The fanfiction is rising

[tallulahgs]

[Title] Silver and Red
[Fandom] Susan Coolidge's What Katy Did At School
[Rating] PG
[Pairing] Mary Silver/Rose Red
[Notes/Summary] People think they understand Rose and Mary's friendship. Written for and crossposted to 40fandoms.



Mary knows that most people think it odd that she is friends with Rose. She sees it whenever people are introduced to the two of them together. A brief amused flicker of surprise. Some of them assume that Rose is just tolerating her company (and perhaps she is, how can you tell). Some of them assume that Mary is too scared of Rose to go and find more suitable friends (you are scared but not of that). A few of them, like Katy and Clover, have that flicker and then wait and watch and think they understand. They probably do. They understand all the parts about Mary being quiet and Rose being loud; about Mary needing protection and Rose being willing to protect.

They think Rose is witchy and Mary is a paragon.

They don't know that in silent study hour, or after lights-out, that Mary is the one who leans over to kiss Rose and Mary is the one who does what she wants and Mary is the one who cannot stop and does not think things through. They don't know that Rose almost giggles with shock or that she lets Mary lead and follows through dark silent secrets. In the dark it's easier, and while in the daylight Mary finds herself ashamed of being noticed and covers her mouth when she giggles, at night she covers nothing and puts the shame off until the morning.

Comments

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is wonderful. I love how you've turned expectations of this pairing on their head and still made them seem likely.

Also? What Katy Did At School fanfic! Fantastic!

[tallulahgs]

:D thanks so much! I recently reread the book and was inspired... I do like Mary, though she's got a comparatively minor role.

[dapperzombie.livejournal.com]

Cool! I haven't even heard of this fandom, but you described Mary and Katie very well; it feels like they'd make a good pairing together, and Mary's awkwardness in places/situations where she can be seen was very tangible.

[tallulahgs]

Thanks! It's a children's book from... um... at least seventy years ago, I think, so I felt vaguely guilty about writing femmeslash for it, but it seems to have worked, so... yeah. Thank you!

[dapperzombie.livejournal.com]

Eh, femmeslash will happen when and where it happens ^^ if it makes you feel better, there's a movie called The Color Purple that takes place in the 1800s that involves femmeslash. :)

[tallulahgs]

Yeah, but that's feminist literature, so it's okay XD