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nonesensedGreetings, kind Yulegoat!
I am super hyped to see whatever you might write for me, in whichever fandom we've matched on! I hope this letter will be a source of inspiration for you :)
If you want to go the really advanced route, I have a very long list of favorite tropes and kinks over here. It's a list of both smut-related likes and gen-related likes. On AO3 I'm![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Nonesensed, if you want to take a look at my own fics and/or bookmarks for inspiration :) You can also find me on tumblr as ![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
nonesensed.
I'll be starting with my squicks and do-not-wants, just to get them out of the way. If one of my squicks happens to be one of your favorite tropes or kinks, no judgement! These things just happen to not me my thing.
Not my cup of tea & Squicks
- A/B/O aka Alpha/Beta/Omega aka Omegaverse. I have read interesting A/B/O-stories, but mostly the trope doesn't work for me due to the whole "the gender you've been assigned decides if you're submissive or dominant in bed"-thing most A/B/O stories go with. I know A/B/O is more of an "opt-in" trope, but since I've listed "messing with gender roles and heteronormativity" as things I like, I thought I'd specify that A/B/O isn't what I'm looking for.
- Animal abuse leading to animal death and Bestiality. By bestiality, I mean humans having sex with animals, not sentient/sapient alien creatures. Xenophilia I'm down with (though unless it's with a humanoid alien like in Star Trek I prefer fade-to-black sex scenes). I also wish to avoid animal abuse if it's explicit and the animal dies. Animals being mistreated I can deal with, if they get rescued from said mistreatment.]
- Daddy or Mommy kink. Not my thing, whether there's actual incest involved or not. Guardian/child romances or sexual situations are really not my cup of tea, be they play-pretend or not. Same goes for using "daddy" and "mommy" as pet names.
- Plots where character have non-canon amnesia, characters suddenly age regressing into children and characters switching bodies aren't my cup of tea since they're so common in fanfiction. That said, I have nothing against these tropes being delved into and explored if they're part of canon.
- High school AUs. Meaning that I don't mind school-related things if they're canon.
- Underage. No explicit sex scenes or sexual situations involving children, please. And I am Old(tm) so I mean everyone under 18 when I say children. This said, I will not be squicked out if it's implied or threatened (e.g. two teenagers "off screen" having had sex with each other, adults mentioning having had an early sexual debuts, characters having had past traumatic experiences, a villain saying creepy things about someone's children, etc.) It's explicit sex scenes involving people under 18 that I'd rather avoid.
- Vore. Don't mind it implied, but an explicit sex scene of this will be horror and squick to me, not sexy.
- Women always being the submissive partner in D/s scenarios between a man and a woman. No hate on submissive women! They just tend to be the default in fiction, and I'd love for there to be more Dominant women if there is to be a BDSM and/or D/s dynamic between a man and a woman <3 For other gender combinations I've got no particular preferences. Please just avoid the "all women and fem-presenting people are automatically submissive in bed, even if they start out taking the initiative"-trope that permeates most of media (I say as a very much not submissive woman who rarely get to see myself reflected in any fiction).
- Watersports and scat (i.e. urine & feces involved during sex - again, this is more of an "opt-in" thing, but since I brought up A/B/O I thought I'd better list these as nopes too).
And that's it for Do-Not-Wants! Now come the things I greatly enjoy! Of course, feel free to ignore stuff you'd rather not write :)
Genres
Since it's the holidays I'd love for there to be hurt/comfort or a happy ending if your story takes an emotionally harsh path. This said, if your chosen genre is horror, a happy ending is 100% optional! I enjoy all manner of fic from fluff to horror. I love creepy/eerie horror and cosmic horror, am more 'meh' about slasher-horror and religious horror.
Mini-Challenges
Ratings
Anything goes! I have no trouble reading (and enjoying) anything from the kid-safest of fics to the most explicit of sex and violence. When it comes to the AO3 Archive warnings, the only one I'd prefer to avoid is Underage, and Major Character Death (unless it's a horror story or the death happens in canon).
Writing styles
Almost anything goes! Third person? Second person? First person? Present or past tense? Future tense? Epistolary? Twitter conversation? Outsider POV? I'm here for it all! The only thing that isn't my thing is "choose your own adventure"-stories; no hate for them, I just have trouble making up my mind on what choices to pick and I thus end up never finishing them XD
Things that make me smile (SFW)
- Anticipation, tension and suspense. Be it unresolved sexual tension, a manhunt for a dangerous killer, or a race against time to save someone's life – if it keeps me on the edge of my seat, I'm happy!
- Character introspection. I adore an engaging mystery or conflict, but I also enjoy slice-of-life and stories that focus on the inner life of one or more characters. If made to pick between focus on characters I love or focus on an intricate plot, I'll pick character focus 90% of the time <3
- Culture-clashes, where both cultures are seen as equals by the narrative - aka not "Oh, look at these poor uneducated barbarians, we must enlighten them!" but more "They've been courting me??".
- Found family. Characters who slowly go from strangers to "I would die for you all" are a delight!
- Messing with and questioning heteronormativity and gender roles.
- Kidnappings, for any reason. It's more for the rescue part of the plot that I enjoy it, especially if it's an "unexpected" character saving a more "rescuer"-like character.
- Loyalty in all its shapes and forms! I especially love characters who are a little too loyal; maybe to people they shouldn't be loyal to, maybe to a point where they value that person/those people's life more than their own. Buuuut, I also love when loyalty is rewarded! When trusting someone and relying on someone is the best thing to do - especially if contrasted with past betrayed loyalty. Just...people being devoted to other people, it floats all my boats~!
- Mysteries, be it a "who did it?", a "what is the meaning of this old text" a "who at court is gossiping about the main character?" or whatever else kind of mystery you can think up, I'll happily read it!
- Pairings or gen. I've listed pairings for some of my fandoms, and I adore all kinds of pairing-focused fics, be they couples, threesomes, moresomes, etc. This said, I also enjoy fics that have no pairings or only implied pairings. So if my ships happen to not be your ships, gen is very welcome!
- Role reversals (usual rescuer being rescued, “weaker” character saves the day, otherwise more worldly character is courted/seduces/approached by otherwise more “naive” character, etc.) Since who I consider the "usual X" might be tricky to guess, I'll try to elaborate on this for each fandom.
- Characters getting to show off their skills. All scenarios where a character who's really skilled at something (e.g. magic, diplomacy, detective work, medicine, etc.) get to use that skill to solve a problem and solve it well.
- Vulnerability especially when it comes from otherwise "closed off" characters. Through being wounded, kidnapped, drugged, bested (even if said person just is pretending to lose to please someone else), being open about something meaningful to them, or in any other scenario you can think of. I'll try to add more specific ideas for each fandom further down.
- If you like writing AUs and crossovers I'm happy to receive such fic! All AUs but high school AUs make me smile, though my favorites are fantasy/science fiction/solarpunk/cyberpunk AUs. If you choose to set the fic IN SPAAAAACE for a non-space fandom I'm soooo here for that :D. Here's a list of fandoms I'm familiar with to some degree, in case you should happen to want to write a crossover with a fandom other than the ones I've requested for Yuletide.
Other things that make me smile (only relevant to smut)
- Consent play aka when two people pretend one of them isn't into the scene, but they definitely are. Love this best when it's very clear to the reader that it's all play-pretend.
- Foreplay and teasing/tempting (both verbal and otherwise). Doesn't actually have to lead to sex – the teasing is fun in itself.
- Hot Spots - when a character has a spot on their body that makes their knees go weak; i.e. when someone bites their ear, pulls their hair, kisses their neck, etc.
- Kink negotiations. I adore when characters discuss what they're into as a form of foreplay <3
- Overstimulation, as in people being overwhelmed by pleasure, especially when combined with orgasm delay <3
- People having fun, especially if it's First Time Sex we're talking and if you feel it works with the characters' personalities and situation. Just a relaxed, laughing-with-you-not-at-you, friendly mood to go with a very fun activity!
- Playful dominance/submission + bondage. Extra great when initiated by the submissive partner. Small gestures, such as holding the other's hands still, biting, rough play, verbally dominating someone... And in pairings involving both men and women, I do love femdom, if that works with the personality of the woman in question. I'm also down for painplay and pretty much anything that is included under the BDSM-umbrella, as long as everyone involved in the sex scene are into it (or haven't tried it yet and turn out to really love it).
- Roleplaying, be it super serious or super silly. I'm all for playacting in the bedroom <3
- Vanilla sex. Although kinky is wonderful, I don't require it to like a sex scene. I love when there's a clear difference between "D/s scene" and "people just deciding to have sex" because sex can definitely happen without anyone taking the lead - something I feel a lot of mainstream erotica forgets, especially when it comes to m/f couples.
Fandom specifics!
Beware of spoilers for all fandoms listed below!
BioShock Infinite
(Characters: Robert Lutece & Rosalind Lutece)
What the canon is: A video game set in an alternative reality where science allows for a city to be built in the clouds. Our main character, ex-Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, is sent to this city to recover a young woman named Elizabeth. Things then get...strange… Youtube link to game trailer.
Why I love the canon: The main thing that fascinates me about the canon is the Luteces. I enjoy the setting of having a steampunk sky city, and Elizabeth's powers too, but if the story includes the Luteces and their weird situation re: physics and time at all, I will be happy. They can be in a completely different setting and I will still be fascinated by them!
Why I love the characters:
Pairings?: I am interested in Robert/Rosalind, buuuuut I get that shipping a person with their alternate universe self can feel incest-y, especially since Rosalind likes to call Robert "brother". I don't experience it as incest (since they're not related and met as adults) – so I'm not looking for any sort of "brother/sister-ship-dynamic" – but I understand if this ship isn't your cup of tea. So don't worry if you don't want to write this ship! I would also greatly enjoy getting to watch them be super close in a non-romantic way! I'm just not interested in any other pairings :) Oh, and if you're up for this ship and you're going more D/s than vanilla, I'd love for Rosalind to take the lead!.
Story prompts: Anything with the Luteces! Literally anything! Do you want to explore how they met pre-canon? What the time was like when Robert just had transferred over to Rosalind's world, him almost dying and the kidnapping of a child being involved there? Are they guilty about that?
Or would you like tell me your version of how they ended up as they are? What were the moments leading up to that accident (or was it an accident? truly?) like, and what was the moment (infinity?) directly after it like?
Post-canon is also very welcome! Do you want to show the Luteces traversing the universe? Crossing over into another fandom? Interacting with other versions of other characters from canon? Or with other versions of themselves? Are there other versions of them? What do you think the rules are for their "powers"? Is there any way for them to end up hurt, trapped or in danger, or are they practically invisible? What would it take for one of them to lose their cool? What sort of projects are they getting involved in? Are they keeping to themselves or getting involved with linear time in some way?
(Oh, and just so you know, I'm not super familiar with the "Burial at Sea" DLC. I started playing it, but never finished, and I didn't like the direction it took the characters.)
Yuletide sign-up info: Man, these two. I ship them like burning!
If the Rosalind/Robert-ship is too close to incest for your comfort, no worries. I find everything about them fascinating, both pre- and post-game (as well as during) and a romance between isn't a "must" for me to enjoy a story about them. I love their matter-of-fact personalities, the small yet clear differences between them, the impossible state they've found themselves in, as well as their interactions with each other and other characters.
They are entertaining and I want to know all there is to know about them! What was their first communication like? How do they see each other? Has that view changed through the time they've known each other? What's it like being dead and alive at the same time? What other adventures do they go on post-game? Is there any real danger they could end up in? Also, their reality bending powers opens up for all manner of both crossovers and AUs, if that's your thing!
DNWs for this fandom: The Luteces losing their "powers", Rosalind being submissive if there's a D/s-dynamic, Robert and/or Rosalind being shipped with other characters, A/B/O, graphic animal abuse/death, bestiality, daddy/mommy kink, amnesia, age regression, body-switching, high school AU, underage, vore, watersports, scat.
The Books of Ambha - Tasha Suri
(Characters: Any)
What the canon is: A duology of fantasy books with a setting inspired by Mughal-India. Goodreads link.
Why I love the canon: I adore the characters most of all! The setting is wonderful, the plot is intriguing, but the characters are what drew me in first and what I got most invested in. I enjoyed hating the villains for being so utterly awful, and following our two leads as they overcame the odds stacked against them, together with love interests in equal (or semi-equal) trouble. I love how our main cast ends up saving each other, how their eventual trust in each other payed off. Also, love the magic and the daiva - would love to see said magic and the daiva explored more!
Why I love the characters:
Pairings?: Both canon romances <3 If you want to go more D/s than vanilla, I'd love for the ladies of the pairings to take the lead..
Story prompts: Argh, so many ideas, I don't know where to start! I'm up for literally anything in this fandom. Do you want to focus on one or more of the nominated characters? Huzzah! I'm interested in seeing what their lives are like both pre-canon (Arwa & Mehr being sisters kept apart yet connected? Zahir being used as a pawn against his sister and/or finding an outlet in research? Amun trying to Deal With Everything?), missing scenes during canon, or post-canon (anything with any of the four of them interacting would be gold, but especially Arwa and Mehr getting to be sisters again! Or future adventures in changing the world for the better! More daiva interaction???). Do you want to explore the worldbuilding, maybe give us more insight into the daiva and their relationship to the gods and humanity? Would love to see it! Do you want to focus on some random side-character who showed up in one scene in one of the books? Write your heart out, I believe in you!
Yuletide sign-up info: I love everything about this duology! The setting! The characters! The romances! The infuriating villains getting exactly what they deserve! The magic! Decent people getting what _they_ deserve - eventually!
I am open to a story about any of the nominated characters (Zahir, Mehr, Arwa & Amun), alone or together in any constellation. I'd love to see what happens to them post-canon, but if you'd rather explore the characters' lives pre-canon or write "missing scenes", I'm also happy to read that! If you're interested in writing romance, I love the canon love stories and would be delighted to see how they develop post-canon. Want to explore the worldbuilding of this setting? Yes, please! Want to write about the characters hanging out, being family after Everything That's Happened? That would be very sweet <3 Want to write about the characters kicking ass and taking names? I'm 100% down for that! I mainly just want more of these characters and their world!
DNWs for this fandom: Major character death, Mehr or Arwa being submissive if there's to be D/s-dynamics, canon couples breaking up, A/B/O, graphic animal abuse/death, bestiality, daddy/mommy kink, amnesia, age regression, body-switching, high school AU, underage, vore, watersports, scat.
The Horror and the Wild - The Amazing Devil (Album)
(Character: Any)
What the canon is: An album of music with interesting lyrics. The link goes to the official Youtube playlist, but the album is also up on Spotify, Bandcamp, etc.
Why I love the canon: The lyrics! I love the music, but the lyrics are what really hooked me. There is so much story being told and implied here. We've got lines like 'Cause if we join our hands in prayer enough, to God, I imagine it all starts to sound like applause and Think of all the horrors that I promised you I'd bring, I promise you, they'll sing of every time, you passed your fingers through my hair and called me child - they set my mind spinning with ideas!
Story prompts: Ooooh, there are so many possibilities here! Do you want to try and weave together all the songs into one universe of setting and characters? Do you want to laser focus on one of the songs and explore what you think it's all about? Do you want to combine two or more songs with each other? I'm here for all of it!
My favorite of all the songs is the album's name giver, The Horror and the Wild. I am so very curious what the story in it might be, would love to see all manner of takes on it! The impression I've gotten is that it's about a long awaited revenge combined with rescue finally getting to be enacted. We've got a singer/story teller who's threatening an old, wingless man they seem to know – is it two singers, or one with two voices? Who's to say! And who is being held captive? Why? How does the singer know the old man? Have they infiltrated the old man's "court" or home or what have you and have finally found a moment to strike? What are the winged people in the song? Fae? Are the wingless humans? And since "dear heart" is being asked to keep their wings a secret ("Fret not, dear, heart, let not them hear, the mutterings of all your fears, the fluttering of all your wings") does the wingless old man even know he's got a captive in the first place, or truly who/what he's holding captive? SO MANY QUESTIONS!
That said, I am also so very curious about the other songs on this album. The relationship between the singer and the sung-to in The Rockrose and the Thistle is so tender and gentle, yet so desperate and despairing. What's their story? Is it all metaphor or is there a more literal situation with the sung-to coming unknitted and running out of songs? How did the couple in Wild Blue Yonder get together and end up wanting to break-up, and are there robot-vampires out there? ;) Is Welly Boots a ghost story, the dying thoughts of a parent, something combined or in-between? And just what is going on in Farewell Wanderlust - how much is happening in the mind of the singer and what's real? Same goes for The Unwanted Animal - is there something outside that door, trying to get in? And is the couple in Fair the same one as in Marbles? Do they know or mirror or otherwise connect with the couple in Battle Cries?
I know most of these songs' more fantastical elements can be explained as metaphors or exaggerations. However, I am a hopeless fantasy and science fiction fan, so any more fantastical interpretation, or half-fantastic half-mundane, is extra welcome!
Yuletide sign-up info: I am a sucker for witty lyrics that tell stories, and this album has a ton of that! I have SO MANY QUESTIONS!
Is the singer in The Unwanted Animal hallucinating or is something truly lurking at the door? The person who sings Welly Boots, are they an actual ghost looking after their child or is this an imagined scenario? What is the history between the singer and the sung-to in The Rockrose and the Thistle? How did the couple in Wild Blue Yonder meet and why are they breaking up?
Most of all, I would love to see a take on what The Horror and the Wild is all about. Who is the old man/wingless thing? Who is "dear heart" and why must they hide their wings and fears? Have the singer(s) infiltrated the old man's court to rescue "dear heart", or what? Also, is there a connection between the songs on this album? I'm not saying there has to be one, but with so many unnamed characters, I'm definitely open to that possibility!
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, graphic animal abuse/death, bestiality, daddy/mommy kink, amnesia, age regression, body-switching, high school AU, underage, vore, watersports, scat.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (TV)
(Characters: John Childermass & John Segundus)
What the canon is: A seven episodes long mini-series based on the book Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanne Clarke (GoodReads link.
Why I love the canon: The TV show reminded me of my love for the book, and made me like it even more! The book is a hilarious, witty look at privilege in all its forms, wrapped up in an interesting magical realism world. The reason I picked the TV show though is that it focuses much more on the characters and their internal and external conflicts. I have always been more a character fan than plot-and-setting-fan (though I do adore good worldbuilding). I really liked how all the characters were portrayed in the TV show and would love to see more of their lives.
Why I love the characters:
Pairings?: Childermass/Segundus or gen is what I'm looking for :) If you want to go more D/s than vanilla with the pairing, I'd love for Segundus to take the lead.
Story prompts: Do you have an interesting pre-canon tale you wish to spin about either or both of these magicians? Do you have a missing scene you want to explore? If so, I'm curious to see what you've come up with! The prompts I've come up with are all post-canon, but if you have an idea of your own that's not post-canon, I'm more than happy to read about it!
I'm ever so curious to see where Segundus and Childermass end up post-canon. Does Segundus get to start his school of magic? Does Childermass become a thorn in the side of the politicians of Great Britain? What part do they play in the return of magic to England – and does magic return only to England or to the whole world at this point? How much do other worlds, like the realm of faeries, start to overlap with the "regular" world, and what terrible and wonderful things does that overlap lead to? There are so many possible post-canon scenarios where Segundus and Childermass could end up working together to solve a magical problem, or a political one, or both, and I am here for all of them! And since Segundus generally is shown as less "worldly" than Childermass in both canon and fanon alike, I'd love for Segundus to get a moment to shine and be super competent, whether it's related to magic, politics, or whatever else you can come up with! I love it when Childermass gets to be competent too, but most people seem to underestimate Segundus more, so I love when he gets to impress and surprise with his skills!
If you're going the Childermass/Segundus-shipping route, I am open to all takes you might have on a romance between the two of them. Pre-canon, missing scenes, post-canon, established relationship, former-lovers-back-to-lovers, slowburn romance, first time, it's all excellent!
Yuletide sign-up info: Love the TV show and the book both + have read the short story collection, so throw facts from any part of the canon at me! I chose the TV show version mostly because I was looking for that "tone" this Yuletide (the book being more plot/humor/message-driven, while the TV focuses more on the characters' relationships and development).
While I love both Childermass and Segundus, I must admit I love Childermass the most. He's been my favorite since I read the book for the first time, way back when, both for his sarcasm and his loyalty. If you'd prefer to focus on just one of the characters I've picked, please tell me about Childermass, pre- or post-canon, or a missing scene with him. I'd especially love to see more of his magical skills in practice, both when interacting with other humans and with non-mortals. I'm also up for any other of the canon characters and original characters showing up in the story.
Now...do I ship Childermass/Segundus? Yep, I do. When the pairing got really popular on the JS&MN kink meme back in the day, I got sucked up in the hype, and won over by several clever fics and beautiful art. They make an interesting couple, opposites without being incompatible. I've really come to enjoy the dynamic fanon has created with these two, so if they're your ship too, please let me see your take on their relationship! Getting together or long established romantic partners, I'm up for either!
If you're more into writing gen, but want to write about both Childermass & Segundus, I'd also love to read about them working together and/or forming a friendship post-canon. Does Segundus get to start his school? Does Childermass help? What is Childermass' situation now that Norrell isn't around in the mortal realm? Are their magical accidents or other issues the two of them need to deal with?
DNWs for this fandom: Childermass or Segundus being shipped with characters other than each other (outside of previous relationships), A/B/O, graphic animal abuse/death, bestiality, daddy/mommy kink, amnesia, age regression, body-switching, high school AU, underage, vore, watersports, scat.
Killjoys (TV)
(Character: Alvis Akari & Fancy Lee)
What the canon is: A five season scifi TV series. Not sure if it's streaming somewhere right now, but it's out on both DVD and Bluray, plus, y'know, ~Internet~ ;) TV Tropes link and Wikipedia link.
Why I love the canon: There are three main things I love about Killjoys: 1 - No "as we all know"-moments, 2- No Worf Effect, 3 - The fact that most characters on the show are decent people who care about each other! Even the "evil" characters XD
1) All the tiny world details are so delightful! That plant in the corner of the kitchen on Lucy, the fact that Dutch keeps changing her hairstyle, the peppering of linguistic differences between their "English" and our world's English – great touches to make the world seem lived-in and real! The fact that we still have no idea if these humans originated on Earth and how far spread humanity is/if there are aliens (other than the Hullen/etc.) is great because it's not part of the main story and it's not something that would naturally come up in these characters' conversations. Just...I'm so in love with this world-building.
2) All characters who're suppose to be competent at something are shown to be that (e.g. Dutch's fighting skills, Johnny's tech skills, Alvis' diplomacy & contacts, Fancy's inventiveness) so when they're challenged you feel it is a real challenge because you've actually seen proof time and time again of how good they are at what they do – huzzah for no Worf Effect!
3) My experience of humanity is that most people are decent toward others as long as they're treated well and given the resources to care – and that when those resources are taken away not everyone turns into a District 1 Hunger Games contestant. I love that there's so much focus on Johnny and Dutch being BFFs, that neither could blame D'avin for what he did while mind-controlled (though there was of course trauma related to what happened!) and that there's just so much love! So many people being friends and caring for each other! So many missions that basically boil down to "they're our friend and they're in danger so we'll risk our lives saving them". Plus that the main cast are so good at treating strangers with decency and respect, even when their loved ones could benefit from the pain of said stranger (thinking about Clara and the shield).
Oh, and the humor and sense of fun in the midst of all the drama is also delightful! I love all the banter and jokes exchanged both during off-time and in battle situations! And that the humor they use to deflect or deal with pain is shown as different from their bonding-humor and trying-to-make-you-laugh-humor.
Why I love the characters:
Pairings?: I can ship Fancy with Alvis, D'avin+Dutch & Johnny (aka Fancy/D'avin/Dutch but not D'avin or Dutch together with Johnny) and I'm up for crossover character ships and OC ships of any gender! I really like the Fancy/Alvis ship but seeing as Alvis is dead fairly early in canon that's pretty much not an option unless the story is set pre-Alvis' death or in a fix-it fic (though I'm open to both of those!) Basically, if any of those options sounds interesting to you, dear Yulegoat, ship away! But gen is also very welcome :) Oh, and if you pair Fancy with a female character I'd love it if there's either no D/s dynamic or the female character is more dominant - no hate on submissive female characters but I am starved for both femdom content and "no D/s dynamic whatsoever" content when it comes to m/f pairings.
Story prompts: If you, wonderful wonderful writer, want to included both Alvis and Fancy in a story, you will have my heart immediately! I'd love to see anything with them pre-canon or set during canon - or, if you're very kind and write a fix-it fic where Alvis survives to post-canon, that too! I'd love to see the two of them having to work together to solve a problem/enact a heist/get a bounty/go undercover for whatever reason. Fancy needing Alvis as part of a cover story would be extra fun! Or, if you want to explore the regrets Alvis voiced re: Fancy right before he went and got killed, I would be fascinated to read your take on that! In what exact way does Alvis think he left Fancy down?
However, if you're more interested in focusing on only one of them, a "slice of life" story out of canon would be welcome about either Alvis or Fancy! Feel free to add in any other canon character, I love them all! Something introspective about Fancy dealing with being or having been Hullen or about Alvis' crisis of faith would be wonderful, but so would a more action-y story about Fancy going on a bounty hunt or Alvis doing some rebelling. Just, more of these two or at least one of them, will make me happy!
If you want to ship Fancy and Alvis, go right ahead! I'm open for both a slowburn, established relationship, a one-off-thing, exes-getting-back-together, or a pure Plot What Plot! Go where your heart takes you! If you like to go more D/s than vanilla, I'd love for Fancy to "take the lead" in bed – though otherwise I'd love for it to be a "sparring match", seeing as Alvis is way more in touch with being open about his emotions than Fancy. Also, we know it's canon Alvis likes to get tied up in bed, just sayin' ;)
Yuletide sign-up info: Ah, Killjoys! How I love this show <3 The world building, the found family, the mystery, the competent people getting to show off their skills~! It's everything I ever could want and more <3<3<3 Well, other than Fancy Lee & Alvis Akari being part of the main cast at all times, that is. I have this thing where I rarely find my favorite characters among a work's main cast, and for Killjoys my faves ended up being Fancy and Alvis. Seeing as what happened to Alvis happened to him, feel free to write about Fancy only if you want to stick to canon and write about the later seasons or post-canon.
For a Fancy-only-fic: I'd love a story either focused on Fancy Lee being extremely competent while doing his job and/or needing help from someone else. I'd also love a closer look at Fancy's own brand of loyalty - where his lines are drawn, what he sees as 'just', and maybe have someone let him know that he doesn't have to 1) try to fix things on his own so much, and 2) challenge him on his methods (aka the whole 'being an asshole because the world needs assholes who can get shit done'-attitude). If you want to write something shippy, I'm all for Fancy/Alvis, Fancy/D'avin/Dutch, Fancy/Johnny, Fancy/character from other fandom or Fancy/OC (of any gender).
But, if you, gentle reader, want to include Alvis too in this story, or even focus only on Alvis, I would be over the moon! Either if you want to write a fix-it fic so he can join the shenanigans of the later seasons or post-canon, or if you want to explore the earlier seasons or pre-canon. I'm especially curious about how he feels about the other characters in the cast, major and minor - scenes with any and all other characters that we didn't get to see in canon would be wonderful! But most of all, I'd love to see interaction between Alvis and Fancy, pre-canon or otherwise. What would have happened if Alvis _had_ supported Fancy in the way he seems to feel he didn't? Are there any adventures the two of them might get or have gotten entangled in together?
I'm usually super fond of AUs, but I love the worldbuilding of Killjoys so much and feel there's so much left to explore that the only AUs I'm looking for (right now at least) are canon divergent AUs aka "what ifs". I am, however, very much up for crossovers! Either 'fusion' crossovers where characters from another fandom belong in the Killjoys-setting (e.g. Fancy meets another killjoy who happens to be named "James T. Kirk") or where the Killjoys universe and another fandom setting turn out to be part of the same universe or there's a rift in space time or what have you (e.g. Alvis runs into Starfleet while traveling outside his usual territory). See my Yuletide Letter for a list of fandoms I'm familiar with, in case you'd like to write a crossover but not with any of the other fandoms I've requested for Yuletide. If you happen to be familiar with "The Locked Tomb" series by Tamsyn Muir, I think Fancy and/or Alvis encountering any character from that series for any reason would be fascinating!
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, age regression, non-canon amnesia, animal abuse that leads to animal death (I'm fine with implied animal death & animals being rescued from abuse), AUs that changes the setting aka high school AU or coffee shop AU, bestiality (but I'm okay with xenophilia), body-switching, daddy or mommy kink, death of characters who aren't dead by the end of canon, people under 18 in explicit sexual situations, vore, watersports & scat, women always automatically being submissive in sexual situations when the pairing is male character/female character.
I am super hyped to see whatever you might write for me, in whichever fandom we've matched on! I hope this letter will be a source of inspiration for you :)
If you want to go the really advanced route, I have a very long list of favorite tropes and kinks over here. It's a list of both smut-related likes and gen-related likes. On AO3 I'm
I'll be starting with my squicks and do-not-wants, just to get them out of the way. If one of my squicks happens to be one of your favorite tropes or kinks, no judgement! These things just happen to not me my thing.
Not my cup of tea & Squicks
- A/B/O aka Alpha/Beta/Omega aka Omegaverse. I have read interesting A/B/O-stories, but mostly the trope doesn't work for me due to the whole "the gender you've been assigned decides if you're submissive or dominant in bed"-thing most A/B/O stories go with. I know A/B/O is more of an "opt-in" trope, but since I've listed "messing with gender roles and heteronormativity" as things I like, I thought I'd specify that A/B/O isn't what I'm looking for.
- Animal abuse leading to animal death and Bestiality. By bestiality, I mean humans having sex with animals, not sentient/sapient alien creatures. Xenophilia I'm down with (though unless it's with a humanoid alien like in Star Trek I prefer fade-to-black sex scenes). I also wish to avoid animal abuse if it's explicit and the animal dies. Animals being mistreated I can deal with, if they get rescued from said mistreatment.]
- Daddy or Mommy kink. Not my thing, whether there's actual incest involved or not. Guardian/child romances or sexual situations are really not my cup of tea, be they play-pretend or not. Same goes for using "daddy" and "mommy" as pet names.
- Plots where character have non-canon amnesia, characters suddenly age regressing into children and characters switching bodies aren't my cup of tea since they're so common in fanfiction. That said, I have nothing against these tropes being delved into and explored if they're part of canon.
- High school AUs. Meaning that I don't mind school-related things if they're canon.
- Underage. No explicit sex scenes or sexual situations involving children, please. And I am Old(tm) so I mean everyone under 18 when I say children. This said, I will not be squicked out if it's implied or threatened (e.g. two teenagers "off screen" having had sex with each other, adults mentioning having had an early sexual debuts, characters having had past traumatic experiences, a villain saying creepy things about someone's children, etc.) It's explicit sex scenes involving people under 18 that I'd rather avoid.
- Vore. Don't mind it implied, but an explicit sex scene of this will be horror and squick to me, not sexy.
- Women always being the submissive partner in D/s scenarios between a man and a woman. No hate on submissive women! They just tend to be the default in fiction, and I'd love for there to be more Dominant women if there is to be a BDSM and/or D/s dynamic between a man and a woman <3 For other gender combinations I've got no particular preferences. Please just avoid the "all women and fem-presenting people are automatically submissive in bed, even if they start out taking the initiative"-trope that permeates most of media (I say as a very much not submissive woman who rarely get to see myself reflected in any fiction).
- Watersports and scat (i.e. urine & feces involved during sex - again, this is more of an "opt-in" thing, but since I brought up A/B/O I thought I'd better list these as nopes too).
And that's it for Do-Not-Wants! Now come the things I greatly enjoy! Of course, feel free to ignore stuff you'd rather not write :)
Genres
Since it's the holidays I'd love for there to be hurt/comfort or a happy ending if your story takes an emotionally harsh path. This said, if your chosen genre is horror, a happy ending is 100% optional! I enjoy all manner of fic from fluff to horror. I love creepy/eerie horror and cosmic horror, am more 'meh' about slasher-horror and religious horror.
Mini-Challenges
- Three Turtle Doves - would love to see threesomes or moresomes if you're writing for The Horror and the Wild or Killjoys (TV)!
- Two for One 2021 (aka The Crossover Challenge) - open to crossovers in all my requested fandoms!
- Yule Be Coming: Yuleporn 2021 - open to explicit content for all my fandoms~!
- Wrapping Paper - Art is always welcome, no matter which of my fandoms you're making it for!
Ratings
Anything goes! I have no trouble reading (and enjoying) anything from the kid-safest of fics to the most explicit of sex and violence. When it comes to the AO3 Archive warnings, the only one I'd prefer to avoid is Underage, and Major Character Death (unless it's a horror story or the death happens in canon).
Writing styles
Almost anything goes! Third person? Second person? First person? Present or past tense? Future tense? Epistolary? Twitter conversation? Outsider POV? I'm here for it all! The only thing that isn't my thing is "choose your own adventure"-stories; no hate for them, I just have trouble making up my mind on what choices to pick and I thus end up never finishing them XD
Things that make me smile (SFW)
- Anticipation, tension and suspense. Be it unresolved sexual tension, a manhunt for a dangerous killer, or a race against time to save someone's life – if it keeps me on the edge of my seat, I'm happy!
- Character introspection. I adore an engaging mystery or conflict, but I also enjoy slice-of-life and stories that focus on the inner life of one or more characters. If made to pick between focus on characters I love or focus on an intricate plot, I'll pick character focus 90% of the time <3
- Culture-clashes, where both cultures are seen as equals by the narrative - aka not "Oh, look at these poor uneducated barbarians, we must enlighten them!" but more "They've been courting me??".
- Found family. Characters who slowly go from strangers to "I would die for you all" are a delight!
- Messing with and questioning heteronormativity and gender roles.
- Kidnappings, for any reason. It's more for the rescue part of the plot that I enjoy it, especially if it's an "unexpected" character saving a more "rescuer"-like character.
- Loyalty in all its shapes and forms! I especially love characters who are a little too loyal; maybe to people they shouldn't be loyal to, maybe to a point where they value that person/those people's life more than their own. Buuuut, I also love when loyalty is rewarded! When trusting someone and relying on someone is the best thing to do - especially if contrasted with past betrayed loyalty. Just...people being devoted to other people, it floats all my boats~!
- Mysteries, be it a "who did it?", a "what is the meaning of this old text" a "who at court is gossiping about the main character?" or whatever else kind of mystery you can think up, I'll happily read it!
- Pairings or gen. I've listed pairings for some of my fandoms, and I adore all kinds of pairing-focused fics, be they couples, threesomes, moresomes, etc. This said, I also enjoy fics that have no pairings or only implied pairings. So if my ships happen to not be your ships, gen is very welcome!
- Role reversals (usual rescuer being rescued, “weaker” character saves the day, otherwise more worldly character is courted/seduces/approached by otherwise more “naive” character, etc.) Since who I consider the "usual X" might be tricky to guess, I'll try to elaborate on this for each fandom.
- Characters getting to show off their skills. All scenarios where a character who's really skilled at something (e.g. magic, diplomacy, detective work, medicine, etc.) get to use that skill to solve a problem and solve it well.
- Vulnerability especially when it comes from otherwise "closed off" characters. Through being wounded, kidnapped, drugged, bested (even if said person just is pretending to lose to please someone else), being open about something meaningful to them, or in any other scenario you can think of. I'll try to add more specific ideas for each fandom further down.
- If you like writing AUs and crossovers I'm happy to receive such fic! All AUs but high school AUs make me smile, though my favorites are fantasy/science fiction/solarpunk/cyberpunk AUs. If you choose to set the fic IN SPAAAAACE for a non-space fandom I'm soooo here for that :D. Here's a list of fandoms I'm familiar with to some degree, in case you should happen to want to write a crossover with a fandom other than the ones I've requested for Yuletide.
Other things that make me smile (only relevant to smut)
- Consent play aka when two people pretend one of them isn't into the scene, but they definitely are. Love this best when it's very clear to the reader that it's all play-pretend.
- Foreplay and teasing/tempting (both verbal and otherwise). Doesn't actually have to lead to sex – the teasing is fun in itself.
- Hot Spots - when a character has a spot on their body that makes their knees go weak; i.e. when someone bites their ear, pulls their hair, kisses their neck, etc.
- Kink negotiations. I adore when characters discuss what they're into as a form of foreplay <3
- Overstimulation, as in people being overwhelmed by pleasure, especially when combined with orgasm delay <3
- People having fun, especially if it's First Time Sex we're talking and if you feel it works with the characters' personalities and situation. Just a relaxed, laughing-with-you-not-at-you, friendly mood to go with a very fun activity!
- Playful dominance/submission + bondage. Extra great when initiated by the submissive partner. Small gestures, such as holding the other's hands still, biting, rough play, verbally dominating someone... And in pairings involving both men and women, I do love femdom, if that works with the personality of the woman in question. I'm also down for painplay and pretty much anything that is included under the BDSM-umbrella, as long as everyone involved in the sex scene are into it (or haven't tried it yet and turn out to really love it).
- Roleplaying, be it super serious or super silly. I'm all for playacting in the bedroom <3
- Vanilla sex. Although kinky is wonderful, I don't require it to like a sex scene. I love when there's a clear difference between "D/s scene" and "people just deciding to have sex" because sex can definitely happen without anyone taking the lead - something I feel a lot of mainstream erotica forgets, especially when it comes to m/f couples.
Fandom specifics!
Beware of spoilers for all fandoms listed below!
BioShock Infinite
(Characters: Robert Lutece & Rosalind Lutece)
What the canon is: A video game set in an alternative reality where science allows for a city to be built in the clouds. Our main character, ex-Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, is sent to this city to recover a young woman named Elizabeth. Things then get...strange… Youtube link to game trailer.
Why I love the canon: The main thing that fascinates me about the canon is the Luteces. I enjoy the setting of having a steampunk sky city, and Elizabeth's powers too, but if the story includes the Luteces and their weird situation re: physics and time at all, I will be happy. They can be in a completely different setting and I will still be fascinated by them!
Why I love the characters:
- Robert Lutece: I really enjoy how alike yet unlike each other the Luteces are. Robert has the interesting combination of having both had an easier and a harder time than his alternate self aka Rosalind: he's a man in a time where science definitely is a man's field, but he's clearly had less success regarding what he's been able to do professionally. He's also the fish out of water, transplanted to another universe, a journey he barely survived. I'm fascinated by how happy-go-lucky he can seem, relaxed in the face of all manner of odd and dangerous situations, that matches and yet contrasts Rosalind. He can definitely be as cold and calculating as his alternate self, but he seems to allow himself more moments of relaxation.
- Rosalind Lutece: I love that she gets to be the colder and more calculating of the two, because that makes sense to me. Women easily get labeled as "hysterical", so even if she might have started out more easy going as a child (who knows?) it isn't strange that she has developed an iron grip on her emotions. It's a nice contrast to the clear passion she's keeping under wraps, because not only did she managed to get technology made that lets A WHOLE CITY FLY, she manages to make it so her alternate self gets to not only travel to her universe but survive there. She's a passionate woman with an ice-cold veneer and I adore that contrast, especially when we get to see the fire beneath the surface!
Pairings?: I am interested in Robert/Rosalind, buuuuut I get that shipping a person with their alternate universe self can feel incest-y, especially since Rosalind likes to call Robert "brother". I don't experience it as incest (since they're not related and met as adults) – so I'm not looking for any sort of "brother/sister-ship-dynamic" – but I understand if this ship isn't your cup of tea. So don't worry if you don't want to write this ship! I would also greatly enjoy getting to watch them be super close in a non-romantic way! I'm just not interested in any other pairings :) Oh, and if you're up for this ship and you're going more D/s than vanilla, I'd love for Rosalind to take the lead!.
Story prompts: Anything with the Luteces! Literally anything! Do you want to explore how they met pre-canon? What the time was like when Robert just had transferred over to Rosalind's world, him almost dying and the kidnapping of a child being involved there? Are they guilty about that?
Or would you like tell me your version of how they ended up as they are? What were the moments leading up to that accident (or was it an accident? truly?) like, and what was the moment (infinity?) directly after it like?
Post-canon is also very welcome! Do you want to show the Luteces traversing the universe? Crossing over into another fandom? Interacting with other versions of other characters from canon? Or with other versions of themselves? Are there other versions of them? What do you think the rules are for their "powers"? Is there any way for them to end up hurt, trapped or in danger, or are they practically invisible? What would it take for one of them to lose their cool? What sort of projects are they getting involved in? Are they keeping to themselves or getting involved with linear time in some way?
(Oh, and just so you know, I'm not super familiar with the "Burial at Sea" DLC. I started playing it, but never finished, and I didn't like the direction it took the characters.)
Yuletide sign-up info: Man, these two. I ship them like burning!
If the Rosalind/Robert-ship is too close to incest for your comfort, no worries. I find everything about them fascinating, both pre- and post-game (as well as during) and a romance between isn't a "must" for me to enjoy a story about them. I love their matter-of-fact personalities, the small yet clear differences between them, the impossible state they've found themselves in, as well as their interactions with each other and other characters.
They are entertaining and I want to know all there is to know about them! What was their first communication like? How do they see each other? Has that view changed through the time they've known each other? What's it like being dead and alive at the same time? What other adventures do they go on post-game? Is there any real danger they could end up in? Also, their reality bending powers opens up for all manner of both crossovers and AUs, if that's your thing!
DNWs for this fandom: The Luteces losing their "powers", Rosalind being submissive if there's a D/s-dynamic, Robert and/or Rosalind being shipped with other characters, A/B/O, graphic animal abuse/death, bestiality, daddy/mommy kink, amnesia, age regression, body-switching, high school AU, underage, vore, watersports, scat.
The Books of Ambha - Tasha Suri
(Characters: Any)
What the canon is: A duology of fantasy books with a setting inspired by Mughal-India. Goodreads link.
Why I love the canon: I adore the characters most of all! The setting is wonderful, the plot is intriguing, but the characters are what drew me in first and what I got most invested in. I enjoyed hating the villains for being so utterly awful, and following our two leads as they overcame the odds stacked against them, together with love interests in equal (or semi-equal) trouble. I love how our main cast ends up saving each other, how their eventual trust in each other payed off. Also, love the magic and the daiva - would love to see said magic and the daiva explored more!
Why I love the characters:
- Amun: This poor man! Mind controlled for so long, given faint hope combined with despair when forced to marry Mehr, ready to sacrifice everything for Mehr to regain her freedom - the loyalty and self-sacrifice is delicious! I loved slowly getting to know him, seeing his gentle personality get revealed despite how supposedly "menacing" people other than Mehr find him.
- Arwa: Love what a contrast she was as a point of view, compared to Mehr. Following along as she comes to terms with her heritage, having to overcome the terrible things her stepmother has told her throughout her life in combination with the massacre she survived, was wonderful. With her being better at "playing politics" than her sister, her journey was a nice contrast to her sister's more constantly-plotting-resistance.
- Mehr: I love everything about her! Her love for her family, her devotion to her heritage, her will to survive and never give up, her ability to connect with Amun despite their shared horrific situation <3 I would adore to learn more about her situation post-canon because while all the characters have earned happy endings, in my opinion Mehr has earned hers three times over!
- Zahir: I am a sucker for "part of the elite yet rejected by the elite"-characters. Zahir brings that in spades! I love that he's been kept alive mostly as a courtesy to his sister and that while he becomes a sort of religious leader he doesn't overshadow Arwa. Really like his dedication to his research too, because I Feel That XD.
Pairings?: Both canon romances <3 If you want to go more D/s than vanilla, I'd love for the ladies of the pairings to take the lead..
Story prompts: Argh, so many ideas, I don't know where to start! I'm up for literally anything in this fandom. Do you want to focus on one or more of the nominated characters? Huzzah! I'm interested in seeing what their lives are like both pre-canon (Arwa & Mehr being sisters kept apart yet connected? Zahir being used as a pawn against his sister and/or finding an outlet in research? Amun trying to Deal With Everything?), missing scenes during canon, or post-canon (anything with any of the four of them interacting would be gold, but especially Arwa and Mehr getting to be sisters again! Or future adventures in changing the world for the better! More daiva interaction???). Do you want to explore the worldbuilding, maybe give us more insight into the daiva and their relationship to the gods and humanity? Would love to see it! Do you want to focus on some random side-character who showed up in one scene in one of the books? Write your heart out, I believe in you!
Yuletide sign-up info: I love everything about this duology! The setting! The characters! The romances! The infuriating villains getting exactly what they deserve! The magic! Decent people getting what _they_ deserve - eventually!
I am open to a story about any of the nominated characters (Zahir, Mehr, Arwa & Amun), alone or together in any constellation. I'd love to see what happens to them post-canon, but if you'd rather explore the characters' lives pre-canon or write "missing scenes", I'm also happy to read that! If you're interested in writing romance, I love the canon love stories and would be delighted to see how they develop post-canon. Want to explore the worldbuilding of this setting? Yes, please! Want to write about the characters hanging out, being family after Everything That's Happened? That would be very sweet <3 Want to write about the characters kicking ass and taking names? I'm 100% down for that! I mainly just want more of these characters and their world!
DNWs for this fandom: Major character death, Mehr or Arwa being submissive if there's to be D/s-dynamics, canon couples breaking up, A/B/O, graphic animal abuse/death, bestiality, daddy/mommy kink, amnesia, age regression, body-switching, high school AU, underage, vore, watersports, scat.
The Horror and the Wild - The Amazing Devil (Album)
(Character: Any)
What the canon is: An album of music with interesting lyrics. The link goes to the official Youtube playlist, but the album is also up on Spotify, Bandcamp, etc.
Why I love the canon: The lyrics! I love the music, but the lyrics are what really hooked me. There is so much story being told and implied here. We've got lines like 'Cause if we join our hands in prayer enough, to God, I imagine it all starts to sound like applause and Think of all the horrors that I promised you I'd bring, I promise you, they'll sing of every time, you passed your fingers through my hair and called me child - they set my mind spinning with ideas!
Story prompts: Ooooh, there are so many possibilities here! Do you want to try and weave together all the songs into one universe of setting and characters? Do you want to laser focus on one of the songs and explore what you think it's all about? Do you want to combine two or more songs with each other? I'm here for all of it!
My favorite of all the songs is the album's name giver, The Horror and the Wild. I am so very curious what the story in it might be, would love to see all manner of takes on it! The impression I've gotten is that it's about a long awaited revenge combined with rescue finally getting to be enacted. We've got a singer/story teller who's threatening an old, wingless man they seem to know – is it two singers, or one with two voices? Who's to say! And who is being held captive? Why? How does the singer know the old man? Have they infiltrated the old man's "court" or home or what have you and have finally found a moment to strike? What are the winged people in the song? Fae? Are the wingless humans? And since "dear heart" is being asked to keep their wings a secret ("Fret not, dear, heart, let not them hear, the mutterings of all your fears, the fluttering of all your wings") does the wingless old man even know he's got a captive in the first place, or truly who/what he's holding captive? SO MANY QUESTIONS!
That said, I am also so very curious about the other songs on this album. The relationship between the singer and the sung-to in The Rockrose and the Thistle is so tender and gentle, yet so desperate and despairing. What's their story? Is it all metaphor or is there a more literal situation with the sung-to coming unknitted and running out of songs? How did the couple in Wild Blue Yonder get together and end up wanting to break-up, and are there robot-vampires out there? ;) Is Welly Boots a ghost story, the dying thoughts of a parent, something combined or in-between? And just what is going on in Farewell Wanderlust - how much is happening in the mind of the singer and what's real? Same goes for The Unwanted Animal - is there something outside that door, trying to get in? And is the couple in Fair the same one as in Marbles? Do they know or mirror or otherwise connect with the couple in Battle Cries?
I know most of these songs' more fantastical elements can be explained as metaphors or exaggerations. However, I am a hopeless fantasy and science fiction fan, so any more fantastical interpretation, or half-fantastic half-mundane, is extra welcome!
Yuletide sign-up info: I am a sucker for witty lyrics that tell stories, and this album has a ton of that! I have SO MANY QUESTIONS!
Is the singer in The Unwanted Animal hallucinating or is something truly lurking at the door? The person who sings Welly Boots, are they an actual ghost looking after their child or is this an imagined scenario? What is the history between the singer and the sung-to in The Rockrose and the Thistle? How did the couple in Wild Blue Yonder meet and why are they breaking up?
Most of all, I would love to see a take on what The Horror and the Wild is all about. Who is the old man/wingless thing? Who is "dear heart" and why must they hide their wings and fears? Have the singer(s) infiltrated the old man's court to rescue "dear heart", or what? Also, is there a connection between the songs on this album? I'm not saying there has to be one, but with so many unnamed characters, I'm definitely open to that possibility!
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, graphic animal abuse/death, bestiality, daddy/mommy kink, amnesia, age regression, body-switching, high school AU, underage, vore, watersports, scat.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (TV)
(Characters: John Childermass & John Segundus)
What the canon is: A seven episodes long mini-series based on the book Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanne Clarke (GoodReads link.
Why I love the canon: The TV show reminded me of my love for the book, and made me like it even more! The book is a hilarious, witty look at privilege in all its forms, wrapped up in an interesting magical realism world. The reason I picked the TV show though is that it focuses much more on the characters and their internal and external conflicts. I have always been more a character fan than plot-and-setting-fan (though I do adore good worldbuilding). I really liked how all the characters were portrayed in the TV show and would love to see more of their lives.
Why I love the characters:
- John Childermass: I love his sarcasm, loyalty and stubbornness, and I love his sense of what's right. I just can't get enough of Childermass! He brightens every scene with his grumpy presence! It's his loyalty, both to Norrell, to the Raven King, and to magic, that I enjoy most about him. He's not all seeing or all knowing, he's just trying to do what he thinks is best for magic, for his king, and in a way for Norrell too. My impression is that he'll keep on working for what he thinks of as the "right thing", while dealing with being on his own for the first time in a long time, and I'm very interested in seeing where that goes!
- John Segundus: The TV show made him such a sweet character. Not that he wasn't in the book, but it really shone through on screen in a way that I didn't reflect over while reading – mostly because the book uses the characters more as ways to move the plot forward, which also can be a great story telling tool but not the best way to make you notice the characters as people. I love that he has a fierce side and that he won't take crap from anyone, even people much stronger than him, but that he always tries to be polite and kind unless people show they don't deserve that side of him. Basically, I enjoy Segundus' balancing being polite and kind with fighting for what he believes in. I especially enjoy scenarios where people underestimate him because of his seemingly mind manners and then live to regret their prejudices.
Pairings?: Childermass/Segundus or gen is what I'm looking for :) If you want to go more D/s than vanilla with the pairing, I'd love for Segundus to take the lead.
Story prompts: Do you have an interesting pre-canon tale you wish to spin about either or both of these magicians? Do you have a missing scene you want to explore? If so, I'm curious to see what you've come up with! The prompts I've come up with are all post-canon, but if you have an idea of your own that's not post-canon, I'm more than happy to read about it!
I'm ever so curious to see where Segundus and Childermass end up post-canon. Does Segundus get to start his school of magic? Does Childermass become a thorn in the side of the politicians of Great Britain? What part do they play in the return of magic to England – and does magic return only to England or to the whole world at this point? How much do other worlds, like the realm of faeries, start to overlap with the "regular" world, and what terrible and wonderful things does that overlap lead to? There are so many possible post-canon scenarios where Segundus and Childermass could end up working together to solve a magical problem, or a political one, or both, and I am here for all of them! And since Segundus generally is shown as less "worldly" than Childermass in both canon and fanon alike, I'd love for Segundus to get a moment to shine and be super competent, whether it's related to magic, politics, or whatever else you can come up with! I love it when Childermass gets to be competent too, but most people seem to underestimate Segundus more, so I love when he gets to impress and surprise with his skills!
If you're going the Childermass/Segundus-shipping route, I am open to all takes you might have on a romance between the two of them. Pre-canon, missing scenes, post-canon, established relationship, former-lovers-back-to-lovers, slowburn romance, first time, it's all excellent!
Yuletide sign-up info: Love the TV show and the book both + have read the short story collection, so throw facts from any part of the canon at me! I chose the TV show version mostly because I was looking for that "tone" this Yuletide (the book being more plot/humor/message-driven, while the TV focuses more on the characters' relationships and development).
While I love both Childermass and Segundus, I must admit I love Childermass the most. He's been my favorite since I read the book for the first time, way back when, both for his sarcasm and his loyalty. If you'd prefer to focus on just one of the characters I've picked, please tell me about Childermass, pre- or post-canon, or a missing scene with him. I'd especially love to see more of his magical skills in practice, both when interacting with other humans and with non-mortals. I'm also up for any other of the canon characters and original characters showing up in the story.
Now...do I ship Childermass/Segundus? Yep, I do. When the pairing got really popular on the JS&MN kink meme back in the day, I got sucked up in the hype, and won over by several clever fics and beautiful art. They make an interesting couple, opposites without being incompatible. I've really come to enjoy the dynamic fanon has created with these two, so if they're your ship too, please let me see your take on their relationship! Getting together or long established romantic partners, I'm up for either!
If you're more into writing gen, but want to write about both Childermass & Segundus, I'd also love to read about them working together and/or forming a friendship post-canon. Does Segundus get to start his school? Does Childermass help? What is Childermass' situation now that Norrell isn't around in the mortal realm? Are their magical accidents or other issues the two of them need to deal with?
DNWs for this fandom: Childermass or Segundus being shipped with characters other than each other (outside of previous relationships), A/B/O, graphic animal abuse/death, bestiality, daddy/mommy kink, amnesia, age regression, body-switching, high school AU, underage, vore, watersports, scat.
Killjoys (TV)
(Character: Alvis Akari & Fancy Lee)
What the canon is: A five season scifi TV series. Not sure if it's streaming somewhere right now, but it's out on both DVD and Bluray, plus, y'know, ~Internet~ ;) TV Tropes link and Wikipedia link.
Why I love the canon: There are three main things I love about Killjoys: 1 - No "as we all know"-moments, 2- No Worf Effect, 3 - The fact that most characters on the show are decent people who care about each other! Even the "evil" characters XD
1) All the tiny world details are so delightful! That plant in the corner of the kitchen on Lucy, the fact that Dutch keeps changing her hairstyle, the peppering of linguistic differences between their "English" and our world's English – great touches to make the world seem lived-in and real! The fact that we still have no idea if these humans originated on Earth and how far spread humanity is/if there are aliens (other than the Hullen/etc.) is great because it's not part of the main story and it's not something that would naturally come up in these characters' conversations. Just...I'm so in love with this world-building.
2) All characters who're suppose to be competent at something are shown to be that (e.g. Dutch's fighting skills, Johnny's tech skills, Alvis' diplomacy & contacts, Fancy's inventiveness) so when they're challenged you feel it is a real challenge because you've actually seen proof time and time again of how good they are at what they do – huzzah for no Worf Effect!
3) My experience of humanity is that most people are decent toward others as long as they're treated well and given the resources to care – and that when those resources are taken away not everyone turns into a District 1 Hunger Games contestant. I love that there's so much focus on Johnny and Dutch being BFFs, that neither could blame D'avin for what he did while mind-controlled (though there was of course trauma related to what happened!) and that there's just so much love! So many people being friends and caring for each other! So many missions that basically boil down to "they're our friend and they're in danger so we'll risk our lives saving them". Plus that the main cast are so good at treating strangers with decency and respect, even when their loved ones could benefit from the pain of said stranger (thinking about Clara and the shield).
Oh, and the humor and sense of fun in the midst of all the drama is also delightful! I love all the banter and jokes exchanged both during off-time and in battle situations! And that the humor they use to deflect or deal with pain is shown as different from their bonding-humor and trying-to-make-you-laugh-humor.
Why I love the characters:
- Alvis Akari: After season 2 he might be my favorite character on the show. While I'm not religious I have several friends who are very (we're talking being-actual-priests-level faith) and it's so great to see a character in a position of religious 'power' portrayed as so very human. Alvis isn't a fanatic or a hypocrite – he's not infallible either, but him questioning his faith feels genuine and believable, instead of a pendulum swinging between Believe or Not Believe as the plot demands. It's also great how he's shown as a person not just "this character is a Monk/Priest". I love all the little humanizing exchanges he has with other characters (e.g. D'avin calling him a "creepy little dude" to which Alvis just whispers "Thank you~"). Alvis is so very, very human, and I love following along on as he ponders his faith and in his fight for Westerly's freedom. Oh, and a friend and I have jokingly noticed that he tends to wear more clothing the sadder he is, and less clothing the happier he is. Just thought that was a funny character touch. Basically, I wish we got more of him <3
- Fancy Lee: I love all the hints we get that Fancy is more than he seems. By this I mean that he comes off as this arrogant asshole but it's clearly hinted that he cares. Not only that he cares about his fellow killjoys but that he's a decent person who's set himself up to play the villain/antihero so that other people can have peace of mind. To me this was especially underlined in that scene where Alvis Akari goes up to Fancy and says how he should have checked in with Fancy more (I'm paraphrasing here). In short, I love how competent Fancy is, I love his snarky humor, I love how he sticks to his own code of conduct, and I love how loyal he is - in his own way.
Pairings?: I can ship Fancy with Alvis, D'avin+Dutch & Johnny (aka Fancy/D'avin/Dutch but not D'avin or Dutch together with Johnny) and I'm up for crossover character ships and OC ships of any gender! I really like the Fancy/Alvis ship but seeing as Alvis is dead fairly early in canon that's pretty much not an option unless the story is set pre-Alvis' death or in a fix-it fic (though I'm open to both of those!) Basically, if any of those options sounds interesting to you, dear Yulegoat, ship away! But gen is also very welcome :) Oh, and if you pair Fancy with a female character I'd love it if there's either no D/s dynamic or the female character is more dominant - no hate on submissive female characters but I am starved for both femdom content and "no D/s dynamic whatsoever" content when it comes to m/f pairings.
Story prompts: If you, wonderful wonderful writer, want to included both Alvis and Fancy in a story, you will have my heart immediately! I'd love to see anything with them pre-canon or set during canon - or, if you're very kind and write a fix-it fic where Alvis survives to post-canon, that too! I'd love to see the two of them having to work together to solve a problem/enact a heist/get a bounty/go undercover for whatever reason. Fancy needing Alvis as part of a cover story would be extra fun! Or, if you want to explore the regrets Alvis voiced re: Fancy right before he went and got killed, I would be fascinated to read your take on that! In what exact way does Alvis think he left Fancy down?
However, if you're more interested in focusing on only one of them, a "slice of life" story out of canon would be welcome about either Alvis or Fancy! Feel free to add in any other canon character, I love them all! Something introspective about Fancy dealing with being or having been Hullen or about Alvis' crisis of faith would be wonderful, but so would a more action-y story about Fancy going on a bounty hunt or Alvis doing some rebelling. Just, more of these two or at least one of them, will make me happy!
If you want to ship Fancy and Alvis, go right ahead! I'm open for both a slowburn, established relationship, a one-off-thing, exes-getting-back-together, or a pure Plot What Plot! Go where your heart takes you! If you like to go more D/s than vanilla, I'd love for Fancy to "take the lead" in bed – though otherwise I'd love for it to be a "sparring match", seeing as Alvis is way more in touch with being open about his emotions than Fancy. Also, we know it's canon Alvis likes to get tied up in bed, just sayin' ;)
Yuletide sign-up info: Ah, Killjoys! How I love this show <3 The world building, the found family, the mystery, the competent people getting to show off their skills~! It's everything I ever could want and more <3<3<3 Well, other than Fancy Lee & Alvis Akari being part of the main cast at all times, that is. I have this thing where I rarely find my favorite characters among a work's main cast, and for Killjoys my faves ended up being Fancy and Alvis. Seeing as what happened to Alvis happened to him, feel free to write about Fancy only if you want to stick to canon and write about the later seasons or post-canon.
For a Fancy-only-fic: I'd love a story either focused on Fancy Lee being extremely competent while doing his job and/or needing help from someone else. I'd also love a closer look at Fancy's own brand of loyalty - where his lines are drawn, what he sees as 'just', and maybe have someone let him know that he doesn't have to 1) try to fix things on his own so much, and 2) challenge him on his methods (aka the whole 'being an asshole because the world needs assholes who can get shit done'-attitude). If you want to write something shippy, I'm all for Fancy/Alvis, Fancy/D'avin/Dutch, Fancy/Johnny, Fancy/character from other fandom or Fancy/OC (of any gender).
But, if you, gentle reader, want to include Alvis too in this story, or even focus only on Alvis, I would be over the moon! Either if you want to write a fix-it fic so he can join the shenanigans of the later seasons or post-canon, or if you want to explore the earlier seasons or pre-canon. I'm especially curious about how he feels about the other characters in the cast, major and minor - scenes with any and all other characters that we didn't get to see in canon would be wonderful! But most of all, I'd love to see interaction between Alvis and Fancy, pre-canon or otherwise. What would have happened if Alvis _had_ supported Fancy in the way he seems to feel he didn't? Are there any adventures the two of them might get or have gotten entangled in together?
I'm usually super fond of AUs, but I love the worldbuilding of Killjoys so much and feel there's so much left to explore that the only AUs I'm looking for (right now at least) are canon divergent AUs aka "what ifs". I am, however, very much up for crossovers! Either 'fusion' crossovers where characters from another fandom belong in the Killjoys-setting (e.g. Fancy meets another killjoy who happens to be named "James T. Kirk") or where the Killjoys universe and another fandom setting turn out to be part of the same universe or there's a rift in space time or what have you (e.g. Alvis runs into Starfleet while traveling outside his usual territory). See my Yuletide Letter for a list of fandoms I'm familiar with, in case you'd like to write a crossover but not with any of the other fandoms I've requested for Yuletide. If you happen to be familiar with "The Locked Tomb" series by Tamsyn Muir, I think Fancy and/or Alvis encountering any character from that series for any reason would be fascinating!
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, age regression, non-canon amnesia, animal abuse that leads to animal death (I'm fine with implied animal death & animals being rescued from abuse), AUs that changes the setting aka high school AU or coffee shop AU, bestiality (but I'm okay with xenophilia), body-switching, daddy or mommy kink, death of characters who aren't dead by the end of canon, people under 18 in explicit sexual situations, vore, watersports & scat, women always automatically being submissive in sexual situations when the pairing is male character/female character.
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