Fanfic Challenge Winner!

April 1, 2009 at 7:52 pm (Announcement, Challenge, Songfic)

For this challenge — Wraeththu “song fic” — not only did we have a lot of entries (8!) but we had a lot of voters, nearly twice as many as for the last one.

But to end the suspense, the winner is..

“Along the Line”
by Thevina

Summary: Inside Cal’s head just before, during and after his murder of Orien.

Here are some of the comments that came in on this story from voters:

“ALL the entries were superb, but I chose this one because Cal is such a complex character and very difficult for a writer to get the right ‘feel’ of. This story is a very vivid and authentic-feeling representation of a particularly mystifying act. There are so many brilliant little touches in it.”

“Incredibly powerful, the song seamlessly slipped in to the fic. Being inside Cal’s head at such a point was scary, horrific but also moving and painfully sad.”

So congrats, Thevina!

I’d also like to note that there were 3 close runners-up, so there were a lot of good stories.

Here’s a list of all the additional challenge entries:

Look out for the NEXT challenge,
Wendy

P.S. “Ninzini” was actually me, Wendy/Wiebke, keeper of Forever. 🙂 Next time I’ll use my real name, I just felt like being “anonymous” this time.

2 Comments

Summertime

March 31, 2009 at 10:04 pm (Aruna, Bewitchments, Cal, Challenge, Enchantments, Fulfilments, Gelaming, Immanion, Lirineth, Pell, Short, Songfic, Tharmifex)

Challenge SubmissionSummertime
by Lirineth

Story Notes

Author mail: kewelin@yahoo.co.uk

Notes:  If you really want to enjoy “Summertime go to YouTube and search for the Ella Fitzgerald version.

Summertime

As he relaxed in his chair, he looked out the window enjoying the view of the gardens, such beauty, such perfection, that it almost took his breath away. Unable to stop himself, he stood up and opened the windows, letting the soft breeze come in, and taking a deep breath, he allow the different fragrances inebriate his senses. His body responded immediately with promises of passion and desire.

‘Summer time’ he thought to himself with a mixture of hope and yearning.

‘Summer time’ the two words took him back in time to a small house in the middle of nowhere, to the first day of the rest of his life.

‘Summer time’ this time the two words took him back, to a time and place where he was a prisoner for twenty summers.

‘Summer time’ he repeated once again, as he remembered the old song.

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Bring Me To Life

March 31, 2009 at 9:34 pm (Aruna, Challenge, Gingerspark (formerly Niennaainur), Major OC, Romance, Songfic)

Challenge SubmissionBring Me To Life
by Niennaainur

Story Notes

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Written at the last minute for the Wraeththu Challenge

Disclaimer: All the pretty Wraeththu, as well as the world they live in, were created by, and belong to, Storm Constantine, who (bless her!) is gracious enough to allow fans like me to take them out and play with them occasionally. No disrespect or copyright infringement is intended, and I promise to wash everyone off and put them away neatly when I’m done.

Warnings: This story comes with all my usual warnings as well as apologies to Evanesence (“Bring Me To Life”), Rogers and Hammerstein (“Sound of Music”), and Garth Brooks (dunno which song, but the quote is attributed to one of his songs) – quite the musical mash-up, eh? I hope it makes sense – once I got going, it became part of the challenge (at least for me) to work in as many of the actual lyrics and direct references to the lyrics as I could. Hope you enjoy reading this – I had fun writing it.

Beta read by: bigunen

Bring Me To Life

Halny stared down at his lap. His fists were clenched so hard he could see parts of them turning white and he could feel the bite of his fingernails as they pressed into his palms. Despite his best efforts, a tear rolled down his cheek and splashed silently onto his wrist.

“How do you feel you did in this last round of testing?” The Hienama asked again gently.

“I imagine I did fairly poorly since I’ve been sent to you rather than the Provost.” Halny ventured a look at the Hienama.

Melchior, head of the Nayati school and training center at Flat River, sat behind his ornate desk leaning back in his chair; his elbows rested on its arms, his fingertips pressed together. He sat watching Halny, a look of sympathetic concern on his face. Melchior gave a half-smile and nodded slightly.

“But I can do better, I swear! I’m trying so hard but I’ll do better. Please. I can do this. I will do this…. Please!” There was desperation in the plea.

Melchior sighed heavily “We know you are trying, Halny. Of all the hara who have passed through the doors of this Nayati I think that you have been one of the hardest working and most earnest of our students.”

“But it’s not enough, is it?”

“Halny you are brilliant. You know your subjects well. You are motivated and you participate, you are a lively and talented debater, you have unique and refreshing perspectives, and you excel in many areas …”

“Except the ones I need to become a hienama…”

“There are indeed certain basic skills a hienama requires that you find challenging to say the least. We must be honest, Halny; your life force seems to be unsuited to this existence. In addition to basic skills you have yet to master, you are not as well-ordered as is necessary; you have a certain irreverence, albeit a charming irreverence; you’re flighty and unpredictable; you are always tearing off on some madcap adventure… you’re a will-of-a-wisp, a clown…”

Melchior smiled suddenly, and closing his eyes he sung softly to himself, “How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?”

Halny looked puzzled “Hienama?”

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Return (Coming Home)

March 30, 2009 at 11:46 pm (Aruna, Bewitchments, Challenge, Enchantments, Fulfilments, Gelaming, Ghosts, Immanion, Ninzini, Shades, Songfic, Thiede, Velaxis, Wraiths)

Challenge SubmissionReturn (Coming Home)
By Ninzini

Story Notes

Short summary: A song-fic based around “Return (Coming Home)” by the Cruxshadows. Off their great album Wishfire.

Character: Thiede, Velaxis.

Spoilers: Everything up through Ghosts.

Song: You can sample a bit of “Return (Coming Home)” on the Cruxshadows “Downloads” page — use the little built-in player to scroll down to “Return” and double-click. I’ve always loved the triumphal quality of this song.

Author’s Notes:  This little fic is strongly inspired by “And The Flowers Bloom Like Madness in the Spring” & “After the Rains,” a pair of exquisite post-Ghosts fics by Camille Sinesis, focusing in on Thiede and Velaxis. That relationship, which made instant sense to me, is filled with so much poignancy and bittersweetness, to the point I wanted to touch on it a little myself.

Return (Coming Home)

Thiede gazed out across the rooftops of Immanion, out towards the harbor and deep into the distance, where the sun was quickly sinking beneath the horizon. The balcony terrace was tinted with orange-pink light. Thiede idly tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair as he waited. Waited for Velaxis to come home.

I’ve seen the terrible hand of struggle,
And felt the pain that hubris brings.
I have tasted the wisdom of divinity
And the horror of its sting.

Velaxis had spent the afternoon with the Hegemony, which was in session, and afterward, Thiede supposed, had kept himself busy working out details with individual Hegemons, striking deals and smoothing out problems as only he could. Thiede, meanwhile, had taken one of his periodical walks through the city, having lunch in an ordinary, simple restaurant and sitting on one of the city piers to watch the boats come and go. Then he’d enjoyed  long bath and a glass of wine on the terrace. There was nothing else that needed to be done.

And though they tell you I am lost,
And their words report my death is come,
The Fates have left me breathing still –
And very much alive.

Thiede decided to cast out his mind in search of Velaxis. No, he was not yet in this wing of the palace. A pity. Thiede had finished a bottle of wine and had nothing to do but wait. Such a waste of time, really, he thought to himself, although how he was wasting his time, he really couldn’t say. It was just a habit of mind, thinking that he had things to do. The days of running Immanion, plotting intrigue, puppeteering – charting the fate of the Wraeththu race –  were over. Now it was his turn to simply enjoy life and its simple pleasure. Thiede was still learning exactly what that meant.

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See Who I Am

March 29, 2009 at 1:16 pm (Bewitchments, Challenge, Deathangelgw, Enchantments, Fulfilments, Gelaming, Immanion, Pell, Rue, Shades, Short, Songfic, Wraiths)

Challenge SubmissionSee Who I Am
by Deathangelgw

Story Notes

Author email: deathangelgw@gmail.com

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. They all belong to Storm Constantine! No harm meant, only play!

Warnings: AU, sap, Caeru POV, some angst, some dark, some language, and the dreaded….songfic.

Characters/Pairings: Pell/Rue, hinted Cal/Pell/Rue etc

Spoilers: Books 1-5

Summary: Caeru struggles to recover. Can he allow Pell in and let his hope of being seen win?

Rating: PG-13

Beta: The ever patient MA!

A/N: Written for the Forever Monthly Fanfic Challenge. The song used is ‘See Who I Am’ by Within Temptation. Thanks for reading and feedback is appreciated!

‘thought’
/song lyrics/

See Who I Am

/ Is it true what they say
Are we too blind to find a way
Fear of the unknown
Cloud our hearts today/

I stare out the window and rest my head against the glass as I rest from having walked from my bed to the window seat. It’s a lovely day outside with that touch of summer. I can smell the scent of flowers and grass that wafts in with the warm breeze that’s blowing through the open window. Cuttingtide was a week ago, but the decorations are still up for those festivities. Of course I didn’t get to celebrate since I was in the healing ward after my attack….not that I really wanted to be there. For some reason, the thought of going to that particular ceremony turns my stomach and I realize that my hand is hovering over my scarred belly.

No, the death of one life to bring about another does not appeal to me at all.

I let my hand drop to my thigh and try to ignore how it’s trembling. I feel so weak ever since the attack. Weak and alone and it hurts so much. I can ignore the residual inner physical pain but not always. Sometimes, it’s a dull ache that is only a reminder of what should have been in there for a bit longer, growing. Other times, it’s a sharp pain, almost like I’m being ripped open again. The healers say that I shouldn’t be feeling this pain…that I’ve healed to the point where I can soon even attempt aruna.

I think they’re fucking crazy.

/ Come into my world
See through my eyes
Try to understand
Don’t wanna lose what we have/

Pell’s taken up avoiding me again ever since I was released. Guess I shouldn’t have expected any more. He had treated me like I was a plague after he’d gotten me with pearl…some thank you, huh? I give him what he wants and he drops me like a bad habit. Same with Cal. Though now I’ve heard the rumors that Cal has disappeared. So I guess….I can sorta understand Pell’s pain at the moment. He most likely feels abandoned…helpless…

I take it back. I know exactly how he feels.

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