ariadnes_string

I participated in Yuletide for the first time in a long time this year, and it brought back some good memories. I was a single parent to very young children for eight years, until I remarried, and my children go a bit older. Christmas day was one of the few days when my ex would reliably take the kids, and I would usually spend the day in longed for silence and solitude. Yuletide was always a big part of what made the day special and enjoyable. This year, thinking back on all that, I felt so much gratitude for all the people who organized the collection, wrote stories, recced stories, and everything else. Thank you!

And to top it all off, I received a perfect story!

proud and strange and so hopelessly hopeful (1505 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Counterpart (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Emily Burton, Ian Shaw
Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, Pre-Canon, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Summary:

A long silence stretched between them. She tried to think of something else to say, or questions to ask him, but came up empty. Ian had been with Housekeeping for five years, which meant that Emily still thought of him as a new hire. She could scarcely be bothered to get to know someone until they’d worked there for at least six years. All that she really knew about him was that he was an exemplary agent.

I just watched Counterpart this year, and Emily was my favorite character. This story captures Other Emily's voice perfectly, provides a compelling pre-canon scene, and just captures this world in a wonderful, moving way. I'm not sure it will make sense if you haven't at least watched the first season of the show, but it you have, you will love it!

Hello! I don't seem to have posted since January 2018. Hope you all have had a good year and wishing you well in the new one!

Much to my surprise, and certainly with time I should have been spending on other things, I picked up and wrote a pinch hit for Yuletide. I had pretty much just finished reading Spinning Silver, which I loved for its combination of folktales, magic, and real life detail about Jewish life in Eastern Europe, and it was a blast to try writing fic for that amazing world.

True Masks (2144 words) by ariadnes_string
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Miryem Mandelstam/The Staryk Lord
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Purim, Canon Jewish Character, Jewish Holidays
Summary:

Miryem and her husband celebrate Purim

I wrote two stories for Yuletide this year--which were either a good distraction from end-of-the-year stress, or made the end of the year more stressful because they took time away from other things that needed to get done. Depends how you look at it!

Five Times Rachel Dreamt of Quinn, and One Time Quinn Woke her Up (2629 words) by ariadnes_string
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: UnREAL (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Rachel Goldberg/Quinn King
Additional Tags: Voyeurism, Canon Jewish Character, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:

It started on the first night of the first day Rachel worked on Everlasting.

This was my assignment, and I was happy to get it, since I've wanted to write for this fandom for a while (even though I STILL haven't watched the end of the 2nd season). I like all the parts of this fic, but I failed that basic "kill your darlings" test of writing with it. I think the last section is the best, but I only thought of the idea for it at the very last minute, and even though I knew I should rework the whole fic to be just the last section, and junk the other parts, I couldn't bear to. So it isn't as strong a story as it might have been. Sigh. #reasonstokeepmydayjob, eh?

Peven's Tower (2169 words) by ariadnes_string
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Riddle-Master Trilogy - Patricia A. McKillip
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Raederle of An, Peven of Aum
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Misses Clause Challenge
Summary:

After battling the shape-changers at Erlenstar Mountain, Morgon disappears. Raederle's search for him leads her to a place both unexpected and familiar.

I picked up this pinch hit in the last round of pinch hits, and again, was pleased to write it, since I've loved the books for a long time. I meant to make it more episodic, but the story of Raederle revisiting Peven grew to fit everything I wanted to say. It builds off a throwaway line in canon, about Raederle visiting Peven's Tower before Morgon wins the crown. I'm glad it got such nice responses, since I didn't want to let down the source material.

Maybe for the first time, everything I wrote for Yuletide was about, and from the POV, of women.

Oh, and I never posted the fic I wrote for trickortreatx, so here it is:

When the days have no number (1802 words) by ariadnes_string
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Killjoys (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Johnny Jaqobis, Dutch (Killjoys), Alvis Akari, Lucy (Killjoys)
Additional Tags: Pre-Series
Summary:

Johnny thinks he's seeing things.

That makes a total of 7 fics I wrote this year, for better or worse!

Dear Yuletide Author:

First of all, thank you so much for writing a story for me! Any fic with any of these characters will make me happy, so please just write what seems fun and interesting to you! I don’t expect you to get every character I requested into your fic—any (or all) of them would fine . I saw this phrase in someone’s letter a while ago, and it perfectly expressed my feelings: If you come to a place where you think you can either write a good story or make me happy, write a good story. ( and if that’s your phrase—thank you!).

If it’s helpful, here are some things about my general preferences:

( general preferences )

I moved, then had family visiting for the holidays, then traveled, and so I have been very remiss about sharing the absolutely lovely gifts I got for Yuletide--all three of them!

I have always loved the Riddlemaster Trilogy, but I've always been wary of requesting fic for it--worried it wouldn't live up to my feelings about the books. But there was gorgeous fic for it in last year's Yuletide, so I took a chance and requested it. And, oh my goodness, what a good decision that turned out to be. I received not one but two fics in the fandom, both post-series fic that focus on the consequences of the events of the novels for the two main characters, Morgon and Raederle, and on their somewhat idiosyncratic love for each other. Both stories give us very grown-up, nuanced, versions of the characters, and beautiful details about their (new) world. These are just beautiful, moving, thoughtful stories--read them if you love the books!

Tuning (3313 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Riddle-Master Trilogy - Patricia A. McKillip
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Morgon of Hed/Raederle of An
Characters: Morgon of Hed, Raederle of An
Additional Tags: Post-Series
Summary:

Morgon and Raederle drift across the realm, and the earth's harp is tuned to the dawn of another new age.

I love the way this story works the connection between magic and the natural world, and its overall concern with the value of peace.

Like Petals from the Bough (3841 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Riddle-Master Trilogy - Patricia A. McKillip
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Morgon of Hed/Raederle of An
Characters: Raederle of An, Morgon of Hed, Nun (Riddle-Master Trilogy), minor OC characters - Character
Additional Tags: Grief, Loss, dealing with eternal life
Summary:

Raederle deals (or doesn't) with the fact that she is not dying.

I love the way this fic, like the novels, considers how you can love someone but need to go away from them for a while. Its consideration of grief is also very moving. As the author's note says, not a happy story, but in the best possible way.

AND THEN--someone wrote me Limetown fic! As in Limetown the podcast (you can now listen to the whole first season--it's like Serial meets the X-Files, or maybe Lost). This story is about how one of the other, barely heard from, characters might have thought about the events of the first season, and is very nicely done!

Thank You for Listening (2962 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Limetown (Podcast)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Lia Haddock, Mark Greene (Limetown)
Additional Tags: Missing Scene, Post-Season/Series 01, Yuletide Treat
Summary:

"The thing was, when Lia had first pitched the idea of doing a series on Limetown, it hadn’t seemed dangerous." Producer Mark Greene's take on the events of Season One of Limetown.

So much gratitude to all the writers for making these tiny fandoms come to life!

(and now that I'm back, I'm going to try to read some more in the archive!)

The overflow of my Yuletide writing roll, I guess.

I didn't sign up for fandom_stocking, but I signed up for the call for volunteers to help fill them. I only managed to write one ficlet, though:

On Folly Bridge (1555 words) by ariadnes_string
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch, X-Men (Movies)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Charles Xavier, Thomas Nightingale, Isis
Additional Tags: Crossover
Summary:

Oxford 1962: Late one night, Charles sees something new.

And this I really wanted to write as a Yuletide treat, but I ran out of time:

Open hand or closed fist (would be fine). (1060 words) by ariadnes_string
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Honourable Woman
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Atika Halabi/Nessa Stein
Additional Tags: Captivity
Summary:

For a moment, Atika gives Nessa her body back.

That's probably it for the season. I have an urge to write some shameless, old-fashioned h/c, though, so if you want to enable me give me an excuse, suggests some characters/tropes in comments!

So, I left on my post-Christmas trip before I had a chance to squee about the two gifts I received in the Yuletide Madness collection. But I'm back now (briefly--I'm leaving again Tuesday morning), and I wanted to make sure everyone knew about them!

Euston Corridor (100 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Peter Grant
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Drabble, London
Summary:

A little corner of Peter's patch.

An absolutely charming drabble about a corner of London--doing what the RoL books and fic do best.

Sonnet for George Finch (111 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Himalayan Mountain Climbers RPF
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: George Finch (Himalayan Mountain Climbers RPF), George Mallory (Himalayan Mountain Climbers RPF)
Additional Tags: Poetry, Sonnets, Canonical Character Death, Historical References, Yuletide
Summary:

What price glory?

Such a treat! Definitely the most unusual Yuletide gift I've ever gotten--a poem about George Finch, a fascinating figure, who pioneered the use of oxygen tanks in mountain climbing (a much contested innovation), and accompanied Mallory on the 1922 Everest expedition, but was excluded from the 1924 expedition. And it's a sonnet!

I am very grateful to have received such bounty this year!

Happy New Year's, everyone--I'll be back in town on the 2nd.

Happy Halloween! It’s been a busy couple of weeks since I last posted.

On the 19th, I ran my second half-marathon. I trained much harder this year and…finished a whopping 5 minutes faster. A fast runner, I am not. But I felt good about it, and had fun—it was a beautiful day in my hometown, I saw friends cheering along the way, and, heck, anytime I run any distance at all, I’m surprised. (Me: Well, no matter what happens, I enjoyed the training; R: Enjoyed? You loved the training!; Me: Yeah, I did.)

Then last weekend, we went to Colorado to see Son #1. CO was as gorgeous as ever, and son #1 seems to be doing well, better than last year, which is excellent, but a bit bittersweet, since I miss him a lot. (The boys and I had the most fun going to this old-fashioned pinball arcade , “Where it’s always 1978.” Along with the pinball, they had ping pong, pool, and, best of all, a giant Connect Four set and a giant Jenga set. Still, the traveling, and seeing friends and family so intensely is…intense.

And thinking about Yuletide. Assignments went out yesterday, and while mine isn’t all that exciting, it doesn’t look that difficult, either. I also snagged one of the initial pinch hits, from a fandom I’d been eyeing anyway. I need to spend some time reviewing the sources for both, though.

What I’m Reading

Nothing in print right now, but I’m listening to The Fever, by Megan Abbott, because I read this great review article about it, and the library had an audiobook copy. It’s compelling, but a little…garish? hyperbolic? The subject can’t help but hover on the edge of the ridiculous, and this book sometimes teeters over. Plus, high school has clearly gotten worse since I was a teenager. The level of sexual shame is WAY higher than it was in the 80s—but maybe that’s just the book? The social media frenzy is well done, though.

I’m also listening to, but have gotten distracted from, the fourth Twelve Houses book, Reader and Raelynx

What I Just Finished

Ancillary Sword, by Ann Leckie. ( Read more... )

Euphoria, by Lily King (audiobook). ( Read more... )

Dark Moon Defender, Sharon Shinn (audiobook). As enjoyable as the first two!

What I’m Reading Next

I’m trying to find time to start Sarah Waters’ The Paying Guests, and I’m curious about Marlon James’s A Brief History of Seven Killings, which I have out from the library. But my parents are visiting this weekend, so who knows.

TV:

So, is anyone else watching Kingdom, the Direct TV show about MMA fighters, starring Frank Grillo as Alvey Kulina? ( Read more... )

And then there’s Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons on Peaky Blinders S2, doing one of his cardiganed thug turns as a Jewish breadmaking gangster (do the baggy clothes, slump and facial hair muffle his charisma, or do they just amplify it?). I’m a week behind, but so far I’ve been really enjoying watching the show get its Godfather on, even introducing a Michael Corleone character—Polly’s long lost son, who’s entering the criminal life with a kind of steely watchfulness that would make Al Pacino proud.

I’m a week behind with Homeland, too. I’m enjoying it okay, though Carrie is the worst, most unbelievable Station Chief, ever. She’s a great agent—but leadership skills? People management? Not so much.

Happy Halloween, folks! Have a great time if you’re participating!

Merry Christmas to everyone who's celebrating it!

I am not, but I will spare you my rant about being a Jew in the South, because right at the moment, it's working to my advantage, and I am enjoying a very peaceful, very silent, morning alone with my dog and my Yuletide gifts!

I got two this year, both in the Raven Cycle (The Raven Boys) fandom, and both are fabulous, though they are very different.

I was surprised at the number of fics posted for these books (10)--more than any of the other fandoms I requested put together, actually. This makes me happy, since I didn't realize so many other people out there liked the books. They certainly make for good fic!

I am rec'ing both of these hard!

Ronan Wakes Up (5179 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Richard Gansey III/Ronan Lynch
Characters: Richard Gansey III, Ronan Lynch, Adam Parrish, Noah Czerny
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Dreams, Ronan's Dreams, Mint Leaves
Summary:

Ronan dreams. Gansey is in the forest.

This is the h/c fic my id was craving (sick!Gansey), but the writer gives it the edge the books also have, tinged with desire and the dangers of magic and magical power. It's Ronan's POV, and his feelings for Gansey (not just desire) ring very true.

The Sword and the Shield (4721 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Richard Gansey III, Ronan Lynch
Additional Tags: Bloodplay, Dom/sub, Knifeplay, Painplay, spoilers for The Dream Thieves
Summary:

A king is only as good as the sword in his knight's hand. A knight's sword is only as good as the devotion in his heart. See notes for warnings.

And this one is the Ronan/Gansey fic my id was also craving. I know not everyone wants to start their Christmas morning with some strong blood!play and knife!play, but I sure as heck did, and this made me very, very happy (it's super hot). I don't mean to sound flip, though, because what really makes the fic work is the intensity of emotion between the two guys: if trust is your kink, this fic is for you; it'll turn your heart inside out. Beautifully written, too.

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the fics posted for the fandom!

Wishing you all a lovely day, whatever you're doing. I have no greater ambitions than making myself go for a run in the cold, and making a pie in time to go to my friends' for dinner later.

Oh, and posting about other stuff--I am so behind.

Happy New Year, everyone!

I'm back in the land of the speaking and readjusting to my life among the small rambunctious creatures, who are...not that small anymore. I'm trying to put together a post about the silent retreat, which was both very good and very interesting.

In the meantime, here are the stories I wrote for Yuletide this year, with a little bit of DVD commentary. First, though, a huge thank you to garry_owen for beta'ing two of these at the eleventh hour!

(I had a crappy week the week before Christmas, and I drowned some of my anxiety in fic writing. I think the stories may have been more therapeutic for me than enjoyable for readers. Hopefully 2013 will be better).

( Homeland )

( Camelot )

( Pirates!In an Adventure with Scientists )

Because I was away and internet-free most of last week, I haven't read all that much in the archive--but here's a story I loved that I haven't seen on any of the rec lists. I know a bunch of you loved Cloud Atlas as a book or a movie, and if you've been craving more Frobisher/Sixsmith, this will hit the sweet spot--so lyrical, so true to the characters and the era.

Grace Notes (1638 words) by just_ann_now
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Robert Frobisher/Rufus Sixsmith
Characters: Robert Frobisher, Rufus Sixsmith, Original Male Character
Summary:

Thirty years after Frobisher’s death, Sixsmith finally has the opportunity to talk about him to someone who truly understands.

Okay--more on other things later!