It's Yuletide once again!
A happy Yuletide to you, writer-person, and a preemptive thank you for writing for me and assurance that you? You are awesome. Yuletide is special for me in a lot of ways, and receiving fic for tiny fandoms really is a treat that makes the holidays all the better. I am a pretty omnivorous reader and will be excited to read anything about my favourite characters and worlds - there's no real going wrong.
I hope you find a prompt or two here that interests you and will be fun to write as well, but if you have an idea that you'd like to write that will fit along the themes I've requested, go for it!
Quick points of things I like:
- No story needs to include ALL characters. Any is fine!
- Worldbuild Worldbuild Worldbuild.
- Culture clash, fish out of water scenarios
- Power dynamics
- Very self-aware characters kicking ass in rough situations
- Survival
- Plot over Fluff
- Fluff over Unresolved Endings
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**The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison**
Maia Drazhar, Deret Beshelar, Kiru Athmaza, Cala Athmaza
(TLDR: This story is Hurt/Comfort with all the hurt and no comfort. I want fic that balances some of that out!)
I adore this book and it left me gut-punched in the best possible ways, but there were times I was left wanting more from the characters and perspective. The tropes are things I adore (sworn/bonded guards, traumatic childhoods, nobility and class differences, language use) but I finished the book wanting to just have someone HUG MAIA for goodness sake.... ANYWAY!
I'd love love love some outside perspective on Maia from his Nohecharei - or Csethiro or Csevet who I didn't specify but if you want to include them, feel free! I'd equally love to see Maia being more self aware of himself and what he's doing to himself.
Points I'd Love Expanded On:
Maia and the fallout from his childhood:
We get a few tiny slivers of reactions from the cast when they learn about Maia's history and abuse. I would love to see how the Nohechari discuss it among themselves, how it changes how they interact with Maia and those around Maia. How they translate that into Maia's coping mechanisms for safety, and how little he worries about his own physical self.
Maia and his Meditation/His Nohechari's Presence:
Cala and Deret both are surprised that Maia thinks they would judge him for his need to meditate. Why? They clearly judge and inform him prior to this. I'd love the pair of them realizing how on guard Maia is around them, that their actions have had this effect, and that it isn't a benefit to anyone - least of all Maia.
Maia And His Health/Food/Identity: The novel constantly repeats subtle nods at Maia's health: he skips his meals or eats little, has no appetite, has awful headaches, refuses to look at himself in the mirror, and others comment and ask if he's well. I feel he's disassociating from himself as a way to handle how little he recognizes who he has become. How that could be remedied or resolved? I'd prefer this to focus on it being a result of stress and fixing the issue, not as Maia with an eating disorder.
Maia and his kidnapping: When Maia's questioned, after being kidnapped, he admits plainly that he'd have signed his abdication knowing that it would mean his death. He's upset about this, but also resigned. I would love a look into how little Maia values his own life beyond the power he represents, and how that affects his staff.
World Build Bonus points: The practice of Nohecharei have been an institution for centuries and are always provided by a set group: There's no way that nothing was written, over the years, about best care and practice of guarding your Emperor against harm both inside and out. What rules are they trying to follow, or break? Or is there really no guideline at all?
As you can see, I have a great deal of FEELINGS about Maia and his support structures and would love to see those examined. Feel welcome to write anything - a series of small snippets, fix it scenes or alternates, something set after the end of the book, an overarching plot or just a character motivated Hurt/Comfort. You want to add porn? Go for it - I don't particularly ship Maia with his Nohecharei or Csvet directly because they are so distant to him for so long, but I'd totally ship something where those feelings were allowed to grow first.
I'd prefer not to receive: PWP, anything where Maia is a wilting flower submissive trope, ambiguous endings.
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Tangled: The Series
Cassandra, Rapunzel
This is one of those series I want to love SO MUCH but I struggle with how often it goes halfway with its ideas. What I really want, more than anything else, is some serious conversations between Rapunzel and Cassandra - conversations they really need to be having!
((Crap assignments went out before I could cannon review uh IF WE MATCHED HERE I am SO SORRY I ended up sick and didn't get to double check. I feel like my statements are true but I only watched this series once, will be reviewing asap))
Cassandra forces Rapunzel to lie for her - and threatens her if she doesn't. This isn't the act of a friend, this is an act of abuse. And Cassandra is not a bad person! I'd really love Cassandra - who is far more world aware than Rapunzel is, educated and self sufficient - I'd love her to realize how much she takes advantage of Rapunzel and how messed up Rapunzel is from being abused and gaslit by Gothel for her whole life?
I'd likewise love to see Rapunzel take a stand against her father, because what the HECK series?? Rapunzel has gone from one tower to another, and I know the series tries to frame it as 'not good' but when Rapunzel's mother's suggestion is 'just hide your exploits from your father' and Rapunzel never once points out the similarities of her parents AND Gothel, I'm disappointed.
I've dealt with abuse my whole life and really identify with Rapunzel, I suppose, but the show makes her dumb as a brick sometimes and I'd love to see her brilliance - she's a genius engineer and amazing artist - actually shine. I'd love to see her gain a backbone and be able to make boundaries for herself.
John Wick (Movie)
John Wick
These prompts are far less involved than requests 2&3 but please don't think I like it less, I just have less FEELINGS!! about this movie that need keyboard mashing and instead would love to see your take on anything! You really can't go wrong!
WORLDBUILD: I will love just about anything that examines the world John Wick lives in: the coins, the clothes, the guns, the bars, how does it all *work*? When does it break down? How does it get fixed? How did it get started? Want to write just worldbuilding and skip John completely? I'm game! The thing I love about this flick is the world it happens in.
A few potential prompts:
John and his contacts! Who does he know, from where? I love the *respect* everyone has for him and what he was/is again.
John picking out his final inventory for his One Last Job with his wife watching on, *knowing* he will succeed.
John and his cars: I mean, it's clear he knows his wheels inside and out.
Who trained John? What was their relationship like? He had to learn the 'rules' somewhere.
John's (sex) life before his wife! (Porn optional) and or John's INTRODUCTION to the life as a hitman.
Bonus points for anything involving folks having that turnpin reaction of 'Oh. John. I'l... leave you be" due to his reputation. They're some of my favourite parts of the movie.
Want to write porn? I have a preference for m/m but that's not binding. What I'm more interested in the porn is power dynamics: age and experience gaps, service and loyalty ideas, commander/subordinate positions but not the abuse of power. "This is fucked up but we're both along for the ride" is great, "This is fucked up and I have to take it" is not. I hate to say 'look at someone else's letter' but if I could just copy and paste Karanguni's likes and porn list here, I would.
(Seriously, I could not write my list better than that and you could take ONE of those points and run with it and I'd die of happiness)