Yuletide letter 2014
Amended from past years:
Thank you for writing something for me. With the exception of the do-not-like stuff, please take any and all of this as optional suggestions only, and do what works for you. Not all of the stuff I like, for instance, may be applicable to all the fandoms I've requested; choose what makes sense to you.
Do not like: darkfic in general, incest, humiliation, NC-17 for either violence or sex (no moral objections, it's just not what I enjoy reading), blatant out-of-characterness, rape/dubcon, Christmas themes (again, not opposed to their existence in general, just not Christian myself).
Enjoy in particular: snappy dialogue, families of choice, playing with language(s), cuddling, work (in all definitions) and people being competent at it, scenes from everyday life.
I tend to prefer genfic, but have no objection at all to background romance/relationships, or even a slow-burn romance fic with a high gen ratio, as it were. Any pairing (m/f, m/m, f/f, threesome, you name it) is fine as long as you can make me believe in it.
By fandom (characters):
Creed Country Series-Jenny Overton (Veronica, Simon, Martin, Anne)
This is my “no way anybody will offer” fandom for the year, but why not. One thing I like about these two books is that even in a short span of time and pages you really see the characters growing and changing, and I’m curious to know how they went on-what happened to Veronica, Simon, and Martin around the sixth form, for instance? Did Anne carry out her plan to become a nun, or did Peter Mendel successfully distract her (and what did he think of it if he did?)? Any other characters-Sarah, Stephen, Gwyn, Cassy etc.-welcome too if you’re interested. As in the books, ideas on religion(s) and history always a good thing too.
Steerswoman Series-Rosemary Kirstein (Steffie, Zenna)
This is the request I make every year, and I still want it. What were Steffie and Zenna doing after Rowan and Bel left Alemeth? I’d love to see Steffie learning how to be a steersman from Zenna and also working to balance his ambitions with how the people of Alemeth have always seen him. Maybe casefic of some kind for the two of them, either something happening in Alemeth or something old that emerges as they sort the archives? (I selected these characters as the two I’d most like to read about, but would also be especially happy to read about Reeder and Ona, particularly after the events of the series so far.)
Juniper, Gentian and Rosemary-Pamela Dean (Alma, Erin, Becky, Steph)
I’m always about equally fascinated and frustrated by this book, and what I like most about it are Gentian’s four friends, each with her own take on the themes of the novel-femininity and gender in general, religion, art and science, conventionality and unconventionality, romance, togetherness and solitude, what you have in common with people and what makes you different from them. I’d love a missing scene from the book, futurefic (AU, fix-it fic, or otherwise), or anything where the four of them (and Gentian if you want, and any other characters who interest you) do something or talk about something or get involved in something…I’m sorry to be so vague, but I leave the rest up to you.
Marlows-Antonia Forest (Pomona, Miranda)
These two characters are especially close to my heart: Miranda, the smart Jewish girl who speaks her mind (and knows when not to) and keeps her head, and gives her heart carefully and permanently; Pomona, a dark horse who can come up with just the right thing at the right time (keeping a wicket, eating an unneeded plate of fish pie, suggesting a musical arrangement, providing a snack). I would love to see either or both of them in the sixth form, moving on to the next thing, solving a problem, on a day out of Kingscote, interacting with other characters-any welcome. Something musical, with Miranda’s violin and Pomona’s cello? Something about Miranda’s Jewishness? Pomona coping with her mother’s unrealistic image of her? Pomona fulfilling Tim’s prediction and becoming head girl? Another school play-surely Miss Kempe would choose Twelfth Night when Lawrie and Nicola are in the Sixth, and Pomona and Miranda might be cast as Malvolio and Antonio respectively? Femslash-probably not with each other, unless you feel strongly about it, but there are plenty of other options. Any of these ideas or none of them, whatever you prefer.
Ookiku Furikabutte-Asa Higuchi (Kyohei Akimaru)
Oh Akimaru. I love the Nishiura boys, but Akimaru gives me all the feels, as the kids say. I’ve always had a thing about catchers in glasses (look up Atsuya Furuta). I love Akimaru’s easy-going competence and calm off the baseball field, with a perspective that seems entirely different from that of the rest of the baseball boys, and his clear view on himself and others with a twist of ironic humor, and the way it all disintegrates when he’s actually playing. I will read just about anything Akimaru-centric you want to write. Any other characters are fine too, as you please.
I seem to be sort of fussy about this fandom, and I do have some requests:
1) Please keep your Japanese background accurate-I don’t mean researching obsessively, just nothing like “X asks Y to the prom” where another country’s customs are imported without thought. I’ve lived in Japan for fifteen years and tend to be sensitive to this, although I’m not too worried in this fandom where people seem to do pretty well as a rule.
2) I, um, sort of ship Abe/Mihashi? They could be friends, lovers, just teammates, or not in the fic at all, but I’d rather not see them paired with other people.
3) It’s hard to write about Akimaru without writing about Haruna, and that’s fine, but I do want the central character to be Akimaru, not Akimaru’s feelings about Haruna, if that makes sense…
Anyway, as above, please take from this what you see fit; I’ve made some fairly specific requests/prompts, but as long as you’re kind enough to observe the do-not-like list, I’ll be delighted to read whatever you wanted to write. Many thanks.
Thank you for writing something for me. With the exception of the do-not-like stuff, please take any and all of this as optional suggestions only, and do what works for you. Not all of the stuff I like, for instance, may be applicable to all the fandoms I've requested; choose what makes sense to you.
Do not like: darkfic in general, incest, humiliation, NC-17 for either violence or sex (no moral objections, it's just not what I enjoy reading), blatant out-of-characterness, rape/dubcon, Christmas themes (again, not opposed to their existence in general, just not Christian myself).
Enjoy in particular: snappy dialogue, families of choice, playing with language(s), cuddling, work (in all definitions) and people being competent at it, scenes from everyday life.
I tend to prefer genfic, but have no objection at all to background romance/relationships, or even a slow-burn romance fic with a high gen ratio, as it were. Any pairing (m/f, m/m, f/f, threesome, you name it) is fine as long as you can make me believe in it.
By fandom (characters):
Creed Country Series-Jenny Overton (Veronica, Simon, Martin, Anne)
This is my “no way anybody will offer” fandom for the year, but why not. One thing I like about these two books is that even in a short span of time and pages you really see the characters growing and changing, and I’m curious to know how they went on-what happened to Veronica, Simon, and Martin around the sixth form, for instance? Did Anne carry out her plan to become a nun, or did Peter Mendel successfully distract her (and what did he think of it if he did?)? Any other characters-Sarah, Stephen, Gwyn, Cassy etc.-welcome too if you’re interested. As in the books, ideas on religion(s) and history always a good thing too.
Steerswoman Series-Rosemary Kirstein (Steffie, Zenna)
This is the request I make every year, and I still want it. What were Steffie and Zenna doing after Rowan and Bel left Alemeth? I’d love to see Steffie learning how to be a steersman from Zenna and also working to balance his ambitions with how the people of Alemeth have always seen him. Maybe casefic of some kind for the two of them, either something happening in Alemeth or something old that emerges as they sort the archives? (I selected these characters as the two I’d most like to read about, but would also be especially happy to read about Reeder and Ona, particularly after the events of the series so far.)
Juniper, Gentian and Rosemary-Pamela Dean (Alma, Erin, Becky, Steph)
I’m always about equally fascinated and frustrated by this book, and what I like most about it are Gentian’s four friends, each with her own take on the themes of the novel-femininity and gender in general, religion, art and science, conventionality and unconventionality, romance, togetherness and solitude, what you have in common with people and what makes you different from them. I’d love a missing scene from the book, futurefic (AU, fix-it fic, or otherwise), or anything where the four of them (and Gentian if you want, and any other characters who interest you) do something or talk about something or get involved in something…I’m sorry to be so vague, but I leave the rest up to you.
Marlows-Antonia Forest (Pomona, Miranda)
These two characters are especially close to my heart: Miranda, the smart Jewish girl who speaks her mind (and knows when not to) and keeps her head, and gives her heart carefully and permanently; Pomona, a dark horse who can come up with just the right thing at the right time (keeping a wicket, eating an unneeded plate of fish pie, suggesting a musical arrangement, providing a snack). I would love to see either or both of them in the sixth form, moving on to the next thing, solving a problem, on a day out of Kingscote, interacting with other characters-any welcome. Something musical, with Miranda’s violin and Pomona’s cello? Something about Miranda’s Jewishness? Pomona coping with her mother’s unrealistic image of her? Pomona fulfilling Tim’s prediction and becoming head girl? Another school play-surely Miss Kempe would choose Twelfth Night when Lawrie and Nicola are in the Sixth, and Pomona and Miranda might be cast as Malvolio and Antonio respectively? Femslash-probably not with each other, unless you feel strongly about it, but there are plenty of other options. Any of these ideas or none of them, whatever you prefer.
Ookiku Furikabutte-Asa Higuchi (Kyohei Akimaru)
Oh Akimaru. I love the Nishiura boys, but Akimaru gives me all the feels, as the kids say. I’ve always had a thing about catchers in glasses (look up Atsuya Furuta). I love Akimaru’s easy-going competence and calm off the baseball field, with a perspective that seems entirely different from that of the rest of the baseball boys, and his clear view on himself and others with a twist of ironic humor, and the way it all disintegrates when he’s actually playing. I will read just about anything Akimaru-centric you want to write. Any other characters are fine too, as you please.
I seem to be sort of fussy about this fandom, and I do have some requests:
1) Please keep your Japanese background accurate-I don’t mean researching obsessively, just nothing like “X asks Y to the prom” where another country’s customs are imported without thought. I’ve lived in Japan for fifteen years and tend to be sensitive to this, although I’m not too worried in this fandom where people seem to do pretty well as a rule.
2) I, um, sort of ship Abe/Mihashi? They could be friends, lovers, just teammates, or not in the fic at all, but I’d rather not see them paired with other people.
3) It’s hard to write about Akimaru without writing about Haruna, and that’s fine, but I do want the central character to be Akimaru, not Akimaru’s feelings about Haruna, if that makes sense…
Anyway, as above, please take from this what you see fit; I’ve made some fairly specific requests/prompts, but as long as you’re kind enough to observe the do-not-like list, I’ll be delighted to read whatever you wanted to write. Many thanks.