Yuletide Letter (2018)

[geri_chan]

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Thank you so much for volunteering to write a fic for me! Please feel free to take a look around my journal if you want to see what kinds of stories I like. You can find my Fanfic Masterlist here, and the fics are also tagged by fandom and/or title in the sidebar. As you can see, I mostly read and write m/m slash, but if you don't ship the male couples, I would be perfectly happy with a gen story too!

My name on A03 is geri_chan, the same as here on DW/LJ/IJ.

 

Likes: Love stories with happy endings. Romantic fluff is fine, but I also like angsty fics--as long as they eventually end happily. For gen, I have a soft spot for stories about family or friendship. For both romance and gen: humor, drama, hurt/comfort--it's all good, as long as it ends happily, or at least hopefully. (Actually, I have a pretty big narrative kink for emotional hurt/comfort in particular.) If you decide to write romance, I'm fine with any rating--explicit, steamy sex scenes are great, but I'm happy even if it doesn't go beyond a kiss or fade-to-black. The emotions that the characters share are more important to me than the level of physical affection.

Dislikes/squicks: Character death, noncon, BDSM, infidelity, mpreg (not really expecting that in these fandoms, but just to be on the safe side). Also, it's not a big squick, but I'm not really into threesomes--I'm more into the "two people find true love" trope.

Listed below are some prompt ideas for my chosen fandoms in case you'd like some suggestions, but I want to stress that these are only suggestions and you should feel free to follow your muse, so please don't be intimidated by my very long comments! (I love character/meta discussion and tend to get carried away when talking about my favorite fandoms.) If you come up with an idea that's completely different, it will be all the more exciting for me because it's a surprise, and I'm sure I'll be thrilled with whatever you write! :D

The Aibou section is a little longer than the others, but it’s mainly because I chose “any” character, so I had more combinations of character prompts to describe. But I promise I will be equally happy with any story that you write in any of the fandoms because I love them all!

Please be aware that my letter may contain spoilers for the various canons.

相棒 | Aibou | Partners (TV) (Any - Itami Kenichi, Kai Tooru, Kanbe Takeru, Sugishita Ukyo):

I really love that all Sugishita's partners are quite different, as are his relationships with them. For example, his friendship with first partner Kameyama vs. his (initially, at least) more adversarial relationship with Kanbe. In contrast, Sugishita's relationship with Kai is particularly interesting, since Kai is the first partner that he actually chose, and also because he acts as more of a mentor to Kai, who is younger and inexperienced compared to Kameyama and Kanbe.

I’ve watched the series up through Season 13, and it was interesting to see how Kai grew and matured during the time he worked with Sugishita. That said, I was kind of upset by the controversial ending and how Kai ended up leaving Special Mission, so I’d love fix-it fic in which Kai was not the Dark Knight, or the Dark Knight thing never happened at all.

What I like about Kanbe is that he's more reserved (compared to the other two partners), and how his outward charm often hides what he’s really thinking. I also like the tension that sometimes develops between him and Sugishita when they clash over moral issues. And on a lighter note, I am vastly amused by Kanbe's squeamishness over dead bodies.

As for Itami, I love his ongoing feud with the Special Mission unit, and I love that beneath his gruff rudeness, Itami is an honest and decent cop who has more in common with the Special Mission team than he'd like to admit. And I love the rare moments when he shows a softer or more vulnerable side, like in Season 11, Ep. 9 when he is unusually gentle and understanding while questioning Kai, who has suffered amnesia after an attack, or in Season 8, Ep. 15, when he's struck with guilt over his failure to protect a witness. That was one of my favorite episodes because he and Kanbe have a brief bonding moment in which they both discuss mistakes they've made resulting in an innocent person being hurt--something that the genius Sugishita, who never makes mistakes, would not understand. Just for that one moment, there was a sense of understanding and connection, and ever since then, I've shipped the two of them together in my headcanon.

And finally Sugishita: I like the way that he never takes offense to Itami's (or any of the other cops') insults, but cheerfully ignores them and carries on with his investigation. I like the different sense of respect/connection that he develops with each of his various partners, and at the same time, I am intrigued and sometimes a little saddened by the sense of distance (however slight) that exists between him and them--well, between him and everyone else, actually. Despite his intellectual brilliance, I think that's his weak point, and that’s part of what makes him interesting to me.

Here are a few suggested prompts:

-Any combination of characters working together on a case, or getting together for a drink after work. If you want to explore how the characters do or don't get along with each other, that's great, but feel free to keep it light if you prefer.

-Kanbe temporarily joining Sugishita and Kai on a case--I'd love to see how he and Kai react to each other. Maybe they're each a little jealous of the other? Or maybe they actually get along and commiserate about having to put up with Sugishita's eccentricities.

-Itami seeking out Special Mission's help on a case, or Itami being temporarily demoted to Special Mission as punishment for talking back to his superiors.

-Itami is gay (or bi), but is closeted for the sake of his career. One night he goes to a gay bar and is shocked to find Kanbe there, and somehow the two of them wind up going home together.

-For solo character prompts, maybe a story about the character's past, such as the time that Sugishita spent training at Scotland Yard, or Kanbe's work in the MPD or NPA (either in the past, or after he left Special Mission). For Kai, the above-mentioned fix-it fic, or something exploring his estranged relationship with his father (and possibly a reconciliation). And for Itami, you could write a story where he solves a case without Special Mission's interference for once. Or tell me why any of them decided to become a police officer--have they always had a strong sense of justice, or is there a personal reason, such as the death of a loved one or some past injustice that they suffered?

I don't have any fanon ships other than Itami/Kanbe, but if you want to write shippy fic, I'd enjoy seeing your take on the characters! If you want canon ships, feel free to include Tamaki and/or Etsuko. If you want to write slash, If you're shipping Kai with one of the guys, please make it an AU in which he and Etsuko broke up amicably or were never a couple to begin with.

You can also feel free to write about about any other Aibou character that you want, in addition to or instead of the character in the tagset. I love them all, but didn't have enough slots to include more of them! The only sort-of exception is Kaburagi: I haven't seen any of his seasons yet. It's fine to include him, but I'd prefer to have the focus of the story be on the more familiar characters.

Diagnosis Murder - Jesse Travis, Steve Sloan: This show is one of my favorites for comfort viewing! I love the humor and the bonds of family (between Steve and Mark) and friendship/found family between Amanda, Jesse, Mark, and Steve. I particularly love the way that the Sloans have kind of become a surrogate family for Jesse because of his distant relationship with his own father, and I also love Jesse and Steve teaming up to run BBQ Bob’s.

I ship Steve and Jesse and would love shippy fic, but if you don’t, I’d also love gen fic in the style of the TV show. If you do write them as a couple, I’d prefer the stories to be set after Jesse and Susan have broken up, or just handwave that they never got together in the first place.

I love all the Diagnosis Murder characters, so it’s 100 percent okay to include Mark and Amanda (and her kids) if you want. I’m also fond of Norman Briggs if you want to set the story during Seasons 3-4 or handwave that he was still working at the hospital after Season 4.

Here are some prompts if you need inspiration, but feel free to follow your muse if you have your own ideas.

-Undercover as a couple: Steve and Jesse have to pose as a couple for reasons--maybe to get close to a suspect at a gay resort or nightclub, or maybe to lure out a criminal who’s targeting gay couples. It would be awesome if fake dating leads to real romance!

-One of them comforts the other after a bad breakup, and casual comfort sex leads to something deeper.

-There is a murder or robbery at BBQ Bob’s and Steve and Jesse have to solve the crime in order to save their business.

-Jesse is kidnapped, and Steve has to save him. Or alternately, Steve is the one in trouble and Jesse is the one to save him--maybe with some help from Mark and Amanda, if you want to include them.

-There is a murder at the hospital that Steve and Jesse work to solve. (Again, with help from Mark and Amanda if you want.)

Steve is badly injured during a case, and Jesse is there to take care of him--and to try and keep from re-injuring himself by going back to work too early. Bonus points if Jesse helps Steve gather information to solve the case from his hospital bed!

-Steve and Mark include Jesse on a Father’s Day outing, or some other family event.

Instinct (TV 2018) - Andrew "Andy" Wilson, Dylan Reinhart: I liked their relationship from the start, but the moment I was completely sold on the ship was the scene where Andy is watching Dylan do a reading at a bookstore, and he’s sitting in the audience beaming with pride--at that point, I found myself going, “Awwww!”

I feel like Andy provides a sense of normalness and stability for Dylan to balance the craziness of his CIA/police work. But if you see it differently, that’s cool, and I’d love to see your take on how their relationship works!

Basically, I’d love to see anything exploring more about their relationship. Here are a few suggested prompts:

-A story about how they met and fell in love.

-The adoption goes through and they become parents. Or maybe the planned adoption falls through but an opportunity to adopt or foster an older child (possibly orphaned or abused?) comes about through one of Dylan and Lizzie’s cases.

-Andy’s parents find out that he quit being a lawyer to open the bar. Family drama ensues, but Dylan does his best to support Andy. Or there’s family drama between Dylan and his father, and Andy is the one trying to be supportive.

-The two of them having a romantic evening, or trying to--possibly police work interferes with their plans? Or maybe they go out on a double date with Lizzie and Julian. Or domestic fluff in general would make me very happy!

If you prefer casefic, I’d love to see a story where Andy gets involved somehow with one of Dylan and Lizzie’s cases:

-A customer at Andy’s bar is either a victim or a suspect in a murder.

-Andy is a witness to a crime.

-Dylan and Lizzie have to use the bar as a stakeout location for some reason.

-An old enemy from Dylan’s CIA days decides to get back at him by targeting Andy.

Of course these are just suggestions and if you have other ideas in mind, feel free to follow them! And if you want to include other characters from the show, I’m absolutely fine with that as long as the main focus is on Dylan and Andy.

Nobunaga no Chef (TV) - Ken’ichirou “Ken” (Nobunaga no Chef), Oda Nobunaga (Nobunaga no Chef): Nobunaga is one of my favorite historical figures, and I love cooking shows, so somehow the crazy premise about a modern day chef saving the day in Sengoku-era Japan with French cuisine really works for me! I love the cooking scenes, and I also love the bond of loyalty that develops between Ken and Nobunaga. I also love that Nobunaga can be cruel and ruthless, and yet also caring towards the few people that he trusts.

Aside from the food and the humor, it’s really the theme of loyalty that attracts me to this canon, especially Nobunaga’s issues with loyalty and how he doesn’t trust people easily due to past betrayals, most notably his brother’s.

If you ship Ken and Nobunaga, I would definitely enjoy seeing their relationship grow closer in that way as well. But I would also be happy with gen, and I am okay with Ken/Natsu if you ship them.

Some prompt suggestions:

-Post-canon fic in which the Honno-ji incident occurs, and Ken saves Nobunaga by escaping with him to modern-day Japan. (You can bring along Natsu and/or Kaede if you wish.) I’d really love to see Nobunaga’s reactions to the modern world and see how he adapts--sort of the reverse of Ken being thrown into the past. How does he react to the country being unified and at peace? Does he still want to somehow find a way to rule the country, or does he find some other goal to achieve?

-If you’re a history buff, you could write a story about how Ken’s presence affects and possibly changes a battle or other major incident. (Maybe he persuades Nobunaga to show mercy to a defeated enemy?) I was thinking of something not covered by the tv show, but if you have a different idea for how one of the episodes could have gone, I’d love to see your version!

-Ken manages to prevent the Honno-ji incident--either by persuading Mitsuhide to remain loyal to Nobunaga, or by saving Nobunaga from Mitsuhide’s treachery. How does that change history? Or leave it open-ended if you like, with Ken not knowing how things will turn out, but just glad that he was able to save Nobunaga.

-An enemy or jealous rival sets things up to look like Ken has betrayed Nobunaga, and Ken has to prove his innocence.

-Everyone mistakenly believes that Ken is Nobunaga’s lover, and Ken finds himself wishing that the rumor were true. Maybe he uses his cooking to woo/seduce Nobunaga? Or Nobunaga is the one who sets out to seduce Ken.

ETA 10/18/18: I just realized that since Nobunaga is married, Ken/Nobunaga fic might count as infidelity, which I listed as a DNW. I'm okay with it for this fic, since historically he had concubines in addition to his wife. If you do write Ken/Nobunaga slash, I'd prefer that you not dwell on Nouhime in the story--either not mention her at all, or just mention in passing that the marriage was a political alliance and that their relationship is amicable but not passionate, so she isn't jealous of his lovers.

-If you don’t want to write about history and battles, then maybe a story about Ken whipping up some spectacular meal for Nobunaga? Maybe to celebrate a victory, or maybe for no particular reason at all. It can be something silly like Ken trying to explain the concept of birthday parties back in “Heisei,” and it turns out that it’s Nobunaga’s birthday so Ken decides to make him a cake. Or maybe he makes a simple but comforting dish, like okayu (rice porridge) when Nobunaga is sick.

If you have a different idea, that’s great! Just show me Ken and Nobunaga interacting and being loyal to each other, and I’ll be happy!

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) - Dastan (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)), Garsiv (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)), Tus (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)): What I loved most about this movie was the relationship between the brothers. The standard trope would be for the king’s biological sons to resent Dastan, and it certainly seemed at first that the movie was setting up one or both of them to be the villain(s). So I loved the plot twist where it turned out that the brothers actually were loyal to each other and it was the evil uncle who schemed to turn them against each other.

So basically, I would love anything focusing on the bond between the brothers. I see their relationship as purely brotherly, so please no incest for this fandom. I’m okay with the canonical relationship between Dastan and Tamina, so if you would like to include her in the story, I’m fine with that as long as the main focus is on Dastan, Garsiv, and Tus.

Here are a few suggested prompts, but as always, if you have a different idea, feel free to run with it!

-Pre-canon fic set when Dastan has just been adopted by the king. Did Tus and Garsiv accept him immediately, or did it take some time for him to win them over and for them to really regard him as a brother? Or conversely, was Dastan uncomfortable with palace life at first? Maybe he found it restrictive and used to sneak out to the city at night? Maybe his brothers followed to keep him out of trouble, or maybe he persuaded them to sneak out with him and they end up having an adventure in the city.

-A story about them as adults, maybe on some mission for the king where Dastan’s skills as a former street rat come in handy.

-AU in which Tus and Garsiv aren’t killed (however temporarily), and the three brothers (with Tamina, if you like) team up to defeat Nizam.

-Post-canon fic, perhaps with the three of them defending Alamut from another invader.

Or it doesn’t have to be an adventure--I’d be happy with anything emphasizing the bond between the brothers. It could be slice-of-life with the three of them just hanging out together, or if you want to write about them as kids, Tus and Garsiv showing their new brother around the palace or getting into mischief. Ever since I saw this movie, I’ve wanted to see more of the brothers’ relationship, so just show me the brothers being brotherly, and I’ll be happy with whatever you come up with!

The Three Investigators | Die drei ??? - Various Authors - Bob Andrews, Jupiter Jones | Justus Jonas, Pete Crenshaw | Peter Shaw: This was one of my favorite book series when I was a kid, so I was delighted to see this in the tag set! I really loved their hidden office in the scrapyard, and their business cards with the question marks logo, so if you manage to work one or both of those into the story that would be great (though purely optional).

I’ve always wondered what happened to the trio when they grew up, so if you’re up for it, I’d love a post-canon fic. Are the trio still working together running a professional detective agency? Or if they went their separate ways, what are they doing now? I can’t picture Jupe doing anything other than being a detective, but maybe Pete became an athlete, or went into the movie industry like his father. Did Bob become a researcher, or maybe a journalist like his father? Or if you imagine them doing something completely different, that’s great--I’d love to see what you imagine them doing! Here are a few suggested prompts:

-Casefic where they’re working together running a detective agency. If you like, maybe the case brings them into contact with an old friend or former adversary from the books.

-Pete is working on a movie where suspicious accidents or some other incident takes place, and he asks his old friends for help.

-Bob has become a journalist and is working on a story that puts his life in danger--maybe he’s doing an article on organized crime or political corruption. After there’s an attempt on his life, Jupe and Pete are determined to help him track down the culprit.

-Jupe’s parents died in an accident when he was young, but what if it wasn’t really an accident? Somehow he comes across some information that makes him suspect that they were murdered, and Bob and Pete help him to uncover the truth.

If you prefer to write a story about them as kids, that’s great too, and I’d love to read about them having a canon-style adventure! Or if you’d like to set the story while they’re in high school, I’d enjoy that as well. Some of the prompts listed above could work here, like the one about Jupe’s parents, or they could be investigating a movie or journalism case for Pete’s or Bob’s father. It could also be fun to see them solve a mystery that’s taking place at their school. But if you have your own ideas for a case, go for it!

It’s fine with me if you want to set your story in the present day so that the trio can use cell phones, the internet, etc. And I’m equally fine with keeping the story set during the time that the books were written, so just go with whatever you prefer.

I don’t have any particular ships for this fandom, but if you do, please feel free to write shippy fic. I’m okay with any pairing among the three, and while I’m not usually into threesomes, I would be okay with that for this fandom if they’re your OT3. Tell me about how the guys fell in love--maybe while working a case? Or did they start off as friends with benefits, and it turned into something more? I’m okay with explicit fic if the guys are aged up to 18+, but I’d prefer that the emphasis of the story be heavier on plot than porn.

It’s probably obvious from my letter, but I’m familiar with the original US versions of the books, so I’d prefer that you use the American names for the characters rather than the German ones.