Dear Yuletide 2020 Letter
Oct. 15th, 2020 12:25 pmDear Yulegoat,
You are amazing. I want to tell you that up front, because you are.
Please don’t stress about this assignment. Just the fact that you are writing for any of these fandoms in the first place will make me ridiculously happy. Also, I love gifts in general, so I’ll be chuffed to get a prize of any shape and size. I know this letter is ridiculously long as again I love these fandoms, but don’t let that scare you off.
The only thing I do ask is that my No-Thanks list be avoided.
No thanks: On the page infertility and/or miscarriage of major characters, discussion of plagues/pandemics, slave worlds, demon-possession (except for Monster Music Video below), mind control, prostitution, noncon, dubcon (except for Crimson Peak fics as dubcon is canon), major character death unless part of canon, infidelity unless part of canon, love triangles/jealousy focus (I am far more fond of OT3ing it up), characters de-aged/aged back up during the story (if you make one of the characters a child, make them “canon” children for that story if that makes sense), A/B/O, crackfic, gangster/mob, noir settings, Modern AUs that remove canon SFF elements, amnesia, loss of limb/amputations, mpreg, underage/adult relationships, gender swap, teacher/student relationships, focus on drug abuse/alcoholism, or non-canon sibling incest. Please no 2nd person or 1st person POVs (Unless the source material for the fandom is in 1st person like The Proper Thing – then go for it!). Note: I do like to have happier fics this time of year, so while some canon-level angst/violence are OK if the story ends hopeful, I’d prefer no Crueltide style darkfics.
For M-rated fics, please no knife play/blood play/gun play (only in a sexual context – canon level plot/action violence is fine), scat, watersports, rape-as-fantasy-scenes, anal for M/F pairings, and any kind of direct blow in a sexual connotation, including spanking/flogging.
Yes Please: Post-apocalypse, slice of life/domestic/curtainfic, epistolary stories, found family, crossovers between requested fandoms, crossovers with characters ending up at the Gertrude Hunt of Ilona Andrews’ Innkeeper Chronicles series, AUs (particularly zombie apocalypse, Black Jewels trilogy verse, daemons, steampunk/neo-Victorian, Sentinel/Guide, Old West, and Pacific Rim fusions) – tho as above I’d prefer no Modern AUs that erase any magical/supernatural elements, outsider POVs, supernatural elements like hauntings/werewolves/fae/etc., badass chicks and men who respect/lust after them for it, fixit fics to bring back killed off characters, fics where characters have kids and are adorable parents, or 5 and 1 style fics.
I’m definitely OK with an M-rating, and for smutty fics, I particularly love dirty talk, a clear top ordering their bottom around, hair-pulling, restraint i.e.: ropes/shibari/handcuffs/holding partner down, wall sex, shower sex, cramped vehicular sex, biting/marking (without major blood being drawn), mate bonds, “OMG we didn’t die” sex, and “sharing body heat” leading to sex.
NOTE: I am picky about my M/M slash pairings and usually prefer OT3, het, or femmeslash with a few exceptions (which aren’t included in this year’s request). If you are a M/M slasher and not a fan of the pairings/trio suggested, please go the gen route. I know my requests are pretty shippy (most of them are canon pairings anyway), but I am ALWAYS good with friend/found family fics.
FYI Challenges: I am game for gifts/treats that especially fit multiple challenges this Yuletide if that is your thing: Yulebuilding, Yuleporn, Two for One, and Femme Slash Festivus. Not a requirement of course, but I’ve noticed those occasionally get my brain moving so I figured I’d point it out!
Optional Re Crossovers: I also wanted to specifically mention that crossovers between any of my requested fandoms would be awesome if that’s your thing.
Rolling in the Deep Series – Mira Grant (including both Prequel novella ROLLING IN THE DEEP and sequel novel INTO THE DROWNING DEEP) Olivia Sanderson, Victoria “Tori” Stewart, Ray Marino
Y’all Seanan McGuire (and her horror pen name Mira Grant) has claimed my all-time fave author title, and these books are the perfect example of why. Deep. Sea. Murder. Mermaids. DEEP SEA MURDER MERMAIDS. Run amok here seriously, I’m game for anything including crossovers especially though I have NO IDEA how you’ll pull it off with some of the other fandoms I’ve requested LOL. Note: I did specifically narrow it down to my fave 3 characters, but you do NOT have to include all 3 & could go for non-character specific world building/mixed media or the mermaids in other time periods/fandoms, too if that’s your thing! Ship wise, I am definitely all about Olivia/Tori so please don’t break that up. Prompt wise: 1) Pacific Rim AU with Tori/Olivia as pilots against said murder mermaids and their monstrous females of the species who’ve finally figured out how to survive out of the deepest depths long enough to reach shore to hunt? 2) Ray & Olivia’s bromance was one of my fave relationships here and I’d love to see it not end the way it did – fixit fic for the win! 3) Anything playing with the mixed media format from the books: transcripts from the survivors of the Melucine, Tori & Louis’s scientific presentation of their findings, emails between Oliva and/or Ray and Imagine? 4) The previous “mockumentaries” Imagine did – were they all actually as fake as thought or did the people on site cover something up? Were Olivia and Ray (and possibly Anne?) involved in tracking down Bigfoot or a chupacabra? Is Tori dragged along in their wake if the next one takes place after the Melucine?
“The Proper Thing” – Seanan McGuire Patreon Short Story/Novella Any Character
Why yes this is another Seanan McGuire fandom and no I don’t regret anything! This story was only released over at her Patreon here https://www.patreon.com/posts/proper-thing-36645089, but y’all, for the amount of stories/backlist she has up there, the monthly support is totally worth it. Anyway, this is one of the longest stories she’s released as a “short story” and is easily one of my fave things she’s written (which is saying a lot considering how many of her books I own). Magical cheese, different magical storefronts of specialty items all linked through hallways existing out of linear space, people created from animals having to learn how/if they even want to truly be people… it’s just glorious, seriously. I’m game with any of the suggested characters or even none of them with world building/a story from one of the mentioned shops that we don’t spend more time in (are some of the characters from my other fandoms customers/shop workers?). I would prefer we don’t have anything centered on the villain, but other than that, I’m totally game. This is also a fandom that I’d be happy to have a story in 1st person since it’s originally written that way (unless you are bringing in crossover fandoms that aren’t in 1st person). But yeah, honestly, I’m so thrilled by this story in general that I don’t know how to prompt for it, because honestly my answer is that I want everything LOL
MONSTER - Red Velvet – Irene & Seulgi (Music Video) Any Character
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujb-gvqsoi0
Note: my general DNW for demon possession is over-ridden specifically for this fandom only!
The last of my personally nominated fandoms! I am only just getting into Kpop (yes I know I’m late to the party), and this song/vid is definitely my fave of anything I’ve come across so far. The group actually has a fair amount of RPF, but I specifically want fic based on this music video with the characters played by Seulgi (the taller of the two who ends up with a gun) and Irene (the short of the two who has a demon face at one point). For this one I definitely want a supernatural vibe. I see Irene as either a possessed person or the demon working to possess other people (that scene where she’s manipulating the chorus dancers really works I think), and Seulgi could definitely be a demon hunter. Was Irene her now possessed lover? Is the demon trying to seduce Seulgi to stay alive? There are lots of options and I’d love to see them! Femmeslash or gen works for me here.
Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austin Colonel Brandon, Eleanor Dashwood
This pairing is one that fandom totally sold me on before I know I really wanted it, but that totally makes sense in retrospect. Eleanor and the Colonel really do feel like a better match than the ones they got, with a quiet glorious competence and respect between them that I could see growing into a strong, contented marriage. It might be a quieter love than one with Marianne involved, but that doesn’t mean it would be any less strong (honestly in my opinion I think that would be a stronger relationship!). I definitely do want shippyness for this one though it definitely can be pre-ship. I would prefer if you didn’t kill off or thoroughly ruin Marianne to make it happen, but I do want these Brandon and Eleanor to end up together and happily in love instead of the attitude that they are just “settling” for each other. This is another that I’d be especially game for crossovers for, especially other Austin stories (Pride & Prejudice is my other fave. Note: I haven’t read/seen Sanditon so avoid them please), or the other fandoms requested here.
Crimson Peak (2015) Edith Cushing, Thomas Sharpe, Alan McMichael
So it took me FAR too long to finally watch this and holy hells was it ever my aesthetic in the best of ways. The semi-sentient (and not remotely benevolent) mansion, the moths, the tragic siblings, the ghoooooooosts, Edith’s everything, Tom Hiddleston being utterly magnetic despite the truly terrible things he’s done (or allowed to be done), and Alan’s quite steady competence and support and surprise interest in ghosts right along with Edith. I just flat out loved this film is what I’m saying. I, of course, immediately started reading fanfic and really enjoyed what I found, but I was surprised by how little Thomas/Edith/Alan fics there were. We had a ton of OT3 fics with both siblings which I get, but something about that nod between Alan and Thomas at the funeral and the moment of connection (literal with a knife LOL) at the entrance to the mansion really just worked for me. So yeah, if at all possible, I would love fix it fic to keep Thomas alive that ends up OT3’d. I have no idea how to get there, but I’d love to see it (should it be after everything with Thomas surviving bc Alan is an amazing doctor? Have the three of them been negotiating this behind Lucille’s back throughout Edith’s courtship? Was Alan actually the one to win her hand but then realize he and Edith are both still fascinated with Thomas and set out to woo him together, winning him free of the hold Lucille has over him? If Edith and Alan never met Thomas in Buffalo, could their mutual interest in ghosts lead them to Allerdale Hall eventually? So. Many. Options)! Alternately, if OT3 isn’t your thing, I’d be game for either Edith/Thomas or Edith/Alan working their way to as happy an ever after as is possible with all of their combined trauma (Edith/Alan ghost hunters would be love here). I would prefer NOT to have solely Thomas/Alan with Edith sidelined however. Also, please avoid discussions of Edith having infertility or miscarriages, and I’d prefer to have Lucille off screen as opposed to a very present side character to the requested three if that makes sense? Like ghost Lucille sure, but not a heavy focus on her in the present story timeline.
Whew that’s it, I think! I’m impressed if you managed to read through all of this ridiculously long letter, but I appreciate it if you did and I’m so so excited to see what you come up with!