Night on Fic Mountain letter
Apr. 13th, 2018 11:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustDear Mountaineer,
Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love all these fandoms, and I'm really keen to see what you do in them! I've provided some prompts in case you're looking for inspiration, but I'd also love to see whatever other ideas capture your imagination.
You may be able to tell I went on a huge CJ Cherryh reread recently. It was super nostalgic and now I have so many feelings.
For me, it's about the characters and their relationships. I'm not a stickler for canon details, as long as the spirit of the characters and the flavour of their world is there. I want to see adventures that might have been, or missing moments from between scenes, or a slice of their daily lives, or where the future might take them.
LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, subtle tension, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. I also like tropes such as amnesia, bodyswap, mutual pining, sex pollen, and undercover as a couple.
DISLIKES: I generally prefer optimistic stories in exchanges, so I'm not keen on anything that is brutally violent or depressingly bleak. However, I don't mind darkness as long as there is a glimmer of light. Bittersweet endings are also fine.
RATING: I've requested both gen and ships in this exchange. For the latter, I'm fine with explicit sex, but it's usually not the most important part of the story for me.
STYLE: I'm fine with first, second, or third person. I'm fine with past or present tense. I'm fine with stories of any length, including stories that start in media res.
CROSSOVERS: I would prefer no crossovers with other canons.
AUS: I like seeing the characters in their own settings, so I would prefer no alternate universes like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse. However, I like alternate universes where something happened differently in canon.
INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.
I hope this helps. Have fun writing!
Yours sincerely,
meteordust
(AO3 name Serenade)
***
Request 1: Alliance-Union Series - CJ Cherryh (Ben Pollard, Damon Konstantin, Fletcher Neihart) - fanfic
Ben Pollard
- I love that Ben is cranky and ambitious and claims not to care about others, but when it comes to the crunch, he sticks around to help his friends.
- How did he become partners with Bird? What was their first meeting like? What convinced each of them to take that gamble? I love how in the end, Shakespeare did help Ben understand Bird better, and his blue-skyer thinking.
- Trading favours with his network of contacts to acquire something, whether vital equipment or small luxuries.
- Rec time with the Hellburner crew! Board games, old movies, ghost stories, truth or dare, etc.
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I ship Ben with the other members of the Hellburner crew - Dekker, Meg, and Sal - in any combination, or as an OT4.
Damon Konstantin
- I love that Damon is kind and honorable, and goes above and beyond to help those in need, even at a cost to himself.
- Damon and Emilio are the Konstantin heirs. How did they end up on their different career tracks? How do they deal with the family legacy? What are their lives like during the rebuilding of Pell?
- Damon and Elene having their regular dinners with Josh. Missing scenes from before the war? How have they all changed after the war?
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I ship Damon with Elene, with Josh, or with both together as an OT3. However, I would prefer open or negotiated relationships, and not infidelity or breakups.
Fletcher Neihart
- I love Fletcher's coming of age journey, finding his place within the crew, and bringing his stationer knowledge, planetary experience, and delinquent past as resources to the ship. I love the slowly growing bonds of trust and love between him and his cousins.
- Returning to Pell. Finding you can't go home again. Showing his newfound family around the station or the planet.
- Protective!Fletcher. Looking after the juniors. Risking his life for the ship. Recovering after whump.
- Learning more about his namesake, the original Fletcher who changed history.
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I'm fine to see Fletcher with an original male character or an original female character, but I prefer not to ship him with his cousins.
Note: This series is made of interconnected novels set in the same universe, which can be read as standalones:
- Ben Pollard appears in Heavy Time and Hellburner.
- Damon Konstantin appears in Downbelow Station.
- Fletcher Neihart appears in Finity's End.
Request 2: Foreigner Series - CJ Cherryh (Bren/Machigi) - fanfic
Bren has chemistry with so many people, and as soon as Machigi showed up - sparks! I love that Machigi seems fascinated to meet Bren, and even comments on his southern accent. And I love that Bren has to bring his best game to deal with Machigi, and is maybe even slightly flustered. What form might their diplomatic negotiations take? Would they take the chance to engage in cultural exchange? Or for a slightly more cracky approach, how far do Bren's duties as paidhi extend? Does Tabini send him out with instructions to do whatever is necessary to secure an alliance or calm troubled waters? Anything from flirting to sexytimes would be fun to read.
Note: There are nineteen books in this series. Bren is the main character throughout. Machigi appears in the eleventh book, Deceiver.
Request 3: Fortress Series - CJ Cherryh (Tristen, Barrakkêth) - fanfic
Tristen
- I love that Tristen is kind and trusting and loyal, learns to be brave and just, and chooses not to be ruthless like his predecessor.
- Exploring the relics of the past. What ancient ruins still exist in Amefel? What memories do they evoke in Tristen? Can any of them be rebuilt for use again, like how unwalled Althalen becomes a sanctuary for refugees?
- Enjoying leisure time with his friends and allies, which normally they get precious little chance to do, in between the demands of politics and war.
- Discovering new and marvellous things: traditions, foods, baby animals, etc.
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I ship Tristen with Crissand, with Cefwyn, or with Ninévrisë. However, I prefer that the last two happen before Cefwyn and Ninévrisë get together, since I like their relationship in canon.
Barrakkêth
- There's so much mystery around the origins of the Sihhë! Were they born, made, or always existing? Was there friendship between the five of them who came down from the north? Why did they agree to help Mauryl overthrow the Galasieni?
- What was Barrakkêth like as a ruler? What did the fortresses and the cities look like in those days? What was his relationship like with the aetheling who was ancestor to Crissand?
- If all Place is one Place and all Time is one Time, did Barrakkêth know the future? Could he foresee Tristen? Is there anywhere in the gray space they can talk? What was his purpose in writing the Book?
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I don't have any particular shipping preferences for Barrakkêth, so feel free to write whoever you want.
Note: There are five books in this series. However, I would be perfectly happy with a story based only on the first book, Fortress in the Eye of Time.
Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love all these fandoms, and I'm really keen to see what you do in them! I've provided some prompts in case you're looking for inspiration, but I'd also love to see whatever other ideas capture your imagination.
You may be able to tell I went on a huge CJ Cherryh reread recently. It was super nostalgic and now I have so many feelings.
For me, it's about the characters and their relationships. I'm not a stickler for canon details, as long as the spirit of the characters and the flavour of their world is there. I want to see adventures that might have been, or missing moments from between scenes, or a slice of their daily lives, or where the future might take them.
LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, subtle tension, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. I also like tropes such as amnesia, bodyswap, mutual pining, sex pollen, and undercover as a couple.
DISLIKES: I generally prefer optimistic stories in exchanges, so I'm not keen on anything that is brutally violent or depressingly bleak. However, I don't mind darkness as long as there is a glimmer of light. Bittersweet endings are also fine.
RATING: I've requested both gen and ships in this exchange. For the latter, I'm fine with explicit sex, but it's usually not the most important part of the story for me.
STYLE: I'm fine with first, second, or third person. I'm fine with past or present tense. I'm fine with stories of any length, including stories that start in media res.
CROSSOVERS: I would prefer no crossovers with other canons.
AUS: I like seeing the characters in their own settings, so I would prefer no alternate universes like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse. However, I like alternate universes where something happened differently in canon.
INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.
I hope this helps. Have fun writing!
Yours sincerely,
meteordust(AO3 name Serenade)
***
Request 1: Alliance-Union Series - CJ Cherryh (Ben Pollard, Damon Konstantin, Fletcher Neihart) - fanfic
Ben Pollard
- I love that Ben is cranky and ambitious and claims not to care about others, but when it comes to the crunch, he sticks around to help his friends.
- How did he become partners with Bird? What was their first meeting like? What convinced each of them to take that gamble? I love how in the end, Shakespeare did help Ben understand Bird better, and his blue-skyer thinking.
- Trading favours with his network of contacts to acquire something, whether vital equipment or small luxuries.
- Rec time with the Hellburner crew! Board games, old movies, ghost stories, truth or dare, etc.
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I ship Ben with the other members of the Hellburner crew - Dekker, Meg, and Sal - in any combination, or as an OT4.
Damon Konstantin
- I love that Damon is kind and honorable, and goes above and beyond to help those in need, even at a cost to himself.
- Damon and Emilio are the Konstantin heirs. How did they end up on their different career tracks? How do they deal with the family legacy? What are their lives like during the rebuilding of Pell?
- Damon and Elene having their regular dinners with Josh. Missing scenes from before the war? How have they all changed after the war?
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I ship Damon with Elene, with Josh, or with both together as an OT3. However, I would prefer open or negotiated relationships, and not infidelity or breakups.
Fletcher Neihart
- I love Fletcher's coming of age journey, finding his place within the crew, and bringing his stationer knowledge, planetary experience, and delinquent past as resources to the ship. I love the slowly growing bonds of trust and love between him and his cousins.
- Returning to Pell. Finding you can't go home again. Showing his newfound family around the station or the planet.
- Protective!Fletcher. Looking after the juniors. Risking his life for the ship. Recovering after whump.
- Learning more about his namesake, the original Fletcher who changed history.
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I'm fine to see Fletcher with an original male character or an original female character, but I prefer not to ship him with his cousins.
Note: This series is made of interconnected novels set in the same universe, which can be read as standalones:
- Ben Pollard appears in Heavy Time and Hellburner.
- Damon Konstantin appears in Downbelow Station.
- Fletcher Neihart appears in Finity's End.
Request 2: Foreigner Series - CJ Cherryh (Bren/Machigi) - fanfic
Bren has chemistry with so many people, and as soon as Machigi showed up - sparks! I love that Machigi seems fascinated to meet Bren, and even comments on his southern accent. And I love that Bren has to bring his best game to deal with Machigi, and is maybe even slightly flustered. What form might their diplomatic negotiations take? Would they take the chance to engage in cultural exchange? Or for a slightly more cracky approach, how far do Bren's duties as paidhi extend? Does Tabini send him out with instructions to do whatever is necessary to secure an alliance or calm troubled waters? Anything from flirting to sexytimes would be fun to read.
Note: There are nineteen books in this series. Bren is the main character throughout. Machigi appears in the eleventh book, Deceiver.
Request 3: Fortress Series - CJ Cherryh (Tristen, Barrakkêth) - fanfic
Tristen
- I love that Tristen is kind and trusting and loyal, learns to be brave and just, and chooses not to be ruthless like his predecessor.
- Exploring the relics of the past. What ancient ruins still exist in Amefel? What memories do they evoke in Tristen? Can any of them be rebuilt for use again, like how unwalled Althalen becomes a sanctuary for refugees?
- Enjoying leisure time with his friends and allies, which normally they get precious little chance to do, in between the demands of politics and war.
- Discovering new and marvellous things: traditions, foods, baby animals, etc.
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I ship Tristen with Crissand, with Cefwyn, or with Ninévrisë. However, I prefer that the last two happen before Cefwyn and Ninévrisë get together, since I like their relationship in canon.
Barrakkêth
- There's so much mystery around the origins of the Sihhë! Were they born, made, or always existing? Was there friendship between the five of them who came down from the north? Why did they agree to help Mauryl overthrow the Galasieni?
- What was Barrakkêth like as a ruler? What did the fortresses and the cities look like in those days? What was his relationship like with the aetheling who was ancestor to Crissand?
- If all Place is one Place and all Time is one Time, did Barrakkêth know the future? Could he foresee Tristen? Is there anywhere in the gray space they can talk? What was his purpose in writing the Book?
- Shipping: I'm fine with or without it. If you would like to include it, I don't have any particular shipping preferences for Barrakkêth, so feel free to write whoever you want.
Note: There are five books in this series. However, I would be perfectly happy with a story based only on the first book, Fortress in the Eye of Time.
