#fic: multitudinous echoes

[ariadne-mouse]

memorable scene: echo!essek throwing rocks at archmage!bren and flipping off shadowhand!essek in multitudinous echoes. from caleb's preceding terror to the levity and pride, it's definitely a piece that has stuck with me

Hahaha I'm glad! When I was writing, I thought: they're here. They're trapped. Caleb is in danger. They can't use magic. What would a resourceful, desperate wizard like Essek do? You know what, he'd use his environment. He'd throw rocks. And I've really gotten a kick out of how much folks enjoy that moment. Thanks for sharing!

POV: you are an Archmage about to get a headache

(rock label based on one of my favorite bookmark comments ever, thanks Firefly264!)

[aeor-is-for-reccing]

Older Favourites: A Shadowgast Rec List

This week, we have a recurring theme to cap out the first month of the new year- Older Favourites! Check under the cut for 11 fics that are over a year old, and don't forget to comment and kudos if you like them!

Fundamental Forces Other Than Gravity by mllekurtz (TheKnittingJedi) (40676, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

A sweet collage AU one-shot where they are both a bit vulnerable and the m9 is its usual chaotic self.

Reccer says: I liked it!

Hold Me Close (But Not Too Sweet) by AnaliseGrey (5312, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn

Dom Caleb gets Essek out of his head with ear clamps and oral sex.

Reccer says: I liked it!

multitudinous echoes awoke and died in the distance by mousecookie (10003, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek and Caleb end up on the opposite side of Resonant Echo in a dangerous place.

Reccer says: Fascinating concept and interestingly written

only code it knows is rote survival by Chrome (12637, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

In a world where Trent makes it back to Eiselcross before the Nein do, Essek spends a night under the effects of the Feeblemind spell. Caleb undertakes a duty of care, and the Nein learn how Essek feels about them beneath everything.

Reccer says: Always love Feeblemind!Essek and this one is lovely in all the care the rest of the group gives

(perhaps i may) elaborate by demonstration by marsastronomica (10057, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Aeor flirting, flirting, flirting, and smut. Funny but loving.

Reccer says: This is one of my favs of all time. The characterization is great. A rare confident Essek. Tons of great lines too and the Nein are perfect.

we never do go over (we always gotta go through) by Chrome (17169, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

after a final battle with the Tombtakers, Five times Essek woke up with level(s) of exhaustion and one time he didn't.

Reccer says: It's so tender! An interesting take on a possible end to the arc and a wonderful demonstration for (the consequences of) Essek's power

Lay Your Bones by ladyorpheus (53587, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

The M9 rescue Essek, meet his brother, and muse on family.

Reccer says: One of the very first fics I read in this fandom and it's always stuck with me. A real ensemble M9 piece with shadowgast at its heart.

Like darkness to a dying flame by Sangreal (, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Caleb Widogast, arcanist in the service of His Excellency, Prime Magister Ludinus Da’leth, and antiquarian at large, travels to the ancient city of Ghor Dranas in search of a powerful drowic vestige that he believes can help him turn back time. He finds his vestige... and something more.

Reccer says: So. This fic. It is a fever dream, a fantasy-warped nightmare. Art in text. Heavy like lead in your mouth. Fucked up and absolutely gorgeously written. I think about it like once a week still. (Eldritch horror-Essek and Caleb succumbing to obsession and tentacles.)

shrimp vision by nevenne (5662, Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Humans can’t see in the dark. They see well in sunlight, however, and their eyes are exceptional for distinguishing color and depth. Drow can see at night, but more importantly, they can see in complete darkness as their eyes have accustomed to tracking the invisible heat radiating off objects and living flesh. There is a series of unfortunate complications to co-existing with a human arising from these facts.

Reccer says: It's funny and hot and there's some great drow biology in it!

Troublemaker by SaltCore (1309, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Kittens, while precious, do tend to cause problems on purpose. Good thing Essek is already smitten.

Reccer says: Amazingly sweet domestic fluff

learning all the old things by hanap (1353, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek cooks a meal for Caleb and himself.

Reccer says: It's super sweet and domestic

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week, we’ll be back with non-penetrative sex!

[catalists]

Chrome’s shadowgast fic rec list, vol 1

Well, well, well, if it isn’t the consequences of my own obsession with wizards. I might make another one of these eventually if y’all keep churning out absolute bangers, but in the meantime, here is a list of my top Shadowgast fic recs.

One rule here: I’m limiting this to one fic per author--but many people on this list have a broader oeuvre you should definitely check out.

Your disclaimer: this is not a full literature review, but rather my personal favorites. Caveat lector!

* = fic is rated M or E

sleeping in the shadow of an other self by nonwal | @nonwal

Essek has a moment to consider that gravity-based trust exercises have never worked for him, and then the spell hits. He leans back into it, falls, falls.

(In which Essek is resurrected by the Mighty Nein and framed for innocence.)

Okay, listen. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing out. There’s a reason it’s at the top of the list. 30k of absolutely phenomenal characterization of not only Shadowgast but all the M9 and the coolest plot to ever plot. Not only a fantastic first read, but a phenomenal re-read as well.

multitudinous echoes awoke and died in the distance by mousecookie | @ariadne-mouse

Caleb takes a step forward and stumbles.  As he catches himself he realizes something very odd.  His hands are shadowy and translucent.  His whole body is a shadow, in fact.  If he holds his palm up to the sky, he can see the stars twinkling faintly through it.

Sharp talons of panic dig into his chest.  He feels solid - if he grabs his own wrist, he has mass, but it is wrong.  Everything is wrong.  What is happening?

Prepare Fireball, commands a voice in his head.  

The voice is familiar.  

It takes him a moment to realize it’s familiar because it’s his.

An absolutely fabulous pre-relationship fic, written before the end of the show but you wouldn’t know it from how perfectly it nails the dynamic. Ariadne has written a ton of other fabulous Shadowgast fics and I encourage you to read them all--I’m just limiting this list to one fic per author to try and cover more ground.

Great Minds by bluebirdsongs

Essek uses more high-level dunamancy in battle, and Caleb tries to reverse-engineer it when he can't sleep. AKA What if we were both wizards and I cast Tether Essence on us to save your life?

This is a gorgeous fic, both for how it handles Caleb and Essek’s conversation--with profound deftness--and for the treatment of magic-as-math. A beautiful exploration of both dunamancy and Caleb and Essek.

to make a cradle of your palm* by renquise

Essek offers Caleb his spellbook, open to the page of a new spell.

As Caleb suspected, his adaptation of Essek's gravity spell was different in its conception, for all that the result was the same. The architecture of this similar spell speaks of a different thought process, a different set of basic assumptions. It is beautifully engineered, efficient in its use of components and energy: a simple spell requiring only a length of silk thread and yet capable of reaching over a great distance and causing great damage, if applied with intent to harm.

“If you would like, you can, ah. You may—" Essek gestures at his own throat, a quick, inelegant spread of fingers. "Test the application of pressure that the spell exerts."

It takes Caleb a moment to register what Essek is proposing. He is a delicate speaker, as always.

Oh man, this one just goes for the jugular (ha) in the most perfect way. The prose here, like everything renquise writes, is absolutely masterful, and the tension between Caleb and Essek is exquisitely rendered.

fist-fighting with fire just to get close to you by kaeda | @the-kaedageist

Caleb caught Essek’s eye across the dome, and Essek returned his small smile. “It would seem that it is trickier than expected to keep things on a…private channel,” Essek thought at him.

“Unfortunately,” Caleb replied.

“Unfortunately for all of us,” Fjord interjected.

(Spoilers for campaign 2, episode 138)

Kate has a fabulous gift for getting the Mighty Nein’s voices exactly right, and this fic is no exception. This takes the hive mind/telepathy of the eyes to its hilarious, heart-warming, logical conclusion and it’s an absolute joy to read.

(perhaps i may) elaborate by demonstration* by marsastronomica | @marsastronomica

After the second fight, they rest again. There’s still time left in the day, and they may as well push as far as they can. Essek and Caleb find time between action to talk. And negotiate.

This one is an absolute banger. The flirting! The tension! The incredible intense game of chicken that Essek and Caleb are playing this whole fic...it’s amazing, you can hear the dialogue in their voices, this is another one that I read and then had to tell everyone about. And now I’m telling you about. Go read it, it kicks ass.

I’ve been lost before (and I’m lost again, I guess)* by toneofjoy

Caleb has plans to take down his old coaches. Essek has secrets. They climb rocks, make new friends, explore professional boundaries, learn about consequences, and maybe even fall in love. It’s the Shadowgast climbing AU.

AUs can be a tough sell for me, but this one’s not. Half the joy in this is the fabulously vivid world that is built by the author who absolutely knows the ins and outs of competitive climbing and expertly shares it with the reader. The other half is the beautiful growing relationship between Caleb and Essek, which is a consistent joy to read. It’s still a WIP, but I promise it’s worth reading along.

the other things that make us* by saturday_sky | @saturdaysky

Essek returns, when he can, to the sanctuary of Caleb's home. The peace of it is a balm against the tedious peril of the road, which has more misery to share than Essek had ever thought. It's nice to have a place where he can lose himself: in a book, in arcane study, in the confusing allure of Caleb's smile.

It's nice. And the cats miss him, Caleb says.

[First chapter is a complete story. Second chapter will be a follow-up epilogue to it.]

This one hurts in the best possible way. I can’t highlight my favorite bits without giving it away, but the emotional beats of this absolutely beautiful post-canon fic are top-notch and the reveal of information is perfectly executed.

darkness to me is only water to the sea by treeviality

Essek knows how his story ends. There is a place in Rexxentrum where executions are carried out, wooden steps leading up to a wooden platform. There hangs a noose, swaying lightly in northern wind, while polished cobblestones shine bright in golden light.  

There will be birds, Essek imagines, and when the lever is pulled and gravity takes hold of him one last time, he hopes they take flight.

This now-AU take on Essek being arrested is lyrical and beautiful and the author has a tremendous grasp of language and also how to rip your heart straight out of your chest and then gently replace it.

---

And, if you’re still looking for fic, I have a few, but one of my favorites is:

we never do go over (we always gotta go through) by Chrome

In the last fight with the Tombtakers, Essek Thelyss bends reality to keep them all alive and pays the price. As he copes with the aftereffects of his own magic and the party takes the long journey back to the surface, Essek and Caleb finally confront what they are to each other.

or,

Five times Essek woke up with level(s) of exhaustion and one time he didn't.

[aeor-is-for-reccing]

Alternative Timelines and Echoes: A Shadowgast Rec List

Hey everyone! This week we have nine incredible fics that are all about Alternative Timelines and Echoes. Recs under the cut, and as always, remember to comment or kudos if you liked them!

I always figured that I'd be the one to die alone by thesweetpianowritingdownmylife (6443,Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn

Written pre-episode 97, Essek is travelling with the Nein and Caleb summons an echo of himself for watch. The echo version of Caleb is from a world where Essek died.

Reccer says: It's sweet and a little sad

the better version of our past by KmacKatie (kmackatie) (5840,Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

While casting the time spell with Caleb, Essek has a moment of glimpsing a number of different futures

Reccer says: I liked it!

Time Relentless Takes No Sides by PryingBlackbird, sociallychallengednerd, toneofjoy (15260,Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

A device discovered in Aeor upends everything. Caleb is trapped in an endless swirl of alternate timelines, and there seems to be no way out.

Reccer says: It's very gripping, and the exploration of all of the different Calebs and Brens is fascinating!

The Refraction of Verisimilitude by marsastronomica (16537,Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn

The second in a scourger AU series, Bren attempts to keep the upper hand as Essek's world is rocked by the presence of the Nein

Reccer says: It's very engaging and textured, with Essek and Bren being matched opponents - plus there is a very good scene involving Essek showing Bren what exactly an echo might be used for

small works of cosmic scale by mousecookie (2547,General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek has a breakthrough he wants to share with Caleb. A breakthrough that apparently includes a snail.

Reccer says: I liked it!

In all worlds, nothing is immutable by CherryMilkshake (22265,Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek tries to travel through time, but instead finds himself in a world where he is happily involved with Caleb

Reccer says: I liked it!

Hang the Hourglass by Luckyowlsfoot (5723,Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: Major Character Death, Graphic Depictions of Violence

An alternate timeline's Essek has to step in to help in Aeor and Cognoza. he can't stay, however.

Reccer says: It hurts in just the right ways

And two fics each for:

reflections and other illusions of control (series) by atlasarcana (84220,Explicit) Reccer's Content Notes: Choose Not to Warn, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Dubcon/Consensual Non Consent

Essek and Caleb have bedroom issues and summon an echo. The Echo is from a timeline where Bren remained a Volstrucker. Soap opera relationship drama and cross-timeline espionage ensues.

Reccer 1 says: I like that it explores the idea of Bren vs. Caleb as different possible outcomes to the same childhood, and Essek vs. Shadowhand-Essek as different possible outcomes to the same adulthood with/without the Mighty Nein. Reccer 2 says: This fic series has everything. It's a wonderful character study through the means of kinky exploration between three (or...four?) people with incredibly tangled relationships with violence, shame and desire. Bren's characterizations is such a delight.

multitudinous echoes awoke and died in the distance by mousecookie (10003,Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: brief suicidal ideation

Caleb and Essek are summoned to an alternate timeline as Resonant Echoes of their evil selves, and fight to survive and get back.

Reccer 1 says: Cool concept and good emotional moments Reccer 2 says: It’s imaginative, fast-paced, and intense. The atmosphere is tense, and the visuals are really quite good.

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week's theme is Babygast, so get ready for some cute kids!

[aeor-is-for-reccing]

Older Favorites - Shadowgast Recs

This week, we have another recurring feature: Older Favorites! All of these fics were published before the Campaign 2 Finale. A dozen fics that, if you’re newer to the fandom, you might have missed, or might deserve a reread.

Attraction is just a form of Gravity by ThreeGremlinsInATrenchcoat (201070, Explicit) Warnings: None Essek invites Caleb into a FWB style relationship, but ends up catching feelings Reccer says: This fic is literally what got me into Shadowgast as a ship. It's deliciously well written and is iconic to this day. I love it

and I never really thought about it by dissonancies (6206, Teen) Warnings: None There's a new person with Essek with the Nein meet back up with him. Caleb mistakes their relationship. Reccer says: Caleb's emotions and hesitancy during that particular time period are explored well.

The Tower by viciousmollymaukery (9526, Teen) Warnings: major character death - he gets better the cerberus assembly send a scourger to take out Essek, not realizing the nein are on their way to hang out Reccer says: short and sweet, very nice hurt/comfort

Some truths are stubborn as gravity by SkyScribbles (6922, Teen) Warnings: None A soulmate AU where soulmates can't lie to each other - and Essek is Caleb's soulmate. Reccer says: I love the exploration of how Essek would get around not being able to lie to the Nein (while also being a traitor), plus it's so very sweet.

multitudinous echoes awoke and died in the distance by mousecookie (10003, Teen) Warnings: there is a tag for "very brief suicidal ideation" but it refers to just one line and is not a major theme Caleb wakes up as a Resonant Echo, cast by an alternate timeline version of himself. He and an echo Essek must figure out how to survive and escape back to their own timeline. Reccer says: cool use of resonant echo where the characters we know ARE the echoes instead of the ones casting it

sheer audacity by darundik (2694, Explicit) Warnings: Not really a warning but they nearly get caught. Caleb has to hide under a desk and waits for Essek to finish up some business. But Caleb is very impatient and a blowjob ensues. Reccer says: They are very in love with each other and also very horny about it.

the shadows they grew ever longer by duck bunny (6979, Explicit) Warnings: Rape/Non-con (has a dividing break when the actual event is concluded and moving to comfort) Lucien curses Essek. Caleb deals with the aftermath. Reccer says: This is hurt/comfort at its finest. Caleb takes care of Essek so beautifully with tact and love. Super heartwarming even though it starts with a bang.

infinity in the palm of your hand by mousecookie (5752, Teen) Warnings: Major Character Death AU at c2e116 - what if the drow at the door, frozen in death, was Essek? Reccer says: This story is an emotional rollercoaster in the best way. The author evokes powerful emotions as all the characters struggle.

The Most Delicate of Chains by CatKing_Catkin (11333, Explicit) Warnings: Rape/non con, as implied by the summary Essek is forced into marriage with a monstrous sadist and rapist who threatens to expose Essek's treason if he doesn't comply. Essek is spiralling into despair, but fortunately the Mighty Nein realize something is wrong and step in to save him. Reccer says: If you want to see Essek subjected to and then rescued from an abusive arranged marriage by his friends and Caleb, this is the fic for you. Features wonderfully soft Shadowgast moments amidst all the awfulness, plus a very cathartic ending.

And then the following stories have two recs each!

we never do go over (we always gotta go through) by Chrome (17169, Teen) Warnings: None Five times Essek woke up with level(s) of exhaustion and one time he didn't. (taken directly from the author summary!) Reccer 1 says: Fantastic Hurt/Comfort fic and a very creative way to explore Essek's feelings of guilt using game mechanics during the Aeor arc Reccer 2 says: This is a fantastic story of the Nein showing how much they care for Essek, and Caleb's love of his friends and his Essek.

only code it knows is rote survival by Chrome (12637, Teen) Warnings: None After the Vergessen fiasco, Trent attacks Essek, and the Mighty Nein rush to his rescue. They manage to save him, but not before Trent has him Feebleminded. They can't restore him until the next long rest, so the Nein (mainly Caleb and Jester) to care for him for a night. Reccer 1 says: Another incredible Chrome fic, this one focuses on Caleb's care and respect for Essek even when Essek doesn't have his intellect. The ending is beautiful! Reccer 2 says: This fic is a pitch perfect whump fic, and really gets to the heart Feeblemind is such a great story premise. We get to see Essek utterly vulnerable around the Nein with all his normal walls completely down, while Caleb struggles with complicated feelings about that. There's also some really great Jessties moments, for those who like that.

sleeping in the shadow of an other self by Nonwal (32857, Teen) Warnings: implied/reference torture After Essek is executed for treason, the Nein come up with a plan to 'prove' his innocence. Reccer 1 says: It's a fun story with an absolutely fantastic twist. Reccer 2 says: The twist at the end was so well done, and the hurt/comfort was amazing

All recs were provided by Aeor is for Lovers, an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week’s theme are fics that feature another Thelyss (Verin, Deirta, Essek’s Dad, ect), so check back next week! Also, we posted the tools we use to make this run relatively smoothly, so if you’re interested in making your own reclist, definitely check it out!

[ariadne-mouse]

Favorite fic! UHm hm a list 😅

The delicate thing you prize so much 😭💕 it hurts so good, its a dream, and a literal dream

Multitudinous echoes awoke and died in the distance - okay but what a galaxy brain concept and what a compare contrast? It really had to be them in this now that they would happen ahdkshf

Path of the traveled sun 💕💕💕💕 essek and babies and verin coming to terms with everything akfhakfah

The im giving you a undergarments, im playing wizard pattycake yes, oh that is frumpkin and the cat im petting is caleb, i was just trying to make soup, snail echo, mermessek, volcaleb...

Im really just going to end up listing all your fic so ill just stop here 💕😅🤣

Oh gosh that's quite a list!! Thank you so much!! I am loving your shorthand title references 😂 "undergarments", "oh that is frumpkin and the cat I'm petting is Caleb", "I was just trying to make soup" indeed!! Here is a moment from the delicate thing you prize so much, which as you note is a "hurts so good" fic and so naturally I have chosen a very emotional moment to portray:

[ariadne-mouse]

fic writer's asks 5, 10, 12, 14? :)

Hello there! :) I answered #14 in another ask, but here are the rest!

5. first sentence of the fifth paragraph of an unpublished WIP

Her limbs are jelly, but her inner arms will always know how to hold her cytaa.

10. What is the longest amount of time you’ve let a draft rest before you finished it?

I'll let you know when it stops resting 😂 no but I have a couple serious WIPs of 10k+ words that are just chillin TBD - The Anachronist and the evil sequel to Multitudinous Echoes. If we're going with something I have actually finished, I let a man by any other face rest for a good 6-8months in its fully finished draft form before I finally mustered up the marbles to deal with it.

12. a trope you’re really into right now

hmmm I don't necessarily latch on to tropes in phases, but certainly "a long awaited reunion between two people who care about each other" has been top of mind with recent CR episodes.

[fic writer ask meme]

[ariadne-mouse]

Thinking of doing some more animated cover art for my fics, like this one I did for Everything In Aeor is Fine - would folks be more interested in art for:

a man by any other face (polymorph fic)

the fire kept closest (volcaleb)

multitudinous echoes (resonant echo fic)

something else?

[ariadne-mouse]

🔮(illusion), 🐛, ⏰, 🔨 for your lovely ask meme !

Hi there! :) I answered ⏰ in another post [here], but here are the others:

🔮 Make up a title on the spot based on the asker's word/theme and briefly describe what the fic would be about.

the gentle charm - Caleb is trapped in a magical illusion or enchantment where his parents are alive, and Essek has to break him out of it. It's painful because Caleb is very happy there and initially doesn't recognize Essek at all.

Title taken from Letitia Elizabeth Landon:

Break not on the gentle charm In which night has bound me, Wherefore, wherefore should I wake To the cold world around me?

🐛What is your longest fic title? And your shortest?

Longest: multitudinous echoes awoke and died in the distance 

Shortest: A Weird Soup 

🔨 Do you have any working titles you'd like to share that didn't make it to the final posting?

I am discovering in trying to answer this question that I did not retain the draft titles for my finished works and have forgotten most of them 😂 so instead, take the list of possible titles for one of my WIPs, the sequel to multitudinous echoes:

echoes intertwined (original working title)

beneath the reverberant branches (next line from the poem that multitudinous echoes is from, fitting for the fact that it's a sequel)

Essek's Horrible Terrible No-Good Involuntary Vacation

Sometimes, self care is putting something ridiculous in your list of potential titles😌

[ask me something about fic titles!]

[ariadne-mouse]

'echoes 2' because I have a suspicion I may know what this is about and I am making grabby hands at it. And if that's been taken, Everything in Aeor is Fine!

If your suspicion was that it's the sequel to multitudinous echoes, you're correct! :D This fic follows the Archmage and the Shadowhand who were left behind in the alternate timeline in the original story. Consequences resulting from their rebellious Resonant Echoes force them to work together, and it's not a good time for anyone.

Here's a snip!

-

“Do you enjoy dying at my hands so much?” Bren calls at last.  He is winded, somehow, as though the adrenaline carries over from every repetition of this confrontation, compounding, making him dizzy.  His body remembers dying.  “I am happy to repeat it until it sticks for good.”

“Now I know trading the beacon was a mistake,” the Shadowhand retorts, looking rather terrible himself, still carrying his original wounds on top of the added fatigue they now share. “Clearly you are an idiot, and could do nothing useful with it.”  He looks around. “Death will not stick for either of us, it seems.  As fascinating as it is to reduce you to a bloody smear on the ground time and time again.  Something has gone wrong.”

The wind carries the sounds of battle to their ears.  The fight between their countries is still raging all around them in this labyrinth, and it’s difficult to tell who’s winning.

Bren and the Shadowhand lock eyes once more.  They each wait, wondering if the arcane storm will swallow them up again.  There is nothing; just two enemies staring each other down across ravaged earth.

The drow’s hand twitches.  

Bren reacts just as fast.  The incantation for Disintegrate is a familiar melody on his lips.

—

“Was that really necessary?” the Shadowhand asks frostily, when they have reset once again.

“It was you who moved first.” The curve of Bren’s mouth is too sharp to be a smile.  He feels a drop of blood slide down his temple.

“Then you are not only an idiot, but a child.”  His opponent slumps against a boulder, glaring.  After another tense silence — one in which they miraculously refrain from further murder — the drow retrieves a glass bottle from his robes, its contents the familiar red of a healing potion.  When he judges Bren will not take the movement as an attack, he downs the contents with evident relief.

Bren watches the bob of his slender throat.  The Shadowhand is a creature of courtly composure, even on the battlefield.  It’s satisfying to have brought him low.

[ariadne-mouse]

Fic writing lightning round:

-What fandoms have you written fics for?

-Do you have any original stuff?

-What's your oldest fic?

-What story are you most proud of?

-What stories are in the works?

-Where can I read your stuff?

Oho, here we go!

In more recent years: Critical Role, The Flash, The Sandman, and technically Supernatural though that one was more to bogart the worldbuilding for a crossover/fusion. Reaching back into Ye Olden Times of Livejournal and ffn.net, the very first fandom I wrote for was Yu Yu Hakusho.

I have some original poetry from various points in my life.

My oldest fic was a wonderfully terrible self-insert OC genfic for Yu Yu Hakusho, as might be done by any self-respecting tweenage author. It has since been thoroughly lost to the sands of time. Bless it, may it rest in peace.

I am especially proud of the fire kept closest because it was very experimental and I think worked out well. Same with till human voices wake us. Both are also the first multi-chaptered stories I've finished, which was a new branch for me too. (mercaleb is finished, just not yet on Ao3!)

A couple stories are properly in the works: a sequel to multitudinous echoes, a 30k polymorph-themed postcanon shadowgast fic called a man by any other face that needs a heavy round of editing, and an as-of-yet unmentioned prompt-based serial fic about Shadowgast going to Aeor and something going dreadfully wrong. The WIP folder is lovely, dark, and deep, but these are the furthest along with the most momentum.

You can read my stuff on Ao3, and also here on tumblr under the tag #ariadne writes cr (which includes Ao3 links, ask meme prompts, tumblr-exclusive short fic, and WIP previews).

Thanks for the questions! :)

[informal ask meme]

[ariadne-mouse]

i can’t possibly narrow it down to one favorite ):

creature comforts!! infinity in the palm of your hand!! multitudinous echoes!! path of the travelled sun!! ghost is a verb!!!!!!!! and your latest mercaleb fic is lowkey spooky 👀 i love it SO MUCH. how could i pick just one when i go back to all of these???

Awwww, thank you :)))))

I'll do a tidbit for ghost is a verb, since that one is a little more obscure and I'm very fond of it: my first foray into work skins for Ao3 was for this fic, to make Opal's Sendings their trademark pink.

[ariadne-mouse]

Re: memorable scenes, there are several, but the first thing I can think of is Essek throwing rocks at evil!Caleb in "multitudinous echoes," it's such a great image and a very needed moment of levity.

Ahh, thank you!! <3 Really pleased that one struck a chord. I was grinning while I was writing it, even as part of me wondered "is this too much humor? Will this take people out of the gravitas entirely?". I'm glad you think it served its intended purpose! Sometimes when there's nothing else left you gotta throw some rocks.

Thanks for the ask :)

[ariadne-mouse]

The embrace 'in the face of certain death' in Multitudinous Echoes! It shook me to the core in the best kinds of ways when I read it... when all the complications are stripped away and it's just two wizards convinced this is It, they reach for each other, and it was a completely unforgettable and beautiful moment.

Ahh thank you Sky! That is one of my favorite moments in the fic. I had planned the set-up - that they would be cornered by their other selves, no way out - but what they would do in that moment was something I wrote when I got there. I'm really pleased you felt it made an impact!

Thanks for the ask :)

[ariadne-mouse]

Forgive me for not knowing the title off the top of my head, but the one where Caleb and Essek temporarily become echoes? There are so many Iconic scenes in that fic and I am dying to know which was The One~

Box! Hello! Haha I don't blame you for not remembering the title, it's one of those silly long ones: multitudinous echoes awoke and died in the distance.

It was definitely Essek throwing rocks. Jk, jk, that was just an improvised gift of the writing process, but it still makes me laugh.

The Scene - moment - image - that drove this fic for me was Essek and Caleb as echoes, vulnerable, back to back, each facing off with the other's "evil" double in a bid to protect them. Something-something metaphors, Caleb and Essek help each other fight their darker tendencies - their worst selves - which in this story are represented literally by the Shadowhand and the Archmage (these two villains aren't the only possible "worst" versions of them, of course, but they function in the narrative as such). Just that single moment of solidarity, conviction, protectiveness, even when the odds feel impossible.

[fic scene ask meme]

[ariadne-mouse]

It is WIP Wednesday!

A while back for a fic meme, @talesofsymphoniac asked me: if I was to write a sequel to multitudinous echoes, what might that look like? At the time, I answered with a few ideas about how Essek and Caleb might grapple with fallout from their experience - but later, I thought about it some more, and realized the more compelling story might belong to the Shadowhand and the Archmage whom our protagonists left behind.

I have so many WIPs already though, I thought, I don't think I my brain can precipitate another. No way could I commit that time and energy! So I planned to make a tumblr post about "the sequel that could have been" with an outline and some snippets to scratch the itch and move on.

But then those snippets kept growing, and expanding, and okay fine I'm definitely writing a sequel to multitudinous echoes. Here's a snip!

“What were you doing?”

Bren straightens his battle-mussed robes, his body still full of frenetic energy. He will remember the shocked look on Dwendall’s face forever, in perfect detail. A memory to treasure. “Oh, just having a little fun.”

“Fun?” Thelyss is unimpressed.

“We are in a time loop,” Bren points out slowly, as if Thelyss is a dullard, though there is plenty of evidence by now that this is not the case. “The possibilities are infinite.”

“I am aware,” The Shadowhand replies drolly, though he still tilts his head, considering Bren’s words. Bren likes the keen light in his eyes. No, Thelyss is not an idiot — quite the opposite. The man’s casting is artful. Precise. The work of a sharp mind. Bren wouldn’t want an idiot’s spellbook.

Bren raises his eyebrows. “Haven’t you ever wanted to fuck around with something you are working on? Now is the time.”

“There are things I would like to… fuck around with, yes,” Thelyss replies, his accent wrapping the coarse word with velvet. “But are you so content to abandon reality?”

Yes, comes the unbidden thought. And it is so easy, once you start.