Dear Yuletide 2021 author
Oct. 10th, 2021 12:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolorosa_12Thank you for writing for me!
I'm pretty easygoing about what type of fic you want to write for me. I read fic of any rating, and would be equally happy with plotty genfic or something very shippy. I read gen, femslash, het and slash, although I have a slight preference towards femslash, het, and gen that focuses on female characters. I mainly read fic to find out what happens to characters after the final page has turned or the credits have rolled, so I would particularly love to have futurefic of some kind. Don't feel you have to limit yourself to the characters I specifically mention — I'm happy with others being included if they fit with the story you want to tell.
Feel free to have a look around my Ao3 profile, as it should give you a good idea of the types of things I like to read. You can also look at my Yuletide tag, which includes past letters, and recs posts of my previous gifts and other fic I've enjoyed in previous Yuletide colletions.
General likes
Found families and 'us against the world' dynamics
Human/non-human pairings
Relationships with power imbalances
Hurt/comfort and trauma recovery
People with vastly different backgrounds, perspectives, or life experience working together - especially grudging enemies/antagonists-to-allies/lovers stories
Explorations of characters' religious/philosophical beliefs, especially if they clash with the beliefs of other characters
Fairytale, folktales or mythology being incorporated into fic
Characters with a strong sense of home and place (whether that 'home' is a city, or other people)
Characters who are migrants, exiles or refugees, and for whom this is an important component of their identity
DNWs
Fusions and crossovers
AUs, apart from canon-divergence AUs (basically, please don't change the setting)
Incest
Unrequested ships involving my requested characters (background pairings involving unrequested characters are fine though)
No death of requested characters
Several fandom-specific DNWs, which I will outline below
Fandom-specific prompts:
The Bone Season — Samantha Shannon
Requested characters: Warden | Arcturus Mesarthim, Paige Mahoney
What I like about the series
The intricate alternate world, particularly Scion London, with its underworld of criminal clairvoyants trying to eke out an existence in the face of oppression, the uneasy shifting alliances, and all the little details about the urban geography and history of Soho, Covent Garden and so on.
The pervasive sense of threat and menace that permeates the series, and the choices this forces the characters to make.
Paige and Arcturus's relationship — the initial mistrust, the power imbalances, the secrets they keep from each other, the way they share dreams, and the way Arcturus makes Paige a bit more supernatural and she makes him a bit more human.
The hurt/comfort potential for the Paige/Arcturus relationship — I absolutely loved The Dawn Chorus, since it was one whole novella of Paige/Arcturus hurt/comfort!
The tensions and contradictions in Paige's existence — becoming a criminal mollisher for Jaxon Hall gives her a measure of safety, but also puts her in greater danger, and in some ways the series represents her slow shift from pragmatism to risk-taking revolutionary leadership.
Prompts I'd love to see
Any fic that explores Paige and Arcturus's relationship, particularly the power imbalances, cultural differences, and the ways in which their relationship forces them to reflect on their respective identities as human and Rephaite. I really love hurt/comfort fic, and would be particularly delighted to see more scenes of hurt/comfort with this pair of characters. Missing moments from when Paige was in hiding in London would be most welcome. I'd also love to read futurefic set just after the end of events in The Mask Falling — is Arcturus really dead? How do they find each other again, and how do they rebuild trust after the events of the most recent book caused Paige to doubt her own reality? I'd love to read fic set in another part of Samantha Shannon's alternate world — so far we've seen Scotland, England, Ireland, and Paris but nothing of the rest of the world. What are other Scion countries like? Alternatively, a fic that takes place entirely within shared dreamscapes would be absolutely amazing! Given this series is a retelling of the myth of Prometheus and Pandora, any fic that really leans into this premise could also be really interesting.
Fandom-specific DNWs
I'm happy for other characters from the series to appear in any fic you write, but I would prefer it if your fic didn't focus on Jaxon Hall.
The Lions of Al-Rassan - Guy Gavriel Kay
Requested characters: Jehane bet Ishak, Rodrigo Belmonte, Ammar ibn Khairan, Miranda Belmonte
What I like about the series
The gorgeous tone of melancholy that permeates the entire narrative — the way it basically functions as an elegy for a lost society, destroyed by those who never saw its value.
That brief, shining moment when all the three main characters (and Miranda, at a slight remove) are working towards a common cause, and given a chance to demonstrate their incredible competence.
The way all three main characters (and, I would argue, Miranda as well) are in love with each other, while aware they're poised on the brink of destruction.
Prompts I'd love to see
I'm very keen for canon-divergent future fic. Find a way for both Rodrigo and Ammar to survive, and for all four characters to navigate both the love triangle, and Rodrigo and Miranda's marriage in a way that makes everyone happy, and I will be in raptures! I love that all four of the characters sit essentially on the margins of their respective cultures, moving back and fourth freely until the world makes that impossible, so any fic that dealt with this liminal existence would be very welcome. I love how competent they all are at their various professions, so a fic that showcased Jehane's skills as a doctor, Rodrigo's as a soldier, Miranda's at managing a ranch and household, and Ammar's as both a poet and politician would make me extremely happy. I love reading fic about groups characters bringing their wildly different skillsets together to solve a problem, and this would definitely work well with these four characters.
Fandom-specific DNWs
If your fic focuses on various configurations of romantic relationships between the four requested characters, please do not include deception or secrecy. (So, for example, if Rodrigo, Ammar and Jehane admit and act on their feelings for each other, don't leave Miranda in the dark about what's going on, and don't make it cause the breakup of her marriage with Rodrigo.)
I don't want shipfic in which the sole pairing is Ammar/Rodrigo. Any other configurations involving some or all of my four requested characters are fine, and I'm also happy with multiship fic in which Ammar/Rodrigo is one among multiple other pairings (basically, please involve the female characters if you want to write shippy fic).
The power of the story of The Lions of Al-Rassan for me lies in the sense of tragic inevitability of Al-Rassan's collapse, so if you do choose to write post-canon fic, please keep this element of canon. (Basically, I don't want canon-divergent fic in which Al-Rassan continues to exist as an independent political entity beyond the point of its final collapse/overthrow in canon.)
The Pagan Chronicles - Catherine Jinks
Requested characters: I've requested Pagan Kidrouk, Babylonne Kidrouk, and Isidore Orbus, but I'm happy for you to leave Pagan out if you don't want to write an AU where he lives long enough to meet Babylonne. Treat this as a request for either Babylonne AND Isidore, or Babylonne, Isidore AND Pagan.
What I like about this series
The found families — this whole series is just one long story of hurt/comfort within found families, and I love it!
I love that it's this multigenerational story of broken, damaged orphans finding each other, healing each other and making each other whole.
The strong sense of history, and the way it makes forgotten episodes in world history come alive.
The fact that the series doesn't shy away from its characters' religious faith, but shows that their observance and understanding of religion was more flexible and pluralistic than is generally portrayed in popular fictional depictions of the Middle Ages.
The compassionate, empathetic, and forgiving way the characters deal with the realities of their world — they expect people to be flawed, and the strong to hurt the weak, but this doesn't stop them being kind, and imaginative, and skilled at talking their way out of difficult situations.
Prompts I'd love to see
I would be eternally grateful for futurefic set after Pagan's Daughter in which Isidore and Babylonne have adventures in Bologna. I'd also be very open to a fix-it fic where Pagan didn't die before the events of Pagan's Daughter, as I would really love to see him actually interacting with Babylonne (possibly with Isidore as a traumatised bystander to the inevitable extremities of emotion, cutting sarcastic exchanges and furious verbal gymnastics that would follow any such encounter). I enjoy Babylonne/Isidore as a romantic pairing, and I nurse a secret wish to see how Pagan would react to discovering that the two of them had paired up. (I don't mind if you don't ship them, however, and if you prefer to write about their relationship from a gen perspective I would be equally thrilled!) I love how clever, talkative, argumentative and downright wordy all the characters in this series are, and any fic which gave free rein to their loquaciousness, differing religious perspectives, or similar ideas would be absolutely marvellous.
Fandom specific DNWs
Fic that pairs up Pagan and Isidore romantically/sexually.
I mentioned in my general DNWs that I don't want any character deaths for requested characters. I realise that for a fic to include all of Pagan, Babylonne and Isidore this means it has to be a canon-divergence AU. If you pick the option of writing a fic with just Babylonne and Isidore, it is fine for Pagan to have already died, as he would have done in canon. What I don't want is fic about all three of the characters in which Pagan — or any of them — dies. (Basically I don't want a fic whose focus is on the death of one of the requested characters and how the other characters react.) Feel free to reach out to the mods if you need further clarification.
Don't feel you have to stick rigidly within the bounds of my prompts. As long as your fic is focused on the characters I requested, I will be thrilled to receive anything you write for me, as these really are some of my most beloved fandoms of the heart, and the existence of any fic for them will make me extremely happy.
I'm pretty easygoing about what type of fic you want to write for me. I read fic of any rating, and would be equally happy with plotty genfic or something very shippy. I read gen, femslash, het and slash, although I have a slight preference towards femslash, het, and gen that focuses on female characters. I mainly read fic to find out what happens to characters after the final page has turned or the credits have rolled, so I would particularly love to have futurefic of some kind. Don't feel you have to limit yourself to the characters I specifically mention — I'm happy with others being included if they fit with the story you want to tell.
Feel free to have a look around my Ao3 profile, as it should give you a good idea of the types of things I like to read. You can also look at my Yuletide tag, which includes past letters, and recs posts of my previous gifts and other fic I've enjoyed in previous Yuletide colletions.
General likes
DNWs
Fandom-specific prompts:
The Bone Season — Samantha Shannon
Requested characters: Warden | Arcturus Mesarthim, Paige Mahoney
What I like about the series
Prompts I'd love to see
Any fic that explores Paige and Arcturus's relationship, particularly the power imbalances, cultural differences, and the ways in which their relationship forces them to reflect on their respective identities as human and Rephaite. I really love hurt/comfort fic, and would be particularly delighted to see more scenes of hurt/comfort with this pair of characters. Missing moments from when Paige was in hiding in London would be most welcome. I'd also love to read futurefic set just after the end of events in The Mask Falling — is Arcturus really dead? How do they find each other again, and how do they rebuild trust after the events of the most recent book caused Paige to doubt her own reality? I'd love to read fic set in another part of Samantha Shannon's alternate world — so far we've seen Scotland, England, Ireland, and Paris but nothing of the rest of the world. What are other Scion countries like? Alternatively, a fic that takes place entirely within shared dreamscapes would be absolutely amazing! Given this series is a retelling of the myth of Prometheus and Pandora, any fic that really leans into this premise could also be really interesting.
Fandom-specific DNWs
I'm happy for other characters from the series to appear in any fic you write, but I would prefer it if your fic didn't focus on Jaxon Hall.
The Lions of Al-Rassan - Guy Gavriel Kay
Requested characters: Jehane bet Ishak, Rodrigo Belmonte, Ammar ibn Khairan, Miranda Belmonte
What I like about the series
Prompts I'd love to see
I'm very keen for canon-divergent future fic. Find a way for both Rodrigo and Ammar to survive, and for all four characters to navigate both the love triangle, and Rodrigo and Miranda's marriage in a way that makes everyone happy, and I will be in raptures! I love that all four of the characters sit essentially on the margins of their respective cultures, moving back and fourth freely until the world makes that impossible, so any fic that dealt with this liminal existence would be very welcome. I love how competent they all are at their various professions, so a fic that showcased Jehane's skills as a doctor, Rodrigo's as a soldier, Miranda's at managing a ranch and household, and Ammar's as both a poet and politician would make me extremely happy. I love reading fic about groups characters bringing their wildly different skillsets together to solve a problem, and this would definitely work well with these four characters.
Fandom-specific DNWs
If your fic focuses on various configurations of romantic relationships between the four requested characters, please do not include deception or secrecy. (So, for example, if Rodrigo, Ammar and Jehane admit and act on their feelings for each other, don't leave Miranda in the dark about what's going on, and don't make it cause the breakup of her marriage with Rodrigo.)
I don't want shipfic in which the sole pairing is Ammar/Rodrigo. Any other configurations involving some or all of my four requested characters are fine, and I'm also happy with multiship fic in which Ammar/Rodrigo is one among multiple other pairings (basically, please involve the female characters if you want to write shippy fic).
The power of the story of The Lions of Al-Rassan for me lies in the sense of tragic inevitability of Al-Rassan's collapse, so if you do choose to write post-canon fic, please keep this element of canon. (Basically, I don't want canon-divergent fic in which Al-Rassan continues to exist as an independent political entity beyond the point of its final collapse/overthrow in canon.)
The Pagan Chronicles - Catherine Jinks
Requested characters: I've requested Pagan Kidrouk, Babylonne Kidrouk, and Isidore Orbus, but I'm happy for you to leave Pagan out if you don't want to write an AU where he lives long enough to meet Babylonne. Treat this as a request for either Babylonne AND Isidore, or Babylonne, Isidore AND Pagan.
What I like about this series
Prompts I'd love to see
I would be eternally grateful for futurefic set after Pagan's Daughter in which Isidore and Babylonne have adventures in Bologna. I'd also be very open to a fix-it fic where Pagan didn't die before the events of Pagan's Daughter, as I would really love to see him actually interacting with Babylonne (possibly with Isidore as a traumatised bystander to the inevitable extremities of emotion, cutting sarcastic exchanges and furious verbal gymnastics that would follow any such encounter). I enjoy Babylonne/Isidore as a romantic pairing, and I nurse a secret wish to see how Pagan would react to discovering that the two of them had paired up. (I don't mind if you don't ship them, however, and if you prefer to write about their relationship from a gen perspective I would be equally thrilled!) I love how clever, talkative, argumentative and downright wordy all the characters in this series are, and any fic which gave free rein to their loquaciousness, differing religious perspectives, or similar ideas would be absolutely marvellous.
Fandom specific DNWs
Fic that pairs up Pagan and Isidore romantically/sexually.
I mentioned in my general DNWs that I don't want any character deaths for requested characters. I realise that for a fic to include all of Pagan, Babylonne and Isidore this means it has to be a canon-divergence AU. If you pick the option of writing a fic with just Babylonne and Isidore, it is fine for Pagan to have already died, as he would have done in canon. What I don't want is fic about all three of the characters in which Pagan — or any of them — dies. (Basically I don't want a fic whose focus is on the death of one of the requested characters and how the other characters react.) Feel free to reach out to the mods if you need further clarification.
Don't feel you have to stick rigidly within the bounds of my prompts. As long as your fic is focused on the characters I requested, I will be thrilled to receive anything you write for me, as these really are some of my most beloved fandoms of the heart, and the existence of any fic for them will make me extremely happy.