A poll!

[regshoe]

(What a pretty bird! It's not one I'm familiar with, but a bit of searching suggests perhaps female Cardinalis cardinalis? Very nice, anyway).

snowflake_challenge #8 is to create a quiz or poll. I was inspired by philomytha's recent Biggles/von Stalhein poll, and have created one for my own OTP :D Please do read the quotes and vote even if you haven't read the book—I've deliberately avoided very spoilery lines, and I think most of these are pretty good out of context.

Poll #28243

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 28

View Respondents

Which is the best shippy Ewen/Keith line?

View Answers

Meanwhile, to Keith’s surprise, the horseman sprang to earth, flung the reins to his henchman, and came forward empty-handed—a magnificent specimen of young manhood, as the soldier could not help admitting.
3 (10.7%)

He was wearing the kilt to-day, and for the first time Keith Windham thought that there was something to be said for that article of attire—at least on a man of his proportions.
6 (21.4%)

He liked to see his civilised young barbarian on the high horse.
4 (14.3%)

‘My own young Achilles still very well-bred and agreeable, like his Chief.’
5 (17.9%)

Strange that he had not at first recognised him that night—extraordinarily handsome Ardroy had looked, and devilish cool he had kept, too, in a tight place! . . . Fool that he was, he was at it again.
9 (32.1%)

Was it really only philanthropy, as Keith had assured himself a few hours ago, which had sent him back to the shieling that night? It was certainly not philanthropy which was driving him to Fort Augustus now.
3 (10.7%)

Yet now the remembrance of the night in the shieling hut was no longer a draught of poison, but what it had been at the time, that cup of cold water which holds a double blessing.
1 (3.6%)

“I had some dark days, it is true. . . . Yes, they were very dark . . . but not so dark after your return. You gave me hope; and above all you gave me back that night in the hut.” He smiled. “I often think of it. . . .”
10 (35.7%)

It was strange, it was alarming, to feel (...) how strongly their intimacy had progressed in two months of absence and, on his side, of deliberate abstention from communication—like the roots of two trees growing secretly towards each other in darkness.
19 (67.9%)

But he was never to see him again, so it seemed, for the five meetings were over. Again he counted them: here, at Edinburgh, on Beinn Laoigh, at Fort Augustus. And suddenly his pulse quickened with pleasure—that made four, only four! . . .
6 (21.4%)

So not knowing where else to dispose it, he still carried the packet with the lock of hair upon him, a material token of the tie between him and the foe who had captured him a year ago, and had held him in a species of bondage ever since.
11 (39.3%)

Some other line which I will quote in a comment!
0 (0.0%)

Comments

[philomytha]

Excellent choice of topic, and you’re spoilt for choice for shippy lines! I picked the ones that have stayed with me since I was a teenager reading this book for the first time. I’d also add:

“You say the past cannot be undone. There are some hours in it which I am glad I can never lose again - that night in the shieling, now I know that you were ... what at the time I thought you!”

[regshoe]

Aww, that line was one of the last to be cut from my shortlist! It is another very good one <3

[black_bentley]

THERE ARE TOO MANY.

I dread to think how long this poll would have been if you had included every instance of "young Achilles"...

[regshoe]

XD It was a difficult task narrowing it down to a sensible number of options!

[sanguinity]

"choose up to 3 responses"

Too cruel! Too cruel!

[regshoe]

:D I mean, obviously the correct answer is 'all of them, in fact, the whole book', but I'm not sure the poll would work very well that way...

[goddess47]

I don't even know this fandom and it was hard to pick! (Although I was seduced into the first one because having a 'henchman' is a BAMF thing!)

Fun and nicely done!

Thanks for participating in Snowflake.

[regshoe]

Hee, thank you! This is a very good fandom for slashiness, to put it mildly... :D

[rachelmanija]

THE ROOTS OF TWO TREES GROWING SECRETLY TOWARD EACH OTHER IN DARKNESS.

[regshoe]

:D

[dr_zook]

GAY. GAY. GAAAY. Every single option!! How dare you make me choose only one??

[regshoe]

Yep, that about sums it up! (psst, you can choose three, I'm not that evil XD )

[dr_zook]

You're right, of course-- and I DID pick three, haha, BUT STILL. XD

[sovay]

It was strange, it was alarming, to feel (...) how strongly their intimacy had progressed in two months of absence and, on his side, of deliberate abstention from communication—like the roots of two trees growing secretly towards each other in darkness.

I really love this one.

[regshoe]

It's the clear winner of the poll, and I think it deserves to be!

[luzula]

Arrgh, what a cruel choice!

[regshoe]

:D

[hyarrowen]

I always liked Ewen's pulse suddenly quickening with pleasure at the thought of seeing Keith again. He's finally getting the picture!

But the correct answer is, of course, all of them.

[sanguinity]

ALL OF THEM

[regshoe]

:D

[regshoe]

I like that one a lot—most of the 'lighter'/funny slashy lines are from Keith's POV, and it's nice to get that one from Ewen after all the deeply emotional bits about That Night in the Hut.

But the correct answer is, of course, all of them.

Of course it is <3

[friendofthejabberwock]

I was well aware, of course, that this is an incredibly slashy book, but it really does put it in perspective to see so much of it compiled in one place... wow! These are all so good.

[regshoe]

It's pretty great, isn't it :D Broster really is good to fandom.

[garonne]

One of my favourite bits is the epigraph for the final part:

“Hereafter, in a better world than this,

I shall desire more love and knowledge of you.”

[regshoe]

Oh, that one absolutely breaks my heart every time I read it ;__;

[impala_chick]

A+ poll! These were all so memorable, but MAN OF HIS PROPORTIONS was when I got very invested! <33

[regshoe]

Hee, Keith's sudden appreciation for the kilt is a proper classic slashy moment :D