Dear Yuletide Santa

[brigdh]

Hello! Thank you so much for offering one of my fandoms. I'm a firm believer of "optional details are optional", so feel free to ignore any part of this letter that doesn't work for you; just use what (if any) you find helpful or inspirational. If you need more information or would like to ask a question, feel free to leave an anonymous comment.

If you're into Yuletide stalking (and who isn't?), here's where to find me:
Email: brigdh at gmail
AO3: Brigdh (You'll probably notice that I've written for some of the fandoms I requested, but that doesn't mean you have to write the same sort of stories that I do! One of my favorite things is to see the way different people have different takes on the same story.)
Tumblr: Brigdh
Livejournal: wordsofastory (obviously.)
Previous years' letters

Basics:
I'm open to porn, dark-fic, gen, and pretty much anything else you could think of. Happy endings, sad endings, and open/ambiguous endings are all welcome. Want to write death fic or angsty unrequited love? Go for it! Fluffy, teeth-rottingly cute kidfic? I'm into that. Completely filthy, shameless PWP? Yup. Plotty world-building fic? Love it. Missing scenes or character studies where nothing happens? My favorite! Tentative slow-build first times, or fic with an already established relationship? Both are wonderful! Weird stylistic conventions, like second person POV or iambic pentameter or an entirely epistolary fic? Awesome! Feel free to include injury, illness, death, infidelity, racism, homophobia, etc, as needed for your story.
Do not feel obligated to include Christmas (or whatever winter holiday-equivalent is appropriate to the fandom), but if you want to, feel free.
For each of my requests, the characters are very much OR instead of AND. Want to write a story about Rose without Hannibal, TJ without Amal, etc? Go ahead! (You could probably guess this from the prompts I give below, but I wanted to be clear about it.)

Dislikes:
I'm doing these first because it's shorter! I don't have any squicks, triggers, or strong DNWs (there's one exception, but it's fandom-specific, so I've got it down below in that fandom's section). There's very little in fic that I outright refuse to read; a good story will convince me to like almost anything. With that said, here are some of the tropes that I'm less interested in: soulbonding and soul mates; amnesia; bodyswap; mpreg; jealousy or possessiveness as a good, natural, or normal relationship element; overly sappy weddings or marriage proposals; and age regression. That's it! I'm a pretty easy-going reader. :)

Likes:
This section is much more fun! I like A LOT of stuff, as I said above. Action, case-fic, humor, curtain-fic, introspection, pining: all of them are great! I like fun stories, the sort that make you smile to read them. I love nuance and subtlety (hmm, that is probably the worst request ever. I like it when authors complicate things?). I really love stories that dig deep, exploring a world or a character's interior.
Most of the characters I love are pretty fucked up on the inside, but they are also capable of great strength. I like that balance: not a woobie but not a standard hero either. Many of my requests revolve around a relationship (whether you chose to write that as gen or romantic), and I really love reading about how people work (or don't) together. How do they help one another? How do they hurt? How do they understand or misunderstand? Do they share a sense of humor? What is easy between them, and what is complicated; what is spoken and what is not? Etc. In general, I like my couples to succeed together, but I like it to be hard to get there. I tend to like a lot of dysfunction in my fictional relationships, and I much prefer the unspoken to the outright-stated.
I love vivid imagery and rich descriptions (it is hard to be too 'purple prose' for my taste), and all the things that fall under that: clothing-porn, food-porn, elaborately detailed settings and landscapes, etc. I love banter and snark and elusive allusions, all sorts of unusual ways of showing affection, cross-dressing, swordfights, comedies of manners/farces, and found families/chosen families.
I adore all sorts of silly fanfic tropes, but here are some of my favorites: Genderswap (particularly of the "always-a-girl/boy" type rather than "woke up one morning" type), arranged marriage/marriage of convenience, pretend couple/fake dating, H/C of all kinds, sick-fic, roadtrips, huddling for warmth, masquerades/disguises/undercover, trapped together (snowed in cabin, handcuffs, etc), "five things", and platonic bed sharing.
I especially like AUs, both of the "canon-divergent" and the "completely alternative setting" types. I think they're a fantastic way of exploring what is essential to a character's personality, and what is merely surface, and that's what I find most interesting about them. It's so neat to explore how a different setting/upbringing/choice might or might not change a person. Some specific types of AUs I like are: pirates, any historical period, Robin Hood/conmen/criminals, rebels, steampunk, cyberpunk, apocalypses (especially zombies!), daemons, and circuses.

Porn: Again, don't feel obligated to write me a sex scene! But if you want to, here is my Yuleporn comment.
Dark-fic: As I said above, I'm open to this! Here's my Crueltide comment for some specific prompts.

Benjamin January Mysteries - Barbara Hambly
(Rose, Hannibal)
What is it? A 12 book series (soon to be 13) about Benjamin January, a free black man who solves mysteries in 1830s New Orleans. If you're considering picking up this fandom, I would recommend reading the third book, Graveyard Dust, as it's probably the most comprehensive single book in terms of characters. But to be honest, this would be a hard fandom to pick up at the last minute.
My favorite things: The amazing historical detail and world-building, the treatment of complex real-world issues, and the kindness and respect and love of the characters for one another, as well as their humor and total dorkiness.
My Request: I ship Rose/Hannibal, either of them with Ben, or all three (Ben/Rose/Hannibal) as a trio, though I am equally happy to have you write any of these combinations as platonic friends instead of lovers, because everything about their interactions is wonderful. I would be completely happy to read domestic fluff involving the three of them cooking and playing music and making dumb Latin jokes and critiquing opera or going to a Mardi Gras party in costumes. I'm sure Hannibal would be very willing to help either of them expand their sexual repertoire. Case-fic and mysteries and adventures would also be great! I'm convinced that the three of them fighting the zombie apocalypse (brain-eating zombies, not voodoo zombies) would be an amazing fic. This fandom does not yet have a single modern AU! You should write one. :D
Some more specific prompts: how did Hannibal and Rose's first meeting go? How about Hannibal teaching Rose to pick locks (and/or the two of them attempting to teach Ben!)? What did Rose and Hannibal get up to while Ben was in DC during 'Good Man Friday'? I'd love to hear more about what Rose was thinking during 'Dead and Buried', and what she thinks about Hannibal's backstory. In ‘Crimson Angel’ there’s an offhand mention that Hannibal is writing a poem for Rose; despite all of his quotations, he’s so detached and ironic that it’s really hard to picture him being open and earnest enough to write a poem, so I want to hear all about that. Also, does he write a poem for Ben? The world needs Ben/Hannibal huddling-for-warmth fic set during 'The Shirt on His Back'. During that same book, I'd love to hear about Ben missing Rose, and how Hannibal attempts to comfort or distract him. Also furtive Ben/Hannibal make-outs in the backroom of some opera/ball/private party. Are there backstories to the nicknames Hannibal uses for them, Athene and amicus meus? I'd love withdrawal angst fic, either about Hannibal's first failed attempt (mentioned in 'Dead Water') or second successful effort (in 'The Shirt on His Back'). Hannibal goes through terrible Days of the Dead/Feast of All Souls in both 1835 (the end of ‘Days of the Dead’) and 1836 (the end of ‘Dead and Buried’), so I feel he deserves a happy, fluffy experience of the holiday (1837’s would fall between ‘The Shirt on His Back’ and ‘Ran Away’, just fyi).
If you do not ship my OT3, Rose-backstory about her time at school in New York would be AMAZING. I'd also love something about Rose and Cora, either as children or after Cora comes to New Orleans, or about Rose and Chloe being academic women friends. (Rose/Cora or Rose/Chloe femslash would also be great.)
Hannibal seems to be friends with Marie Laveau (in 'Ran Away'), and I'd love to know how they met or how they get along. I would also love a story about Hannibal and Minou hanging out and being flirtatious gossiping BFFs. Does Hannibal help her prepare her clothing/make up/hair before a ball? Does she offer to comfort him after some other woman breaks up with him? Does he tease her about Henri (and/or Chloe)? Or maybe they're just totally platonic fuckbuddies who enjoy each other's company! Poetry and music and being charming and fashion and coffee would all be wonderful elements.
You also could write about pretty much any character in this fandom and I'd love it.
Ben/Ayasha: I want to know everything about their relationship, from beginning to end. An AU where Ayasha gets to meet either Rose or Hannibal would also be wonderful.
Dominique/Chloe: with potential Henri, if you like. Actual femslash would be awesome, but so would gen about Chloe's feelings about their situation. Or Minou's!
The Mayerlings: especially about how they met, or how their relationship started, anything to do with the really early days – did they like each other before Madeline's first husband died? How did that work?
Olympe and Marie Laveau: as friends or more.
Artois/Gabriel! Gabriel is adorable, and gen about him having adventures or cooking or dealing with his extended family would be great, and I'd love to see more of Artois!
Livia/Shaw: it's a crack-ship, but I'M KIND OF INTO IT.
It's so cheesy, but I'd also love kidfic for the fandom. Charmian and Baby John are SO CUTE. I'd love to read about them interacting with anyone other than their parents. Do Livia or Shaw get stuck babysitting? Does Minou make Hannibal hold Charmian every time he comes to visit? Did Marie Laveau come to Baby John's Christening party?
I’ve read the whole series (including ‘Crimson Angel’, and I desperately need comfort-fic set immediately after it), so feel free to set fic at any time.
A fandom-specific DNW: Please don't enslave Ben or Rose. Pretend, undercover slavery of the sort they do several times in canon is totally fine; being threatened with slavery by a bad guy during a case or adventure or them being aware of it as a possible consequence of something they do is totally fine; hell, if you even want to do some sort of AU and enslave Hannibal or Shaw, that's okay. But please no AUs or darkfic that is about Ben, Rose, or any of the other black characters as slaves (even if it's just fantasy sex slaves or some other not-canon option).
I have a tag for this fandom, if you'd like to see some other things I've written about it: http://wordsofastory.livejournal.com/tag/ben%20january


The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal
(TJ, Amal)
What is it? A finished webcomic about two strangers who go on a spur of the moment cross-country road-trip together in the modern-day US and end up falling in love. It can be found here and is relatively short; you could probably read the whole thing in a few hours.
My favorite things: The complexity and depth of each guy, the subtle way their angst and connection are portrayed (I love the detail of TJ not knowing how to work an iPod, for example), the landscape porn, the way their relationship is so very much not easy but they still manage to make it work.
My Request: I want to know everything about these guys! I’m particularly interested in a story set immediately post-canon: okay, now they know they love each other, but what next? They’re currently living on opposite sides of the country, so do they do the long-distance thing for a while, and if so, how does that work out for them? (This would be a great excuse for an epistolary fic all full of emails and texts!) If they decide to move to be together, how do they chose which one moves and which one stays, and what are the consequences of that? A story about one of them visiting the other and having to deal with only being able to spend a relatively short amount of time together would be lovely.
Fic set further in the future would be great, too! I’d love something about Amal introducing TJ to his family, or the reverse: does TJ have someone important he wants Amal to meet? The problems of established relationships: living together, getting a pet, sharing chores, infidelity, etc. Marriage fic! Or, alternatively, fic where they talk about marriage and decide it’s not for them. Kid fic! Whether their own or a story about them babysitting the kids of a friend or relative. Does Amal ever get a tattoo? Does TJ consider getting a college degree? How do they deal with one another's world? Do they ever go on another road-trip, and if so, where to? What’s the next trip like? Maybe they go on a different kind of trip: a cruise? a flight? by bus? by train?
A missing scene or expanding upon a moment from canon would be great too. I love their arguments about “who would win in a fight” or “top five albums”, so more of that dorkiness would be great. And a sex scene, of course, is highly welcome.
There’s so many differences between them (class and race being just the most prominent) and a fic about them dealing with the inevitable misunderstandings from that would be the fic of my heart.
If you don’t want to write about them as a couple, that’s okay too! I’d love fic about either of their backstories: we got a lot more specifics about what TJ’s life has previously been like, but I’d love it if you wanted to expand on any of that. I also really liked TJ’s old girlfriend in “Kung Fu Hustlers”, so a story about their relationship would be awesome. I’d also be interested in a story about Amal’s childhood, his relationship with his family, or his friendship/unsuccessful relationship with Kavita.


The Brothers Sinister Series - Courtney Milan
(Anjan Bhattacharya)
What is it? A series of four books and three novelettes, all set in England in the 1860s. These are romance novels, but unlike the stereotypical romance novel, Milan pays a great deal of attention to the politics of the period, particularly issues of feminism and women's suffrage, class and the aristocracy, labor and unions, and the lack of voice given to some people because of their disability, race, or sexuality. Anjan appears as a character in 'The Heiress Effect'; Free/Edward are in 'The Suffragette Scandal'; Violet/Sebastian's book is 'The Countess Conspiracy'. The books are fairly disconnected and can be read in any order, nor do you need to read all of them to get a complete plot.
My favorite things: I love that Milan's Victorian England is just a little happier and more equal than the real historical one. The victories in her books may not be entirely realistic, but they're wonderful to read about. I love that her heroes are not alpha males and the heroines have their own lives and passions outside of the central relationship. I love the abundance of gay characters. I love that sex does not only happen after marriage, and that penetrative sex isn't treated as the only kind of sex.
My Request: I love Anjan and would love anything you might write about him: a story about his childhood, about his family, about him deciding to come to England and his early time there. I really love his relationship with Emily, and would love a story about that, whether more about their early courtship or future fic. Do they ever go back to visit India, and what is that like for Emily? Does he make it to Parliament? Do they have children? Backstory about Emily, her childhood, her relationship with her sister, or anything like that would also be very welcome.
I didn’t request them, but if you got matched to me and decide you really don’t want to write Anjan, I would be equally happy with a fic about either Free/Edward or Violet/Sebastian. In both cases, I really like the woman’s independence and the man’s willingness to support her, and fic ranging from gen-ish slice of life about the newspaper or scientific research or any of their interests, all the way up to total PWP would be very welcome.


Fallen London | Echo Bazaar
(The Sardonic Music-Hall Singer, Once-Dashing Smuggler, Sinning Jenny, The Quiet Deviless)
What is it? A sprawling browser game set in a creepy steampunk London. It's free to play (sign up here) and there are two wikis available, but this is probably a hard fandom to pick up if you're unfamiliar with it. (Anyone reading this who already plays, feel free to interact with my character: Brigdh!)
My favorite things: The world-building, definitely. I love the creepiness, the historical allusions, the rivalries between different characters and factions. I like the Drownies and the Urchins, the Rats and the Cats, I love the rivalry between the Glass and the Shroud, and basically everything about Mahogany Hall; really, there’s almost nothing in this game that I don’t like.
My Request: I selected these four characters because they’re my favorites in the tag set, but do feel free to write about whoever you like, whether they were nominated or not. The only character I’m not that interested in is “the player” – I’d rather have fic that treats this canon like a movie or a book than a game, if that makes sense. Feel free to use content from any level of the game; I’m a POSI and at the level cap.
I love the Sardonic Music-Hall Singer’s wit and independence, and would love a fic about her relationship with anyone, or her backstory. Where is she from? Does she really love anyone, and if so, who? The Once-Dashing Smuggler is charming and handsome and I ADORE him: how did he die? What will he do in the future? Does he know the Mercies, Grace and Lettice? We don’t know very much about Sinning Jenny, so I’d love to hear more: how much power does she really hold? How does she run her business? Who owes her favors? What is life like among the Bohemians? Why is the Quiet Deviless so quiet? What does she write poetry about, and is it really so terrible? What’s her relationship with the Affectionate Devil really like?
Here are some things about not-nominated characters I’d like: Who is the Soft Hearted Widow and why is she raising glim for the Urchins? What does she really intend to do with it? What about the Gracious Widow - what happened to her husband, and why is she always trying to adopt an urchin? How did the Hollow-Eyed Hedonist get addicted to honey, and what does he dream about? Will his attempts to give it up be successful? I’m so sympathetic to the poor Clay Men – what are their secrets? What are their goals? I love both the Itinerant Physician and her sister the Keen-Eyed Lapidary – how did they get their careers? What is their relationship with one another like? What made the Repentant Forger repent, and how has his life been since then? What does he paint now that it’s not forged art and money? How did the Turkish Girl get to Fallen London from Turkey? How did she learn how to race, and why is she so unpopular with Society? Who bets on her and who refuses to do so? What about the Jovial Contrarian: who finds him charming and who wants to him to just shut up? I like the Pirate Poet, the Canny Costermonger, the Presbyterate Diplomat, the Neurasthenic Assassin. We don’t know much about any of them, but their names are so evocative!
If you want to write a crossover, I think this is a particularly great fandom for it! Feel free to use any of my other nominations, or any other Yuletide-sized fandom (some ones I’m into include Swordspoint, any Shakespeare, most fairy tales or myths, Sleepy Hollow, Penny Dreadful, Vorkosigan, Longmire, and lots more. Feel free to stalk my LJ/tumblr or ask if you have a particular fandom you think I might want).