Yuletide 2016
Oct. 1st, 2016 08:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
megkipsDear Yuletide Author,
Hi! I hope that we have matched on something that you’re genuinely enthusiastic about, and that this letter provides some useful prompt ideas.
In general, I gravitate towards gen that heavily feature world building, politics, close friendships, mythology, and the ethics of governance and war. I'm always interested in seeing characters navigate tricky situations no matter the plot, and I adore playing around with story format. If you enjoy writing epistolary fic, scrapbook stories, twitter fic, or playing around with how the text is being transcribed, then please, go for it.
In terms of do not wants here, I'd like to request no smut, no AUs*, and no porn. Canonical level violence, sexuality, etc. is perfectly fine. (Note: This is ESPECIALLY true for Penny Dreadful.)
I'm okay with romance - although I will say that I find romance much more compelling when it goes beyond ‘this couple is in love’ and get into how the people involved in the relationship interact with each other on a daily basis. Seeing how they interact, if their relationship is built on gently teasing each other, working towards goals, or small acts of kindness that demonstrate their romance is a lot more interesting to me, since it provides an opportunity to explore the character's relationship with themselves as well as with the other person.
*Penny Dreadful request excluded, as I know many people, including myself, who were unhappy with the series conclusion. See request for further details.
ロード・エルメロイⅡ世の事件簿 | Lord El-Melloi II Case Files
Characters: Flat Escardos, Gray, Waver Velvet, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte
NOTE: I’ve requested all the characters in the tagset available, but you’re under no obligation to include everyone.
When I heard about the Lord El-Melloi II Case Files being released at the end of 2014, I was absolutely thrilled. Waver finally having his own series was truly a delight, and hearing that the focus was his time between the Fourth and Fifth War, with his crew of students plus Reines sent me over the moon - especially since it involved more Flat. Now that we have volume 1 translated, I can only say that I’m glad for the series and glad to have a new cast of characters to explore.
What I love about the characters I’ve chosen is their dynamic with Waver. Flat makes life chaotic, oh yes, but Waver endures him for some reason - apparently out of concern for Flat’s safety, if the wiki is anything to go by. Gray is absolutely fascinating as a character because of her lineage, yes, but also because she’s stuck beside Waver and acts as his assistant. I’d love to see more of that, and then, then there’s Reines. I adore the relationship we’ve seen between Reines and Waver so far, with her treating him like a servant or sibling depending on what she needs from him. This particular relationship strikes me as the most unique in the series, as it’s very much a patronage sort of arrangement, with enough close affection for it to be genuine but an unshakeable power dynamic as well.
Honestly, there’s a lot I’d like to see. An exploration of what the above relationships are like beyond what we’re given in canon would be lovely. For example, we know in Fate/apocrypha that Flat sometimes takes VH out to the movies, but that serves to pose more questions like what kind of low-key shenanigans happen on a daily basis? How does the group say, control VH’s terminator outbursts? How have Reines and Waver developed their relationship since he was first given the Lord El-Melloi II title? How does Gray spend her days off when she isn’t around Waver? What challenges faces this group as a whole? Or perhaps there are other cases they’ve gotten into that we haven’t seen.
Then again, there’s also the conclusion of volume one of the Case Files, where Waver agrees that he would take Gray to the next Grail War so she could meet Rider. How might that meeting go? What would Rider think of Gray, and Waver being halfway between her teacher and her parent?
Volume 1 is translated here
Agora
Characters: Hypatia, Orestes
Agora is a movie that I love for many reasons, including but not limited to the film’s focus on early Christianity and the politics thereof, the emphasis on books and the preservation of knowledge, and the way it demonstrates how intense religious conflict was throughout the empire. I also love it because of the relationship that we see between Hypatia and Orestes in the second half of the film featuring Orestes as prefect and Hypatia providing counsel. The smaller things, like Orestes refusing to allow people to insult her in the senate and somehow they still finding time to conduct experiments on boats and talk about philosophy really gets my interest going, and makes me wonder how they went from the first half of the movie to what we see in the second half.
I’d be delighted to see fic that tracks their developing friendship as Orestes rises up the ranks and Hypatia continues to teach in the prevailing political environment. What are the obstacles that they end up dealing with? How are they overcome? How do they maintain, or else advance, their respective positions? How does Hypatia’s research progress? How did their relationship come to be what see in the second half of the film?
Agora is streaming on Amazon and likely available at your local library
Fate/Grand Order
Character: Leonardo da Vinci | Caster (Fate/Grand Order)
Simply put, Fate/Grand Order is an insane mishmash of seemingly all the good and bad in Fate/ with a particular emphasis on the wildest storylines imaginable and truly ridiculous character moments mixed with serious ones. It is the last part that truly has me interested in Grand Order as an entry into Fate/, and that is what I’m requesting here.
With all that said, Fate/Grand Order's interpretation of Leonardo DaVinci’s a delight, she really is, and I’d really be up for anything involving her. I’d love to see how she decided on her Top Five Hotties list (no English translation but the list speaks for itself), or else what she does when she isn’t running the shop. Anything about servants she gets on with, or doesn’t, would be awesome too, as would any reflection on how the modern world compares to the Renaissance she lived through.
Note: Fate/Grand Order translations are patchy at best. Out of all the resources available, Cirnopedia and Chaldeum are the best. Reddit has collected summaries of major events.
The Golem and the Jinni
Characters: Chava, Ahmad
When I first read this novel’s summary, I was immediately sold on the idea of a golem and a djinni having an unlikely friendship and adventures in 19th century New York City. When I finished the novel, I was not only delighted by their relationship, but by the conversations they had. The philosophy and the opinions informed by not just their religious backgrounds as well as their experiences with humanity were my favourite parts of the book, and constituted some of the best dialog in my opinion.
I’d love to see what conversations transpire between them as they continue to live in New York City. How do Chava and Ahmad reacting to their communities growing and changing? What events impact them most? How does the city changing around them provoke new discussions? Are there new venues they go to, or is it always still the same spots? How do they grow alongside the city, and where does that take them?
The Golem and the Jinni can be found here or wherever you prefer to buy books, and is likely available at your local library.
Penny Dreadful
Characters: Dracula, Mr. Lyle
NOTE: Not all characters listed need to be included in the fic
Penny Dreadful ended up being one of my favourite shows not just because I am an utter sucker for Victorian monster mashes, but because all of the talents involved in the show made it a pure, over the top joy to watch. The production values also contributed to my enjoyment of the show, but more than anything else, I fell in love with how the characters interconnected through all three seasons. There still are many stories to tell in this world, and a rich pop culture to draw on. That said, there are two particular things that stand out to me that relate to the cast.
Dracula: It was interesting seeing how Penny Dreadful decided to swing with Dracula in season three, but there was one question that I kept coming back to more than any other, and that is: how the hell did he get that museum curator job?! I’d love to see that particular story and how it connects to the greater Mother of Evil plot, or if it does at all. Dracula does need hobbies too, and maybe this gig was a job he genuinely enjoyed. Maybe not. Either way, it is such a particular detail that deserves to be expanded on.
Mr. Lyle: I adore Mr. Lyle so much. So much. I loved how he came into his own in season two and I love how quickly he became a part of the group. What I didn’t love was how quickly he left season three, and how the show seemed to tease at the idea of a mummy encounter if the gang all went to Egypt with him. With that said, I’d love to see some of Mr. Lyle’s adventures in Egypt - either around the time of season three or earlier in his life, before he became involved with the British Museum. Heck, I’d love to know how he got into Egyptian antiquities in the first place, or else got to the post he holds in present canon. Anything exploring his own adventures with or without everyone else would be lovely.
Note: If you would like ignore elements of season 3 for this or else work within a canon divergence AU where the events of s3 played out differently, then please, by all means, do so.
All three seasons of Penny Dreadful are streaming on Netflix.
Hi! I hope that we have matched on something that you’re genuinely enthusiastic about, and that this letter provides some useful prompt ideas.
In general, I gravitate towards gen that heavily feature world building, politics, close friendships, mythology, and the ethics of governance and war. I'm always interested in seeing characters navigate tricky situations no matter the plot, and I adore playing around with story format. If you enjoy writing epistolary fic, scrapbook stories, twitter fic, or playing around with how the text is being transcribed, then please, go for it.
In terms of do not wants here, I'd like to request no smut, no AUs*, and no porn. Canonical level violence, sexuality, etc. is perfectly fine. (Note: This is ESPECIALLY true for Penny Dreadful.)
I'm okay with romance - although I will say that I find romance much more compelling when it goes beyond ‘this couple is in love’ and get into how the people involved in the relationship interact with each other on a daily basis. Seeing how they interact, if their relationship is built on gently teasing each other, working towards goals, or small acts of kindness that demonstrate their romance is a lot more interesting to me, since it provides an opportunity to explore the character's relationship with themselves as well as with the other person.
*Penny Dreadful request excluded, as I know many people, including myself, who were unhappy with the series conclusion. See request for further details.
ロード・エルメロイⅡ世の事件簿 | Lord El-Melloi II Case Files
Characters: Flat Escardos, Gray, Waver Velvet, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte
NOTE: I’ve requested all the characters in the tagset available, but you’re under no obligation to include everyone.
When I heard about the Lord El-Melloi II Case Files being released at the end of 2014, I was absolutely thrilled. Waver finally having his own series was truly a delight, and hearing that the focus was his time between the Fourth and Fifth War, with his crew of students plus Reines sent me over the moon - especially since it involved more Flat. Now that we have volume 1 translated, I can only say that I’m glad for the series and glad to have a new cast of characters to explore.
What I love about the characters I’ve chosen is their dynamic with Waver. Flat makes life chaotic, oh yes, but Waver endures him for some reason - apparently out of concern for Flat’s safety, if the wiki is anything to go by. Gray is absolutely fascinating as a character because of her lineage, yes, but also because she’s stuck beside Waver and acts as his assistant. I’d love to see more of that, and then, then there’s Reines. I adore the relationship we’ve seen between Reines and Waver so far, with her treating him like a servant or sibling depending on what she needs from him. This particular relationship strikes me as the most unique in the series, as it’s very much a patronage sort of arrangement, with enough close affection for it to be genuine but an unshakeable power dynamic as well.
Honestly, there’s a lot I’d like to see. An exploration of what the above relationships are like beyond what we’re given in canon would be lovely. For example, we know in Fate/apocrypha that Flat sometimes takes VH out to the movies, but that serves to pose more questions like what kind of low-key shenanigans happen on a daily basis? How does the group say, control VH’s terminator outbursts? How have Reines and Waver developed their relationship since he was first given the Lord El-Melloi II title? How does Gray spend her days off when she isn’t around Waver? What challenges faces this group as a whole? Or perhaps there are other cases they’ve gotten into that we haven’t seen.
Then again, there’s also the conclusion of volume one of the Case Files, where Waver agrees that he would take Gray to the next Grail War so she could meet Rider. How might that meeting go? What would Rider think of Gray, and Waver being halfway between her teacher and her parent?
Volume 1 is translated here
Agora
Characters: Hypatia, Orestes
Agora is a movie that I love for many reasons, including but not limited to the film’s focus on early Christianity and the politics thereof, the emphasis on books and the preservation of knowledge, and the way it demonstrates how intense religious conflict was throughout the empire. I also love it because of the relationship that we see between Hypatia and Orestes in the second half of the film featuring Orestes as prefect and Hypatia providing counsel. The smaller things, like Orestes refusing to allow people to insult her in the senate and somehow they still finding time to conduct experiments on boats and talk about philosophy really gets my interest going, and makes me wonder how they went from the first half of the movie to what we see in the second half.
I’d be delighted to see fic that tracks their developing friendship as Orestes rises up the ranks and Hypatia continues to teach in the prevailing political environment. What are the obstacles that they end up dealing with? How are they overcome? How do they maintain, or else advance, their respective positions? How does Hypatia’s research progress? How did their relationship come to be what see in the second half of the film?
Agora is streaming on Amazon and likely available at your local library
Fate/Grand Order
Character: Leonardo da Vinci | Caster (Fate/Grand Order)
Simply put, Fate/Grand Order is an insane mishmash of seemingly all the good and bad in Fate/ with a particular emphasis on the wildest storylines imaginable and truly ridiculous character moments mixed with serious ones. It is the last part that truly has me interested in Grand Order as an entry into Fate/, and that is what I’m requesting here.
With all that said, Fate/Grand Order's interpretation of Leonardo DaVinci’s a delight, she really is, and I’d really be up for anything involving her. I’d love to see how she decided on her Top Five Hotties list (no English translation but the list speaks for itself), or else what she does when she isn’t running the shop. Anything about servants she gets on with, or doesn’t, would be awesome too, as would any reflection on how the modern world compares to the Renaissance she lived through.
Note: Fate/Grand Order translations are patchy at best. Out of all the resources available, Cirnopedia and Chaldeum are the best. Reddit has collected summaries of major events.
The Golem and the Jinni
Characters: Chava, Ahmad
When I first read this novel’s summary, I was immediately sold on the idea of a golem and a djinni having an unlikely friendship and adventures in 19th century New York City. When I finished the novel, I was not only delighted by their relationship, but by the conversations they had. The philosophy and the opinions informed by not just their religious backgrounds as well as their experiences with humanity were my favourite parts of the book, and constituted some of the best dialog in my opinion.
I’d love to see what conversations transpire between them as they continue to live in New York City. How do Chava and Ahmad reacting to their communities growing and changing? What events impact them most? How does the city changing around them provoke new discussions? Are there new venues they go to, or is it always still the same spots? How do they grow alongside the city, and where does that take them?
The Golem and the Jinni can be found here or wherever you prefer to buy books, and is likely available at your local library.
Penny Dreadful
Characters: Dracula, Mr. Lyle
NOTE: Not all characters listed need to be included in the fic
Penny Dreadful ended up being one of my favourite shows not just because I am an utter sucker for Victorian monster mashes, but because all of the talents involved in the show made it a pure, over the top joy to watch. The production values also contributed to my enjoyment of the show, but more than anything else, I fell in love with how the characters interconnected through all three seasons. There still are many stories to tell in this world, and a rich pop culture to draw on. That said, there are two particular things that stand out to me that relate to the cast.
Dracula: It was interesting seeing how Penny Dreadful decided to swing with Dracula in season three, but there was one question that I kept coming back to more than any other, and that is: how the hell did he get that museum curator job?! I’d love to see that particular story and how it connects to the greater Mother of Evil plot, or if it does at all. Dracula does need hobbies too, and maybe this gig was a job he genuinely enjoyed. Maybe not. Either way, it is such a particular detail that deserves to be expanded on.
Mr. Lyle: I adore Mr. Lyle so much. So much. I loved how he came into his own in season two and I love how quickly he became a part of the group. What I didn’t love was how quickly he left season three, and how the show seemed to tease at the idea of a mummy encounter if the gang all went to Egypt with him. With that said, I’d love to see some of Mr. Lyle’s adventures in Egypt - either around the time of season three or earlier in his life, before he became involved with the British Museum. Heck, I’d love to know how he got into Egyptian antiquities in the first place, or else got to the post he holds in present canon. Anything exploring his own adventures with or without everyone else would be lovely.
Note: If you would like ignore elements of season 3 for this or else work within a canon divergence AU where the events of s3 played out differently, then please, by all means, do so.
All three seasons of Penny Dreadful are streaming on Netflix.