The Tyranny of Socks

I wrote something for the crossworks exchange!

On Providence (6299 words) by Vaznetti
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Oxford Time Travel Universe - Connie Willis, Lymond Chronicles - Dorothy Dunnett
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: T. J. Lewis & Colin Templer
Characters: T. J. Lewis, Colin Templer, Christian Stewart
Additional Tags: Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, TJ has a theory about time travel, hints of Francis/Christian, the siege of Haddington, Colin's single-minded obsession with Polly, Samuel Harvey's confession
Summary: "I can't get you to the Blitz," TJ said, "but if you want to go to Scotland in 1548 now's your chance." And he didn't let Colin go alone, either.

It is really the most obscure thing ever to write a crossover between two such rare canons; the number of people likely to read this is probably in the single figures, but I really enjoyed writing it! And I got to send TJ back in time and let him show off how incredibly super-competent he is, and also rescue Christian Stewart from her canonical fate. This is the second time I've written something focused on the events of The Game of Kings after years of not even bothering to read that book (my re-reads used to start at The Disorderly Knights) and I had forgotten how enjoyable it really is.

...and just as I was about to go run some of the errands I've been putting off since Monday (or earlier), the heavens opened. So hello, Livejournal!

What is new with me: my new job (really, the same job, but in a new place) is in fact not as scary as I had feared. I am still not entirely sure who is responsible for hooking up my telephone, but that is mostly because I have not bothered to chase that information down -- the entire university functions on email anyway.

I have finally joined facebook, which is interesting, and at first I found it quite difficult to figure out. I am kind of fascinated by the way that "adding new friends" appears to be more or less the point of the whole exercise, but I have to admit that it's kind of great to find certain people again.

Yes, it has just turned 2002 around here. Why do you ask?

I've also been re-reading To Say Nothing of the Dog, because -- well, actually, who needs a reason? It remains as enjoyable as ever, although I remain moderately confused by Willis' Oxford. I also find myself more and more interested in the "present" of the time-travel universe, or perhaps its past: the Pandemic, the bombing of St Paul's, the technological bifurcation which means that they don't have online archives. Is this material ever dealt with? I feel that logically the Pandemic must be relevant to The Doomsday Book, but I don't remember it that well, and our copy is in a box "somewhere in the garage." I wish I felt confident that Willis had thought all this through, but I suspect not. Or does it come up somewhere in her short stories?

I rather like the way the continuum works as Providence, as well -- despite the logical and historical problems that entails. I'd say more about that, if I knew what I meant to say, and if I had more time.