desert_vixen's lair

My general preferences are here.

It's my 15th Yuletide!

You can also use the "dear writer" tag but TBH I copy/paste letters a lot.  The general preferences were updated and restyled this year, so if you've written for me before, definitely give it a look!

My DNW list: unrequested mundane AU | female characters in fridges | non-con | violent dub-con | graphic violence | gore | graphic sexual violence | cruelty/death to animals | cruelty/death to children | requested character death | unrelieved grimdark | bigotry by the good guys | first or second POV | reader fic | ABO | soulbonds | wildly OOC in a non-cracky way

 

I AM OPEN TO TREATS, ALL THE TREATS YOU WANT TO WRITE.

 

Optional details are optional, but I love a good chatty letter.  I want to give you something to latch on to but don't feel constrained.  I have more to say about some but some of that is just more time requesting them.

Remember, whatever you write, I will love!  I know 2020 2021 2022  2023 has been rough on a lot of people, so please don't stress out too much because Yuletide will be wonderful!  It's definitely been full of challenges for me, so let's celebrate with awesome fic!  These are a mix - 3 repeat requests and 2 new (for Yuletide) requests.

Crossovers are definitely welcome, as are AUs!  If you cross it over with Clue or an Agatha Christie fandom/detective (Poirot, Marple, Ariadne Oliver, And Then There Were None) I'm good with anything - otherwise, see my preferences - cracky or serious crossovers welcome.  I also welcome any and all crossovers involving Nancy Drew. 

I do enjoy the trappings of the Christmas holiday (mistletoe, gifts, hot chocolate, oh no we're snowed in together and must stay warm somehow... or we're trapped with a killer, family togetherness, snowball fights, traveling over the river and through the terminal) but do not require them.  If they work though, by all means, take advantage of it.

And again, have fun!

 

( My requests, come read them! )

 

My general preferences are here.  You can also use the "dear writer" tag but TBH I copy/paste letters a lot.  The general preferences were updated this year, so if you've written for me before, definitely give it a look!

 

Optional details are optional, but I love a good chatty letter.  I want to give you something to latch on to but don't feel constrained.  I apologise for this one being late-ish but it's been a Month here in my household.

 

I failed to include my DNWs in my signup, but I know you will avoid them anyway (they are nominated character death, cruelty/death to animals/children (specifically cats), explicit/graphic/sexual violence). Please especially do not reference cat death (not canon for any of these) - I unfortunately lost my best Siamese girl to bone cancer after 16 wonderful years in 2021 and it's still tender.

 

Remember, whatever you write, I will love!  I know 2020 2021 2022 has been rough on a lot of people, so please don't stress out too much because Yuletide will be wonderful!  It's definitely been full of challenges for me, so let's celebrate with awesome fic!  These are a mix - 3 repeat requests and 2 new (for Yuletide) requests.

 

Crossovers are definitely welcome, as are AUs!  If you cross it over with Clue or an Agatha Christie fandom/detective (Poirot, Marple, Ariadne Oliver, And Then There Were None) I'm good with anything - otherwise, see my preferences - cracky or serious crossovers welcome.  I also welcome any and all crossovers involving Nancy Drew. 

 

I do enjoy the trappings of the Christmas holiday (mistletoe, gifts, hot chocolate, oh no we're snowed in together and must stay warm somehow... or we're trapped with a killer, family togetherness, snowball fights, traveling over the river and through the terminal) but do not require them.  If they work though, by all means, take advantage of it.

 

And again, have fun!

 

( Specific Requests )

 

 The end of the year, of course, brings Yuletide - this was my ninth year of participation.

  My assigned fic was Hastings on the Nile, an AU for Death on the Nile to include the good captain.  Fun to write!

 Then I went a-pinch hitting!

 1. Madam President - My recipient wanted a story about President Hillary Rodham and her wife.  Domestic fluff ensued.
 2. Not Just History - SW Legends, Rogue Squadron-focused.  I did enjoy the whole museum arc in the books.
 3. Ranger's Responsibility - Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon (DDC) - Lightly Hank/Sheila, but more about Hank dealing with the Dragon's Graveyard episode.
 4. Coming Home, Coming Out - Baby-Sitters Club.  Claudia comes home from college with a secret.  This seemed to be the biggest hit this year, and it made me stretch a little.
 5. The Only Reward for Good Work - G.I. Joe cartoon.  You all know what the reward for good work is...

 And I did one Madness Drabble.  It was a hectic holiday season.

 1. A Nice Quiet Visit - Murder She Wrote.  Jessica visits Grady and nothing happens.

 Nominations will start 9 September, and signups will start 1 October.

 So time to start narrowing down what I want to offer/request...

 DV

 In a moment of possible temporary insanity, I volunteered to do the nominations coordination posts for Yuletide this year.  So make use of that post!

 DV

 It's Friday!

 This meant that after I did errands, and read a little bit, I got to sleep for a whole seven hours before dragging my lazy carcass out of bed and going for a run with my roommate.

 There is something in my right upper thigh that is pulling now, so the rest of the night should be fun.  But we ran, which is good.

 Errands involved getting initial money put in the Savings Deposit Program, a nifty little deal for deployed people that lets earn 10% interest a year on up to $10K.  And the money can stay in for 90 days after you return, so if you cram the cash in quickly, you can actually get the whole deal.  I also had to visit our post office and mail some paperwork.  Of course, all this involves roaming the base on foot, so I was pretty happy to come home and go to sleep.

 Other things that are good: YULETIDE IS COMING!  Nominations will open 16 September.  Looking at the rules from the new mods (elynross is not doing it this year, sadness) I think the things I like to request will all be good.  Nancy Drew is edging close to the line on the AO3 limit, but should be good this year. So maybe this will be the year I get lucky and get the Nancy Drew story I ask for.

There are some changes in the whole nomination process, and it looks like the number of nominations we can put in may not be 3 - they were looking at 4, but are trying to avoid the list getting to be huge, which I can understand.  That means it's time to spend some time reading my "things I've asked for in the past" list as well as the post on Yuletide where people are talking up fandoms and going through that whole thing.  It has 760 comments now, however, so it will not happen before I go to work this evening.  Which, sadly, is in about 30 minutes.

School is back in session - not sure how much I am going to enjoy it after some of the reading we are doing, but I think it's good to stretch my horizons.

DV

 Now that we're all revealed, I can take credit for my five stories (3 Yuletide, 2 Madness) !  Even better, I can start responding to comments, which makes me happy.

 Part I - My initial assignment - Staying Even, a fanfic for the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew TV show.  The show is pretty campy but entertaining (how can you not love episodes like the one where they meet Dracula (played by Lorne Greene) but differs from the books' continuity, which is what I normally write.  Also, there's still chemistry between Nancy and Frank Hardy, but it's more along the lines of "either they fall madly in love or kill each other" chemistry.  The request was for a little case-solving where Nancy gets to NOT be a damsel in distress.  It seems to have worked, although it has waaaay less comments than hits. (Gift for philote_auctor )

 Part II - My pinch hit - Dreams of Hope, a fanfic for the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon (DDC).  I was looking at this one with interest when doing some letter-stalking, and then managed to grab it for a pinch hit.  It's for a pairing not usually done in fanfic, and I think it works out pretty well.  (I think it also made me a confirmed Eric/Sheila fan)  It's mostly sweet and fluffy, with some deeper notes.  (Gift for herongale )

 Part III - A treat (better known as, This Is Your Brain When You Mainline Canon) - The Quality of Mercy, another DDC fanfic.  It plays off one of the best known episodes of the series, The Dragons' Graveyard, in which the kids try to take a pretty unprecedented step in 80s cartoons - permanently do away with the enemy.  (Gift for Senji (not on LJ)

 Part IV - Madness Ficlet One - Thoughts on Going Home, a Masters of the Universe ficlet.  It assumes a future when Adora is free to return to Eternia, and that all may not be well.  (Gift for Pervyficgirl (not on LJ)

 Part V - Madness Ficlet Two - Choices, a DDC ficlet that was sort of a remnant from canon-mainlining.  It deals with the (unaired) final episode in which the kids get the choice to go home, focused on Eric.  (Gift for astolat )

 DV

1. Bright Things (Little Mermaid) - More on the prompt about how Eric and Ariel need to adjust.

"Take a deep breath," he says, and when she does, they both dive, meeting under the water and rotating lazily around each other as long as they can. Her skin is warm against his, and he wonders what it would be like if they could sleep like this, her hair floating around him in a halo. 

2. Revenge! A Comedy - (Sleeping Beauty) - OMG, this is hilarious!  Go read it. 

"True love's kiss?" she asks, clearly not happy with the prospect of me being her true love. Which is completely fine with me, considering I don't stir my cauldron that way either.

3. Little Brown Bird - (GWTW) Rhett's thoughts about Melanie and her quiet strength.  Very nicely done.

He'd been about to applaud when he saw Melanie put her own ring in. Her face was stricken, devoid of all color, and she stood watching the basket make its rounds as if she wished she could dive back into it and pull her ring out.

4. Three Mornings (Frequency) - If you liked the movie, here's some interesting introspection.

But he’s a cop, and that’s the one thing that hasn’t changed, in all of the lifetimes John’s lived. Reassured as he’ll ever be, John hangs up with his parents, puts his car into gear, and drives off to the solid reality of the station.

5. Doubled Rooks (GI Joe Cartoon) - Calling all cartoon Joe fans - go read this one!  First, it's a Yuletide gift for our very own amykay73 (one of my faithful betas) and second, it's freaking hilarious!  Lady Jaye and Flint are fantastic, and the Baroness is her evil, slinky self.  

"Wow." Flint stood at her shoulder, blinking at their reflection as she adjusted the wig. "You look like --"
"Say it, and I will punch you. I have opera gloves, so I can bruise up my knuckles and attend the gala with no one the wiser."

Leaving it off for the night due to frequency of 502 errors...

DV

 There's some pretty awesome stuff out there.  These stories are what's made me happy today.

1. Elizabeth's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Dates - (Baby-Sitters' Club)This is first because it's MY Yuletide gift.  I wanted someone's take on the adults of the Baby-Sitters' Club series, especially Elizabeth Thomas.  The story is funny and touching together, a series of vignettes about bad dates that seemed promising.  There's one part that should definitely get some heart-squeeze if you're a fan of the series.  I was very excited to wake up and find it - and to find that it was the one of my three prompts that I MOST wanted to see.  My Yuletide author is awesome!

When he smiled down at her and tucked her arm into his like he was starring in a Gregory Peck movie and she was Audrey Hepburn, he was truly handsome.

2. Shadows of the Past - (Dungeons and Dragons Cartoon - DDC) This story isn't just impressive because someone managed to write a 26K+ Yuletide story (although that is a pretty impressive feat) but because it's so perfect in tone.  It plays off everything in the series, weaving canon, imagination, and extrapolation into an intricate fabric that's just... WOW.  They ride on Tiamat!  A whole bunch of characters are in it, and everyone's in character!  The writer puts depth and romance into everything, including the decision for them to go home.  This is one of those stories that you read and then wish you could have written. 

Presto’s hands tangled themselves in her hair, and he pulled her upwards towards his mouth to kiss her again, holding her like the most precious thing in the world. She bent to whisper something in his ear, and Eric was pretty sure it wasn’t “You’re standing on my dress” this time.

3. A Game Of You - (Westing Game) Turtle Wexler and Theo Theodorakis and their relationship in letters and books.  This one is funny and feel good.  Go read it.

She had briefly considered talking to her mother, but the mere thought of asking Grace Windsor Wexler for advice on dating and love caused Turtle to start twitching.

4. Your Voice Like A Trembling Sound - (Anne of Green Gables) Yuletide is pretty much the only time I read Anne of Green Gables fanfic, but it's always well-done.  This one is Ken and Rilla Ford, dealing with the aftermath of WWI and being married.  It makes you want to cry a little, but it has an end of optimism and romance that lets you know everything will work out.

Rilla closed her eyes so that she wouldn't have to watch him fear her. It was insupportable, it was impossible to listen to him one more moment, and she summoned up inside herself the way her father's voice had sounded when he was trying to be very stern. She thought of Ken in his uniform, his name--her name now--pinned to the khaki.

5. Doll Story (or, How Felicity Merriman Found Love) - I won't spoil the hook on this one, but suffice to say, it's hilarious and well-done.  There's no quote because it would give away how they did it.

6. Violet -  (Addams Family)  Wednesday makes a new friend, whether she wants to or not.  It's got a pre-femslashy vibe but could be read as not-slashy as well.  Gomez and Morticia are also spot-on.

How could her mother ever understand, being so adored by everyone that she's never known the brutal itch of paranoia, the deep suspicion that her acquaintances might harbor an ulterior motive for their supposed friendship?

7. The Intrepid Vincent - (The Unknown Ajax) The Darracotts are back!  There's a delightfully tongue in cheek author's note, and everyone is spot-on in character.  The Heyeresque feeling is wonderful.

After a moment of silence Vincent remarked. “Hugo you've never been one to sugar coat. Am I a selfish, worthless, care for no one?”
“Well, I would'na myself call you useless.”

8. Things That Stay The Same - (Nancy Drew) This is a George-centric fic, and deals with sexual orientation in River Heights.  It's well-done, and plays up on tensions without going overboard.  The ending is a little sad, and it feels like there could definitely be more story, but worth the read.

She hugged them again, Nancy and Bess, the friends from childhood that would always have a place in her heart, even if childhood was long gone, and time had slipped away.

9. The Maze of Solitude - (DDC) Basically, this is a story where Eric gets to be right.  It gets kind of meta, and is very entertaining, especially for those of us who have a soft spot in our hearts for the Cavalier.  It's really good.

"Nope, but they are still going around in circles." Presto plopped down on the bench. "I don't think the maze will let a group through."

I'm off to read more! These 9 were the ones that the AO3 would let me bookmark without the dreaded 502.

DV

 That spreadsheet featuring for finding "Dear Yuletide" letters is going to be fun.  Probably too much fun.

 Signups close on Friday, so there's still time to get in on the fun.  If you like surprises on December 25th, believe that giving can be more fun than recieving, and have soft spots for fandoms that don't get as much love as the big ones, then come out and play! (betray802 , I am looking at YOU.)

 DV