Author has written 11 stories for Harry Potter, Naruto, Star Wars, and Warcraft. Announcements: There will be no new chapters posted until after September 1st due to school obligations. Name: Marquis Black (not my real name, but I think we all know I'm not about to divulge that information) Age: 35 Occupation: Teacher, and Independent Contractor in the fields of Law, Translation, Business Administration, Public Speaking, Education, Accounting, Political Science, and/or Journalism. Short Notes: I am always glad to talk to my readers, as they often provide me with inspiration to keep writing. In order to contact me, please seek the Contact Information section at the bottom of the profile. Please note, however, that I am erratically online, so the best way to let me know whether or not you're adding me to an IM messenger would be to PM me via or leave it in a review. I am also now posting original fiction on FictionPress and Wattpad under the same pen name! Yay! Views on Shipping: I am not what most would call a "shipper" in that I do not believe in the childish notion of upholding the sanctity of one -fictional- pairing over another, but I will admit that I do believe that certain pairings seem to hold better chemistry with each other, and I will often stick to these pairings when choosing stories to read, unless I've been utterly taken in by the writing (which does happen, frequently). My preferences are the following: Harry Potter Favorite Character: Ginny Weasley (by far and large) Least Favorite: Albus Dumbledore and Draco Malfoy (It's a tie between the man who is unwilling to do what's necessary to win, and the spoiled brat.) Favorite HP Book: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Ginny's big coming out!), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pet HP Peeve: Love as a weapon (Am I really the only one who sees that as not only a physical impossibility, but the most ridiculous, childish deus ex machina ever created? What's he going to do, hug him to death?) Post-DH Note: I stand vindicated. Favorite Pairings: Hated Pairings: Storytypes I Enjoy (but not limited to): Grey!Ginny Storytypes I Hate: Evil!Ginny (In most cases this storytype is premised on nothing else than the author's own hatred of the character, without giving any real basis for the development of this character into its spoiled derivation. One particular story that I've actually read with this storytype and -enjoyed- actually made it very clear how such a derivation from canon was possible, via the explanation that she was raised in a Dark setting, with her loving parents having been imprisoned by Voldie and her siblings and her being indoctrinated into the Pureblood gospel. That story I read from start to finish, and wasn't even H/G.) Pansy!Harry (As in: chronically depressed, keeps whining, and overall is just dislikeable; without a rational explanation as to why he's a walking emotional time bomb, I see no way to explain this sort of storytype interpretation of Harry.) Severitus!Harry (Allow me to elaborate: Severitus follows a flawed premise; or rather, most of them do. Often, they either are the result of rape, or the miraculous decision of Lily to dump James for Severus on the spot, or some other extraordinary jump in character logic. The worst ones, of course, are when Severus and Lily have a moment of passion exactly nine months prior to Harry's inception, and somehow Lily gets away with charming Harry to look like James' kid for the next decade. From beyond the grave. Were it explained, rationally, why this pairing occurred, and how the events followed from that, I would have no trouble going through with the story. However, having a "Harry, I am your father by means unknown to human science!" moment is not acceptable.) Evil!James&Lily (One of the -most- irrational storytypes I've seen. Lily has always been described in canon as a caring, nurturing woman, and James as a former mean spirited prankster, but otherwise very loyal and honourable, with a very strong sense of good and evil. So where, logically, does this storytype stem from? Where was the deviation and how did it happen? People are not just -bad- overnight (short of a simultaneous psychotic break). There is a progression of events, and no fanfiction author is immune from the duty to explain it.) Loveasaweapon!Harry (I'll say it again. Horrible, childish deus ex machina. You don't kill someone by loving, you kill them by AK'ing them.) MoneyHemorrhagingPhilanthropic!Harry (Why doesn't someone smack him and educate him on sustainability? Doesn't he know people pay for food? What'll he do? Beg?) Overthetop!DeathEaters (And by this, I don't mean egos larger than Jupiter. I mean when the Death Eaters are portrayed as rampaging machines of rape, death, and mutilation. 2 deaths in a night is ok. Five towns worth of deaths? Not ok. Do you have any idea the logistical nightmare that such devastating acts would presuppose? With the mere handful of Death Eaters that these stories imply, there is no physical way, even with magic, that they could pull such a feat off. Not without ticking off 10 Downing Street and getting a nuke up their asses.) Naruto Favourite Character: Tied between Hinata and Naruto Least Liked Character: Tied between Sasuke and Danzo. To be fair, however, I just wish I could smack Sasuke. I abhor Danzo, even as I understand his character. Favourite Naruto Moment: Hinata's confession, Kushina and Minato's final moments, Kushina's parting words to Naruto, and Naruto achieving Six Paths Mode. Pet Naruto Peeve: The fact that Sasuke seems to have almost as much screentime/importance as the title character. I understand the whole "nemesis" theme going on here, but Kishimoto needs to remember just which side the title character is on. Plus, every time Sasuke shows up in the manga, he becomes more and more morally irredeemable. Favorite Pairings: Naruto/Hinata (2 for 2, baby!) No-questions-asked-hated-pairings: Hinata/Neji (Two words: recessive genes. 'Nuff said.) Storytypes I Enjoy Partner!Kyuubi (aka, not necessarily raging monster, and helps out) Storytypes I Hate EpicallyBadGrammar!Story (It boggles my mind how bad the grammar is in some stories; even some with potentially great plotlines are just swamped with grammatical errors). ATPTSS!Story (Translates to "All things post-time-skip sucks." Fortunately, not as common anymore.) ArashiKazama!Story (Enough is enough. I get it that when a story is written pre-August 27, 2004, it was written without canon knowledge of the Yondaime's real name, but for goodness' sake, people! You really cannot justify writing a story with Arashi Kazama after the canon information has been revealed. I get that this is fanfiction, but hell, most of us try to use whatever canon information we can use, and always stick to the canon names, unless we do genderbending--which I don't, but I get that some people do.) NoContractions!Story (I love certain stories. I do. Yet, inevitably, I start to get annoyed when the characters speak like they've never used a contraction in their lives. Use don't instead of 'do not,' and can't instead of 'can not.' Not because you're lazy, but because people talk like that.) Prophecy!Naruto (Fuck. That. I can't take any more Chosen Ones who could easily double as professional masochists.) Marquis Black's Writing Code 1. I will not hold my chapters hostage for reviews (if it's taking a while, it just means I'm stuck.) 2. Roman Numerals in chapter titles can look cool, but when they outnumber the actual title, then there's clearly a problem. 3. Gender is according to canon. Male characters are always male, and female characters are always female. - Caveat: Unless it is clearly stated that the storyline is taking place in an AU, and that the plot of the story (not the pairing) could not function unless in said AU. - Caveat: Unless there is a logical reason to suspect otherwise. Said reason must be clearly stated and proven ("Because I said so" does not count). 4. Sexual Orientations are according to Canon where actually stated. - Caveat: Exempted are stories whose pairings were made previous to the release of information contrary to the presumed orientations. 5. Revised: I will probably not be writing Mpreg in any of my stories in which non-original characters are seeking it unless stated otherwise in the original canon. - Caveat: I reserve the right to write an original character who identifies as male that wishes to carry to term a baby, however. I have come to understand that outright objection is transphobic, which is not in line with my beliefs, and thus I am hereby fine with other authors writing it, though I do not feel confident writing such a scenario - Addendum: That being said, FanFiction.net should have a filter for such stories, as well as Yaoi stories, Het stories, Harem, and so forth, in order to provide a better searching experience for its readers. 6. Considering the very nature of Fanfiction, Pairings are at the author's discretion. 7. Flamers are not people. Constructive critics are. 8. Lack of reviews does not necessarily indicate lack of interest. I will not confuse low returns on reviews for total disinterest. 9. I will always make sure to write my story within the parameters of the rating I have imposed. If I mark my story M, then I feel fully justified in making it a swear-fest, if I so wish. 10. Applicable only to Narutoverse: The name of the Yondaime is Namikaze Minato, and his wife was Uzumaki Kushina. Changing this presupposes that I have decided to ignore almost three years worth of canon information for the sake of fairy dust and unicorn wishes. 11. All my stories will have themes relevant to the real world incorporated into them (ex: Redemption, Loyalty, Filial Piety, Morality, Ethics, etc...). 12. I do not write Harem stories. By this, I refer to gratuitous pairing of the main character with nearly every available female in the story not out of plot-based reasoning, but out of simple, male fantasy logic. If, if I pair the main character with more than a single person of the opposite sex, then it will have to be explained rationally within the framework of the plot. "Hormones" is not an acceptable reason. See above for in-depth explanation of the concept. 13. Contractions are your friend. Use them. People don't normally speak in robot syntax. 14. Applicable only to Narutoverse: There is no Civilian/Shinobi Council in Canon. This is strictly a fanon-created derivation of the Konoha Council, which are the Sandaime's two former teammates. Danzo is a "retired" shinobi that seems to have gained "Elder" status (but seems to work more as a Consultant-type figure for the government), and the Civilians have zero say in the affairs of Konoha. The group that elected Danzo as Hokage Koho (meaning Hokage Candidate) were not permanent members of a ruling council, but rather a cross-section of the most powerful figures in Konoha's shinobi society, along with the Daimyo's representatives, that were gathered not on a regular basis but ad hoc. That said, as long as this is clear, the "Konoha Shinobi/Civilian Council" trope remains a valid plot tool for fanfiction. Just don't try to pass it off as Canon. 15. Applicable only to Narutoverse: Haku is...err...you know? I'm not quite sure. I mean, Kishimoto says Haku's a dude, but...I mean, look at him. Her. It. Whatever. Anyway, either Haku has a brilliant sense of manipulating others into thinking he's a girl due to his feminine features (in which case, he's like...the best classical shinobi ever), or he's a girl who likes to fuck with other people's minds, or a cross-dresser. Honestly? Considering the range of characters in Naruto? All three are plausible. Anyway, this rule is basically to state that I'll accept writing Haku as whatever the hell I please like, and won't judge others on how they write him. Her. Them. 16. Crossovers: The rules for Crossovers (that I write and like) are thus: - 16a. Pick one universe, and settle the other universe's characters in the main one. - 16b. Pick one universe, and have the other universe's characters' abilities fit within the framework of the main universe (no absurd mixing of Avengers/Justice League-esque superpowers with Jutsus!) -- Caveat: Unless the dimensional traveller's powers are internally produced and not externally; in which case, only the traveller should have them, and no one else. -- Caveat: Unless there's a magical doohickey that messed with their internal organic composition, thereby allowing the traveller access to the receiving Universe's abilities. Even then, be sure to not overpower the traveller by giving him unfettered access to more than one type of super-powerful abilities. - 16c. If names are foreign, and barring dimensional travel, rework them to fit the naming conventions of the main universe. It gets jarring when one reads about a guy named Bob running around a crowd of Arashi's and Daisuke's. -- Caveat: If you really want to keep the foreign names, make sure to point out how weird it is for the main universe's characters (assuming the main universe is unilingual), or make the main universe polylingual (but in such a case, make language barriers apparent). MarquisBlack's Writing Notes 1. What is a harem? A: Harem, linguistically speaking, is an English bastardization of the word harām, meaning "forbidden" in Arabic, referring to the practice of female seclusion. Historically speaking (more specifically, from a western perspective), harems were the process of 'collecting,' so to speak, wives by any man. More often than not, for obvious reasons, this tended to be men of power. Strictly speaking, it is a concept only capable of being implemented when speaking of Muslim households, yet the underlying practice can be found in any society that allowed polygyny. It should be noted, however, that not only wives were kept in certain harems, such as the Imperial Harem of the Ottoman Sultan, but also their female relatives and any other women of his household or who prickled their fancy (either to comply with Muslim law or for more personal purposes, or both). Loosely speaking, harems can be found anywhere, as was previously mentioned, where polygyny was permitted. However, as European understanding of polygynist societies prior to the 19th century was very...limited, the word became associated with any society that permitted such associations, even though they had nothing to do with Middle Eastern culture -- one prominent example being China, whose "imperial harem" was actually the result of local concubinage systems dating at least as far back as the Zhou Dynasty. Moreover, Asian concubinage systems had little to do with "collecting" wives, and had incredible political and social consequences, as mentioned below. Furthermore, it should be noted that harems, in respect to the Japanese point of view, do not necessarily refer to what has been described above. Rather, in that case, it refers to surrounding the main character (mostly) with a variety of potential partners. There is no guarantee, however, that said character will end with all or any of them. Lastly, it should be pointed out that in several cultures, Harems served as powerful political tools, by which nations could be led towards prosperity or catastrophe. One cultural example of this would be the Chinese, where many political officials tended to be risen to their posts by way of a female relative in the Emperor's harem. One example of the latter would be that of King Zhou of Shang and Da Ji, for those who are familiar with Chinese history. 2. What is a harem in fanfiction? A: A harem in fanfiction, typically, consists of the practice of putting more than two (in order to set a baseline between harems and bigamy) women or men in a steady, if not permanent, relationship with any character in the story, usually for the purposes of smut, though on rare occasions, as a logical plot point. Very few stories exist, proportionally speaking, whereby the harem serves as an intrinsic plot point without which the story would not work. 3. On Mixing Fandoms As Fanfiction writers, we are often inspired by our imagination to conceive of "what if" scenarios involving characters from different fandoms, like: what if RDJ's Sherlock and BC's Sherlock joined forces? Or, who would win in a fight between Superman and Goku? These scenarios are fun to play around with, but, personally, I've begun to feel that stories where the mix of fandoms is done haphazardly are a bit...tiresome (the irony is not lost upon me, believe me *cough*Dark Wars*cough*). What do I mean by that? Consider the Naruto fandom's Western Empire storytype that made the rounds about a year ago (popularised by VFSnake and started by ChrisM2011). They are generally entertaining stories (though the ones I've read have been somewhat...simplistic in plot), but the way the different fandoms are mixed make following them somewhat hard. Besides the names spanning various cultures, there's also the fact that many of these have guest characters retain the powers of their original fandom, which kind of breaks the story's readability. Consider, for instance, having Son Goku retain his DBZ GT powers while throwing him into the Naruto-verse: what all, if anything, could possibly match him from the Naruto-verse? The man can fly, for crying out loud, and he can rework the entire geography of a region without breaking a sweat. Who could possibly compare? And, as a result, why would there be any dramatic tension? Any fear of failure? That's why I've come to appreciate more subtle integrations of multiple fandoms. Stories where the characters are more like templates than actual migrations between dimensions, or where access to their original abilities is either difficult, impossible, or restricted to them. It feels, in a way, like it honours the fandoms more that way. I don't know, honestly. Just food for thought 4. On War War should not be pretty. If you're writing war as this immensely heroic, glorious ordeal, you're writing it wrong. That's not to say that the people fighting them can't be heroic, but rather that their experiences are anything but enjoyable. There is a reason, after all, why so many soldiers and civilians suffer from PTSD long after the conflict is over. Writing war as anything short of brutal, grimy, and horrific disrespects the victims of real war. Flame Warning I will not deign myself to reply or tolerate flames made on the basis of "shipping" or made along the lines of "YOU SUCK, GO KILL YOURSELF!" Any review I do not deem as constructive criticism will be subsequently deleted. If you really don't like my story, I'm fine with that, but at least tell me why without being an insulting child. Furthermore, I do not write "bash" stories. While it may seem like it at times (such as in Beginning of the Dark Wars), everything I've written is made with cold, calculated logic. Some of my stories may have Dumbledore "bashing", as most of you would describe it, but I do not consider it as such. The man is portrayed as manipulative, yes, but he's not evil, or mentally challenged-he's just misguided. Lastly, to deter any questions or slanderous comments on my parentage and/or nationality, let me be clear that my parents were very much married when they had me, and that I'm Latin American. Qualifications Military Background: As I've noted before, I've never claimed to understand the full extent of the horrible plight of a soldier in wartime. That being said, I believe it is necessary for me to expound exactly how I know what I know.
Other Background:
Stories The Dark Wars: Empire's Plight - Pairings: H/G, N/S, J/L, Hr/R - Summary: In 1981, Voldemort is defeated by baby Harry. What no one understands, however, is why, then, did the very much alive Potters flee into anonymity? It is now 1996, and the Potters have returned to the Magical World as the vanguard of a rising Empire. Armed with fanatic loyalty to the Crown and thousands of soldiers at their command, the Potters will brook no resistance to their orders, and yet at Hogwarts, Dumbledore schemes to return the balance of power to the status quo. How will these two powers deal with the other when they finally clash in the midst of a rising Dark Insurgency? Complete. The Dark Wars: Empire's End - Pairings: H/G, N/S, J/L, Hr/R, Hannah/OC - Summary: The destruction of Fort Valour has left the Empire reeling from this daring attack. Yet, their indomitable will has not faltered. Spearheaded by the newly-promoted General Harry Potter, the Empire seeks the power promised by an abandoned military project to redeem its loss and crush its enemies. Unknown to the defiant Empire, however, dark forces conspire to bring the mighty Empire to its knees. Complete. The Dark Wars: Empire's Rebirth - Pairings: H/G, H/OFC, Hr/R, J/L, N/S - Summary: The Empire has fallen--it's cities torn down and its armies scattered. Loyal generals have become warlords, and the Imperial Throne sits empty under their neglectful gaze. At last brought to light, the magical sectors of countries worldwide have risen up in rebellion, tearing the globe apart in strife and war, even as the mighty British Empire, the peacemaker, lies broken. Yet, a ray of hope remains, as whispers of an Imperial heir reaches the ears of Warlord Harry James Potter. But will the General-turned-Duke heed the call of loyalty, or will he choose the hedonistic life of a Warlord? Complete. The Dark Wars: Empire's War - Pairings: H/G, N/S, Hr/R, J/L, R/T - Summary: Elizabeth III is Crowned. The British Empire has returned, and its mission is one of swift vengeance and brutal retribution. The armies of the Empire, long ago scattered, have come back together to form the mightiest war machine the world has ever known, backed by the terrible power of the Empire's ascendant Airfleet and driven by the near-religious fanaticism of its troops. Led by the Duke of Halifax, Harry James Potter, the Empire's greatest hero, the Imperial forces seem unstoppable. Yet, on the heels of the Empire's triumphant return, the Death Eaters have begun a plan set to destroy their natural enemy once and for all. And, in the arctic wastelands up north, a dark presence awaits the outcome of this global war, planning for the day when his name will once again be feared by all. Complete. Emperor - Pairings: H/OC - Summary: Some men live their whole lives at peace and are content. Others are born with an unquenchable fire and change the world forever. Born into anonymity, crowned an Emperor, this is the story of Harry Potter's journey from humble beginnings, to a career as a renowned officer, and finally to his destiny as Henry I, First Emperor of the European Empire. In Progress. Legacy of Uzushiogakure - Pairings: Unreleased - Summary: 15 years before Naruto begins, Uzushiogakure is destroyed by an alliance of fearful nations, seeking to destroy the nation of the powerful Seal Masters. 15 years later, a chance encounter leads the scattered remnants of the Uzumaki to Konoha, where the last Clan Head awaits. In Progress. Sith'ari - Pairings: Unreleased - Summary: It all started with shooting stars, and would end with the rise of the Sith'ari - the perfect being of the Dark. Perfect strength. Perfect power. Perfect destiny. Imagine it? With the aid of a long-deceased Sith Lady as his mentor, Harry will become it. In Progress. Forward Unto Dawn (Working Title) - Pairings: Unreleased - Summary: The Master Chief has been caught amidst the collapse of the colony of Meridian. For him and Blue Team, only court martial awaits; for the UNSC Fleet escorting them, a greater destiny awaits, as they stumble upon a massive, mysterious artefact of unknown origin. In Development. Future Projects Untitled Naruto Project 2 (Working Title) -- Planned to be a Ravages of Time/Naruto Crossover story. Ish. If done, will be done using the "Western Empire" trope floating around recently. Except not in the west. And not using a million other shows. Warning: Historical Harems will occur in this story (check above for what is meant by Historical Harem). Untitled Naruto Project 3 (Tentatively: Fox Sage)(Working Title) -- Planned to be a straight Naruto story. Ish. If done, will be done using the NonKonoha!Naruto trope. Even better, will not be affiliated with any major village. A Song of Gold, Steel, and Fire (Working Title) -- Planned to be a story involving the machinations of a Medici-like family based in Myr. Disclaimers General Disclaimers: I own nothing other than my OCs and the plot of my stories. This includes most of the speech incorporated into the Prologue of "Emperor." That was taken, almost word for word, from the introductory video of Napoleon: Total War (which also served as the inspiration for wanting to write that story). While the wording has been changed, I admit to having kept the spirit of it due to the fact that there was no better way to illustrate that scene (Great game, by the by). All recognisable materials belong to their original authors, and no profit has been made nor shall be directly derived from these works. Also, in regards to the ownership of Richard Sharpe, I fully agree, and even uphold, that Bernard Cornwell is the legal owner of the 19th Century British soldier, Richard Sharpe, of the King's 95th Rifles. The Richard Sharpe of this story, though, is both in the modern era, in a different regiment, and holds a different attitude altogether than the British hero created by Bernard Cornwell, who is, incidentally, one of my favorite authors. The only similarities both men have is the name and being a Rifleman. Audience Disclaimer: Stories written by Marquis Black are in no way expected to be taken as the personal dogma of the author at all times. While certainly some of the author's beliefs do at times bleed into the story, the vast majority of the time they are in fact not reflective of the author's personal opinions. Most of the time, the author simply wishes to explore certain subjects, and thus includes them to make the story more interesting and intellectual. Furthermore, it is not expected that everyone will like the stories, and so if the story is not your cup of tea, the author wishes you no ill and simply asks than you respect the fact that others actually do. Contact Information: AIM: FictionPress Profile: Marquis Black Wattpad Profile: Marquis Black Twitter: @marquis_black |
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