Dear Santa!
Hello, dear Yuletide Author. I love you forever, because we have matched on a fandom that I adore! I cannot wait to see what you come up with (although I also want you to have fun with it). Yuletide is a thing of beauty for all.
First and foremost, optional details are optional! But if you are looking for story ideas, look no further. I have asked for all of these fandoms in years past, so I have plenty of ideas about them.
First, though, some general stuff!
Likes:
--Happy endings! I do not require puppies and rainbows, but I'd rather a story end on an up note. Before the end, though, all sorts of stuff can happen.
--People who are kind of messed up! In these fandoms this is sort of a spectrum, of course, although even Carlos and Dorothy Ann might be a little bit (adversely? at least weirdly?) affected by all the craziness and danger and so on. And Murtagh might be on top of his shit, but there are still issues to be had there, for sure.
--Sex! This is absolutely not a requirement, but I am totally down with explicit stories. Kink is great too, although if there is a lady involved, I have to ask that she not be submissive, please.
--Srs bsns emotional entanglements! I love connections between people, people who have histories with each other, who've experienced stuff together. This can be romantic, familial, intense friendship or comradeship, whatever. Exploration of that is always awesome.
Dislikes:
--Public embarrassment! It makes me cringe a lot.
--Sap! I am kind of not very romantic? I mean, I totally love romance stories, I love it when people are crazy about each other, I am all for lovin', but endearments and people tenderly touching each others' faces and making love and whatever is a little much for me. (That said, I am kind of a sucker for hurt/comfort. Just...so you know.)
--Misunderstandings! Especially when they fuel a plotline, and especially if they're out of character. Like, if two characters are not communicating because they suck at communication, okay (possibly even great!), but if someone just happens to overhear a conversation that leads them to a host of unwarranted assumptions...perhaps less okay.
--Extreme jealousy! A little can be okay, and for some people it's more okay than others (I'd be more willing to accept, like, Ben Pollard being jealous than, say, Carlos) but overall, it tends to turn me off.
Beyond this, if you're unsure about something and really want to check if I'm squicked by, like, dinosaurs or avocado or cock rings or whatever,
liviapenn will probably either know or be able to unobtrusively check with me, so talk to her.
Now, fandoms! I admit I am literally copy-and-pasting from previous years here, but man, I still want ALL of this. (Believe me when I tell you, I have no preference among these fandoms. I deliberately didn't choose a fourth fandom because I wanted any one of these three SO BADLY.)
Doctrine of Labyrinths:
My Optional Details Are Optional said: Murtagh! Murtagh deserves so many props for stepping up and helping stuff work out for crazy people and their ridiculous problems. I love how he's compassionate without being weak, tough without being cruel, imperfect and real but still so much more in control of his shit than…anybody else. I would love a post-Corambis story, to see how everything works out. I'd also love to see Murtagh slashed with either Felix or Kay, if you want. I feel like he could really help Felix work on his issues (and that could be super hot, if you wanted to go that route), and…I also really feel like he has a thing for Kay, and Kay deserves some loving, frankly. On the other hand, if you wanted to explore Isobel as a character, and maybe get Murtagh to work some stuff out with her, that would be really cool, too. It would also be neat just to see stuff from Murtagh's perspective (first- or third-POV), since he isn't a POV character in the book. And frankly, any situation where he just comes in and pwns all the idiots makes me happy--he's so *competent*! On the other hand, seeing the rare occasions when he's unsure of himself (e.g. when he's apologizing to Felix for the whole prostitution thing) is great, too. Basically whatever you want to do would be awesome!
So, uh, you'd think that might be enough, but - clearly not, because I have even more thoughts. So, my experience of this series was--I read the first three books before the fourth came out, and of course The Mirador is so unrelentingly awful for all of the characters, and I finally picked up Corambis with a certain amount of apprehension and, to my UTTER SHOCK, stuff got--better! Felix and Mildmay's situation improved! They began acting constructively, um, sometimes. So I truly adore Corambis for the foundation it lays, the way it builds everything up into a situation where finally, finally, there's hope for the future. And I think Murtagh is a good--symbol of that, I guess, just because he is a problem-solver in a very practical way, the sort of guy who looks at a situation and is like, Okay, what is our goal, what are our resources, let's get some shit done. And I love that, and I love watching him interacting with--well, pretty much everybody else. He and Felix are as awkward as two really smooth people can be, which is always amazing to watch, and it would be cool to see them work through that awkwardness. Or, okay, I said in my details that I feel like he has a thing for Kay, except really what I mean is I am basically certain he is pining after Kay. At the very least he has a major friend-crush on him (oh my God, the scene where he asks Kay if he at least likes him, awwwww). So I'd really love to see some further exploration of that, either during the book, or maybe a post-book story where Kay gets over his issues a little and starts to return some of that affection more openly. A plain ol' slash first-time story would be really, really awesome, too. Oh, and one thing I didn't say in my details that I think would be totally great is Murtagh and Mildmay becoming friends (whether Mildmay finds out about Felix and Murtagh's, ah, prior association, or not). They don't get much face time together, and it would be cool to explore their dynamic some, especially since despite their many differences, Mildmay is also a really practical down-to-earth kind of guy. So--I hope that is enough optional details for you. *g* But if you think of something that isn't on here, go for it! I heart Murtagh and I want more of him and that is basically it.
Magic School Bus:
So, my Optional Details Are Optional said: I would love almost anything for this pairing! You could age them up and get them together, or there could be wacky Ms. Frizzle adventures featuring the two of them (maybe they get lost together?) while they're still kids. A more serious story would be great, too--what's it like when they leave Ms. Frizzle's class? When they're grown-up, remembering all of this crazy impossible stuff? Do they stay friends, or drift apart and then meet up later? Also feel free to include any of the other characters!
I totally watched this show when it was first airing, and my eight-year-old self adored Dorothy Ann, and totally shipped her with Carlos. I loved their push and pull--one minute they're giving each other a hard time, and the next they're on the same side! They have more in common than they think, and I always wanted them to have more scenes together. My current self would be delighted with just that, as I said above--Carlos and Dorothy Ann are separated from the group! Carlos and Dorothy Ann have to solve the field trip's problem by working together! Carlos and Dorothy Ann team up to impress Ms. Frizzle! Or whatever else you think of! Also, if you do want to age them up, maybe the magical-realism world they're in stays with them, and other crazy awesome stuff happens to them through the rest of school and/or adulthood!
Alternately, I think it would be really interesting to take the show a step close to reality and make Ms. Frizzle special and different, and have the kids returning to normal school once they hit fourth grade--how different would they be from their peers? Would the former Ms. Frizzle students stick together in an inseparable science nerd clique? How about as they go through middle school and high school? Or maybe they drift apart? I'd love to see Carlos and Dorothy Ann meeting up for the first time in years, or maybe just spending meaningful time together after a while of being only acquaintances. Again, romance would be great (and sex scenes are totally fine as long as they're at least high school age) but it isn't necessary! And if an idea grabs you, go for it--I really just want the two of them in a story together!
C.J. Cherryh's The Company Wars
My Optional Details Are Optional said: I love Ben Pollard and Paul Dekker to *death*, so pretty much anything featuring both of them is going to make me happy. Slash would be awesome--and I certainly wouldn't say no to a threesome or foursome with Sal and/or Meg, who I think would be totally down anyway. If you're not a slasher, no worries! Plottiness would be really cool (for example, whatever they're doing post-books?) as would anything about them trying to have some kind of functional friendship. I would also be down for crazy Dekker, either mid-canon or some kind of post-canon non-permanent relapse. Mostly I just love the development of Ben and Dekker's relationship and want to see more of it!
That is, as always, a lot of optional details! But they are all true. The lighthearted options here are less visible, because the canon itself is somewhat dark, but Ben and Dekker both really deserve some happiness, so if you want to give them some nice things or good times, please go for it. On the other hand, they're both pretty fucked-up, and if you want to explore that, I encourage you to knock yourself out. Basically I love their bond--the way Dekker turns to Ben, again and again, uses him as an anchor, and the way Ben...grits his teeth and gets mad and puts up with it until he isn't just putting up with it anymore. So I'd be happy with any story that includes their relationship! Whether it's slash or not is entirely up to you, of course--I'd love to see them fall in bed together (their angry sex would probably be pretty epic!) or see Ben's protectiveness-in-spite-of-himself get the better of him, or have Dekker make a move, or Sal and Meg be the instigators of a foursome, or anything, really. But I'd also really like a gen story about Ben and Dekker and Dekker's crazy, or maybe something plotty about what they do after the books are over, or maybe Dekker having to take care of Ben for a change. Anything showing an understanding between them, exploring what they are to each other, would be awesome.
I will mention that one thing I do not love about the series is how frustrating everything is, which is definitely a product of the vaguely dystopian setting. If you go plotty, maybe a little less of Authority being so obtuse you just want to scream. (It can be obtuse! Just not...continuously for hundreds of pages in total defiance of logical arguments. Seriously, Ben has to be well on his way to popping a blood vessel at this point.)
If you volunteered for one of these and are having a mental block now, and want to try familiarizing yourself with one of the others instead, I'd recommend either the Cherryh books or Magic School Bus - I've really only read Hellburner and Heavy Time in the Company Wars series, and neither of them is very long (plus you can skim the bits about Authority Being Obtuse if you like), and Magic School Bus is not, shall we say, an extremely arc-y canon; if you watch a few episodes on Youtube, you'll basically have an idea of what it's like. (I definitely have not watched more than an episode here or there in recent years.)
Above all, though, Yuletide Author: have fun. Yuletide is a time of joy! I cannot wait to see what you come up with.
This entry was originally posted at http://frostfire.dreamwidth.org/148435.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
First and foremost, optional details are optional! But if you are looking for story ideas, look no further. I have asked for all of these fandoms in years past, so I have plenty of ideas about them.
First, though, some general stuff!
Likes:
--Happy endings! I do not require puppies and rainbows, but I'd rather a story end on an up note. Before the end, though, all sorts of stuff can happen.
--People who are kind of messed up! In these fandoms this is sort of a spectrum, of course, although even Carlos and Dorothy Ann might be a little bit (adversely? at least weirdly?) affected by all the craziness and danger and so on. And Murtagh might be on top of his shit, but there are still issues to be had there, for sure.
--Sex! This is absolutely not a requirement, but I am totally down with explicit stories. Kink is great too, although if there is a lady involved, I have to ask that she not be submissive, please.
--Srs bsns emotional entanglements! I love connections between people, people who have histories with each other, who've experienced stuff together. This can be romantic, familial, intense friendship or comradeship, whatever. Exploration of that is always awesome.
Dislikes:
--Public embarrassment! It makes me cringe a lot.
--Sap! I am kind of not very romantic? I mean, I totally love romance stories, I love it when people are crazy about each other, I am all for lovin', but endearments and people tenderly touching each others' faces and making love and whatever is a little much for me. (That said, I am kind of a sucker for hurt/comfort. Just...so you know.)
--Misunderstandings! Especially when they fuel a plotline, and especially if they're out of character. Like, if two characters are not communicating because they suck at communication, okay (possibly even great!), but if someone just happens to overhear a conversation that leads them to a host of unwarranted assumptions...perhaps less okay.
--Extreme jealousy! A little can be okay, and for some people it's more okay than others (I'd be more willing to accept, like, Ben Pollard being jealous than, say, Carlos) but overall, it tends to turn me off.
Beyond this, if you're unsure about something and really want to check if I'm squicked by, like, dinosaurs or avocado or cock rings or whatever,
liviapenn will probably either know or be able to unobtrusively check with me, so talk to her.
Now, fandoms! I admit I am literally copy-and-pasting from previous years here, but man, I still want ALL of this. (Believe me when I tell you, I have no preference among these fandoms. I deliberately didn't choose a fourth fandom because I wanted any one of these three SO BADLY.)
Doctrine of Labyrinths:
My Optional Details Are Optional said: Murtagh! Murtagh deserves so many props for stepping up and helping stuff work out for crazy people and their ridiculous problems. I love how he's compassionate without being weak, tough without being cruel, imperfect and real but still so much more in control of his shit than…anybody else. I would love a post-Corambis story, to see how everything works out. I'd also love to see Murtagh slashed with either Felix or Kay, if you want. I feel like he could really help Felix work on his issues (and that could be super hot, if you wanted to go that route), and…I also really feel like he has a thing for Kay, and Kay deserves some loving, frankly. On the other hand, if you wanted to explore Isobel as a character, and maybe get Murtagh to work some stuff out with her, that would be really cool, too. It would also be neat just to see stuff from Murtagh's perspective (first- or third-POV), since he isn't a POV character in the book. And frankly, any situation where he just comes in and pwns all the idiots makes me happy--he's so *competent*! On the other hand, seeing the rare occasions when he's unsure of himself (e.g. when he's apologizing to Felix for the whole prostitution thing) is great, too. Basically whatever you want to do would be awesome!
So, uh, you'd think that might be enough, but - clearly not, because I have even more thoughts. So, my experience of this series was--I read the first three books before the fourth came out, and of course The Mirador is so unrelentingly awful for all of the characters, and I finally picked up Corambis with a certain amount of apprehension and, to my UTTER SHOCK, stuff got--better! Felix and Mildmay's situation improved! They began acting constructively, um, sometimes. So I truly adore Corambis for the foundation it lays, the way it builds everything up into a situation where finally, finally, there's hope for the future. And I think Murtagh is a good--symbol of that, I guess, just because he is a problem-solver in a very practical way, the sort of guy who looks at a situation and is like, Okay, what is our goal, what are our resources, let's get some shit done. And I love that, and I love watching him interacting with--well, pretty much everybody else. He and Felix are as awkward as two really smooth people can be, which is always amazing to watch, and it would be cool to see them work through that awkwardness. Or, okay, I said in my details that I feel like he has a thing for Kay, except really what I mean is I am basically certain he is pining after Kay. At the very least he has a major friend-crush on him (oh my God, the scene where he asks Kay if he at least likes him, awwwww). So I'd really love to see some further exploration of that, either during the book, or maybe a post-book story where Kay gets over his issues a little and starts to return some of that affection more openly. A plain ol' slash first-time story would be really, really awesome, too. Oh, and one thing I didn't say in my details that I think would be totally great is Murtagh and Mildmay becoming friends (whether Mildmay finds out about Felix and Murtagh's, ah, prior association, or not). They don't get much face time together, and it would be cool to explore their dynamic some, especially since despite their many differences, Mildmay is also a really practical down-to-earth kind of guy. So--I hope that is enough optional details for you. *g* But if you think of something that isn't on here, go for it! I heart Murtagh and I want more of him and that is basically it.
Magic School Bus:
So, my Optional Details Are Optional said: I would love almost anything for this pairing! You could age them up and get them together, or there could be wacky Ms. Frizzle adventures featuring the two of them (maybe they get lost together?) while they're still kids. A more serious story would be great, too--what's it like when they leave Ms. Frizzle's class? When they're grown-up, remembering all of this crazy impossible stuff? Do they stay friends, or drift apart and then meet up later? Also feel free to include any of the other characters!
I totally watched this show when it was first airing, and my eight-year-old self adored Dorothy Ann, and totally shipped her with Carlos. I loved their push and pull--one minute they're giving each other a hard time, and the next they're on the same side! They have more in common than they think, and I always wanted them to have more scenes together. My current self would be delighted with just that, as I said above--Carlos and Dorothy Ann are separated from the group! Carlos and Dorothy Ann have to solve the field trip's problem by working together! Carlos and Dorothy Ann team up to impress Ms. Frizzle! Or whatever else you think of! Also, if you do want to age them up, maybe the magical-realism world they're in stays with them, and other crazy awesome stuff happens to them through the rest of school and/or adulthood!
Alternately, I think it would be really interesting to take the show a step close to reality and make Ms. Frizzle special and different, and have the kids returning to normal school once they hit fourth grade--how different would they be from their peers? Would the former Ms. Frizzle students stick together in an inseparable science nerd clique? How about as they go through middle school and high school? Or maybe they drift apart? I'd love to see Carlos and Dorothy Ann meeting up for the first time in years, or maybe just spending meaningful time together after a while of being only acquaintances. Again, romance would be great (and sex scenes are totally fine as long as they're at least high school age) but it isn't necessary! And if an idea grabs you, go for it--I really just want the two of them in a story together!
C.J. Cherryh's The Company Wars
My Optional Details Are Optional said: I love Ben Pollard and Paul Dekker to *death*, so pretty much anything featuring both of them is going to make me happy. Slash would be awesome--and I certainly wouldn't say no to a threesome or foursome with Sal and/or Meg, who I think would be totally down anyway. If you're not a slasher, no worries! Plottiness would be really cool (for example, whatever they're doing post-books?) as would anything about them trying to have some kind of functional friendship. I would also be down for crazy Dekker, either mid-canon or some kind of post-canon non-permanent relapse. Mostly I just love the development of Ben and Dekker's relationship and want to see more of it!
That is, as always, a lot of optional details! But they are all true. The lighthearted options here are less visible, because the canon itself is somewhat dark, but Ben and Dekker both really deserve some happiness, so if you want to give them some nice things or good times, please go for it. On the other hand, they're both pretty fucked-up, and if you want to explore that, I encourage you to knock yourself out. Basically I love their bond--the way Dekker turns to Ben, again and again, uses him as an anchor, and the way Ben...grits his teeth and gets mad and puts up with it until he isn't just putting up with it anymore. So I'd be happy with any story that includes their relationship! Whether it's slash or not is entirely up to you, of course--I'd love to see them fall in bed together (their angry sex would probably be pretty epic!) or see Ben's protectiveness-in-spite-of-himself get the better of him, or have Dekker make a move, or Sal and Meg be the instigators of a foursome, or anything, really. But I'd also really like a gen story about Ben and Dekker and Dekker's crazy, or maybe something plotty about what they do after the books are over, or maybe Dekker having to take care of Ben for a change. Anything showing an understanding between them, exploring what they are to each other, would be awesome.
I will mention that one thing I do not love about the series is how frustrating everything is, which is definitely a product of the vaguely dystopian setting. If you go plotty, maybe a little less of Authority being so obtuse you just want to scream. (It can be obtuse! Just not...continuously for hundreds of pages in total defiance of logical arguments. Seriously, Ben has to be well on his way to popping a blood vessel at this point.)
If you volunteered for one of these and are having a mental block now, and want to try familiarizing yourself with one of the others instead, I'd recommend either the Cherryh books or Magic School Bus - I've really only read Hellburner and Heavy Time in the Company Wars series, and neither of them is very long (plus you can skim the bits about Authority Being Obtuse if you like), and Magic School Bus is not, shall we say, an extremely arc-y canon; if you watch a few episodes on Youtube, you'll basically have an idea of what it's like. (I definitely have not watched more than an episode here or there in recent years.)
Above all, though, Yuletide Author: have fun. Yuletide is a time of joy! I cannot wait to see what you come up with.
This entry was originally posted at http://frostfire.dreamwidth.org/148435.html. Please comment there using OpenID.