[Fic] Centre of Attention (happy birthday, Remus!)

[shimotsuki]

I'm very far behind on e-mail and LJ things just now (hope to start getting caught up tonight). I'm even slightly behind on today's planned update for All That I Am, although that should go up in the next day or two -- I did make a lot of progress on it last night after being stuck for a while.

But meanwhile, in honor of our favorite werewolf's birthday, here's a link to a story I posted at rt_challenge a couple of days ago. It's "real-time AU" (in the By A Thread ficverse), so it takes place on March 10, 2008, and if anyone thought that All That I Am is too angsty, this one will balance that out just a bit.

Centre of Attention (932 words | PG | AU)

Teddy has plans for Remus on his birthday. They involve fireworks and dreadful nautical puns. And a trombone.

Comments

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

I haven't had chance to look at anything at the Challenge yet - I had some precious breathing space this week so decided to put it to selfish use and write as much as I can. (I'm on a five minute LJ tea break here!) But I'll look forward to catching up with both yours as angst and happy AU sound very inviting.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

I had some precious breathing space this week so decided to put it to selfish use and write as much as I can.

Hooray for breathing space. I am delighted to hear that you are writing!

I'm awfully behind over at rt_challenge, too, and I may end up reading somewhat selectively over there, which is a shame, but there are only so many hours in the day. It's interesting, though; usually R/T people seem to avoid writing too much DH, but of the few things I've managed to read in the challenge so far, the vast majority do seem to be DH this time.

(Speaking of being behind on things, I haven't had a chance to read the expanded Glass Slipper yet, either, but I am very much looking forward to that.)

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

*jumping into conversation*
Perhaps the R/T people just needed more time to get over the fact that our ship was sunk quite literally?.. Now, admittedly, I haven't picked up DH since last summer except to check some very specific facts, but maybe if I read it again I would be able to see it in a new light and not just coloured by the ending? And also be inspired to fill in the humongous gaps there are in the couple's story.

You atory was really lovely - a good piece of fluff and AU is just what is needed every once in a while. ;)

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the R/T people just needed more time to get over the fact that our ship was sunk quite literally?
I think you're right -- either time to get over it, or time to go into denial about it... ;P

admittedly, I haven't picked up DH since last summer except to check some very specific facts
Oh, me too. I've only looked at very specific parts of DH since last July myself, and I need to do more canon fact-checking for some fics I'm planning, but ... it's hard to think about reading that book again. *sigh*

And also be inspired to fill in the humongous gaps there are in the couple's story.
That's the thing! There are fantastic opportunities to write about some really major events in Remus and Tonks's lives during DH, and I was really excited while reading the book for that very reason until, you know. Ouch. (This is why I feel less and less guilty as time goes on about choosing to live in denial. Now I can enjoy writing all those scenes, like I wanted to at first.)

And thanks, I'm glad you liked my little piece of fluff; I wanted to write something that wasn't (too) angsty for Remus's birthday. Hee.

By the way, I saw that you've posted a fic AND art submission at redandthewolf, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing/reading it! It may take me a couple of days, though, because I really want to finish the next installment of my DH fic tonight.

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

At my other fandom (the Silmarillion) we have had quite a discussion about AU. It is often taken as a negative label that you have to justify, but I think that there are some very good AU stories out there that, while tweaking certain elements to tell the story on the author's mind, are still very mindful of canon. The problem for AU are those who say: "I said it was AU so I can do as I please!". I think that for example your piece for Remus' birthday is a very good example of denial/AU in that the characters are all recognisable and you have used the AU element for something constructive (making Remus have a good time is a very worthy goal!) :)

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on my contribution over at Red. Take your time though, it is not going anywhere.

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

I think you're right that there are different motivations for writing AU. Cases where a fic author deliberately changes particular elements and then seriously addresses how that would have changed the canon world can be very good and, in my opinion, need no special justification (if done well).

The ones that are a little more suspicious are those where a fic author simply doesn't like something about canon and decides to ignore it. And I have to admit that my own AU ficverse falls into this category. But I do have three little reasons in my favor: (1) The change I'm making comes within the last few hours of the canon story (minus the Epilogue), so there isn't much of the canon timeline that diverges; (2) I've written my canon-denial story in a way that matches every detail we see of Remus and Tonks at the final battle, so it's technically canon-compliant even though I know it's not what JKR intended; and (3) before DH, I was planning to get more practice as a writer by writing a long, plotty post-war R/T fic with more action and more original characters than I've ever done before, so going AU allows me to get the writing-practice benefit of continuing with that plan.

But of course, the most important reason is that if I think of Remus and Tonks dying in the final battle, then writing and reading about them simply becomes too painful, and I lose something that had become a valuable source of enjoyment! So, long live AU... I'm glad you think that giving Remus a nice birthday is a worthy goal for AU. :)

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

writing a long, plotty post-war R/T fic with more action and more original characters than I've ever done before
Oh, that sounds intriguing! And I am also in denial of the canon-ending of R/T because, as you say, it would just be too hard to contemplate their struggles for happiness if they are just going to be snapped away like that.

And I think that the most important thing to do in AU is to stay as close to canon in every aspect possible - as you have done. Otherwise it is Original Fic that claims to be something else. ;)