Springtime at CI5?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It'll no doubt chuck it down snowing again next week if I say this, but... it's been feeling a wee bit spring-ish here for the last few days, and I thought I'd re-do the palelyloitering.com website, and I did Spring stories last year, so I thought maybe I'd go for something else spring-like and post a list of spring cleaning-ish fics... or the closest that we might get... curtain fic? *g* For example...

...my favourite Home Improvement by Brenda K

Does When I'm 54 by Lizzie count as curtain fic?

Or... Discovered in a Furball by the Hag?

Come to think of it, how domestic does a domestic "curtain" fic need to be? Is it just mostly set in a domestic environment, or does it have to be specifically about the domestic situation, I wonder...?

But back to the point - any suggestions for Pros curtain-fic recommendations? *g*

ETA - by the Automated Hatstand's definition: Curtain Hanging: also known as "Curtain Fic", "Buying Curtains", or "Looking for Curtains". Stories with a nesting vibe; ie, a domestic setting or theme, often romantic in the sense of the pair metaphorically--or often literally--setting up house together. Curtain Hanging fic tends to be happy rather than angsty. I've never heard anyone use/of anyone using any of those expressions in Pros except "curtain fic", but the sentiment's all the same!

Comments

[lukadreaming.livejournal.com]

Um, can't think of any recs! But I shall happily go and re-read all the Moggy-next-door stories, which are among my favourite in the fandom *g*.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

The Hag is one of my favourite Pros authors - and I adore the Moggy-next-door stories too! They're just... they make the world okay! *g*

[lukadreaming.livejournal.com]

That's such a wonderful way of putting it! Last time we did the 'Desert Island Pros' on Pros-Lit, I seem to remember having two of her stories on the list *g*. Hey, maybe we should do it on LJ somewhere to catch the newbies?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'd put her stories on almost every list... *g*

We did a Desert Island Pros for the Pros Proliferation Challenge too, but even that was over a year ago - we should definitely have another one! Here at ci5hq which is all about the Pros fic recs? Wanna be hostess? Or maybe people could do it in their own ljs again, and that way there'd be lots of lovely lists all over Pros lj... Ooooh... Fab idea, that woman! *g*

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

What about 'Like Gravity' by halotolerant?

http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/20/likegravity.html

I'm not really sure it qualifies as curtain fic, but there's quite a bit of domestic restructuring going on!

Great idea btw. ::beams::

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

So... you've clearly been peering over my shoulder in a distant and yet scary way, cos i just re-read that one today!

There are some gorgeous bits in it, definitely, but I'm not sure it qualifies as curtain-fic... cos it's set in other places than home, and it's not really about them being at home, although I suppose there's a wavery line about exactly where that focus needs to be... I always think of curtain fics as domestic in a sort of emotionally cosy way as well - and I don't think Like Gravity qualifies there... But it's definitely a nice little fic! *g*

I love fic recs, and having fic recced, so... fancy thinking of some more for us? *vbg*

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

LOL cue the spooky music!

There must be plenty of curtain fic out there ::racks tiny brain:: but the lads are more likely to be bitching at one another and destroying the joint than doing the domestic bliss bit... *g*

I love recs, so I'm dying to see what everyone else comes up with ::beams::

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I dunno, you might be surprised! The Hag's come up with some recs that I don't remember at all - except a bit for Terence's Building to Last series... oh, and Jane's... erm... she did a whole series too, I'm sure she did, that's virtually all curtain fic... erm... what was it called?!

Just love that story.

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Not sure what a curtain fic is (will have a look as I vaguely remember an explanation being posted over on the Automated Hatstand) but I just wanted to say thanks for and then also second this recommendation for Like Gravity by Halo.

She is an astonishingly accomplished and compelling writer and this story is gorgeous. The way she captures Bodie and the changes in his life, the seamless incorporation of flashbacks, perfect detail, use of language and description, spot on characterisation and, well, if you can't tell I love it. Having read through just about everything on the CA and the Hatstand this rates as one of the best stories I have read.

Re: Just love that story.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

D'you know, I copied The Automatic Hatstand's explanation of what a curtain fic is into my post at Palelyloitering, but completely forgot to paste it over here, and that would be a good idea, wouldn't it! *g* Shall do it right now...

So... you like Like Gravity then, eh? *g* I liked it alot too, though the lads' language in it has just a hint of a modern tinge to me - in twists of phrases, you know? - that pulled me out now and then. But I'd love to read more Pros from Halo!

Re: Just love that story.

[saintvic.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the information, I had found it on the Automated Hatstand as I recalled this question coming up when that archive was first established because it is quite a Pros specific way of describing certain types of fic.

I do like Like Gravity and would recommend it to anyone so it is great to know that other people enjoyed it as well.

though the lads' language in it has just a hint of a modern tinge to me - in twists of phrases, you know
It is interesting sometimes to hear what other people think of a story because I just don't see that at all. In fact I just reread (over my tea break) in light of your comment to see if I could see it and I am not picking it up. I have seen that happen in stories but I think Halo has managed to capture their voices and interaction perfectly. For me that is when I can hear/picture MS and LC delivering the lines and that definitely happened here.

But I'd love to read more Pros from Halo!
You and me both, if I could pay her to sit and write fic for me I would. However as I won't be winning the lottery anytime soon.............

[hagsrus.livejournal.com]

HG has some domestic stories. One of my favorite happy little re-reads is a PWP called A Day in the Life.

That series Building Bridges by Terence, perhaps?

And there's always Jane! Be It Ever So Humble, for instance.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I need to re/read all of those! I wondered if HG had any - she's so fab at doing cosy-lads-together... well, she's so fab... *vbg*

Jane did a series too, didn't she, that's almost curtain-fic? With the camera one in, I seem to recall, and... oh, what was it called though?!

[metabolick.livejournal.com]

You may be thinking of the Rainy Days series. The first fic (called Rainy Days) is a post DIAG story and one of my all-time faves. The second one is Confessions of a Shutterbug. Funny - I never thought of them as curtain fic before because things aren't all cozy and sweet, but I suppose that they could qualify technically because it is the lads in a loving and domestic situation. As you say, almost curtain fic.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yes! Of course I was thinking of Rainy Days, and I don't know why I couldn't think of the name of the series, cos we've talked about it enough! *g*

Isn't it funny - I dothink of "Rainy Days" as curtain fic, but I don't think of Callisto's fic (as per her comment below) as curtain fic... I wonder how that works in my head - I shall have to re-read it all to see, I guess!

[tears-of-nienna.livejournal.com]

Oh, bless you. I just sat down in the dullest class of the week, and this pops up on my flist.

Now, to get the font small enough that my neighbors can't read it... :D

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Heee! At work I have my email and lj in a tiny tiny window that fits underneath everything else... *g*

And yeay - I read one of your stories in the porn battle the other week, and thought it was fun! Our Bodie as James Bond in a cupboard with Doyle trying to make him talk? *g* And now that I think about it, there were a few others in the list that I was distracted away from at the time... Yeay finding new people who write Pros! *vbg*

[tears-of-nienna.livejournal.com]

The tiny tiny window seems to be a good strategy. Easy to pull up a file of notes to cover any suspicious materials. ;)

Now I must tell you that squeeful linked me to "Never the Words They Say" this evening (since we just watched Operation Susie tonight). I would like to say something coherent, but all I can do is grin and say things like "Eee, snowball fight and northern lights and a giant unlucky bed--oh boys!" The emotion was so real, their anger at Cowley and their struggle to decide whether to go or stay...it was so lovely.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I've just got in to work, and you've made me smile again already! I was grinning desperately over your three Porn Battle fics before I left, and now... it's looking like a good day! *vbg* I'm so glad you liked NtWtS, and thank you so much for saying so! *g*

I've linked your stories up at Palelyloitering.com (www.palelyloitering.com) by the way - hope that's okay!

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Gawd, I always think of myself as having a domestic kink a mile wide when it comes to writing Pros! I am forever having them potter about in kitchens - A Faling Off, An Inordinate Desire, As Perennial as The Grass, Like a Thunderstorm. Or hang out in living rooms, on sofas, garden chairs, etc, being as SlantedLight aptly called it "emotionally cosy" - Amid The Noise and Haste, Tricks and Treats, Degrees of Separation.

It's the lure of contrast, I think, for me. The fun of putting these tough, capable agents with a cup of tea and each other in those flats we only ever got glimpses of.

( And also, I'm not good at writing plotty cases from start to finish - that may have something to do with it:)))

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I did notice that you'd labelled alot of stories "curtain fic" over at Automated Hatstand... Oh, I must go and re-read your fics - in fact maybe I'll have a printing session today, all ready to curl up with when I come home... *g*

D'you know, I never think of you as writing curtain fic... I definitely need to go and re-read!

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

D'you know, I never think of you as writing curtain fic... .. and I think of myself as wriitng nothing but sometimes!! If you do reread any that I've labelled as such, I'd be curious to know why they do or don't strike you as such.

(And I've just realised that 'Degrees' is not up at the Automated Hatstand for some reason.. shall go dig it out and get it up there)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I did go and print your stories labelled "Curtain Fic" from AH and re-read them at lunchtime (bliss!) and you know I still didn't think of them as curtain fic... (well, I've a couple left, didn't quite fit them all in, and I remembered Dank Lantern quite well... *g*)

I thought of most of them as "older lads" stories actually, so that even thought the stories were based in a domestic setting, that was just the setting rather than the raison d'etre for the fics.

Then I realised that a few were sort of "invalided" fics, which I suppose is an off-shoot of h/c (or maybe it's just plain h/c and I'm being fancy now!)... But I don't think of the story as being about the setting their either - it's about how the lads are coping with being sick... okay, how the lads are coping with Bodie being sick in your stories... *g*

So I suppose to me it's got something to do with how much we're supposed to notice the background of something...

Also, this is why I don't tag my fic with genres over at the AH, cos a) I can never decide what "genre" they fit into, and b) I'm sure that if I did someone else would disagree! Oh, and c) it often strikes me as a bit spoiler-ish, with things like "emotional first time" - I mean, you know what's going to happen with that then, don't you!

But... yeah, it comes down to the focus of the fic for me, I think, rather than the setting. Oh, like I totally think of The Hag's brilliant Purple Banana Slugs (is that right?!) as a curtain fic, even though it's not set in their house - because the focus is them doing a domestic thing, having a little day out to the zoo... But she's not labelled it as curtain fic, so...

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Ooh, just read 'Discovered in a Furball' and have to share the joy. How lovely. Blue flowers like Bodie's eyes - aaah! So romantic, but the lads are not at all soft, and still keeping an eye on the job.

Ever since his apparent lack of interest in felines in 'You'll be Alright' I've wondered what it would be like for Bodie to pet a cat. Quite sexy, according to the Hag.

Sorry, nothing to add to your list right now. Looking forward to 'Desert Island Pros' though.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Discovered in a Furball is just wonderful, isn't it! Do read The Gift of the Moggy as well, if you haven't already - also by The Hag, and sort of in the same universe, cos Moggy-next-door is also in it!

I'm afraid I have no particular interest in cats (I like them well enough, I just don't really think about them unless they're there!) so the petting thing has never occured to me - either Bodie or Doyle... *g*

Desert Island Pros will be good, I think! *g*