Dear Yuletide Writer

[firestorm717]

Thank you for writing a fic for me! Yuletide is an exciting time of year, and I'm grateful to all the fans who produce content for our small fandoms. Please know that whatever you decide to write, I'll be excited to receive your gift. My likes, dislikes, and prompts are just here to give you ideas. Feel free to go in another direction if the muse inspires you! The only thing I ask is that you respect my DNWs:

Do Not Wants: Excessive gore, Body horror, Character bashing, AUs that change the setting (canon divergence is fine), A/B/O universe, Genderswap of a M/M slash pairing (unpaired characters are fine), Kidfic, Mpreg, Extreme kinks (scat, vomit, golden showers, etc), Female objectification, Explicit misogyny or sexual abuse of women (if it has to happen, make it off-screen and ensure the perpetrator is punished).


In the following, I use A, B, and C to denote generic characters.

General Likes

• Angst - Basically, anything that involves emotional pain, e.g., A pining for B with the belief that his feelings are unrequited, A has a brush with death that compels B to confess his feelings, A fearing that B is dead and blaming himself, A being forced to hurt or kill B by malevolent character C (who may be sexually/emotionally manipulating A).


• BDSM - I am a HUGE fan of power differences in relationships along with all that entails: dub-con, non-con, blackmail, humiliation, mind control... if it features Domination and submission, I'm all over it. My main kinks are anal play/penetration, crossdressing, neck biting, orgasm denial/control, come play, and deep throating - all from the top's perspective. Possible dynamics include C as the superior of A demanding sexual service, C punishing A for a deliberate infraction (perhaps when A helped B), C capturing and interrogating A, A offering himself up to C in place of his lover B, or just plain old safe, sane, and consensual kink between happy couple A and B. Seriously, go wild.


• Hurt/comfort - Ah, the age old trope. A is seriously injured, and B saves him and nurses him back to health. Even better if it's followed by a love confession. I like scenes that emphasize how vulnerable an injured character is (in contrast to his usual tough exterior) and during which a character says things, perhaps in a delirium, that he would not say otherwise. Fevers, nightmares, spoon-feeding, bandaging a wound in an intimate area, cuddling to soothe the pain - it's all wonderful in my book. If you're feeling especially wicked, you can combine this with non-con for added angst.


• Pretty boys - Not much to say here except that I'm attracted to beautiful, charming twinks. Large eyes, long silky hair, smooth and slender bodies. Think Lord Bosie (Jude Law) in Wilde, or Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) in Velvet Goldmine.


• Snarky banter - I love sharp dialogue, witty ripostes, double entendres, and flirting between characters who are for all intents and purposes married. If you can make me laugh with some sexy wordplay, even better!


• Holiday cheer - For Yuletide, I like a Christmas backdrop with lots of snow, colorful lights, hot chocolate/mulled wine, cozy blankets by the fire, and of course, presents beneath the tree. Perhaps the holiday spirit grips A and compels him to do something unusually kind for B? Or B finally confesses his feelings for A after a kiss beneath the mistletoe? I also find the songs and rituals of Catholic mass to be quite beautiful, so if you want to write a more somber story, I'd enjoy a touching scene of redemption in an old cathedral.

General Dislikes

• OOC fluff - Fluff is totally fine - I like it when couples do cute things together - but not when it's very out of character, e.g., a hard-bitten killer suddenly making goo-goo eyes and adopting a baby because he's in looooovvveeee. Subtlety and poignancy are much preferred over excess displays of emotion. (Unless that's a hallmark of a specific character).


• Sexism - Fandom is an escape for me from the sexism of daily life. As such, I ask that you avoid female stereotypes like the damsel in distress, emotional support girlfriend, vampy seductress, hooker with a heart of gold, self-sacrificing mother, meek and pure virgin, etc. I don't want to see my main characters patronizing/denigrating women or using women for sex, even if it's canon accurate. I realize that in a historical setting, some degree of sexism is unavoidable, so I trust you to make a decision that minimizes the unpleasantness and serves the story. If you're unsure, know that I am fine with a fic focused solely on the male characters' relationships with each other.


• Straight romance - I much prefer M/M slash pairings, and I'd rather not read heterosexual romance or sex scenes. The exception is a Femdom relationship, where the female character is in total control and pegs or anally penetrates the male character, and the focus is on objectifying his body. See my section on Raffles for suggested pairings.


• Sad endings - For Yuletide, I prefer a happy or at least bittersweet ending in which all the main characters survive. Not a hard and fast rule this year though, as I discuss in my section on Callan.

Callan
Callan is my fandom of the moment - I've watched the TV series, listened to the Big Finish radio drama, consumed the short stories, and enjoyed the 1974 film. I've even read the scripts for all the missing episodes. The only parts of the canon I haven't gotten to are the novels and "Wet Job". I'm in love with the phenomenal acting in the TV show, especially by Edward Woodward (David Callan) and Anthony Valentine (Toby Meres). My favorite character is Meres, and my fandom OTP is Callan/Meres with Meres generally as the bottom. I adore Meres's upper-class elegance and sardonic sense of humor that barely veil the sadistic killer underneath. At the same time, I like the rare glimpses of his vulnerability and affection for Callan, especially at the end of "Death of a Hunter". The Callan/Meres pairing falls into one of my favorite tropes: enemies-to-friends-to-lovers. It also provides many opportunities for angst, since Hunter often uses Meres to keep an insubordinate Callan in line.

Other relationships I like in the series are Callan/Lonely (whether platonic or dysfunctional FWBs is up to you), Colonel Leslie/Callan (dark and manipulative with a strong Daddy Dom dynamic), and Snell/Meres (the way Meres glares at Snell, something definitely went down between these two). Kinks that work well in this fandom are crossdressing (Meres disguises himself as a woman in "File on an Angry Actor"), mind control (Snell and his fellow shrinks use mind-altering drugs on their victims), breathplay (fanon seems in agreement that Meres likes erotic asphyxiation), and basically any kind of sadomasochism.

This is also the one fandom in which I'm okay with a sad ending, even a death fic, if written well enough to tug at my heartstrings.

Some specific questions/prompts:

• According to the Red File, Callan suffered a crisis of conscience when Colonel Leslie ordered him to kill a Russian spy, whom Callan knew well and liked. This eventually led to Callan's deactivation from the Section, which is mentioned in the TV pilot. What were the circumstances behind this spy's execution, and how does it affect Callan's relationship with Hunter, Meres, and Snell today?


• According to Richmond and the Red File, Meres caused the "accidental" death of a Coldstream guardsman, which nearly led to his court martial. What were the circumstances behind this man's death, and how did Meres's family conspire to have it swept under the rug? Was Colonel Leslie and/or the Section involved?


• What happened between seasons 1 and 2 such that Meres goes from being Callan's enemy to advocating for Callan's return to the Section?


• What was Callan's relationship with Ramsey like back in the day, and how does this make Meres feel, since he's usually the one close to Hunter? I'd love to see some green-eyed jealousy from Meres.


• What was the fallout for Callan, Meres, and the Section after "Death of a Hunter"? Did anyone figure out the true mole in the organization? I suspect Snell was involved in deprogramming Callan and debriefing Meres... or interrogating him.


• Did Meres hear about Callan's imprisonment between seasons 3 and 4, and if so, how did he react? It would be interesting to explore an AU in which Meres tries to find and rescue Callan from the Russians.


• Why was Callan so cold toward Meres in "First Refusal", and why does his attitude change by the time of "I Never Wanted the Job"? Did the two interact before Meres's return from Washington?


• What happened after the TV series finale? Did Hunter make good on his promise to "break" Callan? Was Meres involved?


• At the end of the 1974 film, Hunter suggests that Meres "work under" Callan for a bit. Take that to its D/s PWP conclusion.


• After Callan/Meres become lovers, one of them comes under suspicion of helping the opposition, and Hunter orders the other to bring him in. (This echoes the plot of "You're Under Starter's Orders", but I want to see higher stakes and more angst).


• On a botched mission, Meres is captured and tortured, while Callan escapes. Hunter refuses to authorize a rescue for self-serving reasons, but Callan defies him. What happens next? Can also reverse this with Callan as the captive and Meres the rescuer.

Raffles
I've watched the Raffles TV series (including the 1975 pilot) and listened to some of the BBC R4 radio drama, but never read any of the short stories. The TV series is what made me fall in love with Anthony Valentine, whose depiction of A. J. Raffles I adore - clever, handsome, charming, and dressed in the most elegant of suits. Like the majority of the fandom, I ship Raffles/Bunny, and I'd be delighted with a story that explores their evolving partnership. My favorite episode is "A Trap to Catch a Cracksman" because Bunny gets a chance to shine as Raffles's savior. I also enjoyed the ending of "The Last Laugh", since it involves Raffles getting tied up and gagged. Doubt it was his first time in bondage!

I also really like the female characters, and I'd be thrilled if you choose to write a Femdom romance instead. Netje is both brave and very clever, and I could see her topping Raffles with some encouragement. Camilla is smart, regal, and independent - a suffragette ahead of her time. Raffles is clearly in awe of her, and his line, "What a colleague you'd make. What a partner." always makes me tear up. I could see the two of them going on adventures together with Camilla as the gunwoman and Raffles as the thief. However, my favorite pairing is Gloria/Raffles. They so clearly have a D/s dynamic from the start, as Raffles is hypnotized by her and does everything she says, even when it puts his reputation at risk. I especially like how he's speechless in her presence and submits to her kiss. Gloria is the OG Femdom - rich, beautiful, and every inch the master of her relationships. It's no wonder Raffles loves and fears her.

Some specific questions/prompts:

• What shenanigans did Raffles/Bunny get up to in school when Bunny was fagging for Raffles?


• Raffles seduces Bunny late one night in the Turkish baths after a successful burglary.


• Raffles/Bunny separately try to pilfer a Christmas gift for the other and, by coincidence, wind up at the same house. After accidentally tripping an alarm, they have to dodge Inspector MacKenzie before they're discovered.


• At a costume party, Raffles/Bunny must swap disguises and pretend to be each other during a heist gone wrong, much to the confusion of their host. Bonus points if it's a Christmas party, and Raffles comes dressed as St. Nicholas.


• Camilla is being targeted by a nasty, slanderous individual for her work promoting women's suffrage. She recruits Raffles to track down the culprit, and together, they bring him to justice... though not without a fight! (I'd love to see Camilla rescuing and nursing Raffles back to health <3).


• How did Raffles and Gloria meet? When did their affair begin, and why did Raffles break things off?


• AU in which Raffles accepts Gloria's offer to travel the world, and Bunny secretly hides in a trunk to go with them and convince Raffles to return home.

Colditz
I confess, I never finished Colditz. The only episodes I watched are the ones starring Anthony Valentine as Horst Mohn. I find Mohn to be a fascinating character (and not simply because I have a uniform fetish), whose bravery, discipline, and intelligence stand at odds with the typical Nazi caricature. At the same time, his unforgiving gaze and devotion to the Fuhrer give me chills. I'd like to read more of his backstory, particularly his service at Stalingrad and his tenure on Hitler's personal staff. How did he become a war hero? What led to his appointment at Colditz? I'm also interested in his relationship with the Wehrmacht and SS. Mohn clearly does not respect the Kommandant, yet he also dislikes and (dare I say) fears the SS officers, as is apparent in "Very Important Person". He often seems to be walking a delicate tightrope, which makes me wonder about his political position behind the scenes. Finally, I'm curious about Mohn's ultimate fate - did he escape out of the woods, or was he captured by the Allied forces? I personally think "Chameleon" did his character an injustice, since a man with his military record would go down fighting... but you're free to convince me otherwise.

I don't particularly ship Mohn with anyone, although I like his metaphor-laden chess games against Simon Carter and could see a twisted mindfuck relationship developing between them. I'd also go for an OC superior officer/Mohn, which emphasizes the D/s military hierarchy. Kinks that work well in this fandom are boot worship (love when the officers click their heels), strict protocol (kneeling or standing at attention for hours), and anything involving a leather fetish (I'm very partial to the long coat Mohn wears at the end of "The Guests"). Of course, non-con and sadomasochism are a given.

Some specific questions/prompts:

• What was Mohn's path to the Luftwaffe? How did he go from being a chess champion to a decorated war hero in the Nazi army?


• During the final days of battle, Stalingrad was a literal hell on Earth - there was widespread starvation and depravity as the trapped German 6th Army fought to the death. Thus, it surprises me that Mohn, who stayed nearly to the end, considers Strecker a traitor for surrendering. Tell me about his experiences in those last days, how he received his injury, what became of his comrades, and his personal feelings on his survival when so many others died.


• How did Mohn receive his appointment to Hitler's personal staff? What was it like for him, a fighting man, to rub shoulders with the top brass and party officials?


• What was Mohn's relationship with Ana, the woman he met at the bar? Was she a lover? A nurse? Some kind of mother figure from his childhood?


• Tell me Mohn's thoughts on his isolation at Colditz, as well as his struggles with chronic pain and PTSD.


• What happened to Mohn after he escaped from Colditz? Did he make it to Argentina and assume a new identity, or was he shot/captured by Allied troops?