationship
Summary: An educated daughter is dangerous.
Interesting look on Fa Zhou’s perspective on his daughter, pre-movie.
Fine Feathers (5140 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Quiet Gentleman - Georgette Heyer
Relationships: Gervase Frant/Drusilla Morville
Characters: Drusilla Morville, Gervase Frant
Additional Tags: Romance, Engagement, Epilogue, Marianne and Lord Ulverston are also in this, but not enough I felt it was fair to include them in the tags, Martin even smiles!, Fluff
Summary: Six weeks is not so long to wait. (Even if it seems like an interminable engagement.) Drusilla's transition from Miss Morville to Lady St Erth.
What an amazing epilogue to the novel. This really feels like the most natural continuation.
Five Times Amarelle Had Cause to Consider the Wizard Ivovandas (1080 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: A Year and A Day in Old Theradane - Scott Lynch
Relationships: Ivovandas/Amarelle Parathis
Characters: Amarelle Parathis, Ivovandas (A Year and A Day in Old Theradane)
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat
Summary: And four times she might have smiled, doing so. (But possibly not.)
I’m not sure how to describe this without spoiling it. Let’s just say that it portrays Ivovandas/Amarelle in exactly the way I would have wanted to have it.
Rise and Fall of Empires (5363 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: A Year and A Day in Old Theradane - Scott Lynch
Characters: Amarelle Parathis, Sophara Miris, Brandwin Miris, Shraplin Self-Made, Scavius of Shadow Street, Jadetongue Squirn
Additional Tags: Libraries, Librarians, Books, Heist, Magic
Summary: In which failing to return a book to the library of Hazar leads to entirely unexpected adventures.
Such an excellent story! It nails the tone of canon (and the characters within) perfectly, and takes a unique approach to why Amarelle might have stolen that book in the first place.
Something Normal (2445 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Zootopia (2016)
Relationships: Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Characters: Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Bonnie and Stu Hopps
Additional Tags: Background Case, Slice of Life, Love Confessions, Fluff and Angst, off-screen violence
Summary: Judy and Nick talk about family and the holidays during a dark moment on the job.
I really loved the structure of this fic, and the quiet understanding between Judy and Nick. The case in the background was really intriguing as well.
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I don't know, 31,000+ words of Yona of the Dawn 'fic sounds awfully intriguing.
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