Entry tags:

fic: particulars of friendship, writing:ficgeneral

Fic: The Particulars of Friendship | Information | Table of Contents

Never fear quarrels, but seek adventures.
— Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers








Basic Story Information

Fandom
Tin Man (sort of)

Summary
During Azkadellia's fourth year of reigning the thirteen realm states, Zero becomes lieutenant of the famed and ancient Southern Gale, a regiment of the old army. His new captain is Malcolm Erdmyss, an acquaintance who soon proves his reliability and intelligence. In another handful of months, they befriend the witty aspirant Tim Wallace. Over the span of eight years, these three Longcoats endure the hardships of civil war while struggling through life's unpredictable moments of beauty, cruelty, complexity, and simplicity.

Rating
R - for no good reason (except perhaps later on)

About the Characters
A great many of them are original characters... Even to a certain extent Zero, as this happens generally when you take a canon character with no background and give him a history, friendships, a life, and an agenda that did not always align itself to Azkadellia's wishes. A handful of canon characters meet a whole mess of OC's, including brief glimpses of the indelible Cain family. — The story is in the control of a narrator, a singular character who penned this tale long before I ever heard of it. He will show up occasionally, in flash-future scenes that add to the depth of the characters' situation. Often, he seems to be acquiring a great deal of the story from Tim Wallace, about thirty-five years later. In a later part, the identity of the Narrator is revealed.

Pairings
Divulging every pairing that winds up in this story would contain far too many spoilers. If you'd rather risk the element of surprise, I can say that this story contains both het and slash — and Zero is involved with both. This is a blissfully omnisexual world, bless it.

Warnings
This is a big book with a whole lot of stuff in it. Also, this will contain tie-in elements to a couple of short stories I've written, as well as A Cold Wind Rising. That being said, this is not a story marred by vulgar language, crudeness, or unnecessary violence.

It might be easier if you close your eyes and pretend this isn't a fanfic at all, just some original story about a bunch of guys who slightly resemble the Three Musketeers. Sans muskets. And tunics are now long black leather coats of sexiness!

This story is not beta'd. (I tried to find one, though not very hard.) There will be typos. There are typos. I'll fix them as I see them, and I edit everything about six times before I release it, so I attempt to fight the typos as much as I can. Errors may currently be higher in Parts 3 - 8, as these are portions of the rewrite that I have not edited as much as others. Still trying to read and reread to clear up as many mistakes as I can!

Disclaimer
Tin Man, and all related characters, are property of Genius Products, RHI/Imagiquest Entertainment. No piece of this written work, The Particulars of Friendship, and all subsequent artistic associations present or forthcoming in release of said work, is intended to infringe upon, devalue, or otherwise jeopardize the original copyright held by the above corporations.

Notes — Or: A History of this Story
The Particulars of Friendship, as I said above, ties-in to a lot of other stories I've written about Zero or containing Zero in some way. I started ACWR on 26 March 2008, and I started The Particulars of Friendship on 6 April 2008. By the time I'd written 6500 words in TPoF, all in one day, I'd only written the first two chapters of ACWR (prologue, chapters one and two). It took me forever to get motivated to write ACWR, or at least it seems like it took forever... TPoF was more or less an exercise to help motivate me work on ACWR. Through some drabbling, I learned how Zero and Erdmyss became friends; and, in unreleased drabbles, I learned the whole plot for ACWR. On 10 April, I wrote a short story called An Umbrella Every Tuesday, and that's where I met Abril and, slithering his way rather unctuously into an introduction, I met Tim! So all of this was crammed together, as you can tell by the dates, oh so very close together. (By the way, it's just a coincidence that I wrote about Abril in the month of April; she first appeared by name in an earlier drabble.) TPoF hadn't really taught me anything. As far as I was concerned, I had to work on ACWR (deadline looming, oh noes!), and shoved TPoF aside. After finishing ACWR, in which either Zero or Erdmyss dies (I'm not giving anything away here, it was part of the challenge, and I had to warn if I used slash), I thought going back to TPoF would be really weird. I mean, I just spent the better half of 95,000+ words writing about these two guys, Zero and Mal, one-half of the book slashing them, and then one of them dies... How was I supposed to go back and finish a story that was about The Time Before? AH! NO! SURELY YOU JEST! But, yeah, I did it. Mostly because someone gave Zero a key to my brain, and he uses it at very rude times, like one in the morning. And he says very compelling things like "Oh, I wanted to tell you about that one time when a group of rebels kidnapped Mal and stole my horse..." or, more often, it's the quiet moments of life, the times spent with family and friends...

Prequels to The Particulars of Friendship
The Cold Effects of Southern Ground — The one where Zero contemplates joining the stellate (priesthood) and meets a mystic named Ansley of Stirbane.
Palecoat — The one where Zero is a captain, Eddie Angell is his lieutenant (and first spouse), and Malcolm Erdmyss is just a figure in the outer fringes.
If I Survive — The one that shows Eddie Angell's abysmal interest in hunting the Cains, and provides a vague allusion to his death. Not exactly Wind 'Verse, but close enough.

Tie-ins to The Particulars of Friendship
An Umbrella Every Tuesday — The one where Zero meets, marries, and loses his second wife, Abril. In TPoF (The Particulars of Friendship), the story of Abril will be retold, more from the perspective of the Narrator, who always says things differently than I originally saw them, and he's much better with words than I am. Though I have a suspicion he will be showing it more from the perspective of Mal and Tim than from Zero. (Note: This part hasn't been written yet, as of 1 Dec 2008, so I am guessing.)
A Cold Wind Rising — The big damn epic that started it all. The title of the TPoF equivalant is called "Elemental," and is slated to be Part 22.

Story Notes
Carazdran — The native language of characters Malcolm Erdmyss and Yeilynlie Erdmyss (his sister). Carazdran is a southern state of the thirteen realms that was once an independent monarchical democracy (see map). It's used a lot throughout the story, and it's been fun trying to understand what they're saying. (If you're on my friends list, please see the writing:in my native tongue tag.) So far, I have made a dictionary to keep track of the language as I learn it. Afraid that I do not often interpret the meanings at the end of chapters; however, the meaning is oftentimes understandable.

Years VS Annuals — Mal, his sister Lyn, and Vy-Sor use years. Annuals is said by all the other characters and used in prose.


Terminology — Different words mean completely different things. Here's a short list!

Cark — noun, closely related to asshole and son of a bitch
Bilk/Bilking/Bilked — euphemism, fits well when the Eff Word might be used by one of us
Tart — noun, closely related to bitch and hag
Espouse — verb, related to the same verb used in our world but we just don't use it as much as they do. To espouse is to sign a federal contract of unity, but to be "married" you have to renew the contract in succession more than six times... all the annuals before the "marriage" contract, you are technically "espoused". Yeah, but they have renewed marriages, I'm jealous...

Longcoats — Ranks of (greatest to least)

General
Lieutenant (variant: Lieutenant Colonel)
Captain
Sergeant
Second Aspirant
Aspirant

Longcoats — Breakdown of a Regiment

Regiment — May also be called a "battalion". Each regiment in Azkadellia's army has a proper name, as Zero's Regiment is called the "Southern Gale", and is overseen by a general and a lieutenant.
Company — May also be called a "Division". Three divisions in each regiment, except for the larger Winterborn Standard regiment, which has four; and the smaller Southern Gale, which has two. Overseen by a captain and a sergeant. Contains twenty-two to thirty soldiers, though more for the larger regiments.
Platoon — Overseen by a second aspirant. Contains six to twelve soldiers.

Maps

The Thirteen Realm States (Wind 'Verse)
Central City (Wind 'Verse)

Table of Contents

Story Status: Incomplete
Date Started: Sunday, 6 April 2008
Date Finished: Work In Progress (a very painstaking process)


Progress — As of 27 June 09
Total Parts: Twenty-one
Total Chapters: Ninety
Total Word Count: 338,400


Part One: Friends - Part One || Part Two || Part Three
Prologue — He did not know what else to love.
1. I’m not inclined to grant deference without probability.
2. They had never stood so close to each other.
3. May that answer, in my bourbon frame of mind, why I have no horse.


Part Two: Family
4. But he is inwardly an extremely clever creature.
5. And all the secret sorrows.
6. Turbulent anger, clear determination, and epic frustration.


Part Three: Tims - One || Two
7. You do torture him nearly to the point of excess.
8. We must indeed extend our incomparable cordiality to a third.
9. Are you a man, or are you a maggot?
10. See that he’s probably challenged.
11. There would’ve been very little fun in all of that.


Part Four: Injury - One || Two
12. Above the wavering undercurrents of uncertainty.
13. Shelter from the wind.
14. I penned my name into the mess of your lives.


Part Five: Home
15. Insoluble and wicked humour.
16. We hug a lot here.
17. Speak of death and Angell all you wish.


Part Six: Buried
18. Every time his path should cross a feather.
19. Jiensail, the state where rebellion had been born.


Part Seven: Sword
20. That is very unconventional.
21. Perhaps it’s true that the clothes make the man.


Part Eight: Sorcery || Part Two
22. This is most inconvenient.
23. So is Azkadellia's prison.


Part Nine: Housekeeping
24. And this is morz-na.
25. Chrysanthemums for strength.
26. He hates birthdays or something.


Part Ten: Tea
27. She’s an enchanting creature.
28. The Bully Perfect Gentleman.


Part Eleven: Elinor
29. It’s mine to break, not yours.
30. In an army full of men.
31. A duty to protect each other.


Part Twelve: Posse
32. She's not your favourite person.
33. When evil shrouded good.
34. Should he ever discontinue his exile.


Part Thirteen: Grace
35. Be astonished elsewhere.
36. My duty remains with the army.
37. A secret that went unsaid.


Part Fourteen: Worth
38. We should all be so lucky.
39. Call me Mr Jones.
40. Contestants battle without formal rules.
41. And in all of that, where am I?
42. The fair light of serenity.


Part Fifteen: Dedication
43. If a man has to face his doom.
44. This is the way the world works her revenges.
45. Sometimes it wasn’t death at all.
46. Your personal life has never been without murder.


Part Sixteen: Revelation - Part One || Part Two
47. So, what do you use if not swords?
48. She hadn’t wanted it to be a pretty place.
49. I want to believe you’ll triumph in the end.
50. Something to do with life.
51. Her capabilities drew the wind from his lungs.


Part Seventeen: Revolution - Part One || Part Two
52. Kin in the strength of feeling.
53. That’s the only reason?
54. So enthralled by the interpersonal fire.
55. When Zero forgives himself.
56. In a daze of strange lights and whispers.


Part Eighteen: Restitution - Part One || Part Two
57. But I’m not a hero.
58. That is an unusual request, Captain Erdmyss.
59. And grief was all they knew.
60. His hatefulness for their recklessness.
61. You’re a hypocrite in addition to being a fool.


Part Nineteen: Midwinter - Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four
62. The unpredictable game of chance.
63. An excuse bordering the truth is always best.
64. The Sorceress’ persecution of mystics must end someday.
65. War is business; murder is personal.
66. The sudden hum that touched his spirit.
67. One of the most powerful mystics of our time.
68. With vigilance and tenderness.
69. The intricacies of his energy were so maimed and scattered.


Part Twenty: Stillness - Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five
70. Up until now you have supported me.
71. Mal and Zero feigned indifference and hatred.
72. The Winterborn Standard has invaded Chalet.
73. Home meant the comfort and reliability of his friends.
74. The details of the initial battle remain unclear.
75. For the bettering of their friendship, one and all.


Part Twenty-one: Division
(coming eventually)


Part Twenty-two: Elemental
(coming eventually)


Part Twenty-three: Renewal — The End
(coming eventually)






The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.
— Prospero, in The Tempest, act 5, sc. 1, l. 25-8.