amphipodgirl (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
amphipodgirl) wrote2022-10-16 09:43 pm
amphipodgirl) wrote2022-10-16 09:43 pm
Entry tags:
Dear Yuletide Writer 2022
Treats are one of the bestest things ever! And the main Yuletide gift fic is also one of the bestest things ever. So, whether you're assigned to write for me or you decide to treat, thank you SO MUCH for writing for me! I look forward to reading whatever you create, and I'm also delighted to meet someone else who appreciates one or more of the tiny fandoms I've nominated. They are all very (under 20 fics) and I'll be delighted for any of them to grow by a story, wherever you take it — aside from the DNWs, everything here is to suggest and inspire; if your fancy heads in an other direction, please go for it! Whatever you write will be lovely. 8^)
I love queer romance novels; Alexis Hall and KJ Charles are auto-buys for me, and right now I'm on an intense Tal Bauer kick (is there any other kind?)
In general, I like fic that is grounded in who the characters are. If it's an AU, they may be different because of their different life experiences, but still recognizably the same people in some way. Even in an AU, I like the relationships to be canon ones.
I have two AO3 accounts. Gammarus is where I post my nsfw fics (including all the fics I've written in the fandoms I'm requesting). Ampithoe is where I post my smut-free fics as well as all my bookmarks, regardless of the heat level of the fics bookmarked.
I'm amphipodgirl on dreamwidth, twitter, tumblr, and various discord servers.
I enjoy fics at all ratings and sexiness levels. If you like writing smut, I love a good sprinkling of D/s. I also love praise kink, humiliation, fisting, bondage, pain, and orgasm delay/denial (especially of male orgasms). I also like lots of attention to a guy's nipples and it really turning him on.
If you don't want to write smut, I'll also love a G or T fic with these characters.
For these fandoms, I feel like there's still so much to explore in canon-verse — whether that's pre-canon, canon, post-canon, or canon-divergent. It's all incredibly rich and there are a ton of stories still to be told.
If you do want to do an AU, I'm a huge fan of tropes like fake dating, arranged marriage, and fuckbuddies first. There's something about the romantic and sexual connections growing on a different schedule than the mandated standard one, and about the parties trying to hide or suppress their feelings for each other, that really gets me. I'm also a sucker for Only One Bed, text fics, and soulmates.
I love when people bring their own special interests/knowledge to an AU. Weirdest job you've ever had, period of history you're an expert on, or a hobby some people think you take way too seriously? A cultural background that's totally different from mine? (I'm white, USan, Jewish) I am so here for that AU. Beekeeping AU! Scuba AU! Handcrafted-prosthetics AU! Jeopardy fact-checker AU! Early Umayyad Caliphate AU! Balinese AU! Bring it!
I've tried to give a bunch of ideas here, but if there's something you've been dying to write for one of these fandom/character combos, go for it as long as it doesn't hit my DNWs. The stories that insist on being written are often the best ones.
For Real
The first thing I loved about For Real is how the mere combination of command and obedience is hot for both Laurie and Toby, even before you get to any pain, bondage, etc. and how well Hall gets that across. (But I do also love bondage, pain, etc.) He pays such attention to the nature of the D/s relationship for both of them.
I also really appreciate the fact that Toby is the dom and Laurie is the sub but Laurie is usually the insertive partner for intercourse and neither of them sees that as remarkable or contradictory. AJH has written about this, actually: https://quicunquevult.com/books/spires/fr-extras/#sexpectations
I also like how real and human Toby stays even while being a dom — that he can make rookie errors, be silly, laugh at himself, and this generally doesn't reduce his standing as a dom in either his eyes or Laurie's.
I love small, fierce, angry Toby, and I feel for the way he regards himself as being Not Enough for most of the book. I also adore how he insists that this is love and he gets to call it that, whether Laurie does or not.
I really like Laurie, although I spend a lot of the book being irritated with him for not being able to relax, let love in, admit that this is important, treat Toby as he deserves to be treated, let down his walls. I do think it's delightful and telling that, despite all that reserve and distancing, he starts calling Toby “darling” the first time they have sex and never stops.
Much as I love Laurie and Toby, I'm requesting Grace/Sam because they're wonderful and there isn't any specific Grace/Sam fic out there. In my mind, Grace is caring, lusty, and dominant. My visual headcanon for her is River Song from Dr. Who -- masses of curly hair and a ton of attitude. Sam is gregarious and, as he says, likes women telling him what to do.
Do Not Want: Robert, Grandad.
Arden St. Ives
Oh, Ardy! Everyone's favorite disaster pansexual elf. And poor, damaged Caspian. I just want them to be happy!
I love Ardy's positivity, his affectionate nature, his love of sex. I love how he wants to help Caspian and sees (at least some of) what Caspian needs from the very first. Also just his narrative voice — the cleverness, the allusions to every level of culture, the playfulness.
It makes me so happy when Caspian starts to heal and open up. When he asks Ardy to touch him because he loves it even though it's very hard for him — oh. my. god.
There are a lot of side characters I love: Bellerose, George, Ellery, Nik, Poppy Carrie, Ardy's family.
Please no Lancaster Steyne on page!
Here are some fics I would love to see:
Christmas at Kinlochbervie. Caspian hasn't really been part of a family since his dad died when he was 14, and even then he lived in London and his family had money, so he's probably never cut down a live Christmas tree or made ornaments by hand. Arden's family isn't wealthy at all and lives in a very small town in a remote part of Scotland, but they are fiercely loving and loyal.
I think there are some interesting possibilities areound gift-giving. What can Ardy's not-welathy family give to a man who can afford anything money can buy? Probably Iris sews or knitts something. Do Hazel and Rabbie write a jingle for him? Is there something related to chess that Rabbie could give? And what can Caspian get for them that's truly personal and not just insanely expensive?
There's lots of comic potential in poor gift choices and Caspian being comically inept (or frighteningly efficient) at holiday tasks and unfamiliar customs. On the other hand, there's a lot of room for feeling -- Caspian being touched by the warmth of Ardy's family and realizing that they like him for himself as well as in his capacity as Arden's partner.
If you choose to have Ellery there, I can imagine Hazel giving her a well-deserved and highly effective talking-to.
If you want to take it to a slightly heavier place, i think Iris and Caspian might connect around being abuse survivors.
Those are just some ideas; please feel free to write the fic according to your own imaginings of a Kinlochbervie Christmas.
A Happy Ever after for Bellerose. I've written one, but I'd be delighted to read your version. This doesn't need to involve Ardy and Caspian, but it might. One way to do it would be to have Caspian and Ilya encountering each other by accident 10 years hence and catching up on each others' lives, or any other way you think works out to Bellerose's satisfaction.
Caspian healing over time and their relationship growing. Caspian edging back into being able to be a dom.
Arden and Caspian on a double date with Toby and Laurie.
I'd like to see how Caspian's relationship with Ellery gets better. One idea is to have Ardy drag Caspian to a Murder Ballad concert.
I'd love an AU where Caspian's dad didn't die. Ardy and a much healthier Caspian find each other.
DO NOT WANT: Lancaster Steyne in a canonverse fic. I can't stand the man.
A Lady for a Duke
I love the big feelings in this book, and I can still remember the almost-unbearable suspense the first time I read it, waiting to see what would happen when Gracewood found out that Viola was his old friend. I very much appreciate that Viola's transness is never the primary problem; it's her previous identity and her having let Gracewood think she was dead that was the initial difficulty. Later, it's the difference in station and the fact that she doesn't believe marriage and children are possibilities for her.
I also love a lot of the side characters: Lady Lillimere, Louise, Badger, Miranda, Little Bartholomew. They're each very individual and very amusing and not always as simple as they're made to see at first glance. For example, everyone (including Badger) thinks Badger is something of an idiot, but there are times when he has more of a clue in a social situation than Louise does. Little Bartholomew is especially close to my heart -- I love the way his (apparently) artless questions reveal adults' feelings and motivations or foreshadow the action.
Still, my prompts are all for Viola or Viola/Gracewood.
MCD
Non-con
Heavy angst
Underage sex (for the Grace and Sam at uni prompt, let's just assume they're of age)
Scat, golden showers
Mpreg
A/B/O
Christmas except where specifically prompted
Death of a parent or parental figure (references to a canon death are okay but please don't dwell)
By the way, you might be interested in our friendly little discord server for fans of Alexis Hall's books: https://lalelilolusworld.tumblr.com/post/633244528602677249/alexis-hall-discord-server
I love queer romance novels; Alexis Hall and KJ Charles are auto-buys for me, and right now I'm on an intense Tal Bauer kick (is there any other kind?)
In general, I like fic that is grounded in who the characters are. If it's an AU, they may be different because of their different life experiences, but still recognizably the same people in some way. Even in an AU, I like the relationships to be canon ones.
I have two AO3 accounts. Gammarus is where I post my nsfw fics (including all the fics I've written in the fandoms I'm requesting). Ampithoe is where I post my smut-free fics as well as all my bookmarks, regardless of the heat level of the fics bookmarked.
I'm amphipodgirl on dreamwidth, twitter, tumblr, and various discord servers.
I enjoy fics at all ratings and sexiness levels. If you like writing smut, I love a good sprinkling of D/s. I also love praise kink, humiliation, fisting, bondage, pain, and orgasm delay/denial (especially of male orgasms). I also like lots of attention to a guy's nipples and it really turning him on.
If you don't want to write smut, I'll also love a G or T fic with these characters.
For these fandoms, I feel like there's still so much to explore in canon-verse — whether that's pre-canon, canon, post-canon, or canon-divergent. It's all incredibly rich and there are a ton of stories still to be told.
If you do want to do an AU, I'm a huge fan of tropes like fake dating, arranged marriage, and fuckbuddies first. There's something about the romantic and sexual connections growing on a different schedule than the mandated standard one, and about the parties trying to hide or suppress their feelings for each other, that really gets me. I'm also a sucker for Only One Bed, text fics, and soulmates.
I love when people bring their own special interests/knowledge to an AU. Weirdest job you've ever had, period of history you're an expert on, or a hobby some people think you take way too seriously? A cultural background that's totally different from mine? (I'm white, USan, Jewish) I am so here for that AU. Beekeeping AU! Scuba AU! Handcrafted-prosthetics AU! Jeopardy fact-checker AU! Early Umayyad Caliphate AU! Balinese AU! Bring it!
I've tried to give a bunch of ideas here, but if there's something you've been dying to write for one of these fandom/character combos, go for it as long as it doesn't hit my DNWs. The stories that insist on being written are often the best ones.
For Real
The first thing I loved about For Real is how the mere combination of command and obedience is hot for both Laurie and Toby, even before you get to any pain, bondage, etc. and how well Hall gets that across. (But I do also love bondage, pain, etc.) He pays such attention to the nature of the D/s relationship for both of them.
I also really appreciate the fact that Toby is the dom and Laurie is the sub but Laurie is usually the insertive partner for intercourse and neither of them sees that as remarkable or contradictory. AJH has written about this, actually: https://quicunquevult.com/books/spires/fr-extras/#sexpectations
I also like how real and human Toby stays even while being a dom — that he can make rookie errors, be silly, laugh at himself, and this generally doesn't reduce his standing as a dom in either his eyes or Laurie's.
I love small, fierce, angry Toby, and I feel for the way he regards himself as being Not Enough for most of the book. I also adore how he insists that this is love and he gets to call it that, whether Laurie does or not.
I really like Laurie, although I spend a lot of the book being irritated with him for not being able to relax, let love in, admit that this is important, treat Toby as he deserves to be treated, let down his walls. I do think it's delightful and telling that, despite all that reserve and distancing, he starts calling Toby “darling” the first time they have sex and never stops.
Much as I love Laurie and Toby, I'm requesting Grace/Sam because they're wonderful and there isn't any specific Grace/Sam fic out there. In my mind, Grace is caring, lusty, and dominant. My visual headcanon for her is River Song from Dr. Who -- masses of curly hair and a ton of attitude. Sam is gregarious and, as he says, likes women telling him what to do.
Do Not Want: Robert, Grandad.
Arden St. Ives
Oh, Ardy! Everyone's favorite disaster pansexual elf. And poor, damaged Caspian. I just want them to be happy!
I love Ardy's positivity, his affectionate nature, his love of sex. I love how he wants to help Caspian and sees (at least some of) what Caspian needs from the very first. Also just his narrative voice — the cleverness, the allusions to every level of culture, the playfulness.
It makes me so happy when Caspian starts to heal and open up. When he asks Ardy to touch him because he loves it even though it's very hard for him — oh. my. god.
There are a lot of side characters I love: Bellerose, George, Ellery, Nik, Poppy Carrie, Ardy's family.
Please no Lancaster Steyne on page!
Here are some fics I would love to see:
Christmas at Kinlochbervie. Caspian hasn't really been part of a family since his dad died when he was 14, and even then he lived in London and his family had money, so he's probably never cut down a live Christmas tree or made ornaments by hand. Arden's family isn't wealthy at all and lives in a very small town in a remote part of Scotland, but they are fiercely loving and loyal.
I think there are some interesting possibilities areound gift-giving. What can Ardy's not-welathy family give to a man who can afford anything money can buy? Probably Iris sews or knitts something. Do Hazel and Rabbie write a jingle for him? Is there something related to chess that Rabbie could give? And what can Caspian get for them that's truly personal and not just insanely expensive?
There's lots of comic potential in poor gift choices and Caspian being comically inept (or frighteningly efficient) at holiday tasks and unfamiliar customs. On the other hand, there's a lot of room for feeling -- Caspian being touched by the warmth of Ardy's family and realizing that they like him for himself as well as in his capacity as Arden's partner.
If you choose to have Ellery there, I can imagine Hazel giving her a well-deserved and highly effective talking-to.
If you want to take it to a slightly heavier place, i think Iris and Caspian might connect around being abuse survivors.
Those are just some ideas; please feel free to write the fic according to your own imaginings of a Kinlochbervie Christmas.
A Happy Ever after for Bellerose. I've written one, but I'd be delighted to read your version. This doesn't need to involve Ardy and Caspian, but it might. One way to do it would be to have Caspian and Ilya encountering each other by accident 10 years hence and catching up on each others' lives, or any other way you think works out to Bellerose's satisfaction.
Caspian healing over time and their relationship growing. Caspian edging back into being able to be a dom.
Arden and Caspian on a double date with Toby and Laurie.
I'd like to see how Caspian's relationship with Ellery gets better. One idea is to have Ardy drag Caspian to a Murder Ballad concert.
I'd love an AU where Caspian's dad didn't die. Ardy and a much healthier Caspian find each other.
DO NOT WANT: Lancaster Steyne in a canonverse fic. I can't stand the man.
A Lady for a Duke
I love the big feelings in this book, and I can still remember the almost-unbearable suspense the first time I read it, waiting to see what would happen when Gracewood found out that Viola was his old friend. I very much appreciate that Viola's transness is never the primary problem; it's her previous identity and her having let Gracewood think she was dead that was the initial difficulty. Later, it's the difference in station and the fact that she doesn't believe marriage and children are possibilities for her.
I also love a lot of the side characters: Lady Lillimere, Louise, Badger, Miranda, Little Bartholomew. They're each very individual and very amusing and not always as simple as they're made to see at first glance. For example, everyone (including Badger) thinks Badger is something of an idiot, but there are times when he has more of a clue in a social situation than Louise does. Little Bartholomew is especially close to my heart -- I love the way his (apparently) artless questions reveal adults' feelings and motivations or foreshadow the action.
Still, my prompts are all for Viola or Viola/Gracewood.
There are a couple of Viola backstory fics I would love to see: either her being cared for by the Barniers, realizing that Monsieur Barnier is trans, and that living openly as a woman is an option for her, or after that, her arriving at Louise and Badger's and revealing herself. If you write one of these two, it doesn't need to include Gracewood.
Alternatively, I would love to see Justin and Viola's wedding (I picture a small family affair; be sure to account for how they get an officiant who will do it) or them adopting their first child. How does Jackscallion come to be theirs?
DNW: misgendering or deadnaming Viola or Monsieur Barnier (though it's okay if Viola uses her own former name before she realizes the possibility of living as a woman); major character death; noncon; underage.
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake
I really like this book. As a bisexual woman married to a man, I appreciate that Rosaline is like me in those ways. Some of the biphobia she encounters is much like things I've run into in my own life. I enjoy all the other contestants on the baking show (except Alain!), and I really, really like Amelie -- she's precocious and practical and asks "why" at just the right (or wrong) time. Harry is such a prince and so good for Rosaline.
I really appreciate the way that Rosaline makes a class-based assumption that Alain will be liberal/progressive and Harry will be sexist and homophobic, but she turns out to be quite wrong. Alain fetishes her bisexuality and denies her agency. Harry, on the other hand, has a sister who's married to a woman, has been in at least one 3-way, and once she asks him not to call her "love" he never does it again. The two men's reactions to the absence of condoms is so telling, too. Basically, Harry is wonderful and perfect for Rosaline in every way (including being great with Amelie because he takes her seriously).
I'd love to read Harry and Amelie planning a birthday surprise for Rosaline. Alternatively, sexy times for Rosaline and Harry, ideally with her pegging him and/or him rimming her.
If you write sexy times, please don't include Amelie (abviously).
Do Not Want: Alain, sexual activity involving Rosaline's breasts.
MCD
Non-con
Heavy angst
Underage sex (for the Grace and Sam at uni prompt, let's just assume they're of age)
Scat, golden showers
Mpreg
A/B/O
Christmas except where specifically prompted
Death of a parent or parental figure (references to a canon death are okay but please don't dwell)
By the way, you might be interested in our friendly little discord server for fans of Alexis Hall's books: https://lalelilolusworld.tumblr.com/post/633244528602677249/alexis-hall-discord-server