Several years ago I wrote a thing: A Routine Operation - It’s a gen Highlander/MCU crossover starring Methos and Coulson, with a dash of Amanda sprinkled in for fun. It was a gift, written during the annual Highlander Holiday swap, and I was quite pleased with how it came out.
Then I wrote a follow-up/companion tidbit for it: Not a Bad Day’s Work - Because Nick Fury is a busy man but he’d want to know what Coulson was up to. And then I got stuck. I had the beginning of the next story written and I couldn’t seem to make it go any further. All I knew was the Nick Fury would be crashing on Methos’ couch post-Winter Soldier.
Eventually I got my shit together and wrote it: Unpaid Vacation - Wherein Nick Fury does indeed crash on Methos’ couch and Methos is displeased. Also there’s a rogue Watcher and experimental weapons and Methos didn’t fill out his reimbursement forms from the first story, did he. No.
Then I got stuck again. Because, I’ll be blunt: I hated Civil War. Like. Detested it. I wasn’t terribly fond of Age of Ultron either. And I had ideas for things to do, but no actual plans, and Civil War derailed even my ideas. And that was sort of that until yesterday. So, part four is coming. I’m working on it now. It’s not the kindest story in the multiverse, but I’ve written worse!
I figure this seems like a good place to put lengthier thoughts about my fics, so here are my notes on this year’s Highlander Holiday Shortcuts fic, Like New.
I figure this seems like a good place to put lengthier thoughts about my fics, so here are my notes on this year’s Highlander Holiday Shortcuts fic, Like New.
Back when I first got my Highlander Shortcuts assignment I knew I had to write some Richie fic. I'd just had a lovely conversation about Richie with Lady Silver on tumblr, so it had to happen. The key points that I used for inspiration were two things from her sign-up: Identity problems and immortality complicating things, and another point from (I think) her DW - the idea of Richie teaching Methos something. I immediately thought "What if Richie meets Methos early and doesn't know it?" And then I got stuck.
The problem that came up was that I had misremembered the interim between when Richie leaves in Under Color of Authority, and when he shows back up in Prodigal Son. In my head, there was a hell of a lot more time and more of it was while Duncan was in Seacouver. I'd plotted out how Richie and Methos would meet and it involved Richie crashing at the barge without Duncan knowing, then running into Methos in Paris. Except not only is there not nearly enough time between Under Color of Authority and when Duncan moves back to Paris, but when Richie shows up in Prodigal Son he details where he went after he left Seacouver. And I got stuck. I stalled out on a silly logistical issue that should have been easy to resolve (and was, once I got over myself) but that caught me up because while I was doing a canon-divergence AU, I didn't want to take it too far out of the canon. I like challenging myself to make those little divergences as close as possible. Obviously, eventually I sorted it out and really, it worked out for the best. If they'd been in Paris, well, Paris is practically crawling with Watchers. Methos would have been in seriously deep shit and it would have been a very different story.
Once I got over the problem of location the story moved pretty quickly. I have a serious soft spot for Methos pretending to be much younger than he is, and I took his own admission of being "easily amused" to help prolong the act. And let's face it, given how we meet him in season 3, he's out of practice and could probably use a refresher.
Now, I write Methos more than any other HL character, so he was an easy choice for the POV character. And besides, that way the reader gets to see just why the hell he's drawing this out and sticking around. I just haven't written Richie, really. It made it harder for me to get inside the character's head, so I kept to Methos' POV. But oh, did I have fun writing Richie. He's uneven in the show, but there's so much opportunity there. He's a brand new Immortal and he's so earnest about it! He's butting heads with Duncan MacLeod but still looks up to him! I really wanted to capture that need of his to Do the Right Things. And what would he do when faced with what he thought was a new Immortal? Well, you teach new Immortals!
I kind of wish I'd had time to write up more of this AU's version of Chivalry as part of the story, but after getting stuck on the logistics at the outset I kind of burned up a lot of time and found myself staring at the deadline. I'd very much like to keep poking around in this world where Richie has a little more history with Methos, has both more and less reason to trust him and probably would maintain a somewhat proprietary attitude towards him even after it was made abundantly clear that Methos wasn't the student Richie thought he was.
Finally, I usually make myself a playlist to have going as background when I write. It helps me get into the mindset I need for the story at hand. I would be happy to share my list of songs for this one if anyone is interested?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom: Pacific Rim
Characters: Raleigh, Mako, Stacker, Herc, Chuck, Tendo
Pairings: Raleigh/Mako, Raleigh/Mako/Chuck (implied/potential)
Rating: Teen+
Words: 4343
Summary: After Pitfall no one is sleeping well, particularly Stacker Pentecost. It might just be survivor's guilt keeping him awake, or maybe it's something else. Mako and Raleigh are determined to find out.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom: Only Lovers Left Alive
Characters: Eve, Adam
Pairing: Eve/Adam
Rating: Teen+
Words: 3220
Summary: Adam and Eve, a galaxy apart but still together and moving closer and closer and closer.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom: Emelan/Circle of Magic - Tamora Pierce
Characters: Sandry, Briar, Tris, Daja, Duke Vedris, Dedicate Lark, others in minor appearances
Rating: Gen
Words: 2999
Summary: Duke Vedris is naming Sandry as his heir. Does she truly want that? And will there be trouble?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom: The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Characters: Jane Chatwin, Julia Wicker
Rating: Gen
Words: 1620
Summary: Four meetings in four places at four times.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom: Highlander: The Series
Characters: Methos, Richie
Rating: Gen
Words: 4429
Summary: Methos is definitely not a new Immortal, but Richie doesn't know that and Methos isn't about to tell him.
