(Untitled)

[bookelfe]

Title: A Flower Trying to Bloom in Snow
Author: harmonyangel
Recipient: catw00man
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Gracia Hughes, Elysia Hughes, Winry Rockbell
Summary: An afternoon of baking between two women who've known loss.
Notes: Title from "The Tower," by Vienna Teng. Many, many thanks to my beta, who I will thank after the reveal. My recipient wanted to know

Comments

[r_kimono]

Oh, this is lovely. Short, but very dense; you can tell Gracia and Winry have a deep relationship that's good for both of them, even if the things they talk about are sometimes uncomfortable and neither of them are completely okay. I think my favorite part was Gracia deciding to give Winry the more complicated answers about cooking (also I'm really hungry now).

[harmonyangel]

Thank you! I'm very glad this worked for you I love Gracia and Winry's relationship as hinted at in the manga, and I really wanted to expand on it here. As for the cooking, I had to look up the complicated answers, since I'm not in any way a scientist, but I *have* made these cookies before and I guarantee they're delicious!

[likeadeuce]

I love the picture you've created of all three of them, and how they relate to each other. I appreciate that you pulled Sara Rockbell into this two, and the whole thought process/discussion about what makes an 'exceptional' woman is explored beautifully, and really fits the view of 'everyday heroism' that we see in the manga. I also love small observations like Gracia being glad Winry remembers her parents because it gives her hope Elysia will remember Maes. And sentences like this that feel very true about how delicate 'small talk' can be:

These were the safe questions: asking about Elysia, asking about Pinako Rockbell. The young and the old, those with settled lives of safety and comfort.

Wonderful story.

[harmonyangel]

Dude, thank you so much. This story wouldn't be where it is if you hadn't been there to listen to me whine! I'm so glad you liked it. And remind me to leave a glowing comment on your fic, because it's really quite amazing!

[zippitgood]

Oooh, this is wonderful. Gracia's so full of quiet strength and grace and so much love. You feel the absence of Maes just as keenly as Gracia and how much it hurts but life goes on and Gracia's had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Your Winry was wonderful too. She was very human and vulnerable, showing a side we don't see much. I also love the details about the money from both the military and Roy and what she did with them. Absolutely lovely.

[harmonyangel]

Thank you! I LOVE Gracia, and I really wanted to do her justice here (even if Winry kept muscling her way in!). The detail about the money was the germ of the whole story, so I'm glad it worked, and that Gracia in general came off well. :)

[evil_little_dog]

This part made me sniffle:

But this was the hand she’d been dealt, and there were still shining moments of beauty peeking through the clouds. Like Elysia. Like Winry. The two best gifts her husband had ever given her took the form of beautiful blonde children with futures full of the kind of promise she herself had never known.

Beautiful job exploring their relationships.

[harmonyangel]

Aww, thank you! I'm very glad this worked for you, especially those lines, because they came to me late but really seemed to encapsulate what I was going for.

[gaia_lulia]

This actually made me cry. At work. It's a good thing I have a wall between me and the rest of the office.

Gracia is pitch-perfect here, and her relationship with Winry is so beautifully captured. I liked that you recognized the slight weirdness of Winry suddenly being one of the family after having stayed there once for a couple of days. I liked the idea that Winry periodically came to visit from Rush Valley. So lovely.

[harmonyangel]

Oh, thank you! Sorry for making you cry, but I'm glad to know the story was capable of having an effect!