avani008

[avani008]

Dear Yuletide Writer 2024

Here are some things I think are rad: snark. friendships. sneaky twisty endings. stories with bite. characters with personalities. stories that make their writers happy. mythology. humor. stories that dig into and expand on the canon, whether that’s backstory or minor characters or worldbuilding. brown paper packages tied up with string.

Stuff I’m not so keen on: rape, incest, mentions of RL pandemics/quarantines or cancer? more into het and femslash than slash. no modern AUs for the fandoms I’ve selected this year, as I’m interested in the canon settings; AUs that preserve the canon setting (either canon divergence or trope-based [soulmate, daemons, fantasy elements in non-fantasy canons]) are not just fine but would be much adored!

Treat Policy: Yes, please!

Fandoms Requested: Devil’s Cub- Georgette Heyer, Mystic Pop-Up-Bar (TV), Spymaster series- Joanna Bourne

First of all, I’ve repeated requests, despite being lucky enough to receive AMAZING fic for them in the past; but they are all still Yuletide-sized, and greedily I still want more. 

Devil’s Cub- Georgette Heyer

Characters Requested: Mary Challoner, Dominic Alastair

Where to Find Source Material: your local library or bookstore!

Problematic as this book is, I read it at an impressionable age, and so can’t help but have a reluctant soft spot Mary/Dominic—but mostly Mary Challoner and the wit and sparkle of Heyer’s prose. Not to mention Mary’s snark and competence, and Dominic’s grouchiness paired with his utter adoration of Mary, or everything about the utter farce that leads up to the climax in Dijon, or—like pretty much every reader of this book ever— that one scene where Mary shoots him. Give me more of their  delicious dynamic, and I will be over the moon! Requesting this fandom has produced incredible stories in the past,  but what is Yuletide for than coveting MORE CAKES in teeny fandoms?

 Consider:

* Dominic and Mary meeting the first few times, Sophia included with Mary (I’m sure) crankily falling for him while Dominic remains oblivious (or does he?)!

*A tropey AU (or multiple in one fic), whether social media/fandom-based, daemon AU, or any other fusions you enjoy!

* Finally, this is completely optional, but I’ve had this prompt rattling around my brain since I created this graphic—I would love a racebent version of Mary and Vidal, whether that means they’re Indian immigrants who’ve settled in Victorian Britain, or transplanted into the intrigues of the Mughal court, or whether involvement in the Quit India movement, or lack thereof, is an additional tension in their relationship!

--

Mystic Pop-Up Bar

Characters: Weol-joo, Gwibanjang | Yi Hon

Where to Find Source: Netflix

This was a delightful canon to find during a stressful time, and the honest sweetness of the main leads always brought a smile to my face. I have been lucky enough to get amazing fics for this in the past, and have loved them every time, so please know I will be delighted with pretty much anything. SPOILER warning from now on, just to explain what I enjoyed the most about canon–

–but I really adored Weol-jo and the Crown Prince’s romance above all else. 500 years of pining, secret identities/identity porn, and bonus bickering friends turned lovers the second time around made for everything I wanted, especially with a fantasy twist. The story was always Weol-joo’s, in all her prickly glory, and Gwi was–in his own words–only there to help her. I also really, really loved that despite their shared sense of humor, Weol-joo and Gwi are both extraordinarily competent and good at their jobs, and canon goes out of its way to emphasize that. Yes, they might bicker about nonsense –and my reading of the situation is that most of this is being intentionally facetious, both to be underestimated and because it appeals to their shared sense of humor. So some prompts, to be combined as you wish:

* More about how Yi Hon and Weol-joo met and fell in love! If I understood the prologue correctly, they both entered Yi Hon’s dreamworld to put down multiple angry ghosts, with a vendetta against the royal family, and I’d love to see how this played into the start of their romance. For one, their feelings–shallow as they initially seem–were strong enough to last half a millenium, and so must have been born in adventure and magic; for another, as demure as young Weol-joo was, I refuse to believe her usual snark didn’t show its head as she got to know the Crown Prince.

* Chief Gwi’s first eleven months as Weol-joo’s manager, complete with silent pining and unknowing painful jabs on the part of an oblivious Weol-joo, and how exactly Gwi manages to break through Weol-joo’s shell so effectively by the time we meet them. (Potentially the answer to that might be an impetuous, desperate hookup Weol-joo at least is going to pretend never happened.)I've previously received amazing gifts covering just that, but there is such potential for adventures we missed, and I’d love to see your take on it too!

* Finally, if you want to write post-canon casefic, what about another grudge that the family settles (along with getting accustomed to be an actual family)–potentially something where the reincarnation of Won-hyung’s sister (she was jilted by her childhood friend and orphaned by the same man on her wedding day; and we saw everyone else who was affected by the tragedy leading into Weol-joo’s death, except her) appears, either for revenge or to have closure; or–and this could play into the previous prompt too!–any ghost/grudge-holder who forces the trio to explore either his parents’ past lives or a canon-divergence AU where Weol-joo and the Crown Prince never died, and Kang-bae was born to them, either as a royal prince, or as their child in hiding? (Of note, if you go with this one, I love Weo-rin to bits, and I’d love to see her get to discover her boyfriend’s big secret at last!)

--

Spymaster Series- Joanna Bourne

Characters Requested: Justine DeCabrillac, Adrian “Hawker” Hawkhurst

Where to Find Source Material: Your local library, bookstore, or ebook supplier!

The Spymaster series is all brilliant characterization and intrigue. The action plots are superbly paced, where the romance doesn’t take up too much from the main plot, and the limited perspective works so well–the Annique twist in the first book took me utterly by surprise, and then delighted me. 

So writer, if your long standing dream has been to write canon-typical plotfic, I would be so ecstatic! Couples working and bantering together is always one of my favorite things to read, and the espionage aspect of this series is a particular strength . While we see a lot of glimpses of the Adrian-Justine relationship, I think there’s always room for more, so whether you want to add a post-canon adventure, or invent one we didn’t see between flashbacks, it would be great!

I also love these characters, and their relationship–I love the pining in the face of duty, the very real tragedy* I love how it extends in bits and pieces of the years, I love how it’s frequently interpreted and misinterepreted through outsider POVs. Something that plays with outsider POVs would also be so fascinating, again, at any time during the series; or, what a happily ever after looks like for these two crazy kids.

*again, DNW caveat: it’s okay to acknowledge canon-accurate mentions of prior assault in this case, but I would really prefer that it be kept to a minimum, with no on-screen incidences.

I was lucky enough to get amazing Cami/Pax exchange fic for the prompt "5 ways they didn't meet and one way they did" and if you want to adapt that (or another 5+1 AU format) to Adrian and Justine's story, that would be great!

Finally, although I haven’t formally requested, Annique (and her irreverent narration) is always a delight. I love her instant platonic-soulmates friendship with Adrian, and I am intrigued by Joanna Bourne’s words on her blog on how Annique compares with Justine:

When I was writing Annique, I was making her the other side of the coin with Justine. They were both child spies, about the same age. Both raised by Lucille. One relatively protected, innocent, a child of the light, one who had not killed. The other abandoned and debauched, a child with little light inside her, a willing killer.

And they knew each other, of course, as they were growing up. They were more than a little jealous. When Annique makes the remark about the doppleganger, she’s thinking of Justine.

Adrian, in TSL, come fresh from one side of the coin to the other and neither Annique nor Adrian realize this.

This is such an amazing dynamic we never see on-screen, and I would love to dig into it further at both ends.

I hope at least some of these prompts help! Thank you in advance and have a wonderful Yuletide yourself:D

[avani008]

Avanilanche in the year of our lord 2023, I knew this day would come, crops watered acne cleared depression cured tests aced etc. etc. etc. so glad to see you on my dash!!!

<3 <3 <3

I've missed all you guys so much!!!

[avani008]

Unusual Fic-Specific Asks for Authors

Send me one of my fics + one of the following:

Perspective Flip: I’ll write a scene from [that fic] from another character’s point-of-view

BTS: I’ll write a DVD commentary about my personal favorite passage from [that fic]

A Thousand Words: I’ll create a photoset/gifset that, IMO, sums up the main themes/concepts I intended for [that fic]

Fusion Dance: Send me a possible fusion (coffeeshop, Hogwarts, zombie apocalpyse, etc.) and I’ll translate at least one scene of [that fic] into such a ‘verse

For Want of a Nail: Send me a minor detail to be changed (i.e., Character A chooses blue instead of red, Characters B and C swap places in one scene) and I’ll tell you how [that fic] would be different

Time After Time: Send me a timestamp sometime in the future after the end of [that fic], or sometime in the past before the story started, and I’ll tell you what happened then

The Million Dollar Question: Ask me any random question, big or small, about off-screen events in [that fic] and I’ll answer it!

[avani008]

NEW LIFE BEGINS 卿卿日常 (2022) dir. Zhao Qi Chen.

[avani008]

omg, not sure if you’ve watched house of the dragon BUT i had this thought that won’t leave me

rhaenyra and alicent and the drama between their kids is probably exactly what would have happened had

a) bhishma had not made his vow and decided to fight for his rights

b) bhishma had been a girl? and girls could inherit?

Yes! This is why as much as people give the Fisher King (and by proxy, Satyavati) a hard time for demanding the vow, they....kind of had a point? The potential for bloodshed and outright anarchy one could have with a full grown heir, and much younger half-brothers was out of control--and again, the Fisher King just refuses to put his daughter into that situation, which is absolutely his right.

Now the results were indeed tragic, but I want to emphasize that it's a tragedy of people trying to do what was best for them in a bad situation, rather than being intentionally vicious/ambitious--and that often gets glossed over for ~drama~

[avani008]

you know i read somewhere that Devaki and Yashoda were Kaikeyi and Kashaulya in their previous births like Krishna was Ram. idk its something really intresting to think about.

I love considering this, all the more because it is equally poignant either way (ie, if Kaikeyi is Devaki or Yashoda). IIRC, I want to say, Aditi=Kaushalya=Devaki in some retellings, but the various maternal bonds and feelings is fascinating.

(ie, am I almost certainly going to make this the version that hurts?

I.e., Kaikeyi! Yashoda or Kaikeyi!Devaki [who somehow has memories of her past life] reflecting on the fact that they get their son back, but for only a half of his life? And deserved or not, they are never going to really know or understand the other half, ever.

No one does, except Balarama, the son who stormed and raged and never really forgave her for what she did a lifetime ago. And when times goes on, and drives even these once inseparable brothers apart, she doesn't entirely know how to feel about it, not really.)

[avani008]

‘Indian-ness’ is not a thing that exists. Reading Sanskrit scriptures, for example - I can’t call that Indian, because after all, India is not just Hindu. That ‘Indic’ stuff is not India. The name India was given by Alexander the Great by mistake. The name Hindustan was given by the Islamic conquerers. The name Bharat, which is on the passport, is in fact a name that hardly anyone uses, which commemorates a mythic king. So it isn’t a place that we Indians can think of us as anything, unless we are trying to present a reactive front, against another kind of argument. And this has its own contradictions. For example, when I’m constructing myself as an Indian in reaction to racism, I am very strongly taking a distance from myself. If an Indian asks me what I am, I’m a Bengali, which is very different.

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, The Post-Colonial Critic: Interviews, Strategies, Dialogues (via tonguebreaks)

[avani008]

Can u tell more stories about bhanumati the wife of duryodhana ?

She meets her hundredth brother-in-law a month into the dazzling rush of Hastinapur, mouth and mind full to bursting of new names.

At first glance she overlooks him, at the next, she wonders how anyone might. He resembles her husband strikingly, much more than the rest of his kin. Later she will know this causes them both no little displeasure, but for now she only offers a hesitant half-smile.

”Don't bother,” says Yuyutsu by way of greeting. “I’m no one important. In fact I don’t doubt they’d rather you never had cause to know of my existence. A royal byblow makes for an embarrassing scandal to introduce to a daughter-in-law.”

Well. That is unexpected.

“It happens about once a generation among us Kurus,” he goes on, mercilessly. “A maidservant’s son brought up to speak the truth—or so they say. My uncle, at least, sees it as burden rather than blessing.”

Bhanumati’s smile grows fixed. Yuyutsu sees it, and mistakes the cause.

“Not that you need worry,” he adds. “My eldest brother seems to have escaped that particular proclivity. My next sister-in-law isn’t so lucky; nor the wife of that friend of theirs.”

A problem for another day, another woman; Bhanumati shakes her head.

”Your kindness notwithstanding,” she says, her temples beginning to pound. “I assure you those--proclivities mean little to me, except an escape from your brother's attentions."

"Hmm," says Yuyutsu: a particularly patronizing sound Bhanumati will recall whenever her husband complains to her, years in the future, of how he loathes his half-brother. It might even be the first shared sentiment to bring husband and wife together. "For now, at least."

"For never," Bhanumati retorts, startled into forgetting any semblance of grammar. Her wide-eyed expression is enough to convey her intent; Yuyutsu laughs, raises his hands in surrender, and steps away.

"Say what you will, Princess," he tells her, even as he turns to go. "Only remember: we maid's children ever speak nothing but truth."

[avani008]

Do you have any ships for the Ramayana? (I mean Ram/Sita and Lakshmila are the og ones, but any fanon ships? My cousin ships Lakshman with Indrajit bcoz enemies to lovers.)

I am quite fond of Indrajit/Sulochana, mainly because my hc! teenage Indrajit is an overwhelmed flaily gremlin who has no idea what to do with calm, composed Sulochana.

But most of the relationship dynamics that most fascinate me, I feel like, are either those in the backstory (the Lanka crew, the Sugriva & Ruma & Vali & Tara horrid dynamic, Dasharatha/Kaikeyi/Kaushalya/Sumitra in varying combinations) -- but also the implied friendships we get? Lakshman & Angad being good enough friends, presumably, that Lakshman names a son after him off-screen; Sita and her sisters, and how in contrast to the husbands they are paralleled with, they very much don't get to spend the rest of their lives together; and Sita and her kids.

[avani008]

Who is your favorite "unknown" mughal princess? By unknown I mean like women like Gauhar Ara begum, Nadira Banu begum, Zinat un nissa begum who were not documented so well.

*laughs*

Anon, that is a dangerous topic to get me started on. I have quite a few (and I'm omitting some of the big names that I also adore: Arjumand Banu, Mihrunissa, Hamida Banu Begum, etc.)

Khanzada Begum- Babur's sister, and--depending on which version you believe--either abandoned or straight up sold to Babur's enemy Shaybani Khan during Babur's escape. But! she wound up surviving both her marriage to the enemy, and returned to her now-victorious brother, subsequently marrying again under happier circumstances and becoming (according to some sources) the first Padishah Begum* of the empire.

*I feel like people often mistranslate this title as "Empress" or "Emperor's favorite wife," but it could just as often mean a beloved sister or daughter--basically, it was the most important woman in the royal family, and the one who effectively claimed the most power.

Gulbadan Begum - half-sister of Humayan, historian, and straight up nerd. Wrote her brother's biography, and delighted in telling embarassing anecdotes about him like any proper sibling. Loving aunt to Akbar; clever, independent, and fun.

Mah Chuchak Begum - widow of Humayan, ruler of Kabul (initially in the name of her son, apparently later just gave up on the pretense and ruled by herself). A hurdle in the path of the young Akbar's consolidation of the empire, she was unfortunately killed by her son-in-law. That said, years later, after her son had managed to piss off Akbar, her daughter Bakht-un-Nissa Begum wound up inheriting the governship of Kabul and apparently did a bang-up job of it.

Aram Banu Begum- Akbar's younger and favorite daughter, and explicitly a smart-aleck. Apparently Did Not get along with her half-brother Jahangir, to the point that one of Akbar's dying wishes was that the two get along. Never married, but seems to have been more a personal choice, rather than a strict decree against it. Seems to have been A Lot, in the best of ways.

Nadira Banu Begum- wife of Dara Shikoh, arguably in one of the happiest marriages of the dynasty. Dara never married anyone, and like her mother-in-law before her, Nadira joined her husband in exile and revolution. He apparently gave most of the paintings he loved to create to her, which is adorable; and did not survive her death by more than a few months.

Dilras Banu Begum - wife of Aurangazeb; apparently haughty and beautiful, and not a little terrifying. Interestingly, she was a devout Shia while Aurangazeb was a devout Sunni (to be fair, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal were also a very happy Sunni/Shia pair, but both Dilras and Aurangazeb were famously pious and much more religiously fixated than the prior generation). Died before her husband became Emperor, but her children would succeed him.

Zeb-un-nissa (&her siblings) - daughters of Aurangazeb, and talented poets, scholars, and artists. Particularly notable because while pop cultures has the later Mughal empire portrayed as either a joyless husk, or a decadent waste -- these women were clear contraindications to that generalization.

(I could go on, but these are the first few that come to mind!)

[avani008]

Hi! I have a question regarding the usage of astras in Hindu mythology. How did a sage choose who to pass down a particular Astra to? Did it depend on caste, with only Kshatriyas and Brahmins allowed to use astras, which is why there was such a great uproar when Karna, believed to be of low caste, was able to summon a variety of astras? But that still doesn't explain the discrepancy between the number of astras a particular Kshatriya or a Brahmin could summon. Like in the Mahabharata, Arjuna, Karna, Bheeshma, Drona, etc lead the pole with respect to number of astras known, and other warriors don't know as many astras as these people do. Which is confusing, because if only Kshatriyas and Brahmins could use astras, then ideally shouldn't all members of both these castes know the same amount of astras? I've seen some sources suggest that astras were handed down only following the establishment of a pupil's character, irrespective of the pupil's caste, because these weapons were so destructive and couldn't just be entrusted to anyone. This explanation does work, except we've already seen this condition violated in the Mahabharata, and without repurcussions to the offender! Drona refuses to teach the Brahmastra to Karna, but caves in to one single pair of puppy-eyes from Ashwatthama, despite knowing he didn't really deserve this knowledge and couldn't be trusted to use it responsibly. And Ashwatthama does go on to use the Brahmastra for less than noble purposes! So how exactly did any sage choose who to pass down an Astra to?

This is an excellent question, and this is my best understanding:

So, for all intents and purposes, astras are more equivalent to cheat-codes for a video game rather than physical weapons (which...you probably already knew lol). And just so, you could end up with an astra from a variety of sources:

direct from the source (ie, from the god who possessed it. Arjuna is the best example when he picks up special weapons from Shiva and Indra after meditating long enough to earn it)

from your teacher, buuut only if he liked you enough (and it was within his rights to pass it on or deny it for any random reason! Like you said, Drona gives it to Ashwattama and but refuses to teach Karna not because of caste, but because he wants Arjuna to be the best. And as annoyed as Karna is, his only options within that society is to go elsewhere)

from a random rishi you pleased/impressed/helped (Rama gets pretty much every divine weapon there is from Vishwamitra after helping to protect his sacrifice

So there doesn't seem to have been any quality control on who actually got the astras, just who you ran into; which is also how villains as well as heroes all seem to possess them. Until the Mahabharata war, it seems to have been chaos--until then the majority of the people who posessed the weapons either died before htey could pass it on any further, or (horrified by the damage) presumably decided to never to do so anymore. Which arguably might have been a secondary goal on Krishna's part.

[avani008]

AU that Duryodhana born as princess instead prince and engage to Yudhisthira for politic reason bc those elders think it gonna solve throne heir problem

Oof this would indeed be an A+ set-up for drama and angst, but! Unfortunately, it wouldn't work (at least from the standpoint of the elders arranging it) from a kinship issue:

Yudhisthira and Duryodhana are related through their dads, which makes them (by kinship terms) cousin-siblings; whereas relatives on your mother's side would have been considered not really related to you, and therefore fair game for marriage (see: Arjuna and the Yadavas, Nakula marrying Vijaya, daughter of his maternal uncle Madra, etc).

This is also why no one brings up a marriage between Dushala and any of the Pandavas, and why Draupadi and Yudhisthira are so careful to save Jaydrath's life specifically for Dushala's sake -- as the Pandavas' younger sister (if only in name, for all we know), they are honor bound to ensure her happiness (....which is....still being married to her creeper husband. Yay patriarchy.)

(Do I want all the fic about her troubled relationship with them? Oh, yes.)

[avani008]

This took a LOT more attempts than I was able to show here- there's a full-on blooper reel on Patreon!

[avani008]

the tirumala sthala purana is SO fascinating (do check out sridevi nrithyalaya's dance drama on the same! it's GORGEOUS) ̶v̶i̶s̶h̶n̶u̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶l̶a̶k̶s̶h̶m̶i̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶e̶x̶p̶l̶o̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶s̶m̶h̶

Reblogging for the rec--thanks, anon!

[avani008]

hello! are you taking Hindu mythology fic requests right now?

I am! We've gotten to the point where I feel like the only way out of my writing rut is to force myself through it rather than wait for inspiration, so (allowing for me taking longer than usual, and likely having to warm up to my previous productivity), I am all for it!

Also up for meta. I think that's why I miss most about this community!!

[avani008]

Dear Yuletide Writer 2022!

Here are some things I think are rad: snark. friendships. sneaky twisty endings. stories with bite. characters with personalities. stories that make their writers happy. mythology. humor. stories that dig into and expand on the canon, whether that’s backstory or minor characters or worldbuilding. brown paper packages tied up with string.

Stuff I’m not so keen on: rape, incest, mentions of RL pandemics/quarantines or cancer? more into het and femslash than slash. no modern AUs for the fandoms I’ve selected this year, as I’m interested in the canon settings; AUs that preserve the canon setting (either canon divergence or trope-based [soulmate, daemons, fantasy elements in non-fantasy canons]) are not just fine but would be much adored!

Treat Policy: Yes, please!

Fandoms Requested: Ponniyin Selvan (2022), Regency Faerie Tales- Olivia Atwater, Spymaster series- Joanna Bourne

Ponniyin Selvan

Characters Requested: Kundavai, Nandini

Where to Find Source Material: currently playing in theaters, but supposedly coming to streaming (Prime?) in November 2022

I love so many characters in this movie (and the source material), but to exactly no one's surprise, I loved Kundavai and Nandini best. I'd really love to see anything more about one, or both, of them (writer, you do have explicit permission to only feature one character in your fic, if that is what works better); but also here are some prompts that may help!

A quick note, though: while I'm familiar with the novel, the movieverse seems very different--starting from the fact that everyone is aged up in this adaptation to bigger details (Kundavai is implied to be solely responsive for Nandini's adolescent banishment, Vanathi's...entire personality). I'm totally fine with incorporating elements of the novel, but a fic based only on what we see in the movie is fine, too!

Another quick note: for people familiar with the novel, certain revelations and fakeouts about Nandini's backstory skirt the no-incest DNW. If including it is necessary for your fic, that's fine; but I ask you don't center the fic around that particular tension.

For Kundavai:

Kundavai is my historical (and fictional!) favorite, and I loved how the movie showcases her political competence and general smarts--so tell me more about that! 5 times fic for Kundavai backstory? Love it. Kundavai having to solve a mystery and save the day? Amazing. Kundavai's political and moral development, taking into account her very real blinders about class/caste that we see? Please!

In terms of shipping, if you want to stick with canon verse: Kundavai and Vandiyadevan have pretty great chemistry, and I'd love to see something that explored their relationship further, since most of their novel scenes establishing their attraction got cut (though Karthi did a phenomenal job in quickly conveying that *this* crush/flirtation was serious). What actually did happen during the offscreen scene where Kundavai gives him her message for Arunmozhi?

For Nandini:

Nandini is unsurprisingly such a clever, mercurial, magnetic character-- one of my favorite scenes is the compression of 3 chapters in the book, where she faces down 3 different men confronting her, all into the space of 5 minutes; she handles each differently, easily swinging from amused indifference to indignant earnestness to furious authority. Also fascinating: her unapologetic "Yes, I have [grown accustomed to luxury]" to Ravidasan, her co-conspirator, her tangled feelings for Aditya (unlike book Nandini, who isn't nearly as venomous about him), but, more than anything the scene where Nandini is staring at the throne. Not only does she seem far more longing than we've seen her look at any man around her, but I adore the choice to have her picture her younger self (alone, rather than as royal consort) enthroned, rather than her present self: is this because her present self is no longer worthy of it? Who knows? Nandini could easilyfuel a thousand character studies by herself, and certainly all of those questions would be great to include.

Or: again, while Kundavai's protegees got cut, Nandini's handmaidens are very prominently around--and clearly involved in her scheming, both in terms of her husband's plans, but also the Pandya plot? Why? Are they also ex-Pandyas, or (the more interesting option, IMO), is Nandini, with her experience of being looked down upon, actually a phenomenal boss who inspires incredible loyalty? Exploring their relationship and who these women are and how they interact with her would also be fantastic.

For both together:

One of the things that intrigues me the most are the years just pre-canon where Kundavai and Nandini are technically both part of the royal court; we know Kundavai spends most of her time away, but surely she must have made other, earlier visits. While their verbal sparring is ever- delightful (and one of my favorite things about their relationship), I'd particularly love something about them being forced to work together to solve a problem--political intrigue? a mystery at court? a conspiracy? They'd be a startlingly brilliant team despite (or because) how much they clash, and I'd love to see them together.

Or, naturally, their troubled backstory. Aditya accuses Kundavai (both in the novel and in the film) of being motivated by jealousy only, while her defense is her duty/her internalized casteism/classism, but what if there was more that inspired her to act?

Finally: if you want to acknowledge the incredible chemistry between them, and pair them together (as enemies-to-...still-enemies-but-now-with-benefits?), absolutely go for it!

Regency Faerie Tales- Olivia Atwater

Characters Requested: Dora Ettings, Elias Wilder

Where to Find Source Material: Your local library, bookstore, or ebook supplier!

This fandom, along with the next, were two surprise discoveries this year, both amazing in their own ways! The Regency Faerie Tales are such lovely comfort reads, with truly likeable, pleasant characters --though paired with an honest look at the social inequalities of the time period, and the chilling nature of Faerie. Consider:

That last paragraph of the epilogue and its implications! How does that come about, after their previous distaste for Lord Hallowvale’s world? How do Elias and Dora adjust to a rejoined Dora, and how is that different from their previous relationship, if in any way? How do they adjust to life in the faerie realm?

Or: each of the books is clearly vaguely based on a fairy tale--"Rumplestilskin" " Cinderella" "Goose Girl"--so maybe something that centers around another fairy tale? The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast/East of the Sun West of the Moon, and Snow White would all be interesting given the themes and backstories that the characters have, and I'd love to see a take on them!

Or, an exploration of Faerie would be so intriguing! Tell me more how its alien customs and structures really work. In particular, while I haven’t requested her specifically, I’d be totally fine with the inclusion of Lady Hallowvale, even if you wish to set it prior to the Epilogue. I’m also fascinated by the similarities and differences between her and Dora, but also the parallels between her and Elias, especially given his backstory. 

Finally, if you are interested in worldbuilding, and/or other cultures, I would love to see a more inclusive look at characters, magic systems/entities, fairy tales from other countries! How do they play into this world? How does (or doesn't) magic change this world? How do Elias and Dora react to storytelling tropes from another culture altogether?

Spymaster series- Joanna Bourne

Characters Requested: Justine DeCabrillac, Adrian "Hawker" Hawkhurst

Where to Find Source Material: Your local library, bookstore, or ebook supplier!

In contrast to that last fandom--while they share a nominal setting in the Regency period--the Spymaster series is all brilliant characterization and intrigue. The action plots are superbly paced, where the romance doesn't take up too much from the main plot, and the limited perspective works so well--the Annique twist in the first book took me utterly by surprise, and then delighted me. 

So writer, if your long standing dream has been to write canon-typical plotfic, I would be so ecstatic! Couples working and bantering together is always one of my favorite things to read, and the espionage aspect of this series is a particular strength . While we see a lot of glimpses of the Adrian-Justine relationship, I think there's always room for more, so whether you want to add a post-canon adventure, or invent one we didn’t see between flashbacks, it would be great!

I also love these characters, and their relationship--I love the pining in the face of duty, the very real tragedy* I love how it extends in bits and pieces of the years, I love how it's frequently interpreted and misinterepreted through outsider POVs. Something that plays with outsider POVs would also be so fascinating, again, at any time during the series; or, what a happily ever after looks like for these two crazy kids.

*again, DNW caveat: it's okay to acknowledge canon-accurate mentions of prior assualt in this case, but I would really prefer that it be kept to a minimum, with no on-screen incidences.

Finally, although I haven't formally requested, Annique (and her irreverent narration) is always a delight. I love her instant platonic-soulmates friendship with Adrian, and I am intrigued by Joanna Bourne's words on her blog on how Annique compares with Justine:

When I was writing Annique, I was making her the other side of the coin with Justine. They were both child spies, about the same age. Both raised by Lucille. One relatively protected, innocent, a child of the light, one who had not killed. The other abandoned and debauched, a child with little light inside her, a willing killer.

And they knew each other, of course, as they were growing up. They were more than a little jealous. When Annique makes the remark about the doppleganger, she's thinking of Justine.

Adrian, in TSL, come fresh from one side of the coin to the other and neither Annique nor Adrian realize this.

This is such an amazing dynamic we never see on-screen, and I would love to dig into it further at both ends.

I hope at least some of these prompts help! Thank you in advance and have a wonderful Yuletide yourself:D

[avani008]

how do you feel about writing a dev and amrita enemies to lovers fic i think they have a lot of potential

I think they do too! I unfortunately just don't think there's enough narrative information yet to really build up characters--and I mean, even casting information. After all, a Hrithik!Dev is going to be very different than a Ranveer! Dev than a hopefully-they-don't-do-this-Ranbir!Dev, and I feel like we'd need that info to even start creating a fanon. But hopefully soon :)