Yuletide 2013!
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Hello! I'm so excited about being matched on one of the five canons below - I honestly really love all of them, and can't wait to see what winds up in my inbox come Yuletide morning. :) I already know I'm going to be thrilled with whatever you write for me, Dear Author!
I've tried my best to provide you with a clear idea of why I like the things I've requested, and to give you a variety of prompts and suggestions to work with! I want you to have fun writing for me, too, after all. Feel free to take the prompts and suggestions I've written here and see where they take you! If your plot bunnies run away with you a bit, it's all good with me - go with where the story wants to go, right? Just please don't include my Do Not Wants, and it's all going to be golden.
Also, I'm a rambler. Sorry in advance for all the text! That's why I'm bolding - so you don't have to read it all if you don't want to. :)
-------------------------------------
Likes & Dislikes
When it comes to types of fic I enjoy, I tend to enjoy canon-set stories; AUs and crossovers aren't usually for me. I'll read angst, fluff, humour, romance, and smut fic - whatever you're comfortable with - and any rating, from G to E, is cool too.
Throughout the year I like/read het, slash, femme, and gen fic, though for this Yuletide I've requested het and slash pairings. I ship all the duos that I've requested, but if you aren't comfortable writing any of those pairings, gen or friendship fic is always completely welcome. Just taking the characters in that pairing and writing them into something friendship-based would be great! Friendship dynamics and bonds are just as interesting to me as romantic ones.
I do have some strong dislikes: pro-ana talk, rape/non-con, mpreg, and watersports/scat/bloodplay. I also don't enjoy songfic (namely, stanzas of lyrics interspersed throughout the fic) and reading about characters crying, unless they're known to do so in canon. And character bashing is no bueno, if you ask me.
I am also totally down with holiday fic in any of my fandoms! Though I'm aware that some of them don't lend themselves as well to holiday fic than others, haha. It'd be especially welcome in The Internship and One Day fics.
Feel free to poke around my Tumblr if you need a better idea of what types of things I like! Although I really only reblog a few things every week, so it may not be very helpful after all.
Now let's get a little fandom-specific!
***Just a note: the following sections have spoilers for each requested canon. I've tried to include spoiler tags for the major things, but I may have missed something. So proceed with caution!***
-------------------------------------
The Maze Runner series - James Dashner
Thomas, Newt - One of the things I liked best about the Maze Runner series was that, through all the hell these teenagers were put through by WICKED, they still managed to form bonds and see the good in each other. I really felt that with Thomas and Newt - the two respected each other and treated each other well, despite all the mayhem they were a part of. There was a loyalty there, and I loved that. I'd love fic that touches on the way their friendship grew and changed over the course of the series. I'd especially love fic set during The Death Cure, with the two of them dealing with the newfound challenges, changes and shocks that came up for them at WICKED Headquarters. I also really like Minho and Teresa, so they're welcome in the fic, too!
The world of the Maze Runner series is epically messed up, and that really just makes the interpersonal relationships that all of these teenagers develop all the more special. When the world is falling apart around you and absolutely nothing makes sense, having people to trust and hold onto is invaluable. And that's what I felt about all of the Group A characters, but especially so with Thomas and Newt. They were my favourite characters in the series, and I liked the way that Newt was, immediately, a little piece of kindness from Thomas's first arrival in the Glade. Their bond developed quietly throughout the series, until we got to The Death Cure, and things fell apart. I'm incredibly interested in fic set during The Death Cure period - specifically, fic centered around the discovery that [Spoiler (click to open)]Newt wasn't immune to the Flare after all. The devastation that Thomas felt upon that revelation, and then the letter and Newt's subsequent request... that broke my heart. I'd absolutely love to see more of that dynamic explored, to go more into what both boys were feeling in the aftermath of that discovery. It's completely up to you whether or not you go shippy with this - I'd love it either way! Also, I've read all three books for the series, plus the prequel, so no worries about spoilers with me. :)
Prompts and Suggestions: How does Thomas and Newt's relationship change throughout the three novels? What happened with the two of them the night after the immunity reveal at WICKED? What if Thomas had read Newt's letter on time? With time running out, and desperation mounting, what if they decide not to save the world, but to save each other?
Go For It: Angst, snapshots of little moments to tell a story, Glader language, inclusions of Minho and/or Teresa.
Please Stay Away From: Major inclusions of Brenda (she's not my favourite), bashing Teresa, portraying WICKED as good, non-canonical death [Spoiler (click to open)](Newt's is fine), overly graphic depictions of violence, sobbing characters.
-------------------------------------
Kill Your Darlings (2013)
Allen Ginsberg, Lucien Carr - Kill Your Darlings took the idea of romantic interest between Allen Ginsberg and Lucien Carr - something only alluded to in most other Beat generation media - and made it completely believable. The two absolutely had chemistry, and it was so easy to see why Allen was infatuated with Lu - he was this godlike figure who was actually tangible, and he opened Allen's life up to more than he'd ever thought possible. The bitter ending of their dynamic in the film broke my heart, and I refuse to believe that Lu didn't have feelings for Allen, too. I'd love to see something that explores their relationship and dynamic further, and elaborates on Lu's complicated feelings for Allen. Something where Lu gives in to his feelings and allows himself to see how much better things could be, where he lets Allen save him in return, would be really fantastic. Feel free to include Kammerer and the other Beats from the film!
I'll confess: I don't know all that much about the Beat generation aside from the basics - it's never been anything I've spent any real time looking into. I did, however, really enjoy "Kill Your Darlings", with the thoughts and hopes the Beats had for education and the arts - and I especially loved the dynamic of Allen Ginsberg and Lucien Carr that the film portrayed. I could completely see where Allen's infatuation with Lu came from, and was captivated by the two of them for the entire story. I liked the hero worship element to their dynamic, and the idea that Allen wanted to save Lu from his toxic relationship with David Kammerer but wasn't sure how. There was so much electricity to their scenes, such an intense undercurrent, and I completely believe that Lu had feelings for Allen, too, complicated though they were. I'd love to see more of the elements of their relationship expanded upon - the respect, admiration, infatuation, and connections that were developed there to various degrees. I'd love to see things from Lucien's perspective, to watch him wrestle with his emotions and feelings for Allen and see him figure out how to handle them. I'd love to see their relationship slowly transition from something toxic and complicated to something real and beneficial - to watch Lucien learn how to need Allen, instead of Allen always needing him. Anything that explores the complicated, layered dynamics of these two men and the way they relate to each other would be incredible.
Prompts and Suggestions: How is the story of Allen and Lucien different from both mens' perspectives? What if Lu pushes Allen away, only to realize that he needs him far more than he'd ever known? What if Lucien lets Allen save him, for once, instead of it being the other way around? What if they're reunited again, after [Spoiler (click to open)]Lucien gets out of prison, and forced to confront their old feelings?
Go For It: Epistolary fic, drug use, smut, angst with a hopeful/happy ending, quoting Beat poems, struggles with homosexuality/homophobia as pertinent to the decade, accidental makeouts.
Please Stay Away From: Making everyone happy and in love without the angst and struggles preceding it, fic in the form of poetry, issue!fic.
-------------------------------------
"Our Deal" - Best Coast (Music Video - Extended)
Veronica (Night Creeper), Lucky (Day Trotter) - The Our Deal extended music video tells a mini story in about ten minutes, and it's a story I'd love to see expanded! The whole thing had a bold, kitschy style that I really dug. I thought Veronica and Lucky were really sweet together - the montage of them spending time together and falling in love was wonderful - and they got too sad of an ending. :( The idea of the Night Creepers and the Day Trotters is really interesting to me, too. I'd love to see fic where the rival gangs are maybe elaborated on a bit more - to see what they're really fighting for, and maybe even how they started! I'd love to see the star-crossed lovers dynamic played up, to see their personalities more firmly established, and to see the moments where Veronica and Lucky really fell in love with each other. Something to give them a happy ending, too, would be more than welcome!
There's so much potential for stories here, and that makes me really excited! The extended version of the video is right here, and it's essentially a short film with almost no dialogue. The cute montage with Veronica and Lucky near the beginning, showing them getting to know one another, being silly and falling in love completely charmed me. The idea of the Day Trotters and Night Creepers is interesting, too - the two gangs obviously have a history and rivalry, which both brings some cool dynamics to the plot of the video and creates a lot of tension for Lucky and Veronica. I'd love to see more about the two gangs, to find out what their actual purposes are, why they're rivals, that sort of thing. And I'd especially love to see more of Veronica and Lucky. We got to see them fall in love visually, and it would be fantastic to have words to go along with those silly and sweet moments. And to see completely new moments, as well! Maybe of the two of them trying to fuse their lives together - or trying to keep them separate and still be together. And anything to fix the ending of that video would be amazing, too. I really hate that [Spoiler (click to open)]Lucky died - I wanted to see them run away together! Basically, there are so many cool possible avenues to explore with this music video and these characters, and I'd really love to see some of them written down.
Prompts and Suggestions: How did Veronica and Lucky each get involved in the Night Creepers and the Day Trotters? What made Veronica fall for Lucky, and what made Lucky fall for Veronica? How do the two of them deal with keeping their relationship a secret as tensions start to mount in their rival gangs - or how do they try to merge their lives and be open about their love? What if they did run away together, after all?
Go For It: Romance, fluff, smut, humour, snapshots of little moments that tell a story, giving names to other unnamed characters, worldbuilding, fix-it fic.
Please Stay Away From: Angst without a happy ending (ie [Spoiler (click to open)]Lucky being dead at the end of the fic), Teen Wolf fusions/crossovers/mentions, graphic depictions of violence.
-------------------------------------
One Day - David Nicholls
Dexter Mayhew, Emma Morley - One of the coolest things about One Day, I think, is the way it tells the story of two people over large chunks of time. You get to watch them grow up and watch the way their relationship and dynamic changes based on their surroundings. I really related to Emma in this story, in a lot of ways, and complicated male-female friendships are things I love reading about. So much about their dynamic was relatable and rang true to me, and I'd love to see more of it. Specifically, I'd love to see more about the two of them their first few years out of university, when Dexter's career is taking off and Emma is stuck, frustrated, working as a waitress. I'd love to see them navigate the ins and outs of their friendship on a daily basis during those years - how they discover that, despite everything going on in their lives, they still need each other fiercely. Whether or not they get together then (instead of later in life) is totally up to you!
"One Day" was a book I wasn't expecting to love nearly as much as I did, but the characters of Dexter and Emma captured me almost immediately. Their dynamic and friendship felt very real to me, and I loved that they made each other better versions of who they already were - I loved that Dexter got Emma to lighten up a bit, and I loved that Emma made him more thoughtful and kind. It was really interesting to see the ups and downs of their friendship over the years, to see how friends can go from loving each other to hating each other and back around again. Moments where they were real with each other - when Dexter would call Emma's machine and leave her honest messages, or when she'd confess to him about the supposed failings of her life and her lost ambitions, really made me fall in love with them both. I loved how, no matter what was going on in their lives, they always wound up coming back to each other. My favourite phase of the book is when they're both in their twenties, when Dexter is an up and coming popular TV personality and Emma's struggling as a waitress and feeling hopeless about her career and her potential. I'd absolutely love to see more about their dynamic during those years (their holiday included!) - about how they navigate their differing careers, their various romantic relationships, and their opposite outlooks on life. Whether or not the two of them get together or are romantic in this era of their lives is completely up to you - I'm fine with it happening, and I'm fine with their complicated friendship dynamic remaining as is. I'd just really, really love to see more of them and the ways they care for each other.
Prompts and Suggestions: What if Dex and Em decided to go on holiday a second time that year? What if Dexter spends more time trying to mingle in Emma's life? What if one of them realizes what's going on with their feelings and decides to do something about it? How do they navigate the tough waters of different careers/outlooks and boyfriends/girlfriends when everything comes together at a major life event (ie a funeral)?
Go For It: Pining, epistolary fic, smut, angst, fluff, minor infidelity, humour, romance.
Please Stay Away From: Removing any Englishness from the canon (ie transplanting it to the US), alluding to [Spoiler (click to open)]Emma's death, crack.
-------------------------------------
The Internship (2013)
Stuart Twombley, Neha Patel - One of my favourite parts of The Internship was all the hints at the budding relationship between Stuart and Neha. I love that, while they both have a love and understanding of technology, they're both very different people. I loved the way they'd bicker and kind of tease each other, and that the ending hinted at them going out of their way to stay in touch and see each other. I'd love to see more of their story! Either something about the time the two of them spent together at Google during their internship, or something about their senior year of college before going back to work together, would be amazing. I'd love to see them going out of their way to slowly get to know one another and to find out that they have more common ground than they'd initially expected. Their whole team from Google were a lot of fun, so including them (especially Lyle and Nick) would be welcome, too!
Not only did I not expect to like this movie, I didn't expect to find a pairing that I became completely invested in! Stuart and Neha's scenes, while pretty brief, completely charmed me, and I left the theatre wanting so much more of them. I loved Neha especially - she was spunky and sweet and incredibly relatable, and I think she'd be a great match for moody, introverted, sarcastic Stuart. I really liked the banter and bickering of theirs that we got in the movie, and I imagine their relationship would be much like that - full of challenges and teasing and ribbing, but with a lot of affection and care underneath. What thrilled me the most was the end of the movie, when Stuart - Mr Constantly Texting himself - actually proclaimed he wasn't going to be texting Neha in the school year that followed. He was going to visit her in person! That said a ton about how he felt about her, and I'd really love to see their relationship develop over the year that follows, when they're at their respective colleges. I'd love to see him come to visit her on weekends or over breaks, and to watch them fall for each other in college dorms and school cafeterias. Conversely, I also love the idea of the two of them maybe secretly falling for each other during their internship, and exploring something together while at Google and keeping it on the down-low. Basically, anything that takes the hints we got in the movie and gives us an actual dynamic and relationship between the two of them would make my day!
Prompts and Suggestions: What if Stuart keeps finding more and more excuses to visit Neha during their senior year, until he can't come up with any more and has to face why he's actually visiting? What if Neha confesses to Stuart that she's an inexperienced virgin - and he reveals that he is, too? What if, for some reason, Stuart catches a glimpse of Neha in panties and a tank top, and he can't get that image out of his mind? What if Stuart and Neha start dating in secret during their internship, and have to keep it hidden from their teammates?
Go For It: Fluff, smut, humour, minor angst, nerds being awesome, including the team (especially Nick and/or Lyle), Lyle/Marielena as a side pairing, Google hijinks.
Please Stay Away From: Crack, overwrought angst, portraying Stuart as a huge jerk, Teen Wolf crossovers/fusions/mentions.
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And I think that's all I have to say! Apologies for the large amount of text - I can't turn off my brain when it comes to talking about things I love, apparently. I sincerely hope you don't find this letter too confusing or restrictive - I wanted to give you as much to work with as possible without being a pain. Hopefully I've done that. As I mentioned at the beginning, have fun with the prompts and enjoy seeing where they take you! I'm dying for fic in any of these five fandoms, so in my eyes, you're already awesome.
Thank you so much in advance, Yuletide Writer! I'm really excited. Happy writing!
♥, kissoffools
(And I'm kissoffools on AO3 as well!)
Hello! I'm so excited about being matched on one of the five canons below - I honestly really love all of them, and can't wait to see what winds up in my inbox come Yuletide morning. :) I already know I'm going to be thrilled with whatever you write for me, Dear Author!
I've tried my best to provide you with a clear idea of why I like the things I've requested, and to give you a variety of prompts and suggestions to work with! I want you to have fun writing for me, too, after all. Feel free to take the prompts and suggestions I've written here and see where they take you! If your plot bunnies run away with you a bit, it's all good with me - go with where the story wants to go, right? Just please don't include my Do Not Wants, and it's all going to be golden.
Also, I'm a rambler. Sorry in advance for all the text! That's why I'm bolding - so you don't have to read it all if you don't want to. :)
-------------------------------------
Likes & Dislikes
When it comes to types of fic I enjoy, I tend to enjoy canon-set stories; AUs and crossovers aren't usually for me. I'll read angst, fluff, humour, romance, and smut fic - whatever you're comfortable with - and any rating, from G to E, is cool too.
Throughout the year I like/read het, slash, femme, and gen fic, though for this Yuletide I've requested het and slash pairings. I ship all the duos that I've requested, but if you aren't comfortable writing any of those pairings, gen or friendship fic is always completely welcome. Just taking the characters in that pairing and writing them into something friendship-based would be great! Friendship dynamics and bonds are just as interesting to me as romantic ones.
I do have some strong dislikes: pro-ana talk, rape/non-con, mpreg, and watersports/scat/bloodplay. I also don't enjoy songfic (namely, stanzas of lyrics interspersed throughout the fic) and reading about characters crying, unless they're known to do so in canon. And character bashing is no bueno, if you ask me.
I am also totally down with holiday fic in any of my fandoms! Though I'm aware that some of them don't lend themselves as well to holiday fic than others, haha. It'd be especially welcome in The Internship and One Day fics.
Feel free to poke around my Tumblr if you need a better idea of what types of things I like! Although I really only reblog a few things every week, so it may not be very helpful after all.
Now let's get a little fandom-specific!
***Just a note: the following sections have spoilers for each requested canon. I've tried to include spoiler tags for the major things, but I may have missed something. So proceed with caution!***
-------------------------------------
The Maze Runner series - James Dashner
Thomas, Newt - One of the things I liked best about the Maze Runner series was that, through all the hell these teenagers were put through by WICKED, they still managed to form bonds and see the good in each other. I really felt that with Thomas and Newt - the two respected each other and treated each other well, despite all the mayhem they were a part of. There was a loyalty there, and I loved that. I'd love fic that touches on the way their friendship grew and changed over the course of the series. I'd especially love fic set during The Death Cure, with the two of them dealing with the newfound challenges, changes and shocks that came up for them at WICKED Headquarters. I also really like Minho and Teresa, so they're welcome in the fic, too!
The world of the Maze Runner series is epically messed up, and that really just makes the interpersonal relationships that all of these teenagers develop all the more special. When the world is falling apart around you and absolutely nothing makes sense, having people to trust and hold onto is invaluable. And that's what I felt about all of the Group A characters, but especially so with Thomas and Newt. They were my favourite characters in the series, and I liked the way that Newt was, immediately, a little piece of kindness from Thomas's first arrival in the Glade. Their bond developed quietly throughout the series, until we got to The Death Cure, and things fell apart. I'm incredibly interested in fic set during The Death Cure period - specifically, fic centered around the discovery that [Spoiler (click to open)]Newt wasn't immune to the Flare after all. The devastation that Thomas felt upon that revelation, and then the letter and Newt's subsequent request... that broke my heart. I'd absolutely love to see more of that dynamic explored, to go more into what both boys were feeling in the aftermath of that discovery. It's completely up to you whether or not you go shippy with this - I'd love it either way! Also, I've read all three books for the series, plus the prequel, so no worries about spoilers with me. :)
Prompts and Suggestions: How does Thomas and Newt's relationship change throughout the three novels? What happened with the two of them the night after the immunity reveal at WICKED? What if Thomas had read Newt's letter on time? With time running out, and desperation mounting, what if they decide not to save the world, but to save each other?
Go For It: Angst, snapshots of little moments to tell a story, Glader language, inclusions of Minho and/or Teresa.
Please Stay Away From: Major inclusions of Brenda (she's not my favourite), bashing Teresa, portraying WICKED as good, non-canonical death [Spoiler (click to open)](Newt's is fine), overly graphic depictions of violence, sobbing characters.
-------------------------------------
Kill Your Darlings (2013)
Allen Ginsberg, Lucien Carr - Kill Your Darlings took the idea of romantic interest between Allen Ginsberg and Lucien Carr - something only alluded to in most other Beat generation media - and made it completely believable. The two absolutely had chemistry, and it was so easy to see why Allen was infatuated with Lu - he was this godlike figure who was actually tangible, and he opened Allen's life up to more than he'd ever thought possible. The bitter ending of their dynamic in the film broke my heart, and I refuse to believe that Lu didn't have feelings for Allen, too. I'd love to see something that explores their relationship and dynamic further, and elaborates on Lu's complicated feelings for Allen. Something where Lu gives in to his feelings and allows himself to see how much better things could be, where he lets Allen save him in return, would be really fantastic. Feel free to include Kammerer and the other Beats from the film!
I'll confess: I don't know all that much about the Beat generation aside from the basics - it's never been anything I've spent any real time looking into. I did, however, really enjoy "Kill Your Darlings", with the thoughts and hopes the Beats had for education and the arts - and I especially loved the dynamic of Allen Ginsberg and Lucien Carr that the film portrayed. I could completely see where Allen's infatuation with Lu came from, and was captivated by the two of them for the entire story. I liked the hero worship element to their dynamic, and the idea that Allen wanted to save Lu from his toxic relationship with David Kammerer but wasn't sure how. There was so much electricity to their scenes, such an intense undercurrent, and I completely believe that Lu had feelings for Allen, too, complicated though they were. I'd love to see more of the elements of their relationship expanded upon - the respect, admiration, infatuation, and connections that were developed there to various degrees. I'd love to see things from Lucien's perspective, to watch him wrestle with his emotions and feelings for Allen and see him figure out how to handle them. I'd love to see their relationship slowly transition from something toxic and complicated to something real and beneficial - to watch Lucien learn how to need Allen, instead of Allen always needing him. Anything that explores the complicated, layered dynamics of these two men and the way they relate to each other would be incredible.
Prompts and Suggestions: How is the story of Allen and Lucien different from both mens' perspectives? What if Lu pushes Allen away, only to realize that he needs him far more than he'd ever known? What if Lucien lets Allen save him, for once, instead of it being the other way around? What if they're reunited again, after [Spoiler (click to open)]Lucien gets out of prison, and forced to confront their old feelings?
Go For It: Epistolary fic, drug use, smut, angst with a hopeful/happy ending, quoting Beat poems, struggles with homosexuality/homophobia as pertinent to the decade, accidental makeouts.
Please Stay Away From: Making everyone happy and in love without the angst and struggles preceding it, fic in the form of poetry, issue!fic.
-------------------------------------
"Our Deal" - Best Coast (Music Video - Extended)
Veronica (Night Creeper), Lucky (Day Trotter) - The Our Deal extended music video tells a mini story in about ten minutes, and it's a story I'd love to see expanded! The whole thing had a bold, kitschy style that I really dug. I thought Veronica and Lucky were really sweet together - the montage of them spending time together and falling in love was wonderful - and they got too sad of an ending. :( The idea of the Night Creepers and the Day Trotters is really interesting to me, too. I'd love to see fic where the rival gangs are maybe elaborated on a bit more - to see what they're really fighting for, and maybe even how they started! I'd love to see the star-crossed lovers dynamic played up, to see their personalities more firmly established, and to see the moments where Veronica and Lucky really fell in love with each other. Something to give them a happy ending, too, would be more than welcome!
There's so much potential for stories here, and that makes me really excited! The extended version of the video is right here, and it's essentially a short film with almost no dialogue. The cute montage with Veronica and Lucky near the beginning, showing them getting to know one another, being silly and falling in love completely charmed me. The idea of the Day Trotters and Night Creepers is interesting, too - the two gangs obviously have a history and rivalry, which both brings some cool dynamics to the plot of the video and creates a lot of tension for Lucky and Veronica. I'd love to see more about the two gangs, to find out what their actual purposes are, why they're rivals, that sort of thing. And I'd especially love to see more of Veronica and Lucky. We got to see them fall in love visually, and it would be fantastic to have words to go along with those silly and sweet moments. And to see completely new moments, as well! Maybe of the two of them trying to fuse their lives together - or trying to keep them separate and still be together. And anything to fix the ending of that video would be amazing, too. I really hate that [Spoiler (click to open)]Lucky died - I wanted to see them run away together! Basically, there are so many cool possible avenues to explore with this music video and these characters, and I'd really love to see some of them written down.
Prompts and Suggestions: How did Veronica and Lucky each get involved in the Night Creepers and the Day Trotters? What made Veronica fall for Lucky, and what made Lucky fall for Veronica? How do the two of them deal with keeping their relationship a secret as tensions start to mount in their rival gangs - or how do they try to merge their lives and be open about their love? What if they did run away together, after all?
Go For It: Romance, fluff, smut, humour, snapshots of little moments that tell a story, giving names to other unnamed characters, worldbuilding, fix-it fic.
Please Stay Away From: Angst without a happy ending (ie [Spoiler (click to open)]Lucky being dead at the end of the fic), Teen Wolf fusions/crossovers/mentions, graphic depictions of violence.
-------------------------------------
One Day - David Nicholls
Dexter Mayhew, Emma Morley - One of the coolest things about One Day, I think, is the way it tells the story of two people over large chunks of time. You get to watch them grow up and watch the way their relationship and dynamic changes based on their surroundings. I really related to Emma in this story, in a lot of ways, and complicated male-female friendships are things I love reading about. So much about their dynamic was relatable and rang true to me, and I'd love to see more of it. Specifically, I'd love to see more about the two of them their first few years out of university, when Dexter's career is taking off and Emma is stuck, frustrated, working as a waitress. I'd love to see them navigate the ins and outs of their friendship on a daily basis during those years - how they discover that, despite everything going on in their lives, they still need each other fiercely. Whether or not they get together then (instead of later in life) is totally up to you!
"One Day" was a book I wasn't expecting to love nearly as much as I did, but the characters of Dexter and Emma captured me almost immediately. Their dynamic and friendship felt very real to me, and I loved that they made each other better versions of who they already were - I loved that Dexter got Emma to lighten up a bit, and I loved that Emma made him more thoughtful and kind. It was really interesting to see the ups and downs of their friendship over the years, to see how friends can go from loving each other to hating each other and back around again. Moments where they were real with each other - when Dexter would call Emma's machine and leave her honest messages, or when she'd confess to him about the supposed failings of her life and her lost ambitions, really made me fall in love with them both. I loved how, no matter what was going on in their lives, they always wound up coming back to each other. My favourite phase of the book is when they're both in their twenties, when Dexter is an up and coming popular TV personality and Emma's struggling as a waitress and feeling hopeless about her career and her potential. I'd absolutely love to see more about their dynamic during those years (their holiday included!) - about how they navigate their differing careers, their various romantic relationships, and their opposite outlooks on life. Whether or not the two of them get together or are romantic in this era of their lives is completely up to you - I'm fine with it happening, and I'm fine with their complicated friendship dynamic remaining as is. I'd just really, really love to see more of them and the ways they care for each other.
Prompts and Suggestions: What if Dex and Em decided to go on holiday a second time that year? What if Dexter spends more time trying to mingle in Emma's life? What if one of them realizes what's going on with their feelings and decides to do something about it? How do they navigate the tough waters of different careers/outlooks and boyfriends/girlfriends when everything comes together at a major life event (ie a funeral)?
Go For It: Pining, epistolary fic, smut, angst, fluff, minor infidelity, humour, romance.
Please Stay Away From: Removing any Englishness from the canon (ie transplanting it to the US), alluding to [Spoiler (click to open)]Emma's death, crack.
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The Internship (2013)
Stuart Twombley, Neha Patel - One of my favourite parts of The Internship was all the hints at the budding relationship between Stuart and Neha. I love that, while they both have a love and understanding of technology, they're both very different people. I loved the way they'd bicker and kind of tease each other, and that the ending hinted at them going out of their way to stay in touch and see each other. I'd love to see more of their story! Either something about the time the two of them spent together at Google during their internship, or something about their senior year of college before going back to work together, would be amazing. I'd love to see them going out of their way to slowly get to know one another and to find out that they have more common ground than they'd initially expected. Their whole team from Google were a lot of fun, so including them (especially Lyle and Nick) would be welcome, too!
Not only did I not expect to like this movie, I didn't expect to find a pairing that I became completely invested in! Stuart and Neha's scenes, while pretty brief, completely charmed me, and I left the theatre wanting so much more of them. I loved Neha especially - she was spunky and sweet and incredibly relatable, and I think she'd be a great match for moody, introverted, sarcastic Stuart. I really liked the banter and bickering of theirs that we got in the movie, and I imagine their relationship would be much like that - full of challenges and teasing and ribbing, but with a lot of affection and care underneath. What thrilled me the most was the end of the movie, when Stuart - Mr Constantly Texting himself - actually proclaimed he wasn't going to be texting Neha in the school year that followed. He was going to visit her in person! That said a ton about how he felt about her, and I'd really love to see their relationship develop over the year that follows, when they're at their respective colleges. I'd love to see him come to visit her on weekends or over breaks, and to watch them fall for each other in college dorms and school cafeterias. Conversely, I also love the idea of the two of them maybe secretly falling for each other during their internship, and exploring something together while at Google and keeping it on the down-low. Basically, anything that takes the hints we got in the movie and gives us an actual dynamic and relationship between the two of them would make my day!
Prompts and Suggestions: What if Stuart keeps finding more and more excuses to visit Neha during their senior year, until he can't come up with any more and has to face why he's actually visiting? What if Neha confesses to Stuart that she's an inexperienced virgin - and he reveals that he is, too? What if, for some reason, Stuart catches a glimpse of Neha in panties and a tank top, and he can't get that image out of his mind? What if Stuart and Neha start dating in secret during their internship, and have to keep it hidden from their teammates?
Go For It: Fluff, smut, humour, minor angst, nerds being awesome, including the team (especially Nick and/or Lyle), Lyle/Marielena as a side pairing, Google hijinks.
Please Stay Away From: Crack, overwrought angst, portraying Stuart as a huge jerk, Teen Wolf crossovers/fusions/mentions.
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And I think that's all I have to say! Apologies for the large amount of text - I can't turn off my brain when it comes to talking about things I love, apparently. I sincerely hope you don't find this letter too confusing or restrictive - I wanted to give you as much to work with as possible without being a pain. Hopefully I've done that. As I mentioned at the beginning, have fun with the prompts and enjoy seeing where they take you! I'm dying for fic in any of these five fandoms, so in my eyes, you're already awesome.
Thank you so much in advance, Yuletide Writer! I'm really excited. Happy writing!
♥, kissoffools
(And I'm kissoffools on AO3 as well!)