Clio's writing journal

Author: Clio
Title: Sustenance, Merriment and Cheer
Pairing: Yusuf/Ariadne
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Ariadne is a designer who's hired by general manager Cobb to create new games for Saito's Las Vegas casino. She and Yusuf, the genius molecular gastronomist who oversees the casino's world-class restaurants, become fast friends and might be on their way to something more. But then billionaire philanthropist Robert Fischer swoops in and seemingly sweeps Ariadne off her feet. Is Ariadne actually underwhelmed by Robert's life of glamour, as Mal suspects? Can Arthur and Eames get Yusuf to declare himself to Ariadne through his food? And what does Danny Ocean's crew have to do with any of this?
Warning: (skip) No warnings apply.
Length: 18,000 words
Notes: Written for inception_bang! Yusuf's menu descriptions based on those at Alinea in Chicago. Something of an Ocean's 11 crossover, but really more that some of the Ocean's gang make special appearances. It is Vegas, after all.
Thank you SO MUCH to earlofcardigans for the awesome beta and to everyone who cheered me along. And very, very much thanks to ginevrawp, who is not only an amazing artist but a fantastic collaborator whose enthusiasm made so much difference (and who is responsible for the Argentinian dish Yusuf cooks). Please do check out her art because it's amazing.

( I'm warning you: I'm not a very adventurous eater. )

Author: Clio
Title: Seize the Day
Pairing: Community: Shirley Bennett/Jeff Winger
Rating: NC-17
Summary: In which Real Housewives of New Jersey help Jeff and Shirley get through their lonely first summer of college, and Jeff pays it forward. (Set between seasons 1 and 2.)
Warning: (skip) None!
Length: 3700 words
Notes: Written for the "cellbacy/virginity" square on my kink bingo card. Thank you, hugely, to melodious for the amazing beta and her help in shaping this story, and to sistermagpie for reading it over as well.

( You watch Jersey housewives? )

Author: Clio
Title: An Excellent Thing
Pairing: Suits: Harvey Spector/Mike Ross
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Once Mike notices—really notices—the way that Harvey's vests nip him in at the waist just so, he decides to buy Harvey something else that will do the trick. After all, if wool and silk and buttons can do that, what could leather and boning and laces do?
Warning: (skip) Mike gets Harvey a corset, and it ends up effecting them both like a collar, in that when Harvey wears it he belongs to Mike. So some dom/sub elements, though very understated. Enthusiastic consent, definitely, and promise to set up boundaries.
Length: 2200 words
Notes: Written for the "collar" square on my kink bingo card, though the collar here is a corset. Same effect; see content notes for more detail.
Title from the line from King Lear—"Her voice was ever soft, gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman"—that Caroline Ingalls often quoted to her girls.
Special thanks to canis_takahari for her enthusiasm for the story!!

( Ma says Pa could span her waist with his hands when they were married )

Author: Clio
Title: Thought That Was a Good Solution
Pairing: Glee: Mercedes Jones/Quinn Fabray
Rating: PG
Summary: A year out of college, Quinn changes her mind about her future, which puts her back within reach of Mercedes, someone from her past she'd thought she'd lost. But second verse will not be same as the first—not if Kurt and Puck have anything to say about it. (Background Kurt/Blaine, Puck/Sam, Santana/Brittany.)
Warning: (skip) None.

Length: 5200 words
Notes: Let's pretend that all the decisions made about college and the future in the last episodes of s3 didn't happen that way, shall we? Otherwise fairly canon-compliant through s3, though firmly future-fic.
So I've only been thinking about this story since the end of season 1, but I'm glad I waited until now to finish it. GIANT thanks to sistermagpie and amyamy for their help in getting the story to the place it needed to be, and to everyone on tumblr who ships Quinn/Mercedes and provided visual inspiration. Title from the Tori Amos song "Cornflake Girl."

( She knows what's goin' on )

Author: Clio
Title: I Really Really Want to Catch Your Eye
Pairing: White Collar: Diana/Elizabeth
Rating: PG
Summary: Peter has some funny ideas about courtship. Maybe Diana shouldn't be asking his advice.
Length: 300 words
Notes: Written for the Versicolor Week Challenge @ tumblr and posted there a couple of weeks ago in a slightly less cleaned-up version. Title from "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys.
This is an AU that came to me some months ago while I was contemplating Diana/El, in which Diana is closer to Peter in age, Peter is gay, and El is a lesbian. I just wondered what might have gone differently if it was Diana that Elizabeth flirted with that day in the gallery, instead of Peter.

( You want me to do reconnaissance on a woman I want to date? )

Author: Clio
Title: They Say I'm Slippin'
Pairing: Glee: Mercedes Jones/Quinn Fabray
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Mercedes has a corset.
Length: 300 words
Notes: Written for the Versicolor Week Challenge @ tumblr and posted there a couple of weeks ago in a slightly less cleaned-up version. Some kind of futurefic. Title from "It's Love" by Jill Scott.

( Quinn says a silent thanks for the Renaissance Faire. )

Author: Clio
Title: All Around You Now
Pairing: The Voice RPF Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire friendship, with Blake/Miranda Lambert
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Blake is about to get married to an amazing woman. Now is not the time to have all these feelings for everyone else he interacts with. Looks like the singers aren't the only ones who'll need some advice from Reba.
Length: 2050 words
Notes: THANK YOU to my beta jehane_writes, and my cheerleaders sistermagpie and honestys_easy, and to Hulu for putting up that rewind of last season/preview of next season so I could once again partake of Blake's "lumbering charm." Title from the Reba McEntire song "When Love Gets A Hold Of You."

( Loose jeans and clean thoughts would get him through )

Author: Clio
Title: Sounds Like a Party
Pairing: The Voice: Blake/Adam, Blake/Miranda, Adam/Christina, Miranda/Christina
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Miranda and Christina's first order of business once they meet is to get the boys to just do it already. And if they have to do a little making out in order to get that to happen? Sure, they'll take that hit.
Length: 2600 words
Disclaimer: People sort of own themselves, don't they? Which means this is a work of fiction.
Notes: The Voice is a really good show, you guys! And this time I'm not the only one slashing the pros—though they're coaches, not judges—and they've all signed up for next season!
A huge thanks to everyone who replied to my post about The Voice last weekend, and very particularly to honestys_easy who not only encouraged me to write the story but also gave it a look-over once it was done. Thanks, lady!

( Justin had taught Christina, long ago when they were on tour together and he decided she should become a poker shark, that if you can’t tell who the patsy at the table is, it’s probably you. )

Author: Clio
Title: The Secret Life of Couches
Pairing: Star Trek RPF: Chris Pine/Karl Urban
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In America all happy endings include showing off the shit you bought. Or, "Chris and Karl open up their new home exclusively to In Style!"
Length: 600 words
Disclaimer: People sort of own themselves, don't they? Which means this is a work of fiction.
Notes: Written as a comment fic at jim_and_bones. Fills the "fire in the fireplace" square on my schmoop_bingo card.

( Karl's opinion is that if he never has to look at another swatch again he'll be a happy man )

Author: Clio
Title: Ancient Artifacts and Modern Rituals
Pairing: Community: Gen!
Rating: PG
Summary: From TV Tropes: "The Vacation Episode is a one-off episode where the characters leave their familiar grounds for a well-deserved rest. The vacation will invariably be set in a faraway and exotic location for maximum impact; given the higher costs of shooting on location, the episode will often be longer than usual, to make best use of the budget. A Special Guest or three might also be included."
or, the one where the gang go to New York City for spring break.
Length: 4800 words
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created by Dan Harmon and owned by one of the large media companies in a complicated arrangement to which I am not a signatory. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Notes: Written for Yuletide 2010; thanks to my recipient, for an interesting prompt! Spoilers through 2x11, "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." Includes a brief quote from Pulp Fiction.
Thanks to my betas sistermagpie and emeraldwoman, who were very speedy and incredibly helpful and encouraging!
This is the first long-form gen fic I've ever written and it was challenging; the writers of Community set a very high standard.

( Like I’d ever go to <em>Florida</em> for spring break )