Dear Parallels Writer
Jun. 21st, 2015 09:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swan_towerWelcome! Whatever you offered, I'm looking forward to reading what you write, and I hope you have fun with it. Fandom notes come first; general notes are at the end.
Fandom: Seven Souls in the Skull Castle
Characters: any
Hardly anybody knows this movie, so I can't pass up this chance to pimp it to a new audience: it's a historical drama, a recording of a stage production that was designed with the intent of filming it, which combines kabuki with a more modern sensibility and is on CRACK and also chock-full of fantabulous characters, including a whole bunch of very cool women. You can buy it here, and you should.
I made my nominations at the last second, so restricted my character set to the four whose names I was 100% positive I remembered correctly (Mukaiya Ranbei | Mori Ranmaru, Tenmao, Sutenosuke, and Sagiri). Really, though, you can write about very nearly anybody in this movie and I'll be happy with it. I just rewatched it the other night, and was reminded of how awesome they all are. (The only people I'd be less interested in seeing fic for are Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzo, just because they're historical people who show up in lots of things, so if I want stories about them that's easily accomplished.)
Do you want to write about Ranmaru and Tenmao and Sutenosuke (whatever his original name was) back when they all served Nobunaga? Sutenosuke's adventures before he came to Mukai? Ranbei and Tayu running Japan's most feminist brothel? Sagiri being the hidden Grand Master of Architectural Awesomeness, or escaping when her family gets captured? Sagiri and Sutenosuke living recrackulously ever after post-movie? How Tenmao Assembled His Weird Assortment of Henchmen and Henchwomen? Gantetsusai and her late husband arguing over her most recent (and most outrageous) idea for a sword? (He could even be dead when they're having that argument!) Tayu and the Brigade of Hooker Fusiliers? Seriously, the possibilities are ENDLESS. Do anything, and it will be awesome!
***
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin (2012)
Characters: any
I haven't gotten to see the second movie yet, so please, no spoilers about how they've adapted it. I'm very familiar with the anime, though, and love the Kyoto arc to pieces, so you don't need to worry about more general spoilers: basically, anywhere the movie and the anime are the same, you're on safe ground.
The mix of antagonism and respect between Kenshin and Saito is so much fun. I don't ship them; what I love is the hostility tempered by an understanding that they are both honorable men, and (when they meet again) fighting more or less on the same side. Having to extend that kind of trust to someone you really don't like is one of my favorite tropes. Or they could be fighting each other! I'd be on board with that, too. ^_^ (Yeah, it's possible the scene where Saito and Kenshin nearly kill each other is my favorite part of the entire anime.) You're welcome to write something either Bakumatsu-era or present-day (i.e. Meiji), and to give me the perspective of either character; I'm just as curious what Saito thinks of Kenshin as vice versa.
Also feel free to include any of other characters. Kaoru, Sano, Megumi, Yahiko -- they're all great.
***
Fandom: Tokyo Babylon
Characters: any
I've had a fascination with the whole onmyodo thing since I first saw X: 1999. You can give me pretty much any angle you like on the magic, and I'll be happy: Subaru's training, Lady Sumeragi acting as the clan leader, Hokuto finding out she has no talent for onmyodo, Seishirou being a ruthless bastard, something else entirely -- anything!
On a character front, I'll note that while I'm happy to read about Seishirou pretending to be a good guy, what I love about him is that he is evil as they come, and all that niceness and consideration is just a facade. So while you're more than welcome to write something shippy for him and Subaru, my interpretation of that ship is that it is Doomed and Wrong, and any appearance of fluffiness will ultimately turn out to be a lie (even if the lie is never revealed in-story). That doesn't mean you have to wallow in the darkness of it if you don't want to; just don't write me Seishirou's perspective where he's actually in love with Subaru.
***
Fandom: K-20, the Fiend with Twenty Faces
Characters: any
This is the best alternate-history dystopian art-deco-punk superhero caper movie I've ever seen. :-D
Which I lead with because as long as what you write fits within that tone, I am all over it. Heikichi and Yoko are the best, and so are their friends, and the more hilarious and over-the-top any story about them is, the better! Maybe K-20 isn't really dead after all? Or some kind of imposter pops up, and Heikichi has to defend the identity he didn't really want in the first place? Circus hijinks? Outrageous devices built by other mad scientists besides Tesla? E) All of the above?
The only specific thing I ask for is that you not break up Heikichi and Yoko. They could pretend to break up because Reasons, but I ship the two of them like Fed-Ex, and want them to be happy.
***
General notes!
Things That Are Yay: plot! (Casefic, etc. If you have the time and energy -- I know it can be a lot of work.) Exploration of character motivations, exploration/expansion of the setting. Fic that could fit into canon. Drama, up to and including aaaaaangst. Characters getting whumped on. Witty humour, especially if it's used as the jab to set up the dramatic roundhouse that follows.
Things That Are A-okay: violence, up to a point (see below). Non-explicit sex. AUs of the "what if this event went differently?" sort. Inclusion of nominated characters I didn't request. Inclusion of canonical characters who haven't been nominated. Original characters as needed for the story. Most povs, tenses, narrative formats, etc.
Things That Are Meh: straight-up character introspection. Nonfiction-style worldbuilding. Pure fluff. Second person pov without a really good reason.
Things That Are Nay: radical AUs like coffee shop, genderswaps, a/b/o, etc. Explicit smut and its associated kinks/tropes. "Five Things"-type stories (I've read some good ones, but that format rarely does it for me; I much prefer one continuous tale). Requested characters having only a cameo in the story, unless otherwise specified in the prompt. Gross-out humour. Humiliation. Characters being flat-out stupid. Character bashing. Torture porn, especially with female victims. Women being sidelined in general.
And again -- have fun!
Fandom: Seven Souls in the Skull Castle
Characters: any
Hardly anybody knows this movie, so I can't pass up this chance to pimp it to a new audience: it's a historical drama, a recording of a stage production that was designed with the intent of filming it, which combines kabuki with a more modern sensibility and is on CRACK and also chock-full of fantabulous characters, including a whole bunch of very cool women. You can buy it here, and you should.
I made my nominations at the last second, so restricted my character set to the four whose names I was 100% positive I remembered correctly (Mukaiya Ranbei | Mori Ranmaru, Tenmao, Sutenosuke, and Sagiri). Really, though, you can write about very nearly anybody in this movie and I'll be happy with it. I just rewatched it the other night, and was reminded of how awesome they all are. (The only people I'd be less interested in seeing fic for are Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hattori Hanzo, just because they're historical people who show up in lots of things, so if I want stories about them that's easily accomplished.)
Do you want to write about Ranmaru and Tenmao and Sutenosuke (whatever his original name was) back when they all served Nobunaga? Sutenosuke's adventures before he came to Mukai? Ranbei and Tayu running Japan's most feminist brothel? Sagiri being the hidden Grand Master of Architectural Awesomeness, or escaping when her family gets captured? Sagiri and Sutenosuke living recrackulously ever after post-movie? How Tenmao Assembled His Weird Assortment of Henchmen and Henchwomen? Gantetsusai and her late husband arguing over her most recent (and most outrageous) idea for a sword? (He could even be dead when they're having that argument!) Tayu and the Brigade of Hooker Fusiliers? Seriously, the possibilities are ENDLESS. Do anything, and it will be awesome!
***
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin (2012)
Characters: any
I haven't gotten to see the second movie yet, so please, no spoilers about how they've adapted it. I'm very familiar with the anime, though, and love the Kyoto arc to pieces, so you don't need to worry about more general spoilers: basically, anywhere the movie and the anime are the same, you're on safe ground.
The mix of antagonism and respect between Kenshin and Saito is so much fun. I don't ship them; what I love is the hostility tempered by an understanding that they are both honorable men, and (when they meet again) fighting more or less on the same side. Having to extend that kind of trust to someone you really don't like is one of my favorite tropes. Or they could be fighting each other! I'd be on board with that, too. ^_^ (Yeah, it's possible the scene where Saito and Kenshin nearly kill each other is my favorite part of the entire anime.) You're welcome to write something either Bakumatsu-era or present-day (i.e. Meiji), and to give me the perspective of either character; I'm just as curious what Saito thinks of Kenshin as vice versa.
Also feel free to include any of other characters. Kaoru, Sano, Megumi, Yahiko -- they're all great.
***
Fandom: Tokyo Babylon
Characters: any
I've had a fascination with the whole onmyodo thing since I first saw X: 1999. You can give me pretty much any angle you like on the magic, and I'll be happy: Subaru's training, Lady Sumeragi acting as the clan leader, Hokuto finding out she has no talent for onmyodo, Seishirou being a ruthless bastard, something else entirely -- anything!
On a character front, I'll note that while I'm happy to read about Seishirou pretending to be a good guy, what I love about him is that he is evil as they come, and all that niceness and consideration is just a facade. So while you're more than welcome to write something shippy for him and Subaru, my interpretation of that ship is that it is Doomed and Wrong, and any appearance of fluffiness will ultimately turn out to be a lie (even if the lie is never revealed in-story). That doesn't mean you have to wallow in the darkness of it if you don't want to; just don't write me Seishirou's perspective where he's actually in love with Subaru.
***
Fandom: K-20, the Fiend with Twenty Faces
Characters: any
This is the best alternate-history dystopian art-deco-punk superhero caper movie I've ever seen. :-D
Which I lead with because as long as what you write fits within that tone, I am all over it. Heikichi and Yoko are the best, and so are their friends, and the more hilarious and over-the-top any story about them is, the better! Maybe K-20 isn't really dead after all? Or some kind of imposter pops up, and Heikichi has to defend the identity he didn't really want in the first place? Circus hijinks? Outrageous devices built by other mad scientists besides Tesla? E) All of the above?
The only specific thing I ask for is that you not break up Heikichi and Yoko. They could pretend to break up because Reasons, but I ship the two of them like Fed-Ex, and want them to be happy.
***
General notes!
Things That Are Yay: plot! (Casefic, etc. If you have the time and energy -- I know it can be a lot of work.) Exploration of character motivations, exploration/expansion of the setting. Fic that could fit into canon. Drama, up to and including aaaaaangst. Characters getting whumped on. Witty humour, especially if it's used as the jab to set up the dramatic roundhouse that follows.
Things That Are A-okay: violence, up to a point (see below). Non-explicit sex. AUs of the "what if this event went differently?" sort. Inclusion of nominated characters I didn't request. Inclusion of canonical characters who haven't been nominated. Original characters as needed for the story. Most povs, tenses, narrative formats, etc.
Things That Are Meh: straight-up character introspection. Nonfiction-style worldbuilding. Pure fluff. Second person pov without a really good reason.
Things That Are Nay: radical AUs like coffee shop, genderswaps, a/b/o, etc. Explicit smut and its associated kinks/tropes. "Five Things"-type stories (I've read some good ones, but that format rarely does it for me; I much prefer one continuous tale). Requested characters having only a cameo in the story, unless otherwise specified in the prompt. Gross-out humour. Humiliation. Characters being flat-out stupid. Character bashing. Torture porn, especially with female victims. Women being sidelined in general.
And again -- have fun!
