Title: Into Something Rich and Strange
Author:
edenfalling / Elizabeth Culmer
Recipient:
snackyRating: G
Content/Warnings: Nothing major, but this might not be the best story to read if you are claustrophobic or particularly afraid of either drowning or the dark.
Summary: "The siren is a creature of reflections, born of lightning on the winter sea," the mer-woman said, her tail fins twitching in signs Susan had no skill to read. "Cold and light feed its power and no being born of the sea can gainsay its command, though we who are female can at the least resist its lure. You are a Daughter of Eve, born of dreams and flesh. Your power comes from the warmth of blood and the darkness of the beating heart; the siren has no strength against that magic. You must close your eyes and dream the enemy into the final dark."
Author's Notes: I tried to combine a story about Susan fixing things and an ocean story about the merpeople; hopefully I have succeeded. My heartfelt thanks to [redacted] for her awesome beta-reading, without which the story would be much shallower.
( Into Something Rich and Strange… )Original Prompt that we sent you:What I want: Any of these, take your pick or mix and match:
• stories about Caspian during his reign - fighting the giants, rebuilding Cair Paravel, settling in Narnia with Ramandu's Daughter, anything!
• stories about Susan during the Golden Age - what lead her to Calormene in HHB? She never rode to wars, so what was her role during them? Her role in the politics of Narnia maybe? A story where everything has gone wrong, and it must be fixed, and she is the one to do it.
• ocean travel stories - they don't have to be on the Dawn Treader! Maybe a story about the merpeople!
• Travel stories of all kinds - I love seeing characters (the Pevensies during their reign) exploring outside of Narnia, or maybe finding their way between worlds?
• For shipping, I love Caspian/Peter, and I like Peter/Susan, but if that's not your thing, no worries.
• I also love post-Narnia stories about Susan - what direction did her life take her after the events of the The Last Battle? But nothing tragic, I don't want her wishing she'd died.
• I like AUs of all kinds! And I like certain crossovers - LOTR or Game of Thrones; or if you're writing an England story, maybe a crossover with the books "The Montmaray Journals" or "Code Name Verity", if you're familiar with those fandoms. But please no crossovers with Doctor Who or Sherlock or Supernatural.
Prompt words/objects/quotes/whatever: Banter, laughter, fun, horses, found family, and deep connections.
Susan and Lucy were queens, and they ruled well and proudly
They honored their land and their lord, rang the bells long and loudly
-- Wicked Girls, Seanan McGuire
As someone long prepared for the occasion;
In full command of every plan you wrecked –
Do not choose a coward’s explanation
that hides behind the cause and the effect.
--Alexandra Leaving, Leonard Cohen
And I am waiting
For life to begin
And I am waiting
To set sail for happiness.
-- Lawrence Ferlinghetti