silly fic (and music) rec game

[nnozomi]

I am feeling unwontedly euphoric because my head/neck doesn't hurt any more (for the moment, knock wood). (All the other personal-health and global-mess things that were wrong are still wrong, but what else is new?)
I have guardian-learning stuff to catch up on and other DW socializing to do and lots of lovely 520 fics to read (flamingwell made a podfic of one of my fics! this has never happened to me before and it's lovely!), not to mention, you know, files to translate for work and octopus to buy for dinner, but here's something silly for Sunday afternoon.

I've been rereading my huge virtual stack of favorite fics, the ones I have saved offline to read once a year. Last winter I finally got around to listing them properly (in Excel because God forbid I should use AO3 bookmarks like a normal person) and there are about 700, from drabbles to trilogy-length, in about 90 fandoms. So give me, say, three numbers between 1 and 704, and I will give you three fic recs! (For reference, I started putting them together when I discovered AO3, which was...um...2012? The oldest ones go back any time before that, and the newest are, like, last week. If you want anything cdrama-related you are better off choosing higher numbers.)
As a bonus, choose three numbers between 1 and 120 and I'll give you three music recs from my big YouTube playlist, although how much my taste aligns with everyone else's I cannot say.
Offer remains open!

Take good care, be well and safe everyone.

Comments

[chestnut_pod]

What a fun activity! May I have 18, 36, 54, please?

(Also, what manner of cookery will you be performing on that octopus?)

[nnozomi]

18: Dexterity by leupagus/waldorph/screamlet, a deliciously vulgar Star Trek fic about universal translators;
36: The Metal from the Stars
by hradzka, I think the only John Bellairs fic I know of and one which does a good job sounding like the canon;
54: The Emperor's Man
by our own Philomytha, Vorkosiverse, Gregor has the flu and Miles has a nefarious (and successful) plan.

(Bonus musical items for the same numbers! Ignore if not your thing.)
18: Bizet, Le Bal
(last movement of the Jeux d'enfants), two-piano version, a delightful happy high-energy romp
36: Brahms, Serenade no. 2 in A major, not the most spectacular Brahms but very sweet and soothing (notable for woodwinds and low strings but no violins)
54: Fauré, preludes for piano op. 103, my favorite is the A major.

Re the octopus: not sure if you can call it cookery, but it's going to be o-sunomono, octopus, wakame seaweed, and cucumber diced and dressed with mild vinegar. Good for a hot day.

(Also it occurs to me that while the podfic mentioned above is the first one of my own fics, it isn't the first one I've received! We overlap surprisingly little in fandoms so I figured my request for you was best left to your own choice, but your voice is lovely <3)

[luzula]

All right! Give me 100, 200, 300 for fic, and 10, 20, 30 for music. : )

[nnozomi]

You bet!
100: Nurture --> Nature by Petra, Archer's Goon, a drabble with excellent characterization;
200: Don't Be Afraid to Lend a Hand by labellementeuse, Young Wizards, a Yuletide gift for me that's a lovely Kit and Nita slice of life;
300: Swim Until You Can't See Land by anonymous, Rivers of London, how Nightingale and Walid might have met

10: Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Toquinho, Miucha Gravado ao Vivo--ooh, you get a whole album! Also, like, literally the best bossa nova/samba album ever made.
20: Ligeti études for piano, sort of at the other end of the spectrum but interesting
30: Bach Prelude and Fugue on B.A.C.H., a piece I like so much I once wrote a whole fic (sort of) about it.

[cyphomandra]

27, 398, and 601!

[nnozomi]

Here you are!

27: The Emperor's Garden, by our own hedda62, Vorkosiverse, lovely characterization and typically excellent garden details...

398: Different Ways of Being What We Are, by Queue, Sunshine (McKinley), post-canon baking magic. Don't read it when you're hungry for sweets :)

601: trentaine des jours, by klaasje, Disco Elysium (a video game I haven't played, but I read some of the fic anyway, and this writer is excellent).

[schneefink]

42, 211, 326?

[nnozomi]

of course all questions have to be answered with 42 ;)

42: Pomegranate, by Raven|singlecrow, a gently melancholy and vivid Star Trek fic

211: Rejoining, by DesireeArmfeldt, Elfquest, a lovely fic for one of my longest-standing fandoms (long before AO3 ever happened...)

326: beatitude, by categranger, Lord Peter Wimsey, happy honeymooning with oranges.

[trobadora]

Yay for no head/neck pain, I'm glad you're feeling better on that front! ♥

Numbers for fic: 212, 520, 666!
Numbers for music: 8, 77, 101!

(I never use AO3 bookmarks; I keep all mine in my browser. I need a system that keeps the link and the info even if the link isn't working any more!)

[nnozomi]

Thank you <3
(I get superstitious about saving things I like offline...although it occasionally means I can never find the original link!)
212: Two in the Bush, by hazel, The Changeover (Mahy), a funny, loving futurefic for a book I've always liked;

520: a winter's afternoon, Lord Peter Wimsey. Short, elegant Harriet/Peter, really lovely writing.

666: climbing up that coastal shelf, by sour_idealist, MDZS/CQL (I know it's not your fandom, but this is one of the best fics there I've come across--and you know (or have written) my favorite Guardian fics anyway.)

Music:
8: George Walker, Piano Sonata no. 1 (a nice piece by a regrettably little-known Black American composer)

77: Love Walked In, Gershwin, performed by Edward Murray and Isabelle Ganz--personal to me in a way I won't get into in an unlocked post but I'm glad you hit on it <3

101: aren't you clever to reach the Z1L range ;) 地星撞海星!

[shadaras]

Oh, this sounds fun! :D

Music: 93, 84, 72

Fic: 696, 333, 123

[nnozomi]

A pleasure!
123: Borderlands, by dynamicsymmetry, The City and the City (Mieville), really gracefully written post-canon quasi-femslash.

333: Seven Observations of a Nebula, by Rubynye, Star Trek, an elegant and touching slice of life on the Enterprise.

696: lolol, I have ALREADY recommended this fic to you, it's achray's "My Own Hands Carried Me There." So have another Rebel fic by achray, The One That Got Away, her Yuletide gift for me and a dazzling study of Wang Shi'an.

Music:
72: Schubert, Piano Trio no. 2--I don't know this piece as well as I should but I love it.

84: Elfrieda Andrée, Piano Trio no. 2--how did you get two piano trios no. 2, lol, but I only just discovered Elfrieda Andrée this year and I love her. Lucky!

93: From the Chinese end of the playlist! Zhu Yilong singing 小半, I still can't understand most of the lyrics but I like the song and he looks gorgeous.

[nineveh_uk]

Glad to hear that the neck etc is improved. Pain there is so frustrating.

I am enormously impressed by your fic stack, I really ought to do something similar so I don't lose favourites and can actually find them in future. So... 352 476 581, please.

[nnozomi]

Thanks <3 My chronic pain-in-the-neck is entirely my own fault, bad working posture... .
Putting together favorite-fic-collections has been a great procrastination method for me over the years!

352: now, in the meanwhile, with hearts raised on high, by lionpyh, Dido Twite (Aiken)--I might have cheated by one or two numbers to get you this one, but honestly this is as good as it gets, perfect canon voice, incredibly well written, deeply moving.

476: Something in the Water, by Sixthlight, Rivers of London, a very silly and enjoyable murder-mystery crossover featuring Alex Seawoll.

581: Broken Bottles Form a Star, by our own china_shop, Guardian: a short, painful, gorgeous gift for me featuring Zhao Xinci, a character I love way more than is reasonable.

[laireshi]

I'm glad you're feeling better!

Hmm. 1, 555, 704?

[nnozomi]

Thank you <3

1: Terminus, by Aria, Young Wizards--sort of the magical equivalent of a casefic, really nice and delicate and affectionate.

555: Kite, by xparrot, Guardian, Shen Wei gets very high indeed, funny and sweet with just a thread of angst.

704: Also Guardian! Twenty-Four Hours in New Dixing, china_shop's latest (I haven't been through most of the new collection yet but this one I got to beta, so I read a version in advance). Gorgeous worldbuilding and SW/ZYL.

[skygiants]

Extremely fun game! For fics please give me 122, 377, and 655, and for music please give me 12, 48 and 83!

[nnozomi]

With pleasure!
122: The Last Free Soul of Dalemark, by Firerose, DWJ Dalemark; you may well have read this already, but it's a fantastic look at Dalemark-as-history through multiple formats, unnerving and pitch-perfect.

377: Emergent Occasions, by our own linman, Rivers of London, a short fic which is all symbolism and subtext, playful and painful.

655: A Troublesome Charge, by Moonsheen, MDZS/CQL, the first in a series of fics with a central conceit I usually can't stand but this author does it brilliantly, in part by being totally unsentimental on all fronts.

Music
12: Schubert Magnificat, a very short, happy, inspiring choral piece (which I have also put in a fic, come to think of it)

48: Kapustin Piano Sonata no. 1, a marvelous piece by the Russian Gershwin.

83: Moszkowski Piano Concerto no. 1--not quite as delightful as his second piano concerto, but still deserves to be much better known. (Two obscure Eastern European Jewish composers in a row!)

[salamandras]

Congrats on being free of head/neck pain! May you continue to be free of it forever. And congrats on having podfic made of your work! I really liked flamingwell's reading of china_shop's fic, and I'm looking forward to and saving the reading of yours for later today.

How about for fic recs... 67, 435, and 689? And for the music recs, can you share 3, 77, and 101?

[nnozomi]

Thank you! <3 I'm really pleased by the podfic.

67: The Rules of Barrayaran Sex, by Philomytha, Vorkosiverse, Aral/Cordelia, sort of a slice of life (with a lot going on in it) and a delight.

435: A Bit Too Much Good Work, by a_t_rain, also Vorkosiverse!, a really excellent canon-compliant novel focused on By Vorrutyer.

689: Rain after drought, by achray, a short, sweet, poignant, R-rated Lost Tomb Reboot fic.

Music
3: Florence Price piano sonata, a terrific piece by a Black American composer who should be better known.

77: See trobadora's comment above! To avoid duplication you can have Kapustin's Divertissement for Two Flutes, Cello and Piano, a lovely jazzy interlude.

101: also duplicated by trobadora ;) Have 时间飞行 instead for some bonus Guardian tears <3

[naye]

Hope the good health thing continues!

I am not really reading fic right now (you know how brains are), but I would love three music recs! 22, 23 & 24 please.

[nnozomi]

Likewise! :)

22: "Plorate filii Israel," Carissimi, a stunningly beautiful motet

23: Haydn Quartet op. 77 no.1, a well-deserved classic

24: Beethoven Grosse Fuge, with graphics, spectacular.

[tinny]

Hahaha! I'm sure those things will be in fandoms I have never heard about. :D I'll try my luck with a few later ones, maybe those will at least be Guardian? ;)

654, 678, 699 ?

I'm sure our music tastes only have very little overlap. ;) I hadn't actually seen this fan recorded version of xiaoban you linked above. I have this (maybe more official?) version on my playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4-x_5JVF1Y

[nnozomi]

Ooh, thanks for the new 小半！ Unlike mine it has subtitles!

As it happens you missed out on the Guardian ranges somehow (although there probably aren't many Guardian fics new to you anyway)...

654: Three changes, by orange_crushed, MDZS/CQL, a lovely imagining of a happier outcome.

678: Like you wrote this book, by achray, Lost Tomb Reboot, Wu Xie/Pangzi (not usually my thing but she makes it work).

699: (we love with claws and teeth), by Thimblerig, Lost Tomb Reboot, post-canon animal transformation sweet and silly.

[elenothar]

I'm so thrilled to hear that I'm not the only one who does the excel sheet for fic thing (though, admittedly, mine is terrifyingly sprawling; I've got about 700 items for Guardian alone because I'm a fic hoarder) XD

Asking for 77, 545, 617. I'd also be pleased with music recs, so I'm adding 17, 88, 111 to that.

[nnozomi]

Hoarding fic is highly practical! You never know when you'll need it ;)

77: Beginner's Lessons, by Philomytha, Vorkosiverse, Alys/Simon learning to do unfamiliar things.

545: On Lsel, Hope is a False Memory, by GlowsInTheDark, Teixcalaan duology, Mahit and her childhood friend. (I remember you haven't read these yet--I don't think this fic is spoilery, but you can always save it for later!)

617: A One-Time Thing, by xparrot, ZhuBai (I am shy of admitting to RPF reading in public, but this is incredibly funny and sweet)

Music
17: Debussy Piano Trio in G major, written when he was EIGHTEEN, one of my very favorites for its bubbly happiness

88: Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms, a piece I like even after having to write a paper on it in college

111: You know this one! Zhu Yilong singing 爱的箴言 <3

[china_shop]

Ooh, I'm loving this glimpse of all the different fandoms you read in. There are a surprising-to-me number of local fans I know showing up there, too! ♥ ♥ ♥

P.S. Sooo happy to hear about your head/neck! *gentle celebratory hugs*

[nnozomi]

I'm surprised at how many of the same authors/fandoms come up with random numbers! (Not complaining though.) And I envy you with so many local fans!

*hugs back* <3

[reshiel]

-waves- hello! (We've talked before on guardian_learning and I think we've been mutuals for a while, but I never properly said hi ^^; so, -waves-)

Glad to hear you are feeling better! For the fic list, may I ask for 521, 606, 703?

[nnozomi]

hello! I never know the etiquette for these things, but it's good to see you around! very welcome any time.

521: frost upon the ground, by marycrawford, Guardian, a short, poignant, gentle bit of hurt/comfort

606: your law of gravity, by astrid_fischer, Oofuri/Big Windup, a sweet get-together fic for one of my favorite baseball manga series

703: In a Year, by tenddisorder, MDZS/CQL, Song Lan and Xue Yang cooperate in a rather kinder world (I'm not usually especially interested in the Yi City people, but this fic is gorgeously written and also features hilarious WWX, LWJ, and JC cameos)

[philomytha]

Oh, I missed this the other day, but what a lovely game! Can I have 232, 477 and 550 for fics? And 14, 88 and 101 for music?

[nnozomi]

With pleasure!

232: Foe Charmer, by cest_what, a short, light-hearted and very funny and pleasing HP fic, featuring cute if slightly disgusting magic frogs among other things

477: Wizardry by Consent, by sixthlight, one of her long Rivers of London AUs--I expect you have read this one but it's always a good read. (Surprised one of your own fics didn't come up around here! See above here and there.)

550: Common Ground, by hhertzof, Tam Lin (Pamela Dean), a really nicely characterized short post-canon fic for a favorite book of mine.

Music
14: Mozart Hunt Quartet, which I have fond memories of on account of playing it with friends at my own wedding

88: See elenothar above! To avoid duplication, have the next one up, the Poulenc Sinfonietta, a gloriously joyful piece I'm especially fond of

101: See trobadora above! Have a neighboring number, 小幸运, a pretty ballad.