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Chocolate Box Letter 2018
Jan. 3rd, 2018 04:57 pmHello, and thank you for even considering writing for me! My AO3 name is Aeriel and I am ridiculously delighted by the prospect of getting something for one of these ships, whose popularity ranges from 'a fond minority' to 'lol nobody cares'. I tried to make my requests the same size but unfortunately I did not quite succeed. Please don't think that means I'm less interested in the ones that I said less about! Sometimes I have less ideas about what these character would be like together, but I'm requesting them because I want to see that explored.
As a general rule, I am okay with everything from G rated hand holding to explicit shenanigans, though I would rather no super underage sex stuff (tentatively ruling that some confused fumbling between 13/14 year olds of the same age is all right and 15-17 year olds can do whatever they like, and naturally if there's a canon age gap I don't mind seeing it in fic), and no non-con. If you are leaning towards writing porn, I would like at least a little bit of story with it. If you are leaning towards not writing porn, no problem!
Relationship tropes that are Do Not Wants: ultimatums, cold/harsh rejection of love confessions, jealousy that leads to angst, long term pining, characters forcing their partners out of the closet and/or not respecting their boundaries, the saint and the project (one character is fucked up and destructive and their partner is the selfless person that puts up with all their shit with no complaints or signs of issues of their own), characters dumping other characters 'for their own good' and anyone getting a non-canon terminal disease. That said, I doubt most of those are likely to come up in the contexts of the ships I asked for, so here's what I asked for.
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci - Diana Wynne Jones
Cat Chant/Marianne Pinhoe
I love how well they work together immediately ("Will you help me look for Nutcase?" "What does he look like?" Marianne approved of this practical question) and how in their very first meeting they're both impressed visually with each other's magic (Marianne's seeming to "blaze off" her and Cat glowing gold like the Christmas bells). It also delights me to see Cat, notorious for his indirectness, finding himself comfortable directly stating both that he really just wants to explore the attic and that he thinks Marianne's family is stifling her much as Gwendolen stifled him. Canon gave us a bit of how Cat's beginning to grow and change and come into his own, so it would be lovely to see Marianne doing that in her way. I liked how clearly neither of them are really comfortable with the idea of romance in Pinhoe Egg (Cat saying he isn't in love with Irene, Marianne changing her story to be about cats) so I'd imagine they'd be a bit older before anything romantic started happening between them. Prompts! Maybe Marianne goes off to London or Caprona or somewhere exciting for a while and when she and Cat encounter each other again things are different and they can't quite figure out why at first? Or awkward teenage years with magic and magical creatures constantly butting in demanding attention? Maybe things change once Cat becomes Chrestomanci?
Kushiel's Legacy- Jacqueline Carey
Alcuin no Delaunay/Joscelin Verreuil
Full disclosure: I have written this ship before, but please don't think that means I have any sort of rigid ideas about it! I like the idea of it because I feel like Alcuin and Joscelin would bring out different aspects of each other than we see in their canon romances. There's the fun bit of interaction already present in Dart with Joscelin teaching Alcuin to spar with him, and the contrast of Joscelin's rigidness to Alcuin's adaptability, and arguably Alcuin's attitudes towards sex are more like Joscelin's than Phedre's in terms of monogamy and romantic attachment. I would prefer this ship in an AU where Alcuin didn't die.
Alcuin no Delaunay/Ysandre de la Courcel
In Kushiel's Dart, after Phedre's pardon Ysandre says that she wishes she'd been able to meet Alcuin, and I think they'd have had rather a lot in common! I like that they're both cunning and both willing and able to use their wits to pursue their passions, and naturally if Alcuin had lived he would have worked for Ysandre (and arguably already was). Maybe Ysandre is curious about sex and Alcuin likes her enough to oblige? Or maybe, conscious of the worth of her virginity before marriage, nothing ever happens between them sexually but they develop feelings while working together closely in matters of intrigue and share a charged kiss or two? (Or well, there's probably a lot they could do that still wouldn't ~devirginize Ysandre in the eyes of foreign princes) I should mention I'm completely okay with Ysandre/Drustan still being a thing as long as everyone is aware of what's going on and there isn't say, Ysandre and Alcuin secretly happening on a long-term basis behind Drustan's back. I would prefer this ship in an AU where Alcuin didn't die.
Melisande Shahrizai/Sidonie de la Courcel
And now for my darkfic request! Because I find it hard to imagine a scenario where this ship would happen that wouldn't be twisted in some way, but the idea of it is fascinating all the same. Even in an AU where Melisande gets to Sidonie before/instead of Imriel, Sidonie is still the daughter and heir of the Queen Melisande has been actively working to dethrone and/or kill. Melisande being Melisande, I imagine she would find it delightful to conquer Ysandre's daughter. Sidonie is of course not an anguisette, but Melisande has enough of the qualities she seems attracted to that if she didn't know initially who Melisande was I think she might just be tempted by her. I should re-iterate I'd rather not see graphic on-screen non-con but I'm pretty much expecting dubcon and referenced/implied non-con is fine for this specific request.
王室教師ハイネ | Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine | The Royal Tutor (Anime)
Leonhard von Granzreich/Heine Wittgenstein
I love Leonhard and his hilarious mixture of pride and flailing innocence, and I love how Heine quickly works out the best strategy for teaching and earning the respect of each of the princes (though for the purposes of this request, especially his strategies with Leonhard) I particularly like how Heine inspires Leonhard to make an effort at things he's not always likely to succeed at, ask questions and think creatively. My preference is for Leonhard to be aged up a bit before any sort of relationship starts.
Leonhard attempting to seduce Heine with advice from Licht and getting frustrated when Licht's advice turns out to be totally inappropriate? Heine slowly noticing Leonhard is having trouble concentrating on lessons because he's putting him on the same sort of pedestal as Bruno? Or on Heine's part, does he begin to become concerned that he might be favoring Leonhard in some way after years go by?
As a general rule, I am okay with everything from G rated hand holding to explicit shenanigans, though I would rather no super underage sex stuff (tentatively ruling that some confused fumbling between 13/14 year olds of the same age is all right and 15-17 year olds can do whatever they like, and naturally if there's a canon age gap I don't mind seeing it in fic), and no non-con. If you are leaning towards writing porn, I would like at least a little bit of story with it. If you are leaning towards not writing porn, no problem!
Relationship tropes that are Do Not Wants: ultimatums, cold/harsh rejection of love confessions, jealousy that leads to angst, long term pining, characters forcing their partners out of the closet and/or not respecting their boundaries, the saint and the project (one character is fucked up and destructive and their partner is the selfless person that puts up with all their shit with no complaints or signs of issues of their own), characters dumping other characters 'for their own good' and anyone getting a non-canon terminal disease. That said, I doubt most of those are likely to come up in the contexts of the ships I asked for, so here's what I asked for.
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci - Diana Wynne Jones
Cat Chant/Marianne Pinhoe
I love how well they work together immediately ("Will you help me look for Nutcase?" "What does he look like?" Marianne approved of this practical question) and how in their very first meeting they're both impressed visually with each other's magic (Marianne's seeming to "blaze off" her and Cat glowing gold like the Christmas bells). It also delights me to see Cat, notorious for his indirectness, finding himself comfortable directly stating both that he really just wants to explore the attic and that he thinks Marianne's family is stifling her much as Gwendolen stifled him. Canon gave us a bit of how Cat's beginning to grow and change and come into his own, so it would be lovely to see Marianne doing that in her way. I liked how clearly neither of them are really comfortable with the idea of romance in Pinhoe Egg (Cat saying he isn't in love with Irene, Marianne changing her story to be about cats) so I'd imagine they'd be a bit older before anything romantic started happening between them. Prompts! Maybe Marianne goes off to London or Caprona or somewhere exciting for a while and when she and Cat encounter each other again things are different and they can't quite figure out why at first? Or awkward teenage years with magic and magical creatures constantly butting in demanding attention? Maybe things change once Cat becomes Chrestomanci?
Kushiel's Legacy- Jacqueline Carey
Alcuin no Delaunay/Joscelin Verreuil
Full disclosure: I have written this ship before, but please don't think that means I have any sort of rigid ideas about it! I like the idea of it because I feel like Alcuin and Joscelin would bring out different aspects of each other than we see in their canon romances. There's the fun bit of interaction already present in Dart with Joscelin teaching Alcuin to spar with him, and the contrast of Joscelin's rigidness to Alcuin's adaptability, and arguably Alcuin's attitudes towards sex are more like Joscelin's than Phedre's in terms of monogamy and romantic attachment. I would prefer this ship in an AU where Alcuin didn't die.
Alcuin no Delaunay/Ysandre de la Courcel
In Kushiel's Dart, after Phedre's pardon Ysandre says that she wishes she'd been able to meet Alcuin, and I think they'd have had rather a lot in common! I like that they're both cunning and both willing and able to use their wits to pursue their passions, and naturally if Alcuin had lived he would have worked for Ysandre (and arguably already was). Maybe Ysandre is curious about sex and Alcuin likes her enough to oblige? Or maybe, conscious of the worth of her virginity before marriage, nothing ever happens between them sexually but they develop feelings while working together closely in matters of intrigue and share a charged kiss or two? (Or well, there's probably a lot they could do that still wouldn't ~devirginize Ysandre in the eyes of foreign princes) I should mention I'm completely okay with Ysandre/Drustan still being a thing as long as everyone is aware of what's going on and there isn't say, Ysandre and Alcuin secretly happening on a long-term basis behind Drustan's back. I would prefer this ship in an AU where Alcuin didn't die.
Melisande Shahrizai/Sidonie de la Courcel
And now for my darkfic request! Because I find it hard to imagine a scenario where this ship would happen that wouldn't be twisted in some way, but the idea of it is fascinating all the same. Even in an AU where Melisande gets to Sidonie before/instead of Imriel, Sidonie is still the daughter and heir of the Queen Melisande has been actively working to dethrone and/or kill. Melisande being Melisande, I imagine she would find it delightful to conquer Ysandre's daughter. Sidonie is of course not an anguisette, but Melisande has enough of the qualities she seems attracted to that if she didn't know initially who Melisande was I think she might just be tempted by her. I should re-iterate I'd rather not see graphic on-screen non-con but I'm pretty much expecting dubcon and referenced/implied non-con is fine for this specific request.
王室教師ハイネ | Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine | The Royal Tutor (Anime)
Leonhard von Granzreich/Heine Wittgenstein
I love Leonhard and his hilarious mixture of pride and flailing innocence, and I love how Heine quickly works out the best strategy for teaching and earning the respect of each of the princes (though for the purposes of this request, especially his strategies with Leonhard) I particularly like how Heine inspires Leonhard to make an effort at things he's not always likely to succeed at, ask questions and think creatively. My preference is for Leonhard to be aged up a bit before any sort of relationship starts.
Leonhard attempting to seduce Heine with advice from Licht and getting frustrated when Licht's advice turns out to be totally inappropriate? Heine slowly noticing Leonhard is having trouble concentrating on lessons because he's putting him on the same sort of pedestal as Bruno? Or on Heine's part, does he begin to become concerned that he might be favoring Leonhard in some way after years go by?
