Dear Yuletide Writer
Merry Yuletide! I hope you don't mind if I recycle some bits of last year's letter that are still relevant. No sense reinventing the wheel and all, so...
Thanks in advance for the story you're going to write for me! I'm pretty easy to please, so don't be anxious at all. The main thing I hope is that you will have as much fun writing this story as I will have reading it. So, I'm going to give you some general info about what I like, as well as some specific prompts for each fandom I chose. Hopefully among them you'll find something that grabs you.
While I tend to lean towards gen, I've included a variety of slash and het prompts that I'd also like to see. Themes/tropes I enjoy include case stories, mysteries, action/adventure, character studies, drama, angst, bromance, friendship, dark!fic, exploration of character back stories, arch-enemies teaming up for a common cause, reincarnation, and post-death reunions. I don't particularly like things like mpreg, gender swap (although trans and non-binary characters are fine), kid!fic, schmoop, fluff, or poor dental hygiene. Any rating is fine.
For the specific fandoms I've requested (in alphabetical order):
Gladiator (2000) - Maximus Decimus Meridius
So here's where I really diverge from my preference for gen, because I have a serious and under-indulged gladiator fetish. However, if that's not your thing, any of the alternatives would be just as welcome.
This version of Lolita - starring Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain, and Melanie Griffith - is phenomenal. It's one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen - beautifully shot, beautifully acted, and deeply disturbing. While I'm just as jazzed about this as my other requests, my interests fic-wise are quite a bit more narrow. What I'd love to see is something from young Dolores' POV. This film, like the book, is tight on Humbert's POV. I'd like something that gives Dolores agency, that explores her thoughts and feelings about Humbert and any of the major events of the film - her relationship with her mother, her mother's death, Humbert's lecherous betrayal, her "escape" to Clare Quilty, etc. Pretty much anything Dolores-centric, please.
Lungs (Album) - Any
I love Florence + The Machine's music to a ridiculous degree, and have listened to this album an obscene number of times. This one is really author's choice, because the prompts are the songs, however you care to interpret them. Existential exploration of death? Human sacrifice (literal or metaphorical)? Werewolf lovers? It's all good.
If you'd like to know what I love about this show, here's a link to my pimp post on smallfandomfest. For my requests here, Kurt should be front and center. Other than that, I'm pretty open to whoever else you want to include. I'm particularly interested in stories focused on Kurt's various relationships:
I'm also a big fan of Henning Mankell's books, so if you're not familiar with the Kenneth Branagh portrayal, I'd be just as happy with book!Kurt. Book!Kurt is quite different from Branagh's in some interesting ways. He can be quite petty and gross (let's not mention what he did in the archives in Dogs of Rigga). Where Branagh's character is more sullen, morose and grumpy, Mankell's Wallander is a bit more rough and tumble and has quite the temper, and isn't one to shy away from physical scuffles. And he's a bit more social - he goes out dancing and has one night stands - though he's still painfully lonely.
I had so wanted to nominate this last year, but was afraid nobody would have ever seen it, let alone remembered it. Then lo and behold, some kind souls uploaded a few episodes to YouTube and Vimeo. You can find them here:
Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4
And there are video clips and episode transcripts here.
It is terrible - in a way that only low-budget fantasy television shows made in 1983 can be terrible. But I loved this show with all my heart back when I was a wee lass. I adore Duncan Regehr, and he's definitely the highlight here (Julia Duffy is pretty great, too). You don't get to see much of his character arc in just these 4 episodes, but he becomes somewhat more conflicted about his evil-doing in later episodes. He talks a big game, but even when the Princess is under his power, he threatens but never actually harms her, so he's occasionally capable of having a conscience. And he's hilarious. Anyway, I'd love a Dirk-centric fic along these lines:
Thanks in advance for the story you're going to write for me! I'm pretty easy to please, so don't be anxious at all. The main thing I hope is that you will have as much fun writing this story as I will have reading it. So, I'm going to give you some general info about what I like, as well as some specific prompts for each fandom I chose. Hopefully among them you'll find something that grabs you.
While I tend to lean towards gen, I've included a variety of slash and het prompts that I'd also like to see. Themes/tropes I enjoy include case stories, mysteries, action/adventure, character studies, drama, angst, bromance, friendship, dark!fic, exploration of character back stories, arch-enemies teaming up for a common cause, reincarnation, and post-death reunions. I don't particularly like things like mpreg, gender swap (although trans and non-binary characters are fine), kid!fic, schmoop, fluff, or poor dental hygiene. Any rating is fine.
For the specific fandoms I've requested (in alphabetical order):
Gladiator (2000) - Maximus Decimus Meridius
So here's where I really diverge from my preference for gen, because I have a serious and under-indulged gladiator fetish. However, if that's not your thing, any of the alternatives would be just as welcome.
- Gladiator porn. Just straight up M/M porn about whatever they've got going on between bouts in the arena - the raunchier and filthier the better. PWP is fine. I don't have any preferred pairings, but I'd like to keep it between gladiators, so no Maximus/Commodus. Although if you wanted to do a dub-con gladiator orgy orchestrated and watched by Commodus, that would be grand.
- Maximus' influence on Lucius - what impact did he have on the man Lucius eventually became?
- Post-death reunion between Maximus and his wife and son - as angsty and heart-wrenching and/or as joyful as you'd like to make it. I am a total sucker for post-death reunions.
This version of Lolita - starring Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain, and Melanie Griffith - is phenomenal. It's one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen - beautifully shot, beautifully acted, and deeply disturbing. While I'm just as jazzed about this as my other requests, my interests fic-wise are quite a bit more narrow. What I'd love to see is something from young Dolores' POV. This film, like the book, is tight on Humbert's POV. I'd like something that gives Dolores agency, that explores her thoughts and feelings about Humbert and any of the major events of the film - her relationship with her mother, her mother's death, Humbert's lecherous betrayal, her "escape" to Clare Quilty, etc. Pretty much anything Dolores-centric, please.
Lungs (Album) - Any
I love Florence + The Machine's music to a ridiculous degree, and have listened to this album an obscene number of times. This one is really author's choice, because the prompts are the songs, however you care to interpret them. Existential exploration of death? Human sacrifice (literal or metaphorical)? Werewolf lovers? It's all good.
- My boy builds coffins for the rich and the poor | Kings and queens; they've all knocked on his door | Beggars and liars, gypsies and thieves | They all come to him 'cause he's so eager to please
- Here I am, a rabbit-hearted girl | Frozen in the headlights | It seems I've made the final sacrifice
- I took a knife and cut out her eye | I took it home and watched it wither and die | Well, she's lucky that I didn't slip her a smile | That's why she sleeps with one eye open | That's the price she paid
- My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in | You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl | My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in | You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to | Howl
If you'd like to know what I love about this show, here's a link to my pimp post on smallfandomfest. For my requests here, Kurt should be front and center. Other than that, I'm pretty open to whoever else you want to include. I'm particularly interested in stories focused on Kurt's various relationships:
- His often troubled relationship with his daughter Linda, and/or anything having to do with her suicide attempt.
- There is a lovely scene in Before the Frost where Kurt's walking with Linda and he tells her that when he goes for walks alone, he often talks to the trees along his way as if they were people in his life that he's lost. So one is his father, one his mother, one is Svedberg, etc. I'd love a story about Kurt talking to the trees.
- Kurt/Vanja - Something exploring her decision to move in with him, her decision to move out, and/or some domestic scenes (although not too fluffy, this is Wallander we're talking about).
- If slash is more your thing, I'm kind of picky about slashing Kurt with anyone, but here are a few options. My long-standing OTP for him is Kurt/Lestrade (BBC Sherlock). So if you wanted to give that a go - rock on! Just make sure Sherlock and John are either not featured at all or are in the background - don't want them overshadowing things. It should still firmly be a Wallander story. Another option: an angsty, unrequited Kurt/Svedberg would be quite interesting, with Kurt being solidly oblivious to poor Svedberg's pining. Please stay away from Kurt/Magnus, though - I just don't see it with those two.
I'm also a big fan of Henning Mankell's books, so if you're not familiar with the Kenneth Branagh portrayal, I'd be just as happy with book!Kurt. Book!Kurt is quite different from Branagh's in some interesting ways. He can be quite petty and gross (let's not mention what he did in the archives in Dogs of Rigga). Where Branagh's character is more sullen, morose and grumpy, Mankell's Wallander is a bit more rough and tumble and has quite the temper, and isn't one to shy away from physical scuffles. And he's a bit more social - he goes out dancing and has one night stands - though he's still painfully lonely.
- This is where I get greedy and ask for case fic - I know (having attempted it myself) that it's not an easy thing to write, so just throwing that out there if you feel up for it.
- Wallander seems to have a lot of respect for Anne-Britt. I'd like to see something about his mentoring of her, and/or anything where they work a case together and he is impressed by her. Could be his POV or hers.
- Why was his father so against him becoming a police officer, anyway?
- Kurt goes out dancing to pick up chicks.
- Or maybe he goes out dancing to pick up gents? Had a fling with the post boat captain in One Step Behind? Or with his pal Sten Widen, when they were young and would listen to opera in the stables and dream of making a career in the opera? Just as above, if you go the slash route no Wallander/Magnus, please.
I had so wanted to nominate this last year, but was afraid nobody would have ever seen it, let alone remembered it. Then lo and behold, some kind souls uploaded a few episodes to YouTube and Vimeo. You can find them here:
Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4
And there are video clips and episode transcripts here.
It is terrible - in a way that only low-budget fantasy television shows made in 1983 can be terrible. But I loved this show with all my heart back when I was a wee lass. I adore Duncan Regehr, and he's definitely the highlight here (Julia Duffy is pretty great, too). You don't get to see much of his character arc in just these 4 episodes, but he becomes somewhat more conflicted about his evil-doing in later episodes. He talks a big game, but even when the Princess is under his power, he threatens but never actually harms her, so he's occasionally capable of having a conscience. And he's hilarious. Anyway, I'd love a Dirk-centric fic along these lines:
- Episode 6 - Caverns of Chaos has one of my favorite tropes - the mortal enemies joined together (in this case, literally) for a common cause or to defeat a common foe. So I'd like a story using that trope - preferably not a re-hash of the episode, but a different scenario altogether. I'm open to whatever you come up with. And I'm even going to waive the "no mpreg" rule for this, because it just occurred to me that a magically mpreg-ed Dirk, with Erik helping to either deliver the baby or find a cure before he actually goes into labor, could be hilarious.
- If you want to go the slashy route, a young Dirk/Erik fic with Dirk's affections being unrequited (possibly leading to their fall-out - in one of the episodes above, it's mentioned that they grew up together).
- Pretty much anything else you would like to do in this universe, so long as it's primarily focused on Dirk.