dmarley | Network

A trading voyage leads to first contact and a delightful process of mutual discovery.

Voyager in Night by C J Cherryh

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jadelennox

If anyone needs a hand to get through this month, let me know. You don’t need to explain, it doesn’t need to be SNAP related in any way. Comments screened. (Not doing friend of a friend stuff, just you, people who read this.)

I will probably make this post private in like a week out of sheer embarrassment so ask soon if you need something.

conuly

Happy Election Day, I guess?

conuly

I took over Jenn's game of Cult of the Lamb - which may have been a mistake, because her angry followers whom she starved now pop out of chests and try to kill me - and I defeated the big boss and converted him into a follower. And then I resurrected somebody, and literally the second I stepped outside my temple to go to the healing hut to heal the resurrected follower, the resurrectee ate him. So now I have to do a new resurrection!

james_davis_nicoll

Tried to move my dinner time in just two days, ate too late, crashed my blood sugar, and had to cancel gaming.

(It's not diabetes. It's just that I am incredibly intolerant to eating late)

shipperslist

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wychwood

The most obvious thing about visiting Mum is how much better she is than last time. You can tell, because instead of lying on the sofa snoozing she kept coming in to stare at me, poke things in my vicinity, remind me of things I agreed to do several hours later in the day, and generally manifest an almost physical aura of PLEASE HANG OUT WITH ME. I did my best, but between work, online social things I already had scheduled in my calendar before this visit was agreed, and my desperate need to spend some time On My Own In The Quiet With A Book, it definitely was not enough. Hopefully my brother will do a better job now he's there.

Anyway, I came home and unpacked, caught up with as many delayed chores as I could bring myself to face, and plunged straight back into ordinary life. The laundry is going to be a couple of weeks to get caught up, I can see already...

Work is not exactly quiet, but mostly the sort of normal where I can hope to catch up with some of the lurking to-do list. I'm still three months behind on the reporting (technically four, but there's only about half-an-hour left on July) but I am feeling much less out of control about everything. At least, unless I think too hard about all of the ongoing items in my 121 action tracker.

I've taken the opportunity to book a couple of days off, at which point I'm hoping to make a start on Christmas planning. I didn't have my usual too-early panic this year because September and October did not have enough time for extra panics, but now it's November and I need to get on with it. The year zooms past, my personal to-do list app accumulates overdue items, and the last international posting date is looming, or will once they announce it.

annathecrow posting in

dreamwars

Hi!

This is a free-for-all chat corner. Anything SW-related is fair game.

Have fun!

shipperslist

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james_davis_nicoll

Tabletop rolepurring in the world of Pugmire.

Bundle of Holding: Monarchies of Mau

osprey_archer

Last week, I expressed some disappointment about Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, as I had hoped to be catapulted into a new obsession, but once I accepted that the obsession wasn’t to be, I actually did enjoy the book a lot. And it was super interesting comparing it to the 1994 movie, which Anne Rice wrote the screenplay for and apparently LOVED - like, “she took out a full page ad for the movie in the NYT” level of love.

Many of the changes are just streamlining. For instance, in the book both Louis and Lestat start out with living family members, who no longer exist in the movie (also movie Lestat is IIRC supposedly much too old to have living family members at all), and there’s also a section where Louis and Claudia go to eastern Europe searching for vampires but find only mindless undead bloodsucking revenants, which is cut in the movie to send them straight to Paris and Armand.

But there was one significant change I found fascinating: ( spoilers )

Many people have told me they liked The Vampire Lestat more than Interview with the Vampire, so I plan to read that next Halloween. Then possibly Queen of the Damned the Halloween after? Although let me know if you think I should either stop after The Vampire Lestat or else extend my purview to include any of the later books.

james_davis_nicoll

Modern humans are fine, but what if we had a bit more variety in our stories?

Five Ways Science Fiction Can Expand Beyond Homo sapiens

james_davis_nicoll

Five crucial steps for curating series.

The Care and Feeding of Series

littlerhymes

The Second Confession - Rex Stout
Wild Dark Shore - Charlotte McConaghy
The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman
Kid Wolf and Kraken Boy - Sam J. Miller
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
James - Percival Everett
A Man Lay Dead - Ngaio Marsh
Boyfriend Material - Alexis Hall
Signal to Noise - Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Batman: A Death in the Family - Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies - Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines
Fence 5, 6 and 7- C. S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana Lafuente

( books and comics )

trobadora

rarepairexchange author reveals happened this night! I wrote Word of Honor femslash. :D

It was great to revisit Word of Honor - I need to find time for a full rewatch at some point! It's still so good. And I'm still so delighted with the women of Ghost Valley and all the thematic depth the drama added just by including them. Also, Ghost Valley worldbuilding is a lot of fun to play with!

(I'm a bit bummed out that almost no one seems to have read the fic, in what definitely wasn't a ship of two the last time I checked. But my recipient liked it, so there's that!)

Anyway, here's some backstory about Liu Qianqiao's early days in Ghost Valley:

**

forgetting any other tie but this (5410 words)
Fandom: 山河令 | Word of Honor (TV 2021)
Rating: Mature
Relationship: Liu Qianqiao/Luo Fumeng
Content Tags: Backstory, Canon Compliant, Getting Together, Ghost Valley, Ghost Valley Politics, Department of the Unfaithful, Worldbuilding, cameos by Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang, and several original Ghost characters

Summary: Something was wrong with Xi Sang Gui, and Liu Qianqiao couldn't simply sit and wait.

ruric

Another relatively quiet week.

#ORJENISE100 no specific prompts last week.

HOME: maintained - had an Oddbox deli ery so deep cleaned the fridge, fruit and veg bowls. Haven't started on the bedroom - yet!

HEALTH: finally back to normal.

LIFE ADMIN: nothing done last week.

DIGITAL DECLUTTER: went on a bit of a deleting spree on my main email account and broke the 12k barrier - now down to 11,888 emails. Things are slowing down because I've run out of the easy to delete stuff and am now entering the 15-20 years of history. Keeping up with archiving things off the tablet to Dropbox. Stalled on sorting 900+ images on my phone.

GARDENING/ALLOTMENTING: bought plants/bulbs to finish winter planting of front garden and pots and finished planting the last of the front garden pots. Hoping to get the porch roof ones done before I go away.

COOKING/EATING: had a couple of takeaways on busy days but back to cooking. And the Oddbox delivery led to a meal plan for the next 2 weeks (though I'm away Thursday to Monday). Made a bit pot of balti veg curry and ate a lot of fruit!

READING/LISTENING: nope.

WATCHING: still enjoying Murder Before Evensong.

CREATING/LEARNING: no crocheting this week or classes as teacher is prepping/competing at a cake comp in Rome.

CATS: all good.

VOLUNTEERING: nope.

SOCIALISING: monthly catch up call with friends which I tuned into from the car as I was stuck in an epic traffic jam from Twickenham to Kingston on Thursday night.

WORK: almost caught up. Fingers crossed for a quiet November.

It's the annual Horbling weekend this coming weekend so I am scrambling around to do a bit of sorting and tidying before I go.

sholio

Rewatching Babylon 5's "Ship of Tears" and (parts of) "War Without End" was definitely not conducive to ending up in the most cheerful frame of mind this evening. It's so good, though.

( Something I noticed in Ship of Tears )

ranunculus

I'm still sick, but on the mend apparently. Maybe.
Yesterday I called Pete and asked to use a couple of guys to get the road ready for rain. It took two guys working pretty much all day to get the work done. I crawled out of bed three or four times to get them started and check progress, but otherwise napped and read my book. At least that chore is done, until I have to clean it again in a couple of weeks, because the leaves are far from finished falling. This effort got the grass trimmed back and the first layer of leaves removed, which is SO important.
Today was cleanup paperwork day. The bank accounts are all reconciled (or almost all) but the bills need to be paid tomorrow morning. I'm encouraged to see I have a little money in the bank, getting a new roof and a new stove in one year was brutal.
The new stove is SO nice. It is level. The burners heat evenly instead of whatever the old electric stove was doing. The old stove either didn't actually heat things or it boiled them madly with almost no in between. It was impossible to guess where on the dial that lovely halfway point was even with loads of experience. The new stove just happily got my soup up to simmering and stayed there. Night and day.
The garden is winding down but I'm still picking cucumbers and tomatoes. It would be nice to be out getting the garlic planted, but I don't have enough energy for that yet.
Just posted my ad for the Obstacle Practice day next Sat. There are 3 people signed up already. I think I have all the paperwork for it done, just have to print it and make a pull list of things needed to set the arena.
Cody's cows are back on the place, the calves have just been weaned so things are a bit noisy. That should calm down in two or three days.

conuly

picked out a pair of glasses I just cannot stand. Sending them back, getting a better pair. I do have another spare pair if this one gives out entirely.

james_davis_nicoll

My character discovered that using his acting skills to look like a dangerous opponent kind of backfires if it gets the full attention of something that is a dangerous opponent.

seascribble

As I've said elsewhere, Mr Del Toro put his whole pussy into this movie. Also Grand Admiral Thrawn was there.

We had just recently rewatched The Shape of Water, which is one of my favourite movies. Perry's read Frankenstein but I never have. You'd think, though, between knowing the gist of the story and being familiar with GDT's game I would have been prepared, but I still was really rocked by the gore, especially early on with the pre-Creature science experiments. I had to watch a lot of it with my face covered. I loved it though.

Flawless cast (I don't know what a Jacob Elordi is, but he crushed it), the kind of rich, symbolic visuals you expect from GDT, and an excellent score. The scene where this bright, peppy waltz is playing over Oscar Isaac sawing off limbs is so well done.

I've seen people primarily criticizing two things, one that somebody actually said the line (more or less) "You're the monster, Victor," and that GDT woobyfied the Creature, which weakens the original book's meditation on what role our surroundings play in our choices and what evil looks like and whether you can truly say whether Frankenstein or the Creature is more monstrous than the other. I haven't read the book, so I can't really comment on that, but the Creature does some pretty extreme stuff to a lot of people! Almost entirely reactively, which I think does definitely change the message from the murders that I understand he does in the book, but I don't hate it because I kind of enjoy the musing on the fact that we can be in a situation where evil actions might be the much more likely outcome and still not do them. The short version is simply that GDT is a monsterfucker and he was never going to present a less than sympathetic version of the Creature. I'm fine with it.

I suppose the script wasn't the most subtle, but between the acting chops and the incredible costuming and scenery and details, I didn't have any complaints. Even the monster line was delivered in a really poignant way.

( cut for some slightly more specific spoilers )

I'm really glad we went to see it in the theatre (even though it was 35$ for two tickets, jesus christ) and I'm excited for it to be...acquirable at home next week so we can watch it again. I think it's staying in theatres until it starts streaming on Netflix, so if it's available near you, highly recommend the cinematic experience.

sholio

trickortreatex and

fandomgiftbasket both revealed this weekend. I have gifts to coo over!

Trick or Treat:

Beware of Gurathin Bearing Gifts (Murderbot, gen, 580 wds)
Fun and playful with some nice little cultural details, and a tantalizing hint of a future mission to come.

Fandom Giftbasket:

Jala, Tujula, and Fraught Understanding by

pushkin666 (Babylon 5, Londo & G'Kar, 700 wds)
This is lovely, a possibly-late-in-series vignette with a little bit of cultural exchange (via food/drink) and a little hard-won wisdom/acceptance.

Keepsake by

opalmatrix (Murderbot, gen, 3200 wds)
A really enjoyable, very slightly AU slice-of-life on Port FreeCommerce in which Ratthi takes MB shopping for the first time. Great in-character interactions and a lovely ending!

Zayd & Marwan by

celli (Murderbot, gen, 750 wds)
Murderbot, Mensah's kids, and cats. Cute and fun!

james_davis_nicoll

In case the image does not load or someone cannot read it: it is a Bluesky post reading "I firmly believe the Jays would have won had Diefenbaker not cancelled the Avro Arrow."

There are 7 reposts, 2 quotes, and 48 likes.

lassarina

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thistleingrey

Jack Turban, Free to Be: Understanding Kids and Gender Identity (2024)
Rather nuanced.

Sophie Kim, The God and the Gumiho (2024)
Featured earlier this year on a local library's OverDrive landing page. It seems a good match for readers who like het romances, grey (not "good") lead characters, and a setting not unlike that of KPop Demon Hunters. Hmm---he's the fallen god of deceit (seriously, it's a whiny iteration of folktale Seokga, in a 'verse where Mireuk is bad); she's a gumiho, neither young nor nice; and together, they ... fight crime. Everyone whose physical presence is described resembles a kpop idol, and/or a character in a shoujo manga (but not necessarily manhwa).

Not my bag, but I like that the text lets the reader sort out the mythological tangles instead of pre-simplifying the 1990s-ish setting. As settings go, it's no harder than a contemporary semi-sageuk kdrama, after all (cf. the 2020 tv show Gumihodyeon (which isn't sageuk), or see the more spoilery summary---I haven't watched the show).

james_davis_nicoll

Was Fred Halpern the boy space hero the papers believed him or the headstrong fool his teachers saw?

Moon of Mutiny (Jim Stanley, volume 3) by Lester del Rey

conuly

I don’t care if it is in character, pick another word! (And while it ought to be in character, she hasn’t exactly been dropping the big words every other dialog line. Or if she has, I didn’t notice?)

goodbyebird

I’ve been diligently chipping away at gathering fics to rec this December, but hey, maybe more folks want to join in? And they’d need some time to prepare as well. So

rec_cember is now a thing. Hopefully having a bit of a community around it can encourage more people to join in. Maybe have a weekly check in post during the month as well. I am pondering and scheming and whatnot.

Come hang?

Current Music: Florence + The Machine - You Can Have It All

shipperslist

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lannamichaels

It's a beautiful day to start a Westing Game reread just to see how much of it was being done by Sidney Sikes behind the scenes. (Obviously he's the limping person Chris sees, and very likely the one whispering to Turtle.)

Pay no attention to the 6K words of fic I did not have two days ago.

(You want a rare pair, I suspect I am the only person who ships Sam Westing/Sidney Sikes) (the fic is not about that. The fic is about Alice Deere) (okay not really)

yuletidemods posting in

yuletide_pinch_hits

We have ten new pinch hits, numbered #39-48. These pinch hits are due at the main assignment deadline of Wednesday 17 December at 9pm UTC.

Comments are turned off for this community. To claim a pinch hit, please email the mods at yuletideadmin@gmail.com and:

Include the pinch hit number in the subject line
Include the recipient’s AO3 name in the subject line
Include your AO3 username in the body of the email

For example, if your AO3 username is yuletidehippo and you want to claim Pinch Hit #42 for AwsomRecip, you might email us with the subject line “PH 42 for AwsomRecip” and “I’m yuletidehippo on AO3” in the body of the email. As was the case previously, if you don’t receive a reply you did not get the pinch hit.

CLAIMED - PH #39: The Venture Bros, Breathless (1983), The Bold and the Beautiful, Carrie - Stephen King, Fleetwood Mac (Band), The Piano (1993), Bloom County, Soulmate Goose AU Suggestion - shitty-check-please-aus (Tumblr Post)

This pinch hit is claimed, but treats are welcome!

Request 1 by GreenGlowingNeedle
The Venture Bros
Characters: Brock Samson, Shoreleave (Venture Bros.)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

More Brock backstory! More of Brock while he's not with the Ventures; more of him in New York.
I love Shore Leave with all my heart and I just want him to be happy! Anything that gives me this will please me. A day in his life, a successful mission or a happy first date.
If you want to go Brock/Shore Leave I will not protest!

No letter

Request 2 by GreenGlowingNeedle
Breathless (1983)
Characters: Monica Poiccard (Breathless), Jesse Lujack (Breathless)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

While Jesse is probably dead by the end of the movie, I'd still love to see what would happen if he gets shot but lives. Does his passion for Monica somehow flame out when they have a kid (did she even lie about being pregnant?). Missing road tip scenes. More about Jesse's comic book love.
You can give me anything from lighthearted smut to deep character studies to time loops.
Don't Want: rape, character bashing

No letter

Request 3 by GreenGlowingNeedle
The Bold and the Beautiful
Characters: Luna Nozawa
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

I love Luna's imperfectly perfect, wild self. Anything that explains her weaknesses, her strengths. Give me a major AU!

No letter

Request 4 by GreenGlowingNeedle
Carrie - Stephen King
Characters: Carrie White (Carrie - Stephen King)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form

High school angst agogo, with the spooky joy of the supernatural thrown in.
Carrie lives AUs are always fun, but so is Carrie as a ghost. Her as a child, or anything where she can play with her fate would be fun. I want to see her thrive, even if that thriving means her becoming a demon of another stripe.
I love Sue's "normal girl but touched by hell" reaction to life post-Bloody Prom. I want to see her guiding the next generation but also being a foolish kid. What if she hadn't miscarried?
I'd like either Sue and Carrie being friends or them being in a relationship; whatever strikes your fancy! They can go to the prom together or get tuck doing a project; anything.

No letter

Request 5 by GreenGlowingNeedle
Fleetwood Mac (Band)
Characters: Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Give me these two being messy as heck. Different forks in the road. Getting back together for a secret rendezvous. Text message chains. Being called into action at a serious point of crisis and going from begrudging colleagues to falling in love. Or maybe they stayed together, worked it out, and ended up with kids, as Stevie mentioned they might have. Office AUs, art colony AUs. Stevie as a fae queen looking for revenge on commoner Lindsay, who stole her kingdom's music and brought it to the masses? Anything at all.

No letter

Request 6 by GreenGlowingNeedle
The Piano (1993)
Characters: Ada McGrath (TP), Flora McGrath (TP), George Baines (TP)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

How do Ada and George get on after the movie? Who does Flora grow up into? Ada/George PWP, missing scenes - anything that sparks your imagination!
No letter

Request 7 by GreenGlowingNeedle
Bloom County
Characters: Milo Bloom, Michael Binkley, Oliver Wendell Jones
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I love everyone in this Meadow, but these four are my faves. I love Milo's business oriented ways and how that tends to meld and mesh with his fleeting optimism. Oliver's belief in tech - how does he feel about AI? (Feel free to expand upon this by reading Berke's latest strips). Michael's joyful and gossip-oriented ways dealing with Deux Moi and TMZ and all of those folks. Break the fourth wall, get meta - the strip would!
It's a political season, this is a political strip, so feel free to get as political as necessary!
Don't Want: rape, character bashing
No letter

Request 8 by GreenGlowingNeedle
Soulmate Goose AU Suggestion - shitty-check-please-aus (Tumblr Post)
Characters: The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement (Soulmate Goose AU Suggestion), Worldbuilding (Soulmate Goose AU Suggestion)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I'm gonna leave this one as wide-open as possible if we matched on this. Build me a world, yulegoat, build me the perfect goose.
No letter

CLAIMED - PH #40: Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë, 50 First Dates (2004), Hairspray (2007), The Rutles (Band), The Gilded Age (TV 2022), Will (TV 2017), Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mysteries Series - Claudia Gray, Amadeus (1984)

This pinch hit is claimed, but treats are welcome!

Request 1 by SurrenderTheMoreoes
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
Characters: Bertha Mason (Jane Eyre), Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre), Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

Jane backstory; Edward in the early years. Bertha - escaping and not, regaining her mind or not.
I would enjoy some Jane/Edward and I wouldn't mind some smut featuring them, but anything psychologically complex that really probes at the imperfect darkness here would be a delight.

No letter

Request 2 by SurrenderTheMoreoes
50 First Dates (2004)
Characters: Lucy Whitmore (50 First Dates), Henry Roth (50 First Dates)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

I love this movie so much. More of the two of them together -- missing dates. The art of courting your wife every single day. The art of trusting your husband every single day. Trying to be a mom when you can't remember what happened to MAKE you a mom. Sea frolicks.

No letter

Request 3 by SurrenderTheMoreoes
Hairspray (2007)
Characters: Corny Collins (Hairspray), Seaweed Stubbs (Hairspray), Motormouth Maybelle (Hairspray), Little Inez Stubbs (Hairspray)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I brake for Maybelle/Corny. I'd love to see them teaming up to do further good together, or putting their heads together to
Inez is such a great character - what does life look like for her when she grows up? Who does she become?
Seaweed without Penny - his education, his activism, and his dancing. More of everyone, doing something together and being a family - maybe celebrating the holidays?

No letter

Request 4 by SurrenderTheMoreoes
The Rutles (Band)
Characters: Stig O'Hara, Ron Nasty, Dirk McQuickly, Barry Wom
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

Anything that's in the tone of the documentary series or the music; more song parodies, more ridiculous events in their lives and every kind of mocking parody you can imagine.

No letter

Request 5 by SurrenderTheMoreoes
The Gilded Age (TV 2022)
Characters: Oscar van Rhijn, Marian Brook, Larry Russell (The Gilded Age), Peggy Scott
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I am a sucker for Larry/Marian and adore Oscar and Peggy, but more social climbing and fashionably unfashionable antics will make my day for this one.

No letter

Request 6 by SurrenderTheMoreoes
Will (TV 2017)
Characters: Christopher Marlowe (Will TV 2017), Barrett Emerson (Will TV 2017), Alice Burbage (Will TV 2017)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

Barrett lives. Barrett lives and it makes Christopher's life difficult, because he sold his soul to the devil to keep Barrett alive. Pre-canon antics, PWP. Finding the light, finding the darkness. Finding the joy of art. Barrett as an angel, or an avenging ghost.
I like Alice much more when she's away from Will, so show me more of her spy work, and her life at the theater when it has nothing to do with sex with Will.
No letter

Request 7 by SurrenderTheMoreoes
Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mysteries Series - Claudia Gray
Characters: Juliet Tilney, Jonathan Darcy
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

More Austenian mysteries for these two to share! I want a fic featuring both of them, feel free to use any of their family members as background characters if need be.
No letter

Request 8 by SurrenderTheMoreoes
Amadeus (1984)
Characters: Antonio Salieri (Amadeus), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Amadeus 1984)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Jealousy and madness-fueled jealousy fucking. Buddying up to your worst enemy. Loving someone as much as you hate them. Being the widower, basically. Also a peek into their mutual creative process. Have them write something together!
No letter

CLAIMED - PH #41: Persuasion - Jane Austen, Phantom of the Paradise (1974), Mystery Science Theater 3000, Devil's Cub - Georgette Heyer, American Dad!, Emperor's New Groove (2000), Tam Lin - Anonymous (Song), Father Ted

This pinch hit is claimed, but treats are welcome!

Request 1 by ChickletForrest
Persuasion - Jane Austen
Characters: Anne Elliot, Frederick Wentworth
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

All of the yearning, the pining and the angst...and all of the domestic bliss, the time on a ship, and at-last smut. It really depends on where you'd like to take them. Getting together while snowed in, or because one of them is sick Maybe they end up getting together earlier in the story thanks to a better stroke of luck or never separate. Maybe they never see each other again until they're older. Persuasion in medieval times, in the 1960s, in Old Hollywood, in the wild west? Holiday fic would be lovely for them.

No letter

Request 2 by ChickletForrest
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Characters: Winslow Leach | The Phantom, Phoenix (Phantom of the Paradise), Beef (Phantom of the Paradise), Beach Bums (Phantom of the Paradise)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

I'm obsessed with all things Beef. I want an AU that shows what it would've been like had he lived. I want missing scenes that explain his rise and how he came up with his divo character, since he does arrive at Swan's door fully formed.
I want to see what Phoenix does after the disaster of her non-wedding. Is she an industry pariah? Does she rise above with a tribute album, like she's a mini-Eddie? Does she do something entirely different and write a tell-all? Or what might have happened had she truly pledged herself to Swan?
Winslow in creation. When he dies, does he really go to hell? He spares Beef and has a spy, so to speak, in Winslow's camp, but things get complex. He and Phoenix tumbling into each other's arms and consummating things.
A Winslow-doesn't-sign the contract AU might also be fun, and I can't unimagine a tin pan alley AU with Phoenix and Winslow as a couple of earnest songwriters.
Beach Bums/Juicy Fruits/The Undead background and

No letter

Request 3 by ChickletForrest
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Characters: Gypsy | GPC (MST3K), Pearl Forrester (MST3K(, Joel Robinson (MST3K), Mike Nelson (MST3K)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form

An evergreen fandom for me; I love everything about it. Joel's sleepiness and inventiveness, and his belief in the honesty and goodness of humanity in general. Mike is far more cynical, and Emily falls somewhere in between.
I'd like to see Mike and Emily meet; we have no idea what their dynamic is because they've never been in the same room together. Mike and Joel reconnecting on earth? I like Mike/Joel as a pairing, so if you'd like to use them, or include any of the mads or robots as side characters, that'd be delightful.

No letter

Request 4 by ChickletForrest
Devil's Cub - Georgette Heyer
Characters: Dominic Alastair, Mary Challoner, Léonie de Saint-Vire, Justin Alastair
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Post-canon Dominic and Mary -- honeymoons, wedding nights, babyfic, etc. Or forks in the roads or AUS -- anything you think that works and fits! I love them both and I want more!
I love Justin's attempt at reforming, and Leonie's attitude. Give me pre or post-canon, missing scenes, anything you like!

No letter

Request 5 by ChickletForrest
American Dad!
Characters: Stan Smith, Steve Smith (American Dad!), Klaus Heisler, Roger Smith (American Dad!)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form

Canon-typical shenanigans would be fun, especially if you want to create an epic holiday story like the type the show does every Christmas. But if you want to do something more serious or reflective, have at it. The show's gotten plenty of mileage out of serious Steve and Stan and Klaus and Roger-centric plotlines before, after all.
Fandom-related DNW: I'm not keen on Stan/Steve; Roger/Stan, Klaus/Stan and Roger/Klaus are all fair game and you can feel free writing them for me

No letter

Request 6 by ChickletForrest
Emperor's New Groove (2000)
Characters: Kuzco (Emperor's New Groove), Pacha (Emperor's New Groove), Chicha (Emperor's New Groove)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Wackiness and also tenderness; I'm here for Pacha/Chicha, Kuzco/Pacha and Pacha/Chicha/Kuzco in equal amounts. Feel free to use any other movie character that catches your fancy as a background character. Tell me about how Pacha and Chicha met, give me post-canon fun/
Fandom-centered DNW: No infidelity between Pacha and Chicha, so if you want to go the Kuzco/Pacha route, feel free to have had them divorce or write a story where they were never together.
No letter

Request 7 by ChickletForrest
Tam Lin - Anonymous (Song)
Characters: Janet and Tam Lin's Baby (Tam Lin Song), Fairy Queen (Tam Lin Song), Tam Lin (Tam Lin Song), Janet (Tam Lin Song)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

Janet and Tam PWP that takes us through their many encounters until he learns of her pregnancy; things go very wrong and then very right when she saves him; in the aftermath, dealing with the remnants of the magic that has been bestowed them. Does the queen claim revenge? What was she like in eons before? Who does the baby grow up to be? What kind of family do Janet and Tam Lin make?
Fandom-specific DN: The Queen winning permanently in any way
No letter

Request 8 by ChickletForrest
Father Ted
Characters: Mrs. Doyle (Father Ted), Jack Hackett (Father Ted), Ted Crilly (Father Ted), Dougal McGuire (Father Ted)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Anything that feel like canon would be fun. Bonus points if it's holiday flavored!
No letter

CLAIMED - PH #42: Impromptu (1991), Like a Prayer - Madonna (Music Video), Where Angels Fear To Tread - E. M. Forster, Den stygge stesøsteren | The Ugly Stepsister (2025), Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Movie 2022), My Two Dads (TV), Manchild - Sabrina Carpenter (Music Video), The Golden Girls (TV 1985)

This pinch hit is claimed, but treats are welcome!

Request 1 by CherryPinkAndAppleBlossomWhite
Impromptu (1991)
Characters: Marie D'Agoult (Impromptu), Franz Liszt (Impromptu), Frédéric Chopin (Impromptu), George Sand (Impromptu)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form

I love the complicated, ridiculous tangle between these four people. I want it to be messy and gossipy and backbiting and filled with passion! I love George's nontraditional pursuit of Frédéric and I want to see how that extends in their relationship (in their bedroom?). And Marie and Franz' endless, baby-laden drama -- well, I'll take anything from smut to a historical AU where they stick together.
Feel free to feature any of the other nominated characters in the tagset, especially Alfred!

No letter

Request 2 by CherryPinkAndAppleBlossomWhite
Like a Prayer - Madonna (Music Video)
Characters: Murdered Woman (Like a Prayer MV), Madonna's Character (Like A Prayer MV), Choir Leader (Like a Prayer MV), Black Saint (Like a Prayer MV)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

The play-within-a-music-video nature of this music video is so interesting; how much is fiction? Is it based on a true story? Are the play's actors being haunted by the ghosts of these saints and victims? Is a miracle happening when Madonna's character makes love to the black saint? Why does the choir welcome her so joyfully? Murdered woman backstory!

No letter

Request 3 by CherryPinkAndAppleBlossomWhite
Where Angels Fear To Tread - E. M. Forster
Characters: Lilia Herriton (Where Angels Fear to Tread), Gino Carella (Where Angels Fear to Tread), Caroline Abbott (Where Angels Fear To Tread), Philip Herriton (Where Angels Fear to Tread)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

A major theme of every Forster novel is that travel makes you romantically insane. Give me a story where Lilia lives to raise her son with Gino, but Caroline follows her to Italy anyway to find out what on earth has happened to her. Or Lilia DOES die and give me more background that explains why Caroline's in love with Gino. Correspondence between the cousins. Anything you like.
Or perhaps Philip falls for Gino. Or Caroline chooses both Philip AND Gino, since she's already bucking convention. Go very cute or very passionate, I'm into it all.

No letter

Request 4 by CherryPinkAndAppleBlossomWhite
Den stygge stesøsteren | The Ugly Stepsister (2025)
Characters: Agnes | The Ugly Stepsister (2025), Alma | The Ugly Stepsister (2025), Elvira | The Ugly Stepsister (2025)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

I want to know how Alma and Elvira manage without their mother. Does Agnes recover from her injuries? Find love again? Do they settle into happy but edgy spinsterhood? What if the prince comes calling, dissatisfied with Agnes' lack of 'purity' and they decide to Goodbye Earl him?
How does Agnes survive the political machinations she's now up against at court? Nature seems to be on her side - is she a witch? Does she ever regret what she's done? When she has daughters, does she understand the sacrifices Rebekka and Elvira made?
Feel free to use Julian if you need to for this story but I naturally don't want anything entirely focused on him.

No letter

Request 5 by CherryPinkAndAppleBlossomWhite
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Movie 2022)
Characters: Madonna (Weird), Weird Al Yankovic (Weird)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

This movie is bananas and I'd love for you to make it even more bananas. Write a parody fic! Make Al a zombie, back and trying to take revenge on Madonna! Madonna trying to stay on top of the pop food chain, by any means necessary. Missing scenes and moments from their "affair." Al lives AU (wait, would that be reality?).

No letter

Request 6 by CherryPinkAndAppleBlossomWhite
My Two Dads (TV)
Characters: Nicole Bradford, Michael Taylor (My Two Dads), Joey Harris (My Two Dads)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I'm definitely here for Michael/Joey and any and every cheesy trope you can throw at them (Sharing a bed! Fake dating/married!), but I'm also interested in how their joint raising of Nicole shaped her as a person. Is she as unflappable as she was in her youth? Is she an artist? An activist? An accountant?
Feel free to ignore the show's series finale and pretend that Joey never moved to California, or if you want to use it, explore Nicole's complicated feelings about having to fly out to see Joey every now and again. Future fic with Joey and Michael babysitting Nicole's kid would be extra funny.
IF you want to stick with gen, feel free to stay canon-typical and give me a breezy plot in which Michael and Joey have to help Nicole with some important event.
Marcy Lives. She didn't, but comes back wrong. Nicole keeps seeing her in her dreams and discovers Michael and Joey have been seeing her too.
No letter

Request 7 by CherryPinkAndAppleBlossomWhite
Manchild - Sabrina Carpenter (Music Video)
Characters: Sabrina Carpenter's Character (Manchild MV)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

I need to know more about this character! And her roadtripping! And her homicidal ways. We get all these little snippets! Give me something that's missing or weave them all together into a different kind of narrative.
No letter

Request 8 by CherryPinkAndAppleBlossomWhite
The Golden Girls (TV 1985)
Characters: Dorothy Zbornak, Blanche Devereaux, Rose Nylund, Sophia Petrillo
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Adventures set during the holiday season; missing scenes
No letter

CLAIMED - PH #43: Final Fantasy XII, GetBackers, Metaphor: ReFantazio (Video Game)

This pinch hit is claimed, but treats are welcome!

Request 1 by joulethieves
Final Fantasy XII
Characters: Vaan (FF XII), Balthier (FF XII)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

No prompts

No letter

Request 2 by joulethieves
GetBackers
Characters: Midou Ban, Amano Ginji
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

No prompts

No letter

Request 3 by joulethieves
Metaphor: ReFantazio (Video Game)
Characters: Leon Strohl, Basilio Magnus
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

No prompts

No letter

CLAIMED - PH #44: Astreiant Series - Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett, The Charioteer - Mary Renault, Forever Knight (TV 1992), New Tricks, Prehistoric Park, Biggles Series - W. E. Johns

Request 1 by greerwatson
Astreiant Series - Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett
Characters: Philip Eslingen, Nicolas Rathe, Worldbuilding (Astreiant)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

The worldbuilding in this series is fascinating in its detail. On the one hand, you have the mundane aspects of Astreiant culture: points and politics across all the books; but individual books introduce dog races, theatre, and flower symbolism. There is the magical side: the astrology that rules everyone's lives, the ghosts and the gods. I'd like a story that expands on either (or both!) aspects of worldbuilding, whether a deeper look into canon or something new.
I've also asked for Rathe and Eslingen. Their developing romance runs through the series; and I'd like to see something of this. However, I DNW smut. Casefic would be wonderful; but so would character-oriented genslash.
I don't like anything more than PG13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. DNW first or second person fic. Feel free to include other characters from the series if you want.

Letter:
https://greerwatson.dreamwidth.org/158362.html

Request 2 by greerwatson
The Charioteer - Mary Renault
Characters: Any
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Quite a lot of fan fiction focuses on the canonical romances; so I'd prefer a story that's a bit different. Perhaps a gen school story or other backstory? Or war-time futurefic: e.g. Ralph's future in the Navy, Laurie after he's mustered out; life for the Straikes &/or Aunt Olive during the war; Andrew with the Friends Ambulance Corps; Alec or Sandy as army doctors (or any combination thereof)? Other possibilities: an insider's view of the Bridstow scene, Bunny getting his comeuppance (or Bunny's p.o.v.), a slice-of-life at the E.M.S. hospital; Ralph in a P.o.W. camp. Feel free to include other characters besides those nominated.
I prefer gen-type plots; but I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships, since they're integral to the book. However, I don't like anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. DNW second person fic. Epistolary fic is fine.

Letter:
https://greerwatson.dreamwidth.org/158362.html

Request 3 by greerwatson
Forever Knight (TV 1992)
Characters: Any
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Casefic is always a treat; and I enjoy ensemble stories, both in terms of the interplay back at the station and also the detective story plots. If you prefer to focus on an individual, perhaps family/personal life/backstory (for police characters), or history/backstory (for the vampires, whether Nick's "family", Vachon's crew, or others). By all means include characters who weren't nominated if you want. I like all three seasons equally.
I prefer gen; but I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships. However, in that respect, I don't like anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. You can go higher rated for crime scenes. I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic, and that sort of thing. I prefer not to have canon characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. DNW AUs or crossovers. However, feel free to ignore "Last Knight" if you want. DNW first- or second-person fic.

Letter:
https://greerwatson.dreamwidth.org/158362.html

Request 4 by greerwatson
New Tricks
Characters: Sandra Pullman, Gerry Standing, Jack Halford, Brian Lane
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

This was always very much an ensemble show; and I'd like something similar to canon. Casefic would be delightful; but, if you don't feel like tackling a plotty fic, it's the banter between the team that made the show so appealing, whether at the station, in the car, or in the pub at the end of the day. Feel free to expand to include other characters from the show, including family members. I'm especially fond of Brian's wife, Esther.
I don't like anything more than PG13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. DNW romance between the requested characters; but canon-level flirting from Gerry is okay. I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. DNW AUs or crossovers. DNW second person fic.

Letter:
https://greerwatson.dreamwidth.org/158362.html

Request 5 by greerwatson
Prehistoric Park
Characters: Worldbuilding (Prehistoric Park)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Dinosaurs! Or mammoths, trilobites, or what have you. Your choice of time period, but I'd prefer something as-yet-unvisited. Ideally, something along the lines of a new episode—well, a single time trip plus a bit back at the park.
Canon-compliant gen, please. I don't like anything more than PG13. DNW romance/smut involving human characters. However, it's okay to mention the animals at Prehistoric Park having offspring. I prefer not to have canon characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. DNW first- or second-person fic. DNW any screenplay or transcription format.

Letter:
https://greerwatson.dreamwidth.org/158362.html

Request 6 by greerwatson
Biggles Series - W. E. Johns
Characters: James "Biggles" Bigglesworth (Biggles Series - W.E. Johns), Algy Lacey (Biggles Series - W.E. Johns)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

The Biggles books span a hefty chunk of the 20th century, from World War I to the 1960s; which time period you prefer to write about is up to you. However, I have a soft spot for the WWI period, not just because of the authenticity of the flying scenes but also because of the all too believable shift in Biggles himself from a daring, gallant, and very young hero to a tired, burnt-out veteran. At the other end of his long and active career, he becomes leader of a team of special service police officers during the Cold War. I find the close friendship among the colleagues with whom he shares digs to be very appealing. Especially fascinating also is his evolving relationship with Erich von Stalhein as they "bury the hatchet" of their antagonism, ultimately becoming friends.
I've only requested Biggles and Algy because they're the ones who appear through the whole series. Feel free to include any other canonical characters appropriate to the period in which you set your story.
I don't like anything more than PG13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. DNW crossovers or AUs, except canon divergence. DNW first- or second-person fic. DNW actual supernatural activity. I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic or killed in battle; and references to canonical deaths are okay. However, DNW any requested characters dying in the story. Holiday fic is fine.
Letter:
https://greerwatson.dreamwidth.org/158362.html

Previous canon promotion: Biggles

CLAIMED - PH #45: Library of Alexandria RPF, Shadow of the Leviathan - Robert Jackson Bennett, Knives Out (Movies)

This pinch hit is claimed, but treats are welcome!

Request 1 by curtaincall
Library of Alexandria RPF
Characters: Zenodotus of Ephesus, Aristarchus of Samothrace
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

General likes: plotty stuff, humor, mystery, satire of corporate culture, epistolary/document-based stories, heists, riddles/puzzles, trains
General DNW: explicit sex (strong implications/suggestive content/sex jokes all fine), death of requested characters, rape/noncon, underage sex, extreme angst, in-depth discussion of sexual or gender identity, BDSM or other D/s, unrequested noncanon pairings for requested characters, detailed description of pregnancy, unrequested setting AUs
Fandom-specific notes:
So my entire basis for nominating/requesting this is that we were reading the Iliad and talking about the manuscript history and my professor said something along the lines of "Aristarchus always goes with the opposite of whatever Zenodotus does, he always picks the opposite reading." And that made me desperately curious about what Aristarchus might have thought of Zenodotus himself (since he has such a tendency to disagree violently with him), and what Zenodotus might have thought of Aristarchus' reactions to his work.
I know they weren't alive at the same time so I'd be perfectly happy with Aristarchus just thinking/talking about Zenodotus, but if you want to either change the timeline so that they could possibly meet or introduce some kind of time travel into the mix I would also enjoy that! (But please don't do a full modern AU.)
Some more prompts/ideas:
- daily life at the Library for either/both of them
- what drives their differing approaches to the text? (lectio facilior vs lectio difficilior, etc)
- a modern-day scholar, or a later librarian, going through their different edits and puzzling out something about what's going on with them
- Adding romance/tension between them would be welcome as would keeping it on a professional/rivals level
- I can read Ancient Greek (and Latin, if that should become relevant), so if you want to include any I'd love it! (Please consider this my explicit opt-in to receive fic in Latin or Ancient Greek rather than English.)

No letter

Request 2 by curtaincall
Shadow of the Leviathan - Robert Jackson Bennett
Characters: Anagosa Dolabra, Dinios Kol, Worldbuilding (Shadow of the Leviathan)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form

General likes: plotty stuff, humor, mystery, satire of corporate culture, epistolary/document-based stories, heists, riddles/puzzles, trains
General DNW: explicit sex (strong implications/suggestive content/sex jokes all fine), death of requested characters, rape/noncon, underage sex, extreme angst, in-depth discussion of sexual or gender identity, BDSM or other D/s, unrequested noncanon pairings for requested characters, detailed description of pregnancy, unrequested setting AUs
Fandom-specific notes:
Per the additional tag, I'm fine with a worldbuilding fic that doesn't include Ana and Din, or Ana and Din fic that doesn't include worldbuilding! DNW romantic Ana/Din.
Ideas/prompts:
- Case fic - maybe Ana and Din have an opportunity to solve some smaller-scale mystery? Maybe one or both of them is unjustly accused? Maybe they have to in some way do a bit of what the other does?
- Travel adventures/misadventures for Ana and Din!
- In-universe documents about the Empire, the administration, the many constituent parts. Bureaucratic nitty-gritty!
- More about the augurs in particular, or specific types of enhancements in general

No letter

Request 3 by curtaincall
Knives Out (Movies)
Characters: Benoit Blanc (Knives Out)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

General likes: plotty stuff, humor, mystery, satire of corporate culture, epistolary/document-based stories, heists, riddles/puzzles, trains
General DNW: explicit sex (strong implications/suggestive content/sex jokes all fine), death of requested characters, rape/noncon, underage sex, extreme angst, in-depth discussion of sexual or gender identity, BDSM or other D/s, unrequested noncanon pairings for requested characters, detailed description of pregnancy, unrequested setting AUs
Fandom-specific prompts:
- Case fic! Potential settings: train (either a fancy one or a subway), archaeological dig, animal shelter, political campaign - or anything else that you're knowledgeable and passionate about.
- Going off the part in Glass Onion where he struggles at Among Us, it would be fun to see him having more difficulty with social deduction games, or another kind of game/puzzle.
- I could honestly buy him as either a more strictly-business, no mystery-solving off the clock guy OR someone who can't help diving into little mysteries as he comes across them, so I'd enjoy either a fic where he keeps encountering small mysteries and stubbornly refusing to engage with them, or one where he does find and solve one!
- I plan to watch Wake Up Dead Man before works are revealed, so no need to worry about spoilers!

No letter

CLAIMED - PH #46: Kraftwerk (Band), Nescafe "Arctica" | "Polar Explorers" Advertisements (Russia), Wingmen - Ensan Case, The Odd Couple (TV 1970), Бриллиантовая рука | The Diamond Arm (1969)

This pinch hit is claimed, but treats are welcome!

Request 1 by gowan43
Kraftwerk (Band)
Characters: Any
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Check out my letter for my particular likes! I am open to treats.
I would love a fic that explores any of the nominated characters’ feelings about how Kraftwerk has changed over time, perhaps looking back at the early years compared to the current year they’re in. It could take place from the late 70s to even today, since all four of the nominated characters are still alive except for Florian, even if two out of three left the band. You could even write a fic that involves Florian’s death if you want.
Alternatively, there is so much angst potential surrounding Ralf’s 1982 cycling accident. How do the other band members feel about the accident? What are their fears and worries while Ralf is in a coma? How do they feel after he comes back to consciousness? How does Ralf feel about it? You don’t need to answer all these questions if you don’t want.
These are just some ideas. Please don’t feel limited by them!
I have no strong feelings about shipping them or writing them gen. I do appreciate Ralf/Florian in particular, but it’s not essential by any means, and if you want to write Ralf and Florian as friends or ship something other than Ralf/Florian, I am totally here for it.
General DNWs

Omegaverse

Gender swaps

Trans headcanons for canonical characters

Hanahaki disease

Setting/time period change AUs

Mpreg

Kidfic (either the characters being children or a fic centered on them taking care of a child. Mentions of children are fine)

Characters as supernatural beings (vampires, werewolves, wizards, etc.)

Characters learning to drive/going to driver’s ed (characters driving is fine, I just don’t want a fic involving the process of learning to drive)

Car crashes

Smut-specific DNWs

Underage sex

Incest

Scat, watersports, emetophilia

Rimming

Ageplay, pacifiers/diapers for adults

Boypussy/girldick

Feederism

Pet play

24/7 BDSM lifestyle/BDSM AU

Mommy/daddy kink

Breathplay/choking

Knifeplay

Letter:
https://gowan43.dreamwidth.org/484.html

Request 2 by gowan43
Nescafe "Arctica" | "Polar Explorers" Advertisements (Russia)
Characters: Ivanov (Nescafe Commercial), Petrov (Nescafe Commercial)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Check out my letter for my particular likes! I am open to treats.
I'm fine with my gift for this particular fandom being written in Russian. Even if it’s my only gift. But if you'd rather write in English, that's fine too!
I’d love seeing Ivanov and Petrov huddling for warmth. I love that trope so much, and it just seems so obvious for the setting. Maybe they ran out of fuel and can’t heat their cabin anymore. Maybe that also means they can’t make their beloved Nescafé!
Even if you don’t want to write them huddling for warmth, overall, I’d just love something that involves how tough their living environment is. The whole survivalist element of polar exploration is something that I think might be interesting to write about. You could go in a dark, serious direction with that if you’d like, and I’d be all for it. But I am also very willing for there to be humor involved, especially around their undying appreciation of Nescafé.
Or you can write something totally different! These prompts are just ideas.
I have no strong feelings about shipping the Polars or writing them as just friends. Do whatever feels right for the story!
General DNWs

Omegaverse

Gender swaps

Trans headcanons for canonical characters

Hanahaki disease

Setting/time period change AUs

Mpreg

Kidfic (either the characters being children or a fic centered on them taking care of a child. Mentions of children are fine)

Characters as supernatural beings (vampires, werewolves, wizards, etc.)

Characters learning to drive/going to driver’s ed (characters driving is fine, I just don’t want a fic involving the process of learning to drive)

Car crashes

Smut-specific DNWs

Underage sex

Incest

Scat, watersports, emetophilia

Rimming

Ageplay, pacifiers/diapers for adults

Boypussy/girldick

Feederism

Pet play

24/7 BDSM lifestyle/BDSM AU

Mommy/daddy kink

Breathplay/choking

Knifeplay

Letter:
https://gowan43.dreamwidth.org/484.html

Request 3 by gowan43
Wingmen - Ensan Case
Characters: Jack Hardigan, Fred Trusteau, Eleanor Hawkins
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form

I’m particularly interested in either Jack and Fred or Jack and Eleanor.
Check out my letter for my particular likes! I am open to treats.
There is so much potential to draw on for Jack and Fred’s postwar life. It might be worth exploring Jack’s increasing paranoia around being found out later in his life, which is only mentioned in a single paragraph in the book. Or you could take it in a more lighthearted route: domestic fluff together as they establish their new life in San Jose, perhaps with a little angst undercurrent as they are still having to be discreet about their relationship. These are just two ideas for their life together after the war.
Alternatively, I’d love gen Jack & Eleanor. I think it would be especially interesting to see Eleanor realizing that the reason why Jack didn’t go after her like Duane did is that he’s gay. Perhaps it dawns on her on her own. Or, perhaps Jack finally comes out to her at some point, since she is his friend, after all. Or maybe even both of that in the same fic! But even if you don’t go that exact route, I would love to read a fic that further explores Jack and Eleanor’s friendship.
These are just two things I’m thinking about, but don’t feel like you have to follow them!
Fandom-specific DNW: Jack or Fred being genuinely romantically/sexually attracted to any woman.
General DNWs

Omegaverse

Gender swaps

Trans headcanons for canonical characters

Hanahaki disease

Setting/time period change AUs

Mpreg

Kidfic (either the characters being children or a fic centered on them taking care of a child. Mentions of children are fine)

Characters as supernatural beings (vampires, werewolves, wizards, etc.)

Characters learning to drive/going to driver’s ed (characters driving is fine, I just don’t want a fic involving the process of learning to drive)

Car crashes

Smut-specific DNWs

Underage sex

Incest

Scat, watersports, emetophilia

Rimming

Ageplay, pacifiers/diapers for adults

Boypussy/girldick

Feederism

Pet play

24/7 BDSM lifestyle/BDSM AU

Mommy/daddy kink

Breathplay/choking

Knifeplay

Letter:
https://gowan43.dreamwidth.org/484.html

Request 4 by gowan43
The Odd Couple (TV 1970)
Characters: Oscar Madison (The Odd Couple TV 1970), Felix Unger (The Odd Couple TV 1970)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)

Check out my letter for my particular likes! I am open to treats.
Something I immediately noticed upon beginning to watch this show is how the dynamic between these two is not typical for roommates or even friends. I have lived with roommates before, and I have never experienced a situation where one always cooks for the other. That part in particular always struck me as unusual for two men living together who are not in a relationship, but it's not the only thing of that sort between these two. Their dynamic is especially odd (ha!) for male friends in the 70s, but even today I think it would be unusual.
I’d love to see further exploration of this unusually couple-like situation for a roommate/friend relationship. If it occurs to either of them that it’s unusual, how do they feel about it? Are there homophobic thoughts around it, or perhaps attempts to relate it to a heteronormative idea of a relationship? Or not? Do they discuss it? Or is it all internal to one character, never spoken?
Alternatively, I’d love a huddling for warmth story, perhaps while they’re in a cabin. You could either do it in a platonic way, showing their closeness despite not being attracted to each other, or have it be a forced proximity thing that makes them confront their feelings for each other. Or maybe even they already admitted these feelings and it’s just pure affection for each other!
To be clear, I do ship Oscar/Felix, but if you don’t, that’s OK! While I’d love a shippy approach to this fic, I’d also appreciate a gen approach. There is so much room to show their affection for each other without it being romantic. And if you’d rather write something else entirely that has nothing to do with my prompts, I’m happy with it! I just love these two characters so much and would love to see more of them.
General DNWs

Omegaverse

Gender swaps

Trans headcanons for canonical characters

Hanahaki disease

Setting/time period change AUs

Mpreg

Kidfic (either the characters being children or a fic centered on them taking care of a child. Mentions of children are fine)

Characters as supernatural beings (vampires, werewolves, wizards, etc.)

Characters learning to drive/going to driver’s ed (characters driving is fine, I just don’t want a fic involving the process of learning to drive)

Car crashes

Smut-specific DNWs

Underage sex

Incest

Scat, watersports, emetophilia

Rimming

Ageplay, pacifiers/diapers for adults

Boypussy/girldick

Feederism

Pet play

24/7 BDSM lifestyle/BDSM AU

Mommy/daddy kink

Breathplay/choking

Knifeplay

Letter:
https://gowan43.dreamwidth.org/484.html

Request 5 by gowan43
Бриллиантовая рука | The Diamond Arm (1969)
Characters: Semyon Semyonovich Gorbunkov, Gennady Kozodoyev
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I’m interested in either character by themselves or Semyon and Gennady together.
Check out my letter for my particular likes! I am open to treats.
I'm fine with my gift for this particular fandom being written in Russian. Even if it’s my only gift. But if you'd rather write in English, that's fine too!
I’d love a fic that further explores Gennady’s campiness and gay potential. Perhaps he actually is gay and is attracted to Semyon as he tries to extract the jewels. I’d love an angsty, potentially dark unrequited (or even requited) attraction aspect to that. Infidelity is fine. Or, from a Semyon-centric approach, maybe Semyon is just deeply afraid Gennady’s gay because he’s campy and how he’s ruining Semyon’s relationship with Nadia. Gennady may or may not actually be gay.
Even if you don’t go in those two directions, I’d love it if this fic somehow explores attitudes towards gayness, including homophobia, in the 1960s Soviet Union. But please don’t feel limited to that! You could also go for a character study angle, as I am OK with this fic featuring only Semyon or Gennady. Or anything else you want!
Feel free to ship Semyon/Gennady, but it’s not expected by any means. You could even include a bit of Gennady/Lyolik or Nadia/Semyon content or references if you think it’s relevant, but I’d rather not have the fic be centered on Lyolik or Nadia, hence why I haven’t requested them.
General DNWs

Omegaverse

Gender swaps

Trans headcanons for canonical characters

Hanahaki disease

Setting/time period change AUs

Mpreg

Kidfic (either the characters being children or a fic centered on them taking care of a child. Mentions of children are fine)

Characters as supernatural beings (vampires, werewolves, wizards, etc.)

Characters learning to drive/going to driver’s ed (characters driving is fine, I just don’t want a fic involving the process of learning to drive)

Car crashes

Smut-specific DNWs

Underage sex

Incest

Scat, watersports, emetophilia

Rimming

Ageplay, pacifiers/diapers for adults

Boypussy/girldick

Feederism

Pet play

24/7 BDSM lifestyle/BDSM AU

Mommy/daddy kink

Breathplay/choking

Knifeplay

Letter:
https://gowan43.dreamwidth.org/484.html

CLAIMED - PH #47: Sister Boniface Mysteries (TV), Band Sinister - K. J. Charles, Whitstable Pearl (TV)

Request 1 by valderys
Sister Boniface Mysteries (TV)
Characters: Sam Gillespie (Sister Boniface), Felix Livingstone, Sister Boniface (Sister Boniface)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I love Father Brown, but I am also very fond of the Sister Boniface Mysteries - as a spin off I think it fulfils the spirit of the original show while adding to it and moving the timeline along. It also has slash with Felix and Sam, if you want to read things that way! Which I do! :) With that in mind, if you would like to write me a story with my favourite character from Father Brown, Sid Carter, popping up in a crossover, I would be over the moon! I would like any fic where he and the boys are front and centre, with Sid being clever and irreverent, or angsty (as long as he gets a happy ending), comedy (as long as he's not the butt of the joke), character piece or an adventure (or slash with Sam if that's your bag). If a crossover is not your jam then anything with the boys bouncing off Sister Boniface herself in a witty way would be awesome, again, character piece, slice of life, or a little mystery would all be welcome. Even an AU would be fun, if you can think of one that is not too far from the spirit of the show - I don't think I want grim-dark angst with this one though.

No letter

Request 2 by valderys
Band Sinister - K. J. Charles
Characters: John Raven, Lord Corvin (Band Sinister)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I was introduced to KJ Charles' work about a year ago and since then I have literally devoured everything she's written, stuffing my face like they're sweeties. So, I had a hard time deciding which book to request a Yuletide story for - I eventually settled on Band Sinister and that's because I particularly adored the idea of Lord Corvin's set and their terribly scandalous ways. I would love a story based on one of the fun things they get up to, maybe more about Corvin's duel, or some danger John Raven gets embroiled in due to his sharp and satirical pen. A crossover with any other of KJ Charles's works or characters would also be fun. But the thing I think I would like most would be some actual excerpts of 'Jonathan or the Trials of Virtue'! Maybe after John Raven gives the book to Corvin for Christmas...

No letter

Request 3 by valderys
Whitstable Pearl (TV)
Characters: Pearl Nolan, Mike McGuire
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I had some time off sick this past summer and one of the shows I devoured while healing up was Whitstable Pearl. I do love a bit of cozy murder and I think this show falls into this category while also having sharper edges than some in the genre. I think I particularly liked the atmospheric portrayal of the coast, the sea, the wind and weather, the way people are affected by those, even when it comes to murder. I also liked the way that Pearl knows everyone and everyone knows her, a little Marple-like, but more down to earth and more working class. I also loved the will they-won't they romance between Pearl and Mike, particularly because there is a ten year age gap between them, with Pearl being the older, which is still an unusual portrayal, let's face it. I'd like something lyrical here, a character piece or a slice of life, or the next stage in their unfolding romance. A mystery would be lovely but don't worry if there isn't one. Any supporting cast would be great, I like them all. If you go the smut route, that would be fine, but no PWP, please.

No letter

Previous canon promotion: Sister Boniface

CLAIMED - PH #48: Origins SMP, SMPEarth, Philza Hardcore S4 Lore (DFE), Outer Wilds (Video Game), とんがり帽子のアトリエ | Tongari Boushi no Atelier | Witch Hat Atelier (Manga), Critical Role: Aramán (Web Series)

This pinch hit is claimed, but treats are welcome!

Request 1 by euryydice
Origins SMP
Characters: Ranboo (Origins SMP), Philza (Origins SMP), Technoblade (Origins SMP), Nihachu (Origins SMP)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I am always open to treats!
Please see my letter for likes/prompts/details
General DNW
- gore (including candy gore)
- eye trauma
- permanent mcd
- cannibalism
- injuries/trauma without consequence when writing
- non-canon child death
- horror
- body horror
- terminal illness
- being eaten alive
- angst without a happy ending
- tragic endings
- hurt no comfort
- magical cure of disability
- suggestions of cheating
- abuse between requested characters
- unresolved harmful jealousy of/between partners
- girlboss/failhusband characterization for F/M
- found family defaulting to nuclear family roles
- heteronormative stereotypes in queer relationships
- high school/college aus where requested adult characters are students
- harry potter aus or references
- Star Wars AU
- NSFW
- suggestive work [EXCEPTION]
- narratives about grief
- child versions of adult characters [EXCEPTION]
- age regression
- infantilisation of autistic characters
- hair colour epithets that are not actual hair colour descriptors (im looking at you 'pinkette')
- canon physically disabled characters being depicted as able bodied [EXCEPTION]
- RPF
- anarchists repeating conservative talking points
- two dimensional female characters
- reader inserts
- first or second person POV [EXCEPTION]
- therapy speak
Exceptions
- suggestive work - nonsexual shirtlessness is more than welcome (i encourage it)
- child versions of adult characters - flashbacks etc are fine
- disabled characters being depicted as able bodied - okay if the work is pre-disability for characters who acquired disability in their narrative
- first or second person pov - first person okay in epistolary/in universe medium/similar work
Fandom Specific DNW
- Wilbur Soot
- Dream
- Dream Team
- bad dad Phil
- Niki in a motherly role [SPECIFICATION]
- Tommyinnit as a significant character
- SBI family dynamics
- Techno as Phil's son
- blood god Techno in canon settings
- Techno as significantly less mature/younger than Phil [SPECIFICATION]
- piglins being villainised
- any mob being villainised [SPECIFICATION]
- mentions or allusions to cancer/irl Technoblade's death
- pregnant Technoblade
- romantic/sexual/qpr beeduo
Specifications
- Niki in a motherly role - unless she's literally a mother
- Techno as significantly less mature/younger than Phil - okay to be significantly younger if they're both 100+/immortal/undying. its the maturity that really matters
- any mob being villainised - individuals are okay, entire mobs/races are not

Letter:
https://tegulai.dreamwidth.org/1935.html

Request 2 by euryydice
SMPEarth
Characters: Philza (SMPEarth), Technoblade (SMPEarth), Worldbuilding (SMPEarth)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I am always open to treats!
Please see my letter for likes/prompts/details
General DNW
- gore (including candy gore)
- eye trauma
- permanent mcd
- cannibalism
- injuries/trauma without consequence when writing
- non-canon child death
- horror
- body horror
- terminal illness
- being eaten alive
- angst without a happy ending
- tragic endings
- ambiguous endings
- hurt no comfort
- magical cure of disability
- suggestions of cheating
- abuse between requested characters
- unresolved harmful jealousy of/between partners
- girlboss/failhusband characterization for F/M
- found family defaulting to nuclear family roles
- heteronormative stereotypes in queer relationships
- high school/college aus where requested adult characters are students
- harry potter aus or references
- Star Wars AU
- NSFW
- suggestive work [EXCEPTION]
- narratives about grief
- child versions of adult characters [EXCEPTION]
- age regression
- infantilisation of autistic characters
- hair colour epithets that are not actual hair colour descriptors (im looking at you 'pinkette')
- canon physically disabled characters being depicted as able bodied [EXCEPTION]
- RPF
- anarchists repeating conservative talking points
- two dimensional female characters
- reader inserts
- first or second person POV [EXCEPTION]
- therapy speak
Exceptions
- suggestive work - nonsexual shirtlessness is more than welcome (i encourage it)
- child versions of adult characters - flashbacks etc are fine
- disabled characters being depicted as able bodied - okay if the work is pre-disability for characters who acquired disability in their narrative
- first or second person pov - first person okay in epistolary/in universe medium/similar work
Fandom Specific DNW
- Wilbur Soot
- Dream
- Dream Team
- bad dad Phil
- Niki in a motherly role [SPECIFICATION]
- Tommyinnit as a significant character
- SBI family dynamics
- Techno as Phil's son
- blood god Techno in canon settings
- Techno as significantly less mature/younger than Phil [SPECIFICATION]
- piglins being villainised
- any mob being villainised [SPECIFICATION]
- mentions or allusions to cancer/irl Technoblade's death
- pregnant Technoblade
Specifications
- Niki in a motherly role - unless she's literally a mother
- Techno as significantly less mature/younger than Phil - okay to be significantly younger if they're both 100+/immortal/undying. its the maturity that really matters
- any mob being villainised - individuals are okay, entire mobs/races are not

Letter:
https://tegulai.dreamwidth.org/1935.html

Request 3 by euryydice
Philza Hardcore S4 Lore (DFE)
Characters: Worldbuilding (Philza Hardcore Lore), Sandy (Philza Hardcore Lore), Blaze Empress (Philza Hardcore Lore), Philza (Philza Hardcore Lore)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I am always open to treats!
Please see my letter for likes/prompts/details
General DNW
- gore (including candy gore)
- eye trauma
- permanent mcd
- cannibalism
- injuries/trauma without consequence when writing
- non-canon child death
- horror
- body horror
- terminal illness
- being eaten alive
- angst without a happy ending
- tragic endings
- hurt no comfort
- magical cure of disability
- suggestions of cheating
- abuse between requested characters
- unresolved harmful jealousy of/between partners
- girlboss/failhusband characterization for F/M
- found family defaulting to nuclear family roles
- heteronormative stereotypes in queer relationships
- Setting Change AUs
- NSFW
- suggestive work [EXCEPTION]
- child versions of adult characters [EXCEPTION]
- age regression
- infantilisation of autistic characters
- hair colour epithets that are not actual hair colour descriptors (im looking at you 'pinkette')
- canon physically disabled characters being depicted as able bodied [EXCEPTION]
- RPF
- anarchists repeating conservative talking points
- two dimensional female characters
- reader inserts
- first or second person POV [EXCEPTION]
- therapy speak
Exceptions
- suggestive work - nonsexual shirtlessness is more than welcome (i encourage it)
- child versions of adult characters - flashbacks etc are fine
- disabled characters being depicted as able bodied - okay if the work is pre-disability for characters who acquired disability in their narrative
- first or second person pov - first person okay in epistolary/in universe medium/similar work
Fandom Specific DNW
- MCYTs [SPECIFICATION]
- bad dad Phil
- Tommyinnit as a significant character
- SBI family dynamics
- Techno as Phil's son
- blood god Techno in canon settings
- piglins being villainised
- any mob being villainised [SPECIFICATION]
- mentions or allusions to cancer/irl Technoblade's death
- Phil becoming entangled/enslaved/possessed by Ender as a primary focus
Specifications
- MCYTs - Phil is okay as he's the only MCYT in the canon
- any mob being villainised - individuals are okay, entire mobs/races are not

Letter:
https://tegulai.dreamwidth.org/1935.html

Request 4 by euryydice
Outer Wilds (Video Game)
Characters: Solanum (Outer Wilds), Annona (Outer Wilds), Worldbuilding (Outer Wilds), Player Character (Outer Wilds)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I am always open to treats!
Please see my letter for likes/prompts/details
General DNW
- gore (including candy gore)
- eye trauma
- cannibalism
- injuries/trauma without consequence when writing
- horror
- body horror
- terminal illness
- being eaten alive [ELABORATION]
- angst without a happy ending
- tragic endings
- hurt no comfort
- magical cure of disability
- abuse between requested characters
- found family defaulting to nuclear family roles
- heteronormative stereotypes in queer relationships
- Setting Change AUs
- NSFW
- suggestive work
- age regression
- infantilisation of autistic characters
- kidfic
- canon physically disabled characters being depicted as able bodied [EXCEPTION]
- two dimensional female characters
- reader inserts
- first or second person POV [EXCEPTION]
- therapy speak
Exceptions
- being eaten alive - no graphic depictions of such, the player character's encounter with the anglerfish is okay in a 'ow this hurts fade to black' sort of situation
- disabled characters being depicted as able bodied - okay if the work is pre-disability for characters who acquired disability in their narrative
- first or second person pov - first person okay in epistolary/in universe medium/similar work
Fandom Specific DNW
- explicit spoilers for Echoes of the Eye
- binary gendered pronouns for hearthians
- the eye/universe depicted as cruel
- "the nomai survived" AU

Letter:
https://tegulai.dreamwidth.org/1935.html

Request 5 by euryydice
とんがり帽子のアトリエ | Tongari Boushi no Atelier | Witch Hat Atelier (Manga)
Characters: Olruggio (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), Richeh (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), Luluci (Tongari Boushi no Atelier), Tetia (Tongari Boushi no Atelier)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I am always open to treats!
Please see my letter for likes/prompts/details
General DNW
- gore (including candy gore)
- eye trauma [EXCEPTION]
- permanent mcd
- cannibalism
- injuries/trauma without consequence when writing
- non-canon child death
- horror
- body horror
- terminal illness [EXCEPTION]
- being eaten alive
- angst without a happy ending
- tragic endings
- ambiguous endings
- hurt no comfort
- magical cure of disability
- suggestions of cheating
- abuse between requested characters
- unresolved harmful jealousy of/between partners
- found family defaulting to nuclear family roles
- heteronormative stereotypes in queer relationships
- Setting Change AUs
- NSFW
- suggestive work [EXCEPTION]
- narratives about grief
- child versions of adult characters [EXCEPTION]
- age regression
- infantilisation of autistic characters
- hair colour epithets that are not actual hair colour descriptors (im looking at you 'pinkette')
- canon physically disabled characters being depicted as able bodied [EXCEPTION]
- anarchists repeating conservative talking points
- two dimensional female characters
- reader inserts
- first or second person POV [EXCEPTION]
- therapy speak
Exceptions
- eye trauma - mentions of Qifrey's eye are okay, just no detail/the process of it happening
- terminal illness - silverwood shenanigans are okay
- suggestive work - nonsexual shirtlessness is more than welcome (i encourage it)
- child versions of adult characters - flashbacks etc are fine
- disabled characters being depicted as able bodied - okay if the work is pre-disability for characters who acquired disability in their narrative
- first or second person pov - first person okay in epistolary/in universe medium/similar work
Fandom Specific DNW
- romantic/sexual relationships between the children [SPECIFICATION]
- permanent transformation into a silverwood tree
Specifications
- romantic/sexual relationships between the children - okay only when aged up if asked for

Letter:
https://tegulai.dreamwidth.org/1935.html

Request 6 by euryydice
Critical Role: Aramán (Web Series)
Characters: Occtis Tachonis (Critical Role: Aramán)
My gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags (giver's choice)

I am always open to treats!
Please see my letter for likes/prompts/details
General DNW
- gore (including candy gore)
- eye trauma
- permanent mcd
- cannibalism
- injuries/trauma without consequence when writing
- horror
- body horror
- terminal illness
- being eaten alive
- angst without a happy ending
- tragic endings
- hurt no comfort
- magical cure of disability
- found family defaulting to nuclear family roles
- Setting Change AUs
- NSFW
- suggestive work
- child versions of adult characters [EXCEPTION]
- age regression
- infantilisation of autistic characters
- hair colour epithets that are not actual hair colour descriptors (im looking at you 'pinkette')
- kidfic
- canon physically disabled characters being depicted as able bodied [EXCEPTION]
- RPF
- anarchists repeating conservative talking points
- two dimensional female characters
- reader inserts
- first or second person POV [EXCEPTION]
- therapy speak
Exceptions
- child versions of adult characters - flashbacks etc are fine
- disabled characters being depicted as able bodied - okay if the work is pre-disability for characters who acquired disability in their narrative
- first or second person pov - first person okay in epistolary/in universe medium/similar work
Fandom Specific DNW
- focus on Occtis and Thaisha's relationship
- apathetic Occtis

No letter

rydra_wong

[Image description: my character seen from the back in a giant bird's nest perched on a ruined stone building. She is wearing a pointed crimson hat and a greyish-brown shawl over her shoulders, and holding a halberd in one hand. An option on the screen says "A: Curl up like a ball."]

(The reason you curl up like a ball is to pretend to be an egg so that a giant crow will transport you to another location. Obviously.)

rydra_wong

Scripps Research scientists launch new digital clinical trial to test repurposed drug for long COVID symptom relief

https://longcovid.scripps.edu/

shipperslist

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rachelmanija

Rules: How many letters of the alphabet have you used for [starting] a fic title? One fic per line, 'A' and 'The' do not count for 'a' and 't'. Post your score out of 26 at the end, along with your total fic count.

A. Autumn Gold. Saiyuki/Saiyuki Gaiden. Fear is the end of the battle and you can't find your captain.

B. Burn. Original Work. The revolutionary hides her face to conceal her identity. The princess silences her voice to preserve her purity. They know each other. And they don't...

C. The Colors of Lorbanery. Earthsea. The woman who had once been Akaren stayed inside her house for several days, changing.

D. Dorset: Portal to the House. Piranesi/Grand Designs. Maggie and Olabisi plan to transform a ruin containing a portal to the House into a cozy home with an artist's studio. But the ruin's status as a scheduled monument and the unique challenges of its proximity to the House endanger their project.

E. Eilonwy Wanderer. The Prydain Chronicles.. Eilonwy travels Prydain in search of her place in life.

F. Five Times Balerion Saved Rhaenys and One Time She Saved Him. A Song of Ice and Fire. A butterfly flaps its wings, a kitten chases the butterfly, and a girl and her cat get a different destiny.

G. The Goddess of Suffering Scam. The Lies of Locke Lamora. In the early days of the Gentleman Bastards, Locke impersonates a self-flagellating acolyte of the Goddess of Suffering, and Jean stands by as the muscle in case the mark catches on. You know what they say about the best-laid plans.

H. A Hatching at Half-Circle Sea Hold. Dragonriders of Pern. “That’s a rather extraordinary proposal, Menolly,” said the Masterharper.

I. IP, YEVRAG NIVEK. The Leftovers. Kevin Garvey makes another visit to the hotel.

J. The Journey. Annihilation - movie. Lena explores the beach by the lighthouse.

K. Kilo India Tango Tango Echo November. Original Work. When the Marines are sent to protect Springfield, MT from an alien invasion, a grizzled staff sergeant finds a whole lot of kittens in need of tender loving care.

L. The Life of a Cell. Annihilation - movie. The being that leaves the Shimmer carries with it some of both Lena and Dr. Ventress.

M. Men Sell Not Such In Any Town. "The Goblin Market" - Christina Rossetti. I have fruit that shatters like glass and fruit that must be spooned up like pudding, fruit that tastes like caramel and fruit that tastes like roasted meat, fruit that glitters and fruit so translucent you can see your fingers through it and fruit that glows golden at twilight, fruit like silver coins and monstrous hands and autumn fog, fruit that loses all its flavor unless you eat it straight off the tree as it tries to coil around your tongue.

N. No Reservations: Narnia. The Chronicles of Narnia/No Reservations. I’m crammed into a burrow so small that my knees are up around my ears and the boom mike keeps slamming into my head, inhaling the potent scent of toffee-apple brandy and trying to drink a talking mouse under the table.

O. one microscopic cog in his catastrophic plan. The Stand - Stephen King. Flagg rewards Lloyd for doing a good job.

P. Professor Xavier's Haunted Mansion. X-Men comics. The ghosts of dead (or temporarily dead, or dead in another timeline) X-Men and villains haunt the halls of Professor X's mansion.

Q. The Quiet Rebellion of Tardigrade Sela Writings. "The Author of the Acacia Seeds" - Ursula K. Le Guin. You are no doubt familiar with the major genres of tardigrade literature.

R. The Realm of Persephone. Greek mythology. Persephone takes Hades blackberry picking.

S. The Story of Marli-Hrair and the Black Rabbit of Inle. Watership Down. What lies on the dark side of the moon? Ask the Black Rabbit. He knows.

T. To See a World in a Grain of Sand. The Iron Dragon's Daughter - Michael Swanwick. Jane was the first to notice that a ragtag band of refugee meryons had made a camp behind a sofa in the student lounge.

U. An Unexpected Catch. Dragonriders of Pern. Lessa and other Benden women visit Southern Weyr to help out with a fishing tradition; things don't go as planned.

V. Vintage Year. The Fall of the House of Usher - TV. Verna visits Arthur Pym in prison.

W. The Woman Who Watches the King. Piranesi. For some, the House is a prison. For some, it's a place of healing.

X.

Y. You're Wrong About Misericorde. The Dark Tower. You're Wrong About podcast. Sarah tells Mike about the lost horror movie that became an urban legend. Digressions include the chemical formula for mescaline, Sarah imitating Ethan Hawke imitating a Yorkshire prop witch, and where the fat goes after it gets vibrated out of your body by a $19.99 girdle sold on late-night TV.

Z.

We all seem to be getting stuck on X and Z. But I also almost got stuck on J, the only letter where I couldn't select from multiple possible stories.

james_davis_nicoll

You too can be one of the legions of James Nicoll Review supporters, financing my slow but steady advance towards review aleph null!

November 2025 Patreon Boost

muccamukk

Adapted* from this spread by

thewitchoftheforest.

1. Honour: How can I honour my ancestors?
The Sun

2. Connect: How do I better connect with my ancestors?
The Tower

3. Shadow: What shadows do I need to confront?
King of Wands

4. Release: What do my ancestors want me to let go of?
Seven of Coins

5. Focus: What ancestral gifts should I channel?
Two of Coins

6. Guidance: A message from my ancestors.
Ten of Wands

* I think this is the first one she did, and it's a bit clunky, so I've smoothed out some of the wording.

james_davis_nicoll

Five works new to me: two horror, one and a half science fiction, one half fantasy, and one TTRPG that's hard to classify. Two could be said to be series works.

Books Received, October 25 — October 31

Poll #33785 Books Received, October 25 — October 31

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 42

View Respondents

Which of these upcoming books looks interesting?

View Answers

Dreamland by Olivie Blake (August 2026)
12 (28.6%)

Make Me Better by Sarah Gailey (May 2026)
15 (35.7%)

Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction: Volume Three edited by Stephen Kotowych (October 2025)
17 (40.5%)

Palaces of the Crow by Ray Nayler (March 2026)
17 (40.5%)

Outgunned Adventure by Riccardo“Rico” Sirignano & Simone Formicola, with art by Daniela Giubellini (October 2024)
9 (21.4%)

Some other option (see comments)
1 (2.4%)

Cats!
31 (73.8%)

schneefink

After playing Hollow Knight: Silksong for 100 hours, I'm at 99% game completion working toward the true ending and still having a great time.

( Approaching endgame, spoilers )

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rydra_wong

Watch on YouTube

Available on Steam and Itch.io for the low low price of free:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240530/BABBDI/
https://lemaitre-bros.itch.io/babbdi

The description says it's a short game but I've spent over 10 hours happily wandering around in it and there's definitely more to do.

Immensely satisfying traversal and exploration of a brutalist concrete cityscape full of weird nooks and hidden places to discover, using a series of different movement tools (as well as your own ability to jump) -- including a baseball bat (hit a surface to propel yourself in the opposite direction, including hitting the ground to go UP), leaf blower, motorcycle, pickaxe (climb any vertical walls by jumping and stabbing the pickaxe in, then repeating) and propeller, all of which are enormous fun to use.

(You can only carry one tool at a time, but there are multiple iterations of them scattered around the map, and if you lose something, after a while -- possibly requiring quitting and reloading, not sure -- it'll tend to respawn where you originally found it.)

None of the platforming has required more co-ordination than I have; there are things I could undoubtedly do more easily if I was a better platformer, but finding the right tool can get me there anyway.

And if you can see somewhere, it's real and you can get there, and sometimes you'll discover things to see or collect. Maybe you'll crawl through a sewer and discover a secret underground dance party. Maybe you'll randomly run across a hidden room that looks at first glance like it's monitoring surveillance cameras but turns out on closer inspection to be running Windows on multiple microwaves. Even the invisible wall round what appears to be the edge of the map has a gap in it, and you can sneak through it to get to the ship you can see in the distance; it's not a skybox.

No fall damage, no ticking clock, no combat, no jumpscares. The vibe is ambient vaguely-dystopian melancholic creepiness, but within that people are going about their lives (the woman lying in the garden pond is not dead; she's breathing and appears to be just chilling). I'm reminded of the origins of parkour in the neglected brutalist concrete environments of social housing in France.

Weird, relaxing, delightful.

(For anyone wondering, yes I am still very much playing Dark Souls, but I can only do so in moderate amounts per day, when I have mental energy, so I mix it up with other things too.)

lassarina

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

sholio

Whumptobers will continue ~~until morale improves~~ probably a ways into November, since I'm still having a good time with it, and I have a few incomplete ones.

Alt Prompt: Organ Theft
Murderbot & Tarik, 800 wds (bookverse, post-System Collapse)
Also on AO3: Grand Theft Human

( 800 wds under the cut )

sholio

And fic #1000 turned out to be .... a follow-up to the time travel Biggles fic that I wrote for Out of Order Exchange. I had threatened to write what happened between Algy and Erich in 1918, and here it is.

Out of Time (2300 wds, Algy & Erich, gen)

The first one should probably be read first, if you haven't already.

And there it is, and here's to the next 1000!

ursamajor

hyounpark pinged me from BART this morning with the sad news that Fugakyu is closing, after 27 years.

It feels like I've been going there forever, even though honestly the last time I went there was probably when we still lived in Boston. But I'm like 80% certain I've gone on dates there with all of my major boyfriends (if I dated you for at least a year, that's the defining line in my headcanon). A bazillion times with

hyounpark during our Boston era. Plenty of times with

noghri, both while we were dating and then when we became friends. I thought I'd brought

kallmir2000 there, but I double-checked and it was Ginza I was thinking of. (Which makes sense because Ginza was within walking distance of my old Fenway apartment). Where, admittedly, I'd also eaten sushi at with even more of the people I've dated, hahaha, including both Punsterboy and Choirboy! 😁 (Even though Ginza's been gone for well over a decade now.) And

theconvictor and I had our Valentines' Day 2000 dinner at Fugakyu when we spent the weekend in Boston on a romantic getaway from campus, feeling ever so grownup, removing our shoes to sit at one of the traditional low tables in the fancy embedded booths.

Fugakyu was even where I introduced multiple friends to sushi (

fes42,

jennifer,

david_grana, Adam); where my girlfriends took me after devastating breakups and meh second dates, because sushi would be followed up by ice cream at JP Licks, and then a visit to a certain little shop down the way (also long gone, alas; I'm hoping this recent rise in romance-specific bookstores brings an appropriate replacement to the neighborhood) because that was definitely better than moping over guys!

And now it's closing, for "personal reasons."

Damn, am I gonna miss their pinetato (pineapple and sweet potato) maki. And the kinuta. And the hotate hokkayaki. And the giant boats of sushi that I would split with my friends. I know where to get sushi; honestly I may just pop down to our neighborhood sushi joint before the trick-or-treaters start arriving. But mostly, finding out that Fugakyu is closing next week is just making me miss everyone in Boston. Even knowing that many of the friends I mentioned don't live there anymore, like us.

Current Mood: nostalgic
Current Music: you know it's not the same as it was

schneefink

I read three books in the past week and a half, and all three of them non-SFF. It's been a while since that happened! And probably will be a while after that: the next couple of books on my reading list are all SFF again.

Conclave, by Robert Harris: It's always tricky to read a book after watching the movie made based on it, but in this case it felt like both a good book to the movie, and that the movie was a good adaption of the book. It was very difficult not to see the characters from the movie while reading, even the main character who was the only one who got a different name in the movie. The book had a few details the movie couldn't fit and otherwise some minor changes, and I think if I felt more fannish about it comparing them would be very interesting but I'm not quite invested enough.

Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer: A gripping personal account of a Mount Everest expedition that ended in disaster.
Reading this was a bit strange because I kept getting a feeling of déja vu, but I can't recall reading similar books. I think I was probably remembering a couple of documentaries I watched as a kid (several of them featuring Reinhold Messner, probably - for some reason for some time I thought he was "just" the best Austrian (actually South Tyrolean/Italian) climber and didn't realize he had so much global fame.) Very little in the book I found actually surprising, though some of the details were even harsher than I'd expected, like how difficult it even is to eat that high up.
Funnily enough I kept thinking about the post-main-story snippet for the Superstition series that recalls how Jacks almost broke up with Luc because Luc decided he had to climb Mount Everest after retiring from the NHL, something Jacks considered extremely risky and irresponsible. And with good reason!
The book did a good job showing how a couple of not-so-egregious-on-their-own mistakes that under ideal conditions would have barely mattered added together under not-ideal conditions led to disaster. One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was the interplay between "on the mountain" and "the outside world." Reading a little more about the reception of the book afterwards, it's shocking how the survivors have seemingly had to justify their actions for the next years and decades and how fixated other people who weren't there and had little if any personal connections became on who was to blame.

Slow Horses, by Mike Herron: I actually don't remember where I got this recommendation - I might have just seen it in the "new books" category from the library? It's been a while since I read a spy thriller and I was in the mood for one for some reason.
It took me a while to get into this, and at first I was not even sure I would continue because I dislike "everyone is miserable and nobody likes each other" settings. But fortunately it gave me enough hope it would get better (and eventually did get slightly better) until the exciting spy and action parts kicked in, and those were indeed fun. I put a hold on the next part of the series just in case.

lunabee34

( poetry )

( fiction )

The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World by Jamil Zaki

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for my Faculty Learning Community. It's not specifically about pedagogy; instead it's from a psychological/sociological perspective and seeks to explain factors that generate empathy/kindness and those which prevent empathy/kindness. Zaki talks about experiments conducted on college campuses and about interventions designed to help white supremacists extricate themselves from hate groups. Really fascinating book.

View all my reviews

james_davis_nicoll

James Nicoll Reviews saw its 3000th review on the 17th.

23 works reviewed. 12.5 by women (54%), 10 by men (43%), 0.5 by non-binary authors (2%), 0 by authors whose gender is unknown (0%), and 10.5 by POC (46%).

More stats and a big chart here.

james_davis_nicoll

A stranger comes to Little Marigold.

M. F. K., volume 1 by Nilah Magruder

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