#carry on through the ages 2023

[j-nipper-95]

The Trails We Blaze

Rating: Mature

Words: 41,035

Chapters: 12/?

Summary:

Simon and Baz have been through a lot together. Growing up as criminals on London's streets; surviving the Great War; dealing with a lot of repressed feelings. But after their latest con goes wrong, they're left with nothing but an ancient map, a signet ring of unknown provenance or value, and promises of a city that doesn't even exist.

Thrust into a world of adventure with danger at every turn, they're forced to decide how far they're willing to go for a myth, a fortune, and a chance at love.

Prologue / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11

Thank you to @artsyunderstudy for helping to beta read this beast of a fic and for producing some amazing artwork! I'm so excited to share this COTTA2023 (@carryonthroughtheages) fic with you all!

[hushed-chorus]

Simon is lucky to survive when his ship is wrecked, even if it left him stranded on a desert island. But he's not the only one who escaped. The ship's mysterious cargo, the creature in the box, also made it to shore. What hope does Simon have when a vampire is lurking in the island's wooded interior?

Welcome to Carry On Through The Ages 2023 (@carryonthroughtheages)! Please enjoy my Age of Sail Snowbaz fic about survival and finding happiness against the odds.

Blood, Salt & Hummingbirds on AO3

(Chapters 9/9, T but mind the tags and CWs in chapter notes)

[that-disabled-princess]

Lavender hearts [M, 3.4k]

Summary:

America, 1950s. Queer people are fired left and right, friends lose their jobs daily--and sometimes, their lives.

Simon and Baz are caught in the middle of it all with a homophobic father and an unconventional (in more than one way) relationship, terrified out of their minds but unwilling to give up the fight. They'll fight for years if they have to. They'll fight for decades.

But even the strongest wills can be broken with the hardest of blows.

My fic for @carryonthroughtheages is here! Thank you @bazzybelle for running this fest and for being a supportive mod and friend 💖 And a huge thank you to @j-nipper-95 for beta reading! Your enthusiasm and encouragement have kept me going 💖💖

Please take note of the content warnings in the tags and beginning notes.

Read on AO3

[ivelovedhimthroughworse]

I love Carry On Through the Ages! I'm making another Victorian piece this year. This time I'm working with a much smaller sheet of paper. The pros: it won't take me months. The cons: tiny tiny tiny lines. And if I make a mistake it's harder to hide.

Thanks for the tags today: @hushed-chorus @martsonmars @forabeatofadrum @messofthejess @prettygoododds @artsyunderstudy & @shrekgogurt! You're all wonderful and creative.

Here's my progress so far:

Under the cut is previous WIPs and tags for fifty of you lovely folk in the fandom. But if you're reading this, assume I'm tagging you too. Right, gentlemen?

Right.

Here is the transition from sketchy pencil lines to ink.

Hello! I hope that you're having a good week. Summer sun and an icy beverage for you!

@aroace-genderfluid-sheep @aristocratic-otter @blackberrysummerblog @bazzybelle @carryonsimoncarryonbaz @captain-aralias @ebbpettier @erzbethluna @excalisbury @facewithoutheart @fatalfangirl @foolofabookwyrm-activated @ic3-que3n @ileadacharmedlife @jbrrring @johnwgrey @krisrix @larkral @letraspal @moodandmist @mostlymaudlin @nightimedreamersworld @ninemagicks @orange-peony @onepintobean @palimpsessed @penpanoply @prettylightsbigcity @raenestee @rimeswithpurple @stardustasincocaine @shemakesmeforget @stillmadaboutpetra @takenabackbytuesdays @tea-brigade @technetiumai @thehoneyedhufflepuff @theearlgreymage @valeffelees @whogaveyoupermission @whatevertheweather @yellobb @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

[carryonthroughtheages]

Hello friends and history lovers!

Another year of Carry On Through The Ages is over and done! I am so happy with success this year has had. Every year, I am blown away by how amazing this little community is. We are a small event, but we are so supportive and loving of each other.

It has been an absolute joy to watch the Discord server so active every single day, with people talking about their research and their projects. Watching as they gained support and encouragement from other history nerds. It was everything I could have hoped for when I first started this fest four years ago. So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, everyone who participated, whether it was as a creator, or support, or researcher. You all helped to make COTTA 2023 a continued success.

Under the page break, you will find individual links to the fics and art that were created this year for COTTA. They are INCREDIBLE, and I highly encourage you all to read them.

Here is the link to the AO3 Collection: Carry On Through The Ages 2023!

Until next year, love you all!

BazzyBelle 🧡

Monday

Blood, Salt & Hummingbirds (T) - @hushed-chorus : AO3 // tumblr

Simon is lucky to survive when his ship is wrecked, even if it left him stranded on a desert island. But he's not the only one who escaped. The ship's mysterious cargo, the creature in the box, also made it to shore. What hope does Simon have when a vampire is lurking in the island's wooded interior? But the monster is not what it seems, and if they are to survive, they need to work together. And maybe they can do more than survive. Maybe they can thrive.

Fifty Names For A Cat (T) - @hushed-chorus : AO3 // tumblr

Simon and Baz are settling into their new life, getting Pitch Manor in working order and preparing to move to their cottage on the moor. Meanwhile, a certain cat is adjusting to his new life.

Tuesday

The Trails We Blaze (M) - @j-nipper-95 : AO3 // tumblr

Simon and Baz have been through a lot together. Growing up as criminals on London's streets; surviving the Great War; dealing with a lot of repressed feelings. But after their latest con goes wrong, they're left with nothing but an ancient map, a signet ring of unknown provenance or value, and promises of a city that doesn't even exist. Thrust into a world of adventure with danger at every turn, they're forced to decide how far they're willing to go for a myth, a fortune, and a chance at love.

The Snow Fox (E) - @aristocratic-otter : AO3 // tumblr

Simon "Snow" Salisbury is the most wanted patriot in the American Revolution. Wanted by the British army, who want to see him hanged. Wanted by the Tories, who'd shoot him on sight, given the chance. And wanted by Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch.

Wednesday

Lavender Hearts (M) - @aroace-genderfluid-sheep : AO3 // tumblr

America, 1950s. Queer people are fired left and right, friends lose their jobs daily--and sometimes, their lives. Simon and Baz are caught in the middle of it all with a homophobic father and an unconventional (in more than one way) relationship, terrified out of their minds but unwilling to give up the fight. They'll fight for years if they have to. They'll fight for decades. But even the strongest wills can be broken with the hardest of blows.

An 1800s daguerreotype photograph art piece created by the amazing @samalander01 : tumblr

Thursday

Shoulder To Shoulder, Hand To Hand (M) - @wellbelesbian : AO3 // tumblr

Britain, 1984. Across the country, miners go on strike against pit closures. With the government, police and media set against them and no end in sight, they and their families begin to feel the strain. In London, Simon Snow recognises a familiar struggle, and decides to do something, while closeted Baz Pitch just wants to get out of the house and be among his community for a day. What starts as a few collection buckets at a pride march soon becomes an organisation, and a bond is forged between the lesbians and gay men of London and a village of miners and their families in South Wales. But Simon has a past he's trying to outrun, and Baz is trying to live a double life. Both boys have secrets and shame, but if they want to make it through together, they'll have to find their pride.

A beautiful Galatea/Pygmalion-inspired water colour piece by the wonderful @ic3-que3n : tumblr

Friday

Safe Harbour (M) - @snowbaz-parentis : AO3 // tumblr

It all started on an island... It's 1956, and Baz Pitch is existentially lost in New York City. After graduating from Columbia, he's working for a wedding photographer with no taste as he avoids his inevitable fall attendance at Yale Law School, his father's alma mater. All Baz wants to do is be a fashion photographer, and when an opportunity to assist a famous photographer out on Fire Island falls in his lap, it just may be the key to helping unlock him from the closet of his family's expectations. It's 1956, and Simon Snow is wondering if there's more to life than this or if this is as good as it gets. He's been working in construction with his foster father, David Cadwallader, practically ever since he was taken in at age 13, but there's something beyond the water that's calling for him. When Davy offers Simon a chance to manage his family's rental properties for the summer in Cherry Grove on Fire Island, Simon jumps at the chance to finally take charge of something. What Baz and Simon didn't expect: the sense of freedom that comes from being able to absolutely surrender to the truest version of yourself, and the choices you have to make when it happens.

Costly Colours - A Precious Bane AU (M) - twigs_in_my_hair : AO3

In the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars Baz is being groomed by his aunt to be a physician. Tired of the farming life, Fiona would like to set up shop in town with her sister’s herbal remedies and her nephew settled down with his mentor’s lovely daughter and a fine degree hung on the wall. But first the family must toil and scrimp and save to raise the funds. And what if this is not the future Baz longs for? And what if the townsfolk won’t let go of their superstitions and petty grudges towards this family marked by tragedy? Does the handsome young weaver have all the answers?

[wellbelesbian]

WIP Wednesday

thanks for tagging me @aroace-genderfluid-sheep! here's some more from my COTTA wip:

“Hey, would you mind helping me carry this? My friend never showed up.”

“Um,” he hands me half of the banner before I can think of an excuse, unfurling it. I glance up and see it reads “closets are health hazards!” I duck my head. “I’m, uh, trying not to be too obvious.”

“Why?” He asks with a laugh.

“It’s my first pride.” I admit.

“Well, let’s make it memorable!” He grins. “I’m Gareth.”

I had hoped not to go around making friends and sharing my name, but suppose there’s no escape now. “Baz.”

“Good to meet you, Bazza!”

i'm pushing my Geordie Gareth headcanon in this fic. just look at that man and try to tell me he's not from Newcastle. you can't. and to be clear, it's a compliment. people from Newcastle are absolutely mental but also some of the friendliest people you could ever hope to meet.

i tag @ileadacharmedlife @prettygoododds @imagineacoolusername @confused-bi-queer @ic3-que3n @forabeatofadrum @bazzybelle @theearlgreymage @aristocratic-otter @larkral @hushed-chorus @blackberrysummerblog @fatalfangirl @ebbpettier @you-remind-me-of-the-babe and @cutestkilla

[blackberrysummerblog]

I panicked today when I thought I’d missed the COTTA deadline—I haven’t, but I still don’t have the faintest clue what I’d write 😭

[carryonthroughtheages]

A very sexy Mad Men 60's AU created by @cutestkilla for last year's Carry On Through The Ages event!

Want to get in on the fun? Sign up for the event HERE. Final day to sign up is April 30th, 2023!

Presenting my piece for @carryonthroughtheages: a Mad Men AU. The era here is mid-1960s and Baz (still a vamp in this AU, because Don Draper was an emotional vampire) is giving Peacock Revolution vibes with his fashion forward shirt and tie combo.

Baz has instituted casual Fridays (invented in Hawaii in the 1950s to push Hawaiian shirts of all things, and by Hewlett Packard around the same time to encourage creativity) to help the gang at the firm think outside the box (and not in small part to have the opportunity to ogle Simon's assets in tight knitwear).

This piece is my take on a still I found of Don and Megan from season 5 of the show, though Simon is definitely serving some Joan cleave and ginger hair here too.

Hope you like it!

[hushed-chorus]

Bonjour, hola, and hello everyone! 

Tomorrow @carryonthroughtheages starts and I am *so* excited folks. Huge thanks to @bazzybelle for running this event, it got me to really focus on writing in a specfic time and place and I've relished the challenge. And the peeks we’ve been getting of the fics are delightful and I’m so eager to dig in! 

I’ll be posting my COTTA contributions tomorrow, and yes, I’m keen! Two fics will be incoming–first chapter of my shipwreck fic (Blood, Salt and Hummingbirds) and my WRATS follow-up (Fifty Names for a Cat). 

Today I’m sharing a snippet from the first chapter of Blood, Salt and Hummingbirds; just something to set the scene. The whole fic will be Simon's POV.

Things had only gotten worse when we’d picked up the creature. We were following the South American coast when the HMS Muntjac hailed us. They had a coffin on board, a solidly-built thing, and it needed to get back to England as quickly as possible. Said the thing inside would fetch a handsome price amongst the collectors in London. So much so our ship parted ways with the rest of the expedition. What was to be several more months of mapping the prevailing winds and currents of the Pacific became a journey south towards Cape Horn and from there, homeward bound. Then the storm hit.

Also, a new WIP idea has firmly taken up residence in my head--A Wartford-era fic based on this idea. Honestly lost my mind thinking about the implications and now trying to get control over what could end up a sprawling fic. I already have a notebook with several pages of notes and ideas.

Hello tags below the cut!

@artsyunderstudy @facewithoutheart @captain-aralias @raenestee @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @cutestkilla @erzbethluna @ivelovedhimthroughworse @larkral @stitchyqueer @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @ileadacharmedlife @confused-bi-queer @aristocratic-otter @whogaveyoupermission @nightimedreamersworld @fatalfangirl @thewholelemon @onepintobean @shrekgogurt @theearlgreymage @martsonmars @blackberrysummerblog @orange-peony @palimpsessed @valeffelees @j-nipper-95 @rimeswithpurple @wellbelesbian @imagineacoolusername @youarenevertooold @iamamythologicalcreature @supercutedinosaurs @alexalexinii @bookish-bogwitch @cosmicalart

[that-disabled-princess]

Six Sentence Sunday

Thanks for the tags today @cutestkilla and @confused-bi-queer, and for the tags these past couple weeks @alexalexinii @supercutedinosaurs @ionlydrinkhotwater @hushed-chorus @ivelovedhimthroughworse @aristocratic-otter @artsyunderstudy @forabeatofadrum @j-nipper-95 @ic3-que3n @larkral and @you-remind-me-of-the-babe! I'm tagging y'all back for either today or Wednesday.

So if you haven't been able to tell, I have TDP brainrot... and I have been writing a lot of TDP fanfic xD Being able to expand both the fandoms I write for and the type of fic I write is a wonderful thing! I love this sandbox I've been playing in lately.

Here's a snippet from the ruthari fic I'm currently working on! It was supposed to be a silly fic about Runaan and Callum bonding, but... emotions happened. It's still post-coin, though. (No season 5 spoilers.) Here are six sentences from that.

“I love you.”

Ethari’s hands still.

He didn’t mean for it to slip out.

It’s the first time he’s said it in almost three years. The first time he has allowed himself to say it. The first time he allowed himself to love and be loved since the dark mage put him into that coin.

And seven sentences from my Lavender scare fic that I tweaked a bit this week (under the cut for implied/referenced SH):

“Have I told you how much I appreciate you?” I murmur, opening my eyes.

He pauses, smiling slightly at me. He squeezes my good leg.

“I’m glad you’re here, too, Baz.”

He doesn’t just mean physically beside him.

Without fresh blood staining my arms.

Alive.

And I've decided to finally put the title of this fic out into the world: Lavender hearts.

Don't know who hasn't gone yet, so just tagging a few friends: @bazzybelle @yeonjunenby (happy birthday!!) @tea-brigade @stitchyqueer 💖💖

[carryonthroughtheages]

Carry On Through The Ages Signups

Signups for Carry On Through The Ages are now open!

You can access the Google Forms HERE. The signup form will remain opened until April 30th. Please do not wait until the last day to signup. While I am usually pretty lenient with late signups, try to respect the schedule.

With the being said, life happens, and if you find you've missed the deadline to sign up, send me a DM or an email (carryonthroughtheages@gmail.com).

Confirmation emails will be sent once you sign up for the fest, with a link to COTTA's Discord Server. There, you will find a bunch of SnowBaz-loving history nerds ready to chat history, help with research, and cheer you on!

I'll be reblogging entries from last year's COTTA, because they were simply WONDERFUL, and I love showing them off. Hopefully they will inspire you to come up with your own lovely stories and art. History is a beautiful tapestry of events and characters, and seeing Simon and Baz amongst them makes me so happy.

Last thing, the choice you make today isn't set in stone. You can always change your mind at a later date. Just give me a heads up so that I can change my organization.

Hope to see a bunch of lovely people signing up! 💚💚💚

[carryonthroughtheages]

An amazing Florentine Renaissance AU comic, created by @letraspal for last year’s Carry On Through The Ages event!

Want to get in on the fun? Sign up for the event HERE. Final day to sign up is April 30th, 2023!

⚜️The wayward heir ⚜️ | Part 3

For @carryonthroughtheages 2022. Read the previous parts in AO3.

[wellbelesbian]

Seven Sentence Sunday

thanks for tagging me @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @prettygoododds and @aristocratic-otter!

here's some lines from my COTTA fic! if you're unaware, my fic is set in 1984 and is about LGSM, an activist group that supported the miners when they went on strike.

"I have a question for you all- is it just me, or are the coppers getting lazy?” People murmur their assent as Simon continues, “I haven’t been hassled coming out of a bar in weeks! Do you think they finally got tired of listening to Wham and pretending not to enjoy patting us down?” A laugh goes up, but a fire has been lit in Simon’s eyes. “No, I think instead, they’ve found someone new to pick on.”

He holds up a newspaper, where the headline proclaims Strikes Enter Third Month, and below it, Picketers Clash With Police. A photo shows a mounted policeman, kitted out in riot gear, swinging a baton at an unarmed woman, "doesn't this look familiar?”

here's the photo i reference:

and this fic now has a playlist! it's still being added to, but it's a mix of protest songs and 80s bops.

i tag @ileadacharmedlife @martsonmars @imagineacoolusername @confused-bi-queer @ic3-que3n @forabeatofadrum @tea-brigade @bazzybelle @theearlgreymage @otherpeoplesheartachept-2 @facewithoutheart @whogaveyoupermission @shemakesmeforget @letraspal @larkral @artsyunderstudy @hushed-chorus @blackberrysummerblog @cutestkilla @fatalfangirl @you-remind-me-of-the-babe and @ebbpettier

[samalander01]

Here is my little piece for @carryonthroughtheages! It's based on a photograph I love from the mid 1800s. This ended up being a fun value study- I had a hard time balancing the sepia tones of old daguerreotype photographs while maintaining value!

[aristocratic-otter]

 Thank you to the people who don’t forget me when I’m gone for weeks (and I think there’s more, I noticed @moodandmist tagged me when I was scrolling Tumblr earlier, but I didn't get the notif. It’s this damn “only five tags” issue on Tumblr. So if I’m not mentioning getting your tags, that’s probably why) : @monbons, @rimeswithpurple, @artsyunderstudy, @roomwithanopenfire,

@best--dress, @whatevertheweather,

@noblecorgi, @alexalexinii,  @hushed-chorus, @larkral, @nausikaaa,

@blackberrysummerblog, @cutestkilla,  @thewholelemon, @youarenevertooold.

It’s been a really rough start to the work year, and this was the first weekend in a while I got significant words written. And, as always, I can count to six, but I just don’t care. So here you go, some amount of sentences from each of my current fics :)

From Saving Simon Snow 

My wings are slapping gracelessly at the air as I climb. They burn. The air is thin this high, there’s not as much for my wings to catch on, to push me higher. I force them to pump harder. I’ve got to get away or I’ll go off. 

But I can’t go off.

The feeling bubbling under my skin is the same, though.

From Snow Fox: 

“Why aren’t you blinded by prejudice?” I want to know. Even I had trouble with the concept of two men in love, right at first. How was my mother more accepting than me?

Now my mother’s smile is sad. “Did I tell you I had an older brother, when I was a child in Hindustan?”

Her phrasing is ominous.  ‘Had’ an older brother…”What happened to him?” I ask quietly.

From Cupid’s Shield

I made the decision, while Baz panted into my ear after his second orgasm, that I was done being a passive partner. So when he starts to shift his hips again, I plant my left foot onto the mattress and use that leverage to flip him under me. 

He stiffens for a minute, caught unawares. His hands claw at my sides, trying to bring our bodies back together. 

He’s going to succeed in a moment. I’ve got no illusions about my ability to win against Baz in a battle of strength. So I have about two seconds to put my plan into motion. 

From Stars, Flowers and Children

My breath hitches in my chest as I sob from the pain. I gave up being brave about the second hour after it happened. It’s actually less painful now, but it still throbs, sending stabs of pain that arc through me. My foot has swollen up and turned red, but that’s not the worst of it. I’m going to die, I think. 

I’m going to die alone, and Simon will never know, unless he finds my body.  

From TikTok Dancer: I’m in a very smutty scene right now, so my new strategy is this: lots of [redacted]s

All of a sudden, this whole scenario strikes me as faintly ridiculous. I bark a laugh into the (hopefully) empty night. 

Snow gasps as [redacted]  “Wh—what? What’s fu—funny?” His voice wobbles [redacted]. 

“Is there,” I grunt, pausing to [redacted]  “Is there,” I repeat, “a reason we’re outside, when I’ve got a lovely, expensive, and very empty hotel room we could be fucking in?”

From The Rat and the River 

One moment we’re in the middle of the jungle, and the next, we’re standing in front of the village. Though there’s not much separation between the two. Other than a slim tributary of the Amazon river snaking through the centre of the town, where houses built on stilts are lining the edge, most of the homes have been built right up against the forest. It’s an eclectic mix of huts, with wood walls, but thatched roofs, and bigger, more modern houses, with steeply sloping metal roofs. 

We take in all of this in seconds. What takes us longer to notice is the nearly complete absence of noise from the town.

From my Visitor Baz AU (still working on a title)

I’d thought that how it works is, a visitor passes on his message and then passes through the veil, never to return. At least, that’s how it works in every account I’ve ever read on the subject. And I’ve read a lot of accounts–I’m a vampire child of a murdered mother. Few people would have more reason to cross the veil than Natasha Grimm-Pitch. And few children would have more reason to doubt that their own mother would want to visit them. 

I’m one of the creatures that killed her, after all. 

At least, I was. 

Believe it or not, I’ve (willingly!) signed up for two more fics and am deep in the planning stages for them. They’re for CORB and I’m super excited for them! I’ll probably have an excerpt from each next time I manage one of these updates. 

Tags and air kisses to: @chen-chen-chen-again-chen, @bazzybelle, @dragoneggos, @erzbethluna, @palimpsessed, 

@frjsti, @fatalfangirl, @melodysmash, @moments-au-crayon22, @moodandmist, 

@mostlymaudlin, @onepintobean, @raenestee, @tea-brigade, @upuntil6am,

@whogaveyoupermission, @carryonsimoncarryonbaz, @krisrix, @shemakesmeforget, @confused-bi-queer,

@nightimedreamersghost, @angelsfalling16, @mooncello, @shrekgogurt, @cosmicalart, 

@theearlgreymage, @Iamamythologicalcreature, @ileadacharmedlife, @thehoneyedhufflepuff, @j-nipper-95,

@letraspal, @facewithoutheart, @wellbelesbian, @martsonmars, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe,

@ic3-que3n, @thewholelemon, @bookish-bogwitch, @skeedelvee, @prettygoododds,

@ivelovedhimthroughworse, @messofthejess, @emeryhall, 

[carryonthroughtheages]

A breath-taking 1930s Noir art piece, created by @thewriterxj for last year’s Carry On Through The Ages event, to go with their incredible story (reblogged earlier this week).

TODAY IS THE FINAL CHANCE TO GET IN ON THE FUN WITH US! 

YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR CARRY ON THROUGH THE AGES HERE. 

Love, Spite, & Bullets

Companion art piece to my COTTA fic that took way more time than I anticipated even though I used references...