Dear Yuletide Writer

Thank you so much for writing for me! There are some ideas and preferences in the signup itself, but if you're still at a loss about what to write, or want some more detail, that's what this letter is here for. It's by no means a shopping list that I expect you to follow word by word. Take the good, leave the rest, mind the squicks and have fun! I can't wait to see where your inspiration will take you.

First of all, here are some of my general preferences to help you figure out my taste.

LOVES:

-I'm a big fan of banter, and dialogue in general, so don't be afraid to heap it in!
-Mixing vulnerability with self-confidence is extremely attractive to me. Cocky bastards revealing their secret weak spots, meek characters screwing their courage to a sticking place to save a friend -- absolutely my catnip.
-Pining is my guilty pleasure. As long as the way it manifests fits the characters it's always going to delight me. Throw in some UST and a good reason why they can't just talk about it and sort it out straight away, and I'm in heaven.
-Oh, loyalty kink. Loyalty beyond any rhyme or reason, and unbreakable bonds between people that might go just a little too far and stem from the characters' own issues. There's a pinch of us-against-the-world and a generous helping of confused super-intense feelings in the mix. Friendship, love, duty, whatever it is that binds the characters to each other, it's stronger than the characters themselves. Loyalty kink may not be 100% healthy, but it's always complicated, always intense, and I'll always be fascinated by it.
-I love dinosaurs, strange beasts, cryptids and aliens, so feel free to use them whenever applicable.


LIKES:

-Gen, het, and slash of all varieties, it's all good. Also super okay with polyamory in its various forms. Any rating is fine.
-I'm absolutely okay with winter holiday -themed fics.
-Canon-typical adventures and cases -- if you can write them, or scenes taking place in the middle of them, please do! Many of my favourite characters express themselves best by doing something concrete, and I like seeing this reflected in fic.
-Unlikely friendships and unexpected conversations: there can never be enough of these.
- I'd like to see sparks of humanity even in the darkest settings. I find that angst is the most effective for me when it's seasoned with warmth and hope.
-Well-meaning, loving failsex! I really love less than perfect sex in fics, because it forces the characters to react to it, and could spur on some revealing conversations and moments of vulnerability.
-I'm not easily squicked by violence or gore in action or horror scenes, as long as it fits the canon and setting. Go for it, if you're so inclined!
- I'm okay with AUs that help explore the characters more but keep to the general themes and tone of the original canon. "What if" scenarios can be great starting places for a story! Canon-divergent AUs are preferred, but even in a different universe or setting, I would still like the story to feel like a Fandom A story and the characters to be recognisable.
- Crossovers are fine if the two canons are easily intertwined, for example, if both take place in the same city and time, or deal with similar themes. Please check with me beforehand (via the mods, of course) to make sure I know the canon you intend to use for crossover purposes! I'll be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.


DISLIKES:

-Discussion of difficult social topics is fine if it fits the characters and the story, but I'd like to read a fic, not a lecture. This is fun escapism for me - I can get educated on social and political issues elsewhere.
-Jealousy and possessiveness are not attractive to me, so I like it when either the characters are capable of discussing and dealing with such feelings, or they're not focused on. Polyamory contains so many different kinds of relationship dynamics and is not a one-stop solution, but I never want to see a tired old love triangle when there could be a whole circle instead, or an open relationship.
-No scat play, vore or necrophilia, please.
-Readerfic unfortunately doesn't really work for me - I don't want to imagine myself in the scene, I'm strictly observing it (or directing, when I'm writing it)! Second person POV is generally unpleasant for me for this reason, but there are some rare exceptions if the idea behind the fic supports it.


SQUICKS:

-Pregnancy as anything but a vague background detail is not something I'm interested in, and anything to do with childbirth is a hard DNW. I have few genuine squicks, but forced pregnancy and graphic birthing are on the top of that short list.
-A/B/O or Omegaverse. No thank you to everything about this setting.


I would be thrilled to receive treats!


And now for some fandom-specific details!



Strangers in Paradise
Characters: Casey Bullocks-Femur, Tambi Baker

"Anybody can boil a pancake!"

SiP pocket book 4. That was when I fell in love with Casey, and ever since she's been my favourite character. I love how bubbly and excitable and kinky she is. The last volume made me happy beyond belief. There's so much to Casey we didn't know, and so much that has only been hinted at -- like that she's from Chicago, Becky's sister, into rough sex, dyslexic... Take any of the little facts about her and go exploring! I just want to know more about Casey! SiP isn't always the greatest when it comes to continuity, so if you feel you need to tweak something said about her in the earlier books to make the later revelations make sense, go right ahead. We have only had a few scenes where she's completely let down her guard and just been herself. There's plenty of ground to cover.

And I can't really talk about Casey without mentioning Tambi (or Mary Beth), since their paths are so intertwined. Tambi's another character who has a lot of things bubbling under the surface. The self-harming, for one thing. She's super intimidating and bad at letting herself be vulnerable. It's easy to find similarities in Casey and Tambi's pasts. Both had sisters working in the same, dirty business with them. Both love working out. Tambi has been unable to be herself for a long time, too, and she's clearly enjoying being in control of her own life now. Control is a big thing with her, obviously. She cares for her girls, but being their friend instead of boss is something she's going to need help with. Casey fits the bill; she has a big heart and is trusting and open to a fault. She's pushy and endlessly optimistic and stands up for herself. In short, she's the friend Tambi needs.

I make no bones about it: I ship these two, and would love a steamy, rough sex scene, with some kink and unexpected awkwardness and newly revealed vulnerabilities. It seems their kinks could fit together quite well. I like first times, when the characters are learning each other, and I'd love to read about how these two get together in the first place, but I have nothing against an established relationship, either. If you're not comfortable writing anything explicit, it's perfectly okay! There's plenty of shippy stuff I'd love to read about. How do they work out the fact that Tambi is technically Casey's boss? What kind of things do they do together? Casey might suggest a weekly boxing session, or a jog, to get Tambi out of her shell and talking to her. After all, she likes to get physical.

If you're not aboard the ship, no worries! Scenes with these two interacting with each other and perhaps with Tambi's girls would be just as great. The process of becoming friends could work out much the same way as becoming girlfriends -- doing sports together, being each other's confidants, navigating around touchy subjects and old hurts. A bit of H/C would be wonderful and called for, given both of their pasts. Also, I adore Cherry Hammer, and would like to read more about Becky. Do they have something to say about the boss getting soft on Casey? Does Becky have objections or concerns about her sister? Perhaps one of them gets in trouble, and the rest have to come up with a plan to rescue them. It would be a fun twist if it was Tambi who needed rescuing for a change. So feel free to use the characters that aren't in the tag set, too, but I'd like the story to focus on Casey and Tambi and their interaction.



Weiß Kreuz
Characters: Schuldig, Brad Crawford, Kudou Yohji

Hellooo, nostalgia fandom from my teenage years!

This canon is kind of a mess, but you certainly can't fault it for lacking memorable characters and some juicy drama! The setup is perfect for the kind of dark melodrama I enjoyed as a teen when I first watched the anime, and still have a soft spot now. I have read and own the original manga, I'm familiar with most of the drama CDs although it's been a few years since I listened to them, and have a particular fondness for the OVA Verbrechen & Strafe, but I'm perfectly fine with only basing the fic on the original anime, as that's what most people are familiar with. Please leave any mention of Glühen out entirely; I don't consider it as part of the WK canon. I'd also prefer it if the Schreient weren't focused on too much.

Let's start with non-shippy prompts first. The budget for this anime was two buttons and half a pack of gum, so obviously they didn't have too elaborate action scenes, despite having assassins for main characters. But fanfic has no budget limits! If you like writing action or the planning and aftermath of missions, I'd love to see that focused on. Insert an extra mission between the episodes where the Weiss and the Schwarz can clash! We see particularly little of how the Schwarz operates behind the scenes; their powers put an interesting twist to action scenes. Have Schuldig manipulate the Weiss to attack one another, have Brad out-strategise them, and don't hesitate to pile on the drama and the blood! Just having Schuldig and Brad scheme and plot and take wicked delight in it would be a great scene. And if you want to earn my eternal gratitude, and maybe receive a marriage proposal, write me that bloody, dramatic Weiss vs. Schwarz confrontation teased at the end of the OVA.

Youji is my favourite Weiss member, and I like the way he uses charm to cover up his own insecurities and trauma - I have a soft spot for the slutty characters with dark pasts, what can I say. I'm all about the beautiful suffering of my faves, so don't hesitate to give him a hard time and call him out on his weaknesses, as long as he also gets to do some cool action and put in a clever quip or two! Brad fascinates me and was criminally underused in the series; his powers set him apart from those around him, as he kind of lives in several timelines at once. How does he keep himself so grounded and focused? What if he let go for a bit? I'd love to see his relationship with control being explored. And who better (or worse) to do it with than Schuldig, with his mind-control powers and a sadomasochistic streak. Schuldig is my favourite; I give you permission to leave either or both of the other two requested characters out if your fic idea demands it, but please keep Schuldig in the fic and in focus! I'm all about his manipulative ways, and a big fan of dialogue-heavy fic so would love to see him talk circles around his target. I'd prefer no redemption arcs for the Schwarz characters; I very much like them as the morally dubious characters they are, but that doesn't rule out development. The Schwarz never lose to the Weiss in the anime - please keep that in mind and keep them cool and dangerous, and I'm happy.

Now, for the ships. I multiship Schuldig with lots of characters, including both of the other two requested characters. If I had to choose a main ship for him, though, it would be Schuldig/Brad. If you feel like getting kinky, well, these two are bound to have so much interesting powerplay in their sex life. I don't mind dubious or bad consent at all if you want to play with Schuldig's powers - and how would Brad utilise his during sex? The theme of control could very much apply here as well, and loyalty; I have a pretty big loyalty kink, especially when it's a bit twisted. It's a dark and entoxicating kind of attraction, and I don't see it ever getting exactly uncomplicated, but that doesn't mean they're incapable of strong, intense feelings for each other.

To include Youji, why not have him be kidnapped by the Schwarz and interrogated? Sexily interrogated, perhaps? Once again, the consent here can be very dubious indeed. Having Schuldig and Brad both combine their powers and dark obsessions to have their way with him could make for a very hot Schuldig/Brad/Youji scene. Or maybe Schuldig wants to keep Youji all to himself, manipulate him and mind-control him and turn him against his team? Oh, the potential wicked delights.
 

Our Life: Beginnings & Always
Characters: Baxter Ward

If you offered this character, I'm going to assume you're aware of and have played through his DLC, since that's where most of his character development resides!

This charming, ghosting little twink waltzed in and totally changed my Our Life gaming experience. I like that he brings a little bit of an edge to this otherwise fluffy universe, and the intensity and complexity of emotion in his character and romance arcs. I adore him to bits, but he's the most flawed of all the love interests in the game - please keep him that way, I think his issues are a delicious spice that adds to his appeal! That doesn't mean he can't change and develop and grow, and he definitely does even during the game. I doubt his relationship with the MC is without its complications going forward, however. I'd love to see that explored! Baxter is very forward, knows what he likes, flirts with abandon and has dated plenty - but he has absolutely no experience with real relationships, or anything that requires letting his guard down and being vulnerable. The theme here is performance: he's prone to big dramatic gestures to impress, and used to playing the role of the perfect suitor, moulding himself according to the tastes of his target. How can the MC coax him to let go of that pattern? He yearns for a real connection, to be truly vulnerable with someone, but what if it's too much and he panics and backtracks behind his mask, or has a dramatic emotional reaction? All of that could make for some delicious relationship drama.

If you want to keep things on a more platonic level, his relationship with his awful parents also fascinates me. He has clearly spent a long time coming to terms with his estrangement from them, and I think the comment he makes that he was treated as an adult when he was a child and as a child when he became an adult particularly revealing. He's socially capable and charming but grew up feeling isolated from his peers, since he was never allowed to be a child himself, could never forge real connections. No wonder he turned to a pattern of manipulation and ghosting as an adult. What would happen if one or both of his parents died? Would he go to the funeral, what kind of feelings would it bring up? There's a lot of potential in the cathartic confrontation with his parents or one of them, as well.

You could also explore his queerness a little bit, whether in the context of his relationship with the MC or not. This is a man who has dated plenty, is open about his sexual orientation and doesn't feel self-conscious about being his swishy, dramatic twink self. But he's had essentially no close relationships and no community until his twenties - that's a huge loss. His parents were bigoted and likely so was most of their social circle. How did Baxter figure out his own identity, what kind of experiences shaped him and gave him the courage to be himself? He could've easily hidden and grown up more according to what his parents sought to make him. Instead, he rebelled, first in little ways and finally by cutting all ties to his family.

Since this is a VN with a detailed character building system, you can keep the MC pretty vague and use the default Jamie Last name, or go with either your own MC or mine. I'd prefer he/him or they/them pronouns for the MC, please! If you'd like to use the MC I created, he's an outgoing, bold and dramatic trans guy named Tristan Ainsley with tan skin and a short dark undercut. He's vegan, queer, has lots of tattoos and piercings and works as a video game graphic designer. I made a moodboard for him here and would be more than happy to answer any questions via the mods if you'd like to use him in the fic!