Sprocket

For trickortreatex, I received three gift fics: two in POI, and one in Fringe.

Mirror (1072 words) by dragons_and_angels
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Person of Interest (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Sameen Shaw, Genrika Zhirova, Bear (Person of Interest)
Additional Tags: Episode: s03e05 Razgovor, Trick or Treat 2015
Summary:

Gen had to meet Bear, that was the only reason Shaw was at her new school on parents' day.

"Mirror" strikes a delicate balance between Shaw's canon issues with feelings and the sweetness you associate with kidfic. Bear assists. I recommend this to the "Shaw = complex" fans out there.

The Ties that Bind (1044 words) by Draycevixen
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Person of Interest (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Harold Finch/John Reese, Harold Finch/Nathan Ingram
Characters: Harold Finch, John Reese, Nathan Ingram
Additional Tags: Trick or Treat 2015, Old Friends, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Baggage, Relationship Advice
Summary:

Written for Sprocket, for the Halloween Trick or Treat 2015 challenge.

Harold has a conversation with an old friend.

And I got Harold Finch getting romantic advice - nearly a "NOW KISS" - from the afterlife. Because, well, Harold. And John. Some people need a push.

The Years We Died (1365 words) by raspberryhunter
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fringe
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Peter Bishop/Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop & Alternate Walter Bishop
Characters: Peter Bishop, Alternate Walter Bishop
Additional Tags: trick - Freeform, Apocalypse, Rocks Fall Everyone Dies, Revenge, The literal destruction of worlds, AU of AU, But maybe not apocalypse in all timelines, Darkfic
Summary:

Peter came to ask Secretary Bishop for help after he'd killed his whole universe, everything he'd ever loved. What had he expected? That Secretary Bishop might kill him, or perhaps someone he loved: perhaps Olivia. And yet the Secretary was, apparently sincerely, offering his aid.

In which 2026!Walternate has a different plan. An AU of "The Day We Died."

If the full colons weren't a giveaway, the random question about darkfic should have been! Well played, raspberryhunter! The answer is, yes, this recip is on board with the literal and agonizing destruction of worlds.

I wrote "Recruitment" for Kimaracretak.

Recruitment (633 words) by sprocket
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Fringe
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Olivia Dunham, Nina Sharp, Phillip Broyles
Summary:

Nina Sharp has two conversations in two timelines. Set after "The Same Old Story."

I think the whole would have benefited from more attention before go-live,
but I'm pleased by some parts of this, and very much by the core idea. I plead a one-time Real Life Thing for being a slacker on this exchange.

Raspberryhunter: POI or Leverage?
Me: If you catch a couple of episodes of Leverage, you know enough for casual beta. POI has a lot more time-specific character info to track.
Me: S4 is also Fringe levels of hot mess.
Me: And then there is Harold, who... oh.

(Someone pauses to recall the one with the AI learning to be a person and the human/AI interface issues and the flashbacks which everyone in this conversation ate up with a spoon.)

Me: Yes, I think I can talk you into enjoying POI.

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Once upon a time a man saw his country rocked to its knees and said, "what we need is an all-seeing artificial intelligence to prevent this from ever happening again."

So he built one and made sure it found its way to the US government, which is well known for its responsible use of surveillance powers.

As plans go, this wasn't quite up there with "and now I will steal my son from another universe", but the burden of these actions put it in shouting distance.

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( The hard sell, with general spoilers. )

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Watching POI
The first three seasons are on Netflix. Picking a handful of POI episodes that will hook someone is like asking for the best intro eps to The Wire. It's ideal to start with the pilot and revel in the unfolding arc, but that's a lot of TV to ask friends to watch.

Here's a tentative set list for The Machine And Root Show. This throws The John And Harold Are MFEO Show under the bus, and also there are only flashing glimpses of the Joss Carter Could Keep Up with Olivia Dunham Show. But S1 sets up everything else, and I am weak in the face of good acting, so I've got semi optional episodes in parentheses.

If I've forgotten something obvious (kerithwyn? Drive-by fans reading this?) please throw in Root- and Machine-significant episodes I've missed. "Significant" as in plot, because yes, it breaks my heart that the Eggs Benedict; and Grace; and Carter reporting Reese to the feds; and the rooftop scene didn't make the first cut.

...okay, I'm putting the roof back in. There are other events in 2x13 that play a part in the Machine arcs.

( Season One )

( Season Two )

Check in again after 2x16 for what to watch next.

Useful links:
Person of Interest IMDb page

The Person of Interest Crack Van summary is dated, but includes character pics.

There is a Valdemar fic fest taking prompts! It... seems to be spun off a certain emo Herald-Mage winning an FFA woobie contest, so beware a certain irreverence toward canon.

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I've watched the second season of PoI. Now I know how to do the Fringe crossover.

(I do hope S3 brings together Carter, Shaw, and Root in some Bechdel-passing scenario.)

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crossovering (1,000 words): BEARS.

I'll get past it.