Yuletide: This Soft World (Tomorrowland)

I am behind by several acknowledgment posts (and indeed, one whole exchange), so don't be surprised if the order of the next few posts is a little odd as I attempt to catch up.

First up is the Yuletide story written for me:

This Soft World
Fandom: Tomorrowland (2015)
Written by: ???
Characters: Athena, Frank Walker, David Nix
Relationships: Athena & Frank Walker, Athena & David Nix
Rating: T / gen
Additional Tags: Friendship, Loyalty, Androids, Developing Autonomy
Warnings: none
Words: ~22,000 (!)

Athena has always been clear about her purpose in life and no amount of reprogramming will change that. It's what Frank likes most about her.

I am pretty much gobsmacked.  This is brilliantly-worked-out AI spec-fic, beautifully executed relationship fic, and a deep and intricate extrapolation of both movie canon and material from the prequel novel Before Tomorrowland (though you do not have to read the latter book to appreciate what's here).  I count Tomorrowland as the most underappreciated movie of the past year, and I think my mystery author must agree with me; this story is flat-out amazing.

Holmestice (Winter 2015): to cradle the world in his hands

Next, written for me in the current round of Holmestice:

to cradle the world in his hands
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century
Written by: language_escapes
Characters: Tennyson, Wiggins, Deidre, Sherlock Holmes
Type/Rating: G • gen
Additional Tags: Ableism, British Sign Language, Canon Disabled Character, Character Study, Disability, Languages, Origin Story
Warnings: none
Words: ~7900

He does not feel limited. A Tennyson origin story.

This story, like its protagonist, is enormously intelligent and immensely likeable, even as it tackles a complicated and prickly set of issues with deft and sensitive wisdom -- and reveals that even Sherlock Holmes is occasionally challenged.  Clearly I've won the story lottery this holiday season....

Fic: The Possibility of the Improbable (Holmestice, Winter 2015)

Here's what I wrote for the current round of Holmestice.  I am amused and gratified at the pleased responses it's gotten -- I was initially nervous as to whether I'd done right by the characters here, but the consensus seems to be that of course the story's central assumption must be accurate.

Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle)
Written for: mundungus42 
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mycroft Holmes
Type/Rating: G • gen
Additional Tags: Australian Aboriginal Mythology, Case Fic, Minor Original Characters, Stealth Crossover
Warnings: none
Words: ~7900

The case of the vanishing boomerang appeared at first to be a trivial matter. But it revealed an aspect of Sherlock Holmes’ past that shed new light on his character – and only many years later did its true impact begin to come to light.