#Sibylline Books

[illustratus]

The Cumaean Sibyl by Elihu Vedder

[therealfrancisabernathy]

The world would be more peaceful if we still had the Sibylline Books, I think

[connectparanormal]

The Sibylline Books

Did these books exist? If so, were they mostly just political propaganda giving the leaders of the Roman Republic political cover for unpopular decisions?

From the essay:

Ancient Rome had a mythological (or perhaps real) prophecy collection known as the Sibylline Books. Over the course of its history, the mysterious collection of prophetic utterances known as the Sibylline Books had a significant impact on ancient Rome’s theological and political fabric. Shrouded in secret and revered by the Romans, these mystical books acted as oracular guides, influencing their decisions and providing glimpses into the future.

[lifewithaview]

Michael Landes and Ophelia Lovibond in Hooten & the Lady (2016) Rome

Ep2

Hooten asks Lady Alex to help him find the long lost Sibylline Books, a collection of mystical prophecies. In Rome, the museum curator quickly finds herself scaling the Sistine Chapel, battling a sewer alligator and facing the Mafia.

*Hooten: [In the catacombs] Is this it?

Lady Alex Spencer-Parker: That a sarcophagus. We're looking for an ebony chest.

Hooten: All I see are skulls and bones. And more skulls, and more bones. It's like a serial killer's apartment.

[calaisreno]

Thanks for tagging me!

For the WIP game, I’d like you to tell me something about The Sibyline Book.

This one is complicated! Very plotty.

Sherlock investigates the seemingly inexplicable murder of an archaeologist known mostly for insulting his colleagues and writing books about the "ancient alien hypothesis." There are many people who disliked him, but who would want him dead?

The last email he received was from someone named JH Watson:

"Karpaty informs Watson that he’s found something that will interest him. More complete than the other, he notes...  It’s the final message, the one after Karpaty sent the pictures, that is most interesting. Sent two and a half hours before Karpaty was murdered. Don’t go home tonight, Watson wrote, in English this time. No reply received.

Whereby the author (😊) indulges her love of ancient languages, coded messages, hidden history, secret societies, and academic feuds.

Thanks for asking! I really need to get moving on this one. 35k words written, many more in my brain!

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 17: The Library of Alexandria (Miscellaneous Edition)

I welcome your suggestions for both Library of Alexandria and other lost works of World Literature and History, as there will be future polls.

[lesparaversdemillina]

Reverie de Sibylline Meynet

Cet artbook de Sibylline Meynet, reçu en cadeau, a remanié mon approche du dessin. J'apprécie ses techniques et son univers créatif, bien que je préfère travailler dans un environnement plus animé. Son message encourage à persévérer.

[snowberry247]

Octavian Headcannon

Omg new head cannon Octavian only wanted to restore the Sibylline books so he could kill himself and it wouldn't affect the legion.

[wanderingmind867]

I think I'd support Octavian for Praetor. I feel like they're trying to make him seem evil, but the most he's done is try to blackmail hazel (which, admittedly, is a pretty bad thing to do). But the rest has all been slander. So far we've just been told he has no friends that he didn't buy, that he's a jerk who's power mad, that people are scared of him, etc. But I don't really see it that way. I still just see him as a person doing his best.

His complaints that Reyna wouldn't send out a search party for the Sibylline Books felt very genuine, and honestly I think I'm on his side. Reyna should have sent someone looking for the old prophecy books. Even if they are lost (which you don't know for sure), it would've been worth a look! But no! You just had to leave octavian alone with his poor visions, where he can be manipulated by the dark things he sees in his sacrifices to the gods. It's unfair. He doesn't seem like that bad a person. An extremist, sure. But not any sort of survival of the fittest supporting menace, like i always felt Luke was. So yeah. I'd have supported Octavian in his quest to become Praetor.

[theamazingmaddyas]

*Essay on Children of the Big Three, original characters, and canon compliance*

Trigger Warnings: Death/Murder

During ace week this year, in one of my oneshots I had a, minor, original daughter of Zeus named Enid, which has sent me down a rabbit hole of thoughts about big three children, and how to make original characters with Zeus/Jupiter, Poseidon/Neptune, or Hades/Pluto as their godly parents while still maintaining the integrity of the story. That is to say, Percy being the child of the prophecy and the acknowledgement that the Big Three Pact was created and subsequently disbanded from the mid-1940s [while Grover says in the Lightning Thief that the pact was post-WWII, I have reason to believe that the prophecy itself, (and therefore the pact), was given during the war, between 1941 and 1943, rather than after it's conclusion. The reason behind this has to do with Riordan's wonky timeline, which I will probably make a separate post about] to the end of the Second Titan War in The Last Olympian, which is quite a large window of time; about seventy years. Note, this is solely talking about the creation of OCs that do not contradict canon at all, and therefore is not talking about OCs such as another Jackson kid, a third Grace kid, or a different prophecy child, those stories are not meant to fall under the realm of canon compliance.

First, it is easiest to split the children of the big three into four distinct categories—older than 16 when the pact was enacted; under sixteen, but already born, when the pact was enacted (this category would include Hazel, Bianca, and Nico); born during the pact (Thalia, Jason, and Percy); and born after the pact was dissolved (my character in The Hearth's Children Enid). I also will be looking into the difference between Greek and Roman Big Three kids, as that has some interesting implications of the pact.

While none of the books talk about whether the pact also included in their Roman forms, I am writing this under the assumption that it is. There are many reasons I believe this, but I will detail the main ones below. While it is evident that the Twelfth Legion has never heard of the Great Prophecy, we also know that the Sibylline Books, where the Romans are known to get their prophecies from, has been destroyed for centuries and only remains in Ella's photographic memory. This is not relevant, however, because Ella, of course, is not known by Camp Jupiter until after Percy fulfills the prophecy. Additionally, the only reason they know the Prophecy of Seven is because it was transcribed before the book was burnt. It is not unreasonable to believe that the Great Prophecy, like the Prophecy of Seven, was in the original Sibylline Books but lost because of it being destroyed and was not saved. It can also be inferred that Camp Jupiter did not know of the pact made as well, given they do not seem too shocked at Jason, and later Hazel and Nico's, existence. That being said, Jason's treatment is also a big indicator that the pact was still prevalent to Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. While Jason being at camp didn't seem to be overly shocking to the Camp Jupiter population from what little we know about it, he is also revered by everyone, despite being in the 5th Cohort, which is known to be valued as less than. If the Big Three pact did not cross over to the Romans then wouldn't it be safe to say that Jupiter and Neptune (and to some small degree, Pluto) would have had a ton more kids to compensate for the fact that they couldn't have Greek kids? There is no feasible reason for Percy and Thalia to be Greek if Neptune and Jupiter respectively could have as many kids as they want with no consequences. But since Camp Jupiter isn't aware of the Big Three Pact, the lack of big three kids over the past half-century probably seems more like a strange coincidence than anything else. [Note, it is extremely likely that, even in series, there are legacies of Jupiter, around camp. While it is unknown just how many generations removed a legacy is allowed to be to still join the legion, Octavian is still a member despite his family being in the legion for 100 years (meaning Apollo must be, at minimum, his great-grandfather) which would put his first family member in the legion pre-pact, and therefore pre-the decline of Big Three Kids. Additionally, Claudia (from Camp Jupiter Classified) has no problem entering the Legion as a great-granddaughter of Mercury before she learns that she is, in fact, a demigod too. Shen Lun, Frank's great-grandfather, is extremely far removed from Poseidon, but I count him as an anomaly because he was allowed to join the legion due to his strength rather than his nearness to godly blood. Neptune and Pluto are far less likely to have descendants at camp (Pluto actually wouldn't have any at the time of Heroes of Olympus cause Hazel claims she would be alone if they separated by godly parent, though it is possible there are descendants of Pluto in New Rome or have already left the legion) and, as we see with Percy and Shen Lun, Neptune's children and descendants were othered, and therefore would be unlikely to send any children they had to the legion which would explain why Percy's existence seems far more shocking than any other Big Three kid] This fact can also have been why Jason, Hazel, and Nico weren't completely gaped at, since legacies of their godly parents likely have been steadily in the legion for decades.

Now that we have covered the Greek/Roman divide when it comes to Big Three Kids, and that your OC being Roman or Greek has very little effect on their existence, only on their peer's perception of them, let's move onto years. (Before we begin that, I would like it noted that I will be referring to the gods collectively as their Greek names; by that meaning Zeus will refer to both Zeus and Jupiter, unless otherwise stated for simplicity sake) The easiest two, and the only two where there isn't any nuance and will be plausible in canon timeline 100% if the time are: over 16 at the time of prophecy and born post-The Second Titan War. If your OC is already 16 by the time a "Child of the Eldest Gods/Shall Reach Sixteen Against All Odds" than the prophecy could not be about them. While, yes, part of the reason the Big Three Pact was enacted was due to the overpowered nature of Big Three children, a larger portion of it was so that the prophecy was postponed as long as possible. It would be a lot easier for a seventeen year old, who is not the prophecy child, to fly under the radar rather than a fifteen year old, who very well could overthrow the Greek gods in accordance to the Oracle of Delphi. No matter who you make your OC's godly parent, they could, plausibly, exist within the realm of the series. Same goes with children born after the Last Olympian. When Percy is being awesome and declaring that the gods pay child support, he also mentions the fact that the pact was kind of stupid since two thirds of the gods broke it anyway. And with the prophecy already fulfilled, much of the gods (especially Zeus') fears were greatly diminished. Personally, I believe that the Zeus cabin would fill up pretty quickly about a decade after the Percy Jackson series conclusion due to the rather adulterous and promiscuous myths involving Zeus, and that the Poseidon Cabin isn't that far behind in size. (In fact, Poseidon even jokes with Percy to say to expect siblings in due time, which could mean he already has plans to have more kids now that he knows he won't subject them to a life of pure horror). Hades is a bit more subdued, and is often portrayed as being overall pretty loyal and not so promiscuous so his cabin probably would not fill up too fast, but rather have a few kids sporadically here and there rather than a bucketload at the same time like his brothers.

In order to maintain canon compliance, if an OC were to be born post-pact but pre-the dissolving of the pact, there is no way their story wouldn't be inherently tragic. The only somewhat happy end for a Big Three character in this category would be to join the Hunters of Artemis, as Thalia and Bianca did to take them out of the running for Prophecy Kid, but if the OC were a boy? Well, they'd have to meet a tragic end before turning 16. Again, we know from the books that no big three kid attends camp after the pact is dissolved before Thalia is discovered, which leads me to believe that, if Zeus or Poseidon (In my opinion, the fact that Hades does not break the oath is a rather poignant and important factor in his characterization and how we, as the audience, are meant to interpret Hades in this medium. In Blood of Olympus, Nico talks about the justice of Hades to Bryce Lawrence, and a key aspect of justice is the keeping of one's words. Sure, Hades is often seen as a villain, but he never lies, but rather he manipulates the truth and omits, example being he said to Nico in The Last Olympian he would hurt Percy, which he didn't, but he never claimed he wouldn't hold him hostage. So, personally, I do not think a child of Hades OC born in this time frame could be seen as canon compliant, but one could try and argue if they see another way to keep the integral bits of Hades' personality while still breaking the oath. But, honestly, I don't see it as plausible.) were to sire a kid in their Greek forms, they'd most likely be dead before twelve, as that is the age that Camp Half-Blood typically begins looking for campers. As for their Roman aspects, again, the child would be dead before sixteen, but if we were to look at what was previously stated about Jason's characterization, it is safe to assume no Roman Big Three kid could make it to Lupa (as we know all Big Three kids would be able to pass her, as Jason succeeded at two). Why they fail to reach her is up to the creator of the OC, but personally, I think a Neptune kid would probably be struck down by Jupiter and a Jupiter kid by Neptune or Pluto (Jason's survival is strongly tied to the fact that he was from Sonoma and therefore didn't have to travel far to get to Lupa) would not only be plausible, but also have that inherently tragic Big Three thing.

There is a little caveat if the Big Three kid were born after Percy, which is to say that they could, possibly, survive past sixteen. Personally, I think this will depend on how much younger than Percy they are. If they were born within four years, their chance of survival is slim to none. They'd probably be killed. (Jason, of course, is an exemption, which is why their is a slim chance of survival, but the author would need an extremely thorough explanation on how they survived without either camp up until twelve to fifteen.) While it technically goes against compliance to have a Big Three kid arrive during the course of Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo, there is the possible argument that can be made that an OC this age could still respect the integrity of the story, which is the most important aspect of Canon Compliance in my opinion. Over four years younger than Percy has a highest survival chance of kids born during the pact, with the younger they are, the chance of their survival increasing massively. A kid born a few days before the battle honestly has a pretty fine chance of survival.

Now, onto the most interesting category of Big Three Kids in my opinion: those born less than sixteen years pre-the Pact. Firstly, like with the previous section, I do not believe it is possible for a child of Hades to be in this section without destroying the integrity of the story. Hades' protectiveness when it comes to his children is an integral part of the story, as well as the way that Hades tries to hide them from Zeus, another Hades kid in this age range doesn't make sense. Additionally, if we are to go off the idea that the prophecy was first stated in 1941 (which, as previously stated, makes the most sense with the wonky timeline) another ulterior motive for Marie to move to Alaska could be to escape the wrath of Jupiter, and another reason Gaea targeted Hazel, because she had the power to be the prophecy kid. But, she dies before Zeus really has the chance to track her down. (Yes, Alaska is beyond the gods, but do you really believe Zeus would have let that stop him if Hazel survived until 15? I doubt it). A Pluto OC makes slightly sense than a Hades OC but I think in both aspects Hades' characterization is that he cares about his children as best he can. I think it's in character for Pluto to have actually visited Hazel, but Marie didn't let him get close to her because of her resentment towards him due to Hazel's curse. Also, Hades' having three kids within four years is a lot, and with his less promiscuous ways, it contradicts the integrity of canon too much to have other young Hades kids when the prophecy was uttered and the pact enacted. Also, Hades tries to harbor Nico and Bianca, and if he had more children he tried to do that with, Persephone would've started a riot.

Now with the logistics of Hades OCs out of the way, let's talk about Zeus and Poseidon. Honestly, it doesn't make sense for there not to be Zeus and Poseidon kids in this age range because of their, as previously stated, adulterous and promiscuous ways. It can be argued, and I will argue, that the way in which Zeus demands Nico and Bianca to be handed over by a certain date has the implications that Zeus already had kids that had been "turned over". As tragic as it is, the canon heavily implies that Zeus euthanized murdered his own children. At least, that is how I've always interpreted it. (I doubt he turned them into trees or other plants, but it is possible, it is just for me the reason Zeus turns Thalia into a tree is because he wasn't the one to kill her, Hades was, and Zeus does not seem like the type of god to take that lightly.) Poseidon's under sixteen kids must've been killed before Zeus went after Bianca and Nico, because Hades seems to be the only one who Zeus is really grilling to hand over his children from the memories we see in The Last Olympian. Was Poseidon planning on harboring his children like Hades tried to, but Zeus got to them first? Did Poseidon just cross his fingers and hope for their survival without much aid? Did Poseidon turn them over to Zeus to avoid fighting? We can't be sure. As much as I'd like to believe the first one, especially since Poseidon seems to be a decent enough father to Percy (and Tyson and Trident though neither of them are half-bloods and therefore could not be the kid of the prophecy), Percy also is heavily implied to be his father's favorite, though whether that's because of his status as a forbidden child or because of Sally, it is unknown, so it is possible Poseidon just crossed his fingers and hoped his children were strong enough to survive. I don't feel like Poseidon would turn his kids over to Zeus, but honestly who's to say?

Clearly, I have a lot of feelings about Big Three OCs and just children of the Big Three in general. If you're really interested in the discrepancies in the timeline of The Pact, feel free to ask questions on it, because I personally haven't seen anyone talk about it but I think about it all the time. Also, if you've seen any posts on that topic, send it to me! I think about Riordan's wonky timeline a little too often to be healthy.

[newromesweirdest]

octavian fanfic preview

I call this one "screw canon, I do what I want" or "hey, so what if Octavian had more allies and actually got to look for the Sibylline Books?"

I plan to post the full thing soon, but here's a tidbit. Content below the cut!

-

Note: This is a loose interpretation of canon, so Octavian has additional allies taken from a pool of Camp Jupiter characters that I enjoy writing about, and also characters of my own creation.

-

Reyna blinked. “Do you even know what we’re voting on?” “Something about the Sibylline books, right?”

Reyna nodded, still looking confused. Lucas shot her two messy thumbs up. “Yeah, well I’m in. It sounds epic!” If the Senate meeting wasn’t such a formal event, Octavian would have died of laughter in that exact moment. Reyna’s face shifted from confusion to realization to horror, and then back again. “Praetor, I believe that tips the vote in Octavian’s favor?�� Michael said calmly from the corner, barely hiding a smirk as he watched Lucas stumble to his seat. “I-” Reyna began, seemingly in disbelief. “I suppose so.” The Senate erupted with noise, the Fourth and Fifth cohorts immediately accusing the First, Second, and Third of cheating somehow. Everything was relatively under control until a legionnaire from the Fifth launched a spitball which hit a First Cohort legionnaire directly in the forehead, which then led to Dakota, Octavian’s only ally in the Fifth, launching himself onto a chair to give the offender a “piece of his mind.”

Reyna stared as the entire Senate devolved into chaos, and then slowly turned to Octavian, her expression filled with annoyance and anger. “You’re leading this quest on your own.” Octavian blinked in confusion. “I can’t leave camp! I have the auguries to attend to.” Reyna stared at him as if he had two heads. “Well, if you want the books, you go alone. That’s the deal.” “That’s insane!” countered Octavian. Even most demigods regarded solo missions as something to be done only if you had a death wish, and Octavian wasn’t even a demigod! He was a legacy!

“Reyna, you can’t be serious.” Octavian said, quickly walking after her as she began to leave the chambers in search of someone to calm down the crowd. “Oh, I’m very serious. You wanted your quest and now you have it. So what else do you want?” Octavian gaped like a fish, feeling at a loss for words.

What did he want? Well, he didn’t want a suicide mission, that’s for sure!

[lionofchaeronea]

Roman marble statuette (2nd cent. CE) of the Phrygian goddess Cybele, aka the Magna Mater ("Great Mother"). The goddess was imported to Rome from Pergamum during the Second Punic War, in the form of a black meteoric stone (βαίτυλος), at the behest of the Sibylline Books; she was given a festival in April (the Megalensia), but due to the "exoticness" of her cult, Romans were barred from taking part in the ecstatic procession of her eunuch priests. Here, the goddess is shown seated and attended by the lions that were said to draw her chariot. Now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Photo credit: LACMA.

[sgiandubh]

The sound of silence

With the end of August already in sight - somebody, please, tell me where did this botched summer go, all of a sudden? -, a somewhat different landscape is slowly emerging, on the S&C front.

Dare we hope? The new normal seems to be a mix of latergrams, sibylline tweets, ultra-muted innuendo (most of it the result of a couple of pundits' sterile speculations on meagre hints dropped on purpose) and secondary (even third-circle) players being conveniently called to the rescue. A low budget, almost homemade solution to keep the prayer wheels of this fandom spinning. A fandom both of these two know, by now, like the back of their hands.

For months and months in a row, I tried to understand something that puzzled me constantly: not the messages being ventilated in here, but their circuit and lifespan, if you want. For what is worth, the rinse and repeat image is fine in my book, but in no way comprehensive, nor intellectually satisfying. And then, a couple of weeks ago, I started to suddenly figure it out.

I am not going to insult you with savant jargon or Venn diagrams, rest assured. However, I need some arrows. I called it the 4 R Circuit and here we go:

(an information is being) Released (via Anons or DMs exclusively: it's never sheer luck, that is a bloody lie and a poor one, at it) -> (it then prompts a couple different) Reactions -> (followed by an almost immediate) Retcon (by the other side of this very antagonistic fandom) -> (in response, an old information is being) Recycled (thus effectively keeping the chatter alive, but re-oriented until ) -> (a new or old/new information is being) Released

Historically, the lifespan of this news cycle was never shorter than 24, but seldom (if ever) longer than 72 hours. This summer is a resolute break off this pattern, but old habits die hard: the collective attention span has been also conditioned accordingly.

And how could it be otherwise? Because neither of them had any consistent A-list level gossip history, the emerging fandom had to resume itself to their social media accounts, for a start. And boy, were we copiously spoiled, with banter and innuendo and double-entendre galore, and then with voluble Anons being simultaneously directed to the main players of all the factions. I bet it was elating. I am sure it was also great fun: a merry, sunny age of innocence. Until it wasn't and the ugly manipulative streak began its inglorious march in here. The thirst grew, and so did the stakes. Pictures, pictures or it did not happen. And when we got them, we started to immediately diss and hiss and hum and drum. In the Real World (you know, out there, where we all go every morning and are civilized, amiable people), this kind of behavior would be more than uncanny: it would be uncalled for and drastically sanctioned as such. But, I digress.

The result of this disco inferno by design is a pattern of reactivity I have never seen in my entire life. Nano-inquisitors immediately spring out of their chairs once you dare write something: why did you say that? how dare you speak your mind, you are supposed to be a stupid, stupid shipper? In the meantime, almost nobody bothers connecting the dots, finding a solid background for arguments, placing facts or speculation in a logical context. It's frowned upon. Yet, the whole experience would be way more enjoyable, if instead on focusing on idiotic and obviously doctored details, we could bring some perspective to all this hubbub.

Last case in point, this freshly baked imbecility:

We all know who the fuck Brave Heart is: the kilt obsessed, once Mightiest Troll of Mordor. The one who invented by herself the grotesque story of the Hôtel Costes Rash sightings, last April, via Anons written in painful English. Also, the one who spun, based on a friendly snap at a sportive event, the Ellenwood Innuendo, promptly ditched - it didn't stick well enough- now reactivated. A sample:

Calling all stations: there is no side exit at the Hôtel Costes' restaurant, you fool, who's been to Paris as often as I went to Oahu, which is to say never. There is a back exit, through the kitchen, madam: next time, do your damn homework properly! Unlike you, I often went there (I preferred other, less nouveau riche playgrounds, that being said), back in 1996-2002, when it still was the boldest celeb' spotting venue in town. Not anymore. And who in their right mind would bring luggage or shopping bags in a very peculiarly laid-out French restaurant, without immediately taking the risk of being a conversation stopper, a bull (heh) in a china shop?

The "have seen it with my own eyes" gave you away, this time. A classical, by the book way to spin a cheap lie.

Also, C's witty latergram, via a tertiary player. I am sure (and I will film myself eating my socks live, if proven wrong) that back in Mordor someone already came with the agit-prop retcon: "it's irrelevant when the picture was taken".

It is very relevant. July 31. One day before August 1st: I always admired her humor. But who would take the time to tell 1+1= 2?

If I could gift this fandom anything, let it be this: context is always important. Manipulation starts exactly when you stop questioning and let your brain live the 72 hours news cycle.

The only real sound of this August, on the S&C front, is the sound of silence.

I rest my case.

[mythologyolympics]

Mythology Olympics tournament round 1

Propaganda!

Bastet was the daughter of Ra, sister of Sekhmet, the wife of Ptah, and the mother of Mihos. Since the Second Dynasty, Bastet was worshiped as a deity, most commonly in Lower Egypt. Her form and powers changed over the years.

It was believed that every day she would ride through the sky with her father, the sun god Ra. As his boat pulled the sun through the sky she would watch over and protect him. At night, she would turn into a cat to protect Ra from his greatest enemy, the serpent Apep.

Due to her protective duties, she was nicknamed the Lady of the East, Goddess of the Rising Sun, and the Sacred and All Seeing Eye. She is also known as the Goddess of the Moon and was thought to be the eye of the moon and the eye of Ra. Bastet is still worshipped today and her protection is believed by some to be cast over modern cats.

The Cumaean Sibyl was the priestess presiding over the Apollonian oracle at Cumae, a Greek colony near Naples, Italy. The word sibyl comes (via Latin) from the ancient Greek word sibylla, meaning prophetess. There were many sibyls throughout the ancient world. Because of the importance of the Cumaean Sibyl in the legends of early Rome as codified in Virgil's Aeneid VI, and because of her proximity to Rome, the Cumaean Sibyl became the most famous among the Romans.

The story of the acquisition of the Sibylline Books by Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the semi-legendary last king of the Roman Kingdom, or Tarquinius Priscus, is one of the famous mythic elements of Roman history.

Centuries ago, concurrent with the 50th Olympiad, not long before the expulsion of Rome's kings, an old woman "who was not a native of the country" arrived incognita in Rome. She offered nine books of prophecies to King Tarquin; and as the king declined to purchase them, owing to the exorbitant price she demanded, she burned three and offered the remaining six to Tarquin at the same stiff price, which he again refused, whereupon she burned three more and repeated her offer. Tarquin then relented and purchased the last three at the full original price, whereupon she "disappeared from among men".

[chrysoula]

The Imaginary Book Heist

The Sanctuary of Surasthana was unusually crowded at the moment but it was the safest place for this meeting. Absolutely nobody could listen in uninvited. 

Excited despite her best efforts at Archon-calm, Nahida once again inspected the five-person team she’d put together.

“Are we waiting for anybody else?” asked Alhaitham, continuing to read a small book held in one hand. “Or can you finally explain what this is all about?”

Lumine shrugged but Paimon said, “This looks like everybody! Over to you, Nahida!”

“Hi, everybody! Welcome to Project Sibylline, a book recovery task force.”

Paimon instantly interrupted. “Aww, Paimon thought you were going with ‘book heist.’ What the heck is a Sibylline?”

 Alhaitham’s book finally snapped shut as he repeated,  “A book heist.”

This was the wrong answer! Nahida explained, “It’s a reference to a Remurian legend. Cyno didn’t like me calling it a heist. I decided he was right.”

[calaisreno]

Fic Writer Meme

The end of another year is approaching, and it's time for another self-assessment. Thank you, @lisbeth-kk for tagging me in the Fic Writer Meme! 💕

How many works do you have on ao3?

162

What's your total word count?

2,204,060 😊

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Synchronicity, A Chronic Condition, Date Night, The Wedding Gift, Blank Slate

Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

Yes! Comments are gold. I always reply, even if it's just to thank the commenter.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

I've written two tagged "Major Character Death" and a couple more that were tagged "Chose Not to Use Warnings."

Below Zero / The New Gardener / Learning the Heart / The Real You

These are pretty angsty, but I find it much worse when there is unrequited/unresolved love at the end, and I don't write that.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

All of them are happy! Well, I think so.

The happiest might be The Short Tragic Death of John Watson. I pulled out all the stops on that one, made the ending completely cheesy, total wish fulfillment.

Do you write crossovers?

I've written two Good Omens crossovers: Limbo / Hell and Back

One Raffles crossover: Swap

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No, just some grumpy comments.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

It isn't my strong suit, so I don't do hardcore smutty scenes. Vanilla, not kinky. Most of my stories are rated T or M.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

How would I know?

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Almost all of my short fiction has been translated into Russian, a few into Chinese. I feel very lucky to have such dedicated translators. Special thanks to Little_Unicorn.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I'm not sure I'd be an ideal collaborator, being rather set in my own way of writing.

I have read beta on a macro level for a couple writers, and had a few do the same for me. Collaboration on the talking level is good, and I'm always open to that.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

Sherlock and John, in any iteration.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

The Secret of Agra - four years in the making, my oldest WIP. I think I actually can finish it, and am moving in that direction, but still waiting for inspiration in a couple of areas.

Another one, The Sibylline Book, is languishing because I keep putting it off. Very plotty and I don't always have the brain for that. It too will be written!

What are your writing strengths?

General language skills: I have a good vocabulary and know my comma rules.

Plotting: readers often admire this, and I do put a lot of effort into it, so I'm glad to have that positive feedback.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Impatience. I skip the boring parts and call it minimalism.

Once I would have said that my writing is too sentimental, but with fanfiction, that is not possible. 😉

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I have done that, but only for languages I've studied, or at least dabbled in. And usually only for a sentence or two. If it's longer than that, it's something readers will just skip over.

Public Service Announcement: Online translators are often wrong. AI does not solve that problem.

An offer: my degree is in classical languages, so if anyone ever wants a Latin translation of something, I am happy to be asked. Please: do not use an online translator for Latin, even just for a title. The grammar does not lend itself to AI translation. Ask a person who has studied Latin. (Ask me!)

Proof; just google it: Bad Latin Tattoos

I might say that about modern languages, too. Unless it's a hello-how are you conversation, ask a native speaker, just to be sure. There are many on AO3!

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Star Trek. Please don't ask. We all do silly things when we're thirteen.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

I read in a few fandoms besides Sherlock, but writing in a fandom requires a lot of background knowledge I don't have. It is a labour of love to know a fandom well enough to write in it convincingly.

What's your favourite fic you've written?

The Last Envoy.

Like most writers, I write the things I want to read, so I don't like choosing favorites.

This one is special to me, though. It was inspired by a few things, but the ideas and world-building are all my own. I'm glad I wrote it, and that so many people love it.

I'm not sure who all has been tagged, and it seems like tags aren't working for me today, please join in if you want to! No pressure. 💕