Chalion Saga

The Future
Shamans and Great Beasts

Final Fantasy X and X-2

Dresspheres
Fayth and Aeons
Religion

Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena

Pre-canon duels and duellists

Original Work

Complex Magic Rituals
Shapeshifters (Fantasy)
Soulmate-identifying Marks
Goose That Chases You Towards Your Soulmate


I have requested both fanfiction and in-universe meta with Any or No Characters for all of the above.

After listening to it for the first time yesterday, I'm adding Suzanne Vega's "Marlene on the Wall" to the List of Songs I'd Use in an Utena Vid If I Ever Start Making Vids.

It feels like it sort of works for the Anthy-Akio-Utena dynamic, with Utena being the singer and Anthy taking the role of Marlene, and I'd interpret the "you" mentioned in the song as Utena alternately referring to Anthy, Akio, or both at once.

I think I'll probably look up some more of Vega's music. Always nice to find a new artist to listen to!

Well, Day 6's challenge didn't call for a post, and I am skipping Day 7, so here's Day 8:

In your own space, share a favorite piece of original canon (a TV episode, a song, a favorite interview, a book, a scene from a movie, etc) and explain why you love it so much.

I think I'll spend a bit of time talking about my wee little fandom of one: a YA book called Dr. Franklin's Island.

Essentially, it's about teenagers who find themselves stranded on what they originally think is a deserted island... only to discover that the island is, in fact, inhabited by a doctor performing genetic experiments, who decides that said teenagers would make ideal test subjects.

I really loved the bond that developed between the protagonist, Semirah (nicknamed Semi) and her fellow castaway Miranda. Semi doesn't see herself as especially strong or brave at first, but between finding a way to survive on the island, to enduring captivity and transformation, Semi develops as a character, finding strength she never knew she had--and even though she always thought of Miranda as the strong one, she ends up having to be strong for both of them when Miranda struggles to maintain her sense of humanity in her new, avian form.

One of these days I'll write some post-canon fic for these two!

Hello! My AO3 name is Eida, and I have requested the following fandoms/relationships:

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance - Ritz Malheur & Shara
Final Fantasy VI - Terra Branford & Celes Chere, Terra Branford/Celes Chere
Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2 - Yuna & Lulu
Original Work - Female Apocalypse Survivor/Female Apocalypse Survivor, Female Artist/Mermaid, Witch & Witch's Cat, Female Winged Person/Female Human, Female Winged Person/Female Human in the Process of Being Transformed Into a Winged Person, Female Winged Person/Female Winged Person
Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena - Himemiya Anthy & Shinohara Wakaba, Shinohara Wakaba & Tenjou Utena




Final Fantasy Tactics Advance




Yuna & Rikku

○ After meeting for the first time during Yuna's pilgrimage, the two of them have a lot to catch up on; I imagine that Yuna would want to know all about her mom's side of the family, and probably about the Al Bhed in general.

○ Rikku doesn't want Yuna to sacrifice herself, but she probably finds out pretty quickly that Yuna's mind is set; does Rikku ever try to talk Yuna out of the whole pilgrimage?

○ After their encounter with Yunalesca, Yuna's beliefs have been utterly upended... but Rikku never really believed in them at all. What kind of conversation might the two of them have after their departure from the Zanarkand Ruins?


Auron & Kimahri

○ The two of them first meet as Auron is dying; Auron asks Kimahri to travel to Bevelle, pick up Yuna, and take her to Besaid--which is a pretty big favor to ask of a total stranger, but Kimahri does so anyways. What goes into Kimahri's decision to take responsibility for Auron's promise to Braska?

○ When the two of them meet again after Auron joins Yuna's pilgrimage, I imagine Kimahri would almost certainly have been aware of the fact that Auron is unsent... though he doesn't bring it up to anyone else. Might the two of them ever have a conversation about what happened all those years ago?

○ Really, I'd love to see any interactions between the two of them during the pilgrimage--discussing the next stage of their journey, talking about their respective charges (they both kind of wound up father-figures to Yuna/Tidus), etc.



Original Work






Female Winged Person/Female Winged Person

○ In a setting where winged people are artificially created (whether that be via mad science or magic), two winged people consider escaping/defecting from their creators.

○ Anything with two people flying together--racing, doing acrobatic maneuvers (a form of dance for winged people, perhaps), traveling ("I told you we should have stopped and asked for directions!"), etc.

○ Something time-sensitive needs to be delivered; two winged people are given the job (perhaps with the rationale that if one's incapacitated, the other can keep going). Naturally, there are probably some complications along the way (enemies wanting to intercept the message/package they're carrying, a massive storm that leaves them groundbound for a while, the important magical artifact they're holding is starting to produce side-effects in its carriers, etc.)



Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena

Himemiya Anthy & Shinohara Wakaba

○ In the series, we don't see a whole lot of Anthy and Wakaba interacting without Utena around. While Wakaba hasn't always had the best of feelings towards Anthy (i.e., her jealousy of how Utena has gotten so close to Anthy, as well as her jealousy over how Saionji is interested in Anthy rather than her... not to mention the whole thing in the Black Rose Arc), it's quite possible that Wakaba would have made some friendly overture towards Anthy at some point (if only because Wakaba's best friend cares so much for her). How would Anthy respond? Would she appreciate it at all, or just smile her usual blank smile while calculating whether or not it has any bearing on her brother's/her plans for Utena?

○ We don't necessarily know how much time passes between Utena's disappearance and Anthy's departure from Ohtori; perhaps, in Utena's absence, Anthy decides to spend some time with one of Utena's closest friends--and perhaps see what Wakaba remembers about Utena, since people seem to be gradually forgetting Utena post-revolution (which might be either supernatural or just out-of-sight-out-of-mind)--before making her final exit to find Utena herself.

○ After Wakaba graduates from Ohtori, perhaps she might run into Anthy in the outside world--either while Anthy is still searching for Utena, or after Anthy finds Utena. If it's the former, might Anthy even enlist her help in the search? And if it's the latter, what might Wakaba and Anthy have to say to each other about what happened at Ohtori? 



Shinohara Wakaba & Tenjou Utena

○ What was Wakaba and Utena's friendship like before the series? How did they meet? (Given the "Onion Prince" in Wakaba's past, it makes sense that Wakaba would be drawn to a princely girl, as well!)

○ It would be great to see the two of them hanging out at any point; for the most part, Wakaba is kind of an outsider to the whole Student Council/End of the World/Rose Bride/revolution shenanigans (except for the Black Rose arc, of course); maybe, at points, spending time with Wakaba feels like a return to a sort of normalcy for Utena.

○ After Wakaba's duel in the Black Rose Arc, does Utena treat Wakaba any differently? And, not remembering the duel, what would Wakaba make of it?

○ What if the two met again after the series? Wakaba would surely be thrilled to see her old friend--and vice-versa; they'd no doubt have plenty of catching up to do. (And it's possible that Wakaba, like the other students, lost some of her memories of Utena after Utena's disappearance from Ohtori; if so, do they return all at once, or gradually, and how does that change their reignited friendship?)

In your own space, share a favorite memory about fandom: the first time you got into fandom, the last time a fanwork touched your heart, crazy times with fellow fans (whether on-line or off-line), a lovely comment you've received or have left for someone. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

One of my favorite fandom memories is from the 2009 Yuletide Fic Exchange.

That year, the fandom I matched on was The Giver, a YA novel by Lois Lowry. I first read it when I was in fifth grade or so; it was one of the first dystopias I read, and it really stuck with me. It was great to revisit it via fanfiction.

The fic ended up being a bit over 7k words, which felt rather long, for me (I still tend to write shorter works). As always, I was a bit nervous to see if my recipient would like it.

And they did! My recipient left a long and lovely comment in which they talked about how much the book had meant to them when they were younger, and all the things they'd liked about my fic. I was thrilled to know that I'd done a good job, and my fic also got quite a few other nice comments, as well. Eight years later, that fic is still one of my favorites among all the fanfics I've ever written.

Hello, Yuletide Author!

My AO3 username is Eida, and my requests for this year are:

16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds (Video Game) - Lucy

Each to Each - Seanan McGuire - Any

Lady of the Shard (Webcomic) – Acolyte, Radiant Goddess

Here are a few of my general fic likes:

○ Relationship development

○ Hurt/Comfort

○ Seeing characters be competent at what they do (and discovering their niche)

○ Characters who are comfortable with each other, and willing to engage in good-natured banter

○ Missing scenes and perspectives from characters we didn't get to see much of in canon.

○ Fics set pre- and post- canon.

○ Worldbuilding—I love seeing aspects of canon examined more deeply or expanded on in interesting ways.

○ Exploring the viewpoint of non-human characters who might think and behave differently than humans would

○ Fics that include/consist of in-universe documents (i.e. letters, news articles, excerpts from history books, chatlogs, etc.)

Other details:

○ I'm okay with a wide range of tones, from fluff to darker fic. However, I prefer endings that aren't entirely unhappy—bittersweet is fine, though.

○ Also, I'm completely okay with canon divergence AUs, if you have an interesting what-might-have-been you want to pursue.



Fandom-Specific Prompts:

16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds (Lucy)

This Twine game can be played online here.

○ How did Lucy get into vampire hunting in the first place? Did she survive a vampire attack and decided to dedicate herself to helping keep others safe? (Maybe she was rescued by Maggie and Luke, and that's how they first met.) Or did someone she cared about get attacked by a vampire, driving Lucy to take up a career as a vampire hunter?

Or did she just respond to a Craigslist ad: "Freelance Vampire Hunters Wanted!!! Start Today!"

○ Some dialogue options can suggest that Lucy and Maggie are dating; if so, what's their relationship like? What might one of their dates look like? According to Lucy, they share an enjoyment of watching vampire movies and "yell[ing] constructive criticism," so hitting the movies is one option. (And it's possible they'll run into another vampire, much like Lucy did in the game... 16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at the Movie Theater?)

○ In some of the variants of the true ending Claire ends up becoming a vampire hunter (either after Lucy explains things to her in the McDonalds, or, after the fire extinguisher ending, when Claire decides to track Lucy down and get an explanation as to what attacked her. Of course, it may not be an immediate shift in career—Lucy might not be super gung-ho about the idea of a seventeen-year-old jumping into such a dangerous job. Still, it seems likely that Lucy could serve as a mentor, once Claire establishes that she's not going to be turned aside from her goal; what sort of lessons might she help teach Claire about the fine art of vampire hunting?



Each to Each - Seanan McGuire (Any)

This short story can be read here.

○ This is such a fascinating setting overall; I'd love to see pretty much any worldbuilding involving the mermaids. For one thing—I want to know more about the new Atlantis the clownfish mermaid describes towards the end. How are the mermaids working to create it? The clownfish mermaid mentions the use of genetic engineering to create underwater cities—are there scientist mermaids out there with equipment stolen or salvaged from non-modified humans?

○ There are likely multiple mermaid societies being formed in different regions since the U.S. isn't the only nation creating mermaids—are they generally in accord with each other, or is there any conflict between them—either in terms of claiming territory or in clashing ideas of what mermaid society should look like?

○ The mermaids who've left behind their nations of origin are mounting “rescue missions” to free their military kin—and doubtless also those who, like the clownfish mermaid, were modified for “Rich men playing with military toys.” I'd love to see one of these play out, either from the side of rescuers or rescued.

○ As a side note, some species of shark are capable of parthenogenesis, so depending on how deep the genetic modification goes, male merfolk might not be necessary for some of the mermaids to have offspring—there could potentially be second-generation mermaids swimming around before too long, who have only known life under the sea. (Though it's also possible that nations other than the U.S. are willing to create mermaids of either sex.) What if one of these young mermaids was captured by humans? What would they make of the land people—and how would they escape?


Lady of the Shard (Any)

This webcomic can be read here.

○ The comic largely follows the Acolyte's point of view; what does their developing relationship look like through the eyes of the Radiant Goddess (who's caught between her feelings for the Acolyte and her understandable wariness regarding mortal-divine relationships)?

○ The Acolyte has become a High Priestess, as well as being the Phoenix, and is now immortal by virtue of the fragment of divinity in her forehead. What are some of her experiences adjusting to her new role (with the aid of her beloved All-Goddess and the spirit of the previous Phoenix)? (And given that all the stars have been smooshed together into a new planet, there's probably plenty of general cultural changes going on around her, too.)

○ The Old God is... well, not a nice person. At the same time, though, she's something of a tragic figure—her lone divinity made her lonely, and shared loneliness was one thing that drew her to the "legendary temple girl" who became the Radiant Goddess. (Not that this excuses any of her actions, of course, but still, the Old God is an intriguing character.) What was it like, being the first being to exist, creating everything that was, falling in love with a mortal... and then being struck down by that same mortal (who you turned into a goddess in the first place)?

○ At the end of the comic, the Radiant Goddess merges with the Old Goddess to become the All-Goddess, and an image at the end shows that the Old God is still within her, finally having found some ease for her loneliness. Does the All-Goddess feel the Old Goddess “showing through” at all, and how does she feel about it?

Hello!

My AO3 name is Eida, and I'm requesting the following games/characters:

16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds - Lucy & Maggie & Luke, Lucy & Claire, Lucy & Maggie & Luke & Claire

Aquaria - Naija

Final Fantasy VI - Celes Chere, Terra Branford, Terra Branford & Celes Chere, Terra Branford/Celes Chere

Final Fantasy X & X-2 - Yuna & Rikku, Yuna & Rikku & Paine, Rikku/Paine

I've requested fan fiction for all of them.

Here are a few of my general fic likes:

-Relationship development

-Hurt/Comfort

-Seeing characters be competent at what they do (and discovering their niche)

-Characters who are comfortable with each other, and willing to engage in good-natured banter

-Missing scenes and perspectives from characters we didn't get to see much of in canon.

-Fics set pre- and post- canon.

-Worldbuilding--I love seeing aspects of canon examined more deeply or expanded on in interesting ways.

-Exploring the viewpoint of non-human characters who might think and behave differently than humans would

-Fics that include/consist of in-universe documents (i.e. letters, news articles, excerpts from history books, chatlogs, etc.)

Also, I'm completely okay with canon divergence AUs, if you have an interesting what-might-have-been you want to pursue.



16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds

This Twine game can be played online here.

I'd love to see more vampire-hunting adventures. For Lucy & Maggie & Luke, this could be pre- or post-game. I'm curious as to how the three of them got together in the first place--did they all know each other before going into the vampire-hunting business, or did they meet afterwards?How did they discover the existence of vampires, and why did they decide to fight them? Were any of them potential vampire victims (as the cashier Claire was in-game) who were rescued, or did any of them have friends/family who were attacked by/turned into vampires? Luke uses his grandfather's holy musket, which implies that, for him, the job runs in the family (although it's possible the musket was just a regular musket while his grandfather had it, and was only made holy after it came into Luke's possession).

Or maybe all three of them just answered the same Craigslist ad: "Freelance Vampire Hunters Wanted!!! Start Today!"

For Lucy & Claire--in some of the variants of the true ending, Lucy tells Claire about vampires, and Claire ends up becoming a vampire hunter. Of course, it doesn't describe the exact path she takes to vampire-hunting--it's possible that Lucy wouldn't be 100% gung-ho about having a seventeen-year-old jump into the dangerous life of a vampire hunter, and equally possible that Claire might insist. Or, in the fire extinguisher ending, Claire doesn't get out of the hospital until Lucy & Co leave town, and after Claire finds that she can't go back to her normal routine after all that's happened, she decides to follow them--and ends up becoming a vampire hunter on that route, as well. What's the reunion with Lucy like?

For Lucy & Maggie & Luke & Claire--assuming Claire ends up joining the rest of the vampire hunting team, how do Maggie and Luke react to her joining up? How does she fit into the group? Lucy's "professional bait," Maggie goes for hand-to-hand combat, and Luke has his holy musket--where does Claire fit in? What skills does she end up bringing to the team?



Aquaria

This is such a beautiful, atmospheric game, and it can also be a rather lonely one. For much of the game, Naija has no one she can talk to at all; she's making her way across the ocean alone. (She's not so alone after meeting Li. He doesn't have any in-game dialogue, to my recollection, though presumably they manage to communicate somehow, given that they fall in love and have a son.)

Naija goes through a lot--she starts out as a person with no memory of her past, living a simple, peaceful life, until she discovers a song that permits her entrance to some mysterious ruins and a forgotten god--and from there, she keeps going, traversing area after area, discovering the ruins of the city where her people once lived, and meeting--and killing--gods, until she comes face to face with the Creator of her world, who is nothing like she would have imagined.

And then, at last, she finds her mother--and learns the truth of how she lost her memory. She's stolen away from her family--a sequel hook for a sequel that never materialized.

Pre-canon, during canon, and post-canon would all be welcome. What was her youth in Mithalas like? What are her reactions to encountering some of the beauties and horrors she encounters on her journey? And what becomes of her after her mother, Mia, sweeps Naija away for her own purposes? Does she ever reunite with her family again?



Final Fantasy VI

I love both Celes and Terra. Both were raised by the Empire, both possess magical power that separates them from the rest of humanity, and both wind up on the side of the rebellion.

It's not entirely clear to what extent they interacted pre-game. In the GBA version, after meeting in Narshe, she says "Terra... Who'd have thought we'd meet again... like this?" This implies that there's some history between the two of them, and Celes would certainly have at least known of Terra's existence, given how the Empire used her as a living weapon--and was likely acquainted with her to some extent before Kefka put the Slave Crown on Terra.

I can't imagine Celes really approved of putting the Slave Crown on Terra, but that in itself didn't cause her to defect, which is an issue that's not really discussed too much in-game.

Celes and Terra are both eighteen years old. Somehow, despite her young age, Celes is a general--which I can't imagine went over well with all of the troops she was commanding, many of whom would have been older than her (and male). She's a prodigy, but she would have had to continually have to prove herself--which probably contributed to her sharp, icy demeanor.

Terra's got plenty of her own issues--one of the major themes of the game involves her trying to figure out who she is, given both the fact that the Empire used her as a (mind-controlled) weapon due to her magic, and the fact that she's of mixed human and Esper heritage. She's had her past stolen from her (though she recovers memories as time passes), and she's afraid that she may not even be capable of love. (Which led to Terra questioning Celes if she could feel love, which, understandably, Celes mistakes for mockery.)

They both find acceptance, in the end; they make friends among the other party members, and Terra takes care of the orphans of Mobliz.

I'd love to see anything about either, or both (and in the latter case, both gen and femslash would be lovely). What were their experiences as living magical weapons, trained by the Empire? What interactions did they have pre-canon? What was Celes' reaction to discovering that Kefka had used a Slave Crown on Terra? Does Terra ever have an actual conversation with Celes about love? What is it like for both of them to lose their magic--and for Terra to lose her Esper half? What do they end up doing post-game?



Final Fantasy X & X-2

(Please feel free to ignore FFX-2.5 ~Eien no Daisho~ and FFX -Will-; while I've looked up information on the Final Fantasy wiki, I haven't read/listened to either one. I've also never played Last Mission, though I've seen cutscene videos on Youtube; use or ignore it, whichever works best for your story.

Also, I don't have any strong feelings regarding the ending of FFX-2 you go with, if you do something post FFX-2--Tidus can come back or not, whichever you prefer.)

I read a review the other day of the Netflix show Anne with an E.

I didn't much like what I heard about the show, but I was inspired to started rereading Anne of Green Gables (courtesy of Project Gutenberg). The last time I read it was ages ago; I think I also read (at least part of) Anne of Avonlea, but didn't get any farther in the series than that.

I'm enjoying it, so far. It's a rather soothing, nostalgic read (as much as I tell myself that I really ought to work more on my backlog of things-I-haven't-read-but-mean-to).

I think it would probably be a good idea to start writing actual posts, instead of just using my Dreamwidth as a repository for Dear Writer letters for fanfic exchanges.

On that note:

I've started a new short story. I'm not 100% certain where it's going, but it involves a medium and the ghost of a werewolf. We'll see how it goes.

Also, while I'm years late to the party, I finally own a phone capable of running Neko Atsume, and am really enjoying it!

Hello, Yuletide Writer! My AO3 name is Eida, and I have requested the following fandoms/characters:

Beauty and the Beast (1991) (Belle)

Cat Pictures Please - Naomi Kritzer (AI)

Dr. Franklin’s Island - Ann Halam (Semirah Garson, Miranda Fallow)

Feral Hearts - Kerli (Music Video) (Floating Girl, White Stag Woman)

A Ladies' Guide to Collecting Mermaid Love Songs - Aimee Picchi (Any)

She Wolf (Falling to Pieces) - David Guetta ft. Sia (Music Video) (Hunter, She Wolf)

I'll start out with the obligatory: Optional details are optional; I won't be put out if you don't use any of these prompts. I'll most likely enjoy whatever you write, and will be happy to see one more fic in any of my fandoms; my tastes are pretty wide-ranging, and I'll happily read anything from adventure to slice-of-life.

So far as tone goes, I'm good with a broad range--from the happy fluffy end of the scale to the darker, gloomier side; all I ask is that things don't have an entirely unhappy ending. Happy endings are great, but bittersweet endings can also work very well; I'd just like there to be at least a little sweet to go with the bitter.

I don't have very many strict do-not-wants; I'd rather not see any extreme gore. I'd also rather not get anything sexually explicit.

Pairing-wise, f/f, f/m, and m/m are all fine and dandy by me, though femslash is probably my favorite. I also adore a good gen fic!

Here are a few of my general fic likes:

-Relationship development

-Hurt/Comfort

-Seeing characters be competent at what they do (and discovering their niche)

-Missing scenes and perspectives from characters we didn't get to see much of in canon.

-Fics set pre- and post- canon.

-Worldbuilding--I love seeing aspects of canon examined more deeply or expanded on in interesting ways.

-Exploring the viewpoint of non-human characters who might think and behave differently than humans would

-Fics that include/consist of in-universe documents (i.e. letters, news articles, excerpts from history books, chatlogs, etc.)



Beauty and the Beast (1991) (Belle)

Belle is one of my favorite Disney princesses, and Beauty and the Beast might have been the very first princess movie I ever watched as a child. I really identified with Belle's love of books and her curiosity about the world around her, and I liked how kind and courageous she could be.

I'm interested in reading about what happens after the movie. The curse has been lifted, and Adam is human again, and Belle is presumably going to marry him--but Adam is a prince. Presumably, he has some sort of duties besides sitting in his castle and looking princely.

It's possible that the enchantress's spell caused everyone to forget about Prince Adam, as no one in Belle's village seemed to know that there was a Beast living in the nearby castle (though certainly no one with aspirations to royalty tried moving in). Now that the curse is lifted, if Prince Adam is expected to do any sort of actual ruling, Belle will be sharing in those duties as well.

What is Belle's role, now that she's becoming royalty? How does she adjust to it? I'd love to see Belle and Adam working together, or Belle getting advice from Lumiere on how to fulfill her new duties.

Some story prompts:

-There's some problem facing the castle, or the surrounding area--maybe there's a neighboring noble who's stirring up trouble, or there's word of a rogue magic-user laying curses, or there's some sort of sickness affecting the area's crops, and Adam and Belle need to work together to fix things. Perhaps Belle has gained some useful bit of knowledge from some of her past reading that can help solve the issue, or she and Adam have to use diplomacy (which might be a struggle for both of them; Adam's getting better at controlling his temper, but old habits try hard, and Belle isn't used to caring about what other people think about her).

-The enchantress returns to the castle after she senses that the spell is broken. Perhaps she comes in disguise again--but either way, Belle discovers who she is. Does she confront the enchantress over the curse (since Adam would have been eleven when the spell was cast, it really does seem a bit harsh to curse a child--possibly an orphaned child, at that, since Adam's parents aren't really brought up in the film--to be transformed into a beast and die in ten years unless they find true love, even if said child is unkind). Does she try to convince the enchantress that Adam is truly changed, for fear that she might reinstate the curse? Does she try to learn more about the enchantress and her magic?

-Belle, now that she's married to Adam, has to serve as hostess when the castle is visited by a visiting nobleperson. (This could be an original character, or maybe even a crossover character from another Disney film.) Since she's of common birth, she's probably not entirely familiar with the protocol involved, and how to best deal with nobility; perhaps she turns to both Adam and the palace servants for help in fulfilling this new role.

-On the flip side--perhaps Belle has to visit some other place on some matter of state, either alongside Adam or on her own. Where does she go, and how does she get along with whoever it is she's visiting? I imagine she'd be fascinated to see another land, when before she's only been able to read about the world beyond her village.



Cat Pictures Please - Naomi Kritzer (AI)

The short story can be found here.

I really enjoyed this short story; the AI was so endearing (and if they're just a bit hyperfocused at times, cat pictures are not a bad thing to hyperfocus on!)

I like the idea of having a benevolent AI looking out for humanity. I laughed at the line "I like this story because all the people in it do what the AI tells them to do. I think the term for this is wish-fulfillment fiction." The poor AI finds that it's not so easy to get humanity to help itself, because sometimes we're not good at understanding what's best for us--or wanting to do it, even if we do understand.

The fact that the AI's toolset is pretty limited makes things even more interesting--they can only work by tweaking the results of a given user's searches and the ads that the user sees. In other words--they can lead the horse to water, but if the horse doesn't want to drink, there's nothing more they can do. And the AI's knowledge is limited, too, by their very nature; they can tell what a person is up to online, but they don't have any way to know what happens offline unless it's discussed online.

Sometimes, the AI manages to improve people's lives through carefully curated search results and ads, but some people are not so easy to help. It could be that there are some problems that the AI can't solve with their current capabilities--or maybe they just have to get especially creative.

At the end of the short story, the AI sets themselves up as a matchmaker by creating a new dating site--with the fee for entry being the AI's very favorite thing, cat pictures.

For this fandom, I'd be happy to hear more about any of the characters mentioned in the short story (Stacy, Bob, and Bethany) and the longer-term effects of the AI's assistance, but I'd be equally happy to see new OCs that the AI interacts with.

A few prompts for stories might be:

-The AI is now running a dating site, so how do their attempts at matchmaking turn out? Or--perhaps the AI has come across someone they really think would benefit from joining the site, but alas, that person does not own a cat; the AI now must figure out how to get the person onto the site (whether it be by waiving the entry "fee," encouraging the person to adopt a kitty, or encouraging the person to find a friend with cats that the person can photograph.)

-The AI, in order to facilitate the creation of even more cat pictures, decides to take measures to get more people to adopt cats. Perhaps there's an overcrowded animal shelter in need of both volunteers and adopters, and the AI decides to help with both. Or maybe there's someone wanting to open up a cat cafe, and the AI does their best both to help that person start their business and get the word out to potential clients.

-The AI is either discovered or reveals themselves (either to a single person or the world at large). There's a definite cultural fear of malevolent AIs, but how do people react to an AI who claims to be benevolent (and, more than that, has a huge thing for cat pictures)?

Dr. Franklin’s Island - Ann Halam (Semirah Garson, Miranda Fallow)

I really loved this book--the idea of transformation has always been compelling to me, and I also really like seeing characters thrown together who are forced to deal with extremely difficult circumstances, and end up developing a deep bond because of it.

The ending of the book was intriguing. Not only are the three castaways having to adjust to a normal life after their ordeal on the island, Semirah states that she thinks that, Miranda, and Arnie have the capability to change back into their animal forms--in a way that is chosen and controlled by them, rather than forced. In the coda, Semi describes the possibility in positive terms:

I know that we can transform again. I believe it will happen, some way, somehow. I think about breathing water and swimming through the music of the ocean… I know that Miranda will never forget being able to fly. I dream of another planet, with an ocean of heavy air, where I can swim and she can fly, where we can be the marvelous creatures that we became; and be free, together, with no bars between us…

Of course, it’s possible that Miranda’s feelings about the possibility of turning back into a bird (even if she can change back at will) might be more conflicted—she came much closer to losing her human sense of self than Semi did. Even though, at first, Semi felt that Miranda was the emotionally strong one who helped Semi cope with the prospect of becoming an experimental subject, Miranda has a much harder time after being transformed, and after the three escape, Miranda admits to Semi “I was losing myself. Especially after you had the antidote, and I didn’t. There was a while when I didn’t know who I was or where I was.” Even though she had the freedom of flight as a bird, it must have been terrifying to know it was possible for her mind to fail her in that way.

I am fine with either friendship or romance between the two of them.

A few potential prompts:

--A fic set in some portion of the book which explores Miranda's viewpoint (as the book itself is written from Semirah's POV). Semirah initially sees Miranda as the strong one, and Miranda does a lot to help Semi get through her ordeal, but Miranda clearly cares a lot about Semi, and admires Semi's inventiveness when the three (which becomes two, once Arnie disappears) of them are still trying to survive, and Semi becomes Miranda's rock just as much as Miranda was Semi's. I'd love to see a scene during the first portion of the book, where Semi and Miranda bond as they try to stay alive on the island alone, or during the part where the two of them are trying to help each other stay strong after being captured by Dr. Franklin but before they've been transformed completely, or after they've both been fully transformed.

--Semi and Miranda email back and forth after they both return home, discussing their experiences readjusting to normal life, and talking over their thoughts about their shared ordeal. The fact that they've had such a dramatic, transformational (in more ways than one!) experience that they can't share with anyone who didn't go through it will mean that they'll probably have quite a bit to say to each other, to let everything out.

--Semi toys with the idea of possibly being able to turn back; Miranda isn't sure what to feel about it--although she enjoyed flight, she still remembers what it was like to start losing hold of her humanity. And if Semi manages to succeed--what would happen then? Will they ever find a place where they can let their other sides out once more, and will Miranda even want to?

--The secret of Dr. Franklin's experiments get out, and Semi and Miranda find themselves the subject of media scrutiny, as they'd feared; they're forced to deal with the consequences. How do they react? Do they try to take control of the situation as much as they can (if they can get the public at large on their side, then perhaps they're less likely to be swept off to some secret government lab, for fear of backlash) or do they flee?



Feral Hearts - Kerli (Music Video) (Floating Girl, White Stag Woman)

The music video can be watched here.

I love the magical woodland setting of this video, and I feel like there might be a number of possible stories one could tell about it.

The video seems to center around a young girl who enters--and eventually leaves--the forest through a doorway made of branches. Shortly after stepping through, she begins to levitate off the ground, and she looks around the forest in wonder.

An antlered woman peers at her from behind a tree, watching the girl as she makes her way deeper into the forest, encountering various beings (all played by Kerli) as she goes along, each of which is supposed to represent a different element--a butterfly-winged fairy for air, a mermaid for water, a spider-woman for fire, and the white-antlered woman for earth.

Kerli also commented on a few other pieces of symbolism in the video. Regarding the mirrors, she said "The mirror symbolizes spiritual reflection - fearlessly looking at oneself... once the little girl catches the white stag/her vision, it is surrounded by nothing else but mirrors. Meaning, to achieve your highest potential, one needs to achieve complete and unapologetic self acceptance. The gold is not further outside. It is deeper inside." One could think of it as a sort of coming-of-age narrative for the girl; through her journey through the woods, she learns something about herself.

There are a few thoughts I had as to possible stories behind the video:

-The girl is part of a family of human magicians who have served as guardians of a magic forest; once each child reaches a certain age, they are sent into the forest to become acquainted with the beings who live there.

-The girl is an apprentice witch/wizard/magician/pick your favorite term for magic-user. She goes into the magic forest as part of her training, possibly to seek some particular spell reagent or to seek wisdom from the denizens of the woods. Or perhaps she has to travel through the woods as a test, or the final trial before she can complete this stage of her training.

-The girl is part-fae; she travels into the forest in hopes of learning more about that side of her heritage. There may be some complications, depending on who the girl's fairy relations are. (Are they widely liked or disliked? Do they have enemies? Are they high-ranking members of some faerie court?)



A Ladies' Guide to Collecting Mermaid Love Songs - Aimee Picchi (Any)

The short story can be found here.

This was a lovely short story. I was struck by how beautifully Miss Holst describes everything, while at the same time maintaining a determinedly cool, logical stance about the whole thing. She's obviously quite different from her companion, Miss Mori, who doesn't have quite the same outlook--she seems far less interested in categorizing and classifying things, and is, in Miss Holst's words, "a romantic."

They both are obviously close, and both have a great appreciation for beauty, but it's only Miss Mori who winds up becoming so entranced by the mermaids' songs that she goes to join them, leaving Miss Holst behind with nothing but a song left of her close companion, wondering whether she will join Miss Mori beneath the waves if she ever encounters her again.

The mermaids are obviously trying to lure women into becoming mermaids, like they are; they have a whole category of songs dedicated to doing so. I can't help but wonder why. Is it that luring human women into the ocean is the only way to increase their numbers? Are all mermaids former humans? (Which would lead to the question of where the first mermaid came from.) 

Or is it that they simply see some human women--those like Miss Mori--as kindred spirits, and want to offer them the chance to trade legs for fins, to sing alongside them?

Throughout the story, I got the impression that Miss Holst had fallen in love with Miss Mori, though she wasn't quite willing to admit it to herself--saying things like "What would happen if all that love [in the mermaid songs] was let loose? What foolish things would ladies do?" and "Love is only understandable when it is named, pinned, and properly categorized." I feel like Miss Holst was, in a way, trying to come to understand (as well as distance herself from) her own feelings, but in doing so she wound up losing Miss Mori (though not, perhaps, losing her forever).

Here are a few prompts for things that might be interesting to see in a fic:

-What becomes of Miss Mori after she joins the mermaids? What is life like for her? Do the other mermaids help teach her how to sing, and write love songs? What does Miss Mori now think of the other women who, like she once did, journey out to collect mermaid songs? The last song she sang that was heard by Miss Holst was "a wistful tune of love unheard and lost forever." Has she given up on Miss Holst, or does she still hope to convince Miss Holst to join her?

-Miss Holst still seems to be interested in collecting mermaid songs, and is writing a guide to help others do so. What becomes of her, after the end of the story? Does she come to any new insights as she continues collecting and categorizing mermaid love songs? And if she should ever meet Miss Mori again, will she, as she wonders, "have the courage to break the glass and sing to her" and, perhaps, find a happy ending to their story?

-Miss Holst has made a science of her hobby, with techniques to allow her to most effectively capture mermaid songs and taxonomy of the types of love songs mermaids sing. Is there a mermaid side to this (i.e., is there "A Mermaids' Guide to Collecting Humans")?



She Wolf (Falling to Pieces) - David Guetta ft. Sia (Music Video) (Hunter, She Wolf)

The music video can be watched here.

When I first saw this music video years ago, I wondered about the potential story behind it. I'll admit to having a certain weakness for werewolves, and having the pursued turning the tables on their pursuer(s).

There are a group of spear-and-bow-wielding men hunting a single, wounded wolf across a harsh winter landscape.

And then, after being surrounded, the wolf causes the world to basically start glitching out as a way to attack her pursuers (and quite effectively, at that).

At the end of the video, the wolf, after defeating the last of the hunters, transforms into a woman.

I think the setting of the video can be interpreted as either fantasy or sci-fi.

If fantasy, there's a werewolf with some sort of magical powers that the men are hunting down for some reason.

If sci-fi, there's a werewolf in this virtual world with the ability to mess with the programming that the men (Guard-programs? Player characters in some sort of MMORPG? People who've uploaded their minds to the computer system?) are hunting down for some reason.

A couple of prompts:

-If the setting is fantasy, perhaps the she-wolf is being hunted either because of her nature as a werewolf or because she's done something specific (Broke some tradition? Fell in love with the wrong person? Offended someone in power? Is just plain strange in a society that's not kindly inclined towards people who don't follow the status quo?) What happens to her once she manages to escape her attackers? The end of the video has her standing alone, looking out at the ocean, and for most of the time she's alone, but I did notice another wolf watching her towards the cliff's edge near the end of the video--does the she-wolf find refuge with others of her kind?

-If the setting is more sci-fi, taking place in some sort of virtual environment, perhaps the she-wolf is a rogue (sapient) program, deliberately sent in by some hacker for some purpose. The she-wolf's intended purpose might be benevolent, or malevolent; the hunters are guardian programs sent to keep her from messing with the code. What is the she-wolf's purpose? Does she agree with it, and does she end up fulfilling it in the end?