Farewell, Downton Abbey

I read the spoilers for Downton Abbey’s Christmas special, and you know what, I am done. I stopped watching midway through episode 5, when it became clear that something horribly horrible was about to happen, but I figured I would go on eventually...but no. No, I think I’m done. It’s gotten to the point where I start each episode in a state of dread, and really, why do that to myself?

Oh well. The first season is still one of the most sublime seasons of television I have ever seen, season one of Veronica Mars not excepted. We will always have season one, Downton Abbey! I will cling to it and pretend that Sybil/Branson went totally differently than it did in season 2 & 3.

One of the things I loved about Downton Abbey is that it presented Sybil and Branson’s activism seriously. They aren’t the focal point of the show, and I think it’s pretty clear that the writers didn’t particularly think through Branson’s political opinions - but they’re not presented as a punchline - the joke being, of course, “activists,” because caring intensely about something is obviously hilarious. (Think Arrested Development.) That’s just so rare: of course I cling to the pairing.

I have a couple of fics, actually, that I still want to finish, my disaffection with season 3 notwithstanding. First: Sybil & Gwen & Branson have a picnic when the car breaks down (or I should say “breaks down”: Gwen & Branson have been scheming). There will be cuteness! cocoa! and class tensions! I am saving this for when I need to write something to cheer myself up.

Also one about Sybil sort of accidentally watching Branson take off his uniform, because I have a thing about Branson’s uniform. (One rather hopes Sybil doesn't, because I'm pretty sure "So could you wear your old chauffeur uniform sometimes, Tom? It's so sexy!" would go over like a lead balloon. No, wait, there goes another fic bunny. No.) I am saving that one for a day when I feel incapable of shame.

Yuletide Reveal 2012

The Yuletide reveal is come upon us! At last, I can share my fics.

The main story

Erlkönigs Tochter, Princess Tutu, Fakir & Ahiru & fairytales. Betaed by isiscolo and asakiyume and also one of my RL friends, because I was having vapors about whether it worked.

I got the prompt for this and the beginning and end more or less fell out of my head. (Incidentally, this is the second time I’ve used the same twist end for a Yuletide story, so probably I ought to retire it.) The middle, though, was hell on wheels to write: the bloody story just kept accruing fairytales. But I think it turned out well, in the end - and it makes sense even if you don’t know the original, which is quite an achievement for a Princess Tutu tale!

The treats

Fidelity, Cairo Time, Juliette/Tareq.

One thing I love about Yuletide is that it lets me write for fandoms I would never think of otherwise - and not only would I never have written this, but I wouldn’t have seen the movie at all if I hadn’t read about it in someone’s Yuletide letter. The filmmakers managed to take one of my least favorite themes - infidelity - and make a quiet, lovely movie. I tried to match its tone in this fic.

Dream a Little Dream, Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity, Maddie/Julie.

This is quite a last minute story. It was Christmas Eve, I wanted to write one last Yuletide story, and I had all these feelings about Code Name Verity, and...this happened. The idea for the story had been rattling around in my head since I read the book: near the end Maddie comments that Julie taught her how to foxtrot, and I went “Where is this scene! I WANT THIS SCENE.”

I meant this to be fluffily flufftastic, but multiple people commented that it made them cry, so...apparently that’s as close as CNV gets to fluffy?

The Winebearer, Classical Roman RPF in SPAAAAAAACE, Julius Caesar/Nicomedes of Bithynia. Betaed by carmarthen.

...I kind of want to write “The Further Adventures of Caesar in SPAAAAACE.” Bad brain! No cookie!

I had a great time writing incredibly arrogant Caesar, even though I wrote myself a corner with it. I got to the part where Caesar is on his knees, went “Crap, there is no way this is not ending porntastically,” glowered at the fic for a while, and then...wrote the porntastic scene.