I adore this story and I'm forever in awe of the artistry of it. It's pretty much perfect. And it's dear to me for other reasons - this is the last fest I participated in without defaulting, and my mother died right as the deadline was approaching. The fest gave me a focus, and writing gave me the emotional lifeline I needed, but I was the worst participant ever to burden the life of a mod (asking for extensions, swearing I would get it finished on time, begging for more extensions).
The person writing for me dropped out, so Delphi (who was modding and also learning an exhausting new job) stepped in and wrote a pinch hit at the last minute. It was like a gift from the gods. I couldn't have imagined a more beautiful story. It still give me shivers of pleasure.
Fandom is really wonderful sometimes, and the talent here never ceases to amaze me.
(Writing quickly from work, so I hope this is coherent.)