blueinkedfrost | Yuletide Letter - blueinkedfrost on AO3

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Thank you for writing for me! I hope you have a wonderful Yuletide. Our shared rare fandom is joy, optional details are optional, and please don't get eaten by bears.

Things I like to read include: adventure, ghost stories, humour, horror, slice-of-life, alternative universes, tragedy, suffering, irony, drama, mystery, complicated characters, complicated relationships, character development, underexplored parts of canon universes, plot twists, banter, capable/competent characters, female characters having adventures or being central to the story, femslash, gen, het, slash, rare characters in the spotlight, unusual stories, being surprised, and many other things that hopefully cover what you enjoy writing. I'd love to read a story you want to write.

If there're any questions about this letter, feel free to go through the Yuletide Mods, or simply write the story you want to write - I'd much rather read fic that went in a direction you liked writing than a story that stuck to a prompt that wasn't working for you.

Fandoms

Fandom: Decameron - Boccacio (book)

When a group of wealthy young nobles flee the plague to party in the country, they tell each other Italian Renaissance folk stories, witty, bawdy, exciting, insightful, and hilarious by turns.

Characters: Any (Alatiel, Madam Zinevra, Abraham, Jehannot de Chevigny)
Source: I read the Project Gutenberg translation, Decameron I and Decameron II

I love the Decameron stories and the way they're a window into Renaissance Italy and people's concerns and lives. Things I like about the nominated characters include: Madam Zinevra crossdresses, has adventures, and vindicates herself against injustice; Alatiel meets one irresistibly sexy pirate/warlord after another and eventually becomes Queen; and Abraham and Jehannot are merchants who are best friends despite religious differences. If another Decameron story suits your taste, I'd love a fic that draws from any of the stories - I like them all. Nominated characters, non-nominated characters, and original characters with a general inspiration from the source are all great. I love historical details, folk tales, alternative universes, and re-imaginings in different settings.

Historical Anti-Semitism Warning: In Abraham and Jehannot's story, the story does well in that Abraham, a Jew, is a normal decent guy who's BFFs with Jehannot, a Christian. The story doesn't do well in that Abraham converting to Christianity is given as a happy ending. Melchisedech's story does well with its Jewish protagonist.
Historical Sexual Violence Warning: Alatiel's story contains sexual violence. I see it as more "bodice ripper" than "serious examination of the trauma of being enslaved by multiple bloodthirsty warlords", one of those stories set in fictional milieux where human psychology is entirely atypical. If this story interests you, I'd love to read your perspective, even (especially) if wildly different from mine.

Fandom: Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (Video Game)

You are a librarian, also known as the best profession ever. Go and save the world with a group of ever so interesting if somewhat foolhardy and/or downright suicidal people. It's a cross between a RPG and a tower defence game, fun, addictive-but-not-life-destroying-addictive, with a great storyline about a terrifying plague, an endless war, and old deeds coming home to roost.

(Thank you to the person who nominated this! <3)

Characters: Any (Azra Yalkie Livbar, Bakal Kozar, Ketta Takili en Geka, Wrenna Lan Laxmi)
Source: Coming soon to a web browser near you (free demo; Kongregate version)

I love the adventure and the characters' different stories, and the way they reveal different parts of themselves and their backgrounds as you play. I'd love to read any kind of story that you're inspired to write for this fandom. I love Azra's sarcasm and humour, her librarianism, and her epic case of chronic protagonist-itis - I'd love to read what she thinks, writes, or reads. I also love Bakal's character and his backstory, the way he's changed over the years, how he's acted as a mentor for others while bearing the weight of his own flaws, and his seriously complicated relationship with Zelemir. I love older characters and the way the weight of their experience is so interesting. I also love Ketta and her toughness and propensity for adventure, as well as the self-contradictory aspects of her character - I'd love to read more about Ketta in action. Wrenna's time imprisoned sounds like it was very traumatic. I'd love to read more about her backstory (childhood or prisoner of war), or about what Wrenna does after the game is over with her new quest to rebuild her kingdom, and her relationships with her new dragon acquaintances (I love Niru too). I love Wrenna's resilience and determination even in horrible circumstances.

Some prompts:

Azra femslash with Ketta, Wrenna, or Tletl-Meztli. I like Markos, he's nice and cute, but what-if alternate universe scenarios are nice too. (I like all the characters - I'm good with absolutely any shipping combinations or no shipping combinations.)
What if one of the random priests/acolytes Bakal brings along with him is Zelemir's illegitimate child?
Any expansions on the worldbuilding and lore of the story.
How many different ways could the ending have gone? Azra's choice, Ketta's choice, Markos' choice, Bakal's fate, Zelemir's fate, other choices - there are a kaleidoscope of possibilities.
You can get some unusual and sometimes even detrimental objects in the game. Does one of them have a story attached to it, or damage any of the protagonists in some way?

Fandom: Die Lustig Witwe | The Merry Widow (operetta)

The brilliant hit of its day, with joyous and catchy music, dance, intrigue, laughter, and true love. Get your Merry Widow Hat, Merry Widow Cigar, Merry Widow Cake, and get a Merry Widow Hair Cut cut by a Merry Widow.

Many period advertisements using the success of the Merry Widow operetta.

(click for better image quality)

Characters: Hanna Glawari, Count Danilo Danilovitsch, Kromow, Baron Mirkow Zeta
Source: Several YouTube versions.

The Merry Widow is delightful. I love the comedy combined with such an interesting, passionate relationship at the heart of it. There have been many adaptations, interpretations, and settings - I'd love to read any version of the story, with one or more of these characters. I love the way Hanna and Danilo are so well matched, with Hanna's intelligence, pride, and kindness fighting against Danilo's own share of those qualities, and the way that Hanna's resilience and wit win through in the end. I'd love to read about Hanna having an adventure, solving a mystery or resolving a problem, whether on her own or teamed with Danilo. Or Kromow/Zeta slash would be fun. I like the joke in some adaptations: "I love you!"/"Now, General, call me old fashioned, but I still prefer 'don't ask, don't tell'!" What if Zeta and Kromow found love with each other? I also like Valencienne's character very much.

Link to a version with a 'Don't ask don't tell' joke.
Link to a version with lovely costumes.
Link to a version with a lovely interlude about lighting.

Some prompts:

Hanna and Danilo find Romantic-with-a-capital-R and political intrigue after the story - e.g. does Pontevedro/Marsovia/Whatever You Prefer To Call It have any similarities to Ruritania (I mean more the 'swords and disguises and plots and honour' sense than the 'adultery' sense)?
Hanna's first marriage and the new experiences she found through it
Hanna and Valencienne's friendship
Zeta and Kromow earning medals, or reminiscing about them
Marital shenanigans with Kromow, Zeta, Valencienne, Olga, and others

Fandom: Mansfield Park - Jane Austen

A timid, introverted, insightful protagonist finds the courage to stand up for herself, while the original Mrs Norris is reliably awful and hilarious.

Characters: Fanny Price
Source: Project Gutenberg

I love Fanny Price. A shy bookworm, told all her life that she's the "lowest and last" and must be grateful above all things to the wealthy family that took her in, and who turns out to have a spine of pure titanium when it's important. I love how Fanny's kind, contemplative, thoughtful, and stays true to herself and her integrity even when all the circumstances and the people she loves are against her. Some optional prompts: I'd love to read how Fanny continues to grow and develop past the novel, taking up new responsibilities at Mansfield Parsonage, learning to love it, and her new adventures. Fanny in a fantasy or science-fiction tale, or ghost story, would also be lovely. Fanny and her sibling relationships with William and Susan are warm and kind - watching them interact is great. Or alternative universe roleswap: Fanny Crawford is a shy bookworm spoiled and indulged by her father the Admiral, while Mary Price is a poor, vivacious foundling taken in by the wealthy Bertrams and her dreadful Aunt Norris - what happens?

Out of all of Austen's heroines, Anne Elliot probably wins "Best Educated", but I vote Fanny Price for "Most Nerdy". She'd rather practice astronomy than sing a glee!

(Not that there's anything wrong with glee singing ... and I bet that, in later life, Edmund would take Fanny to a professionally acted play and she would absolutely love being in the audience.)

Fandom: Baldur's Gate (video game)

Fantasy adventure bildungsroman with a host of amazing characters.

Characters: Irenicus, Bodhi, Xzar, Aphril
Source: Beamdog.com

I'd love to read darkfic involving one or more of these characters. Irenicus and Bodhi are such interesting, threatening villains. I like Irenicus' cold ambition and intelligence, and Bodhi's enthusiasm for bloodthirst, mayhem, and taking over the Athkatla underworld with little idea of what she's going to *do* with it. I'd like to read your take on Xzar and his madness. Or I'd like to read your take on Aphril - I know she's a very minor character but she has very interesting abilties! A story set in Spellhold or Athkatla would be great, or an exploration of characters' backstory or futurefic. These four characters have a lot of options for dysfunctional, chilling, or ghostly stories. As an alternative, I love this fandom in general and I love being surprised - I'd enjoy reading an adventure with your favourite combination of characters, nominated or not.

Some prompts:

Bodhi "wins" by her own definition - what would that even look like?
Aphril or Xzar trapped in Spellhold with Irenicus
Aphril or Xzar caught in Bodhi's plot in Athkatla due to involvement with Charname
Irenicus and Bodhi - brother and sister, or just so-called "brother" and "sister"? Whatever their exact genetic relationship, the way they play off each other and the way they cling to each other until Irenicus discards Bodhi are very interesting.
Vignette based on Charname's adventures
Ghost story - in Faerun, the characters know that gods exist, the afterlife exists, and dead men walk the earth on a regular basis. However, some things are still mysterious and powerful enough to send a chill up anyone's spine.