Dear Yuletide Writer
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Firstly, I would like to say thank you for the time and effort that you are willing to put into making me a wonderful winter-holiday gift :) Length of fandom sections or the order the fandoms are in is no indication of how much I want fic for any given fandom; I would be ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED to receive fic in any of the fandoms I asked for. Optional details are optional, of course, but if you're like me and like to have lots of info to work with, I've tried to provide some info on the sorts of things I like (and don't) and give prompts for each of my fandoms.
GENERAL STUFF
Parings/Sex/Ratings:
Likes:
Likes:
Екатерина | Catherine (TV 2014)
Characters Requested: Peter, Brockdorff
This canon is a 12 episode show/mini-series. You can find the canon in its entirety on Youtube either with English subtitles or without.
Oh this show. I give it props for not completely capitulating to the popularized imagine of Peter III. All of my “grumble grumble this isn’t how it went/was grumble grumble” aside, I’m actually head-over-heals in love. Especially with Peter, who won my heart. Peter, who has all these issue and tends to act like a snot a lot. But there is so much genuine desperation, fear and unhappiness in his character that I just want to give him all the hugs. And of course it all ends so tragically.
So, really quick. This isn’t an RPF request, so I’m not expecting anyone to do extra historical research, really, but in case you’re interested:
[Who the hell is Christian August von Brockroff anyway?]Before Peter III was called to Russia to take his place as the crown prince, he grew up in Kiel (a Prussian city and the “capital” of Holstein). His father was close with Brockdorff’s father. A Lady Brockdorff was also prominent at the Kiel court but it’s uncertain whether she was Christian’s mother or another relative. Peter and Brockdorff likely knew each other as kids/teens because by the time Peter was called to Russia (he was 14), Brümmer, who was in charge of Peter’s education after the boy’s father died, advised Russian ministers that Brockdorff had such an influence on Peter, that he should not be allowed into the country. (Brümmer considered it negative influence, but given the man’s tendency to be abusive and generally not give a damn about Peter’s best interests, his assessment is highly suspect. Catherine didn’t like Brockdorff either, but they had a personal rivalry going.) So when Brockdorff tried to follow Peter to Russia, he was turned away at the border. Several years later he ended up basically sneaking into the country (in the guise of a glass merchant) anyway, came to Petersburg, got a warm reception from Peter and stayed as the latter’s Kammerherr.
Now, before I plunge into how much I ship Brockdorff/Peter (that is, A LOT) I would like to mention that I would also enjoy a gen take on this dynamic as well. The loyalty and protectiveness themes all still apply, so do the messed up power dynamics, etc. The thing is, I actually really love Liza Vorontsov and the canonical Peter/Liza relationship. In fact, I wouldn’t want her to be disregarded or mistreated or her relationship with Peter minimalized or presented as not-important to either of them. I’d happily read a fic with all three of them (Peter, Liza and Brockdorff) doing something together. I love the idea of Brockdorff and Liza being friends - perhaps initially because of/through Peter - and then getting a chance to commiserate/mourn together after the coup.
That being said, I ship Peter and Brockdorff to hell and back! I even wrote a shipper’s manifesto if you’re interested. (Be advised, there are GIFs in the post, but they’re under spoiler cuts.)
Brockdorff is always in the background but also always around, even when it doesn’t seem like he has a “duty” to be. (Or any comprehensible reason? Like when Peter is woken up in the middle of the night to go watch Catherine give birth and Brockdorff is there with him. I mean, other than like providing moral support, why would he be there?) Even if you don’t want to use historical background, Brockdorff seems to be the one person who is always exclusively on Peter’s side. (Well, Liza too.) In that last scene before Peter gets arrested by Orlov and co., it’s Liza and Brockdorff who are with him and Brockdorff makes such a touching show of loyalty by offering to buy Peter time by “delaying” the guards regiment that’s coming for him. There are just so many little, subtle things. But the potential in this ship for loyalty kink and hurt/comfort and kinda awkward/messed up power dynamics is through the roof. This could even be a one-sided ship. I love the dynamic of the emotionally vulnerable, mildly daft Prince and his loyal and more competent/composed underling (chamberlain in this case).
You could go fluffy - private, happy moments. Maybe they fly that kite (and watch it burn up in the air!). Maybe the reason Peter mentioned the kite at all as something that would make him happy is because that’s something he and Brockdorff would do as kids back in Holstein before things got complicated. Pre-canon childhood fic in general! Triumphant moments/success during Peter’s short rule and/or grand plans for a brighter future. (Oooh! Their first kiss?) Some cute scenes with Pavel maybe? (Peter seems to go back-and-forth on whether or not he believes in Pavel being his son.) If they get into a relationship, when/how do they make the switch from formality to informality? (Especially Brockdorff, as Peter is already all over the place with his yous and thous. but Brockdorff is always overproper and I'd love to see how that formality may breakdown in intense/intimate moments.)
Or all the angst! Brockdorff’s one-sided love or a complicated relationship made even more complicated by Peter’s constantly worsening paranoia and dissatisfaction with everything. Peter having to leave home (Holstein) and everyone/everything he knows behind. Brockdorff dealing with the coup and Peter’s death - when you’ve basically committed and built your entire life around someone, that’s a lot of empty space to suddenly fill when they’re gone. Having to say goodbye when Peter is first called away to Russia (and Brockdorff swearing he’ll come and join him as soon as he can?).
Hurt/comfort would be amazing <3 Aftermath of Peter’s smallpox and all the emotional fallout and insecurity there and/or remaining physical weakness, for more tradition h/c. Or maybe Brockdorff walks in on Peter during a private breakdown/vulnerable moment after he finds out that Catherine is going to have a child after all and that child might very well not be his. Peter’s constantly dealing with a lot - social pressures of being the heir, insecurity/sense of inferiority instilled by Elizabeth’s constant disappointment, homesickness (especially during his first years in Russia), a failed marriage, constant fears about the future. It’s ripe for some hurt/comfort!
AU where Peter manages to escape his captors after the coup and he and Brockdorff run away to Holstein and live (more or less) happily ever after? Just lots of loyalty kink and Brockdorff being protective and Peter being an adorable, frustratingly tactless dork? IDK. Basically, I’ll devour all of it!
War and Peace
Characters Requested: Dolokhov, Anatole
The book is in the public domain so finding it free online shouldn’t be an issue, but if you need somewhere to start HERE is one place you can try.
I ship Dolokhov/Anatole SUPER HARD. Dolokhov obviously tries to take care of Anatole in his own way (see scene where he tries to talk Anatole out of running away with Natasha) and canon even says that Anatole “genuinely loves” Dolokhov. Personal headcanon is that Dolokhov takes not just a leading but protector-type role in this relationship, but you can play with that as you like. I think Dolokhov would secretly enjoy being someone’s hero - he’s good at taking care of people he actually loves. I also feel like Anatole would allow him to be himself in a way that he doesn’t get to do elsewhere, because Anatole doesn’t expect him to be righteous nor is he judgmental nor does he care much for things like rank and position. They share interests, they share friends. It just works. (In fact, if you’d like to see some of my notes/meta on Anatole’s characterization, here’s my Anatole tumblr tag. It’s not all useful but in case you’re interested and linking to there prevents letter-bloat.)
You could do anything with these two! Happy fluffy summertime fic, banter, first time, UST (especially at a ball), friendship-turned-more, drunk fooling around. All the hurt/comfort (post-war/Borodino, post-Natasha fiasco, post-duel). Or awfully angsty war!fic. How does Dolokhov take Anatole’s death at Borodino? What about that whole Anatole/Natasha thing? How does that fit in? Did it cause a rupture in their relationship or was it a catalyst for realizing they have feelings for each other? Maybe Anatole has a teenage crush on Dolokhov, who ignores it at first because they have a significant age difference. Anatole goes away for some time (abroad?) and comes back a few years later. Suddenly, they’re both adults and maybe this time the tables have turned?
For something more “serious” - having to hide their relationship; maybe Anatole is in denial about having romantic feelings for men? There are some major socioeconomic imbalances in this relationship, but Dolokhov has the upper hand personality and intellect wise and an exploration of how all that translates into power dynamics within the relationship would be cool. Not to say that their relationship has to be flawless. With someone like Dolokhov it’s never going to be. I’m sure there would be plenty of jealousy and cheating and hurting each other (probably unintentional on Anatole’s end and intentional on Dolokhov’s). I’d be up for a kinda-fix-it where Anatole survives the war and well…that’s going to cause its own slew of problems and issues, but maybe a happy ending of sorts if you go in this direction? I do want these two to be happy, but their angst has the potential to be extremely delicious.
If you’re not up for writing shipfic, I would enjoy seeing how the dynamic of this relationship works as a platonic friendship. I think there would still be a lot of the same protectiveness from Dolokhov’s side and admiration from Anatole’s. I have a headcanon of them growing up friends, that originally they had neighboring summer estates (before the Dolokhovs lost theirs) so the Dolokhov and Kuragin children basically grew up together. I love childhood fics - they have the potential of being adorable. I would absolutely not mind if you included Helene and her relationship with Anatole and/or Dolokhov. If the three of them get up to some kind of shenanigans or intrigues ala Dangerous Liaisons I’d be down for that. I think Helene and Anatole are quite close and I can see Dolokhov and Helene as either BFFs or lovers, who are bound to each other, among other things, by their love for and protectiveness of Anatole.
18th Century Russia RPF
Characters Requested: Karl Peter von Holstein-Gottorp | Pyotr III Fyodorovich
...in English more commonly known as Peter III of Russia, so I’ll just call him Peter here for everyone’s convenience and sanity.
So…I’ve spent the last few days agonizing over how to word this request, what to put in here, what not to put in. Usually, I post my letters rather late, but I’m putting this one up early(ish) so that people can avoid (or not) as needed. I’m assuming, however, dear author, that if you offered to write Peter you must like him at least to some extent, and if you do, then we are likely, if not on the same page, then close to it.
The “general public knowledge” image of Peter is, honestly, utter bullshit. I don’t have a nicer way of putting this. The narrative has been generally dominated by the likes Catherine and Dashkova and other people who had obbvious, highly personal, reasons to show Peter as just the worst and historians who took these people at their word for...idk what reason, really. Incompetance, disinterest...idk. However, level-headed historians, even “traditionalists,” who focus their study on Peter himself (as opposed to, say, Catherine) have been able to debunk some of the most pervasive and uglier myths about him as a person if not as a ruler. (R. N. Bain is a good example of this.) Lately, there’s been a fair amount of new scholarship focused specifically on Peter, scholarship that presents a completely different picture than people may be used to. (Mylnikov (1, 2), Leonard, Palmer.) And this, this is where I’m coming from. This is the guy I’ve been kinda obsessed with lately and really, really want fic about.
So Peter.
Peter, the workaholic enthusiast who signed over 200 new edicts within his short six-month rule. Who got up early and attempted the overwhelming task to overseeing everything himself, and yet still had time to party in the evenings. Who upbraided his senators for not coming to work on time and was constantly shocked and upset by the lack of discipline in the guards regiments.
Peter, the liberal reformer and idealist who launched a series of very progressive reforms.[here is a short list]Here’s a short list: emancipated the nobility, abolished the secret chancellery/police (known for torture), required education for the children nobles and provided for the establishment of technical schools for lower-class children in several cities, removed restrictions on various exports, secularized church lands and surfs, ended the persecution of Old Believers (and generally insisted that violence not be used again non-Christians, although from what I understand, this wasn’t formal legislation), recalled political exiles, made the murder of a surf by a their master/a nobleman a severely punishable crime, got rid of the slovo i delo system of denunciation. He also began a codification of the laws, but this never went anywhere - not enough time - and had wanted/tried to end/reduce corruption in the bureaucracy. (Silly boy, no one’s been able to do this before or since.)Peter, who wanted to be remembered for the good things he did during his rule, who refused the golden statute of himself which the senate had offered to erect in gratitude for the edict emancipating the nobility, and said that the senators could put their money to better use. He wanted his monument to be “in the hearts of the people.” (Dear God, I could go on forever lol.)
Peter, the appreciator and supporter of music and theater. He played the violin with a fair amount of skill (Aunt Elizabeth didn’t approve so he had to take lessons practically in secret) and established a court orchestra and music school at Oranienbaum.
Peter, who had a good education, a massive library that he was highly invested in. Who had, according to his tutor in Russia, a superior memory and a love for fortification, an interest in mathematics and the sciences, but a lack of interest in the humanities.
Peter, who was never given a choice in which country he ended up ruling. Who was taken from his home and everything he knew at the age of 14 to go to a country completely foreign to him. Who was often homesick and torn in his loyalty and duty to Holstein and his duty to the Russian people. And yet, he tried to do right by both. (There was only so much he could do for Holstein while he was in Russia - Elizabeth denied her nephew permission to leave the country repeatedly despite his oral and written requests - but he did as much as he could through letters. And he was dead-set on winning Schleswig back from Denmark.)
Peter, who was generous and kind-hearted, amiable, if volatile, with an irreverent and ironic sense of humor (which inevitably offended some people). Straightforward and candid - tactless sometimes - stubborn and determined, excitable and enthusiastic. Hot tempered. Not very brave. Childish and insecure in some ways. Peter, who cared little for ranks and distinctions, and cared far more for someone’s merit or personal amiability than the accident of their birth. (He liked to talk to and spend time with soldiers, servants, common people…which naturally scandalized the courtiers.)
Peter, who wrote heartbreaking notes to his wife. Who named the first “toy” fortress he had built at Oranienbaum (allegedly, he drafted the calculations and blueprints for it himself) Ekaterenburg, in honor of his wife. He tried to impress her with what he had: played the violin for her, tried to interest her in his military-themed games and projects. But they were vastly different people and absolutely incompatible, and she had nothing but contempt for him.
Peter, whose biggest sin was that he was absolutely rubbish at being a politician. He didn’t realize how dangerous alienating the church and the guards regiments could be. He insisted on giving Catherine the benefit of the doubt, even when he knew she was capable of seizing power. He didn’t know how to twist things and to be manipulative - it wasn’t in his nature at all. He didn't know how to properly hide his feelings - including those of admiration for Friedrich the Great and his divided patriotic loyalties. His strengths, in this sense, were also his weaknesses.
I’m putting all of this here not to be overwhelming. We’re writing fanfic here, not history essays - perfect historical accuracy is not the goal at all. But I wanted to outline what I think of this character (ah, person...?) and how I see him. Because I think in this fandom particularly, the characterization is pretty wide-open and depends on who you ask, and I wanted to give some sense of who I think Peter was and how I see him and why I love him. I don’t mean to be didactic and you can go ahead and play with this as you see fit; I’m sure you have plenty of characterization opinions/ideas of your own, but since there are such huge differences in how Peter is perceived, I thought it wise to talk about.
So, what do I actually want in fic? Oh dear God, everythingggggg. I have ships! You can ignore them completely, of course, but if you just want to write historical slash and to hell with all the serious thinky things, then allow me to introduce you to two people who I ship Peter with (they were Peter’s friends and confidants and work wonderfully in this capacity as well).
[Romantic story #1 - Brockdorff]Christian August von Brockdorff was Peter’s chamberlain from before he came to Russia in his capacity as the Duke of Holstein. Brockdorff’s father and Peter’s father were friends. A Lady Brockdorff was also prominent at the Kiel court at the time (though I’m not sure of her relation to Christian exactly). There’s some conjecture here, but I think it’s fair to assume that Brockdorff and Peter were about agemates. When Peter was taken to Russia at the age of 14, the man in charge of his education (something of a head tutor), Brümmer, came with him. Brümmer then advised Russian ministers that Brockdorff had such an influence on Peter that he should not be allowed into the country. (Brümmer considered it negative influence, but given the man’s tendency to be abusive and generally not give a damn about Peter’s best interests, his assessment is highly suspect. Catherine didn’t like Brockdorff either, but they had a personal rivalry going.) So when Brockdorff tried to follow Peter to Russia, he was turned away at the border. But here’s the really fun part! Brockdorff didn’t stop trying to get to Peter. Finally (about 1754-5) he found a way to get to the Petersburg court - he traveled incognito (allegedly as a glass merchant), basically sneaking into the country. In Petersburg, he got a warm reception from Peter and stayed in his existing position as chamberlain. He continued to have a lot of influence on Peter (which really irritated Catherine as they didn’t get along and Brockdorff constantly advised Peter to divorce her), and on Peter’s ascension to the throne, Brockdorff received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky,
[Romantic story #2 - Gudovich]Andrei Vasilyevich Gudovich was Peter’s chamberlain and then, later, adjutant. He was one of Peter’s closest confidants and he was the man Peter entrusted with opening peace negotiations with Friedrich the Great. During the coup, Gudovich stayed with Peter until the very end. When Peter was brought to Peterhof after his initial abdication, the only two people who accompanied him their (other than the convoy, ofc) were Liza Vorontsov (his mistress) and Gudovich. They were both arrested at Peterhof on their arrival and briefly imprisoned. At one point, after his arrest, Peter asked Catherine for permission to leave the country. He also asked to be allowed to take Liza and Gudovich with him. After everything, Gudovich was released and Catherine asked him if he wanted to re-enter the service/stay at court. He, however, resigned promptly and went abroad where he stayed for several years. On his return to Russia he lived at his country estate and only returned to court upon a summons from Paul I, Peter’s son, via a very touching note.
(I couldn't find concise sources for either of them in English, so I've linked to Russian sources instead, but I've basically summarized everything relevent they have to offer, but I felt like I needed to link to something...)
I tried to come up with some prompts/general things that came to mind as story ideas, some are more “serious” others are just shippy id stuff. Really, I’m so into ALL THE THINGS that it’s easier to say what I’d rather not have. (Which is, 1) an exclusively shippy Peter/Liza Vorontsov fic. I know she was his mistress for years and I’m cool with her being around in more gen-inclined stories but I’m not looking for straight up shipfic with this pairing. 2) I think it would certainly be interesting to explore the Peter/Catherine relationship from his POV but I don’t ship them and I’d rather it not be the only focus, just because Peter has already been so often defined by Catherine and his relationship to her in actual historical narratives, that I’d rather step away from that.)
So then, some stuff that could be fun!:
Childhood fics are a love of mine. Peter’s childhood in Holstein. Give him a friend (Brockdorff works beautifully for this!), The adults were always scheming and planning re: where he would be of greatest use - Sweden or Russia. Was he aware of this? Did he care? Was it difficult to have his father depending on him so much to grow up into the duke who would ~bring Schleswig home? The terror that was Brummer and all the angst and potential hurt/comfort that comes out of it. Cuteness and fluff - the childish antics and pranks he and Brockdorff got up to when the adults weren’t looking. (I have a headcanon pet theory that the reason Brummer didn’t like Brockdorff so much was because the latter constantly attempted to shield Peter from Brummer’s abuses and tried to convince the young Duke to exert some influence on his guardians and get Brummer removed.) Or perhaps Peter sneaking into Brockdorff's room during a stormy night because he's afraid of the thunder (according to Stählin's notes, Peter had a fear of thunderstorms) and them falling asleep in the same bed, even though they know they're not supposed to.
Coming to Petersburg - how did that go? How did the adjustment to this new life go? Did he try to write to friends back home? (Did Elizabeth LET him?) What were his relationships like at court/with people in his household? His relationship with his new tutor Stählin (who I gather was a bit of a surrogate parental figure as well as a teacher). The ~secret violin lessons. Trying to sneak out of the palace to go exploring in the city.
Character studies and introspective pieces. I would love to see how things looked from Peter’s POV. Who were his friends? How did he deal with loneliness and court intrigues? How did he react when he began to realize he was a disappointment to his aunt or that his marriage would never work out? Hopes for the future.
Brockdorff trying to get to Peter against all odds and their reunion. Hurt/comfort after one of Peter’s frequent illnesses or once another one of Catherine’s many affairs comes to light. Either Brockdorff of Gudovich being supportive (in platonic or romantic ways…) of Peter’s reform ideas; talking them through together. Or, you know, just fluff and taking a holiday together.
Father-son bonding with Paul.
Working relationships with councilors. Did they fight over the reforms? Were there conservative types who tried to get in the way? How did he deal with disputing factions?
All the angst surrounding the coup - from Peter and the people who cared about him.
AU history! Peter’s friends/officers who remain loyal to him, somehow find a way to help him escape and go back home to Holstein. Or maybe he made better decisions earlier on the day of the coup (like…going to Kronstadt right away instead of waiting…) and never got arrested in the first place.
This is all just stuff to consider and elements I’d be interested in seeing. The thing is, I love Peter. I wish there was a miniseries with him as a protagonist kinda like there are for Catherine. Well, there aren’t but this is my chance to get an excerpt from said imaginary series :) And, again, this is fanfic! It doesn’t have to be serious or thinky or whatever. If you just want to write fairly plotless ship/fluffy gen with Peter and people who actually care about him, I’m all for that!
Have fun! Happy Yuletide!
~Alley
Firstly, I would like to say thank you for the time and effort that you are willing to put into making me a wonderful winter-holiday gift :) Length of fandom sections or the order the fandoms are in is no indication of how much I want fic for any given fandom; I would be ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED to receive fic in any of the fandoms I asked for. Optional details are optional, of course, but if you're like me and like to have lots of info to work with, I've tried to provide some info on the sorts of things I like (and don't) and give prompts for each of my fandoms.
GENERAL STUFF
Parings/Sex/Ratings:
Likes:
- SLASH, het and gen. (Femslash is fine for background ships.)
- All ratings up to R
- A focus on the romantic/emotional aspect of a relationship and some semblance of a plot/point rather than just sex.
- Unrequited (or secretly requited) pining.
- Complicated relationship dynamics, love triangles, relationships that take some effort/time to work, loving each other but because [insert reasons here] not always being able to be together/communicate those feelings, etc in this vain.
- UST. Eventually resolved is probably better than not, however, not a must-have.
- Conversely from the above - romantic partners who just can’t help but adore each other.
- Praise kink (in the sense that there’s a lot of emotional investment in and getting-off on getting praised or otherwise acknowledged as worthwhile. Works especially well with characters who are deeply insecure. I’m generally fond of other related things, such as body worship, partners being encouraging during sex in a very sweet, reassuring way, etc.)
- Threesomes/moresomes and polyamory.
- Incest (unless specifically asked for or canon).
- Parings with large age disparity (over 15 years) unless specifically asked for.
- Pedophilia (please keep minors in sexual relationships with adults 16 and over; if both partners are teens 14-15 is ok if treated appropriately).
- NC-17 and PWPs
- BDSM, omegaverse, and most kink. (NOT included in this: foreplay; bantery/lighthearted roleplay for the purposes of foreplay; preferences for a certain sexual position, fascination with a partner’s physical trait, such as, e.g., preferring redheads or virgins or younger partners or being fascinated by someone’s shoulders; rough/aggressive/desperate sex or outside-of-bedroom inequalities that transfer into the bedroom, even though there may be pining down of wrists or some other element that could be considered a kink or part of BDSM; anything specifically listed as a “like.”)
- Foot fetishes (I know I said liking specific body parts is fine, but ah, feet are the exception).
- Humiliation (both sexual and not)
- Non-con/rape (dub-con that leans toward/ends up as consensual is ok).
- Mpreg; cross-dressing; genderbending/genderswap.
Likes:
- Angst, drama. (Please don’t try to use this as a challenge to see how many angst/dark tropes you can fit into a single fic. I have no issue with dark themes, angst is my crack and things like character death don’t bother me, but if it feels like it’s just a marathon of horrible things happening with no light anywhere to be seen…that might be a little too intense for me.)
- Humor is fun too, but I like it more as an element in the story rather than a story that sets out to be funny first and foremost.
- Hurt/comfort (primarily for m/m, both ship and gen). I don’t mind if it’s “saccharine,” I love things that make me go “aww” and give me cuddly feelings.
- LOYALTY KINK! Themes of loyalty in general. Protectiveness.
- Friendship, family (dynamics), platonic love.
- Fluff, banter, cuddling/snuggling, kissing, general adorableness (and adoration!).
- Well-rounded characters, characters with emotions/sympathetic motives; the “other side of the story”.
- Politics, intrigue.
- Crack!fic, parody.
- AUs that subvert the universe or drastically change the setting (eg: genderswaping the cast, setting a modern fandom as a fairytale, turning a historical fandom all Sifi, Coffee Shop/College AUs, etc. This includes stuff like A/B/O and inserting magic/supernatural elements into a non-magic/supernatural universe).
- Crossovers.
- Time travel.
- Character bashing. (Especially with requested characters, I’m assuming that you offered them because you love/like them, too.)
- Graphic gore and violence.
- Torture. (Mentions are fine if torture is something that happens in canon. BUT no deaths/executions by torture - eg: drawing and quartering - whatsoever. No torture of requested characters whatsoever.)
- Humiliation; any sort of glorification of bullying (this includes things like victim blaming, etc).
- Narrative implications that “sex = love” or that romantic partners HAVE to have sex to have a “valid” relationship or to be “really” in love with each other.
Екатерина | Catherine (TV 2014)
Characters Requested: Peter, Brockdorff
This canon is a 12 episode show/mini-series. You can find the canon in its entirety on Youtube either with English subtitles or without.
Oh this show. I give it props for not completely capitulating to the popularized imagine of Peter III. All of my “grumble grumble this isn’t how it went/was grumble grumble” aside, I’m actually head-over-heals in love. Especially with Peter, who won my heart. Peter, who has all these issue and tends to act like a snot a lot. But there is so much genuine desperation, fear and unhappiness in his character that I just want to give him all the hugs. And of course it all ends so tragically.
So, really quick. This isn’t an RPF request, so I’m not expecting anyone to do extra historical research, really, but in case you’re interested:
[Who the hell is Christian August von Brockroff anyway?]Before Peter III was called to Russia to take his place as the crown prince, he grew up in Kiel (a Prussian city and the “capital” of Holstein). His father was close with Brockdorff’s father. A Lady Brockdorff was also prominent at the Kiel court but it’s uncertain whether she was Christian’s mother or another relative. Peter and Brockdorff likely knew each other as kids/teens because by the time Peter was called to Russia (he was 14), Brümmer, who was in charge of Peter’s education after the boy’s father died, advised Russian ministers that Brockdorff had such an influence on Peter, that he should not be allowed into the country. (Brümmer considered it negative influence, but given the man’s tendency to be abusive and generally not give a damn about Peter’s best interests, his assessment is highly suspect. Catherine didn’t like Brockdorff either, but they had a personal rivalry going.) So when Brockdorff tried to follow Peter to Russia, he was turned away at the border. Several years later he ended up basically sneaking into the country (in the guise of a glass merchant) anyway, came to Petersburg, got a warm reception from Peter and stayed as the latter’s Kammerherr.
Now, before I plunge into how much I ship Brockdorff/Peter (that is, A LOT) I would like to mention that I would also enjoy a gen take on this dynamic as well. The loyalty and protectiveness themes all still apply, so do the messed up power dynamics, etc. The thing is, I actually really love Liza Vorontsov and the canonical Peter/Liza relationship. In fact, I wouldn’t want her to be disregarded or mistreated or her relationship with Peter minimalized or presented as not-important to either of them. I’d happily read a fic with all three of them (Peter, Liza and Brockdorff) doing something together. I love the idea of Brockdorff and Liza being friends - perhaps initially because of/through Peter - and then getting a chance to commiserate/mourn together after the coup.
That being said, I ship Peter and Brockdorff to hell and back! I even wrote a shipper’s manifesto if you’re interested. (Be advised, there are GIFs in the post, but they’re under spoiler cuts.)
Brockdorff is always in the background but also always around, even when it doesn’t seem like he has a “duty” to be. (Or any comprehensible reason? Like when Peter is woken up in the middle of the night to go watch Catherine give birth and Brockdorff is there with him. I mean, other than like providing moral support, why would he be there?) Even if you don’t want to use historical background, Brockdorff seems to be the one person who is always exclusively on Peter’s side. (Well, Liza too.) In that last scene before Peter gets arrested by Orlov and co., it’s Liza and Brockdorff who are with him and Brockdorff makes such a touching show of loyalty by offering to buy Peter time by “delaying” the guards regiment that’s coming for him. There are just so many little, subtle things. But the potential in this ship for loyalty kink and hurt/comfort and kinda awkward/messed up power dynamics is through the roof. This could even be a one-sided ship. I love the dynamic of the emotionally vulnerable, mildly daft Prince and his loyal and more competent/composed underling (chamberlain in this case).
You could go fluffy - private, happy moments. Maybe they fly that kite (and watch it burn up in the air!). Maybe the reason Peter mentioned the kite at all as something that would make him happy is because that’s something he and Brockdorff would do as kids back in Holstein before things got complicated. Pre-canon childhood fic in general! Triumphant moments/success during Peter’s short rule and/or grand plans for a brighter future. (Oooh! Their first kiss?) Some cute scenes with Pavel maybe? (Peter seems to go back-and-forth on whether or not he believes in Pavel being his son.) If they get into a relationship, when/how do they make the switch from formality to informality? (Especially Brockdorff, as Peter is already all over the place with his yous and thous. but Brockdorff is always overproper and I'd love to see how that formality may breakdown in intense/intimate moments.)
Or all the angst! Brockdorff’s one-sided love or a complicated relationship made even more complicated by Peter’s constantly worsening paranoia and dissatisfaction with everything. Peter having to leave home (Holstein) and everyone/everything he knows behind. Brockdorff dealing with the coup and Peter’s death - when you’ve basically committed and built your entire life around someone, that’s a lot of empty space to suddenly fill when they’re gone. Having to say goodbye when Peter is first called away to Russia (and Brockdorff swearing he’ll come and join him as soon as he can?).
Hurt/comfort would be amazing <3 Aftermath of Peter’s smallpox and all the emotional fallout and insecurity there and/or remaining physical weakness, for more tradition h/c. Or maybe Brockdorff walks in on Peter during a private breakdown/vulnerable moment after he finds out that Catherine is going to have a child after all and that child might very well not be his. Peter’s constantly dealing with a lot - social pressures of being the heir, insecurity/sense of inferiority instilled by Elizabeth’s constant disappointment, homesickness (especially during his first years in Russia), a failed marriage, constant fears about the future. It’s ripe for some hurt/comfort!
AU where Peter manages to escape his captors after the coup and he and Brockdorff run away to Holstein and live (more or less) happily ever after? Just lots of loyalty kink and Brockdorff being protective and Peter being an adorable, frustratingly tactless dork? IDK. Basically, I’ll devour all of it!
War and Peace
Characters Requested: Dolokhov, Anatole
The book is in the public domain so finding it free online shouldn’t be an issue, but if you need somewhere to start HERE is one place you can try.
I ship Dolokhov/Anatole SUPER HARD. Dolokhov obviously tries to take care of Anatole in his own way (see scene where he tries to talk Anatole out of running away with Natasha) and canon even says that Anatole “genuinely loves” Dolokhov. Personal headcanon is that Dolokhov takes not just a leading but protector-type role in this relationship, but you can play with that as you like. I think Dolokhov would secretly enjoy being someone’s hero - he’s good at taking care of people he actually loves. I also feel like Anatole would allow him to be himself in a way that he doesn’t get to do elsewhere, because Anatole doesn’t expect him to be righteous nor is he judgmental nor does he care much for things like rank and position. They share interests, they share friends. It just works. (In fact, if you’d like to see some of my notes/meta on Anatole’s characterization, here’s my Anatole tumblr tag. It’s not all useful but in case you’re interested and linking to there prevents letter-bloat.)
You could do anything with these two! Happy fluffy summertime fic, banter, first time, UST (especially at a ball), friendship-turned-more, drunk fooling around. All the hurt/comfort (post-war/Borodino, post-Natasha fiasco, post-duel). Or awfully angsty war!fic. How does Dolokhov take Anatole’s death at Borodino? What about that whole Anatole/Natasha thing? How does that fit in? Did it cause a rupture in their relationship or was it a catalyst for realizing they have feelings for each other? Maybe Anatole has a teenage crush on Dolokhov, who ignores it at first because they have a significant age difference. Anatole goes away for some time (abroad?) and comes back a few years later. Suddenly, they’re both adults and maybe this time the tables have turned?
For something more “serious” - having to hide their relationship; maybe Anatole is in denial about having romantic feelings for men? There are some major socioeconomic imbalances in this relationship, but Dolokhov has the upper hand personality and intellect wise and an exploration of how all that translates into power dynamics within the relationship would be cool. Not to say that their relationship has to be flawless. With someone like Dolokhov it’s never going to be. I’m sure there would be plenty of jealousy and cheating and hurting each other (probably unintentional on Anatole’s end and intentional on Dolokhov’s). I’d be up for a kinda-fix-it where Anatole survives the war and well…that’s going to cause its own slew of problems and issues, but maybe a happy ending of sorts if you go in this direction? I do want these two to be happy, but their angst has the potential to be extremely delicious.
If you’re not up for writing shipfic, I would enjoy seeing how the dynamic of this relationship works as a platonic friendship. I think there would still be a lot of the same protectiveness from Dolokhov’s side and admiration from Anatole’s. I have a headcanon of them growing up friends, that originally they had neighboring summer estates (before the Dolokhovs lost theirs) so the Dolokhov and Kuragin children basically grew up together. I love childhood fics - they have the potential of being adorable. I would absolutely not mind if you included Helene and her relationship with Anatole and/or Dolokhov. If the three of them get up to some kind of shenanigans or intrigues ala Dangerous Liaisons I’d be down for that. I think Helene and Anatole are quite close and I can see Dolokhov and Helene as either BFFs or lovers, who are bound to each other, among other things, by their love for and protectiveness of Anatole.
18th Century Russia RPF
Characters Requested: Karl Peter von Holstein-Gottorp | Pyotr III Fyodorovich
...in English more commonly known as Peter III of Russia, so I’ll just call him Peter here for everyone’s convenience and sanity.
So…I’ve spent the last few days agonizing over how to word this request, what to put in here, what not to put in. Usually, I post my letters rather late, but I’m putting this one up early(ish) so that people can avoid (or not) as needed. I’m assuming, however, dear author, that if you offered to write Peter you must like him at least to some extent, and if you do, then we are likely, if not on the same page, then close to it.
The “general public knowledge” image of Peter is, honestly, utter bullshit. I don’t have a nicer way of putting this. The narrative has been generally dominated by the likes Catherine and Dashkova and other people who had obbvious, highly personal, reasons to show Peter as just the worst and historians who took these people at their word for...idk what reason, really. Incompetance, disinterest...idk. However, level-headed historians, even “traditionalists,” who focus their study on Peter himself (as opposed to, say, Catherine) have been able to debunk some of the most pervasive and uglier myths about him as a person if not as a ruler. (R. N. Bain is a good example of this.) Lately, there’s been a fair amount of new scholarship focused specifically on Peter, scholarship that presents a completely different picture than people may be used to. (Mylnikov (1, 2), Leonard, Palmer.) And this, this is where I’m coming from. This is the guy I’ve been kinda obsessed with lately and really, really want fic about.
So Peter.
Peter, the workaholic enthusiast who signed over 200 new edicts within his short six-month rule. Who got up early and attempted the overwhelming task to overseeing everything himself, and yet still had time to party in the evenings. Who upbraided his senators for not coming to work on time and was constantly shocked and upset by the lack of discipline in the guards regiments.
Peter, the liberal reformer and idealist who launched a series of very progressive reforms.[here is a short list]Here’s a short list: emancipated the nobility, abolished the secret chancellery/police (known for torture), required education for the children nobles and provided for the establishment of technical schools for lower-class children in several cities, removed restrictions on various exports, secularized church lands and surfs, ended the persecution of Old Believers (and generally insisted that violence not be used again non-Christians, although from what I understand, this wasn’t formal legislation), recalled political exiles, made the murder of a surf by a their master/a nobleman a severely punishable crime, got rid of the slovo i delo system of denunciation. He also began a codification of the laws, but this never went anywhere - not enough time - and had wanted/tried to end/reduce corruption in the bureaucracy. (Silly boy, no one’s been able to do this before or since.)Peter, who wanted to be remembered for the good things he did during his rule, who refused the golden statute of himself which the senate had offered to erect in gratitude for the edict emancipating the nobility, and said that the senators could put their money to better use. He wanted his monument to be “in the hearts of the people.” (Dear God, I could go on forever lol.)
Peter, the appreciator and supporter of music and theater. He played the violin with a fair amount of skill (Aunt Elizabeth didn’t approve so he had to take lessons practically in secret) and established a court orchestra and music school at Oranienbaum.
Peter, who had a good education, a massive library that he was highly invested in. Who had, according to his tutor in Russia, a superior memory and a love for fortification, an interest in mathematics and the sciences, but a lack of interest in the humanities.
Peter, who was never given a choice in which country he ended up ruling. Who was taken from his home and everything he knew at the age of 14 to go to a country completely foreign to him. Who was often homesick and torn in his loyalty and duty to Holstein and his duty to the Russian people. And yet, he tried to do right by both. (There was only so much he could do for Holstein while he was in Russia - Elizabeth denied her nephew permission to leave the country repeatedly despite his oral and written requests - but he did as much as he could through letters. And he was dead-set on winning Schleswig back from Denmark.)
Peter, who was generous and kind-hearted, amiable, if volatile, with an irreverent and ironic sense of humor (which inevitably offended some people). Straightforward and candid - tactless sometimes - stubborn and determined, excitable and enthusiastic. Hot tempered. Not very brave. Childish and insecure in some ways. Peter, who cared little for ranks and distinctions, and cared far more for someone’s merit or personal amiability than the accident of their birth. (He liked to talk to and spend time with soldiers, servants, common people…which naturally scandalized the courtiers.)
Peter, who wrote heartbreaking notes to his wife. Who named the first “toy” fortress he had built at Oranienbaum (allegedly, he drafted the calculations and blueprints for it himself) Ekaterenburg, in honor of his wife. He tried to impress her with what he had: played the violin for her, tried to interest her in his military-themed games and projects. But they were vastly different people and absolutely incompatible, and she had nothing but contempt for him.
Peter, whose biggest sin was that he was absolutely rubbish at being a politician. He didn’t realize how dangerous alienating the church and the guards regiments could be. He insisted on giving Catherine the benefit of the doubt, even when he knew she was capable of seizing power. He didn’t know how to twist things and to be manipulative - it wasn’t in his nature at all. He didn't know how to properly hide his feelings - including those of admiration for Friedrich the Great and his divided patriotic loyalties. His strengths, in this sense, were also his weaknesses.
I’m putting all of this here not to be overwhelming. We’re writing fanfic here, not history essays - perfect historical accuracy is not the goal at all. But I wanted to outline what I think of this character (ah, person...?) and how I see him. Because I think in this fandom particularly, the characterization is pretty wide-open and depends on who you ask, and I wanted to give some sense of who I think Peter was and how I see him and why I love him. I don’t mean to be didactic and you can go ahead and play with this as you see fit; I’m sure you have plenty of characterization opinions/ideas of your own, but since there are such huge differences in how Peter is perceived, I thought it wise to talk about.
So, what do I actually want in fic? Oh dear God, everythingggggg. I have ships! You can ignore them completely, of course, but if you just want to write historical slash and to hell with all the serious thinky things, then allow me to introduce you to two people who I ship Peter with (they were Peter’s friends and confidants and work wonderfully in this capacity as well).
[Romantic story #1 - Brockdorff]Christian August von Brockdorff was Peter’s chamberlain from before he came to Russia in his capacity as the Duke of Holstein. Brockdorff’s father and Peter’s father were friends. A Lady Brockdorff was also prominent at the Kiel court at the time (though I’m not sure of her relation to Christian exactly). There’s some conjecture here, but I think it’s fair to assume that Brockdorff and Peter were about agemates. When Peter was taken to Russia at the age of 14, the man in charge of his education (something of a head tutor), Brümmer, came with him. Brümmer then advised Russian ministers that Brockdorff had such an influence on Peter that he should not be allowed into the country. (Brümmer considered it negative influence, but given the man’s tendency to be abusive and generally not give a damn about Peter’s best interests, his assessment is highly suspect. Catherine didn’t like Brockdorff either, but they had a personal rivalry going.) So when Brockdorff tried to follow Peter to Russia, he was turned away at the border. But here’s the really fun part! Brockdorff didn’t stop trying to get to Peter. Finally (about 1754-5) he found a way to get to the Petersburg court - he traveled incognito (allegedly as a glass merchant), basically sneaking into the country. In Petersburg, he got a warm reception from Peter and stayed in his existing position as chamberlain. He continued to have a lot of influence on Peter (which really irritated Catherine as they didn’t get along and Brockdorff constantly advised Peter to divorce her), and on Peter’s ascension to the throne, Brockdorff received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky,
[Romantic story #2 - Gudovich]Andrei Vasilyevich Gudovich was Peter’s chamberlain and then, later, adjutant. He was one of Peter’s closest confidants and he was the man Peter entrusted with opening peace negotiations with Friedrich the Great. During the coup, Gudovich stayed with Peter until the very end. When Peter was brought to Peterhof after his initial abdication, the only two people who accompanied him their (other than the convoy, ofc) were Liza Vorontsov (his mistress) and Gudovich. They were both arrested at Peterhof on their arrival and briefly imprisoned. At one point, after his arrest, Peter asked Catherine for permission to leave the country. He also asked to be allowed to take Liza and Gudovich with him. After everything, Gudovich was released and Catherine asked him if he wanted to re-enter the service/stay at court. He, however, resigned promptly and went abroad where he stayed for several years. On his return to Russia he lived at his country estate and only returned to court upon a summons from Paul I, Peter’s son, via a very touching note.
(I couldn't find concise sources for either of them in English, so I've linked to Russian sources instead, but I've basically summarized everything relevent they have to offer, but I felt like I needed to link to something...)
I tried to come up with some prompts/general things that came to mind as story ideas, some are more “serious” others are just shippy id stuff. Really, I’m so into ALL THE THINGS that it’s easier to say what I’d rather not have. (Which is, 1) an exclusively shippy Peter/Liza Vorontsov fic. I know she was his mistress for years and I’m cool with her being around in more gen-inclined stories but I’m not looking for straight up shipfic with this pairing. 2) I think it would certainly be interesting to explore the Peter/Catherine relationship from his POV but I don’t ship them and I’d rather it not be the only focus, just because Peter has already been so often defined by Catherine and his relationship to her in actual historical narratives, that I’d rather step away from that.)
So then, some stuff that could be fun!:
Childhood fics are a love of mine. Peter’s childhood in Holstein. Give him a friend (Brockdorff works beautifully for this!), The adults were always scheming and planning re: where he would be of greatest use - Sweden or Russia. Was he aware of this? Did he care? Was it difficult to have his father depending on him so much to grow up into the duke who would ~bring Schleswig home? The terror that was Brummer and all the angst and potential hurt/comfort that comes out of it. Cuteness and fluff - the childish antics and pranks he and Brockdorff got up to when the adults weren’t looking. (I have a headcanon pet theory that the reason Brummer didn’t like Brockdorff so much was because the latter constantly attempted to shield Peter from Brummer’s abuses and tried to convince the young Duke to exert some influence on his guardians and get Brummer removed.) Or perhaps Peter sneaking into Brockdorff's room during a stormy night because he's afraid of the thunder (according to Stählin's notes, Peter had a fear of thunderstorms) and them falling asleep in the same bed, even though they know they're not supposed to.
Coming to Petersburg - how did that go? How did the adjustment to this new life go? Did he try to write to friends back home? (Did Elizabeth LET him?) What were his relationships like at court/with people in his household? His relationship with his new tutor Stählin (who I gather was a bit of a surrogate parental figure as well as a teacher). The ~secret violin lessons. Trying to sneak out of the palace to go exploring in the city.
Character studies and introspective pieces. I would love to see how things looked from Peter’s POV. Who were his friends? How did he deal with loneliness and court intrigues? How did he react when he began to realize he was a disappointment to his aunt or that his marriage would never work out? Hopes for the future.
Brockdorff trying to get to Peter against all odds and their reunion. Hurt/comfort after one of Peter’s frequent illnesses or once another one of Catherine’s many affairs comes to light. Either Brockdorff of Gudovich being supportive (in platonic or romantic ways…) of Peter’s reform ideas; talking them through together. Or, you know, just fluff and taking a holiday together.
Father-son bonding with Paul.
Working relationships with councilors. Did they fight over the reforms? Were there conservative types who tried to get in the way? How did he deal with disputing factions?
All the angst surrounding the coup - from Peter and the people who cared about him.
AU history! Peter’s friends/officers who remain loyal to him, somehow find a way to help him escape and go back home to Holstein. Or maybe he made better decisions earlier on the day of the coup (like…going to Kronstadt right away instead of waiting…) and never got arrested in the first place.
This is all just stuff to consider and elements I’d be interested in seeing. The thing is, I love Peter. I wish there was a miniseries with him as a protagonist kinda like there are for Catherine. Well, there aren’t but this is my chance to get an excerpt from said imaginary series :) And, again, this is fanfic! It doesn’t have to be serious or thinky or whatever. If you just want to write fairly plotless ship/fluffy gen with Peter and people who actually care about him, I’m all for that!
Have fun! Happy Yuletide!
~Alley