ptahrrific: Jon and Stephen, "Believe in the me who believes in you" (fake news)
Erin Ptah ([personal profile] ptahrrific) wrote2009-06-05 10:34 am

Fake News: State of Grace



Title: State of Grace
Fandom: TCR
Genre: Drama
Rating: Through NC-17
Length: ~108,000 words (plus ~8,000 words of meta)
Warnings: Sex, not always good; triggers, trauma, flashbacks; dissociation, memory issues; background childhood abuse (physical, emotional) and neglect; background young-adult sexual abuse, drug use, compromised-consent sex work; background stalking; mental illness, panic attacks, suicidal ideation; mild language, some physical violence.
Disclaimer: The Report characters and their universe are property of Stephen Colbert, the other writers, and of course Viacom. Not mine. While this story also makes references to real persons and places, the dialogue, actions, and content are products of the author's imagination only. No fake newsmen were harmed in the making of this fic.

An excursus to Expecting (and, thus, part of the Expectingverse), taking place between its final chapter and epilogue. Described in comparison as "the emotional equivalent of jumping into a cold pool after soaking in the jacuzzi." Stephen has a new baby, a new marriage, and the love of a good man — so, naturally, this is when he starts to fall apart.

The current version of the story is a much-needed revision from the original, betaed by the painstaking and phenomenal [personal profile] stellar_dust. Title comes from the Billy Joel song. Mirror on the AO3.


The Story


1. You'll Never Be Alone Again
2. Look Who's Coming To Dinner
3. Good Boys
4. Dog Days
5. Bananas Are Not The Only Fruit
6. Hiding and Seeking
7. In Nomine Patris et Filii et Amici Iudaici
8. Interfamilial House of Pancakes
9. Things Fall Apart
10. Some Revelation
11. In Sickness And In Health
12. Child's Play
13. Flowers and Thorns
14. Two Weeks, On Notice
15. Let The Cleansing Begin
16. He Wants Me To Want You
17. The Traumatized Child
18. It Takes A Village
19. The Traumatized Inner Child
20. We Are Here
21. Thy Daft Rebel Correspondent
22. Fruit and Consequences
23. A Shot At Diplomacy
24. Calls Each Of Them By Name
25. With A Little Help From My Friends
26. Chekhov's Alter
27. Separation Anxiety
28. Couples, Counseled
29. Well, Stephen's Just This Guy, You Know?
30. If You Liked It, Then You Shoulda...
31. Crane Dance
32. For The Love Of Dog
33. Animals and Children
34. Jon, Full of Grace
Epilogue: I Am America (And So Can We)


Bonus Features


(Fanworks)
Stephen's split personality, a drawing by the wonderful [livejournal.com profile] xx_azure_sky_xx
Unconditioniness, a mix by the unparalleled [personal profile] stellar_dust
Second Amendment Remedies, an AU ficlet by the delightful [personal profile] politicette
Alters, a mildly NSFW drawing by the stunning [personal profile] omelton

(Art)
—Original: Official Poster | Stephen's Repression
—Revision: The Four Faces of Steve
—Chibis: Little Steve ColberT | The Chibi Faces of Steve | Have A Banana | Stephen and the Colberts
—Kiss: Like The Rain | These precious things
—Sketches: Graceful | Five Ways of Looking
—Colored pencil: Bullet with Eagle Wings | For What I Didn't Say | Gratuitous baby love | Charlene Violette
—Illustrations: part 1, part 2, part 3

(Mixes)
Official Soundtrack
Tyrone Hunnibi (hypothetically)
After The Rain
Petit Fourth
but the crack let in light

(Other)
Movie Trailer
Profiles of the alters
Stephen's diagnoses (locked)
Bonus scenes


The Daemon AU


State of Grace: the Despair That Slumber'd remix: One, Two, Three, Four+profiles
Scenes from an AU, 2007-8. How the story plays out when all the characters have daemons, a la His Dark Materials.


The Original Story

I'm leaving this version available because I'm a completist, and because some people have said it means a lot to them. However, if you're a new reader, please don't start here. Read the completed rewrite first. Afterwards, let it simmer for a while. Give the continuity some time to really sink into your mind. And even then, don't go back to this unless you feel a burning need to read something with the same arc and more plot holes.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, epilogue
Outdated illustrations | Extra sketches

I Can't read it

[identity profile] insane-child23.livejournal.com 2010-05-04 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
Hi. I'm kind of new to this world but I'd really like to read this. I'm logged in via livejournal. I'm 'of age'. But when I try to read the original story it says I'm not authorized. what do I need to do to read your wonderful story?!

Re: I Can't read it

[identity profile] chaos-reporter.livejournal.com 2010-06-20 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
Hi! Could I possibly have access too? I read expecting(And a lot of your other amazing works) and I really want to read this one!! You're soo awesome*Flattery*! Please?