My contributions to Rare Pair Exchange!
Nov. 2nd, 2025 09:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
artemisdartAuthors for the Rare Pair Exchange have been revealed, so I can finally talk about the two pieces I contributed!
The first, my actual assignment, was for the 1958 movie "The Big Country." I offered this on a lark, because I remember enjoying the movie when I saw it over a decade ago, and because my husband and I still refer to it sometimes. When I actually matched on it, I had to watch the movie again -- of course -- and then I spent a few days coming up with this! I really like this one.
I've never before written a fic in the traditional "5 + 1 format." It seemed like a natural fit after rewatching the movie and reveling in the scene where Julie appalls Jim so thoroughly that the movie ends up censoring what she's telling him! He looked quite queasy about it, too.
My gift recipient commented twice to say how much they like this fic, which makes me really glad!
I also picked up a pinch hit for a recipient I've written for before, Jamez. I wrote them a fic in the fandom RWBY for the Exchanges After Dark Birthday Bash 2025, almost a year ago. They were appreciative back then, so I figured they'd be similarly enthusiastic with their comments now!
The ship is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (specifically Thunderbolts 2025), with her assistant, Mel. There's rampant speculation that Mel is going to turn out to be Mel Gold, aka Songbird, although so far she's "just" Valentina's assistant. Since Valentina is up to all manner of shady things, Mel also has to be up to her eyebrows in such doings.
The Rare Pair Exchange really made me wait! I finished these fics in September, and now it's November. Reveals were delayed again and again, probably because all of the requests were so damn rare. I mean -- that's what we get for participating in a RARE pair exchange, right??
I'm happy that these are finally out there, and finally under my own name. They are quite rare and no one is searching for them; along with my other recent "weird" fics, and the cessation of my previous ongoing longfic, I'm not getting a ton of kudos recently. But that's okay! Life isn't about kudos. Kudos are fun, but some of the best things I've written get practically zero kudos; kudos quantity is not correlated with quality in any regard.
I'm gearing up to write more things, but unfortunately I was busy all weekend. Looking forward to evenings this week so I can try to crack into some of this burden of work that's hanging over my heart.
The first, my actual assignment, was for the 1958 movie "The Big Country." I offered this on a lark, because I remember enjoying the movie when I saw it over a decade ago, and because my husband and I still refer to it sometimes. When I actually matched on it, I had to watch the movie again -- of course -- and then I spent a few days coming up with this! I really like this one.
I've never before written a fic in the traditional "5 + 1 format." It seemed like a natural fit after rewatching the movie and reveling in the scene where Julie appalls Jim so thoroughly that the movie ends up censoring what she's telling him! He looked quite queasy about it, too.
My gift recipient commented twice to say how much they like this fic, which makes me really glad!
Shall I Go On?
Author: ArtemisDart
Fandom: The Big Country (1958)
Ship: Julie Maragon/James McKay
Rating: Mature
No Archive Warnings Apply
Wordcount: 4,921
Summary: Five times the answer was no.
And one time the answer was yes.
I also picked up a pinch hit for a recipient I've written for before, Jamez. I wrote them a fic in the fandom RWBY for the Exchanges After Dark Birthday Bash 2025, almost a year ago. They were appreciative back then, so I figured they'd be similarly enthusiastic with their comments now!
The ship is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (specifically Thunderbolts 2025), with her assistant, Mel. There's rampant speculation that Mel is going to turn out to be Mel Gold, aka Songbird, although so far she's "just" Valentina's assistant. Since Valentina is up to all manner of shady things, Mel also has to be up to her eyebrows in such doings.
Little Star
Author: ArtemisDart
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thunderbolts (Movie 2025)
Ship: Valentina Allegra de Fontaine/Mel (Thunderbolts 2025)
Rating: Explicit
No Archive Warnings Apply
Wordcount: 4,451
Summary: Mel's boss Valentina has a series of exacting requirements for Mel to fulfill.
When Mel does a good job, she gets rewarded.
That's just good management.
The Rare Pair Exchange really made me wait! I finished these fics in September, and now it's November. Reveals were delayed again and again, probably because all of the requests were so damn rare. I mean -- that's what we get for participating in a RARE pair exchange, right??
I'm happy that these are finally out there, and finally under my own name. They are quite rare and no one is searching for them; along with my other recent "weird" fics, and the cessation of my previous ongoing longfic, I'm not getting a ton of kudos recently. But that's okay! Life isn't about kudos. Kudos are fun, but some of the best things I've written get practically zero kudos; kudos quantity is not correlated with quality in any regard.
I'm gearing up to write more things, but unfortunately I was busy all weekend. Looking forward to evenings this week so I can try to crack into some of this burden of work that's hanging over my heart.
