Otter's Rock

I suppose I should probably actually post my worldbuilding_exchange fic here. Wouldn't want to be too quick off the mark, it's only been a month since it was revealed 🤣.

I wrote a BSG fic, which gave me a lovely excuse to write a fic about a headcanon I've had since I first watched the show. (What the headcanon is, you'll have to read the fic to find out ...)

Title: Fertile Ground
Author: Beatrice_Otter
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica
Characters: Original Four
Length: 5383 words
Written for: redrikki in Worldbuilding Exchange 2024

Summary: Simon only bothered to continue the fertility experiments because the others demanded it. Things are different on New Caprica.

AO3. Squidgeworld. Rebloggable on tumblr. Pillowfort.

Simon sat at his lab bench, waiting for his samples to finish processing—as well as they could, given the abysmal shortages of everything on New Caprica—and contemplated whether it would be worth it to take his turn as the Four representative at consensus meetings. The Ones were dead set against shipping in medical supplies from the Colonies. The Sixes and Eights should be pushing for it—if they truly wanted to build a relationship with the humans, helping them stay alive should be high on their priority list—but Fours were the only Cylons who really understood the fragility of the human body.

There was a knock at the door. Nurse Sashon popped her head in. "There's a human who's actually willing to have you treat her."

"Really?" Simon stripped off his gloves and tossed them in the laundry basket. Medical staff had been dramatically under-represented in the refugee fleet, and several years of trauma and poor healthcare and worse food hadn't been helped by the living conditions on New Caprica. But people would rather wait for Doc Cottle or one of the others, than be treated by a Cylon. "What's wrong with her?"

( Read more... )

Worldbuilding Exchange was a lot of fun this year, although pretty stressful for me at the end.
I received a lovely Pacific Rim fic, Catch the Drift. And there are a lot of other great fics in the collection. Here are my favorites!

Catch the Drift (1643 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Raleigh Becket, Yancy Becket, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Journalism, News Media, The Drift (Pacific Rim), Drift Compatibility (Pacific Rim)
Summary:

A writer for Smithsonian magazine has a rare chance to see beyond the pop culture portrayals of the Drift to the more complicated reality behind the revolutionary technology.

Call of the Five (1011 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Ordol (Chalion Saga), the Father (Chalion), the Mother (Chalion), the Daughter (Chalion), the Son (Chalion), the Bastard (Chalion)
Additional Tags: Fictional Religion & Theology, vocation, The Calling of a Divine, Pseudo-academia, In-Universe Meta, no beta we die three times for the house of chalion
Summary:

"Some are born to be divines, some take up the call gradually, and some have divines' vows thrust upon them."
- an excerpt on vocation from Ordol's Fivefold Path

Design Documents for 61st Annual Hunger Games (1489 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Gamemakers (Hunger Games), Plutarch Heavensbee
Summary:

The year everyone froze to death, beginning to end

the wonder of the universe (3142 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato
Additional Tags: Aliens, Caretaking, Ianto's Duties, Ianto Jones-Centric, Slice of Life, Weird Little Aliens, the care and keeping of Torchwood Three's non-human residents, Alien Flora & Fauna, Telepathy, Partial Mind Control, self-surgery, Ianto is a Secretive little bastard by habit, sentient slimemold, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Comedy of Errors, Canon-Typical Disregard for Personal Safety
Summary:

Ianto had meant to keep his head down, not draw any notice to himself at Torchwood Three, but somehow he keeps attracting attention from the strangest sources.

(Despite his best efforts, Ianto adopts a bunch of aliens)

The Aslan Clause (1200 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Narnian Character(s)
Additional Tags: Museumverse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Modern Setting, Matters of Succession, Comment thread
Summary:

In the modern, democratic age of Narnia, the argument continues over whether the Aslan Clause should be reworked… or altogether retired.

On Witnessing For the Self (6101 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Thara Celehar
Summary:

Eventually Thara Celehar gets better at teaching. Sometime much later, this happens.

A Dull Careful Person May Manage (1595 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Dag Benin & Pel Navarr, Dag Benin & Miles Vorkosigan, Dag Benin & Fletchir Giaja
Characters: Dag Benin, Pel Navarr
Additional Tags: Book: Diplomatic Immunity, POV Dag Benin, Canon-Typical Problematic Things, Cetagandan eugenics and accompanying mindsets, non-graphic mention of Barrayaran practices of taking body parts as trophies, Ambiguous/Open Ending, star creche, Cetagandans, Cetagandan Ghem caste, title is a Dorothy Sayers quote from a Peter Wimsey book
Summary:

Dag Benin considers the nameless ba's plot.

Re: Re: Transporter Duplication - Lt JG Bradward Boimler (3285 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Star Trek: Lower Decks (Cartoon)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Brad Boimler, William Boimler, William Riker
Additional Tags: Epistolary, Documentation, Transporter Malfunction, Clones, Humor, POV Outsider
Summary:

After a transporter accident results in an extra Boimler, Starfleet Personnel is notified so that the situation can be sorted out. There are procedures for this sort of thing.

Listening and Untangling (1536 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Young Wizards - Diane Duane
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Rhiow (Cats of Grand Central), Lone Power (Young Wizards), Urruah (Cats of Grand Central), Original Mouse Character
Additional Tags: The Wizards' Oath (Young Wizards), Ordeal (Young Wizards), Worldgates (Young Wizards), Coming of Age
Summary:

Surely something that was going to eat her wouldn't speak to her so civilly?

Listening and Untangling (1536 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Young Wizards - Diane Duane
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Rhiow (Cats of Grand Central), Lone Power (Young Wizards), Urruah (Cats of Grand Central), Original Mouse Character
Additional Tags: The Wizards' Oath (Young Wizards), Ordeal (Young Wizards), Worldgates (Young Wizards), Coming of Age
Summary:

Surely something that was going to eat her wouldn't speak to her so civilly?

These Ink-Stained Hands Are Red (4616 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Male Character(s), Seneca Crane, Coriolanus Snow
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Hunger Games-Typical Death/Violence, Designing A Hunger Games, 72nd Hunger Games, Angst, Politics, Tragedy, Unlikeable Protagonist, Drama, office politics
Summary:

A middling Gamemaker is given the chance of a lifetime. Things do not turn out for the best.

Five Times Abigail Met People From the Demi-Monde, and One Time She Didn't (9157 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Abigail Kamara & Brent
Characters: Abigail Kamara, Brent, Melissa Oswald, Original Characters, Original Female Character(s)
Additional Tags: 5+1 Things, Podfic Welcome, Don't copy to another site, Demimonde


Necessity Has Made Us Allies (5000 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Bail Organa, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Rebellion, Recruitment, Action/Adventure, Worldbuilding, Rebel Alliance Factions
Summary:

Old wounds from the Clone Wars still fester, and not everyone who wants the Empire gone wants to restore the Republic.

worldbuildingex is live! I received a DS9 fic with some lovely Sisko & Dax interaction, and interesting bits of Trill pop culture:


Ministers of Science (1098 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Jadzia Dax, Benjamin Sisko
Additional Tags: Trill Culture (Star Trek), Trill popular culture, Conversations



There were a lot of really great fics posted! Here are my faves:
District Twelve's Year (1443 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Hunger Games Fan, Original Fan of Victor
Additional Tags: 74th Hunger Games, Fans' Eye View of the Games, Victor's Fandom / stan culture among Capitol Fans
Summary:

For once, District Twelve was cool...

New Human Student FAQ (4312 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Star Trek: The Vulcan Academy Murders by Jean Lorrah
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Amanda Grayson, Daniel Corrigan, Original Characters
Additional Tags: FAQ, In-Universe Meta, Mild Language, Mention of pregnancy, student life, mention of religion, Chatlogs
Summary:

There are always more questions to be asked.

On the Transmission of the Red Book of Westmarch (1032 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Findegil (Tolkien), Original Hobbit Character(s)
Additional Tags: Manuscripts and Manuscript Transmission, Paleography, In-Universe Meta, Academic Pastiche
Summary:

An excerpt from Fourth-Age Manuscript Production in the Shire by Daisy Bolger, published by the Tuckborough Historical Society in S.R. 1937.

Translated into English and made available digitally as part of the Tuckborough Archives Digitization Project.

Haudh-en-Arwen (2418 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Caranthir | Morifinwë/Haleth of the Haladin
Characters: Caranthir | Morifinwë, Druadan Woman
Additional Tags: Druedain - Freeform, Canonical Character Death, Wakes & Funerals, Elf Culture & Customs, Barrows
Summary:

"It is the night before Haleth is to be buried, and Caranthir alone sits by the fire. Haudh-en-Arwen, they call it. The Lady-barrow. He turns the words over in his thoughts, in his mouth, and the sounds feel foreign on his tongue."

Love and death according to a Noldo and a Drúadan.

A Shining Mathom by the Sea (4023 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Basso Boffin & Isengar Took, Basso Boffin & Fëanor | Curufinwë, Fëanor | Curufinwë & Isengar Took, Gandalf | Mithrandir & Isengar Took, Gerontius Took & Isengar Took
Characters: Isengar Took, Basso Boffin, Fëanor | Curufinwë, Gandalf | Mithrandir, Gerontius Took
Additional Tags: Adventure, Pre-The Hobbit, the sea, Silmarils, Middle-earth: Flat or Round?, Unlikely Friendships, Adventurous Hobbits, Worldbuilding Exchange 2022
Summary:

Isengar Took goes on an adventure and makes some remarkable friends.

A Chamber of Records (6197 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Fingon | Findekáno/Maedhros | Maitimo
Characters: Caranthir | Morifinwë, Maedhros | Maitimo, Original Dwarf Characters, Maeglin | Lómion
Additional Tags: Belegost, First Age, Epistolary, maglor's gap, Himring, Dor Caranthir, Beleriand, Doriath, Post-Canon
Summary:

In the war-wrecked ruins of a mighty city of the Dwarves, letters, notes and torn-out pages blow on the wind. If you were the wind, you could read them through, and learn a little of the people who lived or visited here, those who set out from here to new places, and their hopes and plans.

Majority (4877 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Vedero Drazhin & Sheveän Drazharin, Vedero Drazhin & Nemriän Imaran
Characters: Nemriän Imaran, Vedero Drazhin, Sheveän Drazharan
Additional Tags: Women's Spaces, Bechdel Test Pass, POV Female Character, Family Drama, Dysfunctional Family
Summary:

Vedero turns sixteen. She knows what she wants, and what is possible.

I use the same name everywhere so I am beatrice_otter on AO3.

Lovely author, here is my theory about letters: how much detail people want in a letter is HIGHLY variable. Some people (such as myself) prefer if their recip gives LOTS of guidance on their wishes. Some prefer as little as possible so they can be free as a bird. Most are somewhere in between. So! Here's everything including the kitchen sink if you find it helpful, but feel free to ignore it if it is not helpful. I would rather get a story you were happy with than "well, she said she liked x, so I guess I have to do x even though I don't like x and/or am just not inspired that way."

I'm fairly easy to please; I've been doing ficathons for over a decade and am very rarely disappointed with my gifts. I write long and detailed Dear Author letters because I find such things helpful when I'm writing for other people; if you are like me, here you go! If your style is different and a detailed letter makes you feel hemmed-in, feel free to do what works for you.

The most important thing for me in a fic is that the characters are well-written and recognizably themselves. Even when I don't like a character, I don't go in for character-bashing. If nothing else, if the rest of this letter is too much or my kinks just don't fit yours, just concentrate on writing a story with everyone in character and good spelling and grammar and I will almost certainly love what you come up with.

I have an embarrassment squick, which makes humor kind of hit-or-miss sometimes. The kind of humor where someone does something embarrassing and the audience is laughing at them makes me uncomfortable. On the other hand, the kind of humor where the audience is laughing with the characters I really enjoy.

Please no incest or darkfic. I don't count cousin relationships as incestuous. I define "darkfic" as stuff where there's a lot of suffering and no hope even at the end and all the characters are terrible. Angst with a happy ending is fine, I enjoy it, but there's gotta be a payoff. Even an ambiguous ending is fine! But there has to be some note of grace or redemption or hope somewhere, it can't just be "people are awful and the world sucks, the end."

( General Likes and Dislikes )

( The Goblin Emperor )

( Imperial Radch )

( DC Comics )

( Star Wars Legends )

( MCU (Black Panther) )

( Star Trek TOS )

( Deep Space 9 )

( TNG )

worldbuildingex is open and the stories are revealed!  There are almost a hundred stories in there ALL ABOUT the worldbuilding, and many of them are very good.  Go check them out!

One of them is mine, let's see if anyone can identify it!

Over on the Yultide discord (which, by the way, goes year-round, and so does the hippo pool, if you need help finding a beta) raininshadows asked for help with economic/labor worldbuilding, and since worldbuilding is my jam, I ended up writing a LOT of stuff, which I have cleaned up and presented here. (I sometimes write stories as an excuse to share my worldbuilding with people. I'm the person sitting in the theater going "wait, that makes NO SENSE." Unless I am busy, I will pretty much always be up for infodumping about worldbuilding. I may not know anything about what canon you're looking at, but I can usually at least give some pointers about things to think about, feel free to ask.) (Well. I don't really like dystopias, but aside from that.)

Before I begin, if SFFnal worldbuilding is something you want to build chops in long-term, the best thing to do is to read social histories from all over the world (i.e. the stuff that focuses on ordinary people, not Great Men) and watch for both overall patterns and interesting details that you can crib from. The more you know about "how different groups of people have thought, acted, and handled things over long periods of time" the greater your toolkit is.

When I want to do worldbuilding, especially with fanfic where I'm taking existing canon and extending it, I always start by asking a lot of questions about the world of the text and thinking about possible ways to answer those questions, and everything flows from there. Figuring out what questions to ask (and what the range of possible answers are) is easier the more you know about how various cultures handle such questions today and how they've handled them in the past and how things changed over time, which is where studying history comes in, but even with a relatively limited knowlege base, asking questions and coming up with a variety of answers to the questions is probably going to yield interesting results.

Rain wanted to know about how to build a realistic worker safety history, and especially how to do that in a theocratic society. I'm going to start with worker safety, and branch out into the larger economic picture and the eternal tug of war between classes, and then finish up with some things to think about when dealing with a theocracy.

( Worker safety and economic power )

( General economic questions )

( General pointers on how theocracies work in practice (as opposed to how they think they work) )

Please feel free to comment and ask questions!