★ the saltmaster extraordinaire

Chapters: One-Shot
Fandom: Oban Star-Racers
Rating: T
Relationships: Don Wei & Original Robot Character
Characters: Don Wei, Original Robot Characters, Eva Wei (mentioned), Aikka (mentioned)
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Post-War, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Artificial Intelligence, Mortality, Character Study

Summary

“So I should ignore any and all future threats to take me apart and sell me for scrap as well?”

It’s remarkable, how a vaguely feminine voice in a metal shell surrounding a blue mechanical eye, can look and sound cheeky. And yet, somehow, STELLA manages it. Isn’t that just like Eva, to give him the gift of a personal assistant with an attitude problem?

Additional Notes: Finally edited and properly posted this little scene. Read on AO3.

Just what it says on the tin! The long-awaited Kickstarter for the Blu-Ray edition of Oban Star-Racers (an excellent French-Japanese animated co-production that I've preciously recommended here) is finally live and already past the first stretch-goal (as of this writing).

I've pledged 110€ to this project, which secured me a Collector's Edition of the Blu-Ray and several other extra goodies. However, the tier I really wanted was the 250€ one, which also included a figurine of Eva that's been out of production for years and effectively impossible to find. Alas, all 50 slots for that one got taken so fast that I never stood a chance. 😅

It's that time of the month again and here's another art-piece by the lovely Yinza, for my fusion AU fic between Oban Star-Racers/ATLA& LoK, songs of surrender. This one is an illustration from the first chapter, depicting this particular scene:

Molly is still on her feet, albeit barely. The way she's moving tells Rick that she's got a couple of bruised ribs, at the very least. Her head-guard is moving around, the strap weakened when she hit the water at a wrong angle. There's blood dripping out of her nose, where it collided with the loose headgear, in her face-first fall to the floor. But she's not giving up, raising her right hand, palm-side up and curling her fingers, in the classic "bring it!" motion.

I'm back with another lovely piece of fanart by the great Yinza! This is a sister-piece to this one right here, both from the upcoming chapter 3 of songs of surrender, my Oban Star-Racers / ATLA & LOK fusion AU. This one is meant to represent the duality of Don Wei in this fic -- Waterbending Master and innate Bloodbender from Yakone's genetic line, protector and murderer, famous businessman and member of a shadowy death-cult dedicated to a spirit of eternal darkness. Korra's last disciple/son and Canaletto's hunting wolf.

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Here's another art-piece by the lovely and very talented Yinza, of a scene from songs of surrender, my Oban Star-Racers / Avatar The Last Airbender & Legend of Korra fusion-fic. This one is a moment from chapter 2 -- Aikka, Prince of the Northern Water Tribe, meditating in the Foggy Swamp. He's in the middle of a world tour, keen on studying as many Waterbending styles as possible, with a variety of masters. In this case, the tribesmen in the swamp. (Not in the image but very much present, is Canaan, his first teacher and mentor, who unlike Aikka's calm openness to learn, is complaining about the mud, the biting flies and the locals).

Aaaaah, here it is! An illustration from the upcoming chapter 3 (after I manage to edit and post both it and chapter 2) of songs of surrender, my Oban Star-Racers / ATLA & LOK fusion AU. This particular scene is a flashback sequence that takes place seventeen years before the main canon events and involves Don and his mentor, Avatar Korra, after they barely managed to survive a Red Lotus terror-attack. Korra is helping Don through his shock, so they can both start aiding the injured and those buried under the rubble. 

The art is by the lovely and very talented Yinza -- here are links to their Tumblr and Pillowfort accounts. Take a look at their Patreon as well, they do fantastic work. Here is their commissions page and I 100% recommend commissioning them if you need anything from your original characters illustrated all the way to seeing scenes from your fics come to life.

So! I promised that I'd be posting some of the choicest bits from the OSR artbook, since there's some very interesting info in there, among all the gorgeous images. And here's the first thing, taken from Rick's character profile page:



First reaction: Oh for fuck's sake, here they go, No-Homo'ing yet another one of my favorite M/M ships!

On further reflection: No, no wait, this is delicious and so wonderfully messed-up! I can actually work with this!

Because here's the thing. I can actually see Don developing a kind of paternal affection (however stunted) toward Rick, everything in him screaming to fill that jagged, still-bleeding hole he made with his own hands, when he left Eva in Stern. It would be an almost unconscious process, because Don repressed himself so badly, both in terms of his own emotions and his effective memories of the past, that, for the most part, he wouldn't even be aware of that gaping hole (or, rather, wouldn't let himself be aware, because that particular wound would entirely undo him, if he permitted it).

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This morning I got a review that had me on cloud nine for the whole day!


Yes, I know the age-old advice of first-and-foremost writing for yourself and your own satisfaction (why else would I have gone ahead with seemingly such an out-of-the-blue crossover, if not for my own satisfaction?) But my God, does it ever feel good when I get even the smallest hint that my effort isn't for nothing, that I'm not just tossing my writing out there in the void and that others can and do find joy and merit in it. Also, it's always very nice to be complimented on characterization, since that is the source of my greatest anxiety -- the notion that I either don't have a good grasp on the characters' personalities, voices and patterns of thinking or that I'm totally off-base in my interpretation.

Reviews like this one are the lifeblood of a writer and I'm still smiling like an idiot, well over twelve hours later. 

Sketching ideas for two 10k-ish length fics:

• "five realities that never were" [Oban Star-Racers, gen-fic] Events happen differently after Maya's horrific death. In some realities, Don never descends into depression and alcoholism. In others he takes Eva with him, into a life of drifting. In yet others, he gives her up for adoption, recognizing his inability to care for her in his current state. But each and every time, Canaletto carefully and subtly steps in to 'correct' the flow of destiny, so that his grand plan, unfolding for ten thousand years, still comes to fruition.

• "the shadow that devours the world" [Oban Star-Racers, gen-fic] A subtle horror fic about Canaletto and his long influence over the genetic lines he followed, in order to reach Eva. Focuses on three generations of the Wei family as young children and their murky nightmare of a terrible and frightful, many-armed monster + Don and Eva finally talking about Canaletto and beginning to properly heal after Oban.

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

Molly’s blown past everyone else before her, breathing hard and swaying in place, well over three hours since the test began. But Rick can see that she’s reaching the limits of her endurance. Flames sometimes sputter out completely and she lets at least two discs hit her right in the visor. Her movements are sluggish and uncoordinated, body swaying when she should be firmly rooted in place.

By the fortieth attempt, a blow to the left side of the abdomen makes her crumble in on herself and fall face-first to the floor with a muffled sound, showing no signs of getting up again.

“She’s out cold,” Jordan murmurs, now all but hanging off the edge of the seat-row itself. Given that the safety barriers aren’t up, he stands a very good chance of landing right in the water. Rick can’t disagree with the assessment, even as much as he wants to. Molly has lasted so long that he himself can scarcely believe it, but everyone has a limit.

Don seems to have reached the same conclusion. He turns on his heel and moves to the edge of the arena, motioning for the two Waterbender healers on standby.

“We’re done here.”

“… No. No we’re not.”

Read on AO3.

Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Oban Star-Racers, Avatar: The Last Airbender / Legend of Korra
Rating: Mature
Relationships: Eva Wei/Aikka/Jordan Wilde, Don Wei/Rick Thunderbolt, Don Wei/Maya Wei
Characters: Eva Wei, Don Wei, Jordan Wilde, Aikka, Rick Thunderbolt, Stan, Koji

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Bending (Avatar), Pro-Bending, Families of Choice, Team as Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Worldbuilding, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra

Summary       

A wild-eyed Firebender girl, on the run and desperate to be reunited with her father. A young Avatar-in-training, keen to meet his Waterbending teacher. A Prince of the Northern Water Tribes, traveling the world to learn from Masters with unique bending styles.

The three are headed for Republic City, in search of the same man: Don Wei, Waterbending Master, top pro-bending manager and the city's most ruthless businessman. None of them know the darkness that Don Wei must contend with, haunted by the loss of all he loves and caught in a morass of intrigue and vengeance. All while a horrible shadow looms, pleased with the unfolding of its grand design and ready to swallow the world whole.

Read on AO3.

I promised that I would do a canon rec for one of my favorite shows and here it is – why I think you should watch Ōban Star-Racers (or OSR, for short), a French-Japanese co-production, with an excellent English track (both the French and English audio tracks were recorded simultaneously, by the original production team). This is a rec predominantly for people who enjoy animation with a strong narrative and character focus, such as Voltron Legendary Defender, Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.

SUMMARY:

Once every ten thousand years, the Avatar, protector of the Milky Way Galaxy, organizes the Great Race on the legendary planet Ōban, at the very center of the galaxy. It is a competition between ninety-six chosen sentient species, with the mysterious Ultimate Prize at the very end. Wild rumors and speculation abounds, with some claiming that the Ultimate Prize entitles the victor to wipe entire planets off the face of the galaxy, while others say that the winner of the race may see the fulfillment of any wish, even the return of a loved one from the dead.

But that’s not how our story starts. Our story begins with teenage schoolgirl Eva Wei, a talented mechanic and pilot, desperately lonely and dreaming of reuniting with her estranged father and of having a normal family once more. Her wish sees her embroiled in the machinations of both the Great Race of Ōban and the politics of the Earth Team, with her own father failing to recognize her and her team-mates initially treating her as little more than an unwanted stowaway. Against the odds, Eva has to prove herself and fight for her dream of family, while navigating the treacherous and often life-threatening competition. Not realizing that an ancient, malevolent force awaits in the wings, spinning its webs and slowly bringing its grand design to fruition.

REASONS TO WATCH:

• genuinely complex, multi-faceted, flawed main characters, who grow and change and make mistakes as the series goes on, who hurt themselves and others with their actions, yet who also strive to do the best they can in the situation. Someone seems like an asshole and nothing more? Strap in and get ready for the character-development roller-coaster!
• a female heroine who isn’t exempt from the above complexity, capable of great selfishness and terrifying inner darkness, yet also transcendental courage and kindness
• a diverse human cast, with the Earth Team being an openly multi-racial affair
• gorgeous animation, particularly the lush, alien backgrounds and the racing scenes
• equally gorgeous music, courtesy of the famous Japanese composer Taku Iwasaki, with some of the tracks sending chills down the listener’s spine
• the emotional core of the show is, beyond grand efforts to win an intergalactic competition and save the world, a teenage girl’s determined efforts to reconnect with her estranged father and have a family once more
• extremely creative and varied alien designs, with individuals ranging from bipedal orc-like creatures covered in black fur all the way to sentient crustacean-like beings, who can communicate through telepathy
• the show avoids demonizing any of the main characters or most of their opponents, who are presented as equally complex individuals, with personal motivations that range from selfish to utterly selfless.
• tightly-plotted, able to achieve its goals and tell an engaging, emotional story in 26 episodes

Watch on YouTube

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