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Dear Yuletide Writer!
Hi! ♥
Firstly, for all of these requests, I would be delighted with any story about these characters and there's no idea I have my heart set on, so please write whatever works for you because I am 1000% sure I will love it. All this is just here for inspiration, and free feel to disregard all of it if you already have something else in mind!
Links that might be useful:
AO3: afterism
tumblr: onlylostphysics
Things I Like: fics of all ratings, magical realism, silliness, adventure, case fic, science and pseudoscience and the Indiana Jones style of archaeology, terrible jokes (and good jokes), competency, fantasy & urban fantasy, myths and legends and fairytales, apocalypse and post-apocalypse fic, swordfights, distinctive/atmospheric settings, epistolary fic, roadtrip fic, domesticity, slices of life and anything that reveals character.
Also; what-if type AUs (where it's still the same characters in essentially the same universe, but anything else can change), space AUs, people acquiring pets, loyalty kink, moral ambiguity, first times, getting together rather than established relationship, threesomes as a solution to love triangles, power imbalances, mind control, shameless tropes (groundhog day! accidental soulbond! bodyswap! sudden telepathy! we must share body heat to survive!), cross-dressing, first times, enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, happy or hopeful endings.
I love seeing characters showing affection in their own unique way, relationships being important and intense and not necessarily romantic, relationships that only make sense to the people involved, and love being anything but straightforward.
I celebrate Christmas in a non-religious way, so I would be very happy to read festive fic for any of these fandoms if that's where your inspiration takes you.
Porn is very welcome but not required at all. Vanilla sex and smut that focuses entirely on what the characters are thinking and feeling is always lovely. If you want to write kinks, my favourites include sharing fantasies, light bondage, verbal/honour bondage, toys, femdom, d/s elements that aren't painstakingly negotiated and both characters are conveniently into, sex pollen, desperation leading to frottage & sex with clothes on. Please avoid femsub, anything to do with collars, necks/breathing being impeded in any way, bloodplay, and bodily fluids that aren't commonly involved in sex.
DNW: non-con, serious illnesses, permanent character death, animal cruelty or death, abuse of any kind, anything to do with pregnancy or kids that isn't canon, bleak and hopeless endings.
Bedazzled (1967)
George Spiggott | The Devil, Stanley Moon
If you're unfamiliar with the fandom but curious: it's a film starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, about a man who sells his soul to Lucifer in exchange for seven wishes, which in theory he uses to woo the woman of his dreams but mostly he just becomes accidental BFFs with the Devil. (IMDB)
I'd love to see more of the club - maybe Stanley decides to do George a favour and go work for him there, to be his only employee that's both competent and actually likes him? I do love the discussions on God and angels and hierarchy, if you wanted to write them just talking about heaven and hell for the whole fic. Or, something set during the film - you could expand on any of the realities that Stanley's wishes created, or explore what other wishes Stanley might have made if he'd been nudged in another direction.
Gen would of course be lovely, but if you're tempted by Stanley/George then firstly, please know that I am so down for that, and secondly, here are some thoughts: it could be a temptation, a curiosity, friends helping out friends, a twist to a wish that turns out surprisingly well for the both of them, somehow it's Lust's fault, somehow it's Envy's fault, Stanley realises he has genuine feelings, George realises he has genuine feelings and acts accordingly/terribly - anything.
The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman
Zayanna
If you're unfamiliar with the fandom but curious: It's a series of fantasy books about alternate realities, dragons, fae, and the importance of stories. They're adventurous and fun and a joy to read (goodreads)
We know so little about her, so really anything that explores who she is and where she came from would be amazing. Please go wild with what her homeworld is like - obviously it's got to have snakes, but I don't mind if it's desertpunk or cyberpunk or whatever else you want to create. I love the way the books play with the expectations of narratives and character archetypes, and I'm always happy to see more of that. Feel free to set it before The Burning Page, or have her survive somehow. I was heartbroken by her death, so resurrecting her with minimal explanation is more than okay.
Ships: Gen is absolutely fine! I do ship Zayanna/Irene, in all its "I'll drop you into a pit of snakes and then we can have cocktails" complicated glory - perhaps Zayanna finally gets that hero seduction she was promised, or finds that her narratives work better with Irene in the middle of them. I would be equally happy to see any femslash with Zayanna - perhaps with her 'sisters' (in a convent-like sense or an incest-like sense, I don't think Fae mind!), or with a passing heroine who stumbles into the wrong chamber.
Totally optional crossover: She once mentioned having nothing to drink at home but mushroom wine, which immediately made me think of Fallen London. If that's also your thing then I would be delighted to see something where the Neath is her home!
Quacks (TV)
Any (Caroline Lessing, John Sutton, Robert Lessing, William Agar)
If you're unfamiliar with the fandom but curious: it's a medical comedy tv show set in Victorian times, currently only six short episodes. It's a bit gory and extremely funny (BBC)
Caroline: I just want her to get her what she wants, whether it's sex or being a doctor or being a doctor sexily. I'd love to know more about her, her life before getting married, why she wants to be a doctor, her other hopes and dreams, how she fills her days. I would love to see future fic, of her studying and possibly cross-dressing and proving how brilliant she is. I am also down for porn, if you want, and I would be delighted to see her getting with whoever she wants!
John: I love his unwavering (and correct!) belief that anaesthetic will benefit mankind, his willingness to experiment with anything, with anyone, and that delicious edge of moral flexibility that seems to come from hard experience. I would love to see more of his drug diary, his other experiments, what lead him to being a dentist, or what other stay-out-of-debtors-prison schemes he's had to come up with. I don't want anything focused on the death of his wife, but seeing happier times between them would be lovely. I also really love his dog, so free feel to include Ben!
Robert: I love his mix of arrogance and well-hidden vulnerabilities, his ridiculous story about What Happened During The War, the fact that he is genuinely skilled but is also a genuine arse about it. I'd love to see more of his desire to do good, and when that clashes with his desire for self-gain. I'd love to see more of his day to day life, the highs and lows of theatre and the wards and home visits. Or, what does he do on his days off? How terrible is he as a patient when ill? What did happen during the war?
William: I love how much he genuinely cares, and mostly likely became an alienist for the chance to make a real difference to people. I love how tightly wound he is (and how much he unwinds when drunk), and all that gentlemanly, Victorian repression - it would be delightful to see that slip some more. What other new methods of therapy does he try? What made him choose being an alienist, over other possible professions? What was he like as a student? What reforms would he make to the asylum, given half the chance? What are his thoughts on those who visit the asylum in the same manner that they would visit the zoo?
Side characters: I love them all! I adore everything about Nicola Bell, her unapologetic intelligence and confidence, and would love to see more of her. Patrice Dupont was hilarious, and I am forever a Horrible Histories fan so just put him in a room with William and I will be clapping my hands with glee.
Ships: Caroline/Everyone, including Nicola. Caroline/William/Robert threesome - perhaps Robert mistakes William for someone with good advice on sex and Caroline insists that if William's instructing her husband he might as well be in the room, and things escalate. Any combination of William/Robert/John, with or without drugs. Robert/Patrice Dupont hatesex.
Again, these are all just thoughts I'm throwing at you in the hope that it might help spark something, but please don't feel limited by any of it! Thank you so much for signing up for this exchange, and if you love any of these fandoms then I already love you. ♥♥♥
Firstly, for all of these requests, I would be delighted with any story about these characters and there's no idea I have my heart set on, so please write whatever works for you because I am 1000% sure I will love it. All this is just here for inspiration, and free feel to disregard all of it if you already have something else in mind!
Links that might be useful:
AO3: afterism
tumblr: onlylostphysics
Things I Like: fics of all ratings, magical realism, silliness, adventure, case fic, science and pseudoscience and the Indiana Jones style of archaeology, terrible jokes (and good jokes), competency, fantasy & urban fantasy, myths and legends and fairytales, apocalypse and post-apocalypse fic, swordfights, distinctive/atmospheric settings, epistolary fic, roadtrip fic, domesticity, slices of life and anything that reveals character.
Also; what-if type AUs (where it's still the same characters in essentially the same universe, but anything else can change), space AUs, people acquiring pets, loyalty kink, moral ambiguity, first times, getting together rather than established relationship, threesomes as a solution to love triangles, power imbalances, mind control, shameless tropes (groundhog day! accidental soulbond! bodyswap! sudden telepathy! we must share body heat to survive!), cross-dressing, first times, enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, happy or hopeful endings.
I love seeing characters showing affection in their own unique way, relationships being important and intense and not necessarily romantic, relationships that only make sense to the people involved, and love being anything but straightforward.
I celebrate Christmas in a non-religious way, so I would be very happy to read festive fic for any of these fandoms if that's where your inspiration takes you.
Porn is very welcome but not required at all. Vanilla sex and smut that focuses entirely on what the characters are thinking and feeling is always lovely. If you want to write kinks, my favourites include sharing fantasies, light bondage, verbal/honour bondage, toys, femdom, d/s elements that aren't painstakingly negotiated and both characters are conveniently into, sex pollen, desperation leading to frottage & sex with clothes on. Please avoid femsub, anything to do with collars, necks/breathing being impeded in any way, bloodplay, and bodily fluids that aren't commonly involved in sex.
DNW: non-con, serious illnesses, permanent character death, animal cruelty or death, abuse of any kind, anything to do with pregnancy or kids that isn't canon, bleak and hopeless endings.
Bedazzled (1967)
George Spiggott | The Devil, Stanley Moon
If you're unfamiliar with the fandom but curious: it's a film starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, about a man who sells his soul to Lucifer in exchange for seven wishes, which in theory he uses to woo the woman of his dreams but mostly he just becomes accidental BFFs with the Devil. (IMDB)
Anything in the spirit of the film would be perfect! Maybe something post-canon, with Stanley moving on with his life and George continuing to be a constant chaotic force within it, or George finds someone new to trick and likes to bring Stanley along for the ride, regardless of how Stanley feels about it, or perhaps a slight AU where Stanley wishes for something else and/or George interprets his wishes differently.My favourite thing about this film is the bizarre friendship that forms between Stanley and George, and how they genuinely seem to be a good influence on each other. I love how George is the only person who's ever taken an interest in Stanley, and how he's the only person he can really talk to - and how Stanley seems to think George is genuinely a good bloke who does bad things because it's his job, and that Stanley cares about him and wants the best for him. I'd love to see them continuing their unique type of friendship after the film ends - does George keep trying to tempt Stanley, and is there ever a point where he succeeds (and if so, does he give his soul back again for the right reasons this time)?
I'd love to see more of the club - maybe Stanley decides to do George a favour and go work for him there, to be his only employee that's both competent and actually likes him? I do love the discussions on God and angels and hierarchy, if you wanted to write them just talking about heaven and hell for the whole fic. Or, something set during the film - you could expand on any of the realities that Stanley's wishes created, or explore what other wishes Stanley might have made if he'd been nudged in another direction.
Gen would of course be lovely, but if you're tempted by Stanley/George then firstly, please know that I am so down for that, and secondly, here are some thoughts: it could be a temptation, a curiosity, friends helping out friends, a twist to a wish that turns out surprisingly well for the both of them, somehow it's Lust's fault, somehow it's Envy's fault, Stanley realises he has genuine feelings, George realises he has genuine feelings and acts accordingly/terribly - anything.
The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman
Zayanna
If you're unfamiliar with the fandom but curious: It's a series of fantasy books about alternate realities, dragons, fae, and the importance of stories. They're adventurous and fun and a joy to read (goodreads)
I would love anything that showed more of who Zayanna is. I would love to see more of her homeworld, and what her life was before she met Irene - the brief mentions of her home make it sound like a medieval high fantasy kind of place, but it doesn't have to be! I'd love to know about her sisters and the snakes and the heroes she never gets to seduce. Or, what's it like being Fae? Are there other spheres she loves to visit? She seems happy to slip into whatever character archetype suits the scene, but what's the world like when she's the protagonist?She is the morally flexible queen of my heart, and I would love anything that celebrated her. I love how casually affectionate and villainous she is, the way she dresses and how she's not remotely body-shy, how her ambitions seem to be more about getting to do something fun for once rather than taking over the world. The fact that in The Burning Page she was genuinely Irene's friend while also trying to kill her is exactly why I love her.
We know so little about her, so really anything that explores who she is and where she came from would be amazing. Please go wild with what her homeworld is like - obviously it's got to have snakes, but I don't mind if it's desertpunk or cyberpunk or whatever else you want to create. I love the way the books play with the expectations of narratives and character archetypes, and I'm always happy to see more of that. Feel free to set it before The Burning Page, or have her survive somehow. I was heartbroken by her death, so resurrecting her with minimal explanation is more than okay.
Ships: Gen is absolutely fine! I do ship Zayanna/Irene, in all its "I'll drop you into a pit of snakes and then we can have cocktails" complicated glory - perhaps Zayanna finally gets that hero seduction she was promised, or finds that her narratives work better with Irene in the middle of them. I would be equally happy to see any femslash with Zayanna - perhaps with her 'sisters' (in a convent-like sense or an incest-like sense, I don't think Fae mind!), or with a passing heroine who stumbles into the wrong chamber.
Totally optional crossover: She once mentioned having nothing to drink at home but mushroom wine, which immediately made me think of Fallen London. If that's also your thing then I would be delighted to see something where the Neath is her home!
Quacks (TV)
Any (Caroline Lessing, John Sutton, Robert Lessing, William Agar)
If you're unfamiliar with the fandom but curious: it's a medical comedy tv show set in Victorian times, currently only six short episodes. It's a bit gory and extremely funny (BBC)
I requested any and I really do mean any - focus on whoever you like! I've got thoughts and prompts for each of the nominated characters below, and feel free to write about just one or combine them however you want.This show is very silly and I love it dearly. I adore the details of how Victorian medicine is so different to today - literal surgery theatre and a complete lack of hygiene and alienists and a genuine belief in phrenology and "What does cocaine do, any side effects? / Nothing major" - and the comedy that comes from that. I would love something as daft as the show, or at least a mix of seriousness and light heartedness, or finding the comedy in dark situations.
Ensemble/general prompts: The first meeting between any of them. John has new drugs for everyone to try, leading to singing or nakedness or adventures. A roadtrip lecture tour, with all the joys of Victorian travel. One or more of them meets the Quacks-version of another famous Victorian. Sharing wildly over the top stories about what they did during the war. Caroline and Robert's wedding night, which goes as well as expected. They're invited to a party at Nicola's new house. The zombie apocalypse happens, and none of them are taking it as seriously as they should. It's Christmas and there might be ghosts, but it could just be drugs.
Caroline: I just want her to get her what she wants, whether it's sex or being a doctor or being a doctor sexily. I'd love to know more about her, her life before getting married, why she wants to be a doctor, her other hopes and dreams, how she fills her days. I would love to see future fic, of her studying and possibly cross-dressing and proving how brilliant she is. I am also down for porn, if you want, and I would be delighted to see her getting with whoever she wants!
John: I love his unwavering (and correct!) belief that anaesthetic will benefit mankind, his willingness to experiment with anything, with anyone, and that delicious edge of moral flexibility that seems to come from hard experience. I would love to see more of his drug diary, his other experiments, what lead him to being a dentist, or what other stay-out-of-debtors-prison schemes he's had to come up with. I don't want anything focused on the death of his wife, but seeing happier times between them would be lovely. I also really love his dog, so free feel to include Ben!
Robert: I love his mix of arrogance and well-hidden vulnerabilities, his ridiculous story about What Happened During The War, the fact that he is genuinely skilled but is also a genuine arse about it. I'd love to see more of his desire to do good, and when that clashes with his desire for self-gain. I'd love to see more of his day to day life, the highs and lows of theatre and the wards and home visits. Or, what does he do on his days off? How terrible is he as a patient when ill? What did happen during the war?
William: I love how much he genuinely cares, and mostly likely became an alienist for the chance to make a real difference to people. I love how tightly wound he is (and how much he unwinds when drunk), and all that gentlemanly, Victorian repression - it would be delightful to see that slip some more. What other new methods of therapy does he try? What made him choose being an alienist, over other possible professions? What was he like as a student? What reforms would he make to the asylum, given half the chance? What are his thoughts on those who visit the asylum in the same manner that they would visit the zoo?
Side characters: I love them all! I adore everything about Nicola Bell, her unapologetic intelligence and confidence, and would love to see more of her. Patrice Dupont was hilarious, and I am forever a Horrible Histories fan so just put him in a room with William and I will be clapping my hands with glee.
Ships: Caroline/Everyone, including Nicola. Caroline/William/Robert threesome - perhaps Robert mistakes William for someone with good advice on sex and Caroline insists that if William's instructing her husband he might as well be in the room, and things escalate. Any combination of William/Robert/John, with or without drugs. Robert/Patrice Dupont hatesex.
Again, these are all just thoughts I'm throwing at you in the hope that it might help spark something, but please don't feel limited by any of it! Thank you so much for signing up for this exchange, and if you love any of these fandoms then I already love you. ♥♥♥