Round 2 is closed.

[scribe_protra]

The meme is being moved over to here http://dresden-kink.dreamwidth.org/

This round is now closed.

Comments

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

...that would be why I decided I wanted this crossover. <_< Sigh indeed.

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[luciazephyr]

Thank you for taking the time to explain to me. :laughs: I'm gonna go reread the fill now. I think I'll really like it now. ♥

Re: long lost brother/sister, mini-fill

[qem_chibati]

Oh wow. ♥ That's beautiful and intriguing and now I really want to see Charity meet Thomas. XD

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

Greens are the commonest dragons, infertile females, and also always impress male riders

Well, almost always. Canon includes a girl Impressing a green dragon. Actually, there's useful canon precedent for fanfic writers who want any non-traditional dragonrider - in both Mirrim's case and Jaxom's, a dragon hatchling picked someone considered unsuitable, and people threw fits but basically had to deal with it. After all, once Impression (soulbonding, for non-Pern fans) has taken place, nothing breaks it but death.

This is an awesome fill, authornon, and I am eagerly awaiting more! :D

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

Well, like I said, for most of Pern's history that was the case. I know that after All the Weyrs it pretty much turned into anything goes, and subverting it is half the fun. And there were also female green riders in the really early days, and I know most of the RPGs are less strict. But to understand what's so fundamentally screwy about how gender works in canon, it is important to understand that anyone but queens having female riders is really, really exceptional, for anything but about one generation at either end of Pern's history.

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

also as so far as the greens being infertile- I'm pretty sure some of the earlier books (chronologically speaking) hint at the fact that the greens are only infertile b/c of chewing the firestone to burn Thread and that this was used as a precautionary measure b/c in nature firelizard greens rise (to mate) far more often than golds.

...as you can probably guess I read a lot of McCaffrey when I was younger :#

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[grenegome]

It has been a loooong time since I read any Pern, but this is making me want to dip back into them again. I <3 this verse's version of Marcone and Eb, and I'm eager to see H'ry!

Re: Manners 1/1 (Reposted because of HTMLfail)

[grenegome]

Ngh. Kincaid is so goddamn smug here. Awesome!

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

This whole discussion is making me want a fic about Murphy being a candidate for a queen egg who Impresses a bronze instead. Everyone goes "omg a girl with a fighting dragon, no!" but she pwns them all at Thread fighting. And becomes Weyrleader eventually, because a setup like that is begging for some mating flight f/f. (Murphy/Luccio?)

And you just know that Lord Holder Marcone has a queen fire lizard. And he conveniently invites H'ry to visit and discuss business when she's due to rise. It's just a coincidence that it's always one of H'ry's fire lizards who flies her, really! (H'ry has several fire lizards, who he feeds some Pernese pizza-like food. The bronze who leads them is Toot-toot.)

Re: OP

[(Anonymous)]

Authornon-

Thomas is planning on having words with Harry about his life later. Once the hangover clears up. :)

*snort* No one even considered asking Hendricks. They knew better!

Thank you!

Re: Fill: Wake With A "Kiss"

[(Anonymous)]

*is pleased* Thank you!

Pern crossover: Queens High (2/3-ish)

[(Anonymous)]

I hit the DW comment limit O.o

***

H'ry and Boboth were dawdling. They were standing together near the top of one of the peaks across the valley from the Hold, while H'ry finished off a bottle of lukewarm klah in preparation for going between. They were meant to be with one of Luccio's drill squadrons, but H'ry was feeling slightly guilty about abandoning Ivy on today of all days: she was a great kid who didn't deserve half the crap she'd had to deal with, this least of all. On the other hand, with too many of the bronze riders still remembering what had happened to Wingleader D'morne the first (and last) time H'ry and Boboth had fought Thread in his wing, it wasn't worth it to argue that they were one of the steady and trustworthy pairs. Even if Boboth was several times more likely to set Merlinth's bastard tail on fire than do anything that might hurt Ivy or Archith. Well-- there was actually a fairly good chance that Boboth would finally give in to temptation and set Merlinth's tail on fire.

They were just about to set off again when Lord Marcone's gold fire lizard, Gard, appeared, and then landed on H'ry's gloved wrist.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her, amused. She was a bright enough gold that Archith's flight would almost certainly set her off, too, which made it odd that she was anywhere other her home. "Shouldn't you be cuddling up to Nietzsche or discombobulating Marcone's enemies?"

The fire lizard stared at him, and rustled her wings restlessly.

She wants you to come back to the Hold with her, Bob translated for him, amused. I guess Marcone finally got tired of making do with that Helen woman when she flies.

"Bob," H'ry said, "Even if there was any chance of that happening - and you know very well that there isn't - there is no way we could take the risk while a queen dragon is flying."

I know, Harry, shards, lighten up. She really does want you to go back to the Hold, though. I think there's some kind of trouble there.

H'ry looked down at Gard, and then glanced over the valley where Marcone's prosperous Hold nestled. "Will you be far enough away to keep out of it if we're still there when Archith flies?"

Bob whirled his eyes expressively. What, you think I'm still a youngling? As long as you can control your lust while you're there I think I'll be fine.

"All right," H'ry said, and took a breath. "Tell your Lord Holder that we'll be there, but it had better be important."

Gard blinked at him, and then went between without even bothering to lift off from H'ry's arm.

"I guess it was important," H'ry said, startled, and swung himself back onto Boboth.

It took them less than five minutes to cover the air to Marcone's main hold, and Bob was circling to land in the main forecourt when they both realized that there were already dragons there: a bronze so large he couldn't have possibly been anyone but N'codemus's Andurieth, and a golden queen, nearly the same size, who H'ry recognized as Lascieth, one of Denari Weyr's junior queens. Lascieth's Sheila was far from H'ry's least favorite of Denari's weyrwomen, but she also wasn't well-known for having the best control over her queen. And from the color of Lascieth's gold, there was approximately zero chance that she wouldn't rise in response to Archith.

"Shit," H'ry said feelingly, and Boboth echoed him, and added Someone needs to do something about Denari Weyr.

"I know that and you know that," H'ry muttered. "But it doesn't help us much now. Listen, land in the forecourt and do what you can with those two. I'll send a message to Eb, get him to do what he can on the Weyr end, and then I'll go in and find out what the threadfall N'codemus thinks he's doing."

As soon as he'd dismounted again Harry pulled a scrap of parchment, a stick of charcoal, and a hunk of cheese out of his belt pouch, and called out Toot-toot! in his loudest telepathic voice. The blue fire lizard didn't appear until Harry had turned the corner out of sight of the dragons in the courtyard, but that was fine, since he'd only just finished scribbling the note to Eb.

Toot-toot took the cheese eagerly, and slightly less eagerly let H'ry tie the message onto his leg. "Take that message to Eb at Council Weyr," H'ry told him firmly. "You know Eb, right? Blackstath's Eb? You like him, he fed you a whole fish once. Take it directly to Eb. Take it directly there, and don't stop anywhere else on the way."

A lot of people found fire lizards - especially feral fire lizards who had never Impressed - to be too flighty for message-carrying, but H'ry had found that as long as you were firm, and repeated everything at least three times, and were consistent with your bribery, they were reliable enough. Toot acknowledged his instructions, lifted off, and was between before he was twenty feet above the hold.

That taken care of, H'ry marched into the hold, sweeping past various of Marcone's people until he got to the door of the small audience room where Marcone would almost certainly be entertaining a visiting Weyrleader. The presence outside its door of Hendricks - the Lord Holder's steward-slash-bodyguard - and his bronze fire lizard, Nietzsche - was confirmation enough. Hendricks acknowledged him with a curt nod and a "Good, you're here," before opening the door, which was far enough off his usual response to H'ry that it almost rattled him more than the fire lizard had.

He walked in to find Marcone, N'codemus, and Sheila sipping red wine about a small table, and rather than let the Denarians get the upper hand, H'ry started with, "So explain to me, Weyrleader, why you thought is was a good idea to bring Lascieth here when one of the Council queens is rising."

N'codemus raised his eyebrows delicately. "Is one of your queens rising, Bronze Rider H'ry? But I have heard nothing about that. Surely L'try would have informed our Weyr if that was the case - it would be a dreadful insult for your Weyr to fly a junior queen and not offer to let some of our bronzes have a taste."

And the worst part of it was, N'codemus was techincally right. Usually, with a junior queen's mating, lower-ranked bronzes from all over Pern would be invited to join the flight, to help spread the bloodlines around and build connections between the Weyrs. L'try and Mai had agreed, however, that with Ivy too young to fully take part, it would be far better to keep it in the Weyr, and most of the other Weyrleaders would probably have agreed. The decision not to inform them at all had been largely based on the knowledge that Denari Weyr, and possibly certain others, would have insisted on sending bronzes anyway, just as a political move against L'try and Council.

"And, of course," N'codemus added smoothly, "there would be a safety issue, as well. After all, if we weren't aware a queen was rising, why, we might accidentally bring a rival queen in range! And no-one wants to risk that."

H'ry ground his teeth. It was obvious that N'codemus had found out, somehow, that Archith was rising, and that he knew exactly what he was doing by bringing Lascieth here. Some part of him was appalled that he would risk one of his own queens over something like this, but most of him was too busy trying desperately to come up with some way to salvage this.

"Lord H'ry," Marcone drawled, giving away nothing in his face or expression. Gard perched in the open window, glowing gold, her eyes bright agitated orange. "A pleasure to see you. And polite as always. Lord N'codemus and Lady Sheila were in the area, and they just dropped by to talk about the possibility of expanding Denari Weyr's wine orders from my Hold. Do come join us. What do you think of the new red from the south slopes, my Lord?" he asked N'codemus solicitously.

"Not bad," the Weyrleader replied. "A bit fruity for my taste, however."

"Hmm. Yes, I'd thought that myself. Perhaps you'd like to try some of last year's vintage - the late rains produced a much dryer grape. Hendricks!" he called.

"Oh, no, I couldn't--" N'codemus began, just as Hendricks came in and said, "Yes, m'lord?"

"Lord N'codemus here would like to try some of our early vintages from the south slope," Marcone said. "Why don't you take him down to the wine cellars?"

"It really isn't necessary for you to go to the trouble," N'codemus said.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Lord," Hendricks assured him, the bronze fire lizard around his neck staring alongside with disconcerting ferocity, and clashing horribly with his hair. "If you'll just come with me, I think you'll be very pleased to see what we have to offer."

N'codemus looked from Marcone, bland and polite and ever, to Hendricks, also bland and polite, but somehow completely failing to hide the fact that he was about two-fifty pounds of solid muscle and knew how to use it, and quickly came to the conclusion that he would either be going on the tour, or ending the polite visit. "Oh, very well," he said. "But we'll be quick, Lord Holder - there is still quite a bit I wish to discuss with you."

"Of course, Weyrleader," Marcone murmured, and didn't twitch a muscle until the pair were gone and the door shut behind them. He put his wine glass down and turned to H'ry, suddenly intense, but H'ry raised a finger to silence him as Bob reported back.

Blackstath says Damocleth is on his way to join us, and we've got Amoraccieth and Esperaccieth and their riders as backup, but that's all he can spare. They're going to try to steer Archith north if they can, so point Lascieth somewhere else. And also--shards, he said, his voice going wobbly for a second. Archith's rising right now. And Lascieth heard; she'll be off any second.

***

In the Weyr, Archith lept from her Weyrwoman's balcony and dove through the circle of bronzes onto a hapless herdbeast. Ivy collapsed back into Charity's arms while Molly reminded her "Tell her to blood it only! Blood it only! She musn't carry the extra weight!" as Archith killed and drained first one beast, then another, then a third, before bellowing her defiance at the males and leaping shining into the sky.

The young bronzes took off immediately after her, sprinting into her wake. In a normal mating flight, that would be bad strategy; more experienced dragons saved their energy for later in the flight, when the queen would be starting to tire. But in this case it meant that Merlinth and his group were hanging back, well behind the pack of young males, which made them easy targets for Blackstath to disrupt. Merlinth first? he asked his rider with bloodthirsty glee, and Eb grinned along. Mating flights were always a good excuse to get out some of the bronze-on-bronze aggression that couldn't be allowed to erupt any other time - as long as at least one of the riders kept back enough to keep things under control.

***

In the Hold, Sheila turned to H'ry and said "Is there really a gold rising at Council?"

"What, you didn't know?" H'ry asked.

"No, I didn't," Sheila said. "But I'm glad you think so little of me that I'd knowingly risk my dragon on one of Nic's inane power plays -- Lash! Blood it only! Blood it only!"

H'ry caught eyes with Marcone for a second and then back to Sheila. If Sheila was helping them rather than hindering, and if she could keep control of her beast, they had at least a slim chance of turning this from unmitigated disaster to slightly mitigated disaster. "Council flight is going to do their best to head Archith away from the Hold," he told her urgently. "If you can steer Lascieth down toward Raith territory, we might be able to keep them separated. Damocleth is on his way from the Weyr; keep her focused on him, Boboth, and Andurieth and we at least have a chance."

"Right," Sheila said, taking a deep breath and stepping back from the table. "Lash! South! Toward Raith! You heard me! You aren't interested in whatever's going on up at the weyr, it's beneath your notice. Look at those fine strong bronzes behind you - yes, I know you always though Boboth was interesting--"

"And, ah--" H'ry said. Bob was already winging his way after Lascieth, pulled by the irresistible call of a queen in heat, and he could feel his own blood, and certain other parts, rising in response. It would make it more likely for Lascieth to focus on Bob if her rider was occupied with his, but-- "If you don't mind, um--"

"H'ry," Sheila said through gritted teeth, "This is not the time to be a gentleman." And she grabbed him by the back of the neck, pulled him down, and kissed him, quite thoroughly. H'ry glanced apologetically at Marcone, still across the table, and he rolled his eyes and stepped behind them, one arm wrapping around Sheila's waist and the other all the way to H'ry's.

***

Outside the hold, Lascieth felt the echo of the Council queen's defiant scream and answered it with her own, then launched into the air just long enough to find the pen where a small herd of terrified beasts were corralled awaiting slaughter. She found a stocky, scarred bronze already there, and hissed at him as she killed and lapped the blood of three beasts of her own. Two more bronzes, the big one from her own weyr who always flew Imarieth, and the quicksilver slender one who had never taken her seriously, landed behind her while she ate. Imarieth's bronze she'd never liked, and she was going to enjoy leaving him in her dust, but those other two - they were possibilities. Once she had taken care of that other queen who was flying, the one who wanted to steal her bronzes - but who wasn't going to, because Lascieth was going to find her, and rip her guts out with her claws. No. Something was trying to tell her that she didn't need to worry about the other queen, but of course she did. She launched herself into the air with another scream, heading north as quickly as she could, only to find the stocky bronze before her and blocking her way. She hissed at him. He wasn't interesting. Where was the other one?

****

In the Hold, Hendricks dashed up the stairs from the lowest wine-cellar at his fastest trot, opening the door to the small audience room nearly out of breath, just in time to see the queen rider press his Lord Holder against a wall, with Lord H'ry draped over her back like a blanket. "Ah," he said.

Lord Marcone glanced over at him, and met his eyes without stopping what he was doing. "Is the Weyrleader taken care of?"

"I locked him in the low cellar as soon as he started getting distracted," Hendricks said.

"Good," Marcone said, voice cracking on the end of the word. His gold fire lizard glared imperiously at Hendricks' bronze, then shrieked and took off out the window. Nietschze launched himself from Hendricks' neck and took off after her at speed.

"And that taken care of," Hendricks said, "I am going to find someone else to keep me busy and help me forget this ever happened."

"Lock the door when you leave," Marcone replied, voice a bit strangled.

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

I may have already started be thinking about writing the first part of that as as sequel to Queens High. (Except if I did that it would be a brown: Fidelacchieth to go with the other two. Which means femmeslash mating flight possibilities sadly fairly low; however, there would be nothing to stop her and Luccio hooking up between times. :P) Don't let that stop you from doing your own version though!

...I think I may have posted the second part of this while you were writing your comment. Um.

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (2/3-ish)

[(Anonymous)]

NIETZSCHE IS HENDRICKS' FIRE LIZARD EEEEEE :attempts to eat own fists:

...Um. Yes. I'm really enjoying this.

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (2/3-ish)

[luciazephyr]

:chinhands: This is totally awesome now that I know what's going on. ♥ ♥ ♥

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (2/3-ish)

[(Anonymous)]

This is amazing!

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

I have no idea if you'll be able to follow it, but I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, anyway!

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

All of the apostrophes make my thirteen-year-old inner self very happy, no lie!

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

...if you do, I suggest you stop around the time the talking dolphins show up....

Thank you for the comment!

Re: Fill (2/?)

[(Anonymous)]

They had this debate every few weeks, in one form or another

I love how it takes you so few words to get across Hendricks' relationship with Marcone.

John put out his organization’s equivalent of an APB, and went about his life.

Of course he did. Because he's both a crazy stalker and intensely pragmatic. I am full of hearts.

“I appreciate it. You can’t get winter sunshine like that in California.”

Riiiiiight, Elaine. That's why you can't wrap sunshine in a handkerchief yourself. Because you are in California. /me hugs poor, fucked-up Elaine.

Harry was a big bastard, big hands, big dick. Big heart, if you knew the combination codes.

Descriptive, hot, and then heart-wrenching -- not least because John thinking this.

Re: roleplay

[chocolatmelberry]

Holy mother of god, so good. DP hit my kink so hard. Has she only written this series? I can't find anything on her LJ.

Re: Fill (2/?)

[chocolatmelberry]

asdfalmeak so good. I just finished reading the other parts of this and mother of god DP was the hottest thing i've read and there's been some hella kinky stuff in the other fandoms i'm in. I liked that we got to see John's POV since it seems kinda rare. anywho, have u written anything besides this series? and is there a place I can find them? I couldn't find anything on your DW page.

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (2/3-ish)

[grenegome]

NIETZCHE! I... think I may love you a little. Hendricks cracked me up so badly at the end there. Unflappable, but very much a quietMy eyes I do not need to be seeing this. And Marcone just joining in! \o/ And I liked that Harry was so very Harry about the whole thing, apologetic stammering and all.

...and locking Nicodemus in the cellar. AHAHAHA.

ethical dilemma!

[(Anonymous)]

I know this is an anon meme, but the writer has done other fic under a different name. I think they even un-anoned by accident, but I don't know how much of a faux pas it would be to reveal their identity.

Maybe they'll swoop in and un-anon themselves in this thread?

Re: Pern crossover: Queens High (1/2?)

[(Anonymous)]

Hee! Warped minds think alike. (I should have seen that coming, with the browns, after M'chael and S'nya were mentioned.) I would love to see you write it. I can't write worth a damn, unfortunately, just come up with crazy fic ideas. :)

I love the second part! I totally didn't see the threesome coming, but it delights me. Stammering gentleman H'ry and unflappable Marcone, heh. Cool that Sheila's on their side, too - why would she willingly risk her dragon, after all?

And Toot-toot as H'ry's fire lizard is just so obvious it had to happen, whatever color he is. Bribing him with cheese, lol.

*cheers you on*