Beyond - Legends Saga There Is Nothing Lost (AU, Allana/OC, Chaos Twins, Sky/Solos, Kessel Run Challenge & other stories)

Title: There Is Nothing Lost
Author: ViariSkywalker
Timeframe: A long time ago
Characters: Allana Djo Solo, Dorian Starskip (OC), Veeran Starskip (OC), Leia Solo, Han Solo, Anakin Skywalker, Jacen Solo, Ben Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Mara Skywalker, Padmé Skywalker, other ECs & OCs
Genre: AU and everything else, probably

Summary: For whatsoever from one place doth fall / Is with the tyde unto another brought… a series of ficlets, vignettes, and short stories written for the Kessel Run challenge and beyond

Notes: This is all @Mira_Jade's fault.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Wars, and no profit is being made.


Enjoy!

---

“What though the sea with waves continuall
Doe eate the earth, it is no more at all;
Ne is the earth the lesse, or loseth ought:
For whatsoever from one place doth fall
Is with the tyde unto another brought:
For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.”

—The Faerie Queene, Book V​

Index:

Kessel Run Challenge​

Week 1: The Anatomist’s Boy Takes Ill | Dorian Starskip & Veeran Starskip & Doctor Mezzon (OCs)

Week 2: The Young Miss Visits the Orphanage | Allana Djo Solo & Dorian Starskip

Week 3a: The Houses of Skywalker and Solo | Han Solo & Goldenrod | Leia Solo & Allana Djo Solo | Luke Skywalker/Mara Skywalker | Drabble Set 1

Week 3b: Poor Orphans in the Wide World Scattered | Dorian Starskip & Veeran Starskip | Allana Djo Solo/Dorian Starskip | Drabble Set 2

Week 4a: The Base Violence Necessary, or Ruminations of an Anatomist | Doctor Mezzon & Dorian Starskip

Week 4b: A Private Conversation | Veeran Starskip | Bonus Monologue

Week 5: A Not-So-Private Conversation | Allana Djo Solo/Dorian Starskip

Week 6a: Between the Moon and the Stars, Part 1 | Allana Djo Solo/Dorian Starskip | Part 1 of 3

Week 6b: Between the Moon and the Stars, Part 2 | Allana Djo Solo/Dorian Starskip, Veeran Starskip, Ezra Bridger | Part 2 of 3

Week 6c: Between the Moon and the Stars, Part 3 | Allana Djo Solo/Dorian Starskip, Han Solo/Leia Solo, Goldenrod, Veeran Starskip | Part 3 of 3

Week 7: Le Premier Meurtre | Veeran Starskip & Dorian Starskip & Neige (OC)

Week 8: Her Father’s Daughter | Anakin Skywalker & Leia Skywalker

Week 9a: “From Lonely Moon, to Lovely Sun” | Allana Djo Solo/Dorian Starskip | A Sonnet

Week 9b: The Beauteous Forms of Things | Skywalkers, Solos, and Assorted Characters | 50 Sentences

Week 10: The Substance Is Not Altered | Veeran Starskip & Dorian Starskip

Week 12: Five Partings and One Reunion | Allana Djo Solo, Dorian Starskip, Jacen Solo, Ben Skywalker, and Assorted Characters | 5+1 Vignette



~~

 

Notes: Thank you once again to @Mira_Jade for coming up with a separate list of prompts for me so that I could participate along with everyone else!

My Week 1 prompt was to write a story between 100 and 1,000 words that starts with the sentence: “You're burning up.”

I’ve decided to go way out of my comfort zone for this entire challenge. More notes on that at the end…

---

The Anatomist’s Boy Takes Ill


“You’re burning up.”

Dorian Starskip closed his eyes, holding unnaturally still as a hand moved from his forehead to the side of his face. For the briefest instant, he felt the urge to lean into that touch, to leech the cold from those thin, icy fingers, to take comfort from what was hardly more than a clinical examination and imagine it to be an expression of tenderness instead. He resisted that urge, calling upon every ounce of his considerable will to remain motionless on the table.

“I’m fine,” Dorian tried to say, though it came out in a raspy whisper, scraping from a throat that was too hot and too dry.

“You are not,” the doctor returned, his manner only slightly clipped. “Get down from there. I’ll not have you dying from fever.”

Dorian felt something tug against his thoughts – an old, familiar pressure, one he’d known all his life. His twin brother’s fury was barely contained, and the bitter words formed within his own mind as easily as if he’d thought them himself: No, wouldn’t want something else killing him, would you?

He moved to obey the doctor’s order, rolling onto his side to climb down from the table; but the motion was interrupted by a wave of heat and nausea that left him damp with sweat and shaking.

“I’ll take him,” Veeran said quickly, and Dorian sensed his brother’s frustration and concern as he approached the table.

“No,” the doctor replied, ever calm and cold and precise. “I don’t want his sickness to spread.”

Veeran’s voice again, lowered to a growl, more threatening than a twelve-year-old boy had any right to be: “Try to stop me, old man.”

The doctor sighed audibly. “You are a most troublesome child. Very well. Take him to bed, and see that he stays there. And keep your distance from the others.”

Dorian opened his eyes and tried to look around him. The room was only just beginning to brighten as sunlight peeked in through its lone window, and there was an unlit lantern sitting on the desk and the faint smell of smoke in the air. He felt none of the usual morning chill.

His twin’s arms wrapped around him, solid and sure, lifting him off the table and lowering him slowly to the floor. Veeran supported nearly all of Dorian’s weight as he helped him stand. Too hot, Veeran whispered across their bond, worried. Dorian closed his eyes again and leaned into his brother’s side.

Can you keep a secret? Another voice this time – a girl’s voice, gentle and hushed; a bright spot of memory buried under a world of soot and filth and blood.

“Yes,” he murmured in answer to her question, just like he had the first time she asked.

You promise you’ll never tell?

He smiled in spite of himself. “Never.” His awareness sharpened suddenly, then, as if he were waking from a dream; and though he could still feel the mumbled word on his lips, he could no longer remember the question he’d been answering.

“Who are you talking to?” Veeran asked, an edge of panic in his voice. The arm around Dorian’s waist tightened. “He needs medicine.”

The room was silent, and Dorian cracked his eyelids open just enough to see the doctor watching him. Those dark eyes flitted to Veeran for an instant, and a strange expression passed across his face, an expression too elusive for Dorian’s fever-addled brain to pin down.

“Yes,” the old man said, “I believe you are right. Take him to bed; I’ll be in shortly to attend to him.”

Veeran guided him back to their cramped quarters and lowered him onto the rickety bed. Dorian curled up on one side, shivering as his brother pulled a thin blanket over him. Veeran sat down next to him, and the bed frame creaked and sagged beneath.

“I’m fine,” Dorian tried to reassure his brother. He reached under his pillow and pulled out what was – other than the clothes on his back, though those were hardly of any significance – his only worldly possession: a book bound in plum-colored cloth, its pages worn from frequent use. Dorian clutched the book to his chest for a moment, remembering the girl who’d given it to him, with her kind gray eyes and her coppery hair, tied back by ribbons as deeply purple as the tome in his hand. Sometimes it felt a lifetime had passed since then.

His arms shook as he tried to prop the book on the bed next to him; no matter what he tried, he couldn’t get it to stay open. His brother watched him, his brow creased and lips pressed in a thin line. Finally, Veeran reached toward him with one hand.

“I could read it to you,” he said simply.

Dorian looked up at his brother and offered a weak smile. “You hate this book.”

Veeran shrugged his shoulders but didn’t withdraw his hand. Dorian glanced down at his most precious possession, then loosened his fingers from the book; his twin opened it and flipped past several dog-eared pages. “Where should I read?”

Dorian shut his eyes and drew the blanket up to his chin. “You pick.”

He thought his twin might groan or mutter at that, but he said nothing, and Dorian heard only the sounds of London waking outside, and a soft flutter as Veeran continued to turn the pages. At last, the fluttering ceased, and Veeran exhaled and began to read:

“For he by words could call out of the sky
Both Sunne and Moone, and make them him obay:
The land to sea, and sea to maineland dry,
And darkesome night he eke could turne to day:
Huge hostes of men he could, alone, dismay,
And hostes of men of meanest things could frame,
When so him list his enimies to fray:
That to this day, for terror of his fame,
The feends do quake, when any him to them does name…”

---

Spoiler: End Notes

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you; the Super Evil Chaos Twins of Evil are in London, and this a Regency AU!

This is entirely Mira’s fault. And Gabri’s.

Okay, fine, it was my idea to begin with, happy?

I’m still not sure what possessed me to take a silly throwaway mention of a silly AU idea and turn it into a ficlet collection for the Kessel Run, but here we are. Despite my love of history, I make no guarantees that anything will be historically accurate, and I’m definitely not going to try to imitate any of the accents or speech patterns or slang that a couple of poor orphans would have had in this time period. Also, I’m not calling it the Force, but basically the Force kind of exists in this AU. Sort of. So it’s a semi-magical Regency AU, I guess?

Finally, that quote at the end comes from Book III of Edmund Spenser’s epic poem, The Faerie Queene.

~~

 

Oh, fascinating! The twins are still themselves even in this vastly different context! Mira_Jade is the undisputed best at prompt-providing LOL

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

Thanks, that's what I love about writing AUs, and what I wanted to convey with the twins - they're always them, no matter their circumstances. And this certainly was a good prompt.




@Mira_Jade

This all makes me so, SO glad that I kept it a secret!! Your response was just absolutely priceless, you don't even know!

I still can't believe that this is a thing that I'm writing. It should just be a silly, indulgent AU where I stick SW characters into period clothing and have them act all fancy and proper, and exchange witty banter, and oh yeah, dance. But... you know me, I have a hard time going with the grain, especially with these particular characters, so of course my Regency AU is going to have a very poor orphan who will never, ever be a Mr. Darcy, or any other Regency era romantic hero, really. I'd be lying if I said I didn't briefly consider making Dorian that type of character - after all, this is an AU, and he's so good with the banter, so why not? - but really, this is who he is and who he's always been. And if he's not some wealthy duke lord guy, well... I guess I'm going to have to figure out some other way to make the fancy dresses and dancing happen, aren't I? Won't that be interesting?

Also, the Force. The Force is in this.

What even is this, Mira?

This means so much to me, thank you!!

Honestly, even though this is drastically AU, I loved using it as a way to shed even more light on the relationship between Dorian and the doctor in my main 'verse. So even though none of the other stories had a moment quite like this, you can imagine there must have been some moments along these lines throughout their years together. Which reinforces just how Festus became so twisted in the first place.

I couldn't just give up the Force! BECAUSE TWIN BONDS ARE MY FAVORITE AND I'M NOT GIVING THEM UP EITHER. Plus if we're in a semi-magical AU, I can be more easily forgiven for all my historical inaccuracies and anachronisms.

I think we can all get onboard with Veeran's loathing of the doctor. Seriously, screw that guy.

You know, I thought the same thing about that line! And it's probably not a huge deal, but this exchange between Veeran and the doctor was somewhat inspired by something that happens in the Ferrus fic. They hardly ever have a chance to interact directly, so it's fun writing it when they do.

I love them so much, Mira.

Hmm, what indeed? I think it's very possible that there were multiple emotions/thoughts/reactions in that one fleeting expression. I'm probably going to skip around the timeline a lot, but if the right prompt strikes, I can certainly see revisiting the anatomist and his wards.

I did a tiny bit of research about book binding and covers in the early 1800s for this, and it seems like cloth covers in very deep hues were just starting to come into use by the tail end of the Regency, so I jumped on it. Let's face it, my AU is going to be quite a mish-mash of decades all thrown together, for reasons.

Also, I figure it's more likely that Allana would have been reading a children's adaptation of The Faerie Queene, rather than the epic poem itself, but those passages were so great, I'm just going to handwave that away. Or pretend that her "children's version" still included verses of the poem rather than turning all the stories into prose.

And just like pen pal AU Dorian clinging to the shared datapad like a lifeline, here the book serves much the same purpose. There's no doubt that, even if he had other possessions, this book would be his most precious one.

Oh, the number of times I've tried to find just the right position and angle to read a book while lying in bed... yes, this is definitely a difficulty we all can relate to.

Veeran does occasionally show a more sensitive side. (And he probably doesn't hate That Book nearly as much as he puts on. )

When I came across that passage, I knew it was perfect for Veeran and would appeal to his more... martial leanings. Because you're right: for a couple of boys who feel so powerless in every aspect of their lives, imagining themselves as someone powerful enough to command the sun and the moon, and able to make armies tremble at their name... yeah, I can definitely see the appeal in that. Like you said, some things never change, no matter what reality we find these two in.

I imagine he's fast on his way!

Well, I'm ridiculously pleased to hear how much you're enjoying it so far! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback; it was a joy to read, as always!



Coming up next... Week Two!

 

Notes: Moving right along to Week 2! My prompt this week is to write a dialogue-only story between 400 and 800 words in which a character answers a question.

---

The Young Miss Visits the Orphanage


“Can you keep a secret?”

“Yes.”

“You promise you’ll never tell?”

“Never.”

“…I’m not supposed to tell anyone. My grandmother says it has to stay a secret. But sometimes… I can feel the things that other people feel.”

“You can feel them?”

“Yes, it’s like… like their feelings are my feelings. Whether they’re happy or sad or scared… even if they try to hide it. Grandma calls it a— a ‘sense’, I think.”

“Why do you have to keep it a secret?”

“I don’t know. She says it isn’t safe for anyone to know. You will keep it secret, won’t you?”

“Yes, of course.”

“…”

“So… can you sense me?”

“A little. It doesn’t always work right. Sometimes it’s foggy.”

“Is that how I feel? Foggy?”

“No. No, you’re… you feel…”

“What? Is it bad?”

“No, it’s just… your sense reminds me of the moon. I know, it’s silly—”

“It’s not silly. Why the moon?”

“Well, it’s… it’s quiet at night, and the moon is so bright and far away, and… and it always feels a little lonely.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

“You didn’t. Make me feel bad, that is. I’m used to… all this. It’s just the way it is.”

“I wish you didn’t have to live here.”

“It’s better than being on our own, believe me.”

“What if you could live in the country? Would you like that?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been there. What’s it like?”

“Not as crowded as this, and it’s green and the air smells better. And my grandmother has a garden with all sorts of flowers, and there are butterflies, and…”

“It sounds beautiful.”

“It is. You would love it there, I know it.”

“…I should tell you something, before you go.”

“What is it?”

“That sense you have? I think I might have it, too. Not the same as yours, but… my brother and me, ever since we were little. We can hear each other’s thoughts. I always thought it was because we’re twins, but maybe it’s more than that.”

“I thought it was just me.”

“But it’s not, and maybe if your grandmother knew—”

“Oh, no, I can’t tell her. She’d be so upset if she knew I’d told you, please say you won’t—”

“I won’t. I won’t tell anyone, I promise. I’ll take it to my grave.”

“Don’t say that!”

“Why not? It’s true.”

“If you talk about your grave, it’s like saying you’re going to die.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like—”

“It’s all right. But you have to promise not to die either.”

“That’s a lot to promise…”

“It isn’t that much!”

“…Will you do something for me?”

“What?”

“Will you think about me sometimes? When you’re reading one of your books, or— or when you’re in your garden, with your butterflies?”

“I will. Of course I will, and I’ll imagine you’re there with me.”

“Do you have to go?”

“Yes. Grandma says we have more people to help today.”

“When will you be back?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll come back as soon as I can. I promise.”

“…You’re wrong, you know. About the moon. It isn’t lonely. It has all those stars to keep it company. Even if they are far away.”

“I… I hope you like the book. It’s my very favorite.”

“I’ll read it every day.”

“…Goodbye, Dorian.”

“Goodbye… Allana.”


~~

 

a goodbye but with a promise. Nice characters

 

How wonderful!!! He's like the moon... Very poetic. I loved this chat between them, so full of curiosity and warmth. Allana is already so connected to Dorian that she tells him "Don't talk about going to your grave..." I do hope they see each other again and he gets to enjoy the garden and the butterflies

 

Ah, the Doctor. Just the same under any circumstances

This is really an excellent description of delirium coming and going from the POV of the delirious person, I'm impressed

Ooh, cloth-bound book And I notice that Allana's in purple again

Aw, look at Veeran being all thoughtful

Hey now, I'm only an enabler

Kind of like steampunk, except instead of modern technology and the Victorian era, it's the Force and the Regency era. Look at that, you've invented a genre

Ha, Allana's not great at keeping secrets herself, clearly

This is really poetic, and also totally in character for both of them

As someone who's nearly always lived in big cities and isn't at all sure she'd feel comfortable in the country full-time, I still have to say that the country is so much prettier, it's not even funny. And yeah, the air smells better. That right there might be worth it...

lolol, so completely in character, I love it

The Secret Garden, Vi, The Secret Garden

Aw

LOLOL

You realize that Vi's and my shorthand now for "that's an amazing bit of writing" is "Mira will pace", don't you?

 

@earlybird-obi-wan

Thank you so much!




@Mira_Jade

Don't mind me, just grinning like an idiot over here. This AU has taken up long-term residence in my brain and seems in no hurry to move along.

I'm sort of marveling at it myself. I think a good amount of credit has to go to your excellent S&S fanfic serving as inspiration, and getting me to rewatch the movie... I mean, if it weren't for your comment about Willoughby being no Festus or Ferrus, I might not have even thought of this.

It is definitely that!

It really helps to make it still feel like the world and characters I love. Maybe that's why it's been easier to imagine them in this AU? And keeping some form of the Force opens up so many story opportunities...

AAAARRRRGH, it just keeps growing, Mira. And without me even writing much for it. Seriously, I'll write a few lines here and there, but those lines all open up new story directions and it's like "would you just stop growing already, I'm not writing a novella here"... It was supposed to be a one-shot. A one-shot.

Okay, let's be real, I'm not actually complaining. I love the stupid Ferrus fic, even though it makes me sad. And if it ends up taking 20,000 words or more to tell that story, I'll make it happen.

I'm sure I stretched the accuracy a bit, but yeah, mish-mash. This whole AU takes place roughly 17xx-18xx anyway.

Well, now you know I have to have a scene where Marianne forces Edward to read The Faerie Queene. Especially since she's got Margaret reading it.

I do, too.

(GAAAAAAHHH... )

I'm so glad it turned out okay! I wasn't sure at first - kids' voices can be a trick sometimes, especially when we're talking kids 200 years ago. I wanted it to feel as natural as possible and still expand on the story, so I'm happy it worked for you!

THEY'RE SO PRECIOUS, I CAN'T EVEN. (How is this boy the same human disaster who tried to murder Allana in another life, hooooowww??? )

I can't even remember what made me think of that imagery, exactly, (maybe because of the passage Veeran read in the first ficlet, about the sun and the moon?), but it ended up being perfect and I love it so much.

Don't worry, I'm having plenty of feelings of my own where these two are concerned.

He's always so matter-of-fact about all the bad things in his life.

Forces of gravity, indeed. I love that you honed in on that sense of recognition between them, maybe a sort of belonging that they don't quite have anywhere else? Something to ponder, at least.

That's exactly it, even with his imagination being what it is, he still accepts reality for what it is, and she just wants so much more for him than that. But in this time and place, what can be done? The divide between their worlds must seem impossibly huge and unable to be crossed.

How amazing would the country have appeared to any child of London? Dorian has no expectation that he's ever going to leave that city; he only wants to know that somewhere, in a place more beautiful than he can imagine, someone is thinking of him.

Well I do love getting this reaction. And once I started thinking about that imagery, the entire metaphor just fell into place, like it was meant to be.

This really means a lot to me, seriously. My writing goals are never let's see how dark and depressing and weird I can be today... though I'm sure it might at times seem that way. It really is about finding that balance between darkness and light: that's the sweet spot where most of my stories exist, it seems. I'm so glad you felt uplifted and hopeful after reading this, despite everything else. And I love your wording here: no matter everything between the moon and the stars in the meantime. I might have to snag that for a title at some point.

Aw, thank you so much, my friend! I have more for you coming right up!




@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it! It was fun putting little Allana and Dorian in such a different (but in some ways not) setting.

I think I can guarantee they will see each other again.




@Gabri_Jade

Where's that Jean-Ralphio gif? He's the wooooooorrrrst.

Aw, I'm so glad you liked that! I've never been this delirious from fever, but I was really trying to capture that sort of disorientation you get when you've been under anesthesia, or even just when you start falling asleep and someone tries to talk to you and it's like you know exactly what you're trying to say, but as soon as you try to repeat it, it's completely gone. So yeah, I'm happy it worked!

Right? Give me all those old cloth-bound books.

Lol, yep, you better believe I put her in purple again.

He has his moments.

And you are very good at enabling, dearest.

Call me, Disney.

Lolol, oh, kids.

Aw, shucks. And yay, I thought it felt right!

I love the idea of the country, though I'm not sure how well I'd do there year-round. Of course, if my options were 19th-century English countryside and 19th-century London, I'd say English countryside wins hands down. Probably.

She's so appalled by his matter-of-fact acceptance of his depressing circumstances.

You don't know how delighted I was that that's what this reminded you of. And now I'm gonna need to reread the book and watch the movie for the first time in ages...

Apparently I'm just revisiting all the 19th-century literature from my childhood these days.

(Little Lord Space Byron... except not in space... and not really Lord Byron either, yikes )

Thanks as always for your lovely feedback, dearest. It's always a treat.

She's not even kidding, I've actually had that appear in my beta notes multiple times.



All right, next up: drabbles!

 

Notes: It's Week 3, and that means it's time for some drabbles! Mira actually gave me two sets of drabbles to choose from, and me being me, I decided to write for both sets. My first (and very Regency-flavored) set of prompts were: Parvenu, Tambour, Auspice, Cotillion, Perturbation. My second, more random set of prompts were: Reflection, Tempest, Grasp, Sting, Dissuade. The title for the second set is taken from Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene.

---

“The Houses of Skywalker and Solo”


Parvenu


“Sir Han—”

“Captain Solo.”

“I beg your pardon, Sir Han, but I cannot address you—”

“Of course you can. It’s simple. You open your mouth, and the words ‘Captain’ and ‘Solo’ come out of it. Even someone as fussy as you should be able to figure it out, Goldenrod.”

“Sir Han—”

“Captain…”

“—I really must protest—”

“You really don’t have to.”

“—since you have been made a baronet, I cannot address—”

“Listen, Goldenrod, if you want to keep your position here, it’s Captain Solo or nothing.”

“But sir!”

“All right, enough. Go… clean something, I don’t know. Boring conversation anyway.”


~~

Auspice


“They seem to be in good spirits.”

Allana clutched her grandmother’s hand, watching silently as a group of children ran to the back door of the orphanage and pulled on hats and scarves. One of the older boys laughed as he pushed the door open; the others followed him outside.

“They have their good days, my lady. Most have taken well to their studies, as you predicted.”

“I am glad to hear it. Children have such a capacity to learn.”

The last boy to leave held a book in one hand. Allana watched him, and wondered what he was reading.


~~


Tambour


"What are you embroidering today, Grandma?”

Leia looked up from her stitchwork, needle poised over the white muslin as she met her granddaughter’s curious gaze. “It’s a handkerchief for your great-grandmother. Would you like to see?”

Allana nodded and sat down beside her, fingers reaching out tentatively toward the embroidery hoop in Leia’s hands. Her granddaughter lightly traced the soft blue stitches. “They look like waves.”

Leia smiled fondly as she remembered her own childhood trips to the seashore. “Your great-grandmother has a deep love of the sea.”

Allana continued to trace the waves. “I’d love to go there someday.”


~~


Perturbation


Allana jumped down from the carriage without thinking. It didn’t matter that such behavior was shocking and unheard of in a well-bred young lady, nor that she was wholly unfamiliar with London in general, let alone this part of it. The little boy’s cry for help had pierced the fog of her companion’s polite conversation and stabbed directly at her heart, and she felt an urgency and compulsion to act that had hitherto been unknown to her. She chased after the boy and his assailants, unaware of how that one impulsive moment would forever alter the course of her life.


~~

Cotillion


"You’ve outdone yourself, my dear.”

Luke watched his wife turn away from their full, resplendent ballroom, a mischievous glint in her green eyes. “All in service to a singular goal,” she replied.

“Oh?” Luke stepped closer and took her hand in his. “And what is that?”

Mara lifted one eyebrow, a previously hidden smile quirking her lips. “To wear my favorite gown, and dance with my husband as much as possible.”

Luke looked out at the lines of dancers and grinned. “Shall we show them how it’s done?”

Mara was, as ever, eager to embrace the challenge. “Indeed, we shall.”

---

“Poor Orphans in the Wide World Scattered”


Tempest


The storm, they would later discover, was one of the most violent in the city’s history. Perhaps it was Providence, for without the confusion wrought by the leaking roof and the deafening crash of thunder masking their movements, their escape from the doctor might have utterly failed.

They climbed out one of the highest windows and traveled across rooftop after rooftop, a journey made even more perilous by the pouring rain and lightning-forked darkness. The sky felt impossibly close, as if they had become one with the storm: creatures of fire and water long chained and now, finally, set free.


~~

Reflection


“You say you’re twins?”

Dorian exchanged a glance with Veeran. They’d been careful not to mention that fact; twins were rare enough around here, and they couldn’t afford to call attention to themselves.

“No,” Veeran said quickly. “Just brothers.”

The mill foreman looked them over with a skeptical eye. “You look like twins.”

“Well, we’re not.”

The man grinned and gestured between Veeran and Dorian. “Like looking in a mirror, ain’t it?” He nodded at Veeran. “You look like a strong lad, at least. You the oldest, then?”

Dorian cleared his throat. “No,” he said with a smirk. “I am.”


~~

Grasp


Dorian heard the child’s cry for help just as he was leaving for his shift. It echoed faintly down the alley, and he felt it shiver up his spine. He could have kept going – he was already late and couldn’t afford to lose this job – but he knew that voice. He had been that voice, once.

He followed the shouting, until he ran smack into a small boy of seven, maybe eight. “Please, mister.” The child clung to the front of his jacket. “Help me.”

Dorian looked past the boy at his pursuers. “Stay back,” he said, “and don’t watch.”


~~

Sting


"Ow! What the devil—?”

She tried to stifle her laughter, but he could practically feel it bubbling out of her. “Why, it’s… it’s only a bee.”

He blinked back at her. “A what?”

“A bee,” she repeated, still trying not to laugh. “You’ve been stung by a bee, Mr. Starskip.”

He rubbed the inflamed skin of his hand. “So it seems.”

“I hope it won’t put you off country living. Only I promised once that you would love it here.”

How becoming she looked just then, in the sunlight. “No,” he said quietly. “It hasn’t put me off, Miss Solo.”


~~

Dissuade


“This is a terrible idea. You know that, don’t you?”

“You say terrible, I say inspired.”

“I think you mean idiotic. Where did you even get these clothes?”

“I’m not sure I should tell you that.”

“Remember who you’re talking to, brother.”

“Quiet, and help me tie this thing.”

“Why on earth would I know how to tie a cravat?”

“I’m impressed that you know what it’s called.”

“You shut your mouth.”

“It doesn’t need to be fancy—”

“Oh, it doesn’t need to be fancy… You look ridiculous, you know.”

“As long as it gets me in, I don’t care.”


~~

 

Hilarious, touching and sweet seeing your characters and canon characters interacting

 

Parvenu -- GOLDENROD FTW! Even in this vastly different AU, Han is still himself! Snarking at a servant! "Go clean something."

I love the glimpses of Leia and Allana in Auspice and Tambour. Their compassion for others and their familial affection are clear.

It seems very much in character that Leia would do something as lovely and creative as needlepoint/embroidery.



~

Her bravery totally comes out in Perturbation.

~

COTILLION ... SQUEE! SQUEE!

Luke and Mara being loving with one another and sharing a dance!
This entire thing must become a short story showing their initial meeting through courtship and marriage. I'd be there in a minute!

---

The second set is more serious in tone overall until we get to Sting and Dissuade.

The friendship of Dorian and Allana and the teasing between siblings is evident.

 

Regency era Han and Leia are awesome and these were well written:

 

@earlybird-obi-wan

Aw, I'm so glad you liked them! Thanks for reading!




@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

I got a lot of joy out of writing fussy butler Threepio, not gonna lie. And Han is Han, no matter what. I couldn't mess with that.

I always enjoy writing Leia and Allana moments, brief though they often are. Maybe we'll get some more of those in this collection as well!

That to me is one of Allana's defining qualities, she's so very brave, far braver than she realizes.

We'll see what sparks the ol' muse! It's been fun imagining everyone's alternate histories in this world. If the right prompt strikes, maybe there will be more on those subjects later!

I do enjoy the juxtaposition of angst and humor with these characters, so it was fun to go from serious to funny with these.




@Nehru_Amidala

Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed them!




@Mira_Jade

Hee, I didn't think you'd have any complaints there.

Awww! It really is amazing how inspiration breeds inspiration, isn't it?

Um, yes, yes you do.

Me too.

, again. That's really one of the best compliments you could give me, truly.

It's a very rewarding reaction to get!

If I'm being completely honest, I sort of did a happy dance when I saw you'd sent me two sets of prompts.

No joke, I started writing this drabble almost as soon as I looked up parvenu. It was too perfect, I couldn't resist.

(Yes, those other prompts were for balance, Mira. Balance. )

I sat there for a minute or two trying to think of how to translate Threepio into Regency England, and then it clicked, and it was perfect, and I love it soooo much. I had a lot of fun imagining and writing this scene.

You know, I'm not sure I've quite decided. I was leaning toward given name, but I could easily see it being an earned name, too... and I may have to revisit that at some point...

I do love a well-timed movie quote.

This one was a little harder for me, because I had a lot I wanted to convey - Leia's patronage, how this orphanage is better than most others because of her influence, but the kids still have their struggles, Allana's timidity, and that hint at her first meeting with Dorian... even a glimpse of Veeran being first out the door to play. Anyway, it was a lot, so I'm glad Leia's heart came through for you here, because I worried that it would get lost in everything else. But that's one of the things I love about writing drabbles: finding ways to cram a complete (or mostly complete) story into such a tiny word limit.

I couldn't not hint at it. Auspice has multiple meanings, after all.

I think it was as I was sorting out everyone's social status and titles and whatnot that I realized I was basically also writing a (mostly) happy fix-it AU, and I was very pleased with this realization, not gonna lie.

It took a bit of thinking before I landed on what exactly Leia was going to be embroidering, but the waves just fit so well, tying in that ocean imagery I love so much for Allana, as well as my headcanon that Padmé loves the sea. (I mean, she loved to swim as a girl, right?) Anyway, given my own preference for oceans/beaches/swimming, this is something I'm always going to enjoy bringing into my fics.

*whispers*let's just say you might be onto something with that last bit, but there are certain events that I might have to avoid for a while in this or any AU because I'm saving them for a certain other project first...*/whispers*

I have to be honest - this moment was directly inspired by two character-defining scenes in Georgette Heyer's Arabella. Gabri said Arabella reminded her of how Allana might be in the Regency era, and after reading it, I was in total agreement... and those two scenes were a big part of why. I did still try to give it my own spin, though, and I hope you'll enjoy the eventual result.

Lolol, I thought you'd appreciate this one as well. We can definitely thank Gabri for this one; she asked if Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara were going to show up in this AU, perhaps hosting a ball, and I got all bug-eyed and practically bounced out of my seat with excitement because oh I have plans for that let me tell you. Which... I guess you got a small glimpse of at the end of these drabbles.

This ended up being one of my favorites of both sets.

Hee, I'm glad you thought so! I know we've talked about having moments where you can see Dorian in Festus, but I also enjoy writing those moments where you can see Festus in Dorian, and I haven't gotten to write as many of them. This AU is the perfect opportunity for it, because he's experienced some of the same trauma, but not for as long, and without all the Sith doctrine stuff attached to it. So it's interesting figuring out who he would become in those circumstances and exploring whether or not those things we associate with Festus are all an act, or whether some of them are a natural progression of Dorian's character regardless.

All this to say: Dorian can be kinda smug and smirky no matter what reality he's in.

You know, with infant mortality being what it was back then, it did make me wonder how many sets of twins survived childhood? Like, I could see Dorian and Veeran being something of a novelty to people. I also like playing with the fact that they're not actually identical - and in this drabble I imagine they're about 14, which means Veeran would have already been significantly taller and bigger than Dorian at this point, so it makes Dorian's retort about being the oldest even better.

I'm really enjoying the freedom of not knowing what prompts are coming for this challenge, and of working in such a drastically different AU where I don't have to worry about matching up with the main 'verse. It's pretty freeing.

I was particularly pleased with that line, so I'm glad it had an impact! (Heck yeah, Allana is running after that same boy! And I'm looking forward to revisiting these events again... eventually. )

Riiiight???

I got no small amount of enjoyment out of this silly little drabble, lemme tell you. I mean, it's me we're talking about; there are a lot of much darker places I could have taken a drabble called "Sting"... but this was too good to pass up. How many bees are there in the slums of 1800s London? Even for someone who is used to managing pain, I imagine an unexpected bee sting would be startling, especially if that person has never actually seen a bee in real life before.

Because a bee sting is a small price to pay if it means he's with her.

I swear this whole conversation actually wrote itself. (It actually came out at exactly 100 words, first try, I don't even know how that happened. ) And whatever gave you that idea, I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about...

When will I ever not love a couple of bickering, snarky siblings? I love them so much, it's stupid. This is just them, in every reality.

(Also let's hope things turn out a little better than they did in IDWD, yikes. )

I honestly did not expect this AU to take root the way it has, but I'm loving every bit of it. I'm not quite finished with the next prompt, but I figured I'd post these now and see if I can get the new entry up either tonight or tomorrow. So stay tuned! And thank you, thank you for the amazing, encouraging feedback!



My week 4 fic isn't ready yet, but I'll be back either tonight or tomorrow with that. I think.

 

You're welcome

 

Notes: All right, time for Week 4! My prompt for this week was: using only 100 to 1,000 words, write a Dramatic Monologue. (You don't actually have to write poetry if you're not inspired, of course, but the idea behind the dramatic monologue should be observed: a speech or narrative where a silent listener is addressed, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing a particular situation or series of events.)

I couldn’t think of a good title on my own, so I stole the title of Arcane’s third episode. Or part of it, anyway.

---

The Base Violence Necessary, or Ruminations of an Anatomist


The twenty-first of October, 18xx. Subject is male, twenty years old, weight—

Please stop staring and pay attention; you are supposed to be writing this down. Gracious, but I should think you would be well aware of the routine by now.

—As I was saying: weight, approximately twelve stone, no evidence of ailment, though diet is likely poor. We will start with the usual treatment, then see how he responds. Finish the record and come assist me here— quickly, before he comes to. Remember what happened last time…

Sometimes I think you fail to grasp the importance of what we are doing here. The universe is so much larger than anything you or I can currently comprehend, and yet it still calls to us. Mankind would see us bound by arbitrary rules, by everything that is safe and ordinary; but we’re not ordinary, you and I. A mind that seeks to expand beyond the confines of this earthly shell could never settle for anything less.

You understand that, don’t you? Of course you do, of course you do. I seek because I must; I tear down to rebuild anew, to observe at the most minute and basic level and discover the secrets of life and death that have thus far eluded me. There is something else there, caught between those two extremes. You have felt it, too, have you not? An energy – nay, a primal force – that binds all, that hums in your bones and whispers in the places you pretend not to hear.

Don’t look at me like that, child. Do up the restraints like I showed you, or we will have quite the mess on our hands. Yes, that’s it, just tight enough. It is a shame your brother lacks your constitution; I could use his help with the more resistant subjects. They do tend to thrash ever so much. How such a strong boy can have such a weak stomach is beyond me. I suppose it’s just as well, though – he never would have held up the way you have, and then where would we be?

I will admit, there are times I am curious to know how the alternative scenario might have played out. Would he have gone mad or given up the ghost as quickly as all the others? Or would he have endured, as you have? Come now, my boy, no need to look so alarmed. You know how much I value consistency. There’s no sense in swapping the two of you now. Fetch me those vials.

This one is going to need an extra dose to keep him quiet. That’s the trick, administering just enough. Too much and it dulls the reactions; not enough and they go into shock, and while both conditions are certainly worth studying, neither one of them is of particular interest to me at the present time. If only I had access to a proper laboratory; what a difference that would make! Can you imagine the advances— look here, you must find the vein first, see those blue lines under the skin? A drug administered here will travel to the heart and throughout the body – fools, thinking they could figure out the complexities of human anatomy by cutting open corpses, as if that could tell them anything useful about how a person lives and breathes— I daresay you won’t be able to fully appreciate this yet, my boy, but we are on the brink of a new age of scientific understanding here. I have already moved decades beyond my former colleagues, and all it would have cost them to keep up was a small adjustment of conscience…

The lancet, if you please. I fear we haven’t long with this particular subject; he is already quite pale—

This again? How many times have we played this game, my boy? Hand over the knife, we both know you’re not going to use it. You are more likely to tear your stitches than to do any damage to me, and what will that accomplish? That’s it… yes, that’s it, there’s a good lad. Now stand back there and watch, I don’t need you crowding me. Watch, and you just might learn something.


~~

 

Han would horrify the gentry

Aw yiss

Embroidered handkerchiefs are lovely, but unless you're daintily dabbing at the merest tear, the concept has always kind of bothered me. Embroidery takes a lot of work. I don't want to blow my nose on someone's hours of artistic labor.

Anyway...

Headcanon accepted!

There's Allana for you

So poetic and gothic, it made me think of Frankenstein, or Caliban

I completely understand how satisfying it was for Dorian to say this; from our teen years on, everyone has always assumed that my nearly-4-years-younger sister is the oldest (My sister is also annoyed by it, for the opposite reason ) You go, unassuming-looking eldest child Dorian

Ah, there's our Festus

Just a perfect bit of writing

Not going to lie, I remain slightly disappointed that the bee drabble didn't involve a tiny pyre

I can see this

lololol

Ah, yes, the Doctor's voice is distinctive no matter what reality it's in

Well, that's horrifying

Never, ever trust someone who thinks they're so extraordinary as to be beyond the rules of humanity. Run. Run far away from these people.

This is just a brilliant description of the Force through Regency-style language

Hello, Dr Mengele...

Aside from the horrifyingness of all of this, it's a really good way to show us aspects of both characters' personalities without telling us. As were all of the asides within this piece where the Doctor interrupts himself, which were masterfully done from a technical standpoint, btw.

Yes, I want to see this! With Edward giving Marianne side-eye as he reads and Marianne growing ever more horrified and Elinor quietly amused and exasperated as she continues with her sewing

Seconded; the motion carries. More of all of this, Vi

 

Aw that's an evil doctor

 

@Gabri_Jade

I do love picturing Han interacting with those levels of society.

Bookworm Dorian is a constant in every reality... as is Allana being intrigued by him.

See, now I'm going to picture a young Leia arguing with Padmé about why she shouldn't embroider handkerchiefs, for this exact reason.

Aw yeah.

Deeply empathetic and brave and impulsive, yep, sounds about right.

I knew you would like that one.

This was one of my favorite drabbles, so I'm glad you liked it.

Lol, this cracked me up, and I love that you could relate to Dorian here.

I really enjoy writing this sort of middle ground version of him, it's very interesting balancing all his aspects.

Aw, thanks! I was looking for a way to convey the same sort of emotions from the twins' decathlon, when they decided to kill the slavers on that space station, but without using too many words (because drabble!). This line was the result, and I love it.

Success!

I love these ridiculous idiots so much. (And shades of the "sycophant" exchange from the HK-47 story, too. )

It's crazy how I hardly even needed to change the way he spoke. As if he was always meant to exist in a Regency AU. Good job, me. I think.

Seriously, this. And that's why the doctor is still so terrifying even in a reality where he's not a Sith Lord serving alongside an army of Sith Lords. The supernatural powers aren't what make him a monster - it's this mindset, right here.

Yay, I'm glad it worked! It was an interesting exercise trying to describe the Force the way someone from the early 1800s might think of it.

Yeah.

Quite literally the inspiration for his character. I guess that's what happens when you start writing about a new Sith empire while teaching a class on the history of the Holocaust... although I will say, I never meant to copy the twin experimentation aspect wholesale. As you know, that was a more recent development with Mezzon that hit me upside the head about a day into writing the EtF sequel, and then later I was like, "oh wait, is this too on-the-nose?". But of course it fits, both for in-universe reasons and as a meta reference.

That's really what I set out to do here: give greater insight into both the doctor and Dorian. Because look, even though this is a Regency AU and largely a chance for me to have fun and indulge in some silliness and lean into the Austen romance tropes a bit, it's also a way to shed light on certain things in the main Enter!verse that I might have otherwise glossed over. The day-to-day of Dorian's time with the doctor is one of those things. And even though this is 1800s London, it's not hard to imagine this sort of scene playing out on Yalena, or Korriban.

And I'm glad you liked how those asides were done! I was thinking of how Dorian described the doctor's fast-paced, rambling manner of speech in TLotD, and I wanted to try to convey that here. Yes, he's technically talking to Dorian, but he's hardly interested in having an actual conversation, and it's really just him thinking out loud.

Yep, this needs to happen, Mira!

"the motion carries"... lolol...

Welp, I guess I don't have much choice, do I?




@earlybird-obi-wan

He really is the worst.




@Mira_Jade

Oh, you know.

*makes notes*

That's all you're getting out of me, my lips are sealed...

...I'm totally going to end up telling you everything, aren't I?

Aw, thank you! I really loved the book, and I definitely recommend it!

Angst squared, baby.

Thank you, I'm really glad you think so! I actually really enjoyed the challenge of conveying the scene and the relationship between the characters through one person's dialogue alone.

Yes it is.

Right? He doesn't have to be the most powerful person around to be threatening, and there's an almost hypnotic quality to his delusional, grandiose speechifying. Change the context of this speech, and you could almost understand why someone might be drawn in by those sentiments. Maybe that's part of why it's so scary?

Ha, like I told Gabri, I was trying to stay in an early-1800s mindset in describing how the Force would feel, so I'm glad it worked!

Yep, he's completely indifferent to the anguish that the mere thought of this scenario would have sparked in Dorian. (This also wasn't the author dropping any hints about other potential AUs for LHFaE, nope, not at all... )

I really never anticipated that this would be a genre that I would do well in. And I promise I'm not ever doing any of this for shock value or because I think it's somehow deeper just by virtue of being dark. There's a method to my madness. So I'm glad, again, that you're able to get what's going on without my needing to spell it out explicitly. I read something the other day about leaving white spaces around our writing, as one would leave white space around artwork in a gallery, so that each piece can shine and be viewed without distraction. The article said a similar principle could apply to writing - by intentionally leaving some information out, you create a void for the reader to fill with their own imagination, because they now have to enter the world you created to figure out what was left unsaid. And this concept really spoke to me, because it's one that I think I've practiced without realizing it? Not just with the psychological horror stuff, but also as I've expanded on my main 'verse over the last year-and-a-half. It's a delicate balance, deciding what to reveal and what not to reveal, scattering pieces of the puzzle across multiple stories and resisting the urge to explain them all right away. And as much as that "white space" is appealing to readers, I think it's also appealing to me as a writer because it means I don't have to figure out every little detail right away. I can figure out the broad strokes and then go on a journey with the characters and learn new things about them, and a lot of times I'll realize that those little details I needed for later have actually been there all along.

It's scary how perfectly he fits into this world. So I actually wrote a good chunk of this piece within a couple hours of receiving the prompt, and then when I went back to finish it that night, I ended up going down some 1800s medical research rabbit holes, and that had a bit of influence. I wanted to make sure I was somewhat accurate as far as medical knowledge at the time goes, but in the process I learned that the nature of how injections worked wasn't fully understood. It was thought that anything injected into the skin or into a vein would remain localized; people didn't realize that the blood would carry those injections throughout the entire body and impact other systems. And I thought, "well, gee, if I have a morally bankrupt anatomist who has already moved beyond his colleagues (in that he is no longer working solely with deceased people), is it too far-fetched to think that he might stumble upon actual medical truths decades before they were known to us? Like the fact that veins carry blood (and injected substances) to the heart, and then to the whole body?" It was just a little detail, and I probably gave it too much thought, but it was sort of horrifying to think of how much faster certain advancements might have been made if morality and ethics didn't enter into the equation.

Mezzon really does fit right in with those two, it's true. Which was another reason why he slotted into the Regency era so perfectly. Just the right combination of scientific curiosity and arcane knowledge. And of course I'm flattered if anything I wrote put you in mind of those novels.

Like I told Gabri, that was really my goal, to show just as much about Dorian as I did about the doctor, even though it was entirely through Mezzon's eyes. This scene really was an echo of that similar moment in TLotD, when Dorian tried to leave the doctor on Yalena, which... yeah.

Not gonna lie, I love getting this response.

Funny you should ask, I just so happen to have something extra to share...

 

Notes: Well, guys, I have a bonus response to my week 4 prompt, which was to write a dramatic monologue between 100 and 1,000 words. What can I say? I was inspired. Fear not - this one is definitely on the lighter, happier end of the spectrum. Mostly. I like what @Mira_Jade referred to this as on her S&S thread: a pit stop on the Kessel Run. I foresee making a few more such pit stops before I'm through with this challenge, and since the point of all this is to have fun and write, I say why not?

---

A Private Conversation


All right, quiet down, you lot. How am I supposed to think with you carrying on? Yeah, I see you, Thistle, hang on, you’ll get your turn. Acting as if I don’t feed you every day. When have I ever forgotten, silly creature? You do realize this is supposed to be my lunchtime, don’t you?

No, Fawn, I’m not upset, shh, there’s a good girl. Don’t tell anyone, but I’d rather be in here anyway. It’s fine, I’ll eat later. Yes, Thistle, I see you. You are not the only horse in this stable, much as you might think otherwise. Calm down, before you get the others riled up— Watch it, Raven, I’ve put up with enough of your sass this week. I swear, you and my brother would make a perfect pair. Go on, eat your oats.

He’s been a right pain lately, ever since he started working the grounds, and that garden, too. And what was wrong with working in here, eh? Who wants to be that close to the main house? Not me.

I am not being ungrateful, Raven, and I’ll thank you not to repeat that. Of course I’m glad to be here. I’ve already told you as much, haven’t I? You really are just like my brother. Two peas in a pod. Just because I don’t spend half my time stuck in a daydream, doesn’t mean I’m not thankful, or that I’m not happy to be here. He’s the one who’s acting ungrateful if you ask me. Mooning over her like there’s even a chance he could ever— If he’s not careful, he’s going to land us both in trouble.

I know he hasn’t done anything, Thistle, would you just eat your food? It might not be obvious to anyone but me, but he can’t keep it a secret forever. And she’s… well, you’ve seen how she lights up around him. Do you think she even realizes it? —Oh yes, Thistle, I’m certain the only reason she ever comes down here is to see you. Do you think you’re the reason she smiles like that, too?

You’re right, Fawn. She does have a very pretty smile.

All right there, Briar? You’ve been awfully quiet today. I heard you were giving the grooms trouble again. Yeah, I know, you have a reputation to uphold. It does gets tiresome, though, always fighting everyone. There’s a good boy. No, I’m not mad at Dorian. And I’m not jealous, either. What, you don’t believe me? Would I lie to you?

Maybe you’re right. But can you blame me? He’s all I have— don’t look at me like that, you know what I mean. I know I should want him to be happy, but he’s only fooling himself if he thinks he can be near her without ruining everything. And what do you think will happen when they all realize he’s in love with her? We’ll both be dismissed faster than you can blink, that’s what. And then who’ll look after you, Briar, hm?

Shh, there there, I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m not going anywhere, not if I can help it. Well, except up to the kitchen to fetch my lunch, once I’m finished with you lot— You just put your head back down and finish those oats, Thistle, I know exactly what you were going to say. Can’t a fellow have a private conversation ‘round here? You’re right, Briar, that was rude of him. It’s a good thing I like him anyway.

Right. I’m off then. Try not to miss me too terribly while I’m away. Yeah, Thistle, I thought that might make you laugh…


~~

 

Love that monologue to the horses