2022 Yuletide Promo Post

[crantz]

Welcome to the Fandom Promo post, everyone!

Here's where you get those eyes on your fandoms for sign-ups!

Share what makes your Yuletide fandoms the shiniest and why you love them. A big part of Yuletide is how small our fandoms can be, and this is a good way to make sure other people know what gems there are out there!

NEW: We've made a register! There is now a searchable Google spreadsheet index of the canons promoted on this post. Go ahead and add yours or any you see that are missing! We hope this helps connect people up with canons of interest to them.

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Here are some areas you can cover:

<b>Title:</b>
Please put your fandom's title in the subject of your comment, too. This helps people find your promo again.

<b>Media:</b>

<b>Approx length:</b>

<b>Where to find it:</b>
(If giving links, please only link to legal sources. You may want to encourage people to contact you directly if they are having trouble finding a canon and you can give them tips)

<b>What is it, in summary?:</b>

<b>What do you love about it?:</b>

<b>What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:</b>

<b>Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:</b>

<b>Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):</b>
This is at your discretion and is not expected to be comprehensive

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(Bonus options: What are you thinking of requesting for this? If you're thinking of nominating worldbuilding, what sort of worldbuilding topics might people explore?)


Useful tip (Not required, but helps people if they want to engage with your fandom!):


- It's best to make each fandom its own entry with its own title in the subject line! That makes it easier for people to find/see what you're promoting! Don't worry about 'spam', that is the entire point of this entry and you're using it exactly as intended.


Previous fandom promo posts can be found at this tag!

Comments

Rec: Prey (2022)

[lirazel]

Title: Prey

Media: Film

Approx length: 100 minutes

Where to find it:
According to wikipedia:

Hulu (United States)
Star+ (Latin America)
Disney+ (International)

What is it, in summary?:
A horror/scifi/historical film about a Comanche girl in 1719 who battles the predator monster (look, this is not my genre) from the Predator series. You absolutely do not have to have watched any of the other films in the series to appreciate this one (I didn't).

What do you love about it?:
First of all, let it be known that I am not generally a horror fan. This film is excellent enough that it overcame my inherent disinterest in the genre. Other things I love: a) the fun twist of having a scifi film in a setting we don't normally see; b) the cast, which is small but great; c) SIBLING FEELS; and d) especially especially the main character of Naru, who is smart and adaptive and resilient and wonderful. Watch the movie for her.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Honestly I'm going to request this fandom out of sheer spite. I was so disappointed by what's currently in the AO3 tag that I can't not request this for Yuletide. I'm going to ask for anything focused on Naru and/or Naru&Taabe.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
As mentioned above, you absolutely do not have to watch the rest of the film series!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Gore/violence and character deaths

Re: Rec: Prey (2022)

[lakeeffectgirl]

I can guess what's in the tag without even looking, and appreciate your spite-based nomination. Seconding this rec!

Neko Ramen (Manga)

[crantz]

Title: Neko Ramen by Kenji Sonishi (Or possibly, Neko Rahmen. Wiki disagrees with my physical volumes)

Media: Manga

Approx length: 4 volumes (in English, that I know of. It was a Tokyopop production and you know how that goes. There's 6 volumes in Japanese)

Where to find it:

Amazon
Ebay
Anywhere that sells used books

What is it, in summary?:

It's a 4 panel gag comic!

Neko Ramen is about a cat who runs a ramen shop and his one loyal customer. Taishō is the cat and he is just a little cat and he is proud of being a ramen chef. He is gruff, loud, and a terrible ramen chef. His loyal customer Kōichi Tanaka is charmed by the little cat and keeps coming back for more terrible ramen.

Wiki has good character summaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neko_Rahmen

What do you love about it?: It's very funny, I enjoy the transplantation of the big boisterous street chef personality into a little cat.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Schemes for merchandise, new recipes, etc. Taishō getting his own cooking show! Taishō ending up in some sort of cat show when he thinks he's there to sell his ramen. That sort of thing.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: You can get the gist from a single volume. You could probably get the gist from a few strips on their own if you can find them. It's the same sort of heavy continuity as say, Garfield.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):

Some of the stuff about cat hair in the food may make you gag. Also his girlfriend is a human. She may not know she's his girlfriend.

The Game of Rassilon (podcast)

[kittyeden]

Title: The Game of Rassilon

Media: Podcast

Approx length: 3 full seasons, one currently-in-progress season, about 16-18 episodes per season that tend to be about an hour each.

Where to find it: https://thegameofrassilon.com/ or at most podcast apps/feeds

What is it, in summary?: Fan-made Doctor Who TTRPG comedy podcast with its own Doctor, lore, arcs, and just a bunch of REALLY great characters and character dynamics. Balances the roleplaying aspect with the narrative aspect really nicely.
What do you love about it?: There’s just something really great about an rpg podcast that makes you feel like you’re sitting on the steps in your basement listening to your older sibling and their friends blast through a wild adventure of a campaign. This podcast DEFINITELY has that vibe. it’s cosy and it’s fun and it’s Doctor Who and it’s unabashed in its glorious nerdiness. All the little jokes and goofs about the lack of budget and the ‘reused props’ and stupid 90s references – it’s wonderful and it’s great, and it doesn’t help that there’s a hell of a lot of glorious worldbuilding and characters to get attached to. I wrote a longer thread on it last year where I talked about the s1-3 characters and what I love about them, you can find that here: (https://yuletide.dreamwidth.org/254165.html?thread=3054293#cmt3054293) And the most recent season has introduced a new Doctor and a new companion, both of which I adore! I can’t wait to see where it’s going.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: still mulling it over, but it’s definitely between something to do with the Doctor, Travis, and Roman (and their entire wonderful dynamic) or the most recent season’s Doctor and companions, Carrie and Lita – because their interactions have stolen my heart very very quickly. In either case, it’s very much a gen friendship sort of thing that I’m after, with adventure and feelings and angst and worldbuilding very much appreciated.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: In the case of me requesting Doctor-Travis-Roman friendship fic, the first two seasons would definitely suffice. If I end up requesting fic for the current Doctor and Lita, only season four would probably be needed. (Although of course I recommend listening to all of it, because it really is great.)

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): for the most part, pretty lighthearted. A bit of period-typical transphobia and homophobia in one specific episode in season 3, some heavier topics are occasionally brushed upon.

Püha ja õudne lõhn | Sacred and Terrible Air - Robert Kurvitz

[laughingpineapple]

Title: Püha ja õudne lõhn | Sacred and Terrible Air - Robert Kurvitz (it's the Disco Elysium novel)

Media: book

Approx length: 230 pages

Where to find it: this place still has some copies. While an official English translation is still in limbo, there's a fan translation project. Hit me up for details!

What is it, in summary?: A 2013 novel set in the same world as Disco Elysium! ZA/UM's first attempt to export the world they'd been creating for years. Set 20+ years after the game in a very different part of the world, it's a sort of new weird Nordic thriller. At the end of summer, four young sisters disappear mysteriously. Twenty years later, three of their schoolmates still haven't given up on finding them, an obsession which has molded their lives in different ways. All around them the world is ending, but as long as they still have one lead to make that one thing right, to go back to that perfect golden summer of their youth... also featuring: mind-reading drugs! A wild taxi ride at the end of the world! Fantasy communism with very real leftist infighting! Not one but two brands of nihilism! More loss and defeat than you can shake a stick at!

What do you love about it?: the sheer magic of many scenes, the sense of impending doom and the sense of how lived-in this world is - the narration keeps going on detours and they're all fantastic. Its historical figures are pencilled in with such enticing details, just enough to get one daydreaming.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Worldbuilding (Katla stuff, that one drug and entroponetic collapses, mostly) and a couple characters who appear in tiny 'lore' chapters disconnected from the main plot.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Said tiny lore chapters! Take them all together and they're like 12 pages total. I'm making a separate pdf if anyone wants 'em.

Content warnings: much like his latter work Disco Elysium, this is very much a world that has vast amounts of all -isms in it and the narration sticks closely to it. One major character has groomed a 19yo since she was 15. A pedophile is also mentioned to be gay in a way that I found off compared to the other descriptions of terrible people being terrible. Nuclear world war and a fantasy environmental catastrophe are central to the plot even if they are described in rather muted tones, all things considered.

Re: Püha ja õudne lõhn | Sacred and Terrible Air - Robert Kurvitz

[kitsunerei88]

This sounds amazing and while I can't read Estonian, I would absolutely be up to reading the tiny lore chapters!

Motocrossed (2001)

[mixtapestar]

Title: Motocrossed (2001)

Media: Movie (Disney Channel Original Movie)

Approx length: 91 minutes

Where to find it: Streaming on Disney+, available to rent or buy on Prime Video, or buy on YouTube.

What is it, in summary?: Andrea (Andi) Carson loves motocross, despite the fact that her father finds her unsuited for the sport, being that she is "just a girl". When her twin brother Andrew dislocates his knee just before a big race, their father is forced to go to Europe to find a replacement rider. In the meantime, Andrea secretly races in Andrew's place with her mother's help. The movie is a loose adaptation of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. (from Wikipedia)

What do you love about it?: This movie is very gender, and despite being a Disney movie from the early 2000's, it holds up surprisingly well. The main antagonist is Andi's dad (and the overall environment) rejecting girls in motocross as it's "too dangerous", and the whole point of the movie is "how 'bout I do it anyway, and better." It is endearingly charming, and set up well for gender exploration for Andi and queer interpretations of the main characters.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Andi or Andi/Dean. Would love to see some works for trans or non-binary Andi, and/or the "oh no they're hot" realization from Dean making him realize he's bi/pan (perhaps even before he knows Andi's secret)

Content warnings: Disney Channel levels of early-2000's misogyny (be careful dude, they might call you a girl!)

Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon

[hiddencait]

Title:
Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon

Media:
Movie

Approx length:
1 hour 30 minutes

Where to find it:
Included with Amazon Prime or to buy there via DVD/Bluray/etc

What is it, in summary?:
A barely B grade action/adventure movie set around a group of early 1900s archeologists who go looking for a missing explorer and stumble into a hidden surviving Aztec tribe living in the Grand Canyon and guarded by their terrible CGI Quetzalcóatl in the guise of basically a dragon. Very budget Indiana Jones-esque with a fantasy twist. It's staring Michael Shanks, Shannon Dougherty, and JR Bourne so several big names there. They... don't help the quality much to be honest.

What do you love about it?:
Y'all this movie is so bad. SO VERY BAD. I have terrible taste in action movies, believe me, I'm aware of it, and this one is pretty bottom of the barrel. But y'all, I also grinned almost the entire time and wanted to immediately watch it again once I was done. It's basically the embodiment of the "crack taken seriously" tag on AO3 - all of the actors are trying SO HARD to be in a serious adventure film, but everything else about the movie just can't top it. Michael Shanks was the stand out for me for sure, but JR Bourne was also a lot of fun. There are genre typical exploration and traps to solve and betrayals and just a lot of ridiculousness I couldn't help but enjoy. Sadly Shannon Dougherty did not hold up to the standard Shanks and Bourne tried to set, but I honestly may only be requesting the guys' characters anyway (or at least just Michael Shanks's character).

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
As I mentioned, Michael Shanks was the star for me, and I'll definitely be requesting more of his character, Jacob Thain. He starts out looking like a very snooty useless academic caricature, but over the course of the movie shows more and more of his competency which I loved (complete with sudden revealed ability to fluently speak the Aztec's language - what is it with him and directors giving him lots of random foreign language work? I hope they never stop bc it hits me right in the competency kink every time LOL). I'd love to request either sequel stuff for him after everything that happened in the movie - with or without continuing the love interest as Shannon Dougherty's character could have had potential - with how the surviving characters see him differently now maybe. That or prequel stuff, showing us where he manages to learn the skills he has in the movie - there's no way a shut in/strictly office type of academic would have managed what he did. Was there another tragically dangerous expedition or twelve in his past? Just all the additional Jacob Thain fics! If I do nominate and request JR Bourne's character Marco Langford, I think I'd want redemption/fix it fic for him, but again, I'm waffling on requesting him.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
It's all just one movie.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Gore/violence including multiple murders and racistly caricatured Aztecs cutting out people's hearts while they are alive. Also fairly shoehorned in misogyny.

Re: Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon

[(Anonymous)]

My god even the bit they show as the teaser on Prime is hilariously terrible! Looks like fun!

Exit/Corners (visual novel)

[hopefulnebula]

Title: Exit/Corners

Media: Visual novel

Approx length: 29 chapters, but you should be able to get through it in a weekend if you get engrossed. This is not a five-minute fandom, it's a "whoops, it's 3 AM" fandom.

Where to find it: Free at http://exitcorners.com/

What is it, in summary?/What do you love about it?: Do you like visual novels? Puzzles? Five strangers who wake up in a creepy abandoned hotel together and need to find a way out? Philosophical musings on the nature of games, life, consciousness, and identity? Just the right amount (IMO) of creepiness? Snappy dialogue? If so, then Exit/Corners may be the visual novel for you.

Seriously. This is dark and creepy and at some points quite gory, but it's handled tastefully. (More content warnings will be available at the end of this comment, but many of them spoil important plot points, so read with caution.)

It starts with a college student named Ink waking up in a strange hotel, with a strange woman in his bed. The two of them start looking for a way out and find three other strangers who are in the same situation. And then comes the creepy synthetic voice informing them that they have twenty-four hours to find the way out. Or they could die...

The puzzle elements are actually quite light, and I really like the hint/skip mechanic for them. You get commentary from whichever characters are in the room at the time!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
What happens next? Interactions between characters! Missing scenes! Exclamation points! (I've requested this before, and my previous letters are at my Yuletide tag.)

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
E/C is an amazing game, but it does include (in no particular order) blood/gore, limb amputation, gaslighting/manipulation, abusive parents, transphobia, suicide references, and character death.

Re: Exit/Corners (visual novel)

[wolfraven80]

Oooh this looks sort of like Zero Escape. Will definitely have to check it out this weekend!

Big Sky

[klutzygirl]

Title: Big Sky

Media: TV Show

Approx length: Two seasons, with the third set to premiere on September 21st

Where to find it: ABC, Hulu, Disney+ internationally, CTV, Star+

What is it, in summary?: An ex-cop (now current) and private detective in Montana team up to solve a kidnapping in the first season, and investigate various cases together. Katheryn Winnick, Kylie Bunbury, Dedee Pfeiffer, Jensen Ackles, and Reba McEntire star.

What do you love about it?: Jenny and Cassie's friendship is an important part of the show, and one of my favorite aspects. I initially started the show for Jensen Ackles and ended up adoring most of the main characters. The cases are pretty interesting too.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'll likely request Beau Arlen-centric fics, whether that's solo or in relationships. Maybe Cassie/Jenny too - I like them both platonically and romantically.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: No.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Murder, kidnapping, sex trafficking, sexual assault, gun violence, abuse

Alphas

[hopefulnebula]

Title: Alphas

Media: TV show

Approx length: Two seasons spanning 24 hourlong episodes

Where to find it: Roku lists Prime Video, VUDU, and Apple TV, but it's a TV show that was canceled almost 10 years ago, so the DVDs are possibly cheaper than streaming rentals depending on where you look.

What is it, in summary? Think the premise of X-Men (some people are born with mutations that let them do things like see/manipulate EM waves or get people to do what they want) but with a little more sense of "the things you do have permanent consequences." One group of these Alphas (led by a neuropsychologist played by David Strathairn) helps investigate crimes committed by other Alphas and help to keep them quiet (as the government knows about these people but would much rather not have the info made public).

What do you love about it?: Some things I love: Found family who kind of hate each other sometimes. A fairly realistic autistic main character (though he is played by a NT actor). A strong supporting cast of recurring characters. People who make mistakes and (sometimes) learn from them. Also, this was the first time I heard the word "neurodiversity" on television.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: All the Gary and/or Anna. This one is my Yuletide white whale, forever taking up space in my letters.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: As a main character, Gary's in every episode, but Anna is only in "Rosetta," "Original Sin," and (kind of) "Gaslight."

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
It does get fairly heavy at times. There is character death throughout (especially in the second season) and some violence. Also, it was canceled on a massive cliffhanger, so. Um. Sorry?

Re: Alphas

[ladybird97]

Aaaaahhh I adore this show SO MUCH and hope every year that it will get some Yuletide love. Thank you for boosting it!

Christmas Lodge

[hiddencait]

Title:
Christmas Lodge

Media:
Movie

Approx length:
Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes

Where to find it:
Available via Amazon Prime

What is it, in summary?:
A Hallmark-esque Christian Romance movie based around an outdoors loving Historical Preservationist, Mary Tobin, who goes on a hike with her boyfriend and ends up rescuing a young girl, Charlene, who fell and hurt herself. They take her home and discover she lives at Christmas Lodge which Mary used to visit with her family when she was a kid. Charlene's father shows up and proves to be Jack Rand who Mary met when his family was still running the lodge. He is trying to get the lodge renovated but losing the battle against the elements and time. Mary goes to work to get him grant funds to try to restore the lodge and her whole contractor family gets into the act. Meanwhile, Mary and Jack slowly fall in love.

What do you love about it?:
This is another Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson of Stargate SG1) movie, this one painfully sticky sweet but just the right kind of low stakes watch that I need when I'm not feeling well or having a bad day. Shanks himself is romance novel bait in this one - single dad who cooks and adores his daughter with bonus home renovation in flannels and henleys and soft sweaters and bonus tool belts. Like he's so PAINFULLY my type this whole movie I can't even LOL. I also love how Mary is treated in his one - so often in these type of romance movies, the girl has to leave her well paid professional job to move to a small town and basically start over. Here, her job is a huge plot point and she's not only respected for it, she's eventually able to move BECAUSE of it and gets to be in love and still be professional and I love that even with it being a very traditional Christian romance feel (seriously - they don't even kiss until he's proposed y'all lol), she still gets to have who she is respected without the romance and family side of things taking away her independence. That is RARE of any Hallmark/romance movie, let alone one with so much scripture quoted LOL.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Domestic fic for the win here! Anything with Mary and Jack and Charlene building their family and continuing to fix up Christmas Lodge or even running it as a vacation lodge together in years to come. This is a comfort movie for me, and I'll definitely be requesting comfort style fics. And, I won't lie, I'd love some smut for Jack/Mary or at least an upping of the rating from G to PG13 LOL. Also, I did grow up Christian but it was very heavy on the scripture and ministry side of things, and I'd prefer that toned down or absent all together in fics I get. It derailed the movie pretty often with how heavy handed it was.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
It's just a single movie.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
Discussions of elderly care decisions and family members in ill health, mention of parents dying in a car accident and a parent passing away. LOTS of traditional Christian family values on display and scripture reading.

时光代理人 | Link Click (donghua)

[shadaras]

FANDOM NAME:
时光代理人 | Link Click (Cartoon)

Approx length:
Link Click is an 11-episode donghua (so, about 4.5hrs long). There are a bunch of extras that add another ~hour or so of content but aren't necessary to understand the show itself.

WHERE CAN I FIND IT (optional):
Funimation and Bilibili) both have subtitled episodes available for streaming. This carrd has links to a few other possible (legal!) options.

What is it, in summary?:
Link Click is a slice-of-life/mystery story set in a realistic modern day world with some fantasy elements. Namely, the main characters have some special powers that let them dive into photos for limited amounts of time. [The CN title translates to something like "Time Agents", I think?] They do this to help people (find information that was lost, provide closure, get sucked into helping the police solve cases...), and they haven't been doing it for very long when the show starts.

One of the main characters, Lu Guang, has the ability to look at a photo and see what happened in the 12 hours following the photo being taken. The other, Cheng Xiaoshi, has the ability to enter photos (generally by taking over the body of whoever took the photo). They can maintain a psychic link while doing this, so that Lu Guang is effectively guiding Cheng Xiaoshi through the photo using his foresight power.

What do you love about it?:
I went in knowing the following facts: There are time-related superpowers that have something to do with photos, the show is very easily read as gay, and while it starts as slice-of-life it gains plot (and everyone's yelling about where the season ended and looking forward to s2, which is in production). All of these were true. Very little of it is what I ended up deeply invested in.

I love Link Click because I love the characters. I love seeing close friendship and people working together and doing things they love. I love people who care about the past and just want to help others as best they can, in ways only they can. I love the art style, too, for the fluidity of the animation and the rich watercolor-like aesthetic of the backgrounds. It's a beautiful show, made with a lot of love and care.

Also, Link Click made me cry and I love it because of that; anything that hits me that hard in the emotions is something I'll get really attached to. The first episode is a little hard to watch, because it throws you in the deep in emotionally with the subject matter, but episode two shifts to a fluffier mode. The show does well in both genres, and I appreciate that immensely.

There's so much in Link Click about everyday moments and the importance of connecting to other people and understanding them. It's a show with a lot to say about love and empathy, and I love that and the quiet slice-of-life aspects.

I also love mystery stories, of course, and the satisfaction of seeing concerning elements in the first episode weave into a greater story by the season finale is great! I'm excited about season 2, whenever it happens (I think we're suspecting it won't be until 2023 at this rate), and I really love the small but enthusiastic community of fans.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Just like last year, I'm planning to nominate the main three characters (Lu Guang, Cheng Xiaoshi, Qiao Ling) and Worldbuilding. I'm likely to ask for very similar things as last year [2021 letter], which is a lot of worldbuilding, friendship, and slice-of-life stuff!

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?:
Not really? But it's a short canon, as these things go!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
This carrd has episode-by-episode content warnings for season 1. I'd also like to note that (spoilers about a narrative choice, not specific content) *s1 ends on a dramatic cliffhanger.*

Thalasso Hobbyer

[razia]

Title: Thalasso Hobbyer

Media: Youtube videos

Approx length: The relevant videos are each around 25 minutes, and around 1 hour and a half together

Where to find it: Channel here! And then Forgotten Shrine, Castle of Silence, The Well That Never Runs Dry, and Prayer Ruins.

What is it, in summary?: A handful of youtube videos where someone crafts dioramas

What do you love about it?: There's something really satisfying in watching someone make a diorama from scratch, and how the raw materials end up making such a beautiful piece. Some of the videos have a little bit of story in them, which makes them the perfect playground for worldbuilding.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Worldbuilding! Also some guardian povs! Or even an OC pov interacting with the guardians and the environment. I'm definitely up for romantic plots as well.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Each video is its own little universe and can be consumed alone. They can definitely be connected if the writer chooses to, but that's not necessary.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Spooky vibes and lots of water.

Azumanga Daioh

[sarajayechan]

Title: Azumanga Daioh

Media: Anime/manga

Approx length: 26 episode anime, 4-volume manga

Where to find it:
The anime is up on youtube (Japanese audio, English subtitles)
First 7 episodes of the English Dub
Manga plus supplemental lesson volumes


What is it, in summary?: A slice of life comedy about high school girls having adventures and learning things, with a touch of surrealism.

What do you love about it?: It's a laid back experience that still has a lot of energy, it's easygoing and comforting and fun. I love the dynamic personalities of the characters, the relationships, the silly running gags and the genuinely sweet moments.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Femslash, friendship, adventure, fluff

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Not really, you get a snapshot of the relationships in pretty much every episode or manga chapter.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): There's a gross ebephile teacher who appears sometimes but it's rare and his scenes can be skipped without missing things. Yukari's driving is crazy and terrifying so if you're sensitive to car accidents you should skip those scenes.

Oasis RPF

[snickfic]

Fandom: Oasis RPF

Where to find it: You can find tons of material for them just by googling, but to start I wrote a primer that includes links and a list of major resources.

What is it, in summary? Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher were the heart of the 90s Britpop band Oasis. They always had a tumultuous relationship, which ranged from speaking of each other glowingly to hitting each other on the head to kissing each other, sometimes with tongue. The band broke up in 2009 and the Gallaghers haven't spoken to each other since, but that hasn't stopped them from talking about each other, not to mention singing about each other. (For a taste of this, here is Liam's 2019 music video asking his brother to reconcile, which includes, family photos, child actor stand-ins, and a visual of the date the band broke up.)

What do you love about it? They're both huge personalities and endlessly quotable, and they have been extremely, publicly weird about each other for going on thirty years now. I find their relationship absolutely fascinating, and I love going through all the years of documentation (interviews, concert footage, etc) and watching how it evolved over the years. I really love the weight of all that history.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it? I am hungry for stories about any period from when Oasis was first formed until now. (Reunion fic!!) Kinky/porny fic, fic full of feelings, tropey fic with a/b/o or soulbonds or other bonus goodies... I want it all!

False Doctrine - Alice Degan

[choirwoman]

Title: From All False Doctrine / Neither Have I Wings

Media: Books

Approx length: 526 and 334 pages, respectively

Where to find it: "Anywhere books are sold" (I got Kobo editions from my go-to ebook store, which is not the Big A)

What is it, in summary? Fantasy of an Anglo-Catholic flavour set in the 1920s in Toronto / the 1940s in England.

What do you love about it?: People are friends! People are being good people! People do good things to each other! The books are unashamedly Christian without being in any way proselytising or sappy. The pace is leisurely, even slow, without dragging. In the second book a trope I dislike (friends to lovers) is avoided very elegantly.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Missing-scene stories, friendship banter.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships? Each book can be read separately. Some characters in False Doctrine appear in Wings, mostly in the background, but you don't need to know them yet.

Content warnings:
Rampant Anglo-Catholicism (and in the second book also Orthodoxy). Angels and demons; suspense but no overt horror. Some story-appropriate violence.

Re: False Doctrine - Alice Degan

[(Anonymous)]

Picked up From All False Doctrine and what a delightful read it was! I'm not religious myself but I do find faith fascinating. I just fell in love with the characters, especially Elsa/Kit. An excellent read regardless of one's own beliefs.
Still umming and ahhing if I feel confident enough to write for it...

Sex Therapy - Cathexis (Webcomic)

[mixtapestar]

Title: Sex Therapy - Cathexis
Media: Webcomic
Approx length: 4 chapters
Where to find it: https://www.cathexis.world/sextherapy



What is it, in summary?: Our main character, Elliot Graham (pictured first), says he wants no attachments, but it's definitely a case of protesting too much. He meets Andreas (pictured second) at the coffee shop he frequents, and their first date challenges many of Elliot's preconceived notions about himself. The third chapter focuses on Haruto (pictured third), a lovely optimist who's never had a second date... until Elliot.

What do you love about it?: The art is gorgeous, and the sex positive vibe across all the characters is so delicious. If you're a fan of pining while fucking, this is the canon for you. Lots of smut-related tropes explored throughout the comic. The plot seems to be heading toward an OT3 with the three pictured characters, and I am so excited to see how it plays out - in fanworks and in canon!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Definitely all three mains, with all sorts of smutty requests. I'm open to a focus on one sub-pairing of the three as well, with the acknowledgement that the relationship is open, as it is in canon.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: The first three chapters develop the main characters enough to get started, but it's not too much more effort to read the fourth and get more OT3 hints. ;)

Content warnings: NSFW

Re: Sex Therapy - Cathexis (Webcomic)

[dr_zook]

Oooh, I enjoyed this very much! :3 The art is absolutely gorgeous indeed, but I especially love the SD characters, haha. Thank you for pitching this here (I wouldn't have stumbled over it otherwise), hopefully there will be some Yuletide fic. *crosses fingers*

鹿鼎記 | The Duke of Mount Deer

[gothic_gray]

    

Title: 鹿鼎記 | The Duke of Mount Deer

What is it?: A historical/wuxia comedy-drama series, made in Hong Kong in 1983, and starring a very young Tony Leung and Andy Lau.

Approx length: 40 episodes, ~28 hours

Where to find it?: For an English-subbed version, message me or check the past letters in my journal. :) There are also box sets on eBay, and if you don't need English, it's free to watch on TVB Anywhere with Chinese subs.

Summary: In brief, the premise is that two boys meet one day on the grounds of the palace court at Beijing, circa 1650 or so, and become wrestling buddies. Both of them are hiding their real identities. One is actually the young emperor of China, while the other is a mischievous trickster kid who grew up in a brothel and is now being used as a spy... by rebels who want to overthrow the empire.

The series is an adaptation of Jin Yong's final novel, which is a wuxia anti-epic that subverts a lot of the traditional tropes of the genre. Much like the novel, the show is irreverent and comical and chaotic, but along the way it also explores some serious themes, building out from a sort of prince-and-the-pauper setup where a kid from the lowest level of society gets thrown straight into the highest possible social sphere.

I recently wrote up a fandom promo for this series (on c_ent), so check there for more babbling, gifs, etc. :D

What I love about it: I love the continual back-and-forth pull of affection and conflict between the trickster kid (Wai Siu-Bou) and the Emperor, and how they both keep trying to sustain the fiction of an equal friendship despite the massive power imbalance between them. I love the moments of trust and distrust, loyalty and betrayal, the identity porn, and the (both physical and metaphorical) sparring. Their whole relationship arc is just beautifully fraught. If you can suspend your disbelief a bit and ignore the low-budget sets and bad wigs and sexism, it's a great show, and an absolute disaster OTP that has delightful subtext and deserves so much more of a fandom. <3

What I'll be requesting: I'll be requesting the two main characters (Wai Siu-Bou and the Emperor), and would seriously love to read just about anything about them, separately or together, ranging from lighthearted slice-of-life about their friendship to darkfic that leans heavily into themes of power imbalance and manipulation. You can see some specific prompts in my Fic in a Box letter.

Are there sections of canon that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Yes! I'd be happy with stories focused on just the earlier episodes, if you'd like to check out the series but won't have time to watch all of it for Yuletide.

You can also check the section of my Fic in a Box letter labelled "Episodes to Watch" for a list of scenes with both characters in them. (Wai Siu-Bou is onscreen pretty much all the time for the whole series, but the Emperor usually only shows up for a few minutes per episode.)

Content warnings: Sexism, forced relationships/marriages (the protagonist collects a harem), strongly-implied rape. Some fantasy violence and death (nothing graphic).

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth

[gothic_gray]

 

Title: 老洞 | The Old Miao Myth

What is it?: A supernatural mystery/horror/suspense series set in 1930s Shanghai, made in Hong Kong in 1984 and starring Andy Lau, Ray Lui, and Patricia Chong.

Approx length: ~14 hours total (split up into varying numbers of episodes depending on which version you watch)

Where to find it: For an English-subbed version, message me or check the past letters in my journal. :)

Summary: The plot of the series centers around a mysterious statuette, 老洞 ("Old Cave"), which is said to bring wealth and protection to whoever guards it. When the story starts, the Tse family has had the statue for nearly 20 years and is the richest and most powerful family dynasty in Shanghai, but many other people know where the statue is and are scheming to get hold of it. Meanwhile, there’s also a perpetually-shifting love triangle going on between the youngest son of the Tse family (Tse Seung-Cho, who's been entrusted with protecting the statue), his mysterious new best friend (Jin Bong, who is secretly scheming to steal the statue), and their mutual love-interest Yan Sou-Sam. All of them get caught up in a lot of tragedy and are never really sure who they can trust.

What I love about it: I love the horror vibes and all the trauma the characters go through, as well as all the romantic drama and conflict among the main three characters — particularly the two guys, whose rather ill-advised friendship begins right after deaths occur in each of their families, each caused by someone in the opposite family, initiating a sort of blood-debt situation that makes their relationship strange and difficult right from the start. We get some triad-brotherhood vibes, shifting power dynamics, drunken confessions, trust and betrayal. There’s continual angst, and everyone living in fear for their lives all the damn time. The show admittedly has problems; it's very dated and low-budget and full of ethnic stereotyping, and parts of the plot make no sense at all. But I like three main characters a lot. <3

What I'll be requesting: I'll be requesting Tse Seung-Cho and Jin Bong, and would love to read just about anything about them, together or separately (or with Yan Sou-Sam, or just about anyone else from the series). I'd be especially into hurt/comfort, heavy angst, or outright darkfic for this fandom. You can see some specific prompts in my Fic in a Box letter.

Are there sections of canon that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Yes! I'd be happy with stories focused on any part of the series starting from the first episode, so you could definitely watch just the first few episodes and write about those, if you don’t have time to watch the whole series.

Content warnings: The plot hinges significantly on the stereotype of non-Han peoples having supernatural (and potentially evil) powers, e.g. the use of "gu" poison. (I'm requesting stories that avoid or subvert this connection, as far as possible.) The series also features LOTS of death (including murder, child death, and suicide), though nothing graphic.

神鵰俠侶 | The Return of the Condor Heroes

[gothic_gray]

    

Title: 神鵰俠侶 | The Return of the Condor Heroes

What is it?: A wuxia series set in early 13th-century China, made in Hong Kong in 1983, and starring Andy Lau and Idy Chan.

Approx length: 50 episodes, ~35 hours

Where to find it: For an English-subbed version, message me or check the past letters in my journal. :) There are also box sets on eBay, and if you don't need English, it's free to watch on TVB Anywhere with Chinese subs.

Summary: This show is based on the novel of the same name by Jin Yong, and is part of a trilogy (but can easily stand alone with no knowledge of the other series). It tells the story of a young, orphaned, mischievous, irreverent martial-arts student, Yeung Guo, whose quest to avenge the death of his father (the villain of the previous series) gets complicated by (among other things) his falling in love with his martial arts master, Dragon Lady, in defiance of strict social taboos against such a relationship. Meanwhile there's also a Mongolian invasion underway, rival sects vying for power, gatherings and contests among martial heroes, run-ins with roving trickster adepts, a zillion kinds of poison, a giant condor... it's a wuxia classic and it's got everything. :D

What I love about it: Yeung Guo is a great character, and I really enjoy all the messiness and conflict in his character arc, and the ways he matures across the series, which spans a couple of decades. I also find his relationship with Dragon Lady extremely interesting, from the shades of Oedipal attachment and intense mutual dependence to his having grown up basically trapped with her in a tomb, and her extreme possessiveness over him, and their extravagant mutual pining. Most of Yeung Guo's other relationships are also rife with drama, which is great too. :D The show is admittedly dated and low-budget, and does require some active suspension of disbelief. But if you're okay with that, it's a great series!

What I'll be requesting: I'll probably be requesting Yeung Guo solo, but would be happy to see him interacting with other characters, too! :) I especially enjoy his extreme levels of angst and pining and suffering through various afflictions (e.g. so many poisons, good lord), and roaming around trying to accomplish one or another of his dubious quests. You can see some specific prompts in my Fic in a Box letter.

Are there sections of canon that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: I think you probably need to watch at least the first 20 episodes or so to get a sense of the story and the characters, but you definitely don't need to watch the whole series to write a story for my requests! Something based on just the earlier episodes would be great, if you don't have time to finish the show for Yuletide.

Content warnings: Nothing graphic, but lots of death and fantasy violence, child abuse and abduction, rape, suicide, permanent mutilation, a student/teacher relationship as the central romance, and probably some other warning-worthy things that I'm forgetting.

20 Minutes Till Dawn

[razia]

Title: 20 Minutes Till Dawn

Media: Video game

Approx length: Playing one normal round will take you 20 minutes, and that's enough to get the vibes

Where to find it: On Steam! You can play a demo on itch.io

What is it, in summary?: A game about surviving an eldritch monster horde until dawn breaks.

What do you love about it?: It's incredibly stylish! It has a limited color palette with animated pixel art, and the soundtrack definitely puts you in the mood for some monster shooting. When you get the skills synergy going, the experience is extremely satisfying. There's very little worldbuilding right now, which leaves it open for a lot of headcanons and speculation. Besides, it's always fun to be your own bullet hell >:3c

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Ships! And solo characters! Each girl is a badass in her own way, with her own abilities, and it would be amazing to explore their interactions. I particularly like Spark, Abby, and Scarlett, so I'll definitely request them :}

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: The story is basically non-existent, so a normal run of 20 minutes and a look around the game/characters/abilities is everything you need. Honestly, if you play the demo and read a little bit of the wiki, that will be enough ;] (though if you end up liking it, I urge you to buy it; it has a low, fair price for the content, and it's always cool to support indie creators)

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Spooky vibes, some flashing lights, and a lot of effects at the same time on screen.

Stormy Petrel Series - Violet Needham

[ricardienne]

Title: Stormy Petrel series of books by Violet Needham
Books: The Black Riders, The Emerald Crown, The Stormy Petrel, The House of the Paladin, The Betrayer

Media: mid-century (but reads as if written earlier) British children's Ruritania/adventure series

Approx length: each novel is about ~300 pages in large-ish print.

Where to find it:
This is the tricky part. I came across this series by finding one in a used book sale, and had to acquire the others on ebay and similar. They might be in libraries in Commonwealth countries, but don't seem to exist in libraries in the USA and Canada (or at least, not in libraries willing to lend them via inter-library loan). I'm promo-ing/nominating mostly in the hopes that there are others out there in the same position as me (have happened to find them and read them). But if this sounds exactly like your jam and you can't get them from a library, send me a direct-message and I can help with the first book at least.

What is it, in summary?: A series of adventure stories set in a fictional central-European Empire and a couple of its equally fictional neighbors; many of them star Dick Fauconbois, a young boy who (in the first book) aids a charismatic political dissident in the Empire and ends up caught between his more humanistic mentor and the more authoritarian but equally honorable chief minister of the Empire. The second, third, and fourth books involve Dick with young monarchs struggling to keep their thrones and learn how to take up their duties: the newly-ascended Emperor Carol, the long-lost true heir to the kingdom of Flavonia, and the young Duchess of Ornowitza respectively. There's derring-do, secret passages, oodles of pledging loyalty, and a lot of pro-monarchy propaganda (and that may really not be your thing, at this precise moment in time! I totally get it!)

What do you love about it?: Although the protagonists are children, there's a surprising amount of depth to the adult characters, from (my personal favorites), Count St.-Silvain and Count Jasper, old friends who have become implacable political enemies without losing their respect for each-other to the weak usurper-king of Flavonia who just wants to admire his art-work and kind of knows he's shit at the whole leadership thing.

The other thing about this series that fascinates me is how bizarrely out-of-time it is. The books were published from the late 1930s-50s, and they are set basically in "the present"--except it's pretty clear that none of the political events in European history from 1914 happened in this universe. In many ways, they're embarrassingly retrograde fantasies of a world where the era of monarchs never ended, but, like all fantasies, it's kind of comforting to hang out there for a bit.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'm likely to request backstory fic about the adults (St.-Silvain, Count Jasper) and the political conflicts that are hinted at to have happened in the previous generation. I also will probably nominate "worldbuilding", because there's so much potential for that! I am not personally *that* interested in subversions that go down a very dark road, but there's a lot of room for more critical takes on hereditary power and political repression before one would come near "grimdark". Finally, I think it could be incredibly fun to cross this canon over with other similar ones (The Lost Prince, The Prisoner of Zenda, etc.)

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: I'm mostly interested in the Empire characters, who show up especially in The Black Riders.

Content warnings:
In particular: there's a nasty strand of anti-semitism that appears throughout the series, most notably in Stormy Petrel and (less explicitly) House of the Paladin. Several books end with the tragic death of a secondary character.

In general: It's exactly the kind of wall to wall flag-waving, royalty-lionizing, dulce et decorum est pro patria mori one would expect from late 19th/early 20th century boys' fiction.

House Of Hollow - Krystal Sutherland (book)

[jalu2]

Title: House Of Hollow

Media: Book

Approx length: 300 pages

Where to find it: Amazon, your local bookstore, your local library

What is it, in summary?: Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind. The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.

What do you love about it?: There is an overall spooky, creepy atmosphere to this entire book while also very much encompassing the 'coming of age' aspects of young adult fiction.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Worldbuilding! Creepy sisters! Canon queer characters! Most likely I'll be leaning heavily into the worldbuilding aspect, but the character's themselves are also great.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Not really. It's not a long read, so I'd say read it all. The last ~third of the novel will likely be the focus of my requests, though.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): As far as YA goes, this is pretty far in the spectrum of darkfic. I'm happy to give more content warnings to anyone who has specific squicks/triggers.

Growing Things - Paul Tremblay (short story)

[jalu2]

Title: Growing Things

Media: Short story

Approx length: <50 pages

Where to find it: Part of Paul Tremblay's anthology Growing Things and Other Stories

What is it, in summary?: A father goes missing, leaving two sisters behind, all the while something continues to grow in there basement...then there's a knock at the door.

What do you love about it?: This story leaves so. many. questions. I want answers to a whole bunch of them. You could explore sibling dynamics, the dystopian setting, worldbuilding, or deep dive into the psyche of any of these characters.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Worldbuilding! Whether it's on a small scale of the house and what happens next or a greater look at the (potential) post-apoc setting.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: The titular story in the anthology is all that's required. It's also a 'spiritual prequel' to Tremblay's novel A Head Full of Ghosts; this is not required reading to understand the short.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Not much. It's horror but most is shown off-screen.

Re: Growing Things - Paul Tremblay (short story)

[smakibbfb]

Seconding, what a great nomination. Such a good, creepy story and so open-ended. There's so much potential to explore.

Wilkinson Sword "Foreplay Meets Swordplay" Commercial

[atamascolily]

Title: Wilkinson Sword "Foreplay Meets Swordplay" Commercial (I've also seen it labeled as "#ReadyToDuel")

Media: Video, Ad

Approx length: 00:01:50 (approx. two minutes)

Where to find it: Youtube link

What is it, in summary?: This two-minute short film is technically an ad for a razor company, although you'd be forgiven if you watched it and weren't sure what it was actually about. In the words of tumblr user teapotsahoy, "is this ad selling… bisexuality? swords? underpants?" Really, though, it is about two attractive people playing strip swordplay in a luxurious urban setting and enjoying themselves immensely while doing it.

What do you love about it?: The aesthetic is A++, and the bisexual energy is off the charts, but this clip sticks with me because it raises as many questions as it answers. Who are these people? Where are they, and why are they doing this? They clearly have history and chemistry together, so how exactly did it come to this? And, to echo this person on tumblr, "are…are they gonna bone down on that glass covered bed?" (And who has to clean up the mess?)

Given how many questions this ad raises and its popularity in certain tumblr circles, I was surprised there didn't seem to be any fics about it on A03. Maybe we can fix that? I feel like there's definitely a lot of story potential here.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Backstory for the characters, exploring who they are and how and why they came to be in this situation... and what happens after the camera fades to black. I'd also be up for more experimental stuff, or an outsider POV of someone peripherally involved or who can't believe those two are at it AGAIN.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Canon itself is short

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Characters strip down to their underwear over the course of the clip, and there's some swordplay. There's suggestions of sexy times but no actual on-screen sex or graphic violence.

Re: Wilkinson Sword "Foreplay Meets Swordplay" Commercial

[greenygal]

I love this commercial so much and am delighted to see it here!

Yellowjackets (TV)

[jalu2]

Title: Yellowjackets

Media: TV

Approx length: 1 season (so far - it has been renewed), 10 episodes. Approximately 10 hours of viewing.

Where to find it: It's a Showtime series

What is it, in summary?: In 1996, a team of New Jersey high school soccer players travel to Seattle for a national tournament. While flying over Canada, their plane crashes deep in the wilderness and the remaining team members are left to survive for nineteen months. The series chronicles their attempts to survive while also tracking their current lives in 2021.

What do you love about it?: There is a bunch of both character and worldbuilding. As well as an overall mystery about what really happened??? that has led to plenty of message board speculation. We're all excited for season 2 which is (hopefully!) coming out later in the year/early next year.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: A bunch of ships, a bunch of friendship, worldbuilding, speculation on what is really going on in the wilderness. There's...a lot. It will be a prompt heavy request.

Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Ideally watch all of the first season.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Our opening episode is a plane crash, which includes (mostly off-screen) character death, blood, injuries. There are strong, strong hints toward cannibalism and murder, but on-screen it's only hinted at (eating meat. Is it human?).

Re: Yellowjackets (TV)

[isabrella]

Seconding this rec - Yellowjackets has so much room for exploring relationships (esp. between female characters - platonic or not), plot, characters, worldbuilding, etc. There is a lot of room for fic!