Yuletide Fandom Promo 2024!

[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!


Cheju has started a spreadsheet for promo! Here's the link!

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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

The Hermux Tantamoq Adventures

[(Anonymous)]

Title: The Hermux Tantamoq Adventures - Michael Hoeye

The individual books are: Time Stops For No Mouse, The Sands of Time, No Time Like Show Time, and Time To Smell The Roses

Media: Children's book series

Approx length: 4 books, all on the order of 250 pages or so

Where to find it: It should be reasonably easy to get hold of the first book - I think later books may be out of print and they're a bit harder to track down, though I've had good luck with finding them second-hand. Also, I think the first two have an audiobook.

What is it, in summary?: Set in the rodent high society of Pinchester, Hermux Tantamoq, a watchmaker mouse turned amateur detective, finds himself solving mysteries and getting embroiled in adventures, trying to figure out how to confess his feelings for the dashing aviatrix and adventuress Linka Perflinger, and trying to navigate the world of fashion, art, and unscrupulous academia that he is surrounded in by his friends and neighbours.

What do you love about it?: I love Hermux being an everymouse in a quirky cast of weirdos - particularly his neighbour and nemesis, beauty mogul Tucka Mertslin, whose plotting and scheming and chain of spectacularly poor choices of romantic partner drive a lot of the plot. The slow-building romance between Hermux and Linka is very sweet, and based on a mutual respect and admiration. The setting is really great fun, with provocative art, outrageous fashion, and socially tense nights at the opera interspersed with jungle adventure, ancient tombs, Bond-esque villainy, and all the while Hermux just hoping for a peaceful afternoon fixing cuckoo clocks and eating doughnuts.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'd probably be looking for case fic, worldbuilding, or some adventure with a sprinkle of romance.

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 read the first book to meet all the characters I plan to nominate and get a good feel for the world and the kind of story Hoeye tells with it.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): They're children's books, so there isn't much to warn about beyond some pointed guns and fantastical peril. Relations between different animal species does mirror some real-life race relations, with mouse supremacy and frowned-upon interspecies relationships coming up in the second book in particular.

- Triss_Hawkeye

Space Brothers | Uchuu Kyoudai

[(Anonymous)]

Title: Space Brothers

Media: Anime & Manga

Approx length: 99-episode anime plus a movie, 403-chapter manga but for the purposes of Yuletide I'll probably just be nominating the anime

Where to find it: The anime is available on Crunchyroll. You can get the manga through Comixology I think and possibly through Kodansha's app. It's sometimes appeared in the Kodansha Humble Bundle as well. Fan translations of later chapters exist but are a little patchy.

What is it, in summary?: Two brothers decide to become astronauts as children but come adulthood, the younger brother Hibito has actually become an astronaut while anxiety-ridden older brother Mutta languishes after being fired from a job in the automobile industry. But it's never too late to follow an old dream, and Mutta picks himself to follow in his younger brother's footsteps and become an astronaut.

What do you love about it?: This is a heart-warming and uplifting story that closely follows in well-researched detail the long process of being selected and trained as an astronaut and undertaking near-future space missions. But it's also a story about familial relationships, how different pairs of brothers or parents and children support and encourage each other, and about recovering from trauma and deep loss.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Something platonic that explores the relationship of the two main brothers, or some of their friends and mentors.

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 exactly. You can certainly watch just a couple of earlier arcs and set fic in those times, though be aware that childhood flashbacks are used as a storytelling device all the way through, so we're always learning more things about characters' backstories as we go along.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): The large international cast is hampered by some unfortunate racial and national stereotypes. I find it a bit awkward but not a deal-breaker as characters are developed over time, but YMMV

- Triss_Hawkeye

Babblebrook (ASMR videos)

[monalizard]

Title: Babblebrook Inn

Media: ASMR Web Series

Approx length: 21 videos, ~16 hours total (For now. This is an ongoing series but it hasn't been updated since February 2022.)

Where to find it: The full playlist is available on youtube.

What is it, in summary?: A series of ASMR videos set in the same fantasy universe. The viewer character is an adventurer who travels through the land, enjoying cosy taverns and local festivals, then gets roped into a scheme to take down the land's tyrannical brainwashing ruler, Queen Deidre.

What do you love about it?: The videos are very well made, the worldbuilding is the epitome of wish fulfilment fantasy for people who love autumn, witches and the countryside. The characters are all played by the same person but they all have fun quirks and backstories, and there's a lot of interesting female characters and potential for relationships between them!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: There's a lot of relationships that I like, but I will specifically be requesting two minor characters: Adelia and Verity, Queen Deidre's twin handmaidens, who seem to be aware of the brainwashing. Either sisterly gen or femslash involving the rest of the cast.

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?: While most videos have callbacks to other characters and give hints to their relationships, it is 100% possible to only watch the videos for one character and write fic about them. The characters I'm requesting, Adelia and Verity, only appear in one 30 min long video and while the rest of the series could provide interesting bits of worldbuilding, ship options, and backstory, you don't have to watch anything else than their video to write about them.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
There are mentions of murder and animal death, but nothing too graphic (these are videos that are supposed to be relaxing, after all). Not a content warning, but an accessibility warning: unfortunately, like a lot of ASMR canons, there are no closed captions and the audio can sometimes be hard to understand.

Tři oříšky pro Popelku | Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973)

[celamity]

Title:
Tři oříšky pro Popelku | Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973)

It can be most commonly found as:
Tři oříšky pro Popelku
Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel
Three Wishes for Cinderella or Three Nuts for Cinderella

Not to be mistaken with the 2021 Norwegian remake of the same name.

Media:
Movie

Approx length:
1 hour 25 minutes

Where to find it:
It seems to be on Apple TV, at least in USA (not currently available in Norway, for instance).
It is available on The Criterion Channel.
It is shown on TV in multiple European countries in December or for Christmas, and may be available on DVD or on other streaming services than the ones mentioned.
It is fairly easy to find online, primarily in Czech or German with or without subtitles. The occasional English dub or fandub can also be found.

What is it, in summary?:
Trailers on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA0D57uIZ_0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm91JP0Zumw
It's a sweet and sassy Cinderella in the snow, complete with mean stepmother and stepsister, fairly mundane animal friends, her own interests and agency, and no fear whatsoever of teasing the Prince - whose parents want him to marry and settle down while he only wants to goof off with his friends, and who declares that his heart belongs to hunting, not women.
There is, of course, a ball.

What do you love about it?:
This movie *is* Christmas; I've watched it on Christmas Eve almost every year since my childhood. I love the music, the scenery, the humour, the characters (even minor ones have personality!), everything. Popelka is the bomb and my favourite Cinderella of all time.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?:
Character studies, Popelka's feelings for the prince (what does she see in him, and when?), post-canon, slice of life, what if-canon divergence, stepsister Dora learning to be better. No matter what, I'd certainly like same general wintery vibe as the movie itself!

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, but the entire canon is a single short movie.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):
This was made as a movie suitable for children, and for the most part, there's nothing worse than snowballs. However, some hunting does happen.
A bird gets shot with an arrow, but the shot bird is not shown as anything but a feathered lump with an arrow in it falling to the ground.
Some cuts of the movie have a scene with a fox hunt (it was removed in the version I grew up with). The fox gets shot with an arrow; they show the fox trying to bite the arrow and then a dead 'fox' with some blood on it. This scene lasted from 38.30 to 40.00 in the cut that I found it in - basically, if you see a fox running, you can comfortably skip a minute and a half ahead if you wish.

Brocéliande (TV show)

[monalizard]

Title: Brocéliande

Media: TV show

Approx length: 6 x 50 min episodes

Where to find it: Currently fully available in Belgium for free on the RTBF website. It will be broadcasted in France (2 episodes a week) starting from September 16th and be available for free on the TF1 website. You can PM me if you're interested but none of these options work for you.

What is it, in summary?: Hallow's day, 2003. College student Fanny Legoff wakes up in the forest of Brocéliande covered in the blood of her best friend. That girl, Laura Perrier, is nowhere to be found, and Fanny has no memories of the previous night. Twenty years later, now an acclaimed biologist, Fanny works in Paris, away from her native Brittany where those events took place. But when a key piece of evidence is anonymously mailed to her, she decides to go back and investigate the ghosts of her past.

What do you love about it?: WOMEN WOMEN WOMEN. This canon has really fun and out of the ordinary female characters with a wide range of ages and almost all of them morally gray. Kooky magical healer or stalkery true crime youtuber, you can pick your poison. There's a ton of femslash opportunities (the actual romance in the show is het, but the core relationship is the protagonist and her missing best friend). There's also a lot of cool symbolism and very lowkey subtle supernatural elements despite it being a realistic thriller. I'd recommend this to people who enjoy Yellowjackets, if I had to compare it to something popular.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Femslash (and not any particular ship, Fanny is a little black dress to me, she's slashable with the whole cast!), gen that expands on the supernatural elements or the scientific elements. But also kind of anything and everything, I'm in love with this show and would love to see where people go with it.

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?: Nope, you really need to have seen all 6 episodes.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Other than the things you might expect from a crime thriller (blood, firearms, …) there are several heavy mentions of sexual abuse. There's a lot of pregnancy as well.

Language: The show is currently only available in French (afaik) but if this promo got you interested and you don't speak it let me know! I was pondering working on English fansubs in 2025 so I'd love to gauge interest for next year's Yuletide.

Get Crazy (1983)

[moon_custafer]

Title: Get Crazy (1983)

Media: Film

Approx length: 92 minutes

Where to find it: It was rereleased on DVD and blu-ray in 2021.

What is it, in summary?: It’s NYE, 1982, and the staff of the Saturn Theater (based on the real-life Filmore East in LA) have their hands full making sure a wild, all-star concert goes off without a hitch. Meanwhile real-estate baron Colin Beverley has decided that if he can’t buy the Saturn, he’ll destroy it.

What do you love about it?: Imagine an R-rated version of the Muppet Show with a more-or-less human cast, and you’ll have some idea of this movie’s vibes. Half the cast are real-life musicians playing parodies of other musicians. There are Blues-Brothers-esque car stunts. A hippie band who were booked for NYE 1968 finally show up. There’s a deus-ex-machina in the form of an extraterrestrial drug-dealer named Electric Larry. Tumblerites may recognize him as “the Hat Man.” John Densmore of the Doors plays a very silly drum solo.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The ending leaves everybody in the large cast of characters (except the main villain and his yes-men) in a better place than they started, but with plenty of room for further adventures. How do King Blues and his new band fare in the Motor City? Does Colin Beverly attempt revenge? What new acts do Neil and Willy book now that they own the Saturn Theater? How’s Auden’s new album going? Where are Captain Cloud and the Rainbow Telegraph (and Sammy) off to next, and how long will it take them to get there? Is Piggy still guesting with Nada and her band, or has he gnawed through his restraints? How does Reggie Wanker’s new business manager handle business meetings?

A good opportunity for worldbuilding, too. And given that it’s Yuletide, a one-year-later story that looks at the Saturn’s NYE 1983 show could also be good.

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, no.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): It’s an early-80s movie set around a rock concert, so there are lots of sex and drug jokes, some stereotypes, etc.

Night of the Jabberwock (1950)

[moon_custafer]

Title:Night of the Jabberwock, Fredric Brown

Media: novel

Approx length: short novel, approx 150-160 pages

Where to find it: I think it’s on Kindle

What is it, in summary?: “Doc” Stoeger is the editor, and most of the staff, of a local newspaper in a small town where nothing ever happens. Except for tonight, when everything’s happening at once, and Doc has to keep rewriting the newspaper’s front page while struggling to stay alive and not get arrested for murder in this screwball noir.

What do you love about it?: Fredric Brown is mostly known today for SF, but I love his crime stories, which have a weird atmosphere that often verges on SF. Hard-drinking, mild-mannered, Lewis-Carrol-quoting Doc is a quirky, likeable narrator-protagonist, and he’s having the weirdest night of his life.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Doc claims he bought the house he grew up in purely because it was practical; and he very briefly mentions losing his fiancée to TB, and then never brings up the topic again. As the events of the novel show him to be considerably more sentimental than he’s willing to admit, I’d like to see some explorations of that side of him. Alternately, I'd be just as happy to watch Doc deal with another crazy local news story or two.

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): It’s a murder mystery, so obviously there’s some violence and death. Period-typical attitudes, but nothing that really jumps out iirc. Large amounts of drinking (Doc’s pretty obviously a functional alcoholic, by 21st-century standards if not by 1950s standards.)

Cousin Bette - Honoré de Balzac

[commanderbayban]

Title: Cousin Bette by Honoré de Balzac

Media: Book (but also a fantastic BBC TV adaptation from 1972)

Approx length: The book is approximately 500 pages while the TV series spans 5 episodes.

Where to find it:
The book can be found on Project Gutenberg, the Open Library, and through the local library. The 1972 show can be watched online from this channel (despite what the video purports, the episodes are around 45 minutes in length. Each video plays the episode twice for some reason). Above is episode one.

What is it, in summary?: To rip a line from its Wikipedia entry, it’s a story “[s]et in mid-19th-century Paris [that] tells the story of Bette, an unmarried middle-aged woman who plots the destruction of her extended family.” She (played by Margaret Tyzack) employs the help of her friend Valérie (Helen Mirren), who is a woman unhappily married to an older man, who, too, tries to cash in on the spoils by seducing numerous men.

What do you love about it?: THE DRAMA. If you love soap operas or any type of show/book (especially historicals) that involves human-versus-human conflict, you might love this. I love seeing Bette and Valérie scheme, and their schemes are less of what they do, and more of how easy their prey fall into their traps. Philanderers gonna philander and cheaters gonna cheat is basically the name of this story’s game. But neither Bette and Valérie are innocent in their own rights. This is one of those stories where you come away disliking almost everyone but in an “affectionate” way.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: My favorite character in the series is Wenceslas (played by Colin Baker), a young man who rents an apartment from Bette. He’s a down-on-his-luck sculptor from Paris who wants to make a name for himself. Bette adores him, but when he doesn’t accept her advances, she goes out of her way to make life difficult for him. I’d love any story involving him, from expounding on canon events to providing back story or post-canon updates. Smut’s always great, too.

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 whole book has to be read, but the show is much easier to manage compared to reading 500 pages. It does an excellent job at paring down the story into five episodes.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): The first episode begins with a failed suicide attempt and the final episode ends in an implied death. Infidelity is rampant. Other than that, there are no trigger warnings that I can think of.

There Is No Antimemetics Division - qntm

[kubernetes_writes]

Title: There Is No Antimemetics Division - qntm

Media: Book/Web serial novel

Approx length: 70k words

Where to find it: Available for free online here. (Start at "Critical Background Reading" and keep going down the list of links until you get to "Epilogue: Champions of Nothing". For the chapter with an interactive keypad: the code is 55555.) You can also buy it in ebook/paperback/hardcover form on Amazon/Gumroad/Google Play. The author's website has some neat bonus content/deleted scenes.

(That first link goes to the SCP wiki — it’s set in the SCP extended universe, but you don’t need to know anything about SCP going in, beyond “the main characters work for a subsidiary of an organization called the SCP Foundation that’s essentially the Men in Black.”)

What is it, in summary?: Sci-fi cosmic horror. Follows Marion Wheeler, director of the titular Antimemetics Division, a secret organization that researches supernatural phenomena that mess with people’s memories — and finds itself fighting a war against an existential threat that’s impossible for humans to think about, perceive, or remember. To quote someone else’s anonymous comment: “It's a combination of twisty espionage story, cosmic horror, slam-bang pulp action, and the tragedy of brilliant people losing their minds and lives and not even being able to remember who they've lost, or be remembered when they die.” Vibes-wise, it’s something like the lovechild of Severance and The Magnus Archives.

What do you love about it?: It’s a weird nonlinear puzzle-box that’s got some fascinating worldbuilding/speculative biology taken to truly mindbending fucked-up extremes. I love its cast of unreliable narrators who can’t trust their own minds or memories and have to deduce things from first principles. I love that its protagonist is a blunt, hypercompetent, vaguely traumatized middle-aged woman in a position of power forced to make increasingly morally fraught decisions, and I love the dynamic between her and her (ex?)-husband. (Love it when two characters are brilliant and renowned and kind of terrifying in their separate professional lives, and nerdy and goofy and low-key with each other in their private personal lives, and when everything goes to hell they can’t stop destroying themselves and each other in a desperate effort to keep each other safe — even after they’re no longer able to remember each other.) Also it's just really fun, effective bureaucratic horror.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: More worldbuilding and more Marion. She’s living in the ashes of a world she and her coworkers have mostly forgotten, and a life she’s mostly forgotten — I want to know more about that world, and about that life, and how she copes with the general insanity of it. (And about her marriage. OMG I am actually so insane about her marriage.) I’m also a huge sucker for whump, hurt/comfort, etc., and this is an excellent canon for that sort of thing. (I’m opting into the Interactive Fiction challenge and Crueltide as well!)

Are there sections of canon that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests?: Not really (it’s a decently short book), but as a note: the first page I’ve linked also has links to a bunch of side stories/spinoffs written by other authors. Everything listed under “What The Dead Know”, “Precursor Work”, and “Further Reading” isn’t part of the book and isn’t necessary to read.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Amnesia/memory loss. Lots of major character death. Graphic violence. Gore/body horror, particularly eye/hand trauma. Several scenes involving (sci-fi) drug overdose. Spiders and other various creepy-crawlies in places where they should not be.

The AirZone Solution? (1993)

[commanderbayban]

Title: The AirZone Solution? (1993)

Media: Indie film

Approx length: An hour

Where to find it: If Tubi is available in your region, it’s able to be watched there. You can also message me on my Dreamwidth profile for alternatives.

What is it, in summary?: An indie environmental thriller about a future where air pollution has reached an all time high. The AirZone Corporation has made a deal with the government to help combat the problem, but, soon, mysterious deaths start occurring around their facilities. Two investigators want to create an exposé around AirZone, dragging along an unsuspecting news station meteorologist and his journalist girlfriend into the midst. If you’re a fan of Doctor Who, this stars of the many classic actors. Also includes Alan Cummings.

What do you love about it?: Though the film stars big names, it’s indie to the core. It’s a low-budget production that wasn’t going to win any awards, but it’s entertaining for what it is! I also love the gratuitous fanservice of Arnie and Ellie, the main characters.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I love the relationship between the meteorologist (Arnie) and his girlfriend (Ellie). They work at the same television studio and have a nice companionship going on. Due to circumstances outside of his control (but related to AirZone), he has a lot of demons he now has to face, and Ellie stands by him through it all.

I’d love fluff or angst fic that focuses on them as a couple, for example, Ellie taking care of Arnie, each talking out their emotions together (maybe Ellie is feeling neglected since AirZone is taking over their lives), trying to have a date night despite all the drama going on. But I’d be glad to get virtually any fic about this film as long as it features Ellie and Arnie in some way.

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. The whole film has to be watched.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): None.

The Warrender Saga - Mary Burchell

[pure_anon]

Title: The Warrender Saga - Mary Burchell



Media: Literature.

Approx length: 13 books of about 190-200 pages.

Where to find it:

https://www.amazon.com/Warrender-Saga-13-book-series/dp/B07CQ83H3C

https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL892147A/Mary_Burchell

https://openlibrary.org/works/OL4472939W?edition=key%3A/books/OL22726812M

What is it, in summary?: A romance novel series all about the opera world! They're set in and around the opera scene in Britain at the time, written by an author who really was friends with the leading opera players of the day -- so they read extremely authentically. They highlight all different sides of that world -- the leads range from prima donna sopranos to music teachers to stage managers to contraltos to concert pianists to conductors and more! They're written with such passion for the field; it's clear when reading them that this is someone who really knew what it was like to love people like this. They're terribly interesting and will ring so true if you have any experience with music or theater.

“Do you know what I mean by a music-maker? It's something quite different from a performer, you know. Different from someone who goes on a platform to demonstrate -- often very successfully -- how accomplished he or she may be. It means someone who serves the great art of music with heart and soul, as well as fingers and brain. It takes everything... to make the real thing. Above all, there must be that desire to serve, rather than to impress. To be humble rather than easily satisfied with oneself.”
― Mary Burchell, Child of Music

What do you love about it?: EVERYTHING! That's unhelpful but, they've straight up become some of my favorite books ever. They're just written with such passion, intelligence, and nuance. They're really lovely -- the heroines are all so vibrant and interesting, the heroes competent and sometimes cold, but in a really interesting way. They just make me so happy to read!!! They're very into the idea of work and industry; the characters are often talented, but if they don't have the work ethic to back it up, they will not get far. Burchell creates such a marvelous world -- it really draws you into this artistic field. The way she writes about it is so!!

For a second such panic overwhelmed her that she nearly rushed from the stage too. But then an innate self-discipline — and the knowledge that several people were depending on her — gave her some courage. And the first notes from the orchestra warned her to be ready.

In something between desperation and supplication, she glanced in the conductor’s direction, and again she received that wonderful smile which she had seen him occasionally bestow on others but never, until that day, on herself.

“It’s part of his technique for making me do what he wants, and doesn’t really mean a thing,” she told herself. And then she thought no more of him as a person. Only as the supreme support and inspiration which carried her, almost effortlessly, into her first phrases from an operatic stage.

At first, in her nervousness, she hardly seemed to hear anything. And then, suddenly, the glorious intoxication of singing with full orchestra for the first time was upon her. It seemed as though the whole world opened out before her to limitless horizons, and, as her voice soared into the upper reaches of the opera house, it was as though she soared too — a spirit released from human bondage.

Nothing like it had ever happened to her before, and she was so indescribably elated that she would have forgotten all artistic discipline and control if she had not been held by the iron authority, and yet flexible direction, of the man at the conductor’s desk."
― Mary Burchell, A Song Begins

They can also be so terribly romantic -- there's a part in the third book that makes me swoon each time.

‘You’re very quiet.’ He frowned impatiently. ‘Have you decided to be offended or something?’

‘N-no.’

‘Then what’s the matter? — Why,’ he exclaimed incredulously, ‘you’re crying!’

‘No, I’m not.’

‘I don’t believe you.’ He put out his hand and caught her, lightly and with some accuracy, by the wrist. Then with a questing, uncertain movement he unexpectedly put his other hand against her wet cheek. ‘You are crying,’ he said again, and there was astonishment and amusement in his voice, and something else which curiously warmed her cold, frightened heart.

‘I’m — sorry,’ she gasped.

‘No, don’t be sorry. I can’t recall that anyone ever cried for me before. Perhaps arrogant people don’t inspire tears.’ And he laughed slightly. Then he released her wrist, but only so that he could take her face between both his hands.

'You silly girl,’ he said, half mockingly, half tenderly. ‘Your cheeks are quite wet. But I think, from the feel of it, that you have a pretty shape to your face — and laughter lines here — ’ those sensitive fingers traced a light curve round the corners of her mouth. Then suddenly he released her and said in a matter-of-fact sort of tone,

‘Well, I suppose we’d better do some of those letters, particularly the ones from the people who loathe me. After all, we don’t want them to think I’m self-pitying, do we?’

‘N-no,’ agreed Antoinette huskily. ‘We’ll reply to them very promptly and confidently.’

The thing about Burchell is that she's so -- she'll write these ridiculous romance novel situations, but they're always so human. There's such a sense of humanity and often wit and humor in her work. I go to her work when I need to remember how to write. The theme of work and industry is really apparent in this series especially; talent will only take you so far, and you have to work to become truly skilled and a great artist. Same with money. Mink coats and diamonds may sometimes be present in Burchell's work, but there's always an understanding of how much they cost. She's also a master at building up chemistry between characters -- again, I really do look at her work when I'm trying to write romance herself.

TLDR: As you can see, I really really really love her work. XD Also, if you've ever seen this post (www.tumblr.com/teashoesandhair/178139857748/luthienebonyx-teashoesandhair) then you know how fascinating Burchell was as a person! It's not many people who can juggle writing a billion (good) romance novels while also smuggling families out of Nazi Germany. If nothing else, definitely read her autobiography, which is 75% about her love for opera, 25% about her time in ww2, and 100% full of her trademark wit and character.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'm requesting fic for characters in two books, Music of the Heart and Masquerade of Music. The problem with Burchell is that when you're supposed to like the second male love interest, I often end up liking him more than the main lead! I'd really love fic centering around Gail Rostall/Oliver Bannister and Kate Grayson | Katherine Gray/Carlo Etlinger.

Her mind was buzzing with questions she wanted to ask. And when, as Oliver had prophesied, they were left alone in the compartment at Gatwick, she burst out, ‘Why did you never tell me?’

‘Tell you what?’ he countered lightly.

‘That you’re one of the Bannisters.’

‘I thought you probably knew. Most people do. Anyway —’ he laughed, ‘perhaps I wanted to be loved for myself alone. There’s such a thing as liking to be an individual, you know, instead of the least important member of a family circus.’

It was the half scornful last phrase which gave her the clue that, under all that easy good humour, there was a strain of totally unexpected bitterness.

Gail is a young contralto trying to make a break into the opera world, and she's friends with Oliver, a young musical theater composer trying to do the same with the musical theater world. They're almost dating at the start of the story, when he brings her down to meet his family -- who happen to be much more involved in the opera world than he is. From then on, Gail becomes entangled with the problems of the Bannisters, struggling to balance her own artistic interests with what is ethical. Her and Oliver sort of fade out romantically as she begins to fall for his older brother -- and I do like his older brother, but Oliver is just so interesting, and him and Gail have such great chemistry! Later in the book, she ends up collaborating with him on a musical, and though she's dismissive of musicals (the flaw in Burchell's work for me T_T), they end up creating art together. I just think she has more chemistry with him than with his brother, and I'd love to see them take the musical theater world by storm together!

Once she said, ‘That’s a bit trite. But perhaps it doesn’t matter. It’s quite a good tune.’ And another time she said, ‘That’s heaven! You can afford to repeat it.’

At last Oliver turned and looked at her with new respect and said, ‘How do you know so much about it?’

‘I don’t. It’s just a sort of instinct. I’m the completely average girl with a little bit up here —’ she tapped her head. ‘This is what everyone reasonably intelligent is longing for. They’re sick of bawling and crudities. They want spice without vulgarity, a touch of romance without too much sugar, nostalgia without self-pity. You know — you just can’t fail!’

‘Isn’t she a honey?’ said Oliver. ‘What did I tell you?’ And he got up and kissed her.

Now Kate Grayson | Katherine Gray/Carlo Etlinger is from Masquerade with Music, and this is almost my favorite book in the series. I love Kate so much; she's the niece of title character famous conductor Oscar Warrender, and she ends up meeting him while in disguise as a secretary, not wanting to presume upon him under her own name, since he hates her mother. But she has operatic aspirations, and she knows full well he is the connection to have in this field. I love her. The strange family feeling that shows up between her, her uncle, and his wife, Anthea Warrender (the lead of the first book of course) is so interesting, and this book would be almost perfect were it not that the main romantic lead sucks. They have too much miscommunication.

However, Carlo Etlinger is here, and he is lovely. He's this young baritone who is bold and brash and utterly genuine in everything he does. He's described as "boyishly friendly," and someone who could be very talented one day if he applies himself -- which he hasn't been. But I think, with influence from Kate, he could really grow and mature-- and he's so lovable.

Feeling almost an intruder, Kate pressed back against the wall (which enabled at least three other people to press forward out of turn) and rather wished she had not come. Then suddenly the door immediately opposite her opened and Carlo stood there in the doorway in shirt sleeves, his dark hair curling damply on his forehead, and around him still the strange aura of the eternal lover doomed to self-destruction. Just for a moment something wrenched at her heart, and she could not have said whether it was pity or admiration. Then he smiled straight at her across the small forest of waving programmes and said,

‘Kate! I thought you weren’t coming. Come on in——’ he jerked his head in the direction of the room behind him. Then he turned his smile on the autograph-hunters and said, ‘Later, later—give me five minutes longer and I’ll be with you all.’

She went in, the others falling back to make way for her, their curious,half envious, half congratulatory glances following her until he closed the door behind her. His dresser was still in the room, but that did not prevent Carlo from kissing her on both cheeks before he asked, ‘How did you like it? Hew did you like me?’

In that moment she forgot what Sir Oscar had said about controlling her enthusiasm and replied, ‘I thought you were perfectly marvellous. What else do you expect me to say?’

‘I don’t know.’ He leaned back against the dressing-table and gave a curiously dissatisfied little laugh. ‘I’m never sure how good I am until someone else tells me.—Am I, Robert?’ he added, appealing suddenly to his dresser, who gave him a glance of mingled exasperation and affection.‘The whole audience have been telling you for the best part of the evening, haven’t they?’ he replied. ‘What else do you suppose all that applause meant?’

‘Oh, that——’ Carlo shrugged discontentedly. ‘They like the look of me, and the way I can leap about and swing a sword. The Maestro didn’t fall over himself to tell me I was marvellous.’

Later on, him and Kate discover that they have a connection musically -- a certain magnetism together that is very compelling. And I think it's a darn shame she gives that up to work doggedly with the main love interest, when she could have worked hard with Carlo, building her own career well with good experience, and he too would have benefited massively from consistent work. They're just so interesting together. In another book by Burchell, he would very much have been the main love interest! Not this one, sadly.

He laughed and, getting up from his chair, came to stand beside her at the piano. For her part, Kate was suddenly strangely excited and very faintly scared, though she was not sure why. She picked out a note or two on the piano and said, ‘I’m just trying to remember how it goes——’

‘Take it from here.’ He leaned across her so that he was unexpectedly close, and sketched a phrase or two.

‘Yes, I’ve got it!’ She began to play, and all at once that warm, seductive baritone voice was addressing her personally in a melody which had captured the world long before she was born.

Good musical discipline made her join in accurately at the right point. But then something she had never before experienced warmed and coloured her voice with a sort of sensuous excitement that was totally alien to Kate Grayson, and entirely in keeping with the infatuated Nedda. She had to respond, she had to let Silvio know that she loved him and, casting all her humdrum life aside, would go with him.

The beautifully blended voices soared to a triumphant peak and came to a stop. And at that point Carlo picked her right up in his arms and kissed her several times—laughing, breathless and in some curious way exultant.

‘You see?’ he said, still holding her close against him. ‘That’s how it should be done! You’re learning, my little Kate—you’re learning!’ And, as she disentangled herself from his embrace, she was nearly sure that he was referring to something other than just singing.

Also shout out to this iconic line. "Look, Van, there isn’t a girl alive who wouldn’t like being kissed by a handsome, madly successful baritone."

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?: I am only requesting characters from two books, Music of the Heart and Masquerade with Music, so you can only read those and be just fine! The books are written so that they can be read in almost any order. However, if you choose to write Masquerade with Music fic, it might be helpful, though not necessary, to read the first book A Song Begins so you get more context for the Warrenders.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): A couple of books make reference to the opera Othello, and the brownface done historically in the role.

Triaina Academy - Leo

[(Anonymous)]

Title: Triaina Acdemy

Media: Text based choose your own adventure game

Approx length: 150 words approximately 1-2 hours per playthrough

Where to find it: Dashingdon (https://dashingdon.com/play/leoxii/triaina-academy---wip/mygame/)

What is it, in summary?: It is a sci-fi romance story surrounding students attending a prestigious boarding school as war seems to loom on the horizon

What do you love about it?:

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The setting is really what drew me in. It's a cool sort of sci-fi spin on low fantasy with ever fun task of trying to navigate what is essentially this worlds version of college.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Pg-13 violence, bullying, Xenophobia & Prejudice

Triaina Academy - Leo

[(Anonymous)]

Title: Triaina Acdemy

Media: Text based choose your own adventure game

Approx length: 150k words approximately 1-2 hours per playthrough

Where to find it: Dashingdon (https://dashingdon.com/play/leoxii/triaina-academy---wip/mygame/)

What is it, in summary?: It is a sci-fi romance story surrounding students attending a prestigious boarding school as war seems to loom on the horizon

What do you love about it?:

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: The setting is really what drew me in. It's a cool sort of sci-fi spin on low fantasy with ever fun task of trying to navigate what is essentially this worlds version of college.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Pg-13 violence, bullying, Xenophobia & Prejudice

Tea and Sympathy - Anderson

[pure_anon]

Title:Tea and Sympathy - Anderson

Media: Play

Approx length: About 92 pages.

Where to find it: https://openlibrary.org/works/OL6112306W/Tea_and_sympathy?edition=key%3A/books/OL6206061M

https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/tea-and-sympathy

What is it, in summary?: (TOM's other hand comes up and with both his hands he brings her hand to his lips.)
LAURA (Smiles tenderly at this gesture, and after a moment)
Years from now . . . when you talk about this . . . and you will . . . be kind.

It's a very tender play about homophobic bullying and toxic masculinity in the mid-century, and how one survives that with support and love. It touches sensitive topics such as age gap relationships, repressed homosexuality, and horrible bullying with such care and tenderness. It takes play at a school in New England in the 1950s, and it centers around Tom, a boy who starts to be bullied for not being "manly," enough, and the understanding, kind house mistress who begins to feel trapped by how little she can help.

The movie is very good and well-acted (stars the original cast from the play) but read the play first, as the movie is effected by some 1950s film censorship.



What do you love about it?:

It's so -- it's about this young man, Tom Lee, who is soft, and sweet, and likes music, and has long hair, and is in love with the headmaster's wife, and he doesn't fit in with the other boys. And because he doesn't fit in, they're threatened by him. They start to mock him cruelly, awfully, and it's -- it's something that holds up so painfully well. Tom is not queer as in into men (alas) but it's a story that really showcases toxic masculinity.

It's a story about how the pressure of being a man eats you up and chews you out and crushes you. And how you turn on anyone who isn't man enough, because if you turn on them, then no one will notice the way you fail, no one will notice the ways you don't fit into the tribe --

And it's also about the love between Tom and the house master's wife, Laura Reynolds, how they connect on a soul-deep way, on a level no one else in the play does. It's about how she alone understands this boy's soul, this agonizing almost romance, this deep connection built on shaky ground. It's about how she says "Manliness is not all swagger and swearing and mountain climbing. Manliness is also tenderness, gentleness, and consideration." It's about how there's such understanding, such empathy in this play -- it is so deeply, firmly kind.

It is aching and painful and one of the most beautiful things I've ever read.

I just love how empathetic it is -- how lovingly it showcases its characters. It has love for everyone in this show, from Tom and his non-traditional masculinity, for Laura and how she feels a kinship to Tom in part because of her dead husband his age, for Mr. Reynolds and his own repressed queerness that he expresses by lashing out. I love how it still holds up astonishingly well today -- how what it has to say about toxic masculinity still is sadly relevant. I love what good writing it has -- look at this description!

(She looks at him a moment. He is to her a heartbreaking sight . . . all dressed up as though he were going to a prom, but instead he's going to Ellie . . . the innocence and the desperation touch her deeply . . . and this shows in her face as she circles behind him to the door.)

Or this bit that says so much about Tom!

https://pureanonofficial.tumblr.com/post/728030662357073920/tea-and-sympathy-1956



It is possibly the most impactful play I have read in a while; I read it for the first time last year, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. It makes me unhinged.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I am absolutely fascinated by the strange, almost-romance of Laura and Tom. What starts out as just a school boy crush on his end (TOM shuts the door He is deeply in love with this woman, though he knows nothing can come of it. It is a sort of delayed puppy love. It is very touching and very intense. They are easy with each other, casual, though he is always trying in thinly veiled ways to tell her he loves her.) turns into something deeper and more real throughout the events of the play. It's based on the author's own experience with falling in love with an older woman in school, and it shows in how kindly he writes it. They have such a genuine, true connection, and it's just deliciously problematic enough to be intriguing and aching. They connect on music, poetry, art! They're the only ones who appreciate the finer things at this school -- but it's partially her connection to him that makes him an object of scorn. The house mistress is only supposed to offer "a little tea and sympathy," not truly care about the boys, and her connection to him hastens the problems in her marriage. They are lovely and painful and wonderful and --

I want to read about them post-canon. I think the play ends at such an intriguing point, and I can so easily see them meeting later. I can so easily picture them picking up years later, older and wiser, and maybe then --?



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?: Nope!

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Homophobic bullying and slurs. A main character attempts suicide but does not succeed. The two leads have a romantically tinged friendship that culminates on the younger's eighteenth birthday.

Keeper Series - Brynn Chernosky

[(Anonymous)]

Title: Keeper Series - Brynn Chernosky

Media: Text based choose your own adventure game

Approx length: Series of two games which are 320k words and 390k words respectively

Where to find it: The game can be purchased on steam as well as google play and the app store. The games can also be purchased through the Hosted Games app.

What is it, in summary?: It is a urban fantasy story that follows a the main character after they are attacked by a gorgon. Whisked away to New World Magi Academy, they're thrown into life at a college for supernatural in the midst of unprecedented turmoil in the city. There’s a war brewing between angels and demons in New Magi City

What do you love about it?: the characters a all pretty interesting, but I really love the setting and all the fun and turmoil it brings to the table

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Anything that explores the relationship between Astrid, Cressida and MC and delves into both Astrid and Cressida as characters as well their friendship and their shared interest in the MC. Setting Aus as I feel like the characters would be really interesting into different settings

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?: Only the first book is really necessary to play.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Pg-13 violence, Emotinal Manipulation, Brain washing, Mentions of Gaslighting and Psychological & Emotional Abuse.

Leverage Korea

[celli]

Title:Leverage Korea (in Korea it's just known as "Leverage" or "Leverage: Con Artists" which is how you can find it on AO3.")
Media: TV

Approx length: One season of 16 episodes, roughly an hour each in length. Subtitled (I don't know of a dubbed version.)

Where to find it:
I believe it's on Viu, but it doesn't stream in my country - reach out to me (DMs or aliascelli@gmail) and I can help out!

What is it, in summary?: A remake of the original Leverage, with an entirely new Korean cast and settings. If you haven't seen Leverage: a group of unabashed criminals start helping innocent people by doing crime on the bad guys, led by a former (what's the opposite of reformed?) insurance investigator.

There are a lot of similarities to the original, but it's very much its own show. The characters are clearly based on their counterparts, but have their own quirks and are delightful just as they are.

Here's the trailer.

What do you love about it?: The characters are SO MUCH FUN. Personal favorites: Taejoon (the mastermind), Nabyul (the thief), and the dog.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Casefic/slice of life during a crime; romance (so many pairing options!) or just friendships between the group.

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 that I can think of.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence) child death (onscreen); action-adventure style violence.

Shishi no Odoriko (Manga)

[shinsengumi]

Title: Shishi no Odoriko (translates as "The Lion Dances With A Loved One", I believe)



Media: Explicit BL/yaoi manga

Length: 1 volume, complete

Where to find it: It's not licensed in English, and I recommend the 2nd Life Scans scanlation. You can also find it in Japanese via the creator's Pixiv.

What is it, in summary?
Yoru has been forced into prostitution after it came out that he was misleading audiences as a circus performer. He is not the beautiful fox hybrid people were paying to see: he's just a normal human who loves to dance. He's purchased outright by Amran, a high-ranking lion hybrid who happens to run a bridal company and who's loved by his staff. But it turns out that Yoru and Amran have a longer history than Yoru realised, when it's revealed that Amran has been trying to support and save him since a chance encounter long ago.

What do you love about it?:
IT'S GORGEOUS. It gives me wonderful late 1990s/early 2000s BL nostalgia, despite being from 2021.

I find Amran and Yoru delightfully iddy and sweet despite the story's kind of ludicrous set-up. In IRL loving the guy who literally bought you is unhealthy, but look, if that guy can turn into a lion, you have bigger problems. ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)

I'm not someone who's very good at enthusiastic adoration, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about this manga for m o n t h s. A downtrodden redhead who loves music and dance being saved by someone they don't really trust then coming to love that person in the end is everything I've ever wanted from a smut oneshot.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
I just want more! More smut, more of the characters interacting with each other, more in this weird world of hybrids where hybrid/human marriage is frowned upon. I wrote a fic about Amran and Yoru getting married—I'd love to see what someone imagines happens further down the line for them, or another take on how their relationship might go. Make Amran cry more please.

I'd love for Havil to somehow find his way into a sexual arrangement with Yoru and Amran, or else just for Amran and Yoru to interact with Havil independently from each other, maybe complaining about something in their relationship? I don't know, but Havil is chief captain shit-stirrer so set him up with a pot and watch him go. I'd also love to see Lailah and Nina kiss (lebian catgirls in my yaoi? be still my big bi heart).

Content notes: The manga is very smutty, and includes dubiously consensual sex, involuntary prostitution, and one chapter with explicit bestiality, which can be skimmed or skipped (it's very clearly telegraphed, and the narrative relevance happens outside the pages where you see a lion's sex face).

Double Beastly Trouble (Manga)

[shinsengumi]

Title: Double Beastly Trouble



Media: Explicit BL/yaoi manga

Length: 7 chapters, ongoing

Where to find it: Read on Renta. You can also find it in Japanese via the creator's Pixiv.

What is it, in summary?
In a world where a rare anthropomorphic species called the "larga" live, Ewan Gwenthia serves as a soldier in the National Security Forces. When he and his squad seize control of an underground dogfighting arena to crack down on illegal gambling operations, he meets Zazie and Seto, the two reigning larga champions. The pair instantly take a liking to Ewan, so much so that they beg him to make them his dogs...! - From Renta.

What do you love about it?:
FURRY THREESOME. They're good boys! I like the military uniforms, shows of strength, cultures clashing and Ewan coming out of his shell. I love Seto and Zazie and the ways they're unique from each other but also understand each other like no one else.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
I'd be perfectly happy to see someone's take on what might happen next—that's one of my favourite parts of being involved in an ongoing canon. I'm also curious about relationships established prior to the present—in particular, why Ewan and Agiro have such a strained relationship, and more illustration of Ewan's childhood with Moran treating him like dirt.

Also, smut. Because why not? Agiro has outsmarted them so far, but I believe in Seto and Zazie supremacy, which should absolutely result in a larga dominance-establishing threeway (or fourway, much to Ewan's exhaustion). ♪

Content notes: Sex between Ewan, Seto and Zazie has, so far, been dubiously consensual at best.

Bite Marks and Fluorite (Manga)

[shinsengumi]

Title: Bite Marks and Fluorite



Media: Explicit BL/yaoi manga

Length: 1 volume, complete

Where to find it: Read on Renta or Hoopla. A paperback version is set to release in early October. You can also find it in Japanese via the creator's Pixiv.

What is it, in summary?
Kosaka Haru is brutally attacked on his way home from work, and he's certain the wounds are fatal. One problem: when he wakes up, he's somewhere unfamiliar. It turns out he's been bitten by the last half-blood vampire, Akihito, and will soon become one himself. For now, though, he's in a state between human and vampire called a 'tank', where his blood is more tempting to vampires. And Akihito doesn't intend to share.

What do you love about it?:
VAMPIRE PORN. Seriously, it's not very deep. It is, however, extremely pretty.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
Smut and worldbuilding! The story is set in the relatively near future of 2096 but humanity seems to have changed so much—the suburbs are abandoned and people cluster together close to stations; the northern hemisphere is sunny and hot even in January; and vampires live among us. These vampires seem to lose potency as they turn others, and they also can't go into the sun.

BUT ALSO damn is there a lot of potential for escalating pain play and some dom/sub vibes. Biting and marking of territory! Aphrodisiac saliva! Edging and blood and stamina-pushing sex marathons.

Content notes: I'm not especially up on current vampire trends, but I don't think there's anything unexpected for the genre. Plenty of blood throughout.

Lkyt. (BL Visual Novel)

[shinsengumi]

Title: Lkyt.



Media: Explicit BL/yaoi visual novel

Length: VNDB advises approx ~24 hours of play time to complete everything (skipping available)

Where to find it: It's available from MangaGamer.

What is it, in summary?
THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

Tasuku is a warrior in the small country standing between the rest of the world and oblivion, and oblivion is coming. Based in a historical fantasy setting reminiscent of Japan's samurai era, Tasuku must forge a strong bond in order to help save the world.

What do you love about it?:
Basically everything. I love tragedies, I love soulmate-esque bonds, I love telepathic communication, I love characters having associated animal companions, I love sword fighters and the end of the world, I love bittersweet being the best we can hope for, and I love loyalty superceding everything. Lkyt gives me all of those things!

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
To my knowledge, there is no true/most correct ending, but for me, it's the Takeru route, and I want to see more Takeru and Towa in particular. I love the strangeness that comes from them being siblings with huge responsibilities not only to their own country, but to humanity's overall survival. I'm a big fan of how Tasuku threads the needle between them.

Content notes: The game includes graphic violence (dismemberment, decapitation, amputation), character death and symbiosis/parasites. Its good endings are not happy, and not everyone can be saved.

If you're familiar with parade's other VNs, Lkyt is considerably less smutty or hardcore and focuses more on the story it wants to tell. There is still excellent smut to be enjoyed on each route.

Invisible Inc (Video Game)

[hekateras]

EDIT: Click here if you're looking for my letter!


Invisible Inc. (Video Game)

Approximate length
5-10 hours. You could watch a full playthrough in a day to see the story and Vibes, then spend a few hours reading all the unlockable lore (character dialogues, backstories, in-universe documents) on the wiki, and you're golden! Although I personally recommend playing it, it's a fantastic game :D

Where to find it?
Steam
Let's Play (first 10 episodes for main campaign)
Wiki: Lore and Characters (a very helpful resource for anything fannish as fully unlocking all the lore and character backstories requires many playthroughs!)

What is it, in summary?
Invisible Inc. is the tense infiltration and escape action sequence from every heist and spy movie, crystallised into an enthralling team tactics stealth roguelite where your small team of ragtag misfits breaks into corporate facilities and escapes, over and over again.



What do you love about it?

• It's a fantastically designed game that somehow seamlessly combines stealthy, actiony, and puzzle vibes. The learning curve is steep, but much like similar punishing roguelikes like Darkest Dungeon, it's perfectly possible to play the game on a very casual difficulty and still enjoy it. It is amazing at producing experiences of tense escapes that feel down to the wire, and like every action matters, and you only just got out by the skin of your teeth through smart decision-making and tight teamwork.
• The characters are great. From the old lady spymaster who runs the show to her wisecracking hacker friend to her artificial intelligence Incognita to every one of her agents, each of them with their own backstory and dialogues with other characters.
• SPIES. Cyberpunk noir cyborg spies! Spy-Fi-style cool gadgets! Invisibility cloaks! EMPs! Smoke grenades!
• The emergent storytelling in these missions is so damn good, guys. There's nothing quite like the Drama of having to abandon an agent to be captured because the show must go on, and then rescuing them again in a later mission.... or saving them from being shot just in the nick of time! If you're fannish about games like Darkest Dungeon, you have a sense of what I mean here.
• And did I mention the art direction is fantastic?

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
Fic and art! Both gen stuff and stuff focusing on my rarepairs (artist's depiction):




Content warnings
Stylised violence

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The Department of Truth

[flibbertygigget]

Title: The Department of Truth

Media: Comics

Approx length: 4 trade paperbacks collecting the first 22 issues, issues 23-27 have been coming out since June (this arc will end in November)

Where to find it: The page for the series the Image Comics website, including the free first issue, is here. It's also available on Comixology. Message me if you need alt methods.

What is it, in summary?: Cole Turner, an FBI expert on conspiracy theories and fringe beliefs, stumbles into being recruited for the Department of Truth. The world isn't divided into true and false - if public belief reaches a critical mass, conspiracy theories can become reality, and the Department of Truth is charged with ensuring that these dangerous fringe beliefs stay just beliefs. Cue things getting very murky and morally complicated very quickly.

What do you love about it?: Department of Truth deals with a wide range of conspiracy/fringe culture, from Bigfoot to the JFK assassination to Alex Jones, and it manages to do so respectfully while maintaining an amazing degree of tension and almost Lovecraftian horror. While having that concept and doing it well is in and of itself impressive, the plot is amazing, with layers slowly peeling back to reveal rival groups with different philosophies and even deeper, more dangerous things fueling the perception-based reality. Grey-on-grey morality at its finest.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: More conspiracies that the series hasn't gotten to yet. Maybe something based in the 60s/70s, a time period seen in flashback but not the main storyline for the comics.

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'd say that the first 2 TPBs (Issues #1-#13) give you a good introduction the the major characters, competing philosophies/strategies, and underlying plotlines. You'll still have more questions than answers, though. Most of the flashback backstory that I'll likely be basing my prompt on is in TPB 3.

Content warnings: There is a lot of death and horror imagery, much of it semi-graphic, though I wouldn't call it gratuitous/gory. Discussion and imagery of conspiracy theories that might be triggering/distressing by nature, including school shooting "false flag" conspiracies, the Satanic Panic (esp as related to irl child sexual abuse allegations that were later proven false), and various antisemitic conspiracy theories. Multiple recurring characters are not PC and will say homophobic/racist/sexist shit - again, often related to conspiracy theories, but sometimes just because they're assholes. Wow this is a lot.

Time For Chaos

[elidelio]

Title: Time For Chaos

Media: Actual Play Podcast



Approx length: 40 eps across 2 seasons so far, each 2~ hours long (except for the two season finales which are 4½ and almost 5 hours respectively)

Where to find it: On YouTube, the Official Site or wherever you listen to podcasts.

What is it, in summary?: A mysterious lost expedition sets in motion an epic globe spanning adventure as investigators come face to face with ancient evils beyond the scope of human comprehension.

It's a playthrough of Masks of Nyarlathotep for the 7th Ed. Call of Cthulhu RPG in which four investigators (a young WWI vet from a rich family, a post impressionism artist, a student of cryptography from Miskatonic University, and a conman who married a rich old woman for her inheritance) get dragged into a world ending conspiracy filled with madmen, cultists, eldritch horrors, and make both friends and enemies (but mostly enemies) along the way.

What do you love about it?: I absolutely love the energy the cast brings into it, the combination of absurd hilarity and heart wrenching poignant moments between the characters, and the delectable Lovecraftian horror that permeates the entire show.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Anything, really, I just want more content! I started the fandom tag back in April and have written 5 works for it so far, so if I managed to drag even one more person into it my year would be made XD
I'm very interested in missing moments, more interactions between the characters (gen or shippy), and/or just more horror-laden situations for them to find themselves in!

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?: I think you can listen to only Season 1 and get a pretty good grasp of things, but I must say there is some delightful character growth on Season 2 that would be a massive shame to miss out on.

Content warnings: This is a horror story so expect graphic depictions of violence, death, gore, body horror, mental delusions, grief, etc. It's also set in the 1920s and, though they don't really play it entirely straight, there are some brief mentions of era-typical racism & misogyny.

Nestle's Alpine "White Dreams" Chocolate Commercials

[bookishwench]

Title:Nestle's Alpine "White Dreams" Chocolate Commercials

Media: TV Commercials (available on Youtube)

Approx length: less than three minutes

Where to find it: Youtube - warning: the first 25 seconds of this is the poster's title, and it uses a LOT of flashing lights; avoid if you're epileptic or otherwise sensitive

What is it, in summary?: This was a series of very strange, very dramatic, very pretty commercials from the 1980s. Sophie B. Hawkins sings part of the ridiculously difficult to get out of your head jingle

What do you love about it?: Have you seen this thing? It's insane. There's a guy playing a cello on a mountain, a farmer looking wistfully at windmill, ice skaters, ballerinas, a girl with a teddy bear, waves... and some of it is heavily based on the art of Maxfield Parrish.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Who are these people? What is their story?

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 could eat white chocolate, I guess.

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Cholesterol? Fat? Nestle's is not an ethical company?

Ghost

[bookishwench]

Title: Ghost

Media: movie

Approx length: 127 minutes

Where to find it: Fubu, Paramount, Pluto, commonly available at libraries

What is it, in summary?: Sam Wheat is murdered. He finds out that his murderer is intent on killing his girlfriend, Molly. He uses a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg, who won the Oscar) to contact her and learns to manipulate the physical world to protect her.

What do you love about it?: It's a not scary ghost story, more of a thriller, but with a lot of emotion.

What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'm interested in particular in two characters. The first is the subway ghost who teaches Sam how to move things. It's unclear whether he jumped in front of a train or was pushed. I'd like to know his backstory and maybe help him get resolution. The other character is Oda Mae, the physic. What happened to her later? Did she remain in touch with Molly? What did her sisters think? How does this change her phony business? Or maybe she could help the subway ghost.

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?

Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): Possibly suicide, though again, that's not clear.