Latest Posts by mariannesketchnotes - Page 2

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - Day 07: Maps

Have you drawn a story map yet? What does your narrative’s landscape look like? We are all on this writing expedition together with different maps to guide our way. I like creative and associative maps and it was fun to draw this filled with funky little writing places we can explore.

Day 07: Getting Lost in the Realm of Possibilities

What are the central features on your map? The sightseeing marvels no reader should miss? What monsters are lurking in those empty spaces only barely sketched in because no adventurer has ever returned to carry tales? Any hidden treasures that your main character has buried in the early days and now can’t find again? 

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - Day 6: Word Sprints

No matter if you are way ahead and are cruising on your way to 50000 words or if you are falling behind on your daily word count or even if you are deciding only now to get started and crush this challenge: word sprints can help you get those words for today.

Day 06: Word Sprints. On Your Places! Ready? Set? Write!

Set a timer, pick up the pen or put your hands on the keyboard and write, write, write as fast as you can. Challenge your fellow WriMos, race together and add words, and words, and words today! I love the freedom of small sprints and the way that they add up to more and more and more when I add them to the total.

Whether you are fast or slow, ahead or behind, let’s race together and compete only with ourselves. Every word counts and our stories matter. On Your Places! Ready? Set. Write!

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - Day 5

NaNoWriMo is a personal writing challenge and a massive community event at the same time! I enjoy the knowledge that there are so many others who are typing away with me and finding their own stories to tell.

Day 05: Checking in with Our WriMo Buddies!

Let’s shower ourselves and our buddies with encouragement and good vibes. We are approaching the end of our first week and everyone who is still here: you are marvelous! The courage of putting your story to paper is to be applauded and celebrated. Any word you’ve written is more than you had and I cheer you on!

As always: I am always happy to hear from anyone if you enjoy these cartoons. I hope to bring a smile to your faces and encourage you even when the goings get hard. Let’s keep being awesome together.

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - Day 4

In the spirit of embracing spontaneity: let’s roll some story dice! Dice are known for generating random plotbunnies, offer challenges and nice silly fun. 

Day 04: Let’s roll the story prompt dice!

Whether you the Most. Serious. Writer or the Absolute. Goofiest. Of. All. I am curious to hear what random chance has brought you!

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day - 3

No matter how well you prepare, the process of writing allows for surprises and unexpected events! Let’s embrace the unknown and sail away in this adventure.

Day 03: The Best Laid Plans: Sailing Away to Uncharted Waters!

Find your crew, craft your lifeboat and sail away heedlessly of any dangers ahead! We’ll weather the storms when they come. For now: write whimsically, adventurously, and most importantly: take a moment to enjoy it all!

NaNoWriMo - My Cartoon of the Day

The first words are on paper! It’s time to resist the urge to go back and make them prettier. Let’s keep writing instead!

Day 02: Inner Editor? Don’t Worry! They are Taken Care Of

For anyone who is worried about their Inner Editor wanting to join in: there’s a brilliant sanctum sanctorum for Inner Editors where they are welcome for the entire month! There are books on grammar, story writing, effective plotting, character development, vocabulary, drafts to experiment on and lots more! They can enjoy themselves tremendously while you can keep writing away! Have your Story Ninjas bring them safely there and your Inner Editors will be returned unharmed and well fed in December. Have a blast!

We’re off! NaNoWrMo has officially started! Have the plotbunnies found you yet?

Day 01: First Day – The Magic of Excitement

I always love the atmosphere of NaNo: everyone filled with energy and pursuing their creative experiments. Embrace the magic & congratulations for starting! Every word you write is one you did not have before. Yay us! Whether you have planned everything out or are flying by the seat of your pants – I wish us all a Very Happy NaNo indeed!

NaNoWriMo is an altogether serious and whimsical challenge: let’s write and write and write and let creativity fly! Don’t take yourself too seriously and get words on paper and have some hilarious fun in the process (even when the going gets hard: it’s still supposed to feel good to have done!).

(For the uninitiated: NaNoWriMo challenges you to write 50000 words in the month of November. I choose to embrace the NaNo Rebel spirit and focus on general creativity without the pressure.)

So, to encourage, help combat perfectionist stress, and embrace the silliness of it all: I hereby solemnly vow to post my daily NaNo cartoon-of-the-day in all its sketching-imperfect glory. I hope you brings a smile to your faces and can help you stay motivated when you find yourself struggling. We can DO this together!

In eons past, I always loved reading the daily NaNo toons and cartoons published. (Both the official ones and the ones in my region by HannahK). I am excited to embrace the challenge and follow in the footsteps of those giants that went before.

I would love to hear from you if you enjoy the daily drawing, they bring a smile to your face or encourage you somehow! So, do drop me a note and let’s face this NaNo challenge head-on!

Lucy Preston - Sheer Exuberance of Being or The Impossible Made Real

It's such a pleasure to experiment with different art & illustration styles. This was an experiment in colour and I'm pleased with how it turned out. Lucy Preston is such a marvelous character - fierce, loyal and kind to a fault but also ruthless and with a backbone of steel. She's been living in my mind in many adaptations through the show & the fanfic reimaginings and I love reading about her.

Now that I'm posting these fanarts publically, I'm writing short accompanying texts on AO3 and I find myself in a melancholic mood apparently :-) So, please do check them out & leave me a comment ❤️.

Now also on AO3

Lucy Writes Her Journal

One of the things that fascinates me is that Lucy Preston was a writer yet we hardly ever saw her write and try to process in the show Timeless, and subsequently few fanfics show it, even when canonically, she wrote the journal that put everything in motion as well as multiple books. I love reading about those moments when Lucy sits down and researches and writes, and I love reading about the journal.

I've seen many takes on what the journal contained, and I enjoy the few screenshots that seem to highlight talk of specific historical events.

In this picture, she's got pages of notes to help her craft the journal. It's a period in time that fascinates me and I'm intrigued by the thought of the active deliberation that went into it.

Hope y'all enjoy this picture too. It was a fun artistic experiment - I love playing with various styles.

Now also on AO3

A Flynn Family Portrait

I had fun practicing my art skills again! The Flynn family: Garcia, Lorena & Iris were not treated well in Timeless canon, to say the least, but their memory and existence matter so much in the story we saw. This is a portrait of happier times.

This drawing is made with Jaycee (aka RedGold or @timelesshonesttrailer) in mind who loves the Flynns and wrote my favourite headcanons about Lorena Flynn. Her series Team Flynn is wonderful & poignant & I love it.

There are not nearly enough fanfic stories where Lorena & Iris live, but she's been working hard to fill that void. Thanks to all the fanfic writers who imagine better futures for them ❤️. I love reading it.

Now also on AO3

Today, I decided to practice my art skills with these wonderful characters. Rufus & Jiya are so absolutely wonderful and they look so happy here.

@sallyexactly has written a lot of my favourite Timeless fanfic including a special gift last year, and she loves Rufus & Jiya too - so: I hope you enjoy this sketch, Sally ❤️

Now also on AO3

The Scholomance story Beside the Golden Door by Stellarete details Chloe growing up in the New York Enclave.

The Scholomance books Deadly Education, The Last Graduate & the pending: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik detail El's story in the magical school the Scholomance.

Chloe is a fascinating character who has learnt growing up to be blind to the intensity of the privilege she grew up with and yet learns to open her eyes throughout the series and to become a genuine friend.

The enclave's teachings are so similar to all the messaging in more privileged societies. I am a university educated European and know rationally that I hold an immense amount of privilege even if there are still a lot of hardships and intense challenges in life. Chloe doesn't ignore her privilege, but does learn that her value and existence are not intrinsically tied to it. She works to be a better friend and person.

This story highlights Chloe's character growing up and the subtlety of the messaging and teaching. It's not even maliciously done: survival is paramount and these parent do lovingly want their children to live come what may.

The Scholomance by Naomi Novik is an intriguing and wonderful story and I am very curious for the conclusion that'll be published in September.

While we wait, this fanfic story is a lovely glimpse into this universe and character.

Continuing with the dragon experiments. She's growing up a bit 🤓 and sprouted wings! (Well, or she's like a sibling or something since the two dragons have a different colouration). I think the wings in particular look pretty cool.

It was this amazing story about a farmer who finds one of her chicks hatched a dragon egg by @dycefic that inspired me to try and draw a tiny dragon. I think she's very cute indeed even if she doesn't quite match the dragon description from the tale. @dycefic's stories are wonderous to read and I highly recommend exploring their blog!

It was this amazing story about a farmer who finds one of her chicks hatched a dragon egg by @dycefic that inspired me to try and draw a tiny dragon. I think she's very cute indeed even if she doesn't quite match the dragon description from the tale. @dycefic's stories are wonderous to read and I highly recommend exploring their blog!

Lost Friends by DoctorLia

@doctorliamsr asked me for a prompt to write a Timeless story the day after I had a conversation with @ununpredictableme regarding Anthony and his role. We'd watched Space Race and that episode really brings home how active Anthony is in planning & executing the missions.

I find his character, his choices and his morality fascinating. His relationship with Rufus is intriguing to watch: there is history and trust there, and Rufus continues to want to listen & understand how this man he thought he knew can do such a thing. The ethics of Space Race are a grappling point for Rufus in terms of Anthony's role and I would love to see Anthony grapple with his choices himself.

Lia has a few stories where she writes character pieces such as the conversation between Karl & Flynn that I discussed on this blog earlier and she graciously decided to accept the prompt.

Her story Lost Friends brings the two characters in a conversation after Anthony's death and Rufus's Chinatown trip. It is interesting how Anthony indicates Rufus has a harder time forgiving Flynn then he does Anthony, which I think is particularly poignant considering the agency that Anthony accepts and expects for his choices in this story. The request to clear his name for his family's sake brings a more personal touch to Anthony as well.

So: thank you Lia for writing & sharing this story with us and tackling the prompt challenge. I feel honoured you wrote me a story and hope you like this experimental sketchnote. (I felt like doing something different from usual, so I hope you enjoy it all the same).

Fanfic Rec List (mostly Timeless)

Since starting this blog, I created 24 fanfic sketchnotes & I can now create a mosaic that covers nearly a square meter. So, in celebration of all these amazing stories I got to recommend, join me in this (massive) compilation post with links to all the stories & the sketchnotes (for more detail on my recommendations). I categorized the stories and I wish to celebrate all you amazing writers & artists today! Thank you for sharing your stories & art.

I hope you forgive the massive amount of namedropping I am about to do. (Also: I love reading the responses when people see my sketchnotes - so feel free to respond, sent me a note or engage in conversations :-) ). I’m also always on the lookout for more stories to read: I particularly like found family, recovery, mission fic, general or rare pair stories & maturity in characters & conversations. I like adults leaving teen drama behind and dealing with things like the adults they are. Angst is a favorite too, and I enjoy the multiverse of AUs. (Honestly: I’m a pretty eclectic reader).

Timeless

The show that pulled me back into fandom & fanfic & to all you wonderful people. The full list is under a read-more, cause this post got LONG.

Historical / Mission

The Only Way Out by @sallyexactly

Author’s summary: Chinatown leaves the team shattered and grieving, but their only option is to stumble forward. To save the world, they'll need strength of character they didn't know they had, to defeat depths of evil like they've never seen. Meanwhile, they need to find a way to decide their own future, not give up hope... and save the fighting for the actual bad guys. It's honestly a toss-up which of those will be hardest.

This story is my headcanon of how the series ended. It is long (300000+ words) but well-worth it. It's got history, slow and mature development and an intelligent resolution. I reread it frequently and although I have wanted to capture my response in a (series of) sketchnote, I never managed it to my satisfaction. The story is beautiful and feels cathartic (and well-worth rereading over and over).

The Road Ode by @sallyexactly  - my sketchnote

Post-canon. Roadtrip with our favourite historian & lots of historical markers on the way. 107937 words.

The Gutter and the Stars by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels - my sketchnote

Oscar Wilde. Short (1397 words) & funny.

No End, No Beginning by MandyCandy - my sketchnote

Ambitious plan & canon divergent. Tecumseh. With a full bibliography. 65068 words.

Parallel Lines by @x-voyevoda - my sketchnote

Multiverse. Post-canon. Rated mature. Work-in-Progress. 71911 words.

Zajednički by @insane-sociopath - my sketchnote

Retelling of season 2. PTSD. More missions included. Incomplete. 129474 words.

Evocative / Poetic / Philosophical / Makes Me Think

Burn the Witch by barefootwithneonhands - my sketchnote

Evocative. Poetic & fascinating to no end. 19534 words.

Two Roads by @oldshrewsburyian - my sketchnote

How do you live your life while waiting for a future you once so tantalisingly glimpsed but barely dared hope for? Denise Christopher pondering her choices. 835 words.

The Nuclear Option by RedGold (@timelesshonesttrailer) - my sketchnote

“Sometimes… sometimes change happens because a thousand voices cry out and make themselves heard, many moving parts of some Rube-Goldberg Machine. But… from time to time… it just takes one person, making one decision, and that changes the fate of the world.” Jessica-centric. 6036 words

A Shot of Remembrance by @doctorliamsr - my sketchnote

Garcia & Karl. Season 1. 1093 words.

Scorched Earth by @sallyexactly - my sketchnote

Garcia & Lucy. Evocative language. 2695 words.

Ballet-Feerie by @oldshrewsburyian & @qqueenofhades - my sketchnote

Ballet AU. Dance as language. Authors’ summary: “Garcia Flynn teaches ballet to a class including Amy Preston. Lucy Preston has been her younger sister's guardian since they were orphaned. Hesitant conversations and fraught silences ensue. Also, there's Tchaikovsky.”  16799 words.

Alternate Universe

Finding Light in Darkness - by Ultra - my sketchnote

19-century Governess AU. 40199 words. Found Family. Wholesome story.

Incandescent & Adolescent (Wonders Never Cease) by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels - my sketchnote

She Loves Me AU. 1930s setting. Lots of letter writing. 18438 words. 

Ballet-Feerie by @oldshrewsburyian & @qqueenofhades - my sketchnote

Ballet AU. See above. 16799 words

Blood Sins - A #FlynnFriday Imagines Series (E-rated) by  @doctorliamsr, @timelesshonesttrailer & @ununpredictableme - my sketchnote

Vampire AU. Ongoing story that fascinates me to no end. Reading any snippit I can get my hands on. Garcia/Lorena/Lucy & Jiya/Rufus relationships. The E-rated parts are clearly marked and can be skipped if it’s not your cup of tea. Currently at 47403 words.

The Assassin’s Holiday by @secretnerdprincess - my sketchnote

Murdervision. Assassin AU. Got me giggling all the way through. 12224 words. Rated mature.

Amehrana by Redgold (@timelesshonesttrailer) - my sketchnote

Food Truck AU. Found family. Wholesome. Mature people. Lorena is awesome.  32589 words.

Lorena Lives

Rise Like a Reckoning by @amandamonroe - my sketchnote

Author’s summary: ‘"Lorena Flynn Has a Chance" Ex-CIA agent Lorena Flynn is back. She's got her daughter, her husband, and the woman who saved their lives years ago. She's taking command of the bunker and taking Rittenhouse down.’ Lorena/Garcia/Lucy hinted at towards the end. 6483 words.

Blood Sins - A #FlynnFriday Imagines Series (E-rated) by  @doctorliamsr, @timelesshonesttrailer & @ununpredictableme - my sketchnote

See above. Also: Iris lives!

Amehrana by Redgold (@timelesshonesttrailer) - my sketchnote

See above. Yes, I’m recommending this twice. :-)

Due to the nature of the show, there are not many stories in which Lorena lives. I particularly like the Lorena focused stories that RedGold, @sallyexactly, @omnicat​ & @amandamonroe​ write. Lorena & Iris deserved better and these stories bring depth, humanity and grace to Lorena & her choices. I reread them frequently and recommend you do the same. These authors are amazing.

Recovery & Healing

To Find a Home by @misscrazyfangirl321 - my sketchnote 

Rufus & Jiya & Garcia friendship. Extending grace. 4529 words.

A Butterfly Garden by @vita-s-west - my sketchnote

Post-Rittenhouse defeat. Slow recovery. Especially wholesome to read in these pandemic times. There’s now a sequel too!  3323 words. 

Nisam Sam by @thealocksly - my sketchnote

Lucy’s processing her time in Rittenhouse & Garcia holds space for her. Soft & dark & visceral. 1225 words.

Q&A by @somekindofflowergirl - my sketchnote

Author’s summary: “Lucy and Flynn develop a routine during their nighttime chats. She's allowed one loaded question and he's allowed one loaded apology.” 22176 words

The Road Ode by @sallyexactly - my sketchnote

See above. This roadtrip fic inspired my own roadtrip where we found ourselves in Friedrichshafen, Germany and the Zeppelin museum there were there was a whole exposition on the Hindenburg. Felt very serendipidous.

Honorable mentions (especially in these pandemic times):

Disease Protocols for Time Travellers by hjea (594  words)

Also, I’d like to give a shoutout to @battleshipgarcy​ for their fan archive sites & meta posts with screenshots of the journal & all the meta content. I love seeing all those small details highlighted! (Plus: their Maria Thompkins in their story The Road Less Traveled intrigues me to no end!)

Other Fandoms

Hunger Games - A Standing Engagement (E-rated) by @bettsfic - my sketchnote. 

Annie & Finnick AU within Hunger Games world. 56760 words. The Food Wars are so very appropriate in the Hunger Games world. It’s fascinating how well betts incorporates exisiting Hunger Games context into this story: this feels like it could have happened.

Temeraire - The Diplomat’s Dragon by indecisive_lotus - my sketchnote

Ongoing story. Post-canon. I love Churki & Hammond together & how Hammond especially gets out-manouvered. 20730 words.

White Collar - In Your Wildest Dreams by sahiya - my sketchnote

Post-canon. Sara Ellis focused. Author’s summary ”This was what grief did to you, Sara knew. It played tricks on your mind. But if it wasn’t Neal, then who could it be? Who else would send her an anonymous packet detailing all the ways someone could knock over the Louvre?” 14289 words.

White Collar - I’ve been bingereading the stories by Sholio. Especially the stories focused on Diana Barrigan. They are a delight. Breakout is especially bad-ass Diana (in heels nonetheless!)

I started this blog to show my appreciation of those wonderful fanfic stories that have entertained me endlessly and engage with these amazing artists (and other people in fandom who share my enthusiasm!) This recommendation list is obviously incomplete and I welcome additions & conversations! 

When I finished watching White Collar, I dove straight into the rabbithole that is A03 & fanfiction, and I was fortunate enough to stumble on this gem.

In Your Wildest Dreams by sahiya

This was what grief did to you, Sara knew. It played tricks on your mind. But if it wasn’t Neal, then who could it be? Who else would send her an anonymous packet detailing all the ways someone could knock over the Louvre?

This story picks up the threads the series leaves open & weaves them together beautifully. It opens with Neal in Paris casing the Louvre because he's bored out of his mind as a gentleman of leasure & he's starkly lonely even when he recognises the unavoidability of it all. Sara receives a mysterious package on her home address and Sterling-Bosch assigns her to track down the sender.

There's a realness to this story & I was struck by how in-character it felt. It's introspective and evocative. Our beloved characters do not shy away from their emotions and hard conversations, and they display a maturity that is wonderful to read.

The story feels poignant, melancholic & yet wonderfully fresh. It's my new favourite headcanon of what happened after the series ended.

(And I absolutely love the magic that is Archive of Our Own that allows me to find these stories years later. I remember the time before AO3 was imagined and still remember stories that I can never read again. The Archive is marvelous and I am grateful I found it especially during these trying times.)

The Temeraire story The Diplomat's Dragon by indecisive_lotus is such a joy to read.

For those unfamiliar with the Temeraire books by Naomi Novik: it's the Napoleonic wars with dragons and it's marvelous. Arthur Hammond is a diplomat who gets unwittingly & initially unwillingly adopted by an Incan dragon named Churki. As he's been strongly encouraged to retire at the end of the series, he's now run out of excuses to introduce Churki to his family.

Throughout this entire story he's essentially fighting a losing battle to Churki & his mother who outmanouver & outsmart the fiercesome diplomat. It's hilarious to behold how Hammond finds himself at a loss and fails to see the traps he falls into, while still wanting to maintain his decorum & social graces.

The language of the story mimics that of the period and the social context of the time is well-represented and thought out.

I enjoy the humor of this story, the increasing desperation of Hammond, the character portrayals. Churki is very in character, and, as a massive dragon, knows when to adopt the customs of the English gentry when it suits her, but also how to completely ignore them when it suits her purposes better.

Mrs Carter is an intriguing dragon's companion. I look forward to reading more of this story & how it develops, for it's been wonderful to spend more time with these characters.

The Timeless AU Incandescent & Adolescent (Wonders Never Cease) from @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels is a light-hearted, sweet & familiar story.

She Loves Me AU: Garcia Flynn and Lucy Preston have resented each other from their first meeting. Absolutely, one hundred percent, no warm feelings whatsoever, resented each other. Good thing they’ve each got a wonderful pen pal to whom they can pour their heart out. …oh wait.

The 30s setting, the awkward formality in language, the letters as a reimagining of the journal, all the banter, the humorous supporting roles of Rufus & Jiya, Jess & Wyatt, and gentle support from Mason... it's sweet. The stakes are smaller than whole of Rittenhouse, but still very personal: someone is embezzling from Denise's shop the gang works at.

It's a fun little story to read when I want something uplifting & something that brings a smile to my face.

There are not nearly enough stories in which Lorena lives. This Timeless story Rise Like a Reckoning by @amandamonroe is particularly clever & well-written.

The working title of this was "Lorena Flynn Has a Chance"

Ex-CIA agent Lorena Flynn is back. She's got her daughter, her husband, and the woman who saved their lives years ago. She's taking command of the bunker and taking Rittenhouse down.

Lorena is capable, formidable & headstrong & this time: she had a fighting chance. Though injured, the whole family makes it out alive. Lucy visits them all & Lorena had wanted to be the one to go for the Time Machine.

I love Lorena's character. I love how Iris finds her parents spycraft boring, but immediately adopts Lucy as her new best friend cause she makes spying fun! Lorena easily overpowers Wyatt & outsnarks Denise. I absolutely adore all the meta: ("Who died and left you in charge?"; "Dead-wives-club").

Lorena's warm embracing & support of Lucy is heartening as is her support and insight into her husband who doesn't remember contacting her but who confronted with his family can't manage to walk away.

The subtle changes to the timeline are incredibly clever & believable. This story leaves me wanting more.

Sometimes, I come across stories that are particularly clever, original & imaginative. The Timeless WIP story Parallel Lines by AndreaChristoph (@x-voyevoda) is one example.

“I’m in a different timeline entirely from you,” she finally starts, speaking slower as she sorts out what she wants to say in her mind. “A timeline that used to be separate, until people started punching holes in reality. We’re both Jiya Marri, and we’re both alive in our respective timelines.”

It's a multiverse world where Jiya's visions extent & transcend. Where Amy is rescued (or at least: pulled into a world in which Lucy exists). Where Rufus is the only left and connects with Jiya in dreams. Where Jiya is (understandably) angry at the world and given no time to grief or process. Where Stanley Fisher is intriguing & supportive of Jiya. Where Wyatt & Jessica both die early as of yet (though in this multiverse that does not necessarily mean they'll never be back).

There are ethical implications, there is intrigue, philosophy, and no time to process. I'm curious for more of the story: what happens on the Titanic? What does timeline zero Jiya know & what's the threat she warns our Jiya about? What did our Jiya go through in Chinatown? How will Amy cope? How will the relationship between the sisters develop? How did Emma follow Wyatt in that first chapter? How has the journal changed? What does that imply? Can Rufus be reached? What makes a person? Tipping points & memories are different - what makes a person who they are?

I like stories that make me think.

The Timeless story A Shot of Remembrance by @doctorliamsr explores a conversation between Flynn & Karl during season 1. It is rich, interesting & well-worth reading.

The light banter between friends with hints of their deep & shared friendship the way it happens between old friends combined with Karl calling Flynn out on his crush on Preston is nice. The way Karl grieves Lorena & Iris himself and not on behalf of Flynn is real. The conversation flows naturally.

There are so few stories that feature Flynn's crew on their own: Karl, Stiv and even Anthony had their own reasons for throwing their lots in with Flynn and I'd love to see that explored a lot more.

The Hanukkah gift, the implications of it for Castle Varlar - the ethical dilemma that that episode posts ("You think I sleep at night?" - it never truly gets resolved in canon those choices made in the early season 1 episodes), and the honoring & acknowledgment that it represents here is wonderful.

Well worth reading & if anyone knows more stories like this that explore the relationships and conversations between Flynn, Karl, Stiv or Anthony - send them my way please!

The Timeless Ballet AU called Ballet-Féerie by @oldshrewsburyian and @qqueenofhades feels like a touch of poetry.

The summary: Garcia Flynn teaches ballet to a class including Amy Preston. Lucy Preston has been her younger sister's guardian since they were orphaned. Hesitant conversations and fraught silences ensue. Also, there's Tchaikovsky.

It's a sweet and yet highly descriptive & emotive story. Lucy is struggling, but persevering & the love between the sisters is palpable as is Lucy's exhaustion. I love that she still pursues her own dreams in the midst of it all. Mr Flynn as the grouchy ballet teacher that knows how to teach little kids dance but doesn't quite know or care to deal with all the intrigue of the dance moms is sweet. I absolutely love the fact that the relationship between Lucy & Flynn is based on friendship first.

Denise & Michelle are wonderful. Jiya is her own person and I love the friendship between her & Lucy. Amy is sweet & precocious & dares to dream outrageous dreams and make them real. Emma is her ruthless self (without a mean streak) and I adore her to-the-pointness.

There is a language beyond words and beyond immediate comprehension, and I miss sitting in theatres and watching modern dance. I have not seen the Nutcracker or many ballets, but this story still evokes for me that feeling of watching magic right in front of your eyes.

It's a story I read when I feel sad or thoughtful. When I long for nostalgia or finding the magic in everyday reality. Our friendships, our relationships, our chosen families: together we make the magic real and felt.

The Timeless story No End, No Beginning by MandyCandy is endlessly fascinating. It's a powerful what-if? A reimagining of our history if at certain tipping points things happened differently.

One person's utopia is another's dystopia. This is one of the most far-reaching options I have read on fighting Rittenhouse by dismantling the very structures that made & kept them powerful in the first place.

By whom is history recorded? Lucy is a historian multiple times over in this story and it's powerful & real. Tecumseh is a wonderful character and seeing him in glimpses to see the impact he could have had is powerful. There is so much history & research that went into this story - there's a full bibliography & maps in the final chapter - and it is marvelous. As a European, American & Canadian history is not something that was touched upon a lot and stories like these bring me tipping points that I like to read more about.

Jiya is so resourceful & necessary to the plan in this story & Rufus likewise has a tangible effect on history.

It's a powerful reimagining. The story takes a bit to come into its own (as it was written & revised on the go as we often see with fanfiction) but stick with it. It's well-worth it.

The Timeless story The Assassin's Holiday by @secretnerdprincess had me giggling from the moment I first read its premise:

Garcia Flynn and Jiya Mara are highly trained assassins who own the elite MurderVision Inc.. With the help of Rufus Carlin, they take care of messy problems for those with the money to afford their solutions. They've just got one last job to finish up before Christmas. When they accepted the contract for Dr. Lucy Preston, they never expected one simple historian could cause so much trouble. In the end, this Christmas holiday might change all their lives.

There's highly entertaining banter between Garcia Flynn & Jiya. A very capable Dr Lucy Preston who cleverly improvises her way to thwarting Flynn's attempts to murder her and yet is still her usual clumsy self. There's theatre, a multi-day cross country trainride, a movie-esc escape & helicopter rescue. There's a fascinating little twist on the journal & how Lucy's life changed.

Overall, this is a story to read when you're in the mood for some hilarious adventure & laughter.

This story is part of the @garcysecretsanta exchange that has been spoiling me with a whole bunch of new Timeless stories to read. The collection can be found here on AO3. Thanks to all the writers & contributors! It is simply marvelous.

Sometimes, when the world is sad & filled with horrors, I just want to read something heartwarming & feel-good. This Timeless Food Truck AU called Amehrana by @timelesshonesttrailer (RedGold) is a story of found family, the struggle that goes into building & maintaining relationships, and the support and love we offer one another.

Our beloved characters are in love with food, cooking & serving it. Lucy struggles against her mother's expectations. Flynn suffers from PTSD from the war and his marriage to Lorena broke down because of it, but they are still loving friends and co-parents because they both put in the effort & work. In Lorena's words: "And getting where we are... it wasn’t as easy as we make it out to be.”

Emma is snubbed by Rittenhouse (reimagined as a huge & unethical food conglomerate) and carries a grudge against Lucy because of it. Jess is fabulous & brilliant & strong. I particularly love her quote regarding her history with Wyatt: “I tried to be supportive, but if he wasn’t going to help himself, well, it’s not the woman’s job to fix the man.”

This story is heartwarming, but not all smooth sailing. There is conflict, and struggle, and self-doubt. But there is also support in community together. A love for one another in a found and created family. An acceptance & exhuberance that comes from doing what you love while putting in the work.

It's a wonderful story for days when the world feels harsh to be reminded that community and heart is build together through kindness and hard work.

Today's reread is Blood Sins - A #FlynnFriday Imagines Series by @doctorliamsr, @timelesshonesttrailer & @ununpredictableme. A Vampire AU focused on Lucy, Garcia, Lorena, Rufus & Jiya.

I love reading stories about Lucy & Garcia as well as stories about Lorena & Garcia - so when it's the three of them together - it's absolutely marvelous. There is such respect, love & caring in this relationship here that it is wonderous. The Vampire AU aspect is nicely done and the mystery intrigues me: what happened? What is going on with Nicolas sort-of-aging-but-not-really? What will Karl's research into Lucy & Rufus turn up? When can we meet Iris? (pretty please *puppy eyes*?) Why are they suddenly after Lucy so desperately? How will Lorena, Garcia, Lucy, Jiya & Rufus handle the continued attacks & fight back against Rittenhouse?

Lucy gushing over history is always fun. Rufus being a brilliant researcher & scientist is always brilliant! Jiya being powerful, lovely & accepting no nonsense. Lorena & Garcia honouring & encouraging Lucy's setting of boundaries & having her choose actively - I am here for all of it.

The retelling of Timeless season 2 in the story: Zajednički by @insane-sociopath is absolutely brilliant and I highly recommend it. (It's technically a WIP, but there's already so much gold here.)

It features:

a mature & self-aware Wyatt Logan who understands PTSD and what it does to a person. Who is a very decent & supportive friend (even if he still messes up occasionally as humans do).

A PTSD-suffering Garcia Flynn who is decidedly unaccustomed to being treated with kindness.

A hilarious Rufus who is his brilliant bantering self and an absolute genius. The Flynn & Rufus banter & flirting had me giggling out loud multiple times.

A brilliant nickname for Flynn that even Denise Christopher cannot resist (though she courageously tries for a long time.)

A slowly developing Lucy & Flynn relationship centered around emotional connection & mutual support.

Flashback moments with all characters to counter out our mildly unreliable Flynn perspective.

Bunker improvements!

Talking things out. Awareness of mental health. Open & honest conversations. Self Care. Discussions around sexuality & gender in a light, humorous but serious way. Adults using their words instead of toxic passive aggressiveness. Character growth. Still lots of story conflict without creating (unnecessary) personal drama to "spice it up". (I get snarky sometimes ;-)).

As might be obvious from my story recs so far, I love stories where our beloved characters act like adults. Where they talk about stuff. Where there is grace & maturity. Even if people are still people, misunderstandings happen and they mess up occasionally, they learn & grow & apologize if needed.

At the moment, this story is at 33 chapters and 129474 words, currently on a bit of a cliffhanger, and Edward requested we help feed the muse! So throw lots of writing/Timeless prompts towards @insane-sociopath please.

The Timeless story Burn the Witch by @barefootwithneonhands intrigues me. It explores a darker Lucy returning from her time in Rittenhouse viewed through her teammates eyes, and has her take direct action in their fight.

It's got mystery (the Bell Witch), lots of humor - especially from Rufus, tender moments between Denise & Michelle, heartbreak as to what Lucy went through and a realness to who she is now having gone through that and what she is truly willing to do combined with the vulnerability of being truly seen.

I like how Lucy is so unapologetic. The small hint with the 20 dollar bill that she succeeded and the way her team questions, but supports her. Little details like Wyatt listening to history podcasts while exercising and Denise pinching her nose in frustration as she contemplates the list of people she cannot kill make me smile.