The Mountains Are the Same

Fanfiction
Title:	The Mountains Are the Same (series)
Author(s):	bonehandledknife (ladywinter) and Primarybufferpanel (ArwenLune)
Date(s):	June 2015 to June 2016
Length:	232,384
Genre:	AU, worldbuilding, drama
Fandom:	Mad Max: Fury Road
External Links:	The Mountains Are the Same at AO3
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

This popular series explores the influence that Furiosa had on the War Boys and culture of the Citadel. Most of the chapters are named after a rock-climbing reference. One of the longest pieces of fanworks in the Mad Max tag, it took a year to write and finished at 232,384 words. In 2018, it was nominated in the Mad Max Fanfic Awards.

I’m just amusing myself with the idea that Furiosa introduced the forehead to forehead thing to the War Boys.

Maybe after her first run on the War Rig she’s so pumped up, she’s done it, they shook off the Buzzards, it feels like her whole body is still roaring with the growl of the engines and the bellow of the horn and the sheer adrenaline of it, her crew was fantastic, she chose well, she is so high with it.

So she jumps down from the cab when they’re back at the Citadel and Ace comes up to report and she grabs him and lightly conks their foreheads together in a half remembered greeting. And Ace is like ‘…the fuck?’ but she is grinning and clearly pleased with him so obviously this is the highest sign of approval and honour you can be given by an Imperator.

So the War Rig team starts doing it, and since they are the Most Elite Team among War Boys, soon the others start imitating the gesture. And because they’re War Boys it becomes more of a slightly competitive conking of heads than the tender forehead press the Vuvalini do, but that is the story of how the War Boys started butting heads. Edit to add: I’m seeing this getting reblogged a lot, so I wanted to add that this grew into a massive ‘Let’s bounce headcanons!’ series with bonehandledknife and then we decided to write it properly. You can find the series here: The Mountains Are The Same

- Author Primarybufferpanel (ArwenLune) in the tumblr post that started the fic

Reactions and Reviews

I am crying ever so gently fuck you guys (this was amazing) -LucidDreaming

This series continues to be wonderful. I so love how carefully you're examining the bonds between Furiosa and her crew: the loyalty, the caring in a place that doesn't want people care for one another, all of it. And yes, the incomprehension from the men, the total lack of understanding of what she really feels, is so sad and yet hopeful because we know she has a better future, even if she hurts right now. -baybelletrist

Brilliant chapter! I'm adoring this series that your doing. It's great to see more crew and you've done a great job of enhancing the culture and workings of the citadel. -Pavuvu