Dear Yuletide Letter 2018

[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 for those relationships, but I’d love gen of their relationships 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 (2017, 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 and Waver, but anywhere else would also be appreciated!
• Dramatic reunions! Considering all of my requests include at least one character that canonically dies, well... I love seeing characters brought back from the dead (or not actually dead, or whatever plot device works) reunited with someone who's been mourning them. If shippy, I really love if the living person had feelings for the other and regrets never confessing them.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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. I secretly crave dating sims for every canon--if you do this, feel free to pair off requested characters with everyone (the weirder the better) as long as the couple I requested are at least one of the 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 and AUs of the setting instead of plot (mundane AUs, everyone is ponies, etc.). Check the fandoms for exceptions!
• Unrequited love. One or both parties incorrectly thinking it's unrequited is great.
• Established relationship fic. This isn't as set in stone as the others, but I prefer getting together or pre-relationship fic for ships.

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"Well, since you've already gotten such deep lines in your forehead, I assume a small attack won't leave a scar. Right?"
"...Nonsense. Some scars affect the heart more than the body."

 

Fandom: Fate/Grand Order
Characters requested: Iskandar, Waver Velvet
What I want:

I JUST WANT WAVER TO HAVE A NICE DAY

I've fallen hard into the Fate/ series, and my absolute favorite characters are Waver and Iskandar. I loved their interactions in Fate/Zero--Waver being so tsundere, Iskandar being a gaming dork who doesn't like pants, and the intense loyalty he engendered in Waver. And I adore how Waver turned up after Fate/Zero: cynical, grumpy, dead set on destroying the grail, and always dedicating his life to his king. I love that he can barely care for himself and speedruns all day and can barely do magic and works so hard to fix mage society from the inside. I can't see Waver as anything but hopelessly in love with Iskandar, living his life like he promised so he could someday see him again. And then Fate/Grand Order happened, and there's finally a chance for the two of them to just live, in the same place at the same time, at least until they save the world.

 
I'm in the midst of consuming pretty much everything in the series, especially with Waver or Iskandar in it; if there's anything else from Fate/ or history you'd like to include or don't want to include, it's all good! I only play English FGO, but if there's any scenarios or plot points from Japanese that would be interesting for these two, go for it (as long as it doesn't require having played to understand)! Don't worry about spoilers for FGO or anything from Fate/.

I love a lot of other FGO characters, so if you want to include other characters or have some cameos, some favorites are: Mordred, Alexander, Darius III, Lu Bu, Astolfo, Drake, Nightingale, Kojirou, Gilles, Bedivere, Arjuna, Lartoria, Marie, Martha, Shakespeare, Mash, Gudako, Da Vinci, Dr. Roman, Hassans, Fran, FOU

P.S. Any Fate/Zero fics will go in my Iskandar summoning circle come January on his next banner in two years...

Fandom DNWs: Iskandar not remembering Waver and the Fourth Grail War because COME ON, HE'S SUFFERED ENOUGH

Prompts:
 

• Waver is finally reunited with Iskandar post Accel Zero Order. How does Waver react to finally having Iskandar back after so long, after Waver has changed so much because of him? How does Iskandar react to his wish more or less being granted, and to Waver's devotion? Does Waver only find out he's summoned when Iskandar tags in to save him during a battle, or after he's assigned to Waver's room? Does Waver finally spit out all the things he's wanted to say for years? Does Iskandar tell him he's proud of him?
• Waver trying to hide who he is from Iskandar, because he certainly won't be able to tell by looks alone. Maybe he's too ashamed of who he was, maybe he's afraid Iskandar would disapprove of who he's become, maybe he just wants to sleep with him and Iskandar definitely wouldn't be interested in Waver Velvet, right? In any case, he wants to be near him. This would be a great excuse for identity porn shenanigans, and Waver desperately trying to offplay his whole red-and-gold wardrobe thing, and Iskandar figuring it out but not telling him for Reasons. (Him flicking him at the end of Accel Zero Order was awfully suspicious if he had no idea who Waver was...)
• Anything with Zhuge Liang! I know very little about actual Zhuge Liang, but I'd love to see more of him in Fate/--feel free to pull anything from history/literature or just go full Fate/ on his character. Does he manage to get summoned as an actual servant somehow, leaving Waver with feelings of inferiority because what good is he now? Does Iskandar just want to meet this great strategist and/or beat him in Admirable Tactics? Does Zhuge Liang just occasionally snark in Waver's head, or stop him from doing stupid things like propositioning approaching Lu Bu? Bonus if Waver is Chinese/part-Chinese so there's a reason Zhuge Liang went to him.
• Iskandar is extremely bi/pan and poly and Waver is absolutely not jealous baka. I ship Iskandar with pretty much everyone, especially his historical wives and lovers, and I'd love Waver thinking he has no chance because Iskandar already has all these hot people and he's pretty much soulmates with Hephaestion and he's just...Waver. Other people Iskandar should sleep with: Achilles, Drake, Gudako, Gilgamesh (and Waver would certainly have a few more issues with that), and Darius III (he calls him his beloved rival!). 
• Just Waver and Iskandar getting to hang out and have adventures and have a good time. Waver showing Iskandar the ocean! Field trips to Macedonia and whatever period of history Iskandar is curious about! Alex and Iskandar being boisterous in stereo! Iskandar meeting Achilles and fanboying adorably! Participating in goofy events, whether they want to or not! I love Iskandar dragging Waver along on adventures and Waver complaining but secretly loving it.

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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 Syldra 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! 
 

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 half the time I call Bartz 'Butz' so just use whichever name you're used to.  

Fandom DNWs: Bartz/Faris

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. 

Prompts:

• Modhri/Compton after they start working together, because their friendship is so sweet. 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.)
• Pre-working together Modhri/Compton. This would be great for identity porn--the Modhri can be anyone, after all, and I love to see that used for shipping and not just for horror. 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? Does Compton know who exactly he's dealing with, and does he admit to himself that he's not just doing it to get the upper hand? Sexy menacing and Modhri physically intimidating Compton only for Compton to be into it would be great.
• 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. 

 

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And to that question posed 6,000 years ago in the Book of Ecclesiastes--"Who can fathom the depths of the abyss"--only two men out of all humanity now have the right to respond.

Captain Nemo and I.

 

Fandom: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers | Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne

Characters: Pierre Aronnax, Capitaine Nemo | Captain Nemo

What I Want:

 

Catalogs of fish I love this novel, and I love seeing it through Aronnax’s eyes--his wonder at the sights he’s seeing, his endless enthusiasm for science, and his fascination with Captain Nemo. Captain Nemo is probably my favorite fictional character ever. He's such a fascinating sympathetic villain, and I love the contrasts of his character. Someone who scorns society, but surrounds himself with the trappings of it; someone who commits monstrous acts in anger, but takes joy in the wonders of the sea. I love Nemo and Aronnax's connection, and how Aronnax's fascination with this new world is all tied up with his fascination with this brilliant, mysterious man. As you can probably guess, I ship them quite a bit; I especially love the ship from Aronnax's perspective, slowly earning the interest and affection of Nemo without quite realizing how deep his own fascination goes.

 

Plus 10,000 points if Nemo is actually Indian! I don’t care if you don’t identify his race/nationality, but if you do, going off his official life story would be awesome. If you haven’t read The Mysterious Island, it’s in Book 3, Chapter 16; long story short, he was an Indian prince named Dakkar who fought in the Sepoy Mutiny against the British, after which his wife and child were executed. 

 

Prompts:

 

• During his time on the Nautilus, Nemo tells something of his past to Aronnax--maybe his name, nationality, his family. Is it because he expects Aronnax will never leave, or because he trusts him not to reveal it if he does? How do Aronnax's feelings for him change? Does it make him realize he has deeper feelings for Nemo than he thought?
• What if Aronnax chose to stay on the Nautilus? Does he think he can save Nemo, or can he just not bear to leave him the sea? How would Nemo react to his prisoner staying of his own volition, and not because he wishes to join his crusade? I picture this as Aronnax helping Ned and Conseil escape, then escaping them at the last second.
• If you’ve read The Mysterious Island (or are willing to Wiki it), I’d love to see Aronnax and Nemo meeting again during that book. The dates will require some fudging, as Nemo actually dies in The Mysterious Island before Twenty Thousand Leagues takes place, but anything just vaguely touching on “Nemo retired to a mysterious island and is mysteriously helping some castaways but Aronnax shows up or is with him” would be awesome. Also awesome: something about Nemo between the two books.
• This is one fandom where I would welcome non-mundane setting AUs. 20,000 Leagues in space? Superheroes? Fantasy kingdoms? There's a ton of ways to adapt the basic story and Nemo and Aronnax's dynamic, and I'd love to see them!
• Crossover with Kino's Journey: What if one of the nations Kino visits is a submarine? What would she think of Nemo, and what would Nemo think of her and Hermes? Would she manage to leave in three days? This scenario can leave out Aronnax, and if you manage to make Kino/Nemo work, I'd be extremely intrigued! 

 

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

Yours,
JH