Dear Coronation Ceremony Author,
First: Thank you for writing for me. I will be excited to receive your fic, whatever it will be about!
I did want to say, I realize I’ve put a lot of specificity into my prompts. Please don’t feel you have to write any particular scenario I’ve outlined. Optional details are optional.My requests
Relationship: Thara Celehar/Evru Dalar (fic)
Two different ideas:
a. Thara/Evru together, before Evru murders his wife Oseian. Can be explicit or not.
I was re-reading Maia’s introduction to Thara and was struck by how Maia finds Thara’s voice “ugly.” Rough and gravelly is not necessarily ugly; it can be quite sexy. I would like Evru to find Thara’s voice erotic, especially if you’re writing smut. If you’re not writing smut, then afterglow with pillow talk would be good. Evru might tell Thara the Ethuverazheise equivalent of “I could listen to thee read the telephone book for hours.” And Thara, who has never before received this kind of effusive praise (maybe Evru is his first real relationship?), eats this up with a giant spoon.
Maybe, also, Evru has what elves consider a lovely voice, like Teru Tethimar does, and it’s helped him in life… but Evru is, ultimately, a wife-murderer. Notwithstanding that he’s an abused spouse and both he and Thara hate Oseian justifiably, when Evru speaks privately to Thara, his voice goes beyond understandable hate to obsessive hate - that is, his voice becomes ugly, in a way that is foreshadowing to the reader. Even Thara is discomfited by it, but at this point he would not suspect that Evru would murder his wife.
b. Oseian’s outraged family coming to that town’s Ulimeire to present Thara with her corpse. Thara having a cold, dreadful certainty even before he questions her that Evru killed her. Then the questioning, with Oseian not only angry at and contemptuous of her husband but of Thara himself, because she knew they were lovers - and homophobic, too. Then Thara having to tell the truth, because he was bound by oath, though it makes something die inside him.
You can include Evru’s execution (beheading) if you want, but it’s not necessary. What is necessary here is angst, and lots of it.
Relationship: Idra Drazhar/Eshevis Tethimar (fic)
Tethimar/Idra noncon or attempted noncon (because, let’s face it, Tethimar doesn’t do “con”) is not something I had considered before. Idra POV, please.
AU idea: Tethimar is at court when the news of the airship crash comes in. Like nearly everyone else, he’s mostly forgotten about the young half-goblin Archduke. Even before Csevet puts on his leathers to ride out to Edonomee, Tethimar intends to seize power and declare himself Regent. And the first thing he does is… put Idra in his place. Which is beneath Tethimar. Both figuratively and literally.
Bonuses:
We’ve seen a number of Tethivet fics from Csevet’s POV. But how about Tethimar’s? If you write it from his POV, my preference is that the fic be set at Eshoravee. Tethimar and his hounds have very recently returned from the Evressai Steppes, and he, at least, not only has had his psychopathy aggravated by war but he also has PTSD.
While he’s chasing, beating, and/or raping Csevet, he keeps seeing in front of him not a 15-year-old courier who just bit him in self-defense but a Nazhmorhath (“barbarian”) who was trying to kill him. Or one who wasn’t a threat to him but whom he imagined was. Or a noncombatant he brutalized for purposes of revenge/retaliation. Perhaps, just before he’d raped and killed that Nazhmorhath, he’d seen one of his close friends, or subordinate-he-was-nonconning-while-thinking-it-was-consensual, gruesomely killed by the enemy. Csevet’s face, in Tethimar’s mind, keeps blurring into that Nazhmorhath’s face.
Whether or not you write Tethimar experiencing this specific psychological phenomenon, the fic should make it clear both that he’s a horrible person and that he’s also genuinely messed up. Make the reader feel horror and repulsion toward him, but some measure of pity at the same time.
Worldbuilding: Nohecharei (fic)
What are the origins of imperial nohecharei? They’re not simply bodyguards, because most bodyguards do not take an oath to die along with, or just after, the person they protect. Did the practice of appointing nohecharei arise out of a religious cult, ceremony, or point of dogma? Is that cult, ceremony, or dogma still in practice, or is it long forgotten? Or was the role inspired by a pair of loyal guardians in a wonder-tale? Is the origin of the role well known, or is it something obscure that nohecharei learn in their training and are sworn to secrecy on? We know that the -charis means “servant” (as in edocharis) but what does the nohe- mean? And what words do they recite when they take their oath? Do they swear to Ulis, the god of death? And/or Anmura, the war god?
General Preferences
What I would like or be fine with for this exchange
I did want to say, I realize I’ve put a lot of specificity into my prompts. Please don’t feel you have to write any particular scenario I’ve outlined. Optional details are optional.My requests
Relationship: Thara Celehar/Evru Dalar (fic)
Two different ideas:
a. Thara/Evru together, before Evru murders his wife Oseian. Can be explicit or not.
I was re-reading Maia’s introduction to Thara and was struck by how Maia finds Thara’s voice “ugly.” Rough and gravelly is not necessarily ugly; it can be quite sexy. I would like Evru to find Thara’s voice erotic, especially if you’re writing smut. If you’re not writing smut, then afterglow with pillow talk would be good. Evru might tell Thara the Ethuverazheise equivalent of “I could listen to thee read the telephone book for hours.” And Thara, who has never before received this kind of effusive praise (maybe Evru is his first real relationship?), eats this up with a giant spoon.
Maybe, also, Evru has what elves consider a lovely voice, like Teru Tethimar does, and it’s helped him in life… but Evru is, ultimately, a wife-murderer. Notwithstanding that he’s an abused spouse and both he and Thara hate Oseian justifiably, when Evru speaks privately to Thara, his voice goes beyond understandable hate to obsessive hate - that is, his voice becomes ugly, in a way that is foreshadowing to the reader. Even Thara is discomfited by it, but at this point he would not suspect that Evru would murder his wife.
b. Oseian’s outraged family coming to that town’s Ulimeire to present Thara with her corpse. Thara having a cold, dreadful certainty even before he questions her that Evru killed her. Then the questioning, with Oseian not only angry at and contemptuous of her husband but of Thara himself, because she knew they were lovers - and homophobic, too. Then Thara having to tell the truth, because he was bound by oath, though it makes something die inside him.
You can include Evru’s execution (beheading) if you want, but it’s not necessary. What is necessary here is angst, and lots of it.
Relationship: Idra Drazhar/Eshevis Tethimar (fic)
Tethimar/Idra noncon or attempted noncon (because, let’s face it, Tethimar doesn’t do “con”) is not something I had considered before. Idra POV, please.
AU idea: Tethimar is at court when the news of the airship crash comes in. Like nearly everyone else, he’s mostly forgotten about the young half-goblin Archduke. Even before Csevet puts on his leathers to ride out to Edonomee, Tethimar intends to seize power and declare himself Regent. And the first thing he does is… put Idra in his place. Which is beneath Tethimar. Both figuratively and literally.
Bonuses:
- Idra is terrified that Tethimar will try to attack his little sisters in the same way. Maybe Tethimar threatens him with that if Idra doesn’t keep quiet.
- If Idra tells Sheveän afterward, she forbids him to tell anyone else, because, she says, no emperor can afford to be seen as weak, even one who’s 14. If Tethimar actually completed the rape, she might yell at Idra for “letting it happen,” perhaps even say or imply he’s marnis. Maybe he doesn’t tell her at all, because he knows she’d react just like that (he’s heard her speak scornfully of rape victims before?).
- The fic ends as Maia comes to court, possibly with Maia’s first garden walk with Idra. Idra isn’t sure what to make of him, and certainly isn’t going to confide the assault to him right away. But they form the start of a bond, and Idra feels at least a little relief and hope.
We’ve seen a number of Tethivet fics from Csevet’s POV. But how about Tethimar’s? If you write it from his POV, my preference is that the fic be set at Eshoravee. Tethimar and his hounds have very recently returned from the Evressai Steppes, and he, at least, not only has had his psychopathy aggravated by war but he also has PTSD.
While he’s chasing, beating, and/or raping Csevet, he keeps seeing in front of him not a 15-year-old courier who just bit him in self-defense but a Nazhmorhath (“barbarian”) who was trying to kill him. Or one who wasn’t a threat to him but whom he imagined was. Or a noncombatant he brutalized for purposes of revenge/retaliation. Perhaps, just before he’d raped and killed that Nazhmorhath, he’d seen one of his close friends, or subordinate-he-was-nonconning-while-thinking-it-was-consensual, gruesomely killed by the enemy. Csevet’s face, in Tethimar’s mind, keeps blurring into that Nazhmorhath’s face.
Whether or not you write Tethimar experiencing this specific psychological phenomenon, the fic should make it clear both that he’s a horrible person and that he’s also genuinely messed up. Make the reader feel horror and repulsion toward him, but some measure of pity at the same time.
Worldbuilding: Nohecharei (fic)
What are the origins of imperial nohecharei? They’re not simply bodyguards, because most bodyguards do not take an oath to die along with, or just after, the person they protect. Did the practice of appointing nohecharei arise out of a religious cult, ceremony, or point of dogma? Is that cult, ceremony, or dogma still in practice, or is it long forgotten? Or was the role inspired by a pair of loyal guardians in a wonder-tale? Is the origin of the role well known, or is it something obscure that nohecharei learn in their training and are sworn to secrecy on? We know that the -charis means “servant” (as in edocharis) but what does the nohe- mean? And what words do they recite when they take their oath? Do they swear to Ulis, the god of death? And/or Anmura, the war god?
General Preferences
What I would like or be fine with for this exchange
- Explicit sex in the relationship prompts. The noncon is obviously going to be brutal (I mean… Tethimar). If you’re writing about the Vizhenkas, affection and humor would be great. If you're writing Thara/Evru, I expect their relationship to be more intense.
- The worldbuilding prompts can be either ship or gen, although I’d like the focus not to be on any ships but on the worldbuilding.
- Rich descriptions. It’s fine if the language gets a little purple, especially in sex scenes, or in descriptions of nature, architecture, fashion, interior design, etc.
- Intricate plottiness, character studies, the machinery of politics, and political intrigue. Notwithstanding that I didn’t choose “Politics and Diplomacy,” if any of these things happen to fit into what you’re writing, it’d be welcome.
- “Competence porn” - not in a Mary Sue-ish way (e.g., Ayla in the Clan of the Cave Bear books), but in a natural and realistic kind of way. See Csevet in canon for an example.
- Minor or noncanonical character death.
- Deaths of major canon characters.
- Infodumps. Some exposition is fine, but if you can show instead of tell, then show.
- Silly misunderstandings that the characters could clear up with a little communication, but don’t.
- Slut-shaming by the narrative.
- Character-bashing.
- Crossovers/fusions: Not for this exchange.
- Kidfic or pregnancy fic: Ditto.
- A/B/O: Ditto.
- Genderbending: Ditto.
- BDSM: Ditto.
- Tentacles: Ditto.
- Stuffing/feederism or bodily expansion.
- Bestiality or xenophilia.
- Watersports, scat, or vomit play.
- Infantilism or daddy kink.
- Incest.
- Eroticized pedophilia (no objection if everyone is post-puberty).
- Drama/angst. It should be age- and situation-appropriate. Depression, existential angst, and (some degree of) manpain are all fine, but an adult acting like an emo teenager, especially when that character never would… not so much.
- Darkfic. Obviously, three of the four relationship prompts range from a little dark to very dark indeed, and two of them are noncon. So I'm OK with darkfic for those. If you’re doing worldbuilding, some darkness is okay, but it shouldn’t be the focus.
- Whump and injury, especially in the noncon prompts. Tethimar is a canonical brute, and of course he’s not only going to rape his victim but inflict other injuries on them. However, I don’t want lovingly described torture porn. Floggings are about as far as I’d like deliberately inflicted whump to go, and even then I don't want the character whipped to death or nearly to death, or held captive for long periods of time. Allusions to offscreen war experiences are fine. Whump such as illness, non-deliberate injury, or mental anguish is fine.
- Discussion of social issues. I do like fic that addresses them in a way that feels natural. But I can't read fic that gets up on a soapbox, especially if it’s using words and concepts that do not exist in canon (e.g., nobody in TGE would ever say “heteronormative”). I do not want canonical characters given disabilities (exception: Tethimar’s mental-health issues), non-cisgender identities, or asexual orientations. Nothing against any of these things per se, but that’s not what I’m looking for in this exchange. With an OC, I don’t mind as much, but I’d like it to be pertinent to the story somehow.
- Witty banter. In general, I like the old-fashioned, Oscar Wilde or Beatrice & Benedick kind, not so much the Joss Whedon/modern-sitcom kind, and only for characters who would engage in such banter in canon. If it feels like it might be too clever for its own good, it probably is.