16 October 2018 19:36
Dear Yulegoat 2018
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nonesensedAll hail the mighty Yulegoat! Welcome to my letter, I hope it will inspire. I promise I love all these fandoms equally – I just get wordier about some of them :)
If you want to go the really advanced route, I have a very long list of favorite tropes and kinks over here. By this I mean plot likes too, not just smut related likes.
I'll be starting with my squicks and do-not-wants, just to get them out of the way first.
Squicks
- Bestiality. By this I mean sex with animals, not sentient/sapient alien creatures. Xenophilia I'm down with.
- Daddy or Mommy kink. Major squick, no matter if there's actual incest involved or not. Any real or play-pretend guardian/child romances or sexual situations are really not my cup of tea. Same goes for using "daddy" and "mommy" as pet names.
- Non-con presented as consent. I'm very interested in stories that deal with consent in all its forms (sexual and not). However it really rubs me the wrong way when a sexual situation is clearly non-consensual (e.g. one partner badgering the other into having sex; Stockholm Syndrom, etc.) but is treated by the story/author as if it's just regular old consensual sex :/
Including rape – or murder or torture or any other horrible crime – in a story I'm not against. But when the author on a meta level pretends like something isn't rape, it really squicks me. In short: if something in the story is non-consensual, please have the writing show that you as an author know it's non-con, even if the characters might deny it. Related things to this are that I'm not too found of sex being presented as an act where someone "has to be dominant" without said act being BDSM (BDSM I like, but sex can be done without D/s you know?) and gender stereotypes ruling how characters act during a sex scene (all women aren't "naturally submissive in bed", which some people really don't seem to get).
- Underage. No children having sex please.
- Vore. Don't mind it implied, but an explicit sex scene of this will be horror and squick to me, not sexy.
- Watersports and scat (i.e. urine & feces involved during sex).
Not my cup of tea
- A/B/O aka Alpha/Beta/Omega AU:n. It's both over-saturated in most fandoms, has a lot of "rape portrayed as consent, or 'consensual enough'", the worldbuilding around the social aspects of these new and/or additional genders are usually frustratingly vague and I've taken far too many medical classes to not get bogged down by "how would that even work??" thoughts on the biological aspects of the A/B/O setting. I absolutely think it's possible to write interesting A/B/O-stories; they just mostly don't work for me.
- Plots that involve amnesia, characters suddenly age regressing into children and characters switching bodies. Fanfiction are full of these tropes so I've seen them done a lot before, thus I've grown a little tired of them as plots.
- Character-bashing. I seldom hate characters in any of the fandoms I'm in, and if I did, I'd just prefer them to be kept out of the fic, not made even stupider/more annoying than they already are.
- High school AUs. Meaning that I'm completely fine with school related things if they are canon.
And that's it for Do-Not-Wants! The rest of this letter will be things I greatly enjoy. Hope they will inspire and not constrain! (Feel free to ignore stuff you'd rather not write!)
Genres
Since it's the holidays I'd love for there to be hurt/comfort or a happy ending if your story takes an emotionally harsh road, but overall I'm happy with all manner of genres from fluff to horror. I love creepy horror and lovecraftian horror, am more "meh" about slasher-horror and other such more "mundane" horror.
Ratings
Anything goes! I have no trouble reading (and enjoying) anything from the kid safest of fics to the most explicit of sex and violence. Go with whatever suits you and the story best.
Things that make me smile (SFW)
- Anticipation, tension and suspense. Be it UST, a manhunt for a dangerous killer or a rush against time to save someone's life – if it keeps me on the edge of my seat, I'm happy.
- 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!").
- Found family. People who slowly go from strangers to "I would die for them" are a delight to follow!
- Messing with heteronormativity and gender roles, in any way.
- Kidnappings, for any reason. I don't know why, I just like that kind of plots. And it's more for the rescue part of the plots such actions tend to involve that I enjoy it, especially if it is a more 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 to those they count as family and friends.
- Plot-twists I adore.
- Pairings of all kind of gender combinations – they're all good as long as there's chemistry in the pairing. I do however prefer the main pairing to include at least one of my favorite characters and I am very attached to the pairings I enjoy (they are listed by fandom further down). But secondary pairings are of course also possible and welcome. Oh, and I do prefer threesomes and poly relationships above love triangles ;) But I like gen too, should you not feel like including pairings!
- 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.)
- Vulnerability for otherwise "strong" characters. Through being wounded, kidnapped, drugged, bested (even if the person's just pretending to lose to please someone else), being open about something meaningful to them, or in any other scenario you can think of.
- If you like writing AUs and crossovers I'm happy to receive such a fic! All AUs but high school AUs make me smile. Here's a list of fandoms I'm familiar with, in case you should happen to want to write a crossover.
Other things that make me smile (only relevant to smut)
- 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 make their knees go week; i.e. when someone bites their ear, pulls their hair, kisses their neck, etc.
- People having fun, especially if it's First Time Sex we're talking and if it works with the characters' personalities. Just a relaxed, laughing-with-you-not-at-you, friendly mood to go with a very fun activity!
- Playful dominance/submission + bondage. Preferably initiated by the sub. 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 like a bit of femdom, if that works with the personality of the woman in question.
- Vanilla sex. Although kinky is wonderful, I don't require it to like the smut; as long as the characters are themselves and interact believably, I'll love you for it!
Fandom specifics!
Beware of spoilers for all fandoms listed below!
Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells
(Characters: Consolation, Ember, Moon, Shade)
Why I love the canon: I love the world! It feels so very alive and full of history and different cultures. That, and the not-humans feel like they really aren't humans. It's all very lovely. I adore everything that explores Raksura culture – the fact that they have no concept of romantic love, that relationships are open except between queens and consorts, and so on. What I also love is that the author is so very positive towards fanart and fanfiction! I just want more of this world and I feel so welcome in it~! I'm a Patreon of Martha Wells' and have read all the Raksura stories posted there, as well as all the novels and other the short stories, so there's no fear of spoiling anything for me.
Why I love the characters:
Pairings?: I'm pretty much up for anything. I love the canon of Moon/Jade/Chime and I think Ember/Pearl is sweet, but with Raksura being so poly I'm up for all kinds of combos.
Story prompts: I love anything here! If you want more specific prompts I'd love more culture-clashes between Raksura and other people, especially if the people assume the Raksura are mindless predators, as well as clashing between the Raksura and the Fell/Raksura crossbreeds. Inter-court politics is also great! Just, something that explores the characters' lives after the final book and how the frazzled courts will settled down (will they?) and how their new groundling allies and "allies" fit into all of this.
Yuletide sign-up info: I am in love with the world of the Raksura and I'd love to find out what happens next to all the characters! How does Consolation fair? Does she get help settling her colony? Is there conflict? How is Ember doing? Does he somehow get involved in all of that, or in defending Shade & his kin from the dark rumors of the other courts? How is Shade dealing with his place in life now that everything that has happened with the Fell has happened? And where is Moon in all of this? It was made rather clear that he's never going to be a regular consort, even if he might not end up in conflicts where all Raksuran life is at stake again, but I'm sure he won't be idle. Will he get involved with the Consolation situation somehow? I just want more of their stories! Preferably with these four interacting in some way, but just focusing on one of them would also be great. If you want to bring in groundlings or other courts I'd be more than happy to see that too!
A Charm of Magpies Series - K. J. Charles
(Characters: Ned Hall, Jonah Pastern, Ben Spenser, Crispin Tredarloe)
Why I love the canon: The world of A Charm of Magpies is a great happy place for me. I enjoy the adventure and the erotica, and how the dark elements definitely are there but can be overcome. I like how the magic works, that consent is an important part of all the sexual relationships, and that the relationships portrayed are so different. The mysteries/crime fighting is fun and I love how it ties in with the relationship developments. The "will they, won't they" and conflicts that occurred in the relationships are also well built up and enjoyable instead of frustrating. All great fun, in short :)
Why I love the characters:
The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
(Character: Thara Celehar)
Why I love the canon: I went into The Goblin Emperor expecting grimdark Song of Ice and Fire-style intrigue. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a positive view on people instead! Yes, there are rotten people at court and outside it in this story, but Maia never has to "lower himself to their standards" to win. Staying kind and making wise choices, trusting the right allies, that's what sees Maia to the other side. Because people do care about each other, and I love it when plots remember that! That's why I love this book – it's so refreshing to see that being a descent, kind person can gain you victory. Thara's situation is a big part of this optimism; a man in his situation must have been expecting to fade into obscurity at best, be made a mockery and cruelly punished for just being who he is at worst. Having him gain both a respectable position and the favor of the current Emperor is wonderful and I love it.
Why I love the character:
Pairings?: I'd love to see Thara find new love! It's quite clear he's homosexual based on the text, so please don't pair him up with someone that goes against his sexuality. There are of course bisexual people out there (I happen to be one of them), but if Thara had the "option" to fall in love with a more 'acceptable' person I think there would have been no tragedy for him, seeing what he stood to lose, and did lose, due to the elven society being super homophobic. As for who he ends up with, I've got no particular favorite, only people I'd rather not see him with, because I'm difficult like that. You can pair him up with an OC or a crossover character and I'd be perfectly happy. Would just prefer there to be no huge age difference and that it not be Maia (I ship him with Csethiro), Beshelar or Cala (I ship them with each other).
Story prompts: Is there a crime Thara is called in on? Is there a conspiracy against the Emperor that Thara feels he must reveal or fight back against? Does Maia as an Emperor make it easier for wIw and mIm people to live in the elven empire and if so, how does Thara react to that? Does Thara end up falling in love again, and if so, how does he deal with that? Does he have more encounters with the Emperor and his people, and if so, how?
Yuletide sign-up info: I love this world, I love all the characters, I love the conflict and I love, looove how Thara's tragic situation is turned around by Maia's kindness. I want to know more about what happens to Thara after the events of the book. He is made a Witness for those things that cannot speak for themselves - what kind of situations does he end up in thanks to that position? What new enemies and allies does he make? What connections with the court does he keep? Does he ever find love again? Will that be easier under the rule of the new Emperor? Just, more Thara!
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
(Characters: Billy Rocks, Goodnight Robicheaux)
Why I love the canon: It's mainly the characters that drew me to this fandom, especially Billy and Goodnight. I love how supportive they are of each other, in their own ways. I love how skilled they are at certain things and how incompetent they are at other; Billy is a great fighter and a great supportive to Goody, but not great at talking to other people (though I didn't experience him as the quiet, stoic, perma-scowl man much of the fandom seems to like making him into); Goodnight is great at talking to anyone and everyone, as well as a great support to Billy, but suffering a lot from his PTSD. Anything exploring their relationship will warm my heart!
Why I love the characters:
Pairings?: Billy/Goody all the way! If that's not your thing please don't pair them with other people. I'll love friendship fic too, but seeing them paired off with other people wouldn't work for me. Any other background pairings are up to you :)
Story prompts: I love how much of a support Billy is for Goody, but I'd also love to see the tables turned a little. I don't necessarily mean in the sense that Goody helps Billy through having white privilege; I'd more love to see Goodnight having to step in and get Billy out of trouble that isn't based on Billy being of Korean decent. Depending if you stick with canon or choose to go AU/crossover this trouble could be pretty much anything the setting allows. If that's not your cup of tea, I'd also love to see them sorting out emotional conflicts with each other, having random pre-movie adventures, or being hopelessly in love and silly. Basically, I'm happy with almost anything, even super angsty stuff, as long as Billy and Goody stay loyal to each other in the end (also, no downer-ending, please). Having as much or as little of the rest of the cast join in as you please - I love them all!
Yuletide sign-up info: I honestly just want more of Billy and Goody, the rest of the seven being there or not is very optional. I ship them hard, but if you don't I'd love to see their friendship be explored, pre-canon or mid-canon (I know how the movie ends, but please don't linger on that because it's Yuletide and I'd like to smile - fix-it fic is also welcome!). And I'm very much up for AUs or crossovers in this fandom, everything from What-Ifs to completely different settings. Just...more Billy and Goody! :)
Sapphire and Steel
(Characters: Lead, Sapphire, Steel)
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 right in the middle! 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. Also, I love the Things That Are Trying To Get In – they are so wonderfully creepy!
Why I love the characters:
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 are different from humans – I love how alien the Elements are, while still relateable :)
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 there "home" is (that could be a quite trippy read depending on what you think the Elements are when not taking human form). Oh, and I'm always a sucker for kidnapping fic, so if anything 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 he's just accidentally gotten himself trapped by a group of very confused and very ineffective human scientists I don't care; both scenarios could be thrilling or funny!
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 life is 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 when Lead calls Sapphire and Steel for help?
If you like writing crossovers I think this is a series that lends itself well to that. If you ship Sapphire and Steel or 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 we 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, not listened to any of the audio stories, so feel free to go completely AU after that, but I don't mind spoilers (I might just not understand them). I'd prefer no main character death, if that's okay with you dear Yulegoat! Also, my favorite character is Steel.
The Stars Are Legion - Kameron Hurley
(Characters: Any)
Why I love the canon: I was braced for this to be dark and messed up, and while it certainly wasn't a soft and fluffy story I was pleasantly surprised by how focused it was on both mystery and hope. The worldbuilding fascinates me (What are the planet-ships? What civilization built them and why? Where they even built or did they just form? Why are there no male humans present there - not complaining, just want to know! Are the characters even human???) and the mystery was great, despite my usual apathy for amnesia plots. Just, all around engaging and fascinating!
Why I love the characters:
Pairings?: In this fandom, I am up for everything. Just, go, follow your dreams!
Story prompts: How would the people of the world-ships react if they encountered other lifeforms and/or a planet? How did the world-ships come into being? What are the origins of the people on the world-ships? How will the ending of the book change how the people on the world-ships interact? Between the characters, how do their relationships develop now that the big mystery is solved and they're off to explore?
Yuletide sign-up info: This is a fandom I am up for pretty much anything in! As long as none of my squicks are included (please see my Yuletide letter for those) I will read anything in this world, because it fascinates me I want to know what happens after the book's ending, I want to know how the world-ships came to be, I want to know more about the different societies on the world-ships and I want to know what would happen if they ever ended meeting aliens and/or people from whatever actual planets they may or may not have originated for. You can make this a parody episode of the original Star Trek series and I'll be happy!
If you want to go the really advanced route, I have a very long list of favorite tropes and kinks over here. By this I mean plot likes too, not just smut related likes.
I'll be starting with my squicks and do-not-wants, just to get them out of the way first.
Squicks
- Bestiality. By this I mean sex with animals, not sentient/sapient alien creatures. Xenophilia I'm down with.
- Daddy or Mommy kink. Major squick, no matter if there's actual incest involved or not. Any real or play-pretend guardian/child romances or sexual situations are really not my cup of tea. Same goes for using "daddy" and "mommy" as pet names.
- Non-con presented as consent. I'm very interested in stories that deal with consent in all its forms (sexual and not). However it really rubs me the wrong way when a sexual situation is clearly non-consensual (e.g. one partner badgering the other into having sex; Stockholm Syndrom, etc.) but is treated by the story/author as if it's just regular old consensual sex :/
Including rape – or murder or torture or any other horrible crime – in a story I'm not against. But when the author on a meta level pretends like something isn't rape, it really squicks me. In short: if something in the story is non-consensual, please have the writing show that you as an author know it's non-con, even if the characters might deny it. Related things to this are that I'm not too found of sex being presented as an act where someone "has to be dominant" without said act being BDSM (BDSM I like, but sex can be done without D/s you know?) and gender stereotypes ruling how characters act during a sex scene (all women aren't "naturally submissive in bed", which some people really don't seem to get).
- Underage. No children having sex please.
- Vore. Don't mind it implied, but an explicit sex scene of this will be horror and squick to me, not sexy.
- Watersports and scat (i.e. urine & feces involved during sex).
Not my cup of tea
- A/B/O aka Alpha/Beta/Omega AU:n. It's both over-saturated in most fandoms, has a lot of "rape portrayed as consent, or 'consensual enough'", the worldbuilding around the social aspects of these new and/or additional genders are usually frustratingly vague and I've taken far too many medical classes to not get bogged down by "how would that even work??" thoughts on the biological aspects of the A/B/O setting. I absolutely think it's possible to write interesting A/B/O-stories; they just mostly don't work for me.
- Plots that involve amnesia, characters suddenly age regressing into children and characters switching bodies. Fanfiction are full of these tropes so I've seen them done a lot before, thus I've grown a little tired of them as plots.
- Character-bashing. I seldom hate characters in any of the fandoms I'm in, and if I did, I'd just prefer them to be kept out of the fic, not made even stupider/more annoying than they already are.
- High school AUs. Meaning that I'm completely fine with school related things if they are canon.
And that's it for Do-Not-Wants! The rest of this letter will be things I greatly enjoy. Hope they will inspire and not constrain! (Feel free to ignore stuff you'd rather not write!)
Genres
Since it's the holidays I'd love for there to be hurt/comfort or a happy ending if your story takes an emotionally harsh road, but overall I'm happy with all manner of genres from fluff to horror. I love creepy horror and lovecraftian horror, am more "meh" about slasher-horror and other such more "mundane" horror.
Ratings
Anything goes! I have no trouble reading (and enjoying) anything from the kid safest of fics to the most explicit of sex and violence. Go with whatever suits you and the story best.
Things that make me smile (SFW)
- Anticipation, tension and suspense. Be it UST, a manhunt for a dangerous killer or a rush against time to save someone's life – if it keeps me on the edge of my seat, I'm happy.
- 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!").
- Found family. People who slowly go from strangers to "I would die for them" are a delight to follow!
- Messing with heteronormativity and gender roles, in any way.
- Kidnappings, for any reason. I don't know why, I just like that kind of plots. And it's more for the rescue part of the plots such actions tend to involve that I enjoy it, especially if it is a more 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 to those they count as family and friends.
- Plot-twists I adore.
- Pairings of all kind of gender combinations – they're all good as long as there's chemistry in the pairing. I do however prefer the main pairing to include at least one of my favorite characters and I am very attached to the pairings I enjoy (they are listed by fandom further down). But secondary pairings are of course also possible and welcome. Oh, and I do prefer threesomes and poly relationships above love triangles ;) But I like gen too, should you not feel like including pairings!
- 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.)
- Vulnerability for otherwise "strong" characters. Through being wounded, kidnapped, drugged, bested (even if the person's just pretending to lose to please someone else), being open about something meaningful to them, or in any other scenario you can think of.
- If you like writing AUs and crossovers I'm happy to receive such a fic! All AUs but high school AUs make me smile. Here's a list of fandoms I'm familiar with, in case you should happen to want to write a crossover.
Other things that make me smile (only relevant to smut)
- 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 make their knees go week; i.e. when someone bites their ear, pulls their hair, kisses their neck, etc.
- People having fun, especially if it's First Time Sex we're talking and if it works with the characters' personalities. Just a relaxed, laughing-with-you-not-at-you, friendly mood to go with a very fun activity!
- Playful dominance/submission + bondage. Preferably initiated by the sub. 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 like a bit of femdom, if that works with the personality of the woman in question.
- Vanilla sex. Although kinky is wonderful, I don't require it to like the smut; as long as the characters are themselves and interact believably, I'll love you for it!
Fandom specifics!
Beware of spoilers for all fandoms listed below!
Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells
(Characters: Consolation, Ember, Moon, Shade)
Why I love the canon: I love the world! It feels so very alive and full of history and different cultures. That, and the not-humans feel like they really aren't humans. It's all very lovely. I adore everything that explores Raksura culture – the fact that they have no concept of romantic love, that relationships are open except between queens and consorts, and so on. What I also love is that the author is so very positive towards fanart and fanfiction! I just want more of this world and I feel so welcome in it~! I'm a Patreon of Martha Wells' and have read all the Raksura stories posted there, as well as all the novels and other the short stories, so there's no fear of spoiling anything for me.
Why I love the characters:
- Consolation: She fascinates me! Her childhood and her struggle to understand what she is - it tugs at my heartstrings and makes me want to know more about her. I want to see her interact with more Raksura as well as her own people. How will her "court" integrate with the rest of the Reaches? Will it? Will they be able to reproduce and if so, how? Would any Raksuran court dare interact with them in any way? What does Consolation think of this new situation? Will the court or sister-court of her father ever be found? I'm so curious!
- Ember: Oh how I love Ember! I adore him in contrast to Moon especially, as he shows that being a traditional consort isn't "bad" any more than being a non-traditional consort is. I love how diplomatic he is, how strategic and kind at the same time. I love how he welcomed Shade when he came to visit Indigo Cloud, and I'd love to see him involved in the situation with Consolation, in some shape or form. Or with the new groundling allies they got at the end of the last book. Just, more Ember being super shrewd and helpful and kind!
- Moon: I love fish-out-of-water characters and I love that Moon gets to be competent and out of hits depths at the same time. He's easily the most qualified non-Raksura-species communicator they have besides Stone (and he's got knowledge Stone doesn't, about hiding among non-Raksura) and he's a great hunter. At the same time he's still got a lot to learn about Raksura life and will likely always have to concentrate a lot to not make cultural faux pas in politically or socially tense moments. There's also the wonderful found-family aspect of how Moon came to be at Indigo Court and how he's settling in. I love seeing him interact with everyone, but since canon mostly sticks to his POV it'd be great to see yet more of other people's POVs, to find out what they think about him and what impression Moon gives others. Having him interact with Ember, Consolation and Shade on the subject of the Fell/Raksura crossbreeds and their place in the world would be golden!
- Shade: I'm so curious to see where Shade's life goes. Now that we know that Fell+Raksura interbreeding tend to make Fell less Fell-like (at least, that's what I took away from the last book) will he ever be allowed to have a queen and a clutch of his own? Does he want that? Or are there infertile queens about who'd love a consort despite clutches not being an option? Or will Shade just focus on being himself on his own, back at his home court? What are his thoughts on Consolation & co? Will he be involved somehow in them establishing a place in the Reaches? So many questions!
Pairings?: I'm pretty much up for anything. I love the canon of Moon/Jade/Chime and I think Ember/Pearl is sweet, but with Raksura being so poly I'm up for all kinds of combos.
Story prompts: I love anything here! If you want more specific prompts I'd love more culture-clashes between Raksura and other people, especially if the people assume the Raksura are mindless predators, as well as clashing between the Raksura and the Fell/Raksura crossbreeds. Inter-court politics is also great! Just, something that explores the characters' lives after the final book and how the frazzled courts will settled down (will they?) and how their new groundling allies and "allies" fit into all of this.
Yuletide sign-up info: I am in love with the world of the Raksura and I'd love to find out what happens next to all the characters! How does Consolation fair? Does she get help settling her colony? Is there conflict? How is Ember doing? Does he somehow get involved in all of that, or in defending Shade & his kin from the dark rumors of the other courts? How is Shade dealing with his place in life now that everything that has happened with the Fell has happened? And where is Moon in all of this? It was made rather clear that he's never going to be a regular consort, even if he might not end up in conflicts where all Raksuran life is at stake again, but I'm sure he won't be idle. Will he get involved with the Consolation situation somehow? I just want more of their stories! Preferably with these four interacting in some way, but just focusing on one of them would also be great. If you want to bring in groundlings or other courts I'd be more than happy to see that too!
A Charm of Magpies Series - K. J. Charles
(Characters: Ned Hall, Jonah Pastern, Ben Spenser, Crispin Tredarloe)
Why I love the canon: The world of A Charm of Magpies is a great happy place for me. I enjoy the adventure and the erotica, and how the dark elements definitely are there but can be overcome. I like how the magic works, that consent is an important part of all the sexual relationships, and that the relationships portrayed are so different. The mysteries/crime fighting is fun and I love how it ties in with the relationship developments. The "will they, won't they" and conflicts that occurred in the relationships are also well built up and enjoyable instead of frustrating. All great fun, in short :)
Why I love the characters:
- Ned Hall: I want to know more about this guy! I love how "normal" he is compared to all the practitioners and crazy rich people who show up in this series. Having him being a bit out-of-touch with his emotions, or rather having anger being the go-to-emotion when he's upset without making him some sort of out-of-control abusive rage monster is a very true to life thing for many people (not just for men, I recognize myself a lot in that too) since anger is more socially acceptable than sadness. I'd love to see him have to deal with that and love how it compliments how fairly in-touch Crispin is with sadness rather than anger.
- Jonah Pastern: I think Jonah might be my favorite character of all of them (though they're pretty neck-to-neck) because he goes from being a completely selfish character to someone willing to give things up for those he loves. His impulsiveness and lack of forward thinking is so believable, I can definitely understand how he ended up doing what he did. Love his interaction with all the other characters, especially now that character growth has made him a little more responsible.
- Ben Spenser: Oh poor Ben, what a rough path he's had to thread. Like with Jonah, Ben has gone through a very interesting character development, though arguably in the other direction. I love how loyal he is to Jonah, even when it's to his own detriment, and how that loyalty finally is repaid. I'd love to see how he deals more with his changed moral compass and how he becomes accustomed to living in that small fishing village.
- Crispin Tredarloe: Dear, dear Crispin. I'm deeply curious about how his magic will develop and how he'll develop as a person. While not a coward at the start of the book, it's clear he's long been used to looking to other people for guidance. I'd love to see how he grows as a person and how he and Ned help each other grow (Crispin to gain more confidence, Ned to deal with being vulnerable from time to time). How will his graphomancy develop? How will he deal with his new situation as an official practitioner? What mysteries will he solve?
Pairings?: I love the canon pairings (aka Ben/Jonah & Crispin/Ned, plus the rest). No wishes to break up any canon pairings. The big age difference between Jenny Saint and Merrick is a personal squick for me, but I'm not asking you to break them up - I'm fine with them being mentioned in the background as a couple, just please don't focus on them.
Story prompts: Would love to see the four of these characters meeting up somehow; or re-meeting in the case of Jonah and Ned. However that happens (AU? Magical accident? Crispin sent to try and track Jonah down?) I am up for it! If you'd rather focus on one character or one couple, here are some other prompts: I'd love to get to know what from Ned's past might come back to haunt him. Will he ever learn to deal with magic more? Will Crispin get to develop his magic even more, and how will the rest of the practitioners in London keep reacting to him? Will he find allies? How is Jonah and Ben taking to their quiet lives? Are there any more incidents where the whole village has to jump in an protect them? Are there any young could-be-practitioners that Jonah can take under his wing? How would Ben deal with crime occurring in the village - like perpetrated by outsiders, since stealing for people who know your face and family tree equally well is likely a stupid, stuuupid idea.
Yuletide sign-up info: The world of A Charm of Magpies is a great happy place for me. I enjoy the adventure and the erotica, and how the dark elements definitely are there but can be overcome. As much as I love Stephen Day and Lord Crane, I fell even more in love with Ben & Jonah + Ned & Crispin. Why? Maybe it's because their stories feel less "finished", maybe their personalities just clicked more with me, but for whatever reason I adore them (though I would not protest Day and Crane being included in the story somehow, should you wish to include them). Having all four of these characters meet (or re-meet in the case of Ned and Jonah) would be super enjoyable for me! No matter if it's a magical accident, Crispin having been given the job to hunt Jonah down, a what-if, an AU, or whatever strikes your fancy, I'd love to see them confronted with each other or allied together against some magical or mundane danger. If you'd rather focus on one character or one of the couples more, I'm of course fine with that too :) I'd love to learn more about Jonah and Ben's life now that they've settled down; what adventures and mishaps do they get up to there? Do they end up in trouble despite their best efforts? Is anyone foolish enough to try and commit crime in that little village? Are there any young practitioners that Jonah can take under his wing? How does Crispin's magic develop, not to mention the pseudo-magic Ned has? What magical mysteries are their charged to deal with? What allies do they make, if any? So many exciting possibilities!
The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
(Character: Thara Celehar)
Why I love the canon: I went into The Goblin Emperor expecting grimdark Song of Ice and Fire-style intrigue. I was pleasantly surprised to find such a positive view on people instead! Yes, there are rotten people at court and outside it in this story, but Maia never has to "lower himself to their standards" to win. Staying kind and making wise choices, trusting the right allies, that's what sees Maia to the other side. Because people do care about each other, and I love it when plots remember that! That's why I love this book – it's so refreshing to see that being a descent, kind person can gain you victory. Thara's situation is a big part of this optimism; a man in his situation must have been expecting to fade into obscurity at best, be made a mockery and cruelly punished for just being who he is at worst. Having him gain both a respectable position and the favor of the current Emperor is wonderful and I love it.
Why I love the character:
- Thara Celehar: This poor man - lover dead and Thara the one to find him guilty, left at the mercy of an uncaring and powerful patron, and then charged with solving the murder of an Emperor. Him being so focused on justice and the truth is both heartbreaking and impressive. I'd love to see how he develops now that he has a kind benefactor (aka Maia) and a position he (hopefully) enjoys. Will he find love again?
Pairings?: I'd love to see Thara find new love! It's quite clear he's homosexual based on the text, so please don't pair him up with someone that goes against his sexuality. There are of course bisexual people out there (I happen to be one of them), but if Thara had the "option" to fall in love with a more 'acceptable' person I think there would have been no tragedy for him, seeing what he stood to lose, and did lose, due to the elven society being super homophobic. As for who he ends up with, I've got no particular favorite, only people I'd rather not see him with, because I'm difficult like that. You can pair him up with an OC or a crossover character and I'd be perfectly happy. Would just prefer there to be no huge age difference and that it not be Maia (I ship him with Csethiro), Beshelar or Cala (I ship them with each other).
Story prompts: Is there a crime Thara is called in on? Is there a conspiracy against the Emperor that Thara feels he must reveal or fight back against? Does Maia as an Emperor make it easier for wIw and mIm people to live in the elven empire and if so, how does Thara react to that? Does Thara end up falling in love again, and if so, how does he deal with that? Does he have more encounters with the Emperor and his people, and if so, how?
Yuletide sign-up info: I love this world, I love all the characters, I love the conflict and I love, looove how Thara's tragic situation is turned around by Maia's kindness. I want to know more about what happens to Thara after the events of the book. He is made a Witness for those things that cannot speak for themselves - what kind of situations does he end up in thanks to that position? What new enemies and allies does he make? What connections with the court does he keep? Does he ever find love again? Will that be easier under the rule of the new Emperor? Just, more Thara!
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
(Characters: Billy Rocks, Goodnight Robicheaux)
Why I love the canon: It's mainly the characters that drew me to this fandom, especially Billy and Goodnight. I love how supportive they are of each other, in their own ways. I love how skilled they are at certain things and how incompetent they are at other; Billy is a great fighter and a great supportive to Goody, but not great at talking to other people (though I didn't experience him as the quiet, stoic, perma-scowl man much of the fandom seems to like making him into); Goodnight is great at talking to anyone and everyone, as well as a great support to Billy, but suffering a lot from his PTSD. Anything exploring their relationship will warm my heart!
Why I love the characters:
- Billy Rocks: Ah, sweet sweet loyalty! I have a major weak-spot for loyal characters who'll stick with their chosen friends/lovers/etc through thick and thin. Of Billy and Goody, Billy is my absolute favorite. I'd love to learn more about him and see him in action, both as Goody's lover and/or friend, and as a force to be reckoned with in other situations. On the flip-side, it would also be fun to see him out of his depths somehow, without humiliating him. I'd love to seem him shown as the fairly social character he is. Compared to Goody, who is very good at being larger than life, Billy might seem a bit stoic and quiet, but the impression I got from the movie was that he's quite a fun, outgoing person, just "outshone" by Goody at times. Would love to see more of his social (if awkward) side get time in fic!
- Goodnight Robicheaux: When I think of Goody, I most of all think of how good he is at talking. I love watching competent characters be competent, so watching Goody talk himself and/or others out of danger/trouble is a delight. I also love how much he cares for Billy. I'm convinced he wouldn't have gone back to Rose Creek if Billy hadn't stayed. Goody dealing with his inner demons and sometimes losing to them is very human, which I like about him. But I like that he's found a support network, if one consisting of only one person (unless you wish to go AU/what-if and explore how the other of the seven might fit into that network). This said, I'd love to see Goody help others! Just because you yourself have a serious illness or severe mental healthy issues doesn't mean you're always the one in need of support or that you're unable to give support. Would love to see more of Goody being supporting!
Pairings?: Billy/Goody all the way! If that's not your thing please don't pair them with other people. I'll love friendship fic too, but seeing them paired off with other people wouldn't work for me. Any other background pairings are up to you :)
Story prompts: I love how much of a support Billy is for Goody, but I'd also love to see the tables turned a little. I don't necessarily mean in the sense that Goody helps Billy through having white privilege; I'd more love to see Goodnight having to step in and get Billy out of trouble that isn't based on Billy being of Korean decent. Depending if you stick with canon or choose to go AU/crossover this trouble could be pretty much anything the setting allows. If that's not your cup of tea, I'd also love to see them sorting out emotional conflicts with each other, having random pre-movie adventures, or being hopelessly in love and silly. Basically, I'm happy with almost anything, even super angsty stuff, as long as Billy and Goody stay loyal to each other in the end (also, no downer-ending, please). Having as much or as little of the rest of the cast join in as you please - I love them all!
Yuletide sign-up info: I honestly just want more of Billy and Goody, the rest of the seven being there or not is very optional. I ship them hard, but if you don't I'd love to see their friendship be explored, pre-canon or mid-canon (I know how the movie ends, but please don't linger on that because it's Yuletide and I'd like to smile - fix-it fic is also welcome!). And I'm very much up for AUs or crossovers in this fandom, everything from What-Ifs to completely different settings. Just...more Billy and Goody! :)
Sapphire and Steel
(Characters: Lead, Sapphire, Steel)
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 right in the middle! 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. Also, 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. Though I'd love to see her react to a human (or other sentient creature) that isn't a danger to her but that she 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 ever 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 are different from humans – I love how alien the Elements are, while still relateable :)
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 there "home" is (that could be a quite trippy read depending on what you think the Elements are when not taking human form). Oh, and I'm always a sucker for kidnapping fic, so if anything 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 he's just accidentally gotten himself trapped by a group of very confused and very ineffective human scientists I don't care; both scenarios could be thrilling or funny!
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 life is 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 when Lead calls Sapphire and Steel for help?
If you like writing crossovers I think this is a series that lends itself well to that. If you ship Sapphire and Steel or 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 we 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, not listened to any of the audio stories, so feel free to go completely AU after that, but I don't mind spoilers (I might just not understand them). I'd prefer no main character death, if that's okay with you dear Yulegoat! Also, my favorite character is Steel.
The Stars Are Legion - Kameron Hurley
(Characters: Any)
Why I love the canon: I was braced for this to be dark and messed up, and while it certainly wasn't a soft and fluffy story I was pleasantly surprised by how focused it was on both mystery and hope. The worldbuilding fascinates me (What are the planet-ships? What civilization built them and why? Where they even built or did they just form? Why are there no male humans present there - not complaining, just want to know! Are the characters even human???) and the mystery was great, despite my usual apathy for amnesia plots. Just, all around engaging and fascinating!
Why I love the characters:
- Any: So, why did I pick "Any" character here? Because I love all of them, of course! ;) Seriously, write about any of them in any combination and I will love it!
Pairings?: In this fandom, I am up for everything. Just, go, follow your dreams!
Story prompts: How would the people of the world-ships react if they encountered other lifeforms and/or a planet? How did the world-ships come into being? What are the origins of the people on the world-ships? How will the ending of the book change how the people on the world-ships interact? Between the characters, how do their relationships develop now that the big mystery is solved and they're off to explore?
Yuletide sign-up info: This is a fandom I am up for pretty much anything in! As long as none of my squicks are included (please see my Yuletide letter for those) I will read anything in this world, because it fascinates me I want to know what happens after the book's ending, I want to know how the world-ships came to be, I want to know more about the different societies on the world-ships and I want to know what would happen if they ever ended meeting aliens and/or people from whatever actual planets they may or may not have originated for. You can make this a parody episode of the original Star Trek series and I'll be happy!
