Bio

A 22-year-old historical research assistant.

Reads

The Classics (usually English authors); Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Anthony Trollope, etc. I usually like 19th Century literature in general. The plays of Oscar Wilde are great favourites of mine as are Howards End and A Room with a View by E.M. Forster. Older works like Homer's The Odyssey and Voltaire's Candide are on my list of faves as well. I'm also an avid admirer of the contemporary British-Japanese author, Kazuo Ishiguro, whose work inspires me greatly, especially his novels The Remains of the Day, An Artist of the Floating World and The Unconsoled. Also a great fan of Sherlock Holmes, Sharpe and the Harry Potter series. Currently reading Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford.

Likes

Other than reading and writing, I love reading history books on the Napoleonic Wars (with particular emphasis on Sir Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington my favourite historical figure), World War I and Modern British and European History in general. Opera is a fairly recent love of mine, esp. the Mozart/Da Ponte operas; Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte. This is partly (or perhaps wholly) due to the greatness of the British baritone and Mozartian, Sir Thomas Allen, of whom I am a great admirer. While not listening to the immensely talented Sir Thomas or opera, I also enjoy classical music in general as well as a bit of rock (Queen is a favourite). I also have an interest in historical costume, particularly military ones. In general, I'm a great Anglophile and enjoy watching British TV series, period dramas (in particular, such BBC gems such as North and South, Cranford and my latest favourite, Parade's End) and comedies, e.g. Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, A Bit of Fry and Laurie. Also of note here is the ITV series Agatha Christie's Poirot with the magnificent David Suchet as Poirot and Hugh Fraser as Hastings, the excellent Granada Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett and the Sharpe series with the excellent Sean Bean.

Stories written/news/updates

S&S

Is There Any Felicity in the World Superior To This - my first fanfiction published on ff.net in 2005. A sort of vignette taking place between Marianne's recuperation and her marriage to Colonel Brandon. Complete.

Poirot

Of Wagers and Moustaches - my first foray into slash territory despite myself. Blame this on the wonderful Agatha Christie's Poirot television series and in particular, that fantastic fanfic The Real Captain Hastings by Sue. Hastings, recently recovered from a particularly bad cold, decides to grow a moustache in Poirot's absence while the latter is away in Scotland. Ten pounds is part of the wager if the resulting moustache is to the detective's satisfaction...but Hastings soon receives a lot more than he initially bargained for. Complete.

A Study in Hastings - A short oneshot written from Poirot's POV. The great detective studies and contemplates his closest friend and learns something important about himself. More pre-slash than slash, methinks. Complete.

Death in the Diplomatic Service - My attempt at describing how Poirot and Hastings met in Belgium prior to the Styles case. Completely non-canon, of course. When a young Arthur Hastings visits an old school friend in Belgium in 1913, he expects nothing more than a pleasant holiday. The holiday turns into tragedy with the sudden death of his friend's father, Sir William Bentley, British Ambassador to Belgium. Fearing a severing of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the Belgian government begs the police to put their best man onto the case: Hercule Poirot. As the investigation progresses, Hastings finds himself drawn to the detective's brilliant mind and personality not only on a professional level but also on an increasingly personal one... Poirot/Hastings slashiness. Complete.

A Matter of Skill - A little Poirot/Hastings oneshot. After an uncommon battle of wits, Hastings is having trouble accepting his latest defeat at the hands of Poirot on an equally unusual battleground. A short oneshot inspired by the television adaptation of the short story, The Lost Mine though not necessarily taking place during the episode. Complete.

A November Evening - Another Poirot/Hastings oneshot with fluff. Poirot gets invited to give a speech at Hastings' annual regimental dinner commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the Armistice. Meanwhile, Hastings attracts attention from a source which Poirot doesn't quite approve of. Complete.

Harry Potter

Final Tribute - somewhat unexpected since I don't tend to write HP fics but this one-shot was written as a response to Snape's sacrifice in Deathly Hallows days after the publication of the seventh book. Complete.

The Last Part of the Prince's Tale - a sort of sequel to Final Tribute and giving Snape's POV of things upon his arrival in the afterlife. There, he encounters Albus Dumbledore who attempts to bring closure to Snape's life. Complete.

Miscellaneous fics

Lippen schweigen - Based on Lehar's Die lustige Witwe or The Merry Widow and parts of the 1997 Royal Opera House production with Dame Felicity Lott and Sir Thomas Allen. Basically, my paltry efforts at a narrative retelling of the brilliant operetta. Work in progress.

The Steward of Hanbury - AU fic based on the BBC's Cranford and inspired by the story of Mr Carter and his relationship with Miss Galindo. Not an entirely original idea, I grant you, but hopefully interesting to write. Surviving the accident which has caused him the loss of his leg, Mr Carter slowly adapts to his new situation and the growing attraction between himself and Miss Laurentia Galindo. Work in progress.

She Never Told Her Love - A Cranford oneshot set after the second series. A year has passed since Harry Gregson and Miss Galindo moved to Manchester. Yet she still finds herself thinking of the past and of a certain gentleman. Complete.

Wir wandelten, wir zwei zusammen - A Parade's End fic based on both the novels and the television series. Immediately after Armistice Night and still adapting to a world of peace, Christopher and Valentine reflect on their relationship and their future together. Complete.