Snowflake Challenge, days 1 & 2

Let's see if this year I can actually manage to post something for this. :)

I'm way behind, so I'm combining a few days as I go.

Day 1
Talk about your Happy Place - the things that give you joy, calms you or keeps you sane.

For literal places that make me happy or calm me, water would have to come first. Any body of water, but especially the ocean. I love looking at water, and being near water, and being on water, and being in water. I've lived my whole life less than 25 miles from the ocean (barring a stint in college when I was 80 miles away), and just knowing that it's right there and I could go look at it anytime is completely grounding to me.

Day 2
Rec at least three fanworks that you didn’t create.

Have some Yuletide!

Better cheated to the end by Damkianna
Fandom: The Sting (1973)
Relationship: Henry Gondorff/Johnny Hooker
Characters: Henry Gondorff, Johnny Hooker
Additional Tags: Trust Issues, Light Angst, Rescue, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon, Yuletide Treat
Summary:

He probably should have known right then, the moment he saw them. Down the street some distance, crowding around the mouth of a narrow little alley. The way they were standing said trouble, sure enough: looming, tense shoulders and jutted-out chins, brief sharp movements of their hands and arms.

He should have known trouble meant Johnny.

But he didn't think of it, didn't realize. He saw there was somebody cornered, getting shoved around a little—and it wasn't till one of them finally threw a punch, knocked that somebody's hat off and gave Henry a nice clear view of a flash of wheat-gold hair, that Henry felt his breath hitch and fumbled his way into motion.

My rec: Wow, this just feels so real and so right. ♥ The language and voices are bang on; I completely buy Henry's POV here. It's a thing of beauty.

Battle Lines by petrichoral
Fandom: Gilgamesh
Fandom: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Relationship: Enkidu/Gilgamesh (Mesopotamian Mythology)
Characters: Gilgamesh (Mesopotamian Mythology), Enkidu (Mesopotamian Mythology)
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Alternate Universe - Space
Summary:

Gilgamesh, legendary space general and ruler of Uruk Prime, has an unexpected encounter with a pirate.

My rec: This is amazing. It is The Epic of Gilgamesh in space, which is not a thing I ever knew I wanted or needed until I read this. Or, as I said in my comment: "Oh my god, this is amazing and perfect. Wow. Oof. I didn't think the raw physicality and power of the original could be translated to a space AU, but wow was I wrong. *flail*" 'Cause yeah. That.

The Christmas Present (5090 words) by SunlitStone
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Iskierka & Temeraire, John Granby & Iskierka, William Laurence & Temeraire, Temeraire & Tenzing Tharkay
Characters: Temeraire (Temeraire), William Laurence, John Granby, Tenzing Tharkay, Iskierka (Temeraire)
Additional Tags: copious application of dragon logic
Summary:

"A present," Temeraire repeated. "The white stag. To...show our appreciation of him as our host."

"That seems very foolish."

Temeraire sniffed. "I would not want people to think my host did not have enough things, or sufficiently fine ones."

"Oh, very well," grumbled Iskierka, sounding disgruntled in her turn. "I suppose you are right. I will have to join you."

"No you will not!"

"I will; you are right; there is nothing else for it."

Or: Temeraire and Iskierka discover (something adjacent to) the true meaning of Christmas.

My rec: A slightly lighter note than the last two! This is charming, and "copious application of dragon logic" says it all, really. Written in wonderful Temeraire POV, and a delight.