L.J. Writes

lunafana posted: By Fairer Stars - Lunatique (lunafana) - Black Panther (2018) [Archive of Our Own]

After the death of T'Chaka's brother N'Jobu, Zuri makes a request that changes the course of young Erik's life and perhaps the course of Wakandan history. This is a collection of short stories about Erik Stevens/N'Jadaka growing up in Wakanda.

This is from 2018 but I've been getting kudos on it lately, and I'm forever meaning to continue it!

Dear History Exchange writer,

Thank you for agreeing to write for me. Prompts for specific characters can be found in the description of my request. Here I wanted to put together requests and likes/dislikes that apply regardless of character or time period.

I am fine with just about any sexuality or pairing as long as it's consensual and not incestuous. I request that the story not feature in a positive way relationships with a heavy power imbalance between the parties (including age and family dynamics) to the point of coercion. I have no problem with tender moments arising in the context of an abusive relationship, but I'd be very uncomfortable if the story ultimately portrays such a relationship as healthy.

That said, I'm fine with large age gaps as long as it's clear that both parties have full agency. I also adore genfic, so if you don't feel the need for a pairing in your story there's no need to try and add any.

I'm no stickler for historical accuracy (and don't have the expertise to judge anyway), but would greatly appreciate it if there were at least a couple of evocative details that gave a sense of the period and setting.

Seeing how these are real people, though long dead, I would like to request a level of respect for their cultures and legacies. That means, for instance, no easy stereotypes like an Indian character being reduced to funny accents. Humor is great, obviously, including those that arise due to differences between language and cultures, but I'd like all characters to be human first.

I have a preference for stories with a clear arc, as in something changes at the end of a story in comparison to the beginning. It doesn't have to be a flashy "action" story--though I love those, too!--but I would like some character development no matter how introspective or action-packed the story. If that's not something that comes to you, though, there's no need to force it.

Thank you again for your participation, and I hope the process of creation is an enjoyable one for you!

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I've written a new update for Legends of the Dragon King, my retelling of ATLA as Zuko's story. This particular update is adapted from S1E03 "The Southern Air Temple," the one where Zuko duels Zhao. I've put in a few things that I fancy are clever, which probably means it's confusing to anyone who is not me. Basically a "read over and see if it makes any sense" job, though all comments are welcome. I promise it's not Zuko or Fire Nation apologia--and I'd like to know if it comes across that way--but Zuko is obviously an unreliable narrator at this point. The update clocks in at 4,041 words.

The other planned update is more specific to Legend's prequel Shadow of the Dragon King and will be posted to Stories from the Shadows, the OC-centric short story collection. I've written a post-Shadow dialogue between Azula and my OC Cheng as a follow-up to Azula's "slut" scene and the investigative and intrigue plots in Shadow. It's probably not unduly confusing, but I'd like to know if it has the desired emotional effect. It doubles as a sneaky sequel announcement (I believe I also discussed this project with attackfish, the one with disabled lead characters) so I've been holding off on posting, but between being asked about a sequel and restarting work on Legends I feel ready. The dialogue is 1,105 words long.

I'd been forgetting just how much fun fanfic is. Once I got started I wrote literally through the night, and the sheer joy of it was incredible after my long dry spell. I used my personal anxieties and Important Real World Responsibilities as an excuse to keep myself from just playing around, and I didn't even know how much I needed to. And then I followed this urge to get started and it was like ahhhh. It felt right.

Loopy's excellent essay on why ATLA-Ursa and Search-Ursa are two different people got me thinking about how little The Search has affected my headcanon, probably for the reasons Loopy discussed. The Search simply doesn't seem to be about the same Ursa.

My own Ursa headcanon is and will remain, until an even stronger contender comes along, Qwi-Xux's Guide Me Home which I have reviewed at length on this journal. The fic's Ursa feels like the same woman from the show, and her story fits neatly with canon events. The character has an inner life and character arc that I find compelling. The Hakoda romance, while handled well, is distinctly secondary to Ursa's own character development as far as I'm concerned.

So what's your Ursa headcanon? What fanwork or series of events describes your idea of her story, and why?

I am a complete ignoramus when it comes to music, but after getting to know vmuzic I can truthfully say I have at least one musician in my circle of friends. I mean, a few of my friends played instruments very well when we were younger, but so far as I know no one went on to play regularly or professionally, except maybe that one girl who went on to major in church music.

The point being, I started thinking more about music due to our acquaintance, and when I scan the newest Longform.org articles for reading material I find myself saving articles about music that I might have skipped before. Then today I read a really good music fic (not your run-of-the-mill songfic, I promise), so I thought I'd throw the whole lot into a linkspam post.

Pitch Battles

On the history of the standard pitch of A = 440 Hz and how an attempt to change it was associated with weird conspiracy and utopia theories. The idea of lowering the standard pitch itself seems to be based on sound ideas, though. I never knew the standard pitch harmed vocalists.

The Vulgarian in the Choir Loft

A self-professed dick talks about becoming a choirboy. Choice quotes:

Singing is nakedness. And it is a far more fathomless form of nakedness than that achieved by the removal of clothes.

"If a person plays a piano badly, you think there's something wrong with their piano playing. If a person sings badly, there's something wrong with them. There's not that divorce between what they are and what they're doing."

Also, the following is now in my quotes file for future reference:

Most people who claim they "can't write" don't suffer from a lack of talent; they suffer from a lack of license. . . . The truth is that when done right, the struggle to be a good writer—and a good singer—is a struggle not to be good but to be free.

Day of Destiny

This is a drabble I read today by loopy777loopy777 , written for an unusual music-centric prompt that set only the soundtrack (Rastrelli Cello Quartett Piazzolla - Oblivion) and the fandom (Avatar: The Last Airbender). The result is an Ursa story that--well, see for yourself. I think the story should be read with the designated soundtrack playing. The story feels almost incomplete alone because the text and music move together so well.