jaclynhyde | Dear Yuletide Letter 2017

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 (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013) so if anyone feels like writing treats I'd be thrilled to get more of those!)

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, but anywhere else would also be appreciated!
Bad guys turning good! I love villains who discover that their worldview is wrong, especially by getting to know one of the good guys. I also love villains who aren't entirely bad, and good guys who can learn from them too.
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.
All of these canons! Some sections of my letter are longer than others, but that's entirely because I wrote them at different times. I will be thrilled with whatever you match on!
EDIT: Interactive fiction! I have specific prompts for FFV and Nier IF, but feel free to combine it with anything else! If you're writing IF with multiple endings, feel free to ignore my major character death DNW for the bad ends.

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 and exceptions.

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Nominations:

"I am sorry for your loss. My only wish is to battle you fairly."

"To hell with your self-righteous blabbering!"

"I admire your spirit. But anger never bears true strength, and it blinds you from what you truly need to see."

"Shut up! I'll show you the power of rage!"

Fandom: Final Fantasy IV
Characters requested: Edge, Rubicante
What I want:

After requesting Golbez and Kain last year, I wanted to focus on another hero and villain pairing that fascinated me in FFIV. Rubicante grabbed my attention from the beginning, politely complimenting Edge's skills and saying he looked forward to their next meeting instead of gloating over his opponent. And later on, he proved himself to be truly different from the other fiends, genuinely apologizing or what happened to Edge's parents and honorably healing the party before their match. In The After Years, Edge and Rubicante's connection is even more clear, even after the latter's death. Rubicante's spectre appears to warn Edge of danger, along with the ghosts of his parents. Later on, Edge can choose to duel a resurrected Rubicante one-on-one, after which Rubicante begs him to kill the game's Big Bad and Edge is left with his cloak. I love seeing how Edge changes through their interactions, going from being hot-headed enough to cast Fire on the Elemental Lord of Fire to recognizing him as a worthy opponent. I'd like to see how their odd rival/mentor connection would grow if they had more of a chance to interact, or what would happen if there was attraction between them.

As for other characters, I love this cast! Golbez and the other fiends especially could work well--I like the idea of the fiends caring about each other, whether it's something not admitted until one of them is in danger or all of them being a team (even if it takes them a while to actually fight together). I also like the idea that the fiends raised Golbez, perhaps...not being the best influences. I don't actually ship Edge/Rydia as requited--their friendship and Edge pining over Rydia is fine, though (and if Rydia's dating After Years!Luca, all the better)!

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. The After Years is an interesting continuation of Edge and Rubicante's dynamic, but not worth playing just for that (although Edge does get one of the better character arcs in the narrative). If you're interested in building off that but haven't played the game, the links above contain all that's relevant (besides Edge mentoring more ninja as king). I'm fine with you ignoring TAY, just using the basic details without knowing the canon, or writing something TAY-compliant--whatever works best, I'll be happy!

Prompts:

Rubicante's ghost haunting Edge. Is it because Edge has his cloak (and is more attached to it than he expected)? Is it because there's something he has to warn Edge about? I love that Rubicante appears along with the ghosts of Edge's parents in the After Years, and how Edge clearly isn't enraged by him anymore.
What does Rubicante have to learn from Edge? Rubicante always has the role of the more skilled participant in their fights, and it's from the team as a whole that the Fiends learn to fight as a group. Is there anything this brash, angry young prince can teach him? If it's something outside of battle, when do they meet?
Edge and Rubicante having to work together for some reason. They're more or less on the same side in TAY, but they never actually get the chance to work together. I'd love to see them actually have a conversation and to get to know each other for more than a few battles.
The fiends are reborn as (grown) humans after their final battle in the Giant, and Rubicante goes to seek Edge out. He'll probably tell him the truth, being the honorable sort and all, but will Edge believe him? Did the other fiends go elsewhere, or is Edge stuck babysitting? Does he end up giving into an attraction to Rubicante now that he's not literally on fire?
Edge/Rubicante, because Edge might very well be into him being literally on fire.

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"Say...afterwards, what say we have a few spectacular adventures, just us five?"

"...Um."

" ...Oh, yes, that whole saving the world thing...phooey. If you make it out safely... Hah! No ifs about it. I'm certain we'll meet again. At that time, I hope you'll consider me a... Uh..er, *cough* Never mind, ha ha!"

Fandom: Final Fantasy V
Characters requested: Bartz Klauser, Gilgamesh
What I want:

Final Fantasy V has snuck up on me to become one of my absolute favorite Final Fantasy games. Not only is the gameplay fantastic (I highly recommend playing it if you like really customizable characters in RPGs!), the story and characters are incredibly fun and likable. And especially in the GBA translation (which is the same as the iOS/Steam version), the dialogue was absolutely hilarious. I loved Gilgamesh as a character even before I played FFV, due to his being in like every Final Fantasy game, and he became one of my absolute favorites after seeing his first appearance. I love that he's goofy but a legitimately good fighter, I love his banter and joy of fighting (well, when he's winning), and I love how he grows attached to the Warriors of Light. And I love Bartz as a protagonist: kind of dumb but loving adventure, and incredibly loyal to his friends. I also ship Bartz/Gilgamesh a lot, with Gilgamesh traipsing around different universes always searching for his Great Rival, and admitting by the end that he's jealous of Bartz and his close friendships and wanting to be his friend too. And then he sacrifices themselves for the party because he's really a good guy at heart.

I really, really love the full cast of this game, and would love to see them show up as well! Faris especially is one of my absolute favorite FF characters, and the rest of the Warriors of Light and Boko and Coco and Enkidu and everyone else could definitely show up. If you include Faris, I lean towards her as genderqueer, but a cis woman who likes crossdressing or a trans guy works too! As for non Bartz/Gilgamesh shipping, if you want to include Bartz/Faris hints and/or all the non-Krile party members in a big poly relationship/shipteasing works too! Their relationships are lovely whether shippy or not.

Details on different versions: I adore the GBA translation for this game, since it adds a ton to the characterization and humor; if you've never played it, there's some good screenshot Let's Plays out there, but I highly recommend playing it for yourself! The Steam/iOS version doesn't look quite as good, but it has the same script and gameplay. I also picture the party as their sprite versions instead of the Amano art, if that comes up, and I've become used to calling Bartz 'Butz' so just use whichever name you're used to.

Prompts:

Post-game, Bartz and Gilgamesh meeting again as friends. If Gil recovers from his self-destruct (Enkidu flies by with a Phoenix Down or something), what happens when he meets the people he sacrificed himself for? I can see him as surprisingly bashful, along with being so glad they survived and showed that tree what-for. I'd love to see Gil realizing how strong his feelings for Bartz are--he strikes me as a guy that's never been in love before and doesn't quite realize that these intense feelings of wanting to see him again aren't because he wants to duel him. Gen-wise, seeing Bartz accepting him as a friend would be adorable, as would the same happening with the rest of the party. (Including Faris giving him a piece of her mind for the acting more like a woman comment, ahem.)
Bartz and Gil meet in the afterlife. The ending of FFV actually changes depending on who dies during the final battle; anyone who isn't alive at the end is dead for an entire year before Galuf tosses them back. What does Gilgamesh think if he meets Bartz in the afterlife after assuming he'd go off and save the world? How does Bartz get back? I certainly would not complain if he took Gil and/or Galuf back down with him!
Bartz and Gilgamesh in Dissidia! You don't actually need to be familiar with Dissidia for this; something based off the gist of their situation but in FFV canon (Rift-induced amnesia?) would be just as good. To summarize, Dissidia characters are taken from their home universes to fight for good or evil, having lost their memories of their original worlds. Gilgamesh, on the other hand, has all his memories because he's just tumbling through the Void as usual; he's thrilled to see Bartz and fight again, and Bartz is just confused as to why this weird guy is yelling at him about fated rivals. How does Gilgamesh get Bartz to remember everything and, most importantly, him? Gilgamesh said the thought of fighting Bartz again kept him from losing himself in the Void--how does Bartz feel about this? Is fighting really all Gilgamesh wants?
Final Fantasy crossovers! This is an exception to my DNWs because, you know, Gilgamesh. I'd love to see Gilgamesh dragging Bartz on his dimension hopping, purposefully or not, having adventures in strange new places. What does Bartz think of where the wind has taken him? How does this rank on Gilgamesh's vacation spots? Any of the FF games would work for this, and these two in Kingdom Hearts or even Nier (weapon stories) would also be amazing. Games that would be particularly cool to see: FFIV, IX, X, XII, XV (who's this Gilgamesh joker with only one arm???) Brave Exvius, World of Final Fantasy, Theatrhythm, Mystic Quest, etc. And if the fic isn't a crossover, Gilgamesh just offhandedly mentioning other worlds is also great (because Gilgamesh).
Meta interactive fiction--if you want to write IF, I'm sure Gilgamesh would have something to say about it. This could work with any of the above prompts or something different (Gilgamesh searching for swords? Trying every route of a dating sim to find Bartz? Meta elements in any of the other prompts are great, too, especially if you throw in something about jobs or the Four Job Fiesta.

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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:

Nier Automata was a big hit, so people actually know what this franchise is now! Which is weird! If you enjoyed Automata, I highly, highly recommend playing the original--the themes and the playing with gaming conventions were already there, but I found the original game's cast even better than Automata's (which is saying something). If you liked the themes, weird meta gameplay, and ending of Automata, you'll definitely like the original!

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?
Nier Automata spoilers: The data of humanity is still stored on the moon--what would happen if Nier and Weiss (and Kainé and Emil) were able to meet again? Would they recognize each other? Are they just data chatting through networks, or do they get android bodies? Could they make a new start for humanity, or just live for what's left of it? (Bonus points for Weiss really disliking Pod 042 for no apparent reason...)
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 more 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