coronation ceremony letter [2017]
Jul. 27th, 2017 09:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kiphiana*Disclaimer – I got some fab fic for one of these prompts in last year’s exchange. And I’d enjoy more! So, if you are one of my authors from last year, don’t worry, I’m not including that prompt again because last year was disappointing … I loved your story!
Dear writer ...
My username on AO3 is bigsunglasses.
First, a quick guide to my tastes. I want to be left happy or optimistic at the end of a story - please, no endings that are bitter or sad. I also prefer fics with some action or interaction, rather than ones that are just one character reflecting/introspecting.
Do not want.
Pregnancy loss, or difficulties. Rape or dub-con. Character death (referencing a canon death in passing is fine, someone dying in the fic is not). Terminal illness. Infidelity. Explicit torture. Gore. Gaslighting. Humiliation. Incest.
Lovelist.
Worldbuilding. Exploring culture & cultural differences. History. Friendship. Fluff. Cooking and savoury food. Ecology - nature & wildlife in general (also the seaside, lakes, rivers). Adventure. Loyalty. Protectiveness. Going undercover. Secret identities. Themes of truth & justice. Working to build happiness with an imperfect set of cards. Sacrifice rewarded. Blossoming romance. Established OTP taking on the plot. Creating and building things (families, meals, cities, houses, books, whatever...). Physical touch: brushing hair, holding hands, massages, etc. Hurt/comfort. Some favourite romantic tropes: we-only-kissed-to-provide-a-diversion-
Smut.
If the muse moves you towards smut, go for it! But I'd love there to be at least some plot or framing story, rather than outright PWP. I'm not really interested in reading sex for sex's sake, but in reading how and why particular characters do sex. Be as explicit or not as you want. I don't go for kink.
Character: Kiru Athmaza (fic)
Kiru's such a grounded character, and somehow for me adds steadiness to Maia's household, which is otherwise rather young. Was she always that grounded? What was her early life like? I'd be particularly interested to know how she arrived at the ambition to be a nohecharo. It is such a specific and all-consuming thing, and very different from what she had been doing! From a do-no-harm medical type to a prepared-to-kill bodyguard - what a shift. I'd also love to see her using her medical skills during her time-off. Tell me about her cases, the people she treats (let them resolve happily, please, I don't want a sad sickfic), the network of friends she spins out of that. Does she ever come across info that she brings back to Maia and it turns out to be politically vital? How does she get along with Csethiro, the other woman in Maia's innermost circle?
Character: Csoru Drazharan (fic)
Csoru intrigues me in general, particularly post-canon. What’s an ex-Empress to do? She’s already made the greatest marriage she could within her culture, and Maia's made it clear she's not going to have an amazing influential career as a widow. What would she do next? Try to marry outside the Ethuveraz (e.g. some high Barizhan noble, but also any option that strikes your fancy!) where she gets a nice cushy position of power and won't be endlessly reminded of what she's lost? Stake her ground in the court and fight Csethiro tooth-and-nail, dividing the court into two? (How long would Csethiro & Maia let that last?) Leave the capital and try to make a way for herself sans marriage? She doesn't have a very conciliatory or self-aware character in canon: but she's pretty young, just her early twenties. Could she improve herself? She must know how to behave at times, otherwise she never would have ended up married to Varenechibel. Being widowed doesn't seem to have provided a sufficiently awakening knock to her character - what might?
Relationship: Vedero Drazhin & Ino Drazhin & Mireän Drazhin & Idra Drazhar (fic)
NB: I'd be happy to receive fic focusing on Vedero's relationship with just one of her nephew/nieces, if that makes writing easier for you.
So, what's Vedero's relationship like with her nephew and nieces? What influence does she have there, what fondness? Does she like them? Does she tell them stories about their father and uncles? Does she show them her telescope or take them on trips to visit her scholarly friends? She is basically the only long-term member of their family left to them, with their mother in exile and their other aunt residing elsewhere. Does she represent stability? Or did she never have much contact with them before, and now she does? With Maia and Csethiro mired in politics, perhaps she's the one with the most time for them, usually. There's lots of potentially lovely stuff about her mentoring Ino and Mireän that you could explore, welcoming them to the mysteries and wonder of scholarship as a woman. But there's also a lot about her relationship with Idra that could be amazing - her making sure that Idra is open-minded about social roles for the genders, opening his eyes to new things.
Relationship: Captain Vizhenka/Nadeian Vizhenka (fic)
Was it love at first sight for this couple, or an arranged match that grew into happiness? Even though Nadeian is illegitimate, she's still the daughter of the Great Avar - were there any issues of class or social standing to overcome? In canon Captain Vizhenka holds a respectable rank, but perhaps he started out lower down the chain. (I would dig a fic where he was a bodyguard of hers to start with - bodyguard/protectee is a lovely trope.) It'd also be fascinating to see their perspectives on canon events. And then of course there's a whole world of possibilities post-canon - how does their relationship develop in this new environment of the Ethuveraz? Do they ever get to take holidays? Do they have children?
Relationship: Uleviän Clunetharan & Paru Tethimin (fic)
The Tethimin sisters just fascinate me and I decided I'd love to know more about Uleviän and Paru in particular, as the eldest, adult sisters. How did they get on before Uleviän's marriage? How do they get on now, after their brother's and father's treason, with the younger girls in the charge of Uleviän and her husband, and the house of Tethimada extirpated? It's a really rough situation. I can see them suffering a lot of grief from "loyal citizens", experiencing a lot of stigma. Uleviän's husband is clearly an honest-as-the-day-is-long type and would protect them from the more obvious sneers and jeers, but he can't always be there. What do the girls do all day? What do they dream of? Are they angry, or resigned, or shocked (or all of the above)?
Worldbuilding: Wildlife & Natural Environment (fic)
There are so many things you could do with this. An extract from a guidebook, or a nature handbook. One of Vedero's friends happily discussing her arboreal studies. Maia liberating circus animals and creating a free-range zoo. The Vizhenkas building a greenhouse so they can enjoy Barizheise flowers that don't grow this far north. Beshelar doing wilderness survival training. Csevet learning to swim and accidentally getting a frog on his head. Someone going on a far-off diplomatic journey and exploring the seaside for the first time.
<
Dear writer ...
My username on AO3 is bigsunglasses.
First, a quick guide to my tastes. I want to be left happy or optimistic at the end of a story - please, no endings that are bitter or sad. I also prefer fics with some action or interaction, rather than ones that are just one character reflecting/introspecting.
Do not want.
Pregnancy loss, or difficulties. Rape or dub-con. Character death (referencing a canon death in passing is fine, someone dying in the fic is not). Terminal illness. Infidelity. Explicit torture. Gore. Gaslighting. Humiliation. Incest.
Lovelist.
Worldbuilding. Exploring culture & cultural differences. History. Friendship. Fluff. Cooking and savoury food. Ecology - nature & wildlife in general (also the seaside, lakes, rivers). Adventure. Loyalty. Protectiveness. Going undercover. Secret identities. Themes of truth & justice. Working to build happiness with an imperfect set of cards. Sacrifice rewarded. Blossoming romance. Established OTP taking on the plot. Creating and building things (families, meals, cities, houses, books, whatever...). Physical touch: brushing hair, holding hands, massages, etc. Hurt/comfort. Some favourite romantic tropes: we-only-kissed-to-provide-a-diversion-
Smut.
If the muse moves you towards smut, go for it! But I'd love there to be at least some plot or framing story, rather than outright PWP. I'm not really interested in reading sex for sex's sake, but in reading how and why particular characters do sex. Be as explicit or not as you want. I don't go for kink.
Character: Kiru Athmaza (fic)
Kiru's such a grounded character, and somehow for me adds steadiness to Maia's household, which is otherwise rather young. Was she always that grounded? What was her early life like? I'd be particularly interested to know how she arrived at the ambition to be a nohecharo. It is such a specific and all-consuming thing, and very different from what she had been doing! From a do-no-harm medical type to a prepared-to-kill bodyguard - what a shift. I'd also love to see her using her medical skills during her time-off. Tell me about her cases, the people she treats (let them resolve happily, please, I don't want a sad sickfic), the network of friends she spins out of that. Does she ever come across info that she brings back to Maia and it turns out to be politically vital? How does she get along with Csethiro, the other woman in Maia's innermost circle?
Character: Csoru Drazharan (fic)
Csoru intrigues me in general, particularly post-canon. What’s an ex-Empress to do? She’s already made the greatest marriage she could within her culture, and Maia's made it clear she's not going to have an amazing influential career as a widow. What would she do next? Try to marry outside the Ethuveraz (e.g. some high Barizhan noble, but also any option that strikes your fancy!) where she gets a nice cushy position of power and won't be endlessly reminded of what she's lost? Stake her ground in the court and fight Csethiro tooth-and-nail, dividing the court into two? (How long would Csethiro & Maia let that last?) Leave the capital and try to make a way for herself sans marriage? She doesn't have a very conciliatory or self-aware character in canon: but she's pretty young, just her early twenties. Could she improve herself? She must know how to behave at times, otherwise she never would have ended up married to Varenechibel. Being widowed doesn't seem to have provided a sufficiently awakening knock to her character - what might?
Relationship: Vedero Drazhin & Ino Drazhin & Mireän Drazhin & Idra Drazhar (fic)
NB: I'd be happy to receive fic focusing on Vedero's relationship with just one of her nephew/nieces, if that makes writing easier for you.
So, what's Vedero's relationship like with her nephew and nieces? What influence does she have there, what fondness? Does she like them? Does she tell them stories about their father and uncles? Does she show them her telescope or take them on trips to visit her scholarly friends? She is basically the only long-term member of their family left to them, with their mother in exile and their other aunt residing elsewhere. Does she represent stability? Or did she never have much contact with them before, and now she does? With Maia and Csethiro mired in politics, perhaps she's the one with the most time for them, usually. There's lots of potentially lovely stuff about her mentoring Ino and Mireän that you could explore, welcoming them to the mysteries and wonder of scholarship as a woman. But there's also a lot about her relationship with Idra that could be amazing - her making sure that Idra is open-minded about social roles for the genders, opening his eyes to new things.
Relationship: Captain Vizhenka/Nadeian Vizhenka (fic)
Was it love at first sight for this couple, or an arranged match that grew into happiness? Even though Nadeian is illegitimate, she's still the daughter of the Great Avar - were there any issues of class or social standing to overcome? In canon Captain Vizhenka holds a respectable rank, but perhaps he started out lower down the chain. (I would dig a fic where he was a bodyguard of hers to start with - bodyguard/protectee is a lovely trope.) It'd also be fascinating to see their perspectives on canon events. And then of course there's a whole world of possibilities post-canon - how does their relationship develop in this new environment of the Ethuveraz? Do they ever get to take holidays? Do they have children?
Relationship: Uleviän Clunetharan & Paru Tethimin (fic)
The Tethimin sisters just fascinate me and I decided I'd love to know more about Uleviän and Paru in particular, as the eldest, adult sisters. How did they get on before Uleviän's marriage? How do they get on now, after their brother's and father's treason, with the younger girls in the charge of Uleviän and her husband, and the house of Tethimada extirpated? It's a really rough situation. I can see them suffering a lot of grief from "loyal citizens", experiencing a lot of stigma. Uleviän's husband is clearly an honest-as-the-day-is-long type and would protect them from the more obvious sneers and jeers, but he can't always be there. What do the girls do all day? What do they dream of? Are they angry, or resigned, or shocked (or all of the above)?
Worldbuilding: Wildlife & Natural Environment (fic)
There are so many things you could do with this. An extract from a guidebook, or a nature handbook. One of Vedero's friends happily discussing her arboreal studies. Maia liberating circus animals and creating a free-range zoo. The Vizhenkas building a greenhouse so they can enjoy Barizheise flowers that don't grow this far north. Beshelar doing wilderness survival training. Csevet learning to swim and accidentally getting a frog on his head. Someone going on a far-off diplomatic journey and exploring the seaside for the first time.
<
