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graycardinalGreetings, O YuleScrivener, and welcome! And also, thank you! Where Yuletide is concerned, I am nothing if not a Requester Of The Seriously Obscure. Thus I am always amazed when the technomancy of the matching process succeeds in finding a writer who shares my appreciation for said obscurity, and delighted on Christmas morning when a wonderful and wondrous story from that writer's (metaphorical) pen lands in my AO3 gift-folder. We may just be setting out on this year's journey, but I know there's a happy ending to come, and I am grateful for it already. Your work is (and will be) appreciated and valued, and I look forward to seeing its fruits.
These letters aren't getting any shorter, so while I've got detailed material farther down, I think it's only fair to give you the list of fandom requests up front. So, those would be:
Feel free to wander backward through this journal and my fic on AO3 (linked to your left) to get an idea of my interests; what I write is very much also what I like to read – and has, over time, added up to rather a variety of fandoms. My past Yuletide letters (and those for other exchanges) are tagged "dear santa" herein; see the "Yuletide" tag too, if you like.
Things I like:
Text-driven pluses for me include effective use of wit (aka banter aka snark, etc.), as well as strong characterization & dialogue. I value both respect for and clever use of canon (including well-developed canon-divergence AUs). I thrive on UST (heavy on both U and T), and am neutral where gen/het/slash is concerned; if the pairing is well-developed, I'll read with an open mind
I am also a sucker for the well-executed crossover, whether via oblique allusion or head-on fandom collision. Yuletide being Yuletide and Optional Details Being Optional, I have absolutely no expectations along this line...but I have included an EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS section in each of my requests, because I live in hope, and because I can’t resist this sort of opportunity. Take these in the spirit in which they’re given, or set them aside as you prefer.
None of my requests call specifically for mature/explicit content. This doesn't mean I don't appreciate sizzling erotica/smut/porn; it's just that my fanfic-reading interests and my e/s/p-reading interests mostly don't tend to intersect. That said, if your muse happens to take you into explicit territory in the context of one of these requests, I'm generally willing to follow along for the ride.
DNWs (general):
I've resisted writing this section for years – not because I don’t have preferences, but because I hate framing them as absolute negatives. I’m a flexible reader, and the story I want most out of Yuletide is the one you want to tell me rather than the one that’s living in my own head (that one, if I want it badly enough, I can always write myself). However. In the interests of clarity and of placating the Yulemods (who are awesome and extraordinary even if I sometimes disagree with particular rulings), some things I Do Not Want:
Diana Winthrop series -- Kate Chambers
BACKGROUND: The Winthrop books are a teen-sleuth series (six slim paperbacks from the mid-'80s) set mostly in New York and New England, with "Kate Chambers" being a pen name for versatile writer Norma Johnston -- a fact I didn't learn till much later. The individual mysteries are dedicated to (and often cleverly plotted in the style of) various classic and then-famous mystery authors, the characterizations are much more nuanced than is usual for this category, and there’s a strong ongoing ensemble cast (including a major and well-rendered secondary character who’s blind).
DNW: Just in case: please, no Lydian/Diana slash. Between canon’s implied Lydian/Rob Winthrop (which I approve of) and Lydian’s mentor/protegé vibe with Diana, that hits my squick radar multiple ways.
NOTES: As obscure as this series is, I've evidently managed to sell at least one or two new readers on these books over the past couple of years, so there are now more actual prompts in this request than there used to be. Nonetheless, this is what I tend to describe as an "Oliver Twist" request -- what I really and truly want most is simply more, and I am pretty much guaranteed to be delighted whether or not you actually follow any of the prompts given.
PROMPTS: One of the really nifty things about Diana's adventures was the multi-generational family dynamic. That's a big reason that in addition to Diana herself, I chose Jacintha (who's clearly an adult here, if pretty new-minted; I see her as mid-20s at the outside), Gran Culhaine, and Lydian Sinclair (who looks likely to become part of the Winthrop clan ere long) to represent the ensemble. I'd like to see familial texture here, whether in the context of a case/adventure or a more personal sort of tale. Feel free to bring in others from the extended cast as appropriate, and to look for story ideas both from Diana's past (the Boston contingent as kids? Diana's original "acting" days?) and future (what does she end up doing career-wise?) as well as the series' present.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: The crossover junkie in me points out that Diana's NYC/Boston home base and detective interests make for plausible run-ins with a great variety of other source canons, including at least one of my other current requests, and someone (other than me!) has already nudge-winked a connection between Diana's Ross cousins and a certain family of MCU military and espionage professionals. More generally, see (1) my works and gifts received on AO3, and (2) all entries tagged “Dear Santa” in my DW journal, and assume that any fandom represented therein is welcome.
Jacqueline Kirby - Elizabeth Peters
NOTES: My very first Elizabeth Peters heroine was Jacqueline Kirby, by way of The Murders of Richard III. She and I are both serious about books, enthusiastic about Shakespeare, amused by the eccentric ways of professional writers, and not at all hesitant to jump in at the deep end of the pool when our enthusiasms warrant. Fortunately, though, I have not adopted Jacqueline's habit of falling into the orbits of actual murderers.
PROMPTS: A number of obvious questions arise that deserve thoughtful and entertaining answers: What happened to the father of Jacqueline's children? Have any of her kids inherited her sleuthing gifts? What are the legendary origins of The Purse? What has she written beyond what we've seen (is there a series character)?
I’m also fascinated by Jacqueline's ability to charm without being charmed, as it were. She ends several of her adventures with a man in tow who is then Never Seen Again, and insofar as we know, she's still on speaking terms with most of them. I am intrigued that this works; show me how she does it. And then there's casefic: I note that in The Seventh Sinner, Jacqueline is more or less the guest sleuth in someone else's story – it would be entertaining and satisfying to see a further adventure of that kind.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: I have for years held the private theory that Jacqueline could very well be the unnamed editor of the Emerson papers forming the basis of the Amelia Peabody series. (It really can't be Vicky Bliss; John doesn't seem to have inherited that particular archive.) A story riffing on that theory would be totally welcome...and if Jacqueline should encounter Vicky and John in the course of her editorial duties, one can but imagine the potential for fireworks.
The Night of the Solstice - L. J. Smith
NOTES: I was delighted to see this turn up in the tag set. It’s a major favorite book/series of mine (and I wrote a Yuletide story in this fandom several years back). I would be even more delighted to see a new story this year, especially as a possible third book seems to be growing less and less likely as time passes.
DNW: Just in case: I’m not at all interested in Thia/Morgana slash (whatever their prior relationship was, I don’t see that as having been part of it).
PROMPTS: I’d certainly be interested in looking back – at the origins of Morgana’s and Thia’s obvious rivalry, at either character’s individual history (we know or can guess some of Morgana’s, but Thia Pendriel offers a mostly blank slate), or perhaps at the workings of the Weerul Council. Alternately, if we’re allowing Heart of Valor in the equation, we might also look forward. If you’re willing, I’d love to see Morgana as Janie’s and/or Alys’ tutor, Thia on her own hunting artifacts and plotting revenge, or – if you’re especially ambitious – the next and very likely final confrontation between these rival sorcerei.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: First and easiest: focus on Morgana and/or Thia is just fine on its own, but I would be very happy to see more of any and all Hodges-Bradleys as well.
Now for the extremely ambitious off-the-wall thought. I find myself mostly resisting my usual crossover-junkie impulses where these books are concerned…except that it is, after all, a post-Arthurian story. And that has me thinking: Susan Cooper’s Merriman Lyon is almost certainly not L. J. Smith’s Merlin. And yet I can’t help wondering whether and how Cooper’s Merriman (and the Old Ones) might have crossed paths with Smith’s Weeriens and sorcerei in their mutual mythic history. So: if your muse runs that way, feel free to splice Smith and Cooper together and we’ll both see what happens. OTOH, any more general Arthurian-centric back story (green knights, black knights, etc.) for our favorite sorcerei is certainly also welcome.
Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century
BACKGROUND: If you haven't seen this: it's an animated series that's exactly what the title says it is. In next century's New London, where there are robots and flying cars, a crime wave is brewing, and New Scotland Yard inspector Beth Lestrade can think of only one way to halt it: resurrect Sherlock Holmes from a secret suspended-animation tank. Result: a surprisingly young Holmes finds himself facing a clone of the original Professor Moriarty, with allies including Lestrade, a compudroid Watson, and a new suite of young Irregulars. As bizarre as this sounds (and often is), it's also very canon-aware, and the execution is surprisingly mature. Available on DVD and at least one major streaming service.
PROMPTS: This is a rare case where I have a mild 'ship: canon is mostly neutral, but I'm partial to Holmes/Lestrade, though it's by no means a requirement. I'd also enjoy casefic, character back story (for any of the principals, including Wiggins and/or Tennyson), follow-ups for specific episodes, or even worldbuilding (how did the use of crypnotics, which is essentially a brainwashing/mind control technique, become socially and legally acceptable in this timeline?).
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: We have a Lestrade descendant in this series, but the matter of Watson heirs is a trifle ambiguous - a line in the opener suggests but stops short of confirming that the Watsons and Lestrades may have intermarried at some point. Amplification on this matter would be welcome; also, the series never got round to introducing a Mycroft alternate (or discussing why he too wasn't kept around in a vat of honey).
Or, for the truly off-the-wall and far beyond the call of duty, a challenge: suppose that instead of Sherlock, the Holmes brought back to life in the 22nd century is Enola, from the recent movie and/or Nancy Springer books. (I did something like this a few years ago, with author Brittany Cavallaro's Charlotte Holmes, but there's no reason the premise couldn't be applied more broadly.) This is absolutely not required or expected, but Enola is on such a wave just now that I can't resist suggesting the possibility.
Stargirl (2020)
NOTES: Yes, I really do mean "any character". This is by far my favorite of any of the Arrowverse or Arrowverse-adjacent TV properties we've seen over the past few years; the casting is fantastic and the blend of modern common sense with 1960s Bat-inspired primary colors and starry-eyed optimism is squarely in my zone of squee. I like this whole crazy gang, and I'm fascinated by the balance of old-school comic references and fresh interpretations.
DNWs: Explicit - or premature - teen sex. We know that some of these characters have been at least moderately intimate before "now", but we (and they) also know that that's gotten at least one of them pretty badly burned. Thoughtful and developing relationships are encouraged, but I am not looking for smut here.
PROMPTS: Family fic with the Whitmores and Dugans, in pretty much any combination, would be great. On the flip side, internal villainous monologuing and scheming would also be fun to watch. I'm also specifically fond of the evolving chemistry between Yolanda and "Chuck" (and I have to think that the latter has a backup someplace outside that helmet, though of course anywhere we go with that may well be Jossed when Season 2 drops). I'm interested in Rick's evolution and in who he's going to eventually bond with (maybe he and Mike Dugan develop a bro-like connection? I don't know). And anything in which the Cosmic Staff makes its opinions known is definitely going to ping my squee radar.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: The whole Justice Society setup and supporting cast makes this show pretty crowded as it is. But I really do see a stylistic connection, too, between Stargirl and the Adam West Batman era, and I think it would be hugely fun, potentially hilarious - and just maybe epic, for certain values of epic - to work out a way to bring some small part of that particular Batverse into Blue Valley. One notable idea would be to drop that old-school Batmobile into Pat's lap, but I could also see '60s Barbara Gordon and her Batgirl-Cycle having been through town (or settled there later). If any of that speaks to you...there WILL be squee. (And even if it doesn't, you've got a lot of other great material to build on.)
####
These letters aren't getting any shorter, so while I've got detailed material farther down, I think it's only fair to give you the list of fandom requests up front. So, those would be:
- Diana Winthrop series – Kate Chambers
- Jacqueline Kirby – Elizabeth Peters
- The Night of the Solstice - L. J. Smith
- Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century
- Stargirl (2020)
Feel free to wander backward through this journal and my fic on AO3 (linked to your left) to get an idea of my interests; what I write is very much also what I like to read – and has, over time, added up to rather a variety of fandoms. My past Yuletide letters (and those for other exchanges) are tagged "dear santa" herein; see the "Yuletide" tag too, if you like.
Things I like:
Text-driven pluses for me include effective use of wit (aka banter aka snark, etc.), as well as strong characterization & dialogue. I value both respect for and clever use of canon (including well-developed canon-divergence AUs). I thrive on UST (heavy on both U and T), and am neutral where gen/het/slash is concerned; if the pairing is well-developed, I'll read with an open mind
I am also a sucker for the well-executed crossover, whether via oblique allusion or head-on fandom collision. Yuletide being Yuletide and Optional Details Being Optional, I have absolutely no expectations along this line...but I have included an EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS section in each of my requests, because I live in hope, and because I can’t resist this sort of opportunity. Take these in the spirit in which they’re given, or set them aside as you prefer.
None of my requests call specifically for mature/explicit content. This doesn't mean I don't appreciate sizzling erotica/smut/porn; it's just that my fanfic-reading interests and my e/s/p-reading interests mostly don't tend to intersect. That said, if your muse happens to take you into explicit territory in the context of one of these requests, I'm generally willing to follow along for the ride.
DNWs (general):
I've resisted writing this section for years – not because I don’t have preferences, but because I hate framing them as absolute negatives. I’m a flexible reader, and the story I want most out of Yuletide is the one you want to tell me rather than the one that’s living in my own head (that one, if I want it badly enough, I can always write myself). However. In the interests of clarity and of placating the Yulemods (who are awesome and extraordinary even if I sometimes disagree with particular rulings), some things I Do Not Want:
- Alt-setting AUs (baristas/high-schoolers/etc.). I fall for worlds; transplanting characters out of those worlds just isn't my jam.
- Noncon, incest, or adult/child kinks; power-imbalanced sex/romantic partnerships (teacher/student, boss/underling, etc.)
- Romantic partnerships explicitly inconsistent with canon (To amplify: don’t invalidate a character’s stated sexual preference/identity/relationship(s), but it's OK to establish a preference/identity where none is stated; also see specific fandoms for notes.)
Diana Winthrop series -- Kate Chambers
BACKGROUND: The Winthrop books are a teen-sleuth series (six slim paperbacks from the mid-'80s) set mostly in New York and New England, with "Kate Chambers" being a pen name for versatile writer Norma Johnston -- a fact I didn't learn till much later. The individual mysteries are dedicated to (and often cleverly plotted in the style of) various classic and then-famous mystery authors, the characterizations are much more nuanced than is usual for this category, and there’s a strong ongoing ensemble cast (including a major and well-rendered secondary character who’s blind).
DNW: Just in case: please, no Lydian/Diana slash. Between canon’s implied Lydian/Rob Winthrop (which I approve of) and Lydian’s mentor/protegé vibe with Diana, that hits my squick radar multiple ways.
NOTES: As obscure as this series is, I've evidently managed to sell at least one or two new readers on these books over the past couple of years, so there are now more actual prompts in this request than there used to be. Nonetheless, this is what I tend to describe as an "Oliver Twist" request -- what I really and truly want most is simply more, and I am pretty much guaranteed to be delighted whether or not you actually follow any of the prompts given.
PROMPTS: One of the really nifty things about Diana's adventures was the multi-generational family dynamic. That's a big reason that in addition to Diana herself, I chose Jacintha (who's clearly an adult here, if pretty new-minted; I see her as mid-20s at the outside), Gran Culhaine, and Lydian Sinclair (who looks likely to become part of the Winthrop clan ere long) to represent the ensemble. I'd like to see familial texture here, whether in the context of a case/adventure or a more personal sort of tale. Feel free to bring in others from the extended cast as appropriate, and to look for story ideas both from Diana's past (the Boston contingent as kids? Diana's original "acting" days?) and future (what does she end up doing career-wise?) as well as the series' present.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: The crossover junkie in me points out that Diana's NYC/Boston home base and detective interests make for plausible run-ins with a great variety of other source canons, including at least one of my other current requests, and someone (other than me!) has already nudge-winked a connection between Diana's Ross cousins and a certain family of MCU military and espionage professionals. More generally, see (1) my works and gifts received on AO3, and (2) all entries tagged “Dear Santa” in my DW journal, and assume that any fandom represented therein is welcome.
Jacqueline Kirby - Elizabeth Peters
NOTES: My very first Elizabeth Peters heroine was Jacqueline Kirby, by way of The Murders of Richard III. She and I are both serious about books, enthusiastic about Shakespeare, amused by the eccentric ways of professional writers, and not at all hesitant to jump in at the deep end of the pool when our enthusiasms warrant. Fortunately, though, I have not adopted Jacqueline's habit of falling into the orbits of actual murderers.
PROMPTS: A number of obvious questions arise that deserve thoughtful and entertaining answers: What happened to the father of Jacqueline's children? Have any of her kids inherited her sleuthing gifts? What are the legendary origins of The Purse? What has she written beyond what we've seen (is there a series character)?
I’m also fascinated by Jacqueline's ability to charm without being charmed, as it were. She ends several of her adventures with a man in tow who is then Never Seen Again, and insofar as we know, she's still on speaking terms with most of them. I am intrigued that this works; show me how she does it. And then there's casefic: I note that in The Seventh Sinner, Jacqueline is more or less the guest sleuth in someone else's story – it would be entertaining and satisfying to see a further adventure of that kind.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: I have for years held the private theory that Jacqueline could very well be the unnamed editor of the Emerson papers forming the basis of the Amelia Peabody series. (It really can't be Vicky Bliss; John doesn't seem to have inherited that particular archive.) A story riffing on that theory would be totally welcome...and if Jacqueline should encounter Vicky and John in the course of her editorial duties, one can but imagine the potential for fireworks.
The Night of the Solstice - L. J. Smith
NOTES: I was delighted to see this turn up in the tag set. It’s a major favorite book/series of mine (and I wrote a Yuletide story in this fandom several years back). I would be even more delighted to see a new story this year, especially as a possible third book seems to be growing less and less likely as time passes.
DNW: Just in case: I’m not at all interested in Thia/Morgana slash (whatever their prior relationship was, I don’t see that as having been part of it).
PROMPTS: I’d certainly be interested in looking back – at the origins of Morgana’s and Thia’s obvious rivalry, at either character’s individual history (we know or can guess some of Morgana’s, but Thia Pendriel offers a mostly blank slate), or perhaps at the workings of the Weerul Council. Alternately, if we’re allowing Heart of Valor in the equation, we might also look forward. If you’re willing, I’d love to see Morgana as Janie’s and/or Alys’ tutor, Thia on her own hunting artifacts and plotting revenge, or – if you’re especially ambitious – the next and very likely final confrontation between these rival sorcerei.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: First and easiest: focus on Morgana and/or Thia is just fine on its own, but I would be very happy to see more of any and all Hodges-Bradleys as well.
Now for the extremely ambitious off-the-wall thought. I find myself mostly resisting my usual crossover-junkie impulses where these books are concerned…except that it is, after all, a post-Arthurian story. And that has me thinking: Susan Cooper’s Merriman Lyon is almost certainly not L. J. Smith’s Merlin. And yet I can’t help wondering whether and how Cooper’s Merriman (and the Old Ones) might have crossed paths with Smith’s Weeriens and sorcerei in their mutual mythic history. So: if your muse runs that way, feel free to splice Smith and Cooper together and we’ll both see what happens. OTOH, any more general Arthurian-centric back story (green knights, black knights, etc.) for our favorite sorcerei is certainly also welcome.
Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century
BACKGROUND: If you haven't seen this: it's an animated series that's exactly what the title says it is. In next century's New London, where there are robots and flying cars, a crime wave is brewing, and New Scotland Yard inspector Beth Lestrade can think of only one way to halt it: resurrect Sherlock Holmes from a secret suspended-animation tank. Result: a surprisingly young Holmes finds himself facing a clone of the original Professor Moriarty, with allies including Lestrade, a compudroid Watson, and a new suite of young Irregulars. As bizarre as this sounds (and often is), it's also very canon-aware, and the execution is surprisingly mature. Available on DVD and at least one major streaming service.
PROMPTS: This is a rare case where I have a mild 'ship: canon is mostly neutral, but I'm partial to Holmes/Lestrade, though it's by no means a requirement. I'd also enjoy casefic, character back story (for any of the principals, including Wiggins and/or Tennyson), follow-ups for specific episodes, or even worldbuilding (how did the use of crypnotics, which is essentially a brainwashing/mind control technique, become socially and legally acceptable in this timeline?).
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: We have a Lestrade descendant in this series, but the matter of Watson heirs is a trifle ambiguous - a line in the opener suggests but stops short of confirming that the Watsons and Lestrades may have intermarried at some point. Amplification on this matter would be welcome; also, the series never got round to introducing a Mycroft alternate (or discussing why he too wasn't kept around in a vat of honey).
Or, for the truly off-the-wall and far beyond the call of duty, a challenge: suppose that instead of Sherlock, the Holmes brought back to life in the 22nd century is Enola, from the recent movie and/or Nancy Springer books. (I did something like this a few years ago, with author Brittany Cavallaro's Charlotte Holmes, but there's no reason the premise couldn't be applied more broadly.) This is absolutely not required or expected, but Enola is on such a wave just now that I can't resist suggesting the possibility.
Stargirl (2020)
NOTES: Yes, I really do mean "any character". This is by far my favorite of any of the Arrowverse or Arrowverse-adjacent TV properties we've seen over the past few years; the casting is fantastic and the blend of modern common sense with 1960s Bat-inspired primary colors and starry-eyed optimism is squarely in my zone of squee. I like this whole crazy gang, and I'm fascinated by the balance of old-school comic references and fresh interpretations.
DNWs: Explicit - or premature - teen sex. We know that some of these characters have been at least moderately intimate before "now", but we (and they) also know that that's gotten at least one of them pretty badly burned. Thoughtful and developing relationships are encouraged, but I am not looking for smut here.
PROMPTS: Family fic with the Whitmores and Dugans, in pretty much any combination, would be great. On the flip side, internal villainous monologuing and scheming would also be fun to watch. I'm also specifically fond of the evolving chemistry between Yolanda and "Chuck" (and I have to think that the latter has a backup someplace outside that helmet, though of course anywhere we go with that may well be Jossed when Season 2 drops). I'm interested in Rick's evolution and in who he's going to eventually bond with (maybe he and Mike Dugan develop a bro-like connection? I don't know). And anything in which the Cosmic Staff makes its opinions known is definitely going to ping my squee radar.
EXTREMELY OPTIONAL BONUS POINTS: The whole Justice Society setup and supporting cast makes this show pretty crowded as it is. But I really do see a stylistic connection, too, between Stargirl and the Adam West Batman era, and I think it would be hugely fun, potentially hilarious - and just maybe epic, for certain values of epic - to work out a way to bring some small part of that particular Batverse into Blue Valley. One notable idea would be to drop that old-school Batmobile into Pat's lap, but I could also see '60s Barbara Gordon and her Batgirl-Cycle having been through town (or settled there later). If any of that speaks to you...there WILL be squee. (And even if it doesn't, you've got a lot of other great material to build on.)
####
