In light of the summer Potionomics art trade sign-ups opening, I want to throwback to the fic I wrote for @alabamaoliveoil in a previous Potionomics art trade!
(also please don't take this as a sign of how much I can write for this art trade! 17k words was WILD, I had so much fun but dear lord I was also moving at the time! I shouldn't have done it! I can't do this again! haha)
"When Rafta's bay freezes solid and the Frost Fair rolls out, Sylvia does what she does best: opens her door and invites everyone in.
Between snowy slip-ups, pirate holidays bleeding into winter commerce, and a rollicking gingerbread contest, friends, rivals, scalliwags, and heroes all find themselves added to the mix. Old grudges turn playful, new alliances form, and even the most solitary souls discover they've been counted in—whether they planned on it or not."
Fandom: Potionomics
Relationships: Boss Finn/Sylvia · Baptiste & Quinn · Ensemble Cast
Rating: Teen And Up
Word Count: 17,200
Warnings: None (No Archive Warnings Apply)
This fic was written as a Secret Santa gift for @alabamaoliveoil. This turned into a bit of a beast, but I've wanted to try a full ensemble fic for a while and I’m thrilled I got to finish this in time!
Structurally, it’s roughly two-thirds character-limited POV and one-third full ensemble spotlight-shifting once the party starts in earnest; zooming out once everyone’s finally in the room.
A throughline I enjoyed exploring was how different people react to Sylvia and Finn being together—whether it be with suspicion, delight, or deeply unhelpful commentary—and what that reveals about them as much as about the unlikely couple that forms the spine of my personal canon, lol.
Thanks for coming to the party—and Merry Ka'Tunamas!
The anticipation building under Sylvia's ribs shifted her focus forward. Tonight. That was the big win. Her shop filled with friends, candy-coated competition underway. Every single person she'd invited had said yes, however hesitant or grumbly about the prospect. Her eyes darted to Quinn, lingering two feet to her left and radiating general discontent at the crowds, the noise, the entire concept of festivals. But they were here. They'd come.
Sylvia took another sip and allowed herself a moment of smug, sparkling triumph.
Finn appeared at the railing as though he'd been waiting for her self-satisfaction to reach critical levels. He stopped smoothly, one hand catching the barrier, the other reaching toward her in what was by all appearances an invitation for a kiss.
Face tilting up automatically, she leaned forward to meet his greeting.
"Your ribbon got jacked," he said instead, plucking one muff off her ear.
Her hand flew to her ponytail and found it fallen over her scarf, its usual tie conspicuously absent. She spun, scanning the crowds, and spotted Mint approximately twenty feet away, gliding backward on the solid sheet with an expression of supreme innocence and the ribbon in question fluttering from her coat pocket like a flag of victory.
"Oh, she didn't," Sylvia said.
Quinn made an appreciative noise. "Surprisingly sneaky for a hero. Clean lift, good timing. Didn't even break stride."
Sylvia's head whipped around. "You saw her take it?"
"And you didn't warn me?"
"I thought it was Ka'Tunamas tradition," Quinn said, deadpan. "You're the one who dragged me out here for 'cultural enrichment.'"
"They got a point, Minnow." Finn's grin was pure shark. All teeth, zero apology. "Clever Claw's in full effect. Better check your pockets."
Patting herself down reflexively, Sylvia shot him a look. "Did you take anything?"
"Not yet. Waitin' for the right moment to strike." His hand settled over hers on the railing, a casual touch that somehow managed to be incendiary. "Want me to get it back for ya?"
"No, no," Sylvia said, gaze sharpening as she tracked Mint's escape route. Mint, clearly aware she'd been made, waved cheerfully back at her. "I'll avenge myself like a responsible adult."
"Atta girl. Draw blood," Quinn muttered, sarcasm inconclusive.
Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/76289896