letter: yuletide 2020

[xslytherclawx]

Hi Mystery Author,

I’m super excited for this! I do have some general things, as well as some fandom-specific things I’d like to see.
This is a copy of my letter on TUMBLR

General info

first of all, i’d be perfectly happy to receive fic in any of the following languages: English, German, French. some short bits of actual Russian (cyrillic preferred) or Yiddish (Hebrew or romanized) dialogue is also fine, but I don’t think I can read a whole fic in either of those languages.
I’d also be happy to receive any gift at any rating, as long as it doesn’t violate any DNWs (so, yes, smut is welcome)
In past exchanges, the gifts I’ve liked the best have tended to be fluffier (or at least have a happy ending), often funny, and relationship (though not necessarily romantic) focused rather than character-focused. This is not necessarily true of all fandoms; for the Magicians, the Secret History, and Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken feel free to lay on the angst and darkness!
In terms of likes and interests, feel free to pick and choose whatever appeals most to you. The fandom-specific prompts are only ideas to get you started; if one appeals to you, that’s great! If not, that’s totally fine, too! I'm pretty easy to please with fic exchanges!
You really only need to abide by the matched characters and the DNWs, and as long as that’s done, I’ll be happy with the result! I’ve only selected characters I’d be happy to receive fic for, and my DNWs are generally pretty comprehensive for that reason. (and if you do have a question about whether a DNW is as hard and fast as it’s listed, feel free to ask the mods to contact me, and I'll reply ASAP).
Likes, Interests, DNWs, and specifics in alphabetical order. Fandom-specific likes and DNWs are grouped with the fandoms themselves.

general likes / interests:

• Buddy comedies


• Cheesy rom-com plots (especially when they’re gay)


• Complex and well-thought out examinations of societal issues


• Domesticity


• Established Relationship


• Explicitly bi characters (with a few exceptions; of my listed characters, those exceptions are really just Clare Devlin [canonically a lesbian], Eliot Waugh [gay], Francis Abernathy [canonically gay], Gunther Scheller [gay])


• Fluff


• Found family


• Friendship fic


• Friends to Lovers


• Friends with Benefits (bonus points for Friends with Benefits to Lovers)


• Hijinks


• Humor (including dark comedy)


• Jewish rep (when applicable)


• Roommate AUs


• Secret Relationship


• Smut-specific: cunnilingus, pegging in het ships, f/f that’s either two verses or from the top’s POV, women dominating men in het ships (within or outside of d/s dynamics), laughing, both people just having a good time. (i'm also happy to receive m/m smut, though beyond fandom-specific tastes, I don't have much to add in terms of likes for that - i'm fine with anal, frottage, rimming, blow jobs, hand jobs, etc. - as long as it's not on my DNW or edges close to that)


• Soulmate AUs with requested ships (or platonic soulmate AUs)


• That fun closeted baby gay thing we do where we convince ourselves we hate the person we have a crush on because why else are we so obsessed with them

alternate settings / crossovers / tropes I generally like:

• the tried and true Hogwarts / Ilvermorny AU (for fandom-specific sorting headcanons, see the fandoms listed below or feel free to send me an anon)javascript:void(0);


• The Good Place fusions and crossovers (either an AU version of S1 OR a version inspired by the final season and the solution to the Good Place)


• University AUs


• Historical AUs (including 80s/90s)


• Star Wars fusion AUs (or, honestly, direct crossovers, too!)


• Rom Com fusions (favourites include: Legally Blonde, Clueless, Red White & Royal Blue) - as well as general romantic comedy tropes / rom com-style plots


• 13 Going on 30 type AUs (just please don’t make those AUs smutty)

General Triggers/Squicks/DNWs:

(for any exceptions for fandoms, see the fandom section individually)

• 1st or 2nd person POV
• A/B/O dynamics (and also MPreg in general)
• Animal death (even if natural) / abuse / harm / violence against animals
• Antisemitism (even as a plot device with jewish MCs)
• Asexuality / aromantic / demisexual / demiromantic headcanons
• Bestiality
• Breakup fic
• Character/Reader fic
• Christianity or Christmas as the central theme to a fic
• Damsel in distress
• Gay-bashing or really overt homophobia (internalised homophobia and referenced homophobia are fine)
• Genderswap which makes F/F or M/M pairings I’ve requested F/M (any other combo is though! Basically just don’t turn gay ships het; genderswap fic without pairings is also fine)
• Gore / Graphic violence / Torture porn
• Grandparent death (canonical is fine, but don't make it a focus - also, other relative death is also fine)
• Het ships not listed in my requested ships or stated as otherwise OK for the character listed below.
• Incest (including cousins, unless canonical)
• Infidelity
• Major character death (unless canonical)
• Mothers being super kind and understanding and generally… good moms? without many flaws? (at least as a central theme) - overbearing but well-meaning moms are OK!
• Objectification of female characters
• Pedophilia or anything with adults over the age of 20 with characters under the age of 15
• Possessive behavior or any kind of stalking
• Pregnancy / Baby fic
• Proselytism.
• Rape / Non-con / Dub-con. (explicit verbal consent not required, but the consent should clearly be there)
• Smut-specific: blood / scat / piss, breathplay, d/s dynamics with sub female characters (except in f/f fic), transmasc characters on the receiving end of PIV sex (transfeminine characters on the receiving end of PIV sex is fine, and transmasc characters receiving anal sex is also fine!), pain inflicted during sex (intentionally or unintentionally), women performing unreciprocated oral sex on men (if it's reciprocated, it's fine!)
• Student/teacher ships/AUs
• Zombies/Zombie Apocalypes

 

Fandom-specific things: 

 

Derry Girls

This TV show is available for streaming on Netflix in the US. It consists of 2 seasons, each with 6 half hour episodes. I have, on more than one occasion, watched the entire series over in a day.

Ships / Characters:

• Listen: I love James (only requested character for this fandom). He’s a dick, but I love him. (Honestly, I love the whole crew; I’d be happy with fic of any of them, but James is my boy)


• Michelle and James are honestly my two faves.


• I don’t really ship James with any of the guys in the cast, but I don’t read him as straight, so feel free to do something with that


• That said, I also do like James/Erin


• Het is ok for this fandom provided it’s, like, Michelle or Erin getting some (or Erin/James), and not like… Clare with a boy

 

Likes:

• I like James's culture shock (and genuine love for Derry, confusing as shit though it may be).


• I love the humor in this show so much!


• I love how the petty teen drama just takes center stage


• If you can nail Orla’s particular brand of weirdness, I’d love you forever for it


• I’d love something lighter, funnier, and potentially high stakes in that very teenage way the show is (while the world spins on around them)

Dislikes:

• James being overly effeminate (he’s not the most masculine, but still)


• Like an angsty, serious focus on the Troubles. Or just angst in general for this series.

 

Prompts:

• I’d love to see Clare get a girlfriend!


• I like the idea of Clare and James bonding over being not straight, but I feel like the way a lot of the fandom does it is sort of twee and modern in a way that makes no sense for the 90s (and also… not for Catholics), so if you can nail that I'd love it!


• James realizing his crush on Father Peter is an actual crush (and not just admiration)


• Cousinly bonding between Michelle and James!


• Honestly also I’d kill for something about James and his nerd friends (from London)


• Maybe something set during / after uni? Or in their 20s?


• As for canon divergence, you could do something like “James never went to Derry” or “James left with his mother” or basically whatever strikes your fancy


• I could also see James somehow getting a Prod boyfriend and obviously it’s fine that he has a boyfriend but did he really have to pick a Prod? (and thus the gang loses their collective shit)
• Cheftide Prompt: James canonically hates fish and chips and other fried food because it’s too greasy, but it doesn’t seem like his aunt and uncle have much time for cooking – so does he cook? Is he any good? I’d love to see him being surprisingly competent at it (though I can’t imagine the girls would ever let him live it down).

-

folklore: Teenage Love Triangle Trilogy - Taylor Swift

**important note**: the following general DNWs do not apply here: infidelity, breakup fic, het ships, and for the narrator of "august" only: 1st or 2nd person POV.

These are three songs from Taylor Swift’s 2020 album folklore - “betty”, “cardigan”, and “august” - and can be streamed online. Lyrics are also available online.

Ships / Characters:

• I requested James, Betty, and the narrator of "august", but I would be happy to see any combination of these characters; simply put: this is an or request!

Likes:

• genuinely "betty" is my most played song of the past six months ("august" is #3 and "cardigan" is #5), so i'm just thrilled to see this!


• I feel like I can go either way with angst or fluff or humor with this one, as long as you think it makes sense!


• I'd love character-driven fic for this!

Dislikes:

• I mean, honestly, I think as long as you don't kill anyone I'll be fine here :)

Prompts:

• What happens after "Betty"? Does she tell James to go fuck himself (or herself?)?


• Also - is James a boy, or a girl (or neither)? It's never actually spelled out. (Just saying ;) )


• Do Betty and the narrator of "august" know each other? The narrator seems to know that James and Betty were together, but does she know Betty personally?


• Maybe an outsider POV? Either Inez or someone else who's watching this all go down.


• When does the story take place? The reference to a mall (presumably a shopping mall) and cars and skateboards hems you in a little bit, but it could be anywhere from the 1970s (maybe 1960s?) to 2020. Have fun with it!


• What happens years later? Where are they 10 years after the events of the songs? 20? Do any of them even speak to each other? Are they married (in any configuration of the love triangle or to other people)? Divorced?
• Wrapping Paper / Art Prompt: I’d honestly just like to see how you picture any/all of them. Maybe Betty and James walking around town at night? James and “august” meeting behind the mall? James showing up on Betty’s porch?

-

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

**important note**: the following general DNWs do not apply here: MCD, gore / violence, infidelity. animal death offscreen is also fine as long as it is not a main focus. the canonical rape and sexual assault is fine to mention (especially as they relate to the survivors' arcs), but I ask that you don't make those acts themselves a focus of the fic.

This is a three-book series, and can be found at pretty much any bookshop. I got all three of mine from Powell’s online for like $20 - though I’m sure there are PDFs online and audiobooks if that’s more your jam.

Ships / Characters:

• The only character I requested is Quentin Coldwater


• That said, I don't dislike anyone in the series beyond like, the gods. Of the nominated characters, I like Eliot, Janet, Plum, and Penny the best (probably all of them more than Quentin lol)


• I like Quentin's canonical relationships with Eliot, Plum, and Penny the best; I'm not a huge fan of Quentin/Alice at the end (though during their time at Brakebills that's fine!)

Likes:

• I greatly prefer the books over the TV show, so I was delighted to see this nominated!


• Please please please feel free to give me your most fucked up, dark, twisted scenarios for this fandom! I've not-so-jokingly called this series "grimdark Narnia" to my friends and the grimdark of it all is why I love it!


• I also love what a gigantic autistic asshole Q is in the books! Like both just the fact that he's obviously (and canonically) autistic and such a fucking pretentious asshole (but in a way that feels authentic!). I absolutely want to punch him half the time but he's such a fantastic character.


• I'm also weirdly fascinated with the idea of Jewish Eliot because toward the end of the first book, he writes "g-d" in his note to Q, which is the only time that (very jewish) epithet is used in the entire series (and it's also the only time we see Eliot write the word).

 

Dislikes:

• TV show canon - please keep this purely to book canon!


• fluff for this series. I just don't think it'd gel well. humor is fine (even light humor).

Prompts:

• Honestly, I'd like to see something playing on Quentin/Eliot, just.. you know... with their book characterizations. I got a vibe from them that it could have happened (besides, you know, the threesome). Maybe even the threesome wasn't the first time something happened between them.


• What happened during Quentin, Eliot, Janet, and Julia's years in Fillory?


• What if Quentin had gotten stuck in the underworld?


• What if Quentin had been able to get through to the other side of Fillory? (Either if he was able to reuse his passport, or if Benedict survived and/or didn't have they key on him)

 

-

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

**important note**: the following general DNWs do not apply here: MCD, gore / violence, infidelity, incest, bestiality, animal death (though please don't make the last three a main focus)

this is a standalone novel, though Francis does appear in a cameo in Tartt’s later novel The Goldfinch.

Ships / Characters:

• The characters I requested are Francis and Richard


• I don’t think any of them have remotely healthy relationships with each other or with other people, but I love Francis (and Richard, too, though I’m less likely to admit that)


• Judy Poovey is the party queen and I adore her, so if you want to fit her in, feel free - but if not, don't feel pressured

Likes:

• I honestly just love how fucked up their entire codependent unit is. This is one fandom where you can lay on the fucked up shit and I’m 100% here for it


• I love the moments where you're just made acutely aware that it's set in the 1980s

Dislikes:

• I don’t think a HEA is possible for most of these characters (at most… staying together or coming back together because of shared trauma)

Prompts:

• I love the idea of Francis being Richard’s bi/gay awakening, but I don’t think it’d be a super healthy relationship.


• We know Francis is in New York during the setting of the Goldfinch (as Theo mentions Mr. Abernathy does not like him), but where is Richard? Are they together? Apart? Do they speak at all?


• I’d like to see something done about the intertextuality of it all (namely Richard’s fake backstory basically being Bret Easton Ellis’s real life backstory)
• Yuleporn Prompt: I would love to see things “progressing” between Francis and Richard - or, alternatively, if you’d like, perhaps they get back together years in the future. Are they living happily and domestically together in New York? Or do they just cross paths for a short time?
• Wrapping Paper / Art Prompt: I’d love to see something “progressing” between them - any rating is fine!

-

Seducing the Sedgwicks by Cat Sebastian

This is a series of three romance novels; to my knowledge they retail at around $6  USD each from most major booksellers. My request focuses primarily on the third instalment, Two Rogues Make A Right.

Ships / Characters:

• Martin Easterbrook & Will Sedgwick, either as a ship or pre-series


• I do like most of the characters in the series - Daisy and Hartley and Kate the best, probably.

Likes:

• I am the world's biggest suckers for friends to lovers, and I read Two Rogues Make a Right twice within a week of its release because I just love it so much.


• I love Martin and Will and how they interact with each other and their trauma and their shitty fathers and bad upbringings.
• I love how prickly Martin is (and the teasing affection he has for Will!), and how soft and caring Will is.


• That said, please feel free to lay on the trauma as well! As long as it has a happy ending.


• Martin is probably my favorite of the two, if I had to pick.

Dislikes:

• Please don't bring modern terminology into this fic; it's something that drives me crazy with historical fanfic. I think the book handles it well.


• I don’t want any sad or angsty endings for this


• Please do not kill - beyond Martin and Will because MCD DNW - like... anyone who isn't already dead in canon


• Even outside of breakup fic, please don't break them (or either of the other main pairings in the series) up.


• Beyond that I think everything is covered with the general DNWs

Prompts:

• I’d love to see something with Martin and Daisy (and Martin and Lady Bermondsey) or: Martin's entire family doesn’t suck! Show me more! I’d especially like to see Martin, who has never had much of a family, learning to have a sister. I really love their dynamic.


• Post-canon domesticity! It's what I live for!


• I think a modern AU for this could be a lot of fun! It'd be fun to figure out how you'd work Will's trauma from the Fotheringay into a modern setting, and how easily a rich boy could be kidnapped without anyone noticing in modern times?


• Or even just a different historical era – though I ask that if you choose to set it in the 80s or 90s that you avoid replacing Martin's consumption with HIV or AIDS. (giving him some kind of other illness – or even just general frail health –would be acceptable though)
• Cheftide Prompt: I would love to see Martin attempting to learn how to cook and bake. Perhaps as a surprise for Will? Or perhaps just as an attempt at doing something for himself. Maybe Sam and Hartley are visiting and Sam offers to help out?
• Wrapping Paper / Art Prompts:  domesticity! tenderness! honestly I can go with any setting, time-wise, for them; either the two of them cuddling as kids, or Martin taking care of Will after he comes back to London, or Will taking care of Martin after they leave London, or post-canon.

-

Was nützt die Liebe in Gedanken / Love in Thoughts (2004)

**important note**: the following general DNWs do not apply here: infidelity, breakup fic, MCD, gore / violence.
this is a German film; I’m not totally sure on availability as I bought it on iTunes in probably 2013. It may still be available there. I do not believe it is streaming on any major platform in the US at least. There is also a novelization that I have read (years ago).

(worth reiterating here that I speak and read fluent German, so I'd love to receive fic for this in German!)

Ships / Characters:

• I've requested both Paul Krantz and Günther Scheller


• I like them either platonically or romantically, though you can focus on one or the other (again: this is an or request).

Likes:

• the entire "corrupt morality" of the Weimar Republic - the sex, drinking, excess, politics. literally genuinely one of my favorite things to read about.


• class conflict! Paul (in real life, anyway) grew up in a tenement! He was a dedicated communist! How did that play into it!


• I also just love how chill everyone is with Günther being gay.

Dislikes:

• Please don't bring modern terminology into this fic; it's something that drives me crazy with historical fanfic.


• Anything about the afterlife with a HEA you can avoid.


• modern AUs for this fandom

 

Prompts:

• Okay, genuinely, Paul Krantz (the real Paul Krantz, though he wrote under the name Ernst Erich Noth) is one of my favorite Neue Sachlichkeit writers and his life post-Steglitzer Schülertragödie is somehow even more interesting??? So that might be interesting to explore


• Given some of Krantz's works (and the fact that Magnus Hirschfeld testified to his defense???? what???) I've definitely had my own questions about his sexuality, so that might be fun to explore!


• What would have happened if Paul had stopped Günther from killing himself? What if Günther had already killed Hans?


• While reading his fortune, Hilde tells Paul that he'll be alone for a long time. Is that true?

 

-

For additional ships I like, you can check my works and bookmarks on AO3.

If you have any questions, I do have anon turned on!