Scattered Imagination

[Kindo.824]

Scattered Imagination

It started with a fleeting image of men finding comfort in each other's arms, in a hot tub, one especially chilly night in Lobinden. A while later, a mysterious letter popped into my head and resulted in a reply among many about our favourite male characters in TW2, about a previously unknown romance among the trees surrounding the village. When so a second fictive scenario started manifesting itself, I was advised to simply start my own thread; somewhere I could collect these unreliably occurring sparks of inspiration. These scenes are not meant to be tied together in one cohesive storyline; they are separate from one another, and the results of random imaginations. That said, they won't necessarily contradict one another, either; but I do not have some sort of grand plan.

You should be of a mature and open mind before you proceed.

 

[Kindo.824]

WHISPERING TREES

S,

Visions constrict and restrain the one good memory I want to keep;
drowning it out in a confused haze, where matter and mind intertwine.
Countless seasons have passed during which I have already considered
this gift a curse, but it is not until now that I realise just how
much I despise it for what it does to me.

I do not know for how long we were there, that night in the gardens.
It felt like an instant and an eternity all at once, as my entire being was
swept away to a place of a hushed serenity that I had never known before,
where time and all the universe stood still. For a first, solitary instance
of my life, there was no interference. My feelings were my own, and my
visions were only of you, in the now; trembling and writhing in my
arms, your moans muffled into my skin as your warmth became mine.

When so the world returned, accompanied by dawn's first rays glimpsing
through the canopy, and the gradually rising cacophony of the voices of
both past and future, I knew that it was over. Maybe a part of me had
already prepared for it, for I never stopped thinking of how you still
are, and always will be, hers. Even though I felt, if only for a moment,
that maybe you could also be mine...

There is no going back to what was. That place is gone, never to come
back again. I have come to terms with this, and I would settle for
the memory; but I am not allowed to keep even that in peace. The relentless
miasma of phantoms are already tearing it to pieces - the emotions being
warped and disfigured, or buried in heavy sand. The usual remedy results
in pretty much the same, in a different way. What use do I have for this
memory, if I cannot recall it with any kind of lucidity in my head; if all
I have is a discombobulated mayhem of entangled images and feelings?

I have heard the whispers among the trees: Visitors who will bring
conflict at their heels, and death. Among others, my death. I will
soon be free, the forest welcoming me back home...

C.

 

[Kindo.824]

A NEW LUST

The ambrosial creature moaned and groaned, and twisted and writhed under his greedy caresses and hungry kisses. Wrapped around him was the shapely form of a woman made to resemble the basest of male fantasy and desire: Rounded hips pressed against his, in his grip a slender, firm waist, and further up rested two full breasts, fashioned to perfection, on a heaving chest.

It had been two weeks since they had set out from Loc Muinne, after the political debacle there that would come to change the Northern Kingdoms forever. Geralt's interest did not rest with the fates of Temeria, Redania, or even Aedirn, however. His mind was clear; he felt resolute - he had to journey south, deep into Nilfgaard, in search for Yennefer and answers only she could give him. S

 

[username_3497665]

I usually don't read fanfiction, but something told me to make an exception for yours. And it was a very good decision.

I loved the way you create this mysterious (ahh, this adjective seems rather flat and cheesy here, but I couldn't find any other) haziness on many levels - the structure of the narrative, the way the characters' minds work, and above all - the emotional turmoil. I don't know how you did that, but your writing (both pieces) really appealed to me, it feels like all those scattered pieces (at least that's how I understand the title) that appear out of nowhere in this sort of in-between state when you're not fully asleep yet not awake either.
I don't know if you intended this to be dream-like, but that's how I perceive it. You managed to create phantasmagoria that in an unexplicable way stays true to the world of my fantasy in those bits of wild imagination set free. (Even though I argued something else in regards to the interpretation of TW2 'canon'. But that makes your piece even better! ; )) There's something awesomely primal about that.
And I'm not being ironic or anything! I just tend to use big words, especially when I try to put my finger on something with less substance (and by 'less substance' I don't mean a lesser value, quite the contrary). This is just an attempt to convey the enjoyment I found in your pieces because I found them strangely affecting and... true.

And it hasn't happened to me for a long time with literature (got fed up with books), so thank you very much for that. You somehow made me go back to this imaginary core of reader's enjoyment. I'm even tempted to ask if you are a professional writer, of if you're planning to become one.

One more thing - I really admire the fact you had the courage to write erotic fiction. Of course, I don't mean any sort of censorship issues, but this emotional rawness. I imagine it must be incredibly hard to write good erotic pieces, because it most often ends up cheesy and/or ridiculous. Or cold and unsexy. And imho you managed to avoid all those traps. It turned out sensual and elegant, traditional yet not cliche (although I admit I'm in no position to judge, I don't have that much of literary experience to compare it with).

So big thank you (again) for sharing that pieces of your imagination and for feeding and invigorating my imagination. I'd be more than eager to read more of your works in the future.

 

[Dona.794]

I am so happy you decided to start your own thread. Love, love, love your writing, Flet Iorwetha put it together perfectly and much more eloquently than I ever could. I'm in love with subtlety in your writing ♥

 

[Kindo.824]

Wow... Those are some wonderful compliments you gave me there; thank you very much.

I don't know if you intended this to be dream-like, but that's how I perceive it.

It was not intended, but I sometimes enter that state, myself, when writing like this. It's possible it made a mark on the general tone of it all. Otherwise I'd just say it's my "natural" style of writing.

I'm even tempted to ask if you are a professional writer, of if you're planning to become one.

Now that's stretching it a bit! Haha... Very flattering, of course, but no, nothing professional about me. I've always been interested in this particular art form - words; their form, their structure, what amazing images they are capable of conjuring up. It's been nothing more than an off-hand hobby, though. I doubt I'm reliably creative enough to make something official about it.

One more thing - I really admire the fact you had the courage to write erotic fiction. Of course, I don't mean any sort of censorship issues, but this emotional rawness. I imagine it must be incredibly hard to write good erotic pieces, because it most often ends up cheesy and/or ridiculous. Or cold and unsexy.

Thanks! To be honest, I worry about that, myself; that it will be too cheesy at times. Not that I mind the cheese - on the contrary, I'm quite fond of it at times - but it's not always appropriate in the context. I'm not very experienced writing erotic fiction, but after being introduced to it not too long ago (you know who you are!), it started coming to me almost naturally. That I would turn out writing slash was not intentional, either. Once again, it just felt natural.

I am so happy you decided to start your own thread. Love, love, love your writing, Flet Iorwetha put it together perfectly and much more eloquently than I ever could. I'm in love with subtlety in your writing ♥

Thank you. I needed a gentle nudge in the butt, though.

 

[Dona.794]

I'll give you all the nudges you need, dear :readies whip:

I should also say that I like how it's not straight-up slash, but it's more only hinted at. Especially the second story. There are wonderful things going on in your writing, I wish I could find the words to say everything I want to say.

S-sooo... any more plot bunnies hopping around your head?

 

[saintmagician]

Thanks.

I usually stay away from romance/erotic/relationship-y type fanfiction because too much of it seems to be written by teenage girls who don't know the meaning of any of those three words.

Both pieces are very well written, there was not any of it that felt awkward and the subtlety in the last paragraph of the second piece was excellent.

 

[username_3497665]

Now that's stretching it a bit! Haha... Very flattering, of course, but no, nothing professional about me. I've always been interested in this particular art form - words; their form, their structure, what amazing images they are capable of conjuring up. It's been nothing more than an off-hand hobby, though. I doubt I'm reliably creative enough to make something official about it.

So this is a very admirable hobby and you're good at it. : ) I like what you said about this writing coming naturally to you - because I could feel it while reading.

And another thing that I loved about those pieces is that it doesn't really matter whether they're 'slash' or 'not slash'. It's hard to explain, but they're on a different, deeper level than 'ok, let's create a homosexual pairing of X and Y because I feel like it and it's not canon'. Imho those stories aim to capture the universal logic of desire and the characters are a vehicle for that. Or in other words, the way I see it, 'slash' is just a technical label that doesn't really say much and it can be pretty limiting. (But maybe my perspective is skewed because of this typical fanfiction saintmagician mentions).
And the forms of lust you depicted are in no way restricted or clearly defined. Sexuality and intimacy in these stories aren't something fixed and established, they're processes, constantly happening inside and between characters- and changing. I don't think the protagonists could be tagged as 'straight'
or 'gay' because there's no point in such labelling. And that's another reason why I loved these two pieces so much - the fact that they're so open and expand canon characters into this imaginary space where nothing is impossible and nothing feels out of character. It's like a new horizon.

You might not be a professional writer, but you certainly know what to do with words. If these pieces were written in a different way, they probably wouldn't make much sense, and trying to recap the 'plot' would be laughable. But here the form and the verbal shape is what adds meaning and makes sense. So Kindo, in my eyes you're a true artist because that's what art is about.


And I am an unfulfilled literary critic and I have no life so I can become your professional apologist. Jk, I really love your writing but someone might find it embarassing that I state my opinion with such seriousness and without avoiding a touch of grandiloquence.
So in case anyone wondered: I totally mean what I said, it may just sound funny or out of proportion because I'm addicted to my fix of overanalyzing and verbal wank.

 

[DelighfulMcCoy]

Oh my gods, I love what you did with my little TW3some idea.
I like how you place it not within the timeline of TW2 and the sucubus outside Vergen, but in the near future, with an original backstory to another succubus and give us a glimpse into a possible continuation. The emotional backstory with Triss rings very true, after the return of the memories. I can't really add a lot, after what already has been said, except I concur, you do have a spirited way with words.

Or in other words, the way I see it, 'slash' is just a technical label that doesn't really say much and it can be pretty limiting. (But maybe my perspective is skewed because of this typical fanfiction saintmagician mentions).
And the forms of lust you depicted are in no way restricted or clearly defined. Sexuality and intimacy in these stories aren't something fixed and established, they're processes, constantly happening inside and between characters- and changing. I don't think the protagonists could be tagged as 'straight' or 'gay' because there's no point in such labelling.

You know, I've been reading Star Trek fiction for a good while, before the word 'gay' even crossed my mind; it was so much about the characters, gender just didn't matter. I'd also say authors that pull that off, are in no way teenage girls, I've read some amazing stories, that stay in my mind even years after I've last read them. And I have swiss cheese brain.

 

[saintmagician]

Well in a lot of settings, like Star Trek, if you round up all the main interesting characters they are predominantly male. I've always thought this is one of the reasons slash becomes so prominent in some fandoms. Because if you want to pair up the well developed and fleshed out characters, you end up being stuck to a rather limited group.

That being said, the witcher also has some very interesting female characters. Did anyone else quite like spy!cynthia

 

[Kindo.824]

S-sooo... any more plot bunnies hopping around your head?

You need a Level 3 clearance to access that kind of information.

Both pieces are very well written, there was not any of it that felt awkward and the subtlety in the last paragraph of the second piece was excellent.

Thank you. I tend to veer towards the subtle - a bit too much, sometimes, I hear; so I might have overdone it a bit.

And I am an unfulfilled literary critic and I have no life so I can become your professional apologist. Jk, I really love your writing but someone might find it embarassing that I state my opinion with such seriousness and without avoiding a touch of grandiloquence.
So in case anyone wondered: I totally mean what I said, it may just sound funny or out of proportion because I'm addicted to my fix of overanalyzing and verbal wank.

Not a problem. Sincerity is a good thing, so express yourself in whichever way is most comfortable.

Oh my gods, I love what you did with my little TW3some idea.
I like how you place it not within the timeline of TW2 and the sucubus outside Vergen, but in the near future, with an original backstory to another succubus and give us a glimpse into a possible continuation. The emotional backstory with Triss rings very true, after the return of the memories. I can't really add a lot, after what already has been said, except I concur, you do have a spirited way with words.

Hehe! Mmm... yes. The initial inspiration came to when there came requests to have threesomes in TW3 - and I really loved it when you (and others) pointed out that it doesn't necessarily mean Geralt plus two women. There were some offensive homophobic tones here and there, so I started writing this as a response. It turned out quite different than originally intended, however. The original back-story you mentioned; it felt natural. I just go where my mind takes me, I suppose. Thank you for the kind words.

You know, I've been reading Star Trek fiction for a good while, before the word 'gay' even crossed my mind; it was so much about the characters, gender just didn't matter. I'd also say authors that pull that off, are in no way teenage girls, I've read some amazing stories, that stay in my mind even years after I've last read them. And I have swiss cheese brain.

Well in a lot of settings, like Star Trek, if you round up all the main interesting characters they are predominantly male. I've always thought this is one of the reasons slash becomes so prominent in some fandoms. Because if you want to pair up the well developed and fleshed out characters, you end up being stuck to a rather limited group.

Yes, I'm not that well-travelled with this sort of fiction, but I do like that Star Trek apparently started it all, and I've had my share of playful, theoretical pairings as I've watched the shows. Garak/Julian from DS9 must be my favourite; it's especially interesting that at least Andrew J. Robinson who portrays Garak, always considered his character homosexual, and that he indeed fell in love with Julian; this never made it into the show's script anywhere, but he goes into detail with it in a book he wrote afterwards. A pairing from VOY - that I actually believe was supposed to become real - was Janeway/Seven-of-Nine. Last time I watched that show from beginning to end, it became evident to me that the writer(s) had this in mind... but as we know, they chickened out in the end and made a bland, boring couple out of Seven and Chakotay instead. I would even have settled for Seven and the Doctor; those two did have a romance going, but I guess since he's considered "unattractive" they couldn't even do that.

 

[Dona.794]

You need a Level 3 clearance to access that kind of information.

(joking, joking, I prefer being surprised.)