The people called them the Cities.
— Series tagline
Soft as Thunder (Beggars at the Feast) is a speculative fiction and romance novella by R. L. White (known online as thecitysmith) set in the Cityverse.
Dresden, a German City, is contented with his quiet life restoring books. That is, until Rungholt, a not-yet-City, passes through. As the two develop a relationship, they face complications unique to being the personifications of a city and a town, but some that are not so different than the issues that a human couple would cope with.
This book provides examples of:
- Agony of the Feet: Dresden feels this when he leaves his borders.
- All There in the Manual: If you've read thecitysmith's extensive blog, Rungholt's travels and letter writing are clear references to Atlantis and Dresden's fate is more of a Foregone Conclusion
- Ascended Extra: Dresden and Rungholt were only briefly mentioned on thecitysmith's blog, and not at all in the original Paris Burning fanfic.
- Big Brother Instinct: Hamburg
- Big Fancy House: Hamburg again
- Bittersweet Ending: Can charitably be called this, rather than a Downer Ending.
- The Black Death: One of the events that Dresden and Rungholt experience together.
- Blessed with Suck: Cities live a long time and are difficult to kill, but feel the pain of their citizens as well as from any geographical damage, barely have free will, and are often hit with crippling loneliness.
- Body Horror: Dresden loses his face.
- Break the Cutie: Everyone, but especially Dresden and Hamburg.
- Color Me Black: Inverted, and played for horror.
- Desperately Craves Affection: Dresden.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: a common ability for Cities. Done to horrible effect with Dresden and the noise he keeps hearing.
- Driven to Suicide: Arguably the ending.
- For Doom the Bell Tolls: The culmination of Rungholt’s bell motif.
- Foregone Conclusion: If you've read the blog, you know Dresden and Rungholt are in the ranks of the Lost Cities.
- Greedy Jew: Subverted. Hamburg, who is Jewish, lives in a very comfortable, finely-decorated house, and does not seem to want for anything. He uses this to care for orphans he adopts and their descendents, as well as taking care of any guests who happen to pass by.
- Intrepid Merchant: Rungholt initially travels with a merchant in a mutually beneficial relationship where Rungholt gets to see the world and the merchant sells more wares because Rungholt is a Pretty Boy who flirts with the customers.
- Literary Allusion Title: Both the main and alternate title reference songs from Les Miserables; the bridge of ‘’I Dreamed a Dream’’ and the reprise of ‘’Master of the House’’, respectively.
- A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read: Cities can read their children's thoughts. Dresden is gay, a poc, and has to watch the Nazis rise to power.
- Nice Guy: Hamburg.
- Queer Romance: The main couple are both men.
- Speculative Fiction LGBT: The main romance is between two men, both of whom are acknowledged to have had relationships with other men.
- Temporary Love Interest: Overlapping with Mayfly–December Romance between Dresden and Augustus. One is a nigh-immortal anthropomorphic city, while the other is a mortal man.
- Trauma Conga Line: Dresden, especially after the Nazi Party come into power.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Rungholt stays with Dresden during the Black Death, partially to nurse him, and partially as an excuse to abandon his people. Dresden calls him out on it.
