Yuletide 2018 - Letter

[touchofstrange]

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Hello! Welcome to my oft-recycled, slightly repackaged, and probably far-too-wordy letter! (Apologies in advance for the wordiness...)



First and foremost, I know it's cliché, but I'm just thrilled that you'll be writing for one of my chosen fandoms. That in itself is fabulous, and I'm appreciative and excited and I certainly hope your assignment is something that you enjoy!

Second and uh, secondmost?, I love all of my fandoms equally, so I’ll love whichever one you end up writing for. I'll try to prompt equally, but sometimes my brain is all 'any fic for these characters, omg' and fails hard at the prompt thing - so, regardless of prompt quantity/quality, I’m honestly just excited to get fic in any of these fandoms! Oh, and if - by chance - you've written for me before and recognize prompts, it's not recycled because I didn't love what you wrote - I'm just greedy and want more!

If it helps you at all - I'm on tumblr as touchofstrange and have anon turned on. I'm on AO3 as skitz_phenom (DV-Skitz) and I have an LJ that hasn't been updated in about 7 years, also as skitz_phenom - if you're someone who really likes to get to know your recipient. :)

I'll start off with more of a general description of my likes and dislikes/DNWs in fandom and fic, and then I'll move on to more specifics for each of my selections. Please be assured though, that I'm open to almost anything and I want you to have fun writing this. If, upon reading the fandom/characters you were matched on, an idea sparked in your mind: run with it (just please keep the 'not fond of/DNW' list in mind)! Also please note that my details and/or prompts may contain spoilers.

General ‘Stuff I like’:

• Slow-build/burn, first-time is one of my absolute favorite relationship tropes. Friends-to-lovers, or enemies-to-lovers or anything in-between.

• I’m also a total sucker for lots of the really tropey plots & scenarios so please don't be afraid of using them (or lampshading/subverting them). Here are a few that are awesome:

 

   · Bed-sharing/Huddling for warmth/forced closeness

   · Magic gone awry

   · Stranded together/Crashed on a desert island

   · Pretend couple/marriage of convenience
 

• I love friendships, found-family and romance.

• Characters who go to BAMFy, ends-of-the-earth, extremes for the other - to save them, or get vengeance on someone who hurt them - is pure catnip.

• I also really enjoy action/adventure, plotty case-fic, and humor.

• Angst & Hurt/comfort is terrifically dandy as well, and considering a couple of my fandoms, violence could be expected. I'll admit it though: I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

• Crossovers might be okay, but I'd have to know the other fandom. And Canon-adjacent AU is welcome.

• If you do run into questions/concerns, please don't hesitate to have a mod ask me (or send me an anon ask on tumblr)!

 

The ‘Stuff I like Ratings/Sex-wise’:
 

• I’m entirely open when it comes to Het, Slash, Femslash, Threesomes/ Moresomes (it's always fun to include a fandom where 'moresomes' are a possibility) as they suit the fandom & characters.

• For the most part, if I've requested two characters, I'm in it for the relationship between them and their interactions. Yeah, most/(almost all) of the time I'm definitely interested in their relationship being romantic/sexual in nature. If you can't give me overt 'shipping', I'd be grateful if you could give me depth of their connection and meaning to each other.

• Rating-wise, I'll enjoy everything from General Audiences to Explicit and everything in between.

• Porn is great. I absolutely love porn. But it’s definitely not a must. (I’m including some PWP type prompts – though I think any of the other prompts could lend themselves to porn happening!)  I'm definitely more of a 'side of porn w/ my plot, please' kind of person.

• I also signed-up for Yuleporn <a href="https://yuletide.dreamwidth.org/143028.html?thread=1344948#cmt1344948">HERE</a>  -

• If things get do porny - plain ol' vanilla sex is great, but I enjoy kinky stuff as well (more deets in my Yuleporn sign-up).

• I like top/bottom switching. I'm not picky on who does what to who and the more variety the better.

• A couple of kinks/things I’m particularly fond of (in any/all gender combinations):
 

· A character face-forward against a wall/door/bulkhead being sexed-up from behind.

· Frottage

· Rimming

· Fingering

· Biting/Marking.

· Pegging.

· Dual penetration.

· Intercural.

· Xeno or tentacles (where applicable to the fandom).
 

The ‘What I’m Not So Fond of’ aka DNWs:

My 'hardstop, probably won't read' DNWs are in my sign-up (and copied below). That being said, there are a few other things that aren’t really my cup of tea:

From my letter - DNWs include: certain extreme kinks (ex: underage, watesports, scat, vore, bestiality, age-play, daddy-kink, infantilism, emetophilia, inflation, feeding, lactation/pregnancy, amputation), noncon btwn requested characters, partner betrayal, permanent char. death, suicide, vampire/werewolf AU, slave AU, seme/uke dynamics, disability fic, issue-fic, trans or ace headcanons, A/B/O type verse, Mpreg, always-a-girl/boy, or D/s lifestyle 24/7.

• Please no overt/purposeful animal cruelty. (Hunting/fishing is fine as they fit the fandom)

• Regarding the 'extreme kinks', I think I've covered everything that falls under the YKINMKATO setting, but if you have any questions about other kinks, please feel free to ask! 

• Please no character bashing. Even if I didn’t request the characters, I pretty much like them all.

• I’m as much a fan of the universes I’m requesting as the characters, so I’d prefer not to see much in the way of non-canon AU (i.e coffee shop, tattoo parlor, etc...)

• Not a huge fan of 1st or 2nd person POV, or of epithets.

• No permanent character death or suicide, but I don’t mind if you go darkside, and temporary death for plot purposes is fine, but I appreciate avoiding killing anyone off permanently (at least the requested characters).

• Partner betrayal makes me uncomfortable, as does incest (unless it’s canon) and humiliation.

• Sorry to say I’m not fond of vampire/werewolf AU, slave AU, seme/uke dynamics, disability fic, issue-fic, trans or ace headcanons, A/B/O type verse, Mpreg, always-a-girl/boy, or D/s lifestyle 24/7.

• Lastly, I’d prefer to avoid noncon (esp. between the nominated characters), and steer away from dubcon w/out feelings and/or consequences (i.e. Okay would be Sex Pollen w/ 'OMG what did I/You/We do?!').

• All this with the caveat that I do expect some of this could be applicable in the canons I’ve selected.

Canon specific details & prompts!

Warcraft (2016)

Characters: Anduin Lothar, Khadgar

Why I love this fandom: The first time I saw this movie I did enjoy it, but I wasn’t hooked… I think it was difficult to divorce myself from my WoW gameplay experiences and see it as its own thing. But then I watched it again…and again and again. Honestly, it has become like my #1 guilty pleasure movie. Any every time I see it, I love Lothar and Khadgar more even more. From that first moment of desk-slamming, to the ‘let me see your eyes’…I adore every moment they spend together in scenes. (I know it’s a pretty desperate hope – but I’m still crossing my fingers for a sequel) I enjoy all the other characters as well! Also, I’ve played WoW since pretty much launch, but I’m not that obsessed with canon, so I don’t mind if you’d like to take inspiration from game canon. Or to go AU from the movie.

Specific Prompts:

•  After the events of the movie, Khadgar sets out to find Garona wanting nothing more than to find out for himself why she did what she did (and possibly to clear her name). Lothar, of course, opposes the idea. But when Khadgar won't back down, Lothar decides the only way to stop him is to accompany him.

•  PWP: Magic spell gone awry! Investigating reports of something strange in a nearby land, Lothar accidentally triggers some kind of spell that has unusual consequences. Khadgar is sent for to try to ‘cure’ him. They discover it requires admission of feelings… and sex, obviously.

•  Khadgar’s sudden elevation in status means he becomes a target for enemies of the crown. Lothar is charged with protecting him, and he takes his duty just a bit too seriously. It’s starting to get in the way of Khadgar’s opportunity to meet new people… After Lothar ends up interrupting yet another potential ‘date’, Khadgar decides that Anduin needs to explain himself.

•  Reports come in that the Fel is resurfacing and the Orcs are organized once again. Khadgar thinks he discovers a way to make the fel leave Azeroth one and for all, but to attempt it could result in his death. Lothar, who would sacrifice himself for the Kingdom and his Queen in a heartbeat, doesn’t understand why he’s unwilling to let Khadgar take that risk.

•  Rumors of a great, magical relic begin to circulate and Taria sends her two best champions to investigate and seek out this powerful artifact. Khadgar tries to teleport them there, but this item interferes and it redirects his magic, stranding he and Lothar somewhere unknown.

•  More magical hijinks! For the purposes of a mission, Khadgar and Lothar agree to a magical bodyswap. To keep the mission a secret, no one but the Queen can know. Obviously… they learn quite a bit about each other while living each other’s lives.

The Exorcist (TV)

Characters: Marcus Keane, Tomas Ortega

Why I love this fandom: I’d heard of this show but didn’t watch it until after the first two seasons had already aired… and then I pretty much binge-watched both seasons over the matter of a weekend. I don’t know why I didn’t watch sooner because it’s utterly my jam! I love the mentor/student vibe as well as the forbidden nature of being Priests. And, Ben Daniels?! Yes. Just yes. One of my favorite things is the devotion they develop towards each other. Plus, Marcus’ tragic backstory is catnip. Oh, and although I’m all for Marcus/Tomas endgame, I also did love Peter… he was so sweet and kind to Marcus, so any involvement of him would be totally welcome. Also, I didn't nominate Verity - as I'd like a Marcus/Tomas focus... but I adored her characters. Any of the characters from either season are welcome.

Specific Prompts:
 

•  At the end of the 2nd season, Marcus is given a ‘vision’ of Tomas. There’s such anguish in his voice when he calls out Tomas’ name. Whatever he saw sends Marcus on a desperate hunt to find Tomas and save him.

•  Something or someone else from Marcus’ past causes troubles for him during an exorcism, forcing Tomas to work through it with him. They have to balance the feelings it starts to bring to the surface – shame, guilt – and work through what it means for the two of them, at the same time as succeeding in completing a complicated exorcism.

•  A demon tries to stir trouble between Marcus and Tomas while they work to exorcise it from an innocent woman, taunting Tomas with Marcus’ attraction. After they’re done, managing to save the woman, Tomas assumes the demon was lying and is ready to move on, but Marcus doesn’t realize and tries to explain… baring some truths he hadn't intended for Tomas to know.

•  In a last-ditch effort to stop Tomas, the demon-controlled church excommunicates him, hoping this will keep him from getting deeper into the troubles plaguing their leadership. Tomas is bereft, but Marcus is there to support him through it… including helping him to indulge in some things he’s denied himself.

•  In those three months that pass after Marcus walks away from Tomas, he tries to settle into a ‘normal’ life. Maybe he even sticks around with Peter for a while? But, his old life catches him up when Tomas shows up again. (Would be open to Marcus/Peter here – if endgame is Marcus/Tomas).

•  Marcus and Tomas have been reunited once again and -although there is tension that's never seemed to resolve -continued their mission, together. After several months of this 'status quo', they are contacted by Verity and find out she's gotten into the exorcism game (maybe even partnered up with Mouse?) - and she's in over her head and needs help.  They rush to the rescue and Verity helps them figure themselves out, while they help her with a troubling case (or to rescue Mouse).

Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)

Characters: Geralt of Rivia, Vernon Roche

Why I love this fandom: Witcher III pretty much stole my soul for a ridiculous amount of time. I’d not played any of the Witcher games before but RPGs & MMORPGs are my jam, so I bought all 3 bundled, played through I & II fairly quickly so that I could immerse myself in III; and boy howdy, did I! I’ve not read the books, so my knowledge is purely from the Video Game series. I love Geralt because he’s got an emotional depth buried beneath such a hard façade. When I played him, I most often choose solutions or scenarios that tended towards kinder outcomes and/or were greyer in morality – and he definitely didn’t always choose to slay the monster. Sometimes he tried to understand and help them. I don’t know how much – if any- of a role Roche plays anywhere other than the games, but I kind of adore him. His history is so dark and desperate. I feel like he tries to do what’s right for his country, above all else, even when it ends up backfiring for him terribly. (In my playthrough of Witcher II, he totally assassinated Henselt. Oh, and I also killed Letho. And in III we killed Djikstra together.)

I think he and Geralt could be wonderfully broken together, bonding over their failed relationships, and poor decisions in trying to eventually do the right thing. Any mention of video-game canon characters is totally fine as well (except Emhyr, please - I don't care for him)! In my play-through, Geralt ended up alone (once with Witcher!Ciri and once with Queen!Ciri), though I don’t dismiss his relationships with Triss & Yennifer. Then again, he also had flings with Kiera, Shari and Syrana (and pretty much every prostitute … I just liked getting Geralt ‘naked’). I esp. loved Ciri, Dandelion, Regis, Zoltan and Ves. So, please don’t feel like you can’t include any of them, but I’d like the focus to be on Geralt and Roche and their relationship!

Specific Prompts:
 

•  Geralt is tasked to complete a mission (maybe something associated to Witcher-school lore) that will require him to venture into some kind of spirit/other realm, leaving his body behind. He needs someone he trusts to watch over him while he does this and asks Roche. Naturally things don’t go as planned and Roche needs to follow him into this other realm/Geralt’s mind/etc... to rescue him.

•  PWP: Geralt encounters Roche while on a mission to dispatch an incubus. Inhibitions lowered, Geralt and Roche give in to their desires and lots of hot, sweaty sex ensues. They try to blame it on the incubus… only to find out it wasn’t an incubus after all.

•  Roche shows up at Geralt’s villa in Toussaint needing a place to lay low. Though he’s close-mouthed about it at first, Geralt convinces him to talk about his troubles, and the two work together to get Roche out of his latest political conundrum.

•  Roche's fate seemed rather questionable in some of the game outcomes. Geralt learns (perhaps from Ciri) that there's a bounty on Roche's head and he can think of only one way to save him: smuggle him to Kaer Morhan.

•  Roche enlists Geralt's help after some men under his command disappear and he fears some kind of beast/monster. Together they dispatch the creature, but Roche is horribly injured, forcing Geralt to make the decision to try to use Witcher decoctions to try to save his life. Hurt/comfort to the max!

•  Getting on the wrong side of a sorceress has never worked out well for Geralt. This time, Vernon gets caught up as well and the pair of them are sent on a journey to impossible lands where survival is just the tip of the iceberg!
 

 

Blood/Smoke Series - Tanya Huff

Characters: Tony Foster, Lee Nicholas

Why I love this fandom: Oh geez, where to start? The characters first and foremost. Tanya Huff has a way of writing characters that makes me fall in love with them. Tony and Lee are two of those characters. I love that Tony is an openly gay protagonist and that Lee’s sexuality isn’t just hand-waved away to make room for sexy-fun-times. I also love the urban fantasy aspect of these books, where magic and vampires and demons are a really real thing, and people surrounding Tony are freaked out about all the weird supernatural shit going on, until they’re just not anymore.

Basically, I love these books, so I'm going to enjoy whatever you write. I adore Lee and wish we'd gotten more of him throughout (as I imagine Tony does as well!). I love fun case-fic type of stories. And all kinds of supernatural shenanigans. Magic-gone-awry could be great here. I also enjoy slice-of-life character pieces and just some Lee being awesome (and perhaps not the damsel-in-distress this time)! At the same time, I’ve always been struck by some of the references to Tony's past (the Scout troop leader for instance, those scars on Tony’s chest) and wonder what Lee would make of it. I love that he and Lee got together in the end, but I started to wonder what might happen if some of Tony's past snuck up on him and how Lee might deal with that. He & Lee have gotten pretty used to crazy/supernatural/magical things happening, so how might they deal with something that's mundane, but equally difficult?

Specific Prompts:

• Tony disappears, and this time it's not because of a poorly executed 'notice-me-not' spell. All signs of him start to vanish as well. People start to forget him. Even Lee starts wondering if Tony is just a figment of his imagination. Despite his doubts, he fights to prove that Tony is real, and to bring him back!

• How does Lee finally find out the truth about Henry? Does Tony let it slip? Is it on a case? Does he walk in on Henry and CB? And does it change anything about his relationship with Tony?

• When someone from Tony’s past recognizes him, he tries to get to Tony through Lee and threatens to expose some of Tony’s secrets and/or his previous occupation. As I mentioned in my prompt, Tony's got some pretty wicked scars, that probably have a lot of history to them.

• Just what other kind of spells are hiding out on Ara's computer? Tony finds a hidden directory on the laptop that catches his eye, but the magic he finds is well-beyond anything he's ready to mess around with. Lee has to be the one to get Tony out of the situation he's found himself in. (Could be total PWP here - tentacles... anything crazy like that is welcome).

• PWP: Tell me about Lee and Tony’s first time… in lots of Technicolor detail!

• Another new episode of 'Darkest Night', another odd guest star, another weird creature/magic event threatens to upend getting the episode in the can. Tony's life is starting to get a little... stale. Until this latest spell/monster/demon does something even Tony's not sure he can fix (nor is he sure he wants to): It makes Chester Bane turn into a marshmallow (figuratively... though literally would be pretty hilarious too). Is this a nefarious plot? Or is he - as everyone but Lee points out - just looking a gift horse in the mouth?
 

Valor Series - Tanya Huff

Characters:  Torin Kerr, Binti Mashona, Ressk, di'Cikeys Alamber

The reason I love this fandom: I feel a bit ‘broken record here’ but it’s definitely Huff’s characters that drew me into the Valor books in the first place, and they’re the reason I reread them so often. I love Space Marines and the team/found-family vibe of Torin’s crew.  I love the sprawling space-opera aspect of these books and the various alien species we’ve been introduced to and the even the politics of the war with the Primacy and the issues of the Elder races and the reveal on the plastic aliens. There are lots of tropes in these books, but I love that so often they’re subverted/averted/lampshaded. Oh, and the Taykan… cuz how can you not adore a race of sexually indiscriminate space elves with matching pastel hair and eyes…

It bears repeating that I adore everything about these books. Focusing on any character is awesome. Torin is about as badass as they come, and she's got plenty of her own struggles to deal with. Ressk's hacker w/ a heart of gold is my jam (and his relationship with Werst makes me so, so happy). Binti is so kick-ass and we know so little about her! And how can you not love fucked-up woobie Alamber and while he's got some growing up to do, he's really become a part of the family (how adorable is the idea of him cuddling up at night with Torin and Craig, or Ressk and Werst?)

So, whether they're fighting pirates, or running into new and weird aliens, or stranded in space in the Promise and forced to live in each other’s pockets (and have wild orgies)... just have fun with 'em! I’ll include prompts for each nominated character, and also worldbuilding, but a focus on one/any/all of them (in any combo) is great. You don't need to include every character I've requested either!

Specific Prompts:

•  Torin never seems to catch a break. The crew of the Promise has been hard at work doing jobs for the Warden's and decide that a team vacation is in order. But even their down-time on a space station that’s touted as the ‘happiest place in space’ is plagued by the same kinds of shenanigans that always seem to follow Torin around. Maybe it's plastic aliens, or someone/thing from Torin's past that comes back to haunt them.

•  Ressk brings Werst home to meet his family. They're less than impressed with his choice of bondmate coming from so low in the trees. Then something happens that raises their estimation of their new son-in-law.

•  Binti competes in some intergalactic games and while she’s focusing on trying to win the sharpshooting events, the rest of the team are behind-the-scenes trying to prevent something bad from happening. Or perhaps Binti gets to know one of the competitors a bit better (friendship or femslash).

•  Alamber’s lonely and Torin's right: they need another Taykan on board! Tell me about who that is, and how things change with Alamber with finally having another of his species on board. Alamber's got issues out the wazoo (how could you not want to hug the poor guy after his little 'experiment' with the Thun) and maybe it takes another mixed-up di'Taykan to help him work through them.

•  Worldbuilding: There have been so many fascinating alien species described or even just briefly mentioned throughout the series. Introduce me to one (or more) in more detail! The Dornigan and their awesome mouthful names, the Mictok and their beautiful art, the H’san and cheese... tell me more!

•  PWP: Orgy aboard the Promise! Di’Taykan pheromone fun and games where everyone wants to play. Mix & Match! Binti and Torin get some quality lady-time, while Ressk and Werst engage in some weird Krai antics that involve all those opposable digits, and Craig finally puts poor Alamber out of his misery. (Seriously, any and all combos - threesome, foursome, moresome... new alien species with tentacles?!! - Go for it!)

•  PWP Worldbuilding (is there such a thing?): A Di’Taykan (one we know or someone new) is dead-set on sexing-up every sex-receptive species in the galaxy. He/she/zhe keeps a journal of these encounters… uh, for science.

 

Thank you so much & Happy Yuletide! :D