Yuletide letter 2018
Sep. 19th, 2018 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
merryghoulHi, Yuletide writer! I'm
Please note: For all my requests, I'm not requiring you to write all the characters together in a fic. Feel free to write the character/s you want to write about.
Also: if any of these prompts don't inspire you at all, feel free to go ODAO. I'm totally okay with it.
General Likes
Here's my list of general likes:
Darkfic Likes
If you're considering to write something for Crueltide or something darker for Femslash Festivus for me, I would not be opposed to the following tropes:
Porn Likes
For more sexually explicit fics/Yuleporn/porny Femslash Festivus fics, my favorite kinks are:
But if you want to write something sexually explicit without any particular kink, I also like that as well.
DNWs
I would like to not see or read about the following:
Don't worry about following prompts to the letter or at all--I'm sure what you write for me will be amazing.
Raven’s Home (TV)
Chelsea Daniels | Chelsea Grayson (Raven's Home) Raven Baxter (Raven’s Home)
Note: This show is currently airing on American television. This prompt has spoilers up to the episode “Sleevemore Part Three: Future.”
I liked That's So Raven for Raven and her friends (I wasn't too crazy about Cory, which is was I passed on Cory in the House), so I decided to watch Raven's Home. Part of what attracts me to this show is how crazy the show is, especially when the show doesn’t focus on their children, but part of me is attracted to Raven and Chelsea's friendship years after they left high school. I tend to wear my slash goggles when I watch this show, and I find it very, very slashy. But it’s okay if you don’t see this show as slashy as I do.
I’m not too fond of Mitch the child landlord of the apartment complex, so feel free to ignore him, or to minimize his involvement in your story if you write him. Also, no Chelsea/her ex-husband in a romantic sense.
For Raven alone, I’m curious about her jobs. How did she end up working for a fashion label designing clothes for dogs? What’s stopping her from starting her own label/or boutique? Why is she working as a driver for Scüt (the show's parody of Uber/Lyft), and why does she bother to stay with Scüt?
I also feel Raven is perfect for AU situations—what if she already had her own successful fashion label, out of college? What could’ve happened if she didn’t let that fly that landed on her face derail her stepping career? Those are two I thought of the top of my head, but there are so many other situations that could make other AUs.
Or you can focus on Raven’s relationship with her children, like an unseen misadventure at their school or in their apartment.
For Chelsea alone, I’d love to see more of her interactions with her ex-husband, and how she dealt with the fallout after their relationship ended, including Levi possibly still retaining some of her ex's bad habits.
Or: There are a few episodes in the second season where Chelsea disappears, and the show doesn’t explain her disappearance. She also only briefly appears in the “Sleevemore” episodes and doesn’t go to Sleevemore’s headquarters for his psychically gifted children with Levi. Later, it's revealed she went on a trip with her college friends to Vegas. So how did that go?
For the two of them, I’d love to read about any of their implied or seen adventures held between That's So Raven. What did happen on oversea waters, anyway? Or when Chelsea went into selling home goods on television? Or anything else—this show implies (especially in the first season) that they both had wacky pre-series misadventures. If you want to focus on getting them away from their children for a night out (true to the wackiness of the series, or something more toned down), feel free. Like, for instance, that one time they went to that nightclub with a bank vault in it, but without their kids. Or an AU where Raven also went on that school trip. Or if you want to do something with their kids, that’s great as well—something like a school dance or some scheme involving money that the kids need their help to start or get out of.
Westworld (TV)
Charlotte Hale (Westworld), Clementine Pennyfeather, Dolores Abernathy, Maeve Millay
This section has spoilers for season two of Westworld.
Some notes about the characters I’ve picked for this fandom, since this is one where actors play multiple roles in the show: I prefer the Clementine played by Angela Sarafyan, and would rather not read anything about New Clementine. Other than that, I have no preference over what version of Dolores (the one portrayed by Evan Rachel Wood, or the one portrayed by Tessa Thompson [Halores]) or Charlotte (human!Charlotte, or the host that looks like her without Dolores’ “chestnut”) appears in a fic.
And some notes about ships: I ship Maeve/Clementine, Maeve/Hector, Dolores/Charlotte, and Charlotte/Clementine. I’ve left some shipfic ideas in Maeve and Charlotte’s sections, but don’t feel like you have to write shipfic for me.
I loved Maeve’s first season arc, where she went from questioning her existence as a host to almost leaving Westworld. And I loved her second season arc, where she ignored Dolores and her “deathbringer” host gang to travel with her own gang of allies, all so she could find her daughter. I found it sad when she had to give up her daughter after finding her again, but heartwarming because she did manage to brave fighting hosts and Charlotte’s rewired Clementine to ensure her safety. I find her quest to gain control in her life as a, well, sentient robot touching and inspiring on a personal level.
Clementine is one of the oldest hosts, and there’s a bit of mystery around her. She used to be the madame at the Mariposa, but something happened. She was replaced by first Maeve and made a co-madame of sorts. Then she was replaced by another host. It feels like Delos sees her as disposable (see also Charlotte turning her into a host that can make other hosts fight and kill each other). Despite her poor treatment by the people that commissioned and worked on her, I still find Clementine a fascinating character.
I used to not be too fond of Dolores. It’s probably because she’s shown initially to be a damsel in distress, someone to be saved by a Guest, and she’s not allowdto fight back. (Especially since the narratives she’s a part of at the start of the show don’t allow Dolores to fight back, like what happened when old William/the Man in Black raped her.) But she’s able to to break free of her loop, first as an adventurer who can travel away from Sweetwater to other parts of Westworld, then as the Deathbringer who wants humans to pay for her years of suffering. Although Dolores as the Deathbringer is an awful (but understandably awful) Host, I personally like that Dolores can finally make her own decisions instead of forever being stuck dropping a can in Sweetwater waiting for Teddy to pick it up.
There are so many places to explore in Dolores’ life that, if you’re keen on exploring a particular part of it not seen in canon, feel free.
When Halores left Westworld, did she do anything before reaching Arnold’s house? I imagine she might’ve been excited to be in the real world again, and this time not tethered to anyone’s narrative. (But, you know, she’s still in a body that looks like a Delos employee.)
I initially didn’t notice Charlotte until Tessa Thompson was talked about more with her movie projects and the Dirty Computer “emotion picture.” That and Charlotte was more of a minor character in Season One. But I grew to like the character because of who she is. She doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings—human or host. And she pays for it, slowly—she’s trapped in Westworld after the “Journey Beyond” narrative starts, she fails to download information from (old) Peter Abernathy before he dies that Delos would’ve wanted, and she’s killed by Dolores in a host body that looks like her. Ironically, she gets to live forever, like she always wanted, but not how she wanted to live forever. So if you choose to write about human!Charlotte, I want to read about her being condescending and cocky to nearly everyone she meets. As for now, though, host!Charlotte is a blank slate—who knows how she’ll behave in the future?
I ship Charlotte with Dolores and Clementine, but I’d imagine it would be fucked up and full of consent issues. So I’d imagine Charlotte calling up Dolores (or Clementine!) from their narratives, having them sent to her room outside Westworld, probably to make sure they’re up to standards to fulfill Guests’ sexual desires. Charlotte doesn’t think the Hosts have independent thoughts and feelings, after all. I’d love to see Charlotte whatever she wanted to Dolores and/or Clementine, quite possibly without them fully realizing what happened to them. I can also imagine Charlotte doing things to Clementine as she’s reprogramming her before sending her to the Valley Beyond. I imagine the opposite situation could’ve happened to host!Charlotte after Dolores rebuilt her original body in Arnold’s home—Dolores taking advantage of host!Charlotte, with or without a “chestnut.” But if you’d like to write porn, and have a different scenario for any of these these parings, feel free to run with it.
Dirty Computer - Janelle Monáe (Emotion Picture)
Ché (Dirty Computer), Jane 57821 (Dirty Computer), Zen (Dirty Computer)
Please note: The “emotion picture” is around 50 minutes, and is age-restricted on YouTube, if you encounter any trouble trying to access the video. If you saw the music video on television, the YouTube version has a scene that was cut for the televised version. Also, the initial credits for the YouTube video are placed earlier than they were for the TV version.
I’ve liked Janelle Monáe’s music for over a decade now, but I wasn’t moved to actually request anything from her catalog for Yuletide until now. This “emotion picture” has been one of my favorite things this year because it’s a queer sci-fi love story between Black people that doesn’t end by utilizing terrible, tired anti-queer tropes (e.g. specifically introducing a man to break up a F/F couple, or killing one of the partners). And it does end with a happy ending—at least for Jane, Zen, and Ché.
I’d be delighted with anything you can write about Dirty Computer—gen or shippy stuff between Jane and Zen or Jane, Zen, and Ché, if you’re not inspired by the following.
In general, I’d love to see stuff about how this dystopia came about. Were Jane, Zen, and/or Ché there when the House of the New Dawn came about? What about those parties where the Dirty Computers come to gather? Why have the Dirty Computers settled on such period-specific clothing for their gatherings? I’d also like fic that further explores any of the music video segments more—something like this fic for “PYNK.” (Of course, you don’t have to focus on “PYNK”—choose any segment you wish.)
Janelle Monáe here says that Jane’s Walk felt like, for Jane and Zen, a seemingly final chance to hang on to their love and who they were before the House of the New Dawn; I’d love to see fic that explores the moments before and after that Walk.
After the end of the “emotion picture,” what happened to Jane, Zen, and/or Ché? Did Ché ever walk again? Did he lose any of his memories? Did Jane or Zen, or possibly Ché, recover their lost memories, or do they just have moments where there are blanks in their heads? Do they eventually try to rescue other Dirty Computers converted by the House of the New Dawn?
For Jane alone, I’d love to see how she engineered getting Zen, and later Ché, out of the House of the New Dawn. How’d she come up with the “dreams” that the cleaners couldn’t erase?
For Zen alone, I’d love to see a further exploration of Zen’s hobbies that were mentioned in the “Emotion Picture:” anything surrounding the trumpet in the “Screwed” segment (yes, I know, the trumpet bit is also a double entendre), that part where she’s like a priest shaving off peoples’ heads, her love of drawing/tattooing, or anything else. Or I’d also love to see Zen shortly after she’s captured, taken in the van, and presumably driven to the House of the New Dawn. How did she lose her memories of Zen and Ché? And how did she eventually become “Maryapple 53?” (I’ve also seen the name spelled as Mary Apple 53; I’m not picky about the spelling of that particular name.)
Anything you can tell me about Ché, if you choose to only write about him, would be excellent. How does he feel about these parties? What does he do away from Jane and Zen? What happened to him specifically when he was caught by the House of the New Dawn?
Annihilation (2018 Garland)
Anya Thorensen, Josie Radek
Annihilation is one of my favorite movies that came out this year, and I wish it had gotten more attention. In the US, the movie was (unsurprisingly) overshadowed by Black Panther. It’s a shame, because this movie not only makes me think about depression, self-destruction, and mortality, but the fandom also makes me think about ways that this movie could’ve went if it didn’t somewhat adhere to the book it’s based on.
Speaking of, I have read the Southern Reach Trilogy. This is optional (obviously), but if you want to incorporate anything from that trilogy into a fic for Annihilation the movie, feel free.
I ship Josie and Anya, but gen fic for both of them or either one of them is great as well.
With both, I’d love fic (individually or together) about what they did prior to the start of the movie. What were Josie’s school years like? I’ve also been intrigued by Tessa Thompson’s idea of Josie being a virgin—how does her virginity affect how she perceives herself? What did Anya do before the Southern Reach? Alternatively, what could’ve happened if one of them, or both of them, escaped the Shimmer?
There are some moments that I’d consider shippy between Josie and Anya—like when Anya orders Josie to retreat to protect her, or coaxing her to go back to their camp after they arrive in the abandoned base, or shooting the bear...thing. I’d love to see them have some sort of relationship in the Shimmer, whether they lived or died in the Shimmer. Maybe a scene where Anya attempts to Josie from becoming one with the Shimmer, whether she failed or succeeded? I’d even like to see Josie lose her virginity in the Southern Reach, to Anya.
Black Lightning (TV)
Anissa Pierce (Black Lightning TV), Grace Choi (Black Lightning TV)
I’m writing this before the second season starts (and it starts around the time of signups). I do plan to watch the second season, however, so feel free to write anything based on the second season.
I ship Anissa and Grace. Feel free to write shippy fic, gen fic, or you can write fic for either character.
For the two of them, I wish they spent more time on screen together! It feels like their relationship was forsaken for the “family on the run” plot near the end of the first season, and Anissa didn’t seem too bothered about missing Grace at all. So I’d love scenes of them meeting up in canon, away from Anissa’s work and/or as Thunder. Hanging out in the library together looking for comics, hanging out at that lesbian bar, or anywhere in Freeland. I’d also like AUs where Grace always had superpowers—how would that affect their relationship, or even the course of Season One?
For Anissa, I’d love to read fic where she’s trying to her control her powers, either in or out of costume. Fic where Anissa is at her job. Fic where Anissa, as Thunder, is doing something away from Black Lightning and/or her family. And I thought it was odd that Anissa, as Thunder, was okay with men ogling her online and in person, and I thought she’d make some sort of “I’m not interested in men” gesture to tell them to fuck off. So I’d love something along the lines of that in fic.
Since there’s not a lot of in-canon information on Grace (yet), I’d love to see interpretations of what she does away from the show’s main narrative. What does she do? Is her life affected by the Green Light epidemic in some way?
Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Eve Polastri, Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
To be honest, I was avoiding spy shows after dissatisfaction with some other spy shows I’ve seen in the past. I watched Killing Eve, mostly because of the critical buzz it had been receiving in the US. I was surprised, not only at the quality of the first season overall, from the details in the location shoots to the accents, but also at this show having a canonically queer character. (In my opinion, the killing off of another queer character isn’t the best thing in media, but I’ve given it a pass because of the nature of this show.)
I ship Eve and Villanelle, but gen fic for both or one of them is okay for this fandom.
For Eve and Villanelle, canon divergence AUs for these two are welcome! I swore the end of the first season of Killing Eve would end with Eve and Villanelle on the run. It didn’t. So what if they did travel together on the run? Do they kill people? Track down the Twelve? Does Villanelle flirt with Eve a lot? Or any other canon divergence AU would be great—what if Eve decided to sleep with Villanelle instead? What if Eve found a way for Villanelle to stop from killing Konstantin? I’m also interested in any missing scenes you can write for the two of them.
For Eve alone, I’d love to see Eve’s life before the show—how she ended up in London, the monotony of her MI5 job. I’m not too crazy about Niko—feel free to include him in a fic, but I don’t want a heavy focus on him. Otherwise I’d love to see her interactions with the people she used to work for.
For Villanelle alone, I’d love anything about Villanelle’s life before the show. Her love of perfume. Her relationship with Anna. Working as an assassin. One of her kills. I’m also open to canon divergent AUs with Villanelle: What if Anna did follow her to Paris? What if Villanelle took pity on Irina and took her with her after killing Konstantin? What if she didn’t kill Konstantin?
Happy Yuletide, writer!
