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Tints 'verse by Terri (PG-13 overall)
Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Mikey/Frank, Gerard/Bob
Length: 65,010 words
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
turps33
Author Website: on AO3 & Fic Master List on LJ
Why this must be read:
I love this universe and the characters in it enormously. It's one of the most realistic yet hopeful depictions of severe depression and how hard trying to recover is that I've read in any fandom ever. It's sad and happy and bittersweet and hopeful and full of love.
The writing is both realistic and symbolic and I love the way light and colours play such an important part both for the characters and for the way the story develops. How the dark and "dead" garden & home of the Ways and the light and "life" of Ray's gardening team begin interacting, leading to both the dead garden and Gerard and Mikey's life slowly starting to grow and change again.
The characters are all absolutely wonderful in their own unique ways. Ray so thoughtful and good, Frank colourful and enthusiastic, Bob a quiet, unflappable force, and of course Gerard & Mikey, how much they love and worry about each other.
This is an absolutely fantastic story and while reading it can be emotionally exhausting it's also deeply satisfying.
Excerpt from the story:
On the kitchen table there are two plates and a mug, another sitting in the sink. Gerard sits and pushes the plates aside, taking a small book out of the inner pocket of his jacket. The corners are fuzzy with wear, the picture on the cover blurred and he grabs a pen, chewing on the end as he thinks. He didn't go to the supermarket, but he did attend another therapy session. The breakfast dishes are unwashed, but he took his medication. Gerard writes it all down, adds more negatives and positives to his lists as he tries to push back the feeling that he failed, because he didn't, not completely. So why does it feel like he did?
Frustrated with himself, Gerard starts to draw, a tiny dragon perched on the negative list, snorting black fire that surround the 'I didn't's' and 'I should have's', until they're nothing but lines concealed in flames.
Dropping the pen, Gerard stands, determined to regain a little ground. Gathering up the mug and plates he stacks them in the sink and fills it with hot water and a squirt of detergent, causing a tiny bubble to float upward. It lands on the glossy green leaf of the plant that's on the windowsill, the one that continues to grow in the pot Frank decorated with dancing skeletons, so many months before.
When the sink is half full, Gerard turns off the faucet and picks up the sponge. It's slightly damp and the rough side scrapes across his palm as he rubs at the plates and mugs, taking care to ensure they're clean. Stacking them on the drainer Gerard watches the suds slide down the slick surfaces, pooling into filmed puddles that reflect the light. Reds and blues and yellows, shimmering in the late afternoon sun like his own personal rainbow that momentarily forces itself through the grey that's become the constant of his life.
Caught by the movement of colors, Gerard's tempted to draw. Most of his materials are downstairs, but he knows if he goes down there he won't come back up, not today when he's already so tired and defeat is lying heavy. Quickly, before he changes his mind and loses this burst of color, he grabs the small sketch book that he left abandoned in the living room. It's old and the paper feels dusty under his fingers as he gathers pens and jumps up on the kitchen counter, bringing up his legs. He sits cross-legged, the sketch book in his lap, and it's not a comfortable position at all. There's something digging into Gerard's back and his knee is pressed against the window ledge, his elbow keeps knocking against the wall, but he's also sitting in a patch of sunshine, almost too warm as he attempts to capture the colors of the puddle.
Tints of Rainbow Hue & Richard of York & Grey Crimson Skies (on AO3)
Pairing: Mikey/Frank, Gerard/Bob
Length: 65,010 words
Author on LJ:
turps33Author Website: on AO3 & Fic Master List on LJ
Why this must be read:
I love this universe and the characters in it enormously. It's one of the most realistic yet hopeful depictions of severe depression and how hard trying to recover is that I've read in any fandom ever. It's sad and happy and bittersweet and hopeful and full of love.
The writing is both realistic and symbolic and I love the way light and colours play such an important part both for the characters and for the way the story develops. How the dark and "dead" garden & home of the Ways and the light and "life" of Ray's gardening team begin interacting, leading to both the dead garden and Gerard and Mikey's life slowly starting to grow and change again.
The characters are all absolutely wonderful in their own unique ways. Ray so thoughtful and good, Frank colourful and enthusiastic, Bob a quiet, unflappable force, and of course Gerard & Mikey, how much they love and worry about each other.
This is an absolutely fantastic story and while reading it can be emotionally exhausting it's also deeply satisfying.
Excerpt from the story:
On the kitchen table there are two plates and a mug, another sitting in the sink. Gerard sits and pushes the plates aside, taking a small book out of the inner pocket of his jacket. The corners are fuzzy with wear, the picture on the cover blurred and he grabs a pen, chewing on the end as he thinks. He didn't go to the supermarket, but he did attend another therapy session. The breakfast dishes are unwashed, but he took his medication. Gerard writes it all down, adds more negatives and positives to his lists as he tries to push back the feeling that he failed, because he didn't, not completely. So why does it feel like he did?
Frustrated with himself, Gerard starts to draw, a tiny dragon perched on the negative list, snorting black fire that surround the 'I didn't's' and 'I should have's', until they're nothing but lines concealed in flames.
Dropping the pen, Gerard stands, determined to regain a little ground. Gathering up the mug and plates he stacks them in the sink and fills it with hot water and a squirt of detergent, causing a tiny bubble to float upward. It lands on the glossy green leaf of the plant that's on the windowsill, the one that continues to grow in the pot Frank decorated with dancing skeletons, so many months before.
When the sink is half full, Gerard turns off the faucet and picks up the sponge. It's slightly damp and the rough side scrapes across his palm as he rubs at the plates and mugs, taking care to ensure they're clean. Stacking them on the drainer Gerard watches the suds slide down the slick surfaces, pooling into filmed puddles that reflect the light. Reds and blues and yellows, shimmering in the late afternoon sun like his own personal rainbow that momentarily forces itself through the grey that's become the constant of his life.
Caught by the movement of colors, Gerard's tempted to draw. Most of his materials are downstairs, but he knows if he goes down there he won't come back up, not today when he's already so tired and defeat is lying heavy. Quickly, before he changes his mind and loses this burst of color, he grabs the small sketch book that he left abandoned in the living room. It's old and the paper feels dusty under his fingers as he gathers pens and jumps up on the kitchen counter, bringing up his legs. He sits cross-legged, the sketch book in his lap, and it's not a comfortable position at all. There's something digging into Gerard's back and his knee is pressed against the window ledge, his elbow keeps knocking against the wall, but he's also sitting in a patch of sunshine, almost too warm as he attempts to capture the colors of the puddle.
Tints of Rainbow Hue & Richard of York & Grey Crimson Skies (on AO3)
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(Anonymous) 2010-09-16 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
no subject
Thank you!
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