A Wolf By the Hand (Nick/Monroe)

[pristineungift]

Comments

[meridian_rose]

I left a comment at AO3 but I'll leave some more specific flaily comments here.
I love that you italicise Wesen. I do too - it's a foreign word, after all, not in common usage. I also capitalise it because German is big on capitals for all nouns, though I'm not sure I'm doing it right. Also, getting the plural right, kudos :)

They're so perfectly in character! The wine glasses at the end is great. The "who is the guy" moment doesn't come off as offensive because Nick seems like the sort of man who would want to have this conversation, and it's played with gentle humour and affection (I love banter, and married!Nick/Monroe are going to have even more great banter)

I liked that Moroe was all kinds of smart in summoning Nick to the rescue and that he tried desperately to warn Nick about the ceremony but Nick wouldn't listen because he is a Grimm and knows best (or something). If he'd known, would Nick still have agreed to go through with it? I think I'd like to see that addressed, briefly, in the sequel.

Finally, that Nick is sleeping at Monroe's house makes more sense to me than him sleeping on the couch. If he moved out and tried dating Juliette again rather than being a stranger in her house, they might be doing better. (Last ep that aired here was "La LLorona" so I might be a bit behind)
However, while I like Juliette generally, I like her better as a Spanish speaking vet who throws boiling water over intruders than as Nick's beard girlfriend. I think they're better friends than romantic partners, and that Nick waited so long to tell her the truth, despite the danger his being a Grimm put her in, is telling. (/side rant)

I'm looking forward to beta reading the sequel (so long as there isn't mpreg. I really don't do mpreg! Puppies are fine though!)

I also approve of your new header!

[pristineungift]

Heeeeeeee! *will reply at AO3 too a bit later. APPRECIATES THE MULTIPLE COMMENTS.*

Well I figured since I italicized all of the Dothraki when I wrote that Dany/Drogo fic, it made sense here too, since it's actually another language, rather than just specialized words like 'portkey' and 'agiel.' I didn't know about the capitalization though... Although I tend to make up my own rules about that when it comes to media that's not in a written format, and I think I like just 'Grimm' being capitalized, so *goes with my arbitrary rules.*

I'm so glad you think they're in character! T_T I feel like I don't have a really firm hold over them yet (which is why I'm still working on the sequel. I keep obsessing over the parts I've already written instead of forging ahead to write the final part. But I am 75% done now. Just the confrontation with the villain of the week and the conclusion left).

YES GOOD FOR IT NOT COMING OFF AS OFFENSIVE, AND YES BANTER GOOD YES. I'm a little worried about striking a balance with several delicate issues in the sequel, so ... keep an eye out? I'm writing Nick as having a little trouble coming to terms with being bisexual, drawing on my own experience, but I worry that some of his thoughts will come across as implying there's something abnormal about it and just *lays here. Might be too sensitive about it, but really really wants to get it right, cause I've never written someone struggling with their sexuality in a modern setting before.*

Addressing in the sequel: Added some dialogue to that effect last night after seeing this comment. :D

*Won't comment as to whether you're behind or not, but yes has seen 2-3 episodes beyond La Llarona.*

However, while I like Juliette generally, I like her better as a Spanish speaking vet who throws boiling water over intruders than as Nick's beard girlfriend. I think they're better friends than romantic partners, and that Nick waited so long to tell her the truth, despite the danger his being a Grimm put her in, is telling. (/side rant)



And also: I would actually have a lot more respect for the show if they had Nick and Juliette part civilly as friends, and her stay part of the cast, just not as Nick’s love interest. And not just because I ship Nick/Monroe like nobody’s business.

1) I’ve never really seen chemistry between Juliette and Nick. And 2) Having Juliette stay part of the main cast, but as Nick’s friend rather than love interest is giving her a role in the show beyond being an accessory for a man. And as much as I love this show, there are only three female characters that recur regularly, and two are shoe-horned as love interests, and the third is a villain. It’d be nice to see one of them having a story line and/or purpose that doesn’t revolve around one of the male characters. Like maybe Juliette has a bad romance with Renard that ends with her believing in all the Grimm stuff, and she gets Rosalee to help her get un-spelled, and uses her vet skills to become a wesen doctor or something.

Should be sending you the sequel for beta by the end of this week! And lol, no worries about mpreg. It is one of my few squicks, not in an 'ew gross' kind of way, but I just can't stand to read fic that deal with it, because for whatever reason, I can't make myself suspend disbelief, even when magic and/or science is used to explain it. The only time I've found it palatable, was when the pregnant male in question was an alien, and the author exploited a lack of background info to just say that the males of the species were the ones that carried young.

If I ever give Nick/Monroe a kid, it'll probably be a wesen baby they come across during a case and then adopt. Maybe I'll do that in the sequel to the sequel, if I turn this into a proper series :P

Glad you like the header! And ty for long, thoughtful feedback!

[meridian_rose]

I look forward to reading the sequel :D I'll do my best to look critically at the sexuality discussions.

In the "Torchwood" pilot Jack Harkness mentions once being pregnant and never letting it happen again and it seems like something dark from his past. So there's canon for him, who's human but from the 51st century where he regularly comes into contact with advanced alien species and their technology. So angsty mpreg for Harkness is probably the one exception to my rule. Otherwise, Do Not Accept and Do Not Want.
Lost Wesen to adopt though, I'd totally be cool with :)

I love Nick/Monroe and some of the storylines but I do get angry with the way females are treated (evil/love interest). Especially Angelina. I have rage about Angelina's fate. I have the urge to write fix-it fic for Angelina. Also need moar Nick's mother and some Grimm!Marie flashbacks.