Dear Yuletide Santa
Boy, this was hard. In the end, I picked requests I didn't see as much of, rather than more popular pairings and fandoms I still love. So we'll see how this goes. Let me get on with the general stuff for all fandoms, and then the specific requests:
The General Stuff
Firstly, thank you so much for volunteering and doing this. I'm incredibly excited to see whatever it is you come up with, and I hope that my requests are simultaneously challenging and fun for you. If you can't match them exactly, don't worry about it. I want these to provide inspiration and a bit of challenge to make your Yuletide writing experience as fun as possible. This letter will, hopefully, make things simpler for you, and adequately clear up likes, dislikes, and general notes on requests.
So, first there's the question of likes and dislikes. What I love is a well-written story, with all the characters in character and the style and mood of the original source material is well preserved, even while the characters are taken into the realm of fanfiction, and therefore potentially situations that the original material never dealt with. I love humor and adventure and unsentimental romance. Banter is a glorious thing, as is snark and any other form of zippy dialogue and prose.
General squicks include: non-con, unmitigated angst or dark!fic, incest, crossovers, and character death unless it's canon. Mild kink is fine, but as always my main desire is that it feel in-character. So if you think a character would do something, and you believe you can write it convincingly, go for it! That's pretty much what I'll always keep coming back to. If you can write it and keep it in character and in the style of the fandom, I'm going to love it.
Please don't let these likes and dislikes intimidate you! I believe in being up-front with you, but I also believe that when you decide what you're going to write, it's going to be fantastic. Most of all, have fun! I can't wait to read your story on the 25th.
Adam Adamant Lives!
Pairing: William Simms/Georgina Jones
Optional Text: When the cat's away . . . Simms and Georgie have an adventure of their own without Adam. Het, gen, or just their usual quirky flirtation.
Explanation: There is the potential for Adam Adamant fic! This excites me beyond reason. I was so delighted when I saw this on the sign-ups, because I haven't ever seen any fic for this wonderful, wacky fandom. So, Yuletide Santa, it's time! For this fic, I really want something in the spirit of the series: fun, funny and action-packed. The twist is, I would love something set when Adam is off saving the world, and Simms and Georgie have to handle an adventure on their own. As an addict of their weird, snarktastic, rhyming flirtation, I would love hints of ship, but if you prefer to write gen that's fine. Full-on ship is okay too, but it would need to be well done and convincing. What's most important is keeping the tone of the show and keeping the characters light and whimsical, and keeping their banter snarky and quick-witted even in terrible danger. Limericks are, of course, welcome.
The Dresden Files (TV)
Pairing: Harry Dresden/Hrothbert of Bainbridge
Optional Text: Case fic that forces Harry to confront how close Bob can be to the things he fights. Slash is preferable, but gen or pre-slash are glorious too.
Explanation: This is not a request for dark!fic. This is a request for a nuanced, funny, sometimes painful look at the relationship between Harry and Bob using the tropes of the show and the books. A case fic would be amazing, but if you have some other idea that you prefer, I'm more than willing to be convinced. So long as the plot is good and the characters are in-character, I'll be pleased as punch. Hrothbert was really the triumph of the tv series, creating a complicated, problematic character that is very close to white-hat Harry, yet whose background in many ways puts him more in the camp of things Harry fights than one of Harry's friends. So how does Harry deal with this when he has to confront that Bob would burn the world for people he loves? How does he manage while juggling a thousand other concerns? You want to cast suspicion on Bob as a potential villain, you want to give him an affinity for the villain of the piece, or you've come up with your own devilish plan to flummox Harry? I can't wait to hear what you come up with, Yuletide Santa!
M*A*S*H
Pairing: Hawkeye/Mulcahy
Optional Text: This is a slash challenge, so stretch your wings and try to make this thing work. No specific plot or time period. The slash is enough of a challenge.
Explanation: As stated above, this is a slash challenge. I'm not putting any more stipulations on this one, because trying to write these two in a slashy situation and keeping them in character is, I believe, going to be enough of a challenge. Plenty of dark humor is always great, as is acknowledging the hugely problematic nature of this pairing. However, no neverending angst, please. Angst under a layer of funny is great, but the thing I love about M*A*S*H is the fact that they took a deeply unfunny situation and found the humor, but always gave it that pointed, satirical edge. Ahem. Yeah, like I said. This one is going to be a challenge. Can't wait for you to blow me away, Yuletide Santa!
V for Vendetta (movie)
Pairing: Eric Finch/Dominic Stone
Optional Text: Slash challenge for a rare pair, first time. Hopeful ending preferred, case fic would be great, but I'll pretty much take anything so long as it's slash and it's this pairing.
Explanation: This is one I've been craving for a while. There are very few stories about this pairing, which I found to be one of the most interesting things about this movie. This fic could be set at any point: the movie timeline, pre-movie or post-movie. I would love a case fic with a developing relationship, but a series of vignettes or anything else that strikes your fancy would be more than welcome. I really just want a good story about these two.
Thank you so much, Yuletide Santa! This is incredibly exciting, and one of the great highlights of my holiday season!
Your adoring will-be fan,
Nemo the Everbeing
The General Stuff
Firstly, thank you so much for volunteering and doing this. I'm incredibly excited to see whatever it is you come up with, and I hope that my requests are simultaneously challenging and fun for you. If you can't match them exactly, don't worry about it. I want these to provide inspiration and a bit of challenge to make your Yuletide writing experience as fun as possible. This letter will, hopefully, make things simpler for you, and adequately clear up likes, dislikes, and general notes on requests.
So, first there's the question of likes and dislikes. What I love is a well-written story, with all the characters in character and the style and mood of the original source material is well preserved, even while the characters are taken into the realm of fanfiction, and therefore potentially situations that the original material never dealt with. I love humor and adventure and unsentimental romance. Banter is a glorious thing, as is snark and any other form of zippy dialogue and prose.
General squicks include: non-con, unmitigated angst or dark!fic, incest, crossovers, and character death unless it's canon. Mild kink is fine, but as always my main desire is that it feel in-character. So if you think a character would do something, and you believe you can write it convincingly, go for it! That's pretty much what I'll always keep coming back to. If you can write it and keep it in character and in the style of the fandom, I'm going to love it.
Please don't let these likes and dislikes intimidate you! I believe in being up-front with you, but I also believe that when you decide what you're going to write, it's going to be fantastic. Most of all, have fun! I can't wait to read your story on the 25th.
Adam Adamant Lives!
Pairing: William Simms/Georgina Jones
Optional Text: When the cat's away . . . Simms and Georgie have an adventure of their own without Adam. Het, gen, or just their usual quirky flirtation.
Explanation: There is the potential for Adam Adamant fic! This excites me beyond reason. I was so delighted when I saw this on the sign-ups, because I haven't ever seen any fic for this wonderful, wacky fandom. So, Yuletide Santa, it's time! For this fic, I really want something in the spirit of the series: fun, funny and action-packed. The twist is, I would love something set when Adam is off saving the world, and Simms and Georgie have to handle an adventure on their own. As an addict of their weird, snarktastic, rhyming flirtation, I would love hints of ship, but if you prefer to write gen that's fine. Full-on ship is okay too, but it would need to be well done and convincing. What's most important is keeping the tone of the show and keeping the characters light and whimsical, and keeping their banter snarky and quick-witted even in terrible danger. Limericks are, of course, welcome.
The Dresden Files (TV)
Pairing: Harry Dresden/Hrothbert of Bainbridge
Optional Text: Case fic that forces Harry to confront how close Bob can be to the things he fights. Slash is preferable, but gen or pre-slash are glorious too.
Explanation: This is not a request for dark!fic. This is a request for a nuanced, funny, sometimes painful look at the relationship between Harry and Bob using the tropes of the show and the books. A case fic would be amazing, but if you have some other idea that you prefer, I'm more than willing to be convinced. So long as the plot is good and the characters are in-character, I'll be pleased as punch. Hrothbert was really the triumph of the tv series, creating a complicated, problematic character that is very close to white-hat Harry, yet whose background in many ways puts him more in the camp of things Harry fights than one of Harry's friends. So how does Harry deal with this when he has to confront that Bob would burn the world for people he loves? How does he manage while juggling a thousand other concerns? You want to cast suspicion on Bob as a potential villain, you want to give him an affinity for the villain of the piece, or you've come up with your own devilish plan to flummox Harry? I can't wait to hear what you come up with, Yuletide Santa!
M*A*S*H
Pairing: Hawkeye/Mulcahy
Optional Text: This is a slash challenge, so stretch your wings and try to make this thing work. No specific plot or time period. The slash is enough of a challenge.
Explanation: As stated above, this is a slash challenge. I'm not putting any more stipulations on this one, because trying to write these two in a slashy situation and keeping them in character is, I believe, going to be enough of a challenge. Plenty of dark humor is always great, as is acknowledging the hugely problematic nature of this pairing. However, no neverending angst, please. Angst under a layer of funny is great, but the thing I love about M*A*S*H is the fact that they took a deeply unfunny situation and found the humor, but always gave it that pointed, satirical edge. Ahem. Yeah, like I said. This one is going to be a challenge. Can't wait for you to blow me away, Yuletide Santa!
V for Vendetta (movie)
Pairing: Eric Finch/Dominic Stone
Optional Text: Slash challenge for a rare pair, first time. Hopeful ending preferred, case fic would be great, but I'll pretty much take anything so long as it's slash and it's this pairing.
Explanation: This is one I've been craving for a while. There are very few stories about this pairing, which I found to be one of the most interesting things about this movie. This fic could be set at any point: the movie timeline, pre-movie or post-movie. I would love a case fic with a developing relationship, but a series of vignettes or anything else that strikes your fancy would be more than welcome. I really just want a good story about these two.
Thank you so much, Yuletide Santa! This is incredibly exciting, and one of the great highlights of my holiday season!
Your adoring will-be fan,
Nemo the Everbeing