Another Fic Exchange...
Jan. 7th, 2024 09:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccastareyesDear Candy hearts Writer!
For ease of use, I'm using subheadings and stuff in this letter so if you only know one fandom, you can just click around. I'm also having a general instructions set first. Spoilers are unmarked.
I read pretty widely, but I do like interesting worldbuilding and insights into characters or relationships I wouldn't necessarily have thought of. Don't be afraid to do something experimental, like an epistolary story or 2nd person, or interactive fiction, or something unusual for fanart. Of course, I also like a cozy and traditional 3rd person story with a straightforward beginning, middle and end, and shippy (or friendship-y) art.
I like adventure and romance and friendship, and am less interested in unresolved angst and tragedy. Angst is fine, but I'd rather an 'optimistic ending' at least. I'm also fine with hurt/comfort for that reason.
In general, I'm okay with sex scenes being the climax of a romance story, but not on their own. The set-up can be bare-bones for this because it's a short turn-around; if you want 'characters finally confront their unresolved sexual tension, talk and decide to resolve it', I'm game to read that.
Fusions, crossovers and alternate-universes (of the 'what if?' or the 'altered setting') ones are delightful, especially if you use this as an excuse to worldbuild. As long as the fandom characters and relationships are front and center, and you work at showing how it's clearly the same people despite the altered setting, feel free to create something really weird and wonderful.
DNW: Not a fan of graphic violence, or any form of sexual violence. Not down with incest between first-degree relatives, even if not biological. I'm uninterested in tragic or downer endings. Also, not a fan of infidelity when it comes to romance (it's the lying and deception that bother me, not the non-monogamy). A good plus is to keep it within canon for tone.
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Relationships:
I picked a lot of relationships that seemed interesting, both sexual and not. Basically, more doings in Indigo Cloud would be great, and I went down the list of 'fun pairings'. Give me Raksura interpersonal drama, or just the domestic fluff in a society that looks very different from most human ones. This is a fandom where, except for kids and close blood relatives, I'm generally fine with an & becoming a /. Some things to think about.
Also, this fandom needs more fanart. Especially of Raksura in their scaled forms.
1. How Ember navigates his own situation, since it was a rough start for him: getting shoved in a strange court as essentially a 'sorry you are losing your first consort, have this one' and Tempest trying to find somewhere where Ember wouldn't be eaten alive. I like how Ember and Moon both respect each other, and see things that they lack, so them developing a relationship after The Siren Depths would be nice. (Especially since I can imagine the entire court hoping that there isn't drama between them, and generally trying to meddle until someone (probably Jade or Stone, but possibly Chime) tells them to knock it off.)
2. Frost becoming more of an adult, and Jade dealing with a third queen in the Court, when so much of her life has been just the push-and-pull of her and Pearl.
3. Look, I think Moon and Bramble are adorable, and he did promise her a clutch, even if she was willing to accept 'look, you said that in a moment of crisis, so I won't hold you to it, but I also won't say no'.
4. The mentors and Chime, who isn't NOT a mentor.
5. Moon's birth family. We have lots of examples of clutchmate relationships in canon. Not only did Moon not have that for most of his growing up, but Celadon also lost that when Moon went missing in the attack. While it's not unusual for a consort to leave his birth court, what was it like growing up knowing that you had a clutchmate, but they were lost, and then finding out he had survived but had been claimed by another queen already? Or, if you like, an AU when Stone finds two Raksura living as brother and sister among groundlings. What is Moon like if he has someone to rely on besides himself? How does Celadon react to Jade trying to court her brother?
Fandom-Specific DNW: None that I can think of.
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Relationships:
Look, let me be frank, writer. I ship Aerich/Tazendra, and I would like something about them. (I also can be persuaded to Aerich/Tazendra/Pel as an OT3, whether you see that as a V or triad, as long as one arm of the V is Aerich/Tazendra.)
I know there are problems, like that serious cross-House relationships are a Big Scandal in the setting, that Aerich in particular has a stick up his ass when it comes to proper behavior, both characters died in canon, and so on. Doesn't mean I don't want to see what you do, whether you go AU (either a canon divergence or altered setting) or try to make it work in canon.
If that doesn't work for you, I also like 'missing scenes' of adventures or day in the life-s, and friendship. Show me how the four characters interact with each other, and how that changes from when they were young to the present. Heck, show how things might have evolved if everyone lived.
DNWs: I can't think of anything that's not in my general DNW. I guess that if you write Aerich/Tazendra/Pel, leave Khaavren out of it if it's set after he meets his wife.
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Relationships:
Look, I love Maia and want nice things for him. But I also love other characters.
1. Maia and developing relationships with family; I specifically mention Idra in the tags, but Idra's sisters as well. Once Maia is certain that he and Idra agree on the 'Idra does not want to be Emperor, especially as a minor', having the two of them work together on things would be nice. Also Idra's impressions on Cousin Maia, since he seems to be a self-aware young man.
2. More Csethiro. This includes 'how an arranged marriage became actual affection and friendship, because it turned out the emperor isn't what the rumors say he was'. Csethiro and her relationships with other female scholars, particularly now that she will be Empress and Maia will totally help with this. And some frustration about how even if Csethiro likes Maia (and may even grow to love him), and he has some understanding about what it is to not be powerful, so much of her life remains dependent on a man to carry things out. Csethiro re-establishing a relationship with her aunt (and terrifying her father).
3. While Maia's nohecharei are on duty for half their lives, what are they like off-duty? How do they develop working relationships, or coordinate between the First and Second shifts?
DNW: This is a fandom where breaking up Maia and Csethiro hits my infidelity squick, except harder because this is more than just my headcanon, and TGE's setting make polyamory seem like it would end up with gossip. (For AUs, feel free to go nuts with polyamory.) I mention this, because there are several other popular Maia ships in the fandom. (I might be fine with an AU where Maia and Csethiro are never betrothed so he ends up with someone else, but not for this exchange.)
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Relationships:
Zelgadis and Amelia are my favorite characters, so that's what I want. Something about one or both of them. Shipping is optional.
1. Look, this is my forever fandom, and I've been reading Z/A fic for nearly two decades. At this point, it's like 'grilled cheese and tomato soup' -- I don't care if it's something I've read before, I still find it comforting. Don't be afraid to just pick a trope and have fun with it.
2. That being said, I like experimenting a bit with other pairings (besides breaking up Lina/Gourry). I listed Zel/Filia and Zel/Sylphiel, but I'd be open to other Zel or Amelia pairings. Zel/Filia mostly based on the two of them in the anime occasionally having a moment when Zelgadis is calm among Lina, Gourry and Amelia not being calm. Zel/Sylphiel came largely from the manga and novels, where Zelgadis was already talking to Sylphiel in Sairaag to get a sense of the situation before Lina and Gourry show up. (Not in the tags, so not required, but if you can think of other Zel or Amelia pairings that are not with Lina, Gourry or Xellos, I look forward to you selling me on them.)
3. I put Lina/Zel/Gourry in the tags because I want to see if someone can pull it off as a poly relationship. (Again, can be either a triad or a V, but I'd like Lina/Gourry be one leg.) If you want to add more participants so that, for example, Lina has a harem, be my guest.
4. I also just generally like seeing the characters be friends who are basically a D&D party, so I put any permutation of the four of them as friends. What happens when the party gets split up again, or the men and the women have separate tasks?
DNW: Lina/Gourry is one of those couples that I don't like to see split up. (As noted in my requests, I am fine with poly relationships that include Lina and Gourry, but I'd prefer they stay together, even if other people are added.). Also, I don't generally ship Xellos with anyone, because I like fic that keeps in mind that Xellos is a weird astral creature bent on destruction that only (very convincingly!) pretends to be human.
Back to Top
Relationships:
Another fandom where I really like the aliens, so I focused on books 1 and 4. If you want to include other characters from books 2 and 3, you can. If you want to cross things over and have Pei introduce the crew of the Wayfarer to 'these people I was stuck with for a bit', go for it.
This is another fandom where I especially want fanart of aliens.
1. So, I low-key find Corbin interesting because he starts the series as the obvious odd one out, and then gets a lot of shit dumped on him, and ends up realizing that people actually care about him for some goddamned reason. So him trying to be less of a misanthropic asshole perhaps by talking to Dr. Chef would be fun. (Not in the tags, but also Corbin kind of taking responsibility for helping Ohan become more integrated in the crew as well would be sweet.)
2. Rosemary and Sissix navigating their interspecies relationship is fun. We see them forming it, and it low-key slips to the background.
3. More worldbuilding around the The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. Do various characters ever cross paths again?
4. One of the things I like about this series is we see so many ways to organize a family throughout this. So something playing with the many ways people connect to people, both biologically and not.
Back to Top
For ease of use, I'm using subheadings and stuff in this letter so if you only know one fandom, you can just click around. I'm also having a general instructions set first. Spoilers are unmarked.
| General Instructions | Books of the Raksura | Dragaera | The Goblin Emperor | Slayers | Wayfarers |
General Likes, Dislikes and Do Not Wants (DNWs)
I read pretty widely, but I do like interesting worldbuilding and insights into characters or relationships I wouldn't necessarily have thought of. Don't be afraid to do something experimental, like an epistolary story or 2nd person, or interactive fiction, or something unusual for fanart. Of course, I also like a cozy and traditional 3rd person story with a straightforward beginning, middle and end, and shippy (or friendship-y) art.
I like adventure and romance and friendship, and am less interested in unresolved angst and tragedy. Angst is fine, but I'd rather an 'optimistic ending' at least. I'm also fine with hurt/comfort for that reason.
In general, I'm okay with sex scenes being the climax of a romance story, but not on their own. The set-up can be bare-bones for this because it's a short turn-around; if you want 'characters finally confront their unresolved sexual tension, talk and decide to resolve it', I'm game to read that.
Fusions, crossovers and alternate-universes (of the 'what if?' or the 'altered setting') ones are delightful, especially if you use this as an excuse to worldbuild. As long as the fandom characters and relationships are front and center, and you work at showing how it's clearly the same people despite the altered setting, feel free to create something really weird and wonderful.
DNW: Not a fan of graphic violence, or any form of sexual violence. Not down with incest between first-degree relatives, even if not biological. I'm uninterested in tragic or downer endings. Also, not a fan of infidelity when it comes to romance (it's the lying and deception that bother me, not the non-monogamy). A good plus is to keep it within canon for tone.
Back to Top
Books of the Raksura, Martha Wells
Relationships:
I picked a lot of relationships that seemed interesting, both sexual and not. Basically, more doings in Indigo Cloud would be great, and I went down the list of 'fun pairings'. Give me Raksura interpersonal drama, or just the domestic fluff in a society that looks very different from most human ones. This is a fandom where, except for kids and close blood relatives, I'm generally fine with an & becoming a /. Some things to think about.
Also, this fandom needs more fanart. Especially of Raksura in their scaled forms.
1. How Ember navigates his own situation, since it was a rough start for him: getting shoved in a strange court as essentially a 'sorry you are losing your first consort, have this one' and Tempest trying to find somewhere where Ember wouldn't be eaten alive. I like how Ember and Moon both respect each other, and see things that they lack, so them developing a relationship after The Siren Depths would be nice. (Especially since I can imagine the entire court hoping that there isn't drama between them, and generally trying to meddle until someone (probably Jade or Stone, but possibly Chime) tells them to knock it off.)
2. Frost becoming more of an adult, and Jade dealing with a third queen in the Court, when so much of her life has been just the push-and-pull of her and Pearl.
3. Look, I think Moon and Bramble are adorable, and he did promise her a clutch, even if she was willing to accept 'look, you said that in a moment of crisis, so I won't hold you to it, but I also won't say no'.
4. The mentors and Chime, who isn't NOT a mentor.
5. Moon's birth family. We have lots of examples of clutchmate relationships in canon. Not only did Moon not have that for most of his growing up, but Celadon also lost that when Moon went missing in the attack. While it's not unusual for a consort to leave his birth court, what was it like growing up knowing that you had a clutchmate, but they were lost, and then finding out he had survived but had been claimed by another queen already? Or, if you like, an AU when Stone finds two Raksura living as brother and sister among groundlings. What is Moon like if he has someone to rely on besides himself? How does Celadon react to Jade trying to court her brother?
Fandom-Specific DNW: None that I can think of.
Back to Top
The Dragaera books, Steven Brust
Relationships:
Look, let me be frank, writer. I ship Aerich/Tazendra, and I would like something about them. (I also can be persuaded to Aerich/Tazendra/Pel as an OT3, whether you see that as a V or triad, as long as one arm of the V is Aerich/Tazendra.)
I know there are problems, like that serious cross-House relationships are a Big Scandal in the setting, that Aerich in particular has a stick up his ass when it comes to proper behavior, both characters died in canon, and so on. Doesn't mean I don't want to see what you do, whether you go AU (either a canon divergence or altered setting) or try to make it work in canon.
If that doesn't work for you, I also like 'missing scenes' of adventures or day in the life-s, and friendship. Show me how the four characters interact with each other, and how that changes from when they were young to the present. Heck, show how things might have evolved if everyone lived.
DNWs: I can't think of anything that's not in my general DNW. I guess that if you write Aerich/Tazendra/Pel, leave Khaavren out of it if it's set after he meets his wife.
Back to Top
The Goblin Emperor
Relationships:
Look, I love Maia and want nice things for him. But I also love other characters.
1. Maia and developing relationships with family; I specifically mention Idra in the tags, but Idra's sisters as well. Once Maia is certain that he and Idra agree on the 'Idra does not want to be Emperor, especially as a minor', having the two of them work together on things would be nice. Also Idra's impressions on Cousin Maia, since he seems to be a self-aware young man.
2. More Csethiro. This includes 'how an arranged marriage became actual affection and friendship, because it turned out the emperor isn't what the rumors say he was'. Csethiro and her relationships with other female scholars, particularly now that she will be Empress and Maia will totally help with this. And some frustration about how even if Csethiro likes Maia (and may even grow to love him), and he has some understanding about what it is to not be powerful, so much of her life remains dependent on a man to carry things out. Csethiro re-establishing a relationship with her aunt (and terrifying her father).
3. While Maia's nohecharei are on duty for half their lives, what are they like off-duty? How do they develop working relationships, or coordinate between the First and Second shifts?
DNW: This is a fandom where breaking up Maia and Csethiro hits my infidelity squick, except harder because this is more than just my headcanon, and TGE's setting make polyamory seem like it would end up with gossip. (For AUs, feel free to go nuts with polyamory.) I mention this, because there are several other popular Maia ships in the fandom. (I might be fine with an AU where Maia and Csethiro are never betrothed so he ends up with someone else, but not for this exchange.)
Back to Top
Slayers
Relationships:
Zelgadis and Amelia are my favorite characters, so that's what I want. Something about one or both of them. Shipping is optional.
1. Look, this is my forever fandom, and I've been reading Z/A fic for nearly two decades. At this point, it's like 'grilled cheese and tomato soup' -- I don't care if it's something I've read before, I still find it comforting. Don't be afraid to just pick a trope and have fun with it.
2. That being said, I like experimenting a bit with other pairings (besides breaking up Lina/Gourry). I listed Zel/Filia and Zel/Sylphiel, but I'd be open to other Zel or Amelia pairings. Zel/Filia mostly based on the two of them in the anime occasionally having a moment when Zelgadis is calm among Lina, Gourry and Amelia not being calm. Zel/Sylphiel came largely from the manga and novels, where Zelgadis was already talking to Sylphiel in Sairaag to get a sense of the situation before Lina and Gourry show up. (Not in the tags, so not required, but if you can think of other Zel or Amelia pairings that are not with Lina, Gourry or Xellos, I look forward to you selling me on them.)
3. I put Lina/Zel/Gourry in the tags because I want to see if someone can pull it off as a poly relationship. (Again, can be either a triad or a V, but I'd like Lina/Gourry be one leg.) If you want to add more participants so that, for example, Lina has a harem, be my guest.
4. I also just generally like seeing the characters be friends who are basically a D&D party, so I put any permutation of the four of them as friends. What happens when the party gets split up again, or the men and the women have separate tasks?
DNW: Lina/Gourry is one of those couples that I don't like to see split up. (As noted in my requests, I am fine with poly relationships that include Lina and Gourry, but I'd prefer they stay together, even if other people are added.). Also, I don't generally ship Xellos with anyone, because I like fic that keeps in mind that Xellos is a weird astral creature bent on destruction that only (very convincingly!) pretends to be human.
Back to Top
Wayfarers by Becky Chambers
Relationships:
Another fandom where I really like the aliens, so I focused on books 1 and 4. If you want to include other characters from books 2 and 3, you can. If you want to cross things over and have Pei introduce the crew of the Wayfarer to 'these people I was stuck with for a bit', go for it.
This is another fandom where I especially want fanart of aliens.
1. So, I low-key find Corbin interesting because he starts the series as the obvious odd one out, and then gets a lot of shit dumped on him, and ends up realizing that people actually care about him for some goddamned reason. So him trying to be less of a misanthropic asshole perhaps by talking to Dr. Chef would be fun. (Not in the tags, but also Corbin kind of taking responsibility for helping Ohan become more integrated in the crew as well would be sweet.)
2. Rosemary and Sissix navigating their interspecies relationship is fun. We see them forming it, and it low-key slips to the background.
3. More worldbuilding around the The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. Do various characters ever cross paths again?
4. One of the things I like about this series is we see so many ways to organize a family throughout this. So something playing with the many ways people connect to people, both biologically and not.
Back to Top
