#frozenplot

[destiniesfic]

How many times have you watched shadow and bone? It seems like you have a really firm grasp on specific scenes and exactly where they fall in the show, and I’m impressed.

Oh gosh, thank you! I generally have a pretty good visual memory, but I feel like I've watched the show at least four times all the way through by now. It's hard to get me to sit still that long, but I keep roping in friends to watch it with and it's fun to see their reactions.

And that isn't counting the episodes that I've rewatched out of context. I love the back half of the season more than the front (I say, about to switch on episodes two and three to play in the background as I write) so I've rewatched five and six a bunch, and then once you hit seven you kind of have to follow through with the finale, you know? So I've watched those a lot. Imo, it's a really easy show to watch: just nice and fun and (if you already know the magic system and geography) doesn't ask too much of you aside from a little buy-in.

[colubrina]

Harry/Pansy It wasn’t what it looked like.

It wasn’t what it looked like.   It looked like love. It looked like two people in the early stages of dating when everything about the other person delighted and charmed.  Pansy bared her cleavage.  Harry licked his lips.  He told a joke.  She laughed.  Her voice sounded a little drunk and carried to every corner of the trendy cafe.  Harry leaned over and held out a bite of chocolate cake for Pansy. She took it off his fork with a giggle, hand on her wand, eyes over his shoulder.

“Do you see them?”  Harry asked, his mouth barely moving.

“Behind you,” she murmured.  “And about to make their move. On the count of three.  One.  Two - “

Harry dove down as she whipped up her wand and stunned first one, then three, then all five of the men coming toward them.  They all froze where they stood, waited a moment, then toppled to the floor.  The rest of the cafe’s patrons looked startled, then quickly put expressions of bored indifference on their faces.  It would make them look like rubes to seem shocked or upset by violence enacted right in front of them.

“It’s okay, folks,”  Harry said. He pulled out his counterfeit identification.  “We’re from the Ministry.  The regular Aurors will be along shortly to release these guys and bring them in.  Just petty criminals, nothing dangerous, but you should leave them be until the authorities get here.”

That reassurance made sure even potential busybodies would stay in their seats no matter what they did.  Even when Pansy slid her hand into the leader’s front breast pocket and pulled out the letters of transit no one rose to stop her or ask what she was doing.  Harry met her eyes and she nodded.  Mission accomplished.

“Good cake,” she said to the waitress as she threw enough money on the table for their bill and a substantial bit leftover for her.  No point in having her anything but well-disposed toward them when someone finally got around to calling the actual Aurors and asking what was taking them so long.

Harry held the door for her and she gave him a cool smile as they went out into the night together.

from Send me the pairing and first sentence…

[olivieblake]

AO3 will not allow me to comment so I will say here: that last chapter of Modern Romance ripped my heart out in the best way. Neville in the first person is so tragic, and the way he finds his own resilience brings a thread of hope that is just... There were so many great lines and great moments, and I cried a lot, and it was great. Thanks for writing and sharing this story.

ahhh yes I had forgotten about this, but people were anonymously being dicks about Andromeda in episode 6 (I distinctly remember someone saying she was a whore because she had sex with someone other than her dead husband, which, bye) so I changed the story’s settings so that only registered users could comment. ugh what a gross flashback okay anyway

my emotions have been everywhere lately but I cried when I wrote the end of cormac’s diary and again when I wrote the end of neville’s. it’s never the tragedy that gets me, but always the concept of people who have every reason to give up but choose to keep going. whether that means to keep loving selflessly or to keep trusting or to just keep trying, I think those are the stories that are most important for me to tell right now. so anyway thank you for appreciating that, it means a lot to me

[stargazing121]

V much enjoying FMK. Both characters fundamentally make sense, in my opinion. I’m not sure if I’m reading this the way you intended, but it seems like the themes around privilege, and how it shapes perception of different events, are a huge deal. And it makes sense to me that you would start from the less-aware position, adding information as the story progresses. It’s also interesting how many people think Hermione has the only obligation to empathy, without questioning Draco’s lack thereof.

Hello. Thank you, it’s lovely to know you are enjoying FMK. Certainly controlling the flow of information and limiting perceptions are a conscious choice when writing. Draco’s privileged position is something I considered with his views on marriage and money, and certainly his narrative voice is upper class. Yes, there is more of a forgiving attitude to Draco’s blithe, humorous lack of empathy. Although, I will say, his less than sympathetic voice is a joy to write. 

[colubrina]

What feelings do you get from the books you like to read?

Escapism.  Catharsis.  Hopefully, happiness at not being able to see the outline as I’m reading.

[colubrina]

September!

september: share a comment or review which still warms your heart?

you have a beautiful control over the written word. this is ... great. it always leaves me slightly nauseous and i have to take long breaks between each chapter because of what it invokes in me, but i always come crawling back to it. how you manage to convey everything is just so stellar and confronting and i like how it's just so very real, you know, like, i enjoy how you've managed to write out exactly how these things feel.   (about But the Darkness Alters)

(pretty much if you compliment my writing skills, you have my whole heart)

from Fanfic Questions Centered around Time

[colubrina]

38 from the asks? I have Thoughts about your strengths, am curious what you see.

38. What is your “strong suit” as a writer?

Well, that’s an ask designed to poke at my neurosis lol

I’d probably go with work habits as my greatest strength.  I’m pretty good at just getting the words down.

from asks for fanfiction writers

[colubrina]

So many vivid scenes- the scene in a constellation name where she is on the street, five months pregnant and Draco mocks her weight. Killing Alecto in the pretense, in formal wear, as she greets guests with voldy beside her- heart rate 0. The beaded bracelet in Green Girl. Pansy and the decorator going ham on Grimauld Place in The Wrong Strain. Many of the torture scenes from btda.

I could kiss you.  I won’t because it’s the internet, and that would be weird, but I’m SO SO happy to hear that But the Darkness Alters sticks in your head.

from what are some memorable scenes in my silliness