Dear Yule Goat
Oct. 8th, 2018 07:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
athersgeoHi!
Thank you for taking part in this and offering one (or more!) of my fandoms. Whatever you write - whether it's directly from one of my prompts or from your own inspiration - I will love it.
In case you want to see what I've received in past years (or what I've written - which might be more relevant this year than normal), my AO3 name is Athersgeo. I like to try and keep things simple!
With that covered, here's the main information you've come here to find!
1) In terms of genre, I'm pretty easy. My default setting tends to be action and adventure, but I will read pretty much anything. The one exception to this is horror - I'm not a horror fan. That said, two of my fandom/character sets do allow room for darkness, so it's not a hard and fast DNW this year.
2) In terms of rating, anything goes. I tend to prefer there to be some sort of plot, but beyond that I'm good with everything from Gen to NC-17! Consent is deeply sexy. Please no non-con or dub-con.
3) In terms of pairing, again, pretty much anything goes - I will buy just about any relationship if you can sell it to me. The one exception is in my Green Rider requests. I'll detail that in that section, though.
4) In terms of story style, I like my stories to leave me with a smile on my face. I don't mind stories that tug on my heartstrings or stories that have me reaching for the tissues, just as long as they don't leave me on a down.
5) All the characters are mix and match across all my requests.
Karigan Gladheon, Nyssa, Lady Estora
I've written in this fandom (several times) for Yuletide, but this is the first time I've requested it. What I love about the series is the increasing complexity and the fascinating female characters and I'm beyond fascinated to see how Kristen Britain is going to bring things to a conclusion.
This is the one fandom with a really hard and fast DNW as far as relationships go: please, no Karigan/Nyssa. If you choose to write Nyssa, going darker is fine, but I'm not up for going that dark.
In terms of prompts and ideas...
-Nyssa's backstory - she appeared more or less out of nowhere in Firebrand and was all evil and creepy. Was she born that way or was she made? Who trained her and taught her the skills she uses on Karigan and Zachary? Was it Grandmother, or is there someone worse than Grandmother? Is she the person behind the death of Osric M'Grew? (Between what's in Blackveil and what's in Firebrand, it's implied but never outright stated.)
-Karigan, post Firebrand - how does she deal with having Nyssa snarking away in her head? How does it change Karigan? How does hanging out in Karigan's head change Nyssa? I have to think that sticking herself to someone as essentially good/kind as Karigan is is going to have an impact on Nyssa. Maybe they jointly end up in a situation where Nyssa actually finds a way of redeeming herself? Or maybe Nyssa settles for a running commentary on the stupidity and politics of bureaucracy (given Karigan's promotion in Firebrand, does she start having to go to the meetings described in First Rider?)
-Estora - She may not be kickass in the traditional sense, but she is resourceful and smart and far more capable than her enemies have thought she'd be. Something that explores that - either following on from negotiating a treaty from her bed with a chauvinistic Rhovan delegation and ripping up tradition by promoting Captain Mapstone or perhaps during the time covered by Mirror Sight. Alternatively, I would absolutely adore something that told the story of her relationship with F'ryan - it's something that we've been told about throughout the novels but we've never seen it in detail.
Feel free to combine ideas or go with something of your own. Feel free to rope in any of the other Green Rider characters as you need!
NB The Dream Gatherer: A Green Rider Novella is out at the beginning of November. I'm not sure if it's going to be relevant to any of my requests, but if it is, you don't need to worry about spoilers; my copy is pre-ordered so I'll be all caught up by the time of story reveals!
Laia, Helene Aquilla, Livia Aquilla
Potential spoilers ahead for Reaper at the Gates.
This is another really complex, rich series that I'm absolutely adoring. I love, particularly, that it's not Yet Another Medieval European Setting and that the underlying mythology pulls in from Africa and the Middle East. Laia's reluctance and determination. Helene's confusion between doing her duty and doing what's right. Livia's quiet dignity in the face of indignity and injustice. I can't wait to see what Sabaa Tahir's going to do next. (If it can be a happy ending for at least someone, that would be a bonus!)
Prompts and ideas...
-Laia and Livia - they've both come a long way from the timid girls they were at the start of Ember. How do they adjust to being the leaders of their respective people? They're both in positions that neither of them expected to be in and Livia has her son to look after as well and there's the looming threat of the Night Bringer to consider as well
-Laia and Helene - they've both loved and (at least for now) have lost Elias. Do they talk? Do they share their grief? What about the motherly connection between them after Helene's healing of Laia? How does that impact them now that they're thrown together? What about Helene's nascent feelings for Harper?
-Helene and Livia - just how much guilt does Helene feel about the situation Livia's found herself in? For that matter, how awkward does Helene feel acting as Blood Shrike to her younger sister? What does Livia make of Helene's feelings for Harper and/or Elias?
-Helene/Laia - I could definitely buy this, maybe not as a long-term pairing but as a short term comfort thing
Given where Reaper at the Gates ends, I'm not expecting this to be entirely hugs and puppies but if it can end with some hope for the future I will be delighted!
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Needham, Jasmine Gooden, Dylan Reinhart, Andrew "Andy" Wilson
I'm enjoying this show quite a bit. It's not the most original show (It's a procedural! It's an unconventional pairing! One's a detective, one's not!) but it's fun and it's reasonably smart and I love that the two main female characters aren't needlessly at odds with each other. I also love that we get a health, stable, adult relationship in Dylan and Andy. Plus: Alan Cumming on my TV is always a joy!
For prompts...
-The backstory - how long have Lizzie and Jasmine known each other? Did they train together or did they meet when they got their first jobs? Or before that? Were they college room mates?
-The backstory 2 - how did Dylan and Andy meet? When? Where? And how long did it take for Andy to appreciate Dylan's...quirks?!
-Casefic - something from either Jasmine and Lizzie's shared past comes back to haunt them, or maybe it's just Jasmine who's being pursued by ghosts. Something that allows Jasmine out of the office could be fun. Alternatively something from Dylan's time at the CIA.
-Between episodes - there's quite a few big gaps between episodes (particularly between the pilot and Wild Game and then Wild Game and Secrets and Lies) so something (anything!) that bridges those gaps would be awesome
-Day in the life - Jasmine's clearly fairly new in the role of Lieutenant, newly married and also possibly looking at starting a family, so something that explores how she keeps those plates spinning would be fun. Trying to ride herd on Dylan Reinhart must also add a degree of difficulty to her life. Alternatively, what's a typical day for Andy like? Or maybe a not-typical day for either of them. Or both.
NOTE: This show started airing in the UK in September, so I'm still catching up on season 1, which means that this section's still in-progress (and I'm aware that some of the prompts may end up being AU - I'm good with that!). If this is the fandom we've matched on, I will finalise this by 28th October.
Plourr Ilo
I've requested this for the last couple of years and received some fab responses, but more Plourr is always a good thing! The basic question remains the same: how does a princess become a pilot and then become a world leader? It's quite a journey - and one I wish we'd seen more of in the books.
Ideas, ideas ideas...
-Her decision to rejoin the squadron (between Requiem for a Rogue and In Empire's Service) - how does that play out? Who does she leave in charge while she's gone? How does she balance the two sets of duties? Presumably she receives regular updates and has periodic diplomatic functions to attend - who in the squadron helps? Who just teases?
-Leaving the squadron - Plourr is one of the lucky Rogues who actually gets to retire rather than go out in a blaze of glory. But when? Is it inspired by the events of Mandatory Retirement, or something else? Does Wedge step in (like he did with Elscol)?
-Rial - does Plourr actually settle down with him? Do they have a future? Children?! (NB I'm not actually asking for kid!fic - but a free and frank discussion between Plourr and Rial on that subject would be highly entertaining!)
-Corran Horn - who gets to tell Plourr that he eventually does join Rogue Squadron? (Another potentially amusing/entertaining conversation given her assertion that it would never happen in her life time!)
Feel free to drag in any of the other Rogues as you need them. Feel free to also check previous letters.
Empress Dowager Cixi
I've spent a long time reading/researching Chinese history. It started originally as background reading for a book and while I quickly realised the book was an utter non-starter (long, boring story!), what I'd read piqued my interest in China and a near obsession was born. Out of all that, Empress Dowager Cixi is probably one of the most fascinating people I've come across.
If you're not familiar with the Dowager Empress, the Wiki article about her gives a decent overview and will point you to more/better/other sources. The short form goes something like this: She joined the court of the Xianfeng Emperor in 1851 as one of his consorts. She was unusual, in that she could read and write, and she was involved in the running of the country even before her husband died. She provided him with an heir which raised her up in the ranks of consorts until she was second only to the Empress. When her husband died she (with Empress Dowager Ci'an) managed* to become co-regents until her son came of age as the Tongzhi Emperor. When he died (without an heir) she became sole regent (Empress Dowager Ci'an having died) to her nephew (4 years old at the time) until he came of age as the Guangxu Emperor. When he abdicated, she was back in charge (largely without the fiction of regency) until her death in 1908.
*They essentially staged a coup - though, as with all things in Chinese political history, it was a bit more complicated than that makes it sound!
During her lifetime, she had to deal with the second Opium War, meddling by foreign powers, a burning need to modernise all aspects of Chinese society, rebellions, corruption (her own and that of officials around her), conspiracies, missionaries and the ramping up of international tensions that led to WWI. After her death, she had her name and reputation blackened by gossip and innuendo - like a lot of powerful women throughout history - though that's something that's been reversed somewhat in the last thirty or so years.
What ever else you can say about her, her life wasn't dull!
Some prompts...
I do have one (admittedly very big!) idea which has been bouncing around my brain since I finished reading Jung Chang's biography of the Dowager Empress: what if she'd been allowed to rule out-right without the constraints and fiction of regency? What if her original reform plans had been implemented fully? What if, as a result, the Boxer Rebellion hadn't happened? How different would the history of China be? How much would it have changed what happened subsequently (the end of imperial rule, the communist uprising, WWII)?
If you're looking for something smaller, I would also love to see scenes from other points in Cixi's life. Before going to the palace, as a child, or contemplating the enormity of the regency, or meeting Europeans for the first time (just what did one discuss with a Dowager Empress over tea and finger foods?!)
To be honest, anything you write me will delight me beyond reason in this fandom (heck, a 1001 word essay on court fashion would be glorious, should that float your boat!) because it's such a fascinating period of Chinese history and she is such a fascinating person with such a mix of forward thinking and traditional ideas.
So there it is. My fandoms for this year. I hope it's helpful. I hope it sparks something - whether it's one of these ideas or something else (because at the end of the day, these aren't the only stories I'd like!). Go nuts, have fun - and thank you :)
Ath
Thank you for taking part in this and offering one (or more!) of my fandoms. Whatever you write - whether it's directly from one of my prompts or from your own inspiration - I will love it.
In case you want to see what I've received in past years (or what I've written - which might be more relevant this year than normal), my AO3 name is Athersgeo. I like to try and keep things simple!
With that covered, here's the main information you've come here to find!
General Bits and Pieces
1) In terms of genre, I'm pretty easy. My default setting tends to be action and adventure, but I will read pretty much anything. The one exception to this is horror - I'm not a horror fan. That said, two of my fandom/character sets do allow room for darkness, so it's not a hard and fast DNW this year.
2) In terms of rating, anything goes. I tend to prefer there to be some sort of plot, but beyond that I'm good with everything from Gen to NC-17! Consent is deeply sexy. Please no non-con or dub-con.
3) In terms of pairing, again, pretty much anything goes - I will buy just about any relationship if you can sell it to me. The one exception is in my Green Rider requests. I'll detail that in that section, though.
4) In terms of story style, I like my stories to leave me with a smile on my face. I don't mind stories that tug on my heartstrings or stories that have me reaching for the tissues, just as long as they don't leave me on a down.
5) All the characters are mix and match across all my requests.
Fandoms
Green Rider
Karigan Gladheon, Nyssa, Lady Estora
I've written in this fandom (several times) for Yuletide, but this is the first time I've requested it. What I love about the series is the increasing complexity and the fascinating female characters and I'm beyond fascinated to see how Kristen Britain is going to bring things to a conclusion.
This is the one fandom with a really hard and fast DNW as far as relationships go: please, no Karigan/Nyssa. If you choose to write Nyssa, going darker is fine, but I'm not up for going that dark.
In terms of prompts and ideas...
-Nyssa's backstory - she appeared more or less out of nowhere in Firebrand and was all evil and creepy. Was she born that way or was she made? Who trained her and taught her the skills she uses on Karigan and Zachary? Was it Grandmother, or is there someone worse than Grandmother? Is she the person behind the death of Osric M'Grew? (Between what's in Blackveil and what's in Firebrand, it's implied but never outright stated.)
-Karigan, post Firebrand - how does she deal with having Nyssa snarking away in her head? How does it change Karigan? How does hanging out in Karigan's head change Nyssa? I have to think that sticking herself to someone as essentially good/kind as Karigan is is going to have an impact on Nyssa. Maybe they jointly end up in a situation where Nyssa actually finds a way of redeeming herself? Or maybe Nyssa settles for a running commentary on the stupidity and politics of bureaucracy (given Karigan's promotion in Firebrand, does she start having to go to the meetings described in First Rider?)
-Estora - She may not be kickass in the traditional sense, but she is resourceful and smart and far more capable than her enemies have thought she'd be. Something that explores that - either following on from negotiating a treaty from her bed with a chauvinistic Rhovan delegation and ripping up tradition by promoting Captain Mapstone or perhaps during the time covered by Mirror Sight. Alternatively, I would absolutely adore something that told the story of her relationship with F'ryan - it's something that we've been told about throughout the novels but we've never seen it in detail.
Feel free to combine ideas or go with something of your own. Feel free to rope in any of the other Green Rider characters as you need!
NB The Dream Gatherer: A Green Rider Novella is out at the beginning of November. I'm not sure if it's going to be relevant to any of my requests, but if it is, you don't need to worry about spoilers; my copy is pre-ordered so I'll be all caught up by the time of story reveals!
Ember in the Ashes
Laia, Helene Aquilla, Livia Aquilla
Potential spoilers ahead for Reaper at the Gates.
This is another really complex, rich series that I'm absolutely adoring. I love, particularly, that it's not Yet Another Medieval European Setting and that the underlying mythology pulls in from Africa and the Middle East. Laia's reluctance and determination. Helene's confusion between doing her duty and doing what's right. Livia's quiet dignity in the face of indignity and injustice. I can't wait to see what Sabaa Tahir's going to do next. (If it can be a happy ending for at least someone, that would be a bonus!)
Prompts and ideas...
-Laia and Livia - they've both come a long way from the timid girls they were at the start of Ember. How do they adjust to being the leaders of their respective people? They're both in positions that neither of them expected to be in and Livia has her son to look after as well and there's the looming threat of the Night Bringer to consider as well
-Laia and Helene - they've both loved and (at least for now) have lost Elias. Do they talk? Do they share their grief? What about the motherly connection between them after Helene's healing of Laia? How does that impact them now that they're thrown together? What about Helene's nascent feelings for Harper?
-Helene and Livia - just how much guilt does Helene feel about the situation Livia's found herself in? For that matter, how awkward does Helene feel acting as Blood Shrike to her younger sister? What does Livia make of Helene's feelings for Harper and/or Elias?
-Helene/Laia - I could definitely buy this, maybe not as a long-term pairing but as a short term comfort thing
Given where Reaper at the Gates ends, I'm not expecting this to be entirely hugs and puppies but if it can end with some hope for the future I will be delighted!
Instinct
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Needham, Jasmine Gooden, Dylan Reinhart, Andrew "Andy" Wilson
I'm enjoying this show quite a bit. It's not the most original show (It's a procedural! It's an unconventional pairing! One's a detective, one's not!) but it's fun and it's reasonably smart and I love that the two main female characters aren't needlessly at odds with each other. I also love that we get a health, stable, adult relationship in Dylan and Andy. Plus: Alan Cumming on my TV is always a joy!
For prompts...
-The backstory - how long have Lizzie and Jasmine known each other? Did they train together or did they meet when they got their first jobs? Or before that? Were they college room mates?
-The backstory 2 - how did Dylan and Andy meet? When? Where? And how long did it take for Andy to appreciate Dylan's...quirks?!
-Casefic - something from either Jasmine and Lizzie's shared past comes back to haunt them, or maybe it's just Jasmine who's being pursued by ghosts. Something that allows Jasmine out of the office could be fun. Alternatively something from Dylan's time at the CIA.
-Between episodes - there's quite a few big gaps between episodes (particularly between the pilot and Wild Game and then Wild Game and Secrets and Lies) so something (anything!) that bridges those gaps would be awesome
-Day in the life - Jasmine's clearly fairly new in the role of Lieutenant, newly married and also possibly looking at starting a family, so something that explores how she keeps those plates spinning would be fun. Trying to ride herd on Dylan Reinhart must also add a degree of difficulty to her life. Alternatively, what's a typical day for Andy like? Or maybe a not-typical day for either of them. Or both.
NOTE: This show started airing in the UK in September, so I'm still catching up on season 1, which means that this section's still in-progress (and I'm aware that some of the prompts may end up being AU - I'm good with that!). If this is the fandom we've matched on, I will finalise this by 28th October.
Star Wars Legends: X-wing Series
Plourr Ilo
I've requested this for the last couple of years and received some fab responses, but more Plourr is always a good thing! The basic question remains the same: how does a princess become a pilot and then become a world leader? It's quite a journey - and one I wish we'd seen more of in the books.
Ideas, ideas ideas...
-Her decision to rejoin the squadron (between Requiem for a Rogue and In Empire's Service) - how does that play out? Who does she leave in charge while she's gone? How does she balance the two sets of duties? Presumably she receives regular updates and has periodic diplomatic functions to attend - who in the squadron helps? Who just teases?
-Leaving the squadron - Plourr is one of the lucky Rogues who actually gets to retire rather than go out in a blaze of glory. But when? Is it inspired by the events of Mandatory Retirement, or something else? Does Wedge step in (like he did with Elscol)?
-Rial - does Plourr actually settle down with him? Do they have a future? Children?! (NB I'm not actually asking for kid!fic - but a free and frank discussion between Plourr and Rial on that subject would be highly entertaining!)
-Corran Horn - who gets to tell Plourr that he eventually does join Rogue Squadron? (Another potentially amusing/entertaining conversation given her assertion that it would never happen in her life time!)
Feel free to drag in any of the other Rogues as you need them. Feel free to also check previous letters.
Qing Dynasty RPF
Empress Dowager Cixi
I've spent a long time reading/researching Chinese history. It started originally as background reading for a book and while I quickly realised the book was an utter non-starter (long, boring story!), what I'd read piqued my interest in China and a near obsession was born. Out of all that, Empress Dowager Cixi is probably one of the most fascinating people I've come across.
If you're not familiar with the Dowager Empress, the Wiki article about her gives a decent overview and will point you to more/better/other sources. The short form goes something like this: She joined the court of the Xianfeng Emperor in 1851 as one of his consorts. She was unusual, in that she could read and write, and she was involved in the running of the country even before her husband died. She provided him with an heir which raised her up in the ranks of consorts until she was second only to the Empress. When her husband died she (with Empress Dowager Ci'an) managed* to become co-regents until her son came of age as the Tongzhi Emperor. When he died (without an heir) she became sole regent (Empress Dowager Ci'an having died) to her nephew (4 years old at the time) until he came of age as the Guangxu Emperor. When he abdicated, she was back in charge (largely without the fiction of regency) until her death in 1908.
*They essentially staged a coup - though, as with all things in Chinese political history, it was a bit more complicated than that makes it sound!
During her lifetime, she had to deal with the second Opium War, meddling by foreign powers, a burning need to modernise all aspects of Chinese society, rebellions, corruption (her own and that of officials around her), conspiracies, missionaries and the ramping up of international tensions that led to WWI. After her death, she had her name and reputation blackened by gossip and innuendo - like a lot of powerful women throughout history - though that's something that's been reversed somewhat in the last thirty or so years.
What ever else you can say about her, her life wasn't dull!
Some prompts...
I do have one (admittedly very big!) idea which has been bouncing around my brain since I finished reading Jung Chang's biography of the Dowager Empress: what if she'd been allowed to rule out-right without the constraints and fiction of regency? What if her original reform plans had been implemented fully? What if, as a result, the Boxer Rebellion hadn't happened? How different would the history of China be? How much would it have changed what happened subsequently (the end of imperial rule, the communist uprising, WWII)?
If you're looking for something smaller, I would also love to see scenes from other points in Cixi's life. Before going to the palace, as a child, or contemplating the enormity of the regency, or meeting Europeans for the first time (just what did one discuss with a Dowager Empress over tea and finger foods?!)
To be honest, anything you write me will delight me beyond reason in this fandom (heck, a 1001 word essay on court fashion would be glorious, should that float your boat!) because it's such a fascinating period of Chinese history and she is such a fascinating person with such a mix of forward thinking and traditional ideas.
So there it is. My fandoms for this year. I hope it's helpful. I hope it sparks something - whether it's one of these ideas or something else (because at the end of the day, these aren't the only stories I'd like!). Go nuts, have fun - and thank you :)
Ath
Airwolf
Date: 2019-01-08 03:50 am (UTC)