YULETIDE LETTER

Dear Yulegoat, I hope I get this right:

First off. Thank you so much for doing this! This is my first time participating in Yuletide and I am super excited. I'm still learning, so I'm probably gonna word stuff all awkwardly in this post. Know that it's said in enthusiasm and that if I sound hardassy and demanding, I'm actually just really really nervous and trying to be as informative as possible and I will love any gift no matter what unless Asterix eats Obelix in a pie. That is right out.

I'm a huge fan of canon explorations. Like, what happened on this day? Did they ever meet again? When did this happen? I'm open to any sort of pairing, with two caveats: I like them to be of similar age, and I don't like explicit sex all that much. A combo of requesting kids stuff, and being a bad visualizer anyway.

As well, I love adventure stories. I love adventures so bad. I don't mind romance, but if you combine it with adventure, that is so awesome.

Things That Would Make Me Sad: Rape. Excessive violence. Underage*. To make it easier, I like stuff at pg-13 or below. Especially since I'll probably be showing whatever I get to my little sister who's a fan of the same stuff I am.

*Just to be clear, I mean things like underage sex. Age-appropriate relationship stuff is totally fine! And often adorable

My fandoms are...

Chrestomanci Chronicles by Diana Wynne Jones

I love all the characters, basically. I also love the notion of what exactly the Chrestomanci does, so it'd be interesting to see something like Cat's first day on the job. Or grown up Conrad! I saw a fic about him in the archive and was all 'oh, Conrad, I missed you'. But I'd like to see how Cat gets on. Or if he ever encounters his murderous sister again.

Neverending Story by Michael Ende

You know how they kept saying 'but that is a tale for another time?'

If you could tell me one of those tales, I would be so incredibly happy. Otherwise, I'm a sucker for the further adventures of Bastian and Atreyu.

Greek Mythology

I like Hades. I know, I know, he's the most boring god. He tried to have two affairs, stole his wife, got married, never had kids, and once rescued his wife from other kidnappers. BUT. He has an invisible helmet. Like a ninja. He's also one of the few gods with a staff. You know, Charon, Thanatos, his three judges, etc. I like Persephone too. My mom, also interested in Greek mythology had her own little theories that always amused me, that since Persephone was raped by Zeus (Dionysius) and Demeter was so controlling, Hades' kidnapping might have been a rescue, especially since they had no kids. What I'm saying with this anecdote is, I like alternate myth interpretations, even if I don't ascribe to them. Hermes stealing stuff as a kid, did he have actual reasons beyond general dickery? Hephaestus' childhood after Hera threw him from Olympus and he was raised by that water goddess?

Nancy Drew

Nancy Drew is a goddamn badass. I love Nancy adventures. I even play the videogames. I like seeing her be clever and resourceful and kind. And it's not ironic. I really like Nancy Drew the character. Anyway, that is the best guide I can give if you do this one. If you wanna pair her up with anyone her own age, Bess, Ned, George, etc, go forth.

Sincerely,
Rosencrantz

(no subject)

I've been reading The Horse And His Boy by C.S. Lewis and it's not going well.

For starters, it features in droves a squick of mine: Slavery*. So right off the bat I'm not the happiest camper, especially since it's followed by the People Of The Unfortunate Implications, the Calormene. Who also keep angrily going 'those free, BEAUTIFUL white narnians!'. I knew nothing good was going to happen when I heard the beautiful line shortly after how dark the Calormene were. (Product of its time, yes, yes, that doesn't make it less irritating)

I guess what I'm saying is I've spent this whole book in a state of irritation.

I didn't want to! I wanted to really like it, given how many people recced it. But the whole slavery thing and the Calormene thing has made me irritable and that's influenced me even being able to like the characters. I can't even get amusement at how the Pevensies still talk like they all got hit on the head.

Plus when I try to talk about it on twitter, one of my favourite things to do when I read a book, all that comes out is total nonsense. The book is near impossible for me to talk about.

That is why I am a sad hamster.

(Also, and this one isn't a complaint, C.S. Lewis does like his words that look like typos. Plashing, frowsty, lief...)

My teeny step-brother likes the book, though. I read the first chapter to him out loud and he was excited and kept making faces at the points I believe Lewis intended them to be made. I'm getting him his own copy to read today.


*It, rape, and molestation are the fastest ways to take me out of a story, because it suddenly stops being escapism and starts being 'this is happening to someone right now in the real world and this just isn't entertaining as a result'