Fic Rec: maybe then a witch could believe in the moon, by kellifer_fic

[Content Note: Pet rats, death of pets] (For the first two paragraphs only)

I have a very particular relationship with pet!fics. As readers of my journal will know, I have pet rats, and rats aren't the longest-lived of creatures, domesticated or otherwise. I love them, and they make great companions, and while I wouldn't trade them for the world, it does mean that I've had to learn to say goodbye on a fairly regular and short-term basis.

I get a couple of years at best with a pet rat before it crosses the rainbow bridge. When I lose a pet, one of the first things I do after saying a proper good-bye is trawl my current fandom for fic in which one of the main characters has or gets a pet. I want to relive that feeling when an animal makes a home for itself in your heart and a space for itself in your life, the way living with a pet changes something inside of you. Pet rats are social; they do best when there's at least two of them living together. They're healthier and happier and live longer. This means, whenever one of a pair dies, I go out not long after to get another pair to acclimate with the rat who's still with me. Reading pet fics makes it easier for me to remember the joy in having pets, makes it easier for me to go out the door and initiate a new meeting. I love reading pet fics all the time, but they're especially important to me then.

Rewind briefly to last November. In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, fandomaid had set up a Buy It Now fandom fundraiser. I was still in school full time, and had only a month before started a new part-time job, which meant that for once I had money to contribute but not very much time. One Saturday morning, these facts coincided to give me an incredible opportunity.

kellifer_fic has long been one of my favorite fandom authors. Her characterization is excellent, she writes wonderful team-building and -bonding fics, all with incredibly well-thought-out plot and adorable romantic and witty moments woven masterfully in. A slight time miscalculation on her part and me having to be up at 3:30am to get ready for my weekend job as a baker meant that there was still a slot open when I checked the listings before getting breakfast. I did what any financially able fan would do when a favorite author offers their skills for charity: I pounced.

At the time, I didn't know what I wanted to ask for, only that I loved kellifer_fic's fic, that I would dearly love to have one just for me (and kinda the rest of the internet, but sharing is caring, right?), and that I had gotten the opportunity for exactly that and was taking it. I had some time to think about what I wanted, and while I contemplated setting some of my longer-standing plunnies free, it wasn't long before I remembered: What's the one kind of fic I always love and need some times more than others? Pet fic.

I asked kellifer_fic for a Sterek fic in which Stiles accidentally acquires a familiar, leaving it up to her what sort of animal the familiar would be; she in turn let me pick the name for what was ultimately a cat. Then, all I had to do was wait.

This morning, fifteen minutes before I had to go out the door (5:00am; I got a full hour of sleep on the me of mid-November weekends), I got the notification that kellifer_fic had posted my fic, plus an e-mail from her with a link to said fic. I mourned my inability to stay and read the fic right then, made a placeholder comment and left a kudo right away (because everything I knew about this author's fics assured me that I would love this one, especially given that it was for me), then proceeded to tempt fate by staying to read the first section anyway. I ended up a good seven minutes late for my ideal "out the door by" time and had to accelerate more quickly than I like on my way to work to clock in by six. I read the whole thing almost immediately after getting home, and now I am going to say it straight out:

It was worth every penny of my donation (as well as likely several hundred more) and every minute of waiting. I will be re-reading this fic not just when I need it (and I will need it in the future), but when I just feel like a pick-me-up, or something with a bit of adventure, with lots of witty moments and pining and a shippy ending. I am delighted to make this a go-to fic in my life, and am looking forward to every re-read (as well as quietly crossing my fingers that someone will decide to record it).

maybe then a witch could believe in the moon by kellifer_fic
Sterek, Teen and up audiences
Summary: Okay, I get it. You were just asserting dominance. I can relate to that. I do know Derek.

Go, read it. (I mean, if Sterek and/or pet fic are your things. Otherwise, don't worry about it.)