Dear Yuletide
General Notes:
Dear Stranger! May I compliment you on your excellent taste in at least one fandom?
Firstly, don't feel to tied in with what I write in this. I've found Dear Yuletides helpful for me in the past, but I also think Yuletide should be at least as fun for the giving as the getting, so... well, write with love and love what you write.
What I like:
Firstly, in everything I request, I am happy with gen, het slash/femslash.
I'm pretty easy. Things that I like include (but are not limited to) pining, resolution, mythology (mmm, mythology), food, music, dragons, people being *good*, tension, tea, family, hope, gen, het, slash, femslash, gen-that-feels-like-slash, slash-that-feels-like-gen, bystander POV, people not-saying the thing they're saying and other people knowing what they mean, gender/sexswitch (temporary and always-been-a), ghosts (real and metaphorical), secrets, what happens next. Obviously, the fandoms I pick, I love those worlds, but I do like AUs as well, especially if there's one difference and seeing how that changes things and what it doesn't. Psychic wolf AUs? Great! Space operas? Urban Fantsy? Wonderful! Because part of the appeal of that is seeing how the characters are still themselves in those settings, you know?
I like characters that put the work into doing good, because they know it has to be done.
I also love slice-of-life fic, bystander fic, like-a-canon-epsiode fic, it's all good. Fic that picks up a tiny detail, a single mention in canon and then really explores it? A thing of beauty and a joy forever. The only thing that doesn't really work for me are AUs where characters that are normally powered/magical/whatever don't have any special abilities (though fic where they have different abilities, those are interesting)- I don't particularly want my fantasy worlds to be less fantastical.
I like trope-fic and I love fic that takes a fresh look at tropes-- that rethinks it or treats it in a new way.
I really don't expect you to include all those, or even know how you would, it's really just a random list of things I enjoy.
What I don't like:
I don't necessarily go for pure fluff (I like the endings to feel deserved), but I don't like it when things are devoid of hope. In general, I would say that I prefer a happy ending-- or at least, an ending that's no darker than one these canons would have anyway.
I hate bastardization of characters. I'm not massively attached to OTPs, either-- I have my preferences, but they're not set in stone. On the whole soulmates and ABO stuff doesn't interest me either, unless it's paired with something else-- I'm really not a fan of "biology is destiny", and I'm not entirely comfortable with the way a lot of that is sometimes done.
PWP doesn't really interest me unless it comes paired with interesting character dynamics.
On to fandom specifics!
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Every new book makes me love this series more. I love the growth of the characters and my biggest problem is probably narrowing down who I like best. I love Peter, I love Nightingale and I love the potential of people like Abigail and Sahra Guleed. In all honestly, you could write about pretty much anyone here (Leslie! Gupta! Ash Thames! Fleet!) and I'd be happy.
Pairing-wise, I'd be happy with het, slash or gen, ideally with the current characters (rather than past backstories with strangers). Which isn't to say that I don't like backstory, but what I love in this series is the characters interaction with each other. If you do with Sahra or Abigail, I'd love for it to be about what they're like and what they do when they're off-page, as much as how they get more involved with the Folly.
Mythology! I'm kind of attached to the idea of London being a melting point for all these different myths and cultures and other-worldly beings, for being a place where new magical things are born and old ones are filtered in to. Any kind of mythology would be great-- either something preexisting or something new, but that feels mythic.
I only got around to seeing the movie a few months ago, and then I pretty much devoured the books because seriously, they are all so good. I pretty much adore George Smiley and I am really not alone in this, as clearly, so do Peter Guilliame, and so (explicitly in the books), does Fawn, and so does Connie, and even the people that don't like him or are actively betraying him, still have this appreciation for him. It also shocks me how little fic there is about him (and so little George/Peter!) because seriously, I could read all the fic. I have a huge competency kink and I love people who are good at what they do.
I also am fond of Connie and interested in Fawn, especially because of how they develop after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Again, one of the things that interests me the most is their relationship and interaction with George Smiley, but backstory would be great as well.
Push
I bought the DVD expecting it to be a good bad movie, and it turned out to be actually a good good movie! Who knew? Well, assuming this is your fandom match, you did.
I really liked the characters and I really liked how they interacted with each other. I'd love to see more of either before the show or after (found families is a big fic-kink of mine, so if you could work that in...). I really liked Cassie and Nick, and how they were with each other -two orphans, used to surviving on their own, but forming this team. I also really liked what I saw of Emily Hu and Hook Waters, and would love more of them and about them-- how did Hook and Nick become friends? What's Emily's story? And what did they all do after the film ended?
With regards to pairings, if Nick/Adult!Cassie is your joy, feel free to explore that-- that's not specifically what interests me about their dynamic, but I can see why it can be lead to that. I think one of the things that I like about them (other than their mutual sniping at each other) is that Cassie seems to give Nick an excuse to be more- someone he should look out for, someone he wants to make less scared and give hope, someone that 99.99% of the time can survive to her own better than him... but this time, he needs to step up or she won't. And Nick gives Cassie hope and someone that does want to look out for her, that respects who she is and what she can do, but that also wants to make her less afraid (and have fewer reasons for it). They do come off like found family for me, and while that's never stopped me liking a pairing, I'd want to be convinced why they changed.
If you like canon, it'd be cool to see how Nick and Kira work-- both before and after the movie.
I also enjoy unconventional pairings-- I would read the hell out of Emily/Nick, because aside from how damn pretty that would be, there are potentially interesting things to do with how they both live in the world (that is, trying to avoid the Division, how they came to Bangkok, the differences in perspective caused by their ages, their powers, their backgrounds, how they survive and how they deal with it all). How and why they choose to occupy the place they do (Nick driven by his need to stay away from Division, to avoid all that after seeing his father die, how Emily came to have what seems like a pretty successful, pretty stable business, but she was still willing to join the fight).
And on a related note, Hook Waters-- how does he know Emily? How did he and Nick meet, let alone become friends? How did he join the division, what did he do while he was there and after? This movies really has so much that could have been movies and TV series in themselvs, that happen of stage or are half a sentence's worth of dialogue here.
Hollow Crown
I loved this series, but I have a problem with it, which is that it's about historical figures, and the problem with history is that pretty much everyone in it died. And they weren't always happy before they did. And that's a problem for me, because I, on the whole, don't go for doomed romances and inevitable tragedy. Damn history, with it's awkward lack of happy endings.
If you did end up going with Richard II and Bolingbroke... well, that's even more of a problem, because they start the play so in to each other, but Richard is not a good king, or the right king, and I don't know how anything approaching even the possibility of a happy ending would have worked without actual divine intervention or at least somebody hitting them both in the head with the "Fail less!" stick. But I loved this interpretation and I loved them and... yeah, breaks your heart until you want to kick them in the head.
On a lighter note, Hal and Ned! I loved this interpretation of them because they did seem like actual friends and companions. Ned was a rogue, but he didn't try to lessen Hal the way Falstaff did, and they were friends and they snarked and I wanted that to continue, and I think Hal needs actual friends. I would love something where Ned becomes Hal's unofficial Dirty Deeds Done Cheap man, or his "hey, I need this message taken to this person, but I can't actually be seen or even rumoured to have sent this message, so..."
Yes, basically I want companionship, but given how they were with each other? Companionship and sex would not go amiss.
Mostly, I just want to say that I hope you have fun writing your Yuletide.
This entry was also posted at http://jamjar.dreamwidth.org/110607.html.
Dear Stranger! May I compliment you on your excellent taste in at least one fandom?
Firstly, don't feel to tied in with what I write in this. I've found Dear Yuletides helpful for me in the past, but I also think Yuletide should be at least as fun for the giving as the getting, so... well, write with love and love what you write.
What I like:
Firstly, in everything I request, I am happy with gen, het slash/femslash.
I'm pretty easy. Things that I like include (but are not limited to) pining, resolution, mythology (mmm, mythology), food, music, dragons, people being *good*, tension, tea, family, hope, gen, het, slash, femslash, gen-that-feels-like-slash, slash-that-feels-like-gen, bystander POV, people not-saying the thing they're saying and other people knowing what they mean, gender/sexswitch (temporary and always-been-a), ghosts (real and metaphorical), secrets, what happens next. Obviously, the fandoms I pick, I love those worlds, but I do like AUs as well, especially if there's one difference and seeing how that changes things and what it doesn't. Psychic wolf AUs? Great! Space operas? Urban Fantsy? Wonderful! Because part of the appeal of that is seeing how the characters are still themselves in those settings, you know?
I like characters that put the work into doing good, because they know it has to be done.
I also love slice-of-life fic, bystander fic, like-a-canon-epsiode fic, it's all good. Fic that picks up a tiny detail, a single mention in canon and then really explores it? A thing of beauty and a joy forever. The only thing that doesn't really work for me are AUs where characters that are normally powered/magical/whatever don't have any special abilities (though fic where they have different abilities, those are interesting)- I don't particularly want my fantasy worlds to be less fantastical.
I like trope-fic and I love fic that takes a fresh look at tropes-- that rethinks it or treats it in a new way.
I really don't expect you to include all those, or even know how you would, it's really just a random list of things I enjoy.
What I don't like:
I don't necessarily go for pure fluff (I like the endings to feel deserved), but I don't like it when things are devoid of hope. In general, I would say that I prefer a happy ending-- or at least, an ending that's no darker than one these canons would have anyway.
I hate bastardization of characters. I'm not massively attached to OTPs, either-- I have my preferences, but they're not set in stone. On the whole soulmates and ABO stuff doesn't interest me either, unless it's paired with something else-- I'm really not a fan of "biology is destiny", and I'm not entirely comfortable with the way a lot of that is sometimes done.
PWP doesn't really interest me unless it comes paired with interesting character dynamics.
On to fandom specifics!
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Every new book makes me love this series more. I love the growth of the characters and my biggest problem is probably narrowing down who I like best. I love Peter, I love Nightingale and I love the potential of people like Abigail and Sahra Guleed. In all honestly, you could write about pretty much anyone here (Leslie! Gupta! Ash Thames! Fleet!) and I'd be happy.
Pairing-wise, I'd be happy with het, slash or gen, ideally with the current characters (rather than past backstories with strangers). Which isn't to say that I don't like backstory, but what I love in this series is the characters interaction with each other. If you do with Sahra or Abigail, I'd love for it to be about what they're like and what they do when they're off-page, as much as how they get more involved with the Folly.
Mythology! I'm kind of attached to the idea of London being a melting point for all these different myths and cultures and other-worldly beings, for being a place where new magical things are born and old ones are filtered in to. Any kind of mythology would be great-- either something preexisting or something new, but that feels mythic.
I only got around to seeing the movie a few months ago, and then I pretty much devoured the books because seriously, they are all so good. I pretty much adore George Smiley and I am really not alone in this, as clearly, so do Peter Guilliame, and so (explicitly in the books), does Fawn, and so does Connie, and even the people that don't like him or are actively betraying him, still have this appreciation for him. It also shocks me how little fic there is about him (and so little George/Peter!) because seriously, I could read all the fic. I have a huge competency kink and I love people who are good at what they do.
I also am fond of Connie and interested in Fawn, especially because of how they develop after Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Again, one of the things that interests me the most is their relationship and interaction with George Smiley, but backstory would be great as well.
Push
I bought the DVD expecting it to be a good bad movie, and it turned out to be actually a good good movie! Who knew? Well, assuming this is your fandom match, you did.
I really liked the characters and I really liked how they interacted with each other. I'd love to see more of either before the show or after (found families is a big fic-kink of mine, so if you could work that in...). I really liked Cassie and Nick, and how they were with each other -two orphans, used to surviving on their own, but forming this team. I also really liked what I saw of Emily Hu and Hook Waters, and would love more of them and about them-- how did Hook and Nick become friends? What's Emily's story? And what did they all do after the film ended?
With regards to pairings, if Nick/Adult!Cassie is your joy, feel free to explore that-- that's not specifically what interests me about their dynamic, but I can see why it can be lead to that. I think one of the things that I like about them (other than their mutual sniping at each other) is that Cassie seems to give Nick an excuse to be more- someone he should look out for, someone he wants to make less scared and give hope, someone that 99.99% of the time can survive to her own better than him... but this time, he needs to step up or she won't. And Nick gives Cassie hope and someone that does want to look out for her, that respects who she is and what she can do, but that also wants to make her less afraid (and have fewer reasons for it). They do come off like found family for me, and while that's never stopped me liking a pairing, I'd want to be convinced why they changed.
If you like canon, it'd be cool to see how Nick and Kira work-- both before and after the movie.
I also enjoy unconventional pairings-- I would read the hell out of Emily/Nick, because aside from how damn pretty that would be, there are potentially interesting things to do with how they both live in the world (that is, trying to avoid the Division, how they came to Bangkok, the differences in perspective caused by their ages, their powers, their backgrounds, how they survive and how they deal with it all). How and why they choose to occupy the place they do (Nick driven by his need to stay away from Division, to avoid all that after seeing his father die, how Emily came to have what seems like a pretty successful, pretty stable business, but she was still willing to join the fight).
And on a related note, Hook Waters-- how does he know Emily? How did he and Nick meet, let alone become friends? How did he join the division, what did he do while he was there and after? This movies really has so much that could have been movies and TV series in themselvs, that happen of stage or are half a sentence's worth of dialogue here.
Hollow Crown
I loved this series, but I have a problem with it, which is that it's about historical figures, and the problem with history is that pretty much everyone in it died. And they weren't always happy before they did. And that's a problem for me, because I, on the whole, don't go for doomed romances and inevitable tragedy. Damn history, with it's awkward lack of happy endings.
If you did end up going with Richard II and Bolingbroke... well, that's even more of a problem, because they start the play so in to each other, but Richard is not a good king, or the right king, and I don't know how anything approaching even the possibility of a happy ending would have worked without actual divine intervention or at least somebody hitting them both in the head with the "Fail less!" stick. But I loved this interpretation and I loved them and... yeah, breaks your heart until you want to kick them in the head.
On a lighter note, Hal and Ned! I loved this interpretation of them because they did seem like actual friends and companions. Ned was a rogue, but he didn't try to lessen Hal the way Falstaff did, and they were friends and they snarked and I wanted that to continue, and I think Hal needs actual friends. I would love something where Ned becomes Hal's unofficial Dirty Deeds Done Cheap man, or his "hey, I need this message taken to this person, but I can't actually be seen or even rumoured to have sent this message, so..."
Yes, basically I want companionship, but given how they were with each other? Companionship and sex would not go amiss.
Mostly, I just want to say that I hope you have fun writing your Yuletide.
This entry was also posted at http://jamjar.dreamwidth.org/110607.html.