jaclynhyde

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Thank you for writing for me! I've loved my past Yuletide fics and I can't wait for yours. A summary of this letter: I ship things and would like fic on those relationships, but I’d love gen too. I include prompts if you want them, but I’d be just as happy to read your ideas. I will pretty much adore whatever you write. I am jaclynhyde on Tumblr and AO3 if you want to stalk. Thank you so much!

(I also still love all the Yuletide fandoms I've requested in previous years (2015, 2014, 2013) so if anyone feels like writing treats I'd be thrilled to get more of those!)

(Also, please do not take the length as an indicator of wanting one fandom more--FFIV is the new section and doesn't have a promotion post so I'm rambling more. I would adore fic for any of these fandoms!)

Stuff I love:

Shipping! I am a ridiculous shipper at heart, so my favorite thing would be ship fic for the pairings I request, or gen fic focusing on their relationship; getting-together fic with a plot and eventually-resolved sexual tension is ideal. Porn or no porn are both great--it's the ship more than the smut I'm into. I also love characters falling for others that they never would have expected, as is probably obvious from my ships. I love pining and hurt/comfort and cuddling to avoid hypothermia and all those wonderful fanfic tropes.
Identity porn! As defined by Fanlore, it's focusing on people who have secret identities which focus on the consequences of using multiple personas". So Character A is in disguise, interacting with Character B, who may or may not know who Character A really is, and there may be kissing. This has obvious applications to the Modhri and Golbez.
Bad guys turning good! I love villains who discover that their worldview is wrong, especially by getting to know one of the good guys.
Banter! I love the canon dialogue for everyone I'm requesting and would love to see some banter.
Other characters! I adore everyone in these canons and would love to see any of them who fit into the story, nominated or not.
Lots of story types--adventure, what-ifs, canon continuations, everyone is mysteriously alive somehow, etc. Both happy and bittersweet/sad fics are great, as long as the angst isn't from the pairing's relationship not working out.

Stuff I don't want:

Non-con or commonly squicky stuff like scat. Dub-con is fine.
Character bashing, including canon love interests.
Non-canon major character death.
Crossovers (except with Final Fantasy spinoffs) and AUs of the setting instead of plot (mundane AUs, everyone is ponies, etc.)
Established relationship fic. This isn't as set in stone as the others, but I prefer getting together or pre-relationship fic for ships. I generally prefer not shipping my OTPs with other people except in the past, but check the fandom sections for more details.

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Nominations:

"My mind is my own again. I cannot expect forgiveness."
"Golbez broke free as well. That's why you're free. None of this is your fault."

Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Characters requested: Golbez, Kain
What I want:

I didn't grow up with Final Fantasy IV (I had a Genesis...); after I started to get into Final Fantasy, though, I played Dissidia and was really intrigued by Golbez. Here was one of the more intimidating looking- and sounding- villains, and he was giving mentorly advice to every hero he faced and trying to connect with his long-lost brother. And then I played FFIV and The After Years, and I fell in love with Golbez even more--along with everyone else, particularly Kain. They both did some terrible things against their will, and yet both are adamant that it was the evil within them that allowed their brainwashing. (But in Golbez's case, how evil could a mourning child really be?) I'm really interested in that tension between what they did and who they really are, and how they can atone. I ship them a lot, but they have a fascinating platonic relationship that I'd also love to see.

My favorite version/translation is the PSP Complete Collection, but I like the DS cutscenes and adore their voices; whatever script you're familiar with is fine. Final Fantasy IV has....multiple continuations, of varying quality. I have a definite love/hate relationship with The After Years--the plot can be impressively terrible, but I adore Golbez's role and a lot of the new/expanded characters (Luca &hearts;). TAY also offers a lot of good jumping-off points for fic, and also Golbez basically stops wearing clothes and I think that's beautiful. I'm fine with you ignoring TAY, looking up a Let's Play or plot points and using them as a base point, or treating it as canon; as long as it has Kain and Golbez, I'm happy! Similarly, if you want to set a fic in Dissidia or whatever other spinoff (Brave Exvius? World of Final Fantasy (~~I'm desperately hoping they're in there)~~), I'd love that too--they have some great opportunities for Kain and Golbez to work as allies (or whatever the hell they are in Dissidia 012) as themselves. If you write in one of the crossover universes, I'd prefer that you stick only to Yuletide-eligible canons if anyone else shows up (Gilgamesh is always a plus).

TL;DR: take whatever you want or don't from The After Years, Dissidia, or any other spin-offs.

Prompts:

Kain/(&)Golbez after the original game. They've both shed their brainwashing, now how the hell do they relate to one another? They're very similar people in a lot of respects: serious, not great at socializing, generally good but with darkness in their hearts, unwilling pawns of Zemus made to hurt those they care for, atone for their sins by running the fuck away from everyone they hurt, and (in TAY) mysterious allies who shed their armor to secretly help Harveys. How would they get the chance to know each other--fighting together, one rescuing the other, awkwardly hovering by the punch bowl at Cecil and Rosa's wedding? I imagine if something forced them together, they could become friends or more. (How would Kain act in loving someone who returned his feelings? What if Golbez fell for someone he unwillingly treated so badly because he's the one person who truly understands what it was like? How would Golbez take to being called Theodor?) I would be fine with either ignoring the epilogue of FFIV, having them reunite during the events of TAY or with Golbez returning for some other reason, or having Kain take even more drastic measures to avoid Cecil and Rosa and hitch a ride to the moon.
Kain/(&)Golbez while Kain is under Golbez's control. One aspect I liked in The After Years is when fighting the Four Fiends, they all treated Golbez like a beloved mentor who showed them kindness. Brainwashed Golbez was clearly not above treating Kain with disdain when he screwed up, but was he always like that? Was Golbez someone Kain in some way wanted to follow? I'd also be interested in what would happen between them if Kain's complicated feelings for Cecil included attraction--how would he react towards a charismatic man who looked so much like Cecil? On the other hand, would Golbez be at all jealous of the woman his attractive underling is obsessed with? (Please no Rosa bashing or threats of sexual violence towards her, poor thing's been through enough!) I'd love to see several versions of their relationship, platonic or not: antagonistic with an unexpected connection, Kain devoted to his new master with his real self fighting to come through, or something else playing off what little we see in canon.
In any of these or other scenarios, Golbez interacting with his new family. I am so curious how Golbez interacts with Cecil, with Golbez's guilt over abandoning him as a child, killing his adopted dad, etc, and Cecil's reluctance to instantly forgive him. I'd also love seeing how Golbez interacts with Rosa; how do you deal with a kind new sister-in-law who you kidnapped? Seeing him awkwardly interact with pretty much anyone would be great, actually, including TAY characters (including gently informing Cecil that technically, your kid's name shouldn't have an 'e' at the end). I also like the idea of Cecil and Rosa pointedly treating both Golbez and Kain as family (if Kain is together with Golbez, or more importantly because he's like a brother to Cecil).
And for something completely different, Edge/Rubicante. You do not need to include Kain and Golbez if you write this (though I certainly wouldn't complain!); this would also be good for a background pairing/hints in a Kain/Golbez fic. There is zero fic for their pretty intense fixation on each other, which only ~~worse~~ better in TAY.

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"Only you can see this battle to its conclusion. I wish you luck...my friend."

"...You can't! I swore to fight by your side!"

"Bah! You are an exceedingly stubborn man. You know that, don't you? Perhaps that's why I've so enjoyed our time together. But I fear this is where our journey ends."
"Weiss!"
"Oh, and remember what I told you about using my full name?"
"Ergh..."
"Well, forget it. I've...grown rather fond of Weiss."

Fandom: Nier Gestalt | Nier
Characters requested: Grimoire Weiss, Nier
What I want:

My promotion post goes over much of what I love about Nier; I think my absolute favorite part is how much love drives everyone's actions. Together, both versions of Nier manage to fuck up the world badly enough that they ensure the destruction of all forms of humanity--and everything they do is for single-minded love of Yonah. And so many people fight and die for Nier, and in the end, it's all for love. I love how both great and terrible things come from good intentions, and how people can find each other even in a dying world.

And with two of Nier's party canonically being in love with him, of course it's Nier/Weiss I ship. I really love their relationship and how important they become to each other so quickly. They dislike each other for about five minutes after Nier beats the magic out of Weiss, and then Weiss immediately starts showing concern for Yonah and Nier's situation. No matter how much Weiss falls back on his stuffiness and sense of superiority, he cares for his friends more than for his purpose. The developers joked about how "I've grown rather fond of Weiss" was Weiss' confession of love, and I can't help but see it that way--because Weiss is rejecting the very thing he was made for, all because he's come to care. Human Weiss would be great but I'd like him to have been a book during the canon events.

I really love everyone in this game and would love to see other characters if they fit, especially Kainé. The Kainé/Nier relationship in the game broke my heart, but I'd rather focus on Nier/Weiss for fic. If you address their relationship, either tweaking it to something just as strong but familial or platonic, or just Nier in a poly relationship with both separately (Weiss/Kainé is kind of amazing but would take over the fic) would be great. I also ship Kainé/Tyrann but I feel super guilty about it (just make her happy please), and I love Emil having a crush on Nier. Lastly, you can use the backstory/info in Grimoire Nier or not, whichever you prefer; I am fond of Weiss's backstory (And Then There Were None). And just to confirm, I definitely want Nier Gestalt & Papa Nier!

Prompts:

Nier/Weiss! There's so many ways this can be approached. What is it like for Weiss to rediscover parts of his humanity, from friendship to loyalty to love? Had he had the opportunity to connect with anyone at all before he was made a grimoire? Why does Weiss let Nier manhandle him and stick in tabs and pictures, anyway? Also, Walt Whitman's "Whoever You Are Holding Me Now In Hand" really strikes me as a Nier/Weiss poem if you want inspiration!
What was the five-year timeskip like? Nier and Weiss have changed a great deal, and not for the better. Some things that jump out at me: Nier seems to have rubbed off on Weiss, because he's also a lot more bloodthirsty than he was. They're more domestic--Weiss has been living with him for five years straight, after all. How does Weiss keep him sane...ish?
Fix-it fic, sweet Jesus. I'd also love fic as depressing or bittersweet as canon, but I would certainly not object to something fixing Ending D. Nier has sacrificed everything for Yonah, and then for Kainé--could he handle living after that, when there's nothing to fight? What would he say if he somehow saw Weiss after his sacrifice? What if Weiss didn't recognize him (and vice versa if Weiss is his human self), but felt he was someone very special?
If you're into writing interactive fiction or meta fic, another adventure in the Forest of Myth would fit in quite well! I was really amused by how little Weiss liked being in a world of words, and also by Nier's caliber of problem-solving skills. Any scenario where they revisit the Forest, or get to visit some more dreams, would be great. What if they visited each others' dreams/nightmares (and Nier realizes that Weiss has them at all)?

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"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing. A classic line from a Human ditrec drama, Casablanca. Not important."
"I will have to view that someday."
"Yes, you should. I think you'd like it."

Fandom: Quadrail Series – Timothy Zahn
Characters requested: Frank Compton, The Modhri
What I want:

First of all, if you’ve read this series, I love you. If you haven’t read this, see my promotion post and go read it, whatever it is you’re actually writing fic on. So my favorite thing about this series is the Modhri: he’s a really cool alien concept, a menacing and competent villain, and eventually a being sick of being enslaved and learning to see things from a very alien viewpoint. ~~And god help me, he’s strangely attractive despite the fact that he’s coral polyps inhabiting the bodies of, like, bird aliens.~~

So by the last two books, I was shipping Compton/Modhri like mad. Like I said in my promotion post, I really love the Enemy Mine trope; seeing Compton and the Modhri learn to trust each other, and the Modhri learn how much he wants a friend, was the greatest thing. If you’re up for working out weird interspecies parasitic hive-mind ships, Compton/Modhri would be amazing. (The other necessary participant(s) can either be consenting or just handwaved in some way if it gets physical.) But I would just love anything Modhri, with or without any other characters you’d like. Or even a focus on any of the series' characters because this fandom needs fic!

Prompts:

Modhri/Compton after they start working together, because their friendship is so sweet. Compton seducing one of the Modhri's Eyes, to the Modhri's confusion? One of Modhri's Eyes accidentally seducing Compton, to the Modhri's confusion? Morse serving as go-between/third partner? Modhri wondering what this ~strange new feeling~ is? Fix-it fic after the last book? There are so many possibilities! (And I am fine with inclusion or lack of inclusion of weird alien biology if porn is involved.)
What if the Modhri took Compton as a willing host? Could be shippy or not--I'm just interested in what circumstances could force it and how they'd deal with it. Modhri & Morse would be great too.
Modhri and Compton solving more mysteries together! If you like writing casefic, I really love how the fourth book took an old-fashioned train mystery and gave it new twists due to sci-fi technology and alien biology. More like that would be awesome! This could work great with Modhri and Compton as friends or reluctant allies, depending on when it's set.
Anything from the Modhri's POV. How does he think? What becomes of him after the last book? What was his life like with the Shonklaa-raa? Any of the events of the books from his perspective would be great too, and/or any interactions with other characters. You can write Modhri alone for this prompt if Compton doesn't fit in, too.

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Thank you again, dear Yuletide writer, and may you get the fic of your heart!

Yours,
JH