Night on Fic Mountain reveals

[dolorosa_12]

Author reveals went live late last night, so I can finally post about the great gift I received in this exchange, and the fic I wrote. (I always wait until after reveals to post about fic exchanges, as I think it's important to be able to credit the authors.)

I received an absolutely wonderful Vasya/Morozko fic for the Winternight trilogy fandom. What I didn't know until reveals last night was the story behind how this came to be my gift. I knew I hadn't matched with anyone when sign-ups closed, and I was resigned to being a lingering pinch hit yet again. (I should say that this doesn't really stress me out, as I've received great gifts over the years despite rarely matching initially during the signing up period.) But even more incredibly, the author who picked up my request hadn't read the series before they chose to write for me — they had been so inspired by my request that they read an entire trilogy, just so they could write for me! Luckily, they seemed to enjoy the books as much as I did, and the resulting fic is wonderful.

I have to admit I've been going through a really rough time at the moment, and to know that whole backstory to how my Night on Fic Mountain gift was written was a real bright spot that has done a lot to lift my spirits. It's one of those stories of fandom bringing out the best in people — the sharing, generosity, and enthusiasm that drew me to this community in the first place.

And so, the fic!

The Witch and her House (3927 words) by Jay Tryfanstone
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Winternight Series - Katherine Arden
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Morozko/Vasilisa Petrovna
Characters: Vasilisa Petrovna, Morozko (Winternight Series), Medved | The Bear
Additional Tags: Slavic mythology, Russia, 1300s, Night On Fic Mountain 2019, Night on Fic Mountain Pinch Hit
Summary:

"Have I ever told you the tale," Morozko said, "Of the frost-demon, the Winter King? Long, long ago, before ever there were Rus, with their long swords and their iron axes, there was still winter. Winter was-"

"Is," said Vasya, and curled closer. Solovey nosed an apple nearer the oven, ears cocked.

"Is, then," said Morozko, "A death-god, puissant and stern, merciful to his subjects, indifferently true to his nature. Beloved, so that every midwinter the maidens would walk willingly to the forest, hoping for his embrace."

"Handsome, I'm sure," said Vasya.

"You know me too well," said Morozko.

My assignment was in the Grisha trilogy fandom, which took me somewhat out of my comfort zone (I had written fic before about Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows characters, but not those in her other series). This assignment also gave me the opportunity to try out some tropes that I'd never written before: fake marriage, undercover as a married couple, and the associated problems that ensued from this scenario.

Hands of Silver, Hands of Gold (3760 words) by Dolorosa
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Alina Starkov
Characters: Nikolai Lantsov, Alina Starkov
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Canon, Fake Marriage, Undercover as Married
Summary:

Nikolai and Alina go undercover as a married couple in Ketterdam.

This fic takes place after the events of the Grisha Trilogy, but diverges slightly from canon. Alina still has her Grisha powers.

I know I'm extremely behind on responding to comments here on Dreamwidth, and I shall endeavour to catch up with everything this weekend.

Comments

[isis]

tryfanstone is a lovely person who put me and my spouse up in her tiny Edinburgh apartment for nearly a week a few years ago. I am not surprised she did this as it is the sort of thing she does! (And yay, I am looking forward to reading it as she's an amazing writer.)

[dolorosa_12]

She does seem like a wonderful person if this fic and how it came into being is anything to go by. I hope you enjoy reading it — I certainly did!