Dear Yuletide Letter 2019

[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 ereamijh on Twitter and jaclynhyde on AO3 if you want to stalk. Thank you so much!

(I also still love all the Yuletide fandoms I've requested in previous years, 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 that could be pre-ship; 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 Kingu, but anywhere else would also be appreciated!
• Dramatic reunions! Considering most 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 like any format. I have specific prompts for 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. Temporary Servant death in Fate/ is fine, as long as my requested characters don't spend most of the fic dead.
• 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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 "...Humph. Once, someone insisted they were a weapon to the very end. But if I had taken them at their word, then it's only natural for me to care for you. After all, you're the successor to the weapon I trusted most! What's wrong with me favoring you?"
"..."
"Farewell, Kingu. It's the end of the world. Do as you will."
 

Fandom: Fate/Grand Order
Characters requested: Kingu (Fate/Grand Order), Gilgamesh | Caster (Fate/Grand Order)
What I want:

Babylonia is my favorite Singularity in F/GO. I love how it works as a standalone story, how there's room for downtime and getting to know Uruk and hijinks (and sheep!), and how well the drama pulls together for an epic battle. The cast is fantastic, and Kingu and CasGil are my favorites of them. I was never a big fan of Archer Gil, so I was also shocked to find Caster Gil one of my favorite characters. I love how his arrogance has mellowed and his selfishness morphed into love for his city and care for its inhabitants; I love his certainty that the age of the gods is over and his willingness to give his life so that humanity will live. And Kingu! As I mention in the Case Files section, I love any character that could be described as a faker. I love how he has to find his own identity, how he fights Enkidu's memories pushing him towards Gil and how he fights Gil's kindness that's not just because he's in Enkidu's body.

 

I'd casually shipped Gilgamesh/Enkidu for a while, historically and in Fate/...and then Babylonia happened and Gil/Kingu became my favorite pairing. I love the idea of Kingu blaming his attraction and love for Gil on his stupid body, and then being hit with the realization that no, he cares for him too. And I really want to know what's going on in Gil's head; he's not rattled by Kingu's appearance at all. Is he in denial? Is it just for Kingu's sake? Does that change if he realizes how much he cares for Kingu as his own person? If Enkidu's around, I'd like poly Gil (they were both made for him, of course he can have both!); either two separate pairs work, or an OT3 that focuses on the Gil/Kingu side. If you go the porn route, whatever genitals Kingu and Enkidu have are cool, up to and including things like tentacles to try to psych Gil out. I’m also really liking the anime’s take on all of them, so feel free to throw any of that in (unless they no-homo at some point).

 

As for other characters, I am an extreme multishipper for FGO; not only do I firmly believe that Gudako is mana transferring with 90% of her Servants, I'm also up for whatever background or side pairings you want to throw in. If they're in Chaldea, Waver/Iskandar is an OTP; if they're in Uruk, I like Benkei/Ushi, Gudako/Roman, Merlin/Roman, etc. If you want to include other FGO characters, some other favorites are: Siduri, just everyone in Babylonia, Waver, Iskandar, Mordred, Alexander, Darius III, Lu Bu, Astolfo, Drake, Nightingale, Kojirou, Gilles, Bedivere, Arjuna, Lartoria, Martha, Shakespeare, Mash, Gudako, Da Vinci, Dr. Roman, Hassans, Fran, Moriarty, Yan Qing, FOU

 

Fandom DNWs: Gil unfavorably comparing Kingu to Enkidu (or vice versa), Enkidu being jealous, focus on Archer Gil, mention of Gil/Artoria

 

Prompts:

• Kingu is summoned to Chaldea and has to deal with a) being sort of alive, b) having the Master and a lot of people he tried to kill being nice to him, and c) Caster Gilgamesh being there. And now he's gone and sacrificed himself for Gil, so he definitely can't face him and pretend he doesn't care. Does Gil just barge into his room and aggressively be his friend? Are they forced together by important mission or incredibly stupid event? Does Gil realize how much Kingu cares for him (probably) and how much he wants Kingu (possibly)? Bonus: Kingu getting to meet Gorgon or any of the Medusas again.
• Kingu is summoned to Chaldea and Caster Gilgamesh and Enkidu are there. How does he deal with all of the above points and his raging jealousy of Gil/Enkidu's relationship? I like the idea of Enkidu treating him like a brother, much to Kingu's annoyance, and realizing that Gil is serving the same function to Kingu that Enkidu did for Gil. Threesomes or Gil just having two clayfriends ensures.
• Identity porn! Kingu is pretending to be Enkidu to Gil. Maybe he meets Gil in Babylonia before Gudako does, or maybe he's been summoned in Chaldea. (I love the idea that the Enkidu who shows up in Solomon is actually Kingu, especially since they have Kingu's purple eyes.) Gil knows from the start that it's not Enkidu, but lets Kingu keep thinking he's pulled it off. Does Kingu kiss him like he secretly really, really wants to? Is he more and more upset that Gil thinks it's the love of his life and not him?
• Gil and Kingu have more time together, that last night before the final battle. Are they scared of dying, just a little? Do they share memories? Do they make out? Do they bang? 

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"Though counterfeit, you fight with your own desires. You and I are the same." 

Fandom: ロード・エルメロイⅡ世の事件簿 - 三田誠 | Lord El-Melloi II Case Files - Sanda Makoto
Character Requested: Faker
What I Want:

I love pretty much any character who could be called Faker, and "Hephaestion" is no exception. I love her rashness and rage, her loyalty to Iskandar and her duty while deeply resenting the Hetairoi she would have had a place in. And I'm fascinated by how she claims the name and role of her brother, when her own relationship to Iskandar was clearly important beyond her usefulness to him.

 

I'd love to see what would happen if she were summoned elsewhere, if she had more time to interact with Waver and Gray within the existing plot, what it was like to have her life dedicated to Iskandar whether she wanted it or not. I listed a few ship prompts below; I don't have an OTP for Faker, so if you have any preferences, feel free to pair her with anyone but Iskandar or Hephaestion!  Same goes for gen; I want to see Faker played off anyone from Case Files or Fate/, in the tagset or not (except, like, Blackbeard or Shinji).

 

I've only watched the show and read summaries of the light novels with Faker in them; feel free to include whatever you know. As for historical accuracy, I'd be happy with anything from historically accurate to throwing in history & Renault easter eggs to fuck it, it's Fate/, anything goes. If you include Hephaestion, just keep him male and Iskandar's lover and anything else goes. 

Fandom DNWs: Faker/Iskandar (strong feelings are fine, just not explicitly romantic), explicitly ruling out Iskandar/Hephaestion or Iskandar/Waver

Prompts: 

• Faker's life with Iskandar, Hephaestion, and the Hetairoi. What kind of curses did she have to deal with? How did her friendship with Iskandar begin? Did she resent Hephaestion at all? Did she share Iskandar's dream at some point? (Is she jealous of Waver that he still can?) I'd love to see them meeting again as Servants, especially if there's some plot reason they're summoned to the same place.
• Faker is summoned in a real Grail War or to Chaldea--what are the circumstances? I kind of love the idea of Waver accidentally summoning her (perhaps because someone else has summoned Iskandar first?). Or does she somehow end up helping Waver and Rin dismantle the Holy Grails?
• Faker/Gray. I love that Faker has a civil conversation with her after their fight, and that she recognizes their similarities but freaks out when Gray gets too close to the truth. What if Faker became a dark mentor to Gray, like Iskandar was for Waver? What if they were trapped together for longer (huddling for warmth! huddling for warmth!).
• Faker/Waver. I see Waver as gay, buuuut I love the idea of him making Very Bad Choices and rationalizing Faker is as close as he can get to Iskandar right now. Or just having hatesex while she's taunting him about knowing Iskandar for longer than Waver did (or being his lover, if she's still claiming to be Hephaestion).
• Fate/Grand Order crossover (Babylonia spoilers): I want Faker to meet Kingu, because two fake Servants pretending to be the lovers of their kings who they have very complicated feelings about probably have something to talk about. How long does she hold out before getting involved in Chaldea's weird shenanagins? Does she hang out with Yan Qing and Emiya and the other fakers? I'm not familiar with the Case Files event, but throw that in there if it fits. (Crossing my fingers she's the new Servant for the rerun!)

 

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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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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. I'm also very fond of the Disney movie, so references or easter eggs are great.

 

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” would be awesome. (Also identity porn—Aronnax shouldn’t even hope that this mysterious benefactor is Nemo, but...)
• 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! Plus xeno's always great.
• 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!
• Fate/ AU: Aronnax summons Rider Nemo (but he's secretly an Avenger). This could work with Aronnax in his canon time and Nemo's history being different, or with a modern Aronnax where Aronnax was never a part of the novel. Fictional or historical Nemo is fine, just...please ignore the existing character who's probably Nemo and make him an adult who resembles his canon self. (But if he's that and also Little Nemo, sure)

 

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

Yours,
JH