brightknightie | Entries tagged with fanfic:who:byyou

fkficfest '25 has concluded! We had lovely, diverse stories, and lovely, kind interactions, all around. Forever Knight fandom has always been such a jumble of approaches, with its mishmash of genres and themes attracting wildly dissimilar approaches and interpretations. It's touching and heartening that we can play together at all, much less this successfully. Thank you.

Some years, I feel that being the game's moderator should block me from making story recommendations, and I hold my peace. This year, I feel that it's okay to go ahead and point out a few stories that happened to offer particularly distinct elements to me, personally, subjectively, as a reader and not moderator.

"A Duty to Serve" by Calliope24 (G, gen, ~2K words): Set during the tumult of "A More Permanent Hell," a uniformed Tracy tries to serve while her father orders her off the streets, and Stonetree steps in. I found the efforts of all the characters to endure and serve the common good during this civilizational collapse powerful, and Stonetree's measured optimism -- not just about the ultimate end, but faith in people -- invigorating. I also admire the imagination and depiction of this canon bubble; of course the third-season characters lived second-season, and of course Stonetree knew Commissioner Vetter.

"Unpacking" by SwitchbladeEyes (T, gen, ~11K words): Set immediately after "Sons of Belial," Nick's reaction to the demon incident brings all of Natalie's undealt-with feelings about Richard's death in "I Will Repay" roaring to the surface. I found this story's cadence, tone, and voice so resonantly third-season that it felt -- for better and for worse, for familiarity and for discomfort -- like it could indeed have been the next canonical episode after "Sons of Belial," if such continuity had been a thing in those days, and also that it could then have broken third-season's fall and climbed back up onto a more promising path by dealing with pain and not only piling it up.

"Daylight" by Nicholas_Lucien (T, gen, ~2K words): This songfic goes around and around, like the verses of a song with a refrain, in a way that made my brain react to it more like poetry than prose. It makes an interesting choice, to call Nick/Nicolas/Nicholas by those different names as it shifts through Nick's, Janette's, and Lacroix's perspectives regardless of the historical era, creating prism-like views on each situation. The reader may interpret the cyclical structure to indicate that Nick will never win. I choose to interpret it, for myself, instead to indicate that Nick will never stop striving.

Separately, the story that I contributed myself is "Reconcilable Differences" (T, gen, ~5K words). Thank you,

batdina, for beta-reading! Set early in the long hiatus between the first and second seasons, it pokes at the trope of Natalie treating a badly injured Nick by dosing him with the blood that she otherwise insists is the barrier to all his hopes. Both Nick and Natalie, of course, want Nick to both live and become human, but when something happens to make Nick believe that he can have only one or the other, he and Natalie are not necessarily in harmony on which and why and how. The story addresses the game prompt "I’m going to tell you something you don’t want to hear;" I think that it goes both ways between them. I definitely found it easier to put Nick and Natalie into this mess than to get them out again, but I like to think that I did so in the end.

senmut recently shared two fun new D&DC ficlets:

"Old Skills in Need" (G, gen; ~400 words): Stars a present-day adult Diana during an emergency. (Credited as inspired by my recent "Muscle Memory," starring Eric, which Senmut kindly beta-read.)

"Honoring the Hero" (G, gen; ~200 words): Stars Sheila but with the whole gang. Supplies a missing scene to bookend Bobby's interrupted birthday party.

I've linked to DW. These are also on Squidgeworld.

It's a joy to have thoughtful, caring, canon-resonant, new D&DC to read!

We had 20 new Highlander stories in

hlh_shortcuts this year. Find them all on the AO3.

Here are some that I, personally, subjectively, enjoyed most:

"Moondance or A Series of Extraordinary Events" by

hafital
G, gen; ~19K words
Joyful. This story wraps a final sci-fi Gathering apocalypse -- starring Richie and Methos -- around many independent but threaded shorter missing-scene stories from throughout canon and beyond -- starring Richie and Angie, Richie and Tessa, Richie and May-Ling, Richie and etc. -- and not only delivers a happy ending at the last, but is again and again joyful and uplifting throughout. Each of the embedded stories would be lovely on its own. Yet they're strung like pearls on a necklace, progressing in a line, in a circle, in an orbit. It's more than its parts.

"Duo" by

jasmasson
G, m/m; ~3K words
Amusing. A sensible outsider perspective delivers grins as it clashes with not-at-all sensible run-a-day HL canon in the persons of Duncan, Methos, and a hunter. The narrative packs satisfying, appropriately worded, canon references that fly over the head of the perspective character straight to the audience.

"Guests for the Weekend" by

Annavere
G, gen; ~8K words
Unexpected. I was taken by surprise by how well this combination of characters -- Amanda, Anne, Richie -- came together in this off-to-the-side whodunnit romp of a mini-vacation for Anne, where the stakes are set by thieves so incompetent and security precautions so lacking that Amanda feels embarrassed and Richie plays the bait.

"Holy Ground" by

merriman
G, gen; ~2K words
Historical. Have a Darius-lives scenario, with Methos and early Icelandic history. You're welcome. Bonus: Rumination on how the "Light Quickening" did and didn't do the work of reforming Darius, which he must have thought on often, and which I have opinions about.

Richie & Connor:

"In Good Company" by

Teratornis
G, gen; ~6K words
Cathartic. Structured mostly as an action scene, a dojo workout, this piece has Richie process some of his many emotions in the wake of Tessa's death, his own immortality, and his encounter with Annie Devlin.

"Cousin's Retreat" by

Sharpest_Asp
G, gen; ~1K words
Companionable. Richie gets to train with Connor for a while, as the audience gets to enjoy comparisons and contrasts between our two MacLeods, and the conviction that Richie is an adopted son of this clan.

Randi:

"The Pitch" by

havocthecat
G, gen; ~2K words
Constructive. This piece worldbuilds around Randi across a decade, keeping her consistently canonical as it kneads and stretches her more realistic first-season world until it merges seamlessly with the more fantastic late-season canon, landing her as if fated in Joe's lap as he works to reform the Watchers.

"Behind the Story" by

coralysendria
Unrated, gen, ~2K words
Transporting. Step into the heart of second season with the groundedness of first season. Tessa's murder is news; it's part of Randi's job. Tessa is also someone she knew; it's emotionally jarring, and emotion is not something Randi is particularly good at, so she gropes through the culturally prescribed motions until she finds her way to Richie, grieving, stunned, alone. We see Tessa through both of their eyes, Richie in that moment through Randi's eyes, and the world that was canon in those days as it must have been.

hlh_shortcuts has now released 18 of its 20 total 2024 stories. See the list. I expect that tomorrow, Monday, will bring the final releases, to be followed by the event’s traditional author-guessing game.

To my surprise, I’ve received a second story for my fest request this year: “The Pitch” (G, gen, ~2K words). (For a completely spoiler-free reading experience, follow the link now and come back later for the rest of this post.) It stars Randi, supported by Joe, with cameos by Duncan and Methos.

Riding the wave of Randi’s conviction that Duncan could be the biggest story of her career, this piece sweeps from Randi spotting Joe near MacLeod & Noel Antiques, through a decade of dogging the literal and paperwork footsteps of Duncan and his friends, to Joe offering her the biggest story of her life... with one little catch.

This Randi is properly tenacious and perceptive. The story compellingly suggests how very much her interests, talents, and drive converge with the commitments and needs of the Watchers, to the point that it set me ruminating on the meta level where Randi and her local TV station may well have been a certain kind of unwitting structural first draft for Joe and the Watcher organization. (But why not both? ~grin~)

More comments on the story itself, of course! Take a look? Or, if this is not your personal HL flavor, try one of the others!

Every

hlh_shortcuts, certain thought trends seem to emerge through the stories, particular themes or questions or canon moments that pop up independently in multiple unrelated, unalike stories that year.

This year, so far, "Richie & Connor after Tessa's death" seems to be a biggie. I have not yet read all the stories released to date, yet I believe I've already bumped into this concept four separate times, one way and another. (See the list of works.) I wonder whether there was a conversation about it somewhere that planted and nurtured these seeds, or whether the thought was carried on the wind long ago and only finally now the conditions for sprouting have arrived. As a trend, I'm certainly enjoying it!

Another trend this year, so far, seems to be very little Duncan. Few appearances, fewer as the perspective character. This is not as new or distinct. I suspect that, at this end of history, many folks find more unplucked story fruit with other characters.

I won't start reading Yuletide until tomorrow, but I've opened tabs and wanted to share:

Yuletide brings us:

2 new Forever Knight stories, one Nick/Natalie and one Nick/Lacroix. Take your pick.
4 new works for assorted The Legend of Zelda games (the newest one and the least popular old ones were eligible). I am all agog to read the crossover between Majora's Mask and Columbo. See the list.
1 new work for the Doctor Strange comics, this one starring Zelma Stanton, hero librarian! Check it out.
0 new D&DC, BSG78, JttW, YB, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish or Dead Poets Society stories. But of course there are other fandoms to check over time, and treats to come.

Plus, HLH_Shortcuts continues to reveal 2 new Highlander stories per day. With 20 total works in this year's collection, we're at exactly 10 revealed and 10 to go, with a wide diversity of lengths, characters, and approaches ... though not a lot of Duncan, curiously, in those I've read so far. Find your favorite.

(A very merry Christmas to everyone celebrating! And warm wishes to everyone, period!)

The

everywoman '24 authors are now revealed! See the collection.

As mentioned, my request went up as a pinch-hit and I received both a gift and a treat for Dungeons & Dragons (cartoon, 1983): "Girl Time" (T, gen, ~700 words; Sheila & Diana) and "The Acrobat's Dream" (T, gen, 100 words; Diana). Both, it turns out, are by

DesertVixen, whose assignment in the event was The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015): "The Last Night (Before The Rest of Her Life)" (T, gen, ~500 words; stars Gaby).

Here are a few other stories that I enjoyed in the event:

"a world worth fighting for" by kira_katrine (Captain Marvel (2019); T, gen, ~1K words; Maria & Mar-Vell)
"i'm gonna be fine (but maybe not tonight)" by SleepyMaddy (The Marvels (2023); G, gen, ~5K words; Kamala & Carol)
"like a dream i can't escape by SleepyMaddy (Stargate: SG-1; G, gen, ~1K words; Sam & Teal'c)

The story that I wrote was "Beyond Illusion" (Dungeons & Dragons (cartoon, 1983); G, gen, ~4K words; Varla & Presto), for

DesertVixen's request for “more about Varla exploring/learning about her power.” The piece is a tag/sequel to Varla's one episode, "The Last Illusion;" the day after the day Varla escaped Venger's Forbidden Tower, as she shows Presto around her village, she examines her powers and her options, ultimately choosing a third way that's canon-compliant and yet opens up her future beyond canon.

The

everywoman '24 stories have released! The exchange has 69 total works in 56 fandoms. Check out the collection sorted by fandom or in the complete works list.

Fandoms include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Captain Marvel & The Marvels, Dungeons & Dragons (Cartoon, 1983), Hawkeye, Labyrinth, The Lord of the Rings, 6 kinds of Star Trek, 3 kinds of Star Wars, and Stargate SG-1.

I personally received both an exchange story and a treat!

"Girl Time" (D&DC, T, gen, ~700 words). This vignette gives Sheila and Diana a quiet, restful interlude between episodes, an opportunity to relax from the often frantic pace of their adventures and reflect on the actual weight and emotional wear of those adventures. It's full of canonical allusions, yet with an undemanding touch that doesn't require a reader to know the references. Thought-provoking!

"The Acrobat's Dream" (D&DC, T, gen, 100 words). This drabble shows Diana triumphant, solo and as a teammate, her hard work and talent fulfilled, both on the Olympic podium and by having made it home from the Realm. Satisfying!

Of course there is a story by me somewhere in the mix. Author reveals are scheduled for this coming Friday, August 9.

The inaugural

saturdaymorningex 2024 exchange for animated fandoms has revealed its authors. Check out all 20 stories.

I previously mentioned the gift I received, "A Challenge for the Acrobat" (D&DC; T, gen, ~1K words), a highly satisfying Diana-centric piece, now revealed to be by DesertVixen, who happens to be both my gifter and my recipient.

I'd like to also recommend "X-Men: Age of College Apps" (X-Men Evolution; T, m/f, ~500 words), a thoroughly charming little character study of Jean and Scott, from Jean's perspective, by UniqueChimera!

And "Learning to Dance" (BatB; G, gen; ~600 words), a Cogsworth and Lumiere missing scene, is by Sharpest_Asp.

-----
The story that I wrote for the exchange was "The Map in Adarbrent Manor" (D&DC; G, m/f, ~10K words), for DesertVixen's prompt for an Eric/Sheila story. I've seen her request the pairing in other events through the years, and receive it only once, via pinch-hit. I really wanted to help fill that specific wish for her, though I am a gen writer... and I soon realized that I'd edged out of my expertise, even while staying YA. Luckily for me,

celli generously made time to encourage and reassure me, as well as to expose typos to mend and passages to streamline. Thank you, Celli!

The plot, like most episodes, is a fetch quest in pursuit of a way home from the Realm. The character development is Sheila facing how much they've all changed since they've been in the Realm, Eric confessing his crush on Sheila, and both of them working through memories and feelings to eventually arrive at a first kiss that coincides with the MacGuffin. Our whole gang appears, though in supporting roles to the requested pair.

( navel-gazing )

Here are some recent fannish things I've happened to see and would like to share:

Highlights

So many fkficfest readers have been awesome, generously sharing comments and kudos across many stories! What a great community!
I also participated in saturdaymorningex, which hasn't revealed yet.
And I finally (finally!) updated my journal's banner and look.

Ficathons, fests & communities

Create & engage
- fandomgiftbasket, a gifting fest (like FandomTrees, FandomStocking, etc.), has sign-ups through July 14 and gifting through September 14.
- threewordapocalypsefest, a themed challenge fest, has sign-ups through August 25 and reveals on September 1.
- classicfilmex, an exchange for movies released before 1980, has nominations through July 15 and stories due September 15.
- julybreakbingo, a highly customizable bingo challenge, will close sign-ups on July 7.
- minutia_r is hosting a poetry prompt fest throughout July (or for as long as interest lasts).
- nuh_s is running Minor League Exchange, a flash event for minor and one-off characters, with sign-ups closing later today, July 4, and works due on July 18.
- iddyiddybangbang, the "idfic" challenge, has sign-ups July 10-17, with works due September 12.
- trope_of_the_month's July theme is an "amnesty." (Write for any of the previous themes.)
- allbingo's July themes (concurrent) are "Winter Fest" (beat the heat) and "Games and Entertainment."
- pinchhits is a forum for pinch-hits in fannish exchanges. For example, everywoman is currently seeking pinch-hitters for fandoms including Hazbin Hotel, Hunger Games trilogy, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Final Fantasy.
Enjoy & share
- fancake (themed fanfic recs); July theme: "stranded"
- het_reccers (m/f fanfic recs)
- gensplosion (gen fanfic recs)
- recthething (fanwork recs)
- fanart_recs (fanart recs)

FKFicFest 2024 stories released in June

“Noblesse Oblige” by Calliope24 (G, gen; ~10K words; comedy, drama)
“To Say Goodbye” by Sharpest_asp (G, gen; ~500 words; reflection, post-LK)
“Visiting Room C” by Switchbladeeyes (G, gen; ~2K words; policework, drama)
“Past and Future” by LittleBlackaPony (G, gen; ~7K words; drama)
“Early Nights” by TheFruitBat (T, m/m; ~600K words; pwp, romance)
“An Unexpected Visitor” by WaltD (G, uncategorized; ~1K words; drama)
“By Any Other Name” by PJ1228 (T, gen; ~5K words; policework, mystery)
“Mortal Bonds” by SwitchbladeEyes (T, gen; ~10K words; historical, horror)
“Picking up the Pieces” by GreerWatson (G, gen; ~3K words; reflection, post-LK)
“Day 17” by Calliope24 (G, gen; ~3K words; pre-canon, policework)

Note: "Recently:FK" is now "Recently:Enthusiasms."

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I love good guys

Entries tagged with fanfic:who:byyou

My FKFicFest '25 recommendations + what I wrote

Two D&DC ficlets by Senmut (Sharpest_Asp)

HLH_Shortcuts '24 Recommendations

A second HLH_Shortcuts '24 story for me!

Richie & Connor

Preliminary Yuletide pickings

Everywoman '24 author reveals

Everywoman '24 stories released (I received a story + a treat!)

Saturdaymorningex '24 revealed authors

Fannish options & enthusiasms: July 2024

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