Happy New Year!

I wrote two stories for Yuletide this year: my assignment, and one treat.

The assignment was for what's probably my very favorite Mary Renault novel, "The Mask of Apollo", about an Athenian actor in the 4th century BC. He gets caught up in the events surrounding Dion of Syracuse and his attempt to liberate Sicily, but that's not the point, really. The things I thrive on in this book are the characters, the emotions, and how it's all so well grounded in the life of a working actor.

The story is set after the events of the novel but before the years-later epilogue, and is about Niko's recovery from the real-life tragedy he's just lived through, via his work on a new play, his realizations about his craft, and of course his (canon) beloved Thettalos, who's on his way to becoming the towering figure in the field that he is in real-life history.

I found it such a pleasure to write, even though I had never written fic in first-person before (the novel is first-person past-tense as well)...I had always wanted to tackle something about Niko facing the emotional aftermath plus his own middle-age all at once, and about him finding his way out (not solo by his bootstraps, but within his whole context of life and work and art and love and whatnot). But I hadn't yet been able to really think my way into it, until now. This assignment was perfect timing, and as Niko found answers for himself, I felt comforted too.

I made up almost all of the plays mentioned in the story, though the playwrights are real. I think it's possible to read the story without having read the novel, in the sense that most of the important context is embedded in it, but of course I'm so familiar with the book that it can be hard to tell...

The dance of nature forward far (8221 words) by Dorinda
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Mask of Apollo - Mary Renault
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Nikeratos/Thettalos (Mask of Apollo)
Characters: Nikeratos (Mask of Apollo), Thettalos (Mask of Apollo)
Additional Tags: Ancient Greece, Theatre, Established Relationship, Catharsis, Acting, Gods
Summary: No one drew attention to my increasing efforts and difficulties—not at performing Aigeus or Athene, which weren't going badly, but in the role of Nikeratos, son of Artemidoros. Perhaps I had them all fooled...or perhaps they were kind.

---

The treat was for my eternal love "The Sting" (1973). simplecoffee had some really fun prompts, so I couldn't help myself... h/c with hurt Johnny? Trains?? YES PLEASE! She also mentioned Outsider POV, so I gave that a whirl as well, and ended up really enjoying the OCs whose lives are briefly visited by these two pining blue-eyed grifters. As prep, I read a couple of books by real-life Depression-era hobos, a man ("Beggars of Life: a Hobo Autobiography") and a woman ("Sister of The Road: The Autobiography of Boxcar Bertha").

As with the first-person POV for Mask of Apollo, I realized I had never written Outsider POV before, so this year was a year of learning and stretching for me for sure...

Slow Freight to Omaha (3704 words) by Dorinda
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Sting (1973)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Henry Gondorff/Johnny Hooker, Original Female Character(s)/Original Female Character(s)
Characters: Henry Gondorff, Johnny Hooker (The Sting)
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, POV Outsider, 1930s, Hobos, Yuletide Treat
Summary: "I'm all right," one of them was saying, hoarse and breathless. "I'm okay. It's all right, it's nothing." He sat up, one arm held to his chest, yellow hair hanging in his eyes.

---

I hope everyone had as good a time as I did this year! ♥

Oh man. I got FIVE YULETIDE STORIES this year, and they are all so wonderful and so lovingly tailored to me, I am overflowing with gratitude and joy. Which I first typed "overglowing", which I am ALSO doing. I recommend these stories!!

Two are for the Japanese BL "Old Fashion Cupcake", about a pair of salarymen who fall in love over desserts. Two are for "The Sting", about a pair of Depression-era grifters. And one is for the "Lord Peter Wimsey" mystery novels from the golden age (1920s-30s), focusing here on Peter's manservant Bunter as well as Peter himself.

First, the Old Fashion Cupcake stories--one of them is my official present, though I admit I wasn't a hundred percent sure which one. I think it's the first of these two:
( Old Fashion Cupcake stories: 'Next to You' and 'Old Fashion Road Trip' )

Then there are two "The Sting" stories, coming from really interesting different angles:
( The Sting stories: 'Timing and Lighting' and 'the last train to wherever you need to be' )

And then the Lord Peter Wimsey story!
( Peter and Bunter: 'Lord of Misrule' )

I am awash in riches, and I deeply appreciate and savor every single one of them. ♥ !!!

It was an especially lovely surprise this year, since I had to default due to Emergency Family Circumstances, not only still to receive a Yuletide gift, but in fact to receive three!!! All different fandoms, and all so comforting to the soul during a difficult time.

The two stories in the main collection:

Five Times Meng Shao Fei and Tang Yi’s Life Was a Fanfic Cliché and One Time It Wasn’t (3007 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Meng Shaofei/Tang Yi, Jack | Fang Liangdian/Zhao Li'an | Zhao-zi
Summary: Tang Yi has never read fanfic, but his life bears a remarkable resemblance sometimes. It’s probably Meng Shao Fei’s fault, but here we are.


As I mentioned in my comment, after starting their relationship inside an Enemies-to-Lovers tale, of COURSE Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei would end up inside five other classic tropes. :D This story gives snapshots of fake-dating (fake-real-fake-dating?), h/c wound-tending, One Bed, and more, and Tang Yi and Meng Shao Fei behave accordingly. I especially like the Tang Yi POV voice, it has a very nicely complex mixture of his many aspects, from competence to deep vulnerability to perfectionism to anger, all topped with sheer heart-eyes adoration of Shao Fei. ♥


Scene on a Balcony (1965 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Lord Peter Wimsey - Dorothy L. Sayers
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sylvia Marriott/Eiluned Price, Harriet Vane/Peter Wimsey
Characters: Eiluned Price, Sylvia Marriott, Gerald Wimsey Viscount St George, Helen Duchess of Denver
Additional Tags: Smoking
Summary: 8th October 1935 and it's the wedding of the year - Lord Peter Wimsey and Miss Harriet Vane have finally tied the knot. But the wedding breakfast (served at the Dowager Duchess' London house) is getting a little heated. So the balcony is an excellent place to which to escape.


I had really been feeling a wish to be able to spend more time with minor Wimsey-canon characters Eiluned Price and Sylvia Marriott this year, the butch/femme-ish domestic couple who are Harriet's deeply protective friends. Here I got a very nice little moment out of time, during the (offscreen) festivities after Peter and Harriet's wedding, with Eiluned running into, of all people, Peter's scapegrace nephew Jerry. Two characters with very different approaches to life, and yet, given Jerry's canon weakness for strong older women, I should have seen it coming. :D


And the treat in the Madness collection!

together we lay down (4114 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Sting (1973)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Henry Gondorff/Johnny Hooker
Characters: Henry Gondorff, Johnny Hooker
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, 5 Times, Sharing a Bed, Exhaustion, Hiding, Undercover as a Couple, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Communication Failure, Confessions, Undercover As Prostitute, Kissing, Yuletide Treat
Summary: Five times Henry and Johnny shared a bed, for good reasons, bad reasons, and then, at last, the best reason.

SIGH, so many of the tropes I absolutely love, knitted into a blanket of FEELINGS and wrapped around characters I adore. It's an Only One Bed + Five Things, and the bed is not the same bed, but the ongoing throughline is, winding Henry and Johnny tighter and tighter. I love this Pining Henry so much, and it's an extra joy to be able to see, through Henry's eyes clouded with longing and fear, little hints of Johnny figuring things out and coming up with his own return tactics. Also, seeing Johnny through Henry's loving eyes is sizzlin hot. :D

(Chocolate Box is a low-pressure multifandom gift exchange with small minimum wordcount/art size--signups are open until January 7! Check out chocolateboxcomm )

Dear Chocolatier,

Thank you so much for making me something! I know my letter explanations can sound ficcish, but I would also love some art, whichever you're offering.

( Some of my general preferences: )

( Some of the tropes and approaches I enjoy: )

Thoughts on my specific fandom requests, alphabetically:

( 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018) (Edited to add one more ship!) )

( Hap and Leonard (TV) )

( Shetland (TV) )

( The Sting (1973) )

Have fun with it, and thanks again!

I got all caught up in Virtual Escapade, and haven't even mentioned the delicious treats I received for chocolateboxcomm!! Please have a bite for yourself, for they are both scrumptious.

My gift is a Person Of Interest story that contextualizes the rooftop-bomb vest scene (aka Dorinda's Eternal Birthday Present), with such an excellent and steely-sad John POV, and then continues it the way I would wish it to continue. (Is there kissing? Spoiler: YISSSSSS :D)

Broken Code (1007 words) by Corvidology
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Person of Interest (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Harold Finch/John Reese
Characters: Harold Finch, John Reese
Additional Tags: Pining, Extended scene from S02E13: Dead Reckoning, First Kiss, Chocolate Box Exchange 2021
Summary:

"What are you going to do? Shoot me?" Finch had that exasperated look he saved only for John.

-----

And I also got a treat! The Sting, Henry/Johnny, a loaded moment after a con with Johnny self-critical and worried, and Henry reassuring him. It feels like an excerpt from a larger story right around the corner, I feel like I know exactly what happened, and Henry's POV is so observant and appreciative of Johnny. ♥____♥

The Save (570 words) by Keiko Kirin
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Sting (1973)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Henry Gondorff/Johnny Hooker
Characters: Henry Gondorff, Johnny Hooker
Additional Tags: Treat
Summary:

Johnny's not happy with a decision he made during their latest con.

For Yuletide this year, I wrote a story for "The Sting" (1973):

Rest Cure (14557 words) by Dorinda
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Sting (1973)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Henry Gondorff/Johnny Hooker
Characters: Henry Gondorff, Johnny Hooker
Additional Tags: Con Artists, 1930s, Post-Canon, Hurt/Comfort, Rescue, Boats and Ships, Hubris, peacocking, Injury, Beating, Drowning/Near-Drowning, Bandaging, Caretaking, Kissing, First Time
Summary:

Johnny finds himself a new hobby, and it gets him in over his head. Literally.

--
One of llwyden's prompts was about Henry and Johnny going on vacation and failing miserably, and that made me think, what if it was a forced sort of vacation, because of a con that fell entirely apart?

Soooo, I threw Johnny off a boat. Sorry, kid. :D

Thanks to some great brainstorming help from friends, I ended up really enjoying writing it...I hadn't tried Johnny's POV in a while. And I also ended up getting very fond of a couple of my little one-scene OCs. It's a treat when that happens.

I got two presents for the Rare Male Slash Exchange, and they are both delightful! I sincerely recommend them, they cheered me up immensely. Ahhhh. Morale can be hard to come by, but these gifts managed it.

I'm not sure which was my assigned author, maybe even both, but in any case, I appreciate my assigned author very much indeed, and also my kind treat author! You lightened a mood that really needed some lightening. ♥

In alphabetical order by title, the stories are:

1) All In (5522 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Sting (1973)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Henry Gondorff/Johnny Hooker
Characters: Henry Gondorff, Johnny Hooker
Additional Tags: Undercover as Prostitute, Misunderstandings, Getting Together
Summary:

Henry runs his cons like a well-oiled machine: every part planned out and played just so. But when he unexpectedly crosses paths with Johnny again, he’s got no choice but to work on the fly.

A "The Sting" post-canon story for Henry and Johnny, in which they accidentally re-encounter each other after a traumatic break and things get revealed. It's angsty in such a good, building, well-characterized way, and both the reasons for the angst and the answer to the angst feel solid, the tone under the author's assured command. The POV, the visuals, the language, the building tension and the release, all so good!


2) That's How the Light Gets In (10153 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Exorcist (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Marcus Keane/Tomas Ortega
Characters: Marcus Keane, Tomas Ortega
Additional Tags: Trauma, Trust, Secrets, Alcohol, Confessions, Travel, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Drunkenness, Honesty, Intimacy, Comfort, Cooking, Comfort Food
Summary:

They’re deep in the throes of their latest exorcism when he hears that same voice again, a man’s voice, rough and cruel— “Whatcha gonna do, Marky boy? Shoot me? Shoot me?”

Tomas closes his eyes and exhales. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s time for him to know.

“Marcus,” he says. “I want to ask you about something.”

A "The Exorcist (TV)" story for Tomas and Marcus, set in that perfect niche between seasons one and two when they were vagabonding around America doing gray-market exorcisms. It FEEDS MY SOUL with that road-trip feeling! Slightly shabby extended-stay motel, life on the road, laundry, diner, groceries, cooking, the way that motel sheets can be so stiff and kind of rustly-loud. And the sensory details all feel just right, in tone but also in their emotional grounding--they don't exist just as window-dressing, they're real, and they have meaning and roles in the emotional build between the characters. Also, the Tomas POV of Marcus is so delicious I could lay around in it all day--Marcus's clothes, his body and body language, the way he puts a spin on his words and expressions, the ways he closes up tight sometimes. Phwoar!

I know it's been almost a week since official reveals, but I've been solidly down with a doozy of a cold. At last, I can concentrate and read and even think! Yay.

I wrote one assignment and one treat for Yuletide this year:

North of Everywhere (8316 words) by Dorinda
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Shetland (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Duncan Hunter/Jimmy Perez
Characters: Duncan Hunter, Jimmy Perez
Additional Tags: Cooking, Pining, Post-Season/Series 05, Everyone Thinks They're Together, Feelings Realization, Getting Together, First Time
Summary:

There was a part of Jimmy—still too strong a part, the one who lived alone, stood alone, drew the firm line round himself—that kept wanting to say, Thanks but you didn't have to do that. Thanks but you're already welcome to stay. Thanks but I'm used to shifting for myself.

Thanks, but.

He shook it off as best he could. And instead, he walked behind Duncan as they both left the kitchen, and put his hands on Duncan's shoulders.

I love the crime show Shetland, which just ended its 5th season (and with a lovely present for the Jimmy/Duncan shippers)--it's beautiful, atmospheric, well-cast and acted, interesting dynamics among the characters. And I especially love the relationship between Jimmy Perez, the lead, a widower with one daughter, and Duncan Hunter, the ex-husband of Jimmy's late wife as well as the biological father of Jimmy's daughter. They're different in such interesting ways, but they work so hard at their co-parenting, and as Cassie grows up and leaves home, their de facto marriage still remains.

I had never tried writing Shetland before, but at last I felt brave enough to offer it, and I had a great time! I wanted something gradual and cozy, and I wanted Jimmy not to realize just quite how married he is (and how married he wants to be) until he's neck-deep in it.

I also wrote a treat:

The Breath at Your Shoulder (2705 words) by Dorinda
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Sting (1973)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Henry Gondorff/Johnny Hooker
Characters: Henry Gondorff, Johnny Hooker, Alva Coleman
Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat, Con Artists, 1930s, Dreams and Nightmares, Survivor Guilt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Found Family
Summary:

By the time he finally felt he might be sleepy, it was the truly wee hours. And over the quiet breathing of a dozen other people, he recognized Hooker's voice at once.

Too soft to be a shout, too thin and high to be a groan. It was as if Hooker was on a train heading the other way, and this quiet keening noise was all Henry had left as he faded into the distance.

I am no great shakes at coming up with prompts when I sign up for challenges, but I greatly admire those who are. And I found myself struck by nahnahnahnah 's prompt for The Sting (1973), reminding me that Johnny was so close to Luther's family. I had never considered the likelihood of his survivor's guilt before, and I enjoyed getting to do that.


Plus, the authors of the gift stories I received were:

* Exorcist story: every saint has a past (every sinner has a future) is by fabulous_but_evil

* Guardian treat: The Light is by trascendenza

* Exorcist treat in Madness: Pray For Us Sinners is by CousinShelley

* The Sting treat: smiles were made, dear, for people like us is by indigostohelit, and may I add here again that if you haven't read it yet--I get it, there's a lot to read, and it's almost 19K--I encourage you to download it and give it a whirl!

Hello, Writer! We got matched, or you selected me as a pinch hit, or maybe you're writing a treat. In all cases, thank you for being willing to write for me! I'm happy you're here.

(Also, let me say: you'll notice it's not uncommon for me to ask for some of the same fandoms from year to year. If you've written for me previously, please do not ever think this is because I don't still love your gift! It's just that these fandoms are so small and I love them so much--I crave another cake, to go with my previous delicious cakes. In my cake hoard. :9 )

If you already have an idea, please feel free to write it. I want you to have a good time with the process and not stress out. Anything that you have fun with, I'll have fun with.

But if some more info about my preferences might help and inspire you, here's some!

( Some of my general preferences: )

If you'd find it helpful to hear more about the fandoms I've asked for, here are some details about this year's, in alphabetical order: The Exorcist (TV), 镇魂 Guardian (TV), Shetland, Sinbad (TV), The Sting (1973).

( The Exorcist (TV) )

( 镇魂 Guardian (TV) )

( Shetland )

( Sinbad (TV) )

( The Sting (1973) )

Have fun writing, and thank you! *\o/*

Hello, hurtcomforter!

Thank you for writing for me or making me some art! If you already have a hurt/comforty idea in mind for a pairing I’ve selected, please go for it. My blanket Do Not Wants, as I mentioned in my signup, are 1) permanent character death, 2) all hurt no comfort.

If you’d find it helpful to know more about my preferences, read on!

( Some of my general preferences: )

Thoughts on my specific fandom requests, alphabetically:

( Aubrey-Maturin Series - Patrick O'Brian: Jack/Stephen )

( The Exorcist (TV): Marcus/Tomas, Marcus/Peter )

( Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World: Jack/Stephen )

( Person of Interest: Harold/John )

( Shetland: Jimmy/Duncan )

( The Sting (1973): Henry/Johnny )

Have fun with it, and thanks again!