"Once Upon a Time” Lasts Forever

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.

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.

Thank you very much for writing me a Yuletide Story. My biggest request is no tragedies, no darkness unless followed by light. I have a rough time emotionally when the days are short.

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.

Thank you for signing up with me! And have fun with your project!

This will be fleshed out later. In the meantime, have some basic preferences.

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).

This Year's Works and Characters

Craft Sequence - Max Gladstone

I put down "any character": that would be Caleb Altemoc, Catherine "Cat" Elle, Elayne Kevarian, Izza (Craft Sequence), Kai Pohala, The King in Red, Mina (Craft Sequence), Temoc Almotil, Teo Batan, or Tara Abernathy.

I want to hear about relationships: good ones. Love (familial OR erotic), friendship, mentor-mentee, patron-client. Tell me a story about people *together* in Gladstone's awesome world. Caleb's family is dysfunctional, but so was my own. Do Caleb and Mina ever reach some sort of peace? I love Temoc's weird drive-by parenting: when did that start? What happened first? Teo is awesome: give me some of her history with Caleb. Future events with Tara and Elayne as her mentor. More about Izza or Cat, or Kai and the friend she couldn't quite save.

Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie

I put down "any character": that would be Basnaaid Elming (why can't anyone seem to remember her family name?), Ekalu, Medic (Imperial Radch), Naskaaia Eskur, Sphene, Sword of Atagaris, Zeiat, Anaander Mianaai, Athoek Station, Awn Elming, Daos Ceit, Justice of Toren One Esk Nineteen | Breq, Kalr Five, Kalr Twelve, Mercy of Kalr, Seivarden Vendaai, Skaaiat Awer, Tisarwat.

This was mainly because there were so many of them that I liked. I will admit to being less than pleased with the Lord of the Radch, though.

My most favorite things would be: AIs filled with love! Tell me about Breq and Mercy of Kalr, or Athoek Station and her people. Or tell me about Breq, dreaming of Lt. Awn … "and then the memory of the dream" (link to YouTube and a song by Carly Simon). Or instead, tell me about Seivarden and Ekalu: what happens next? Has Seivarden really learned anything? Or tell me about Tisarwat: who was she, and does she remember that person?

(Also: See this excellent essay, written as a comment on the File 770 site. It says a lot of what I feel about this series.)

Thursday's Children - Rumer Godden

I put down "any character": that would be Charles Ingram, Doone Penny, Ruth Sherrin, and/or Crystal Penny.

I have the most fellow-feeling with Ruth in this: her breakdown when she learned she had a leading part is so much something I would do (at a slightly younger age, I punted my Bat Mitzvah for much the same reason). Doone is also someone with whom I can sympathize, although he is amazingly out of it sometimes! Charles is a good kid, and I bet he will grow to be an awesome man. But my surprise here was Crystal. She is so much the sort of girl that as a child I would love to hate, and yet ... Godden's skill is such that I can feel for Crystal. Her mother did such a number on her, and even when Crystal realizes it, she can't pull herself out of the pattern.

Future fic, please, and give me human interactions as part of it. Crystal and Ruth will never really be friends - but do they work together again? How about Ruth and Doone? Does Doone see Charles again? What happens (including romance ... I am a die-hard slash fan; and this would have such complications if Charles actually ends up in the military)? Or any plausible futures involving at least two of them.

Alliance-Union - C. J. Cherryh

I put down Meg Kady, Signy Mallory, Bet Yeager, and/or Allison Reilly.

CJC's universe is so wide that we never get to see any of these wonderful characters interact. So give me that interaction. The time lines don't have to be exact!

Think of a scenario with two or more of them together. No tragic endings, please, but these are not comfortable people. Being forced to work together ... could have surprisingly impressive results!

I love Meg's calm snarky badassery, Signy's strength and her decision to support the Alliance, Bet's gradual admission of love and friendship into her very tough life, and Allison's self-analysis and willingness to learn.

Chronicles of the Kencyrath - P. C. Hodgell

I wanted Rue (Chronicles of the Kencyrath), Shade (Nightshade) (Chronicles of the Kencyrath), Marcarn (Chronicles of the Kencyrath), and/or Brier Iron-Thorn

The Highborn-Kendar relationship fascinates me. I'd love to see some sort of exploration of it through the eyes of one or more of the Kendar characters. Optional appearances by Jame, Tori, and/or Kindrie are appreciated but not necessary. I also have a sneaking fondness for Bane in his current form.

I love Rue's pluck and optimistic toughness, Shade's gradual warming to the notion that not all Highborn are like those of her house (and her longing for and bond with her actual Lourdan), Marcarn's ability to look past abuse and tragedy and remain kind and even cheerful, and Brier's tangled past and steadfastness despite it. (Yes, I have had a story about Brier before: I can't get enough of her, though.)

Speaking Terms (3125 words)
Fandom: Chanur Series - C. J. Cherryh
Rating: General Audiences
Summary: In which Tahy Mahn lays a matter to rest — at last.

Title: Gemma on the Air
Author: opalmatrix
Fandom: Gemma - Noel Streatfeild
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
Word count: 1,065
Pairing(s): n/a
Spoilers: Basic for the conclusion of the series
Notes: A Treat for bookchan, who said "I put down Gemma and Ann Robinson, but I'll take fic about either of them ... Maybe [both of] them ... reminiscing to a magazine or tv show." Beta by smillaraaq
Summary: Together, Gemma and Ann weather a late-night television interview.

On AO3

Title: A Way through the Woods
Author: opalmatrix
Fandom: The Goblin Mirror - C. J. Cherryh
Warnings: none
Rating: T/PG
Word count: 4,917
Pairing(s): Tamas of Maggiar/Ela ng'Ysabela
Spoilers: for the canon material
Notes: For water_bby, who wanted Tamas, and maybe more about Ela, in their future together. And maybe also a visit to Yuri. Beta by my sis smillaraaq, the awesome Isis, and the excellent summerbutterfly
Summary: The way back to Maggiar should not be as long and arduous as the way to Ali'inel - should it?

On AO3

Apologies to my authors: I posted a slightly different version of the text below on December 25 on my regular journal, which has a different name, and forgot to do it here. I suck. :-(

There was no need for me to worry about the pinch hit thing at all! I have two lovely stories:

• Nesting Instincts (Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells; G) is about what Chime needs from Moon. It takes Moon a little while to figure it out, and he gets advice (and in one case, a bit of bonus snark) from a number of my favorite other characters, including Jade, Heart, and of course Stone.
   
• Sleep on the Left Side (Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal; T) is a roadside vignette in which TJ and Amal share some surprisingly good burritos and - unsuprisingly - music. The story includes links for the music of the group Cornershop, which was as new to me as it was to TJ (although I liked it better than TJ seems to). It was also a great relief to me that TJ has reconsidered his concept for Amal's tattoo!

Title: He Who Waits
Author: opalmatrix
Fandom: Frontier Wolf - Rosemary Sutcliff
Warnings: Rating should be a "hard R"
Rating: R
Word count: 6,821
Pairing(s): Alexios/OFC, Alexios/Hilarion
Spoilers: For the end of the book
Notes: For calliope85, who wanted "the obsession with the dynamics of friendship, and how closely they shade into love" and said " I'd be overjoyed if you addressed the difficulties of equal free males engaging in a sexual relationship, but if you'd rather side-step and write blanketfic that'd be lovely too." I'm hoping I did a bit of both. Beta by smillaraaq and carmarthen
Summary: A winter hunting expedition changes everything.

On a bright afternoon early in the autumn, the Commander of Castra Cugerna strode out of his quarters and across the parade ground ...