Yuletide 2012: Dear author letter
Dear Author,
Thank you for writing a story for me this Yuletide! Here are my prompts, and some notes that might help you if you are looking for ideas.
If you're here for one of the first two prompts and are wondering about the fact that I requested Cesare Borgia twice - don't worry! I honestly have no preference for one character or fandom over another here (I'm equally excited about all of them!) - I'm just interested in both interpretations of his character, and I wasn't able to choose between them.
For research purposes: My AO3 account is actually pretty empty, but you can find it here. My tumblr is where I'm primarily active online, and you are more than invited to stalk it.
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Thomas Nightingale
I have a huge amount of respect for Thomas, both as a character and as a person. I love his particular sense of humor, the spark of daredevil excitement that sometimes shines through his reserve, his quiet but vast capacity for empathy, his deep-seated morality and ethics, the way he hides his immense loneliness, guilt, trauma, depression, and love for the people close to him behind old-fashioned British dignity - and despite that, how he is completely and painfully honest, both with other people and especially with himself. I'd love to see present-day fic showing him from a different angle, or backstory (pre-WWII Thomas fascinates me), or future fic if it strikes your fancy. Above all, I just care a lot about this character, and I'd love to read a story that shows him happy in some way. My main request is that the fic be optimistic on the whole.
Notes: I dislike certain types of power imbalances when it comes to sexual relationships, so please no Molly/Thomas, or Peter/Thomas while Peter is still Thomas' apprentice. If you choose to refer to Ettersberg, please keep in mind that you are referring to the Buchenwald concentration camp and its satellite camps, with all the sensitivity that requires.
Some general ideas: Since we've only seen his character from Peter's point of view, I think it would be interesting to see Thomas interact with someone other than Peter and who isn't his subordinate - that is to say, someone he doesn't have to put on a serious, stoic or authoritative face for. I think it would also be interesting to see how his dynamic with Peter will change once Peter "graduates" from his apprenticeship and they are on more equal footing. Being old-school and ex-military, I don't think that Thomas can allow himself to be truly open with a direct subordinate, despite the fact that Peter is one of the people he cares about most - on some level, this must frustrate him. These are just a couple ideas - if you have something of your own that you want to explore, that would be wonderful too! There is so much room for creativity here and if you have another story to tell I'd love to see what you come up with.
Here are some more thoughts on Thomas. I haven't written meta about these books anywhere else, so I'll sum up a few of my thoughts here:
Despite Thomas' age and the changes in culture he's doubtless experienced, he is remarkably adaptable and open-minded despite evidently coming from background of privilege. Not only does he pay lip service to modern morals and ideals (for example, on issues of equality and political correctness), he also obviously believes in them deeply and implements them in both his professional decisions and personal life. In that light, I think it's particularly interesting that he is also willing to take ruthless and final decisions when he thinks he has no choice - and then reevaluate those decisions fairly and without ego when called on them, even by his direct subordinate.
Peter might mock him a bit for his fashion sense and lack of knowledge about some technological developments, but I think that these are actually luxuries that Thomas allows himself. Unless something is important to his job, he permits himself the luxury of not knowing it. We've seen that he is up-to-date on technology that he needs for his job, but when it comes to other technology, or fashion sense, he anchors himself very firmly within his comfort zone.
Thomas is coded as queer in some ways, though that could be explained by the fact that he is literally a living anachronism. Some mannerisms and affectations that might read as queer or gay for us today were standard a century ago. In my tentative headcanon, he is either gay or bi/pansexual, while also placing somewhere on the asexuality spectrum. However, I can see him being of any sexual orientation, and any way you choose to address it (or not address it) is absolutely okay with me. Slash, het or gen are fine, and so are OCs as long as the focus is still on him.
Edit: I see I just got sent to the pinch-hit list, so this is a good time to mention that since writing this letter I have actually written down a lot of my thoughts on Thomas in conversation with another tumblr user. You can find my posts on my Thomas Nightingale tag, and I also have some new posts on my Rivers of London tag. I don't expect you to read my posts, but if you're looking for some inspiration I figure it might help.
Revolution (TV 2012)
Sebastian "Bass" Monroe
Monroe is a complex character, whose characterization hasn't been quite nailed down in the show yet. Some of the many issues I'd love to see explored are Monroe's history, his personality, his moral journey and/or his relationships with other characters on the show - not to mention the ever-present question of: what the hell is going on inside his head? Some tentative ideas: I find pre-Blackout Sebastian fascinating, because of how drastically different he was from who he is today. If you feel comfortable writing about either of these characters, I would love to see fic that explores Monroe's relationship with the Matheson family, Miles or Rachel in particular. I'm fascinated by his relationship with Miles (I'm totally open to it being either platonic or romantic), and his chemistry with Rachel is intense, though in some ways disturbing. However, don't feel obligated to include either of them - a fic centered just around him would also be great. Pre- or post-Blackout backstory, present-day or future fic would all be fantastic.
An optimistic story would be nice, though not necessary if that's not the story you want to tell. I'd just like to ask that if it is a depressing story, that it's not one with a totally hopeless ending.
Since this is an ongoing show, the canon might change by the time Yuletide comes around. Don't stress about getting contradicted by future episodes - if you want to make it AU from now for whatever reason, that's absolutely fine.
I've actually written a lot of my thoughts down about this show and Monroe's role in it. You can find them on my Revolution meta and Sebastian Monroe tags on tumblr. Don't let these limit you at all, but if you want some ideas for brainstorming, you might find it useful.
Note: Okay, I requested both Cesare Borgia from The Borgias TV show and historical RPF about Cesare Borgia, because I'm interested in both perspectives on the character and couldn't decide between them. If you're only familiar with one of these sources, don't worry - that's all you need. Please note that the prompt for 15th Century RPF contains some general historical spoilers for the future of the TV show, if that's something that bothers you.
TL;DR: If you write me a fic about Cesare Borgia being badass, you will have fulfilled my request 100%!
I'm not that involved in the fandom, so I only have a small amount of meta about The Borgias on tumblr. But if you feel like it, you can stalk my Borgias tag here.
The Borgias
Cesare Borgia
I am a big fan of Francois Arnaud's portrayal of Cesare in the show. I think he brings the character to life, and I love how we're getting to see Cesare's journey from someone trapped, unhappy and suffering from self-doubt, to the leader we know he will become. It's wonderful to watch his charisma, self-confidence, ruthlessness and leadership skills grow and develop as the show progresses.
In general, I'd like to see a story that touches on any of the following: his ambition and sense of destiny, his military and political genius, his ability to inspire loyalty in his soldiers, his love for his family, or any combination of the above. I'm less interested in romance when it comes to his character - definitely feel free to put some in, but preferably not as the main focus. I love his relationship with Lucrezia in the show. I think that they are soulmates, but not in a sexual or romantic sense (no incest, please).I would love to see future-fic in the context of the characterizations in the show - however, if you do write it, please do so according to at least the broad outlines of what happened in history. (Also, see the next prompt for my views on AUs - contains some historical spoilers.) Feel free to change or ignore specifics if they don't fit in with the story you want to tell, though. If you don't want to spoil yourself, or if a different story inspires you, feel free to go for something else! As long as you have fun writing it, I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it.
15th Century CE RPF
Cesare Borgia
I completely and unabashedly love Cesare Borgia as a character. Even after his death, he is a divisive personality - I think it's fascinating that authors and historians examining his legacy seem to either love him or hate him. I'm less interested in him as a romantic figure, and more interested in his character and how he fits into history. As in the above prompt, I'd like to see a story that explores his ambition and sense of destiny, his military and strategic genius, his ability to inspire loyalty in his soldiers, his love for his family, or any combination of the above.
(Contains Borgias spoilers:)
If it's a concept you find interesting, I'd also enjoy seeing an AU that explores any of the "what if?"s that exist around his story. For example: What if the papal elections in 1503 had gone more according to his liking? What if he hadn't been ill at that critical point in time? What if Leonardo da Vinci had given him the military and technological tools he needed to secure central Italy through military conquest? Feel free to go wild with this!
Thank you for writing a story for me this Yuletide! Here are my prompts, and some notes that might help you if you are looking for ideas.
If you're here for one of the first two prompts and are wondering about the fact that I requested Cesare Borgia twice - don't worry! I honestly have no preference for one character or fandom over another here (I'm equally excited about all of them!) - I'm just interested in both interpretations of his character, and I wasn't able to choose between them.
For research purposes: My AO3 account is actually pretty empty, but you can find it here. My tumblr is where I'm primarily active online, and you are more than invited to stalk it.
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Thomas Nightingale
I have a huge amount of respect for Thomas, both as a character and as a person. I love his particular sense of humor, the spark of daredevil excitement that sometimes shines through his reserve, his quiet but vast capacity for empathy, his deep-seated morality and ethics, the way he hides his immense loneliness, guilt, trauma, depression, and love for the people close to him behind old-fashioned British dignity - and despite that, how he is completely and painfully honest, both with other people and especially with himself. I'd love to see present-day fic showing him from a different angle, or backstory (pre-WWII Thomas fascinates me), or future fic if it strikes your fancy. Above all, I just care a lot about this character, and I'd love to read a story that shows him happy in some way. My main request is that the fic be optimistic on the whole.
Notes: I dislike certain types of power imbalances when it comes to sexual relationships, so please no Molly/Thomas, or Peter/Thomas while Peter is still Thomas' apprentice. If you choose to refer to Ettersberg, please keep in mind that you are referring to the Buchenwald concentration camp and its satellite camps, with all the sensitivity that requires.
Some general ideas: Since we've only seen his character from Peter's point of view, I think it would be interesting to see Thomas interact with someone other than Peter and who isn't his subordinate - that is to say, someone he doesn't have to put on a serious, stoic or authoritative face for. I think it would also be interesting to see how his dynamic with Peter will change once Peter "graduates" from his apprenticeship and they are on more equal footing. Being old-school and ex-military, I don't think that Thomas can allow himself to be truly open with a direct subordinate, despite the fact that Peter is one of the people he cares about most - on some level, this must frustrate him. These are just a couple ideas - if you have something of your own that you want to explore, that would be wonderful too! There is so much room for creativity here and if you have another story to tell I'd love to see what you come up with.
Here are some more thoughts on Thomas. I haven't written meta about these books anywhere else, so I'll sum up a few of my thoughts here:
Despite Thomas' age and the changes in culture he's doubtless experienced, he is remarkably adaptable and open-minded despite evidently coming from background of privilege. Not only does he pay lip service to modern morals and ideals (for example, on issues of equality and political correctness), he also obviously believes in them deeply and implements them in both his professional decisions and personal life. In that light, I think it's particularly interesting that he is also willing to take ruthless and final decisions when he thinks he has no choice - and then reevaluate those decisions fairly and without ego when called on them, even by his direct subordinate.
Peter might mock him a bit for his fashion sense and lack of knowledge about some technological developments, but I think that these are actually luxuries that Thomas allows himself. Unless something is important to his job, he permits himself the luxury of not knowing it. We've seen that he is up-to-date on technology that he needs for his job, but when it comes to other technology, or fashion sense, he anchors himself very firmly within his comfort zone.
Thomas is coded as queer in some ways, though that could be explained by the fact that he is literally a living anachronism. Some mannerisms and affectations that might read as queer or gay for us today were standard a century ago. In my tentative headcanon, he is either gay or bi/pansexual, while also placing somewhere on the asexuality spectrum. However, I can see him being of any sexual orientation, and any way you choose to address it (or not address it) is absolutely okay with me. Slash, het or gen are fine, and so are OCs as long as the focus is still on him.
Edit: I see I just got sent to the pinch-hit list, so this is a good time to mention that since writing this letter I have actually written down a lot of my thoughts on Thomas in conversation with another tumblr user. You can find my posts on my Thomas Nightingale tag, and I also have some new posts on my Rivers of London tag. I don't expect you to read my posts, but if you're looking for some inspiration I figure it might help.
Revolution (TV 2012)
Sebastian "Bass" Monroe
Monroe is a complex character, whose characterization hasn't been quite nailed down in the show yet. Some of the many issues I'd love to see explored are Monroe's history, his personality, his moral journey and/or his relationships with other characters on the show - not to mention the ever-present question of: what the hell is going on inside his head? Some tentative ideas: I find pre-Blackout Sebastian fascinating, because of how drastically different he was from who he is today. If you feel comfortable writing about either of these characters, I would love to see fic that explores Monroe's relationship with the Matheson family, Miles or Rachel in particular. I'm fascinated by his relationship with Miles (I'm totally open to it being either platonic or romantic), and his chemistry with Rachel is intense, though in some ways disturbing. However, don't feel obligated to include either of them - a fic centered just around him would also be great. Pre- or post-Blackout backstory, present-day or future fic would all be fantastic.
An optimistic story would be nice, though not necessary if that's not the story you want to tell. I'd just like to ask that if it is a depressing story, that it's not one with a totally hopeless ending.
Since this is an ongoing show, the canon might change by the time Yuletide comes around. Don't stress about getting contradicted by future episodes - if you want to make it AU from now for whatever reason, that's absolutely fine.
I've actually written a lot of my thoughts down about this show and Monroe's role in it. You can find them on my Revolution meta and Sebastian Monroe tags on tumblr. Don't let these limit you at all, but if you want some ideas for brainstorming, you might find it useful.
Note: Okay, I requested both Cesare Borgia from The Borgias TV show and historical RPF about Cesare Borgia, because I'm interested in both perspectives on the character and couldn't decide between them. If you're only familiar with one of these sources, don't worry - that's all you need. Please note that the prompt for 15th Century RPF contains some general historical spoilers for the future of the TV show, if that's something that bothers you.
TL;DR: If you write me a fic about Cesare Borgia being badass, you will have fulfilled my request 100%!
I'm not that involved in the fandom, so I only have a small amount of meta about The Borgias on tumblr. But if you feel like it, you can stalk my Borgias tag here.
The Borgias
Cesare Borgia
I am a big fan of Francois Arnaud's portrayal of Cesare in the show. I think he brings the character to life, and I love how we're getting to see Cesare's journey from someone trapped, unhappy and suffering from self-doubt, to the leader we know he will become. It's wonderful to watch his charisma, self-confidence, ruthlessness and leadership skills grow and develop as the show progresses.
In general, I'd like to see a story that touches on any of the following: his ambition and sense of destiny, his military and political genius, his ability to inspire loyalty in his soldiers, his love for his family, or any combination of the above. I'm less interested in romance when it comes to his character - definitely feel free to put some in, but preferably not as the main focus. I love his relationship with Lucrezia in the show. I think that they are soulmates, but not in a sexual or romantic sense (no incest, please).I would love to see future-fic in the context of the characterizations in the show - however, if you do write it, please do so according to at least the broad outlines of what happened in history. (Also, see the next prompt for my views on AUs - contains some historical spoilers.) Feel free to change or ignore specifics if they don't fit in with the story you want to tell, though. If you don't want to spoil yourself, or if a different story inspires you, feel free to go for something else! As long as you have fun writing it, I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it.
15th Century CE RPF
Cesare Borgia
I completely and unabashedly love Cesare Borgia as a character. Even after his death, he is a divisive personality - I think it's fascinating that authors and historians examining his legacy seem to either love him or hate him. I'm less interested in him as a romantic figure, and more interested in his character and how he fits into history. As in the above prompt, I'd like to see a story that explores his ambition and sense of destiny, his military and strategic genius, his ability to inspire loyalty in his soldiers, his love for his family, or any combination of the above.
(Contains Borgias spoilers:)
If it's a concept you find interesting, I'd also enjoy seeing an AU that explores any of the "what if?"s that exist around his story. For example: What if the papal elections in 1503 had gone more according to his liking? What if he hadn't been ill at that critical point in time? What if Leonardo da Vinci had given him the military and technological tools he needed to secure central Italy through military conquest? Feel free to go wild with this!