Yuletide Letter 2015
Dear Yuletide Writer,
First of all, thank you so much for writing for me! It has been a few years since I last participated in Yuletide, and I’m really excited to finally do this again. I really love all of these fandoms I’m requesting, so I’m sure I’ll like anything you write for any of them!
If you’re the type of writer who likes to check out the rest of their recipient’s blog, you may notice this letter is the first thing I’ve posted to this lj in over three years. My last Yuletide letter is here, my AO3 account is here, and my tumblr is here. Other than that, I’m afraid I don’t have much of an online presence, but I will try to give you everything you need to know right here.
General Likes/Dislikes
Likes: A strong sense of character and character relationships. Characters who know each other better than anyone else, whether they are friends, lovers, colleagues, enemies, or any combination of the above. Outsider perspectives - either a stranger’s view of the main characters or a friend or relative’s view of a character’s relationships. Cleverly constructed plots. Slice of life fic. Mission fic. Roadtrip fic. Future fic. Backstory. Interesting worldbuilding details. Undercover as a couple. Friends to lovers. Developing relationships. Happy or happy-ish endings.
Dislikes: Porn with no other story around it. Extreme violence. Major character death. Non-con. Extreme underage. Incest. Crossovers. ‘Modern mundane’/high school/coffee shop AUs. Love triangles where everyone acts immature and no one communicates. First person POV. Creepily invested matchmaker friends. Anything A/B/O, dom/sub world, soulmates, or magical bonding. Super dark fic for a lighter canon or super fluffy fic for a darker canon.
Requests
Any prompts listed are just ideas and suggestions, and if you have your own super great idea for any of these fandoms and characters you should totally write it!
Girl Genius - Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, Zeetha Daughter of Chump
Girl Genius is a webcomic about mad scientists trying to rule the world with varying degrees of success. It is fun and funny and awesome, and it is also really long - seriously, it’s been running since about 2000 and it’s only just recently hit the halfway point, according to the creators. Despite it occasionally being a little slow for stretches (it really just reads better in chunks than a page a day) I have been reading it pretty consistently for almost ten years, because it has so many things I love. Science! Talking animals! Interesting characters with complex relationships! A cool steampunk - sorry, Gaslamp Fantasy - aesthetic! Dragons! A travelling circus! An intricate but not totally confusing plot! Silly semi-canon AUs! A love triangle that isn’t awful and has a not impossible chance of ending in a canon OT3! Bad puns! And did I mention Science! All this and more can be found here.
I love pretty much all of the characters in Girl Genius, but I am requesting Gil and Zeetha this year. It has been all but confirmed that the two are at least half-siblings and are most likely fraternal twins. I’ve loved the idea of this ever since it was first hinted at in the comic, and I’m a little sad not much has been said about it since then. So, I would really like anything to do with their sibling relationship. Feel free to include any of the other characters, and any of the canon or canon-ish ships are fine in the background. The only thing I’d really ask you to avoid is shipping Gil and Zeetha together.
Prompt Ideas: Backstory for their birth and early childhood. What really made Klaus leave with baby Gil? Why did he think Zeetha might be there to kill Gil when he saw her later? Do they have any other siblings or extended family in Skifander? Or maybe fic set during the comic’s main timeline showing either/both of them figuring out their relationship and dealing with that. Or future fic showing how they’ve settled into being brother and sister. Exactly how much does Zeetha enjoy having a brother who’s so easy to torment? Or maybe an AU where they were raised together, either in the Wulfenbach Empire or in Skifander.
Lackadaisy - Ivy Pepper, Viktor Vasko
Lackadaisy is a really amazing webcomic about the employees of a St. Louis speakeasy during the Prohibition era. And all the characters are anthropomorphic cats. Despite what that might have you believe, it is extremely accurate and well-researched, and the art is beautifully detailed. The use of cat people just helps to make the characters so incredibly distinct and expressive. It’s definitely one of my favorite webcomics, and though the update schedule slipped for a while, it’s gotten pretty much back on track recently. The main comic, as well as many enlightening and entertaining side comics and sketches, can be found at the Lackadaisy website. The creator just wrapped up the second volume, so it’s a great time to catch up!
My requested characters are Ivy and Viktor, because they have my favorite relationship in the comic. Big, strong, curmudgeonly characters who have a not-so-secret soft spot for small, sweet, perky characters are a weakness of mine. You can do just about anything with them and I’ll be happy. It can be totally platonic, it can be romantic, it can be anywhere in-between. (Yes, I do kind of ship it, but I know that age gap is a deal-breaker for some, so write whatever makes you comfortable. I genuinely love the relationship in any form.)
Prompt Ideas: Maybe give some backstory on how they first met and developed the relationship they have in the comic’s timeline. Maybe show where they wind up later down the line, after Prohibtion ends (you know, assuming both survive the events of the comic). They were a bit on the outs last time we saw them, maybe show them working through that and reconciling. Or show Ivy dealing with all the new information she’s learned about Viktor recently. Ivy’s starting to get a bit more involved in the more dangerous and illicit parts of the Lackadaisy’s operation - could Viktor ever bring himself to actually work with her or train her in the ways of the business?
Psychonauts - Milla Vodello, Sasha Nein
Psychonauts is a 3D platformer/adventure game about a summer camp for psychic children, and it’s fantastic. I really love everything about this game! I even love the Meat Circus level! …Okay, maybe love is a strong word. Anyway, I really like the unique concept and design of the game, the fact that even really minor characters have their own backgrounds and little storylines, and the way the game uses the level designs to give you more insight into the characters and the world they live in. Also, it’s really, really funny. It can be found on Steam and GOG, and it goes on sale pretty often. It’s also a ten year old game, so you don’t need a very high tech computer to run it.
I have requested Superstar Psychonauts Sasha Nein and Milla Vodello for this fandom. They don’t actually have a lot of direct interaction in the game itself, but I love the implied relationship between the two. They are psychic secret agents who appear to be partners! They go on ridiculous missions together and fight crime - psychic crime! One of these missions involved being undercover in elaborate costumes at a fancy party! They have had at least one clichéd instance of falling down and landing on top of each other in a ~romantic~ pose! I eat this stuff up with a spoon. Make it as shippy or as gen as you want and feel free to include other characters as long as the focus is on their relationship.
Prompt Ideas: We see some tragic history in both Sasha and Milla’s memory vaults, but what happens between those events and the start of the game? How did they come to join the Psychonauts and become partners? How did they start teaching at the summer camp? When did they start running secret missions for Agent Cruller? Or maybe tell me what an average day is like for them when they’re not teaching psychic children or being kidnapped and having their brains removed. What are the Psychonauts headquarters like? How do they relate to their coworkers? What kind of lives do they have outside of work? Alternatively, give me all the mission fic! Give me early missions while they’re still getting to know each other. Give me missions where they work with other agents. Give me missions that hit too close to home for one of them. Give me future missions where they work with Raz or Lili or other former campers. Heck, give me the rescue mission from the game’s sequel hook. Whatever you write, I’d really love to see some interesting uses of psychic powers and the concept of the mental worlds from the game.
Well, that about sums it up, I think. Again, thank you so much for writing for me! If you like prompts, I hope what I gave you is helpful. If you prefer to work without them, I look forward to reading whatever you come up with. I’m sure whatever you write will be awesome!
First of all, thank you so much for writing for me! It has been a few years since I last participated in Yuletide, and I’m really excited to finally do this again. I really love all of these fandoms I’m requesting, so I’m sure I’ll like anything you write for any of them!
If you’re the type of writer who likes to check out the rest of their recipient’s blog, you may notice this letter is the first thing I’ve posted to this lj in over three years. My last Yuletide letter is here, my AO3 account is here, and my tumblr is here. Other than that, I’m afraid I don’t have much of an online presence, but I will try to give you everything you need to know right here.
General Likes/Dislikes
Likes: A strong sense of character and character relationships. Characters who know each other better than anyone else, whether they are friends, lovers, colleagues, enemies, or any combination of the above. Outsider perspectives - either a stranger’s view of the main characters or a friend or relative’s view of a character’s relationships. Cleverly constructed plots. Slice of life fic. Mission fic. Roadtrip fic. Future fic. Backstory. Interesting worldbuilding details. Undercover as a couple. Friends to lovers. Developing relationships. Happy or happy-ish endings.
Dislikes: Porn with no other story around it. Extreme violence. Major character death. Non-con. Extreme underage. Incest. Crossovers. ‘Modern mundane’/high school/coffee shop AUs. Love triangles where everyone acts immature and no one communicates. First person POV. Creepily invested matchmaker friends. Anything A/B/O, dom/sub world, soulmates, or magical bonding. Super dark fic for a lighter canon or super fluffy fic for a darker canon.
Requests
Any prompts listed are just ideas and suggestions, and if you have your own super great idea for any of these fandoms and characters you should totally write it!
Girl Genius - Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, Zeetha Daughter of Chump
Girl Genius is a webcomic about mad scientists trying to rule the world with varying degrees of success. It is fun and funny and awesome, and it is also really long - seriously, it’s been running since about 2000 and it’s only just recently hit the halfway point, according to the creators. Despite it occasionally being a little slow for stretches (it really just reads better in chunks than a page a day) I have been reading it pretty consistently for almost ten years, because it has so many things I love. Science! Talking animals! Interesting characters with complex relationships! A cool steampunk - sorry, Gaslamp Fantasy - aesthetic! Dragons! A travelling circus! An intricate but not totally confusing plot! Silly semi-canon AUs! A love triangle that isn’t awful and has a not impossible chance of ending in a canon OT3! Bad puns! And did I mention Science! All this and more can be found here.
I love pretty much all of the characters in Girl Genius, but I am requesting Gil and Zeetha this year. It has been all but confirmed that the two are at least half-siblings and are most likely fraternal twins. I’ve loved the idea of this ever since it was first hinted at in the comic, and I’m a little sad not much has been said about it since then. So, I would really like anything to do with their sibling relationship. Feel free to include any of the other characters, and any of the canon or canon-ish ships are fine in the background. The only thing I’d really ask you to avoid is shipping Gil and Zeetha together.
Prompt Ideas: Backstory for their birth and early childhood. What really made Klaus leave with baby Gil? Why did he think Zeetha might be there to kill Gil when he saw her later? Do they have any other siblings or extended family in Skifander? Or maybe fic set during the comic’s main timeline showing either/both of them figuring out their relationship and dealing with that. Or future fic showing how they’ve settled into being brother and sister. Exactly how much does Zeetha enjoy having a brother who’s so easy to torment? Or maybe an AU where they were raised together, either in the Wulfenbach Empire or in Skifander.
Lackadaisy - Ivy Pepper, Viktor Vasko
Lackadaisy is a really amazing webcomic about the employees of a St. Louis speakeasy during the Prohibition era. And all the characters are anthropomorphic cats. Despite what that might have you believe, it is extremely accurate and well-researched, and the art is beautifully detailed. The use of cat people just helps to make the characters so incredibly distinct and expressive. It’s definitely one of my favorite webcomics, and though the update schedule slipped for a while, it’s gotten pretty much back on track recently. The main comic, as well as many enlightening and entertaining side comics and sketches, can be found at the Lackadaisy website. The creator just wrapped up the second volume, so it’s a great time to catch up!
My requested characters are Ivy and Viktor, because they have my favorite relationship in the comic. Big, strong, curmudgeonly characters who have a not-so-secret soft spot for small, sweet, perky characters are a weakness of mine. You can do just about anything with them and I’ll be happy. It can be totally platonic, it can be romantic, it can be anywhere in-between. (Yes, I do kind of ship it, but I know that age gap is a deal-breaker for some, so write whatever makes you comfortable. I genuinely love the relationship in any form.)
Prompt Ideas: Maybe give some backstory on how they first met and developed the relationship they have in the comic’s timeline. Maybe show where they wind up later down the line, after Prohibtion ends (you know, assuming both survive the events of the comic). They were a bit on the outs last time we saw them, maybe show them working through that and reconciling. Or show Ivy dealing with all the new information she’s learned about Viktor recently. Ivy’s starting to get a bit more involved in the more dangerous and illicit parts of the Lackadaisy’s operation - could Viktor ever bring himself to actually work with her or train her in the ways of the business?
Psychonauts - Milla Vodello, Sasha Nein
Psychonauts is a 3D platformer/adventure game about a summer camp for psychic children, and it’s fantastic. I really love everything about this game! I even love the Meat Circus level! …Okay, maybe love is a strong word. Anyway, I really like the unique concept and design of the game, the fact that even really minor characters have their own backgrounds and little storylines, and the way the game uses the level designs to give you more insight into the characters and the world they live in. Also, it’s really, really funny. It can be found on Steam and GOG, and it goes on sale pretty often. It’s also a ten year old game, so you don’t need a very high tech computer to run it.
I have requested Superstar Psychonauts Sasha Nein and Milla Vodello for this fandom. They don’t actually have a lot of direct interaction in the game itself, but I love the implied relationship between the two. They are psychic secret agents who appear to be partners! They go on ridiculous missions together and fight crime - psychic crime! One of these missions involved being undercover in elaborate costumes at a fancy party! They have had at least one clichéd instance of falling down and landing on top of each other in a ~romantic~ pose! I eat this stuff up with a spoon. Make it as shippy or as gen as you want and feel free to include other characters as long as the focus is on their relationship.
Prompt Ideas: We see some tragic history in both Sasha and Milla’s memory vaults, but what happens between those events and the start of the game? How did they come to join the Psychonauts and become partners? How did they start teaching at the summer camp? When did they start running secret missions for Agent Cruller? Or maybe tell me what an average day is like for them when they’re not teaching psychic children or being kidnapped and having their brains removed. What are the Psychonauts headquarters like? How do they relate to their coworkers? What kind of lives do they have outside of work? Alternatively, give me all the mission fic! Give me early missions while they’re still getting to know each other. Give me missions where they work with other agents. Give me missions that hit too close to home for one of them. Give me future missions where they work with Raz or Lili or other former campers. Heck, give me the rescue mission from the game’s sequel hook. Whatever you write, I’d really love to see some interesting uses of psychic powers and the concept of the mental worlds from the game.
Well, that about sums it up, I think. Again, thank you so much for writing for me! If you like prompts, I hope what I gave you is helpful. If you prefer to work without them, I look forward to reading whatever you come up with. I’m sure whatever you write will be awesome!