#sollan

[little-lightning-lavellan]

NEW CHAPTER! KISSING???

Between getting Covid and this chapter ending up twice as long as originally intended (I had very important things I needed to make sure were communicated, okay?), this took a hot minute to get out. But, I hope it was worth the wait, because after 128197 words... it happens. 👀 Here be a snippet right before it all goes down:

“You know that I’ve got a good memory, ma fen, you know that. I don’t forget things easily,” She was back to nicknames, it would seem. “Well, do you know what Garrett Hawke told me when he first arrived?”

Had she scooted closer? No, that was just the way the shadows cast across them from over the wall. Surely, there was no other explanation.

“Tell me.”

“He told me,” A snort. A snort! Mellan covered her nose with one hand and squeezed Solas’ with the other, eyes closed and face cast to the ground. “He told me, that my symptoms - oh, you won’t believe a word of this - that they mean, that I’m smitten with you!”

Solas’ eyes felt wobbly.

Ah, well--that was a new sensation. He wasn’t altogether sure he’d felt that before; not in a context like this, at any rate.

Give him the credit of maintaining his composure, the world within him shook with greater violence than a Titan fighting against the bonds of--

Is this how adolescents felt? Real, true, young people? Was it always so stifling hot?

“Oh, and Solas? Solas, the best part. You’ll find this funny,” Did she even realize he wasn’t laughing? Of course not, ragged hand covered giggling mouth and she hadn’t looked up to him once since she’d started. Was he to stop her? Let her continue? Did this manner of ‘announcement’ count towards that finish line he had promised he would meet her at one day? Was this the correct path?

Ironically, she was a balter from his own path, but an enrapturing one that left him dumbstruck with each new revelation of hers. Like an impatient reader he wanted to skip ahead just a few of her pages. Have her spoil the story and tell him what lay ahead.

“He said that,”

‘What comes next?’

“That you were a ‘lucky guy;’ that we were more than dear friends.” Another giggle and their shared fate was sealed. “As if, oh, my goodness, as if you were smitten with me as well!”

Mellan shook her head for a final time, before, at last, she raised it up to meet Solas’ eyes.

“But, that would be silly, wouldn’t it?”

She hadn’t actually thought much on what she expected to see when she opened her eyes. Perhaps a smile, a shared laugh, but not a stare. Not a look from her friend that held something deep and lurking just beneath the surface of murky waters.

Not something that made her wonder if the petname she’d given him of ‘fen’ was a bit too apt, and that if she moved too quickly, some emotion would snap; and oh, dear, Mellan was nowhere near ready for whatever that emotion might be.

“W-Wouldn’t it?” Had she actually spoke aloud, or simply thought the words? Mellan supposed she might have mouthed them, let them fan across her teeth. It took a real gulp of purest bravery for her to truly speak heartily again. “S-So, um, academically. Academically… my symptoms.”

‘Spirits, even my nose feels like it's on fire; I probably look like a tomato to him. Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut? Why couldn’t I just learn the blasted dance and be done with it all?!’

“Thought? Your thoughts?”

Peculiar, even by their standards, Solas held a single chuckle in his chest. Barely hiding his lip, he rested fingers upon it to shield the smallest smile as he turned to think.

“My thoughts,” he began, a twinge of well-measured mirth to his tone. “Are that Ser Hawke is far more attentive than I gave him credit for.” And that he could now confirm that he had been a right prick to the man, but that was neither here nor there at this point. 

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Mellan take a gulp for air, most likely absorbing the information he had technically-not-confirmed - and, therefore, was still following his own personal set of rules - but, also not at all denied. The blessing was that he knew she was smart, and that she knew precisely what he was getting at, all with his plausible deniability still perfectly intact.

He still was just as much of a prick, wasn’t he?

“A--hm,” She nodded, readjusting herself yet again, back straightening. Solas could see how her shoulders rolled back beneath her braids like branches beneath leafy willows, how her chest rose and fell across the skin exposed above her ill-fitting tunic. “I see. So, then, I suppose you are suggesting that Garrett’s observation was, ah, correct?”

“No, I am declaring it.” To him it was not a subject for debate.

Read the rest here on Ao3!

I hope you guys are excited and enjoy because holy moly I’ve been fucking amped for this jerhbuerbgueibguearburbygber I really hope it was worth the wait and this chapter is enjoyable D’x Love y’all!!

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[shiomu]

I had been regenerated, made whole once more, but I was not the man I was before. I was myself the river that I could not step in twice. The waters of yesterday were gone.

- Christopher Ruocchio, Ashes of Man

[desourceless]

lansol sollan — original character

[polkadotmotmot]

Sollan Park - K- Chandelier 2, 2024 - Natural mineral pigments on silk

[literallymechanical]

Just finished Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio, book 1 of the Sun Eater series. Written as the autobiography of Hadrian "Half-Mortal" "Sun Eater" Marlowe, translated in-universe from Galactic Standard, an Anglo-Hindi patois.

Old-school space opera in a Dune-like distant future, but with a storytelling sensibility that owes more to Patrick Rothfuss than anybody else. Reads like epic fantasy rather than science fiction, which I think is fun.

The Sollan Empire venerates Mother Earth, slain in nuclear fire twenty thousand years ago, as the messianic god of their state religion. Ruocchio leans into the implications of that premise with a lot of fun linguistics stuff:

lol. Lmao.

The narration is florid and purple and delightful. Hadrian was an ass in his youth in the way that only the vat-born scion of a noble house can be, and his future self writes with wincing honesty while apologizing to the reader for the bad choices he keeps making.

I appreciate how the book opens by basically turning directly to the reader and saying "this is a Dune, we're doing a Dune. Here are three rapid-fire direct references to Dune. Got it? Okay, now we can move on." Highly recommend if you like door-stopper epic fantasy.

[tomapoganka]

"...it is known, that in the final days of the catastrophe that split the skies, Fallen Star had created a weapon of incredible power. she paid the ultimate price for this: Sollan severed a vital part of her own soul. however, world never saw its use: Sollan lost her battle before it happened"

[theseventhoffrostfall]

Finished the sixth sun eater book. Had its highlights, had its stumbles and contrivances. Still engaging but at this point I'm glad the next book is the last; it's on the edge of dragging things out as-is.

One thing I found strange was a return to focus on the Sollan Imperium's vicious backroom politicking and fanatical religious institutions, which is fine in a vacuum but at this point in the story the alien Prophet-King who's gathered the whole of the hermaphrodite cyborg space ork/elf/thing race into a vast horde to crush all mankind in a cannibalistic orgy of planet-pillaging and human sacrifice has stiff competition for the title of Our Biggest Problem Right Now. Makes the wacky space Anglicans bitching about "you didn't praise the Imperial Cult we made up enough" seem like an odd thing to focus on.

[drunken-drengr]

@little-lightning-lavellan my first thought upon seeing the licking post

[little-lightning-lavellan]

I’M SCREAMING - I’M SHRIEKING - I NEED THEM TO SMOOTCH

GOD ALMIGHTY this came so GOOD!!! If anyone would like to see the scene this is based on, you can check it out here in the fic Dueteragony!

Almost kiss

commission for @little-lightning-lavellan

working on this was very fun thank you)

[muiri-noir]

One more day one more OC

[little-lightning-lavellan]

ACK sorry I’m late!! But, I’ve finally had time to actually update you guys with something! :D Thank you so much for the tag, @layalu! 

Since the last chapter (and Solas and Mellan FINALLY FUCKING KISSING DEAR GOD) the two are developing in their own dorky way! (But don’t worry, weird Fade shenanigans will occur directly after this, because they’re not allowed to rest~💖

Goodness, what trouble. Days felt like weeks in the buzzing hearts of elves - for those who approved and disapproved of these new developments alike.

It was not as if things were kept secret for long, as much as Solas and Mellan both would have preferred. However, one running after the other during a night of dancing, only to be spotted later by one of Cullen’s men, escorting each other arm-in-arm to the lady’s room with flushed faces�� well, assumptions had to be made, no matter how innocent they could swear their actions were!

In reality, nothing further happened, of course; other than a new nightly routine that never failed to send Mellan dragging her body down the door as soon as it was closed, face in her hands and feet smacking against the floor in violent, childish glee.

It had already been fairly commonplace that the scholars’ nights would end with the pair burning the last of the midnight oil, or down to the last flickering wicks of candles that begged for death, and it would only be then that they would concede to slumber. Solas would accompany Mellan back to her bedroom - a place he now actively seemed to avoid during the evening hours since that night of dancing; perhaps their shift in status had marked a shift in his mind for what counted as a polite barrier as well? - and they would continue chatting all along the way.

It would only be upon reaching that sacred threshold that both would take pause, and a new dance was performed. 

Solas would smile, in that kind and patient way that he always did, but now the look held an ulterior meaning; one reserved for Mellan and Mellan alone. She’d answer it back in kind, large eyes meeting his in something like a nod as she’d glance to his lips, the tracest amount of a grin dabbled on hers. A playful secret held behind her blushing cheeks, Solas would lean in as if to whisper in her ear with a bit of added gossip, instead taking her chin in tender hand.

Even if her lips were over-bitten to looking beestung, Solas swore they were kissable, and seemed bound and determined to prove it through demonstration. It wasn’t as if she would accept a lecture in this particular area.

Mellan would lean into his touch each and every time, tipped-toes hoisting themselves up as far as they would go, and it would only be her vice grip to his necklace that kept her from falling. With each goodnight kiss she sunk further into him, any worries she might have temporarily melting away like the wax of their faded candles, even if just for a moment.

I feel so bad for what I have planned for them oh my god

ANYWAY tagging my lovelies because I haven’t seen them in a while, show me what you’re doin!! 

@pikapeppa @because-im-hap-hap @rosella-writes @oxygenforthewicked @fade-touched-shenanigans @bluecadash @drunken-drengr @dreadfutures @fiadhaisteach @bogunicorn @kantrips @noire-pandora @palepinkycat @midorimaddie @melisusthewee @jellydishes @effelants @potatowitch @dismalzelenka @bluewren​ @wanderingnork​

[desourceless]

[nekoiscute]

cousins in one photo! ahahah

[lemecdeliott]

                                             ❤️ sollan ❤️

[lemecdlucas]

▐ ⦙ ❛beyond the evil

                      ▐ ⦙ ❛ *   ♡ ·ﾟ Kellan Ahearn   / @xcprising​​ ❜

     🌾 ❛❛ Aferrada al cuerpo del brujo, Sofya sonrisa con alegría.—Se siente bien decirtelo—Agregó con un suspiro. No era la clase de mujer que iba cantando lo que sentía por alguien más, pero Kellan no era cualquier persona ya se lo había demostrado incondicionalmente más de una vez. —¿Lo harías?—Aquellas palabras le llenaron de confianza y sonrió.—Lo harías—Concluyó al ver los ojos marrones de Kellan darle la respuesta. Dejo que el brujo elevara su mentón, como si le hubiera leído el pensamiento, dejo que sus labios se juntaran con los de él. 

[theseventhoffrostfall]

The Allied Republic of Federated Space Acronyms or whatever I end up calling it I envision as a more 'normal' culture by far, being fairly familiar by space opera standards and acting as a sounding board compared to the freaks they're surrounded by. The distant human powers are, in their sketchbook state, more alien than the clans, being inspired by the Imperium of Dune and the Sollan Empire of Sun Eater as starting points, but I'll give them a bit more individuality when they get their turn to be fleshed out more

Following from that line of thought, and assuming it should be its own post, are there any notable non-clan powers in that setting? Ones with the strength or political sway to rival or at least fend off the clans? I'm not sure if I'm over-exaggerating the strength of clan forces in my interpretation, but they seemed to be overwhelmingly powerful compared to their contemporaries.

Yeah, actually. Some of that is stuff I've come up with since the last time they were mentioned that I just haven't brought up since this is the setting no one cares about, some of it's older setting concepts.

First, there are alien polities all around clan space, ranging from near 'lowborn' human levels of technological and military capability, to clan peer states. These represent the primary clientele for clans that base significant portions of their economy on mercenary work. There are also human nations of unknown power and size very, very far away (in the vicinity of Earth) though contact (and contracts) with them are very uncommon.

Second, there's at least one confederation that arose from among the lowborn planets, independently developing its industrial and technological bases until it was established as another peer state (literally, the clans refer to them as if they were a fellow clan, despite being a republic with a regimented military supported by an MIC in contrast to the clans' up-jumped outlaw warband style of governance). They aren't identical in all aspects (they're far more numerous than most clans put together, which helps counterbalance that they have no shield tech outside of experimental models on some spacecraft) but they're playing in the same ballpark. It's actually their ships that elevated them from 'lowborn' to 'clan' in the eyes of the clans and nearby alien peer states; being able to build FTL drives in sufficient numbers and reliability that their civilization is no longer wholly dependent on the relic jumpgates left from the old spheres of expansion.

I elected to focus a little more on these guys moving forward, largely because I know at least some people would be rather offput by a story about weird posthuman space elves just lording over the shitty normals with no hope of response.

And, lastly, to answer your question, yes and no. Clan forces are a technological match for any power within fighting range, and tend to be extremely experienced, motivated, and with a high enough degree of self-sufficiency that stalling them out or strategically decapitating them is incredibly difficult. That being said, their numbers are hilariously low (Clan Eissenshtadt isn't the biggest, but also not far from it, among the martially-focused clans, and they can field a bit under 200,000 troops in an all-out balls-to-the-wall call-in-everybody degree of full mobilization; which isn't really as many as could be hoped for when dealing with war on a planetary scale). They succeed militarily largely by (through their raid-focused doctrine) being very good at knowing where and when to pick their fight, hit high-value targets and fade out before response can be organized to make use of their qualitative superiority. The fact that they don't have much in the way of planetary settlement or permanent, static structures tying up key strategic assets is also a distinct advantage.

So, yes, they're at the top of the food-chain at present in their region of space, but that's a hard-fought position and their victories are by no means easy or guaranteed; they're not just rolling in and curb-stomping the competition