The Wordsmith's Forge

This is the freebie for the May 2013 Muse Fusion over on Torn World. It was inspired by a prompt from LiveJournal user Wyld_dandelyon, along with her art and description of a new sea creature which is currently in development. This also fills the #5 Drift slot in the rainbowfic Moonlight list.

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This story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," and "Birthday Girl."

Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Nick Fury.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Mind control. Inferences of past child abuse and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: A mission in Russia introduces the Avengers to the Winter Soldier. Steve wants Bucky back and will stop at nothing to make that happen. Everyone else helps however they can.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. BAMF!Avengers. Vulgar language. Drama. Rescue. Hurt/Comfort. Emotional whump. Survivor guilt. Friendship. Confusion. Mind control. Memory loss. Slow recovery. Nick Fury makes stupid-ass decisions. Fear of loss. Fluff. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Tony Stark has a heart. Games. Trust issues. Safety and security. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Obadiah Stane's A+ parenting. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Sleep issues. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Personal growth. Family of choice. ALL THE FEELS. #coulsonlives.

Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

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This story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," "Coming Around," and "Birthday Girl."

Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS, Bucky Barnes, Nick Fury.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Mind control. Inferences of past child abuse and other torture. Current environment is supportive.
Summary: A mission in Russia introduces the Avengers to the Winter Soldier. Steve wants Bucky back and will stop at nothing to make that happen. Everyone else helps however they can.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Sibling relationships. Fix-it. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. BAMF!Avengers. Vulgar language. Drama. Rescue. Hurt/Comfort. Emotional whump. Survivor guilt. Friendship. Confusion. Mind control. Memory loss. Nick Fury makes stupid-ass decisions. Fear of loss. Fluff. Nonsexual ageplay. Making up for lost time. Tony Stark has a heart. Games. Trust issues. Safety and security. Howard Stark's A+ parenting. Obadiah Stane's A+ parenting. Food issues. Multiplicity/Plurality. Sleep issues. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Yoga. Personal growth. Family of choice. ALL THE FEELS. #coulsonlives.

Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.  Skip to Part 7, Part 8.

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May is for finishing open storylines. Update: 7th May talks about goals and a Donor House storyline. Update: 9th May discusses challenges with constructed languages.

Fiction:
The World Walkers: AU Taithmarin: Anna: Stepping Onto Another World (part 3) explores finding a place to stay.
The Fae World: Kalinia: Aeron: The Creation of the Dragons (part 3) suggests a perilous way to get around an oath.
The World Walkers: Athare: Electra: Meeting a Rabbit (part 4) discusses different types of sculptors.
The World Walkers: Quiar: Kaito: The Night of Guises prepares for a holiday.
Pagan: Anna: One Year On explores what may have happened to Charlotte and Anna, and how Anna is adjusting to her situation.
Pagan: Anna: Weather is about Anna's strange feelings on the weather.
The World Walkers: Unknown World: Adara: Raining Mushrooms is a delightfully weird story about a rain of mushrooms.

The World Walkers: Quiar: The Case of the Counterfeit Enchantments (part 8, 22nd continuation) delves into Meriwether's past lives and other worlds.
The World Walkers: Quiar: The Case of the Counterfeit Enchantments (part 8, 23rd continuation) shows the impact of the counterfeiters.

Other Fiction:
Crossover: World Walkers/Deities World: Persephone: Watching Mab with Hecate (part 2)
AU Magi: Marnie: Becoming a Part of the Carne (part 2)
AU Thear: Evelyn: A Planet Outside the Window (part 3)
The Fae World: Earth: Willow: Looking Back
The World Walkers: Unknown World/Aerith: Guinevere: Walking Into A Trap (part 2)

 ... now has a trailer.  It's a pretty cool trailer.  That bit at the end -- "Don't touch Lola." -- is anyone else reminded of Scarlett in Schrodinger's Heroes?  That could make a freaky crossover.

Based on some audience requests and the evolving story arc of Love Is For Children, I decided to bring the Winter Soldier into play. I accidentally wrote a book. This isn't even the first time that's happened to me. I keep hoping that I'll eventually manage to write a novel on purpose; this is the longest piece of fiction I've written so far, although I have published a nonfiction book and a couple of poetry collections on purpose. That's progress of a sort. I'm far better at starting things than I am at finishing them, thus any finished story is an accomplishment and a long one all the more so. I want to discuss this story in more detail, so there are mild spoilers below the cut.

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If you've read "Why I Write Fanfic," you have an idea of some things I aim to accomplish with this activity. This is where you come in. When people started asking me for more of favorite storylines in fanfic, I had to stop and think about it. It's not the same as my crowdfunded stuff, where audience prompts and donations significantly influence which series get developed more. I had to consider what if anything fanfic and its readers could do for me, before doing more than random tidbits. As useful as money is, it's not the only consideration. There are lots of ways to support a favorite author, including some non-cash methods. So here are some thoughts particularly tuned to supporting fanfic ...

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Here's a brilliant essay about the role of outer space, or the lack thereof, in space opera.  The same applies to other branches of science fiction.  The use of Middle Earth as a counter-example from fantasy is also exceptionally apt.

What makes this challenging is that it's very difficult to convey travel itself as interesting.  The tendency is to cut to the chase, showing only the most exciting action scenes.  But you really do lose a lot that way.  So you have to find ways of revealing why and how the journey is as important as the destination, the ways in which the setting drives the plot.

Take a look at my poetic series An Army of One: The Autistic Secession in Space.  Because the setting falls between two galactic arms, you know they have relatively fast space travel.  However, it's not like teleporting; it's more akin to international relations during the Age of Sail.  It takes time to cross from the Carina-Sagittarius Arm to the Orion-Cygnus Arm; that's why the Lacuna is important and turns into a no-man's-land.  It's out of easy reach, outside the core population centers.  After the secession, the setting continues to play a major role.  The secessionists don't have a planet to live on; they're scattered across little bases and ships.  They don't have the kind of resources that most people take for granted, like having a place to grow food or dip water out of a lake.  They only have what they can bring in or recycle.  They can travel to each other but that, too, takes some time.  Space is not just a backdrop; it influences the political dynamics and other challenges the characters have to solve in order to survive.

For a fantasy comparison, look at Path of the Paladins.  Most of the action takes place in villages or towns, but there are several battlefields in the middle of nowhere, and a handful of encounters along roads or trails.  Threaded throughout are indications of how empty and damaged the world has become due to all the fighting.  This series has a slow, one step at a time approach because it focuses on the practical effects of all the heroic action that fantasy often ignores.

This story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," and "Coming Around."

Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse. Current environment is safe.
Summary: Doombots crash a beautiful spring day in the park. The Avengers clean up the mess. This includes Natasha's rather confused longing for something she never had: a birthday party.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. Friendship. Confusion. Hulk is a genius too. Fluff. Making up for lost time. Birthday. Cultural traditions. Games. Gifts. Cake. The cake is never a lie! Tickling. Trust issues. Safety and security. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Personal growth. Family of choice.

Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17.

Here ends "Birthday Girl." If you've been reading this story, it's helpful to leave a comment on the last episode so I have an idea how many readers it has attracted. I'm also interested in feedback on how well this balances the more serious stories in the series. Thank you all for reading, and especially for the feedback you've given on earlier episodes.

Anonymous commenters: You don't have to specify exactly who you are, but it helps to have a first name or a username from some other service, so I have some idea of who's saying which and how many different "Anonymous" folks there are. You can just type some kind of identifier at the end of your comment.

The sequel is "No Winter Lasts Forever."

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This story is a sequel to "Love Is for Children," "Eggshells," "Dolls and Guys," "Turnabout Is Fair Play," and "Touching Moments," "Splash," and "Coming Around."

Fandom: The Avengers
Characters: Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Hulk, Steve Rogers, Betty Ross, JARVIS.
Medium: Fiction
Warnings: Inferences of past child abuse. Current environment is safe.
Summary: Doombots crash a beautiful spring day in the park. The Avengers clean up the mess. This includes Natasha's rather confused longing for something she never had: a birthday party.
Notes: Asexual character (Clint). Aromantic character (Natasha). Asexual relationship. Teamwork. Canon-typical violence. Friendship. Confusion. Hulk is a genius too. Fluff. Making up for lost time. Birthday. Cultural traditions. Games. Gifts. Cake. The cake is never a lie! Tickling. Trust issues. Safety and security. Non-sexual touching and intimacy. Personal growth. Family of choice.

Begin with Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15.  Skip to Part 18.

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