![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nonesensedGreetings, most glorious of Yulegoats!
If you've sought out this letter, I hope you find it inspiring! Please don't feel like you have to include any or all of these ideas and suggestions. As long as you avoid my squicks and dislikes, I will adore whatever fanfic you write, in whichever of these fandoms it happens to be about <3
However, if you're like me and love to know as much about your recipient's preferences as possible, I have a very long list of favorite tropes and kinks over here (that is, most of it's about general tropes, and near the end you'll also find things related to NSFW topics). If you want to take a look at what I usually write and read when it comes to fanfic, I'm Nonesensed over on AO3, and I get up to quite a few fandom things on Tumblr,
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.
- Reader insert isn't my thing.
- 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 having had sex with each other "off screen", adults mentioning having had an early sexual debut, 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 not-fun-horror and squick to me, not sexy.
- Women and feminine-presenting people 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 simply 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).
And that's it for the Do-Not-Wants! Moving on to the things I look for when I go in search for something to read:
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. PS. I will be leaving comments on at least three of the mini challenges too, in case you're participating in one of those :)
Ratings
Anything goes! I enjoy everything 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 all of that! 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
- 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.
- 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 "You've been courting me?? How was I supposed to know wearing a green scarf means you're in love with me???".
- Found family. Characters who slowly go from strangers to "I would die for any one of you" are a delight!
- Messing with and questioning heteronormativity and gender roles. I adore queernorm settings <3
- 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! I love it when trusting someone and relying on someone proves to be the best thing to do - especially if that situations is 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 any and all of 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.
- 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 worldbuilding 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 want to write a crossover but only know one of the fandoms I've requested for Yuletide. And here's a list of the fandoms in the current Yuletide tagset I'm familiar with, to give you yet more crossover options.
Other things that make me smile (only relevant to smut)
- Consent play aka when the people involved pretend one or more of them aren'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
- As much as I love drama and angst, I also adore people having fun while having sex, especially if it's First Time Sex we're talking (and you feel it works with the characters' personalities and the situation). Just a relaxed, laughing-with-you-not-at-you, friendly mood to go with a very fun activity! I also love angry sex and "Oh my god, you almost died!"-sex etc. etc. but if that doesn't fit with your story, know I will still be delighted to read about undramatic, joyful sex <3
- 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 so on, I love it all! And in pairings involving both men and women, I do love femdom, if that works with the personality of the woman/women 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 possible spoilers for all fandoms listed below!
Candela Obscura
(Character: Sean Finnerty)
What the canon is: An actual play show about people secretly battling cosmic horrors in a second world fantasy setting similar to an early 1900s post-war USA. I wrote a promo post for it over here and you can watch it all for free over here.
Why I love the canon: While I enjoyed the first circle of Candela Obscura, I truly fell in love with the show with the introduction of the second one. While Vassal & Veil was a lovely introduction to the setting and the game itself, the action packed and plenty-of-shared-backstory situation of Needle & Thread is even more my kinda thing! Their introduction mid-assignment via shootout on top of a train? Brilliant, love it, no notes! While I am a huge fan of horror, cosmic horror in particular, what I adore even more about this series are the characters and the big found family energy of Needle & Thread. Which is likely setting me up for heartbreak with how episode 2 of Needle & Thread ended (writing this before the final episode comes out on the 2nd of November), I can't help but love the dynamic of these five! There's so much loyalty and conflict and love all mixed up in a glorious mess and I just want more of it :D
Why I love the character:
- Sean Finnerty: Okay, so we've got a competent soldier-type guy with little to no self-preservation who covers a lot of trauma with humor and who's enraged and frustrated yet loyal and feels at his most relaxed when he gets to follow orders? That's basically catnip to me. I both want to watch this guy suffer and want him to finally find some comfort and peace.
Pairings? You want to ship Sean with someone? Great, so do I! And I'm delighted with the many fun options available! I'm a big fan of the "lower screen OT3" that blossomed very early on in the fandom (Jean/Marion/Sean). I'm also a fan of Marion/Sean, especially pre-them-meeting-Jean. Jean/Sean on their own without Marion I'm less keen on, mainly because Jean and Marion have had some quite obvious romantic and/or sexual tension in canon and her ending up with Sean "instead" would lead to some painful consequences between them and Marion that I'd rather avoid. But if Marion and Jean aren't your thing, how about Nathaniel? Sean is wonderfully loyal and protective over his LT and follows orders so well ;) I'd also love Marion/Nathaniel/Sean! Or maybe you're looking to go for an unknown quantity and have Sean run into the Lightkeeper from the opening and intro sequences? Go for it, I say! And just to clarify, I'd rather not see Sean shipped with Auntie Bea because she's such a mentor and/or mother figure to him or any of the Vassal & Veil gang (simply because I've got other ship combos I prefer that group in :) ). If you're interested in writing something NSFW and in the flavor of D/s, I would have most fun reading if Sean was the submissive party (or one of the submissive people in the scene, should you be writing something sexy with more than 2 people involved).
Story prompts: If you're inspired to write something plot-focused, I'd love to see what previous Candela assignments Sean has been on! With his full circle, with some of them or an assignment he's been left to handle alone, I'd just love to see him get to be Good At His Job. It's clear the rest of the circle relies on him for protection and help in violent and/or dangerous situations, and he's over and over again proven they've got reason to rely on him. And I love that! I love getting to see characters be competent at things they're supposed to be good at :D That said, I also love how the circle works as a team. Getting to see them work an assignment is a delight, so whoever you'd like to combine Sean with, I'm all for it! If you want to go "What-if?" AU, how about the story of how Sean & co (whoever you want to include) get his mother out of her imprisonment?
If you'd rather write something with more angst, I'd love to see Sean end up in a situation where he'll need rescue (yes, like with the end of episode 2, I'm sad about it too). With the circle so often relying on Sean to come to save them in different ways, I'd be delighted to watch someone getting to rescue Sean in his turn. Though just to clarify, while I definitely welcome flashbacks to what Sean went through during the war, I'd rather not read a whole story about his war time experiences. That's just not my cup of tea. However, if episode 3 of this circle's time ends with there being no more Sean, I am fine with a story where other characters deal with his death (or faith worse than death???)
If you're in the mood to focus more on a relationship (romantic, sexual, or otherwise) I'd also enjoy a story that's about Sean getting to have a good day with people he cares about. What does he get up to when no one is in mortal danger and who does he choose to hang out with and why?
I also would love to see Sean re-imagined in any non-canon setting, aka AUs or crossovers with other fandoms! Be they small canon divergences, a completely different setting or if you want to throw in other characters and settings from other fandoms, it's all good! I'm curious to see what you'll come up with :D
Yuletide sign-up info: While I enjoyed the first three episodes of Candela Obscura, it's the Circle of Needled and Thread that made me love the show. I am a sucker for found family heist groups and this gang fits that description to a T. I picked Sean to focus on since he ended up my absolute favorite character, so I wanted to guarantee his inclusion in the story, but I do love the whole circle <3
Basically, I want more of Sean! Be it a story about his mental state and relationships, a pulse-pounding previous (or future?) assignment, or something in-between, I'm here for all of it :D If his fellow circle members show up, that would be delightful! But I did only request Sean, so I'm not going to demand specific people other than him. Sean is my absolute favorite of the bunch because he's a combination of several tropes I adore: loyal in a not always healthy way, self-sacrificing yet frustrated about it, competent fighter, covers pain with humor, clearly cares a lot about the people around him and is aware that he's not the only one suffering, aaaaand he loves to follow orders. Combined these things are 100% My Kinda Blorbo!
Should you happen to be in a shipping mood, I'd love to read a story focused on that too! I'd be delighted to read Marion/Sean, Jean/Marion/Sean, Nathaniel/Sean, Marion/Nathaniel/Sean or, hell, why not Lightkeeper/Sean? I'd love to read any and all of these combinations! If you also are a fellow enjoyer of D/s, I'd love for Sean to be submissive in any D/s-dynamics~ (but if you'd rather keep things more vanilla and/or not focus on sex but rather only on romance, I'd love that too! Especially if there's a focus on someone flirting with/paying attention to/courting Sean.)
To clarify, I am a huge horror fan, especially of the cosmic horror part of the genre. Feel free to include whatever monstrosities or mind-bending awful things you like! I have few horror related DNWs so live your horror dreams :D But this being the holidays, I'd prefer if Sean and any other canon characters you wish to include survive to the end of the story (unless it's canon that they don't, then it's up to you).
If you're an AU and/or crossover kind of person, I'd love to see Sean, and anyone else from the tagset you wish to include, re-imagined in another setting (as the crew of a spaceship? a D&D adventuring party? a superhero team? etc), put in another canon's setting or faced with another canon's characters/setting. I'd love a crossover with any of my other wished for fandoms (+ have a "here's all my fandoms"-list linked in my Yuletide letter to give you more options for crossovers).
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!), non-canon character deaths, people under 18 in explicit sexual situations, reader insert, a story that only takes place during the pre-canon war, 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
To elaborate:
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 worldbuilding!
2) All characters who're supposed 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 at first, and then you get more and more subtext (and outright text) that he actually cares a lot about the people around him. Not only his fellow killjoys – Fancy turns out to be a decent person who's set himself up to play the villain/antihero so 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, but most of all I love how loyal he is - in his own way.
Pairings?: I only requested Fancy Lee for this exchange, so I am 100% happy with a gen story, but if you want to write something shippy, I'm absolutely more than here 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 ship combo that involves D'avin/Johnny or Dutch/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 dies fairly early in canon that's 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 for there to be either no D/s dynamic or for the female character to be 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 would 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 fully know how to process that – I imagine he's used to people hitting on him, but aiming for one-night-stands rather than anything long term. If none of these 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 no matter what point on the timeline 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 ones aka "what ifs" aka playing around with the canon timeline; be it a fix-it fic or just interesting ways things could have gone differently. 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, reader insert, vore, watersports & scat, women always automatically being submissive in sexual situations when the pairing is male character/female character.
Much Ado About Nothing (2011)
(Characters: Beatrice (Much Ado 2011), Benedick (Much Ado 2011))
What the canon is: A take on the classic Shakespeare play starring Catherine Tate and David Tennant as the two leads. The lines are mostly unchanged but the setting is 'pseudo-modern', with a lot of unspoken things and a few rare additional lines giving this version its own fun flavor. I wrote a promo post for it over here. It's available for rent on Digital Theatre. If you have trouble renting it, PM me ;)
Why I love the canon: I re-read a gift I got in this fandom for a previous Yuletide (fic can be read here) and was reminded how much I love this play <3 So of course I went and rewatched it :D Here's a summary of why I love it: 1) The modern setting and its slapstick, 2) How they chose to interpret the dialogue, and 3) The PINING. I'm always curious about the overall worldbuilding when Shakespeare's original text gets used in a modern-looking setting. What kind of world does this Beatrice and Benedick live in? How does it differ from our present time? I also adore how many of the poorer decision in the play can be excuse as Ideas Thought Up While Super Drunk + how clear it is that Beatrice and Benedick are pining for each other before their friends and family decide to reverse-psychology match-make them (my favorite line in the play is Benedick going: "And her hair shall be re- WHATEVER COLOR IT PLEASE GOD!!!" XD Poor pining idiot).
Why I love the characters:
- Beatrice: I adore her quick wit and how Done she is with everything. As sarcastic as she can be, especially towards people who deserve getting taken down a peg or two, she's clearly also a very kind and caring person. She wants what's best for her family and she will take crap from no one <3 Also, her "I would eat his heart in the marketplace!" speech is soooo epic it gives me chills. I'd love for her to get the opportunity to come to the defense of someone full-on like that, out in the open, be it through words or in a setting where she's learned to duel in some way.
- Benedick: Aaaah, Benedick, you lovable idiot! That said, what I like most about him is that there's more to him than the front he puts up around other people. It's clear that he can be quite silly some times, but I adore how self-deprecating he can be and how he plays up his devil-may-care attitude to not have to confront serious topics or emotions. On top of his frenemies dynamic with Beatrice, I very much love that (unlike most of the male characters) he almost immediately believes Hero is innocent and sides with her against Don Pedro and Claudio. It's clear he does this not simply because he's in love with Beatrice but because he thinks Don Pedro and Claudio are wrong and cruel for doing what they've done to Hero. As much as I adore silly!Benedick, him going ice-cold serious when the chips are down is such a wonderful flip-side to get to see; both are clearly part of his personality, and that makes him ever so human <3
Pairings?: Beatrice/Benedick all the way! I'm fine with them having an open relationship or if more people end up joining them, but please don't break them up. I adore the way this version of the play handled their relationship - the very strong hint that they had something casual going on pre-canon that Benedick broke off in some clumsy way, and that they've both been low-key pining for each other ever since. I've seen many versions of Much Ado where the Benedick/Beatrice pairing feels a little out of left field or even forced, but not here! I just adore them and how happy they are when they finally get together <3<3<3 (Side note: I am very down for NSFW fic in this fandom~ Especially if there's femdom involved :D)
Story prompts: As fun as pre-canon or in-canon stories can be, I'd love a look at Beatrice and Benedick's post-canon (though in-story flashbacks are definitely a welcome inclusion!). What are their lives like as a married couple? How does society work in this strange amalgamation of past-Shakespearian-society and modern day? Are there non-war-shaped confrontations or encounters with other cities/city states/countries they need to handle, like big fancy balls with high stake politics? Do they ever end up in a situation where it's Benedick (or his family) in trouble and Beatrice helping him out? Would especially adore protective+competent!Beatrice coming to Benedick's rescue in whatever fashion he needs it. Would also be 100% fine with a pure PWP for this couple, because their love and attraction fuels me <3 Oh, and as much as I'd love an exploration of the worldbuilding in this take on Much Ado, I'd also love an AU and/or crossover setting story! Anything that makes the setting even less "original canon" is ever so welcome - Beatrice and Benedick in SPAAAAACE! Beatrice and Benedick in a setting with magic being part of every day life! Beatrice and Benedick murder mystery solving psychics or superheroes! The more outlandish the better XD
Yuletide sign-up info: I was recently reminded how much I love this version of "Much Ado About Nothing", and here are the three main reasons as to why: 1) THE PINING! 2) The modern-ish setting that's still clearly not "our world", and 3) The take on the dialogue. It's so clear here that Beatrice and Benedick are very into each other long before the ridiculous matchmaking efforts of their friends and family. There are many takes on this play where these two clearly enjoy messing with each other and/or where they've Had A Past, but this was the first version I've seen where I was rooting for them to get together from almost scene 1. Both of them go along with the ridiculous reverse psychology matchmaking they're exposed to because they're both waiting for any sign at all that the other is interested – even though they're denying this even to themselves.
In addition, I adore the interpretation that this version of Benedick and Beatrice are same-sex-leaning bisexuals who generally tend to be attracted to their own sex and are both surprised & frustrated (and later happy) that they've gotten stuck on each other. Also, I adore the causal way the dialogue is delivered, backed up by the acting; one example being Don Pedro and Beatrice's exchange about how Benedick once used her heart ill + Beatrice's utter panic at Don Pendro's proposal; another being Benedick's delivery of the line: "And her hair shall be re- WHATEVER COLOR IT PLEASE GOD!!!"
I'd love a happy and optimistic fic in this fandom, be it completely SFW or very NSFW. As long as Beatrice and Benedick remain a happy couple (or happy with additional people involved), I'm down for pretty much any setting or plot or smut you wish to bring. Explore the worldbuilding of this strange modern-yet-old-fashioned setting! Take it to some over-the-top AU place - in SPAAAAACE!! Superheroes! A setting where magic is common place! Switch them to the setting of another fandom! Or focus on Benedick and Beatrice's relationship and how marriage changes or doesn't change their interplay. Also, I always love scenarios where Beatrice gets to be BAMF and come to Benedick's rescue somehow! And/or a scenario where we get to see more of Benedick's serious side, like he shows near the end of the play when challenging Claudio to a duel - though I adore his silly and sarcastic side, so it's more the contrast I'm after, rather than making him All Serious All The Time.
If you're going the NSFW route, please don't make Beatrice submissive in bed. No hate on women who love being submissive when it comes to D/s! I'd just love for there to be some more femdom in the world - or if D/s isn't your thing but you'd like to write some lovely smut, I'm also 100% here for non-kinky sex with no D/s dynamics involved.
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, Beatrice & Benedick breaking up, daddy or mommy kink, high school AU (other AUs welcome!), people under 18 in explicit sexual situations, permanent death of nominated characters, reader insert, 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 recently finished 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 has 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. For example, 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 (though of course Alsius does care, and I love how much development that got in book 3!). 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 conflict~. 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 favorite 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. (Though please don't make him fall in romantic love. The subtext that he's likely aromantic is something I'm very happy about, as aro representation is something I rarely get to see.)
Pairings? I'm pretty much open to Derossi Vargo/anyone at this point XD I love his friendly and tender pseudo-relationship with Iascat Novrus in canon, but I'm equally open to a threesome between him, Ren and Grey (at any point in canon). 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 caring about him with no other goal in mind <3 But ALSO, as an aromantic person myself, I ADORE that Vargo doesn't have romantic feelings for people, even the ones he's attracted to. Sexual attraction, enjoying someone's company and liking them as a person doesn't need to lead to falling in love with them and I am delighted whenever I get the rare fictional representation of that.
Story prompts: As long as the focus is on Vargo, I'm up for pretty much any kind of story! If you're in the mood to write a post-canon story of his adventures in politics and teaching his new heir to do magic, I'm all for that! If you'd rather focus on more literal adventures of him helping Ren & Grey dealing with corruption in the city a little more directly than can be done in political debates, I'm all for that too! Also, if you want to write about Vargo getting BETTER REVENGE ON ALSIUS' EVIL FUCKING MOTHER & OTHER RELATIVES, PLEASE DO!!! After her showing up to 'confront' Alsius in spider form at Vargo's very home, I've been chewing at the bit to get to see Vargo fully avenge Alsius' (body's) death! That revenge would be beyond delightful to get to fully experience!
Should you like to go down the what-if route, what would have happened if Vargo found a way to get Ren's "mother" out of the city before she had a chance to ruin Ren's con? The more ridiculous the scheme the better!
If you're more for internal conflict, I'd love to see more of Vargo having to face up to the fact that some people like him. Vargo, Ren and Grey hanging out post-canon! Iascat and Vargo making things work between them, despite them not having a romantic relationship or marrying. Vargo bonding more with his brand new heir! Alsius seeking him out in his dreams. I'm not picky about who, I just love it when people let Vargo know he means something to them as a person – either as a friend, a lover 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: I've read all three books now and I loved everything that happened in them :D That's not to say I'd not enjoy "what if"-looks at how canon might have gone differently, but if you want to explore something that happens post-canon, I'd be delighted to see where you think things go from there! I'd be happy to see any and all canon characters appear in whatever story you'd like to write, though my absolute favorite is Derossi Vargo, so my wish is for a story mainly focused on him.
In general, 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. Or why not both? Be it political intrigues post-canon, more gang-/knot-related escapades, threats coming in from outside the city, or proper revenge on Alsius' utterly awful relatives, I'm up for any and all Vargo adventures!
I'm also up for pretty much any ship involving Vargo! 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 in some way, I'd adore it! On top of all this, I love that he both gets to be a very caring and loyal person while there's also a strong subtext that he's aromantic. So please don't make Vargo fall in romantic love, but do feel free to have him have fulfilling relationships still, be they sexual or familial or friendships.
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, reader insert, Vargo being alloromantic, vore, watersports & scat, women always automatically being submissive in sexual situations when the pairing is male character/female character.
