Tweak

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Tweak says, "NERF THIS!"

Beth H (bethbethbeth) wrote in hp_beholder,
@ 2009-05-02 12:00:00

Entry tags:

beholder 2009, fic, harry potter, slash, viktor krum

FIC: "The Migratory Habits of Seekers & Other Birds of Prey" for florahart
Recipient: florahart
Author: femmequixotic
Title: The Migratory Habits of Seekers & Other Birds of Prey
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Harry/Viktor
Word Count: ~16,200
Warnings: Semi-epilogue compliant
Summary: One choice, one mad, desperate choice and everything I loved was gone. I'd known it would be the moment I said yes.
Author's Notes: v Many thanks to my three betas, C, J and B. And huge thanks to bethbethbeth for her infinite patience. :) Flora, for the opportunity to write this, I owe you one.

***

"The Migratory Habits of Seekers & Other Birds of Prey"

(Don't forget to return to this post to leave feedback for the author!)

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(Post a new comment)

	la_dissonance 2009-05-02 02:06 pm UTC (link)
	This is gorgeous. Brilliant work, mystery author. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:36 am UTC

kelly_chambliss
2009-05-02 03:33 pm UTC (link)

This story is definitely one of the top five in the fest so far. (Except that I actually have a top ten or a top twelve, and I'm sure my "top" total will be much higher before the posting ends. Like an enchanted wizard tent, my top five just expands to accommodate all the best stories -- and there are so many of them in this fest.) This fic is simply excellent.

These characters are so complex and so psychologically believable and so. . .grown-up, yet their canon outlines are still recognizable. Krum comes alive nicely; there are so many touches that flesh him out. The Bulgarian details are very effective (although I'm afraid that comment doesn't actually mean much; I know exactly two Bulgarians personally. But from the standpoint of a piece of the fiction, it all feels right -- the phrases, the nicknames, Krum's reaction to Harry's sipping the rakia). Your decriptive details are so well-chosen; they really give a sense of place and character (the opening scene, the return to Hogwarts, for instance.)

I'm particularly impressed by the secondary characters: McGonagall, Snape, even Hooch are fully presented. (And you couldn't have pleased this KittyHawk fan's heart better than with the paragraph on MM's brief pause over Hooch's death and Krum's speculation about their relationship. I love your Minerva totally. The old bat.) And James is a flat-out triumph.

Among the many lines/ideas I loved:

The fact that the Americans have a bastardized version of Quidditch -- of course we would!
It's the antithesis of flying. Running keeps me tethered to the earth, but moving, always moving
He needed a haircut. I hoped he resisted the urge
I wondered if the furrow between his eyebrows was fixed permanently in place by paint or if he really was just that miserable of a bastard
Snape huffed and leaned back against the carved chair in Violet's portrait. It was woven through with ivy and roses; he looked utterly ridiculous (Nice to see Violet again, too!)
The Draco description and All of us from Durmstrang had pegged him as a poof within the first week despite that sour-tongued little bitch draped over him

A fine piece of work.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:36 am UTC

magnetic_pole
2009-05-02 04:06 pm UTC (link)

What a lovely, lovely fic! I'm not even sure where to start. I adore the parallelism of their stories--Harry and Viktor both having "fallen," neither quite mature enough to feel confident that they'll recover and fly again, literally or metaphorically. This is the best kind of getting-together story, where you sense the characters grow as they fall in love. Spare but beautiful language, great cameos from the Hogwarts staff, dead and alive. Brava! Maggie

(Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:37 am UTC

florahart
2009-05-02 04:10 pm UTC (link)

I can't even...

This is so good.

I can never remember what I asked for, for any particular fest, because I do read damn near any pairing if it's done well and I do like a wide array of things. This means I'm frequently surprised by what I get, because hell if I know what I asked for. In this case I'm surprised in an I love you kind of way.

There's no way I'm going to mention everything I liked (all of it), but a few things:

1. How you didn't let him be all expository about his why until late, when it was already clear to the reader.
2. How much V loves to fly.
3. Kids that are kids, and that V relates to them without being particularly fond of kids in general.
4. Having James teach him to play soccer.
5. A lot of very sensory description--wet rain and curved bench and smells of beeswax and so on.
6. Hoping Harry resists the urge for a haircut.
7. The way they talk after the sex (Harry's poor knees yay).
8. Neville, helping things along.
9. The Minerva/Hooch that Minerva doesn't confirm because of course she doesn't.
10. Portrait!Snape who still keeps an eye on Lily's grandchildren and knocks other people out of the frame.
11. Bulgaria details that I wouldn't know if they were true but they feel right.

In short: *\o/*

Typo alert of the sort spellchecking never catches, for when you eventually repost: when H pulls away, one-line paragraph: I think that "when" should be a "then." Just sayin.'

(Reply to this) (Thread)

magnetic_pole, 2009-05-02 04:14 pm UTC

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:39 am UTC

	emiime 2009-05-02 07:15 pm UTC (link)
	Oh, oh, oh, my heart is just so full right now. Flora recced this and I'm so so glad she did because I might have missed it otherwise and that would have been a shame. This is awesome. ♥ (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:39 am UTC

	lookfar 2009-05-02 08:43 pm UTC (link)
	Terrific story! It's so complete and full of detail. I love the backstory you give Krum, with all the Bulgarian details, and your Harry is a believable widower/gay cheat. Loved, also, the glimpse of Harry and Ginny's children. Great job. (Reply to this) (Thread)

lookfar, 2009-05-02 08:45 pm UTC

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:40 am UTC

	secretsolitaire 2009-05-02 10:22 pm UTC (link)
	This was fabulous -- very satisfying. As Maggie said, the parallel stories were quite effective, and I love the way they both found healing and happiness of a sort with each other. Really enjoyed this, mystery author! (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:41 am UTC

	(Anonymous) 2009-05-02 10:42 pm UTC (link)
	Enjoyed this very much! Thank you. --neeteeus@LJ (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:41 am UTC

	(Anonymous) 2009-05-02 10:48 pm UTC (link)
	This was Glorious! Thank you so much. --came over from FloraHart's LJ. That lucky girl. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:41 am UTC

	vissy 2009-05-02 11:56 pm UTC (link)
	That was really enjoyable - the hot sex, Snape, Minerva, Neville, Harry's kids - not sure what I liked best (probably Snape looking silly in Violet's portrait, of all things!) (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:42 am UTC

	(Anonymous) 2009-05-03 02:45 am UTC (link)
	The best first person narrative I've read in a very long time. Well done. I hope I can find more of your stories. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:43 am UTC

	purelush 2009-05-03 06:22 am UTC (link)
	Fantastic!!! (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:43 am UTC

	lal111 2009-05-03 09:21 am UTC (link)
	Came here because of a recommendation by florahart. It was SO worth it. You are very-very good. Keep writing! (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:43 am UTC

	westernredcedar 2009-05-03 11:02 am UTC (link)
	What an amazing way to develop both Viktor and Harry's stories. I loved it. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:44 am UTC

	woldy 2009-05-03 02:17 pm UTC (link)
	Loved it! It's such an interesting take on both Viktor & Harry's stories, and I loved the way Viktor bonded with James. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:44 am UTC

dognmonkeyshow
2009-05-03 03:18 pm UTC (link)

Lucky, lucky Flora to receive such a wonderful gift!

There are so many wonderful details here, about Sophia, about Viktor's family, his impressions of the school, Harry's family. And I love how you fit the growing relationship within the context of their lives, and not have it spring up spontaneously in a vacuum, as is so common in fanfic. Having Neville and James bring them together works so well (I love the idea of Neville looking out for Harry when he's down) in a fic full of lovely little treasures. Fabulous!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:45 am UTC

	entrenous88 2009-05-03 09:05 pm UTC (link)
	Really lovely -- they're so right for each other at this time of their lives, with all the hurt and mistakes behind them. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:45 am UTC

lalaith_niniel
2009-05-04 12:07 am UTC (link)

This was an amazing, incredible, wonderful story. I was so caught up in the storytelling that I reached the end and could go no further and found myself both very satisfied and wanting so much more.

There was so much to love in this story, but the characterizations were by far my favorite part. Every character in this was real, with Harry, James, and Viktor almost tangible in my mind.

I love stories where I feel like I've fallen into a Pensieve and am observing someone's memories, and this was the very best of that feeling.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:46 am UTC

	(Anonymous) 2009-05-04 01:11 am UTC (link)
	Oh my fucking god. That was amazing. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:46 am UTC

	accio_kilt 2009-05-04 01:32 am UTC (link)
	Ah! Finally some happiness for our boys! Well done!! (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:46 am UTC

	sumofparts.livejournal.com 2009-05-04 11:19 am UTC (link)
	This was such an amazingly well-written story. I especially loved your complex characterization of Viktor. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:47 am UTC

tripperfunster
2009-05-04 01:17 pm UTC (link)

Fucking brilliant! I'd seen this recced a couple of times, and finally had the time to read it. Touching, compelling and oddly funny! His eyes slid down me, and I folded my arms across my chest, suddenly aware of my faded t-shirt and threadbare pyjama bottoms with the hem coming out of one leg. Very sexy, Krum. Brilliant, in fact. made me literally laugh out loud.

so clever and such hot sex!

thank you so much for sharing your voice with us!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:47 am UTC

	quill_lumos 2009-05-04 03:18 pm UTC (link)
	I loved this, I always love grown-up Harry stories, especially if he is struggle somehow and this was a particularly good version of the trope. I especially liked the Harry/Viktor interaction and how good Viktor was to the children. Lucie xxx (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:48 am UTC

	painless_j 2009-05-04 08:29 pm UTC (link)
	That was bloody amazing! I don't read much HP anymore. I decided to check this fic for the exotic locations list and got hooked from the very first paragraph. And then your voice! Anon, ha. :) Anyway, I'm happy I got to read this story. Because fics like this? Is what makes one's existence in fandom a wonderful experience :) Thank you very much! (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:48 am UTC

	faire_weather 2009-05-05 12:44 pm UTC (link)
	That was so good! I've never read Harry/Viktor before, but it looked really promising, so I'm glad I gave it a shot. (Reply to this) (Thread)

femmequixotic, 2009-05-17 11:49 am UTC

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