I’m a little over three-quarters of the way through editing the second draft of Heavy Ice, and… somewhat less than that… of the way through breaking in a pair of lace-up boots that were originally a pair of ice skates. The two processes aren’t that dissimilar, though those of you who have been there all the way through the Heavy Ice writing process and heard me moan about it will appreciate that it’s less like turning a pair of elderly ice skates into a pair of boots and more like turning a live rhinoceros into a pair of ice skates.
Anyway, someone tipped me off this afternoon that the first two Requite books had made the Yuletide nominations list again. For those unfamiliar with Yuletide, it’s a huge fanfic exchange for itty-bitty fandoms. I did it for a couple of years before I got too busy and it’s a lot of fun. So, apropos of that, I’d like to reiterate my fanfic policy: which is that I am all in favour of it, but don’t show it to me, because I like keeping my head-canon separate from other people’s (apart from my beloved beta reader Irene Headley, who often remembers random bits of Requite trivia that I’ve forgotten).
Also I don’t think it matters whether I’m all in favour of it or not, because trying to police what goes on in other people’s heads while they’re reading a book and afterwards is a ridiculous and doomed endeavour. And I already have one ridiculous and doomed endeavour on my hands, or rather my feet, at present in the form of these boots.
In honour of my head-canon and other people’s, and because I’m sure I did this around this time last year though I can’t find the post: ask me questions if you like, about either the Requite ‘verse or Firebrand, and I’ll answer when I’ve got a moment. Though to head one question off at the pass, the answer to ‘when is there going to be a sequel to Firebrand‘ the answer is ‘if inspiration ever strikes’, so don’t get your hopes up.
Ankaret Wells 
Turning skates into boots sounds tricky. Isn’t the blade embedded in somehow?
The person I bought them from on eBay took care of that bit. 🙂 I’m mostly just trying to persuade them not to eat my feet.
Do you have any tips? I pulled out the lovely purple DMs I’ve had since 2001 recently and wore them for a few hours, at the end of which I remembered just why it is I don’t normally wear them 😦
So far I’m mostly rubbing the insides with chamois cream (because that was what was around the house and it seems to work, I suspect any leather-foody stuff would do) with particular attention to where they rub, and then wearing them around the house and on short errands to the shops. I think I’ve cured them of trying to pinch me across the toes and one of them at least has stopped acting like a cheese-grater on my heel, but they’re both being stubborn along the instep. Wearing two pairs of socks also helps.
Oooh, purple DMs. I’ve always been tempted by some of those. 🙂
This is so timely!
* Is Kadia right about being barren?
* Was the expected baby (sorry, migraine drugs, memory unavailable) a boy or a girl?
* Does Mina Laury exist in this ‘verse, apart from her surname’s being borrowed by Kassia?
On Requite:
* What is the difference between “sealed to the Spire” and “sealed to the Descent”?
* Has Ligeia cut off all contact with her sisters? Are they formally dead to her?
* How on earth are Catha and her husband managing with a half-dead Spire and a hostile and incompetent Chief Technician?
* Yes.
* It is a healthy boy, and unfortunately has to be christened Augustus. Lord Guisedale has many ideas about child-rearing, including bringing him up to only speak Classical languages and adopting a warpling orphan to be brought up beside him, which Lady Guisedale vetoes, probably fortunately for the warpling orphan. One of their later daughters is named after Kadia, but due to being her mother’s favourite goes through life answering to ‘Puggy’.
* Yes. She was active during the War, and rescued Lady Caroline Ravenscar after Zashera abandoned her at an inn.
* Sealed to the Spire is pretty much the same as ‘recognised by the Retort’ and only applies to Makers. I think it used to mean ‘this person is necessary personnel’ but these days it’s pretty much just ‘a Maker who works in this Retort’. Sealed to the Descent is ‘in the official line of succession’. You can have someone be Sealed to the Descent and made Prime, and then get de-Primed when they’re fifteen and the Retort doesn’t answer; it’s happened a couple of times and caused a scandal.
* Yes, for a value of ‘formally dead’ that includes lighting candles and bringing Tristis up to believe they’re dead at least until Tristis is old enough to get the concept of ‘actually, in this case ‘dead’ means ‘alive and well and on the other side of the River’, so our plans need to encompass your aunt Tzenni probably inventing more stuff’. Ligeia is very good at holding multiple meanings in her head; it comes of studying theology.
* Latinus lends them his cousin Julius and Julius’s bloke in the short term, but Jahsvir has to hit the ground running, and the Retort never really regains full capacity.