Appreciation is Key

Music & More Challenge

6.) RA fandom fanfiction that you’ve read the most times

anything Sparkhouse

that’s not exactly an answer but it’s true! I’ve read the Sparkhouse stories the most, with Guy of Gisborne following close behind. Even though they are different stories in different settings, they both hold something in common for me: I like when John/Guy are finally appreciated for who they are.

but she likes my hair, and my sweater too!

Most of the Sparkhouse stories start off following a showdown with Andrew. Some of them save him from his demise, some taking Lisa out of the equation completely (I like Lisa, so I’m not always a fan of this approach) but all of them have Carol or another female love interest appreciating John’s loyal and understanding nature. I like No More Ghosts by womblingfree1 the best in this regard. It shows the gentle turning of Carol’s heart over time.

let me tell you about this thing I just discovered called fanfic…

In the Guy of Gisborne universe I like when Marian or another female love interest realizes that Guy not only has deep rooted reasons for behaving the way that he does but that he’s working towards something, not just being a cold-hearted bastard for the fun of it. My favorite in this regard is Grant What I Wish by kleindog. Marian goes through her own form of redemption before helping Guy with his and, again, it’s more of a subtle awakening and appreciation over time.

this pic is like a fanfic all on it’s own

 

and the Music question:

the song with the highest play count on your mp3 player

A Stranger Song by Bobby Long

does your heart beat so softly without warning?
does it beat out to the slow pace of the morning?

I love that line, so poetic.

Sparkhouse: the important parts

Sparkhouse is a sad story, I’m not going to lie.

and not just because of this hair

When I first watched the mini-series on YouTube, it haunted me for days afterwards. Not because of the tragic love story at the center of it all and not because of the gutsy girl who just couldn’t seem to catch a break, but because of John Standring. I just couldn’t seem to get him out of my head.

are you watching Richard Armitage on that tv? because nothing else could possibly be that distracting!

so I turned to fan-fiction. I gobbled up every Sparkhouse story I could find, I was possessed!

need MOAR!

Have you seen Sparkhouse yet? Not sure you want to risk it? Let me help, here are the important parts:

Farmhand fancies employer’s daughter

I know Thorin makes it look easy but swords are sharp!

 

He asks her out for a drink

a woman Vicar. that’s funny.

 

It’s awkward and a bit confusing

glow-in-the-dark or cherry flavored? decisions, decisions

 

The next day she tries to let him down easy

serious hair-part for a serious occasion

 

She leaves town but then she comes back

you only came back for your North & South dvd, didn’t you?

 

Financial problems force her to offer the farmhand a shot at being farm-owner, if he marries her

how many copies of The Hobbit do you really need?

 

He warily agrees

I won’t make you dress like Sir Guy, I promise

 

Then there’s a Wedding

 

and a Wedding Night

sorry Richard Armitage, duty calls!

 

some drama

I need to replace my wife’s North & South dvd. I broke it. yes, I learned my lesson

and they lived happily ever after!

well, maybe not right away…

I’ll let poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox explain:

 

Love’s Coming

She had looked for his coming as warriors come,
With the clash of arms and the bugle’s call;
But he came instead with a stealthy tread,
Which she did not hear at all.

She had thought how his armor would blaze in the sun,
As he rode like a prince to claim his bride:
In the sweet dim light of the falling night
She found him at her side.

She had dreamed how the gaze of his strange, bold eye
Would wake her heart to a sudden glow:
She found in his face the familiar grace
Of a friend she used to know.

She had dreamed how his coming would stir her soul,
As the ocean is stirred by the wild storm’s strife:
He brought her the balm of a heavenly calm,
And a peace which crowned her life.