illuminatrice-yuletide

[illuminatrice-yuletide]

Dear writer,

Firstly, a big big thank you for writing for me this year. I am a long time lurker of Yuletide but this is my first time participating, so I am super excited! I am happy to receive a gift from someone who appreciates the same fandoms, and am really looking forward to reading your gift during the holiday season.

General Likes

Friendship, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, star crossed lovers, slice of life, hurt/comfort, angst with happy ending, characters with strong motivations, multi-dimensional characters and morally grey characters, world building, bonding over past trauma, staying as true to historical canon as realistically possible (understand it’s not always easy to know what is or isn’t accurate and bending the rules does make for fun fic), and fleshed out characters. Good grammar, spelling, and punctuation helps too.

General Do Not Wants

Omegaverse, Incest, SA/rape, Gore, Scat, Body horror, very graphic violence (i.e a fic that only focuses on violence), mpreg, PWP, any non vanilla sexual kinks, on-canon character death, 1st and second person POV, unrequested identity headcanons (i.e gender headcanons, asexual headcanons, etc), extremely anachronistic views in historical time periods, or language that would not fit the era (such as modern slang in a past century), and writing out dialogue with thick accents. If the story was an AU taking place in the modern era, would be OK with modern ways of communication, like lol or btw used in text messages. I am not a huge fan of having smut be the main driver of the plot, but I do like to read it if it brings complexity to the pairing’s relationship (for example describing them about to have sex, anticipating it, or the day after they’d had sex is good).

Requested fandoms

11th Century CE RFP Requested characters: Harold Godwinson, Tostig Godwinson, William the Conqueror, Edward the Confessor

This part of history is fascinating because there is SO MUCH DRAMA! These characters all have complex relationships with their parents, siblings, and with each other. Historically it’s clear how each of these people met their fate, but I’d be really happy to read a fic that describes snippets of their relationships to each other and how these moments led up to the Battle of Hastings. William and Harold can be demonised depending on which side people are on, so I’d prefer a fic that stays neutral to both. I find it fascinating that William and Harold met in 1064, two years before Hastings, but that it isn’t clear from sources exactly what transpired, so reading your take on what happened during that time would be really fun to read (but this is just a request, so feel free to ignore). I am happy to read William/Harold as enemies, having a brief romantic encounter, or as friends.

Do not wants: writing the characters’ dialogue with thick accents in the fic (describing them speaking with a different accent is fine, but I find reading dialogue in accents detracts from fic), making everyone a pure villain or hero, Edward the Confessor being feeble and weak as a ruler

2. Fable (game) Requested characters: Reaver, Sparrow (female), Hero of Brightwall, Logan

Who could resist Stephen Fry’s wonderful voice? Fable is one of my favourite games because it has such distinct British humour. I do ship Reaver and Sparrow together, and my headcanon is that Reaver is the father of the Hero of Brightwall and Logan (whether by accident or planned, that’s up to you). Sparrow and Reaver are both heroes who are tied to their fates, with no real say in the matter, so I do like the idea of them bonding over this. Reaver stonewalls (or kills) anyone who gets close to him in the game, but I’d love a story that explores more of his mysterious past and his role in the destruction of his hometown of Oakvale (his diaries in Fable II are heartbreaking). I do also like the added twist to their relationship that Sparrow sacrificing her youth to the Shadow Court caused her natural life to end early and Reaver regretting this.

Do not wants: rape in their relationship, abuse of the children, super OOC Reaver

3. WWI Flying Aces RFP Requested characters: Mick Mannock, James McCudden

I would love a fic exploring their relationship, platonic or otherwise. I do like the age/knowledge gap between them, with James being younger but more experienced as a pilot, and acting as a role model for Mannock. Mannock is definitely in awe of James’ skill as a pilot, but I see him as being protective of him as well because he is so young (much to the chagrin of James). Mannock was really an empathetic tortured soul and you can see this in his diary entries (some available here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7952995.stm). James I think hid his trauma better than Mannock, but I believe he would still have PTSD after the war. Both meet a tragic end in real life, but am happy to see an AU where they survive. I would be extra happy if they help each other get over their trauma somehow, whether that be through talking it out, being together, or another situation your imagination comes up with.

Do not wants: abusive relationship, rape, super nationalistic dialogue between these two

4. Dunkirk Requested characters: Farrier, Collins

These two are one of my favourite pairings! (Their interaction in the movie is brief, I know, I know). I would love to see a fic exploring how they both managed their emotions in a place and time where it could be seen as damaging to the cause, and where you had to suppress your true feelings to go out fighting the enemy each day. I don’t have a specific background headcanon for these two, but Farrier definitely has more experience fighting than Collins due to his age, so I imagine that maybe he was a young pilot during WW1, or somehow got into piloting shortly after WW1 ended. A happy ending for these two after all of the pain and suffering they had been through would warm my heart. Writing them either as a ship or friendship would be welcome.

Do not wants: Farrier mistreating Collins due to rank

5. Vikings: Valhalla Requested characters: Queen Emma, Earl Godwin, Prince Edward, Canute

Queen Emma and Earl Godwin have got a strong “I hate you, but I recognise you as my equal (not quite, but in a way)” vibe going on, which I adore. I see Emma as being absolutely faithful to Canute whom she loved in real life so much that she ignored the sons from her first marriage, so I don’t see them being together at any point until after Canute passes. Even then, I’m not sure they would sleep together, but I do like that “will they? or won’t they?” game they seem to play with each other at times. Earl Godwin is cunning and an expert social climber, but has serious hang ups about his family’s past, so if you can incorporate that in the fic that would be amazing! Bonus points if you can write about Prince Edward’s complex feelings towards his mother, who essentially abandoned him firstly for his safety, but then to pursue her own love interests.

Do not wants: abuse, infidelity on Queen Emma’s part when she’s marrried to Canute, physical abuse

6. The Irregulars Requested characters: Bea, Jessie, Leopold, Billy

I don’t think this series got a lot of love which is a shame, so a fic focused on Bea and her family, her relationship with Leopold (whether it continues after the series canon ending is up to you), or the crew having other adventures would be wonderful.

Do not wants: Incest, bad relationships between Bea and her family members, non canonical pairings

Thank you again for generously offering to write some of my most cherished characters, and I am looking forward to reading your work.