saturday.

Title: The Last Stage of Grief Is Drowning
Author: sunfright
Artist: pattrose
Fandom: Napoli (ballet)
Characters/Pairings: Giovanina/Teresina, Teresina/Gennaro, Gennaro/Giovanina (one-sided), Giovanina/Luigi
Rating/Category: Teen/femslash + het
Genre: Literary, slice of life, romance
Word Count: 45k
Warnings: Major character death, period-typical homophobia/gender roles, internalized homophobia, very stereotypical Italian-ness (in the vein of the original ballet), mention of alcoholism, portrayal of aborted suicide attempt (drowning), grief and depression, loss of parents, loss of partner... I think that's it.
Summary: It has been ten years since Gennaro saved Teresina from the depths of the Neapolitan Gulf and the two have lived happily together as husband and wife ever since. Meanwhile, Giovanina's and Teresina's friendship has been falling apart, due to Giovanina's feelings for Gennaro - and because of the forbidden secret she shared with Teresina when they were teenagers. But when suddenly, the Gulf claims Gennaro's life, leaving Teresina alone in her grief, Giovanina feels herself slowly circling back to her old friend who has given up all her will to live, because now they have both loved and lost, and perhaps love and loss are things that should tie two women together rather than tearing them apart.
Author's Notes: A huge thanks to pattrose for making a moodboard for every single of my chapters for this fic as well as a cover! Remember to drive by their art and give them a shout-out.





Link to fic master post: This way to read!
Link to art master post: This way to see!




I'm just putting this up here for anyone who isn't following smallfandombang, because I am so damn proud of this fic. I wrote it in a frenzy over the course of a month back in October and have been sitting on it ever since, what a wait that's been!

I hope some of you will check it out, despite being unfamiliar with the canon, as most of you probably will be. It reads more like an original work than fanfiction, as it takes place ten years after the events of the ballet. I've tried capturing the mood of "tourist postcard" that Hübbe's adaption of Napoli was, so all stereotypical-ness and such is to match the aesthetic of the original material. Also, I know "Giovanina" should ideally be spelled "Giovannina", but in the original libretto for the 19th century Bournonville performance, it is rendered like the first rather than the second, and Hübbe hasn't changed that, so neither have I. Just know, I am aware.

All that said, give a kudos or a comment if you feel like it! I'm so excited to share this baby with the world. It's been a long time in coming.