What I wrote for HLH_Shortcuts '22

hlh_shortcuts has de-anonymized! Find all 15 stories with their authors on the AO3.

Now that the guessing game is complete, I can share which new Highlander story I wrote:
"Would you leave" (G, gen, ~3K words).
Richie, Angie, Anne, Duncan. Richie and Anne talk after Mac flees an argument he can't win; Angie learns of the crash at the motorcycle track.

Essentially, it's a missing scene from "Testimony," introduced by a missing scene from "Take Back the Night," with a referenced missing scene from "The Darkness," landing on what I intend as a turn into canon divergence, from which Richie and Angie will get to step out of canon's camera frame and build a better fate for themselves, together, whether as friends or lovers — either way, as partners. Its inspiration spark was very much in a "here, have some prompts" post on my recipient's journal (thank you, argentum_ls!).

Apparently, the story has "Brightknightie" written all over it, even without endnotes, because 6 players guessed me as its author, and no one guessed me as the author of anything else. Um. Well, let's see: rigorous canonicity, mortal characters, surviving loss... the same 3-part missing-scene-and-a-twist structure I wrote last year... compulsive "end" written at the end... yep, sounds like me.

I will now go put on its endnotes (thank you for beta-reading, skieswideopen!). Then I'll return with recommendations for the rest of the exchange. Lots of great stories!

HLH_Shortcuts '22 recommendations

The 15 new stories in this year's hlh_shortcuts will surely all be someone's favorites! For example, I must admit that, after a few paragraphs, I backed out and chose not to read Killa's no doubt outstanding "Pleased to Meet You" because it's a crossover with Lucifer, with which I'm personally not super comfortable. We all like different things!

Here are a few stories that appealed to me, myself:

"The Jaded Journalist" by Hafital
(G, gen, ~10K words) (Randi, Duncan, Tessa, Amanda, the De Valincourts, Methos)
I already recommended this while it was anonymous. Read my recommendation. This is the "What happened to Randi?" that I've been waiting for. It starts with a missing scene from "Band of Brothers" and then runs forward, always intertwining with canon yet never changing it, with the focus always on Randi and her career. Well-written, canon-rich, unique, perfectly voiced. Fantastic!

"A Credit To Her Teacher" by Malinaldarose
(G, gen, ~5K words) (Amanda, Michelle, Duncan, Joe)
I love "What happened with Michelle?" takes, and this one is the first I recall wholly from Amanda's perspective. It explores how taking on Michelle as a student connects to Amanda's memories of Rebecca and Kenny and ensures that Amanda succeeds -- that her canonical return with no on-screen mention of Michelle just means that Michelle is doing fine and Duncan knows all about it. Rebecca would be proud.

"To Be Useful" by Adabsolutely
(G, gen, ~3K words) (Methos, Duncan, Joe, Amanda, Amy)
The main appeal in this dialogue-heavy approach is the charming conversations in familiar voices. There's also a charming throughline of helping a very confused, homeless, new immortal, and other side-quests of helping various people in various ways. Lovely theming.

"Wintersong" by Black_Dwarf
(G, gen, ~2K words) (Amanda, Methos)
If Amanda is a favorite, maybe check this out. It's an on-point Amanda voice blending flippancy and insight. Methos takes time to miss who he was when he was with Alexa and Amanda pulls him back to the present.

"The Crane and the Pine" by Mackiedockie
(unrated, gen, 13K words) (Duncan, Methos, Amanda, Joe, Mai-Ling, Connor, others)
A pleasantly sprawling modern western fully of that comfortably familiar genre, with some action, some history, and a lot of connecting. It's a crossover with Longmire, but, not knowing that series, I still had no problem reading it as pure HL.