yuletide!
Dear yuletide writer,
I am thrilled that anyone is even offering these fandoms, so thank you very much for doing so!
As always: optional details are optional, and this letter even more so.
But if you'd like more details, here goes.
General likes/dislikes:
I'd love fic of any (mix of) mood(s) and length; it doesn't necessarily have to keep to the mood of canon. Slice-of-life fic, casefic, character studies, vignettes, plotty fic -- it's all cool. I do enjoy short fic or fic in which nothing much actually happens, if that helps.
I'm a gen fan, but pairingfic is fine too. However, I'm not interested in sex. If you'd like to write pairingfic, I'd prefer UST or deep but complicated feelings rather than passionate declarations of love/lust/happy fluffy romance/angsty doomed romance/etc.
---
Individual fandoms
Эраст Петрович Фандорин - Борис Акунин | Erast Petrovich Fandorin - Boris Akunin
Characters: Erast Fandorin
I adore Fandorin, and I'd love almost anything featuring him, whether it's the young, naive Fandorin of The Winter Queen or the older, world-weary one of much later books.
So here's a list of random ideas, if it helps: A scene from one of his various off-page adventures in other countries. A mini casefic, like the short stories in Jade Rosary Beads. Something silly and light, for a change. Vignettes from life with Masa. A quiet character study. Something filling the gap between The Winter Queen and The Turkish Gambit. An interpretation of Fandorin's interest in engineering as being, in part, an escape from the depressing world of detective work.
The one thing I wouldn't be too keen on is anything with a large focus on romance, sorry. Feel free to use his various canon entanglements as background, though.
Apart from liking Fandorin a lot as a character, I also enjoy detective stories in general, so don't feel obliged to write a strictly character-driven fic! Plot-wise, one thing I appreciate about the series is how Fandorin is far from being an invincible detective. He's often a step or two behind, he has his vulnerabilities and his flaws, he's frequently wrong-footed, he trusts the wrong people. Seeing Fandorin through another character's perspective is always fun, too.
I love Akunin's writing style (or what comes through in translation, at least), but please don't feel obliged to emulate it.
I've read all the novels up to and including The Diamond Chariot, in English. I've only read the first four short stories in Jade Rosary Beads. If it matters, I don't know Russian.
---
Kyougokudou series - Kyougoku Natsuhiko
Characters: Chuuzenji Akihiko, Sekiguchi Tatsumi
I find Kyougokudou (or Chuuzenji, however you'd like to refer to him) intriguing, and I appreciate the somewhat complicated dynamic between him and Sekiguchi. Anything with meaningful interaction between them would be great, honestly. Perhaps just an ordinary afternoon visit, when they're not in the midst of a case? Or maybe school-era backstory, that would be incredible. Feel free to include e.g. Enokizu and Kiba too.
You don't have to give equal focus to both of them, though! I'd love a Kyougokudou-centric piece that touches on his relationship with Sekiguchi, for instance. I'd also love something dealing with those few days that Sekiguchi spent at Kyougokudou's place at the end of Ubume no natsu, or something that takes place between Ubume no natsu and Mouryou no hako. Processing the events of Ubume no natsu can't have been easy, and a closer look at how Sekiguchi copes (with or without Kyougokudou's help) would be great.
I'm open to pairingfic about these two, but I'd prefer if it didn't go much further than UST or complicated feelings.
I've read the English translation of Ubume no natsu and watched the Mouryou no hako anime. Sadly that's about it, because I don't think my Japanese skills are up to the task of reading entire novels, especially novels as dense as Kyougoku's. I'm currently reading the manga adaptations of the various Enokizu spin-offs instead, haha. But if you do choose to write about/make reference to another book in the series, I will gladly attempt to read it/a manga adaptation of it/the Japanese wikipedia entry/plot summaries/etc!
I feel that the shadow of the war is inescapable in this series, but it's an admittedly tricky subject to write about, so I don't mind whether or not you deal with it (beyond acknowledging its place in the timeline, of course).
---
Mushishi
Characters: Kumado
I find Kumado's story (and the nature of his existence) fascinating. Anything that deals with his role as a mushishi of the Minai clan would be lovely. It doesn't have to be entirely serious, though! I loved that little scene at the end of the arc where he has tea with Ginko and Tanyuu, for instance, and casual interaction in that vein would be great, too.
Some possible questions, if it helps: What, if anything, does he think about how others see him? What does he make of Ginko? What does he do in his spare time? Scenes from his past would be amazing, too.
The duty he inherited, the responsibilities he had to take on from a young age, the sacrifice that entailed -- all of that is compelling to me.
I just want fic about Kumado, man. Frankly, you could write me a modern-day AU in which Tanyuu is the daughter of a yakuza clan and Kumado the somewhat reluctant heir of an allied clan, and I would probably still love it, as long as some of the tensions about duty and bloodlines and obligation are preserved.
I'm also intrigued by the metaphysical/philosophy-of-mind-related questions about his current state of existence, and what it means to essentially be animated by a mushi. Feel free to address that as little or as much as you want, though; I'm not really sure what I make of that, myself. While the above prompts assume that Kumado is still essentially human, I wouldn't object to a dark/creepy take on the situation in which he is decidedly something other than human, if you want to go down that route.
Full disclosure: I've written fic about Kumado, but please don't feel as if you should take that as an indication of my preferred characterisation of him, or anything.
---
残響のテロル | Zankyou no Terror | Terror in Resonance
Characters: Shibazaki Kenjirou
I'd like a closer look at Shibazaki, whether it's before, during, or after the series -- or any combination thereof. Perhaps a look at his fall from grace, all those years ago. How the Sphinx case changes him, or how it doesn't. What happens in that long year between the immediate aftermath of the bomb going off, and justice finally beginning to be served?
Timeline-deviation AUs would also be great, if you're interested in going down that route. What if Shibazaki tracks down Nine and Twelve by himself, for instance, or somehow meets them earlier in the series? Or what if he didn't manage to form any sort of connection with them? But one thing I don't want is an AU in which Nine and/or Twelve survive and Shibazaki adopts them (and/or Lisa), sorry.
If you want to write pairingfic, please don't pair him up with any of the kids.
There are many things that I'd find interesting, so here's a random list, if it helps. Don't feel obliged to include any of them, obviously! Just throwing out ideas.
Before the series: Getting used to life in the archives instead. His descent into the apathy we see at the start of the series. His gradual growing apart from his family.
During the series: What the Sphinx case means to him when it first begins; what it comes to mean to him, as it progresses. Conversations with the other investigation team members, fraught or otherwise. To what degree was his philosophy challenged? How much did his beliefs change?
After the series: What does the investigation team have to do in the immediate aftermath of the bomb? Does Shibazaki try to improve his ties with his family? To what extent, if any, does he keep in touch with Lisa?
I am thrilled that anyone is even offering these fandoms, so thank you very much for doing so!
As always: optional details are optional, and this letter even more so.
But if you'd like more details, here goes.
General likes/dislikes:
I'd love fic of any (mix of) mood(s) and length; it doesn't necessarily have to keep to the mood of canon. Slice-of-life fic, casefic, character studies, vignettes, plotty fic -- it's all cool. I do enjoy short fic or fic in which nothing much actually happens, if that helps.
I'm a gen fan, but pairingfic is fine too. However, I'm not interested in sex. If you'd like to write pairingfic, I'd prefer UST or deep but complicated feelings rather than passionate declarations of love/lust/happy fluffy romance/angsty doomed romance/etc.
---
Individual fandoms
Эраст Петрович Фандорин - Борис Акунин | Erast Petrovich Fandorin - Boris Akunin
Characters: Erast Fandorin
I adore Fandorin, and I'd love almost anything featuring him, whether it's the young, naive Fandorin of The Winter Queen or the older, world-weary one of much later books.
So here's a list of random ideas, if it helps: A scene from one of his various off-page adventures in other countries. A mini casefic, like the short stories in Jade Rosary Beads. Something silly and light, for a change. Vignettes from life with Masa. A quiet character study. Something filling the gap between The Winter Queen and The Turkish Gambit. An interpretation of Fandorin's interest in engineering as being, in part, an escape from the depressing world of detective work.
The one thing I wouldn't be too keen on is anything with a large focus on romance, sorry. Feel free to use his various canon entanglements as background, though.
Apart from liking Fandorin a lot as a character, I also enjoy detective stories in general, so don't feel obliged to write a strictly character-driven fic! Plot-wise, one thing I appreciate about the series is how Fandorin is far from being an invincible detective. He's often a step or two behind, he has his vulnerabilities and his flaws, he's frequently wrong-footed, he trusts the wrong people. Seeing Fandorin through another character's perspective is always fun, too.
I love Akunin's writing style (or what comes through in translation, at least), but please don't feel obliged to emulate it.
I've read all the novels up to and including The Diamond Chariot, in English. I've only read the first four short stories in Jade Rosary Beads. If it matters, I don't know Russian.
---
Kyougokudou series - Kyougoku Natsuhiko
Characters: Chuuzenji Akihiko, Sekiguchi Tatsumi
I find Kyougokudou (or Chuuzenji, however you'd like to refer to him) intriguing, and I appreciate the somewhat complicated dynamic between him and Sekiguchi. Anything with meaningful interaction between them would be great, honestly. Perhaps just an ordinary afternoon visit, when they're not in the midst of a case? Or maybe school-era backstory, that would be incredible. Feel free to include e.g. Enokizu and Kiba too.
You don't have to give equal focus to both of them, though! I'd love a Kyougokudou-centric piece that touches on his relationship with Sekiguchi, for instance. I'd also love something dealing with those few days that Sekiguchi spent at Kyougokudou's place at the end of Ubume no natsu, or something that takes place between Ubume no natsu and Mouryou no hako. Processing the events of Ubume no natsu can't have been easy, and a closer look at how Sekiguchi copes (with or without Kyougokudou's help) would be great.
I'm open to pairingfic about these two, but I'd prefer if it didn't go much further than UST or complicated feelings.
I've read the English translation of Ubume no natsu and watched the Mouryou no hako anime. Sadly that's about it, because I don't think my Japanese skills are up to the task of reading entire novels, especially novels as dense as Kyougoku's. I'm currently reading the manga adaptations of the various Enokizu spin-offs instead, haha. But if you do choose to write about/make reference to another book in the series, I will gladly attempt to read it/a manga adaptation of it/the Japanese wikipedia entry/plot summaries/etc!
I feel that the shadow of the war is inescapable in this series, but it's an admittedly tricky subject to write about, so I don't mind whether or not you deal with it (beyond acknowledging its place in the timeline, of course).
---
Mushishi
Characters: Kumado
I find Kumado's story (and the nature of his existence) fascinating. Anything that deals with his role as a mushishi of the Minai clan would be lovely. It doesn't have to be entirely serious, though! I loved that little scene at the end of the arc where he has tea with Ginko and Tanyuu, for instance, and casual interaction in that vein would be great, too.
Some possible questions, if it helps: What, if anything, does he think about how others see him? What does he make of Ginko? What does he do in his spare time? Scenes from his past would be amazing, too.
The duty he inherited, the responsibilities he had to take on from a young age, the sacrifice that entailed -- all of that is compelling to me.
I just want fic about Kumado, man. Frankly, you could write me a modern-day AU in which Tanyuu is the daughter of a yakuza clan and Kumado the somewhat reluctant heir of an allied clan, and I would probably still love it, as long as some of the tensions about duty and bloodlines and obligation are preserved.
I'm also intrigued by the metaphysical/philosophy-of-mind-related questions about his current state of existence, and what it means to essentially be animated by a mushi. Feel free to address that as little or as much as you want, though; I'm not really sure what I make of that, myself. While the above prompts assume that Kumado is still essentially human, I wouldn't object to a dark/creepy take on the situation in which he is decidedly something other than human, if you want to go down that route.
Full disclosure: I've written fic about Kumado, but please don't feel as if you should take that as an indication of my preferred characterisation of him, or anything.
---
残響のテロル | Zankyou no Terror | Terror in Resonance
Characters: Shibazaki Kenjirou
I'd like a closer look at Shibazaki, whether it's before, during, or after the series -- or any combination thereof. Perhaps a look at his fall from grace, all those years ago. How the Sphinx case changes him, or how it doesn't. What happens in that long year between the immediate aftermath of the bomb going off, and justice finally beginning to be served?
Timeline-deviation AUs would also be great, if you're interested in going down that route. What if Shibazaki tracks down Nine and Twelve by himself, for instance, or somehow meets them earlier in the series? Or what if he didn't manage to form any sort of connection with them? But one thing I don't want is an AU in which Nine and/or Twelve survive and Shibazaki adopts them (and/or Lisa), sorry.
If you want to write pairingfic, please don't pair him up with any of the kids.
There are many things that I'd find interesting, so here's a random list, if it helps. Don't feel obliged to include any of them, obviously! Just throwing out ideas.
Before the series: Getting used to life in the archives instead. His descent into the apathy we see at the start of the series. His gradual growing apart from his family.
During the series: What the Sphinx case means to him when it first begins; what it comes to mean to him, as it progresses. Conversations with the other investigation team members, fraught or otherwise. To what degree was his philosophy challenged? How much did his beliefs change?
After the series: What does the investigation team have to do in the immediate aftermath of the bomb? Does Shibazaki try to improve his ties with his family? To what extent, if any, does he keep in touch with Lisa?