Dear Yuletide Author:

Dear Yuletide Author,

Thank you for writing something for me! I hope you manage to find some joy in the holiday season, regardless of what you do or don't celebrate and in spite of everything going on this year. I organize my letters by preferences and then by prompts. If a fandom-specific prompt seems to contradict a preference, please assume the prompt overrides the preference! On the flipside, please feel free to use the preferences rather than any specific prompts -- whatever inspires you!

In any case, optional details are optional and I want you to write something that will make you happy. This journal is mostly a repository of Dear Author Letters, and you can find me elsewhere on prixmium and here. I am Prix on AO3.

Preferences

Any characters from the canon may appear in the story as you see fit. Canon ships may be referenced or included as may any gen relationships you like, positive or negative.

DNWs

General/Non-sexual

- graphic torture or gore (canon-typical violence OK)
- graphic depictions of extreme bodily injury (unless magically mostly fixed)
- unrequested AUs except canon divergence
- character or ship bashing
- unrequested ships (references to explicitly canon ships OK)
- unrequested permanent character death of any main character
- hopeless ending (bittersweet or ambiguous OK)


Sexuality-Related

- permanent injury related to sexual activity (unintentional or markings such as brands, scars, etc.)
- breathplay
- hardcore or lifestyle BDSM / D/s (lighter and spontaneous forays into BDSM or D/s that do not define characters' whole relationships are fine!)
- noncon (dubcon ok)
- sexual contact with wounds
- spitting as an act of sexual dominance (typical uses of saliva otherwise are whatever)
- semen or anything similar in eyes
- A/B/O
- biologically impossible pregnancies

Likes

Gen

- found family
- monster of the week/casefic
- slice of life (especially dealing with canon-appropriate twists on mundane existence or minor inconveniences)
- character study
- canon-typical violence/aftermath (hurt/comfort)
- canon-divergent AUs
- missing scenes
- survival (zombie, wilderness, apocalypse, etc.)
- political intrigue and machinations
- morality exploration
- world-building with character involvement
- redemption/atonement
- forgiveness
- earn your happy ending
- defeating/killing oppressors and abusers
- rebuilding from the ashes
- hurt/comfort
- enemies to friends
- unusual fic format such as mission reports, letters, etc.

Shippy up to T/PG-13

- enemies to lovers
- friends to lovers (especially when it's angsty for a while)
- unresolved sexual tension
- "I had no one else to ____"
- trust and loyalty
- power imbalance (addressing, not addressing, overcoming, confronting, etc.)
- accidental marriage
- arranged/political marriage
- competence affected by relationship (for better or worse)
- compromising mission/duty for love
- choosing love over mission/duty
- us against the world
- awkward flirting
- accidental/impulsive love confession
- non-sexual physical intimacy
- sexually-charged physical intimacy that (for [x] reason) does not reach full realization

NSFW

I like character-driven smut if I receive smut. Please feel free to be as detailed or not-detailed as you like. I also enjoy a smattering of plot or context even if you mostly want to write smut. I don't so much have specific kinks I want characters to act out on my behalf as I would like to see any sexuality be an extension of the characters' dynamic and feelings. I am content with vanilla or kinky, first-time or experienced/established relationship, and so on, bearing in mind my DNWs.

Prompts

Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel (Anime 2017)

Character: Matou Sakura

I am familiar with a lot of Type Moon media so feel free to reference whatever you want. On the sign-up form I have added the following two fandom-specific DNWs:

Fandom-Specific DNW: A focus on endgame Shirou/Sakura. I'd be happy if they were friends! Doesn't matter to me if they are ever together or not, but I am just not a fan of it as an endgame ship. Ending where Shirou dies okay, but I like Shirou too and would be happy with anything where he lives. Canon compliance and then divergence okay.

Fandom-Specific DNW: I am fine with stories that involve Sakura's past sexual abuse, but I would not like a fic that focuses primarily upon it or a situation where she resigns herself to such a fate, even in darker fic or fics involving Shinji. I would like Sakura to gain some agency and to deal with her trauma on her own terms, for better or worse.

What I love: I love Fate and its built-in canon AUs. I love how many characters there are and how their lives are intertwined and affected by those who came before whether it be their parents or characters from ancient history. I am interested in the Holy Grail as a monkey's paw and how creepy a lot of it can be while finding room for slice-of-life humanity.

Ships, if you want to include any: Sakura/Gilgamesh; Sakura/older!Illya (she is of legal age technically but I would like for her to be at least as physically mature as, say, Saber, if you go this route -- either due to AU or post-canon or whatever); Sakura/Issei; Sakura/Medusa | Rider

I am also interested in Sakura /& Shinji, but I understand that this is very touchy ground to tread for some people since Shinji is Sakura's abuser, even if it is the result of a family cycle of abuse. I just want to note that since Sakura wants a relationship with him that isn't awful, I am happy to receive gen or ship fic about them that allows Sakura to have agency in the situation.

I'm also interested in Sakura & Rin in particular. I'd love for Sakura to reconcile some aspect of having been a Tohsaka in a way that brings her comfort or peace.

Some prompts:

- A story that focuses on Sakura being aware that she has gone kind of Carrie/id-monster on everything and how she copes with it. It could be through dreams or through something more concrete, and any characters who help her confront her reaction to a lifetime of trauma.

- Post-canon Sakura learning to take on responsibility for her actions and for the weird aspects of Fuyuki. I would like a story where she finds a life for herself and maybe some insight into what kinds of things a "Second Owner" does when there isn't a Holy Grail War to fight.

- Sakura takes a more active role in being a Master. She may or may not be competent or successful in this role. I am just curious as to a perspective on what happens as a result.

Fate/Zero

Character: Waver Velvet

I have not yet watched Case Files. I have read some of it, but I am happy to receive fic that includes or references aspects of it. Or not. I plan to watch it, possibly even before Yuletide reveals. I don't mind whether you strictly follow canon or do your own thing!

What I love: Fate/Zero is dark and tragic, and I feel like it would have been too much for me to stomach had I not known a potentially better day was coming with FSN. I absolutely adore Waver's character growth and ending, though, and I am interested in his life after the War.

Ships, if you want to include any: I am interested in Waver & Iskandar or Waver/Iskandar; Waver/Luvia; Waver/Diarmuid; Waver/Gilgamesh; {Poly of any of the aforementioned ships)

Some prompts:

- Case Files takes place years after the Fourth Holy Grail War. I would love any fics about the time in-between for Waver. What did he do with himself after the dust settled? How did he cope? I am interested in weird Association politics or Waver trying to avoid them or how he interacts with other people after having such a unique and terrible experience.

- Servant-Swap AU for Waver with Diarmuid or Gilgamesh. Iskandar can be absent or he can still be there but someone else's Servant. I would like to see how that plays out! I love how Waver and Iskandar had so much to give each other, but the fact that it was just a quick twist of fate that brought them together makes me curious about what Waver would have done with a different opportunity and the different ways in which it would have helped him grow as a person.

- An AU (canon divergent or something like Carnival Phantasm or Emiya Gohan) where people don't have to die and fight and struggle quite so much. Waver and Iskandar (and company, if you wish) go on a road trip or archaeological expedition.

The Society (TV 2019)

Characters: Cassandra Pressman, Helena Wu

You do not have to include both characters in any story you write for this prompt, though you are free to!

I watched The Society last year and was so excited to learn that it had been renewed. Then I was heartbroken when I found out 2020 killed the dream. I am so frustrated with not knowing what happened, and I would love any fic that offered an explanation or theory as to any part of the underlying plot of the show!

What I love: I like how the show includes so many different elements. There is the Pied Piper aspect to it, there is the fact that we never learned if it was supernatural or scifi or both, we never learned what the 'smell' was or why the older teens were taken. I have so many questions. But just on a survival-show level, I thought it took into consideration a lot of the less glamorous aspects of the genre such as the need to institute specific political theories from thin air or to figure out how to do old-school farming in the future. I thought it was smart about the way it included a lot of different political ideas and showed the pros and cons of many, all with a backdrop of interesting characters.

Ships, if you want to include any: Cassandra Pressman/Harry Bingham; Cassandra Pressman/Gordie Moreno; Helena Wu/Luke Holbrook

I'm also especially interested in Cassandra & Allie, Helena & Allie, and Helena & Elle, and of course a friendship between Cassandra and Helena, though I love ALL the gen interaction possible here.

Some prompts:

- Cassandra is not shot or her wounds are survivable. Someone saves her. What happens instead of the shooting? I wold love to see what happened if she survived and its consequences.

- I love the mostly positive but not preachy portrayal of Helena's relationship with her faith and how it makes her a good leader. I would love anything that kind of touches upon both her convictions and her doubts.

- If the New Ham citizens stay there for a long time, will more kids join them or the other trappings of long-term and/or marital relationships? How do they deal with becoming real grown-ups in such a situation? If they ever get to truly go "back home," what is that like for them?

- A fic involving the investigation and/or solution of one of the unanswered mysteries of the story. What was the smell? Is something supernatural happening? Something scifi?

- If Cassandra does die as in canon, does she wake up back home or somewhere else entirely?

- Since Luke was struggling to fight against the growing tide of chaos at the end of the series, I would love a fic where Helena figures out what's going on and takes on a proactive role in fixing the mess.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Characters: Holly Golightly, Paul Varjak

What I love: Everything about the aesthetic and soundscape of this movie. I appreciate that it subtly touches upon some really gritty aspects of life in a way that seems artful even if it was just dealing with the media standards of the time.

Ship, if you want to include it: Holly/Paul

Cat making an appearance would also be welcome.

Some prompts:

- The movie hints at Holly and Paul both being involves in some kind of sex work or sugar-baby-esque relationships that make neither of them happy. I would love a fic that deals with that for one or both of them. It could have to do with them coming to terms with their feelings of violation or loss of identity post-canon. Perhaps they even miss parts of it. I'm not looking for a fic to bash sex work at all, but it's clear that neither of them were happy with that aspect of their lives. If you prefer, it could be a pre-film look at their past(s).

- Even though the film ends with the first major hurtle of Holly and Paul's relationship mounted, Holly still has a lot of mental health and commitment issues. I would love a fic where she can positively confront some of her issues and find a way to grow and move forward.

- Paul seems to be more 'stable' than Holly is a lot of the time, but he also seems to have allowed depression and economic circumstance to push him into being someone he was not always happy with. I would like a fic about his past or about his future with figuring out how to stand on his own two feet. Does he fall into another, different negative circumstance for a while or does he find his way forward into the light pretty quickly? Either would be interesting.

- Holly and Paul get married or are going to get married and have some issue they work through together rather than letting it tear them apart.

- Anything involving their involvement with a period-appropriate historical event. It can be serious or light. Earnest political involvement or the moon-landing. We know that Holly was accidentally involved in organized crime. Does that come back to haunt her? They could become part of some anti-corruption scheme. Whatever you imagination leads you to.

Men in Black (Movies)

Character: Agent J(ay)

I've seen all three movies. I am most familiar with the first one and prefer the first and third.

What I love: This is an early childhood nostalgia hit for me. It's funny and strange, and I like the little thread of serious heart the first and third movies especially manage to thread in through all of the silly comedy based on a real-life conspiracy theory.

Totally optional but here is a podcast on spotify, the first part of two, about the real-life conspiracy theory. I'm sure you could find more info elsewhere if you like!

Relationship(s), if you want to include: I'm interested in Agent J & Agent K as friends and partners, but if you want to take it a shippy direction, that's okay with me! Background canon or non-canon relationships are fine, too.

Some Prompts:

- Any slice-of-life fic set during the time Agents J and K are partners.

- Agent J coping with his newfound anonymity, especially when Agent K, the most familiar person to him in that world, was gone after the first film.

- I would love a fic about Agent J (and K or others if you wish) doing some of the more 'serious' stuff the Men in Black conspiracy theory suggests that they do. I would welcome a fusion between MiB and real-world history or conspiracy theories of SCP gadgets and monsters or anything like that. Just a serious take on such a silly adventure! I'm addicted to true crime and mythology and conspiracy theory-type podcasts, so you can just assume that I know your favorite one and run with it if you go this route.