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kerithwynRequests for: Every Heart a Doorway, The Hero From Otherwhere, Lazarus, The Magicians (TV), Young Wizards, and Avengers Academy. SPOILERS for all these sources herein!
Dear Yuletide Author:
Thank you so much for writing a fic for me! I have only one real request: that you have fun with whatever you write. The notes below are just suggestions that you can use or ignore as suits your story; I’m far more interested in what you want to write than any prompts I might offer.
OPTIONAL DETAILS ARE OPTIONAL. Aside from the DNWs below, write what you’re excited about and I’ll love it.
General Dislikes (DNWs):
I usually don’t read fic that hinges on the major AO3 warnings: graphic depictions of violence, major character death, rape/non-con, or underage sex. Infidelity, betrayal, and humiliation don’t turn me on; endless angst for angst’s sake doesn’t either. Not interested in character- or ship-bashing. Pregnancy/kidfic doesn’t do much for me. I’m less interested in AUs that take the characters out of their basic roles (coffee shop AUs, etc.).
(Exceptions to all of these, as in everything, apply. Sex pollen is technically non-con but I’m fine with it if the characters are aware and reasonably okay with the necessity.)
Porn Dislikes: As above plus scat, necrophilia, bestiality, daddy kink, extreme power differentials (master/student), hate sex.
General Likes:
Most everything else. Het, slash, and femslash are all great. Poly/threesome/moresome fic is A++ awesome, and I’ll take OT3s > love triangles any day. Smutty fic is delicious, if that’s what strikes your fancy, but gen is great too, or anything in between. I am awed by those who can write plotty fic and just as happy to read character exploration fic.
Among other things, I love first times, competence, teamfic, bodyswap, Canadian shack, doubles/alternate versions meeting, friends to lovers/friends with benefits, sedoretu, tropefic, food porn, happy/hopeful endings, awesome ladies and the men who support them.
Porn likes (a nonexclusive list): multiple partners (orgy, OT3s, moresomes); oral sex (cunnilingus, blowjobs, rimming); first time perfect or imperfect sex; doppelcest (alternate versions, same actor/different characters [TJ Hammond/Jack Benjamin], different actor/same character [Nimoy Spock/Quinto Spock]); toys and devices [vibrators, pegging, fucking machines], crossdressing/genderplay.... Please feel free to ask anon or through a mod if you’re not sure I’ll like it, but I’ll read most anything aside from the above DNWs as long as it’s Risk-Aware Consensual Kink between all involved.
I fiercely adore crossovers and fusions between fandoms, especially Fringe/anything else. If you’re not sure if I’m familiar with a source, feel free to ask anonymously or through an exchange moderator. Some crossover favorites: Fringe, Orphan Black, Haven, Lost Girl, Leverage, Elementary (esp. Joan), Person of Interest, Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9), The X-Files, Sense8, the Young Wizards book series.
Because Yuletide runs on “AND” matching, I chose one character from each canon to make a match easier. The “+” characters below are those I would’ve also requested given “OR” matching, so please feel free to use them as strikes your fancy. (And anyone else from the canon, natch.)
Every Heart a Doorway
Why this canon: Because Seanan McGuire tied every* alternate universe together and gift-wrapped the construct with a shiny bow. This is complete narrative catnip. Please feel free to run with that concept as far as you care to go. Crossovers are exceedingly welcome, if you are so inclined.
Requested character: Jack
Why this character: I love this type--the cool, competent scientist who isn’t afraid to make seemingly ruthless decisions, though never cruel ones. Her pragmatism might lead to misunderstandings (see: the hamster), but it’s never intentionally malicious.
What happened to Jack when she returned to the Moors? Did she manage to resurrect her sister, and what are the consequences of that? Does she live happily ever after (for a given definition of “happily”) with her mentor in their domain? She commented that “the Wicked doesn’t want people it can’t spoil”--does that mean Jack still has some innocence to lose, and does she accept that price? Might she have any reason to return to the “real” world?
Shipping: Seanan notes Jack as pansexual [see links to optional author commentary at end of letter]; I can get behind that, though I also read her with a complimentary aromantic nature. (As opposed to Jill, who is overtly romantic in the Gothic sense. YMMV!) Her OCD makes romance difficult, at the very least, but I’m not opposed to the exploration.
+ Jill, Christopher, Kade
Obviously the continuation of Jill’s story depends on her sister’s success, but most resurrection stories are of the Monkey’s Paw variety. What does Jill become, if once raised she can’t return to her Master?
I really, really also liked Christopher and Kade, so if you want to work them into the fic in any capacity, I’d be delighted.
* If you define “every” as “Specifically, stories in which someone from a nonmagical, mundane Earth travels to a magical universe. (Though certain individuals might have hidden magic.)” Without even reaching, that includes Oz, Narnia (called out as fiction in the book, but more things in heaven and earth, etc.), Fionavar, Mid-World (The Dark Tower), Fillory (The Magicians), Red London (Shades of Magic), Gwyliath (The Hero From Otherwhere), Wonderland (Alice), Earth (Lyra’s World, His Dark Materials), Neverland (Peter Pan), The Territories (The Talisman), the Enchanted Forest (OUaT) ... and I’m pretty sure the definition could be stretched to apply to other alternate universes, including science fiction ones under Clarke’s third law. I have to stop, I’m getting dizzy with the possibilities. I hope you are too.
The Hero From Otherwhere
Why this canon: It features poetry as magic! Norse mythology used in slightly different forms! And pre-slashy subtext like whoa, if you were inclined to read it in that way. It's a sweet, quick read and certainly one of the books that set my taste for fantasy early on.
Requested characters: Jesse and Rich
Why these characters: Can’t have one without the other...literally. There’s great potential for "what happens next" stories, whether in the real world or a return visit to the fantasy realm. Do they try to return to Gwyliath on their own, or might they be summoned for another quest? How do their experiences shape them in the real world? Do they try to prepare for the next adventure, whatever that might be? What happens if beings of Gwyliath cross over?
Also desperately wants a crossover with Every Heart a Doorway for REASONS.
Shipping: Jesse and Rich's lives are entwined at early age, and it’d be delightful to see that carry over into a budding romance. They are quite young, so I'd prefer nothing explicit unless you age them up.
+ daughter of Eryd, Skymir
-- I’d be happy to see these or anyone else from the book make a repeat appearance.
Lazarus
Why this canon: My favorite comic of the last year or so. Rucka’s craft. Careful world-building. Forever Carlyle, a pawn of a vastly corrupt system but not without her own agency. The hinted-at private culture of the Lazari. The inevitability of Eve’s break with her Family—however that’s expressed—and what it’s going to cost her. And what she’s going to become after that.
Pimping post I wrote for Lazarus last year: http://kerithwyn.dreamwidth.org/338073.html (some repeated content, not through current arc).
Requested character: Forever Carlyle
Why this character: I want to know everything about Forever and her world. The family dynamics are amazing (and so very twisty). I’m fascinated by the Lazari, so anything about them would be fantastic—we learned a little more about them during the last arc, and further speculation is welcome.
I love everything about Eve, from her physical capabilities to her emotional vulnerabilities. She’s finally beginning to learn that what she’s been told isn’t the whole truth, and I can’t wait to see what she does with that.
Shipping: Forever/Joacquim? Yes please. Or Forever/Sonja, whose crush on Eve is virtually canonical at this point. Or multiple Lazari in a pile, why not? Xolani seems like a party kind of guy.
+ Sonja Bittner, Xolani Nkosi, Wening Pertiwi; all the Carlyles
Sonja all excited about the new friend she’s made in Eve and Sevara Bittner cautioning her daughter about impossible ties. Or what Sonja’s newly learned about Forever and how she deals with that.
We only see Xolani and Wening during the Conclave, but they are intriguing. I read Wening as queer, but that’s not set in canon!
I’d love to read more about the Lazari in general...and if you want to write a story where Forever, Sonja, Xolani, and Wening go on a joint mission, that would be awesome.
With the most recent canon, what happens to Forever’s relationships with the rest of her family? And who would have imagined Johanna being the one to reveal all? (It makes sense, if you look back; Jo’s always been most concerned about keeping Eve on her side, no matter what. If it takes the truth to do that, so be it.)
The Magicians (TV)
Why this canon: Mannn this show is pretty. Killa’s vid [http://archiveofourown.org/works/7757851] reminded me of that--it really is the good parts version. The show is not without its issues, but about halfway through I realized I was really enjoying the story, and started a rewatch for Yuletide purposes (still in progress).
Caveat: Among the worst offenses is the notion that the two most powerful women basically obtain their full power from males: Julia via a rape by a demon god, Alice through drinking a jar (!) of ram-god semen. Alternative versions of their stories would be welcome. Also, I have read book 1 and vastly prefer the tv version.
Requested character: William “Penny” Adiyodi
Why this character: His guarded, snarky nature and the times when he reluctantly lets others under his skin. His irritation with life, the universe, and everything...in contrast with his willingness to help others, regardless of how dangerous the situation. His inability to wear a shirt that covers his chest.
I’d happily read anything about Penny! His relationship with Kady, his amazing abilities, what it means to be a Traveler. Penny traveling into other worlds, free-range crossover? YES PLEASE.
Also, sex magic is canon. I'm just sayin'. Learning from Joe the Traveler?
Shipping: Penny/anyone, especially Kady, Margo, and/or Eliot. Oh, and Pearl Sunderland! (Not in the tag set, but welcome.) I loved the scene when he tried to talk her into going traveling (and "traveling") with him, and she looked like she was seriously considering it. I liked all their interactions (her lack of surprise over his overdose, etc.).
+ Eliot Waugh, Margo Hanson, Kady Orloff-Diaz
Eliooooooot. A type I adore! He is amazing, and I ache for everything he goes through with Mike. Who never really knew him at all. His trauma is never properly addressed, and WTF that s1 ending? Needs fixing!
Margo and the Margolem! And the jinn! What happened to these plot threads? And what are the odd she hit that (either/both)? High. I adore her relationship with Eliot and the way they play off each other, and remain close regardless of when they (inevitably) disappoint each other. She can be unexpectedly insightful, like when she talks to Quentin...and then she can be thoughtlessly cruel, with the drugs and the inevitable orgy.
Kady snuck up on me during the rewatch and I’d like to see more about her; I like her strength and her slyness and her determination to get things done. Even if she has to break Penny’s heart to do it. She knows how hard leaving Brakebill’s will be to go solo, and she doesn’t hesitate.
Young Wizards
Why this canon: I’ve been reading this series forever and each new installment is full of glee and rainbows. Okay, maybe not that one book, but otherwise. I love the entire premise, the science and ethics of magic (100% DD trademarks), and the occasional wandering cameos from other canons.
Requested character: Rolan Nolan
Why this character: I do like the snarky ones. :D We’re going to hear more about Rolan’s Ordeal in Interim Errantry 2. See Word of God about that, which seemed from the outside very low-impact, personal, and Lone Power-free: http://dduane.tumblr.com/post/96301546751/is-ronan-an-abstainee-it-seems-like-his-ordeal -- but it had to do with accepting and internalizing a power larger than himself, and proved to be preparation for a much more dramatic example of that principle. I love how that ties together. ^_^ He goes through some dramatic changes on the sidelines; accepting the One’s Champion until the moment when he lets it go in a stunning moment of sacrifice. How has he dealt with all that? And yeah, so much potential in the aftermath of GWP, in regard to his reaction to Penn’s inadvertent “possession.”
Shipping: Nita Callahan/Ronan Nolan/Kit Rodriguez, or any combination thereof. “Lifeboats” had some great Ronan-Kit moments. (So much talk of butts. So much.) Diane Duane is on my wavelength about this: http://dduane.tumblr.com/post/25848928735/a-better-sondaughter-drcthulwho-dduane
--in other words, a very possible future. I feel very strongly about Nita and Kit as Partners Forever, although the wizardly part of their partnership is more important to me than the romance. So any combination of Nita/Kit or Nita + Kit that keeps their partnership intact while also adding Ronan into the mix is happy-making.
+ any others
I do love everyone in this bar, and everyone else not mentioned in the tagset. (Well, I don’t love the Lone Power, but I do love seeing It thwarted.)
Avengers Academy
Why this canon: Because this is the most ridiculous, frustrating ACTIVITY (not game) I’ve ever played and yet it manages to be completely adorkable and Mobster!Wasp might be the most amazeballs thing ever set into pixels.
True story: I had another canon in the sixth request slot until I started typing this out on a whim and realized how much I wanted to read it. ...this entry might get a little incoherent.
Requested character: Janet Van Dyne
Why this character: Jan is the best. Full stop. She’s always been one of my favorite Avengers in any incarnation, and the writer clearly agrees, because AvAc!Jan is always at the center of events with her outfits and her enthusiasm and her joy. Everyone loves her, even the villains. And she loves them right back. She is consistently the most efficient and most competent--remember when Tony was so proud of his bulky space armor, and Jan put together her sleek bubble-helmet outfit?--without losing one bit of her bubbly, giggly, amazing self.
I would love--oh, gosh, I didn’t even realize I wanted this until I started typing--a fic where Jan plays yenta to the entire academy, ala Emma/Clueless. And discovers that anyone/everyone loves her along the way.
As noted above, Mobster!Wasp is perfection, as is Jan in her pinstripes. Would love to see Natasha (and/or everyone else) realize this, in a gobsmacked “I need to hit that right now” way. And Jan is the best (Fairy) Godmother ever--even better, the useful kind.
http://avac-screencaps.tumblr.com/search/daredevil-event%2C+wasp
Shipping: Everyone/Everyone, under the “Everyone is pansexual and polyamorous because Avengers!” banner. Especially Steve/everybody since he’s the fandom bicycle...and yet he manages to do the damn Charleston eight hours a day despite being in such high demand. Only Jan can match him for that kind of energy. Also, in particular, Nat’s visible crush on Peggy Carter was a joy to behold.
http://avac-screencaps.tumblr.com/search/peggy+carter%2C+black+widow
Also! Sex pollen! Actualfax conversation I had with a friend who deserves to remain anon:
kerithwyn: (quick-searches AO3 AvAc tag) There does not appear to be sex pollen fic yet
k: Amora is RIGHT THERE
k: *sad headshake*
Anon: Some people just do not understand the time-honored traditions of classical fandom
k: Kids these days
...so yeah, that.
+ any
As well as anyone else not in the tagset; I will confess to playing favorites for Steve, Bucky, Sam, Peggy, Natasha, Sharon Carter, Thor, and T’Challa. Not so much with the villains, though they have their place. Tony kind of drives me nuts in any incarnation, but he’s fine in cameo. And when he’s wrong. Which is always. You don’t have to put that in. And now I’m really done. :D
***
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL AUTHOR COMMENTARY on Every Heart a Doorway.
Use or ignore as you see fit!
http://seananmcguire.tumblr.com/search/every+heart+a+doorway/
http://seananmcguire.tumblr.com/post/148418730320/what-are-the-sexualities-of-the-main-characters-in
Jack is pansexual. She’s also sex-repulsed. She takes a lot of very cold showers. Really, she just takes a lot of showers, period, as her sex-repulsion is tied into her OCD.
Jill is heterosexual. Jill probably needs a cold shower more than Jack does.
Kade is heterosexual.
Sumi is bisexual, but has some odd Nonsense-related hangups that I don’t really want to go into until they’re plot-relevant.
Eleanor is panromantic, but her actual sexuality is unclear, even to me.
Christopher is bisexual and poly, although his primary relationship is with the Skeleton Girl, so I try not to think about that too hard.
http://seananmcguire.tumblr.com/post/147483557680/how-tall-are-the-main-characters-in-every-heart-a
Jack and Jill are the same height (twins). Sumi is about three inches shorter, Nancy is about an inch to two inches taller. Kade and Nancy are roughly the same height. Christopher is two inches taller than Nancy, and the tallest of the first book’s central cast.
http://seananmcguire.tumblr.com/post/147483167960/what-racesethnicites-are-the-main-characters-in
Nancy, Jack, and Jill are white, and all three of them are American, from unspecified origins. Christopher is Latino (Mexican-American), from Southern California. Kade is white and Native American, from Oklahoma. Sumi is Japanese, city/state of origin again unspecified. I’m pretty sure that covers everyone who’d be considered a “main” character in this particular installment.
Dear Yuletide Author:
Thank you so much for writing a fic for me! I have only one real request: that you have fun with whatever you write. The notes below are just suggestions that you can use or ignore as suits your story; I’m far more interested in what you want to write than any prompts I might offer.
OPTIONAL DETAILS ARE OPTIONAL. Aside from the DNWs below, write what you’re excited about and I’ll love it.
General Dislikes (DNWs):
I usually don’t read fic that hinges on the major AO3 warnings: graphic depictions of violence, major character death, rape/non-con, or underage sex. Infidelity, betrayal, and humiliation don’t turn me on; endless angst for angst’s sake doesn’t either. Not interested in character- or ship-bashing. Pregnancy/kidfic doesn’t do much for me. I’m less interested in AUs that take the characters out of their basic roles (coffee shop AUs, etc.).
(Exceptions to all of these, as in everything, apply. Sex pollen is technically non-con but I’m fine with it if the characters are aware and reasonably okay with the necessity.)
Porn Dislikes: As above plus scat, necrophilia, bestiality, daddy kink, extreme power differentials (master/student), hate sex.
General Likes:
Most everything else. Het, slash, and femslash are all great. Poly/threesome/moresome fic is A++ awesome, and I’ll take OT3s > love triangles any day. Smutty fic is delicious, if that’s what strikes your fancy, but gen is great too, or anything in between. I am awed by those who can write plotty fic and just as happy to read character exploration fic.
Among other things, I love first times, competence, teamfic, bodyswap, Canadian shack, doubles/alternate versions meeting, friends to lovers/friends with benefits, sedoretu, tropefic, food porn, happy/hopeful endings, awesome ladies and the men who support them.
Porn likes (a nonexclusive list): multiple partners (orgy, OT3s, moresomes); oral sex (cunnilingus, blowjobs, rimming); first time perfect or imperfect sex; doppelcest (alternate versions, same actor/different characters [TJ Hammond/Jack Benjamin], different actor/same character [Nimoy Spock/Quinto Spock]); toys and devices [vibrators, pegging, fucking machines], crossdressing/genderplay.... Please feel free to ask anon or through a mod if you’re not sure I’ll like it, but I’ll read most anything aside from the above DNWs as long as it’s Risk-Aware Consensual Kink between all involved.
I fiercely adore crossovers and fusions between fandoms, especially Fringe/anything else. If you’re not sure if I’m familiar with a source, feel free to ask anonymously or through an exchange moderator. Some crossover favorites: Fringe, Orphan Black, Haven, Lost Girl, Leverage, Elementary (esp. Joan), Person of Interest, Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DS9), The X-Files, Sense8, the Young Wizards book series.
Because Yuletide runs on “AND” matching, I chose one character from each canon to make a match easier. The “+” characters below are those I would’ve also requested given “OR” matching, so please feel free to use them as strikes your fancy. (And anyone else from the canon, natch.)
Every Heart a Doorway
Why this canon: Because Seanan McGuire tied every* alternate universe together and gift-wrapped the construct with a shiny bow. This is complete narrative catnip. Please feel free to run with that concept as far as you care to go. Crossovers are exceedingly welcome, if you are so inclined.
Requested character: Jack
Why this character: I love this type--the cool, competent scientist who isn’t afraid to make seemingly ruthless decisions, though never cruel ones. Her pragmatism might lead to misunderstandings (see: the hamster), but it’s never intentionally malicious.
What happened to Jack when she returned to the Moors? Did she manage to resurrect her sister, and what are the consequences of that? Does she live happily ever after (for a given definition of “happily”) with her mentor in their domain? She commented that “the Wicked doesn’t want people it can’t spoil”--does that mean Jack still has some innocence to lose, and does she accept that price? Might she have any reason to return to the “real” world?
Shipping: Seanan notes Jack as pansexual [see links to optional author commentary at end of letter]; I can get behind that, though I also read her with a complimentary aromantic nature. (As opposed to Jill, who is overtly romantic in the Gothic sense. YMMV!) Her OCD makes romance difficult, at the very least, but I’m not opposed to the exploration.
+ Jill, Christopher, Kade
Obviously the continuation of Jill’s story depends on her sister’s success, but most resurrection stories are of the Monkey’s Paw variety. What does Jill become, if once raised she can’t return to her Master?
I really, really also liked Christopher and Kade, so if you want to work them into the fic in any capacity, I’d be delighted.
* If you define “every” as “Specifically, stories in which someone from a nonmagical, mundane Earth travels to a magical universe. (Though certain individuals might have hidden magic.)” Without even reaching, that includes Oz, Narnia (called out as fiction in the book, but more things in heaven and earth, etc.), Fionavar, Mid-World (The Dark Tower), Fillory (The Magicians), Red London (Shades of Magic), Gwyliath (The Hero From Otherwhere), Wonderland (Alice), Earth (Lyra’s World, His Dark Materials), Neverland (Peter Pan), The Territories (The Talisman), the Enchanted Forest (OUaT) ... and I’m pretty sure the definition could be stretched to apply to other alternate universes, including science fiction ones under Clarke’s third law. I have to stop, I’m getting dizzy with the possibilities. I hope you are too.
The Hero From Otherwhere
Why this canon: It features poetry as magic! Norse mythology used in slightly different forms! And pre-slashy subtext like whoa, if you were inclined to read it in that way. It's a sweet, quick read and certainly one of the books that set my taste for fantasy early on.
Requested characters: Jesse and Rich
Why these characters: Can’t have one without the other...literally. There’s great potential for "what happens next" stories, whether in the real world or a return visit to the fantasy realm. Do they try to return to Gwyliath on their own, or might they be summoned for another quest? How do their experiences shape them in the real world? Do they try to prepare for the next adventure, whatever that might be? What happens if beings of Gwyliath cross over?
Also desperately wants a crossover with Every Heart a Doorway for REASONS.
Shipping: Jesse and Rich's lives are entwined at early age, and it’d be delightful to see that carry over into a budding romance. They are quite young, so I'd prefer nothing explicit unless you age them up.
+ daughter of Eryd, Skymir
-- I’d be happy to see these or anyone else from the book make a repeat appearance.
Lazarus
Why this canon: My favorite comic of the last year or so. Rucka’s craft. Careful world-building. Forever Carlyle, a pawn of a vastly corrupt system but not without her own agency. The hinted-at private culture of the Lazari. The inevitability of Eve’s break with her Family—however that’s expressed—and what it’s going to cost her. And what she’s going to become after that.
Pimping post I wrote for Lazarus last year: http://kerithwyn.dreamwidth.org/338073.html (some repeated content, not through current arc).
Requested character: Forever Carlyle
Why this character: I want to know everything about Forever and her world. The family dynamics are amazing (and so very twisty). I’m fascinated by the Lazari, so anything about them would be fantastic—we learned a little more about them during the last arc, and further speculation is welcome.
I love everything about Eve, from her physical capabilities to her emotional vulnerabilities. She’s finally beginning to learn that what she’s been told isn’t the whole truth, and I can’t wait to see what she does with that.
Shipping: Forever/Joacquim? Yes please. Or Forever/Sonja, whose crush on Eve is virtually canonical at this point. Or multiple Lazari in a pile, why not? Xolani seems like a party kind of guy.
+ Sonja Bittner, Xolani Nkosi, Wening Pertiwi; all the Carlyles
Sonja all excited about the new friend she’s made in Eve and Sevara Bittner cautioning her daughter about impossible ties. Or what Sonja’s newly learned about Forever and how she deals with that.
We only see Xolani and Wening during the Conclave, but they are intriguing. I read Wening as queer, but that’s not set in canon!
I’d love to read more about the Lazari in general...and if you want to write a story where Forever, Sonja, Xolani, and Wening go on a joint mission, that would be awesome.
With the most recent canon, what happens to Forever’s relationships with the rest of her family? And who would have imagined Johanna being the one to reveal all? (It makes sense, if you look back; Jo’s always been most concerned about keeping Eve on her side, no matter what. If it takes the truth to do that, so be it.)
The Magicians (TV)
Why this canon: Mannn this show is pretty. Killa’s vid [http://archiveofourown.org/works/7757851] reminded me of that--it really is the good parts version. The show is not without its issues, but about halfway through I realized I was really enjoying the story, and started a rewatch for Yuletide purposes (still in progress).
Caveat: Among the worst offenses is the notion that the two most powerful women basically obtain their full power from males: Julia via a rape by a demon god, Alice through drinking a jar (!) of ram-god semen. Alternative versions of their stories would be welcome. Also, I have read book 1 and vastly prefer the tv version.
Requested character: William “Penny” Adiyodi
Why this character: His guarded, snarky nature and the times when he reluctantly lets others under his skin. His irritation with life, the universe, and everything...in contrast with his willingness to help others, regardless of how dangerous the situation. His inability to wear a shirt that covers his chest.
I’d happily read anything about Penny! His relationship with Kady, his amazing abilities, what it means to be a Traveler. Penny traveling into other worlds, free-range crossover? YES PLEASE.
Also, sex magic is canon. I'm just sayin'. Learning from Joe the Traveler?
Shipping: Penny/anyone, especially Kady, Margo, and/or Eliot. Oh, and Pearl Sunderland! (Not in the tag set, but welcome.) I loved the scene when he tried to talk her into going traveling (and "traveling") with him, and she looked like she was seriously considering it. I liked all their interactions (her lack of surprise over his overdose, etc.).
+ Eliot Waugh, Margo Hanson, Kady Orloff-Diaz
Eliooooooot. A type I adore! He is amazing, and I ache for everything he goes through with Mike. Who never really knew him at all. His trauma is never properly addressed, and WTF that s1 ending? Needs fixing!
Margo and the Margolem! And the jinn! What happened to these plot threads? And what are the odd she hit that (either/both)? High. I adore her relationship with Eliot and the way they play off each other, and remain close regardless of when they (inevitably) disappoint each other. She can be unexpectedly insightful, like when she talks to Quentin...and then she can be thoughtlessly cruel, with the drugs and the inevitable orgy.
Kady snuck up on me during the rewatch and I’d like to see more about her; I like her strength and her slyness and her determination to get things done. Even if she has to break Penny’s heart to do it. She knows how hard leaving Brakebill’s will be to go solo, and she doesn’t hesitate.
Young Wizards
Why this canon: I’ve been reading this series forever and each new installment is full of glee and rainbows. Okay, maybe not that one book, but otherwise. I love the entire premise, the science and ethics of magic (100% DD trademarks), and the occasional wandering cameos from other canons.
Requested character: Rolan Nolan
Why this character: I do like the snarky ones. :D We’re going to hear more about Rolan’s Ordeal in Interim Errantry 2. See Word of God about that, which seemed from the outside very low-impact, personal, and Lone Power-free: http://dduane.tumblr.com/post/96301546751/is-ronan-an-abstainee-it-seems-like-his-ordeal -- but it had to do with accepting and internalizing a power larger than himself, and proved to be preparation for a much more dramatic example of that principle. I love how that ties together. ^_^ He goes through some dramatic changes on the sidelines; accepting the One’s Champion until the moment when he lets it go in a stunning moment of sacrifice. How has he dealt with all that? And yeah, so much potential in the aftermath of GWP, in regard to his reaction to Penn’s inadvertent “possession.”
Shipping: Nita Callahan/Ronan Nolan/Kit Rodriguez, or any combination thereof. “Lifeboats” had some great Ronan-Kit moments. (So much talk of butts. So much.) Diane Duane is on my wavelength about this: http://dduane.tumblr.com/post/25848928735/a-better-sondaughter-drcthulwho-dduane
--in other words, a very possible future. I feel very strongly about Nita and Kit as Partners Forever, although the wizardly part of their partnership is more important to me than the romance. So any combination of Nita/Kit or Nita + Kit that keeps their partnership intact while also adding Ronan into the mix is happy-making.
+ any others
I do love everyone in this bar, and everyone else not mentioned in the tagset. (Well, I don’t love the Lone Power, but I do love seeing It thwarted.)
Avengers Academy
Why this canon: Because this is the most ridiculous, frustrating ACTIVITY (not game) I’ve ever played and yet it manages to be completely adorkable and Mobster!Wasp might be the most amazeballs thing ever set into pixels.
True story: I had another canon in the sixth request slot until I started typing this out on a whim and realized how much I wanted to read it. ...this entry might get a little incoherent.
Requested character: Janet Van Dyne
Why this character: Jan is the best. Full stop. She’s always been one of my favorite Avengers in any incarnation, and the writer clearly agrees, because AvAc!Jan is always at the center of events with her outfits and her enthusiasm and her joy. Everyone loves her, even the villains. And she loves them right back. She is consistently the most efficient and most competent--remember when Tony was so proud of his bulky space armor, and Jan put together her sleek bubble-helmet outfit?--without losing one bit of her bubbly, giggly, amazing self.
I would love--oh, gosh, I didn’t even realize I wanted this until I started typing--a fic where Jan plays yenta to the entire academy, ala Emma/Clueless. And discovers that anyone/everyone loves her along the way.
As noted above, Mobster!Wasp is perfection, as is Jan in her pinstripes. Would love to see Natasha (and/or everyone else) realize this, in a gobsmacked “I need to hit that right now” way. And Jan is the best (Fairy) Godmother ever--even better, the useful kind.
http://avac-screencaps.tumblr.com/search/daredevil-event%2C+wasp
Shipping: Everyone/Everyone, under the “Everyone is pansexual and polyamorous because Avengers!” banner. Especially Steve/everybody since he’s the fandom bicycle...and yet he manages to do the damn Charleston eight hours a day despite being in such high demand. Only Jan can match him for that kind of energy. Also, in particular, Nat’s visible crush on Peggy Carter was a joy to behold.
http://avac-screencaps.tumblr.com/search/peggy+carter%2C+black+widow
Also! Sex pollen! Actualfax conversation I had with a friend who deserves to remain anon:
kerithwyn: (quick-searches AO3 AvAc tag) There does not appear to be sex pollen fic yet
k: Amora is RIGHT THERE
k: *sad headshake*
Anon: Some people just do not understand the time-honored traditions of classical fandom
k: Kids these days
...so yeah, that.
+ any
As well as anyone else not in the tagset; I will confess to playing favorites for Steve, Bucky, Sam, Peggy, Natasha, Sharon Carter, Thor, and T’Challa. Not so much with the villains, though they have their place. Tony kind of drives me nuts in any incarnation, but he’s fine in cameo. And when he’s wrong. Which is always. You don’t have to put that in. And now I’m really done. :D
***
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL AUTHOR COMMENTARY on Every Heart a Doorway.
Use or ignore as you see fit!
http://seananmcguire.tumblr.com/search/every+heart+a+doorway/
http://seananmcguire.tumblr.com/post/148418730320/what-are-the-sexualities-of-the-main-characters-in
Jack is pansexual. She’s also sex-repulsed. She takes a lot of very cold showers. Really, she just takes a lot of showers, period, as her sex-repulsion is tied into her OCD.
Jill is heterosexual. Jill probably needs a cold shower more than Jack does.
Kade is heterosexual.
Sumi is bisexual, but has some odd Nonsense-related hangups that I don’t really want to go into until they’re plot-relevant.
Eleanor is panromantic, but her actual sexuality is unclear, even to me.
Christopher is bisexual and poly, although his primary relationship is with the Skeleton Girl, so I try not to think about that too hard.
http://seananmcguire.tumblr.com/post/147483557680/how-tall-are-the-main-characters-in-every-heart-a
Jack and Jill are the same height (twins). Sumi is about three inches shorter, Nancy is about an inch to two inches taller. Kade and Nancy are roughly the same height. Christopher is two inches taller than Nancy, and the tallest of the first book’s central cast.
http://seananmcguire.tumblr.com/post/147483167960/what-racesethnicites-are-the-main-characters-in
Nancy, Jack, and Jill are white, and all three of them are American, from unspecified origins. Christopher is Latino (Mexican-American), from Southern California. Kade is white and Native American, from Oklahoma. Sumi is Japanese, city/state of origin again unspecified. I’m pretty sure that covers everyone who’d be considered a “main” character in this particular installment.