yelp

Otherwise known as my belated post-HA wrap-up post. Long-term long-fic exchange (FFFX) was super challenging for me this year, so short-term long-fic exchange (HA) felt somehow less of a struggle by comparison.

There weren’t a lot of Genshin requests this time around, and certainly none for pairings I’d ever thought about, so I figured I was going to write Original Work as usual. But then this Albedo/Tighnari request started growing on me, and before I knew it I was drafting in-character research papers and doing the writing equivalent of that frazzled guy standing at a board connecting random things with strings. I always enjoy trying to tie together disparate parts of canon; it’s like jamming together pieces from different jigsaw puzzles. I also had fun trying to make subtle jokes in the research paper portions and poking fun at the seriousness with which people treat author ordering, etc. But I think different fields probably have their own styles and conventions, so it’s possible the academic context I’m used to is actually a hyperlocal fandom of one, and my jokes may fall flat!

My first draft weighed in at nearly 2k short of the minimum, but I knew I always add a lot during revisions, and I was certain these were the exact story beats I wanted to include, so I didn’t want to add any scenes. I ended up including a bit more context (and a couple scorpions) before a few of the scenes, which worked out for the better. I do tend to go a bit too in-media-res, to the point of confusion, and this probably helped ground the scenes better, especially with the non-linear narrative. The story is here: Sand and Chalk, Root and Stalk.

I received an amazing gift: an original work featuring robot monks, dragon riders, and, somehow, sign language! Then, towards the end of the anonymous period, I even got this fantastic Beidou & Kazuha treat that also connects disparate part of Genshin lore - via sea shanties. Receiving a late treat is so so thrilling, I have to say! I also read through some of the collection, found quite a few gems, and made my usual comment goal. That makes 3 years that I’ve completed Triple Crown, and certainly the last. I’m super happy with all the works I’ve created and received, but 10k is a lot to write for a stranger and then wait on tenterhooks hoping that they will like it! I feel like I joined exchanges at exactly the right time to experience this cool event from its inception.

PS. Unrelated to HA or any exchanges, I also came across this really well-done Genshin fan-animation. I have requested Albedo/Raiden Shogun before, and I frequently request cyberpunk AU, so this felt like a gift for me, somehow!