From Saplings Come Great Forests

I'm inundated with ideas right now, sequels, prequels and all kinds of possibilities. I have the Science fic I'm still solidly working on (though march has crept up on me), and I've unfortunately finished this fic (Nature of Love) two days too late for the competition. It stings a little, even with no cash prize I'd still liked to have ranked somewhere. Life has admittedly been a bit hectic lately, but it's no excuse.

Nature of Love was an intentional challenge for me, something that spawned out of the prior competition's 'Polyamorous' theme in fact. I love crack pairings, oddball romances, and unusual character interactions. My original idea for the poly competition was Gaea Everfree (Spirit), JVJ-24601 (Micro Chips toaster themed robot), and Sunset Shimmer. Definitely not your average pairing! I had difficulty arranging everything in my head though and the competition slipped by. I held Gaea in my back pocket though, she intrigued me.

Simultaneously i've been working out the nuts and bolts of an interlinked continuity in the same vein as Estee and FanofMostEverything (who I shamelessly cribbed 'Chromelanin' from), both of whom manage to keep all their plates spinning while keeping the theme/tone consistent. One of the biggest problems I had though was the launching off point. Sure, I had lots of cool stuff and character ideas coming down the road... but what broke us away from canon?

That's where Gaea Everfree stepped in.

There was some difficulty in trying to get across the viewpoint of an incredibly ancient, half-mad, fae creature. I do wonder if her growing lucidity weakens the story frankly. Being locked away for a thousand-odd years, in pain, and already having a rather blue/orange view on morality lends to a unique outlook. Gloriosa was surprisingly fun to write, I added a little depth to her we never received in the movie but I was adamant that she'd not just be a cheap cameo to get Gaea into the physical realm. Sunset on the other hand was less fun, she's a complex character and I feel I could have done more to get an 'authentic' feeling with her. Trellia helped marvellously in getting her to where she is, but I feel I could do more.

Musically I leant towards the album "Left Behind" by So Below, a kind of gothic-pop with some techno vibes. It's mellow and tinged with sadness which certainly fits the vibe I wanted. Gaea overall though was definitely fuelled by Linkin Park's newest piece 'Lost', the last track released with deceased Chester Bennington's vocals. Its themes of confusion, misery, and painful memories tinged with the raw vocals brought Gaea to life for me. She's a ghost, desperately reaching out for something beyond her grasp.

Overall though I'd have to say i'm generally happy with this fic.