Yuletide 2025 Letter!

[artemisdart]

Yuletide, the most magical time of the year! This will be my third Yuletide, and I'm excited to have more slots to fill. So let's get down to business! (and defeat -- the Huns)

Things I Like in Stories

• A plot of some kind


• Angst with a Happy Ending. I am primarily an angst writer! I especially love internalized self-hatred that turns out to be unfounded; internalized homophobia is great for that, but there are many other flavors!


• Drama: Negotiations, fights, chases, heists, puzzles, schemes, confrontations, etc.


• Or no drama: Character studies, small moments of discovery and self reflection, falling in love (maybe despite not wanting to?)


• Sexy stuff - first time, dubious consent, sex pollen, Bad Guys Made Them Do It, war prize, enslaved together, transactional sex turns tender, self discovery through kink, self esteem issues fueling sexual decisions


• Or no sexy stuff - holiday celebrations, meeting the family for the first time (!), domestic stuff, getting together, established couple, undeserved jealousy, secure attachment


• Canon, canon-adjacent, fix-its, and alternate universes are all fine, as long as it's not a totally lightweight AU like tattoo artist, flower shop, coffee shop, high school, etc.


• Mutual pining, yearning, unrequited crush that turns out to be requited after all


• Inexperience - maybe someone isn't that experienced in sexual matters, and someone else is?


• Sacrifice - maybe someone is in peril and someone else steps in at great personal risk?


• Tending wounds leads to tenderness


• Stranded together


• Holiday fluff and gifts and misunderstandings

Fandoms I Chose

Better Off Ted
I'm primarily interested in Lem and Phil, the wacky scientists! I would love to see them squabbling, being super enmeshed, dealing with challenges, disagreeing, saving each other, figuring out holiday presents / events, or even just "a day in the life" of creating evil tech for Veridian Dynamics.

Lem is black, which isn't addressed much in the show (except for that one amazing episode). It's definitely not normal in African-American culture to be so joined at the hip with a weird white guy scientist... so does his family support him? Do they know? Does he ever take Phil around to meet anyone? I'm just so curious about how they deal with the holidays. And, the burning question -- are they a couple??? Or just a couple of nutty scientists / friends?? I'd love to find out.

I also love Veronica. I could see a story that focuses on the scientists, one that includes Veronica as well, or a Veronica-centric story; any of those would be great! Feel free to use any other characters if you want.

Please don't write a story with just Phil or Lem -- if you have one, you must also have the other!

For this fandom, I'd like to avoid explicit sex acts on the page; I don't think they mix well with the genre. I'm always down for some pining, or whatever it is that Veronica has going on, but I'd hope to keep it R-rated / fade to black if you include sexy story elements.

Fandom-Specific Do Not Want List

• Lem and Phil ending the story angry at each other or separated


• Veronica being sane


• The dismantling or downfall of Veridian Dyamics

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
This story had a big effect on me. I'll never forget "Nobody Wants to Be Moist," or the sheer "wtf" of the Bad Horse reveal. I still listen to "Brand New Day" when I'm feeling vengeful, and I can't get the haunting harmonies of "My Eyes" out of my head (nor do I want to). I'd love to read more from this fandom.

I chose "any" character, meaning any at all; so feel free to flesh out the story with others that didn't make it into the tag set. Also, feel free to make them sing!

I can't think of any fandom-specific Do Not Wants. Go nuts!



Galavant (TV)
Another musical property. Can you tell I was in choirs for a solid decade and love music...? Well, I was, and I do. I'd love a fic where they burst into song!

There are 7 characters in the tag set. I'm primarily interested in the Gareth / Madalena vibe, which could also have King Richard (and, of course, Tad Cooper) as a natural third character. But I'd be happy with any character(s) from the tag set; feel free to add in any others you might like, as well. I'd love to see the Jester, for instance!

Fandom-Specific Do Not Want List

• Cruelty or non-con between Galavant and Isabella


• Stealing the spotlight from Sidney (I know, I know, it was a running joke -- but let the man have center stage for once!)


• Tad Cooper killing lots of defenseless people (I mean, maybe he could kill a few, as a treat)

Slow Horses (TV)
I like this show, but I have to admit I'm not current on it... but maybe I will be by Christmas! Feel free to write a story set in any season, or go off-canon.

My primary interest is the dynamic between Jackson Lamb and Catherine Standish. I'd love a story primarily about them.

Also, River was surprisingly merciful to Roddy (who is awful) that one time he lied and said that Roddy had been exiled to Slough House because others were just jealous of his genius. Not the real reason, but I appreciated that River was kind. Is there more to Roddy than just being a completely self-centered, young-dumb-and-full-of-come asshole? Or not?

Feel free to use any other characters to flesh something out! Plot and espionage are always appreciated, but not required.

Fandom-Specific Do Not Want List:

• Jackson Lamb being overtly nice to anyone (unless he's about to kill them or maybe actively dying himself, but I feel like that would make him even shittier)


• The dismantling or downfall of Slough House

Zorro (TV 2024)
I love this adaptation so much! In no particular order, I really enjoyed the vibrant mix of cultures -- how hearing some white dude speaking English was such a shock in the New York scene -- the depiction of Chinese workers (although they should really be speaking Cantonese instead of Mandarin, but I'll let it slide) -- how Monastario and Lola clearly have the strong potential to be a great couple, which makes the inevitable love triangle all the angstier -- the local Bear Clan being badass -- the role of the press -- the Russians -- just everything about the setting and cast.

I'd adore some angsty love triangle goodness with the main trio, but feel free to use any character(s) you'd like!

Fandom-Specific Do Not Want List:

• Non-Con between Diego and Lola


• The public unmasking of Diego de la Vega as Zorro

全职高手 | The King's Avatar (Live Action TV)
This show was such a trip! It was so long and convoluted, but it transfixed me all the way through. I did find it odd how everyone's in-game character was yet another Chinese-looking guy instead of being a colorful panoply of monsters and sexy anime babes, like actual games, but that wasn't enough to put me off the show!

I have to admit that I don't remember who is who in this show, but if I picked it back up again -- and I would rewatch it if I got a story for it -- I know I'd remember. My favorite character was the shrimpy little guy who seems so sunny and sweet, right up until they're in battle, at which point he unleashes the sickest burns and the most devastating trash talk you've ever heard!

Overall, I thought this show should have been a LOT gayer. Maybe you can fix that? :)

I can't think of any fandom-specific Do Not Wants. Have fun!



The Tick (TV 2018)
This was a great adaptation! My primary shipping interest from this TV show is Overkill / Dot, but I also vibe with Arthur / Dangerboat (even if it's just a weird, one-sided semi-platonic thing (because Dangerboat is a boat)). Miss Lint was a fantastic villain and I'd love to see more of her!

Fandom-Specific Do Not Want List:

• The Tick being sexual with anyone (even himself)


• Anyone being cruel to Arthur (unless they repent)

Hotel Del Luna (TV)
This show pulled me into its magic and wouldn't let me go. I love the slow, deliberate pacing; the gradual reveal of characters' backstories and traumas; the philosophical underpinning of the whole concept of a world between this world and the next. The mix of humor, horror, and poignant pondering on the nature of life is so very Korean! I couldn't tell you the genre of this show -- heck, I couldn't tell you the genre of each episode; you have to go scene by scene. I love that!

Death stole every scene he was in, and I'd adore to see more of him. Plus, the very final scene sets up the inheritor to the hotel, and I thought that was fascinating!

Fandom-Specific Do Not Want List:

• Non-Con or cruelty between the Hero Couple


• Getting rid of the hotel altogether


• Bringing the spirits back to life


• Major character death (unless you fix it somehow) - For this fandom that means I don't want living characters to die, or dead characters to cease all existence

Kinks I Like
Feel free to use this as a guide, but I hope that if you include something sexy or kinky, it'll be something that really gets you going! :)

Aftercare, Anal fingering, Anal fisting, Anal sex, Anonymous sex, BDSM parties, Beatings, Bondage, Bukkake, Butt plugs, Cages, Caring Dom, Chastity devices, Clothed person / naked person, Cock cages, Cock rings, Claws, Creampie, Dildos, Drunk sex, Dry orgasms, D/s, Electric play, Exhibitionism, Figging, Flogging, Frottage, Garter belts, Glory hole, Group sex, Handcuffs, Hate sex, Hair bondage, Humiliation, Hypnosis, Ice play, Improvised sex toys, Kneeling, Light D/s, Lingerie, Loyalty kink, Masks, Medical kink, Multiple orgasms, Multiple partners, Multiple penetration, Needles, Nipple play, Obedience, Orgasm control, Orgasm delay/denial, Overstimulation, Paddling, Panty sniffing, Power differences, Praise kink, Predicament bondage, Public masturbation, Public sex, Public sex with an audience, Public sex with an audience that's giving their ratings in real time, Public use, Remote controlled vibrators, Restraints, Riding crops, Rimming, Rope bondage, Safewords, Safeword use, Safewords being respected, Safewords NOT being respected, Saran wrap bondage, Sensory deprivation, Sex swing, Sex toys, Shower sex, Slapping, Sounding, Spanking, Spreader bars, Stocks, Submission, Sybian, Tantric sex, Temperature play, Vaginal fingering, Vaginal penetration, Vaginal sex, Verbal humiliation, Vibrators, Voyeurism


Generic Do Not Want List

• Unhappy or Bittersweet Endings. Ambiguous / hopeful, or Happy For Now, would be fine.


• Major character death (unless you fix it somehow)


• Permanent physical or mental illness or injury happening to the character in the story. Note that it's fine if someone is already permanently injured at the start of things


• Incest, poop, vomit, bestiality, extreme underage sex


• Stuffing / feeding / making your partner fat on purpose / dirty talk about that


• Losing a pregnancy in the story, kidfic, heavy fic focus on pregnancy


• Unrequested trans headcanons / gender swaps


• "Littles" / age-play / age reversion. Mommy / Daddy / child kink or roleplay


• Soulmates / soul bonds, Hanahaki disease


• "Lightweight" AUs (coffee shop, flower shop, tattoo artist, etc.)