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Thank you so much for offering these fandoms! Optional prompts are available if you want them, but none of these relationships has more than one or two stories on AO3, if that, so I'm eager for pretty much anything.
Things I love (gen or 'ship):
Things I love ('ship-specific):
Things that are fine and/or encouraged:
Things to avoid:
Requests:
April Lady - Georgette Heyer (fanfic)
Relationship:
I'm a sucker for marriages of convenience with massive pining, and these two deliver beautifully. I'd love anything with the two of them. 5+1 fic about five nights they spent in the same bed before the conclusion of the book, where the +1 is the night after everything gets resolved? Or just pick up where the book leaves off, or maybe a short, bittersweet missing scene from earlier in their relationship. Or go AU if you like Heyer's more swashbuckling fiction, and come up with a resolution to their story that includes abductions or pistols at dawn!
I'd prefer it if Cardross didn't use endearments like "foolish little love" or even "little love"--Heyer uses those a lot, but I don't enjoy them. "Darling," "love," etc. are fine, but please avoid anything that sounds belittling.
The Divine Cities Series - Robert Jackson Bennett (fanfic or fanart)
Relationships:
Shara's relationships in this book were fascinating. I'd love to see her interacting with any or all of the people in my request at any point in the timeline. Something set pre-canon as she gets to know Sigrud? Even farther back when she meets his wife, Hild, and convinces her to leave for a more secure location? (We know so little about Hild, except that she was upper-class and impressed Shara with her strength of will.) Post-City of Stairs with Vinya, as they grapple with recent revelations and Vinya adjusts to her new position? Pre-canon with Vinya would be fascinating, too. I don't think we know exactly how old Shara was when her parents died, but I wonder how Vinya adjusted to raising a child while blazing an impressive career path, and I'm interested in how their relationship got to the point where Shara could coolly reflect that if her aunt wanted her dead, she'd be dead already.
For my Sigrud requests, I'm particularly interested in something post-City of Stairs, but there's a lot to work with in his backstory, as well. If you write about him and Hild after the first book, it's absolutely fine by me if they struggle to work out what they ought to be in each other's lives after such a long and eventful separation, and if she's pursued other relationships since his "death". My entirely optional headcanon is that he refrained from either sexual or romantic relationships during that time but did not expect her to do the same.
I plan to read City of Blades before reveals. Feel free to include elements from the sequel or just work from the first book, whichever you'd prefer. My last requested relationship involves a character mentioned in a review, which I'll talk about here to avoid spoilers.
The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner (fanfic or fanart)
Relationships:
My headcanon for these two is Eddis/politics/the magus, where politics get firmly in the way because both of them have bigger things at stake. I'd love either relationship or gen fic for them. Pre-canon, how did the magus decide Eddis should be queen of his country, and how did the initial negotiations progress? If you want to focus on something during canon, maybe a missing scene while Gen is recovering at the end of the first book, or something to explain how the magus got to the point of using Helen's first name by King of Attolia. Or something post-canon, leading up to Eddis' wedding or dealing with the Medes.
I'd also be thrilled with canon divergence-style AUs in this fandom--maybe the magus succeeds in getting Eddis to marry Sophos' uncle, one way or another.
These two seem to have a genuine fondness for one another, and quiet character moments exploring that would be great. I'd also love to hear about how their political goals diverge and converge, including the reasons and ways they're willing to take advantage of one another. I'm a sucker for political intrigue, diplomacy (in anyone's name!), and respectful relationships complicated by widely different priorities.
Please don't include adultery. If you're writing a 'ship fic, I'd prefer an AU where Eddis & Sophos aren't married, something set before CoK, or a story where tension is present (maybe even acknowledged) but not acted on. Whether you're writing gen or 'ship fic, background Eddis/Sophos is fine.
Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold (fanfic or fanart)
Relationships:
I love these two so much. Cerebral introverts learning to face difficult life situations with grace and competence--yes, please! This is my crack ship of choice for the Vorkosiverse, but I also wish we'd seen more of them interacting as in-laws of a sort after Civil Campaign, so I'd be fascinated by gen fic or art of them getting to know one another. Why might they spend time together? There's the connection through Miles, of course, but Gregor's scenes with Nikki are wonderful, or maybe Ekaterin sees him through Laisa or Cordelia.
If you're going with 'ship fic, how about an AU? Ekaterin is one of the eligible Vor maidens Alys parades in front of Gregor, and they bond over mutual aversion to the process. Or the events in Komarr somehow go down without Miles' involvement, and Ekaterin comes to Gregor's attention as a result.
Please don't include adultery. If you're writing a 'ship fic, I'd prefer an AU where they aren't married to other people. Alternatively, a story where the tension is present (maybe even acknowledged) but not acted on, and where they're both committed to and very much in love with their spouses. If you'd rather write a negotiated poly situation, have at it, though I have some trouble imagining Miles signing on! I would be fine with Ekaterin/Laisa as part of it, but I don't ship Miles/Gregor.
comments at http://pendrecarc.dreamwidth.org/182108.html. Feel free to comment wherever you prefer.
Things I love (gen or 'ship):
- Characters whose priorities and interests are in agreement at some times and in conflict at others
- Deep caring and respect between characters, even if they disagree, and even or especially if it's not stated outright. I'm all about the reserve and repression
- Not so much H/C as "I thought I lost/was going to lose you" situations, where the characters' reactions make it clear how much they care for one another--though H/C is also fine!
- For fanart, visual worldbuilding is fascinating--what can clothing or location convey about the setting?
Things I love ('ship-specific):
- Stories where the characters have goals other than romance
- Marriage of convenience with pining (either from the start or developing over time)
Things that are fine and/or encouraged:
- Fic that plays with nontraditional POV and narrative styles, especially if it’s in keeping with the source material
- Canon divergence AUs
- Sex/gender AUs of the always-a-woman variety. If this means you'd be writing femslash for a pairing that would otherwise be het, I'm all for that
- Canon-typical levels of character death and nonsexual violence
- For 'ship fic, I won't be disappointed if the sex scenes fade to black, or if there's no sex at all
Things to avoid:
- Sexual violence, noncon, or dubcon
- Infidelity
- PWP (including sex is fine, especially if the style is in keeping with the tone of the canon)
- For fanart, please no nudity
- AUs, except for canon divergence
- Established relationship for non-canonical pairings, though this is a just preference and not a hard do-not-want. If you're invested in a great established relationship idea, feel free to run with it
Requests:
April Lady - Georgette Heyer (fanfic)
Relationship:
- Nell Merion Countess of Cardross/Giles Merion Earl of Cardross
I'm a sucker for marriages of convenience with massive pining, and these two deliver beautifully. I'd love anything with the two of them. 5+1 fic about five nights they spent in the same bed before the conclusion of the book, where the +1 is the night after everything gets resolved? Or just pick up where the book leaves off, or maybe a short, bittersweet missing scene from earlier in their relationship. Or go AU if you like Heyer's more swashbuckling fiction, and come up with a resolution to their story that includes abductions or pistols at dawn!
I'd prefer it if Cardross didn't use endearments like "foolish little love" or even "little love"--Heyer uses those a lot, but I don't enjoy them. "Darling," "love," etc. are fine, but please avoid anything that sounds belittling.
The Divine Cities Series - Robert Jackson Bennett (fanfic or fanart)
Relationships:
- Ashara "Shara" Komayd & Hild
- Ashara "Shara" Komayd & Vinya Komayd
- Sigrud je Harkvaldsson & Ashara "Shara" Komayd
- Sigrud je Harkvaldsson/Hild
- Sigrud je Harkvaldsson & Signe
Shara's relationships in this book were fascinating. I'd love to see her interacting with any or all of the people in my request at any point in the timeline. Something set pre-canon as she gets to know Sigrud? Even farther back when she meets his wife, Hild, and convinces her to leave for a more secure location? (We know so little about Hild, except that she was upper-class and impressed Shara with her strength of will.) Post-City of Stairs with Vinya, as they grapple with recent revelations and Vinya adjusts to her new position? Pre-canon with Vinya would be fascinating, too. I don't think we know exactly how old Shara was when her parents died, but I wonder how Vinya adjusted to raising a child while blazing an impressive career path, and I'm interested in how their relationship got to the point where Shara could coolly reflect that if her aunt wanted her dead, she'd be dead already.
For my Sigrud requests, I'm particularly interested in something post-City of Stairs, but there's a lot to work with in his backstory, as well. If you write about him and Hild after the first book, it's absolutely fine by me if they struggle to work out what they ought to be in each other's lives after such a long and eventful separation, and if she's pursued other relationships since his "death". My entirely optional headcanon is that he refrained from either sexual or romantic relationships during that time but did not expect her to do the same.
I plan to read City of Blades before reveals. Feel free to include elements from the sequel or just work from the first book, whichever you'd prefer. My last requested relationship involves a character mentioned in a review, which I'll talk about here to avoid spoilers.
The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner (fanfic or fanart)
Relationships:
- Eddis & The Magus
- Eddis/The Magus
My headcanon for these two is Eddis/politics/the magus, where politics get firmly in the way because both of them have bigger things at stake. I'd love either relationship or gen fic for them. Pre-canon, how did the magus decide Eddis should be queen of his country, and how did the initial negotiations progress? If you want to focus on something during canon, maybe a missing scene while Gen is recovering at the end of the first book, or something to explain how the magus got to the point of using Helen's first name by King of Attolia. Or something post-canon, leading up to Eddis' wedding or dealing with the Medes.
I'd also be thrilled with canon divergence-style AUs in this fandom--maybe the magus succeeds in getting Eddis to marry Sophos' uncle, one way or another.
These two seem to have a genuine fondness for one another, and quiet character moments exploring that would be great. I'd also love to hear about how their political goals diverge and converge, including the reasons and ways they're willing to take advantage of one another. I'm a sucker for political intrigue, diplomacy (in anyone's name!), and respectful relationships complicated by widely different priorities.
Please don't include adultery. If you're writing a 'ship fic, I'd prefer an AU where Eddis & Sophos aren't married, something set before CoK, or a story where tension is present (maybe even acknowledged) but not acted on. Whether you're writing gen or 'ship fic, background Eddis/Sophos is fine.
Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold (fanfic or fanart)
Relationships:
- Gregor Vorbarra/Ekaterin Vorsoisson Vorkosigan
- Gregor Vorbarra & Ekaterin Vorsoisson Vorkosigan
I love these two so much. Cerebral introverts learning to face difficult life situations with grace and competence--yes, please! This is my crack ship of choice for the Vorkosiverse, but I also wish we'd seen more of them interacting as in-laws of a sort after Civil Campaign, so I'd be fascinated by gen fic or art of them getting to know one another. Why might they spend time together? There's the connection through Miles, of course, but Gregor's scenes with Nikki are wonderful, or maybe Ekaterin sees him through Laisa or Cordelia.
If you're going with 'ship fic, how about an AU? Ekaterin is one of the eligible Vor maidens Alys parades in front of Gregor, and they bond over mutual aversion to the process. Or the events in Komarr somehow go down without Miles' involvement, and Ekaterin comes to Gregor's attention as a result.
Please don't include adultery. If you're writing a 'ship fic, I'd prefer an AU where they aren't married to other people. Alternatively, a story where the tension is present (maybe even acknowledged) but not acted on, and where they're both committed to and very much in love with their spouses. If you'd rather write a negotiated poly situation, have at it, though I have some trouble imagining Miles signing on! I would be fine with Ekaterin/Laisa as part of it, but I don't ship Miles/Gregor.
comments at http://pendrecarc.dreamwidth.org/182108.html. Feel free to comment wherever you prefer.