edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
"The Guardian in Spite of Herself" is the sequel to "The Way of the Apartment Manager," which can be found in final form on AO3, or in beta draft with comments on my journal. It also has fanart.

Summary: Chapter the Sixteenth, in which Naga and Suisen demonstrate how not to dance with a partner, Yukiko and Seichi discuss assassination and dead relatives, and, to the author's relief, Kakashi's interrogation skills end up irrelevant to the plot. (4,425 words)

Note: Well, that took far too long! Even if you only count from July 2015, which is when I got serious about returning to this story, that's still six months and that's ridiculous. I will try to do better with chapter 17, but seeing as I always say that, I completely understand any skepticism on your part. *wry*

[ETA: The slightly revised final version is now up on AO3! (ff.net mirror)]

The Guardian in Spite of Herself, chapter 16 )

...

Anyway, all feedback is pounced upon with great appreciation! Seriously, if you see anything that looks weird or unclear, or that could otherwise stand improvement, please tell me.
edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
I have been playing a little over at [livejournal.com profile] caramelsilver's Three Sentence Ficathon. Come join in! The more people making and filling prompts, the more fun it is for everyone!

Anyway, here are the six fills I have written so far.

---------------
---------------

1. ) For [livejournal.com profile] idhren24: Harry Potter, Madame Pince, user-centered institution, written 11/29/15 [AO3 version]

gentility is relative (150 words)

Her library serves two mutually incompatible purposes: to provide appropriate instructional aid for underage wizards, and to hold the most complete repository of magical knowledge in northwestern Europe. Irma has petitioned for decades to split the collection -- or at the very least, move the restricted section into a separate room where she can establish security protocols with proper teeth -- but those two purposes are written into the school charter and would need a unanimous vote from the Board of Governors to make the most minor official alterations, and Dumbledore won't circumvent them on this issue.

Perhaps the next Headmaster will be more open to the notion that the Founders never anticipated the effects of so many magical books confined in such close proximity. Until then, Irma does what she can to protect her books from her students, and vice versa.

She has managed thirteen years since the last accidental death.

---------------
---------------

2. ) For [livejournal.com profile] killing_kurare: Labyrinth, Jareth/Sarah, He returns at night, written 11/29/15 [AO3 version]

good night till it be morrow (150 words)

The air feels different in the mornings after Jareth visits: a crisp, green sensation, like wind blowing over leaves and stone and icy water, regardless of the actual weather. Sarah rolls sideways on her bed at dawn and buries her face in a pillow that bears a faint and fading trace of ozone and feathers; that scent and the touch of the Labyrinth in the air are the only signs that anyone had come to visit, let alone shared wine and kisses and slept beside her, and for an aching moment she wishes...

But then she sighs, and shuffles through her shoebox apartment in search of coffee and her laptop, and submerges herself back into mundane life rather than resent his absence; she has her responsibilities and deadlines as Jareth has his own, and neither wants to risk their hard-won peace by dragging its terms into the light of day.

---------------
---------------

3. ) For [livejournal.com profile] runespoor7: Naruto, Sasuke/Sakura or Naruto/Sasuke/Sakura or Sakura gen, you've always been a/ good girl, smart girl, pretty girl, lucky girl, written 12/1/15 [AO3 version]

life lessons (200 words exactly)

Be good, be smart, be pretty, be lucky: a kunoichi's instruction manual.

Sakura can manage smart in her sleep, though likely not the way the advice is meant; knowing precisely how to take apart the human body (and stitch it back together) is not the clever, subtle manipulation of social strings that girls are guided toward mastering. She'll never think of herself as pretty, but she's learned not to blush and demur when Sasuke and Naruto call her that; if they see a part of herself that she can't find, she's willing to trust their judgment as she knows they trust hers when it comes to their own hidden sides. Goodness is a matter of perspective and circumstance, and she knows perfectly well her moral compass swings more toward retribution and the cold dictates of stop-loss logic than she likes to let show; skill, though, has never been a problem, so by that interpretation she's three for three.

As for luck? She's lived through ten lifetimes of misfortune, but she won through. She has Naruto and Sasuke back, to guard her as she guards them in turn. Let the whole world turn against them; they can make their own fate.

---------------
---------------

4. ) For [livejournal.com profile] celeste9: Mad Max: Fury Road, Max/Furiosa, small comforts, written 12/1/15 [AO3 version]

reciprocity (100 words exactly)

Furiosa wakes fast and cold, stretches out the inevitable aches and strains from sleeping upright in the Rig's cab, and frowns when she finds less pain than she expected. Something soft and heavy slithers down the back of the seat, lands on the gearshift with a muffled thump: the Fool's jacket, the one he reclaimed with such vehemence from the war boy, folded into a makeshift pillow for her while she slept.

She glances over at the driver's seat, sees the furrowed line between his tired eyes, and gives the man the returned comfort of not mentioning his small kindness.

---------------
---------------

5. ) For [livejournal.com profile] killing_kurare: Sailor Moon, Haruka/Michiru, dinner, written 12/1/15 [AO3 version]

at the stroke of midnight (150 words)

Part of being a professional musician on Michiru's level is maintaining contact with the right parts of society: the ones who pay for tickets and donations to keep orchestras and concert halls in the black. Haruka hated the artificiality of it all at first; hated biting her tongue while Michiru gently and politely redirected insulting conversational threads into equally offensive but more financially productive directions; hated the improbable clothes, the uncomfortable shoes, and the score or clashing perfumes; hated the way even the food at charity dinners and fancy restaurants seemed to ooze self-satisfied superiority.

She still hates all those things, but she's learned to let her anger go and wait for the moment Michiru meets her eyes and nods, and they slip away, laughing, to mount Haruka's motorcycle and roar off through the night: two princesses turned back into ordinary women in search of cheap, greasy takeout and the lived-in comfort of their own home.

---------------
---------------

6. ) For anonymous: Inception, Arthur/Ariadne, they love it when it rains, because they can share an umbrella, written 12/1/15 [AO3 version]

like silence, but not empty (125 words)

"I designed a happy childhood memory," Ariadne said, staring up at the sodden sky of their latest mark's subconscious with a disgruntled expression. "What's happy about rain?"

Arthur checked his watch -- nearly thirty minutes before they needed to meet Eames outside the mark's hometown library; he could spare a handful for indulgence -- and retrieved a previously non-existent umbrella from his satchel. He shook it open, then wrapped his arm around Ariadne's shoulder and leaned in for a kiss when she joined him under its shelter. "I can think of a few things," he said as the rain fell in a curtain of silver streaks and white noise around the umbrella's rim, closing them into a tiny private world where only they were real.

Ariadne smiled.

---------------
---------------

(Yes, I am aware that only three of these are actually three-sentence ficlets. Shush. I do what I want.)
edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
And on that note, Chapter 7 of "The Guardian in Spite of Herself" is now up on AO3. :D
edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
Here are the results of my latest mini-ficlet prompt meme, in case you missed any of them. :D

1. Kiss the Bride: Corin proposes to Susan. Prompt: Susan Pevensie as Queen of Narnia, coping with marriage proposals. 425 words, for [tumblr.com profile] madamehardy. [Tumblr; journal]

2. In Sure and Certain Hope: Does a funeral really count if you know the person it's for will resurrect tomorrow? Beta kid friendship. Prompt: Dave, John, Jade: somber but hopeful. 275 words, for [tumblr.com profile] shinyrock6498. [Tumblr; journal]

3. Under Pressure: Sakura will survive until her teammates dig her out. Part of the Tides AU. Prompt: How about some Naruto: Sakura, building pressure. 400 words, for [tumblr.com profile] branch-and-root. [Tumblr; journal]

4. Literal Interpretation: John has some questions about the repercussions of going God Tier. Davesprite and Jade are less than helpful. Tales from the Yellow Yard. Prompt: Jade, John, Davesprite, god worship. 675 words, for [tumblr.com profile] asukaskerian. [Tumblr; journal]

5. Freedom Ride: Aradia and Kanaya, in the moments before a guerrilla raid on Battleship Condescension. Prompt: Kanaya, Aradia, Prompt word: whoops. 425 words, for [tumblr.com profile] gracefularchitect. [Tumblr; journal]

6. Tall Ship of War: Shezan and Ilgamuth discuss types of watercraft as the Narnian delegation arrives in Tashbaan. Prompt: How about Shezan and/or Ilgamuth, and boats? 225 words, for [livejournal.com profile] autumnia. [Tumblr; journal]

7. My Sorrow's Share: Arwen's view of her uncle's choice changed over time. Prompt: Arwen and the pro/con of choosing humanity. (I'm on a Silmarillion kick.) 125 words, for [tumblr.com profile] mmarycontrary. [Tumblr; journal]

8. Crowning Glory: Edmund combs Susan's hair. Prompt: How about Susan Pevensie, combs or haircombing? 625 words, for [livejournal.com profile] cat_i_th_adage. (Also a Cotton Candy Bingo fill!) [Tumblr; journal]

9. Picture Perfect: Davepetasprite takes up an old hobby in a new medium. Prompt: Karkat, Dave, Davepetasprite, likeness. 150 words, for [tumblr.com profile] primtheamazing. [Tumblr; journal]

10. Pay It Forward: Yukiko and Iruka discuss educational opportunities and the lack thereof. Part of the Apartment Manager AU. Prompt: Ayakawa Yukiko and educating the next generation, please. :) 1,150 words, for [livejournal.com profile] wistfulmemory. (Also a Cotton Candy Bingo fill!) [Tumblr; journal]

11. Mischief Night: The night before they return to Konoha for real, Team 7 blow off some steam by reversing their old genin missions. Part of the Tides AU. Prompt: Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke; "strangely satisfying". 550 words, for [personal profile] eos_joy. (Also a Cotton Candy Bingo fill!) [Tumblr; journal]

12. Necessary Measures: Kanaya takes steps to end a recurring argument. Prompt: Rose, Jasprose, and Kanaya, bickering. 200 words, for [tumblr.com profile] primtheamazing. [Tumblr; journal]

13. In Abeyance, In Arrears: If Bro had smiled, even once... Prompt: Bro, Dave, dour. 150 words, for anonymous on Tumblr. [Tumblr; journal]

14. Broken If Revealed: Karen discovers Foggy's catastrophe contingency plans, and a number of secrets come out in the process. Prompt: Daredevil: awkward reveal, "This is- it's not what it looks like...?" 2,150 words, for [tumblr.com profile] shinyrock6498. [Tumblr; journal]

15. An Unorthodox Pedagogical Approach: Naga and Kakashi take their genin teams on a joint D-rank mission. There is no way this can possibly go wrong. Part of the Apartment Manager AU. Prompt: If you’re willing (and can without spoilers), I would love a future fic showing Naruto, Shinnin, and Sakura working together as a team while on a mission. 300 words, for [livejournal.com profile] wistfulmemory. [Tumblr; journal]

16. Part of Your World: Rose asks Jade to move in with her. Jade/Rose, sequel to New Roots. Prompt: Jade, Rose, prompt word: adventure. 675 words, for [tumblr.com profile] gracefularchitect. (Also a Cotton Candy Bingo fill!) [Tumblr; journal]
edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
I am having serious trouble working up motivation to write, which is frustrating. Like, I will open a document, check where I was in the story, type maybe five words, and... nothing. Blank. It's particularly annoying if I've been mentally juggling and arranging ideas earlier in the day so I know roughly where I want to go and just can't quite get there once I am actually trying to type letters on a keyboard.

One thing that I've found helpful in the past when I've had trouble writing is to switch gears and write something completely different, and also -- this is the key part -- something with an external rather than internal pressure/reward system. Like prompt!fic.

So.

Give me one to three characters plus a mood, a scenario, or a prompt word, and I will write you a ficlet that is at least three sentences or 100 words long.

Help me out, please?

---------------

1 ) Kiss the Bride: Susan Pevensie as Queen of Narnia, coping with marriage proposals. 425 words, for [tumblr.com profile] madamehardy. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

2 ) In Sure and Certain Hope: Dave, John, Jade: somber but hopeful. 275 words, for [tumblr.com profile] shinyrock6498. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

3 ) Under Pressure: Lessee. How about some Naruto: Sakura, building pressure. 400 words, for [tumblr.com profile] branch-and-root. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

4 ) Literal Interpretation: Jade, John, Davesprite, god worship. 675 words, for [tumblr.com profile] asukaskerian. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

5 ) Freedom Ride: Kanaya, Aradia, Prompt word: whoops. 425 words, for [tumblr.com profile] gracefularchitect. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

6 ) Tall Ship of War: How about Shezan and/or Ilgamuth, and boats? 225 words, for [livejournal.com profile] autumnia. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

7 ) My Sorrow's Share: Arwen and the pro/con of choosing humanity. (I'm on a Silmarillion kick.) 125 words, for [tumblr.com profile] mmarycontrary. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

8 ) Crowning Glory: How about Susan Pevensie, combs or haircombing? 625 words, for [livejournal.com profile] cat_i_th_adage. (Also a [community profile] cottoncandy_bingo fill, because why not!) [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

9 ) Picture Perfect: Karkat, Dave, Davepetasprite, likeness. 150 words, for [tumblr.com profile] primtheamazing. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

10 ) Pay It Forward: Ayakawa Yukiko and educating the next generation, please. :) 1,150 words, for [livejournal.com profile] wistfulmemory. (Also a [community profile] cottoncandy_bingo fill!) [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

11 ) Mischief Night: Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke; "strangely satisfying". 550 words, for [personal profile] eos_joy. (Also a [community profile] cottoncandy_bingo fill!) [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

12 ) Necessary Measures: Rose, Jasprose, and Kanaya, bickering. 200 words, for [tumblr.com profile] primtheamazing. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

13 ) In Abeyance, In Arrears: Bro, Dave, dour. 150 words, for anonymous on Tumblr. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

14 ) Broken If Revealed: Daredevil: awkward reveal, "This is- it's not what it looks like...?" 2,150 words, for [tumblr.com profile] shinyrock6498. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

15 ) An Unorthodox Pedagogical Approach: If you’re willing (and can without spoilers), I would love a future fic showing Naruto, Shinnin, and Sakura working together as a team while on a mission. 300 words, for [livejournal.com profile] wistfulmemory. [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]

16 ) Part of Your World: Jade, Rose, prompt word: adventure. 675 words, for [tumblr.com profile] gracefularchitect. (Also a [community profile] cottoncandy_bingo fill!) [Tumblr crosspost; AO3 version]
edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
Sorry, this is not a new chapter. It's just internet housekeeping time again.

...

Okay, and it's an announcement that I have moved "Guardian" to the top of my to-do list and am actively working on it once more. I am not sure if anyone still cares at this late date, but hey, I want to finish the story for myself as much as for any hypothetical readers. I mean, I still don't know the ending! Not in any great detail, at least. And I really want to know what happens.

So cross your fingers for me, and we'll go find out together. :D

---------------

The Guardian in Spite of Herself: WIP, 72,000 words so far, started Dec. 2005. The reward for a job well done is a bigger job. In this case, Ayakawa Yukiko's new job is a lot more complicated than anyone expected. The Uchiha massacre and its aftermath, in the world of The Way of the Apartment Manager. Post-traumatic stress, extreme familial dysfunction, attempted social/political/military revolution, dubious ethical choices and discussion thereof.

"Guardian" is a darker story than "Apartment Manager," partly because of the subject matter, and partly because I decided to unpick the implications of the socio-cultural and economic system of the ninja villages rather than accept them as the status quo. Also, I structured it the way I would structure an original novel, which may have been a mistake from a fanfiction perspective. In other words, three of my four POV characters are OCs, only two of whom were introduced in the previous story, and the new OC is also meant to be a semi-sympathetic antagonist whose worldview challenges the moral principles of career ninjas.

In contrast to "Apartment Manager," this story has taken (and is still taking, so help me) forever and a day to write. I think that's partly because I wrote most of "Apartment Manager" in the throes of madly passionate new-fandom love, which is not sustainable, and partly because stories with multiple POVs and plot arcs are inherently more complicated than stories that have only one of each.

But I will win eventually. *resolve face*

[Note, 1/3/16: Read the story on AO3 or ff.net. The journal version is a beta draft with all the attendant glitches, though it may be of some minor interest as a historical artifact.]

The Guardian in Spite of Herself - Table of Contents )

I suspect "Guardian" will be 30-35 chapters when complete. My current outline lists 28, but my outlines almost inevitably expand in the writing.
edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
Here, have a little Narutostuck ficlet, for no particular reason.

Summary: The thing about Abyss, the part no outsider understands, is that it wasn't horrible at all. It was family. (275 words)

[ETA: The ever-so-slightly revised final version is now up on AO3!]

Narutostuck: Culture Shock )

---------------------------------------------

Blargh. Where has my creativity gone this past week? My brain feels all gummed up and slow.

(Oh, right, and for context: Abyss is Kouin's version of Root, but as you can see its deep mental conditioning took a slightly different direction. If you have any tips for making Jade a more obviously unreliable narrator, they would be most welcome.)
edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
Summary: After the revolution, Karkat is assigned to a special forces training team with Terezi Pyrope and Dave Strider. He'd never admit it, but they might be the least bad of his possible options. (They might even agree.) [3,400 words]

Note: There's a reason I call these three 'Team Damaged Goods,' and it's not because they had idyllic childhoods. Terezi's past is explained in Narutostuck: Set with Stars, but Dave and Karkat are equally screwed up in their own ways: Dave because he has what could be a first-generation kekkai genkai related to time manipulation and was thus the subject of intense experimentation, and Karkat because he's the genetic double of the Sufferer and was thus used as a combination of hostage and indoctrinated propaganda piece. Nothing terrible happens to anyone during this fic, but Karkat does think about their pasts and there's a brief description of Terezi's ruined eyes and what happened to them.

I don't think anything in this story is worse than the canonical darkness in either Homestuck or Naruto, but you are the best judge of your own boundaries. :-)

[ETA: The ever-so-slightly revised final version is now up on AO3!]

Narutostuck: Damaged Goods )

HA. It took me three-plus years and a lot of angst to write that story, but it is DONE. *dusts hands*

(If you have suggestions for improving anything, I am all ears, since I freely acknowledge I lost perspective on this fic somewhere back in 2013.)
edenfalling: headshot of a raccoon, looking left (raccoon)
I'm still not entirely sure this hangs together -- seriously, if you have suggestions or concrit, please tell me -- but I finally managed some sort of ending and I'm tired of staring at the screen until the words blur into meaningless syllables, so. Have a fic!

Summary: Sakura and Sasuke thwart an assassination attempt on Naruto during a political rally. SasuSaku, implied NaruSasuSaku. (2,800 words)

Note: This story is a response to the Cotton Candy Bingo prompt believe, and to a suggestion from [personal profile] askerian that I write a Summer Camp & Politics story in which Sakura and Sasuke thwart an assassination attempt on Naruto. In retrospect, there is a slight conceptual mismatch between assassination and fluff, and also between discussion of political corruption and fluff, but what the heck, there's flirting and love and trust and a mostly happy ending, so I will call it fluffy if I want to. *resolve face*

[ETA: the slightly revised final version is now up on AO3!]

Hold These Truths )

In terms of series continuity, this happens after Zero-Sum Fallacy, in which the trio are about twenty-eight and before After Frost in which they're about thirty-four. This time I actually sat down and did a little structural thinking about the political setup in this weird AU version of Fire Country, and my conclusions are as follows:

cut for lengthy world-building babble )

And I think that's everything I dealt with in this fic. If you want to know anything else, please feel free to ask!
edenfalling: stained-glass butterfly in a purple frame (butterfly)
Oh hey, thing of potential interest.

Back in November, [archiveofourown.org profile] mothlights asked if they could podfic What Isn't Broken (Can Still Be Fixed), which is the epic-ish NaruSasu (or maybe SasuNaru? I dunno, they never get anywhere near actual sex and there certainly isn't any fixed "A always tops B" dynamic to their interaction, so whatever) fic I wrote in Remix Redux 8. I said sure, so long as the podficcer noted that my fic was a remix, because I would never have written it without [livejournal.com profile] megyal's amazing template. (That would be put a little fixing on it, for the record.)

Long story short, the podfic is now finished and available on AO3!

What Isn't Broken (Can Still Be Fixed): Madara lied about the eye transplant's effects. Captured and brought back to Konoha, Sasuke must adjust to blindness and his unexpected survival. Remix of "Put a little fixing on it," by megyal. [Podfic by [archiveofourown.org profile] mothlights]

The fic is 24,500 words long, and the audio file is three hours and fifteen minutes.

I haven't listened to it myself, but that's only because I find listening to my own work excruciatingly embarrassing and because I don't have any sewing projects handy to keep my attention from wandering off. For those of you who don't have those limitations, and who have any interest in Naruto fanworks, why not give it a try? :-)

Profile

edenfalling: stylized black-and-white line art of a sunset over water (Default)
Elizabeth Culmer

July 2025

S M T W T F S
  1 2345
6789 101112
1314 1516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Tags

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags