Yuletide 2014: Dear Yulegoat Letter
Yulegoat! Good times lie ahead.
I live for shipfic (in most but not all fandoms), but generally love relationships of any kind, not necessarily romantic or sexual. If I've requested only two characters in a fandom, I most likely ship them, but I'd much rather have a nice bonding-based friendship fic rather than a shippy fic written by someone who disliked the pairing, so please don't feel pressured.
For stalking purposes, my masterlist of fic is here
Ao3
tumblr
Previous Yuletide letters
First off, general likes/dislikes:
Things I like: Relationships (romantic, platonic, familial, working, inescapable life-bond, whatever sort), het, gen, femslash, love stories, first time stories, adventures, character-driven pieces, wit and humor, a bittersweet or melancholy mood/ending, happy endings, loyalty, dedication, co-dependent relationships, Us Against the World, found/chosen families, equality in relationships. I'm okay with any rating; smut (explicit or otherwise) is awesome! No smut whatsoever is also cool, go with whatever you're comfortable with.
Things I don't like: Main character death, harm to animals, suicide, torture, graphic violence, rape, whump, woobification, second-person pov, a/b/o, mundane AUs (ie high school, coffeeshop), baby/kidfic, pregnancy fic, character bashing, issuefic.
On to the fandoms!
Black Ships - Jo Graham
*Gull
*Aeneas
What I love about Black Ships:
I love the world. I love the sense of mythical history, the sense of epic adventure, the idea that these people are creating history through their lives. I love the sailing and the traveling aspects of it, all the different places they see and the people they meet along the way. I love the perseverance these people have, their will to keep going even in the face of tragedy and temptation, the sense that they are special, that they have a destiny to fulfill. I love the way different mythologies and traditions are woven in as they visit different places, and the way everything teeters on the line between realistic and magical.
And the characters! I love Aeneas's sense of purpose, the way he hangs on to that - the way he has to hang onto that, whether he really wants to or not. I love that he isn't all-knowing, that he isn't always completely sure of himself; he allows himself to have doubts, to take advice, to lean on the people he loves and trusts, which is part of what makes him such an effective leader. And Gull, who is wonderful and mystical and real, sympathetic but a bit selfish, full of love but not always knowing quite how to express it. She really learns to be a person on their journey, as Aeneas learns to be a leader and Xandros learns to open himself up again. I love that all three of them are in love with each other, and they all know it, and everyone's okay with that.
Basically, I love everything. And yes, I request this every year, so if you feel like you've read this request before, it's because you have.
Prompts:
First of all, I do ship Gull/Aeneas, so anything shippy about them would make me happy (with or without Xandros; a OT3 is good too)! I'd love to see something that touches on how Gull managed the balance between adviser and oracle to her Prince and being a friend to Neas; they're such different roles, and hard to separate at times in canon. Was there a time she couldn't separate them, and gave advice she knew was wrong as a result? I'd also be interested in a story that takes place after Xandros's death, that deals with how things changed between Gull and Aeneas then, or just the different sort of issues they faced running a small kingdom than they had on the journey there.
The Almighty Johnsons
*Anders Johnson
*Gaia
Why I love The Almighty Johnsons
It's such an adorable show! And it does a really good job of mixing serious stuff with goofy comedy, and generally keeping a lighthearted tone. The Johnson brothers are such a great example of family - they might not always like each other (in fact, they often don't), but god(s) help any outsider who tries to hurt one of them. I love how this expanded in series 2 and 3 to include the goddesses as well, how Stacey and Michele and Ingrid got folded into the family over time in various ways, until it was hard to imagine any of them apart or hating each other like they had in series 1.
And Anders! I both love and hate Anders at various times - he's tactless, arrogant, incredibly selfish, and his Bragi powers leave him on a very slippery slope - but at the same time, he'll go to enormous lengths to please or help people he loves (going on the quest to find Yggdrasil for his mother in S2, protecting Dawn from Colin in S3), and it becomes increasingly obvious over the course of the series that all he really wants is respect and love (or at least admiration), and pretty much never gets it. This is really exemplified in the S3 finale when he's so worried about how Bragi will be treated in Asgard; he's worried that he'll be a joke, a laughingstock, disrespected, just like Anders has been, over and over. Not that he doesn't deserve it a lot of the time, but it's easy to see how it became a vicious cycle for him.
Gaia I love for very different reasons - she's probably the most normal of all the god-host characters, the one who hates being a goddess not because she doesn't have cool powers or because it means she might die if Axl screws up his quest, but because it takes over her whole life, and forces her to realize the concept of destiny is (for them, at least) a very real thing. I love her rage at that loss of control, which is something we don't really see from the other characters, except Ty. And I love that she was strong enough to try to take back control of her life by flat out removing herself from the situation entirely.
After all that it might seem odd that I ship them, and yet...I do. The heart wants what it wants, and I love bickering couples who think they hate each other but are forced together anyhow, only to discover that maybe the other person isn't so bad after all.
Prompts:
I'd love to see anything shippy between them - what if Gaia had stayed in NZ after becoming Idunn, rather than going to London? What exactly was going on in that nightmare AU of Axl's where Anders and Gaia appeared to be married and Axl was...a tree? Or tell me a story of what happened after the S3 finale. What if they somehow found the obsession didn't wear off without the presence of the gods? Was it really all just Bragi and Idunn or would there be something left there? I'd love to see what happened if Gaia came back to NZ or Anders went looking for her.
A story about Gaia's time in London would also be cool. I'd love to know what she was getting up to there and if Anders ever tried to communicate with her in any way during that time. I'd also love to know how she felt if/when she ever found out that Axl basically killed Anders because of what happened between them. Or maybe Anders hallucinated that Gaia was with him again while he was recovering from that massive blood loss...
I do love all the other characters (except Colin), especially Ty, Dawn, and Michele, so feel free to bring any of them in as well!
Nine Coaches Waiting - Mary Stewart
*Linda Martin
*Raoul de Valmy
Why I love Nine Coaches Waiting:
This has been one of my very favorite books for years - I love the growing, creeping tension, Linda's foreboding that something isn't quite right with her employers, the way Philippe so clearly knows it too even if he doesn't have the words to express it. I also love the lush descriptions of the French countryside, the little towns, the flowers and woods and the beautiful Chateau de Valmy. Mary Stewart was wonderful at bringing locations to life and it really shows in this book.
Linda herself is fabulous - calm, practical, and steady on the outside, but inside she's a total romantic, obviously her poet father's daughter. And I love that when danger threatens, she takes charge of the situation herself, and doesn't let her own private concerns overshadow keeping Philippe safe above all. As for Raoul, I blame him entirely for my love of tall, dark, charming and slightly arrogant men. I love that he's got that flippant exterior, but every so often there's flashes of a man underneath who's really fairly lost - one who doesn't know if he's in love because he's never really felt it from anyone before, who's angry at the world because he's been trapped by his own father.
Prompts:
I'd love to see what happened to Linda and Raoul after the story's over. Did they ever come back to Valmy, or did they avoid it entirely? A slice of their life with Philippe down at Raoul's place in Provence would be lovely, or a story about some adventure they had while traveling, or a missing scene from the book - I'd love to see that first date of theirs written out in greater detail. Wedding night fic wouldn't go amiss either, if you wanted to go a smutty route!
Mortal City - Dar Williams (Song)
*The Girl (Mortal City)
*The Guy (Mortal City)
What I love about Mortal City:
He asked, “Why did you move here?”
She said, “For the job; For the job, and I've been so lonely here, so lonely.
There's no one I can talk to, you know I don't even know your brother.”
He smiled and said, “Sometimes at night I walk out by the river.
The city's one big town, the water turns it upside down.
People found this city because they love other people.”
...
He said, “My brother's not a bad guy, he's just quiet.
I wish you liked the city.”
She said, “Maybe I do.”
I love these two and their weird, philosophical date. Their discussion of cities is perfect - her comment that 'you can't see the sky and you can't feel the ground', the way she so clearly feels disconnected and drifting, not knowing anybody and feeling that the city is a dying thing versus his optimism, the way he points out that cities exist basically because people want to be around each other, whatever their motivations. It's both the best and worst of cities laid out right there, and this could really be any city in the world (well, any city where it snows, at least).
I also love all the realistic details - the guy's quiet brother who introduced them, the spaghetti dinner, her lack of a couch, the way they wrapped themselves up so thickly to stay warm. It adds an adorable, awkward touch to things, which contrasts nicely with the very serious conversation that they get into.
Really is all comes down to that last line - we are not lost in the mortal city. As long as people are able to find each other and remember to be kind to each other, and to have hope, things will be okay. We're all just parts of a whole, but every part has their role to play.
Prompts:
Tell me about the second date they had, or the friendship they developed afterward. It would be interesting to see him take her on a tour of the city, pointing out all his favorite spots, or just sitting and doing some people watching, making up stories for everyone they see walking past. Or maybe they travel to other cities and find differences and similarities between them all. Something that brings the brother in would be cool too - maybe they each give him their version of events, or we see their developing relationship through his eyes.
Medieval Land Fun-Time World
*Denise
*Eddie
*Jimmy Whisper
What I love about Medieval Land Fun-Time World
Okay, I have waited literally the entire year to be able to request this. I LOVE this video so much and so wish it was a real thing. Poor Eddie and his befuddled amazement at exactly how awful all of his employees are! Denise and her incredible intensity! Jimmy Whisper and his...well, whatever the fuck his deal is. I love the way it managed to make a canon as grim as Game of Thrones look like a laugh riot full of people who, though they might be exasperated with each other quite often, genuinely like one other too. The sense of ragtag camaraderie that comes through (maybe it's because of this song, I don't know) makes me so happy.
I like pretty much all the characters, not just the ones nominated - I'm especially fond of JoJo, the world's snottiest kid, and Sansa, who's always around to show him up - so feel free to use anybody. I'm not too big on Petey, cause he's massively creepy, but I suppose that's the point. Can't say I ship anyone in this canon, but I'm not opposed to any ships either, if something strikes your humorous fancy. I can just imagine Eddie's frustration at having to constantly separate Susie and Jimmy, who are supposed to be playing siblings, for heaven's sake!
Prompts
Was Eddie successful at turning that bunch of incompetent, distracted actors into a fully functioning crew, or did he have to go back to the finger-painting college? Just what exactly was Jimmy Whisper's deal, and how did his gravity belt work out? What's the deal with Denise and her brother and Johnny Shotzman, the Capricorn? What hilarious failures and triumphs awaited them all on opening day? I must know! Anything in this fandom will make me happy, so long as it's funny.
The Mummy
*Evy Carnahan
*Rick O'Connell
*Ardeth Bay
What I love about The Mummy
For such a silly canon (in a good, extremely fun way!), it has such awesome characters. I love Rick and Ardeth and their semi-unwilling friendship - the way they go from obvious dislike in the first movie to watching each other's backs and trusting one another with everything is such a fun journey. And then there's Evy, who's basically the best character in the history of ever. She's so smart and funny, and she gets shit done without ever letting anything, alive or undead, get in her way. It's fantastic to watch. And I love how the three of them are dedicated to each other and to their cause of stopping undead evil!
I'm especially intrigued by the ancient Egyptian scenes from the second movie - my secret heart's desire is to see more of the three of them from that particular past life, especially if there are pacts made and bound by some threesome action.
Prompts:
We know from the second movie that Evy was Nefertiri in a former life; were Rick and Ardeth there too, maybe as her father's guards? I'd love to see what happened with the three of them after Imhotep's murder of the Pharaoh, how that original bond that clearly persists in the 20s started. Further archaeological adventures would be awesome too, or perhaps Evy and Rick spent some time living with Ardeth's people and getting to know their way of life. I very much ship them as an OT3, but a platonic bond is all good too.
Well, that's (finally) all! I hope my rambling gave you something to work with, and have fun!
I live for shipfic (in most but not all fandoms), but generally love relationships of any kind, not necessarily romantic or sexual. If I've requested only two characters in a fandom, I most likely ship them, but I'd much rather have a nice bonding-based friendship fic rather than a shippy fic written by someone who disliked the pairing, so please don't feel pressured.
For stalking purposes, my masterlist of fic is here
Ao3
tumblr
Previous Yuletide letters
First off, general likes/dislikes:
Things I like: Relationships (romantic, platonic, familial, working, inescapable life-bond, whatever sort), het, gen, femslash, love stories, first time stories, adventures, character-driven pieces, wit and humor, a bittersweet or melancholy mood/ending, happy endings, loyalty, dedication, co-dependent relationships, Us Against the World, found/chosen families, equality in relationships. I'm okay with any rating; smut (explicit or otherwise) is awesome! No smut whatsoever is also cool, go with whatever you're comfortable with.
Things I don't like: Main character death, harm to animals, suicide, torture, graphic violence, rape, whump, woobification, second-person pov, a/b/o, mundane AUs (ie high school, coffeeshop), baby/kidfic, pregnancy fic, character bashing, issuefic.
On to the fandoms!
Black Ships - Jo Graham
*Gull
*Aeneas
What I love about Black Ships:
I love the world. I love the sense of mythical history, the sense of epic adventure, the idea that these people are creating history through their lives. I love the sailing and the traveling aspects of it, all the different places they see and the people they meet along the way. I love the perseverance these people have, their will to keep going even in the face of tragedy and temptation, the sense that they are special, that they have a destiny to fulfill. I love the way different mythologies and traditions are woven in as they visit different places, and the way everything teeters on the line between realistic and magical.
And the characters! I love Aeneas's sense of purpose, the way he hangs on to that - the way he has to hang onto that, whether he really wants to or not. I love that he isn't all-knowing, that he isn't always completely sure of himself; he allows himself to have doubts, to take advice, to lean on the people he loves and trusts, which is part of what makes him such an effective leader. And Gull, who is wonderful and mystical and real, sympathetic but a bit selfish, full of love but not always knowing quite how to express it. She really learns to be a person on their journey, as Aeneas learns to be a leader and Xandros learns to open himself up again. I love that all three of them are in love with each other, and they all know it, and everyone's okay with that.
Basically, I love everything. And yes, I request this every year, so if you feel like you've read this request before, it's because you have.
Prompts:
First of all, I do ship Gull/Aeneas, so anything shippy about them would make me happy (with or without Xandros; a OT3 is good too)! I'd love to see something that touches on how Gull managed the balance between adviser and oracle to her Prince and being a friend to Neas; they're such different roles, and hard to separate at times in canon. Was there a time she couldn't separate them, and gave advice she knew was wrong as a result? I'd also be interested in a story that takes place after Xandros's death, that deals with how things changed between Gull and Aeneas then, or just the different sort of issues they faced running a small kingdom than they had on the journey there.
The Almighty Johnsons
*Anders Johnson
*Gaia
Why I love The Almighty Johnsons
It's such an adorable show! And it does a really good job of mixing serious stuff with goofy comedy, and generally keeping a lighthearted tone. The Johnson brothers are such a great example of family - they might not always like each other (in fact, they often don't), but god(s) help any outsider who tries to hurt one of them. I love how this expanded in series 2 and 3 to include the goddesses as well, how Stacey and Michele and Ingrid got folded into the family over time in various ways, until it was hard to imagine any of them apart or hating each other like they had in series 1.
And Anders! I both love and hate Anders at various times - he's tactless, arrogant, incredibly selfish, and his Bragi powers leave him on a very slippery slope - but at the same time, he'll go to enormous lengths to please or help people he loves (going on the quest to find Yggdrasil for his mother in S2, protecting Dawn from Colin in S3), and it becomes increasingly obvious over the course of the series that all he really wants is respect and love (or at least admiration), and pretty much never gets it. This is really exemplified in the S3 finale when he's so worried about how Bragi will be treated in Asgard; he's worried that he'll be a joke, a laughingstock, disrespected, just like Anders has been, over and over. Not that he doesn't deserve it a lot of the time, but it's easy to see how it became a vicious cycle for him.
Gaia I love for very different reasons - she's probably the most normal of all the god-host characters, the one who hates being a goddess not because she doesn't have cool powers or because it means she might die if Axl screws up his quest, but because it takes over her whole life, and forces her to realize the concept of destiny is (for them, at least) a very real thing. I love her rage at that loss of control, which is something we don't really see from the other characters, except Ty. And I love that she was strong enough to try to take back control of her life by flat out removing herself from the situation entirely.
After all that it might seem odd that I ship them, and yet...I do. The heart wants what it wants, and I love bickering couples who think they hate each other but are forced together anyhow, only to discover that maybe the other person isn't so bad after all.
Prompts:
I'd love to see anything shippy between them - what if Gaia had stayed in NZ after becoming Idunn, rather than going to London? What exactly was going on in that nightmare AU of Axl's where Anders and Gaia appeared to be married and Axl was...a tree? Or tell me a story of what happened after the S3 finale. What if they somehow found the obsession didn't wear off without the presence of the gods? Was it really all just Bragi and Idunn or would there be something left there? I'd love to see what happened if Gaia came back to NZ or Anders went looking for her.
A story about Gaia's time in London would also be cool. I'd love to know what she was getting up to there and if Anders ever tried to communicate with her in any way during that time. I'd also love to know how she felt if/when she ever found out that Axl basically killed Anders because of what happened between them. Or maybe Anders hallucinated that Gaia was with him again while he was recovering from that massive blood loss...
I do love all the other characters (except Colin), especially Ty, Dawn, and Michele, so feel free to bring any of them in as well!
Nine Coaches Waiting - Mary Stewart
*Linda Martin
*Raoul de Valmy
Why I love Nine Coaches Waiting:
This has been one of my very favorite books for years - I love the growing, creeping tension, Linda's foreboding that something isn't quite right with her employers, the way Philippe so clearly knows it too even if he doesn't have the words to express it. I also love the lush descriptions of the French countryside, the little towns, the flowers and woods and the beautiful Chateau de Valmy. Mary Stewart was wonderful at bringing locations to life and it really shows in this book.
Linda herself is fabulous - calm, practical, and steady on the outside, but inside she's a total romantic, obviously her poet father's daughter. And I love that when danger threatens, she takes charge of the situation herself, and doesn't let her own private concerns overshadow keeping Philippe safe above all. As for Raoul, I blame him entirely for my love of tall, dark, charming and slightly arrogant men. I love that he's got that flippant exterior, but every so often there's flashes of a man underneath who's really fairly lost - one who doesn't know if he's in love because he's never really felt it from anyone before, who's angry at the world because he's been trapped by his own father.
Prompts:
I'd love to see what happened to Linda and Raoul after the story's over. Did they ever come back to Valmy, or did they avoid it entirely? A slice of their life with Philippe down at Raoul's place in Provence would be lovely, or a story about some adventure they had while traveling, or a missing scene from the book - I'd love to see that first date of theirs written out in greater detail. Wedding night fic wouldn't go amiss either, if you wanted to go a smutty route!
Mortal City - Dar Williams (Song)
*The Girl (Mortal City)
*The Guy (Mortal City)
What I love about Mortal City:
He asked, “Why did you move here?”
She said, “For the job; For the job, and I've been so lonely here, so lonely.
There's no one I can talk to, you know I don't even know your brother.”
He smiled and said, “Sometimes at night I walk out by the river.
The city's one big town, the water turns it upside down.
People found this city because they love other people.”
...
He said, “My brother's not a bad guy, he's just quiet.
I wish you liked the city.”
She said, “Maybe I do.”
I love these two and their weird, philosophical date. Their discussion of cities is perfect - her comment that 'you can't see the sky and you can't feel the ground', the way she so clearly feels disconnected and drifting, not knowing anybody and feeling that the city is a dying thing versus his optimism, the way he points out that cities exist basically because people want to be around each other, whatever their motivations. It's both the best and worst of cities laid out right there, and this could really be any city in the world (well, any city where it snows, at least).
I also love all the realistic details - the guy's quiet brother who introduced them, the spaghetti dinner, her lack of a couch, the way they wrapped themselves up so thickly to stay warm. It adds an adorable, awkward touch to things, which contrasts nicely with the very serious conversation that they get into.
Really is all comes down to that last line - we are not lost in the mortal city. As long as people are able to find each other and remember to be kind to each other, and to have hope, things will be okay. We're all just parts of a whole, but every part has their role to play.
Prompts:
Tell me about the second date they had, or the friendship they developed afterward. It would be interesting to see him take her on a tour of the city, pointing out all his favorite spots, or just sitting and doing some people watching, making up stories for everyone they see walking past. Or maybe they travel to other cities and find differences and similarities between them all. Something that brings the brother in would be cool too - maybe they each give him their version of events, or we see their developing relationship through his eyes.
Medieval Land Fun-Time World
*Denise
*Eddie
*Jimmy Whisper
What I love about Medieval Land Fun-Time World
Okay, I have waited literally the entire year to be able to request this. I LOVE this video so much and so wish it was a real thing. Poor Eddie and his befuddled amazement at exactly how awful all of his employees are! Denise and her incredible intensity! Jimmy Whisper and his...well, whatever the fuck his deal is. I love the way it managed to make a canon as grim as Game of Thrones look like a laugh riot full of people who, though they might be exasperated with each other quite often, genuinely like one other too. The sense of ragtag camaraderie that comes through (maybe it's because of this song, I don't know) makes me so happy.
I like pretty much all the characters, not just the ones nominated - I'm especially fond of JoJo, the world's snottiest kid, and Sansa, who's always around to show him up - so feel free to use anybody. I'm not too big on Petey, cause he's massively creepy, but I suppose that's the point. Can't say I ship anyone in this canon, but I'm not opposed to any ships either, if something strikes your humorous fancy. I can just imagine Eddie's frustration at having to constantly separate Susie and Jimmy, who are supposed to be playing siblings, for heaven's sake!
Prompts
Was Eddie successful at turning that bunch of incompetent, distracted actors into a fully functioning crew, or did he have to go back to the finger-painting college? Just what exactly was Jimmy Whisper's deal, and how did his gravity belt work out? What's the deal with Denise and her brother and Johnny Shotzman, the Capricorn? What hilarious failures and triumphs awaited them all on opening day? I must know! Anything in this fandom will make me happy, so long as it's funny.
The Mummy
*Evy Carnahan
*Rick O'Connell
*Ardeth Bay
What I love about The Mummy
For such a silly canon (in a good, extremely fun way!), it has such awesome characters. I love Rick and Ardeth and their semi-unwilling friendship - the way they go from obvious dislike in the first movie to watching each other's backs and trusting one another with everything is such a fun journey. And then there's Evy, who's basically the best character in the history of ever. She's so smart and funny, and she gets shit done without ever letting anything, alive or undead, get in her way. It's fantastic to watch. And I love how the three of them are dedicated to each other and to their cause of stopping undead evil!
I'm especially intrigued by the ancient Egyptian scenes from the second movie - my secret heart's desire is to see more of the three of them from that particular past life, especially if there are pacts made and bound by some threesome action.
Prompts:
We know from the second movie that Evy was Nefertiri in a former life; were Rick and Ardeth there too, maybe as her father's guards? I'd love to see what happened with the three of them after Imhotep's murder of the Pharaoh, how that original bond that clearly persists in the 20s started. Further archaeological adventures would be awesome too, or perhaps Evy and Rick spent some time living with Ardeth's people and getting to know their way of life. I very much ship them as an OT3, but a platonic bond is all good too.
Well, that's (finally) all! I hope my rambling gave you something to work with, and have fun!