There's a Mirror On the Wall

Today's research fun was the architecture of English cathedrals in the 15th century. Or just, you know, anything pre-Reformation. Which resulted in eight tabs, and about a dozen different wikipedia articles to start from (because I just need to know where things are, I don't need to cite exact sources and show my work in this case). I might poke at it more later, but I have what I needed for the scene, even if it was frustrating to find the information I needed.

So, have gotten the funeral procession in the AU of an AU to St. Paul's (Old St. Paul's, not the current building), and next I get them to Westminster, and bury Robert next to his infant brother in the cathedral there.

I have it in my head that in the original AU, Henry, Blanche, and their two sons who died young - Thomas (less than a year) and James (five) - are buried in a chapel together. The other six are buried in various other places - Robert with Catherine in Westminster, Margaret with Owen and her second husband (currently undecided as to location, needs research), Edward with his wife in Lancaster, Joan with her husband wherever her husband is and whoever I chose for her, Richard with his wife somewhere to be determined, and Elizabeth in the convent she was abbess of.

So of course in the AU of the AU, Robert joins Thomas in that chapel in which Henry and Blanche will later be buried. And, if I keep the later siblings and their living and dying, also James in 1422.

I'm also contemplating not having Henry die in 1422 in this particular variation of the AU, in part because Margaret's already going to have trouble from some people because of her gender, and being only 14 in 1422 would make it even harder for her. Although a 14 year old Queen Margaret would be interesting. Because she would take no shit. However, a queen in the middle of puberty... no, I'm really not sure I want to go there.

Anyway. Onward to burying Robert and the aftermath in which Henry makes Margaret Prince of Wales (Princess of Wales, I suppose, but I'm very tempted for the conversation to result in Margaret, despite being female, being still named Prince of Wales, because she is unequivocally her father's heir, and her new title reflects that). And Bedford hopes that his niece survives this, Thomas Beaufort (Exeter) does his best to make sure she will be as good a warrior as any man who might face her on a battlefield, and Margaret throws herself into the challenge of being the heir to a country that isn't sure a woman is capable of ruling with all the enthusiasm and determination she has.

*is watching Thor 2 to scribble notes for an AU*

*skips parts because Jane is not going to mope about*

*gets to the part where Frigga is killed*

*quits out of the video watching program before going to get the fudge because throwing things is not so good and the bouncy balls are all out of reach anyway*

Gonna find a way to meddle with the damned plot so Frigga doesn’t get killed just to give Thor and Odin angst. Because the only in-universe reason to kill her would be to piss off people or make a martyr, because what the fuck else is it going to do?

Also, considering the AU I’m working on, Jane is going to have Words with people over her intern never having been returned to her, after having made off with her research, and where the hell is her intern, she wants her back. Which may result in fucking with a piece I’ve already written and posted, but I’m pretty sure I can work out the potential plot hole.

I think, at heart, most of my fic is self-indulgence. I want characters to live, I want to explore what might happen if I change one (or more) things in canon, I want to see relationships happen, I want to explore a (possibly repetitive) theme. I write because there is a story that wants to get out, and if I manage to actually finish the damn thing, so much the better (long-fic has become my bane, because I don't usually plot things out so much as set a scenario and let the muses have at... and when I do plot things out, my muses say "to hell with that, let's go this way instead").

On the other hand, I tend to have this thing where certain stories never get written down because they're... well, they're bedtime stories, or they involve tropes I don't usually use (or actively avoid, in some cases), or everyone and their sibling has written a variation on it, and I get skittish about it. When I do write them down, half the time they never see the light of the internet.

There is one of those I've been working on periodically that's Star Wars fic, and some day it will get posted to AO3 all in one piece, but mostly it's been posted as I get segments finished here and on tumblr. (Which reminds me, I need to go do something with tumblr and following someone, be back in a sec.)

Anyway.

I have another bit of fic that's not something that would typically get off my hard drive, and I think I shall be posting that here and on tumblr, because otherwise I never will. It is an AU of an AU of an AU.

Gaearon Rhûnen is an AU of Tolkien - mostly Lord of the Rings, but the rest has crept in around the edges. It goes AU sometime in the Second Age.

Flame of Durin is an AU of Gaearon Rhûnen - it is mostly Hobbit, however, with Lord of the Rings and other stuff creeping in around the edges. It splits from Gaearon Rhûnen in the Third Age, around a century before the events of The Hobbit.

No Shield For My Soul is an AU of Flame of Durin, and exists mainly so that I can prod at Miss Creepy (Cúnessa) and let her be her gloriously evil self without a redemption arc. It splits from Flame of Durin within a month of BoFA.

Yes, I have three AUs that all very explicitly share the same backstory and character list. Actually, all my AUs technically share the same cast of OCs, just their stories change and their level of importance to main story lines changes. This is not just with Tolkien stuff, but also my Star Wars AUs and other fandoms as well.

Anyway.

But so, those fics that get labeled self-indulgence in my head - the Star Wars one involves universe hopping, the Tolkien one involves letting one of my villains be evil and spell it out on screen, as it were. And not letting the good guys win. And details would be spoilers, which. Yeah. Anyway.

Rambling post is rambling and rather a lot like me talking someone's ear off, so. I am going to leave this where it is, and whatever.

Anyone want to read Fíli being the one kidnapped and at the mercy of someone whose definition of such is skewed rather more painful than most? (Instead of Kíli, who seems to be the Durin most likely to get kidnapped in stories that I don't skip for other reasons.)

...because having a map that I can actually use without making myself nuts is a good thing. And I think I’m going to sit down and figure out distances between planets I actually use in the stories so I have travel times that I can then ignore or use as I see fit.

The other notes… I have a sixth AU to poke at now? Dunno if it’ll get past notes and concept writing, but still. AU number six for Star Wars. Whee! (I have that many AUs in some other fandoms, but usually they don’t evolve quite this close together when they get past three or so.)

So, anyway. Post-RotS, Vader finding out about Leia, and kidnapping her, and then there will be Qui-Gon Force-ghost poking until Vader convinces him that really, he’s probably the only one he’d trust with his daughter (he might have once trusted Obi-Wan, but not now). And so there will be Leia raised by a Force-ghost!Qui-Gon, with irregular visits from Vader, and no Sidious finding out until Vader is sure Leia is strong enough to help him kill Sidious and rule the galaxy with him.

I have no idea what that is going to mean for Luke when things get to the point of ANH and the rest of the OT. Other than potentially very entertaining.

Gyfu (490 words) by Morgyn Leri
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Elboron & Original Male Character
Characters: Elboron, Original Male Character
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe
Series: Part 141 of Fireside Tales, Part 48 of Flame of Durin, Part 17 of Gaearon Rhunen
Summary:

It's almost hard to believe they had been smaller than that until Nedrui sets a tiny kitten, the size of some of the granary cats that keep the mice away, into his hands.

Murkhînh (998 words) by Morgyn Leri
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Éowyn & Théodred, Théodwyn & Théoden
Characters: Éowyn, Théodwyn, Gandalf, Aragorn, Kíli, Tauriel
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes
Series: Part 36 of Agnu Ra Nutû
Summary:

Éowyn will not let her cousin be killed, no matter what taunts are thrown at her, nor how strange the orcs behave.

Théodwyn will not let Rohan fall, even if all her kin fall around her.

Chains of Light and Ice (450 words) by Morgyn Leri
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Captain America (Movies), Norse Mythology
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
Characters: James "Bucky" Barnes, Steve Rogers
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Crossover
Series: Part 142 of Fireside Tales, Part 2 of Ofinn Börn
Summary:

After he falls, he finds himself once again in the hands of monsters, finds himself trapped and twisted, and pressed under steel sword and chains of light and ice. Made into a weapon, a monster that he does not want to be, and he fights, oh how he fights to rip himself free of those chains.

Caravan (7402 words) by Morgyn Leri
Chapters: 2/2
Fandom: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Kili & Bofur, Original Female Character & Original Male Character, Original Female Character & Original Female Character
Characters: Kíli, Bofur, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Bearded Dwarf Women
Series: Part 4 of Flame of Durin
Summary:

Gefion wants to be anywhere but the Iron Hills, in the smothering care of a family that wants only to mold her to their ideal of a perfect daughter. Kíli would like nothing more than for the people trying to convince him to marry to leave him alone. Their meeting as Gefion delivers a commission to Erebor for a friend is only the beginning.

Counter-Curse (472 words) by Morgyn Leri
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Stargate Atlantis
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Millicent Bulstrode & John Sheppard
Characters: Millicent Bulstrode, John Sheppard
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Crossover
Series: Part 143 of Fireside Tales, Part 2 of City of Magic
Summary:

Sheppard is watching her with an expression that suggests he's trying not to be furious, even though he is. Because he doesn't know all the facts, and hasn't been able to get answers.

Sword Made of Shadows (457 words) by Morgyn Leri
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Norse Mythology
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Hel & Jörmungandr, Hel & Fenrir, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers & Abraham Erskine
Characters: Hel, Jormungandr, Steve Rogers, Abraham Erskine, James "Bucky" Barnes, Fenrir, Maria Hill
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe
Series: Part 144 of Fireside Tales, Part 3 of Ofinn Börn
Summary:

She is woven to be the weapon to destroy his enemies when he is denied her brothers. Then banished as surely as they from his side by fearful gods.

In the interests of trying to remember to post more regularly, I will attempt to post a writing update once a week. *crosses fingers* Let's see how well I remember. This is also an experiment to see if posting about the stories keeps me on track to finish them.

I have, as usual, probably far too many projects going at once, but I'd get bored if I didn't. Currently the connected AUs Flame of Durin and Gaearon Rhûnen are still my biggest focus, with a half-dozen stories between them in progress. Granted, not with an even spread, but that's ok.

( List of stories and progress on them )

This week's goals? Get more words on Kings and Princes and on Caravan, get the scene edited on Burning Bright, and get another 1k on the chapter for Zâbad. Not terribly ambitious a goal for the week, though there are other things that need done as well that have nothing to do with writing.

My muses went on a two-week party and didn't invite me. They came home dragging plot bunnies, and begged me to keep them.

I have new world-building to do in one of my AUs, the potential for more growth in one of my original worlds, and a renewed enthusiasm for the editing of a couple of stories that need to be finished.

(And I get to do this alongside other work that needs done, but it'll get there.)

I also have a Sci-Fi Big Bang story to make sure is polished and hope actually gets picked for artwork (it hasn't yet - anyone reading my journal interested in doing art or beta'ing a Stargate SG1/Criminal Minds crossover that's centered around Sam, Baal, and Rossi?).

Just got back from seeing Iron Man III, and it was awesome! I squeaked, I bit my fingers to keep from squealing loud enough to annoy my fellow theater patrons, I kept shifting on my seat, and I grinned a whole lot. Much more than that and I will probably start into spoilers.

And I started thinking about how I'd fit in new canon with the series I'm working on, and if I could, and went thinking about the time-frame between Avengers and Iron Man III in-universe, and where I know I'm at in the over-all plot and when they're at, and I think I only really have to change the current scene to not have to completely ignore this new canon in that AU. Which is awesome, and I am bouncing about that.

So, I have new canon settling into my head, I can probably hunt down my muses inside a couple of days, and hopefully I'll have the next story for Archer, Battle-Mage, Trickster, and Warrior (I keep thinking I need a better name for it, but so far, I have nothing) done and posted before the weekend is out.

Haven't done one of these in a while. Probably because what writing has been happening for much of the last year hasn't really been up to my personal standards of quality or quantity. Life... had issues for a while that made that difficult, but at least some of the issues have been dealt with. Some of them are a bit more permanent and require mitigation rather than resolution. *shrugs*

So, finally got to watching both Thor and Avengers. And am delighted with a new muse (Loki), have woken up some that have been avoiding me (Tony Stark) or ignoring me (Ivan Vanko). And stirred up some of the others, as well. I suspect I may eventually have a Clint Barton muse as well, but it might take some coaxing and another watching of Avengers.

But that has a new story going for One Night In Moscow, and a couple other stories (one of which probably will make it off my hard drive, one of which probably won't), and at least has my mind going again. On the other hand, as it's a new fandom for me, I'd appreciate a beta, if anyone's willing.

In the meanwhile, I hope the muses stay active, and I'm suspecting I'm going to end up with more than just words out of them. I have some ideas for some art work, if I can find all the images I need for it.

Still have not remembered to do some editing on short stories that I need to get done. However, have gotten nearly 2k done on Admit Me, Chorus to This History today, and have advanced it most of another year's worth of time. Still have a few more events to cover before it's done, but I don't think that will take too much more. I've still up to 5k to bring it up to a chapter-length, but I'm not likely to take that many words to cover the rest, as it's now to February 1421 (which means just over two years to the end point in time, and only... *counts on her fingers* five deaths and two coronations to go).

I'm going to try to work on it again when I get home, and tomorrow morning. Once I wrap up the current segment, the rest I'll use the Chorus POV to finish up, and wrap up all the deaths and the coronations with that. And then I'll send the last chapter in one file to my beta, and the entire story in its file, and once it's back from her, post the last of it, make all chapters and the chapter index accessible to all, and announce it. And probably post it in whatever coms I can find to do so.

And then I start seeing how fast Love Is a Muse All Compact of Fire (Margaret's story) and No King of England If Not King of France (Robert's story) will write. And prod at the other alternate history, which I need to get more than scraps of story out of muses for. *puts fists on hips, and glares at Henry* At least he won't have this as an excuse not to play nice with the other one.

In a tangent, having acquired Branagh's Henry V on DVD so I might watch it properly filling my screen... I think I can identify all six of the men on one side of the chamber in that first scene with Henry, and four on the other side...

From the throne to furthest away:

Henry's right: Exeter, Westmoreland, Erpingham, York, Cambridge, Gray
Henry's left: Ely, Gloucester, Bedford, Scroop, and two unidentified men*

*one of whom should be Clarence... probably the one on the end, since he's the blond of the two I can't identify, save for the fact he wears no arms to identify him by in the scene with the traitors - though, he's not in the Agincourt scenes, which supports the idea he's possibly Clarence, rather than Talbot, who is the other possibility. The darker-haired of the two I can't be sure of may be Warwick, considering his apparent age, and that I think I spotted him in the Agincourt scenes.

Though, I do wonder why Scroop is dressed in similar fashion to Gloucester and Bedford, and if the blond on the end is Clarence, why he's dressed less well. *sighs, and mutters irritably*