Dear Yuletide Writer
A03 name: Alley_Skywalker
Dear Yuletide Writer,
First, 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:
Genres/Themes (and such):
Likes:
FANDOMS
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
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.
Fandom-specific DNW: I feel like this is kind of an irrational fear, but I figure it's worth saying anyway given certain fandom trends. I strongly prefer book canon, characterizations and character descriptions to anything most adaptations have done (especially the newest BBC one) so please stick to those. I know that sometimes when you're familiar with several versions things tend to bleed into each other a bit. I'm just asking for a good faith effort on this front.
Now the fun stuff! 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. On a similar note, this is probably my most comprehensive Dolokhov characterization post. My general W&P tag is here.)
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. 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 straight-up shipfic, I also have a love for childhood fics (this could be pre-slash or straight-up gen). 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. Childhood fic have the potential of being adorable and I love that.
I would absolutely not mind if you included Helene and her relationship with Anatole and/or Dolokhov in some way. I can imagine the three of them getting up to some kind of shenanigans or intrigues ala Dangerous Liaisons. I think Helene and Anatole are quite close and I can see Dolokhov and Helene as either BFFs or even lovers, who are bound to each other, among other things, by their love for and protectiveness of Anatole. (I also have this one-sided pining idea where Dolokhov gets into an affair with Helene partially because she reminds him so much of Anatole whom he is in love with.)
Екатерина | Catherine (TV 2014)
Characters Requested: Peter, Brockdorff
This canon is a 12 episode show/mini-series. You can watch it here with English subtitles.
Oh this show. I give it props for not 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, but in case you’re interested:
[Who is Christian August von Brockdorff anyway?]Before Peter III was called to Russia to take his place as the crown prince, he grew up in a German/Prussian family. His father and Brockdorff's father were friends of sorts. Peter and Brockdorff obviously knew each other during Peter’s childhood (there are issues with establishing Brockdorff's age but for fanfic purposes I like to assume they were about agemates - which works well with show!canon.) 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 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. I could certainly see the any Brockdorff/Peter romantic/sexual relationship sliding into something more one-sided and/or UST-y once Liza comes into Peter's life.
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.) 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? 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 break down 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. 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?). Arguments over politics and Peter's...ah...behavior at court. I can see Brockdorff trying to keep Peter on the straight and narrow and that sometimes exploding in his face. (How does trust or lack thereof play into this? If Brockdorff saw a political disaster coming and tried to manipulate Peter into doing something he didn't want to but was the right political thing to do... Would Brockdorff feel guilty about it? What if Peter realized what was happening - how bad would the fallout be? How would they "fix" the rift afterwards?) Angst over like...how appropriate is it to be in love with your Prince anyway and the rank difference in this relationship.
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!
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.
This seemed to go over well enough last year so I'm at it again! Peter is one of those historical figures where opinion will vary largey depending on who you ask/what book(s) you read. I'm getting my letter up with a few days to spare 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.
I am 100% of the more modern school of thought on Peter (as opposed to the ~traditionalist narrative, which is dominated by the likes of Catherine, Dashkova, the Austrian ambassador Mercy and historians who often simply took these people at their word without much critical analysis). But you see a trend in scholarship which focuses on Peter specifically - as opposed to, say, Catherine - to debunk some of the most pervasive and uglier myths about him and bring to light a lot of things that don't usually get discussed by the traditionalists. Most of this scholarship is quite new, but not all - e.g. Robert Bain's book on Peter published in 1902. The spectrum of Peter-favorable analysis is fairly broad, from R. N. Bain, the compassionate traditionalist, on one end to E. Palmer (1, 2) who, at times, tries a little too hard to stan for Peter with mixed results, on the other. I would say Mylnikov's work (1, 2) is the best and most detailed. C.S. Leonard's work is also excellent, though it's more of a politics/policy/government analysis of Peter's reign than a traditional biography.
So Peter.
[squee and characterization notes!]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 statue 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, or at least passably 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’ve put all of this here not to be overwhelming. 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 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. 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 of a sort. 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 are issues with establishing Brockdorff's age but for fanfic/RPF purposes I like to assume they 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. (x)
[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 bringing news to Friedrich the Great that Peter intended to sue for peace and end the 7 Years War. 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 there (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, via a very touching note, from Paul I, Peter’s son. (x)
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? (Peter's relationship with his father! I always kind of see it as a bit complicated - that Karl Friedrich did love his son but didn't really know how to be a good father.) 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.
Or, oh gosh...everyone and their grandmother seems to know about the hung rat incident. But animal trials were actually a thing in Europe and there were incidents/alleged incidents of this as late as the first half of the 1700s. So what if like Peter saw one of these ~trials~ in Holstein? Maybe his father took him? Maybe he and some friends snuck out to see one? Was it oddly fun? Kinda freaky? Just a normal part of life?
Peter and Brockdorff falling in love for the first time ever as teenagers in Holstein only for Peter to be taken away to Russia shortly thereafter. Writing to each other during their period of separation. Brockdorff desperately trying to get to Peter at all costs.
Peter 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? With Elizabeth? 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. Dealing with the pretty rampant anti-German sentiment in Russia (and maybe, later, having/trying to protect the German members of his household from its nastier manifestations).
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? Did he find out about Catherine/Saltykov and was he hurt by that, given how often he'd defended Saltykov to Elizabeth? 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.
Peter and Brockdorff's reunion in Petersburg. 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. (On the other hand, disagreements and fights and angst because Brockdorff, being far more politically savvy would see that some of the things Peter was doing were bad for him politically and would try to stop him and well...that wouldn't go over well. I don't remember off the top of my head which ambassador this was, but there's a comment in some political correspondence circa 1760 that Brockdorff has lost a lot of influence with Peter at this point. What gives?)
First meeting with Gudovich. I always got this feeling off Gudovich that he was a bit of an over-sensitive idealist. Loyalty kink and maybe a bit of star-struck hero-worship wouldn't be amiss here. Gudovich was kind of a stand-out among the Russian crowd at court in that he supported Peter's foreign policy. So maybe them bonding over that?
You could honestly just write me Peter/Brockdorff or Gudovich fluff and I'd be happy: a holiday retreat, fireworks and stolen kisses far away from everyone. Or just friendship and bonding and silly drinking/drunk games, for something more gen inclined. I love the idea of a Brockdorff/PeterGudovich triange wherein Gudovich as more of the "yes man" and Brockdorff is more the "I know you don't want to hear this but it's for your own good"-type and the squabling over who is more of a favorite,
Father-son bonding with Paul.
Speaking of bonding with kids, Peter became the director of the First Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg in 1759 and was quite dedicated to it's goings on and trying to make changes for the better (which often times meant asking for money from the senate...). So...dealing with push back from the senate? Relationship with staff/teachers there - perhaps some welcomed his involvment and tohers didn't. Did he build any mentorship relationships with the cadets? (Or...relatedly, did he build any mentorship relationships with the kids at his music school at Oranienbaum?)
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. What if Semyon Vorontsov had made it to those boats after all?
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!
Dear Yuletide Writer,
First, 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:
- Outside of any ships I ask for specifically, I have a preference for slash as a general rule. I'm good with slash, het or fem 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.
- Kissing, hugging, holding hands, non-sexual physical contact in general.
- 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/romantic relationships with adults 16 and over; one-sided teenage crushes on adults are fine; sex where 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 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.
Genres/Themes (and such):
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’s 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.
- 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.
- Plot, long!fic. (I am absolutely not expecting to receive longfic, but I've seen some people say that they feel unsure about gifting longfic because they're unsure if the recip would enjoy it. So, in case you ARE thinking of writing longfic - please do!)
- 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.
- Apocalypse/post-apocalypse scenarios, regardless of whether done as an AU or some kind of post-canon possibility thing.
- Character bashing. (Especially with requested characters.)
- Graphic gore and violence. Horror.
- 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.
- 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.
FANDOMS
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
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.
Fandom-specific DNW: I feel like this is kind of an irrational fear, but I figure it's worth saying anyway given certain fandom trends. I strongly prefer book canon, characterizations and character descriptions to anything most adaptations have done (especially the newest BBC one) so please stick to those. I know that sometimes when you're familiar with several versions things tend to bleed into each other a bit. I'm just asking for a good faith effort on this front.
Now the fun stuff! 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. On a similar note, this is probably my most comprehensive Dolokhov characterization post. My general W&P tag is here.)
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. 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 straight-up shipfic, I also have a love for childhood fics (this could be pre-slash or straight-up gen). 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. Childhood fic have the potential of being adorable and I love that.
I would absolutely not mind if you included Helene and her relationship with Anatole and/or Dolokhov in some way. I can imagine the three of them getting up to some kind of shenanigans or intrigues ala Dangerous Liaisons. I think Helene and Anatole are quite close and I can see Dolokhov and Helene as either BFFs or even lovers, who are bound to each other, among other things, by their love for and protectiveness of Anatole. (I also have this one-sided pining idea where Dolokhov gets into an affair with Helene partially because she reminds him so much of Anatole whom he is in love with.)
Екатерина | Catherine (TV 2014)
Characters Requested: Peter, Brockdorff
This canon is a 12 episode show/mini-series. You can watch it here with English subtitles.
Oh this show. I give it props for not 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, but in case you’re interested:
[Who is Christian August von Brockdorff anyway?]Before Peter III was called to Russia to take his place as the crown prince, he grew up in a German/Prussian family. His father and Brockdorff's father were friends of sorts. Peter and Brockdorff obviously knew each other during Peter’s childhood (there are issues with establishing Brockdorff's age but for fanfic purposes I like to assume they were about agemates - which works well with show!canon.) 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 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. I could certainly see the any Brockdorff/Peter romantic/sexual relationship sliding into something more one-sided and/or UST-y once Liza comes into Peter's life.
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.) 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? 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 break down 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. 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?). Arguments over politics and Peter's...ah...behavior at court. I can see Brockdorff trying to keep Peter on the straight and narrow and that sometimes exploding in his face. (How does trust or lack thereof play into this? If Brockdorff saw a political disaster coming and tried to manipulate Peter into doing something he didn't want to but was the right political thing to do... Would Brockdorff feel guilty about it? What if Peter realized what was happening - how bad would the fallout be? How would they "fix" the rift afterwards?) Angst over like...how appropriate is it to be in love with your Prince anyway and the rank difference in this relationship.
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!
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.
This seemed to go over well enough last year so I'm at it again! Peter is one of those historical figures where opinion will vary largey depending on who you ask/what book(s) you read. I'm getting my letter up with a few days to spare 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.
I am 100% of the more modern school of thought on Peter (as opposed to the ~traditionalist narrative, which is dominated by the likes of Catherine, Dashkova, the Austrian ambassador Mercy and historians who often simply took these people at their word without much critical analysis). But you see a trend in scholarship which focuses on Peter specifically - as opposed to, say, Catherine - to debunk some of the most pervasive and uglier myths about him and bring to light a lot of things that don't usually get discussed by the traditionalists. Most of this scholarship is quite new, but not all - e.g. Robert Bain's book on Peter published in 1902. The spectrum of Peter-favorable analysis is fairly broad, from R. N. Bain, the compassionate traditionalist, on one end to E. Palmer (1, 2) who, at times, tries a little too hard to stan for Peter with mixed results, on the other. I would say Mylnikov's work (1, 2) is the best and most detailed. C.S. Leonard's work is also excellent, though it's more of a politics/policy/government analysis of Peter's reign than a traditional biography.
So Peter.
[squee and characterization notes!]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 statue 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, or at least passably 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’ve put all of this here not to be overwhelming. 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 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. 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 of a sort. 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 are issues with establishing Brockdorff's age but for fanfic/RPF purposes I like to assume they 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. (x)
[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 bringing news to Friedrich the Great that Peter intended to sue for peace and end the 7 Years War. 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 there (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, via a very touching note, from Paul I, Peter’s son. (x)
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? (Peter's relationship with his father! I always kind of see it as a bit complicated - that Karl Friedrich did love his son but didn't really know how to be a good father.) 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.
Or, oh gosh...everyone and their grandmother seems to know about the hung rat incident. But animal trials were actually a thing in Europe and there were incidents/alleged incidents of this as late as the first half of the 1700s. So what if like Peter saw one of these ~trials~ in Holstein? Maybe his father took him? Maybe he and some friends snuck out to see one? Was it oddly fun? Kinda freaky? Just a normal part of life?
Peter and Brockdorff falling in love for the first time ever as teenagers in Holstein only for Peter to be taken away to Russia shortly thereafter. Writing to each other during their period of separation. Brockdorff desperately trying to get to Peter at all costs.
Peter 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? With Elizabeth? 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. Dealing with the pretty rampant anti-German sentiment in Russia (and maybe, later, having/trying to protect the German members of his household from its nastier manifestations).
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? Did he find out about Catherine/Saltykov and was he hurt by that, given how often he'd defended Saltykov to Elizabeth? 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.
Peter and Brockdorff's reunion in Petersburg. 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. (On the other hand, disagreements and fights and angst because Brockdorff, being far more politically savvy would see that some of the things Peter was doing were bad for him politically and would try to stop him and well...that wouldn't go over well. I don't remember off the top of my head which ambassador this was, but there's a comment in some political correspondence circa 1760 that Brockdorff has lost a lot of influence with Peter at this point. What gives?)
First meeting with Gudovich. I always got this feeling off Gudovich that he was a bit of an over-sensitive idealist. Loyalty kink and maybe a bit of star-struck hero-worship wouldn't be amiss here. Gudovich was kind of a stand-out among the Russian crowd at court in that he supported Peter's foreign policy. So maybe them bonding over that?
You could honestly just write me Peter/Brockdorff or Gudovich fluff and I'd be happy: a holiday retreat, fireworks and stolen kisses far away from everyone. Or just friendship and bonding and silly drinking/drunk games, for something more gen inclined. I love the idea of a Brockdorff/PeterGudovich triange wherein Gudovich as more of the "yes man" and Brockdorff is more the "I know you don't want to hear this but it's for your own good"-type and the squabling over who is more of a favorite,
Father-son bonding with Paul.
Speaking of bonding with kids, Peter became the director of the First Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg in 1759 and was quite dedicated to it's goings on and trying to make changes for the better (which often times meant asking for money from the senate...). So...dealing with push back from the senate? Relationship with staff/teachers there - perhaps some welcomed his involvment and tohers didn't. Did he build any mentorship relationships with the cadets? (Or...relatedly, did he build any mentorship relationships with the kids at his music school at Oranienbaum?)
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. What if Semyon Vorontsov had made it to those boats after all?
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!