#some of these are used as worldbuilding in old fics that never saw the light of day | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

arofili · 3 years

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I love reading what you write! It's always such good, easy writing no matter what it's about! Do you have any Russingon fic recs? I'm new to Ao3 and still figuring it all out.

Aww thank you so much <3 <3 that means a lot! and YES I have lots of Russingon fic recs! These are all taken from my bookmarks and I know there are other great fics out there, but these are ones that I have saved and come back to frequently!

(I’m also going to plug my Russingon fics bc I write them a lot and I’m pretty proud of some of those works!)

Blessed Hands Will Break Me by @absynthe--minded - WIP currently at 139k, lots of worldbuilding, from Fingon’s discovery of Maedhros’ capture to the Mereth Aderthad - Absynthe is an amazing Russingon writer, absolutely check her stuff out!

“whoso list to hunt” by vauquelin (elftrash) - 3k oneshot, post-Angband, 1st person Fingon POV - another incredible writer

“Old Pains” by @zealouswerewolfcollector - ficlet, post-reembodiment, Maedhros is unsure of reality

Did My Heart Love Till Now? by @absynthe--minded (with art by @felixwhetsel !) - 5k, Years of the Trees, masquerade shenanigans <3

“stay thy mind, and all the rest” by @mc-dude - 25k oneshot, get together, Fingon visits Maedhros in Himring, the ANGST and LONGING gahhhh !!!

“commit (to the bit)” by vauquelin (elftrash) - 4k oneshot, Years of the Trees, FAKE DATING FOR WORLD PEACE, this author has a GIFT for prose and the subtlety of interpersonal interaction

“cliffs of fall” by @arrivisting - 3k oneshot, nonlinear narrative but generally focused on post-reembodiment reunion with Complicated Feelings - another author with a truly inspiring talent for prose, I reread the wedding scene in this fic at least once a week and it never fails to make me emo

In Equal Measure by @siphilemon - WIP currently at 108k, time-travel fix-it, bullet point fic, not just Russingon but they’re the ones who time traveled and anyway their parts make me go insane

Your colors by @elesianne - 2 chapters, 3k total, Years of the Trees and then Beleriand, gift-giving and anniversaries and dirty talk, so tender and loving, Elle’s Russingon always hits me right in the heart <3

“Like the old season” by Tyelperintal - 1.8k oneshot, post-Angband, Maedhros and Fingon take a walk in the woods, super sweet

“Gifts of the Heart” by @wren-of-the-woods - 10k oneshot, Years of the Trees, really lovely get-together fic, gift-giving, just super sweet and fun

Our Houses Bound Together by @senalishia and @z-h-i-e - 5 chapters, 17.2k total, arranged marriage AU!!, mutual pining, lots of drama, very fun

“just one safe place” by sunflower_diode - 2.1k oneshot, post-Angband, homoerotic haircutting

“All About Your Heart” and its sequel “At Last Broke Silence, And The Ice” by @admirablemonster - first fic is 2k, second is 8k, modern AU ft. aspec Fingon and genderfluid Maedhros!!!, get together, family drama, ice angst <3

Life after Death by Sylanna - WIP currently at 69k, Fingon-centric post-reembodiment fic, slow moving and contemplative, the author is truly the sweetest person ever

What Is Wrought Between Us by @nikosheba - 90k series (with plenty of smut too), complete, canon compliant, ranges from the Years of the Trees all the way to after the Dagor Dagorath, a truly incredible work

“Kindness” by justonelastdance - 1.6k oneshot, Maedhros in a fucked up mental state post-Angband, hurt/comfort - this author writes a lot of Maedhros whump so if you like this check out their other stuff too (this one is just my favorite)

and under the cut, some smut recs....

smut recs

In a Jeweled Crown by @absynthe--minded - 3 chapters, 12k, complete, Fingon’s coronation and the aftermath - this one still makes me go nuts every time I read it

Reconnecting by nyromes - a series with 2 parts, 9k total, first time post-Angband + first time Maedhros bottoms post-Angband

“Bright Defiance” (1.7k) and its companion fic “Very Good” (800 word ficlet) by @edgeoflight - two oneshots, Fingon coaxes Maedhros’ story out of him post-Angband + some PWP - these are some of my favorites, I come back to them frequently

“all your perfect imperfections” by @stormxpadme - 1.8k oneshot, stumpfucking, I’m biased bc this was written for me but I do love it very much, Himring era

“These Games We Play” by @edgeoflight - 1.7k oneshot, the original stumpfucking fic, Himring era

A Surprise At Home by Findecutie and MayGlenn - 25k of pwp, Years of the Trees, newlyweds, crossdressing - part of the much longer Russ and Finno Verse but this was my intro to that verse and it’s good on its own!

“Fuath” by yeaka - 3k oneshot, first time, some truly disturbing manipulation by Melkor but the Russingon here fucking destroys me ;-;

“Rozanne” by yeaka - 2.8k oneshot, Maedhros recovering from Angband, I once saw someone use the phrase “lovingly described blowjobs” and that’s basically this fic

“Sleeve” by yeaka - 2.4k oneshot, trans!Maedhros, Years of the Trees, Fëanor invents the condom for Maedhros and Russingon are incredibly eager to try it out, they’re SO IN LOVE here it gets me every time

Passion and Anxious Care by LiveOakWithMoss - 12.5k total, 2 fic series, modern AU, oh my god they were roommates, get together and then first time, this is another one I return to frequently - this author is/was a BNF a few years ago but hasn’t been active recently

“For nimble thought can jump both sea and land” by TheLionInMyBed - 2.2k oneshot, palantiri foolishness that leads to video sex basically, Beleriand era - another BNF who is/was buds with LiveOakWithMoss

Treat me soft but touch me cool by LiveOakWithMoss and TheLionInMyBed - 4 chapters, 18k total, swoon kink/medical kink, relationship difficulties that are resolved, Beleriand era with a final chapter post-reembodiment, love this one

“Enthroned” by @ultraviolet-eucatastrophe - 4.5k oneshot, throne sex, fealty kink, King Fingon era

“A Disgrace to the House of Finwë” by @edgeoflight - 2.3k oneshot, get together/first time, Years of the Trees, they’re just super sweet together <3

“What Happens in Himring” by teasoni - 3.4k oneshot, reunion sex, Himring era, fealty kink, this fic is tagged “finally some dicks get sucked!!!!!!” and I think about that tag every time I write a Russingon blowjob jdkfhdkj

“a light in darkness, hope in woe” by @admirablemonster - 4k oneshot, trans!Maedhros, surprise baby Gil-galad in the middle of the Bragollach

“A lord and his prince” by @ultraviolet-eucatastrophe - 3.1k oneshot, early Beleriand era, reunion sex, super sweet and fluffy

“Made of Lava” by @edgeoflight - 2.1k oneshot, Years of the Trees, tender get-together fic with a kind of silly premise

Bend, bruise, beg by LiveOakWithMoss - 5 chapters, 13k total, part of a larger modern AU but tbh I haven’t read the main fic in that verse and this absolutely stands on its own, Maedhros discovering his kinks, chapters 2 (first time) and 4 (butt plug shenanigans) are my favorites

“in a field of stars” by Nacht - 3.4k oneshot, Years of the Trees, first time/get together, the writing style here is really unique and sticks with me

“a sword once sheathed” by @mc-dude - 3.5k oneshot, Beleriand era, reunion sex, the amount of horny longing is truly astonishing

Of Flight and Freedom by @admirablemonster - 2 chapters, 6.6k total, wingfic/wing kink, first time/get together, the Rescue and its aftermath

“Thorns” by yeaka - 2k oneshot, post-Angband, Maedhros with lousy self-worth, Fingon who punishes him with love, bondage

The Ice Between by angrymermaids (who has a tumblr but I don’t remember the url oops) - 7 chapters, 33.5k total, Beleriand era, piecing their relationship back together / trying to get back to being intimate, focus on Fingon and his trauma from the Ice

“much too tall for a boyfriend” by @i-am-a-lonely-visitor - 4.7k oneshot, fem!Maedhros x budding-transmasc!Fingon, Years of the Trees, I think about this fic ALL THE TIME I kind of want to write a sequel to it sjfdhdkjh

“the beat of your heart as my hand touches your skin” by @admirablemonster - 5.3k oneshot, part of the Elves in Pon Farr series, Years of the Trees, heat fic/mating cycles, first time/get together, Maedhros’ first heat catches him by surprise while on a camping trip with Fingon, accidental soulbond

“Beneath the Blanketing White” by @nikosheba - 2.3k oneshot, Himring era, pwp, cameo from little Gil-galad at the end

“What I Am (When I’m With You)” by @thatfeanorian - 5k oneshot, part of a larger modern AU, married fluff, Fingon with baby Gil, ends with some lovely smut, this was written for me so AGAIN I’m biased but I do very much love this one

“open your body and soul to me” by @the-quiet-fire-of-defiance - 2.3k oneshot, Years of the Trees, trans!Maedhros, pregnancy, exhibitionism, sex toys, they’re so in love that it drives me crazy, I can’t stop thinking about this fic djfhkjd

“Like the Golden Fire in Your Eyes” by @sianascera - 3.8k oneshot, Years of the Trees, Maedhros invents nipple piercings, extremely fun <3

#anon #answers #russingon #fic recs #tefain nin #maedhros x fingon #there are truly some incredible writers in this fandom; thank you SO much for all your contributions <3 #save #russingon fic recs

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tanoraqui · 4 years

Text

[Part 1] [Part 2]

[now all on AO3!]

As Nie Huaisang pulls his horse to a halt, as he clumsily dismounts and begs his san-ge to speak with him in private and they walk off to the side of the road together, Nie Huaisang’s eyes down and his fan covering most his face in embarrassment, he thinks very quickly, and decides faster. He’d promised himself he would do that, next time something like this happened

Here is some of what he thinks:

if the lifeblood of Qishan was power and the heart of Qinghe is strength, then the vital spark of Lanling is appearance. Nie Huaisang has always admired this, even yearned for it - imagine being born to a sect in which it was okay to just sit around and look pretty! Sure, they go a bit overboard with gilt, but who wouldn’t, if they had the money? QingheNie has a fortress in the mountains; LanlingJin has a golden tower overlooking one of the biggest ports in the empire, trade and art and culture all within reach

Conversely, they also thrive on secrets - the dark side of golden, glittering appearance. They’re not so different from QishanWen like that, because information is power. That’s why gossip is a thing

Nie Huaisang has no particular reason to distrust Jin Guangyao, personally. He’s always been very kind to Nie Huaisang, bringing him lovely new fans and paints and a beautiful finch one time. Da-ge doesn’t trust him, for reason of some things JGY did in the war, but da-ge has such high standards for conduct that it’s a miracle he trusts anyone after the Sunshot Campaign. (And it’d help if he told NHS anything about those alleged untrustworthy “things”...) Wen Qing doesn’t trust him, but in fairness, it was her side that he betrayed. That could sour anyone. Even putting aside the possibility that she’s deliberately sowing discord for some devilish Wen reason.

Admittedly, anything that Nie Huaisang says to him will almost certainly get back to Jin Guangshan, unless it’s of a truly personal nature - and perhaps even then. Secrets and gossip and power, after all, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that Jin Guangyao is desperate to please his father

even if the old bastard doesn’t deserve it an inch

So the question is, what is Nie Huaisang comfortable having known, and to whom? What does he want to appear as, to whom? And what is he willing to risk coming to light?

He thinks very fast, and soon as they’re well-out of earshot of his disciple-assistants and newly acquired Wen grandmother, he flings himself into Jin Guangyao’s arms, wailing.

(it’s a little difficult, because Jin Guangyao is one of the few men Nie Huaisang knows who’s shorter than he is.)

“San-ge, it’s not my fault! It’s all gone wrong! I just wanted to get out of saber practice, but then Wen Qing told da-ge something completely different, and then she made be get a baby, and - ”

The whole story comes out, in stops and starts mixed with helpless, hapless sobs. Nie Huaisang downplays Wen Qing’s successes with his brother, or at least mostly ignores them. He mentions A-Yuan’s nightmares only so far as they inconvenience himself, doesn’t comment on the Wens’ state of life at all, and generally exaggerates every terrible and bewildering situation he’s found himself in since he first happened to glance at Jiang Yanli at Phoenix Mountain

He figures Jin Guangyao probably sees through at least 20% of it, but that’s okay - that’s only deep enough to pierce the outer layer of overdramatics, which are mostly embellishments of the truth anyway, and maybe judge that Nie Huaisang has a soft heart for a cute kid

it’s a very cute kid, okay. NHS saw Nie Mingjue sneaking A-Yuan a piece of candy once. No one is safe

he doesn’t tell Jin Guangyao that

Nearly an hour later, Jin Guangyao peels Nie Huaisang gently off of his (now quite tear-damp) shoulder and smiles at him. It’s gentle, sympathetic, and the only thing it seems to be hiding is a laugh

Nie Huaisang is 99% sure of this assessment. Fortunately, he’s free to let his relief show, along with some healthy trepidation

“I won’t tell da-ge,” Jin Guangyao says, and there’s barely any humor to be seen dancing in his eyes. It’s really impressive, now that Nie Huaisang is learning what to look for.

“Really?” Nie Huaisang sniffles. “I just- He tries so hard, you know. I don’t want to disappoint him, not really.”

it really is all about using the truth. if it wasn’t so stressful, it’d be an incredible high

“Of course not.” Jin Guangyao squeezes him gently by the shoulders. “What is a san-ge for, if not to look out for his littlest brother?”

Nie Huaisang could definitely make a crack about his height smiles shakily and flings his arms around JGY’s shoulders again. “Oh, thank you! Thank you for your help!”

Jin Guangyao hugs him back gently and efficiently, then starts to tug him back to the waiting horses and by-now-dismounted companions. “Go on, get your A-Yuan’s granny back to Nie Sect and get yourself a good night’s sleep. I’ll make sure they’re both marked correctly as requisitioned for labor in Qinghe”

Nie Huaisang thanks him several more times, wiping away his tears like someone who just remembered that he’s not supposed to appear so weak in public. Jin Guangyao waves goodbye as he mounts his sword and flies away, and Nie Huaisang waves back, and then he and his assistants and his newly acquired A-Yuan’s Granny ride home

[they’re never going to be relevant again but I want you all to know that in my mind, these two dumb bastards are brothers with rhyming names, like, Xi Ping and Xi Ying or something. RIP Xi Ping and Xi Ying and their eardrums after NMJ reams them out for helping NHS do something stupid again]

And then...

they actually have peace for several months.

Oh, the cold war between Jing and Jiang - or more accurately, between Jin and Wei Wuxian - is still brewing like fine tea, and Nie Huaisang finds himself paying more attention than usual to the gossip about it, because Wens come up as often as not. They're the prime example of the destructive power of the Stygian Tiger Seal, after all. And NHS has four of them living in his house, now

the gossip spikes deliciously when Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan get engaged, though it somehow neither eases nor increases the tension in either side

{the timeline is rubbish anyway, so it’s whatever’s convenient for this fic, thank you very much}

Nie Sect’s physicians are too proud to let Wen Qing take over their infirmary wholesale, but they don’t hesitate to consult with her on pretty much everything. Wen Ning turns out to be pretty fun to play checkers with, whether he lets Nie Huaisang win or gets invested enough to actually put up a good fight. Despite Granny’s addition to the orphan-caring staff, A-Yuan still slips away most days and follows Nie Huaisang around like a particularly persistent curse-construct. On the plus side, he’s learning how to be patient enough that the bolder birds will sit on him as readily as on Nie Huaisang himself, and he painted an entirely acceptable butterfly the other day.

Oh, and the veins in Nie Mingjue’s neck are only visible when he shouts, now, and enough time has passed that he’s forgotten about Nie Huaisang’s earlier, rash promise to practice saber for an extra half hour each day. Or maybe he’s just resigned to the fact that such promises never last. This is truly the best timeline!

And then the worst happens, out of the blue yet in retrospect inevitable: Nie Mingjue has a severe qi deviation

He’s coming back from a meeting in Lanling, which wasn’t so much a discussion conference as Jin Guangshan calling a handful of sect leaders together to bitch about the Wei Wuxian and the Tiger Seal again. Wen Qing is in the infirmary, setting a young disciple’s broken leg. Nie Huaisang is in his bedroom, trying to write an ode to snowflakes that, read aloud, is a single tone off from a recitation of curse words for the entire poem. They both hear the shouting from the main courtyard

Wen Qing has a doctor’s reflexes; she leaves the leg to an assistant and arrives in the courtyard in time to watch Nie Mingjue collapse out of the air. The disciples who accompanied him to Lanling are there to catch him, ease him down gently, but Baxia clatters to the ground

Nie Huaisang sees it from his window. By the time he gets there, his brother is laid out flat and Wen Qing and the Chief Physician are snapping clipped phrases at each other as they assess his status, in the mode of emergency responders everywhere

the Chief Physician doesn’t like Wen Qing, doesn’t like Wens, but he can respect her medical talents. Both sentiments are mutual - Wen Qing has a much more comprehensive skillset, but if there’s anything Nie healers know, it’s how to handle qi deviation

qi deviations are difficult and dangerous to treat - the spiritual energy starts cascading through a cultivator’s body, untamed and harmful, and adding soothing energy may help but it may make it worse, or even cause the chaos to spread to the would-be healer

{I actually have no idea how any of this works, and will henceforth be making up my own worldbuilding}

Nie Mingjue’s eyes have rolled back in his head, bleeding, and he shakes like a leaf in the wind, incongruous to the warrior who led attacks on the Nightless City itself. Who held his brother like a guarding stone wall at their father’s funeral. Nie Huaisang cannot breathe

they get him stabilized enough to move up to the infirmary. Someone eases up their grip on Nie Huaisang’s body so he could follow (he won’t remember until later that he was being held back)

It takes four hours to stabilize him fully (unlucky). His golden core tries to collapse three times, his heart stops twice, and his fucking saber tries to attack them once, seemingly of its own initiative. Several other healers join in as needed, even Wen Ning - he’s always been good at getting seizing patients to still. Wen Qing rates it below the 39-hour golden core transfer with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng, in terms of worst surgeries of her life, but above nearly everything else, including the emergency liver transfer where the girl turned out to have all her organs on the opposite side and a side order of demon-induced pneumonia

Nie Huaisang has been sitting in the corridor outside, on the floor. Someone's put a cloak on him. He looks up when they exit, forgetting how to breath again.

“He’s unconscious,” says the Chief Physician, who is probably some sort of distant uncle/cousin. “But he should wake. He will wake,” he corrects.

Wen Qing takes a deep breath. “We need to talk somewhere private.”

By the time Nie Huaisang has at least gotten to see his brother, get proof that he’s still breathing, the First Disciple has joined them as well (I mean, that position is sure as hell not held by NHS). Her name is Han Xiaoshi and she’s built in the same mold as the sect leader: tall, broad, wields her saber like a third hand. She leans against the closed door of the Chief Physician’s office while the Chief Physician - let’s say Nie Fengji - gives a slightly less brief explanation of the sect leader’s current state.

(it’s not good. he’s in a semi-medically induced coma. he is bleeding neither blood nor spiritual energy. he...should wake, in his own time, if they continue to carefully feed his healing energy)

(if he wakes within three days, he will be fine. for now)

Nie Huaisang’s blood pounds hot and panicked in his ears; an unthinking fan covers his face.

they all turn to Wen Qing, who wanted privacy.

Wen Qing soothes hands over her skirt, still blood-flecked, and lifts her chin calmly. Addresses the First Disciple more than anyone. “Before I begin, would you please put a guard each on my bedroom and the apothecary, and my brother’s room as well?”

“What? Why?” asks Nie Huaisang, bewildered. Han Xiaoshi echoes more sternly

She smiles thinly. “I’d rather not be accused of trying to assassinate Chifeng-zun.”

Nie Huaisang’s blood turns cold

“Keep talking,” says Han Xiaoshi

Here’s what Wen Qing explains: there’s an herb grown on the same volcanic slopes into which the Nightless City is set, a grass that absorbs so much yin energy from the volcano that it carries it over into anyone who consumes the stalks, offsetting the natural balance of their spiritual energy. A closely guarded inner clan secret. It can allow for rare, advanced cultivation techniques (including demonic ones)...or it can spark a fatal qi deviation the next time the user tries to do anything spiritually strenuous. Like flying from Carp Tower to the Unclean Realm

“It’s almost impossible to detect in the blood,” she finishes. “But I recognize the pattern of its effects.” Her hands are clasped loosely in front of her. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find some planted in a place that draws suspicion to A-Ning or myself.”

“Who else would know about it?” Nie Huaisang demands, trembling even as the ice is settles into his veins

“Someone who was close to Wen Ruohan,” she says calmly

they all know who she means

(oh, how she wants to tremble, too, too aware of every sword in the room that could be turned against her. Aware of A-Yuan and Granny and Wen Ning, her brother in the corridor just outside, and how it still hasn’t been a year since Wen blood ran in the flagstones of this castle. But Wen Qing has never been one to shake)

“There’s something else I should say,” she admits, to Nie Huaisang more than anyone. “I don’t actually know much about qi deviation - I’ve had a crash course, obviously, and I’m not a fool, but I’m mostly been treating it as a blood pressure problem - ”

“Obviously,” the Chief Physician scoffs

“ - but my Uncle Six is a true expert. Wen Zhichen - he was friends with your aunt, Huaisang-gongzi; your older sister, Fengji-shifu [the previous Chief Physician, killed in battle in the fifth month of the Sunshot Campaign]. If anyone can wake Nie-zongzhi, it’s him - ”

she could have said this earlier, could have said it weeks ago, or even from the start - but she had Wen Ning to think of before anyone else, and then A-Yuan who was too young to have accumulated crimes even as a Wen...

Wen Qing had once noted that the second son of Nie had likely never felt fear, true fear, in his life. That’s not true anymore. His brother is unconscious in the next room over and it’s not sure if he’ll ever wake. And it’s consequences catching up with him again, for real this time, this maybe-first time - was it the Wens, villainous duplicitous Wens that he brought into their home himself? Was it someone else, equally traitorous, suspicion roused to a killing intent by something Huaisang did himself?

People do a lot things when they’re feel fear deep down to their souls. They scrape and bow; they make bargains they shouldn’t, accept costs they can’t. They bend or they break

Nie Huaisang is a fop by preference, but it turns out that he breaks like a Nie

He shoves Wen Qing against the wall, hand on her throat. “Tell me this isn’t a trick. Tell me this isn’t some fucking ploy to get more Wen-dogs into my home, so you can finish killing my brother.” He shakes her, drops the fan to put his hand on the saber he's terrible with (it still hums eagerly for blood.) “Tell me.”

“I am,” she gasps

There is a tableau. Then Nie Huaisang drops her and strides for the door. “Shijie, put guards on her rooms, her brother’s, and Granny’s,” he snaps to Han Xiaoshi. “Don’t let anyone enter. Gather the Wens all in the third guest bedroom and keep them there - make sure A-Yuan has some paints to keep him quiet. And I’ll need your two fastest - no, those with the best strength and endurance in flight - ”

“Nephew - ” says the Chief Physician, and “Young Master,” says the First Disciple, a little impressed and a medium dubious

the closest Nie Huaisang has ever gotten to this commanding before was the early days of the Sunshot Campaign when there were no battle lines to hide behind yet, when he sometimes followed Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji as they tore across the country and directed the clean-up of their wake

“The best strength and endurance,” he repeats over them. The fan stays on the floor. “We’re flying to Qishan - we’ll be back with an extra expert for you in a couple days, Uncle. In the meantime, you can have Wen Qing if you need her, but otherwise they all stay in the third guest room.”

It takes a full day to fly to the Wen settlement in Qishan, at Nie Huaisang’s best pace. Starting already late in the afternoon, full of anger and terrified panic in equal measure, it’s beyond late by the time they near - and all but the anger has simmered away. Nie Huaisang lets them settle near the nearest halfway decent city instead, forces himself to lay on the ground and try to sleep, and sends one of his disciples out to buy the nicest fan they can find. He left so fast, he forgot to pick one up again

When they land in the filthy little town just after dawn, he stumbles off his sword more than lands (he is genuinely tired, at least) and runs to hammer on the door of the supervisory office, all terror and panic. “Jin-guniang! Jin-guniang! Help, help! It’s me, Nie Huaisang! I need - ”

“What?!” The captain yanks the door open (she sleeps above the office) and he very much does fall into her arms

“Ah, you have to help me!” He’s disheveled with flight and weepy with tears. “Wen Qing poisoned my brother and now he won’t wake up, so I have to find her sixth uncle - ”

“What - Nie Huaisang, what? Is she threatening - that Wen-bitch - ”

“No, no, we beat up her brother until she said - please! He’s the best at qi deviation, even Uncle Physician admitted it - ”

make sure to have Wen Ning beaten up just enough to look good, he notes in a small, back corner of his mind. in case there are spies in the castle. I’d have spies, if I could

“Okay, okay!” Jin Qixian ushers him into the office, half-holding him up. “Let me check the list of residences - sit down, Huaisang-gongxi, someone will brew tea...”

[five minutes later...]

“A different camp?” Nie Huaisang cries, fluttering his new fan in dismay

“They needed a healer...” Jin Qixian says apologetically. “But you just wait here, I’ll send someone - ”

“No, no,” Nie Huaisang gets to his feet, shaking his head. Happy to let the exhaustion of a 10-hour flight and 4 hours fitful sleep in the woods show, and the desperate helplessness that’s really not hard to fake. “I have to- Da-ge is counting on me - ”

He waves off all her attempted reassurances, bullheaded with anxiety, and accepts an officially sealed note of authority with babbling gratitude, and...

[about an hour and a half later...]

the other town the remnants of the Wen sect and soldiers have been relegated to is more of a city, really - cramped and filthy, where the other one was merely destitute and filthy. Families living all in one room or worse, and it’s okay because they’re only home to sleep; the fields are already filled with everyone old enough to work. They probably do need healers, because there’s not enough attention being paid to waste management. But -

“What do you mean, he’s gone?” Nie Huaisang demands more sharply than he’d intended

Focus, A-Sang. It’s Nie Mingjue’s voice in his head, always, as though this was just another hated saber practice

“I’m sorry, Young Master Nie,” says the disciple in charge of this place - Jin Guangchao, another stray cousin. does everyone in that family spread seed like a watering can? “There was an incident a few days ago - ”

“He’s dead?” Nie Huaisang wails, sinking to ground

“No!” Jin Guangchao looks a little disgusted at his helplessness, but bends down to pull him up anyway. “Jin Zixun came around on an inspection and that one you wanted, he was impudent. Jin Zixun ordered him sent to the work camp at Qiongqi Pass.”

mother of fucking fucker [meaning Jin Zixun; meaning the whole situation]. the man probably made eye contact and that overbearing asshole -

“That’s so far away!” Nie Huaisang whined, staying limp, crying into his fan

“Nie-shixiong, it is on the way - ” one of his disciples offers uncertainly (poor bastards - he’s really yanking them around. They’re not sure if they’re helping a con or offering real support)

“We’ll get him back to Chifeng-zun, and get Chifeng-zun back on his feet,” says the other, slipping her arm under his and pulling him to his own feet. “Come on, you’ll see”

(whether it’s for the con or not, Nie Huaisang appreciates it. They’ve never been this genuinely nice to him before)

there’s a conversation in the air halfway to Qiongqi Pass. It goes like this:

“Nie-shixiong, we have to rest. You have to rest.”

[gritted teeth] “I’m fine.”

“You’re going to fall off your sword.” (Liu Lifang, the older woman)

“Then you’ll carry me, won’t you? We’ll already have Wen Zhichen - we’ll double up.”

“Your, uh, dramatics - ” (Zhao Huandi, younger, male - there aren’t a lot of Nies, in Nie. There’s a lot of guest cultivators. There’s a lot of turnover.)

“Will be just as good, if not better, when I’m fainting from spiritual exhaustion.” [slightly bitter, mostly factual] “Don’t worry, I won’t deviate - I don’t use my saber enough for that.” [definitely exhausted] “We don’t stop.”

The work camp at Qiongqi Pass has all the bully-filled charm of Jin Qixian’s town and all the overworked labor je-ne-sais-quoi of the other one, and it’s started raining so there’s a really nice note of despair. If Nie Huaisang had any room left in his brain, he would mourn the beauty of the frescos being destroyed, grand and glorious works of art even if their glory was that of the Wens

he slides off Liu Lifang’s sword in the middle of the densest group of workers, cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, “Hey! Wen Qing’s Sixth Uncle, Wen Zhichen of DafanWen! Nie Sect requisitions you!”

the prisoner-workers all shrink away; an inspector hurries over. “Hey, who are you - ”

“You will respect Second Master Nie Huaisang,” snaps Zhao Huandi, hand on his saber while Nie Huaisang starts to cry on cue for the third time that day, and god, either they’re really getting it or he’s just blessed with a sect full of perfect straight men.

“Please,” Nie Huaisang begs, leaning on his disciple and waving the letter from Jin Qixian. “I need a healer - that healer, it’s my brother, he’s been poisoned - ”

they’re real tears of exhaustion. maybe he should have let them talk him into a rest

(Da-ge will be fine, he knows, he insists to himself and the world. He was stable 24 hours ago and Nie Huaisang left him with the most competent people he knows)

the inspector has no idea what to do with him and neither does the Chief Inspector, really, when he rides up. That’s perfect - it means their half-hearted objections are easy to push past

they’re still shit at actually helping, because they don’t know a single person in this goddamned work-prison, and all the Wens just shy away, or pick up a pickaxe and try to keep working if anyone comes too near. The inspectors seem to regard this as ideal

Nie Huaisang honestly doesn’t care right now, but he does notice

Finally Nie Huaisang has wailed loudly enough up and down the valley that one prisoner hesitantly steps forward and admits to being the Dafan Wens’ Sixth Uncle. He has Wen Ning’s ears and Granny’s eyes and the same needle callouses as Wen Qing, so Nie Huaisang calls it a day

except they still have to fly back to the Unclean Realm, a flight of six hours unburdened

Nie Huaisang’s groan is entirely genuine

Wen Qing has taken to pacing by the time the Chief Physician comes to fetch her, personally, from the third guest bedroom. Night has come and gone and come again; A-Yuan and Granny are both asleep in the bed and Wen Ning is lying beside them, though she can tell he’s only pretending to sleep to make her feel better. What a good boy.

Sixth Uncle is sitting by Nie Mingjue’s bed in the infirmary, eating soup. There’s a couple Nie disciples in the room as well, one sending a slight stream of energy into Nie Mingjue and one simply watching the Wen, a hand on his saber hilt

(no one’s told her if they’ve searched her or anyone else’s rooms, yet; if they found anything)

“Keep sitting and eating!” snaps Nie Fengji, the Chief Physician, before Sixth Uncle can leap up at the sight of Wen Qing. “I need you talking qi balance, not falling over again.” He mutters under his breath, “People can’t even work if you let them get so weak - can’t trust a Jin to do anything with care.”

She sinks to her knees to hug her uncle instead - and notices a cot that’s been brought in to sit beside Nie Mingjue’s, its occupant also as still and wan as the grave.

“Huaisang!” She springs to her feet. “He didn’t - ”

“Exhaustion. The boy overworked his golden core and passed out.” Nie Fengji pushes her back with a roll of his eyes. “Bullheaded as their father, the both of them.”

He rolls up his sleeves and nudges the attending physician out of the way, to take over easing calming energy into Nie Mingjue without a single quiver in the stream. “Now, you two prove to me why I should trust any sort of Wen.”

To be continued...but Part 4 really will be the last, so, that’s p good actually. By my standards of mis-estimation of how long a piece of writing will be. And it’ll definitely be a short one! Unlike this Part 3, which is...*checks* 4.5k WTF.

#mdzs #the untamed #nie huaisang #wen qing #jin guangyao #a bunch of OCs who i named by mashing together random syllables and i'm not checking if any of them are real names bc it's 3am #ALSO wildly made up as i went: how to address anyone with any sort of title #just went with my gut #so like...apologies if i wildly messed up

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littlesparklight · 4 years

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Zeus’ Necessities

This short fic is a meditation on necessity and fate, kingship, and, also, infidelity, without discounting the personal responsibility of that. I love diving into, like, the metaphysical and supernatural side of worldbuilding, and while it doesn’t seem to come up much in most treatment of Greek myth, it is easily right there for the making of it.

So, this is a conversation between Zeus and Ananke, as much as one can have a conversation with the primordial deity of cosmic necessity.

Sitting up on Olympos' highest mountaintop, Zeus, the king of Olympos, ruler of the sky and thus one-third of the world, closes his eyes and stretches his awareness out. Up, out, in. Beyond. Ananke meets him partway, becoming like a shawl made of stardust around his shoulders, a crown wrought from the core of the Earth on his head, and no imperative of anything specific at all on his tongue.

It's a relief.

But he'd known that, for otherwise he would have known, would have had to, come up here. Today, he'd come up here because he'd wanted, because he had a question, and by Ananke's presence, they are willing to entertain him. Which means the answer doesn't matter anymore, it's over and done with, and he truly was as much at the mercy of Ananke as everyone and everything else.

It feels like betrayal, though that's ridiculous. Ananke can't betray anything, for they are threaded through the cosmos and will only as it may be. They have no care, no interest, no desire beyond what they are. It makes them even less of an individual than some of the other primordial gods are, like Nyx and Erebus, who barely concern themselves with the actual world as it is. It makes Ananke supremely straightforward, though that would be little obvious if one didn't have long awareness of working with them directly.

"Zeus," they greet, his name less a word than it is a feeling, a collection of sensations and phenomena (rain, the charged energy of electricity, driving need, radiant light, the taste-smell of ripe fruit and corn, force and arrogance and dogged determination, and at the edges, traces of cold, Chthonic mist). "What is it?"

They probably already know, since this has to do with them, or rather, what they are and what they have done, which is, in the end, the same thing. But they ask anyway, perhaps because that's how conversations works, perhaps because there is the tiniest of slivers of some individuality underpinning Ananke which means they can ask questions like that because it might amuse them to make him spell it out.

It is probably that. Zeus sneers, then sighs. Capitulates for the inevitable, like he always has to do, though this is a much smaller inevitability than the usual ones he is handed from Ananke.

"There were so many mortal women that caught my interest in such a short time, and then, as we drew back a little, I practically lost complete interest. Why?"

"You ask that, yet you already know, otherwise you wouldn't have asked." There's no obvious depth to his awareness of those words, no clear emotion carrying them, but Zeus can still swear they are shaded both with chiding and teasing.

"I don't like it," he says, mutters, low and reticent. Not quite accusing. "It makes me feel used."

A pause. Then laughter, actual laughter rings around him, echoing like any laughter ought up here on the mountaintop, being immediately snatched away by the wind. It also makes him quake down to the very core, threatening to spill him out over eternity, a far vaster distance of reality than any but the most primordial deities - and most of the time, not even them - could cover.

"Your lust is your own. You would stray with or without external forces. You proved that with the first one," they say, and there's a touch at his shoulders, dizzying and yet weighing more than the whole of the solar system and it keeps him rooted. That's not a lie, either. He would, and they both know it. He does have far more control over himself nowadays, however. "You move both gods and mortals as it will be, because it has to be, oh Father of Gods and Men, but you so often watch and ache for it, separate because you see what will be done and most often have little part in it. Perhaps it was you along with your brother because it was to keep you humble when you finally understood. In the meantime, there was always your wife's disapproval."

There's a kiss to his forehead, all the Earth and outer space in it, and Zeus closes his eyes and exhales. Annoyed, and at peace. No less displeased, honestly, and he feels a little duped when this is certainly a lot more than, say, only Leda for the necessity of Helen's existence in the greater chain of events that ended with the war. But it'd been more than that, hadn't it? And here he was now, understanding how part of his nature had been used against him for whatever the necessity of it was, and he can see why. A woman's (and thus a goddess') contribution to a child's existence is heavier, takes more time, resources and effort. Aphrodite took her turn in this, but that only emphasized the time it took, and if the goddesses should've done as he and Poseidon - and, in smaller contribution, his sons - had done to shoulder some of the responsibility, it would have taken a lot more time. And if the specific span of time was sensitive, it couldn't take a lot of time. In the end they are all related, tied as closely together as there are vast gulfs between them, and one of them joining with a mortal is, functionally for the effect it has on the resultant offspring and their potential effect on the world, the same as another.

So, then, the least amount of time and effort on the divine side of things to make it happen when and where it has to. When it's necessary it do. At least Poseidon had had to do it more than him, but Poseidon is not burdened by any of this knowledge, and even if he was - would he care? Would he actually understand?

Zeus sighs, tipping his head back to stare up at the darkening sky. There are stars peeking out towards east, with a line of disappearing fire still colouring the horizon to the west. It's as beautiful as it was the first time he saw it, looking at the sky as a day-old child. Whatever the need was it be done back then, the effect will keep echoing forward through the blood of humanity even if it is really only the direct offspring of a mortal and a god who will notice the effects of what having a divine parent means.

Ananke hasn't left yet. They are wrapped around him warmly, impressing no greater need on him than companionable silence. Still, it's they who speaks up first, gentling them past a vague question Zeus has never asked but has harboured for a long time.

"It's you because it has to be." That's reassuring, and damning.

"It's me because I marked myself, didn't I?" Zeus can't help the edge of sourness, understanding the chain of events that led to this, that both made him and had him make himself into what he is, and put himself here, one of the direct mediators of Ananke. The Moirai are as well, but they deal more with humans in specific, different ways. It's not the same, but they are both, well. Necessary.

"Few can become dying and rising gods," they whisper, Chthonic chill and life-giving radiance in the feeling of those words. "And doing so young leaves marks, yes. But if you weren't you, it might have been Apollo instead to hear like this."

Zeus knows Apollo almost does even as it is, so closely attuned to Fate and the ephemeral background works of cosmos as he is - what Zeus has to impart to his son by himself, Apollo understands with barely a nudge or two. Zeus is glad it isn't more than that, though. Apollo has enough work, his delightfully radiant son, and this is--- He freezes, frowning.

"Am I here merely bec---"

"Zeus." The ringing proclamation of his name could've shattered him and spread his essence out over the cosmos if Ananke hadn't taken care. "You would not have needed to be one of the rulers to do what you are doing; the power behind the throne can be more total than the throne itself. You are here, as you are and with your brothers, because of you."

"All right."

He sinks back into his seat, relaxing a little. So it wasn't ananke that he be the ruler of Olympos; that was reassuring, maybe childishly so. It was, rather, because it suited him, because he'd wanted it, because he'd thought it necessary and that he was one of the few that could do it. Because he'd thought it his right. So he was here because he'd searched it out, because it'd seemed reasonable to him, Poseidon and Hades that they divide the rule between them. Reasonable and fair, when there were three of them, though Zeus holds a sliver's edge of higher authority. Poseidon hates it like nothing else and always has to test him at every twist and turn.

That's something, at least. But so many things he's had to do were because it was necessary they were done, or made into happening, and no one that didn't know could know that (and if he told, they would most often forget anyway). All of this because it's not, after all, as if there is a plan. Zeus knows that more intimately than anything else, by, well, the necessity of the thing. One event builds on the next, some events get fixed in advance, in shape and form and thrust of them, because of past events, or because of the general flow of everything up until a point, but none of that is predetermined in its entirety. Prophecy for humans are as iron-clad as they might be possibility only, and human choices make or break them; building blocks that might make future necessity and fate, or were made into fate because of something past.

He sits there, watching night spread over this half of the world, and, slowly, smiles.

"It's beautiful."

Maybe he's a little annoyed still, but mostly it's fine. He just hopes there's nothing going on right now that has him acting unknowingly as willed, but if there is, he won't know until later, anyway.

"It is."

Ananke suffuses him, cosmic pleasure at the sight and meaning of it, and then they depart, leaving Zeus alone on the mountaintop.

#greek mythology #greek gods #zeus #ananke #lightart

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the-lady-bryan · 4 years

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because i’m waiting on the water for my pasta to boil, here’s an idea i had for a fic but haven’t worked on it hardly any not for lack of muse. the muse is there. the worldbuilding has been done to death. i just haven’t the time to add it to the mountain of WIPs I’ve already got going.

so here’s the idea.

It’s a Harry Potter/Hermione Granger Soulmate AU.

The least you need to know: involves Lily Potter being a bamf, pagan god worship, god-like Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, reincarnation, future mind/soul into past self style time travel.

also typos. oh god the typos, but i can’t really be bothered to fix them at this time.

This is gonna be broken up into parts so i’m gonna do a different part per reblog till i’m done.

PART 1: THE PATRONAGE OF A TITAN

When Lily was a young witch - around 13 or so - her best friend Severus introduced her to some old pureblood traditions (which he and his mother did but hid from his father). She was shown how to worship the old pagan gods. To a muggleborn this was at first not well received, but as Lily had learned in the previous three years not everything about her new world was to be taken at face value. So she endeavoured to learn and not be prejudiced. She had lerned that each witch or wizard who practced the old ways had a patron god or goddess to which they prayed. This was, to her, not entirely unlike the idea of patron saints to whom muggles appealed for strength, guidance, or support. And so this is how she approached this new aspect of her magical identity. Even after her parting of the ways with Severus, she continued to learn and had even begun the practice of honoring the old gods - though she had no patron as yet.

On her seventeenth birthday she had ventured into the forbidden forest, feeling an inexplicable pull on her magic. She found herself in a clearing where there was a pond and a small smattering of trees. Despite it being the dead of winter, the clearing was warm and inviting. There was a fire lit, and an old woman sitting before it. She was naked from the waist up, and her skin sagged and her long hair was thin and silver with age.

"Miss Evans, I've been waiting for you."

"Wh- How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"I was once called the Meter Theon. But in Sparta they called me Meter Megale. My brother-husband called me Rhea."

"You're a titan."

"Yes child."

"I thought you'd be bigger."

Rhea laughs at this and invites Lily to join her by the fire. Lily learns from her that Rhea has come forward as her patron, and tells hr that the old ways are dying. That now across the world only the oldest and strongest still remain. "Zeus and his lot were some of the first to go. But stubborn old Hades refuses to give in. Refuses to give up his post and move on like the others." "why?" "What do you know of the tale of Hades and Persephone, child?" And so Lily tells her the myths she learned as a child pre-hogwarts, and of her research. Of the rites she had read about and so on and so forth. "My siblings and I may have been chained in Tartarus, but we could still see. We could still hear. Mother Gaia still whispered to us in our hearts and Father Ouranous still sang strong in our minds. It always brought me great sorrow to see how my son was treated by his siblings. Given no choice but to rule in a place devoid of warmth and love. Forbidden from walking the land with his siblings and taking part in the wonders that was the growing race of men and their curiosity. Over time many believed him cold and incapable of sharing in what they had. The reality was that he felt everything so much more deeply than they. For it was to him all souls would eventually come. Even those of his brothers and his sisters. But there was one who saw in him the goodness. The kindness and the gentleness that had been hidden by the dark." "Persephone." "Yes. As you mortals are so fond of saying, history is written by the victors. And never has it been more true than in the case of my most beloved son and his wife. Persephone was ordered to wed Hermes, whom she loathed with all of her heart. The night before they were to wed, she fled and went to the only place she knew Zeus's omnopotent sight could never penetrate. She went to the underworld begging sanctuary of Hades, who readily gave it to her. In time they grew close, and eventually he allowed himself to open up to her affection. But rumours of Demeter's search for her daughter told them it would be only a matter of time before those on Olympus realized to where she had fled and Persephone, being posessed of imortality and not a mortal soul, could be removed from his realm and there was little he could do about it. Unless she were willing to bind herself to him in marriage - but because it meant she could no longer return to the world above, to the sunshine and the light, he would not force it upon her. She chose to wed Hades, for her love for him was so great that even the thought of being parted from him brought her great pain. They were wed, and he took her to bed as any husband would his wife. And after, she ate of the pommegranate that would seal her fate. Twelve seeds, she needed to consume.... but the gates of the Underworld buckled and gave way under the might of Zeus and his Olympians. Hermes stole Persephone away after she had eaten only six. The bond to her husband only partially fulfilled. Hades was punished by watching Persephone forced to marry Hermes. But rather than marry the brute she attacked him and took up his dagger, plunging it into her own heart.... For the weapons forged in the fires of Hephaestus were so powerful they could kill even a Titan. Denied the pleasure of watching Hades suffer as his wife was married to the suitor Zeus had chosen, Zeus forbade her soul from ever entering the realm of Hades and bound her soul to mortal bones to be reborn again and again. My beloved son still stands watch, though he grows weaker by the year, in the hopes that now his brothers are long since gone, her soul may be able to pass through his gates and she is returned to him."

Lily is given the choice near dawn to accept Rhea, one of the last of the old gods, as her patron goddess or to refuse and seek out another. Lily accepts Rhea, which causes the old woman to smile and gives her an amulet with strange runes upon it.

Lily wakes in her own bed in Gryffindor tower, finding a delicate locket around her neck. Upon closer inspection, the inside has an inscription - the same strange runes from the amulet Rhea had given to her in what she assumed was a dream... Only to realize when she pulls her covers aside that her feet are smudged in dirt as if she'd been walking outside.

Lily learns as much as she can of Rhea in the following years. When she marries James Potter, she insists that they buy a specific type of wine without telling him why. He believes it is her favorite because she tends to keep a bottle in the house "for special occasions". She plants a garden where every plant links back to her patron Titaness in some way or manner. The night of Halloween, after James has gone to sleep rather satisfied after their own "after party" once they'd come home from Sirius's wild Halloween party, Lily went out into her garden in the wee hours and made her offering to Rhea who, once again, appeared to her. This time Rhea was much more ancient in her appearance, much more haggard. But she was still very pleased to see Lily had done as she had promised and continued to worship her. "You are the last of my acolytes, I am afraid. And when you one day pass, so too shall I." Lily professes that won't be the case. That one day she and James will start a family, and she will make sure that her children honor Rhea just as Lily has done - even if they have to do it behind her husband's back (to many Light families, the "old ways" are seen as dark and are thus shunned and forbidden. Otherwise she would have happily included James in her worship of Rhea.) This amuses the Titaness, but she says that no, it is her time. The age of the gods has finally come to an end. But with the passage of the gods, something new must fill the void. Something new must give mankind the comfort and protection once offered by the old gods. "I have a gift for you, my dear child. As my last priestess, I wish to give you something your husband... unfortunately cannot." "What?" "Try as you might, your husband's seed will never swell your belly. But as my last act in this existence, I grant you a boon. Your loyalty and your love have kept me alive longer than my brothers and sisters. Your love has given me more time with my beloved son Hades, and as a mother who has seen all her other children perish before her, this is a gift that can only be matched by one of equal value." Rhea touches Lily's abdomen and Lily feels a warmth flood her starting from there. Rhea visibly weakens as she is doing this, and the brightness in her eyes fades from brilliant emerald to a dull moss. "What have you done to me?" "My body fails me, but my power will remain so long as you live. I have given you the only thing of value to me left. Treat him kindly, my priestess. He has known so much sorrow and so much pain and yet he remains so pure and full of love." Lily, in disbelief, puts a hand to her adbomen. "How... what...." "Word of advice from one mother to another. If your husband tries to eat him, just paint a face on a rock and shove it down his throat. My only regret was letting Cronus eat Hades instead of Zeus. If i knew then that boy would be such a hatefull jackass like his father, I'd have thrown him into the abyss myself and been done with him. Hera, too. And Poseidon was on pretty thin fucking ice there by the end."

Lily wakes the next morning in her bed with James, and once more her feet are smudged with dirt. This isn't the first time, so she tells James that she woke in the night for some water and wanted to take a stroll in the garden to look at some of her night blooms. The moment she is alone, she casts a charm and finds that she is, indeed, pregnant. After James has gone to work for the day, Lily prepares a special offering and leaves it in the garden tucked in a little altar disguised as a muggle garden decoration. She thanks Rhea for her gift and promises to show him all of the love and affection she possibly can - for both his mothers.

Lily does not see Rhea again, but she can feel her patron's presence from time to time and finds it comforting.

When Harry Potter is born, Lily silently praises Rhea, thanking her again for her gift and for her patronage and protection, and promises to do the best she can to raise the reborn Hades in a way she would hopefully approve.

They go into hiding, and Lily invokes Rhea's power and protection - not for herself, but for the son the Titaness had given her.

The entire day of October 31, 1981 Lily Potter feels powerful. She feels the energies surrounding her and her family intensify and a feeling of dread settles into her gut. She is reminded of the last time she and Rhea spoke face to face. The titaness had said that her body was failing her, and that so long as Lily lived, so too would the power of Rhea. During the day when she set Harry down for a nap, she prayed fervently over the boy, chanting ancient prayers of protection she had learned over the years. James comes upon her, but does not interrupt and instead waits outside Harry's nursery and listens to his wife's chanting. He slips away when she finishes and hurries downstairs. When they are both in the kitchen later, standing side by side at the counter as Lily prepares Harry's after nap snack and James is fixing himself some tea he quietly says, "I know Harry isn't mine." "What? Where the hell is this coming from? I did not cheat on you if that's what you think." "You got pregnant pretty quickly after Sirus's costume party-" "I did not cheat on you." "then who's the father?" "YOU are you dolt! I... Harry was a blessing! A gift to us for my unfaltering devotion o a dying goddess!" "you're mad." "Call me what you want, James. But I tell you if you were to pull an inheritence test on him right now you'll see he's your son. The night Harry was conceived we had just made love and she came to me and blessed me with our son. Go upstairs and look at him, James. He looks just like you, but with his mother's eyes. That's no glamour. That's no illusion or spell or-" "I know it's dark. I know it's illegal. I saw you chanting over him like some madwoman." "It was a protection chant James! In case you've forgotten we've got a madman after us who wants to kill our son because some drunken blithering idiot said so!"

The the argue a bit more and Lily storms out of the kitchen. After Harry wakes up, James realizes he's been an idiot after watching Lily playing with Harry and goes to apologize. Lily's annoyed with him, but forgives him with a "Besides, you know the wards on this place would have kicked him right out if he wasn't really a Potter you dunderhead."

That night Voldemort attacks, just as in canon. Lily is wearing her special locket that was given to her from Rhea when she accepted the Titaness as her patron. When Lily died, the remnants of Rhea's power was called forth and protected Harry in response to the muggleborn priestess's willing self sacrifice. But it was not enough to stop the horcrux that was drawn to the reincarnation of the god of the dead.

#harry potter au idea #harry potter au #bamf #lily potter

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sodalitefully · 5 years

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Cat!Slash part 3!

In which Slash’s background finally comes to light. Fluff with mentions of sex (including some mentions of teenaged sex so heads up there) but nothing terribly explicit. A bit of AU worldbuilding stuff before the fic under the cut, gotta explain some things for this fic to make sense.

Check out my masterlist for more cat!slash (and other stuff)!

“... And then Duff realized his plan might backfire on him, because Slash started to honest-to-god purr in his arms, and even after living together for almost a month, there was no surer way to get Duff worked up. Sure, Slash was basically making Duff’s point for him (that Slash was all his and he was all Slash’s, so no one better try to get in their way), but Duff really, really didn’t want to pop a boner in front of the man who could make or break his career.”

(So, regarding training and intimacy: Catpets have sexual needs, same as humans, and most often, those needs are met by one or more adult members of their adoptive household. Since sexual companionship is part of most pets’ role, it’s often introduced as part of their training curriculum in their late teens. This makes the pet safer and also a more desirable candidate for adoption. Other subjects covered in training will vary, but household chores, etiquette, and work skills are common, and a basic education is required by law. Slash spent his childhood with his mother in various households, and his teens elsewhere in foster homes where he received most of his training. I have a lot of thoughts about how this universe works, so if anything doesn’t make sense just ask! 😅)

=^^=

Slash was no stay-at-home pet: anywhere Duff went, Slash could be found on his arm, from rehearsals, to errands, even a meeting with the record label. The execs sure didn’t seem to mind an extra body in the meeting room – some of them seemed to really appreciate Slash’s presence, in fact, but Duff made sure to stare them down whenever their eyes lingered too long… Slash had only been with him for a few weeks, and Duff was still very protective. However they might have minded the twenty minutes Slash and Duff spent going at it in the restroom after the meeting wrapped... Based on the looks they got on their way to the elevators, the room may not have boon completely soundproof. Regardless, the rest of the band had long gone by the time Slash and Duff reached the ground floor.

“Saul?” Duff heard a man’s voice call out from across the lobby, and immediately Duff felt Slash stiffen and twist around in his arms to find the source of the voice. Duff followed Slash’s gaze and saw David Geffen himself, staring at Slash in open surprise.

“Mr. Geffen?” Slash responded, using that polite, perfectly-trained-kitten tone of voice that he only rarely used when he wanted people to think he was proper (for example, when the apartment received noise complaints because Slash was blasting music, or when he got restless during a technical delay before a show and started flicking picks around, one of which clipped Tracii in the ear).

“Saul?” Duff echoed in confusion, as David Geffen made his way over to them.

“It is you! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!“

“It’s good to see you too, Mr. Geffen.”

“It’s been ages since I saw you last, you were just a kitten! You’ve been doing well, I hope?"

“I’ve been doing very well, thank you. But I go by Slash, now.”

This seemed to finally trip Geffen up, because he did an obvious double take, looking between Slash and Duff and Slash’s collar and Duff’s hand on his pet’s waist. It finally clicked just who Slash was with now: of all people, the booze-swilling, hairspraying, delinquent bassist of his label’s newest and sleaziest hard-rock band.

Geffen’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. How did a broke wannabe-rocker manage to adopt a pet panther? The band’s cash advance wasn’t that good. He was looking at Duff like he was wondering if his intentions might be less than pure.

Duff wasn’t about to let that misconception stand, so he made sure to be extra-sweet to prove to Geffen that he and Slash are a perfect match. He slid his hand up from Slash’s leather-clad waist and began stroking his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp as Duff cooed down at him, “Slash, sweetheart, you didn’t tell me you knew Mr. Geffen!”

And then Duff realized his plan might backfire on him, because Slash started to honest-to-god purr in his arms, and even after living together for almost a month, there was no surer way to get Duff worked up. Sure, Slash was basically making Duff’s point for him (that Slash was all his and he was all Slash’s, so no one better try to get in their way), but Duff really, really didn’t want to pop a boner in front of the man who could make or break his career.

Geffen didn’t seem entirely reassured, but he put on a smile. “Duff, maybe you and, ah… Slash? Would like to join me for dinner sometime. We could go over some thoughts I have regarding your band’s future, and your lovely pet and I could catch up a bit.”

Well, Duff wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to schmooze with the boss, even if it was obviously just a set-up for Geffen to check in on Slash’s well-being, to make sure Duff wasn’t corrupting his poor, innocent catpet – Duff was offended by the insinuation, but he had to admit Geffen’s sentiment was in the right place. He kept up the sickeningly-sweet tone as he responded:

“We would love to join you, wouldn’t we Slash?”

=^^=

“What the fuck was that all about?” Duff exclaimed as he and Slash wove through parked Cadillacs and Corvettes until they reached Duff’s old pickup truck. “How do you know David Geffen?”

“We used to live in the same neighborhood,” Slash explained as he swung into the passenger seat. “Up in Laurel Canyon. He was always nice to my mom and I, but I’m surprised he still recognized me.” As if there were more than a handful of pet panthers in the entire state of California. “Though he could have been a little less judgmental about… us.”

“Yeah, I didn’t miss that look he gave me, like I might have kidnapped you or something.” Duff’s lip curled into a sneer, offended at the very thought, but he brushed it off quickly. “Laurel Canyon... Why does that sound familiar?”

“Hm, well I guess some pretty famous people lived there back in the day,” Slash shrugged.

“Oh?”

“Um... David Geffen, Jim Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Glen Frey –”

Duff just stared. Slash eyes were wide open and perfectly honest, and slowly it sunk in that he was being perfectly serious. Self-doubt started to creep into Duff’s mind – Slash outclassed him by a mile, just like he’d secretly feared – but Slash cut himself off in the middle of the list of names and smiled at him, easy as anything.

“Relax, it’s not like I slept with any of them or anything. I was just a kitten.” Slash tried to keep the mood light with a little teasing. He leaned in like he was about to tell Duff a secret: “My mom slept with Bowie.”

“She what?” Duff’s head actually hit the low roof of the car. Slash just nodded sagely, barely holding in a fit of laughter.

“We even lived with him for a little while. I saw his dick once,” Slash stage-whispered with a wicked grin.

“You’re kidding.” Duff was at loss for words for at least half a minute before – “What… what did it…?”

“Long and pale. What did you expect?” Slash wasn’t even trying to hold back his laughter anymore.

“Christ.” Duff muttered as he put the truck in reverse and pulled out of the lot. “You know, I’d figured that a fancy cat like you must have come from some crazy Hollywood mansion or something… but seriously? Bowie?”

“Guess I’ve always had a thing for rock stars.” Slash leaned over to land a kiss on Duff’s bare shoulder.

“Aw, Slash…” Duff blushed a little, he always did when Slash said something sweet. “I’m not all that. Just some punk kid from Seattle with a shitty apartment and a shitty car and a sweet, beautiful cat who’s too good for me.”

“Bullshit. You’re gonna be a superstar, Duff. But even if you weren’t, I’d still want to be with you and no one else.”

Slash watched the soft expression on Duff’s face for a few blocks, but after a while he couldn’t resist the urge to give him a little more of a hard time.

“You’ll never guess where I was trained.”

“Jesus, do I want to know?”

“Seymour Cassel’s. You know, the actor? At least for part of my training, I kinda moved around a lot, never really go the full, formal experience.”

“Yeah, it shows,” Duff teased.

“Now there I saw a bit of action. He had quite a guest list, you know.” Duff groaned in mock despair.

“For fuck’s sake, Slash. How am I supposed to impress you in bed if you’re gonna compare me to every star on the Walk of Fame?”

“Don’t exaggerate, Duff, I was still pretty young after all. Mostly I just watched, gave the occasional blowjob… some other things…” Duff groaned again, lowering his head to rest on the steering wheel when they pulled up to a red light. “I’ll tell you one thing, though, Duff.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” His voice was muffled as he spoke down into his lap.

“You’ve got about the same size dick as Mick Jagger."

Duff’s head shot up like a rocket. “Jesus Christ, Slash!”

“I’m dead serious, Duff…” Slash was not dead serious, in fact he could barely speak through his laughter. “If you were 20 years older, you could be twins!”

Duff spluttered at him for a second before giving up. “Fuck off, Saul,” he muttered.

“Hey!” Slash gave him the most utterly offended look, nearly comical in its genuineness, but Duff just rolled his eyes.

“You know, I can’t believe that you never thought to mention your birth name. Do you know how many adoption papers I filled out with ‘Slash’?”

“It’s not my fault if you actually thought my parents named me Slash,” Slash huffed in the snobbiest tone he could muster without losing himself in a fit of giggles.

“Well, what was I supposed to think?”

“I don’t know, Michael, what were you supposed to think?”

A car horn blared behind them; the light was green.

Duff flipped off the car behind them, then pouted at Slash as he pulls through the intersection: “Suck a dick, babe.”

“Maybe later, love.”

“Don’t bother, I’ll just be thinking of Mick Jagger the whole time.”

“Well fine then, I’ll just have to move back to England, pay a visit to Mick Jagger’s mansion and see what he thinks of my blowjobs, won’t I?”

“Hey, what happened to still wanting to be with me even though I’m not rich and famous?"

Slash knew very well that Duff was teasing, but he still felt Duff’s heartbroken tone like a punch in the gut. Duff might have been a badass punk rocker but as far as Slash was concerned, it was his job to make sure that he felt protected and loved at all times, so he immediately scooted over on the bench to lean against Duff’s side. He buried his face in Duff’s shoulder, curled his tail into his lap, and started to purr.

“Oh, hell, baby. Love you too."

Slash was generous with his affection – or at least, he was when it came to Duff. But Duff still found himself a little overwhelmed whenever Slash made a point of making him feel as loved as possible. He was damn lucky that they had found each other, that Slash was here with him instead of –

“Wait. What did you mean, move BACK to England?!”

=^^=

Poor Duff, the adoption agency really didn’t tell him anything. And if he’s being honest with himself, he never wanted to ask because he’s afraid that someone richer, better, and more qualified to take care of a pet (perhaps someone from Slash’s past) will someday try to take Slash away from him. It’s not that Slash acts shallow or materialistic at all, it’s just that Duff isn’t a millionaire rock star just yet and generally exotic pets like Slash are adopted into mansions, not apartments - adopting a panther instead of a normal catpet is extra af and usually a status thing. It’s easier to focus on their time together in the moment than to worry about where Slash was before. Duff stresses about these things, Slash does his damnedest to help ("Sir, that’s my emotional support catboy boyfriend").

On a lighter note, I could have kept writing their banter forever; in fact I probably drew it out too long already. I had fun with it though, I hope it isn’t hard to tell who’s speaking when I don’t specify.

Also, that Mick Jagger thing? Like, my favorite part of Duff’s book.

#ok I feel like I could have written this better but it's been sitting around for ages and i haven't really made any changes #besides finishing a few paragraphs #so here it is #sluff #slash #duff mckagan #saul hudson #gnr #guns n roses #guns and roses #mine #sodafics #some edits november 2021 to match ao3

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marypsue · 5 years

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Hi! I saw in a previous ask that you really like monster transformation fics. Do you have any recommendations?

If you’re here, I figure you at least know of Gravity Falls, which is good because a lot of these are gonna land squarely there. (I’d recommend looking up the Monsterfalls AU if you haven’t already. Also, a lot of the Transcendence AU deals with Dipper becoming a demon and fallout from that. And the One Of Us AU! GF AUs have consistently been a gift that keeps on giving.)

Also, I’m gonna expand the definition of ‘monster’ to include 'any creature that isn’t human but possesses sapience’ because why not. That’s where I get most of my good, good angst.

- Cooperation Is Mandatory (Gravity Falls): Fair warning before you click, this fic is abandoned and orphaned at six chapters. But they’re six of the best chapters of werewolf angst and worldbuilding that I’ve found in this fandom. This was the fic that inspired Raising Stakes.

- Rest & Revivification (Gravity Falls): Aftermath of Soos getting turned into a zombie in Scary-Oke. Sweet, funny, light, and just a little bit horrifying, just like the episode!

- Snow and Pine (Gravity Falls): More quality werewolf Stangst. This one’s a series of one-shots, rather than a chaptered fic. Technically complete, though I feel like there’s still more to the story.

- Guardian (Gravity Falls): The glowy symbol Bill put on the side of the portal mechanism turns Stan into a gargoyle. Things go about as well as you’d expect. I haven’t kept up with this one, because it got much more into romantic-drama territory in later chapters, but it does start very strong and if your attention span is better than mine you’ll probably get more mileage out of it.

- The Ghost That Lives In Great Uncle Ford’s Basement (Gravity Falls): Dipper and Mabel arrive at their great-uncle’s house for the summer, only for Mabel to uncover a thirty-year-old murder mystery. Stan’s a ghost and everything is terrible! Good but sad.

- State Of Dreaming (Gravity Falls): SandyQuinn (@agentquinn on tumblr) consistently delivers the gut punches and the good good catharsis. Stanford Pines sacrifices his humanity to defeat Bill Cipher. It’s what happens afterwards that matters.

- The Logical Conclusion (Gravity Falls): Short and sweet, funny and full of fridge horror, just how I like 'em. Gargoyle Stan discovers he has a taste for red meat.

- A Thousand Natural Shocks (Gravity Falls): An eldritch horror convinces itself that it’s Stan Pines. Then it’s forced to remember the truth. dubs is an incredible author, and has a few AU/oneshots in this same 'verse.

- (To Die Will Be) An Awfully Big Adventure (Bandom): So normally I’m not about RPF. This, though, is 1) old enough now that the circumstances it depicts really don’t reflect any of the players’ real-life circumstances and so it’s real easy to read them as original characters, 2) carefully and creatively worldbuilt to rival any decent urban fantasy profic out there right now, and 3) an absolute blast to read. A wayward MCR fan decides to give Gerard Way the greatest gift they can think of - immortal life. Unfortunately, they don’t…ask first. Contains conspiracies, vampires, werewolves, fairies, all the delightfully goffic ridiculousness of Fueled by Ramen in the late 00s, some extremely quality angst, great clothes, and a twist I genuinely did not see coming.

- Something Wicked This Way Comes (ROTG): Werewolves! And werewolf hunters! Contains both the angsty established hunter who got turned into the thing he hunts and the naive innocent who knows nothing about monsters and has no idea what he’s become! No knowledge of ROTG required to enjoy this bad boy.

- Blessings And Curses (The Hobbit movies): I don’t even go here, and this one’s another one that I strongly suspect will never be finished. But it does that 'fish out of water’ aspect of adjusting to a new body - and the culture shock that comes with it - so well. A dwarf gets whammied into an elf, with all the accompanying cultural baggage.

- Theodicy (Supernatural): Dean gets made over into an angel. Again, I don’t even go here - I guess I understand the theoretical appeal of Destiel, but the actual characters as they appear on the screen together have done nothing for me. But. This one’s so visceral, so gutting, so horrifying on so many levels, that the veneer of normality and positivity that lies over it just twists the knife. Fucked up and horrible and, in a strange way, hopeful. I love it.

- In Love, And Blood, And Death (The Lost Boys): That Good Shit. A classic vampire story retold with all ladies and a bad ending. This one’s extremely lush, the descriptions lyrical and rich and brutal. I could sink into this fic and just roll around in it for a while.

(I have also, uh, written a whoooole bunch. Off the top of my head, Raising Stakes and Shorts and Determination are probably gonna be the two you’ll get the most mileage out of.)

#chatter #monsters!

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tren-fraszka · 4 years

Text

Fandom F5k 2020

Dear creator,

Thank you for taking your time to check my requests. I know my requests can sound a bit tricky, but please don’t be discouraged. I wish you will have good time writing first and foremost!

My AO3 is Tren, if you wish to check it out.

Likes: comedy, casefics, canon compliants, AUs, time loops, bodyswaps, roleswaps, “being hoisted by your own petard” plotlines, snark, pettiness, rivals, enemies to friends to lovers, violence, friendships and character bonding,

DNW: explicit sex, A/B/O, mpreg, rape depicted as positive (so no “it’s okay, because the other person enjoyed it/it was what they truly wanted”), trans headcanons, soulmate AUs, stories ending with surrender to fate/destiny, fourth wall breaking in canons where that doesn’t occur, character has cancer or other real-life terminal disease AU, word “queerplatonic”.

Also, I included what ships I’m okay with in each fandom. Please do not include any ships that aren’t canon and I have not allowed in those sections (if you feel really strongly about a ship I haven’t mentioned, you can always ask through mods just in case).

Additionally, while I almost never request fanart as possible medium, because I prefer my main gift to be fic, I would be very okay with receiving fanart treats. On another note, feel free to use my old letters if you get your hands on them. I never stop being interested in fandoms, and if I requested something once I will still want it in the future.

REQUESTS

MARIMASHITA! IRUMA-KUN

I read new manga chapters as they get translated so feel free to incorporate anything from the manga that’s available in english. I’m not spoiled for anything beyond that, so please no spoilers for future developments.

Kiriwo Amy/Suzuki Iruma

There are many good ships with Iruma, but this one just has a lot things I like. I love enemy ships with both sides being way too emotionally invested into each other so this was inevitable. I love how this relationship starts as this really wholesome friendship and school festival preparation, except Kiriwo turns out to be a bit messed up and wants to blow up everyone. But then they both accept the outcome and go on with their lives still thinking about each other. Iruma goes through a lot of trouble to keep the club operating even though Kiriwo has been pretty much expelled. And then Kiriwo is now obsessed with Iruma as his anthitesis and perfect enemy.

I’m okay with the potential story happening at any point in the canon. I would love both a story set before the festival while Kiriwo is still hiding his true colors or a story set after festival. Maybe Iruma runs into Kiriwo somewhere after he escapes prison and instead of calling an adult, he tries to stop Kiriwo from causing trouble on his own. As for pre-festival story. Maybe some upperclassmen steal important parts from the club and Iruma and Kiriwo set out to get them back.

Naberius Kalego & Suzuki Iruma

I love Kalego for being a much better take on Snape than original Snape ever was. The second the series made Kalego Iruma’s familiar I knew this was about to get good. And it was. I love how Kalego slowly warms up to Iruma, even if he is still allergic to his and Sullivan’s antics. I love that Kalego is actually a competent teacher who cares about his students, even if he would rather eat a whole lemon than admit it out loud.

For prompts, maybe Sullivan ends up having an important business and Opera isn’t available so he dumps looking after Iruma on Kalego for a few days. Or Iruma is struggling with studying since so much is new for him so Kalego ends up forced to help him catch up with the material (if you are following manga inclusion of Balam is always welcome). Or maybe Iruma gets into usual trouble ends up stranded somewhere and the only one he can call for help is his familiar.

AUs and ships

I love the worldbuilding around the demon world, so I would ask that if you decided to write an AU that it still incorporates demons. I would definitely love an AU where rather than getting summoned to demon world, Iruma accidentally summons either Kiriwo or Kalego into the human world. Maybe Iruma’s parents try to use him as an offering, but instead he ends up bound to a demon. I would love to see Kiriwo excited to unleash suffering (even if his weak powers severely limit him in that regard) onto human world just to discover that he made contract with the biggest pacifist possible. Or Kalego being torn between wanting to return home as soon as possible (he has classes to teach!) and wanting to somehow help the weird human child that just keeps getting into trouble. Any other demon-focused AU is also welcome. I’m also fine with any sort of AU divergences scenario. Maybe Iruma keeps accidentally sabbotaging Kiriwo’s terrorist plans without realizing it. Or Iruma ends up summoning Kalego more often as his familiar when he gets into trouble.

As for ships, I’d rather avoid any love triangle scenarios for this canon, so please focus on just one pairing per character (competing for Iruma’s attention is normal for this canon, I’d just rather not see outright romantic competition). It’s self-explainatory for Kiriwo request, but if you want to include some shipping elements into the Kalego request I also ship Iruma/Ameri, Iruma/Alice and Kalego/Balam.

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

I read new manga chapters as they come out so feel free to incorporate any new developments.

Bakugou Katsuki & Uraraka Ochako

Bakugou Katsuki/Uraraka Ochako

I love how different the two of them, but at the same time how well they see through each other. I would love to have them work together while showing both great teamwork, but at the same time butting heads over their differences in worldview. I also love how they both acknowledge each other’s strength.

If you plan to write the ship version of this prompt: they are both very focused on becoming heroes, so I would prefer that they don’t just get together easily. I believe they would be both be extremely reluctant to do so, because of their line of work and media attention that heroes get. Still, I would love to see the tension between them where their professionalism fights against their feelings.

For prompts I would love having them complete some sort of exercise or exam together. I would love to see them pretend to be villains for the sake of exercise and Ochako surprisingly getting into the role, with occassional moments of her breaking out of it, which give everyone a whiplash. I feel like Bakugo would have amusing reactions to seeing her act so out of character. Or the work together on something for school festival. Like making a perferomance togater. Alternatively you can go for future fic where the two of them take part in an action to stop villains. Maybe one of them gets hurt which prompts the other to get very protective (and more honest about their romantic feelings if that’s what you are going for).

AUs and ships

I would very much encourage any future fics. I love seeing characters as fully-fledged heroes. I’m okay with other setting changes, though I would prefer for the competence aspect to still come in play somehow in them (with Bakugo being stupidly talented and hard working, while acknowledging Ochako’s potential). I’m also okay with canon divergences.

I don’t mind past Midoriya/Ochako if you want to incorporate it into the story, but I’d rather not get any love triangles for this pairing. Either have Ochako’s feelings sizzle out or have them date and break up at some point in the past. If you are writing gen version I’d rather neither Bakugou nor Ochako were being mentioned currently having feelings for anyone. When it comes to other pairings I like Midoriya/Todoroki, Mirio/Tamaki and Eraserhead/Mic.

MY NEXT LIFE AS A VILLAINESS (MANGA)

I only read manga for this story, so please don’t spoil me for the parts not yet adapted from Light Novel.

Group: Katarina Claes/Gerald Stuart (My Next Life as a Villainess)

I ran into this manga on accident, but I definitely don’t regret it. I love how Katarina ends up solving all the problems in this series either through her efforts or by sheer accident and how she ends up becoming the actual protagonist. This charmingly comedic story has a lot of heart and I crave more.

I think I like Gerard the most out of all potential suitors for Katarina’s heart and would love to see more of his crush on Katarina and unsuccessful attempts at actually wooing her. We only see him through Katarina’s perspective, who can’t separate him from the Gerard she knows from the game, even though he changed under her influence. I would definitely be up for a story where Katarina starts to notice that maybe her idea of Gerard doesn’t exactly line up with the reality. Or maybe she remains blessfully ignorant and decides to go in-depth investigation into finding more of Gerard’s weaknesses, because she saw him do something nice for Maria and now she is sure the end is near for her and she wants to be extra prepared. Or maybe he takes her on a vacation trip to escape from her other suitors, but everything goes terribly wrong (maybe their carriage crashes forcing them to spend the night in the woods), and yet both of them end up having a lot of fun.

I don’t mind including any other characters, since they are a colorful bunch. I read this manga for harem shenanigans, and you are free to include as much of it as you want.

AUs and ships

I’m okay with AUs and canon divergences. The story is already a huge canon divergence after all, so if you want to twist it even more, that’s fine by me. If you want to play around with characters accidentally getting transported to the alternate world where Katarina is the original Katarina or getting a glimps of it, I would be very much for it.

I’m okay with all canonical crushes being acknowledged, however due the nature of my request I want the endgame ship to be Katarina/Gerard. I don’t mind other characters being shipped with each other.

SWORD ART ONLINE

I haven’t read Alicization novels, just watched anime. I know anime skipped some content and if you want to use it in the story I’m fine with it, just make sure to establish the situation so I know what’s going on. However, I would be grateful for not spoiling the story from the novels that have yet to be adapted (you are free to use general worldbuilding from it, just don’t spoil major plot elements).

Eugeo/Kirito

I was perfectly fine with Asuna/Kirito becoming canon and then Eugeo came and made everything gay. Honestly, though, I love the interactions Eugeo and Kirito had and I would love to see more. Especially from their sword academy days where they had some peaceful time before they were brought to the tower. I want to know all the weird shenanigans they got into during that time, given how much like they acted like an old married couple. Or if you want something else then maybe some exploration of their struggles as they climb the tower. For example, a time loop taking place during their tower climb, with the system returning to the last save state each time Kirito dies to keep him alive.

AUs and ships

I don’t have any suggestions, but I don’t mind setting changes if that’s where you want to go. I’m also okay with Canon Divergence AUs of any kind. Especially, for ones changing the ending of first season. Like, I’m okay with sad gay we got, but there are so many possibilites to explore here other than what canon gave us. Maybe have Eugeo permanently fuse with his blade so Kirito ends up having a sentient sword boyfriend. Or he asks Cardinal to transfer her authority to him and have him oppose Administator as the new Cardinal. There’s just so many interesting ways this could have gone. I’m not big on the War of the Underworld plotline so you are free to handwave how the changes impacted it or modify that part of the story completely.

As I mentioned I’m okay with Asuna/Kirito ship, so if you want you can incorporate it in the story. Just make sure the focus stays on Eugeo/Kirito. I must also admit that I really can’t see Eugeo’s feelings for Alice as romantic, so I would prefer them to not be portrayed as such.

#exchange letters

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bigskydreaming · 5 years

Text

fhalkfhaklfhlkak i hate this

TW really truly literally ruined the word ‘spark’ for me. Like the whole damn word. I hear it now and I’m like, NOPE, like...idk, some people who cringe when they hear the word moist or panties. Apologies to anyone who hates those words and cringed, i dont actually know if thats a thing or if like, I just have weird friends. Probably just the latter.

But anyways, Im just like...lmfao. Its so visceral too? Like I have this one original project, Waveriders, that I’ve been fiddling with off and on in the background of other projects for awhile, might have talked about it on here, idk, I don’t keep track.

Basically its a far future sci-fi novel/setting for linked shorter works set on a gas giant that was settled by humans who figured that they can’t possibly be stepping on anyone’s toes there, its a freaking gas giant, hello, no one’s home, right? They literally have to make their own ground by using technology to form anti-gravity wells in the habitable zone of the atmosphere and like, make floating cities and then these kind of buoys scattered across the planet that create these electromagnetic currents that flow in specific ‘routes’ between the cities, and people travel between them in these flying ships that use magnetized hulls and solar sails to ride these currents, and blah blah blah, yada yada yada, bc like, why would I resist an opportunity to have floating cities and sky pirates and ancient cyborg machine dragons? Doesn’t make sense.

Anyway, so couple thousand years after settling this planet, and by then for Plotty Reasons there are people who have what’s called waveriding abilities, like they can ‘hack’ certain wavelengths or types of energy and manipulate them in various ways, but only one kind of energy per person, and they each have their own little names and niches.

So, y’know, basically just like ATLA, except for like, its energy powers and there are cyborg machine dragons and floating cities and sky pirates, obvsly. Plus areas of totally fucked up gravity called the badlands that are all like, criminal underworld metropolis because normal people are like lol nope, we like it when up is up and down is down, all of this is very just...nope. And also because shocking and totally unexpected plot twist, they were totally wrong about the planet being uninhabited just cuz it didn’t have Earth type ground...like, so in addition and on top of and in conjunction with all of the above and whatnot, there are these beings called Chaos Angels, that are basically like sentient quantum waveforms that can take any shape or appearance, but just, have no physical substance and yet are really good at faking that they’re not totally there when they fuck with humans, which they do a lot, because well. Why not, y’know?

But other than that, its exactly like ATLA. I’m a derivative hack. I disgust myself, truly I do.

BUT the point of this particular synaptic misfire aka ADHD ramble, is that so, okay, these different types of not!benders are all called waveriders as an overall umbrella term, but with ten different subsets of this in total, right? So people who can ‘hack’ light and manipulate it in various ways are called brightriders, and people who are tuned into soundwaves are called echo-riders, and some can manipulate the more electricity-skewed side of the electromagnetic spectrum and those are shockriders and the ones who skew more to the magnetic side are steelriders but I’m probably gonna change that because it sounds like a porno? Yeah no, just saw it outside of my notes for the first time and can confirm, definitely sounds like a porno so they’re not gonna be called steel-riders, but they will be called something steel-rider-esque. You get it.

And then there are the five weird ones that people aren’t totally quite sure how their waveriding shticks work because the kinds of energy they hack aren’t like....the kinds that work in the same way as the others with their easily discernible and patternistic wavelengths, and scientists and scholars are always arguing like but skyriders aren’t even in the same FIELD as the other waverider types because gravity isn’t even an actual ENERGY, just because we talk about gravity waves doesn’t mean they’re remotely the same thing as lightwaves, they make no SENSE, and I’m just like hahaha, I am your god, fictional scientists. Fucking deal with it. Plus it does make sense, you just don’t know the Secret Rules and Logistics that I do, pfft.

Anyway, so the other types are boomriders who hack kinetic energy and skyriders of course obviously manipulate gravity, and then the last three are really weird, and super rare and thus don’t really have set names and just have lots of nicknames and are often just thought to be rumors. So those are the bio-riders who manipulate chemical energy though it often gets mistakenly referred to or just handwaved as being ‘life energy’ as though that’s a thing, ugh future way advanced people are so dumb sometimes, honestly. But so they can manipulate biological processes in various ways and do things with healing and also hurting, and basically just don’t piss one off ever. Like. You’ll die. And then there’s the psi-riders, who are essentially psychics and hack brainwaves, and I’m not at all bitter that I lack the balls to just go for broke and call them ghost riders like I want to, because ghost riders obviously sounds way cooler?? But also, Marvel would definitely sue?? Because they’re just, like that.

And like, the last of the Weird Ones are the ones so super rare and also so hard to actually....tell if someone actually IS one, that most people think they don’t actually even exist and are just an unsubstantiated like, theoretical idea some scientist had once while high and then just, never shut up about so eventually the idea caught on. And those are the quantum-riders, or luck-riders, basically they theoretically manipulate quantum wavelengths in ways that are almost impossible to identify, like theoretically they wouldn’t even know they were doing it? Anyway, so lots of times, what are actually quantum-riders are just jealously thought to be like, really fucking lucky assholes. Even though the way their powers work really don’t have anything to do with luck or even probability, specifically, like that’s a simplistic approximation and its more like they manipulate possibilities but also shut up me, nobody cares.

ANYWAY, people who can count and who actually bothered to would probably notice by now like the funky little geniuses they are that all of those still only adds up to nine. And that’s because of the last one, the one that SHOULD go up in the brightrider, shockrider, notpornIswear!steel-rider hierarchy or taxidermy or whatever the fuck. And these are the ones who manipulate what’s essentially thermal energy, or more accurately the microwave-skewing side of the ultraviolet spectrum whereas brightriders are just the ones who skew more to the infrared side of it.

And the long and short of all of this Unnecessary-ness and the source of my fit of pique and ensuing ramble-palooza....is that ORIGINALLY, they were SUPPOSED to be called sparkriders.

But OBVIOUSLY I can’t call them that anymore, because like. I tried, and I was like ugh you drama queen slash whiny pissbaby, it was just a shitty teen supernatural show and SPARK WAS NEVER EVEN CANON, do not let THEM win and ruin a perfectly good classification name! But I did. I did let it ruin them, and its. Well. Its a problem, because I kept thinking up ways to kill off the sparkrider characters for absolutely no reason at all instead of like....thinking up ways to make the plot do what it was outlined to do in their parts of the story.

This may come like, way out of left field, and just SHOCK and STUN and BEWILDER some of you, like....no way, srsly? But yeah, true story, among my many canon mental neuroses like ADHD, PTSD, magical depression hour and super fun anxiety like....there is a tiny possibility (aka actual diagnosis) that while I don’t talk about this much, or ever really, I do have a smidge of ye old OCD? Its not like, a big thing and doesn’t really affect my daily routines and that’s pretty much why I never usually bring it up or list it alongside the rest of the crap on my neurodivergence resumé or whatever, because like, there’s already WAY too many misconceptions out there about what OCD actually is and what constitutes it, and tons of people are always jokingly but also thinking they’re kinda half serious, like ‘oh I’m so OCD about this and this and that’ and its like. LOL. Are you though? You sure?

Anyway, but point being, the way mine manifests for me is like...not actually a problem? Like, I don’t actually have any REAL complaints about it at all, just half-assed little fits of pique ones like this, which is the other part of why I never bring it up, because too often ppl just can’t fathom that OCD or even any kind of neurodivergence can be...WANTED, or a good thing, and lololol, that’s ableism, folks. But its true, I don’t actually mind mine at all, even if it occasionally makes things frustrating, when I get stuck like I am now. But the flip side of it is....its actually a pretty huge part of my creativity and just the way my mind works in general....like, what people accredit to me being particularly insightful about character analysis or drawing connections or stuff like that in meta or fics or my novels or worldbuilding...that’s what it is. That’s my OCD in action.

My brain like...REQUIRES that I find patterns in....pretty much everything. Even day to day mundane stuff too, though like I said, its mild enough there that it doesn’t fuck with my routines too much, but like, I have to order things into nice, neat patterns and groupings. And if there aren’t any that are immediately obvious, I kinda pretty much HAVE to dig deeper until I find some on a slightly deeper level, something beneath the surface or first glance, and keep going until I find something.....or worst case scenario, I have to like....add stuff and embellish and fill in gaps with my own ‘content’ until I have the rough edges rounded off into something that CAN be stacked neatly atop some other part of the story or whatever it is I’m focusing on? And the obsessive-compulsive part for me is like, lol, I gotta find it SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW.

My brain literally won’t shut off or grudgingly accept being diverted to a different subject until I’ve made some kind of pattern or flowchart or classification system. It will literally keep me up for hours, going over the same things over and over from every angle until I find SOME way to....reassemble or restructure it in some nice, neat little order of some type. I mean that’s basically what it is. My brain insists on me forming some semblance of order out of any glimpse I have of what I would otherwise term creative chaos. And it won’t give up until it gets what it wants, which when you throw in my ADHD and how often I’ll get derailed off on slight tangents but with my OCD then sooner or later forcing me back to the original focus, rinse and repeat ad nauseam....like. LOL. I learned to operate on very little sleep from a pretty young age by necessity, its just...my brain, dudes. Its just like that.

But the perks are like, I pretty much think this is WHY I’m so creative....because my brain, for as long as I can remember, has always just kinda....forced me to be? Also probably has a lot to do with well...eh, I don’t need to talk about that right now. Whatever. Anyway, point being, so....I do like the end results very much so, and for all its....Why Must You Be Like This eccentricities, I’m quite attached to my brain and would not be very likely to agree to a trade even were one possible. I mean don’t get me wrong, I could do without the PTSD and anxiety, if we’re just, like....talking some pruning shears or whatever, but the actual creative machinery, I’m keeping. Ultimately it just means I really fucking like patterns and finding patterns or making patterns where previously there were none, or at least none that were easy to spot.

But ugh, man, these are the rare times when I’m like omg, just call it a day, we don’t ACTUALLY have to come up with the perfect replacement name for that one relatively small and insignificant detail of a much larger story that isn’t even in the Top Ten list of my main priorities at the moment. And my asshole of a brain is just like....yeah no, we gotta. You know the rules dude, you decided it was official, that name didn’t work anymore and was never gonna, so now we gotta find a replacement or else things will be UNEVEN?? The pattern will be...missing a piece? There will be CHAOS AND ANARCHY IN THE STREETS THAT RUNNETH OVER WITH BLOOD? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT??

And so I’m like....literally sitting here googling synonyms for spark because I’m just like that sometimes, lmfao. Oh and of course its gotta be a GOOD replacement, naturally. I can’t just shoehorn in a somewhat acceptable substitute that in the back of my mind I’m expecting to only be temporary, until I come up with something better. See, because my brain will KNOW, and it will NOT be okay with that, because that is CHEATING. And my brain, apparently, has strong feelings about cheating, which is weird and fairly unexpected of me, IMO.

Anyway, kudos to anyone who actually read through that instead of scrolling, I honestly have zero idea why I felt like sharing it, I just did and thus I did. *shrugs*

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sanjuno · 6 years

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Ummmm howabout a one piece time travel fic of your choice?

(1/32 SI Promptfest)

The sea is a treacherous bitch, and I have never hated being proved right more than the moment I realized that the undertow that drowned mereally did come out of nowhere just to drag my ass away from shore. How, you ask me at this point, did I know my bitter sarcasm was more than simple railing against my unfortunate circumstances?

The giant glowing sea goddess clad in sea foam and coral tipped me off. A smidge. Just a wee little bit of a hint there.

Terrible and majestic, the Ocean spoke in a voice like the waves crashing against stone. ‘My son will appreciate the help you canprovide, Occhio D Vittoria.’

“… eh?” I was understandably suffering a bit of a BSOD inthe brain, between the worldview shift required when a technical atheist meets withthe divine face to face and the oxygen deprivation. The Ocean then proceeded to slam me head-first down a whirlpool before I could even get a complete word out, and then pain from the bends set my blood on fire.

Needless to say, I was not in the best frame of mind when Iwoke up still under the water. “That’s not my fucking name, you salt-soaked whore!”

A rather scandalized clownfish burbled at me in shock, retreating into its anemone. It took me longer than I care to admit to realizethat I was actually breathing water rather than using a self-taught diving trick to recycle old air. Hard on the heels of that revelation was the notice that my legs had been replaced with a fishtail. Specifically, I was sporting the iconic ray-finned crimson-and-neon barbsof a clearfin lionfish.

“…” I stared for a good long while, trying to make sense of what the hell was going on. This was a situation that called for a witty one-liner. “… Well if I have to be a male-gaze fantasy trope at least I get to be a venomous one.”

… Eh, good enough. I always did have a habit of identifying the benefits of any given situation, and being neurotoxic was a fairly decent defense mechanism when all is said and done. Next step was movement, fairly easy to adapt to given that despite the surface characteristics my tail was still jointed like an aquatic mammalian.This meant I propelled myself with the vertical kick I was familiar with from when I still had legs rather than having to learn how to steer using the lateral movements of an actual fish.

Bonk!

“Mother of fuck!” One hand pressed to my brand new brain injury, I slapped the other one forward to press against the glass wall. Now that I was paying attention to something other than my new meatsuit, I recognized the not-quite-mirror quality of aquarium glass. “Oh, you’ve got to be fucking with me.”

I was in a honest-to-goodness fishbowl. What in the name of all that was held sacred did the Ocean think she was doing sticking me in a fucking aquarium? Was this vengeance for the time I let my mother help me clean my fish tank and she accidentally boiled my placo?

Holy shit I hopenot.

Pressing my face up against the glass I could see… wanted posters. In a… more-than-slightly-familiar printing style. Hm.

My fins flared out in shock as I stared at a wanted poster for Portgas D Rouge. There were other posters, all of them bounties for female pirates. Those, combined with the questionable taste of the statuary bolted to the floor, told me exactly what kind of situation I had ended up in.

I was in One Piece, I was a captive mermaid, and my ‘owner’had a fetish typical of the series’ stock of minor villains. A perversion that was played up for comedy during the build-up and action events while actually being beyond horrifying when realistically considered. I was trapped inside the glass, and swallowing back the surge of fear made me acutely aware of the pressure of what I presumed was a bomb collar around my neck. I had no resources, no allies, no clue what I was even doing in this world, and no realistic hope of rescue.

I was, in short, completely doomed unless the Ocean decided to take pity and toss a miracle or two my way.

BOOM!

Well, ask and ye shall receive… at least so long as the Ocean Goddess still has a use for me, I suppose. The water in my tank vibrated, the walls of the room outside of it shaking madly as what I assumed was a Grand Line style brawl grew closer. An ugly man, made recognizable to me by his inbred ugliness as a World Noble, flew through the far wall to crash into the memorabilia shrine. The posters and broken pieces of plaster flew up into the air.

I am Canadian to my core, and also a mouthy shit with no shame, so I threw my arms in the air and made like a bullhorn. “GOOOOAAAAALLLL!”

The man dramatically emerging from the smoke in a predatory stalk promptly stumbled as he sputtered. Two smaller bodies shoved around his knees to stare at me curiously. The view was a bit distorted, but it was hard to mistake those two particular children for anyone else.

Blinking, I took in the sight of Portgas D Ace and Monkey D Luffy in all their tiny, childhood glory. For some reason they were dressed in the tattered remains of tropical print sundresses. Which really did not make me feel any better about how they had managed to end up in the same room as my cage. Then I lifted my gaze to the adult accompanying them and felt my eye twitch.

It was an adult version of Ace, tattooed front and back with an elaborate phoenix-and-wave design that I had never managed to draw out quite to my satisfaction. Well, at least if I had to be a victimized minority in One Piece I was in a fix-it AU and now I knew how to create a situation where I could make the most of it.

“Hi, Riot!” I waved cheerfully, hoping against hope that anime physics would come into play and let my voice carry through the glass. “Could you be a dear and get the key to this bomb collar before you completely destroy that asshole’s everything?”

“Hi, Pretty Fish Lady!” Luffy waved back, and oh, look at that. There were den-den mushi installed on either side of the glass for easy communication. That made better sense. “Do you know my big brother?”

“I saw him be born! A real firecracker, your big brother.” Technically I am actually telling thetruth, which is great because Luffy is oddly perceptive about things like that. Riot gave me a sharp look, and I winked at him trying to mime holding a crystal ball, hoping he would pick up on the wording and… yeah, there it was. Thank you for your reputation, Madame Sharkey, and let us all hope I never get called out on borrowing it.

“Stop right there, pirate scum!” The man who rushed at Riot was dressed in white, and… yep. There was that sand-blasted awful coat with the hideous epaulettes.

Carnage ensued. The glass of my tank got broken as Riot’s fight with the Noble’s Marine bodyguard ramped up, and I had a terrifying flashback to the time my five gallon tank got shoved off the table and broken glass sliced my betta in half. Luck and possible divine intervention allowed everyone involved in the confusion to avoid gaining a serious injury from the glass shards. Ace proved that his pick pocketing skills were still sharp when he rushed over to me with a stupidly elaborate key ring in hand.

Key in lock and turn and yes! Free!

I ripped the collar away from my neck as soon as the clasp popped loose, glaring at the Noble only just managing to pull himself free of the pile of debris Riot had buried him in. He needed to be buried deeper and I needed my fucking legs back!

A lurch, like when your gut drops out from under you on a roller coaster.

“HA! Feet! Score one for maturity!” I am a very mature and poised individual indeed. Ask anyone. I am also really glad for the worldbuilding that means despite being a mermaid, as an adult I can have feet whenever I need them. Certain people just really need a good curb-stomping, and it is hard to deliver such without heels to slam down into tender places.

I might also have fed the Noble the bomb collar. After arming it. In retrospect, I have no idea how I managed to avoid making a horrid mess of myself.

… Honestly I think I just got caught up in the moment. Also I have a very low empathy score and a duty to future generations to remove certain bad influences from the gene pool. Especially when said bad influences make creepy comments about small children and their ‘uses’.

Noting that Riot seemed to be finishing up his fight, I grabbed one of the wrap dresses from the wreckage of the armoire and cinched it tight, vowing to change into something with a less tainted providence at the first available opportunity. Then I slung the children over my shoulders like particularly vocal grain sacks and headed for the stairs. Predictably, things started to explode as Riot put the Marine down for good. I was already up on the deck with my wiggling burdens by the time a massive fireball chewed through most of the Noble’s ostentatiously gaudy ship.

Riot emerged from the flames, predictably unscathed, and the Marine was nowhere to be seen. He stared at me, I stared back at him, and Luffy whined into my shoulder-blade about me not letting him watch the end of the fight. “You’re a mean Fish Lady.”

“Little fry should not be fighting sharks.” I told the youngest boy even as I tossed Ace at his older counterpart and re-secured Luffy before he could slip free. “Salut, cousin. I appreciate the assist and the chance to get my own back. Although I do hope you have an escape route in mind.”

“My ship is right there.” Riot caught Ace without pausing stride and motioned to where a galleon flying a jolly roger was pulling up broadside to the rapidly burning vessel. The light from the flames made it easy to see Riot frown, his entirely understandable distrust of strangers warring with the reality of the situation I was in when he found me. “… Are you comingalong?”

“If you don’t mind the company.” I smiled at him as we began to move towards the pirate ship and pulled the one bounty poster I had made a point of picking up out of my pocket. “It’d be nice to get to know Miss Rouge’s sons.”

Riot flicked another searching look at me while Ace gaped at the picture of his mother. It was probably the first time the kid had seen her face. Hells bells, they were young. I still had a decade on Riot at this point in his life, more than twice that on Ace and Luffy. Still, time to make the most of being the eldest.

“The name’s Occhio D Vittoria, pleasure to make your acquaintance.” … Aw fuck no. That was not my name. The Ocean was still playing silly buggers and I did not appreciate the sudden re-branding at all.

… Oh shit, maybe the D stood for Drowned.

#sanjuno's ficwork #one piece fanfic #wildfire riot #wildfire hearts #portgas d ace #portgas d riot #monkey d luffy #occhio d vittoria #si promptfest #heave a sigh and a wish for me #si oc #violent mermaids are the best mermaids

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gffa · 7 years

Text

One of the reasons I haven’t read as much fic lately as I would like is because some of the STAR WARS novels have been absolutely killing it with how enjoyable and satisfying they are! While my fic recs are always and forever recs(rather than reviews), I wanted to do some book reviews. They can function much like recs, though, and I would love to encourage more people to read them along with me, they have some incredible moments, whether adorable or heartbreaking or hilarious or just plain awesome. If you need a fix of something to read or just want a place to start, maybe this can help start you on the path! STAR WARS NOVELS: ✦ Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston, ahsoka & ocs, 400 pages ✦ Wild Space by Karen Miller, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & bail & cast, 354 pages ✦ Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, thrawn & governor pryce & ocs & yularen & cast, 448 pages ✦ Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray, leia & bail/breha & cast, 416 pages ✦ Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson, phasma & brendol hux & cast, 400 pages ✦ Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno, galen/lyra & jyn & krennic & tarkin, 352 pages ✦ Bloodline by Claudia Grey, leia & ocs, 352 pages ✦ Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry, leia & ocs, 240 pages ✦ The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by Jason Fry, luke & ocs, 192 pages ✦ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander Freed, jyn & cassian & bodhi & baze & chirrut & k2so & galen & krennic & cast, 336 pages ✦ Lone Wolf by Abel G. Peña, obi-wan & luke, 76 pages ✦ The Hive by Steven Barnes, obi-wan & ocs, [short story] ✦ Guardian of the Whills by Greg Rucka, chirrut & baze & ocs, 240 pages ✦ Secrets of the Jedi by Jude Watson, obi-wan/siri & anakin/padme & qui-gon & adi gallia & cast, 208 pages ✦ The Force Awakens: Rey’s Story by Elizabeth Schaefer, rey & cast, 128 pages full recs under the cut!

STAR WARS NOVELS: ✦ Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston, ahsoka & ocs, 400 pages Following her experiences with the Jedi and the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka is unsure she can be part of a larger whole ever again. But her desire to fight the evils of the Empire and protect those who need it will lead her right to Bail Organa, and the Rebel Alliance. About the only criticism of this book that I’ve ever seen that held any water with me is: NEEDS TO BE A DOZEN BOOKS LONG. It can’t possibly cover everything of Ahsoka’s story, not even just the time focused on her finding her way again back to a purpose in the galaxy at large, to how she finds her desire to fight again after she left the Jedi, but I thought it did a really good job of covering as much ground as it could about that time in her life. My other caveat is that I don’t think the “bleeding” crystals was done as well as it could have been, it took me a long time to come around on that through other material, but rereads don’t bother me as much. That’s it, that’s all I can think to nitpick about this book, because it’s absolutely in my top ten favorites and does such justice to this character I love so much. The mentions of Obi-Wan and Anakin were spot on, both hilarious and so true that it made my fannish heart ache–there’s a reason I’ve quoted this book a few dozen times! It nailed those two and the way Ahsoka saw them! But it’s also a book that has to do a lot of worldbuilding without losing sight of the story it’s telling, the character journey Ahsoka goes on, and how she finds her way again. And, oh, I enjoyed that part of the story so much. I enjoyed that she connected with people, that she maybe had feelings for a girl (who definitely had feelings for her), I enjoyed that she didn’t immediately know what she wanted to do or where to go, but when the Empire came, she couldn’t walk away, she couldn’t do nothing, because this was where she was supposed to be. Ahsoka may not be a Jedi anymore, but in some ways she’s a Jedi more than ever, she’s in touch with the Force and her path more than ever. The grief she’s slammed with when she feels the lights go out in the galaxy as the Jedi are murdered, the sadness at how lost and alone she is are beautifully done. All of it was a solid, engaging, feelings-laden read, with moments of absolute greatness that really shone. It’s a book that I think I could reread someday (I’m not a big rereader of things) and absolutely on my list of recommended Star Wars books in general, and a must-read for fans of Ahsoka’s character. ✦ Wild Space by Karen Miller, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & bail & cast, 354 pages When Senator Bail Organa reveals explosive intelligence that could turn the tide of war in the Republic’s favor, the Jedi Master agrees to accompany him to an obscure planet on the Outer Rim to verify the facts. I had a hard time figuring out what to ultimately say about this book, because I loved it a lot… but not precisely in the way I expected to. I think the best way to put it is: It’s not a very strong story, but it’s an incredible collection of character moments. If you’re looking for something to quote or just to spend some time with the characters, then this book is going to be a lot of fun! It took me awhile to put my finger on my biggest problems with the book, but I think my #1 frustration was: The first half of the book was absolutely amazing, it was catching us up to speed on the moments around the Clone War starting on Geonosis, it dealt with the aftermath of Anakin losing his arm, of the rift that had grown between him and Obi-Wan, how they work on trying to bridge it back, how Anakin deals with the first days of Ahsoka being his Padawan and her observations on the Obi-Wan/Anakin relationship, and Obi-Wan discovering yet another plot that needs taking care of. There’s some great h/c where Anakin just about loses his mind when Obi-Wan is injured, there’s some great banter, there’s some really fascinating parallels between Obikin and Anidala (and several Obianidala hints, if you want to see them that way), and so much more nuance about the PT Jedi’s role in the war than I’m used to seeing! All of that was great. It takes up about the first half of the book, then the war separates Obi-Wan and Anakin, they go off in different directions, and the plot shifts to focus on Obi-Wan and Bail Organa working together to uncover a Sith plot. And that’s where things just sort of fizzle for me–because it starts promisingly! So much debate between Obi-Wan and Bail! So much nuance and so many quotes I’m going to pull from it! Awesome! And their storyline builds up really nicely, culminating in them crashing on a Sith planet and having this arduous trek to get help. Still awesome! Obi-Wan is a goddamned tank in this part of the book, he’s under constant physical and mental assault and he still keeps going, the amount of damage he can take and still keep fighting was awe-inspiring! I am all for this! But then it just kind of… ended. The entire second half of the book (which felt like a separate book from the first half) was a three day walk across some deserted planet. It was a long, grueling slog of a walk and the writing does justice to that, but… that’s it. They get to the Sith shrine and it’s over in a handful of pages. There’s plenty of cool character moments on this walk, but I never felt like Obi-Wan and Bail actually earned their new friendship, they hardly talked about anything other than “We have to rest.” “No, we have to keep going.” And there was hardly any actual action, the plot was just sort of thinly there to provide long sections of whump writing. Which made me feel that… as a story, it wasn’t put together that well, it was the strength of the author’s take on Obi-Wan’s character and the relationships he has that really made the book an interesting read for me. That said, it’s absolutely and totally worth it for every moment between Obi-Wan and Anakin, while it started out with me making some unsure faces (because I don’t buy for once second that Obi-Wan would have been fooled about Anakin and Padme ending their relationship), by the end I was entirely onboard with these moments, the depth the author added to their relationship, the moments of insight that felt spot on, the subtle undercurrents or the things that smacked me in the face (like the realization that Obi-Wan didn’t know the content of Anakin’s dreams, that they were dangerous, rather than regular dreams) or just gave me a lot of feelings about how co-dependent they could be with each other. It’s a great book for getting a better understanding of Obi-Wan’s point of view while still keeping him distant from those around him, it does a great job with showing the weight of his thoughts and feelings while keeping his iron will intact. And it really is entirely, entirely worth the read for the Old Married Couple banter between Obi-Wan and Anakin! ✦ Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, thrawn & governor pryce & ocs & yularen & cast, 448 pages “I study the art of war. Work to perfect it.” —Grand Admiral Thrawn Reintroducing a character like Thrawn to the current canon of Star Wars can be tricky, especially after the character was already introduced via season three of Rebels, now Zahn had to write backstory for him. But this book was everything I could have asked for from it–it was an engaging story all on its own, but also that it balanced having little nods and winks to old EU canon with keeping firmly in the now, that this is still a character who needs establishing in this version of continuity. This book also does a really good job of showing Thrawn’s point of view, which isn’t easy with a character like this, one who is always supposed to be at least three steps ahead of everyone else, but I enjoyed every moment of it and I found the character to be incredibly engaging and charismatic, in that sense of how I always wanted to be reading more about him. I read through this book fairly quickly and while it was perfectly paced for what it was, I also found myself thinking that I would very easily read another five in a series of books about this character from this author and that I hope there really is a sequel in the works! A good chunk of the book is also dedicated to Governor Arihnda Pryce, we get to see her go from being reasonably morally decent to where she is in Rebels and she’s fascinating for it! While I still was more interested in Thrawn, by the end of the book, I saw what she brought to the table of this story and how everything was solidly woven together and so I don’t begrudge her being there at all! (Plus, it’s hard to begrudge a female character getting in on the titular character’s action, when I’ve seen so many male characters do the same to female central characters.) The use of the OCs was also nicely done and I came to care about Eli Vanto by the end, I enjoyed his character and seeing Thrawn through his eyes as well! But, yes, ultimately this was Thrawn’s backstory and the tale of his rise through the ranks to Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy and it very much hit all the notes I wanted it to hit. By the end of the story, it had caught my imagination (I spent a few minutes wondering what it would have been like had Thrawn been on the other side), I found that I liked the explanation for his character, why he joined and worked so hard for the Empire, the way he dealt with people, that he could have such honor and morals, while still doing terrible things, while still absolutely being a villain. For all that he’s very thoughtful and engaging, for all that Thrawn values lives, I don’t think the book ever forgot that he was ruthless and would not hesitate when it came to what needed to be done, that combination endeared the character to me and now I would genuinely like an entire series about him or for him to have the same prominence post-ROTJ that he did before, even if I know that may be impossible with Disney’s new canon. This book won’t quite unseat Ahsoka as my favorite of the new canon, but it sure as heck is on my top five list now. ✦ Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray, leia & bail/breha & cast, 416 pages Sixteen-year-old Princess Leia Organa faces the most challenging task of her life so far: proving herself in the areas of body, mind, and heart to be formally named heir to the throne of Alderaan. I really, really loved this book a lot, I thought it achieved everything it set out to do, and was just a really good look at a young Leia, where she came from, and how some of the pieces of her life started sliding into place. I love it because there are a lot of little moments that work well for me, the ways Leia unknowingly touches the Force were some of the best, that they made sense in the moments they were used and weren’t too heavy-handed to make you wonder why she herself didn’t notice–that’s not an easy balance to strike! But it’s also that this makes so much sense as a young Leia story, where she’s struggling with wanting to do more for the galaxy around her, but not having the maturity to understand some of the more long-term plans that are out of her reach, to understand why her parents haven’t told her about them. And this story is about her struggle to grow up into someone they can trust with that, her struggle to become that person as much as it about the struggle of trying to decide how much to risk Alderaan in this Rebellion, to risk the one safe place the galaxy has. And that dilemma felt much more organic and meaningful than the dilemma she faced in Bloodline, I felt. I enjoyed the new characters, for all that they were fairly predictable that didn’t take away from that I liked reading about them and that their story had meaning to help support Leia’s–and I’m looking very much forward to seeing some of them show up in The Last Jedi! The familiar characters (like Tarkin and Mon Mothma) were well-used, they’re important figures that we know Leia knew, but they weren’t overdone–a lot of the references to things we know about canon or the use of various bits of trivia (like when we briefly see Eriadu from Rogue One) were all well done! I enjoyed that this is a character who is very much her bio-father’s daughter, but is also even more Bail Organa and Breha Organa’s daughter, that the pieces we see of Alderaan, the bits of worldbuilding that we get are really lovely. And, oh, Bail and Breha are used very well here, they may not be main characters, but they certainly feel human and weighty in the narrative. Basically, this book is all I could have asked for from it and I would enjoy seeing Claudia Gray write more of her! ✦ Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson, phasma & brendol hux & cast, 400 pages One of the most cunning and merciless officers of the First Order, Captain Phasma commands the favor of her superiors, the respect of her peers, and the terror of her enemies. But for all her renown, Phasma remains as virtually unknown as the impassive expression on her gleaming chrome helmet. Now, an adversary is bent on unearthing her mysterious origins—and exposing a secret she guards as zealously and ruthlessly as she serves her masters. This book is not at all what I expected it to be. When I picked it up, I thought it would be a book that would try to get into Phasma’s head–an odd proposition for a character we know very little about at the moment. But instead it’s a book that looks at her story from several outsiders’ views of her, it’s a story about her, not from her. And that’s also something I wouldn’t have thought I would enjoy, but yet I did. It balances how weird Star Wars can be with an unwinding story about showing who Phasma is at her core, that she’s mysterious and difficult to parse, but the more you see of her, the more you start to slowly catch glimpses of her. And by the end I felt like, yes, this is a Phasma I could see and understand and she made sense to me. The book does have a lot of trivia pulled into it, but it’s all stuff I enjoyed and nothing I thought would stop a person from understanding it through context! And I really came to enjoy the new characters, I adore Vi Moradi like you wouldn’t believe, I thought the First Order was shown as reasonably understandable how they don’t recognize what they’re in the middle of, yet it’s unquestionably a horrible, poisonous organization. I wound up enjoying the structure of the story about Phasma rather than from her, I found the adventures the characters all got into to be engaging, I found the world ultimately made sense to me (despite my early misgivings about how I wasn’t sure things worked like that), and it was just one of those books that maybe I don’t have a ton to say about, but I felt served the character and the franchise really well. It’s just engaging, I could pick it up and read for an hour no problem, and it was an entertaining ride. Honestly, that made it one that I absolutely would recommend it for! ✦ Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno, galen/lyra & jyn & krennic & tarkin, 352 pages For years the Republic and the Separatists have battled across the stars, each building more and more deadly technology in an attempt to win the war. As a member of Chancellor Palpatine’s top secret Death Star project, Orson Krennic is determined to develop a superweapon before their enemies can. And an old friend of Krennic’s, the brilliant scientist Galen Erso, could be the key. I read this novel before I saw the movie (as there are no real spoilers for it, only backstory) and it’s one of the best decisions I could have made, because what this novel does is draw many more connections to the greater Star Wars galaxy than the movie does. I think even reading it after you’ve seen the movie will do the same, it will explain a lot of how the characters got to where they are, especially Lyra, Galen, and Krennic, because it does a really good job of bridging the gap between the Clone Wars and the state of the Empire ~20 years later–well, as much as any one novel can. It draws in planets like Coruscant and Geonosis, it creates new ones that still feel like Star Wars planets, it touches on the use of kyber crystals, it’s about the building of the new Empire, it’s about trying to draw Galen Erso in to work for them and how exactly that happened, when he’s not someone who would have knowingly done so, but he was manipulated and lured in and felt that he had to work on the Death Star, otherwise they’d complete it without him much sooner, especially since they had his notes on kyber crystals from before. The book isn’t really so much a story in and of itself, it’s more of a backstory and filling in the gaps, connecting the dots, kind of story, but I loved it for that, given that I felt Rogue One (for all its cameos and being centered on the Death Star plans) felt like it was very detached from the larger galaxy that I knew and loved. It does a great job with the three characters it centers on, it breathes some life into Lyra, it explains Galen better, and it writes an absolutely hilariousKrennic (his cat fights with Tarkin are amazing), as well as has the single greatest premise: That Galen Erso used so much ineffecient bureaucracy to make the higher-ups so sick of looking at reports that they just went Okay, fine already! and let them keep the tiny flaw in the plans. It’s a book that’s very much meant to go along with the movie, but I think it’s one that achieved exactly that goal and made the whole experience stronger! Luceno is one of my favorite authors and this book definitely did not disappoint me. ✦ Bloodline by Claudia Grey, leia & ocs, 352 pages As the daughter of Darth Vader, Leia faces with distrust the prospect of any one person holding such a powerful position—even when supporters suggest Leia herself for the job. But a new enemy may make this path Leia’s only option. For at the edges of the galaxy, a mysterious threat is growing…. I definitely could not put this book down and I think Claudia Gray has a great grasp on Leia’s character, so reading this book as a Leia story was absolutely a worthwhile time! It especially understood her complicated relationships with both her fathers, both Bail and Anakin, and her difficult to untangle feelings there. It doesn’t shy away from that Leia is the goddamned boss, that she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty by digging into the hard work, even ~thirty years later. The only complaints I have about this book are in the political and structural stuff–one of which isn’t the author’s fault, as this book was published not long after The Force Awakens, so it couldn’t really contain anything with Luke or Ben, it had to dance around actually dealing with those things, when it clearly would have been important to do so. It does what it can with the Han/Leia relationship, but it’s still chained to what the movie put down, so I don’t blame it for that. However, the politics of the book were terrible and made zero sense–the idea was that, because Palpatine had abused his power via the Empire, there should be no central government anymore and that’s just bullshit. By that logic, there shouldn’t be any planetary government, either. Or any country-level government. Or city-level government. All government is open to potential abuse, if you vote the wrong person in, that doesn’t mean you scrap the whole idea. Especially not when Leia then leaves the Senate and founds the Resistance, which I’m pretty sure has a heirarchy that’s open to potential abuse if the wrong person gets in. It also contained references to how apparently the New Republic allows “indentured servitude” and Leia witnesses this and barely thinks much of it. It also relies heavily on characters acting for the plot sometimes, rather than acting how a reasonable person would. And I wish the balance between the plot of uncovering the First Order (which can only do so much, since we know where this has to go) versus the moments of just pure Leia had been better. Okay, I’m being pretty harsh on this book and I don’t mean to be, because I absolutely think it’s worth reading for the Leia moments, where she’s so solidly herself, where she has all this passion and anger, but she’s so thoroughly goodthat even the galaxy being unfair to her cannot shake her core foundations. It was a book I couldn’t put down and it felt like Star Wars (which is a hugely important thing to me!), especially in that there were lots of aliens, some that I recognized and some that I didn’t, that there were tons of planets and different cultures that truly felt like a space opera. And for all that I criticize the political philosophy here, that the politics were important to the story, just as much as the action was, was very well done! It’s a bit of a slow start, but by chapter 5 or 6 I had trouble putting it down and I had that experience of feeling, “Ahhhh! I need to talk to people about my feelings about this book!” in a good way, which is something I also treasure. It’s a book that balances Leia’s incredibly caring nature, her huge heart, and her deep wells of anger. It’s a book that had engaging new characters that I cared about while I was reading about them. I wish there’d been more introspection on Leia’s feelings about Anakin as her bio-dad, but it’s also a story that captures how she’s such an iconic character, and it’s an incredibly engaging read. I absolutely recommend it, no question. ✦ Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry, leia & ocs, 240 pages Set between Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi, the story follows the warrior princess as she leads a ragtag group of rebels on a dangerous mission against the evil Galactic Empire. I enjoyed this book! It’s not particularly game-changing in any way, it doesn’t involve a lot of introsepction and it’s almost entirely action, but it’s a fun filler type of story where Leia has to run a mission for the Rebellion to distract the Empire while they work on something else. It has some fun moments and it was easy to pick up and put down, it had moments of solid characterization–and that’s really what this is. A very solid read, especially if you like Leia as a character and want to see her leading a team on an adventure. It has a solid cast of supporting characters (including some recognizable and some new alien species!) and it does a solid job of adventuring around the galaxy, really feeling like Star Wars, as is always important to me. It’s just all the way around a solid, solid story that I easily read through in just a couple of days because it was engaging enough that I sailed right along. ✦ The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure by Jason Fry, luke & ocs, 192 pages Set between Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the story finds Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and R2-D2 stranded on a mysterious planet, and explores a dangerous duel between Luke and a strange new villain. My feelings on this book are pretty much identical to how I felt about Moving Target, in that it’s a very solid story that is a fun filler piece (and that’s not a slam, because filler pieces often make a world feel richer and more fleshed out) with some adventure and some solid characterization moments. It’s a story that I read when I was incredibly hungry for anything Star Wars related and so I inhaled it in just a couple of days, because it was engaging and easy to read, it’s solid and worth the time, if you’re a fan of Luke Skywalker’s character. ✦ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story by Alexander Freed, jyn & cassian & bodhi & baze & chirrut & k2so & galen & krennic & cast, 336 pages The Rebellion has learned of a sinister Imperial plot to bring entire worlds to their knees. Deep in Empire-dominated space, a machine of unimaginable destructive power is nearing completion. A weapon too terrifying to contemplate … and a threat that may be too great to overcome. I enjoyed Rogue One as a movie, but the characters never really spoke to me until I read this novelization. It’s the kind of book that does exactly what I want from novelizations–where it adds all these little, tiny moments to the story and it allows for a better understanding of the characters because it gets into their heads, while still sticking to the story that I saw on the screen. This novel especially did incredible things for Jyn’s character for me, she is so messy and complicated and jaded and cynical and hurt and damaged here, shown through her pov in a way that helped me to understand why she behaved the way she did in the movie, why she was so cold on the surface and seemed so flat, all while there’s such a great character that appealed to me under the surface. Jyn alone is what I would have enjoyed this novelization for! But it really did a lovely job with the Cassian and Bodhi scenes as well, there were a couple of devastating lines about Baze and Chirrut as well, even K2-SO wasn’t immune from breaking my fannish heart in this book. The highlight of this one is how it added depth to the story that was already there, especially with Jyn’s character (I wanted to quote so many lines!) but it’s pretty much everything a novelization should be–it was interesting and engaging even while telling a story I already knew the details of. ✦ Lone Wolf by Abel G. Peña, obi-wan & luke, 76 pages A narrative of Obi-Wan facing the realities of a Jedi outcast at the twilight of the Clone Wars. I have very complicated feelings about this short story–on the one hand, I wrote like half a dozen blogging posts about it because there were moments in it that absolutely sent me over the moon! There were some great details that I will cherish forever! But the tone of the story was incredibly grimdark in a way that was trying too hard even just post-ROTS would warrant, it was a little too over the top trying to be serious and edgy, as well as there are a lot of descriptions of how gross and yucko the women in this story are. As a fan of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the grief he was working through at this point in time, I don’t regret reading this book, there were some goddamned stellar quotes from it! But it comes with a whole lot of caveats and side-eyeing of certain elements and… well. I have a reaction post from it, if you don’t mind spoilers! There was potential here and I would be happy to see this author take another crack at SW stuff, but this one didn’t hit the mark for me–and that may be a personal thing! (Aside from the way the women in this story were described.) But, well, this is a list of reviews for like-minded fans, so I can’t say I really recommend it for my crowd personally. ✦ The Hive by Steven Barnes, obi-wan & ocs, [short story] Dispatched as a Republic envoy to the Outer Rim planet Ord Cestus — in a bid to halt the sale of potentially deadly “bio-droids” to the Confederacy — Obi-Wan Kenobi finds himself enlisted in a mission more desperate, and dangerous, than diplomatic. This is a short story that was a companion piece to the Cestus Deception, I believe, and it’s one of those that’s solid for what it is, but I wish there had been a bigger scope to it. It’s a fairly routine (for this character, anyway) mission where Obi-Wan is on a planet trying to help a race of insect-like people regain their royal eggs, and the world-building and culture and original characters are all well done! I was never bored by anything that was here! My only caveat is that I wish there’d been more, more to the aspects I already knew and cared about, like Obi-Wan thinking more about Anakin or the Jedi or having others show up. If you’re going in for a look at an alien society in the Star Wars universe, this book is really great! And I do like what’s here of Obi-Wan’s character! And I saw a review once that likened it to a lost episode of The Clone Wars and I felt like that was a good description of it, that I wanted more, but for the focus of this short story being what it was, it was solidly done. ✦ Guardian of the Whills by Greg Rucka, chirrut & baze & ocs, 240 pages On the desert world of Jedha, in the Holy City, friends Baze and Chirrut used to be Guardians of the hills, who looked after the Kyber Temple and the devoted pilgrims who worshiped there. Then the Empire came and took over the planet. This is a middle-grade novel and I think a lot of the enjoyment of it depends on what you’re looking to get out of it. I had been hoping for something that delved into Baze and Chirrut’s background a little more, to get something of their history as Guardians of the Whills, to develop that aspect of the SW universe again, but instead this novel is set a handful of months before the Rogue One movie, so it’s dealing with the Empire taking over their city and what leads them to the fight against it. That said, it’s a solid story and has some great lines between the characters, the old married couple dynamic (while I wish they’d been made canon, I felt like there was at least a very, very easy time to read into them that way here) is a highlight and a joy, and it’s a solid story with engaging characters. While I wish there had been more depth to the characters and their history, Rucka does a great job at showing them in the moment, that they felt very much like the characters I saw on the screen, and felt very true to how I imagine they would have been drawn into the fight against the Empire on Jedha. If you like these characters, I would say that this is absolutely worth the read! ✦ Secrets of the Jedi by Jude Watson, obi-wan/siri & anakin/padme & qui-gon & adi gallia & cast, 208 pages To be a Jedi is to safeguard peace in the galaxy. To be a Jedi is to defend justice against tyranny. To be a Jedi is to rely on the Force. To be a Jedi is to not love or live as normal people do … at whatever the price. I have such a complicated relationship with Jude Watson’s writing–it’s very much written at 13 year olds and I think the pacing and worldbuilding often suffer for it, that little has much room to breathe or let the impact be felt, that the logic of the Jedi doesn’t hold up on a worldbuilding level/doesn’t fit with the higher level canon, and the characters aren’t always how I see them. But, at the same time, when she nails a moment, she absolutely nails it, her writing can be incredible quotable and I really do love the characters that inhabit these novels (I especially love Siri and Bant!) and the underlying story is often one that has a lot of potential, if you want to explore it more, it’s often practically made for character-exploring fic pieces, practically! It is a book that is centered on romance–that each of the stories being told here (about Qui-Gon, about Obi-Wan, about Anakin) is about romance at the heart of it, which can be frustrating when there are so many other important relationships, but the book did well with the comparisons and contrasts between them. I’m kind of hard on the book, but I’m reading it as an adult and I’m not really the target audience for this story anymore (even as I think kids’ books can appeal to adults in the right author’s hands) and that’s not to say that I don’t see the appeal of it to a lot of people. I actually enjoy reading other people’s enjoyment of this book, even if I often feel like I think these books work better if you read them when you were younger, rather than looking at them through the eyes of current canon, especially since the book came out in 2005. Would I recommend it? Depends on the person and how much you’re invested in various characters–Obi-Wan fans will enjoy the book more than Qui-Gon or Anakin fans, I suspect. It’s not one that I consider to be particularly true to Star Wars, but the handful of moments that were worth reading for are incredibly worth reading for! ✦ The Force Awakens: Rey’s Story by Elizabeth Schaefer, rey & cast, 128 pages Rey never thought she would leave the desert planet of Jakku, but her life is turned upside down when she meets BB-8, a small droid with a big secret. Like it or not, Rey is about to be caught up in something much larger than herself: a galactic war between the evil First Order and the fledgling Resistance. While this book is almost entirely going over the events of The Force Awakens–well, her parts of the story, that is–I suspect it would go over best with those who really enjoy her character already! But I found that it was worth the read because I really do love Rey a ton and there were bits and pieces that were new (like a bit more of what she filled her time with while on Jakku), as well as moments where she connected to the Force or her feelings for Finn or little touches that could mean more, were nicely present. It’s a short book, a light read that’s mostly just going over something we’re familiar with already, but it was a very sweet one for that.

#obi wan kenobi #anakin skywalker #padme amidala #ahsoka tano #luke skywalker #leia organa #rey #rogue one #fic recs #star wars fic recs #(not really but that's my tag)

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scarletjedi · 7 years

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You know why I'm here. All of them. Write for me, my angel of writing! *slams hands into piano like the Phantom of the Opera*

you *shakes fist*

Fine. I’m not repeating myself, tho :P

and i’m putting this under a cut for length.

1. Describe yourself how you would describe a character you’re introducing

She entered the room like a riot, drawing the attention of everyone (She grins, and it stretches across her face, showing teeth, and most of the smiles that greet her are warm, but there are a few severe frowns on pinched faces, and you wonder). She’s loud when she moves, not her voice, though her laugh is...distinctive, a hearty sound that lifts to a delighted cackle--but her keys jangle at her belt, and her bracelets jingle at her wrist when she moves. She is always moving, a restless energy as she puts down her things and opens her laptop, her heel bouncing and making the table squeek. You realize that she can’t hear it, a discrete pair of headphones over her ears also explains the music you could have sworn you heard when she entered the room.

You watch as she works; even self-contained, she’s a distraction, a bright spot of color in the corner of the room. Her hair, as short as it is, is a shining blond that curls over her forehead like Superman, and the light catches off of the glitter at her eyes, on her nails, and she sparks in the periphery of your vision.

Something makes her frown, and the expression pulls at the corners of her mouth, crinkling her forehead and you realize that she’s older than you first thought, the worry lines comfortable on her face.

One of the others, the pinched faced older woman, goes over to her, and she begins to speak without greeting. It takes a minute for the bright spot to notice her, but she does, pulling her headphones from her ears and looking up with a perfectly pleasant expression. You’d even swear that smile reaches her eyes, if you couldn’t see the way the others, the smilers, all being to pay attention, as if expecting a show.

But instead, she simply stands, and next to the pinched woman, you can tell that she’s larger than she looks, taller and broader shoulders, with strong arms that brace on her hips, and her face is still pleasant, even as her body screams “fight me, Helen.”

The pinched woman finishes her say, and leaves, and the room feels brighter for it. She relaxes, dropping back down into the seat, and catches your eyes. She grins at you.

“Some fucking people,” she says, the laughter clear in her voice, and goes back to work.

2. Is there any specific ritual you go through while/before/after your writing?

depends on where I am and what I’m writing. I usually try to work in a clean space, so i’ll clear off my table/desk/etc, and if I can I’ll light a candle. I’ll put on music if i’m trying to meet a deadline.

Honestly, my most consistent ritual, is announcing my goal out loud. “Today, I’d like to get 2k words written” or “Today, I’d like to finish the next chapter”

It helps to give me direction, and allows me to take breaks when I’ve met my “goal” and *need* a break but feel frustrated and like I can’t stop even though nothing’s happening.

3. What is your absolute favorite kind of fic to write?

Well, I certainly have a penchant for time travel, lol.

I like to take ridiculous “crack” scenarios and treat them seriously.

4. Are there any other fic writers you admire? If so, who and why?

@determamfidd for her worldbuilding and delight, @poplitealqueen for her enthusiasm and drive, @deadcatwithaflamethrower for her prolific dedication, Speranza for always writing the fic that I didn’t know I needed and her characterization

5. How many words can you write if you sit down and concentrate intensely for an hour?

I can get about 700 words in 30 minutes, so...1400? I have trouble concentrating for a solid hour, however.

8. Why do you choose to write?

I think it’s funny that you think I have a choice.

I write because I need to, becuase I want to and like to, because I feel better when I do--because I have something to say, damnit, and this is the way I chose.

9. Do you ever have plans to write anything other than fic?

Yep! I have a novel in the revision stage (heavy fucking revision) and another, like, 3 in the planning stages. I also have a few short stories written under my pen name and plans for a novel under her name as well.

10. What inspires you the most?

well written fiction.

11. Weirdest thing you’ve ever written/thought about writing/etc.?

define weird. (No, seriously, I write fantasy and speculative fiction and magical realism. my bar for weird is *very* high)

12. A fix you wish you had written better, and why?

you mean a fic? Love Letters from Zelda Rubenstein. It’s not that I think it’s bad, but that fic was bigger in my head than it is on the page and that bothers me. (Then again, it was one of the first longer fics that I wrote, so there was a learning curve)

13. Favorite fic from another author?

have three -

Sansukh by Determamfidd (Tolkien)

Waking Dream by deadcatwithaflamethrower (Star Wars)

All the Angels and The Saints by Speranza (Marvel)

14. Your favorite side pairings to put in?

Depends on the fandom, and it varries by fic. Like, I will always write Obi-Wan in love with Qui-Gon, wether or not the relationship ever existed, and Jesse and Kix is always gonna happen for me. I think Luke and Biggs totally banged, and Percy and Oliver had a thing during fifth year. Harry and Ron never hooked up, but Harry *could* have loved Draco if Harry wasn’t Harry and Draco wasn’t Draco, and Ron was totally jealous of both Krum *and* Hermione.

I can’t “take away” a love interest from a character without giving them someone new. If I was to write Obikin, Padme is loved by Sabe, or all of the handmaidens. Stucky has Peggy happy elsewhere (Gabe Jones or Angie Motherfucking Martinelli).

16. Do you have structured ideas of how your story is supposed to go, or make it up as you write?

I have checkpoints - moments that I know will happen. I write them out, and then I play connect the dots.

17. Would yo describe yourself as a fast writer?

I used to. Now, I’m not so sure. I’m faster in the summer than in the winter, that’s for sure.

18. How old were you when you started writing?

I have a journal with Muppet Baby fanfiction, and the handwriting puts be in early grade school, like first or second grade.

I published for the first time on ff.net at 15/16.

19. Why did you start writing?

Because if nobody was going to write the stuff I wanted to read, I would have to do it myself.

20. 4 sentences from your work that you’re proud of

Here, from my most recent “Attachments”

When Luke saw Biggs next, he was decked out in orange, and they were both on their way to run against the Empire’s superweapon. He ignored the pulsing threats that hummed in the back of his mind in the same place where he had seen and not seen the blaster remote. When Biggs died in the shower of sparks, Luke told himself that the aching darkness in his heart was just grief.

He was never very good at believing his own lies.

#fic meme #poplitealqueen

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