Dear Yuletide Letter 2015

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 (2014, 2013) so if anyone feels like writing treats I'd be thrilled to get more of those! Or go write for my girlfriend vanishinghitchhiker because we share like 80% of our fandoms and ships.)


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 Flim and the Modhri.
• 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 other Star Wars EU stuff for Hand of Thrawn) 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'd also prefer not shipping my OTPs with other people except in the past (see Nier for specifics of that situation).

Nominations:

"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:

I just finished Nier last month (on Nier's birthday!), and I love it immensely. 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).


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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"And may I say to you, Admiral, how relieved I am that you're here. This whole thing has been a nightmare for me. An absolute nightmare."
"Of course," Pellaeon said gravely. "We'll have to make time later for you to tell me your tale of woe."
Flim half bowed. "I'll look forward to that, sir."

Fandom: Star Wars Legends: Hand of Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Characters requested: Flim
What I want:

So after requesting Thrawn Trilogy every year, I finally decided to nominate Hand of Thrawn so I could request Flim. Flim has somehow become my third-favorite Star Wars character (after Thrawn and Pellaeon), which is really saying something! I love that within the triumvirate, Flim is the one who isn't in it for the Empire at all--he's just an amazing goddamn actor and he's going to pull off the role of a lifetime. And despite not having Thrawn's brain, he's more clever than he might seem; he can think his way out a situation without breaking character, and he knows his limits. But, of course, he's in way over his head and is not too happy with the way he's increasingly sticking his neck out for this role. My headcanons about Flim are pretty evident in the fic I wrote about him (also the other fics there are fantastic go read them), but please feel free to deviate from them! I like him more on the lovable scoundrel side than irredeemable asshole side, but besides that, there's a lot to extrapolate from. (Also the song "Grace Kelly" makes me think of him...)

I requested Flim alone this time, but I really love what happens when you combine him with Thrawn/Pellaeon. Thrawn was so important to Pellaeon (and Pellaeon could have loved him, if you ship them like I do)--there's so much possibility with an actor who can do a perfect impersonation shows up. And if Thrawn's alive, or his clone is out there, that could just make the situation that much more interesting. Thrawn/Pellaeon is my forever OTP, but I also have a big soft spot for Flim/Pellaeon.


Prompts:
 

• What happens to Flim after Hand of Thrawn? Timothy Zahn said at a con that he was out there doing...something, so presumably he wasn't stuck in jail forever. How did he get out of that one? What did he think of peace, or what happened to the galaxy afterwards? (I still haven't read the post-Hand of Thrawn books but I am familiar with the plot points, so include that or not.) Does he keep running around with the former Empire, or with other scoundrels, or does he get tangled up in the New Republic? Does he keep acting and end up starring in the Annual Life Day Revue with Jefferson Starship?
• Flim/Pellaeon! This is extra optional since I just requested Flim, of course. I like the idea of Flim having a soft spot for Pellaeon, and it's adorable how friendly he is with him after Pellaeon ended the con. What if Pellaeon decided to proposition Flim, knowing he was as close to Thrawn as he could get? What if Flim decided to proposition Pellaeon as a way to keep his ass out of jail, or because he wants to make up for everything he put him through? I would also secretly love a fic where Flim begins to fall for him despite himself (because Pellaeon is the best). Does Pellaeon grow to care for him in return, or does Flim only painfully remind him of someone he loved? I'm usually not into unrequited love, but it could definitely work here. I'd also like to read Flim shipped with pretty much anybody besides Disra, so go wild!
• I have fewer prompts for Flim because I am not very good at coming up with plots but I love him and I just want more of him. Young Flim conning/acting his way through the galaxy, how he got involved with Disra (prompt stolen from bluehooloovo, who has great taste), older Flim conning/acting his way through the galaxy (Timothy Zahn also said he would have been great in Scoundrels 2!), Flim having a chance to show off his smarts, Flim trying to get the hell out of it if the con worked, anything.

 

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

Yours,
JH