elrhiarhodan

Title: A Seat At the Table - The Secret History of Neal Caffrey (2587 words) by elrhiarhodan
Chapters: 1/3
Fandom: Kingsman (Movies), White Collar
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Mention of non-canon death of White Collar character, canon death of canon Kingsman character
Relationships: Neal Caffrey/Harry Hart | Galahad, Merlin & Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, Roxy Morton | Lancelot & Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Characters: Neal Caffrey, Merlin (Kingsman), Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, Roxy Morton | Lancelot, Other Kingsman Characters - Character
Additional Tags: Non-Canon Compliant to The Golden Circle, Angst, Grief, Longing, Harry Hart is Dead (still), Implied Relationships, Crossover, Mention of Peter Burke, Spoilers for White Collar Season 6, Future Fic, This explains Neal Caffrey and his extraordinary and amazing skills, alternative universe, Eggsy-Merlin friendship, Merlin as Arthur, Eggsy Unwin Needs a Hug, Neal Caffrey Needs His Head Examined, Merlin is a BAMF, Merlin takes care of everyone
Series: Part 7 of The Secret History of Neal Caffrey
Summary: Picking up right from the end of Calling in the Favor, Merlin listens to Neal's request for another shot at becoming a Kingsman and he likes the idea quite a bit. But there are still rules that need to be followed. And Merlin still has games to play.

Merlin finishes his drink and sets down his glass. He leans forward and gets down to business. "What do you want, Neal?"

"I want another shot. I bet you're recruiting right and left these days and I want to be a Kingsman. That's my favor and I'm calling it in."

Author's Notes: Although Neal is present in the first part of the story, this is mostly a Kingsman story, told initially from Merlin's point of view, and then Eggsy's. I wanted to explore their reactions – particularly Eggsy's – to Neal Caffrey, before he actually meets him. There's quite a bit of White Collar canon buried in the second part of the story and a little bit of my own personal fanon about Neal and Peter.

Also, the first time writing anything from Merlin's point of view.

And frankly, how the hell did this story balloon to nearly 8K and three chapters? These stories are supposed to be short bits that I bang out in a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon? Well, I hope you enjoy. Thank you theatregirl7299 for the beta! Un-Brit-Picked, though.

Remaining chapters will go up on Wednesday and Saturday

Title: When Are You Gonna Come Down? When Are You Going To Land? (4918 words) by elrhiarhodan
Chapters: 2/4
Fandom: Kingsman (Movies)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Reference to Major Character Death (canon)
Relationships: Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, Tilde/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin

Characters: Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, Harry Hart | Galahad, Tilde (Kingsman)

Additional Tags: Fix-It of Sorts, Post-Kingsman: The Golden Circle, hartwin is endgame, No Tilde Bashing, Tilde is Awesome, Broken Eggsy, Broken Harry, Rebuilding Kingsman is not canon compliant, Mental Illness, Suicidal Ideation, Depression, Bad coping mechanisms, Butterflies Are Free, Needy Harry, Angry Harry, Hartwin, Dysphoria, Love Helps But it Doesn't Fix Everything


Summary: It's been two years since Eggsy married Tilde and he's utterly miserable. He knows he made a mistake and he knows it'll be impossible to fix. So he soldiers on, because if Eggsy's anything, he's loyal. The only thing that keeps him going is Harry, who'd followed him to Sweden and now works in a botanical garden as a lepidopterist.

Chapter Summary: Tilde sees her husband's misery and knows that she has to do whatever she possibly can to fix it. Even if it means revealing secrets that might take him away from her.

AO3 Link to work from the beginning

Title: All the Secrets Revealed (The Secret History of Neal Caffrey, Part Five)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: White Collar, Kingsman: The Secret Service
Rating: NC-17
Characters/Pairings: Harry Hart (Kingsman) Neal Caffrey (White Collar), Merlin (Kingsman), Mozzie (White Collar); Harry/Neal
Word Count: ~2600
Spoilers: White Collar - None - Pre-Series, Spoilers for Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) - None - Pre-Movie
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Beta Credit: None
Summary: Neal enjoys spending time with Harry Devere, a man who probably has more secrets that Neal, himself, does.

What he doesn't know is that Harry, with the help of Kingman's resident wizard, has uncovered all of Neal's secrets. All of them.


Author's Notes: A belated birthday present for my dearest friend, buefo.

Unbeta'd and un-Britpicked (but London geography is based on personal experience)


___________________

( Neal relaxes against the soft sheets and gives his cock a lazy stroke. It's not that he isn't in the mood for a wank, it's just that the wank feels a little … much.  )

Title: When Harry Met Neal (or rather, Nick Halden) - The Secret History of Neal Caffrey, Part Three
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: White Collar, Kingsman: The Secret Service
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Harry Hart (Kingsman) Neal Caffrey (White Collar); Harry/Neal
Word Count: ~2000
Spoilers: White Collar - None - Pre-Series, Spoilers for Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) - None - Pre-Movie
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Mention of Death of Canon Character (Kingsman)
Beta Credit: None
Summary: As it says on the tin. Or once upon a time, Harry Hart met Neal Caffrey. They both were excellent liars. It was a match made in heaven.

Author's Notes: Written for one of my oldest fandom friends, dariaw, on the occasion of her upcoming birthday.

Also, my first time writing Harry Hart, so be gentle. While not beta'd or Britpicked, it is based on personal knowledge of the markets on the Portobello Road and the Notting Hill environs.

___________________

( Over tea, toast and the Times, Harry contemplates his options.  )

Title: Where the Heart Is
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 31
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Barry Allen, Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Pairing: Barry Allen/Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Spoilers/Episode References: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~2300
Summary: After a brief separation, Eobard and Barry are reunited, with much joy and many kisses.

Author's Notes: Written for the last and final day of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for no particular prompt. This is the conclusion to the story started in Separation Anxiety and continued in Homeward Bound, and written for my lovely enabler, kyele, and for everyone who wanted to see Eo and Barry happily reunited.

This does (barely) qualify as stroke fic, but it's mostly fluff and happy feels.


__________________

(  “Gideon, what time will Doctor Thawne's plane arrive in Central City?”  )

Title: Beautiful Secrets
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 22 (Prompt: Secrets)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Iris West
Pairing: Iris West/Eddie Thawne
Spoilers/Episode References: NONE
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: NONE
Word Count: ~500
Summary: Iris has no shame about enjoying her body. Pity others don't feel the same.

Author's Notes: Written for Day 22 of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Secrets". My Secret Garden, by Nancy Friday was a ground-breaking work in female sexuality and sexual thought, first published in 1973. It is still in print.

__________________

( When she was a teenager - at the tender and not-so-innocent age of sixteen - Iris had found a copy of My Secret Garden in the church thrift store - of all places. )

Title: Not the Thing You Hate
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 19 (Prompt: Villian)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Barry Allen
Pairing: Barry Allen/Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne (past)
Spoilers/Episode References: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~450
Summary: In the Time Vault, Barry lingers and grieves and lusts for what he can no longer have, and hates himself for that.

Author's Notes: Written for Day 19 of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Villain"

__________________

( Barry sits in the Time Vault and stares at the wall, knowing all too well what's hidden behind the crazy Braille-like panels. )

Title: The Body Electric
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 16 (Prompt: Fame)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash RPF
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Tom Felton, Violett Beane, Tom Cavanagh
Pairing: Violett Beane/Tom Cavanagh (fantasy), Tom Felton/Tom Cavanagh (fantasy)
Spoilers/Episode References: Season 3, Episode 3 - Magenta
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~1300
Summary: Tom Felton finally has a chance to watch his new cast mates at work when Violett Beane joins him on the perimeter of the STAR Labs set. She's a nice girl and doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by him or his one-time portrayal of an iconic character. She also seems to be hinting at something and it doesn't take much for Tom to catch on.

And when he does...
Author's Notes: Part of the Everyone Wants Tom series, this is a continuation of Join The Club, where Violett learns that having sexual fantasies about Tom Cavanagh is an experience shared by nearly every other member of the cast. This one's set during the filming of S3.03 Magenta, when Harry and Jesse Return.

Written for Day 16 of MMOM, for the prompt Fame. And wouldn't you know, the title of the fic is from a song from the 1980 movie, Fame, "I Sing the Body Electric".

__________________

( It's the first day of filming for the third episode of the season, and it's the first chance Tom's had to spend time on the set and just observe his new costars at work. )

Title: On the Edge of Infinity
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 14 - Prompt: Trust
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Barry Allen, Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Pairing: Barry Allen/Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Spoilers/Episode References: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~600
Summary: Barry trusts his husband, Eobard, in everything. Especially when he needs to be grounded and reminded that he is not just The Flash, but Barry Allen.

A long-overdue entry for EoBarry Revealed, the alternative universe where Barry and EoWells have been happily married speedsters for centuries.

Author's Notes: Written for Day 14 of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Trust"

__________________

( The ropes binding his arms and legs are silk, and the corset, leather lined with velvet.  )

Title: Be True to Yourself, But Never Think that You'll Be Free
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 11 (Prompt: Fame)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne , Barry Allen
Pairing: Barry Allen/Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Spoilers/Episode References: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~1700
Summary: In the months leading up to the launch of the Particle Accelerator, Eobard Thawne makes Harrison Wells a household name, via a best-selling biography. Fame brings many things, including the admiration of a young and innocent Barry Allen.

Author's Notes: Written for Day 11 of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Fame".

My enabler-in-chief, kyele, is back at her usual plot-bunnying self and suggested another variation on Barry, that biography, and Eo watching. Enjoy!

Title from yet another Jethro Tull classic, Dharma For One.

__________________

( It's been a week of rather hectic activity, the S.T.A.R. Labs team is in the final push to meet the Particle Accelerator launch date, and there's a lot left to do. )

Title: Caught Up By the Ghosts in My Machine
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 9 (Prompt: Discovery)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Pairing: Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne/Original Barry Allen, Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne/Barry Allen
Spoilers/Episode References: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~1000
Summary: Eobard Thawne, in the guise of crippled scientist Harrison Wells, obsesses over both the Flash and Barry Allen. He loves and loathes them both in equal measure.

Author's Notes: Written for Day 9 of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Discovery". This story is sparked by discussions with spaceoperetta on Tumblr about whether or not (and definitely NOT) that the Flash that EoWells hated was actually Barry-Savitar, and that sort got all messed up with another conversation with my enabler-in-chief, kyele, about EoWells hating the Flash, but loving Barry Allen.

Title from the Annie Lennox song of the same name.


__________________

( Every day with Barry Allen brings a new discovery. )

Title: Otherwise Engaged
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 7 (Prompt: Twisted)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash RPF
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Grant Gustin, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh (all as fictional characters)
Pairings: Grant/Carlos, implied Tom/Carlos, implied Tom/Grant, Grant/Carlos/Tom
Spoilers/Episode References: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~1100
Summary: What happens in Vancouver Stays in Vancouver. Pure smut, no plot.

Author's Notes: Written for Day of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Twisted", for my dearest theatregirl7299, who wanted some Tom/Carlos or Tom/Grant/Carlos, and the dirtier, the better.

__________________

( Carlos loves that Grant is a kinky freak )

Title: Just Beginning To See
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 5 (Prompt: Mind)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Barry Allen, Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Pairing: Eventual Barry/Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne; background Iris West/Eddie Thawne
Spoilers/Episode References: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~1800
Summary: Part Four of Deadmarked. Part Four of Deadmarked. Barry witnesses Iris discovering her soulmate. Heartbroken at his own loneliness, Barry heads home after the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator has a successful inaugural launch. The morning; however, brings unexpected joy.

Author's Notes: Written for Day 5 of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Mind". As with all of the Deadmarked stories, this is written for kyele, who has been unstinting in her encouragement and delight in these tales.

Title from The Moody Blues song, "Forever Afternoon", from Days of Future Past.

__________________

( Barry wants nothing more than to go home and have a good, long cry. )

Title: What a Day To Go Kite Flying
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 3 (Prompt: Future)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne, Cisco Ramon, Hartley Rathaway,
Pairing: Eventual Barry/Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: NONE
Word Count: ~2400
Summary: Part Three of Deadmarked. Eobard Thawne, now a resident of Central City, is masquerading as Harrison Wells - founder and CEO of S.T.A.R. Labs. Tonight, the Particle Accelerator goes on line and if everything goes as planned, there will be a small accident, one that releases x-elements into the atmosphere. Elements that will trigger the mutation that creates soul marks.

But Eobard has one tiny problem. His mark, which has been dead for centuries, is now glowing with life.

Author's Notes: Written for Day 3 of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Future". As with all of the Deadmarked series, it's inspired by kyele, who wanted some achy EoBarry soulmate fic.

Title from The Moody Blues classic, "Another Morning", from Days of Future Past.

__________________

( It's three hours until the Particle Accelerator goes on line and Eobard Thawne is not himself. )

Title: Days of Futures Past
For: MMOM - Thirty (One) Dirty Words – Day 1 (Prompt: Past)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash
Rating: R
Characters: Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne; Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne/Barry Allen
Spoilers/Episode References: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~800
Summary: Eobard Thawne (always wearing the face of the man known as Harrison Wells) bears a "deadmark" - a soul mark signifying that his soul mate is not alive in the same time continuum. Eobard quietly grieves and becomes a Nobel Prize winning scientist for his discoveries in the field of chronodynamics. What he never tells anyone is that he's pursued this field of study in the hopes that one day, he'll be able to travel through time and find his soul mate.

Author's Notes: Written for Day 1 of the 2017 Edition of Merry Month of Masturbation, for the prompt "Past", which had been suggested to me by kyele, who wanted some achy EoBarry soulmate fic. She asks, I provide. That's how this works.

__________________

(  Eobard rubs at the faded mark on his arm and pulls down his sleeve to hide it. )

( WestAllen Fans, please scroll past )

tl;dr - I think I'm done.

Title: Pleasure is its Own Reward
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash (2014)
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Barry Allen, Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne, Earth-2 Harrison Wells, Eddie Thawne, mention of Hunter Zolomon, mention of Cisco Ramon
Pairings: Barry Allen/Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne, Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne/Earth-2 Harrison Wells, Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne/Earth-2 Harrison Wells/ Eddie Thawne, Barry Allen/Eddie Thawne, implied Earth-2 Harrison Wells & Cisco Ramon
Word Count: ~2100
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Beta Credit: None
Summary: Eddie Thawne is back and he's joined the fun and games in the Time Vault, and EoWells is having fun tormenting Harry with everything he can't have.

Author’s Note: Part of the Dominance Hierarchy series, which means strong BDSM themes and no plot at all.

Feel free to follow me at my tumblr Obscene Circus Ponies, or on my old school (and much beloved) Dreamwidth account.


__________________

(  Barry's strapped into Eobard's very special chair, hips elevated, thighs parted...  )

Title: A Door Opens (in time of war)
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: The Flash (2014)
Rating: Mature
Characters Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne, HR Wells, Barry Allen, Iris West, Cisco Ramon
Pairings: Barry Allen/Iris West, Barry Allen/Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne
Word Count: ~4800
Spoilers: All aired episodes of Season 3 to S3.10
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Infidelity
Summary: Harrison Wells | Eobard Thawne has been dropping clues about his identity since he'd arrived on Earth-1, pretending to be "HR Wells". Team Flash finally sees beyond the masquerade, again.

Author’s Note: Likely to be completely Jossed by S3.11. When discussing the title for this, kyele said the story reminded her of the Roman god, Janus. And I always listen to her. Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, doorways, passages, and endings, and as part of the worship practices, Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace. The doors of his temple were open in time of war, and closed to mark the peace. source.

__________________

(  The reveal, when it comes, is just as delightful as Eobard had ever hoped for. The shock on the team's faces, the hurt and grief, the confusion. It's all so unbelievably delicious. And yet, Eobard feels no small bit of disappointment - there doesn't seem to be a single spark of appreciation for what skills he - and not that idiot, HR - can bring to the fight.  )

Title: Morning Delights
Author: elrhiarhodan
Fandom: White Collar
Rating: PG-13
Characters: : Peter Burke, Neal Caffrey
Pairings: Peter Burke/Neal Caffrey
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None
Word Count: ~1400
Summary: Just a little marital schmoop (with coffee and pastries) for Peter and Neal in the Wonder(ful) Years.

A/N: For my very dearest, very talented, very wonderful friend, kanarek13, on the occasion of her birthday (just a wee bit late).

__________________

(  Peter blinked against the unfamiliar morning light and as he opened his eyes, he remembered. )

Catchup Post

Day 6 - In your own space, create a list of at least three fannish things you'd love to receive, something you've wanted but were afraid to ask for - a fannish wish-list of sorts. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it.

For years, I've been asking someone to make a vid of Tim DeKay/Peter Burke to the song "What a Mighty Good Man" (because he is). I'd like to amend that request to say I'd like a vid of either Tim DeKay/Peter Burke OR Jesse L. Martin/Joe West to the same song.

And if that's too much (I expect it is), I'd love to have some Joe West/Harry Wells (Jarrison) icons for my Birdsong 'verse

Day 7 - In your own space, create a fanwork. Make a drabble, a ficlet, a podfic, or an icon, art or meta or a rec list. Arts and crafts. Draft a critical essay about a particular media. Put together a picspam or a fanmix. Write a review of a Broadway show, a movie, a concert, a poetry reading, a museum trip, a you-should-be-listening-to-this-band essay. Compose some limericks, haikus, free-form poetry, 5-word stories. Document a particular bit of real person canon. Take some pictures. Draw a stick-figure comic. Create something.

How about a little snippet from a work in progress?

( Under the cut. Because it's a little smutty )



Day 8 - In your own space, make a list of at least 3 things that you like about yourself.

Oy vey. Do you know how much I hate talking about myself? But here goes…

1 – I like that I'm a liberal, culturally Jewish woman in her fifties, and that I am very satisfied with my life.
2 – I like that I am a prolific writer of fan fiction and that I have made many close friends because of my writing.
3 – I like that I am creative in ways other than writing and that I can share that creativity with my friends.

In your own space, post recs for at least three fanworks that you did not create.

One.

I've already rec'd kyele's The Marriage Bargain in an earlier post, so I'm not going to re-recommend it here, but I am going to recommend another fanwork of theirs that grabbed me by the throat and kept me on the edge of my seat for several weeks:

Tempus Fugit, and the summary (which is very accurate) doesn't do justice to the brilliant complexity of the story:

Nora is dead. The Barry from the future – the Flash from the future – is gone. If Barry wants answers, if he wants to know why his future self had waved him off of saving his mother, he’s going to have to get them from a different source. Fortunately, he knows exactly where – or, rather, when – his answers may be found. April 25, 2024.

There is also a deliciously porny timestamp, Olim, which is all about Eobard and Barry's first time on the path to their happily ever after. It's porn, yes, but deliciously achy and angsty and beautiful.

Two.

One of the most talented people I'm honored to know is kanarek13, who fell in love with White Collar and became an artist because of that love.

She does masterful photomanipulations that take my breath away. And in the past few months, she's started creating GIFs. I can't wait until she discovers viding (hint, hint)

And she is so amazingly prolific that it's next to impossible to rec a single work, but there is one that she's created that cuts me to the bone every time I look at it: Louis, based on a comment Anne Rice made about casting for the remake of Interview with a Vampire. It's exquisite and I find myself thinking about changing out my phone's lock screen for this image (my phone's lock screen is another Kanarek masterpiece).

Three.

The third rec is for a story that is a beautifully original work and a delicious twist on Beauty and the Beast – Icarus_Chained 's Logistically Complicated. Again, the summary, though brilliant, doesn't fully encompass the wonder of the story:

A tiny bit of a reverse Beauty & the Beast. The beautiful scholar prince of a conquered country is given in marriage to the monstrous warrior queen of their conquerors, in an effort to keep his family and his kingdom safe. It's possible that his new wife didn't expect him to be quite as pragmatic about it as he is, though. To be fair, his family didn't either.

Please take a few minutes and look at the fanworks I've rec'd here. If you like them, please leave feedback for the creators. Feeding back is such an important part of participating in fandom, and we don't do it often enough.


There are many other wonderful fanworks to rec, but time is not my friend today, so I'm limited it to three. If anyone wants personal recs for White Collar and The Flash, please don't hesitate to ask.

Snowflake Challenge - Day 02

In your own space, share a book/song/movie/tv show/fanwork/etc that changed your life. Something that impacted on your consciousness in a way that left its mark on your soul.

I'm enjoying my last day of vacation and still in the mood to overachieve, so I'll put down a few influences for things that greatly influenced me this year:

Fanwork: The Marriage Bargain by Kyele. It takes the best parts of the Season One version of the relationship between Eobard Thawne (in the guise of Harrison Wells) and Barry Allen and turns it into a no-powers modern Regency. The characters are lovely and stunning and there's plenty of drama and romance set in a truly unique world constrained by legally codified notions of class and power.

Book: I will confess that I read a hell of a lot of forgettable novels, and this year is no different. But one really stands out for me. Correction, it's actually a pair of books: His Royal Secret and His Royal Lover

By rights, these should have been eminently forgettable - an AU of modern England, where the reigning monarch is not Queen Elizabeth but a very elderly King with failing health, and the Prince of Wales is his grandson, James, a deeply closeted man in his very early 30s. What had initially attracted me to the story was that the object of James' affection was a Jewish man of Israeli descent, but that became the least of it as I read the first story and the sequel. The characters weren't archetypes or poster-board cut outs, but had real feelings, issues and decisions to make. The villains were real, too - not over-the-top crazies.

These stories are - like the fanwork I recommended - excellent examples of world-building, character development and thrilling story-telling.

Music: This one's a little harder to rec, because I generally don't get inspired by a particular song. And honestly, I almost have no interest in current music. So there's nothing new to me from 2016 to rec as inspiring, but I have no qualms about digging out and offering up Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up:



The lyrics to this song were the inspiration for a very recent fic, Whatever May Come, Whatever May Go (don't give up)

Movie: Again, kind of a total fail this year - I think I only saw four movies in 2016 and none of them have really stayed with me. But, there's a very interesting scene in Casino Royale, when James and Vesper meet and are sparring on the train, when James suggests that Vesper's an orphan and she turns the tables on him. Which then reminded me of another James Bond movie, Goldeneye, when James and Alex talk about how ripe orphans are for recruitment to MI6.

This has directly inspired my current major work in progress, which will be a spy AU but is currently a university AU. And since it's a WiP, I'm not saying much more about it.

Other than the first fanwork rec, I can't say that any of these other recommended items have "changed my soul" but they all have deeply influenced my creative process.

In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator.

Okay - kind of cheating, giving you one fanwork in three categories from both of my fandoms.

Favorite Fanwork:

White Collar: The Lost and Found. I love this little story, I love the way I put the words together and lyricism of it. I love the mystery and the reveal.

The Flash: The Slow Dance of Madness. I'd fallen hard and fast for The Flash and had found the dynamic between Barry and the character of Harrison Wells in the first season to be my catnip. It pushed my buttons HARD. What I love about this fic is that I took a lot of risks and I think the risks really paid off.

Underrated/Unloved Fanwork:

White Collar: Torch Song. I kind of expected that this story would not get the love it deserves. It covers some difficult subjects and it's pretty much a total A/U, but I think the characters are completely in canon. I hope someone gives it another look.

The Flash: A Knotted Cord Untying. This might be one of my favorite stories of 2016, but no one seemed to really get into it. I do have to admit that it was kind of a bizarre fusion of The Flash and Ed, but I do think it worked. Pity no one else did (Oh, woe!!!!!!)

Fanworks that Define Me as a Creator:

White Collar: Return and Rebuild The Desolate Places. I know my friends would say - no, no, - it's The Wonder(ful) Years that define you. But I have to disagree. This story typifies the type of story I love to write - long and intricately plotty with strong character relationships and an ending that isn't necessarily the one you'd expect from how the story started.

The Flash: As Brothers We Will Stand. This defines me in the same way as Desolate Places does - it's long and plotty, but focuses on the characters and how they interact and what they mean to each other.