Do you feel that Pierce Brown missed a massive opportunity with Darrow and Cassius? Have you ever wondered what Red Rising would've looked like with a tragic gay romance at the center? Do you fully and genuinely believe that canon Darrow and Cassius are, in fact, gay and in love and just too stupid to realize it?
Well, congratulations. I humbly dedicate this massive undertaking to you.
_
Major spoilers for Red Rising. Minor spoilers for the rest of the series: allusions to future events, references to past events discussed in later books, and the early appearance of a few characters. I wrote this in such a way that it's safe for anyone who's read Red Rising, although the more books you've read, the more little things you'll notice and the deeper you'll appreciate the fic's irony. I recommend at least the OT.
General caution, though: I want to keep the comments open to all spoilers. I've finished LB, so all's fair. Read at your own risk.
This will eventually be the first part of a trilogy with sequels covering Golden Son and Morning Star. But at the pace I write and edit and rewrite my work, you may all be dead by the time I finish. I apologize for that in advance. But I will finish. I should also admit that, because I'm eternally unsatisfied by my writing, it's possible and indeed likely that published chapters might be substantially edited again. That said, I welcome constructive criticism.
I've done my best to keep this story as canon–compliant as I can, to maintain authentic characterization and organically develop the world. Although I preserved plenty of Pierce Brown's plot and dialogue, I also creatively expanded on the canon. Please feel free to share your thoughts on where I've gone with everything. I welcome all comments. Nothing is too silly or intense.
This is an ironic dramedy that gets progressively darker. I consider this a perspective, rather than a genre, change. Cassius sees things much differently than Darrow. And Red Rising ends on a much different note for him. You can expect identity disturbance/distortion, emotional mercuriality/dysregulation, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, graphic sexual/violent fantasies, dubious consent, highBorn pretentiousness, 'Colorism' (RR's version of racism), classism, elitism, casual misogyny/sexism/homophobia, and casual sadism/masochism/perversion. Among other problematic things. I do my best to tag each chapter with sufficient warnings.
No hate to my blorbo, but he's got lots of psychotherapy and Listening and Learning™️ to do at this point. I'm determined to portray him as accurately as I can, pining for Darrow aside. (Although, honestly, can it be disputed that Cassius' crush on Darrow, and vice versa, is canon? I'm sorry, but my gaydar is blaring.)
This fic is, first and foremost, a reimagining of Cassius and Darrow's relationship, as advertised. But it is also a more–or–less canon retelling of the OT from Cassius' perspective that attempts to flesh out the dearly–departed, gone–but–not–forgotten Bellona family. If you've ever been curious (or obsessed to the point of sleeplessness, as I am) about them or Cassius' life sans Darrow, I humbly offer you these takes, many of them inspired by hints in the canon, to accompany our precious scraps.
Now, without further ado.
YOU ARE READING
Ice and Fire
Fanfiction'I may be ice, the one who runs so cold that I cannot heat again, no matter how desperately I want to. But I am also summer, the one who's all mirth, who brings light and joy to everything in my sight, even though I can't experience it myself. He ma...
