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nonesensedSalutations, best of Yulegoats!
Hope you find this letter inspiring, should you seek it out :) These optional details are of course fully optional, I'm only posting in case you're looking for some writing inspiration. I can promise I'll be overjoyed with whatever fandom you end up writing a fic for me in <3 I do get wordier about some of them, but that's because I almost missed the deadline for sign-up due to working a lot of overtime. Thus, fandoms I hadn't requested for previous Yuletides had to be phrased in a hurry.
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 Nonesensed, if you want to take a look at my own fics and/or bookmarks for inspiration :) I'm also on Tumblr as
nonesensed.
Starting with my squicks and do-not-wants, to get them out of the way. If one of my squicks happens to be one of your favorite tropes or kinks, no judgment! I've nothing against people who like stuff I don't, it's just that these things aren't for me :)
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 tropes don'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 or animal abuse where the animal is left to suffer. I can deal with fictional animals being mistreated if they get rescued from said mistreatment. Also, since I'm down with xenophilia (aka humans getting it on with sentient/sapient extraterrestrials), I'd like to clarify that bestiality (humans having sex with animals) squicks me.
- Daddy/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 even if there's no actual "incest play" involved.
- 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. 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'm looking to 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 a lot of fiction. 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 all other possible 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 often has been assumed to be submissive or a switch simple based on my gender, and has seen the same assumption show up in fiction A Lot – to the point where the assumption has become a tableflip-inducing rage button for me XD).
- 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).
Do-Not-Wants are now over! Next up: things I greatly enjoy!
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:
- Celebrate Trans Characters: Transtide 2022 - I've no specific trans headcanons to request, but I'm happy to receive fics where both canon trans characters and trans headcanons are included <3
- Queering The Tide - While most of my requested canons are pretty queer on their own, I'm all for More Queering <3
- Two for One 2022 (aka The Crossover Challenge) - Open to crossovers in all my requested fandoms!
- Yuletide Comes At Least Once A Year: Yuleporn 2022 - Open to explicit content for all my fandoms~!
- Wrapping Paper 2022 - Art is always welcome, no matter which of my fandoms you're making it for!
Ratings
Anything goes! I have no trouble 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 two I'd prefer to avoid are Underage and Major Character Death (though I'm fine with Major Character Death in horror stories or if 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 for me is "choose your own adventure"-stories; no hate for them, but I 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. While I adore an engaging mystery or conflict, I also enjoy slice-of-life and stories that focus on the inner life of one or more characters. And if made to pick between focus on characters' inner lives and character development VS 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.
- Competence! 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.
- I'm very happy to receive AUs and crossovers! All AUs but high school AUs make me smile, though my favorites are fantasy/science fiction/solarpunk/cyberpunk AUs and "what if" AUs (aka close to canon, but one or two things are changed). If I say in a fandom prompt that I'm only interested in canon-based AUs that's just because I love that world-building so much that I want it explored more, it's not that I dislike 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 are trying things out for the first time).
- Roleplay, 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!
Dimension 20: A Court of Fey and Flowers
(Characters: Captain K. P. Hob & Delloso de la Rue)
What the canon is: A D&D based actual play show inspired by All The Regency Romance Tropes but smashed together with the Feywilds. Basically Pride & Prejudice meets the fey from A Midsummer Nights' Dream. The full 10 episodes are behind a paywall, but you can watch the first episode on Youtube.
Why I love the canon: I adore courtship complications! I adore them so much! And how this show combines the stiff and overly complex ways of courtship with get from the Regency Romance genre with the wonderful chaos of the Feywilds. Plus, we got an excellent found family along with all the courting with is A+++ in my book!
Why I love the characters:
- Captain K. P. Hob: Ah, Hob <3 He won me over immediately with his social awkwardness, his dedication to being The Best Goblin Soldier despite getting very little appreciation and understanding from his court, and his utter and complete loyalty. Give me a character that's too loyal for their own good and I will love them forever~! I just want good things for him after all he's been through and for him to find being loyal to someone outside of the Goblin Court (like Rue & te rest of the Pack of Pixies) can be so much better than to swearing himself to something that doesn't care about him as a person.
- Delloso de la Rue: They are so wonderful <3 I love that they get to be messy and selfish in their actions, while still clearly being a kind character at heart who wants everyone to be happy. Do they sometimes assume they know what's best for others without asking them first? Yes, and I love that! That's something they'll need to work on and balance within themselves, which is much more interesting than if they understood what Everyone Needed Always. Getting to see who they develop into now that they're no longer part of the Court of Wonder would be so great!
Pairings? I love all the canon romances, especially the one between Hob and Rue <3<3<3 I know some people where thrown off by the revelation of what Rue had been lying about right at the end of the series, but that didn't ruin things for me. In fact, I like that Rue broke up an arranged marriage. As big a win as a marriage to the Court of Wonder would have been for the Goblin Court, the court system is clearly bad for everyone + Grabalba would have ended up with An Awful Spouse. I'd love to see Hob and Rue talk about this more than we got to see it dealt with in canon, but it makes their relationship more interesting to me rather than making it not work. Also, if you'd like to throw Wuvy into this, writing Hob/Rue/Wuvy, I am totally down for that. I love Wuvy remaining Rue's friend and not joining the relationship so it's definitely not a must, but if that's what you're into, go for it! Just don't break up Hob and Rue please <3
Story prompts: If your story focuses on Rue and Hob and their relationship, I will adore it! But if you're looking for more specific story prompts, what do they get up to post-canon? Do they spend time with the rest of the Pack of Pixies? Do they accept joining the Court of Craft in some capacity? Do they go to the Material Plane at some point? Does Rue get to pamper Hob and give him a wonderful make-over that isn't as much a make-over as an encouragement for him to finally dress as makes him comfortable now that he doesn't have a uniform? Do Rue and Hob have to defend each other in some way? Do they end up attending Grablaba's wedding and how much do they cry during the ceremony?
If you want to go canon divergent AU, I've seen prompts floating around about "What if the Court of Wonder found out about what Rue did and this somehow ends with Rue in an arranged marriage to Hob to appease the rage of the Goblin Court?" and I think that could be a very interesting First Meeting between Hob and Rue! Especially if Rue hasn't revealed their true form to people yet and we still get the revolution and the Pack of Pixies bonding. All other ideas you have of alternate meet cutes are also very very welcome!
Basically, anything that deals with the wonderful misunderstandings and drama of courtship between Hob and Rue (and possibly Wuvy if you want to add her) is my kinda story! Especially if it all ends with Hob getting to feel loved and wanted and Rue getting to feel appreciated and adored <3<3<3 Two other things I'm very down for: 1) Hob in peril, getting rescued by Rue. 2) If you're in the mood two write explicit fic, having the sex be capital W Weird (aka fey being into things that might seem non-sexual or painful to humans)<3
Yuletide sign-up info: The old BBC adaption of Pride & Prejudice made me fall in love with the Regency Romance genre at a very young age. I love the complicated courtship the genre requires, the misunderstandings that have to be faced for the relationships to work out, the copious amounts of UST at as much as a brush of hands, it's all delightful! What's even more delightful is how this show gave me all of that BUT with the added joy of a queernorm world full of magic, revolution and found family!
While I adore the whole Pack of Pixies (please feel free to include any or all of them in your story!), Rue and Hob hold a special place in my heart; Hob most of all. I love Rue's journey to getting to be themselves fully and wholly, and I love how they get to mess up and do quite terrible things (e.g. casting Command on Wuvy) while still being a kind person at heart. I ADORE Hob because I cannot help but love characters who are self-sacrificing and too loyal for their own good. Him being utterly miserable in the Goblin Court yet being completely loyal to it and its leaders without that being repaid in any way but with more work and missions is just the kind of starting point I love a character to have. I'm so glad he got to get away from that misery (also, the line "What it means for the only root you have to not feed you"? Punch right in the heart, in the best of ways!)
Rue and Hob's romance is just my kind of romance. They're both outsiders in their own courts, both hiding their true selves from others to some degree, and when they're together (and not misunderstanding each other) they make each other happy so effortlessly <3 When Rue cut through to the heart of Hob's misery, bringing up how he's clearly hurting not _for_ his Court but _because of_ his Court, out of clear concern and care for Hob, I was hooked! And Hob being so openly impressed by Rue both as a person and adoring of their true form? Yessss! I get how some people were thrown off by how Rue acted when their final secret was revealed in episode 9, but I liked that added tension between Hob and Rue. While I'd love that revelation to be explored more, and for them to get to talk it out in detail "on screen", I don't see it as a deal-breaker between. Instead, I like how it complicates their otherwise super-sweet almost innocent romance.
I'm very open to canon-divergent AUs and crossovers for this fandom! I'd also be curious to see a "different world" AU, as long as the "Regency Romance" tropes and dynamics still are in effect. For example, if you want to make the fey different kinds of aliens and set the story in a Space AU I'm all for that, if there's still complex courtship situations and court dynamics, no matter if the courts are _called_ courts or not. Also, feel free to add in any of the canon characters from the show, nominated or not!
I 100% happily welcome treats! <3
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, age regression, non-canon amnesia, animal abuse that leads to animal death, bestiality (but I'm okay with xenophilia), body-switching, daddy or mommy kink, Hob actually being 3 smaller goblins (it's a super funny bit of trivia but to me it doesn't match with the canon we got), Hob and Rue breaking up permanently, high school AU (other AUs welcome!), 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.
High Noon Over Camelot – The Mechanisms (Album)
(Characters: Arthur, Guinevere & Lancelot)
What the canon is: A music album that's also a retelling of Arthurian mythology but in space and they're all cowboys. I made a promo post about it over here.
Why I love the canon: I'm a sucker for all things "but IN SPACE~!" and I adore retellings of myths and folklore that bring a new spin to it. The music is also very catchy. My favorite song (predictably) is "Blood and Whiskey" because it's rare I find a love song between three people instead of two. "Gunfight at the Dolorous Guard" is a close second though and the live version of "Hellfire" from Death of the Mechanisms is just *chef's kiss*. Basically, I enjoy this canon for the music, the characters and the ~vibes~.
Why I love the characters:
- Arthur: His combination of despair and hope is wonderful. He's clearly a passionate person driven by a sense that he can make the world better somehow, but willing to do terribly violent things to get to that supposed end and constantly caught up in the despair how he's likely to fail. Great in combo with Guinevere and Lancelot!
- Guinevere: I love how practical and confident she is! Of the three, she seems the most level-headed, but I like how that doesn't make her less prone to choosing violent solutions. Her ambition is as clear as her partners' and I love that she's not made a peacekeeper or mediator while still being the one most focused on getting through the day.
- Lancelot: I think he might be my favorite one of all three of them. I like his optimistic, devil-make-care attitude and his readiness to declare his love for Arthur and Guinevere at the top of his lungs. The way I read it, he's the one who keeps Arthur and Guinevere from becoming "too serious" and focused on how terrible life can be, and they keep him from doing something too reckless.
Pairings? I love that Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot is canon and that they're an established threesome with deep commitment to each other. I love this "solution" to the myth's tragic love triangle, because as a person who myself am open to dating more than one person at the same time I hoard any canon polyamory I can find with my grabby little gremlin hands! So even if you prefer to not focus on their relationship, please don't break them up <3 Open to pretty much any other side-pairings as well!
Story prompts: If there's one fandom I'm looking for AUs in, this is absolutely it! I love canon, but I love the character dynamics even more, so if you want to put these three in a fusion crossover or alternate setting AU, I'd love to read that! Especially if it somehow involves a heist, I am always happy to read about heists.
If you're more inspired to write about canon, I'd love a pre-canon or during-canon-before-everyone-dies story that explores the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot relationship. How did they get together? Did two of them hit if off first and then a third joined, or did they all find each other at the same time? Did it become a serious relationship right away or was it something casual that slowly grew into this deep commitment? And if you're in the mood for some hurt/comfort, kidnapping drama or other peril, I'd love seeing Guinevere and Arthur rescuing and nursing Lancelot back to health (because while Arthur is good at pushing himself, I can see Lancelot being the one of the three most likely to run off on his own and doing something unwise).
Also, I adore the way Lancelot sings "Guinevere you're my stars, Arthur you're my night" because it's a line both full of such affection, worldbuilding and relationship dynamic hits <3<3<3 Do with that what you will!
Yuletide sign-up info: Okay, so, this album has given me 1) catchy songs with neat lyrics, 2) Arthurian myth but queernorm cowboys IN SPAAACEEE, and 3) canon OT3 of Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot. What more could I ever ask for?
Well, this being Yuletide, I'm going to go ahead and wish for even more Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot! I love their dynamic, not only because canon threesomes are rare still, but also because they make such a good trio. We have Arthur the cynical dreamer, Guinevere the pragmatic tactician and Lancelot the cheerful daredevil – at least, that's the impression I get of them from canon, especially "Blood and Whiskey". I love how it's clear they're all equals in skill and ambition, but that they love each other so much they'd rather share power than fight over it, no matter how ambitions they are (which is clearly _very_). For some reason, I'd really love some kind of heist story starring these three and whoever else from canon you'd like to include. That said, I'd love almost any kind of story where I get to see these three and their relationship in action!
While I know canon is a pure tragedy, it'd love to read a story that either focuses on pre-canon, the part of canon before Everyone Dies or a story that goes completely AU. I'm open to both "what if" AUs and AU's that change the setting. Crossovers and fusion AUs are also very welcome! See my Yuletide letter for fandoms I'm familiar with, if you're not inspired by the ones I've requested for Yuletide :)
I 100% happily welcome treats! <3
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, age regression, non-canon amnesia, animal abuse that leads to animal death, bestiality (but I'm okay with xenophilia), body-switching, daddy or mommy kink, high school AU (other AUs welcome!), people under 18 in explicit sexual situations, stories set post-canon or that focus on the canon character deaths, vore, watersports & scat, women always automatically being submissive in sexual situations when the pairing is male character/female character.
Killjoys (TV)
(Character: 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 :D
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 character:
- 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 only requested Fancy Lee for this exchange, so I am 100% fine with a gen story, but if you want to write a shippy story, I'm absolutely up for that! When it comes to canon characters, I can ship Fancy with Alvis, D'avin+Dutch & Johnny (aka Fancy/Alvis/D'avin/Dutch in any combo 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 definitely 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: I'd love a story where Fancy Lee gets to show off his skills and/or where Fancy is the one who is getting helped out! Everything from early series to post-series, canon compatible to what-if AUs! If you want to make my day, I'd love an AU where Alvis Akari survives to have that conversation with Fancy that was hinted at right before Alvis died, because I really want to know what could have been said in that talk! But since Alvis isn't a nominated character for this fandom I completely understand if that wouldn't be your cup of tea. If you prefer to stick closer to canon, I'd love a case fic where Fancy has to track down someone who's extra bad news and maybe gets in too deep and has to be helped out (likely without him actually asking for any help). Or if you want to go the romance route, what if someone decides to starts hitting on/courting Fancy? I'd love this, whether said person is the person Fancy ends up with or not (maybe this admiration from a third party inspires the person you'd like to ship Fancy with to also make a move?) As much as Fancy claims he's "everyone's type", I don't get the impression from canon that he gets much romantic attention, both because he's got the whole asshole-persona going on and because he's rather intimidating to a lot of people. Would be a lot of fun to see someone (or someones, I'm all for OT3s and moresomes!) start to pursue Fancy romantically just because I think Fancy wouldn't full know how to process that – I imagine he's used to people hitting on him, but with is reputation I doubt a lot of people who know him, even by reputation, think to ask him out to dinner. And if none of those prompts inspire, I'd also love to know what you think Fancy gets up to post-series!
Yuletide sign-up info: Ah, Killjoys! How I love this show <3 The worldbuilding, 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 characters like Fancy Lee 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 one of my faves ended up being Fancy.
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/Alvis/D'avin/Dutch, Fancy/Johnny, Fancy/character from other fandom or Fancy/OC (of any gender).
As for when in canon the story is set or if the story completely follows canon, I'm very open to all kinds of settings! Go pre-canon, mid-series or post-canon, I'll be excited to read your story whatever timeline point you choose to explore! 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" – when you play around with the canon timeline, be it fix-it fic or just interesting ways things could have gone different. I am, however, also 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. Fancy 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.
I 100% happily welcome treats! <3
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 (canon-divergent AUs welcome!), 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.
Rook & Rose – M. A. Carrick
(Character: Derossi Vargo)
What the canon is: A still-in-progress second world fantasy trilogy about a con artist who goes back to the city of her birth to get herself and her sister a secure place in life but ends up getting involved in magical and political schemes instead. I wrote a promo post for it over here.
Why I love the canon: I'm a sucker for morally-gray-people-with-hearts-of-gold and this series as a bunch of them! I also enjoy the slow revelations of all the political and magical machinations our main cast has accidentally involved themselves in. Plus, the worldbuilding and magic systems are topnotch and the characters getting to be kind to each other despite struggling to survive gives me life <3
Why I love the character:
- Derossi Vargo: I'm a huge sucker for loyal characters and characters who hide good and noble-ish intentions behind an asshole persona. Vargo has turned out to fit these tropes to a T and I thus can't help but love him. His devotion to Alsius, despite almost getting killed by him as a child, is wonderfully complex, especially as Vargo seems convinced no one, not even Alsius, truly cares about him as a person, only as a tool. I love how Vargo has plenty of self-confidence and yet deals with a lot of guilt and shame. Vargo being so willing to let people see him as a villain and to let the ends justify the means, while still caring about what some people think of him, is exactly my kind of thing. For example, him going out of his way to protect Ren as her noblity-personality while he knew she was furious with him and likely wouldn't be his friends again and _not telling her_ he'd helped? Yesss, that's my kind of doing-good-in-the-shadows kind of deal <3 Also, he's clearly starved for affection and has decided to deal with it by at least partially denying he wants it/giving up hope on every finding someone who'll truly care for him, and I would love to see him proved wrong there.
Pairings? I'm pretty much open to Derossi Vargo/anyone at this point XD I love his oddly tender pseudo-relationship with Iascat Novrus in canon, but I'm equally open to a threesome between him, Ren and Grey because the identity issues and pure drama of that would be delicious! If you have another character you'd like to ship him with, go right ahead! Whoever you choose to ship him with, though, I'd love for Vargo to get to be taken care of and courted for once. He's clearly used to seducing people and using sex as a bargaining tool – and while that's something I'd also love to have explored, it'd just be both nice and entertaining for Vargo to be caught off guard by someone(s) honestly and genuinely loving him with no other goal in mind <3
Story prompts: I'd love for something set during canon or in a canon divergent AU (post-canon isn't really an option yet since canon is still in progress). I could also enjoy a complete change of setting AU, but I do love the worldbuilding here, so I think I most of all would enjoy something set in the canon world.
I'd love for a story where Vargo gets to deal with some sort of danger, be it physical, political or magical. Especially if he ends up needing help, because I'm always a fan when characters who try to stay independent need to get assistance with something. With all the identity drama going on, I would also love the some of that dealt with. If you want to go canon divergent AU, what about him finding out who the Rook is before the events at the end of book 2? That would scramble him up some, I think (him and Grey both).
If you're more for internal conflict, I'd love to see Vargo having to face up to the fact that some people might just, y'know, like him. Maybe he starts to understand that Alsius isn't just using him. Maybe the utter hurt at Ren's first rejection of his offer of friendship sets him (or someone close to him) on a path of a bit of revelation. Most of all, I'd love for someone to let Vargo know he means something to them as a person – either as a friend, a romantic partner or as family.
Also, with Vargo being such a sexual person in canon, he is a great candidate for a more explicit story ;D Plus, with how many awful people in power this canon has to offer, I'd greatly enjoy someone rescuing Vargo from having to deal with the attentions of Someone Awful, and asking nothing in return, just doing it to help him <3
Yuletide sign-up info: Oh Derossi Vargo! I enjoyed him a lot in the first book, but the revelations in the second one clinched him as my favorite character of the many great characters this series has to offer. When a character pretends to be selfish and purely greedy/cruel/etc. while they're actually way more complex and kinder than that is catnip to me. Vargo is clearly a way more vulnerable and kindhearted person than he pretends to be in public, even though he's obviously got a big dose of working for his own self-interest too, and that's exactly my kind of character!
Basically, I just want more of Vargo XD Feel free to include any other characters from the book series, nominated or not, in your writing! I'd love for a story where Vargo gets to show off his skills and/or one where he ends up in trouble and has to be helped out of said trouble. I'm up for pretty much any ship with him too! Would just love for him to get to be the one who's courted for once. Him using sex as a tool to get to powerful people is another characteristic I really like about him (it's less rare in male characters these days, but not exactly common either), but as much as I'd enjoy seeing that explored, I'd love it even more if Vargo got to experience someone genuinely wanting to get together with him for who he is, not for his looks or for what they can get out of him. Though if you end up combining those two things, I'd adore it! Also, his relationship with Alsius intrigues me, if you want to explore that.
I 100% happily welcome treats! <3
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, age regression, non-canon amnesia, animal abuse that leads to animal death, bestiality (but I'm okay with xenophilia), body-switching, daddy or mommy kink, high school AU (other AUs welcome!), people under 18 in explicit sexual situations, permanent death of nominated characters, vore, watersports & scat, women always automatically being submissive in sexual situations when the pairing is male character/female character.
Sapphire and Steel
(Characters: Lead, Sapphire & Steel)
What the canon is: A scifi-horror-ish series about alien creatures called Elements who do their best to keep the universe together against creatures trying to get in from Oustide. There are 6 "Assignments" in this series, and you can find them all on Youtube. Here's a link to one of the Assignment 1 compilations out there. There's also an audio series but I'm not as familiar with that.
Why I love the canon: I have a deep love for non-humans who actually seem like they aren't human, and the Elements in this show hit that mark square in the center! I love how they interact with the humans they encounter, I love how they reason and make decisions based on their own logic and needs. Plus, I love the Things That Are Trying To Get In – they are so wonderfully creepy!
Why I love the characters:
- Lead: His first and only appearance in Assignment 1 made me want to know more about him! He's so cheerful, but seems to have this grim/wise-old-man side to him, and he's clearly the go-to-person if Steel needs some sense knocked into him. What does Lead do when he's not answering distress calls from Steel and Sapphire? Does he ever need their help in his turn? Do they ever spend time together without anyone's life being in danger?
- Sapphire: I like her kindness tempered by "alien-ness". Sure, she'll try to bond with and calm down any victims of the cases she and Steel accept, but she's still very much an Element and not human. This said, I'd love to see her react to a human (or other sentient creature) that isn't a threat but that she still really, really doesn't get on with.
- Steel: My love for grumpy-with-a-heart-of-gold characters is showing. Steel is easily my favorite character because he will grumble and moan about having to fix things, but will lay down his life to protect others (especially Sapphire it seems). Though I like that his view of time and space not always leaves him thinking of other sentient creatures' death as the worst tragedy that could happen – it's clear there are worse things than death out there in this universe.
Pairings?: Open to pretty much anything between the Elements. If you want to include an Element I didn't pick (like Silver) in a pairing I'd be fine with that. The only request I have is that Steel be part of the pairing, whatever it turns out to be, and that Element-relationships be different from humans – I love how alien yet relate-able the Elements are :)
Story prompts: Would love a case fic! Or if that's not your thing, maybe a slice-of-life fic with the Elements trying to fit in with humans/other sentient creatures during down-time – or just trying to exist together wherever their "home" is (which could be wonderfully trippy depending on what you think the Elements are when not taking human form). I'm also always a sucker for kidnapping fic, so if anything/anyone happens to kidnap Steel, and Sapphire calls in Lead to back her up in saving him, that would make me a very happy camper. Whether Steel is in any actual danger or if he's just accidentally gotten himself trapped by a group of very confused and very ineffective human (or non-human) scientists I don't care; both scenarios could be thrilling or funny! If you'd rather go the creepy and/or horror route with your story, this sure is one canon tailored for it! Bring me all the eldritch abominations, cosmic horror and just general weirdness you feel like adding in~ :D I'm all for Outsider POV in this fandom, and while I'd actually like the Elements to survive the story, feel free to kill off (or worse) as many human or non-Element-alien characters as you please.
Yuletide sign-up info: The creepy, alien atmosphere is so great here. I love how Sapphire and Steel are clearly not human. I love how the 'cases' they go on are a mix of cosmic horror and detective work. A 'case fic' would be great, but I'd also love to see what their lives are like when they're not on Earth. Is there life on other planets they also help? What is their own home like? Do they have a 'home'? Also, I love how Sapphire and Steel's interaction is affected by the presence of other Elements, Lead most of all. I'd love for Steel's relationship with Lead to be explored more, since we only got to see them interact during one of the six original assignments. Lead seems to be the person Sapphire calls in when Steel is being unreasonable (at least when he's unreasonable about his own personal safety), but are there other moments Lead is helpful? And are there situations where Lead calls Sapphire and Steel for help? Oh, and if you want to go pure horror with this one, I'd be super happy with that too! All I ask is that none of the Elements are dead (can they even die??) by the end of the story, otherwise feel free to add in as many fates worse than death as you please for the human (or non-Element-alien) characters <3
If you like writing crossovers I think this is a series that lends itself well to that. If you ship Sapphire and Steel or Steel with other Elements, I'm down with that, but if so I'd love that to be combined with their "not human" qualities; i.e. I don't think Elements do romance exactly like alloromantic humans do it. With all of them being so not-human, does the Elements' culture have such things as romance and friendship? Or something akin to it? And do they reproduce at all?
I've seen the TV episodes but not listened to all of the audio stories yet, so feel free to go completely AU after the end final TV episode. I don't mind spoilers though (I might just not understand them). Also, my favorite character is Steel, because I'm a sucker for grumpy characters who're secretly super devoted to their work and companions.
I 100% happily welcome treats! <3
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, age regression, non-canon amnesia, animal abuse that leads to animal death, bestiality (but I'm okay with xenophilia), body-switching, daddy or mommy kink, high school AU (other AUs welcome!), people under 18 in explicit sexual situations, permanent death of nominated characters, vore, watersports & scat, women always automatically being submissive in sexual situations when the pairing is male character/female character.
Teixcalaan Series – Arkady Martine
(Characters: Nine Hibiscus & Twenty Cicada)
What the canon is: A duology of scifi books that deal with themes of colonialism, language and personhood. I wrote a promo post for over here.
Why I love the canon: The prose, the world-building and the characters. I adore the way the different cultures in this setting clash and misunderstand each other. The way language plays such a significant part in personhood and how their take on a hive-mind kind of species ended up so "unique". I loved the twist of the hive-mind being both exactly that and also not – it's so clear that before they're taken up into the hive-mind, the aliens definitely have personality, and that personality is still appreciated post-hive-mind-joining while not being seen as "fully a person" before the mushroom-eating. The 'mushroom death' that happens being a bit of a red herring was delightful! I love that we got a hive-mind species that both can learn about personhood extending outside of hive-minds and that aren't driven by absorbing all other sentient life while still not quite understanding life without a hive-mind link <3
Why I love the characters:
- Nine Hibiscus: I love how she is loyal to her soldiers and thus making them loyal to her. She's a wonderful mixture of caring about her soldiers and nursing an inner blood-thirst. Most of all, I love how despite her love for Twenty Cicada as a friend, she still managed to put what's best for the largest number of people first, while still mourning her loss and trying to avoid it as long as possible.
- Twenty Cicada: I was surprised when this guy ended up being one of my favorite characters in this book. I love how he's managed to balance a culture of his homeworld with the overall Teixcalaan culture, and how he's so focused on every thing's right to exist even if said things don't please him personally. And with what happens to him by the end of book 2? Yeah, he fascinates me!
Pairings? I don't really have a ship for these two characters. I love their friendship, but if you want to ship them or write about them being exes on good terms, I'm perfectly fine with that :) Throwing them into other ships is also perfectly fine with me! If you want to include Mahit and Three Seagrass in your story for whatever reason, I'd welcome that, especially as a couple!
Story prompts: So, what's it like to be the person-hive-person that once was Twenty Cicada? What is it like for Nine Hibiscus to meet with him, post-transformation? Or does she avoid doing that? I'd be down for a "Five times Nine Hibiscus didn't go to meet Swarm and one time she did"-fic if that's your jam!
Speaking of horror at meeting someone you know who's been changed, what about Twenty Cicada's horror? It's clear the aliens were horrified at the fact of humans being aware of the mushrooms without "choosing personhood". While Twenty Cicada pre-mushrooms clearly is fine with living-and-let-live, how does joining the alien collective affect his perception of Nine Hibiscus and other 'regular' humans? Can 'he' manage to keep his affection for Nine Hibiscus at the forefront of his mind, or does she scare him now? Or at least unsettle him? Feel free to go as dark and introspective as you want with this!
If you want to write a story that compares Nine Hibiscus and Twenty Cicada's relationship pre-canon, during canon, and post-canon, I'm all for that! What were they like when they just became friends? What have they been through together? Have they ever had a serious fight that almost broke off their friendship? Have they been sexually and/or romantically involved?
I'd love to see them interact with other canon characters too, if that's were inspiration takes you! Maybe there's a future point where Mahit and Three Seagrass or Eight Antidote or whoever has a meeting with an ambassador from the alien hive-mind. Maybe that ambassador happens to be the body of Twenty Cicada. Maybe it's not but his form comes along anyways. Go wild with the political intrigues and emotional drama~!
Yuletide sign-up info: There are so many great things about these books! There's the worldbuilding, the language and prose, the complex characters, it's all exactly my cup of tea <3 But what's fascinated me the most are the aliens introduced in book 2 and their idea of personhood. That and the friendship between Nine Hibiscus and Twenty Cicada. Twenty Cicada's "sacrifice" and how this changes him is something I'd love to know more about! Would also love to see Twenty Cicada and Nine Hibiscus interacting post-canon <3
If you're not interested in writing about that, feel free to explore anything about these two set pre-canon, during canon or post-canon! I'd love to see any other canon characters show up too, should you feel like including them. Oh, and other than my DNW list, I am very hard to squick. If you want to explore the darker sides of canon (e.g. loss of identity, body horror, murder, etc) I'd be happy to read about it!
I 100% happily welcome treats! <3
DNWs for this fandom: A/B/O, age regression, non-canon amnesia, animal abuse that leads to animal death, bestiality (but I'm okay with xenophilia), body-switching, daddy or mommy kink, high school AU (other AUs welcome!), 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.
