A few NFE recs

[rthstewart]

It's going to take me a while to get through these stories.  There are 39 of them of amazing quality.

To begin,

Fit To Be Tied, written for me, crack cross over in which, courtesy of Anansi the spider trickster, Susan romps through various fictional places dealing with a spider with a sense of humor,

The Rule of Threes Raid, also written for me, Susan is inserted into North Africa to mislead the Nazis about the upcoming invasion of the "soft underbelly of Europe" (a crossover with Rat Patron, which you don’t need to know at all), canon Narnia and my own The Stone Gryphon series

The Case of the Descending Debutante, Lucy, Edmund and Eustace, still with Harold and Alberta, post DT, invade Greece on a humanitarian mission with guest appearance by paratrooper Susan, is hilarious, amazing fun,

Chain of pearls (anklets of light) a beautiful, visual story about Eustace and faith as he visits India, and comes to see how elephants in Hinduism allows him to better understand the Lion in his own life, . Aspects of the Narnian fandom can be horribly critical of non-Christian belief systems, asserting that non-Christians have no business enjoying the Chronicles except as a path to Christian evangelization -- ironic given the popularity of the stories worldwide. For its respectful portrayal of another belief system, this story is multi-cultural gem and Eustace is the perfect voice and vehicle for it.

Comments

[autumnia]

I'm slowly making my way through the reveals but that story written for you, "The Rule of Threes Raid" was perfect! Kudos to whoever wrote it (I'm still trying to figure it out) for the meticulous details between canon, your verse, another fandom and historical context. Truly fabulous!

[rthstewart]

I have 3 stories in the exchange, and all are very, very obvious. I wrote about 18K in 10 days. I've given up on anonymity. What one recipient wanted fit really well with some questions I got in comments and so just ran with it. The quality of the stories is incredibly high. And yes the Rule of Threes Raid is amazing. I LOVE LOVE LOVE how she has Asim meet Susan as Asim rather than as the Major. And the whole beauty of the Rat Patrol xover is amazing. It's an incredible story and I have a couple of ideas of who might have written it but frankly I'm amazed at someone who knew my verse that well and melded it with a war story and Rat Patrol and Narnia canon.

[autumnia]

Well, I haven't yet figured out which stories you wrote so your anonymity is still intact for now. One story I started to read (which I don't think is yours) I had to stop halfway through because parts of it was veering dangerously close to something I've been working on and I'll return to it once I finish my own project.

Oh yes, I do like that Asim bin Kalil met up with Susan Pevensie -- it's interesting to see that persona and the different relationship Asim has with all four Pevensies, instead of being the Major.

And this story I think complements "Rat and Sword Go to War" very nicely. :-)

[rthstewart]

And I meant that the quality of the stories in the exchange overall is incredibly high. Also, YOU ARE WRITING SOMETHING? Tell me more, tell me more.

[autumnia]

I've been writing off and on the last week or so, in between a freelance gig and other things. I've been thinking about a bit of worldbuilding and trying to figure out head canon for a minor character...

Here is the opening:

The day had just begun but the sun already shone hot and bright above the land barely an hour after dawn. Every whitewashed wall and tower and silver dome was painted in shades of gold for miles along both banks of the river. The water below and between the banks sparkled like diamonds or stars against a deep blue liquid fabric that rippled downstream and towards the mouth of the river. Many boats of various shapes and sizes bobbed up and down while the ropes that kept them tied to the piers swayed gently as the vessels rocked against the shifting currents.

Peridan raised his hand to his temple, shielding his eyes from the glare of the strong light as he scanned the opposite bank for any unusual movement. He wish he brought a spyglass but knew it would draw even more attention to him than he wanted; the appearance of a "Northern Barbarian" outside the city gates at such an hour already attracted a few curious glances—if not questions—from the sailors and slaves that were working nearby.

[rthstewart]

AAAHHHH More HHB story -- there is a lot of it this year!!! Which is lovely, and lots of AU and lots of Eustace and Jill.

Peridan, what are you doing skulking about??? And it's lovely that you are writing.

[transposable_element]

HHB is the new black.

[autumnia]

HHB is the new blue & black... or is it white & gold?

[transposable_element]

All the colors!!!!