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paradisiHappy Yuletide, dear author!
I hope you are as excited to get my request as I am excited to get you. :)
Er...this letter got away from me, but hopefully something sparks your interest! Optional details are of course completely optional. At the very least, it's there to let you know what I find most intriguing about whatever fandom(s) we matched on.
Feel free to stay in the general likes/dislikes section if that's more your style, or proceed to my rambling/fandom flailing/prompts. (Note: I really tried to whittle down the number of characters I requested this year, so please consider the characters requested as more of a focal point rather than an exhaustive list of who I'd like to see!)
Most of all, I will be excited to read something you enjoyed writing!
General Likes/Dislikes
DNWs: A/B/O, child sexual abuse, incest, goreshock, kidfic/curtainfic, menstrual/period discussion, mundane AUs, mystical/magical pregnancies, stillbirth/miscarriage, unrequested ships.
Fic Likes: Banter, bittersweet endings, casefic, cigarette smoking (if character is a canon smoker), competence kink, complicated family dynamics, dubious morality/choices, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers (or anywhere in between), forgiveness/absolution, found families, horror*, hurt/comfort, loyalty kink/absolute loyalty, magical realism, slice of life, UST, slow corruption, winning in the worst possible way, worldbuilding.
(*Horror: psychological, body, erotic, or paranormal/zombie/scifi; not: slasher, goreshock, torture, or “Saw”-like scenarios).
'Ship Likes: Angst, banter instead of sex, denial of feelings, first time/relationship firsts, forced proximity, jealousy, mutual/one-sided pining, possessiveness, sexual tension, sex pollen/whatever the canon equivalent of sex-pollen would be, trust dynamics (such as established trust issues, gaining/losing someone's trust, trusting-someone-despite-everything, etc.)
Kink Likes: Biting, dubcon*, dirty talk, light bondage, masturbation, oral sex, orgasm denial, persuasion/reluctance, possessiveness, power dynamics, semi-public sex, uniform/suit kink, UST/RST, vampire bloodplay, voice fetishization.
(*A note on dubcon/noncon: I'm okay with a dubcon scenario leaning heavily toward noncon in a "my mind says no but my body says yes" kind of situation.)
AUs: I love a good AU. You know what makes any story great? SETTING IT IN SPACE. I adore space opera AUs, apocalypse (esp zombies!), vampires, detective/spy noir, ghost hunters (someone requested this AU in their letter last year and I love that idea).
Ratings: I'm happy with G-E. I really don't mind violence, swearing, or anything like that. Gen is great. Smut is great. On the violence/gore scale, from Care Bears to the Saw films... my limit is usually right around Quentin Tarantino.
If you're unsure about something in particular, a good indicator for me is usually 'canon typical.'
Fandom 1: The Black Tapes Podcast
Characters: Alex Reagan, Dr. Richard Strand
Richard Strand: Look, I appreciate that as a journalist you keep an open mind to everything. But that sometimes can lead to closing your mind to nothing, which is exactly the mode of thinking I’ve been fighting against with my Institute. There are some things, many things that you don’t have to consider more than once. Unicorns. Fairies. Flying elephants.
Alex Reagan: Flying elephants?
Richard Strand: I couldn’t think of anything else.
Two very different people with wildly varying moral truths investigating paranormal activities! Ruminations over journalism ethics and also the apocalypse! Sign me up!
I've always adored supernatural stories/investigation and Monster-of-the-Week type stories. Especially when they involve a straight-laced skeptic possibly finding out that he's got psychic powers and a lady journalist who dealing with how far she can (or will) go to find the truth at the bottom of whatever conspiracy. I also cannot stress enough how much I'm a sucker for straight-laced, buttoned-up characters and pushing them to their breaking point. I don't think we've fully gotten to that point with Richard Strand...but how would we get there?
Prompt 1: I love Monster-of-the-Week stories, so any kind of casefic you could give me with maybe a Black Tape that doesn't quite pan out/might not connect with the over-arching mystery would be excellent. Do they ever solve a Black Tape case? What would happen if they did?
Prompt 2: I loved the pilot episode where you got more about the rest of the supernatural-investigation community commenting on Strand. Do Alex/Strand ever encounter them again? How has the supernatural community handled the podcast? How would Richard Strand interact with them now that TBTP has hinted at his "abilities"? I'm also super-intrigued with his dislike of Tanis Braun and the fact that some of that might be because they're two sides of the same psychic coin-- one denying and one leaning into his gifts.
Crueltide Prompts: Well, this is a podcast about demons. Possession, demons, body horror, or anything like that are on the table. Maybe Alex is trapped in one of her nightmares. Maybe a Black Tape case gets truly horrifying.
Anything involving Strand manipulating Alex (gaslighting, mindfuck, etc.) is totally great as well. Or maybe a vampireAU/vampire!Strand (or vampire!Alex?!). Please see the notes in my Daybreakers section in my letter re: my Thoughts on Vampire Likes.
Yuleporn Prompts: First and foremost, I'm deeply into composed characters absolutely losing it/having an unexpected side to them when it comes to sex. So Strand being unexpectedly great at sex (especially if it involves giving oral/dirty talk) would be amazing.
I would be super happy with anything tropey as well. Strand trying to help Alex with her "sleep" problems. Forced proximity and/or sex for warmth. Angry, confrontational, why-did-you-record-that-you've-violated-my-privacy sex. Strand starts getting visions again, but instead of murders they're of...him and Alex having A+ sex and he goes a bit crazy trying to figure out if they're just fantasies, predictions, or Alex's thoughts... (yeah, I know he's clairvoyant and not telepathic, but I am willing to bend the canon limits of his powers for this prompt DON'T LOOK AT ME)
Fandom 2: Daybreakers (2009)
Characters: Edward Dalton
Edward Dalton: I can't even remember what it's like to be human.
Edward Dalton: Are you afraid to die?
Audrey Bennett: Yeah.
Ohh, this movie. The cold city noir/sun-soaked country aesthetic is like catnip to me.
I love ridiculously moody science fiction thinkpieces and this is...nearly there. Vampirism is a metaphor for our dependence on fossil fuels! Sam Neill is the literal bloodsucking embodiment of corporate greed! Ethan Hawke is conflicted and just wants to change the system, but HE IS THE SYSTEM! Fedoras are back in style!
For what could have been just a gushy/gory vampire film, there's actually a lot of thoughtful worldbuilding that I would just love to see explored. A lot of little tidbits that were barely hinted at: the outbreak starting with a bat bite, what's happening globally/in third-world countries, the fact that forest fires are a major problem because starving vampires are going out hunting and then accidentally getting barbecued when they don't get out of the sun in time....
Prompt 1: I'd love to know more about the outbreak and what happened, how things degenerated to the point they're at now within the past 10-15 years. Give me worldbuilding and expansion and how this whole society works. I do love angst and no one does angst like vampires. How did they get to where they are now? What was Edward's role in it? What was Edward's first days of living with the virus? How did he come to terms with it? Who were people in his life that he couldn't save?
Prompt 2: Feel free to pick up at the end of the movie and what happens next. The blood cure does work, but as demonstrated it can be lethal (poor Frankie.) What do they do to try and help change the world, now that there's a blood substitute and maybe a lot of people will want to stay immortal? Do they have to 1) infect the remaining humans and 2) then cure them in order to prevent them from being eaten? How does that work? Does Ethan Hawke get bitten more? Asking for a friend.
Crueltide Prompts: Vampires have a LOT of potential for body horror, and some of it is touched on during the movie. But what's it like for Edward, starting out? Has he ever killed someone, especially at the start, before the human population went into hiding (maybe) or he was trying to control his nature? Or anything you want to do re: the horror of the subsiders/fear of turning into one of them would also be great.
I mean, humanity has literally been made into blood-slaves. There's a lot of material here. What parts of this world does Edward hate the most? What parts-- buried deep, deep down-- does he enjoy?
Yuleporn Prompts: I find vampire canons deeply appealing already. It's Death and the Maiden wrapped up in a lot of angst and usually a lot of focus on biting/hunger/obsessions/neck things/elevated breathing and hearts beating faster. All things I am into with smut normally, but even more so here.
I would adore a fic that played with these factors some more. During the course of the movie, Audrey feeds Edward to keep him focused on a cure and so she doesn't have to worry about him with the other humans-- however, he obviously stays there a while, so does that happen again? I'd love to see their relationship be developed a little more since we didn't really get it on screen.
(Also, what are the mechanics with sex in this world? Vampires are a few degrees cooler than regular humans, but without the heart beating I'm assuming blood runs slower, etc. etc. I'm a worldbuilding/science nerd. I'd love this explored.)
I also really, really enjoyed Ethan Hawke getting bit in the movie so...feel free to do a role reversal or something post-movie. (Audrey's the vampire, or maybe a canon divergence where they manage to rescue/need to cure a vampiric Alison? What's the whole cure thing like as they ride off into the sunrise?)
Also, if you're interested in pairing this with the Crueltide challenge, I'd be into it.
Fandom 3: Iron Fist (TV)
Characters: Ward Meachum, Jeri Hogarth
Ward: Ah, you're awake.
Danny: What is this place? What happened to me? Last I remember, I was climbing up--
Ward: Yeah, like goddamn Daredevil. Why'd you follow me?
Danny: You kicked me off the building?!
Ward: Of course I did. It's what you do when you see someone trying to break in.
The best thing about this series, IMHO, had to be Ward Meachum, who basically wandered around stealing scenes by being the only person (mostly) who reacted like a normal human being. I was pleasantly surprised by how much he got to do and how he wasn't set to be the Villain 2.0 in the second half of the series, and ends up one of the only characters who's actually (obliviously) optimistic by the end. (I will admit to cracking up at his final scene, though, with him hanging up Danny's and his portraits in the place of their fathers, all :)! while Danny heads off across the world and Joy sits in a cafe Plotting Evil.)
I'm not looking for anyone to woobify Ward-- his faults, addictions, and jerk tendencies are part of the attraction for me. But I also love his (misplaced) helpless loyalty to Harold until the final few episodes, and how he'd literally murder/betray everyone else for Joy (reckless family loyalty is SUCH a thing for me). And of course, I love how he continues to be a surprising audience surrogate when cutting through some of this show's ridiculousness.
The other best thing about the show was, of course, the brilliant deployment of Jeri Hogarth, another deeply pragmatic asshole. (I may have a type.)
Jeri Hogarth: I really didn't realize there was going to be so much emotional honesty.
Jeri was another very-much-needed breath of fresh air in this series, and I loved her almost more than I loved her in Jessica Jones. I found her relationship to Rand very intriguing as well as her relationships with Ward and with Danny (having watched them grow up, basically, and I think having...some...personal feelings regarding all of the Rands/Meachums because of that.) What I like about Jeri is that she ISN'T without personal feelings but she definitely doesn't indulge in them when they don't meet her ambitions/goals. And Carrie-Anne Moss just sells it so hard.
Anyway.
Prompt 1: I'd really love to see Ward and Jeri interact more (no romantic relationships though, please). She's officially Rand's legal counsel now, right? And with the bonds of attorney/client privilege and what she already knows, she's probably one of the few people Ward would be able to talk to about the events of the series and (possibly) what happens after. So, please. Give me Ward trying to talk to literally the only person he can (since Joy's possibly hard to reach and Danny's off in K'un-Lun) while Jeri is Not Having It and trying to keep her head above water with this whole "superhero" thing.
Prompt 2: One of the themes I love in the Netflix MCU-verse is that there are a lot of normal people trying to handle their day-to-day in a world full of superheroes and aliens. Honestly, I'd love slice-of-life fic with Jeri & Ward (both very realistic people) dealing with the new absurdity of mystical powers/ninjas. They both seem immune to over-used tropes (Ward immediately cremates his resurrecting Dad instead leaving the door open that he could come back; Jeri's existence is amazing in and of itself considering she gets to be a high-powered, emotionally-distant, and incredibly competent.) Give me more!
Prompt 3: If you watched Iron Fist, you've probably seen the rest of the Netflix MCU. I would love any kind of connection you could give to places, characters, events, or plot points of other shows. What did Ward do post-Defenders when he got back from his business trip? (I'm super let down he or Jeri didn't get to make appearances with the other sidekicks at the police station). Feel free to crossover, especially with any antiheroes (like Jessica Jones), morally-grey characters (Marci Stahl!), or affably evil villains (like Mariah Dillard/Shades Alvarez.)
Fandom 4: Victoria (TV)
Characters: Queen Victoria, Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Victoria: If the Tories fail to condone your regency, I will abdicate.
Albert: No you will not. I will.
Victoria: You can't abdicate. You're not the monarch.
Albert: Then I will merely...leave.
Victoria: Then I will merely kill myself.
Albert: Then I will remarry.
Victoria: Ridiculous! Who will you marry?
Albert: Wellington? Peel? Maybe both? Cumberland shall be my mistress.
Please consider my incest DNW relaxed for this fandom (since Albert/Victoria are first cousins).
Note: I am current on Season 2! Don't worry about spoiling me. (No S2 spoilers below.)
Victoria and Albert are fascinating to me as individuals and I also really love them together. Their marriage is so interesting and unique-- the power dynamics and how they fit together. I love how they became so Ride or Die for each other and at the same time they're still feeling out how they work together. It's very enemies-to-lovers-to-friends, how they initially clash but are honestly like 100% hot for each other. I adore that trope. Season 1 had really a lot of interesting UST. I'd love to see small problems with Victoria's marriage that she and Albert have to work through, or them just getting used to each other. I also really admire how they work together as a unit.
Prompt 1: I really enjoy how this series hasn't balked from showing the different sides of these characters. Nobody is right all of the time and they all have their strengths...and their weaknesses.I'd love fic discussing Albert's trial to find a place for himself in the English court (or thoughts re: certain S2 revelations), or Victoria's struggle to make herself be seen as a queen instead of a wife/mother. If you don't want to go shippy, fic that's about their loyalty to each other would be right up my alley, I love scenarios where characters are relying on each other or have each other's back 100% (especially if in private they know the other may be wrong, but in public refuse to undercut the other.)
Prompt 2: I would love a weird AU for this. Set these characters in SPACE! (Space Queen Victoria! or whatever. You don't have to necessarily include the monarchy in the event of a weird AU.) Or make one a vampire (the Daybreakers Crueltide/Yuleporn requests might be helpful if you're going that route)! Or maybe it's a ghost-hunting AU! Or, if you're up for it, total crackfic where Victoria discovers sex and honestly cannot stop talking to all her scandalized maids/ladies/Parliament about how great it is. (Honestly, one of my favorite things is how Victoria had such a huge boner for Albert that it's a well-documented historical fact.)
Yuleporn Prompts: I'm gonna be honest, if you want to write me 1,000 words of Victoria/Albert fucking like bunnies early on in their marriage, I will be so, so happy.
- For this pairing I'd love first-time fic, awkward sex, loyalty/service kink, or anything up in the "kink likes" list.
- UST premarriage fic with attraction/UST between them (that ballroom scene in The Clockwork Prince was EVERYTHING.)
- Victoria trying to seduce Albert into paying attention to her while he's trying (and failing) to focus on something else
- Emotional hurt/comfort fic with Victoria's fears about her first pregnancy and Albert trying to assuage them
- Do they ever get stolen moments away with each other at some kind of state event and then get in trouble?
- How do their individual personalities translate to how they are in bed? (Victoria is so enthusiastic/lighthearted, whereas Albert is Deeply Serious.) Are there any situations when that's reversed?
Fandom 5: The Wolf Among Us (Telltale Games)
Characters: Bigby Wolf
Bigby Wolf: You have legs. That a glamour?
Nerissa: No, they're real. Do you like them? They cost me a lot.
This world is so interesting to me because you have the dichotomy of the "Happily Ever After" vs. what happens afterward, as well as some of these stories that were pretty dark to begin with. I really love the struggling underbelly of Fabletown and how people still fear Bigby Wolf because of what he's done in the past, but aren't quite to respecting him yet. Bigby Wolf is very intriguing, especially at this stage in his relationship with Fabletown. (I do love my socially-awkward characters.)
You can use whatever characters you like from the comics and the game, although I’m only specifically requesting Bigby. Have a favorite fable or urban legend that isn't in the game or comics but you'd like to use? DO IT! I'm very interested in hearing about your take on different fables/characters, it's one of the things that drew me to this game/comic series in the first place. (I also definitely ship Bigby/Snow, but I'd also be interested in Nerissa/Bigby, and I really loved his in-game interactions with Gren, Holly, and Woody as well.) If you do want additional fairytale inspiration, I loved The Wild Swans and One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes as a kid.
Prompt 1: The noir-style vibe of this game is great. Give me Sheriff Bigby with a new case, and it's full of terrible noir tropes: swaggering suspects, over-the-top descriptions, chain-smoking gumshoes, a dame in a red dress. Ridiculous noir turns of phrase and slightly purple prose? I'm so there. Bonus if Bigby starts to recognize this, to his chagrin. (I really enjoy his brand of cynicism and sarcasm as he navigates through Fabletown. I really wish we’d have gotten more “Sheriff Bigby” in the comics.)
Prompt 2: There's a lot of walking between the fine line of Respect and Fear in this game. Bigby's evolving, forming friendships, feeling sorry for people like Toad and Colin/trying to help Fabletown but he isn't tame, either. I love identity politics! I'd love fic exploring how he continues to navigate that line and how he slips up. How does he handle Snow's new role as deputy mayor? How are they working on purging the rest of the Crooked Man's corruption from Fabletown? I'd love to see him working on feeling out where the Sheriff's duties are, or how everyone is handling everything now that there's a bit of a power vacuum where the Crooked Man once was (now trying to be filled by Snow/the mayor's office.)
Crueltide Prompts: Please free to go as dark as you want with the seedy underbelly of the Fables’ world, pre-Snow-as-deputy-mayor. One of the things I love about this world is how willing it is to explore the dark side of Fabletown and the unhappily-ever-after. Allerleirauh (Donkey Skin) was actually one of my favorite little-known fairy tales, so it broke my heart to hear about her ending. But OMG, I want more.
Maybe Bigby makes the choice for Fabletown to fear him. Or he has to root out the remainder of the Crooked Man's crime syndicate. What are the choices he has to make to get that done? Is what Snow said true, and does he like it "when things go wrong?"
I loved the darker touch that adding more "urban legend" characters brought to this game, like Bloody Mary and the Jersey Devil. Don't be afraid to be scary as well, especially if you have a different urban legend/fairy tale you want to play with. Scarier urban legends I love: La Llorona, chupacabras, skinwalkers (really, Southwestern fairy tales/myths in general are great.)
Yuleporn Prompts:
Bigby and Nerissa (or Faith, depending on your interpretation of the ending): I thought these two were really compelling. Nerissa had that melancholy air that was really perfect for her story/origin. I'd love some kind of post-game fic with them together, either using each other to feel connected (she wants to stop thinking, he wants to feel something, or vice-versa) or something bittersweet and sad.
Bigby and Snow: This is definitely my OTP. There's a lot of unrequited pining, and I eat that up with a spoon. How does he deal with attraction as a human, for the first time in his life? Masturbation fic with hard, one-sided pining please please please.
(Bigby/Snow Note: Please no dubcon/noncon for this pairing.)
Again, thank you so much for signing up this year! I'm sure I'll love whatever you write. You can feel free to check out my Ao3 account (Apricot). My tumblr (where there's a lot more gushing over these fandoms if you want to be subjected to more of that) is here.
Thank you, and Happy Yuletide!
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