recthething | chocolate box recs!

i've gotten a completely delightful gift for the sleuth of ming dynasty, a beautifully tender and intimate moment between sui zhou and tang fan that explores everything that's delightful about their relationship:

Joining, in the Candlelight (成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty)

It's been a long night, and all Sui Zhou wants is a bath and Tang Fan.

and also a smattering of recs from all over the collection:

life is endlessly delicious (The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty)

Five tastes of how Tang Fan and Sui Zhou's relationship was discovered.

really excellent summary of relationship, in five povs.

In the Reaches (Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells)

It's a warm, calm day in the Reaches, Moon and Chime takes a rest under the canopy.

gorgeous fanart!

art: curse swallower (Original Work)

Cursed Female Knight/Swamp Witch - "I can take your curse, for a price."

really, really beautiful linework.

A Small Chance of Happiness (The Goblin Emperor)

"You need our marriage," Vedero Drazhin said to Maia one spring night when they were pressed together on the rooftop, using Vedero's telescope to examine a comet that was visiting their night sky.

that's such a sweet story, and i think it hits very well on the defining theme of the book as i see it - how kindness begets kindness begets kindness, slowly transforming the world around maia. i really love the careful code-switching too, formal and informal, an emperor and a subject, a brother with his older sister, back and forth - it's so careful, and so tender. i'm glad vedero took this risk, along with maia.

Mostly Fine (Vorkosigan Saga)

Gregor held the paper bag in one hand with the slightly befuddled air of a man who had never been handed fast food before. "This is... a burger," he said. "Yeah," Ivan said. "If you keep staring it will go cold. I already had to show it to your security detail."

After the events of The Vor Game, Ivan comes to visit Gregor.

awwww, ivan.

The Sharp End (My Next Life as a Villainess)

She really didn't need further swordsmanship lessons, but she definitely needed an appropriate venue in which to practice. "I think this competition will do nicely, don't you?"

katarina, in a breeches, with a sword in her hand. katarina's harem, especially giordo: REALLY happy.

Each Breath You Take Is a Brand New Begin (Saiyuki)

Gojyo's getting tired of his houseguest. But things are about to change.

a different take on hakkai and goyjo's meeting: they start in a different place and end up in the same one. really great character voices, too.

No Me Without You (Saiyuki Gaiden)

When Kenren is seriously injured, Tenpou comes face to face with his feelings about "that person."

really beautiful and understated grasp of tenpou's voice, and excellent whump.

Here There Be Dragons (Discworld)

Sam Vimes didn't know what he'd done in life to deserve Lady Sybil Ramkin. He held her in the highest esteem for being everything that he wasn't.

Unfortunately, the settee might not survive the enthusiasm of his esteem tonight.

sybil and sam finally get it on, and it's delightful :D

A Bit of Fuss (Benjamin January)

Rose missed the initial commotion because she was teaching a mathematics lesson at the time.

"I've had worse," Shaw said.

"You have no idea how alarming that is to hear," Ben told him.

Most Musical, Most Melancholy (Aubreyad)

Would he die? Was he in fact dying right at this moment? And Jack not there?

Jack forcibly steadied himself. He thought of Stephen's heart beating beneath his hand. Rapid, straining, like a—

—like a trapped bird. He looked up. At once he saw, tangled in a line, a pale and blotched little bundle, feebly thrashing.

stephen falls; jack frets. amazing grasp of voices, amazing pastiche, everything great about canon stirred and mixed together.