#another heated scene between Jack and Phryne

[morningmee]

Damn his legendary self control!

If she'd kissed him, I'm not sure he'd object all too strongly, but it would have been too soon. Because she wasn't ready to love and be loved.

MISS FISHER'S MURDER MYSTERIES 2.01, Murder Most Scandalous

[balticprincess]

Crash landing on you - perfect for K-drama-beginners. Just watch out - it‘s addictive

I may not be the target audience, but this has really got me. After watching it for the 3rd time back to back (with 16 episodes that are about 70 -90 minutes it’s ok, I guess, when finishing it, I want to see the start again) I now need to put some thoughts down.

Why do I (and apparently millions of others) love it so much?

It‘s funny, tragic, super romantic and suspenseful. The actors are great, not only the main couple Ri Jeong Hyeok ans Yoon Se-Ri as star crossed lovers, but also the second couple, which is even more star-crossed and one half of it is for a lot of episodes hopelessly tied and in love with the elusive RJH. Also the supporting actors are great, especially the band of brothers from Company 5, who do everything to help their leader and YSR. The villain is great and so vile, you hate him - until you see him in the Behind the Scenes-vids, where he is most charming.

It‘s a bit like fanfiction in a series: found family, vile brothers, destiny, star-crossed lovers, fake fiancee, reversed makeover, sleeping in one bed, all the tropes are there, but never blatant, but lovely and well executed. A lot of people who watched it say it’s also enemies to lovers, but I seriously doubt that, seeing Captain Ri‘s face at the end of the first episode. It’s more like love at first sight, smitten and whipped.

While he is a kind of super-hero („Do you think you‘re in the Avengers“) he also has flaws, is sometimes jealous, easily flustered by Se-Ri and exasperated by the whole set up. Still, he does everything for her to make her feel better and to help her escape to the south. He is an ace at fighting, can cook, is a very quick thinker, a good shot, plays the piano and is endearingly truthful (most of the time). Not to say extremely easy on the eye. She, and that is very important in my pov, is no damsel in distress. She is, actually, but she does not act like it. Being a very successful ceo, she takes the North and its people in her stride and instead of whining, heats water and helps poor kids. She cries sometimes when she is overwhelmed, which is a totally normal reaction in my opinion, making her relatable. She is beautiful and successful, he is super handsome and from an upperclass family, but both are supremely unhappy before she literally falls down on him. How they are helping each other is one of the main attractions for me. F.ex. After Se-Ris first really bad meeting with the villain and him coming to the rescue, he asks her if she is allright and not hurt. You can really see how much that surprises her, which is in turn heart-wrenching. He doesn‘t talk much, but one of his catchphrases is: „I am alright“ - which is mostly untrue, whether he stands on a mine, was shot or beaten or impending doom is coming at him. She calls him out for that, which is lovely. Both actors are nearing 40, although they look impossibly younger, but for me, being ever so slightly over 40 it was great that this was not a series with CEOs that look as if they are still in High school.

The Chemistry between the leads is so amazing that one comment said that it could light up North Korea for real. I‘d say it’s not chemistry anymore, it’s Physics, waiting for the inevitable chain reaction/explosion. Captain Ri aka Hyun Bin and Yoon Se-Ri aka Son Ye Jin started dating IRL after the show (or long before, who knows) and are still going strong. That’s really romantic, especially if you watch the BTS. 🔥🔥💥

If you are not interested in history: skip this! Another point in this far too long post is that I asked myself why I could relate to these main characters who are so different from me, being a tall, sturdy blond highschool-headmistress. My husband is a pianist, but that is not it. But I lived long enough to still remember the iron curtain slashing through my country. Not to liken the then existing GDR with NK, but while we West-Germans were allowed to visit in the East, different from the Koreas, the East-Germans were not allowed to come to West-Germany. I had friends in the GDR near Dresden. My parents met them in Hungary and I was pen-friends their daughter. It was super difficult to go to Dresden, but we could meet in Berlin where it was easier to cross the border. In 1986 we met for the first time in person. I was ateeneager on a classtrip. My teacher brought me to the border in Friedrichstraße Railway station, called „Palace of tears“ by the locals. I crossed the border on foot and was in a different county and world in the same city. The cars, how the people dressed, the shops - it was strange, old fashioned and for my 20 years backwards. But the people where lovely. We met like a blind date, they were carrying a white rose. The banners seen in CLOY promoting communism and heralding the states own greatness were everywhere. When they brought me back to the eastern entrance of the railway station I had to cross, I knew why this was called Palace of tears. We cried, everyone there who had to let go family or friends to the west cried. It was heartwrenching. Unification 3 years later was a wonder I had never expected. Never. So, although our situation was not as bad as Se-Ris who knows she cannot visit NK, it is still very relatable. It wasn‘t the 38th parallel but still a nearly impenetrable wall. One of my highschool friends was in love with *drumroll for cloy-watchers* a cellist from the GDR. He was devastated to leave her at the border when we left east-berlin. Our poor teacher - I off to meet unknown people (with a permission slip from my parents but still, no phones etc) and Frank off to meet his gf at the suburbs of east Berlin. But we both came back unscathed. They got married after unification btw.

My favourite scene: Very difficult to choose, the whole set up in Pjöngyang possibly, their argument about destiny, his jealousy and him telling her to stay in his sight and 2 seconds later him being so ashamed to have said that. Also: the scene with Daddy Ri.

Strange things that happened after watching: I really want a Range Rover, preferably red. I own a cloy t-shirt and watched all behind the scenes-vids multiple time.

Why I am so late watching it: the subtitles. Apart from Shtisel, which I love, I watch English dubbed (I am German) all the time. We are used to dubbing here. What can I say: it took me 10 minutes to forget that.

For my fellow Miss Fishers murder mysteries/Phrack-lovers: I know nothing can compare the Phryne and Jack. But: The extremely dashing Captain Ri has a lot of Jack Robinson vibes going on. Dealing with trauma, being honest and respectful, accepting and encouraging the woman he loves, being so handsome and dependable. He also does not talk much but has very speaking eyes. And while Se-Ri accepts more help than Phryne does she is also a badass woman in her own right who dresses sharply and is self-sufficient and smart. CLOY is very romantic though, you can‘t really say it is a slow-burn, the aforementioned chain-reaction happens very fast. The whole thing is quite chaste, but in my mind a lot happens after the camera roll stopped...The OST is beautiful and I listen to it all the time.

Give it a try and see if you are not hooked at the end of the first episode like I was... #fighting!

[thewardlowcollection]

Hello Librarians! Many people do not like the rain but as I live in Southern California it is a precious commodity with our never ending drought. Can you recommend fins that involve water? Beaches, baths, showers, rain—even a garden hose! I love reading the wardlow collection!

Water, Water, Everywhere

Oh Anonymous, what a great ask. Despite living mostly in more rain prone regions of the world, we librarians love fics that involve getting our beloved characters wet. In fact, we still hope for a scene like this in the MFMM movie:

It’s unlikely given the location, but one can still hope.

It seems that the writers love this theme too. You will find a lot of shower/bath or similar scenes in longer fics or drabble compilations. In fact, there are too many to mention all. So we decided to give you only fics in which water plays a main role or which features scenes that we love dearly.  

Rain

Speechless (2016) by  @promisesarepiecrust  Phryne and Jack get caught out in the rain and need to stand very close to keep dry. They can’t talk because of the thunder, whatever are they supposed to do?

It’s raining men (2018) by @deverewinterton A car breaks down in the middle of a thunderstorm, the mobile phone is not invented yet, what can you do? If you are DI Jack Robinson of City South you will knock on Miss Fisher’s door with the intention to call for a mechanic, but end up in front of the fireplace getting warmed by the lady of the house.

Something Wild (2013) by ijemanja  On the hunt for a fugitive Phryne and Jack get stranded in the mountains and need a place to keep safe and warm. Conveniently they stumble upon a small cabin with only one bed to share.

T.G.I.Phrack Chapter 5: Warm  (2016) Dispatch22705   Here you kill two birds with one stone. A rain soaked Phryne knocks on Jack’s door. He is trying to get her warm in the shower.

Sweltering (2014) by @jeneenp (CollingwoodGirl) Melbourne is in the grip of a heat wave while the sexual tension between Phryne and Jack grows. The relief for both comes with a thunderstorm, rain and hailstorm.

Pandora’s Box (2016) by @heavyheadedgal  A London reunion fic, which is very light on the rain but the image of a rain soaked Jack standing in front of Phryne’s door made our hearts skip a beat.

Home (2017) by @firesign23 Even though our favorite Detectives stay dry in this one, the rain is doing what it should do, keeping them where they should be…in the bedroom

Ocean and Beach

Wave of Laughter (2018) by @edeainfj (deedeeinfj)  A little Phrack at the beach never hurt nobody.

If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) (2014) by @misspamela The Queenscliff case goes horribly wrong before Phrack emerges even stronger.

A Night in Queenscliff (2017) by @whopooh  Another wonderful version of the Queenscliff episode. Which not only deals with the truth about shenanigans on the beach, but also gives us a glimpse into the following episodes.

Diving In (2017) by @221aubrina  The Queenscliff diving scene before it went to the cutting room. We really were robbed.

Drink the Wild Air (2018) by @omgimsarahtoo  Phryne and Jack are on a beach and are remembering the Queenscliff case

Life Saver (2018) by @jeneenp (CollingwoodGirl)  Phryne returns to Melbourne from London just to find Jack undercover as a lifeguard. Yes, you heard right, Miss Fisher goes Baywatch. Sadly the fic is not finished yet, so please @jeneenp if you can find your muse again we would love to read some new chapters.

Paradise (2018) by @ollyjayonline  Jack is enjoying his vacation on a sunny beach, what could possibly go wrong?

what the water gave me (2015) by missrainydays  A sad but at the same time beautiful introspective fic. The Ocean is only metaphorical but it does work really well.

Pools

Gone for a Swim (2015) by PlayfulMay  Phryne finds Jack swimming in Aunt P’s pool and they both get playful until Aunt P is cockblocking (again). This is the first part of the 3 part series The Tease. Make sure to read the other two fics too.

Varying States of Muscular Undress (2015) by @gaslightgallows  Five times Phryne gets some or all of Jack’s clothes off, and one time he does it himself. The fic is a collection of “extended Scene” for different episodes of the show. The scene for the tennis episode is the one that includes skinny dipping. 

Terra Nova (2016) by @aljohnsonwrites  Part 3 of the YACI universe - a wonderful modern AU - (We recommend you check out all the other fics in that series. They are delightful.) This one has not only the Firemen’s and Policemen’s Ball but also Aunt P’s annual “Welcome to Spring BBQ” and a pool.

If the Choice were Mine (2015) by @flashofthefuse Phryne and Jack try to navigate their new relationship and go swimming after the tennis episode.

Tubs and Showers

Creatures of Stillness (2016) by @gaslightgallows  Jack turns up on Phryne’s door in London a little worse for wear but Phryne is here to help. Cleaning up can be so much fun.

Muscular Distress (2015) by @gaslightgallows  This is a missing scene from the above mentioned Varying States of Muscular Undress. During the shenanigans in VSoMD Jack is in desperate need of a shower.

You Asked For It Chapter 104: Foolscap (2015) by @gaslightgallows  After a hard case, Phryne takes a bath. This is a follow up scene for the Beyond the Sea AU. This one works even if you haven’t read Beyond the Sea, but we do recommend to read it, as it is a wonderful fic.

The Female Gaze (2016) by @omgimsarahtoo Five different “Jack is in the shower” scenes. And yes, there’s an abundance of female gazing!

Coming Clean (2015) by @omgimsarahtoo  Jack and Phryne make perfect use of their bathrooms. This is the start of the Fantasy and Reality series, which is also highly recommended.

Lakes and other waters

The Swimming Hole (2017) by @ollyjayonline  Phrack is taking a little break from their journey. This is a follow up to Lost in Vegas but works very well as a standalone too.

500 Words You Should Know: #500  (2015) by @afterdinnerminx   A very pregnant Dot, a stunned Hugh and a lovely secluded pond makes a great day out and a lovely fic.

A Man in Need (2014) by @jeneenp  (CollingwoodGirl)  This is a long fic dealing with the aftermath of Unnatural Habits. It focuses on the building relationship between Phryne and Jack and is not water centered, but there is a wonderful scene with Phryne and Jack at a very secluded pond in the forest.

Adrenaline and Aftermath (2017) by @omgimsarahtoo  Phryne and Jack are caught in a life threatening situation. An avalanche, a cabin and a bear rug are involved. (Snow is just frozen water, right?)

I hope you enjoy our selection and have a great time reading – preferably while raindrops falling on your roof. Happy reading!

[justmissfisher]

I wish I could gif because there are like 3 seconds of her staring at him adoringly; but I don’t know how and I don’t wanna steal from other artists so this will make do.

Just, I will never not freak out a little over this scene. Because while I’m sure Phryne would still very much want to take Jack to bed, this is not just the usual heated look. It’s just as passionate, but it’s full of love. She looks at him as if he hung the moon and stars. She’s quite happy to be in this moment.

And I couldn’t not wonder: when did she realize she’s in love with Jack Robinson?

Because she was attracted to him from the beginning, and had a deep respect for him; and then they became friends, and then they became constants in each other lives. Not only the teasing, the flirting and eye love-making but also: them eating each other’s food, her always being perched on his desk and the nightcaps they shared in almost all episodes.

And then it all ended, even if for a brief period of time.

Was it at that moment when Inspector Robinson confessed that the thought of losing her was unbearable and he asked to cease their partnership? (however foolish i personally found that); when she realized that losing what they had, losing him was just as unbearable to her? Was it afterwards, when they weren’t on speaking terms and missing each other terribly? Was it when they had to reunite to work on a case and missing each other terribly? Because Phryne Fisher was not at her best, she who usually is unshakable.

(On another sidenote: I have SO MUCH to say about this scene because it’s just. GOSH. The Angst. The Pining. The Pretending I Am Not Hurt At All - on both parts. Especially the distinction Jack makes between ‘want to’ and ‘need to’. But maybe I’ll talk separately about that a bit because my heart ached a little just by rewatching this scene to take screenshots)

I personally find this scene very strong and telling. Beatrice had said she does this when there’s too much noise and too many people - basically, when she’s overwhelmed. And we know Phryne Fisher: she chases it, not runs away from noise and people. She’s overwhelmed by the confusion of the relationship with Jack, for the fact that she may not be able to fix it, by the fact she cares about the fact she and the DI are not on speaking terms way more than she’d like. She holds the column, seeking the stability that has disappeared quite so suddenly from her life. (and perhaps comfort)

Or perhaps it was all that and everything that came after they reconciled. The separation made her see that she cares, opened her up to the possibilities. And then little things made her open up little by little till that very moment when he gave her a pin from when he was ten years old and she’s looking at him Like That.

It’s not easy for Phryne to fall, to open herself up emotionally. It’s beautiful to see the progress.

It’s especially beautiful to compare the scene where she tells Lin ‘she belongs to no man’ and the one where she tells Jack to come after her, making her grand romantic gesture. She still doesn’t belong to him, nor he to her, but it’s not really about belonging. It’s about preferring this person above the others, it’s about life making sense with them and being better with them. (And the fun that they can have together, too.)

[whopooh]

Play it again, Jack III: MFMM fics you love to reread

“I just need to read it one more time, Dot.”

Finally I have cut-and-mixed a new installment of fics about the Miss Fisher world that you love to go back to and read! Again, thank you so much to all who sent me fic recommendations, and people that hasn’t -- yes, I have one more post to come, so there is still some room for more!

Earlier posts: 

Play it again, Jack I (letter from @quiltingmom) Play it again, Jack II (mixed recommendations) The original ask

mokuyoubi, “The Heart Grows Fonder". Reread by @rubycaspar

When I first discovered MFMM and felt the need to go through every T-rated and higher fic on AO3 to combat the ridiculous UST of the show, this fic was the one I went searching for again when I was done. There are so many things I love about it -- the tension, the playfulness, the dream-like quality of the setup (especially if you read the preceding story, “In-Between Days”, first). And it's everything that I personally was imagining for a smutty Phrack reunion -- quick, passionate, desperate, steamy and loving -- and so it was exactly what I wanted to read having just finished the series. I absolutely love it and re-read it all the time.

CollingwoodGirl/ @jeneenp,  “Sweltering”. Reread by @omgimsarahtoo

I love @jeneenp's stories in general, but this one sticks in my head. I love the pure sensory overload of it -- the descriptions of the summer heat wave, and Jack sitting at his desk in his shirtsleeves, and the wild heat that rises up between them... and that's just in the first chapter! Chapter 2 has sassy Jack and humor and seduction, and chapter 3... well, I'll just say the heat isn't only in the temperature. Have your fans ready! This was written before series 3 aired, so it picks up where “Unnatural Habits” and “Murder Under the Mistletoe” leave off, with the aborted kiss (thanks, Aunt P) and "If I lock my door, no one could get in" and all of the tension that has built up between our two detectives. This story takes that tension and ratchets it up even higher, deftly weaving in Phrack's care and cameraderie even as it brings them to a rather explosive peak. It's just, in my opinion, divine.

mardia, “a lack of pretense”. Reread by @rithebard

I really like how this ends. I won't say but Jack is drugged and Phryne finds him and takes him home. You have to read the story to understand.

“500 Words: 60. Caustic” by @firesign23. Reread by @kanste

This is another one that hurts soooo good. The whole fight feels so real and leaves me in tears every single time. If you need a pic up, there are also two fix fics for this one: “Balm” by @edeainfj/deedeeinfj and “Ask me again” by YouKnowMeAsJ.

The dress that needed to come back.

@omgimsarahtoo, “A More Lethal Dress". Reread by @kanste

I think we all remember that beautiful dress Phryne wears to her first dinner with Lin. Sarah did all Lin not-fans a favour to make her wear it for Jack instead. The result is gorgeous, smutty gold. Like always the Sarah's smut is wonderful. The seduction atmosphere is spot on and sets you in the mood perfectly. I also love the image of past weeks of their relationship, think dinner with kisses and cuddling.

@scruggzi, “The Long Road to Patagonia”. Reread by @zannadubs23

Crossover fic with Doctor Who. I’ve been a big Doctor Who fan for most of my life, so I probably enjoyed this more than is reasonable. Maybe not. It’s really well done with the two story bases perfectly merged. Scruggzi has a great feel for both universes and her Doctor felt genuine and perfectly suited to traveling with our favorite Lady Detective. 

@firesign23, “A Glass Splinter”. Reread by @bumblemama

A fic I reread semi-regularly is “A Glass Splinter”. Last night I read it again, straight through. It's such a gorgeous story arc, full of the characters we all know and love but with a different starting point. The AU is fully as compelling; but I think because we all know the cases, there is more scope to explore the relationship. It's a salient reminder of how much they each hold themselves back in the series. And while we are all wishing they hadn't, there could be truly sad outcomes if they weren't so reserved.

@edeainfj/ deedeeinfj , “The Fixed Foot”. Reread by @omgimsarahtoo

This story, when it came out, was controversial -- it might still be, but I don't even care. I love it with unrestrained madness, and I go back to it regularly. In it, Jack has agreed that he is willing to have an open relationship with Phryne, and it opens with her taking advantage of that for the first time. It's painful as he goes through the terror that she won't really come back to him, that he isn't enough for her, that the fact that she wants other men means that she doesn't love him -- but it's redeemed as he begins to understand what those others do for her and how they aren't a commentary on how he pleases her or how much she loves him. It's incredibly affirming of their differences and their relationship, and add to that it's gorgeously written.

Gingham, “Repentance”. Reread by @whopooh

This story envisions a version of their reunion that is in equal measure beautiful and sad. Phryne comes back to Melbourne, not understanding why Jack never came or wrote her while she was in England, just to find out he’s in a very bad spot after a case that went wrong. It is heartbreaking and hopeful, and in a way that makes me want to go back there now and then. One of my favourite scenes is when Phryne finds out that Jack had in fact bought a ticket to England, and that he still carries it around with him in his pocket.

Modern Phryne. Equally discombobulated Jack.

@aljwritesphryne, “The YACI-verse”. Reread by @kanste

The fic series YACI really made me love modern AU's and it is another feel good fic for me. I love that Phryne is not only a PI but also a social media personality. The use of Twitter/Facebook is fantastic as is the slow development of Phryne's and Jack's relationship. There are so many little add-ons to the main story from @aljwritesphryne that give us glimpses into the Phrack life. She did such a fantastic job with the characterisation! In my opinion this is exactly like those two would be if they would live today.

Xfphiles, “Devil in the Light”. Reread by @rithebard

Jack and Phryne are not talking after the death in the race car episode. Phryne is hunting for a missing heiress and finds a white slavery ring. She gets kidnapped and Jack has only one thought in mind. Find her. He almost loses himself doing it. This story really captured me for so many reasons. The loneliness of both of them missing the other. And what Jack went through and would do for Phryne, because he loved her so much. Beautiful. (I love this whole series.)

LemmingDancer, “Perchance to Dream”. Reread by @rithebard

Once again, Jack and Phryne are not talking after the death in the race car episode. This time Jack kidnapped and this time Phryne is desperately hunting for him and realizing just how much she loves him. This is a top favorite of mine. I go back to it again and again. It really gives you how both Jack and Phryne are feeling throughout the story. How they are both dealing with this situation and you feel like you are with them.

@mercurialbianca, “I Ask No Man Pardon”. Reread by @kanste

This one is not a Phrack story but Rosie's story with a little bit of Phrack. I love the way Bianca wrote Rosie. I have a soft spot for Rosie in the show and I love that EC didn't go the "nasty Ex" route. The friendship and later sexual attraction between Rosie and Phryne is very well written. I'm not a writer myself but I can imagine it is difficult to write a threesome and make it sexy and loving at the same time. I love the Phrack relationship Bianca wrote (as usual) but by the end Rosie is my star and I'm rooting for her and her new life. (The smut is very hot too).

Soupsouffle, “The Scent of a Lady (Detective)". Reread by @kanste

Phryne is out of town with Mac and leaves something for Jack to remember her. This is pure Phrack Porn. If you are cold this will make you hot. Soupsouffle manages to create so many wonderful images of our favourite couple and I never looked at tissues the same way again.

Man just having had an Art Experience.

CollingwoodGirl/ @jeneenp, “The Artist and The Muse”. Reread by @kanste

Phryne finds out that Jack sat down for a painting while she was in England. I love the visuals that CollingwoodGirl creates in this one. The trust they are giving each other is very hot for me.

CollingwoodGirl/ @jeneenp, “The Artist and The Muse”. Reread by @geenee27

The first time I read this story it left me stunned, it was that good. The prose is exquisite -- my words would just not do it justice. Suffice it to say, the writer paints (pun intended) such a beautiful, erotic and intimate portrait of every inch of Jack (effing) Robinson I am drawn to this work again and again. I love Phryne's initial reaction to the whole scenario, her curiosity, her doubt, her little jealousy about this other women. And her reaction when she finally finds out the truth:

“Oh Jack.” Her voice sounds faraway with her hand covering her mouth – like she’s caught up in a dream.

Drinking in the eloquence of the charcoal lines, the finesse of the chalk as it casts a glow over the lithe nude figure, her fingers dart forward. She wants to see him through the eyes of this artist, to trace that familiar landscape in a completely unfamiliar way, to imagine herself as the one who rendered the very essence of him.

And Jack's feelings concerning all that follows. 

He can’t possibly hope to do anything but grin. This is what he loves most about her, he thinks. That he can surprise her – even shock her – without fear of judgment or the reprisal of stony silence.

(...)

He fists his free hand into her hair and kisses her, making silent promises with his mouth. In her open-armed acceptance, he has found freedom.

And if the story wasn't fantastic enough, Collingwoodgirl gives us the gift of finding the actual picture and it is glorious. 

@missingmissfisher, “Never expected”. Reread by @rithebard

Once again I love so many of @missingmissfisher‘s tales but I chose this one. Phryne and Jack go undercover as a married couple, Fern and Archie Jones. They are in England, Jack is there to see Phryne but also to help a friend from Scotland Yard. This is just such a delightful story. Not only do they have fun of being undercover but they get to finally explore their relationship. Love!

Lenore, “New Mutiny”. Reread by @kanste

After an explosion Jack loses is memory and can't remember anything that happened after the War. I love how the writer manages to keep the characters and the UST of the series while doing a very believable amnesia.

Lenore, “New Mutiny”. Reread by @rithebard

Jack has amnesia he can't remember anything since the war. Not where he lives, or what he now does, not Hugh Collins and of course not Phryne Fisher. But because of all the horrors he saw in hospitals during the war he does nothing. Just uses his will to make everyone including Phryne think he is fine. Love this story. This is also a favorite. I go back to it over and over. Just to see how Jack's mind works, how he figures things out and what he really feels toward Phryne. Beautiful.

Lenore, “New Mutiny” (and the podfic of the same) and @rubycaspar, “And you yourself shall keep the key of it”. Reread by @whopooh

I too adore Lenore’s fic and have gone back to it several times. There is something utterly delicious in Jack trying to figure out his relatonship to this strange woman that seems to commandeer his life. Like here:

She leans in closer. "Jack."

Maybe this is what they are to each other. Maybe all he needs to do is—he reaches for her before the thought has a chance to fully form. He rests his hand against her cheek, just like in the dream, his thumb stroking along her jaw as he presses their mouths together. She comes easily with a soft pleased sound, her body swaying in toward his. But it's after just the slightest stutter of surprise. He might not even have noticed that if he weren't so attuned to her.

He draws back in confusion. "I—" It's clear now that this isn't how they are, and he has no notion of how to explain himself, apart from offering a confession he has no intention of making.

I also love @rubycaspar‘s take on the amnesia trope, “And you yourself shall keep the key of it”, and even though it isn’t finished yet, I have already found myself rereading it for the tension of Jack trying to figure things out. It has a much sadder lining, as Phryne is aware of what is happening, and it’s beautiful both in the fun and the sad parts.

That’s all for today. And anyone feeling the urge, I’m happy to receive more recommendations!

[whopooh]

Play it again, Jack – fourth and final post of MFMM fics you love to reread

There is no thing as reading too many times, Dot. And of course I can read this on a public transportation if I want to! 

This post is the fourth and final of “Play it again, Jack” – posts that collect the fics we love to go back to and reread.

It has been so fun to hear about your thoughts and to put these posts together. Thank you to everyone contributing!

First I want to start with a comment from @bumblemama that fits perfectly to the spirit of this collection:

Aaaaand another thing... despite having read literally every story on ao3 with the mfmm tag, I realised I couldn't actually remember them all. So I've just gone back to the very start and am working my way through again. There are some lovely gems, and it's really cute to see requests for a season 3, or even a few 'wonder where s2 will go' comments. A good reminder of how perspectives change and stories evolve. There would be plenty that would fit into one or more of the year of tropes, but they somehow seem less consciously trope-ish, I guess because they hadn't been done in this fandom before. Anyway. No specific recommendations just the generalized advice to find page 82 (!!!!) of the fics and work forwards!

@chrismarieisme sent me several lovely recommendations I felt I couldn’t cut up and mix, so here they are all together:

This was difficult because I love so many of the fics, but here we go:

“Be still” by @flashofthefuse – very sweet glimpse of a moment between P&J the night before she leaves for England. It's exactly how I'd hope that moment would be.

“He Calls Her Beautiful” by @ladyroxie – simply exquisite.

“A Perpetual Feeling” by @missingmissfisher – so romantic! The intuitive connection between P&J.

“The Actor” by @ollyjayonline – Jack & Jane, Pride and Prejudice. What more does one need?

“Merciful Powers” by @scruggzi – Jack, tights, Shakespeare. Ngggh.

“The Wager” by @soupsouffle – fun, witty, deliciously, steamy URST.

@soupsouffle, “The Wager”. Reread by @kanste

A wager between Phryne and Jack about who gives into seduction first makes for great banter and flirting. I love how they both use every trick in the book to seduce the other. This fic has some of the best flirting/banter and some of the hottest smut scenes ever. Do I need to say more?

@omgimsarahtoo, “A Thief in the Night”. Reread by @rubycaspar

This story is just so much fun. I love the beginning, told from drunk!Phryne's POV, and then the lovely moment when Jack wakes up and finds her there in the morning. I love the characterisation of both of them in this fic, and the concept is so cute and so well-executed.

@ladyroxie, “The Sweetest Fruit”. Reread by @kanste

Can I just say I love Peach and this fic has a lot of it. It has no smut but it is sooooo sexy. I love to imagine Jack in the garden, especially on a hot day like today. The banter/feeding is just like them and turns up the heat some notches.

@jackphryne4eva, “Cafe Blend”. Reread by @omgimsarahtoo

I adore the meta nature of this fic – the story is of a female MFMM fanfic reader who needs to find a quiet place to read the latest chapter of a smutty fanfiction. Her anticipation is delicious, as is the small French cafe she finds! There's an element of all of us in how she is struggling against her impulse to hide her obsession with MFMM and its fic, and how she decides to read on, working to smother any shame she's been made to feel. It's got a million tiny moments that evoke the show, and so many spots that could be any one of the Phrack fangirls we know. I just love it!

@aljwritesphryne, “and stealing my heart...”. Reread by @rithebard

.... Sweet story. Jack takes Phryne home to escape her mean father and it is just such lovely touching story.

@evendale, “Finally”. Reread by @scruggzi

Set after “Unnatural Habits”, this was one of the first fics I read and I was fascinated by the exploration of phrack's developing relationship with a much more inexperienced depiction of Jack than in many other fics. Phryne in this is very much the teacher, ushering him into the modern world through their developing relationship. Their characters take on this nice point and counterpoint dynamic, with her representing the age of modernity and him a traditional approach that he's fairly eager to leave behind. It's mostly a very gentle story with some lovely banter and very sweet moments between the two of them and it's very much a comfort fic for me. Something I tend to re-read when I'm grumpy. Although I think I lean towards a more experienced version of Jack's character now, with its setting at the end of season two I think this one works as an interpretation and it fills me full of the happy feels whenever I go back to it.

@firesign23, “Grasping at Shadows”. Reread by @rithebard

Phryne and Jack go back to Paris after the war and are haunted by their past and have a hard time sharing it with each other. This is sweet and special because it touches on their vulnerabilities. And how their love bridges it. It is a lovely tale.

@aljwritesphryne, “A Collingwood girl for an Abbotsford Man”. Reread by @kanste

Phryne and Jack return to the footy field and it turns out very different then in the show. I love the flirting and how determined Phryne is to "win over" Jack.

There is desk sex too.......

@omgimsarahtoo, “The Power of the Feminine”. Reread by @kanste

Another series of fics. I love all the different aspects Sarah put into the fics. There is young Jack having sex for the first time and Sarah manages to make the life of the woman with whom it happens come alive. She also introduces us to all the different women who made Jack the man and lover he is today. Of course there is Phrack sexy time. She gives us a new family member whom I like very much and I hope makes a return sometimes.

What made me especially happy is the Happy End Concetta is getting after Jack. It is such a wonderful heart-warming story for a lovely minor character.

@phrynesboudoir/Sassasam, “Mirrors into Windows”. Reread by @scruggzi

This fic combines all my favourite elements of undercover phrackvestigation and resolved sexual tension. Phryne and Jack have been estranged since her return from London although Phryne doesn't know why Jack's not sought her out since she's been back. After being thrown together on a case involving slaughtered academics they renew their friendship and try to navigate a big change in Jack's life and what it means for their partnership. There are lots of lovely things I could say about this fic but basically Phryne as a professor was a kink I never knew I had and it made me spectacularly happy.

@promisesarepiecrust, “City that works” and "A Whole World in Here". Reread by @balticprincess

These are two of my special favourites. Unusual, but great!

There are three things that I love best in fics I like: Angst, Modern AU and a happy ending. And while the first two are not mandatory, I enjoy other fics as well, the last one is. As I watch only movies with happy endings, of course this goes for reading fic, too. "A Whole World in here" by @promisesarepiecrust is written as a play. Nevertheless you can suffer and rejoice with Phryne and Jack in this one. It is full of suspense and romantic. And angsty. So angsty. The epilogue is lovely AND it is M-rated, as I like it. So, an unusual one, but so good and well written.

"City that works" is a modern AU. Total AU: Jack is the free-spirited rich guy and Phryne the divorced policewoman with PTSD. It works so well, that one. Romance, suspense, will-they-won't-they, sex, love, misunderstandings, fun: all there. So, also unusual, but so worth reading!

lefaym, “Locked Rooms”. Reread by @whopooh​

I have probably read this fic more than ten times. It’s fun and lighthearted, and it captures awkwardness in such a wonderful way. Phryne is sure she is about to die in a cellar together with Jack, and she decides to kiss him, because she “had no intention of going to her grave without ravishing Jack Robinson at least once”. When they are saved by Dot and Hugh, they are found in the most compromising situation, and from this moment on the fic is all about delicious awkwardness, and Phryne not wanting to admit she feels awkward. She tries to push it away as not important but fails spectacularly. Here comes one of the funniest lines I’ve read: “Phryne was not going to be defeated by a small masturbatory lapse in judgment“. Finally, the people around her decides she needs a push in the right direction, and we meet the lovely concept of Aunt P ex machina. 

@omgimsarahtoo, “The Female Gaze”. Reread by @kanste

Why do I like that fic? Well, it has Jack in a shower (a lot). But that is not all. Every single reaction to Jack is spot on and lovely. Especially Elsie has a soft spot in my heart

YouknowmeasJ, “Before the World”. Reread by @scruggzi

I'm am absolute sucker for a fluffy reunion fic and this is one I especially like. Jack catches up with Phryne before she leaves Australia and they scheme together to get the Baron home without Phryne having to fly him because he's driving her up the wall. Some lovely funny banter, a little bit of smut and that nice 'you and me against all obstacles' aspect of their partnership really comes to the forefront.

@phrynesboudoir/Sassasam, “The Nearness of You”. Reread by @rithebard

I love pretty much everything Sassasam writes but I chose this one because it really touched my soul. Jack dies in 1929 on the way to meet Phryne and his ghost finds it attached to her home but no one can see him for years till her a new Phryne Stanley comes along. I love this story because you love Phryne's decedent and you feel so deeply for both Jack and Phryne Fisher's sadness and loneliness. Incredibly touching.

@gaslightgallows, “Creatures of Stillness”. Reread by @rithebard

Again I really love gaslightgallows's stories. But this one just really touches me. Jack becoming a merchant seaman to get to Phryne in a beard and dirty peacoat all he wanted to do was get to Phryne and she was delighted. She loves taking care of Jack and it is a very sexy story but it was what they discover about their feelings that really touches me.

@jeneenp/ CollingwoodGirl, "A Man in Need”. Reread by @kanste

This fic has so much going on. I love the PhrackAngst, how everyone works together to get our two idiots together, and the little glimpse in Jack's live. It has some of my favourite Phrack scenes in it. Phryne convincing Jack to let himself touch (in the train), Phryne being her goddess self and bathing in the forest lake and Phryne teaching Jack how to use his tongue. As a plus you have Dot in detective mode.

@olderbynow , ”Smoke and Fire”. Reread by @zannadubs23

According to my reading history it’s around five hits. I love this for a couple of reasons. It’s light and sweet, but still smoking hot. Phryne who is normally so wonderful at everything, just can’t handle the baking of the biscuits. I like that she wants to try, not because she’s goo-goo eyes for Jack (well, not only that—thought that’s clearly part of it) but because he challenges her. That’s it right there. It hits the essence of what makes them tick and lights our imaginations on fire with these idiots. He challenges her and she loves it. She challenges him and he loves it.

@ollyjayonline​, “For Fox’s Sake”. Reread by @whopooh​

This fic is such a happy place, it’s a fic that kind of sparkles with fun and companionship and teasing and love. Phryne and Jack are bailing out from a fox hunt to instead first save the fox and then ravish each other in a folly. The way they interact has such energy and at the same time lightness in it, Phryne’s teasing about Jack’s slightly higher levels of embarrassment is lovely, and it’s a delightful fic.

@omgimsarahtoo, “Romantic Overtures”. Reread by @kanste 

This is not a single fic but a whole series worth reading. I'm really, really fond of letters and Sarah writes some of the best letters out there. I love how Jack and Phryne get bolder with the letters and how in the later fics they keep up with the letters. I would love to have something like that in my relationship

Comeaftermejackrobinson, “Method in their madness” & Miss Templeton, Twelfth Night series (starting with “A Willow Cabin”). Reread by @rithebard

Reunion in England, "Method in their madness" is another favorite, so lyrical and poetic. It is really a story for romantics which I am and exploring the inner lives of our heroes. I also love Miss Templeton's Twelfth Night series on ff.net. She creates a fascinating arc in their romantic relationship while they professionally solve case after case. Also it is fun. And they both have their vulnerabilities with real understanding and though they don't say it out loud love.

DivineMissP,  "Impact" and "Pure Bliss". Reread by AnonM

Dark, well written hurt/comfort. Jack gets to be a reluctant hero without taking anything away from Phryne's strength.

@omgimsarahtoo, “The Breathings of Your Heart". Reread by @kanste

This is Sarathoo's take on the soulmate trope and one fic I've turned to many times. The concept of one soulmate is troubling but Sarah did it beautiful. I love that Phryne and Jack aren't really convinced of the concept (Jack marrying Rosie, Phryne is doing Europe) but when they need comfort turning to each other.  The picture of Phryne writing over her bruises without the ink gives me so many feelings. To balance it out, the conclusion and especially her last message made me laugh out loud.

@firesign23, “When I Sorrow Most”. Reread by @omgimsarahtoo

This is one of those stories that I go back to when I just need a moment to cry. It's short, but saturated with emotion, and just perfectly painful to read. It's like those movies you watch, knowing that they're going to tear your heart out and you're going to love every minute. It breaks my heart every single time.

@heavyheadedgal​, “Queen’s Gambit”. Reread by @whopooh​

This is only a ficlet, but I have found myself coming back to it agfain and again. Although Phryne and Jack are only playing chess in this fic, there is still so much happening and so much understanding flowing between them. I love the way they talk about themselves and their possibly developing relationship while they seem to be talking only about the game in front of them.

This was all.  Here are the earlier posts in the series: I ; II  ; III.

I hope I managed to include everything that has been sent to me -- if I missed something, please let me know and I’ll remedy it!

[whopooh]

Great tension in the Miss Fisher fanfic – post number 2

The tension is palpable.

Some weeks ago, I wrote a post on the theme of Unresolved and resolved sexual tension in the Miss Fisher fanfic, where I collected great quotes submitted by the fanfic readers. Here is post number two, and I apologise for the delay. A third will come soon! 

Thank you to everyone who took their time to send me recommendations – you are the sweetest! The text about every fic is from the recommender!

So, here goes:

“Kneel” by @edeainfj/deedeeinfj (chapter 1 of “Investigations”). Recommended by @firesign23:

In “Kneel” from deedeeinfj’s “Investigations”… well, there are times I am just going about my totally not Phrack-centred life and moments from this drabble cross my mind. (I could actually say the same about pretty much all of her work, to be honest, but this was one of the first ones I read so it’s getting the shout-out). But It’s a beautiful story about pleasure and control, and the unexpected depths of passion in our beloved inspector. And I can’t reduce it, every piece integral to the outcome, so you can get it in full:

Phryne judges her lovers on their first reaction when she kneels to pleasure them with her mouth. She doesn’t like being told that she doesn’t have to, as if she doesn’t know that damn well already. As if she, Phryne Fisher, would kneel and put a cock in her mouth if she didn’t want to. A man who is forthright about wanting his cock sucked is a man who truly understands the pleasure of giving pleasure. He is a man who will put himself at the mercy of his lover—even a woman. He is a man who isn’t afraid of losing control of his power or his body. He is a man who is willing to take, to submit to what is freely given. When she kneels and her partner begs her to continue, she aches with desire.

So, the first time she kneels before Jack, her heart sinks a little when he lays a hand on her head and says, “Wait.”

She should have known that he would fall into the gentlemanly, chivalrous category, but still she had hoped—

He continues, though. “Wait. Let me sit,” he says, out of breath, voice hoarse, fingers curling in her hair until it’s almost painful. “I can see you better this way. And I don’t think I’ll be able to keep standing while you do that.”

His smile is sheepish, but the one she flashes in return is devilish, happy, adoring. She doesn’t give him time to beg.

“Perhaps Another Time” by @mercurialbianca / TheHonorableMrsMcCarthy. Recommended by @geenee27:

The author writes a delightful epilogue to “THAT SCENE” containing a lethal dress and dangerous lingerie. What happens, after these two have thrown charged words and filthy looks each other, is superbly explored from Phryne’s point of view:

“Perhaps another time. At a less dangerous hour, in a less lethal dress.” Phryne Fisher knew “a tell” when she saw one and the flutter of his eyelids confirmed her suspicions. His lips may have said he was leaving for the evening, but his eyes had given her an I.O.U. And his voice had unmistakably lowered half a register. A little thrill ran through her. Flirting with Jack Robinson had become a favorite pastime, she was now thinking there was a very real chance it might become a contact sport.

I love how much Phryne recognizes a worthy opponent when she sees one.

Not always, Miss Fisher.

“Appropriate” by @whopooh. Recommended by @geenee27

Aunt P interrupts Phryne and Jack’s “Not Always, Miss Fisher” moment; however in this wonderful tale it happens later as she catches them in a scenario not particularly ‘appropriate’. There is lots of delicious reactions from Phrack, Mac and Aunt P, about the interruption, in the following days, but I particularly chose this passage relating to Jack’s thoughts as he beats a hasty, embarrassed retreat and is driving home:

He already knew something about kissing Phryne, but he hadn’t imagined the difference it would make that she was now fully aware of what was happening, and focusing on him. He took her in his arms, like he had wanted to do more times than he could count. He revelled in feeling her against him, sensing her through that thin robe she was wearing. As their kiss grew heated, he felt a bolt of lightning burn straight through him, almost incinerating him. This was how it felt to kiss Phryne Fisher – to press her to him, to hear her whisper against his lips. It was like containing electricity in his arms, like being scorched beyond recognition and not regretting it for a moment.

First real kiss – perfection. Is it getting warm in here?

For jeneep’s “Sweltering”, I received two recommendations:

“Sweltering” by @jeneenp/Collingwoodgirl. Recommended by @federalistdarling:

Can I quote the whole thing?

I love this piece because it seems such a realistic crescendo to the will they/wont they nature of their relationship. It seems typical Phryne to catch Jack off guard and even goad him a bit then to have her quote Shakespeare to him almost as an olive branch for her naughty behavior.

A frustrating beginning and a sweet and somewhat sweaty ending. Haha!!

God, she wanted him. Months of doing this little dance - this slow waltz with Jack - had left her feeling dizzy, almost desperate, with desire for him. The feeling was mutual, she knew, but whether out of propriety or fear, he had managed to parry each and every one of her advances. Well, not this time, she assured herself. (from chapter 1)

When Jack dared take his eyes off the road, he could see Miss Fisher attempting to nonchalantly observe his every move through her dark sunglasses. It was far too loud in the roaring motor car to talk and he could feel the expectation and anticipation building between them. (from chapter 2)

“Sweltering” by @jeneenp​/Collingwoodgirl. Recommended by @kanste:

A heatwave, a picnic and a hail storm – what more do you need? Ah, yes, Phryne seducing Jack with Shakespeare. Here is one great quote from this wonderful story:

The last of the ink residue long since vanquished, her fingers continued to caress his hand. He finally allowed himself to look up at Phryne’s face and found that his gaze was met instantly by darkened eyes. A sultry smile was bestowed on him, her lips twisted in a bright red bow that he ached to unwrap. Jack was so caught off guard by her unmasked attraction, he actually smiled back. He saw her eyes widen in surprise and triumph and he felt immediately wrong footed.

“Ah, thank you,” he murmured, half surprised that he could speak at all and reluctantly wrenched his hand and eyes away from her.

Phryne let his hand slip away but continued to smile, a wicked glint sparkling now in her eye. She had been watching him closely as he had given himself permission to take her in, indulge in her touch and proximity. She could practically feel the heat smoldering from him. All she needed to do was strike the match and pray that the fire would consume them both.

“You’ve got more,” she informed him, her voice as smooth as the whiskey.

She raised her hand to his face and skimmed a curled finger across the soft skin under his chin, her thumb braced against the small cleft.

“Just here,” she breathed, reveling in the feeling of his tender flesh, how his eyes fluttered shut at her touch, the tiny shudder that seized through him and electrified her fingers.

A tiny huff of breath escaped his lips, sharpening his features. But before he could protest, she brandished the whiskey-soaked handkerchief again and was blotting his throat, careful to let the backs of her fingers brush against as much of his exposed skin as possible.

Jack sat stock still, seemingly in utter anguish as his body rejoiced at her touch while his brain stuttered for a reason to stop her.

Phryne had lowered her face so close to his, she could feel his breath ghosting against her, count the green flecks in his aquamarine eyes. She felt his adam’s apple bob against her hand and knew his self-control was tenuous at best.

“Phryne,” he whispered. His nostrils flared as he spoke and it was the sound of her given name on his lips - the pleading tone in which it was uttered - that provoked her.

“Are you alright?” she asked - the very picture of innocence. “You seem a bit overheated, Inspector,” she challenged, looking him directly in the eye and refusing to give an inch.

Are we on stage or not, Miss Fisher?

“Nine Times Out Of Ten” by @ollyjayonline. Recommended by @whopooh:

There is such delicious tension in this story, in the way Phryne and Jack have one relationship in reality, and then plays up another version – where she needs to pretend to be interested in him, while he not in her – and @ollyjayonline explores the uncertainty about what is play and what is real in such a wonderful and very tense way.

Here is a lovely passage showing the two layers:

“I’m making things right, everyone here is now very clear that I have decided to put an end to your budding romance with Miss Bowen - oh and I’m about to seduce you.”

“Really?” his eyes flashed back to hers, “Am I going to enjoy it?”

“No. I need you to look uncomfortable and perhaps a little angry, remember we’re only professional colleagues and you know better than to get romantically involved with a woman like me.”

He nodded, this was a role he knew how to play.

And this is a wonderful example of how the two layers are starting to blend together for Phryne:

“I think that’s enough for tonight,” she had whispered, gazing up into his eyes, as she let her hand wander possessively over his upper arm, “I want you to look like you’re telling me how inappropriate my behaviour is and then leave.”

“This is me telling you Miss Fisher that I would appreciate it if, next time you decide to play match maker, you leave me out of it,” he spun on his heels and walked away.

She stood there for a moment, unsure exactly how much of that had been acting.

And then it gets even more tense, because their play also harks back to hurtful actions in their relationship, reminding them of their own pain – and then the fic gives us an incredible release of the tension, after the break in this quote:

“Can we start again Jack? As friends? Please?” She would never admit, not even to herself, how often she had dreaded having to say these words to him.

He shook his head, “I don’t think that would work, last night you reminded me of feelings that I thought I had conquered.”

“Sounds serious,” the words were out before she could stop them, damn him for unsettling her like this.

A flash of pain appeared in his eyes and it took a moment before he replied, “It is.”

Upset at having unintentionally brought up their previous estrangement she reached out, seeking the comfort of what they were to each other now, only to have him step away.

“Good night, Miss Fisher.”

For the second day in a row she was left behind, alone and off balance.

***

As soon as he stepped in her cabin she threw him up against the door, claiming his mouth with a wild hunger. “Don’t you ever walk away from me like that again Jack Robinson,” her voice was dark and threatening, “You don’t get to leave me behind. Never!” Her hands moved roughly around his body undoing buttons, ripping off his bow tie, pushing off clothes in a frenzy that left him groaning helplessly against her.

Dragging her dress up over her hips she ground herself hard against his thigh, leaving him in no doubt exactly how much she wanted him. Her frantic desire was intoxicating and he spun them round, her back against the door, lifting so she could spread her legs around him.

(…) Her kiss in response was savage. Her teeth hitting against his, her tongue so deep in his mouth he was almost choking, her finger nails digging into his scalp until it hurt. And he came so hard he almost collapsed.

Reluctantly letting go of her thighs so she could take her own weight, he did his best to keep them both upright.

When he had finally caught his breath, “Dare I ask?”

“Its what I should have done,” she confessed, “all those months ago when you told me you were giving me up.”

“I’m fairly sure if you’d done that then, it would have scared me to death.”

“Not quite the reaction I would have been aiming for,” she conceded.

“That Moment is Now” by @phrynesboudoir/Sassasam. Recommended by @quiltingmom:

“That Moment is Now” by Sassasam is one of my absolute favorites (top 3 but they change positions all the time, lol). This fic for me has it all, the setting, the romance, the banter, the casefic but the sexual tension (resolved and unresolved) is off the chart. I really consider it probably one of the dirtiest and yet… I love it so much. Shhh don’t tell anyone.

Here’s one part that references URST and the anticipation of the possibilities as well as feeling Jack’s mind churning is just one of many moments in this fic that gives me goose bumps:

“I can feel your eyes on me,” she said, reaching for her wine and taking a sip. 

“I like watching you, what can I say,” he replied.

He faltered a little under the intensity of her gaze. Her eyes darkened as she appraised him and he felt like a child blundering through asking out a girl he fancied. But broach the subject he must. He couldn’t resist the siren call that was Phryne.

“About earlier,” he began. “What exactly did you mean?”

She leaned into him and whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened.

“Do you mean to tell me,” he kept his voice low and quiet, “that some people actually enjoy that?”

“Some people, yes,” she affirmed. “It can be very liberating. Once you relinquish control to someone else.”

“I imagine it would take a great deal of trust,” Jack remarked.

“A very great deal. But I trust you Jack. I’d let you try some things, if you wanted to,” she answered.

“I’m not certain I could,” he leaned into her, whispered in her ear, “I mean could I? It wouldn’t be – gentlemanly. Some of the things I might want to try.”

She chuckled and batted her lashes at him. “But that’s the point, Jack. It’s like playing a role. We’re miles away from home. No one knows us here. To them we’re honeymooners wildly in love.”-

She smiled softly at him.

“What if I hurt you?” he asked.

“We could have a word. If things get uncomfortable for either of us, we could say- I don’t know- ‘Prudence’ and we’ll agree to stop,” she said.

Jack chuckled and ate a mouthful of chicken fricassee. “Well that would certainly put me off,” he admitted.

Phryne laughed and sipped her champagne. “You like the idea though, don’t you,” she said at last.

Jack took a deep breath, eyes downcast before looking her in the eye. “I do.”

She smiled. “It excites you.”

He nodded slightly. “It does.”

“The thought of what we might do.”

“Don’t,” he warned. “I’m not certain I’ll be able to control myself.”

"Something of a Miracle” by @heavyheadedgal. Recommended by @firesign23:

@heavyheadedgal’s “Something of a Miracle” is a fantastic first time fic, mingling expectations and reality in a way that’s both amusing and hot, and keeps the deep and abiding friendship between these two. It’s hard to choose an extract, but I suppose I’ll go with:

In some dim corner of his mind still capable of rational thought, Jack registered that Phryne liked it when he cursed. She liked it a lot. Years in the army and police force had earned him an extensive vocabulary of foul language, though he rarely used it. So much for romance, he thought, then put his mouth to her neck and murmured every filthy word he knew. She was sweating and scratching at his back and looked absolutely glorious.

It’s perfect for this challenge of restraint and tension: Jack letting go of what he thought he wanted to do what satisfies them both, and the image of Jack Robinson with filthy words is just too delightful for words.

“A Glass Splinter” by @firesign23, chapter 31. Recommended by @whopooh:

I completely adore this fic, and just reread it. I seem to especially love the “false RST,” where there seems to be a resolvedness to the sexual tension, but it’s not properly solved. Like in chapter 26 that I never seem to stop alluding to, where Jack and Phryne have excrutiatingly different views of what they’re doing – as well as here, in chapter 31, when they have a night of farewell. They are more sincere and open to each other than they have been previously in this fic, but it’s still tinged with sadness and parting, and the resolution of the sexual tension is only half:

“Miss Fisher.”

She reached up to cup his cheek.

“Say my name, Jack. Please. Just for tonight.”

He shuddered, the hastily erected walls between them crumbling once more.

“Phryne,” he breathed.

Nobody in the world said her name the way he did, like it was everything precious in the world, like it was a secret to be treasured, to be used sparingly in moments that mattered.

She kissed him, a light brush of her lips against his tampered with hesitance. His returning kiss was slow and shallow, his hand cradling her head. They pulled away at almost the same moment, sharing a small smile.

“One last gaudy night?” she said softly, hoping he would say yes. She couldn’t bear to end it already; there were hours before her ship left.

“No,” he said, and her heart fell. He gave her a sad, lopsided sort of smile. “A farewell, perhaps, but there is nothing gaudy about tonight.“

And then a bit further on:

“Do you love me?” He had been tracing circles across her skin when she’d asked; he’d shaken his head. “Would it change anything if I did?” “No,” she admitted; it was both freedom and duty that called her away. “Then spare me that one indignity,” he’d said, so quietly that she had almost missed it.

I hope this makes you want to go and reread some fics – it sure makes me want to do it! More recommendations will come very soon. 

[whopooh]

Miss Fisher and the plight of miscommunication – February’s trope challenge

Does this whisky glass imply drinks, or something else, Miss Fisher?

You remember I couldn’t help but write a post about the soulmate trope of January, because it was so much fun and gave food for so much thought. The same really proved to be true for the miscommunication trope, so I decided to write about that one too. I remember that when the trope was announced, @quiltingmom was not the happiest in the fandom, fearing all the angst that would come up with this trope. She even taught me that “smh” means “shaking my head”. So, I decided to do the organisation of this post in a @quiltingmom proof way, by ordering them after their amount of angst, starting with the lightest and going to @ladyroxie. (I’d love some feedback from you about where you draw the line between nicely angsty and too angsty in this line!)

This is actually a very reasonable way to structure the stories. The nice thing with miscommunication -- apart from it fitting Phryne and Jack and their way of behaving rather well -- is that it can take turns in very different directions. The plot itself is usually one of comedy – in that classic sense of the word, which means the ending is happy – since miscommunication really needs to be cleared up for the story to feel completed. But that gives ample opportunity for different roads to be taken -- and very different length of fic -- between the start and the happy ending; I have made a division into humour; humour with an angsty part; angst light; and angst. (Here is the full collection.)

I am delighted that the February fic covered all of these possibilities, and in so many different ways. The wonderful humour part saw @olderbynow’s “Across Frayed Wires,” where Jack gets a message from Hugh over a very bad line. We are given the internal view of a delightfully overthinking Jack that tries very hard to not think about a certain lady detective, but when the message says “alarm” and “Fisher” he cannot help but associate this to Phryne. The message 

made no damn sense at all, but still had Jack’s heart climbing into his throat as his mind helpfully supplied filler words that essentially translated the sentence into “Miss Fisher has done something reckless again and is in danger.” It was the sort of phone call he spent half his days expecting, of course. 

Unfortunately for Jack, when he stumbles into Wardlow he instead disturbs Phryne in the middle of a tryst with a lover, and the mortification of Jack and all his awkwardness and thought-processes are adorable.

More humour and teasing with regard to their sexual relationship is present in @loopyhoopyfrood’s “Mistaken”. This is an original take, set before the timeline of the episodes, and gives us a sweet and fun and mistakenly heated encounter that is completely packed with misunderstandings, and poor Jack gets pushed into doors no less than two times by a very insistent Miss Fisher. A third teasing with the sexual theme is sassasam/@phrynesboudoir's “Miss Communication” that is set after the last episode. Phryne writes from England a rather juicy letter to Jack, that also quotes some of his own not completely innocent phrases from an earlier letter, but puts it in the wrong envelope. The exact look on Aunt P’s face when she reads that scandolous letter we are left to imagine from the line “with eyes almost bulging from their sockets.” Jack, poor duck, on the other hand, receives a letter that talks about embroidery.

A final predominantly humourous fic is @ollyjayonline’s “Nine times out of ten”. It is a delightful story of Phryne deciding to play match-maker and implicating Jack in that, while on the boat back home to Australia. It is rather emma-esque in the way her plan goes rather wrong, the girl Jack was meant to pay attention to suddenly interested in him and not in the original beau she was aiming to make jealous. Suddenly they find themselves in a situation where Jack has to play the role of not wanting Phryne, and Phryne the role of trying to get him – all while they secretly have an established relationship, that is still a bit shaken by the roles they play. It’s a wonderful way of contrasting their true relationship with the fake one and with what the people around them are believing about them. Above all there is a delicious tension – her decision forcing Jack to play a part, and then she herself not being sure when he is playing and when he’s sincere. Phryne faces emotional turmoil and realisations, while the humourous aspect is still the main one.

From this, the step is not far to @flashofthefuse’s “Mistaken relations”, that I decided to label as the first humour with an angsty part. The fic introduces an embarrassing moment when Phryne thinks Jack has asked her to come over, and while she has decided to surprise him with hardly any clothes on, he comes home with another woman. Awkwardness ensues and Phryne is thrown off-kilter a little bit, feeling unsure and a little bit jealous, but at the same time knowing she has no right to be jealous. And incredibly sweetly, what really annoys her is that “he was laughing, Mac. Before he opened the door, I could hear him laughing.” Phryne and Jack are so acutely aware of not pressuring the other that they completely fail in communicating what they want. Jack’s sister – because that’s the mysterious woman – asks him:

“So, you’re not worried about her?” “Because of this? No. I worry about her getting herself arrested, or possibly shot, but this kind of thing? No.

Of course, the readers just want to tackle Jack at this point, but he perseveres, and it’s probably lucky he has a clever sister. She has the same no-nonsense take on things as her brother, at least: “I hope I get another chance to meet her while I’m here, preferably fully clothed.”

In @firesign23’s “As stimulating as black coffee”, Jack has followed Phryne to England just for them to realise that they aren’t working, sexually: 

It’s fine,” he said. “You just surprised me.”  “I’m aiming higher than fine, Jack.”  The man actually pouted. “Well, I certainly wasn’t achieving it.” 

They have a wonderfully ridiculous argument and part ways, which is a very fun turn of the reunion in England -- of course that’s not the end of it though. 

@promisesarepiecrust “Maybe more?” is a lovely short take on the question of Phryne and marriage, as she wakes to a note left by Jack that seems to say “marry me?” Phryne is rattled: “When she’d first read it, she couldn’t help the words that left her mouth: first a curse, followed by “Oh, Jack, no— why would you do that?!”” As the trope is what it is, maybe he didn’t exactly – and it plays out in a lovely way.

Phryne is Very Angry.

The final humourous fic is @jeneenp/collingwoodgirl’s “Licence to Thrill” and its theme of overhearing. Without him noticing, Phryne overhears Jack talking with colleagues, and is appalled as she realises he is talking rather demeaningly about her. Everything she ever thought about him crashes down completely, the betrayal is enormous, and she walks into his office and hits him hard in the face. Jack’s reaction is wonderful – without taking his eyes off her, he asks the other policemen to leave them alone:                                        

For nearly a full minute, there was nothing but silence. All three men appeared to have been turned to stone by the furious goddess that stood before them. It was only when Jack reached up and, unbelievingly, dabbed at his cheek that she was reminded he was still flesh and blood. “Collins—” Jack growled, his eyes never leaving hers. When Hugh didn’t move, Jack barked again. “Both of you! Out. Now.”

And Phryne “found it largely reminiscent of a hostage negotiation. It was immensely satisfying.” What follows is a delicious conversation where he tries to understand her fury, she slowly realises that they had actually been talking about something completely different from what she’d gathered, and an equally delicious making up.

In the category angst light I place three fics. @suigeneris221b‘s “Someone is waiting” gives us Jack finding out through the newspaper’s gossip column that Phryne has married in London. He decides to immediately repress all his feelings until he can go home and have a breakdown in peace. It’s both humorous and angsty, and Mac’s telegrams to Phryne asking what the heck she is doing are great. As the trope is miscommunication, we probably shouldn’t take the newspaper’s story at face value, and we get truly wonderful interactions between the triad of Phryne, Jack and Mac while trying to make it all right again. Something similar can be said about @whopooh’s “I’d know you anywhere,” where the slightly angsty misunderstanding instead stems from Jack being feverish after a knife wound, mistaking people for each other. Again, Mac is a solid rock for her BFF Phryne. In @missingmissfisher’s “A thousand times over”, the misunderstanding evolves from Phryne having received a faulty message, which makes her walk in on Jack having dinner with and comforting Rosie, and this then leads to several disastrous attempts at contact between the two. Finally, in a lovely turn, Jack manages to communicate through the flower language, but it wouldn’t have worked out without the translation help from her solid friend Mac, educated in the natural sciences.

Finally, the end of the spectre: the angst proper of miscommunication, which obviously can be rather heavy. In @rositalg’s “Old Habits Die Hard Holding On” Phryne and Jack have just about started a relationship, and in a clever twist the fic in one single scene explores three things: Jack’s fear of Phryne wanting other men, the fear belonging to the threat of a serial killer in a case, and Phryne’s fear that goes back to her backstory with René. There is a flinch in the fic that is really devastating. Two fics deal with mistaken news of death: comeaftermejackrobinson’s “The tell-tale heart” explores a possible parallel to “Blood at the Wheel” – if it was instead Phryne who at that moment in time would receive a message that Jack had died, and also discovering that he had put her down as ‘next of kin’: “He had listed her as his next of kin and had never said a word about it. She could have killed him for putting her through this, really, had he not been already dead”. @omgimsarahtoo’s “In the Next Breath” explores the Phryne receiving mistaken news of Jack’s death when they are already in an established relationship -- the feeling of loss is acute:

Her head swam, and when she dropped her hand from her eyes, she could see Dot’s concerned face, black spots swimming through her field of vision. Ha, dots on Dot. The thought made her huff out a laugh, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, horrified.

Only minutes after the news, Jack comes home to a devastated household, and acutely heightened from the thought of the loss are Phryne's emotions and the feeling of making love to him.

The last fic is the most angsty one, @ladyroxie’s “Between the Shadow and the Soul”. In this multi-chapter case fic, Jack disappears on his way to England without a trace, and as Phryne doesn’t even know he decided to follow her, it takes time before anyone starts to miss him -- a nightmare in itself. Jack has been badly injured by a person who steals his identity to travel, and when Phryne finally realises he’s gone missing, she investigates, takes help from an old friend in England, and goes to Egypt to try and find him. It is very suspenseful and the question is if she’ll manage to find him, and in time. Jack’s injuries here were so brutal that @221aubrina in “The Library” – which here can serve as a sweet appendix to the trope – wrote a wonderful meta story about the librarians that take care of all the ‘Jacks’ that have been out in circulation among the fanfic writers and have been damaged. After @ladyroxie’s fic, the librarians check the injuries and note:

“Yeah... he'll need a good deal of extra time and care in The Restoration Lab." Norton shook his head. "Huh. Pretty bad then, eh?" Harris nodded to his colleague. "We might have to bring a couple of the other copies out before this edition's fit to be checked out again, if it ever is." "Think he might have to go to the Special Collections Wing?" Norton queried.

Thus we can, even in this journey towards more and more angst, end on a humorous note.

This was the February trope, and I look very much forward to reading stories of March’s trope, “Bottle episode”. 

[whopooh]

Miss Fisher and the double ways of communicating

Why, Jack, have you written things in between the lines here?

When we had the lovely trope challenge of January, there was one thing I felt I didn’t tease out enough, so I want to do that in a separate post (even though I made a record comment over three comment boxes on @omgimsarahtoo’s fic, I still didn’t really talk about this).

My interest today has to do with a kind of double communication – that Phryne and Jack are communicating on two different levels at the same time, without really or only partially understanding it. In a way this exists already in the show: the fact that they are so guarded and keep their feelings close to the chest, talking in a kind of short-hand, and that their smiles and eye-contact and body language are saying things, but not the words. This tendency is explored in many fics in a wonderful way (please give favourite examples in the comments, I would love that!). 

Today’s theme is fics that make this extra explicit -- a double communication, in person and in writing, where the meeting and the writing form two different channels between the two.

In @omgimsarahtoo’s “The Breathings of Your Heart”, part of the soulmate challenge, it is the soulmate bond that offers this second level of communication. In this AU, soulmates have a connection via their skin, being able to write on their own skin so that the other can see the letters on theirs. That is to say, the soumate connection is a communication channel more than a mark. What makes the soulmate idea so powerful here is that even if it’s an external, natural force that has made Phryne and Jack have this bond, the reason the connection is working is due to what they themselves put into it.

The two of them form a bond with an unknown and unnamed stranger, where they can talk about things in a slightly different way than in their ordinary life. It’s succinct and mostly about important things, and the knowledge that there is someone out there to listen gives relief in hard moments. They turn to this other person in moments of crisis, grief, or loss, and they write in a way that cuts to the heart of things without any of the social surroundings’ embellishments. Phryne writes, after Janey’s gone missing, “She’s gone, and I’m alone"; her unknown soulmate answers ���You’re not alone.” After a horrible battle in the war, Jack writes “They’re all dead, but I’m alive" and his anonymous writing friend answers “Good. Stay that way" --“Swallowing hard, he snapped the tip on his capsule and wrote the truth that was etched on his soul. And he cried silently in the dark when she replied.”

They also give each other not only comfort, but a kind of much-needed challenge – like when Jack writes that his wife left him and Phryne answers not immediately “I’m sorry,” but first “Did you deserve it?”  And when Jack writes to his stranger/friend after having broken the ties with Phryne after “Blood at the Wheel”, she – without knowing it is him – gives him the short advice “Perhaps if it hurts so much, it isn’t the right thing.” It is beautiful in its succinctness.

Thus, Phryne and Jack function as a kind of mix between pen pal, imaginary friend and diary for each other. As they do this unaware of the other’s identity, it’s only the reader that understands the kind of bond that is forming. The function of the soulmark is not to make them think of each other in romantic or intimate terms, only to enhance what has already been forming when they realise the identity of the known stranger, and it works beautifully. The unfolding of their relationship is still in the real word, the second level communication not taking over the events, rather forming a confirming shadow to them.

Another fic that explores a similar double communication is @milanima/ahotep100’s “Scribbling Strangers”, where Phryne and Jack in a modern AU start a conversation by scribbling on a park bench. A conversation that then transfers to e-mail, and where they discuss things with the stranger without realising who it is. Here, they almost simultaneously meet in life and in written form, and interestingly Jack takes a much bigger liking to the written version of Phryne. When Phryne comes with lunch to him at the station, he is sad he can’t go check the park bench that has been quiet for some time, realising he cannot say to her “No, I cannot eat the sandwich, because I need to go mourn the loss of a conversation with a complete stranger at a park bench in the botanic garden.” It is still unfinished, so we don't know yet how, if, and when they will realise the identity of their scribbling stranger.

I would be the most excellent thief, of course, do you want me to prove it?

Finally, one of the fics that explore the doubleness in a wonderful way is fahye’s “Fighting vainly the old ennui”. (I know I have talked about it before, and it is worth mentioning, and it actually also exists as a podfic, very well recorded, for anyone interested.) 

In this AU, Phryne is not a lady detective but a gentlewoman thief instead, given the popular name ‘the Bowerbird’. In a Robin Hood kind of way, she steals from people that are rich and crooked and deserves it, and gives the loot to charity. Jack is the policeman that works with the case. The elusive thief starts to leave notes for him, that become more and more personal and teasing: “Now that we're moving in the same circles, so to speak, I feel like it's only polite that we get to know one another. And thanks to the fascinating newspaper stories -- do you make that face all the time, or only when faced with journalists? -- I know a little about you.” By quoting literature and poking at him, her letters slowly make him fall in love with her. At the same time, he meets the social persona of Phryne Fisher, and is intrigued. This doubleness works fabulously, enhancing their interactions, their affinity and the longing to understand more about the other, and Jack’s torment at being teased and talked to, but not being able to respond, is lovely:

The Bowerbird wasn't playing fair; Jack couldn't debate these pieces of paper. He couldn't tell pieces of paper and a growing pile of feathers that he, too, remembered the rare treat that was eating a single piece of tropical fruit in the heavy heat of a Christmas afternoon, stickying his best suit of clothes, which had been so clean and pressed for church that morning.    He wanted to catch her, he was going to catch her, if only because he had so much to say.

After his divorce is finalised, Mac – who has become his drinking buddy – takes him out for drinks and consolation, and we meet his inner thoughts about how life has ended up for him: "Jack smiled. Neither version of himself, before or just after the war, would have recognised him as he was now, with a lady physician as his foremost drinking companion and a jewel thief having replaced his mother as his most regular correspondent. People, lives, never could stop changing."

He is also taunted by his colleagues for the very odd and public relationship that he finds himself in: "Like everything else about the Bowerbird case, this had become a bit of a running joke: the thief leaving love notes for the policeman. Leave Jack Robinson alone with his crime scene, mates." Poor man.

Finally, the big turning point is that thief’s identity is revealed, by Dot coming to the station to ask him to help her mistress. Seeing the phantom of his letters and dreams and the woman that intrigued him finally collapse into one, that he has just rescued, he kisses her: “A dam months in the building had been knocked to splinters in his gut. He wanted to yell at her, and undress her, and pour poetry into her mouth with his own.”

That moment of realisation, that two people are actually one, and that you know a person more than you thought you did, is really powerful. In @omgimsarahtoo‘s story, Phryne realises Jack’s identity before he does, and it first makes her waver, feeling almost too ominous. The final revelation is, like in fahye’s fic, triumphant: 

Taking a deep breath, he sat up straight and rolled up his sleeve to see the message from his soulmate... and froze.    Will you be coming after me?    A huff of incredulous laughter escaped him as all of the pieces fell into place. Of course he never felt more at home than in her company, never questioned that he was in love with her. Phryne Fisher was his soulmate. Who else could it have been?    He uncapped his pen, realizing that his hands were shaking slightly.    How is it that you’re always two steps ahead of me, Miss Fisher? I arrive Southampton, Oct 17.

This theme of communication is also related to another one I have written about earlier, "literature as communication,” where I highlighted some times when literay quotes are used as interesting -- and also double-edged -- means of communication between the two detectives.

I think there are more fics that can fit into this theme -- please tell me if you have a favourite I forgot! It is such a powerful and fun way to explore the characters and their relationship and affinity.