Dear Yuletide Santa version 2013
First and foremost, you are made of such incredible awesomesauce. I've been doing Yuletide for a few years and I'm always so excited for stories to be posted. Sorry it's taken me so long to get my letter up. I totally meant to get it done as soon as I signed up, but then I kept forgetting.
Basic stuff that I like: I love angst and H/C like living! Seriously. Put either or both (BOTH!) into a fic and I will propose marriage. I'm good with any rating. I like dark!fic. The angst and H/C make sense, now, huh? While I would prefer to see a happy-ish ending (or at least a promise that there will be a happy ending once every one gets their heads on straight in the future), you can go as dark as you want. There is a reason I like fic where someone goes "evil" for an ep. I blame an early obsession with the Power Rangers episodes where a Ranger was turned evil. No really. And Avengers when Clint was evil for most of the movie? Guh. Wanna attempt that? Again, with the marriage proposal.
Basic stuff that I don't like: I don't like crack!AUs very much (characters are all unicorns or whatever), but a well thought out AU is fine. Not really looking for any kind of preg (mpreg, fpreg, whatver) or kid fic. I hate OOCness. The odd possibly OOC moment is fine. I understand that these characters are hard to write and those moments crop in or maybe what I consider OOC for someone, you think is totally in character. Don't sweat that.
Basic sexy stuff that I like (yes, this gets it's own paragraph): rough sex, blood play, power play, mild kink. If you have the characters throwing each other back and forth against a wall in a power play lead up to some rough sex, I think I may die of the hot. Seriously. That's probably my biggest kink in fic and real life. I'm okay with mild bondage, but don't really see any of these characters involved in heavy bondage. Otherwise, as long as you don't have the magical self-lubricating penis, we're good (as in, please make sure the sex can actually happen).
Basic sexy stuff that I don't like: heavy kink, scat, watersports. If it has to have it's own bolded warning, then maybe you can hold off until after the fest?
Wow, that was long-winded. Ready for the fandom-specific stuff now? Cool. Me, too.
Fandom 1: Arrow (TV series)
Characters: Oliver, Diggle, Felicity
Prompt: These three are my OT3. I love them all and I love the awesome little family they've made for themselves. If you're not up for OT3, then really I'd just love to see them together being awesome.
So, I've loved the way these three interact pretty much since they recruited Felicity. And then season 2 started and I about died. I love that Oliver is so damaged, but still cares so deeply. I love that he occasionally comes across as slightly sociopathic. That way that he tilts his head and looks at someone and you honestly don't know if he's trying to figure out what they just said or if he's wondering if he can kill them and hide the body. Or maybe that's just me. I love that Digg is fiercely loyal but still very much his own man. I love that he has his own damaged past and can see a bit into what Oliver's going through, but he's got his own shit. And I love Felicity for not being afraid to call bullshit on both of them. I love that she appreciates the eye candy around her. I love that she's totally fearless when it comes to something she believes in. Most importantly, I love that she's wicked smart and not afraid to tell her boys that she's got this. I loved the argument in 202 about her being Oliver's secretary. "I went to MIT!" Basically, I love them all.
If you're comfortable doing the OT3 thing, then go for it! I noticed that Digg and Felicity got really close while Oliver was gone and it made me wonder if maybe they bonded over the fact that they were both a little in love with Oliver. I've been shipping Oliver/Slade/Shado a bit, too, so maybe Oliver had trouble remembering who he wanted to be with, Shado and Slade or Digg and Felicity? If you're not really into the OT3, then I am okay with just bonding fic. I kinda want to see Oliver and Digg deciding that Felicity needs a little self defense training and how that goes. I can't decide if I want her to be all, "Ha! No, I can't do that with the hitting and the sticks and the, just no." or if she knows a little something (cause she's a badass like that) and surprises the hell out of them. I would find it absolutely hilarious and totally in character if someone tries to attack her and she kicks them in the nuts and then retreats to let Oliver or Digg deal with it. Not because I think she's a damsel in distress or anything, but she's ready to let them do what they do best while she does what she does best.
Fandom 2: Agents of SHIELD (TV)
Characters: May, Hill, Skye
Prompt: So, when May and Ward were talking about Skye needing a Supervisory Agent, I totally thought May was going to take the position. I was really hoping she would. Or maybe show me the scene where Hill either convinces May to be Skye's SA...or show me the scene where Hill convinces her *not* to be Skye's SA.
I started watching this show because I love The Avengers and I love Coulson. I love Clint/Coulson, too, but that's neither here not there. I also love Ming Na. A lot of the fic I've read for this series so far has been, I totally admit, Clint/Coulson fic that deals with the new show. I haven't really explored what else is available. I think I've avoided it because I'm afraid of how much Ward/Skye fic there will be. I don't actively dislike the Ward character, but I haven't really seen much in the way of redeeming qualities so far. He's one of those perfect male characters whose only flaw is that he doesn't play well with others and I just...don't have any desire to see more of that on my TV/in my fic. So, please don't character bash him, but if he's only in the fic as a mention, then I won't cry.
But, to the ladies. I admit: I'm a femslasher. I can't decide if I'd rather see May/Hill or May/Skye. Or May/Hill/Skye. Hill/Skye? Capable ladies gettin some lady lovin is high on my list of wants in life. But I know that, as sad as it makes me, femslash is usually the least written thing in most fandoms. So I'm also totally okay with really strong relationships between the ladies.
So. Especially since May does seem to be coming back in the field, I'm really curious why May didn't take Skye on. I see her as being a better Supervisory Agent than Ward, but since there's something in her past, I have no trouble believing that she doesn't trust herself. Maybe she knows herself well enough to know that she's getting attached to Skye and doesn't want that to interfere. I don't want to limit you but I also don't want to vomit all over this post with everything I think is possible.
If you're not a huge Skye fan, then I'd love to see May and Hill and their take on stuff. I didn't include them, but I wouldn't be surprised if May keeps on eye on FitzSimmons while she's hanging out in the cockpit and they're in the back being all nerdy and awesome. Maybe Hill and May talk or text back and forth (because they're together or not) about what's going on or even just normal stuff. "So, Fury is being a total ass right now because Stark reprogrammed his computer. How are you?" "Oh, you know. Coulson came up to try and talk and I told him I liked the solitude but I was actually just trying to beat my Candy Crush score."
Basically, with these ladies, you can do no wrong.
Fandom 3: Flashpoint
Characters: Jules, Greg, Spike
Prompt: I love these three so much. I especially love that they hang out in the van and do the nitty gritty compiling of data, but every one of them can bust out of there and kick some ass. I would really love something where it's the three of them being awesome that saves the day.
Disclaimer: I haven't seen most of the last season. I don't know why. Mostly because I don't want to admit that it's over, probably. I hate the whole Jules/Sam storyline with a passion because Sam has always come across as condescending and a touch egotistical. Also, Jules can do so much better. I also wasn't a huge fan of the Spike/Sam's sister arc that we got. I do ship Spike/Lou and I was *devastated* when he died. My OT3 brain kinda wants to ship Jules/Spike/Greg, but I don't know how that would work. If you want to write something shippy, feel free to use any of the subpairings of that.
Specifically, I love that the van is their territory. Yeah, you occasionally see one of the others in the van and Lou used to be there a lot, but for most of the series, it's the three of them. So it's like they're a mini team, but they can all still go out and be badasses. I totally think they have their own shorthand that we've just never seen/heard. Maybe they leave little notes around the van that no one else can read. Maybe there are certain van tasks that information is passed in grunts and hums because they've done it so many times. All I know is that they are all kinds of up in each other's space for extended periods and that's gotta lead to some awesomeness.
I have this weird idea that's been beating around in my head for awhile that involves someone having a beef against the three of them because...*hand wave* The Van. Something. But while everyone else is off doing their thing, they have their own problems to deal with. I don't know. There's a reason I haven't attempted anything with it. Or maybe some big bad realises that the team is kinda screwed without the van and incapacitates them and hijacks the van and...something. Sorry that I'm not being much help with this one. If all you an think of is craziness where they're dealing with BO and farting and someone stepped in dog poo and they're all stuck in a tiny space, then I'd actually probably find that hilarious and love you.
Fandom 4: The Bourne Legacy
Characters: Aaron Cross, Eric Beyer
Prompt: I was fascinated by what little bit of the relationship we saw between Aaron and Eric. Probably in a slightly unhealthy way, but that's okay. I ship them pretty hard and I can actually see that as being a good pairing or a deeply flawed one.
So. These two. There are current 130-ish fics in the fandom on AO3 and 16 of them are Aaron/Eric. 3 of those are in Russian. So sad.
When I watched the movie, I saw the way they interacted, especially in the flashback scenes and my brain about short circuited. There is something there. Something beautiful and fucked up and almost certainly unhealthy. But I love it so much.
I figure there are two broad ways this pairing works. One way is that Eric has feelings for Aaron and went after him in the movie because he had to. The second, Aaron fell for his handler and is totally betrayed by Eric coming after him so hard. Either of those can either be a good pairing with loving moments or a totally fucked up one with some serious consent issues. I am intrigued by all choices. No really. Okay, maybe I find the fucked up ones a little more interesting, but that's the kind of person I am. I make no apologies.
I came into this movie because I saw Avengers and fell in love with Clint (see, "character turned evil" kink above), saw all the Avengers fic that fused Avengers/Bourne Legacy/Mission Impossible/everything Jeremy Renner has ever been in and was intrigued. So, if you're like me and know those various fandoms, I would not say no to a crossover/fusion. Alternately, if you think there are too many of those and would like to stick to just Bourne Legacy, that's cool.
So, for you, dear author, what does that leave? I would love to see just how these two got together and whether it was healthy or not. I would love to see Aaron disagreeing with Eric and that leading to some hot power play that becomes letting off steam post-mission. Note: because I am influenced by Avengers, my headcanon is that Eric was Aaron's primary handler. On the flip side, I would love to see a mission gone really bad and Eric tending to Aaron which leads to more tender moments. Post movie, I love the idea of Beyer guilt tripping trying to kill Aaron and secretly relieved every time they get word that he's still alive. If they're together, do they make contact and Eric apologises? Do they make plans to meet? Maybe Eric is the one in love and Aaron just went with it, leaving Eric knowing that he's lost Aaron forever? Alternatively, how does Aaron take the betrayal or Eric trying to kill him? Does he know that it was actually Eric or is just "the bosses"? Maybe they do meet, Aaron finds out that it was Eric and freaks out a bit?
If you're not so much into slash, then maybe some hurt/comfort pre-movie post-mission (sideways on the bottom) that doesn't get sexy. Based mostly on the flashback scene in the Middle East (I wanna say it was Afghanistan, but I don't know if I made that up or not), I think Eric genuinely cares about Aaron, shippy or not. So I think he could be really caring if Aaron were injured.
Basically, I really want to see Eric and Aaron. I'm not really interested in Marta and I was actually disappointed that the last scene had that possible set up to Aaron/Marta, so please none of that? Anything else, even if it's just a scene with one of the boys thinking about the other would be awesome.
Basic stuff that I like: I love angst and H/C like living! Seriously. Put either or both (BOTH!) into a fic and I will propose marriage. I'm good with any rating. I like dark!fic. The angst and H/C make sense, now, huh? While I would prefer to see a happy-ish ending (or at least a promise that there will be a happy ending once every one gets their heads on straight in the future), you can go as dark as you want. There is a reason I like fic where someone goes "evil" for an ep. I blame an early obsession with the Power Rangers episodes where a Ranger was turned evil. No really. And Avengers when Clint was evil for most of the movie? Guh. Wanna attempt that? Again, with the marriage proposal.
Basic stuff that I don't like: I don't like crack!AUs very much (characters are all unicorns or whatever), but a well thought out AU is fine. Not really looking for any kind of preg (mpreg, fpreg, whatver) or kid fic. I hate OOCness. The odd possibly OOC moment is fine. I understand that these characters are hard to write and those moments crop in or maybe what I consider OOC for someone, you think is totally in character. Don't sweat that.
Basic sexy stuff that I like (yes, this gets it's own paragraph): rough sex, blood play, power play, mild kink. If you have the characters throwing each other back and forth against a wall in a power play lead up to some rough sex, I think I may die of the hot. Seriously. That's probably my biggest kink in fic and real life. I'm okay with mild bondage, but don't really see any of these characters involved in heavy bondage. Otherwise, as long as you don't have the magical self-lubricating penis, we're good (as in, please make sure the sex can actually happen).
Basic sexy stuff that I don't like: heavy kink, scat, watersports. If it has to have it's own bolded warning, then maybe you can hold off until after the fest?
Wow, that was long-winded. Ready for the fandom-specific stuff now? Cool. Me, too.
Fandom 1: Arrow (TV series)
Characters: Oliver, Diggle, Felicity
Prompt: These three are my OT3. I love them all and I love the awesome little family they've made for themselves. If you're not up for OT3, then really I'd just love to see them together being awesome.
So, I've loved the way these three interact pretty much since they recruited Felicity. And then season 2 started and I about died. I love that Oliver is so damaged, but still cares so deeply. I love that he occasionally comes across as slightly sociopathic. That way that he tilts his head and looks at someone and you honestly don't know if he's trying to figure out what they just said or if he's wondering if he can kill them and hide the body. Or maybe that's just me. I love that Digg is fiercely loyal but still very much his own man. I love that he has his own damaged past and can see a bit into what Oliver's going through, but he's got his own shit. And I love Felicity for not being afraid to call bullshit on both of them. I love that she appreciates the eye candy around her. I love that she's totally fearless when it comes to something she believes in. Most importantly, I love that she's wicked smart and not afraid to tell her boys that she's got this. I loved the argument in 202 about her being Oliver's secretary. "I went to MIT!" Basically, I love them all.
If you're comfortable doing the OT3 thing, then go for it! I noticed that Digg and Felicity got really close while Oliver was gone and it made me wonder if maybe they bonded over the fact that they were both a little in love with Oliver. I've been shipping Oliver/Slade/Shado a bit, too, so maybe Oliver had trouble remembering who he wanted to be with, Shado and Slade or Digg and Felicity? If you're not really into the OT3, then I am okay with just bonding fic. I kinda want to see Oliver and Digg deciding that Felicity needs a little self defense training and how that goes. I can't decide if I want her to be all, "Ha! No, I can't do that with the hitting and the sticks and the, just no." or if she knows a little something (cause she's a badass like that) and surprises the hell out of them. I would find it absolutely hilarious and totally in character if someone tries to attack her and she kicks them in the nuts and then retreats to let Oliver or Digg deal with it. Not because I think she's a damsel in distress or anything, but she's ready to let them do what they do best while she does what she does best.
Fandom 2: Agents of SHIELD (TV)
Characters: May, Hill, Skye
Prompt: So, when May and Ward were talking about Skye needing a Supervisory Agent, I totally thought May was going to take the position. I was really hoping she would. Or maybe show me the scene where Hill either convinces May to be Skye's SA...or show me the scene where Hill convinces her *not* to be Skye's SA.
I started watching this show because I love The Avengers and I love Coulson. I love Clint/Coulson, too, but that's neither here not there. I also love Ming Na. A lot of the fic I've read for this series so far has been, I totally admit, Clint/Coulson fic that deals with the new show. I haven't really explored what else is available. I think I've avoided it because I'm afraid of how much Ward/Skye fic there will be. I don't actively dislike the Ward character, but I haven't really seen much in the way of redeeming qualities so far. He's one of those perfect male characters whose only flaw is that he doesn't play well with others and I just...don't have any desire to see more of that on my TV/in my fic. So, please don't character bash him, but if he's only in the fic as a mention, then I won't cry.
But, to the ladies. I admit: I'm a femslasher. I can't decide if I'd rather see May/Hill or May/Skye. Or May/Hill/Skye. Hill/Skye? Capable ladies gettin some lady lovin is high on my list of wants in life. But I know that, as sad as it makes me, femslash is usually the least written thing in most fandoms. So I'm also totally okay with really strong relationships between the ladies.
So. Especially since May does seem to be coming back in the field, I'm really curious why May didn't take Skye on. I see her as being a better Supervisory Agent than Ward, but since there's something in her past, I have no trouble believing that she doesn't trust herself. Maybe she knows herself well enough to know that she's getting attached to Skye and doesn't want that to interfere. I don't want to limit you but I also don't want to vomit all over this post with everything I think is possible.
If you're not a huge Skye fan, then I'd love to see May and Hill and their take on stuff. I didn't include them, but I wouldn't be surprised if May keeps on eye on FitzSimmons while she's hanging out in the cockpit and they're in the back being all nerdy and awesome. Maybe Hill and May talk or text back and forth (because they're together or not) about what's going on or even just normal stuff. "So, Fury is being a total ass right now because Stark reprogrammed his computer. How are you?" "Oh, you know. Coulson came up to try and talk and I told him I liked the solitude but I was actually just trying to beat my Candy Crush score."
Basically, with these ladies, you can do no wrong.
Fandom 3: Flashpoint
Characters: Jules, Greg, Spike
Prompt: I love these three so much. I especially love that they hang out in the van and do the nitty gritty compiling of data, but every one of them can bust out of there and kick some ass. I would really love something where it's the three of them being awesome that saves the day.
Disclaimer: I haven't seen most of the last season. I don't know why. Mostly because I don't want to admit that it's over, probably. I hate the whole Jules/Sam storyline with a passion because Sam has always come across as condescending and a touch egotistical. Also, Jules can do so much better. I also wasn't a huge fan of the Spike/Sam's sister arc that we got. I do ship Spike/Lou and I was *devastated* when he died. My OT3 brain kinda wants to ship Jules/Spike/Greg, but I don't know how that would work. If you want to write something shippy, feel free to use any of the subpairings of that.
Specifically, I love that the van is their territory. Yeah, you occasionally see one of the others in the van and Lou used to be there a lot, but for most of the series, it's the three of them. So it's like they're a mini team, but they can all still go out and be badasses. I totally think they have their own shorthand that we've just never seen/heard. Maybe they leave little notes around the van that no one else can read. Maybe there are certain van tasks that information is passed in grunts and hums because they've done it so many times. All I know is that they are all kinds of up in each other's space for extended periods and that's gotta lead to some awesomeness.
I have this weird idea that's been beating around in my head for awhile that involves someone having a beef against the three of them because...*hand wave* The Van. Something. But while everyone else is off doing their thing, they have their own problems to deal with. I don't know. There's a reason I haven't attempted anything with it. Or maybe some big bad realises that the team is kinda screwed without the van and incapacitates them and hijacks the van and...something. Sorry that I'm not being much help with this one. If all you an think of is craziness where they're dealing with BO and farting and someone stepped in dog poo and they're all stuck in a tiny space, then I'd actually probably find that hilarious and love you.
Fandom 4: The Bourne Legacy
Characters: Aaron Cross, Eric Beyer
Prompt: I was fascinated by what little bit of the relationship we saw between Aaron and Eric. Probably in a slightly unhealthy way, but that's okay. I ship them pretty hard and I can actually see that as being a good pairing or a deeply flawed one.
So. These two. There are current 130-ish fics in the fandom on AO3 and 16 of them are Aaron/Eric. 3 of those are in Russian. So sad.
When I watched the movie, I saw the way they interacted, especially in the flashback scenes and my brain about short circuited. There is something there. Something beautiful and fucked up and almost certainly unhealthy. But I love it so much.
I figure there are two broad ways this pairing works. One way is that Eric has feelings for Aaron and went after him in the movie because he had to. The second, Aaron fell for his handler and is totally betrayed by Eric coming after him so hard. Either of those can either be a good pairing with loving moments or a totally fucked up one with some serious consent issues. I am intrigued by all choices. No really. Okay, maybe I find the fucked up ones a little more interesting, but that's the kind of person I am. I make no apologies.
I came into this movie because I saw Avengers and fell in love with Clint (see, "character turned evil" kink above), saw all the Avengers fic that fused Avengers/Bourne Legacy/Mission Impossible/everything Jeremy Renner has ever been in and was intrigued. So, if you're like me and know those various fandoms, I would not say no to a crossover/fusion. Alternately, if you think there are too many of those and would like to stick to just Bourne Legacy, that's cool.
So, for you, dear author, what does that leave? I would love to see just how these two got together and whether it was healthy or not. I would love to see Aaron disagreeing with Eric and that leading to some hot power play that becomes letting off steam post-mission. Note: because I am influenced by Avengers, my headcanon is that Eric was Aaron's primary handler. On the flip side, I would love to see a mission gone really bad and Eric tending to Aaron which leads to more tender moments. Post movie, I love the idea of Beyer guilt tripping trying to kill Aaron and secretly relieved every time they get word that he's still alive. If they're together, do they make contact and Eric apologises? Do they make plans to meet? Maybe Eric is the one in love and Aaron just went with it, leaving Eric knowing that he's lost Aaron forever? Alternatively, how does Aaron take the betrayal or Eric trying to kill him? Does he know that it was actually Eric or is just "the bosses"? Maybe they do meet, Aaron finds out that it was Eric and freaks out a bit?
If you're not so much into slash, then maybe some hurt/comfort pre-movie post-mission (sideways on the bottom) that doesn't get sexy. Based mostly on the flashback scene in the Middle East (I wanna say it was Afghanistan, but I don't know if I made that up or not), I think Eric genuinely cares about Aaron, shippy or not. So I think he could be really caring if Aaron were injured.
Basically, I really want to see Eric and Aaron. I'm not really interested in Marta and I was actually disappointed that the last scene had that possible set up to Aaron/Marta, so please none of that? Anything else, even if it's just a scene with one of the boys thinking about the other would be awesome.