Rare & Gen Rec Roundup - January 2022
Is it already February? Sounds fake. Itās been a busy start to the year, but weāve compiled some of our faves that kicked off 2022. From New Yearās smut and soulmates to unexpected crossovers, Januaryās got a little bit of everything. Weāve even included a few pods that made our ears happy.
We hope you enjoy these as much as we did!
even on my worst days, feelinā like my birthday (girl, you know you drivinā me insane) by @turningtimeinthetardis, Rachel/Heather (background Alexis/Twyla), rated T, 801 words
Summary: Whenever Heatherās losing her mind, be it from the stubborn goats or a persnickety customer or David Roseās almost impossible to predict, āgeneral but very specificā cheese needs, she can always count on Rachel to help her find it.
For her, itās close enough.
Rec [written by doingthemost]: This is a sweet little slice-of-life look into Rachel and Heather's relationship. I love how fandom makes minor characters come alive, and this is an exemplary instance. They didn't need tons of screen time for me to know that these two are great together!
Fresh Coat of Paint by @doublel27, Stevie/Ruth, rated G, 1020 words
Summary: A ding brings Stevie out of her thoughts and the picture of Ruth in the hallway is in the group chat with the caption āthat face you make when the paint dries and you know you made good choices.ā
What is not stated is you didnāt go with your fiancĆ©ās apparently terrible choice of paint color. Stevie isnāt bitter about it. Canāt be bitter about a coin toss anyway.
It isnāt so much that Stevie hates the color of their new wallsāit just happens to be that itās colorless and the result of an agonizing process of looking through colorless colors, which was a waste of time. You just paint the damn walls white and get it done. Things had devolved further when David had gotten over his āStevieās getting a place in Torontoā funk to side with Ruth about paint colors.
Stevie and Ruth move into their new apartment and Ruth is beyond excited about the new paint color she chose. Stevie is still unsure.
Rec [written by doingthemost]: I love how the Stevie/Ruth ship gives us a chance to see how the Stevie we know and love from the show can continue to grow and find her own path through life through a relationship with someone who lovingly challenges her and gives her the space to do just that. This fic takes something as simple as a paint color and examines how it can mean so much more. Love this journey for Stevie!
Got This Feeling in My Body by norskheks, David/Jake, rated E, 3237 words
Summary: "You know, I'm a pretty open-minded guy. Why don't you stop by the shop sometime?"
In which David stops by the shop.
Rec [written by yourbuttervoicedbeau]: Yāall know I am Jake trash and this is straight fire. Itās also charming, fantastically in-character, and easily slots into canon. (And did I mention itās hot as fuck?)
i rule with a velvet tongue by @hullomoon, Stevie/Ruth, rated E, 789 words
Summary: Ruth takes Stevie apart
Rec [written by doingthemost]: "Nothing says happy new year like porn right?" says the author's note, and the answer is YES. Stevie deserves a great body celebration, and this fic (and Ruth) delivers that in spades. š„š„š„š„
If, Then by HungryHungryHippo, Patrick/Rachel, rated G, 1526 words
Summary: If-Then statement: A conditional statement (also called an If-Then Statement) is a statement with a hypothesis followed by a conclusion.
Noun: a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.
Well, theyāre at least one of those things. They used to be anyway. Patrick and Rachel. Rachel and Patrick. Three distinct words that had morphed into one over the years. And now Patrick was on a mission to begin the messy business of disentangling them once again.
Rec [written by yourbuttervoicedbeau]: I will read every iteration of Patrick and Rachelās relationship until the end of time, and this one HURT in the best possible way. Itās a snapshot of a brief moment in time, but the audience knows what a pivotal turning point this is (and what comes next), and that foreknowledge brings more weight to every carefully written line.
[Podfic] in her brown eyes (the ones she gave to me) as read by @godoflaundrybaskets (written by @sarahlevys), Stevie/Ruth, rated G, 600 words
Summary: "I'm dating someone. Her name is Stevie."
Her mother tsks under her breath. "Stevie, ha? Sounds like a boy's name."
A laugh escapes Ruth despite her nerves. "Well ā yes. I guess so.
Ruth tells her mother about her new relationship.
Rec [written by petalwrites]: This short-and-sweet piece tells a more complex story than any 5-minute pod (or 600 words) has any right to. Ruthās relationship with her mother and her queerness comes through so well in both the work itself and the voice reading it.
[podfic] kiss me beneath the mistletoe as read by @hullomoon, @schittposting, @thesleepyskipper (written by @landofsonlali), Alexis/Twyla, rated G, 2100 words
Summary: twyla's body magically produces plants whenever she feels any strong emotion, but she has it completely under control. that is, until she meets alexis rose. now what is she supposed to do with all these roses?
Rec [written by petalwrites]: I already loved this fic ā such a unique, clever, and enchanting concept ā but hearing it read aloud was such a delightā¦ especially considering that the holidays felt like they were over far too fast for me this year. The charactersā voices were captured so beautifully and I donāt think I stopped smiling the entire way through!
live again (and love again) by blneberrys, David/Stevie, rated T, 3549 words
Summary: Sheās angry. Sheās angry all the time. The thought came to her fully realised a few weeks ago and now it wonāt leave her. David is a closed book, padlocked, thrown into the ocean and Stevie has tried to fish it out but he's all creased pages and running ink. They donāt talk. David goes to his parties and his openings and returns with eyes blown wide and shaking hands. Stevie has never asked him a question. David would probably never answer.
The weight of it hits her at full force.
āI love you.ā She says. She means it. Itās like something crushing down on her chest all at once.
In which the Roses sell the town at the end of season one, and David agrees to a one bedroom apartment with Stevie. It goes about as well as a relationship between two emotionally stunted people is expected to.
Rec [written by yourbuttervoicedbeau]: All I can say is OUCH. But like, the good kind of ouch. This is one of those canon divergences that could SO EASILY be canon. These are the characters in season one, before so much of their growth, and knowing what they become in canon makes this storyās knife twist all the harder.
[podfic] twist yourself around me as read by @hullomoon, oakleaf, @thesleepyskipper, & @sunlightsymphony (written by @stereopticons), David/Rebecca Bunch, rated T, 1597 words
Summary: Heās seen her here before, heās pretty sure, but this time, her friends have left her sitting alone, having wandered off to dance or drink or fuck. His friends have done the same, and heās just drunk enough and lonely enough to approach her. Not that he never approaches strangers in the clubs. On the contrary, he does it with enough frequency that it would be alarming if he stopped to think about it (so he never stops to think about it). Those interactions, though, rarely involve many words, all sweaty bodies and hands and tongues. Something about this woman makes him want to strike up a conversation. So he slides into the seat across from her.
Or: the angsty pre-canon SC/CXG crossover that no one asked for!
Rec [written by petalwrites]: The summary says āthat no one asked for,ā but Iām pretty sure I telepathically asked for this before the incredible stereopticons put it on paper. Itās the perfect crossover between two of my favorite characters, only made better by an impeccably read pod. David and Rebecca really are kindred spirits of sortsā¦ and, in this pre-canon imagining, neither of them have any idea how different things will be someday.
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