I love good guys

These seven miniature stories were my contribution to the "door prizes" for on-time players in the May 2010 fkficfest game.  (You can read the whole slate here, with seven more drabbles by amilyn and one by leela_cat.)

I'd written a drabble -- a 100-word story -- once before, but just the once.  People often compare the discipline of a 100-word story to a haiku.  The goal is to fit an entire, self-sufficient tale into the few words, not just an excerpt of a larger piece; I found it very challenging, and I know that my success varies across these selections.

	•	Title:	"Party Favors" (also on AO3)
	•	Length:	7 x 100 words
	•	Date:	Posted to fkficfest on May 30, 2010; not yet posted to FKFic-L
	•	Rating:	Assorted
	•	Quotation:	"The little camera on the patrol car's dashboard ensured that Vachon had to take it like a human."

pj1228

     [Natalie] covered her mouth with her hand and was about to stumble backwards into the elevator, when Nick raised his head and fixed her with an amber stare. Janette turned in his arms and regarded her curiously. ... “Nat, wait,” he called her back and she watched in fascination as his fangs retracted and his eyes changed to blue. “What’s wrong?”
     “Lacroix is at my apartment,” she blurted.

        Natalie blushed, her heart rate increased, and she dropped her eyes before she gave him an evasive, "Oh, just meeting up with a friend."  She started shuffling papers, refusing to meet his eyes.
        Nick frowned...

Sekrit Message to tv_elf: A year already. Miss you.

What's good?  I'm proud to begin the new year of the recommendation-of-the-month project with amilyn's novella "Slippery" (2003).  Undeniably harsh, the story dramatically explores what might happen if, one of the times he tells Natalie to get away and she doesn't, a blood-stoked Nick unintentionally lashes out -- with his muscles (rather than his fangs).

   "How long before someone in your department ends up with you as one of their cases -- just like you had to cut up Maggie Dwyer and God only knows how many others like her?"
   "That is enough!" Natalie interjected, her voice sharp. "That was very different. This... this was an accident. He did not mean to hurt me. I know that, and he knows that."
   "Oh, really?" Tracy caught Natalie's eyes. "Then why is he scared silly he's going to do it again?" Tracy paused, looking for a long moment at Nat, then added carefully, "And why are you?"

What's new?  In December, fkfic-l saw three new stories, a filk, and one piece identified as a repost (which is technically against the list rules without permission, so I wouldn't advise it as a trend).

• "Disclosures" (6 posts) by pj1228
• "Dashing Through the Snow (Vampire Style)" (filk) (1 post) by Kristen F.
• "Birthdays" (1 post) by Walt D.
• "Snowy Knight" (1 post) by J.L.K.
• "Milepost" (1 post) by me

There is also a six-post story that began in December, and has finished in January.  So this month so far is not empty, but not crowded.

I began posting my oldschoolfic ficathon story to fkfic-l today.  I'm grateful to amilyn for the ficathon prompt, and her enthusiastic reception of the story!  And I'm obliged to my generous beta-readers (see the story's end note) as always.  This is the longest piece I've yet written solely from Natalie's perspective.

	•	Title:	"A Delicate Balance"
	•	Length:	~9,900 words
	•	Date:	Posted to FKFic-L July 27-29, 2008
	•	Rating:	PG (gen)
	•	Summary:	Natalie takes a break from a murder investigation to attend an unusual memorial for her brother, while considering a new approach to Nick's condition.
	•	Setting:	After "1966."  Flashbacks to Natalie's childhood.
	•	Characters:	Natalie, Nick, Schanke, Richard, Sara, Nana, Janette, Grace, Stonetree, Tracy and others.
	•	Quotation:	"The mesmerism-enforced lie that had covered Richie's vampirism curdled on Natalie's tongue."

Addendum:  By the way, the fkfic-l "ACK" states that the posts are reaching 279 recipients.  (I presume that is "mail" and "digest," not "nomail," but I don't know for sure.)  Those of you who have FK fanfic you've posted on LJ but not the list, please do consider sharing with the biggest FK audience still assembled.  We miss you.