#kirstenseas

[wildwren]

7, 13 and 26!

Thank you, thank you for the ask!!  7. What element of writing do you struggle with most?

Hmmm good question. I think the thing I struggle with most these days is whether or not I’m overwriting. I find it hard to make jump cuts or summarize scenes rather than showing every moment of them play out. I’m also trying to get better at using subtext. I think I have a tendency to over-explain and over-show (part of the overwriting problem in general) rather than letting the readers piece together their own conclusions.

13. First fandom you ever wrote for?

Ooof well I did write (and actually post!) very earnest Harry Potter fan fiction on FF.net when I was about 15. But that was 14 years ago, so I think that card might have expired. It is undoubtedly lost to the void by now, and honestly, I’m not sure I would want to re-read it if I could. Although it would be an experience, I’m sure.

Otherwise, TLK is the first thing I’ve dipped my toe into since then.

26. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

I don’t think so! Honestly, everything I’ve wanted to write for the TLK fandom, I’ve gone for and done it, even when I think it’s absolutely, objectively ridiculous (Example A). For a while I had wanted to write an F/M/M threesome but hadn’t followed through for whatever reason. But inspired by some of the other amazing work in this fandom (very notably YOUR work!!), I have gone ahead and done that (still not released it, but it is forthcoming). So there’s not too much currently lurking unacknowledged in the back of my mind!

got an ask?

[crookes-library]

4, 7, 11, 22 for the salty asks :)

🥰 TY hun, you’re making me reveal all my secrets now haha

4. It’s gotta be Alfred x Uhtred, I legit can’t deal with it, I respect Alfred as a character and he’s a good king but on a personal level the way he treats/belittles Uhtred presses alllll my buttons. We get it man, you’re Christian™ and you’re conflicted because the man who can help you achieve your dream of uniting england is pagan so your compromise is to do everything in your power to control and manipulate him? Maybe I relate too much to having christianity weaponised against me but man oh man I cannot see that relationship as romantic in the slightest, no disrespect to those who do, live and let live but it’s not for me sorry

7. This is gonna divert a bit to the books cause there’s nothing I really really can’t stand that I used to like that’s coming to mind from the show, any characters I disliked I’ve pretty much had the opinion all the way through. BUT from the books I don’t like Edward anymore, where we’re at in the show you can see he’s still muddling through/trying to get out from his fathers shadow but jeez the ABSOLUTE MESS he left behind in Sword of Kings, I went from liking him at first to kinda eh I don’t dislike him he’s doing his thing to OMG YOU FUCKING IDIOT I STG real quick hahaha I was so annoyed and I know I’m being vague cause no spoilers but I just needed to yell about it a hot sec, it colours my view of the show a bit so I have to reel myself in sometimes 😅

11. So it’s not all of fandom but there is a section of fandom that I know doesn’t like Uhtred and I’m?? He’s my boy??? I’ve loved him half my life so its hard to articulate why, I just do but 2 things come to mind. 1) I love calling him a toasted marshmallow - a lil crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside & 2) The quote: “I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief”

Pretty much sums it up for me and yeah he can be brutal and angry just as much as he is kind and protective but for me? When I first found the books as a teenager I needed that anger as much as I needed to know you could still be kind in spite of it, it felt like putting on armour against a world that was nothing but cruelty and loss and Uhtred has known a hell of a lot of both

OK emotional hours over lol

22. I’m sorry because I know you like him lol but Aethelwold, he has some stellar lines but I don’t know what it is about his face or the way he plays the character it just immediately activates my slimy straight man fight or flight instinct, he creeps me tf out 😅

[olderthannetfic]

kirstenseas reblogged your post “Tumblr now feels like LJ a decade ago. And mailing lists emptying out...”

#escapade is still going?! #wow #fandom #conventions

Sure is!

[masterwords]

To Hell With the Salt

Summary: After a long, hard day, Penelope invites Hotch to stay for veggie omelets and surprises him with tequila (and maybe a hangover the following morning). Keeping secrets is a lot harder when tequila is involved. (Coda to 11x09 - Internal Affairs)

Warnings: alcohol (lots of it) & food, mention of blood/death (canon - based on episode) and Mayhem explosion/PTSD

Pairings: Hotch/Morgan

Words: 3.5k

Read On AO3: To Hell With the Salt

Notes: This is for Hotch Appreciation Week Day 1 - Alternate Scene or Episode Ending, also coinciding with Comfortember Day 1 - Discovery. Inspired by an idea loaned to me by @kirstenseas AGES ago and I've finally managed to produce something viable with it.

Find the rest here: Hotch Appreciation Week, Comfortember 2021

Tag List: @84hotpockets, @crimefiqhters, @bau-gremlin, @genevievedarcygranger, @mayasreadingnook, @arsonhotchner, @scuttling, @hotchappreciationweek

**

Jalapeños.

Nothing wild, nothing out there. Just a simple offer of omelets with jalapeño in the middle of the night. She looked so hopeful, his weary heart couldn't turn her down. The day had been so long and so exhausting, maybe they both needed a win.

Tequila was where it went off the rails.

"Derek has a bottle hidden in his office somewhere..."

"You really shouldn't tell me things like that," he scolded, but it was gentle and laced with a smile, the kind that said he was being serious but he wasn't upset - they really needed to share less with him when it came to breaking rules, and maybe that was his fault, blurring those lines in more ways than most of them knew. Tonight wasn't going to help if tequila was involved. She just nodded her understanding and he still accepted her offer of a night cap. Already one glass of scotch in after his day spent rubbing elbows with people he'd rather not associate with regularly, at least not outside of professional settings, so really why not continue? At least he liked Penelope, it was already a drastic improvement.

Before he could change his mind (and she could see it in his eyes, he was already getting there the more he sobered up from his previous endeavor) Penelope scampered down the hall to Derek's office, hardly having waited for the entire answer to leave his lips. Once he began, once she knew where his answer was going, she was gone.

No time to lose. She kicked off her heels halfway there so she could go faster and in comfort, shuffling barefoot down the hallway like a child. She returned promptly, heels back on, with a full bottle of tequila sloshing around in her arms and a triumphant grin on her face, a welcome sight after the tears that still glistened on her cheeks. He glanced at his watch, eyeing the time and fired off a reluctant text to Jessica - he was going to commit, no backing out now. She was far too gracious, quickly telling him to stay out as late as he wanted and that she wouldn't wait up. She almost seemed eager as she followed it up with something sweet before he could type out a response. You deserve to have fun, Aaron, like she knew he was already second guessing his decision and trying to find an excuse to head home. She wasn't far off.

"The team are on their way," she hummed as she busied herself with the foil on the unopened bottle. "They should be back in a couple of hours." A pang of guilt settled in his belly when he realized what that meant - mountains of paperwork and days of explanations to everyone who had questions, the take down had been messy and Agents were in danger. He would have a lot of talking to do. That was the job, and it was only the start. Worse than any of that, he had to worry over whether Derek was hurt, what he'd seen, what new nightmares might keep them up at night. Endless concerns, and then there would be the questions from Derek about his day, many he wouldn't be able to answer. Arguments and hurt feelings.

Not tonight.

Penelope hummed as she cooked, using the jalapeño he'd chopped with care, sure not to let a single mince go to waste. Spice hung in the air, ravaged his sinuses and he rubbed his tired eyes.

“Here you go, sir,” she said, surprising him as he worried over the conversation he was going to need to have, the ramifications of this day, each time he sorted and filed one piece another took its place. A coffee mug appeared before him, hand outstretched and he accepted it with a soft thanks. “It's not exactly a margarita, but it's all I have. Sprite with a splash of lime juice and tequila...I don't think it'll age well, we should probably drink them fast. Are you okay, sir?” Staring into the mug, he was more than a little uneasy and trying to figure out when he'd last had tequila. There was a brief flash, sand and waves crashing warm against his ankles, a stack of shot glasses and a gallon of Cuervo on a breakfast bar beside lime wedges and hot sauces...a sunburn and Derek. Mexico, that was the last time he'd had tequila. He lifted his mug and nodded, ignoring her question unintentionally and offering her a cheers in its place.

“To friendship,” he whispered, eyes twinkling in the low light, the bright tears catching the lamp's glow. His suit felt a little tight already, too warm, and there was a heavy feeling in his chest. The tears, he could feel the way they burned and he forced himself not to blink, not to let them fall. The chirp of his car lock had shuddered through him in a way it hadn't in years, the memories clear as day while he stood back and considered not getting into the vehicle at all. He could have just walked, called a cab, not touched the handle. Paralyzed by long buried fear. The scotch, begrudgingly accepted more out of a sense of obligation than anything else, had smoothed frayed nerves, helped him forget the sound of the explosion, the lick of the flames but they were there now in the caustic smell of the tequila and the burn of the peppers wafting through the air. He couldn't escape it. At best he hoped to quiet the anxious feeling, stop his fingers worrying against one another. The tequila, he hoped, might make it go dormant again, help him at least forget the way his heart jumped into his throat as flesh touched metal.

“And hope,” he added with a final nod. “We'll get you out of here soon.”

“Hear, hear!” she squeaked through tears, more tears. He hadn't intended to make her cry again, yet there they were holding mugs of effervescent future misery side by side, both brimming with tears. She cried over him calling her a friend, as silly as it was, but him...why was he crying?

"Sir?" She eyed him suspiciously. "You never look particularly cheerful but you look...are you alright?"

He took a gulp and winced at the burn, the way the bubbles burst up into his nose and cleared his throat. "Hard day."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly," he replied softly and she nodded. "Thank you though."

"Of course, Aaron...anytime."

He was drunk fast, too fast, too easy. The world was softer, slower by the time he tried to focus enough to manage the fine motor skills of using a fork, pulling it to his mouth. She was right on his heels. The omelets provided a nice landing place for the tequila they were going through a little too quickly, and as a buffer she pulled out some tortilla chips and salsa. They laughed loud, probably too loud but who was there to complain?

"Wanna play a game?" she asked, watching the way his face seemed to fall after a few moments of silence. She couldn't allow it, and if he couldn't tell her what was wrong, she'd do her best to help him avoid it. He nodded and grinned, sloshing the liquid that was now more tequila than Sprite around in his mug - her pours had gotten considerably heavier as the night wore on. The curse of tequila. She dug an old Scrabble game out of a dusty drawer and by the time the team showed up, the board was a mess. Some real high score words, some terribly close but not quite, some just random letters thrown down because they looked funny side by side. They'd long since given up on playing the game by any real rules, now they were just making them up on a whim. She talked, he listened, they played. During one game, if you could pronounce the sounds of the letters and make the other person laugh hard enough, you could have the points. She was certain she had that one in the bag, but her skills were no match for his.

"Lawyer," he offered with a shrug as he peered at his tiles, tried to clear the double vision and pick some winners. She nodded, as if she followed his winding train of thought. It was a lie, she couldn't figure it out, so she offered an alternative that made sense to her.

"Dad," she said and he nodded, smiling.

"Yes. That, too."

In another version, he'd attempted to convince her of at least three words that Shakespeare had invented that you'd never find in a dictionary, proclaiming uselessly that they had definitions and rattling them off. There was no convincing her to budge on this one, she'd lost too many games to him already...even if he could produce the name of the play, the act and the line from which the word was pulled - she just laughed in his face and pushed the tiles back into his lap.

"I don't care where infamonize is in Love's Labor's Lost, it isn't in my dictionary so it isn't a word. You can't sway me with your pretty monologues, sir."

"Hey! Blondie!"

They both heard the shout from down the hall and froze. He was already curled up on the couch, his tired eyes having finally given up the ghost. The tiles had blurred into one wooden mess before him and there was not a thing he could do to change it - he'd tried, dumping his contacts and pulling out his glasses as a last resort. Not really sleeping, just laying curled up in a blanket with his glasses low on his nose listening to the sounds of David Bowie warbling ohhhh you pretty things...while Penelope told him a story, her words flying far too fast for him to keep up. He flinched at the sound of Derek's bellow, realized he was going to be in deep trouble, but it wasn't enough to make him sit upright or even open his eyes.

Derek would either find him, or leave him be to slowly die of dehydration. There was a bottle of water somewhere in his lap, fallen beneath the blankets but he couldn't muster the energy to search it out. The room spun in circles around him, slow and methodical rocking like he was adrift at sea. It didn't exactly make him dizzy but forced him to slow down, close his eyes, relax into it. Outside he heard the chirp of car locks, one two three and he hugged the pillow tighter to the ache in his chest, wondered how much tequila it would actually take to forget the way he'd felt just a few hours before, the way he hadn't felt in years and now it was fresh, like it never went away. Blood and shattered glass all he could see.

“Next time you're gonna steal my booze,” Derek continued, breezing into the room without stopping to consider what he would be interrupting. His go bag still hung over his shoulder, eyes narrowed to slits in the dark, he didn't see Aaron at first. He'd done a fine job of blending in, curling himself up tight beneath the blankets, Penelope's blankets. "Could you not destroy my office in the process?”

“You're back!” she stumbled out of her chair and flung her arms around his neck, pushing up onto the tips of her toes. She'd given up on the formality of her heels when Aaron slid out of his jacket, it seemed a fair trade. "My love, my light, I'm so glad you're all back safe and sound and OHHHH...you're in trouble you know that? Biiiiiiiig trouble. You and Dr. Lewis didn't take back-up...bad bad..."

"Woah," he said, scrunching up his nose at the smell of the booze on her breath. "Slow your roll. We didn't know that guy was the unsub, you know that, I was talking to you...wait, what's going on here?"

"Well," she started, still hanging around his neck. "Okay. I don't know, really, it's a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit fuzzy. See, it started with omelets. Or, back up...I was hungry, it was late but I didn't get a chance to have dinner and then Hotch came to talk to me and I was, I just...didn't want to be alone, and he had such a hard day here on his own and I thought...maybe he'd want to eat with me? So I asked him to eat with me and he said Jack was already in bed so why not and then I remembered the tequila in your office..." She was rambling, he was trying to keep up but his exhaustion was catching up to him faster than she could talk, a rough combination. "Now we're listening to David Bowie and talking...well I'm talking, he might be sleeping I don't know but did you know he's really really smart? He cheats at Scrabble though, I'm pretty sure..."

“Hotch...” Derek groaned and peeked around the fluff of her hair, shifted her to the side to get a better look at the man half alive on the couch. His lip twitched, a tiny smirk appearing right at the corner, just enough to be noticeable. Awake, but just barely. “You good?”

“Never better,” he lied as the smile spread to his entire face. His eyes remained closed, but he looked to be in very good spirits. “Sprite and tequila...not as bad as you would think...”

“Yeah. Right. Mama,” Derek warned, still holding her shoulders while he glared at her. She swayed like a leaf on a gentle breeze in his grasp, not enough to worry him but he struggled to keep her focus. He couldn't take another long story. Every few moments she opened her mouth like she wanted to say something and he furrowed his brow, quieting her instantly. “Here's what's happening. I'm gonna drive this man home and then I'm coming back...we need to have a talk.” Without giving her the chance for rebuttal, he helped the nearly sleeping man to his feet, steadied him there for a moment while Aaron forced his eyes open and tried to get his bearings. The floor rolled beneath him, he felt it up into his knees and he leaned hard against Derek, throwing one arm around his waist like it belonged there, quickly followed by the other. He held on like a baby koala, pressed his cheek against Derek's shoulder and finally he realized that this was how he forgot that awful feeling, the fear. This was his answer. Not scotch or tequila, he knew better, those only made things worse in the end. It had been Derek there before, with him in the street and at the hospital and driving him home, and it was Derek there now. It didn't fix the problem, but it did remind him that he was okay.

She had questions. Derek shushed her each time she opened her mouth to ask.

“My stomach is upset...” Aaron whispered, lost in his drunk fog that tasted an awful lot like regret but hoping Penelope wouldn't hear and feel guilty. Derek just nodded, he knew, and kissed him on the temple, walked him out the door without another word. He didn't fuss or argue, was pliant in Derek's arms.

Home was simple, Aaron slept the entire way, not a word shared between them. A pitcher of water and a glass, a bottle of ibuprofen, a handful of extra strength Tums and a trash can tucked right up beside the bed. Just in case. Jessica got a good laugh out of it when Derek told her, because even if she'd said she wouldn't wait up she always did, it was a force of habit far too old to break. She promised she'd listen for trouble while Derek was out, said it was her fault, she'd told him to have a good time.

"Never again," Derek said with a wink. "Not with that woman. Penelope can't be trusted."

It didn't take long for him to get back, the roads were empty enough that he could go a little too fast. It had just been enough time that she could clean up the mess, chug about a gallon of water and prepare her bed that now smelled just like whatever product Aaron used in his hair.

“I don't know what you were thinkin...” he announced, leaning in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest. It was a little accusatory but mostly good-natured.

“I just...we just...”

“Oh, you just you just...” he was mocking her now, shaking his head. She didn't mind it, at least it told her he wasn't really mad. She hadn't done any real damage. The entire time they'd been gone she was worried she'd done something horribly wrong, maybe Aaron wasn't supposed to drink, maybe that tequila was special, a lot of maybes flew through her head as she forced herself to sober up and apologize.

“Is he okay?"

"He's sleepin' it off. Jessica's staying the night, he'll be okay. Might wanna take it easy around here tomorrow, huh? Seriously, Penelope, what were you thinking? He doesn't drink like that..."

"Hey. Okay, I made a mistake, it was a really hard day and I just thought...he looked like he needed...hey. Wait. Yeah I messed up but...but...you. You. YOU. What was...THAT?” And then there was this, it rose in her belly, beat at her chest, the indignity of feeling betrayed, lied to. Yeah, maybe she didn't need to get her boss drunk, that was stupid, and it would probably have consequences felt for days. She had a bed to crash on mere feet away but she hadn't considered where he'd be sleeping, how he would be getting home. Would he have been sleeping at his desk? And Derek was right, he didn't drink like that, he was doing it for her, to make her feel better and she felt awful, but then there was the arm and the kiss and she had QUESTIONS.

“No idea what you're talkin' about...” he feigned innocence, loved watching the way it got her all riled up. She was vibrating with anticipation and he ate it up. Pointedly, she played with the tea bag in her mug and stared at him, waiting for him to open up. A silent challenge. When it was clear to her that he had no intention of doing so, she set the mug down on the table and smacked him on the arm. “Keep your hands off of me, crazy lady.”

She eyed him warily while he gathered the dishes to wash, the last of the remnants from their wild two person party. “How long have you been lying to me?”

“Hey now,” he said softly, more than a little offended. He may not have told her everything, but he hadn't ever lied. "I don't like your tone."

“Don't you even, Derek Morgan...all those stories of girls you've been seeing...the...the...the roses and the weekend trip in New York and the...omigod...” Clarity was setting in but her mouth couldn't seem to keep up with the realizations.

“Okay wait a minute, I never said girls, first of all, you just assumed I meant girls...”

“So those were all...about...” Her breath hitched in her throat, she let out a soft little cough.

He grinned, waited for her to run through all of the stories she could remember, stories shared over late night glasses of wine ending in near misses, slips, an endless parade of nameless faceless girls replaced with her scowling but very handsome, well tailored boss. Moments he'd almost said too much, barely caught himself before saying a name, mentioning Jack but managed to keep it under wraps. She blushed, fell into the chair beside her with a dramatic thud.

“You are a monster. You...you two...for...how long?”

“Nevermind that, you little busybody. Now that you know what you know, your big, sexy mouth has to stay shut you understand me?”

She smirked and he shook his head, this was going to prove to be a challenge. Penelope, henceforth, was going to be insufferable. He wasn't looking forward to letting Aaron know that they'd been discovered, let the cat out of the bag with their affectionate shenanigans - Aaron had no idea what he'd done and Derek simply couldn't help it, it was already hard enough to keep his hands to himself on a normal day, this was too much. No more tequila for him.

“Go home, Derek Morgan. I want to go to bed and he needs you more than I do. See you...both...in the morning.”

[tlkfanficfest]

TLK FANFIC FEST - FILL POST

Well TLK Fandom you have OUTDONE yourselves. What started as a little endeavour I thought would go nowhere resulted in 34 brand new fics in TWO WEEKS. Also, today they announced we are getting a Season 5 for TLK. If that isn’t the universe saying all our positive energy worked, I don’t know what is! 

I’ve tried to list the fills alphabetically by prompt, and included both a tumblr link/AO3 link(if available). Round 2 will go up tomorrow so check back soon because that prompt submission box will be open and ready to take your requests! I’ve also got a few new things coming but you’ll hear all about it tomorrow. 

IF I HAVE MISSED A FILL PLEASE MESSAGE ME.

Round 1 Prompt Fills:

"Keen is the wind, bare the hill, it is difficult to find shelter; the ford is marred, the lake freezes, a man could stand on a single stalk." - from a Welsh poem, 'Winter', c.11th century, author unknown

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25043593 by @chaos_is_welcome

"The ocean is full, the sea is in flood, lovely is the home of ships ... the rudder is swift upon the wide sea." - from an 11th century Irish poem, A Storm at Sea, author unknown

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25080601 by @chaos_is_welcome

Aelswith/Alfred, first meeting

https://minimartian.tumblr.com/post/622947185597743104/rolls-off-the-tongue-aelswithalfred by @minimartian

Aethelflaed/Aldhelm, “you have bewitched me, body and soul.”

https://tobebbanburg.tumblr.com/post/622074165361606656/duty-decency-tobebbanburg-the-last-kingdom by @tobebbanburg (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24943159)

Aldhelm has a Nice Day for once

https://cocchamscrew.tumblr.com/post/622713412871421952/day-out-aldhelm-x-aethelflaed by @cocchamscrew (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25068061)

https://sihtric.tumblr.com/post/622862452389019648/caged-birds-flying-free by @sihtric (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25117453)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24997012 by @superprincesspea

Aldhelm, resting and thinking back on his life, Finan and Sihtric come across him. They talk.

https://softestark.tumblr.com/post/622727659241275392/a-truth-you-cant-avoid-softestark-the-last by @softestark ( https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25070851)

Coccham crew get drunk and start flyting against each other

https://tobebbanburg.tumblr.com/post/621729570931015680/flyting-fighting-tobebbanburg-the-last by @tobebbanburg (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24878602)

Eadith/Finan, it was never about pleasure for Eadith until Finan

https://superprincesspea.tumblr.com/post/621821375618891776/winchesters-finest by @superprincesspea (https://archiveofourown.org/works/24896029)

https://jade-masquerade.tumblr.com/post/622774509711327232/the-altar-is-my-hips by @jade-masquerade (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25082065)

Eadith/Finan, it was never about pleasure for Eadith until Finan / Eadith/Finan, Eadith trusts Finan with her life, but she needs to convince him she trusts him with her body.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24973942 by @chaos_is_welcome

Eadith/Finan/Uhtred, relationship negotiations

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24908578 by @NotInPublic

Finan and Uhtred roadtrip

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24953728 by @solarlotus

Finan, "Don't pretend like you're asleep. Should I find a way to wake you up?"(obvs on the smutty side... I can see it already!)

https://geekandbooknerd.tumblr.com/post/621931804972253184/morning-after-modern-finan-x-reader by @geekandbooknerd

Finan, Finan shares his cloak with the reader at the fire to keep them both warm. His hands wander occasionally / Sihtric rescues the reader from drowning.

https://righmarbh.tumblr.com/post/622266186253598720/love-like-winter by @righmarbh

Finan, Finan shares his cloak with the reader at the fire to keep them both warm. His hands wander occasionally.

https://lauwrite1225.tumblr.com/post/621715492568219648/cold-night-finan-x-reader by @lauwrite1225 (

Finan, him being soft and him caring for kids in my lfie

https://lauwrite1225.tumblr.com/post/622020890369130496/tlkfff2020-tlkfanficfest-imagine-2-finan-him by @lauwrite1225

Finan/Sihtric, that first night after Finan knows Sihtric didn't really abandon them.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24996745 by @tobebbanburg

Finan/Uhtred, stuck in a confessional box. Can be as naughty as you like. Bonus for Aelswith coming to pray whilst they're stuck.

https://righmarbh.tumblr.com/post/621727119535407104/cloisterfuck by @righmarbh

Finan/Uhtred, they know each other like the back of their hands

https://azyland.tumblr.com/post/621846930215108608/etched-in-your-skin-azyland-the-last-kingdom by @azyland (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24901645)

https://tsukkinami.tumblr.com/post/622118184480342016/like-the-back-of-my-hand by @tsukkinami(https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24951751)

Finan/Uhtred, we are bound.

https://bird-on-a-wire20.tumblr.com/post/622448696390565888/the-best-of-mornings-finanuhtred-drabble by @bird-on-a-wire20

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25114897  by @kirstenseas 

Gisela/Hild, hurt/comfort

https://druellasrosier.tumblr.com/post/622256354464317440/solertia-dolore-written-for-tlkfanficfest-prompt by @druellasrosier (https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24979051)

Jealous possessive Finan please!

https://nxrdist.tumblr.com/post/621821341628317696/tlkfanficfest-prompt-fill-for by @nxrdist

Osferth saves Finan and Sihtric’s life from Danes and has a little smirk at the end. / Sihtric and Osferth bonding over being bastards

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24936049 by @limenal

Radio station AU of any description. Wessex FM, Bebbanburg Beats, Mercia Magic...

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/25102252 by salto

Sihtric/Reader, Enemies to Lovers, smut should definitely take place. They have been on opposite sides for years until one day changes everything forever.

https://valhallasubstitute.tumblr.com/post/621804826542718976/that-one by @valhallasubstitute 

https://geekandbooknerd.tumblr.com/post/622293481002565633/opposites-sihtric-x-reader by @geekandbooknerd

The Coccham crew get a little tipsy and Sihtric ends up with his most interesting haircut yet

https://for-bebbanburg.tumblr.com/post/621846264781422592/the-haircut by @for-bebbanburg

The Cookham squad mourn the death of Steapa.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24989260 by @chaos_is_welcome

Uhtred is visited by the actual Night Walker and they have a philosophical conversation around the campfire.

https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tlkfanficfest/works/24987775 by @kirstenseas

Uhtred/Gisela/Finan is a thing and they need to figure out who is the baby daddy now that Gisela is pregnant.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24960037 by @NotInPublic

[balmacedapascal-archive]

Okay @kirstenseas got me on a roll so here’s some ramblings about Uhtred and kind of like why he is the way he is that nobody asked for because I clearly have more feels about this fucking show than I know what to do with.

Okay but like to me it always kind of comes across as like Uhtred just wants to be loved and accepted. But because of everything that happened he never quite fits anywhere. Like when he’s a kid you see that his dad is kind of harsh and not affectionate or encouraging or anything. So yeah he’s devastated to see his dad brutally murdered but then he spends time with the Danes and starts to be treated okay (for a slave) and then he saves Thyra and suddenly he’s not just some Saxon slave, he’s worthy of being one of Earl Ragnars son and like has a father figure who is proud of him and grateful for him and he grows up with that mentality. He adopts all the customs of the Danes, follows the pagan gods, pretty much forgets anything from his Saxon childhood. But like you also kind of see that he kind of might feel like he still doesn’t belong. Like Earl Ragnar mentions him and Brida getting married and he’s kind of like but I’m a Dane right? Shouldn’t my wife be a Dane? And like just these little hints that he might not feel 100% accepted

And then Kjartan and Sven roll up and fuck up everything and I think him wanting to take back Bebbanburg is him trying to cling to something familiar. Like it may have been a decade since he’s been there but it was his home once. And it would be his best option at the beginning to try and get revenge. It also doesn’t help that all the Danes he comes across seem to have no problem believing he was the one who killed Ragnar, just some Saxon slave who finally betrayed the people who captured him.

And then once he winds up in Wessex it’s just this constant struggle of the two worlds. Like he knows enough about Saxon life to navigate but all of his adulthood has been spent as a Dane and that’s how he instinctively is going to behave. And I feel like after so many years of having to fight for people to respect him or listen to him has built him into this horribly stubborn person who doesn’t know how to bend, he just snaps, reacts impulsively in a way that earns respect amongst Danes but gets you viewed as a savage by Saxons

And like he wants to prove he can be trusted, like more than anything he wants to not have to constantly keep proving himself to Alfred but the more he pushes to earn trust and respect there, the more the Danes see him as an enemy so then he starts trying to win their favor and it feels like this vicious cycle where he’s never going to win.

And like more than anything else I think it’s he knows to much about both worlds and is unwilling to claim one is better than the other because clearly he likes both options to some extent and because he’s this weird mixture of two sides that hate each other so much he’s never going to be able to exist in either without having to fight for his place

[solarlotus]

Just a little fic I wrote for Finan x Uhtred getting together, sad boys followed by happy boys and some sexy times and lots of fluff. For @kirstenseas

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25859653

[oldshrewsburyian]

Escapist fiction rec round-up

@stripedroseandsketchpads

I recommend Treasure Island because like. Everyone already knows the plot but it was pretty entertaining iirc and like. Over the top pirates!! Hooray!

Also, it’s completely absurd but I LOVE the Master and Margarita by Bulgakov which isn’t really the same genre but it’s historical in that it’s set in the 30s and escapist in that it’s a bunch of highly chaotic and amusing demons destroying the day to day bureaucracy of Soviet Russia for kicks

True story: I read Treasure Island when I was 10, and I am still terrified of Blind Pew, Long John Silver, and the black spot. Currently loving Black Sails, though. The Master and Margarita is one of those I keep meaning to get around to!

@junomarlowe

I'm currently enjoying Golden Hill a great deal. I suppose it's a literary picaresque swashbuckler, with bickering and fun 18th century vocab

This sounds amazing.

@lochtayboatsong 

Swashbuckler: Pirates! by Celia Rees has been one of my favorites since I was a teen.  I haven’t read it recently to see how it holds up when read as an adult, but it immediately came to mind.

...delightful.

@literarymagpie

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is about a young woman in 1920s Mexico who has to help the Mayan god of death reclaim his throne. (The MC is a young woman, but it's not a YA novel.)

Obviously something I never knew I needed.

@ressiart

Sarah Perry, The Essex Serpent or Melmoth for some historical gothic romance. The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik if you'd like to dabble with dragons, the napoleonic wars, fuck colonialism and trips to Turkey, China, Africa, Australia and Brazil. Circe by Madeline Miller, for a lovely first person retelling of the witch's story. The Ancillary Justice series by Ann Leckie. This one's a space opera/SF, but I think you'll appreciate the parallels to the Roman Empire.

You know, I read about how The Essex Serpent deals with cultic Protestant communities and I’ve been emotionally unprepared ever since. I’ll look for the Ann Leckie. Somehow I thought Naomi Novik was YA, so I’ll have to check that out. I found Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles to be so boring, reductive, and unimaginative that I’m loath to give her another try, I confess.

@msmaple

Oxford Time Travel series by Connie Willis is a pleasure

Yes, yes it is.

@kirstenseas

Well, at the risk of being a bit juvenile, the Temeraire series is really good - Napoleonic wars with dragons. It is a constant delight with only a few weak moments and some really brilliant character arcs.

Has Naomi Novik been writing for grownups this whole time? My mistake.

@novelogical 

I would like to recommend to you all of Susanna Kearsley’s books - specifically The Winter Sea, The Firebird, The Shadow Horses.

Ooh. The plots look more interesting than the prose, but I might give them a try. Thanks!

@counterwiddershins

For something swashbuckly, I might recommend Georgette Heyer's "The Masqueraders," but if you want some political intrigue and fantasy there's Bujold's Chalion series with "Curse of Chalion" and "Paladin of Souls." (I know Chalion is a familiar rec so you may have read either book by now.)

Thanks!

@countingnothings

if you haven't picked up any Guy Gavriel Kay, that would be my recommendation! he calls what he does "history with a quarter-turn to the fantastic," and his older stuff is more fantastic while the newer is more historical. if you're in a mood for the former, Tigana or Sailing to Sarantium are my recs! if the latter, Under Heaven or A Brightness Long Ago. his first trilogy, The Fionavar Tapestry, riffs on Tolkien & Arthuriana but is a bit heavy-handed

Another author I was sure was YA... maybe I was confused because I read his books in my teens.

@thelibraryiscool

The Lies of Locke Lamora gets old after a while but the first book is very solid. The Cadfael chronicles are some of the most calming escapist books I know (but you’ve probably read them). The rivers of London series is also amusing. Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrel is a delight. And I suppose Poldark, while, in my opinion, much worse than Outlander, has some of that same vibe if that’s what you’re after.

Thanks! I do love Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and I really should get around to Rivers of London. I’m afraid I have the Cadfael books semi-memorized by this point. “Much worse than Outlander” is, uh, not a ringing endorsement, and I’ve heard enough opinions on Poldark’s misogyny that I might give it a miss.

[bonesgadh]

mversefunhouse replied to your post: But the whole idea of Jon being vanished to the...

What kirstenseas said. But also…it’s where Jon wanted to go. He lost a lot in Westeros; the two loves of his life (whether you ship Jon/Dany or not, it’s canon that he did in fact love her); he lost his identity; his life; his peace of mind; etc. Even in the books, Jon is very much team wilding

And I completely agree, Jon’s fate was beyond the wall. He was never meant to be king, as you say he is team wilding. They love him, they respect him, they are his people. However I still think it was very poorly executed because, in my opinion, it should’ve been a decision made by him, not imposed by others.

[lucybellwood]

I practically grew up on a boat and we had to sell it when my dad died. Please never ever stop doing the porthole videos. It stole my breath away- I want back on a boat so bad. It healed my heart a little.

I’m really glad to hear it Falkor is at an end, you can follow the NEXT Artist-at-Sea (@KirstenSea) here on Tumblr or on Instagram to get your porthole fix. I gave her strict instructions to continue the tradition on my behalf.

[wildwren]

33 also for the fanfic ask! Pls talk process :D :D :D

33. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

Oooh this is a fun question. I guess I would say: I don’t think that I’m a “plotter.” I think I’m a “pantser.” I do think things out in my head before I put them into writing, but I almost never make outlines. I write out of order a lot, so a little scene will pop into my head, I’ll write it down, and then I’ll have to figure out the other scene “beads” that I need to string together something coherent. Sometimes this is very hard (I’m currently struggling trying to figure out what scene(s) I need to make this chapter transition I’m working on feel coherent). But sometimes it’s nice to already have the “end” scene written and then reverse-engineer the work in that way. I do an extraordinary amount of re-reading and editing as I go, which is perhaps not very efficient but it works for me. Usually once I’m in the flow of writing, I can get thousands of words out in one sitting. But sometimes I sit around for hours in a very constipated sort of way and have 145 words to show at the end of it. 

Finally, I feel like the most important part of my process is this: I work in a factory. It is a boring, easy job where I stand around all day packaging things and occasionally switching over a machine cycle. I am mostly alone. I love it so fucking much. It leaves my brain idle to do the things that it really wants: think about stories, plan out things in my head, imagine scenes and feel into characters. My favorite jobs are easy, mindless manual labor for this reason. I know it’s weird, but I really do think it is essential to my creativity. If my work was more intellectually engaging, I would not have the brain power to actually do what I wanted on my free time. So that’s a thing!

Thank you!!!! 

[crookes-library]

Who is your most hated TLK character and why?

You know first hand that I have several characters in rotation that I would like to viciously stab 😅

If I had to choose just one though? Oooof probably Aethelred, I have to skip a lot of his scenes when I stick tlk on cause my unquenchable incandescent rage at the sight of his face would negate the purpose of a comfort rewatch lol

Pretty much entirely because of his violence towards women but also because he's a deluded egotistical spoiled brat

In my head theres an alternate timeline where Aethelflaed got to castrate and kill him. Burn in hell forever bitch ❤

[crookes-library]

Alright lads! Have some of my favourite Uhtred/ Finan book quotes:

‘Fight beside me,’ I told Finan. ‘We’ll go together Lord,’ ‘Swords in hand’

“I can’t imagine life without him” [Finan about Uhtred]

“Are you going home?” I asked him. “Home?” he was puzzled by my question. “To Ireland,” I said. [...] He smiled. “I am home, lord.”

“You always were an idiot.” [Finan about Uhtred]

‘Finan was the fastest man I have ever seen in a fight. He was thin, lithe, and moved like a wildcat.’

‘Finan must have sensed my gaze because he growled. “Stop worrying about me, lord.” “Who said I was worried?”

[crookes-library]

“I’ll command nothing!” [Finan] retorted fiercely. “I’ll stay with you.” “You don’t have to -” “I took an oath to protect you!” he interrupted me. “You? I never asked any oath of you!” “You didn’t,” he agreed, “but I still swore an oath to protect you.” “When?” I asked. “I don’t remember any such oath.” “I took it two heartbeats ago,” he said, “and if you can be tied by a stupid oath , so can I.” “I release you from any oath -” Again he interrupted me. “Someone has to keep you alive.”

Bernard Cornwell - Sword of Kings

[crookes-library]

19, 27, 30 and 35 for the music asks!

Eeee thank you love ❤

19.  ‘ Now I am a man-eater, in more than just one way... He tastes like pig, but that's okay, I eat him every day’ from ‘Maneater’ by Blue Eyed Blondes 

27. So a song that always absolutely gets me is ‘Words as Weapons’ by Seether - they’re my favourite band anyway but this song especially - ‘All I really want is something beautiful to say’ like ugh yes 

30. I dithered about using my spotify or using songs I actually have downloaded to my laptop music library and eventually went with the library cause I don’t know if its even possible to shuffle all songs from all my spotify playlists? But my music library is um more mid-20s me lol. I say this, I still listen to all of it but its dispersed with some new stuff I swear! haha

- Hate to Say I Told You So - by The Hives

- My Heart - Paramore

- My Way - Limp Bizkit

- Come Round Soon - Sara Bareilles

- Fell on Black Days - Soundgarden

35. Hmm... it’s between ‘Ice Water’ by Cat Power, ‘Rise Up’ by Andra Day or ‘It’s Alright’ by Mother Mother  There’s probably more because I’m a staunch window gazer lol but those are the ones that jump out

[crookes-library]

You should share one of your favourite Uhtred/Finan moments from the books. One of those you highlighted with post its the other day. (I love that you did that m, btw, it was so wonderfully nerdy!)

Hey friend! Oh god I literally couldn’t help myself haha, the difficulty is picking one! I mean I could just leave it at Finan saying ‘I can’t imagine life without him’ but I’ll see if I can dig out something juicy ;)