Dear Yuletide Author 2021

[opalmatrix]

Thank you for writing me a story for Yuletide! My biggest request is no tragedies, no darkness unless followed by light. I have a rough time emotionally when the days are short, and I think we could all use a little light and brightness these days. But, contrariwise, I am a definite believer in the idea that tensions or even pain make a sweet ending better, so go for salt caramel or even black licorice rather than cotton candy.

Have some optional details about what I like and don't like in a story, followed by my musings on what I like about my requested fandoms and what I might like in a story. Note that I may expand this with additional prompts in the week to come.

Preferences

I Don't Like:

• Sickly-sweet, coy, cutesy romantic stuff (anything in the "tee-hee-hee, is he looking at me?" category is definitely out)
• Extensive use of epithets, or epithets that don't match the character POV (no one should think of his or her long-time lover as "the green-eyed man," for example): these will throw me right out of a story
• Characters acting out of character, especially if the purpose is to force them into a relationship (doubly bad if that relationship is romantic or sexual)
• By-the-numbers, every-action-described sex (a/k/a Ikea Erotica - link goes to TVTropes). Note that actual sex is fine (I love me some sexy stories) — just don't like it when the descriptions turn into a set of exact stage directions.
• Mpreg, rape, forced sex (including sex pollen and fuck-or-die), hatesex. Dubcon is OK, especially the sort when the reluctant partner really wants the other person but is just not quite feeling ready yet or doesn't think se wants it in this particular way but gets off on it anyway.
• Humiliation or betrayal (without a damn good plot reason) of a character by a friend or lover
• A/B/O and related kinks/tropes, incest (unless canon), scat/watersports/emetophilia, tentacles, non-human genitalia.

I Like:

• Strong characterization (including character-appropriate dialog: no earthy, uneducated characters using $100 words)
• Positive emotional payoffs that are well-earned
• Passions that are strong without being mushy/fluffy
• Moments of realization — satori
• Friendships - although I am a romantic person, not every relationship must be romantic (I do like the trope of friends becoming lovers, however)
• Wry and even dark humor in the course of a more serious story
• And I like any of the following "cool bits":
  • For Yuletide, wintery/solstice seasonal details where possible but not overtly religious except if it goes with the canon (so the real winter holiday in Japan is New Year's, although Christmas as a non-religious festival has showed up in large cities)
  • hurt-comfort
  • being cozy indoors when it's rainy or snowing
  • senses of smell and touch and memories attached to them
  • old-fashioned sections of town with narrow streets and alleyways and odd shops
  • whispered admissions of love or forgiveness
  • an autumn leaf or item of clothing as the only bit of color in a bleak landscape
  • family-of-choice, nakama, or True Companions
  • cynics with secretly soft hearts
  • impulsive acts of valor (especially on behalf of the weak or an underdog)
  • In-jokes among family members or close friends
  • shopping or planning scenes, where people are working together to pick things out
  • food descriptions: "food porn"
  • an autumn leaf or item of clothing as the only bit of color in a bleak landscape
  • cynics with secretly soft hearts
  • a study or library as a refuge against the outside world
  • leaning comfortably against a friend or lover; feeling them chuckle or speak
  • snark, whether on the part of the narrator or from a character (this should not be *mean*, just apt and funny)
  • brushing long hair or riffling fingers through short hair
  • romantic partners who are both competent
  • someone gradually waking and smiling when they realize their beloved is there
  • a stronger partner submitting willingly to the desires of a weaker one
  • unexpected gifts that turn out to be Just Right

I'm quite content with both straight and gay relationships. I do tend to ship the canon relationships, unless it's a character who has had no clear relationships shown in the story. I'm not comfortable with sexual relationships shown in children under the age of, say, 14 or so, and even then it's better in context (teens with other teens or in a societal setting where girls expect to marry by 16-18 anyway).

Fandoms and Prompts

Chalion Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold

For me, this mostly means Penric and Desdemona, although I did enjoy Paladin of Souls. I'm fascinated with the concept of the Bastard as a god and how he manifests in the world as the patron of not only Ista and Penric, but the mother of the orphan girls (whom I would love to see again as secondary characters) and the various other saints we have seen. Additional missions or incidents for Pen and Des: anything of that sort that adds to our understanding of the actions of the Bastard in the world would be appreciated. And perhaps a bit from the god's viewpoint as well?

Superfruit

Bear with me here: this is going to be long and perhaps TMI.

I have steered clear of RPF for the most part, especially with contemporary figures. It seems weird and inappropriate to be writing stories about actual human beings who are still negotiating their lives. But along came the pandemic and the lockdown. By the start of this year, trapped inside and with little social life, I was getting pretty down. And then I discovered PTX and through them, Superfruit. They became my additional children (I have one child, a grad student on the opposite coast) and my friends.

And oh yeah: scömiche.

I read through some fic. A lot of it made me squirm. But some of the AU scenarios were actually kind of fun. And then came Bodyslam, a story based off the video for the title track of the Superfruit album, Future Friends. And I had a little revelation: the story wasn't about the actual Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying. It was about the characters they had invented for their video..

Yeah. *sigh*. Justification for my guilty conscience about the fact that at the end of the day, it is still RPF.

But I loved that story, and a couple of other AU stories. And also the concept of the PTX Multiverse Cafe, where the many imaginary versions of the characters run into each other and hang out and talk.

So ... write me a Superfruit AU, please. Romance is great, so is just friendship. It can be about their characters in their videos: lounge singers in Sexy Ladies? Would-be speed-dating participants in Hurry Up!? Hollywood hangers-on in Imaginary Parties? Two best friends/partners whose vacations plans keep falling through in Vacation? Even Dr. Mitch and Creature Scott (a successful version, this time) in GUY.EXE (try not to play this one totally for laughs, though - have something real and poignant come out of it)? Or come up with another scenario entirely. Maybe their musical abilities translate to hyperspace piloting talent in a science fiction scenario? Maybe they're both supernatural creatures in an urban fantasy story? (Although there's already a vampire fic in progress on AO3, using ideas from, as far as I can tell, the TTRPG Vampire: The Masquerade.)

Inclusion of any of the other PTX members would be fun. Please don't turn any of the PTX members or members' families into villains. There is enough real hate and difficulties elsewhere in the world for a couple of gay guys without turning what seem to be very kind, supportive human beings into bad guys.

きのう何食べた? | Kinou Nani Tabeta? | What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Manga)

Of course I want slice of life! And food. Hurt/comfort, perhaps? Maybe one of the partners gets sick, and the other has to care for him? Or another holiday of some sort, celebrated with friends? Or they take a vacation together? Something a little more intimate would be nice too. I have to say that I miss the spicy Yoshinaga of Ichigenme: The First Class Is Civil Law and her other early yaoi manga.

とんがり帽子のアトリエ | Tongari Boushi no Atelier | Witch Hat Atelier (Manga)

The delicacy and sweetness of the story masks some very real darkness about how the magic system and the government attempting to control it work. With this in mind: pre-canon with Olruggio (who is just the sort of character I love in an m/m scenario) and Qifrey, either actual m/m or just friends in a rather prickly relationship. Or something a little poignant, a side story, with obsessed, driven Agott and sweet and powerful but clueless Coco. Perhaps Coco's homesickness during some traditional festival time makes Agott face either happy or sad/angry memories about her own family during such occasions, or anything you can think of that causes a ratcheting up and then release of tensions between the two of them.

ヲタクに恋は難しい | Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii | Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (Manga)

The fact that this has an anime version derailed nomination for me. I would have wanted Koyanagi and Kabakura as well, and I assumed that they were being nominated already for the manga version ... but it was for the anime instead.

ANYWAY: This story is so beautifully familiar to me - I was a nerd with a nerd boyfriend too, except our activities were TTRPGs, SF conventions, and the SCA. But we had all of this: the attempt to hide it from work colleagues, the accommodation of each other's favorite activities even when they didn't exactly mesh between the two of us, and so on. How about Hirotaka and Narumi travel for a big convention, with all the accompanying awkwardness of such a vacation? Or Naoya talks Kou into attending a convention, or goes to the movies with her, or plans a picnic with all of their friends, and the other two guys get sick or something? Or the juniors tag along with the seniors at some sort of seasonal or culture event? Just have some fun with the characters, and take me along!