Yuletide Letter
Oct. 11th, 2018 08:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dizzy_fire Dear Yuletide Author,
firstly, thank you for volunteering to write a story in one of our shared fandoms! Below are some details that will hopefully help you along. Don't feel too constricted by them, though - they're more like suggestions anyway.
Some general likes and dislikes to start with. I like humour and angst, fluff and darkfic; I like gen, het, slash and femslash just about equally, and all ratings are fine with me. If you want to write kink, go for it - my only major squicks are watersports/scat and bestiality. Deathfic doesn't bother me, and Crueltide-type stories are OK across the board. (As is Interactive Fiction, Yuleporn and other challenges - I'm generally too lazy to actually sign up for them, so here's my blanket "Yes please" to all you might be interested in.) Now onto the prompts!
Request 1: Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Any (Crassius Curio)
- In addition to The Lusty Argonian Maid vol. 1 and 2, Crassius Curio also wrote The Dance of the Three-Legged Guar, but there are no in-game copies of that play and we don't really know much about it. Why?
- Just like in our world, the success of The Lusty Argonian Maid seems to have inspired some imitators. Who is Ellya Erdain, the author of The Sultry Argonian Bard, and how does Crassius react to her work?
- By some magic or other, the characters from The Lusty Argonian Maid escape the book and meet their author. Between Lifts-Her-Tail and Crantius Colto, Crassius Curio gets a lot more than he bargained for...
- Missing scenes from any of the plays, serious scholarly analyses of the text, critical reviews in the Vivec Times, young Dunmer fangirls passionately arguing the superiority of the Sultry Bard over the Lusty Maid... I'm weak for in-game lore books, so anything like that would delight me! If you go with this prompt, Crassius does not need to appear in person.
Request 2: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Any (Millona Umbranox, Corvus Umbranox, Hieronymus Lex)
- About Millona, I've always had this headcannon that she wasn't the original ruler of Anvil and that she only took over after Corvus disappeared. I'd love to read about her struggling with and adapting to her loneliness and newly increased responsibilities, and coming out victorious. Has anyone ever tried to pressure her to remarry? How does she get along with the other Counts? What was the biggest crisis she has had to deal with before the Oblivion Gates opened?
- Was Millona's marriage to Corvus a love match, or was it political? Did one of them fall in love before the other did? What could draw a proper, law-abiding lady to a rogue like Corvus, and vice-versa? After Corvus comes back, do they just effortlessly slide back into being together, or are there tensions?
- How did a high-ranking noble like Corvus get into this whole Thieves Guild racket? Was it a family tradition, a way to deal with boredom, or what? Did it start before or after his marriage to Millona? He must have known she wouldn't approve - how did he try to hide his extracurricular activities? Was he successful, or did she suspect something was up? Did he know about Nocturnal's curse? If he didn't know to start with, how soon did he realize what had happened? How did he try to get Millona to remember him?
- Why is Hieronymus Lex so obsessed with catching the Gray Fox? Is he just naturally obstinate, or is there something else at play? How have they clashed in the past? I'd love to see some swashbuckling here, and maybe some reluctant attraction too!
- I always found it very charming that the Gray Fox clearly appreciated Lex's loyalty and determination - I mean, he wouldn't have just anyone appointed as Millona's bodyguard. I also think it's delicious that Lex doesn't know and indeed may never find out. I imagine keeping the secret is just part of the fun for Corvus (although Millona might find it a bit awkward). I'd love to see Lex being loyal to his new employers and risking his life for the Count without having the slightest idea that he's protecting his old nemesis.
Request 3: 14th Century CE Royalty RPF
Vytautas of Lithuania, Henry IV of England
So, Vytautas and Henry did actually meet in real life during Henry's visit to Prussia in 1390. I find it pretty interesting, because one could find several parallels between their lives - both were first cousins and childhood friends to their respective monarchs, both were eventually driven to rebellion (in fact, Vytautas was already on his second attempt in 1390), and both wound up ruling their countries in the end. Yet there were also plenty of differences, and that fascinates me. How well would they have understood one another, if at all? What would they agree or disagree on? Henry thought his sojourn to Prussia was a crusade - I can't imagine Vytautas not taking a cynical view of that, especially since Lithuania had already accepted Christianity in 1386. I love clashing/multiple viewpoints, conflicting values and cultures, grey areas and moral dilemmas. Basically anything about this meeting would delight me!
firstly, thank you for volunteering to write a story in one of our shared fandoms! Below are some details that will hopefully help you along. Don't feel too constricted by them, though - they're more like suggestions anyway.
Some general likes and dislikes to start with. I like humour and angst, fluff and darkfic; I like gen, het, slash and femslash just about equally, and all ratings are fine with me. If you want to write kink, go for it - my only major squicks are watersports/scat and bestiality. Deathfic doesn't bother me, and Crueltide-type stories are OK across the board. (As is Interactive Fiction, Yuleporn and other challenges - I'm generally too lazy to actually sign up for them, so here's my blanket "Yes please" to all you might be interested in.) Now onto the prompts!
Request 1: Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Any (Crassius Curio)
Ah, Crassius Curio. A rare honest person on the Hlaalu Council, notable pervert, and celebrated author. I'd like a humour story about that last trait, since finding a copy of The Lusty Argonian Maid in later games always gives me a smile. Smut is also more than welcome! I'm oddly fond of Skeevy Uncle Crassius, so I'd prefer for him not to be portrayed as wholly bad, but I'm totally okay with him getting some sort of comeuppance for his pervy tendencies.
Here are some more specific ideas - feel free to mix, match and modify as needed:
Here are some more specific ideas - feel free to mix, match and modify as needed:
- The first staging of The Lusty Argonian Maid. Is it a disaster? I'm pretty sure it would be a disaster. Does Crassius try to recruit the Nerevarine as an actor? Does someone get arrested? Are there riots?
- In addition to The Lusty Argonian Maid vol. 1 and 2, Crassius Curio also wrote The Dance of the Three-Legged Guar, but there are no in-game copies of that play and we don't really know much about it. Why?
- Just like in our world, the success of The Lusty Argonian Maid seems to have inspired some imitators. Who is Ellya Erdain, the author of The Sultry Argonian Bard, and how does Crassius react to her work?
- By some magic or other, the characters from The Lusty Argonian Maid escape the book and meet their author. Between Lifts-Her-Tail and Crantius Colto, Crassius Curio gets a lot more than he bargained for...
- Missing scenes from any of the plays, serious scholarly analyses of the text, critical reviews in the Vivec Times, young Dunmer fangirls passionately arguing the superiority of the Sultry Bard over the Lusty Maid... I'm weak for in-game lore books, so anything like that would delight me! If you go with this prompt, Crassius does not need to appear in person.
Any (Millona Umbranox, Corvus Umbranox, Hieronymus Lex)
The Thieves Guild plotline is probably my favourite in the whole game. I love the heist aspect, of course, but I especially adore the characters involved, and the relationships between them. A story about any or all the nominated characters will make me happy!
Some specific plot things I'm interested in - again, feel free to mix and match them as you like:
- Pairings-wise, Millona/Corvus is the closest thing I have to an OTP for this game, but I'm also open to other combinations here. Corvus/Lex or maybe specifically Gray Fox/Lex definitely appeals to me! And I've never really considered Millona/Lex before, but now that I think about it, that could be interesting too. Or a threesome. Or no pairings. My only request is that you don't make Millona and Corvus hate each other, or anything like that.
- About Millona, I've always had this headcannon that she wasn't the original ruler of Anvil and that she only took over after Corvus disappeared. I'd love to read about her struggling with and adapting to her loneliness and newly increased responsibilities, and coming out victorious. Has anyone ever tried to pressure her to remarry? How does she get along with the other Counts? What was the biggest crisis she has had to deal with before the Oblivion Gates opened?
- Was Millona's marriage to Corvus a love match, or was it political? Did one of them fall in love before the other did? What could draw a proper, law-abiding lady to a rogue like Corvus, and vice-versa? After Corvus comes back, do they just effortlessly slide back into being together, or are there tensions?
- How did a high-ranking noble like Corvus get into this whole Thieves Guild racket? Was it a family tradition, a way to deal with boredom, or what? Did it start before or after his marriage to Millona? He must have known she wouldn't approve - how did he try to hide his extracurricular activities? Was he successful, or did she suspect something was up? Did he know about Nocturnal's curse? If he didn't know to start with, how soon did he realize what had happened? How did he try to get Millona to remember him?
- Why is Hieronymus Lex so obsessed with catching the Gray Fox? Is he just naturally obstinate, or is there something else at play? How have they clashed in the past? I'd love to see some swashbuckling here, and maybe some reluctant attraction too!
- I always found it very charming that the Gray Fox clearly appreciated Lex's loyalty and determination - I mean, he wouldn't have just anyone appointed as Millona's bodyguard. I also think it's delicious that Lex doesn't know and indeed may never find out. I imagine keeping the secret is just part of the fun for Corvus (although Millona might find it a bit awkward). I'd love to see Lex being loyal to his new employers and risking his life for the Count without having the slightest idea that he's protecting his old nemesis.
On a side note, what I really like about Oblivion is how beautiful the game world is - when I replay it, sometimes I just stop for a moment to admire the view. So what I'm saying is, I'm also totally down for scenery porn if you feel like it!
Request 3: 14th Century CE Royalty RPF
Vytautas of Lithuania, Henry IV of England
So, Vytautas and Henry did actually meet in real life during Henry's visit to Prussia in 1390. I find it pretty interesting, because one could find several parallels between their lives - both were first cousins and childhood friends to their respective monarchs, both were eventually driven to rebellion (in fact, Vytautas was already on his second attempt in 1390), and both wound up ruling their countries in the end. Yet there were also plenty of differences, and that fascinates me. How well would they have understood one another, if at all? What would they agree or disagree on? Henry thought his sojourn to Prussia was a crusade - I can't imagine Vytautas not taking a cynical view of that, especially since Lithuania had already accepted Christianity in 1386. I love clashing/multiple viewpoints, conflicting values and cultures, grey areas and moral dilemmas. Basically anything about this meeting would delight me!
Alright, I guess that's all. Thank you again, Yuletide Author, and happy writing!