Permanent Ink

Fanfiction
Title:	Permanent Ink
Author(s):	T. Verano
Date(s):	18 December 2006
Length:	13,223 words
Genre(s):	gen
Fandom(s):
Relationship(s):
External Links:	author's website (Wayback Machine) AO3
Podfic cover art by laurie-ky
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Permanent Ink is a Sentinel story by T. Verano.

A podfic by laurie_ky is available here.

Reactions and Reviews

Post-Cypher (all sentinel viewers should remember *that* episode :) fic seems to almost be a rite of passage in TS fandom, most authors find they have at least *one* they have to get out of their system. Not that I'm complaining, since it's one of the the most beeyootiful canon excuses for hurt-comfort with bells on that I know of... or angst or just plain suspense, or smarm or... well, just about all of the areas Sentinel fiction shines. Except maybe - *maybe* - humour and banter.

But sometimes we can have that too. I love this new story (by, I think, a fairly new TS writer); it tackles the aftermath of Cypher from Blair's point of view, which for me is wonderful since I also *love* her Blair - funny, sweet, brave, insecure (albeit with such good *reason* at this time), self-deprecating, absolutely determined to be okay not matter what, then worrying about any signs that he might *not* be, equally hellbent to keep on keeping on even when trying not to fall apart... and of course devoted to his Sentinel. And the sparkle and colour of the language she uses for Blair is both true to him and often gorgeously funny:

"Of course, what was really amazing was that Jim wasn't in a body cast after last night's series of swan dives through way too much glass and decaying wood and psycho-space. Who needed a guy in tights and a cape when you had Jim in a watch cap, dropping his gun?"

Her Jim is also great - strong, watchful, wry and unfussily affectionate (mind you, since he's seen from Blair's POV, there may be a certain amount of gloss there, but it works :) The minor canon characters are well done and there's a nice turn-about-is-fair-play plot to hold it all together.

It's a good story all round. But for me it's the language, the use of language, and the sparkle she gives to Blair's POV voice that makes it special :)

Woo hoo! T. Verano has written another one! After spending several years in the TS fandom, I think I've read just about every author I want to read . . . and some I didn't. Heh. So at this late date, some 10 years after the show originally aired, seven-ish years after it was cancelled, and six years after I joined the fandom, it's wonderful to have a new author who has such wonderfully drawn characters. I have no idea who this author is, or if they've even seen the show, but it certainly *feels* like they have. I read her first two stories and enjoyed them both muchly. Thanks for the heads-up on the new story. It will be on my to-read list this week, definitely.  :-)

I can't understand why I don't seem to have left kudos here before, or indeed not commented. This is such a great story. :)) Blair's totally wired internal monologue is a joy, and the post-Lash resolution is perfectly and satisfyingly paced. And there's still room for action and character development! Superb, like all your work!