Yuletide 2014!

Oct 16, 2014 18:01

Dear Yuletide Writer,
Hello! I'm so excited about being matched on one of the four 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've tried my best to provide you with an idea as to why I like the things I've requested, and to give you some prompts and suggestions to work with! Feel free to take the things I've written here and see where they take you! I want you to have fun writing for me, too, after all. Just please don't include my Do Not Wants, and it's all going to be golden.

Also, I'm a rambler. Clearly! I tried really hard to keep this concise and bearable, but I'm not so great at that. I just get excited. Sorry in advance for all the text!

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Likes & Dislikes
When it comes to types of fic I like, 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. I also greatly prefer third-person POV! This year, I've requested characters that I'd love to see shipped together. But if you aren't feeling it, they don't have to be! Friendship fic is always completely welcome. Friendship dynamics and bonds are just as interesting to me as romantic ones.

As for tropes, I'm definitely into "woke up married" (would be so great for Neighbors and the 21 Jump Street movies!), secretly dating, fake dating, unrequited love, five times fics, soulbonding, a/b/o, roleplaying, road trips, and end of the world. If you're interested in writing any kinks, I like daddy kink, frottage, watersports, pregnancy kink, cock worship, spanking, handcuffs, roleplaying, phone sex, and dirty talk. Kink is not required for me to enjoy smut fic, though - I'm all in for something more vanilla if you'd rather! Or, hell, no smut at all. Basically, I'd love any of these tropes or kinks for my canons if you can see how they'd fit into the prompts I gave. But you're not required to write any of them, of course! If you want to just ignore them all and go with one of the prompts I've listed in the fandom-specific sections, I'd absolutely love that. Also, if you're so inclined, I am totally down with holiday fic in any of my fandoms!

I do have a few strong dislikes: pro-ana talk, rape/non-con, mpreg, scat, and bloodplay. I also don't enjoy reading about characters crying, unless they're known to do so in canon. And character bashing is no bueno, if you ask me. I've included little mini "Go For It" and "Please Stay Away From" sections to each of my fandoms, for stuff that's a bit more specific and canon-dependent. I hope this helps!

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!

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21 Jump Street (movies)
Jenko, Schmidt, Zook - 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street are fantastic, point-blank. The scripts are great, the humour is clever, the characters have actual arcs, and there's overt slash subtext everywhere! From Jenko and Schmidt's "I think we should see other people" metaphor conversation to Jenko and Zook's actual meet-cute, I eat up the homo-eroticism in these movies with a spoon. And I just want more! I'd love to see fic that contains Jenko/Schmidt or Jenko/Zook - or maybe both, or all together! - set either during or after the Jump Street movies. After all, the end credits of 22 Jump Street suggested an awful lot of sequel concepts, and I'd love to see fic for any one of them!

I will be the first person to say that I never expected to like these movies as much as I do! I think both 21 Jump Street and its sequel are hilarious. I love the clever, self-aware humour mixed with juvenile jokes, and the meta they feature is fantastic. They are the perfect examples of movies that should be terrible, and the fact that they aren't makes me love them all the more. I loved 21 Jump Street when it came out in 2012, and I love 22 Jump Street now just as much! I think both Schmidt and Jenko are great characters, and I love the differences between the two of them. I think Zook was a great character to add for the sequel, and his similarities and the way he and Jenko relate to each other are a great contrast to Jenko and Schmidt's relationship! The films and these two relationships absolutely and intentionally play out like a homo-erotic love triangle, and I seriously just want more of all of it. Want to write Schmidt/Jenko and explore bros bonding and falling in love despite their differences? Go for it. Want to write Jenko/Zook in which Zook is actually a canonically gay character and they fall in love while playing football? Do it up. Want to elaborate on their giant homo-erotic love triangle and have them all wind up together? Bring it on. You do not have to include all three of them in the fic if you don't want to, but I'm open to either pairing! I'm also up for a threesome/poly situation, if you're interested in that. All the other characters from the two movies are great, too, so throw in as many cameos as you'd like. I'm happy to see it all! I actually also love how both movies have clear arcs for both Jenko and Schmidt (and Zook, in the sequel!) and how both show their growth in ways that are serious but infused with humour. So if you want to incorporate something like that in fic, by all means, go for it. Not comfortable shipping Schmidt/Jenko or Jenko/Zook, or OT3-ing them? Then I'd love to see a written version of one of the sequels suggested in the end credits! My particular favourites were 25 Jump Street - A Semester at Sea, 27 Jump Street - Culinary School, 30 Jump Street - Flight Academy, and 32 Jump Street - Fireman School. Maybe Zook gets filled in about the Jump Street program and joins them, or he's needed on another one of these missions? That way you could incorporate all three of them. Basically, more of these characters in the style of canon will make me a happy!

Prompts and Suggestions: What if Zook was actually gay all along, and his and Jenko's meet-cute spawned a sports-infused romance? What if Schmidt or Jenko is falling in love with the other during their undercover stints, and tries to hide it? What if Schmidt and Zook wind up in some kind of showdown for Jenko's love? What happens the next time Schmidt and Jenko go undercover (and does Zook get brought along with them)?

Go For It: Humour, meta, retellings of either movie, a bit of angst/gay panic, figuring out their sexualities, denial, smut, drug trips, sports/drama/science talk, bros being bros.
Please Stay Away From: Shipfic for solely Schmidt/Zook (but a fic OT3-ing them with Jenko, or a fic focused on their rivalry for Jenko's affections, or their rivalry in general? YES PLEASE), clear and constant homophobia, erasing their canonical interest in women, crack fic.

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Last 5 Years - Brown
Cathy Hyatt, Jamie Wellerstein - The story of Cathy and Jamie really moves me. I think the musical does a good job of presenting both their love and their struggles in a fairly balanced way (although I do think Cathy got more of a sympathetic treatment than Jamie did). I think both of their feelings were valid, and for the most part, the musical handles both sides well. I feel like the relationship the musical portrays, both the good sides and the bad, are very honest and realistic. I love the way they love each other, and it breaks my heart when the reality - that love sometimes isn't enough - sets in. The songs of the musical present a great overview of the ups and downs of their relationship, but I'd love fic where the gaps are filled in and their story is expanded upon!

I absolutely love musicals - I love the connection and emotional investment that can come from songs, and how you can find parts of different songs to relate to. That's how I feel about The Last 5 Years. I think the music is beautiful, and there are different points where I can relate to both Cathy and Jamie - I think that's why their story resonates with me so much. I understand Cathy's struggle with her career and her wish not to play second fiddle to someone she loves, while I also understand the way Jamie can get swept up in things and the way he feels unfairly held back and resented for his success. Their romance, with all its upsides and problems, feels real and honesty to me. I don't think either of them are the villain of their story (though the leap from Jamie's feelings in "The Next Ten Minutes" to his feelings in "A Miracle Would Happen" is a bit of a stretch for me - if you wanted to explore things from his POV to explain how he goes from wanting to marry her to being interested in every girl around him, that would be welcome!). I think they both had their issues, but I also love the way they love each other. Their beginning was so excited, passionate, and full of hope. I love the way Cathy supports Jamie's work, and the way he encourages her to follow her passions (I have a soft spot for the ending of "The Schmuel Song"!). The cute stuff in "A Summer In Ohio" makes me really happy, too. I'd love to see how their story played out beyond the confines of the show's songs. I'd love to see the early stages of their relationship (filling in the gaps between "Shiksa Goddess"/"I Can Do Better Than That"/"Moving Too Fast") just as much as I'd love to see their relationship's downfall (the unraveling surrounding "A Part of That"/"If I Didn't Believe in You"/"See I'm Smiling"). Something to sort of tie everything together - snapshots of parts of their lives and relationship that we didn't get to see in the musical - would be lovely. Or if you'd like to jump forward and write something for them a few years into the future, I'd love to read that too! If you're stumbling upon this somehow and want to hear the songs for this musical, you can listen to this playlist here - it's from the original Off-Broadway run in the early 2000s. All the lyrics to the songs can be found here! And there's a movie coming out in February starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan (which I saw at TIFF this year), so soon there will be that for musical lovers to devour too!

Prompts and Suggestions: Who were Jamie and Cathy before they met, and what was their first meeting like? What parts of Jamie and Cathy's relationship didn't we get to see in the musical - both the good and bad? What efforts did they make to try and save their relationship when it all started falling apart? What were the next five years like, after their break-up, and do they ever see each other again or reunite?

Go For It: Playing around with time, writing from both Cathy and Jamie's POVs, angst, humour, romance, smut, infidelity, using the occasional line from the songs to help the timeline.
Please Stay Away From: Villainizing one while making the other a saint, eliminating their breakup altogether.

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Neighbors (2014)
Teddy Sanders, Pete Regazolli - Have you ever seen a pair of friends and thought to yourself, "If these two aren't already boning, they totally should be"? That's how I feel about Teddy and Pete. The fraternity element in Neighbors really emphasizes their brotherhood, but these two are obviously closer than any other combination of characters in their fraternity. They're best friends, and there's an entire mini-arc of friendship in this film. I absolutely love the idea of two bros falling in love without realizing it, and I think that would work perfectly for fic about Teddy and Pete! I'd love to see them in the future, after the movie is over, and to see how their friendship and bond could progress into something more down the line.

Between this request and my 21 Jump Street movies request, apparently I'm interested in dudebros falling in love this year - go figure! Haha. The dynamic between Pete and Teddy really did scream "best friends" to me. Pete's concerned about Teddy's future, and Teddy takes the heat for his fraternity so that Pete's own future career won't be tarnished. How great is that? They're almost always together in this film, and even Pete hooking up with Teddy's girlfriend wasn't enough to destroy their friendship permanently. They've grabbed each others' balls and Teddy knows what it feels like when Pete gets an erection (what does Pete think about to get it up on command, anyway?). Hell, they have literally an entire scene where they boldly and firmly (and drunkenly?) declare their love for each other. I'm surprised the whole world doesn't ship it - I mean, just look at them! I love their loyalty to one another, and they way they can depend on each other - the fraternity brothers-for-life thing is one of the things I love about this pairing. I'd love to see fic that plays with how close their friendship is - maybe one that sees boundaries crossed without either of them realizing it. It's totally normal for best friends to cuddle... and fall asleep together... and spoon... right? I'd really love to see their dynamic the same as it is in canon - very dudebro-esque - but with a romantic storyline added. I'd be happy with fic set during the film or post-college - maybe they're roommates while Pete is being an architect and Teddy is working at Abercrombie/going to night school? Maybe Pete helps Teddy start a real career? Maybe they try to party and relive their fraternity days - have one last hurrah, or they go back to their frat for alumni weekend or something? I liked pretty much all the crazy characters in the film - Mac, Kelly, Jimmy, Paula, Brooke, Scoonie, even little Stella - so feel free to incorporate any of them if you wish! If you'd rather just keep them as friends, a story about their epic bromance and loyalty in the vein of canon would be great to read, too.

Prompts and Suggestions: What if Pete and Teddy become roommates post-college and cross all sorts of just-roommates boundaries without realizing it? What if one of them really did mean "I love you" during their giant "I love you" scene, and misunderstandings follow? What if Pete tries to play Cyrano on Teddy's behalf for some girl, and Teddy starts falling for Pete instead? Where are the two of them a year down the road, when they run into Mac and Kelly again?

Go For It: Humour, smut, a bit of angst/gay panic, figuring out their sexualities, denial, pranks, infidelity, including other characters from the movie, bros being bros.
Please Stay Away From: A story massively full of angst, clear and constant homophobia, erasing their canonical interest in women.

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Orphan Black RPF
Tatiana Maslany, Jordan Gavaris - I think Tatiana and Jordan are absolutely ADORABLE. They always have the kindest and utmost praise for each other in interviews, and all the backstage interactions I've seen have been so cute. I'd really love fic about the two of them - interacting, having fun, or going the shippy route, if you feel so inclined! Jordan has mentioned in interviews that sometimes playing opposite Tatiana, in all of her costumes, accents and characters, is a real challenge and that sometimes things mess with his head a bit. I'd really love fic that explores this dynamic. Especially when they brought on the character of Tony - playing attraction to a character of Tatiana's and also playing siblings and friends with her made things confusing, he said. Something digging deeper into that conflict and confusion would be amazing!

I love Tatiana and Jordan! I love how Tatiana is wry and sweet and intelligent, and how she isn't particularly like any of the characters she plays on Orphan Black. I love that Jordan is open and silly, and is very clearly emotional and good-hearted. I really love the bond that the two of them seem to have - just look at how cute this picture is!!! It's one of my favourites. One of the things that's really interesting to me about the two of them are the possibilities for various types of sexuality and romantic interest between the two. Earlier this year, Jordan did an interview with OUT, which said this about his view on sexuality: "Like his character, Gavaris is quick-witted, analytical, and hesitant to define his sexuality too precisely. “Inasmuch as Felix is very much the liberated side of myself, I try to focus on the idea of gender and ambiguity,” he says, “where it’s not gay or straight or bisexual or anything; it sort of lacks a label. That’s my own personal philosophy when it comes to life and civil rights." That's really interesting to me! And where does Tatiana come in, you might ask? Well, in the 2014 Orphan Black panel at Nerd HQ, Jordan and Tatiana talked about the way that incorporating Tony into the show affected their relationship (at 6:10 in the video): "I think we struggled a lot when we did that three clone scene, which was Felix, Tony, and Sarah… and I'd been Tony for like three days, and then suddenly Sarah was there, and me and you were like, "Are we still kind of, like…?" The sexual tension was still sort of there." I'd absolutely love to see fic where the two of them navigate, deal with, or explore that new dynamic of sexual tension! Whether the fic stays friendship, is shipfic, or gets explicit, I'll be totally happy. I just couldn't stop thinking about that comment in the Nerd HQ video, and would love to see it explored in fic somehow! I'm really intrigued by the idea of chemistry wires getting crossed. Please keep in mind, though, that if you aren't on board with exploring something like that, fic of Jordan and Tatiana hanging out on set, playing pranks, and messing with each other (Tatiana's multiple characters are perfect for that - they talk about that in the Nerd HQ video!) would be wonderful to read too!

Prompts and Suggestions: What if Jordan or Tatiana are only really attracted to members of the same sex... until they meet the other person? How did the new sexual tension after introducing Tony into the show mess with their offscreen dynamic? What are some of the challenges and entertaining aspects of Tatiana playing multiple characters and how does it affect Jordan? What hijinks, issues, and potential challenges might come up for Tatiana and Jordan on a press tour for season 3?

Go For It: Angst, romance, friendship, humour, smut, questioning sexuality, identity porn, roleplaying, pranks and misunderstandings, including other Orphan Black cast members.
Please Stay Away From: Issue fic related to gender or sexuality, declaring Jordan 100% straight or gay, bashing other cast members.

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And I think that's all I have to say! 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. Have fun with the prompts and enjoy seeing where they take you! I'm dying for fic in any of these 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!)

interwebz: yuletide

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