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21 Days of Valdemar!
Welcome to 21 Days of Valdemar!
Put on your party hats - it’s time for the Dead Vanyel Memorial Party! Vanyel is OFFICIALLY the Woobiest of the Woobies, and we celebrate in his honour!
WE'RE DONE.
No More Fills posted here! Post to AO3 or FF.Net and post the link here!
Discussion Post | Mod Call Post | Resources Post
Schedule
Day 1 -Aug. 9 - Prompts! You will have seven days to put as many prompts as you'd like on this post. And if you start writing them early, well that's just good planning!
Day 8 - Aug. 16 - Prompting ends, posting begins! You have 14 days to write, draw, and potentially diorama as many prompts as you can.
Day 19 - Aug. 27 - This is the cut-off day for prompters to reply to any questions about their prompt. Unanswered questions are considered enthusiastic agreement.
Day 21 - Aug. 29 - Last day of posting! All fills must be posted by 11:59 PM North American Mountain Time.
Day 22 - Aug. 30 - Party time! You now have the option of going unanon and reposting everything you've done to AO3 under our fancy AO3 Collection. Or unanoning in whatever manner you please.
(Click on the dates for countdowns; the fest is following MDT/Mountain Time)
For the purposes of this fest, the prompts themselves are warnings. If you have issues with this policy, we recommend either not participating or using Dreamwidth blocker.
Joining the 21_days community is optional for prompters, fillers, and all interested parties; we have some extra content for comm members, but this prompt/fill post, the discussion post, and the mod call post are open for everyone.
MOST IMPORTANT RULE: Posting unanon will be deleted. This doesn't mean you aren't welcome here! And if you'd like the content of your comment PMed to you, contact the MOD CALL post.
For Prompters and Readers
- Subject lines should include the series, characters and/or pairing you want. Feel free to be as descriptive as you'd like. Warnings aren't required, but they also aren't banned.
- You don't have to write or draw. It's anon, there's no IP-tracking, and we aren't going to stalk you.
- Do not comment on other people's prompts to try and change pairings or characters. Post your own version with the characters you want instead.
- If you fail to respond to a 'is this okay?' kind of question about any of your prompts by the 19th day, it'll be taken as an enthusiastic yes, no matter what the question is.
- There are no subject bans. You may prompt anything you want.
- If you don't want to answer any questions, you can say so, and that will work as blanket permission for anything people might want to do with your prompt.
- Prompts for non-Valdemar Mercedes Lackey series are allowed.
For Artists and Writers
- No claiming prompts, please, as multiple fills are welcome!
- Minimum wordcount per fill is 100 words.
- All content is allowed and all warnings are optional, but if you want to write or draw extreme kinks** for a prompt that doesn’t specifically request them, you have ask the prompter first.
- If the artist requests it, the mods will repost art fills as an embedded picture in a reply to their comment. NSFW art will be labelled as such in the subject line by re-posting mods. Art involving underaged characters in porn situations will not be re-posted as an embed.
- RPF of underage people is not allowed. We're not even sure if it's possible for Valdemar fic, but whatever. It's not allowed.
** "extreme kinks" for the purposes of this exchange include but are not necessarily limited to: extreme underage, major character death, scat/watersports/emetophilia, extreme gore, and bestiality. Please use reasonable discretion, and ask a mod if you have any questions!
For Everyone
This is a Choose Not to Warn fest. At no point will any comment be deleted for failure to warn of its content in the subject lines. They will be deleted for rampaging dickery and failure to follow the rules.
Unanon comments will be deleted.
Attempts at policing other people's fun will be deleted.
Prompts posted after the end of the 7th day will be deleted.
Links to off-meme posts posted prior to end of the 21st day will be deleted.
Concerns are to be directed to the MOD CALL post. If posted here, they will be deleted.
Fills that have spectacularly failed to fulfill the prompt/been posted to the wrong spot will be screened. You can request a copy of your work at the MOD CALL post.
The rules may change without warning in response to unforeseen circumstances, like us thinking of better ones.
FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-26 02:13 am (UTC)(link)Still, even though that wasn't likely, he decided they'd make the most of every moment they had together. Even when not making love, even when doing their own thing, they'd spend as much time as possible in each other's arms.
But around a week after, Tylendel had got up for breakfast and to read further into a chronicle, expecting Vanyel to join him as had become their habit, and Vanyel didn't. Instead, he kissed Tylendel on the way past out of the bedroom, smiling. "I'm going out for a few hours," he said, a little shyly. "Okay?"
Of course, the urge to protest rose; he pushed down on it at once. Even if he wanted to spend every waking moment with Vanyel, even if he'd expected to spend the day with the two of them reading together, that wasn't necessarily what was best for Vanyel. "Of course," he said instead, smiling, and tapped his open book. "I've got some reading to do today anyway. I'll be here when you're back."
Vanyel seemed to light up. "Thanks," he said, and snagged a cloak off the peg by the door, heading out.
It left an odd feeling in him. Good but strange. This is how it should be, he told himself firmly.
Gala, however, was listening in. :Getting jealous of every moment you can't spend in bed with the lad?:
He huffed, looking down at the open book without really seeing it. :It's been some time since I've been in love, darling, you know that.:
:And yet no romantic appeals, no begging him to stay. Not like with that Nevis.:
Tylendel wrinkled his nose to himself. :Little different there, Gala. Not that Nevis didn't have his own issues, but those weren't something I could do anything about, clearly! No, Gala, that's not something I can do here. Even if I want to, yes.:
:Nice to see you using your head instead of your—:
:Gala!:
:Gut,: she said promptly. :Thinking things through instead of going on impulse.:
:Is that where you were going with that?:
She laughed inside his mind, then went silent. Reassured, he smiled down at his book and continued to read.
That's how Savil found him a few hours later as she came in. "Alone today?"
Tylendel blinked, looking up. "So I am, yes. Is something the matter, teacher-love?"
"It could be," she said, and came over to sit across from him with a sigh. "It's about Vanyel."
"I'm listening."
It took her a moment to carry on, clearly sorting out her thoughts, and Tylendel sat up more. Savil sighed finally, frowning at him a little. "'Lendel, I'm as glad as any that this is working out so much better than that awful Nevis affair, but... I don't want you to forget to be careful with him."
"You and Gala..." He had to shake his head. "I'm so careful, teacher-mine," he said with a hint of mischief. "I promise you that."
"Spare me the gory details," she groaned. "But you know what I mean with this, 'Lendel?"
He did. Of course he did. There was no way to not be aware of it. Vanyel was doing fine, doing amazingly well: he was recovering his will, he'd been the one to start this relationship, he was figuring out his own desires and reaching for them. But...
"He's been hurt by authority. He's been made to be obedient to authority. We might be the same age, but I'm still a Herald," Tylendel said bluntly. "I'm a Herald who brought him back here due to my authority. I'm aware of the impact I could have. I'm trying to always be aware of it."
Sometimes, it was hard to. He'd give her that. His own bond with Staven was similar to how Vanyel acted towards him sometimes. He didn't think his twin bond was wrong in any way, but he'd always feared others would think so. Even now, nobody knew how deep it ran, because he'd been afraid. Since it felt so right to him to depend on Staven, to look up to Staven, it might be possible to lose sight of the fact that it would be wrong for Vanyel to feel that way toward him.
"I won't let anything happen," he said, finally. "I'm aware. I'm keeping an eye out for it. And, Savil, I know you're worried, but don't ignore how far he's come—"
The door opened again, and they both looked up as Vanyel came in. He startled, clutching a lute in front of himself by the neck, surprised to see the two of them watching him.
A lute?
"Welcome back!" Tylendel called. "What's that you've got there, love?"
"Oh, it's." Vanyel looked down at it, went red, and looked back up with a beaming smile. "I... I went to Bardic today. I don't have Bardic Gift, they told me." Some pain there, a hint of longing and loss, but despite that, his smile grew brighter. "But Bard Breda checked my hand. She said she thinks I can learn to work around it. So I'll be going back a few times a week. She gave me some exercises and... and this." He raised the lute higher.
"It's beautiful," Tylendel said.
"It's a really good instrument!" Vanyel said immediately, eyes wide. "It's been a while, but I couldn't forget that. Her sound's amazing, 'Lendel. There's no way I should have her! But Bard Breda said that since I was going to work so hard, I should do it on a good instrument. She let me name her, so I picked 'Woodlark'..."
Tylendel's heart clenched, warm and proud again, so dizzyingly impressed with Vanyel that he felt like there was no way Vanyel couldn't feel it from him. He smiled at Vanyel, helpless with the feeling, and somehow Vanyel's smile only widened more. "A good name," Tylendel said. "Since you'll learn to make her sing. When you're ready for it, would you let me hear you play?"
"Of course," Vanyel said at once. "Always. I'm, um, going to just..." He gestured to his room, then looked down at the instrument with the gaze of a man in love.
"Go on," Tylendel said, laughing. "Come out when you're done, love."
The two of them watched Vanyel scuttle off, and Savil let out a sigh, shoulders relaxing.
:You're right,: she said into his mind, a little chagrined. :Better not underestimate him:
:Better not,: Tylendel agreed. He gazed back down at the chronicle he was reading, content.
There would be a lot that would make him take up his Herald persona again, to play the Authority in front of Vanyel. His cousin was still deciding on what to do, his brother's stalemate with the Lesharas was still in place, and on top of everything else, Karse was none too quiet lately.
:...Even so, I think we'll be alright.:
"'Lendel?" Vanyel called.
Had that much time passed already? Savil's knowing, put-upon look told him it hadn't.
Tylendel grinned at her, shrugging impishly, and went to join Vanyel.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-26 04:34 am (UTC)(link)OMG OMG OMG that was such a sweet ending. I love how the hair-cutting scene sparked that physical trust/intimacy between them. And then the sex was so caring and tender, but also came across as being two stupidly in love teenagers, with the calling each other amazing and Van's ignorance of practicalities? aaah it's so sweet. And then Van gets up the courage to take his music back...that was such a sweet way to end it. Thanks so much for taking on this prompt, anon.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-28 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)Ahh, thank you so much!! I'm really so, so glad you enjoyed it. /// And now they get to be disgustingly sweet with each other forever after tyvm.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-26 05:28 am (UTC)(link)Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-28 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)Thank you so much! My beta reader insisted on the music so all credit there, and I really think that worked well for him and the story. I'm really glad the arm thing came through, it seemed to really synthesize working through injuries that might never go away and making the best of them.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-27 12:52 am (UTC)(link)Things I especially liked about the last four chapters, since the last time I commented (I'm the anon who complained about the difficulty of identifying myself in anon ways):
Lissa! Lissa is my favorite and I'm so glad to see her.
Boundaries! The effort Tylendel is putting in towards respecting Vanyel's choices and agency is really terrific. Vanyel gets to make all his choices. 'Lendel knows there's a chance of overpowering Van, and he's actually trying not to, which makes me feel so much better about their relationship.
Music! Yay getting the music back!
Actual happy ending! Yay!
Oh, one question, which of course you don't have to answer. Will Yfandes come for Vanyel sometime in this AU?
Thank you so much for writing, A!A!
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-28 02:59 pm (UTC)(link)Hello again! Ahh, what a lovely comment, I'm so happy to have heard all the things you liked in it. Making this an AU also made me want to make it a fixit, even if it was ostensibly starting from a worse place, so I wanted the fact that they WERE starting from a worse place--one 'Lendel could sympathize with and relate to but not project himself on--to help contribute to a sense of perspective that could help fix their problem.
And yes, she will! He may never be as powerful as he would have been had 'Lendel blown his mind as far open as it could go, but he's got a lot of gift potential right now that could be triggered more simply and more to the point, he's starting to develop that desire to help. And I'm sure two lifebonded herald-mages working together might be able to do as many things as one by himself, maybe. In my fantasy, anyway!
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-28 04:10 am (UTC)(link)Authoranon, this is beautiful. Thank you for this.
I really love this more careful and considerate Tylendel, even when being responsible paralyses him. :)
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-28 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)Thank you /// I'm so so glad.
I feel like in canon 'Lendel projected his circumstances on Vanyel because of their similarity (Young lordling with abusive parents who would hate that he's shaych!) and as a result just underestimated how messed up Vanyel was compared to where 'Lendel was then, and never ever noticed his own failures to communicate or how passively Vanyel met them. I was definitely thinking that such different, overt circumstances, would make 'Lendel have to be more aware of himself and how he affected Vanyel. I'm really glad it came across.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-28 05:05 am (UTC)(link):'(
Er. I really enjoyed the fic. But maybe you could reassure me that Vanyel's brain is going to explode in a firey fever of gifts because Tylendel got a head cold, and then they become Herald Mages together and are cute? With Yfandes?
Not is also okay! (What's Vanyel going to do if he's not a Herald?)
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-28 03:10 pm (UTC)(link)Let me reassure you!! I was definitely trying to drop heavy hints that Gala already knew Vanyel would get Chosen if anything triggered any of his gifts (you know how Companions gossip about these things, and sometimes have disagreements about who gets a person). Since Tylendel and Vanyel are lifebonded (which she's noticed even if her Chosen is stupid) she's got investment in listening in to Pasture gossip about who might be interested, and of course thinks Yfandes would be a fine choice. Especially since she's been so picky for
tentwelve years in this AU huh.Anyway, Vanyel's he's got so many gifts in the potential state that I'm sure something would trigger some of them and I'm just going, without any other reason to think it, yell YEAH DEF THE MAGE GIFT WOULD BE ONE. Idk what exactly would cause it, maybe when he's finally in a place to face his father and yell about exactly how much Withen messed him up, his brain just suddenly hands him an arsenal he has to keep from using.
I doubt he'd ever be as powerful as he was in canon... but since him needing to be SuperPowerful as opposed to just Some Kind of Herald-Mage was largely in offscreen incidents I've decided that would be totally fine and besides, he and 'Lendel would be working together on missions as a lifebonded pair of herald-mages. With 'Fandes and Gala at their sides!
Probably no missions together to Rethwellan tho.
Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-28 03:11 pm (UTC)(link)Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-29 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)Re: FILL: Tylendel/Vanyel - Orders - 10/10 (END)
(Anonymous) 2015-08-30 04:52 am (UTC)(link)Thank you so much! I wanted there to be some real hope for them in the future.