Dear Yuletide Writer (I Adore You Already)--
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Whomever you are, I want you to know right off the bat that whatever you write for me, I will love it. I already do, because here you are, having signed up to write for a (possible) stranger in a rare fandom that we both share, and that is better than gold.
I must apologize right off the bat for being so wordy; it's a rather perpetual state for me, unfortunately. Please, be reassured that in both my signup and here I'm aiming to provide a number of different prompts that I'd love to see written and that might spark your imagination, and I do not expect you to smush answers to all my questions into one story. Take what works for you and discard the rest.
Additionally, I know it's right there in the rules, but I want to stress that I know the details are optional, and while I've tried to offer a range of characters, pairings and prompts, if none of them excite you, or you're simply not able to make them work, don't worry. I will still be so excited to see a fic written in one of my four chosen fandoms that the rest will just be icing. But if you're looking for a bit more direction, or you just want to know a little more about my preferences, I hope this letter will help. I have a (not quite up to date) fanfic index here, I memory it all (look for the "Fanfic" headings), and if you check the lefthand sidebar of my LJ, all my fiction is tagged by fandom under "fanfic."
...So, um, you may have picked up that I'm a slasher. Not that my details hinted at that or anything, eh? *G* Despite being a dyed-in-the-wool slasher, I do read/write het and gen from time to time, so if slash isn't your thing, don't worry. Other things I'm fond of in fiction include historical uniforms/well-fitted suits/period costumes; kink/BDSM (not 24/7 formalized D/s, however); power exchanges/struggles between powerful characters; established relationships (vs. "first time" fic); and characters that are comfortably intimate with one another, both inside and outside the bedroom, and/or as friends. I'm quite far away from home (doing something I really do want to do) right now, so I'm currently rather susceptible to stories in which characters are able to find or go home, literally or figuratively, where "home" might be a place, a person, a feeling, etc. My squicks are watersports, scatological play, MPREG, cross-dressing, bestiality and overly sticky-sweet romance/domesticity. I also don't believe that what we do online is an accurate representation of our activism offline, nor that giftfic is an appropriate place for "teachable moments," so I'd rather avoid issuefic, soapbox stories and/or tales where the author's politics are obviously on display, if that's ok.
More than any of that, however, what really makes me happy is fiction with a good grasp of grammar and spelling. I'm an English Major; it's one of the things they beat into you on the first day. ^_~
Like I said, and as you no doubt know, my details were fairly wordy to begin with, so I'm going to take a stab at offering up what I love about each fandom and see if I can't scrounge up some resources should you want/need them. (I'll also repost my requests in italics, because in reading around, I see that some people prefer to have the request details repeated in the Yuletide letter. I hope this is helpful!)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Requested Characters: Kirill, Nikolai Luzhin, Semyon
Optional Tags: Introspection, M/M, Explicit.
Optional Details: "I'd love a Nikolai/Kirill slashfic, although a darker Semyon/Kirill story would be great too! Maybe pre- or post-movie, exploring Nikolai and Kirill's dynamic before and/or after Semyon is deposed? Or maybe an (intimate) encounter where Nikolai struggles to balance his cover and his (possible) feelings for Kirill? Or what about Nikolai's view of Kirill's relationship with his father? (The relationship can be as normal/twisted/dark as you like.) Or how Nikolai's own shadowy past impacts his behaviour now? If you're not into slash, I'd be happy with a gen piece exploring the relationships between these 3 characters. References to the characters' tattoos would be a bonus. Please, no Nikolai/Anna. I'm fine with angst, guilt and ambiguity in this fandom, although none of those are required (and I hold out a hope that Nikolai isn't simply using Kirill)."
***
I love this movie more than is reasonable, full stop. Not only did I fly across the country to see it (ok, and Viggo and Cronenberg) twice before it hit wide release, but I'm completely incapable of resisting flipping to it whenever one of the movie channels has it on, and I've watched the DVD a number of times, which is not something I usually do.
There's so much to love about this film, and every time I watch it, I'm struck by something new. I'm especially entranced by how Cronenberg and his cast let the silences stand rather than giving in to the urge to spell everything out, and how so much is communicated in such subtle looks, gestures, and even posture. I love Kirill and Nikolai's relationship, and the very obvious differences in how they view one another -- Kirill looking to Nikolai for affection while trying to hide his sexuality, and Nikolai (possibly) seeing Kirill as primarily a means to an end -- not to mention the "verbal petting" in the form of "Da, da, Kirill," Nikolai applies whenever he is trying to calm or handle Kirill. I'm fascinated by the undercurrent of compassion that Nikolai displays towards Kirill, including when he stands up to Semyon's abuse, and how he holds Kirill at the end of the film after little Christine has been saved.
While I'm most fascinated by Nikolai and Kirill's relationship, I'm also deeply curious about Nikolai's past (How much of what he reveals in the film is real and how much is fiction?) and Kirill's relationship with Semyon. The latter seems especially complex, given how the movie plays out, and I must admit to finding Semyon more and more fascinating each time I watch the film. The thin veneer of civility covering his brutal nature is something to see, and I completely understand why Azim would be more afraid of Semyon than anyone else.
I am deeply in love with the ambiguities that flow through this movie. I also adore the tattoo motif, because I find the idea of words/meaning as flesh fascinating; even moreso given the mix of languages represented in the film (and oh, I did so love the Russian and the accents and the way everyone said "queer" as if the 'u' was a 'v' and... *happysigh*).
...Um, yes. I'm babbling. *cough* Sorry about that.
Resources:
Anyway. I could go on for pages, so I better stop while I can still fool myself that I'm ahead. *G* There's loads of links to various clips, pictures and discussion over at easternpromises (although the comm has slowed since EP has left theatres, so you may have to page back a little), and IGN has nine clips/trailers from Eastern Promises available here. Additionally, nikkie222 has an amazing post here cataloguing and detailing the meaning of as many of Nikolai's 43 tattoos as possible.
Sharpe - All Media Types
Requested Characters: Richard Sharpe, Patrick Harper
Optional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Explicit
Optional Details: "I'd love a Sharpe/Harper slash story, but a gen piece stressing the strength of their friendship would also be lovely. Maybe a piece about Richard and his Sergeant's gruff fondness for each other? Or the both of them spending time with the Chosen Men on the eve of battle, or after a difficult mission? I love how 'married' Sharpe and Harper are, and a story about the small and large ways they take care of each other would be wonderful. Maybe a story that juxtaposes peaceful moments with the chaos of war? An adventure story would be loads of fun as well. I love swordplay of the literal/figurative kind, so if you'd prefer to attack this request from that angle, I'd be thrilled. Please, no Sharpe/Wellington slash. Whether the story is set in India, Portugal or Spain, I'll love it, I'm sure."
***
I've loved Richard Sharpe and his world for a long time now. I've seen all the films multiple times, and read about 90% of the novels (I'm slowly making time for the last few), so I am comfortably situated to be comfortable with whatever you're comfortable with, if that makes sense. Book or movieverse or some blend of the two is fine, although I must admit I really do prefer the physical appearances in the films rather than those described in the novels; my Sharpe is a blond Yorkshireman. ^_^ I must admit to rolling my eyes over some of the very minor changes to film!Sharpe, most notably the desire to give him a brother and pretty much every part of Sharpe's Gold, but other than that, my love for the universe is all-encompassing. (Except for Jane. Does anyone like Jane? ...Er, if you do, my apologies. *scuffs toe*)
I love the brothers-in-arms thrust of the series, and how the Chosen Men become a close-knit family with Sharpe and Harper at the head. I think it's Siege that illustrates this best, when Sharpe doesn't allow Harper to come along on the mission if he won't tend to his ailing tooth, and Harper shows up anyway, leading to a huge tiff between the two of them that ends in tea and companionable silence. I don't know how many times I've seen it, but I still giggle when Sharpe grumps at his men that if Harper were here, he'd have set up his tent and made him tea. ...Um, I'm wandering, aren't I? Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I love the way small gestures stand in for large declarations of friendship (or more) between Richard and his Sergeant.
I especially enjoy stories set in/around the battlefield (with the Chosen Men at least minorly present) -- whether that battlefield is in Portugal, Spain, France or India -- rather than back in England, no matter if it's in the midst of battle, amongst the troops, at camp, on the sea, or on some reconnaissance mission, big or small.
Resources:
Most of the Sharpe-related comms on LJ are fairly slow, and they're all fic, but of course there's the Wikipedia entries -- books and films -- Bernard Cornwell's website, the Official Sharpe Film page, a Timeline for Richard Sharpe's Life, and Sharpe Heaven at The Mighty Bean.
Parasol Protectorate - Gail Carriger
Requested Characters: Conall Maccon, Professor Lyall
Optional Tags: Banter, M/M, Explicit
Optional Details: "Ideally, I'd love a Maccon/Lyall slashfic, but I'd also be happy with genfic exploring their relationship, preferrably with a sense of fondness between them. I'm really curious about Maccon's life between leaving Kingair and becoming the head of the Woolsey pack, and his early years as Alpha, before meeting Alexia. Perhaps something set in that time period? Maybe Conall and Lyall's first meeting, or something about how they learned to fit together as Alpha and Beta? Or maybe Lyall's perspective on the rogue upstart challenging the previous Alpha? Or Conall's views on the pack he's about to challenge for? Or something set later, when Conall is either settling into or has already settled into his role in Woolsey? What I love best about them is the way they fit together, compliment and balance each other so beautifully, not just in running the pack, but in their duties at BUR and in personalities/characteristics, and I'd love to see something highlighting those qualities, whether while they're still feeling each other out, or something more comfortable and familiar."
***
So. Um. I did mention that thing for period pieces and close friendships, right? *G* So I imagine you're completely unsurprised that one of my very favourite characteristics of The Parasol Protectorate series is the Alpha/Beta structure of the werewolf packs. I adore the tensions in these roles, both when Alpha and Beta perfectly compliment each other, and when they clash. I love how even in his disagreement, Lyall brings his concerns up privately with Maccon, because part of a Beta's job is to bring peace to the pack. On the flipside, I love that regardless of how brash and aggressive Maccon is, he still acknowledges how important it is to listen to his Beta. I love Lyall's quiet, reflective, intellectual nature (yet he's not afraid of a fight when necessary), and I love Maccon's (sometimes) recklessness, loudness, and demonstrative nature (and yet he's smart and canny enough to do a bang-up job as the head of BUR).
I love almost every single character in the books. Even the villains. (The exception, sadly, being Madame Lefoux, who I really do want to like, but who has simply started grating on me with each successive book. If she's your favourite, then my apologies. As with anything, YMMV.) I adore Alexia, and thought very hard about including her in my requests here, but I find I'm completely satisfied with how much time we spend with her in the books, while, on the other hand, I'm forever desperate for more time with Maccon and Lyall.
I've been interested in the Victorian era for a very long time now (and own several parasols pre-dating my first reading of the series ^_~), and of course fantasy is one of my favourite genres. Oddly enough, I'm less interested in the steampunk touches than in the way Carriger navigates her way through Victorian manners, social and class structures, the repression of the era, and all that seething desire, passion and violence lurking just underneath. (Oh, and Ivy's impressive hats, of course! *G*)
Resources:
Sadly, there are no Parasol Protectorate comms on LJ, but gailcarriger herself is here, and she has a few handy-dandy character studies: Conall Maccon, Alexia Tarabotti and Ivy Hisselpenny. I imagine only the first is going to be directly relevant to my request, and as of yet, there is no character study for Professor Lyall. (ETA [02/15/2011]: There is now!) Additionally, there are many nifty resources over at Gail Carriger's website, including some great stuff in the FAQ, Alexia's London and Steampunk sections. ETA: Mostly putting these here so I don't forget, Ms. Carriger now has some Notes on the Knights Templar in her novels, and Researching the Victorian Era.
Black Death (2010)
Requested Characters: Ulric
Optional Tags: Dark, M/M, Explicit
Optional Details: "I'd love almost any sort of fic that explored Ulric's backstory. I'm fascinated by his combination of religious dedication and violence, how he justifies being of/in the world and yet dedicated to serving his God. Maybe something looking at how he became a warrior of God, how he was called/what motivated him (and this may or may not include what happened to his wife and child, of course)? Or something about how he became the Bishop's Envoy? Or perhaps when he realized he was ill, and what that meant to his understanding of his own faith? If you're comfortable with it, I'd love a slashy angle, either with canon or non-canon characters; if you want to use canon ones, Wolfstan and/or Griff would be great, or if you'd rather use original characters, some other soldiers/knights/learned men (religious or otherwise) or whomever else tickles your fancy would work for me! Additionally, if you'd rather write something set later, I'd also be interested in something post-film, although of course that'd require some AUness or true supernatural happenings just to resurrect the poor man, but that's also ok by me. Since the source text is so dark, I'm obviously ok with the story itself being dark and unhappy, and while I'm also ok with violence that serves the plot, I'd rather skip extremely graphic, loving descriptions of beheadings and torture on a minutely detailed level."
***
I should mention right off that I am not actually a religious person, nor was I brought up within a particular religious tradition, and my entire experience of the Bible comes from needing to read it as background to literary studies, so if you were worried I was going to be a giant stickler for correct details, feel free to breathe a sigh of relief. And while I love medieval tales, I'm not a historian either. Black Death is just massively fascinating for me because of how it morphs from a straight up horror film to something far more philosophical. I love the moral ambiguity on all sides, and how easily hypocrisy creeps in around the edges of pretty much every "righteous" stance. I'm fascinated by how Ulric's character arc foreshadows and telegraphs Osmund's own, and incredibly curious about how he got to the point at which we meet him in the movie. On some level, I must admit that I find the plague itself and what Europe went through as a result of it fascinating; not so much in terms of the biology, but rather the social, cultural and religious justifications, ramifications and factors involved.
And of course, I'm a sucker for the "conflicted lone knight on a quest" archetype, so Ulric is mashing a lot of buttons for me. While it becomes clear why at the end of the movie, I wondered throughout why he held himself apart and away from his companions. I loved how everything clicked into place at the end, and how in some ways the truth of the situation made the horror that much deeper. I also loved how the cinematography added to the bleak feel of the whole film, leaching colour so we were left with a palette of muted greys and blacks.
Resources:
As far as I can tell, there's simply not that much out there for this one. There are no Black Death-specific comms on LJ, although there is a general middle_ages community which might provide some setting details. There's the Black Death entry at Wikipedia, which is primarily a recap of the plot and reception of the film, and then of course the Black Death page at The Mighty Bean, but that's about all I'm coming up with on my end.
...*huffpuff* Ok, hopefully all that helped rather than made things harder. Again, absolutely everything I've said here is optional and up for ignoring, partially or wholescale. After all, it's not like I'm ordering dinner; I'm really just flailing wildly and offering up far too much info.
Thank you again, Yuletide Writer. I'm so very excited about the exchange, and I know I'm going to love whatever you write for me. ♥
Whomever you are, I want you to know right off the bat that whatever you write for me, I will love it. I already do, because here you are, having signed up to write for a (possible) stranger in a rare fandom that we both share, and that is better than gold.
I must apologize right off the bat for being so wordy; it's a rather perpetual state for me, unfortunately. Please, be reassured that in both my signup and here I'm aiming to provide a number of different prompts that I'd love to see written and that might spark your imagination, and I do not expect you to smush answers to all my questions into one story. Take what works for you and discard the rest.
Additionally, I know it's right there in the rules, but I want to stress that I know the details are optional, and while I've tried to offer a range of characters, pairings and prompts, if none of them excite you, or you're simply not able to make them work, don't worry. I will still be so excited to see a fic written in one of my four chosen fandoms that the rest will just be icing. But if you're looking for a bit more direction, or you just want to know a little more about my preferences, I hope this letter will help. I have a (not quite up to date) fanfic index here, I memory it all (look for the "Fanfic" headings), and if you check the lefthand sidebar of my LJ, all my fiction is tagged by fandom under "fanfic."
...So, um, you may have picked up that I'm a slasher. Not that my details hinted at that or anything, eh? *G* Despite being a dyed-in-the-wool slasher, I do read/write het and gen from time to time, so if slash isn't your thing, don't worry. Other things I'm fond of in fiction include historical uniforms/well-fitted suits/period costumes; kink/BDSM (not 24/7 formalized D/s, however); power exchanges/struggles between powerful characters; established relationships (vs. "first time" fic); and characters that are comfortably intimate with one another, both inside and outside the bedroom, and/or as friends. I'm quite far away from home (doing something I really do want to do) right now, so I'm currently rather susceptible to stories in which characters are able to find or go home, literally or figuratively, where "home" might be a place, a person, a feeling, etc. My squicks are watersports, scatological play, MPREG, cross-dressing, bestiality and overly sticky-sweet romance/domesticity. I also don't believe that what we do online is an accurate representation of our activism offline, nor that giftfic is an appropriate place for "teachable moments," so I'd rather avoid issuefic, soapbox stories and/or tales where the author's politics are obviously on display, if that's ok.
More than any of that, however, what really makes me happy is fiction with a good grasp of grammar and spelling. I'm an English Major; it's one of the things they beat into you on the first day. ^_~
Like I said, and as you no doubt know, my details were fairly wordy to begin with, so I'm going to take a stab at offering up what I love about each fandom and see if I can't scrounge up some resources should you want/need them. (I'll also repost my requests in italics, because in reading around, I see that some people prefer to have the request details repeated in the Yuletide letter. I hope this is helpful!)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Requested Characters: Kirill, Nikolai Luzhin, Semyon
Optional Tags: Introspection, M/M, Explicit.
Optional Details: "I'd love a Nikolai/Kirill slashfic, although a darker Semyon/Kirill story would be great too! Maybe pre- or post-movie, exploring Nikolai and Kirill's dynamic before and/or after Semyon is deposed? Or maybe an (intimate) encounter where Nikolai struggles to balance his cover and his (possible) feelings for Kirill? Or what about Nikolai's view of Kirill's relationship with his father? (The relationship can be as normal/twisted/dark as you like.) Or how Nikolai's own shadowy past impacts his behaviour now? If you're not into slash, I'd be happy with a gen piece exploring the relationships between these 3 characters. References to the characters' tattoos would be a bonus. Please, no Nikolai/Anna. I'm fine with angst, guilt and ambiguity in this fandom, although none of those are required (and I hold out a hope that Nikolai isn't simply using Kirill)."
***
I love this movie more than is reasonable, full stop. Not only did I fly across the country to see it (ok, and Viggo and Cronenberg) twice before it hit wide release, but I'm completely incapable of resisting flipping to it whenever one of the movie channels has it on, and I've watched the DVD a number of times, which is not something I usually do.
There's so much to love about this film, and every time I watch it, I'm struck by something new. I'm especially entranced by how Cronenberg and his cast let the silences stand rather than giving in to the urge to spell everything out, and how so much is communicated in such subtle looks, gestures, and even posture. I love Kirill and Nikolai's relationship, and the very obvious differences in how they view one another -- Kirill looking to Nikolai for affection while trying to hide his sexuality, and Nikolai (possibly) seeing Kirill as primarily a means to an end -- not to mention the "verbal petting" in the form of "Da, da, Kirill," Nikolai applies whenever he is trying to calm or handle Kirill. I'm fascinated by the undercurrent of compassion that Nikolai displays towards Kirill, including when he stands up to Semyon's abuse, and how he holds Kirill at the end of the film after little Christine has been saved.
While I'm most fascinated by Nikolai and Kirill's relationship, I'm also deeply curious about Nikolai's past (How much of what he reveals in the film is real and how much is fiction?) and Kirill's relationship with Semyon. The latter seems especially complex, given how the movie plays out, and I must admit to finding Semyon more and more fascinating each time I watch the film. The thin veneer of civility covering his brutal nature is something to see, and I completely understand why Azim would be more afraid of Semyon than anyone else.
I am deeply in love with the ambiguities that flow through this movie. I also adore the tattoo motif, because I find the idea of words/meaning as flesh fascinating; even moreso given the mix of languages represented in the film (and oh, I did so love the Russian and the accents and the way everyone said "queer" as if the 'u' was a 'v' and... *happysigh*).
...Um, yes. I'm babbling. *cough* Sorry about that.
Resources:
Anyway. I could go on for pages, so I better stop while I can still fool myself that I'm ahead. *G* There's loads of links to various clips, pictures and discussion over at easternpromises (although the comm has slowed since EP has left theatres, so you may have to page back a little), and IGN has nine clips/trailers from Eastern Promises available here. Additionally, nikkie222 has an amazing post here cataloguing and detailing the meaning of as many of Nikolai's 43 tattoos as possible.
Sharpe - All Media Types
Requested Characters: Richard Sharpe, Patrick Harper
Optional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Explicit
Optional Details: "I'd love a Sharpe/Harper slash story, but a gen piece stressing the strength of their friendship would also be lovely. Maybe a piece about Richard and his Sergeant's gruff fondness for each other? Or the both of them spending time with the Chosen Men on the eve of battle, or after a difficult mission? I love how 'married' Sharpe and Harper are, and a story about the small and large ways they take care of each other would be wonderful. Maybe a story that juxtaposes peaceful moments with the chaos of war? An adventure story would be loads of fun as well. I love swordplay of the literal/figurative kind, so if you'd prefer to attack this request from that angle, I'd be thrilled. Please, no Sharpe/Wellington slash. Whether the story is set in India, Portugal or Spain, I'll love it, I'm sure."
***
I've loved Richard Sharpe and his world for a long time now. I've seen all the films multiple times, and read about 90% of the novels (I'm slowly making time for the last few), so I am comfortably situated to be comfortable with whatever you're comfortable with, if that makes sense. Book or movieverse or some blend of the two is fine, although I must admit I really do prefer the physical appearances in the films rather than those described in the novels; my Sharpe is a blond Yorkshireman. ^_^ I must admit to rolling my eyes over some of the very minor changes to film!Sharpe, most notably the desire to give him a brother and pretty much every part of Sharpe's Gold, but other than that, my love for the universe is all-encompassing. (Except for Jane. Does anyone like Jane? ...Er, if you do, my apologies. *scuffs toe*)
I love the brothers-in-arms thrust of the series, and how the Chosen Men become a close-knit family with Sharpe and Harper at the head. I think it's Siege that illustrates this best, when Sharpe doesn't allow Harper to come along on the mission if he won't tend to his ailing tooth, and Harper shows up anyway, leading to a huge tiff between the two of them that ends in tea and companionable silence. I don't know how many times I've seen it, but I still giggle when Sharpe grumps at his men that if Harper were here, he'd have set up his tent and made him tea. ...Um, I'm wandering, aren't I? Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I love the way small gestures stand in for large declarations of friendship (or more) between Richard and his Sergeant.
I especially enjoy stories set in/around the battlefield (with the Chosen Men at least minorly present) -- whether that battlefield is in Portugal, Spain, France or India -- rather than back in England, no matter if it's in the midst of battle, amongst the troops, at camp, on the sea, or on some reconnaissance mission, big or small.
Resources:
Most of the Sharpe-related comms on LJ are fairly slow, and they're all fic, but of course there's the Wikipedia entries -- books and films -- Bernard Cornwell's website, the Official Sharpe Film page, a Timeline for Richard Sharpe's Life, and Sharpe Heaven at The Mighty Bean.
Parasol Protectorate - Gail Carriger
Requested Characters: Conall Maccon, Professor Lyall
Optional Tags: Banter, M/M, Explicit
Optional Details: "Ideally, I'd love a Maccon/Lyall slashfic, but I'd also be happy with genfic exploring their relationship, preferrably with a sense of fondness between them. I'm really curious about Maccon's life between leaving Kingair and becoming the head of the Woolsey pack, and his early years as Alpha, before meeting Alexia. Perhaps something set in that time period? Maybe Conall and Lyall's first meeting, or something about how they learned to fit together as Alpha and Beta? Or maybe Lyall's perspective on the rogue upstart challenging the previous Alpha? Or Conall's views on the pack he's about to challenge for? Or something set later, when Conall is either settling into or has already settled into his role in Woolsey? What I love best about them is the way they fit together, compliment and balance each other so beautifully, not just in running the pack, but in their duties at BUR and in personalities/characteristics, and I'd love to see something highlighting those qualities, whether while they're still feeling each other out, or something more comfortable and familiar."
***
So. Um. I did mention that thing for period pieces and close friendships, right? *G* So I imagine you're completely unsurprised that one of my very favourite characteristics of The Parasol Protectorate series is the Alpha/Beta structure of the werewolf packs. I adore the tensions in these roles, both when Alpha and Beta perfectly compliment each other, and when they clash. I love how even in his disagreement, Lyall brings his concerns up privately with Maccon, because part of a Beta's job is to bring peace to the pack. On the flipside, I love that regardless of how brash and aggressive Maccon is, he still acknowledges how important it is to listen to his Beta. I love Lyall's quiet, reflective, intellectual nature (yet he's not afraid of a fight when necessary), and I love Maccon's (sometimes) recklessness, loudness, and demonstrative nature (and yet he's smart and canny enough to do a bang-up job as the head of BUR).
I love almost every single character in the books. Even the villains. (The exception, sadly, being Madame Lefoux, who I really do want to like, but who has simply started grating on me with each successive book. If she's your favourite, then my apologies. As with anything, YMMV.) I adore Alexia, and thought very hard about including her in my requests here, but I find I'm completely satisfied with how much time we spend with her in the books, while, on the other hand, I'm forever desperate for more time with Maccon and Lyall.
I've been interested in the Victorian era for a very long time now (and own several parasols pre-dating my first reading of the series ^_~), and of course fantasy is one of my favourite genres. Oddly enough, I'm less interested in the steampunk touches than in the way Carriger navigates her way through Victorian manners, social and class structures, the repression of the era, and all that seething desire, passion and violence lurking just underneath. (Oh, and Ivy's impressive hats, of course! *G*)
Resources:
Sadly, there are no Parasol Protectorate comms on LJ, but gailcarriger herself is here, and she has a few handy-dandy character studies: Conall Maccon, Alexia Tarabotti and Ivy Hisselpenny. I imagine only the first is going to be directly relevant to my request, and as of yet, there is no character study for Professor Lyall. (ETA [02/15/2011]: There is now!) Additionally, there are many nifty resources over at Gail Carriger's website, including some great stuff in the FAQ, Alexia's London and Steampunk sections. ETA: Mostly putting these here so I don't forget, Ms. Carriger now has some Notes on the Knights Templar in her novels, and Researching the Victorian Era.
Black Death (2010)
Requested Characters: Ulric
Optional Tags: Dark, M/M, Explicit
Optional Details: "I'd love almost any sort of fic that explored Ulric's backstory. I'm fascinated by his combination of religious dedication and violence, how he justifies being of/in the world and yet dedicated to serving his God. Maybe something looking at how he became a warrior of God, how he was called/what motivated him (and this may or may not include what happened to his wife and child, of course)? Or something about how he became the Bishop's Envoy? Or perhaps when he realized he was ill, and what that meant to his understanding of his own faith? If you're comfortable with it, I'd love a slashy angle, either with canon or non-canon characters; if you want to use canon ones, Wolfstan and/or Griff would be great, or if you'd rather use original characters, some other soldiers/knights/learned men (religious or otherwise) or whomever else tickles your fancy would work for me! Additionally, if you'd rather write something set later, I'd also be interested in something post-film, although of course that'd require some AUness or true supernatural happenings just to resurrect the poor man, but that's also ok by me. Since the source text is so dark, I'm obviously ok with the story itself being dark and unhappy, and while I'm also ok with violence that serves the plot, I'd rather skip extremely graphic, loving descriptions of beheadings and torture on a minutely detailed level."
***
I should mention right off that I am not actually a religious person, nor was I brought up within a particular religious tradition, and my entire experience of the Bible comes from needing to read it as background to literary studies, so if you were worried I was going to be a giant stickler for correct details, feel free to breathe a sigh of relief. And while I love medieval tales, I'm not a historian either. Black Death is just massively fascinating for me because of how it morphs from a straight up horror film to something far more philosophical. I love the moral ambiguity on all sides, and how easily hypocrisy creeps in around the edges of pretty much every "righteous" stance. I'm fascinated by how Ulric's character arc foreshadows and telegraphs Osmund's own, and incredibly curious about how he got to the point at which we meet him in the movie. On some level, I must admit that I find the plague itself and what Europe went through as a result of it fascinating; not so much in terms of the biology, but rather the social, cultural and religious justifications, ramifications and factors involved.
And of course, I'm a sucker for the "conflicted lone knight on a quest" archetype, so Ulric is mashing a lot of buttons for me. While it becomes clear why at the end of the movie, I wondered throughout why he held himself apart and away from his companions. I loved how everything clicked into place at the end, and how in some ways the truth of the situation made the horror that much deeper. I also loved how the cinematography added to the bleak feel of the whole film, leaching colour so we were left with a palette of muted greys and blacks.
Resources:
As far as I can tell, there's simply not that much out there for this one. There are no Black Death-specific comms on LJ, although there is a general middle_ages community which might provide some setting details. There's the Black Death entry at Wikipedia, which is primarily a recap of the plot and reception of the film, and then of course the Black Death page at The Mighty Bean, but that's about all I'm coming up with on my end.
...*huffpuff* Ok, hopefully all that helped rather than made things harder. Again, absolutely everything I've said here is optional and up for ignoring, partially or wholescale. After all, it's not like I'm ordering dinner; I'm really just flailing wildly and offering up far too much info.
Thank you again, Yuletide Writer. I'm so very excited about the exchange, and I know I'm going to love whatever you write for me. ♥