Yuletide Letter 2018

[thisisthemorning]

Dear Yuletide author,

Thank you so much for offering one of my fandoms! I can't wait to see what you're going to come up with - these are all canons I've loved for years and years, so I'm super excited for any new fic in any of them. If you've come to this letter via the letters post, my AO3 name is also thisisthemorning.

I'm requesting many of the same things as last year, so this letter is pretty similar to last Yuletide's, but if you'd like to get more of an idea of things I like then feel free to look through my letters for previous exchanges.

I'm absolutely a believer in 'optional details are optional', so if none of my prompts spark your imagination, feel free to come up with something else! I just a have a few things I would love to see in general and a few things I generally don't like to read so I'll put those first of all:

In General

Likes:
- plotty fic (I love long fic, so if you'd like to write something longer, go for it!)
- pre- or post-canon
- happy endings (including AU/fix-it endings)
- friendships or relationships forged through sharing a dangerous situation
- hurt/comfort (including: people getting really beaten up/physically damaged/abused in some way and then being rescued by a loved one; people bravely soldiering on through illness or injury so that they don't let down their friends, winning the day, and finally being overcome by their ailment and having to be cared for, and this ultimately deepening a relationship into romance, deep friendship, or substitute parent relationship - especially if it causes a change of heart about a relationship!)
- unresolved sexual tension
- serious injury/illness and recovery
- adventure!

Dislikes:
- first person or second person narrative
- PWPs/lemons
- super fluffy fic
- porny/kinky fic (sex scenes should fade to black, please)
- setting AUs
- character bashing

Tricksters - Tamora Pierce

Characters requested: Alianne Cooper, Dovisary Balitang

Signup details:

Generally, I'd love case fic for this fandom - a post-canon spy story featuring both Aly and Dove would be amazing! I don't mind if you want to go for a longer plotted story, or a 'five things' style fic with moments from a larger story.

I definitely ship Aly/Dove, but I'm equally happy for gen fic featuring both of them. I'd particularly love to see an Aly/Dove relationship that develops before and after the rebellion, or one that only becomes romantic after Dove becomes queen. I love their respect for each other and the way their skills complement each other, and I would love to see that worked into the story - going to each other for advice, or helping each other through stressful times, or perhaps needing to work together to solve a problem. This would equally work for a friendship fic for them! Bonding over using their brains for good would be wonderful, whether it leads to romance or deeper friendship.

For romance, a secret romance between them could be fun, so they could use their espionage skills (and so on) to hide it from the court/Dove's family etc (although when they do get found out nobody is particularly surprised or angry!) I'd prefer it if you don't make any mention of Aly/Nawat.

I also ship Aly/Daja from Emelan, so I thought I would leave a couple of prompts here in case we matched on both fandoms and you like the idea! If not, then feel free to ignore completely :) (Aly/Dove/Daja could also be intriguing...)

I would love a story where Aly travels to Emelan as Dove's spymaster, or Daja travels to the Copper Isles on her journeys as a smith-mage, and the two of them meet... I would love to see anything about them getting to know each other and falling for each other - letters, repeated chance meetings, electric attraction, stolen kisses in the palace, ending up on the same ship... anything goes!

Things I would love: little details about the Tortallan universe (I've read all the books), mentions of things Aly has learned from her Dad/a cameo from George, Aly and Dove being equally strong and independent but also making use of each other's strengths, mutual magnetic attraction, spies! adventure! winged horses!

Things I wouldn't enjoy so much: any mentions of Aly/Nawat, characters being embarrassed or having embarrassing things happening to them, unrequited love, unhappy endings


Emelan - Tamora Pierce

Characters requested: Briar Moss, Dedicate Rosethorn, Evumeimei Dingzai

Signup details: I've read and re-read the all the Emelan books multiple times, and I really enjoyed how much we see of Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy's travels. Battle Magic is one of my favourite Emelan books, particularly because I adore the mentor relationship between Briar and Rosethorn, and Evvy and Briar, and how it develops through the books. Will of the Empress really makes it clear that Briar and Rosethorn are very affected by the war they live through, and I would really like to see what happens between the end of Battle Magic and the beginning of the Will of the Empress, on their journey home or during their first months back in Emelan.

I'd love to see Rosethorn mentoring Briar through the trauma of the war, while he is still also protective of her - both of them have nightmares, so how do they deal with it? What other adventures do they encounter on their way home? How does Briar cope with mentoring Evvie at the same time as dealing with his own problems and looking out for them all? I love seeing them help people or solve problems with their plant magic, and I'm sure they couldn't avoid doing this while traveling back. It would be lovely to also have Luvo in the story too - how does he help? Luvo certainly always has a different perspective than humans do, which could be interesting to include!

Briar is a character who I'd love to see struggling through illness or injury (or even just terrible nightmares) to save the day, bringing himself to the brink of collapse, then having to finally submit to being looked after by Rosethorn and Evvy afterwards - that's my favourite kind of hurt/comfort, and I think it could really work as part of an 'en route back to Emelan' story.

I ship Rosethorn/Lark, and I don't mind if you also want to explore Briar's various casual relationships with other people (so OCs are fine), but I'd prefer a story where romance wasn't the main focus.

Things I would love: magical workings, a focus on The Circle Reforged era, cameos from the other characters (particularly Luvo, Daja, Lark, or Nico), Briar dealing with his friends trying to mind-speak with him and his desire to avoid it, adventures!

Things I wouldn't enjoy so much: anything super fluffy, because I don't think it fits with the characters or the canon, or ship!fic between Briar and his siblings, Evvy, or Rosethorn.


Bloodlust and Bonnets - Emily McGovern

Characters requested: any (nominated characters: Lady Violet Travesty, Lord Byron, Lucy, Napoleon)

Signup details: I first came across McGovern’s work through her Background Slytherin series, and then found Bloodlust and Bonnets through her tumblr. I just love her humour and the art style, but also the amazing story she’s started telling with this series. Usually I would ask to know what happens next here, but since she’s still working on the comics I’d rather see some backstory for any of the characters: how did Lucy learn to fight so well? When/how did Lord Byron learn about vampires? What’s up with Napoleon the psychic eagle? How did he and Lord Byron meet? How did Lord Byron get a talking castle? What’s the connection between Lady Violet and Lord Byron?

Blood and gore is totally fine in this fandom (obviously!) but I’d prefer Gen fic (unless you want to tell the cracky epic romance of Lady Violet Travesty and Lord Byron, in which case, go for it!)

Things I would love: humour in the same style as the comics, interactive fiction (if that’s your thing!), Napoleon being psychic, little Background Slytherin references (more the in-jokes than the characters), cracky plotlines, backstory for any of the characters

Things I wouldn't enjoy so much: any story played too straight, anything that tells what happens next in canon rather than backstory

***

Thank you again, and feel free to get in touch with me here or via the mods if you want any more info or clarifications! Anonymous commenting is enabled on this entry.

Comments

[morbane]

Dear thisisthemorning,

Hope your Yuletide is going well! Would you mind checking the inbox of the email associated with your AO3 account, please? We've sent you a question about your preferences. Or you can get in touch at yuletideadmin@gmail.com and we'll send it again.

Thanks!

Morbane