Trick or Treat letter
Sep. 16th, 2020 08:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustDear Trick or Treater,
Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love the fandoms I've nominated, and I'm keen to see what you come up with! 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.
For me, it's about the characters and their interactions. I'm not a stickler about researching 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.
I'm open to tricks or treats.
I've requested fanfic for the below canons.
LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, risking self to protect others, displaying cool competence, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, banter, hijinks, confessions exposing emotional vulnerability, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. Some of my favourite tropes and genres are: amnesia, angst with a happy ending, animal transformation, arranged marriage, bodyswap, cosmic horror, curtainfic, five things fic, getting together, hurt/comfort, mutual requited pining, mystery solving, road trips, sex pollen, slice of life, stranded together, and time travel.
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. Endings that are bittersweet or ambiguous are also fine.
DO NOT WANT: Noncon, underage, bleak endings, crossovers, setting change AUs like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse (but canon divergence AUs are fine).
RATING: I am open to gen or ships for these characters. For the latter, I'd enjoy anything ranging from unresolved sexual tension, to getting together, to established relationship. 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 or consist of a scene that implies a larger plot.
POV: I'm open to stories from the point of view of a different character from the ones nominated, especially if they provide an interesting perspective on the nominated characters.
INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.
I've listed more details under each individual request.
I hope this helps. Have fun writing!
Yours sincerely,
meteordust
(AO3 name Serenade)
***
Request 1: The Fall of Ile-Rien - Martha Wells (Arisilde, Gerard, Ixion) - fanfic
Arisilde
- Arisilde has been through so much, I want to give him all the hugs. The most brilliant sorcerer of his generation, devastated when his best friend was framed and executed, and embarking on a terrible path of self-destruction. And then, when he finally pulled himself out of the spiral of addiction, he risked his life to protect his country, got trapped for years in a magical sphere, and finally gave everything to save his friends.
- I basically want all the fix-it fic for Arisilde. He comes back after the end of the trilogy! Or he gets reembodied during the trilogy! I want him to get to hang out with Tremaine and Gerard and Nicholas again. I want him to get to meet Ilias and Giliead and Florian in person. I want him to explore new places or discover new magic or just have a pleasant day with friends.
- I would prefer fic set during or after the trilogy, where Arisilde interacts with the characters from that era, rather than fic about The Death of the Necromancer.
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I wonder if he was in love with Edouard, or if he grew close with Nicholas, or if he might develop something with Gerard. But mostly I ship Arisilde/Happiness.
Gerard
- Gerard is nearly a generation older than Tremaine and her peers, and always has to be the responsible one among all these young hotheads. I empathise a lot with his exasperation and forbearance. Does he have to help them out of trouble again? Or do they get to help him out this time?
- Gerard ends up as the highest ranking sorcerer in the Ile-Rien defence project, since the others are killed in action, on the front lines, or trapped under siege. How does it feel to be thrust into that responsibility, even though he is not as brilliant or as powerful as they were?
- What kind of work did Gerard do before the war, and what might he do after? Does he have a special area of expertise? What is he passionate about? Did he work on any projects with Arisilde?
- Does Gerard teach or mentor any other sorcerers? For example, Florian is studying to be a sorcerer, but is anyone officially training her, or is she learning on the job like an intern?
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I wonder if Gerard might develop something with the sorcerers he works closely with, like Niles or Arisilde.
Ixion
- I am intensely curious about what happens to Ixion after the events of the trilogy. I am a sucker for amnesia stories, especially when the amnesiac has to face their dark past.
- Ixion would have been executed for his crimes, as a despotic wizard who killed and enslaved people. But when he was unexpectedly stripped of his magic and all associated memories, everyone seemed satisfied to let him live. I'm not sure if it was because that was punishment enough, or because he was no longer a threat, or because he wasn't considered the same person he was before.
- Is Ixion under guard for the rest of his life? Is he given a job under close supervision? Does he make his way through life as an ordinary person? Does he feel all the while like something is missing?
- Did Ixion's pursuit of magic twist his personality, or were his ambition and ruthlessness part of him all along? Is he troubled by his past, or would he strive to gain power again, whether magical or material?
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. I don't have any particular shipping preferences for Ixion, so if you want to include it, feel free to write whoever you want.
***
Request 2: 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. I love when he surprises people with his good qualities and overturns their expectations. I love when he gets to rescue someone with his combat skills, help someone with his magical instincts, or solve a dispute with wisdom and compassion.
- Exploring the relics of the past. What ancient ruins still exist in Amefel? What memories do they unfold for 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.
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I ship Tristen with Crissand, with Cefwyn, or with Ninévrisë. For the last two, no infidelity please (ie before Cefwyn and Ninévrisë get together, or they have a special understanding about Tristen, or they never got together and the alliance was made differently).
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?
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I don't have any particular 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.
***
Request 3: Seafort Saga - David Feintuch (Nicholas Seafort, Edgar Tolliver, Vax Holser, Alexi Tamarov) - fanfic
- I love all these characters for their loyalty, bravery, sacrifice, and intense UST. I wish we got to see more of their lives in between the crises they face. I'm happy to read about any, some, or all of them.
- Derelict ships and abandoned outposts! Of course someone has to investigate.
- Shore leave! Possibly together with someone else, who has very different ideas about what they should do on shore leave. Or what games might they play during downtime aboard ship? Something fiercely competitive? Strip poker? Truth or dare?
- Do they ever tell stories about ghost ships that wander through space, or lost colonies that vanished off the map, or sightings of alien artefacts? Has anyone ever encountered them?
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I ship any of these characters with any of the others.
***
Thank you so much for offering to write a story for me! I love the fandoms I've nominated, and I'm keen to see what you come up with! 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.
For me, it's about the characters and their interactions. I'm not a stickler about researching 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.
I'm open to tricks or treats.
I've requested fanfic for the below canons.
LIKES: Some of the things I enjoy in stories are: undying loyalty, personal bravery, risking self to protect others, displaying cool competence, big damn hero moments, special everyday moments, banter, hijinks, confessions exposing emotional vulnerability, conversations loaded with unspoken meaning, tough people showing a soft side, and soft people showing a tough side. Some of my favourite tropes and genres are: amnesia, angst with a happy ending, animal transformation, arranged marriage, bodyswap, cosmic horror, curtainfic, five things fic, getting together, hurt/comfort, mutual requited pining, mystery solving, road trips, sex pollen, slice of life, stranded together, and time travel.
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. Endings that are bittersweet or ambiguous are also fine.
DO NOT WANT: Noncon, underage, bleak endings, crossovers, setting change AUs like high school, coffee shop, or omegaverse (but canon divergence AUs are fine).
RATING: I am open to gen or ships for these characters. For the latter, I'd enjoy anything ranging from unresolved sexual tension, to getting together, to established relationship. 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 or consist of a scene that implies a larger plot.
POV: I'm open to stories from the point of view of a different character from the ones nominated, especially if they provide an interesting perspective on the nominated characters.
INTERACTIVE FICTION: I like interactive fiction and would welcome it.
I've listed more details under each individual request.
I hope this helps. Have fun writing!
Yours sincerely,
meteordust(AO3 name Serenade)
***
Request 1: The Fall of Ile-Rien - Martha Wells (Arisilde, Gerard, Ixion) - fanfic
Arisilde
- Arisilde has been through so much, I want to give him all the hugs. The most brilliant sorcerer of his generation, devastated when his best friend was framed and executed, and embarking on a terrible path of self-destruction. And then, when he finally pulled himself out of the spiral of addiction, he risked his life to protect his country, got trapped for years in a magical sphere, and finally gave everything to save his friends.
- I basically want all the fix-it fic for Arisilde. He comes back after the end of the trilogy! Or he gets reembodied during the trilogy! I want him to get to hang out with Tremaine and Gerard and Nicholas again. I want him to get to meet Ilias and Giliead and Florian in person. I want him to explore new places or discover new magic or just have a pleasant day with friends.
- I would prefer fic set during or after the trilogy, where Arisilde interacts with the characters from that era, rather than fic about The Death of the Necromancer.
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I wonder if he was in love with Edouard, or if he grew close with Nicholas, or if he might develop something with Gerard. But mostly I ship Arisilde/Happiness.
Gerard
- Gerard is nearly a generation older than Tremaine and her peers, and always has to be the responsible one among all these young hotheads. I empathise a lot with his exasperation and forbearance. Does he have to help them out of trouble again? Or do they get to help him out this time?
- Gerard ends up as the highest ranking sorcerer in the Ile-Rien defence project, since the others are killed in action, on the front lines, or trapped under siege. How does it feel to be thrust into that responsibility, even though he is not as brilliant or as powerful as they were?
- What kind of work did Gerard do before the war, and what might he do after? Does he have a special area of expertise? What is he passionate about? Did he work on any projects with Arisilde?
- Does Gerard teach or mentor any other sorcerers? For example, Florian is studying to be a sorcerer, but is anyone officially training her, or is she learning on the job like an intern?
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I wonder if Gerard might develop something with the sorcerers he works closely with, like Niles or Arisilde.
Ixion
- I am intensely curious about what happens to Ixion after the events of the trilogy. I am a sucker for amnesia stories, especially when the amnesiac has to face their dark past.
- Ixion would have been executed for his crimes, as a despotic wizard who killed and enslaved people. But when he was unexpectedly stripped of his magic and all associated memories, everyone seemed satisfied to let him live. I'm not sure if it was because that was punishment enough, or because he was no longer a threat, or because he wasn't considered the same person he was before.
- Is Ixion under guard for the rest of his life? Is he given a job under close supervision? Does he make his way through life as an ordinary person? Does he feel all the while like something is missing?
- Did Ixion's pursuit of magic twist his personality, or were his ambition and ruthlessness part of him all along? Is he troubled by his past, or would he strive to gain power again, whether magical or material?
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. I don't have any particular shipping preferences for Ixion, so if you want to include it, feel free to write whoever you want.
***
Request 2: 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. I love when he surprises people with his good qualities and overturns their expectations. I love when he gets to rescue someone with his combat skills, help someone with his magical instincts, or solve a dispute with wisdom and compassion.
- Exploring the relics of the past. What ancient ruins still exist in Amefel? What memories do they unfold for 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.
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I ship Tristen with Crissand, with Cefwyn, or with Ninévrisë. For the last two, no infidelity please (ie before Cefwyn and Ninévrisë get together, or they have a special understanding about Tristen, or they never got together and the alliance was made differently).
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?
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I don't have any particular 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.
***
Request 3: Seafort Saga - David Feintuch (Nicholas Seafort, Edgar Tolliver, Vax Holser, Alexi Tamarov) - fanfic
- I love all these characters for their loyalty, bravery, sacrifice, and intense UST. I wish we got to see more of their lives in between the crises they face. I'm happy to read about any, some, or all of them.
- Derelict ships and abandoned outposts! Of course someone has to investigate.
- Shore leave! Possibly together with someone else, who has very different ideas about what they should do on shore leave. Or what games might they play during downtime aboard ship? Something fiercely competitive? Strip poker? Truth or dare?
- Do they ever tell stories about ghost ships that wander through space, or lost colonies that vanished off the map, or sightings of alien artefacts? Has anyone ever encountered them?
- Relationships: I'm fine with gen or ships. If you would like to include shipping, I ship any of these characters with any of the others.
***
