foxinthestars (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
foxinthestars) wrote2015-06-20 09:08 am
foxinthestars) wrote2015-06-20 09:08 am
Entry tags:
Dear Parallelograph 2015
Greetings to my assigned writer/artist and other participants in Parallels 2015! Thank you for signing up, and I hope you're having a great time!
I'm![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
foxinthestars at Ao3, same as DW/LJ.
LIKES:
Sympathetic Protagonists
Explorations of Issues and Ideas
Character Pieces
Genfic
Angst
Fluff and WAFF
Fixer-upper and "What If?" AUs
Sensuality and Description Porn
(Note that not all of these are necessarily applicable to all my prompts, so don't think you have to check them all off or anything.)
DO NOT WANTS:
Humiliation/Abasement/Embarrassment
Rape, Non-con, Dub-con
Grimdark
Actual Porn (Not really a DNW in general, but what I want in this vein and when I want it is just too quirky for exchange-fic.)
I also tend to be pretty "meh" about genre/setting-change AUs and crossovers.
And here are my prompts with additional notes, roughly in order of canon length/"gimme" status:
Toshokan Rocket (Minna no Uta Music Video)
Fanfic or fanart; no characters specified
This two-and-a-half-minute music video is just packed! So many characters! So many fascinating images! So cute! Much epic! The basic "plot" seems to involve four little birds (in their whale starship and their corgi shuttle!) running a kind of pan-galactic bookmobile for great justice and everlasting peace, but... well, you just have to see it. I just want to see what somebody can do with this, anywhere you want to take it that's in keeping with the canon atmosphere (ie, try to avoid sex, violence, or unredeemed grimdark).
Canon Review and Notes:
Here's the video. Sorry for the jacked-up aspect ratio, but it was the best I could get. If you have something like VLC and can set the aspect ratio to 4:3, it'll look right.
And, since it's not subtitled, here's my own quick-and-dirty translation of the lyrics.
Yeah, for a while there I had a gadget of questionable legality that let me watch streams of NHK-E(ducational). Sadly no longer works, but I ran across some real gems, particularly in NHK's "Minna no Uta" all-ages music video series. I think this one takes the cake. (Fire-breathing feathered dinosaur!)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Fanfic or fanart; Characters: Miriam, Gebel, Johannes
This one is a bit of a curveball, being that it's a video game that doesn't yet exist. I am a huge fan of the Castlevania series, particularly the adventure-style games directed by Koji "IGA" Igarashi, so when I saw IGA take to Kickstarter for the funds to make his own game, I got very excited. Not only do I have another game in my favorite style to look forward to, but the new story he's starting is already fascinating, with gothic atmosphere, compelling characters struggling to hold on to their humanity, and... stained glass. Since it's just concept art at this point, anything we do now is sure to be Jossed over the next couple years as the actual game gets developed, but hey, why not have our fun if so inclined? Pretty much anything you want to do with this, I just want to share my excitement. No sex, please, and I prefer this dark, gothic stuff to come out happy or hopeful in the end. Character requests are and/or on this one; you don't have to use them all.
Canon Review and Notes:
Here's the Kickstarter page. The campaign is over, but the story-related text and concept art is still there. Be sure to check out both the "campaign" tab and the "updates" tab.
Here's an interview with IGA in which he talks more about the story.
And if you want to see my own ramblings, here's story brainstorming and art. Note that everything I did story-wise is already Jossed, pretty much, but I enjoyed it.
Mushishi
Fanfic or fanart; Characters: Karibusa Tanyuu, Ginko, Minai Tama, Minai Kumado
Tanyuu is required; the other listed characters are optional, but I wanted to go ahead and request everyone you might need for the prompts. I'm kind of fascinated by the power dynamic between Tanyuu and the Minai clan; ostensibly they serve her, but because of her disability, youth, and (enforced) inexperience, in some ways they're the ones with power over her (and like the business with Kumado, if she felt able to just tell them to knock the shit off, I think she would). So you could explore that, although I'd rather you didn't get too dark with it. Alternatively, I like the relationship between Tanyuu and Ginko; it's like the two of them both have an unusual compassion for mushi that connects them to each other (and shapes how they both relate to Kumado). I don't ship them, mind, but they make great occasionally-snarky BFFs. Maybe Ginko could bring Tanyuu a mushi; it could be a pet she would enjoy, or maybe something that her extensive book-learning makes her more able to deal with (affirming competence, woot!), and I think he understands her hunger for firsthand experiences. No sex, please.
Canon Review and Notes:
Season 1 at Hulu (Tanyuu is introduced in episode 20)
Season 2 at Crunchyroll (Tanyuu appears in the OVA, then she appears again and Kumado is introduced in the "Path of Thorns" special)
Season 2 at Hulu (Doesn't include the specials, but here if you prefer Hulu for the rest)
I rated this one as somewhat more of a "gimme" because you could conceivably just watch Tanyuu's introductory episode and the "Path of Thorns" special and get by, but watching more of the show will definitely help you grasp the unique feel of the story-world, plus it's just really good.
And here is the one Mushishi fic I've written myself, just a drabble but relevant. (I don't know if canon really supports Tanyuu knowing exactly what's up with Kumado, but it's an interesting lens to view it through, particularly the scene where she's making the request to Ginko.)
Seirei no Moribito | Guardian of the Sacred Spirit
Fanfic or fanart; Character: Shuga
I just want a fanart or genfic about Shuga. Yes, it helps that he’s white-haired and pretty, but he’s also a genius who rose from being a fisherman’s son to being in line to become the most politically powerful man in the country, he’s a very principled person thrown into a situation where those principles will be constantly challenged, just, mmmph! So anything about him you want to do: backstory, day-in-the-life, whatever. Just as possibilities: In the novel, he and Torogai promised to teach each other about their respective disciplines, that could be fun to watch (especially with their personalities so perfectly mismatched). Or, now that Chagum is back in the palace, explore how their relationship has changed. I’m thinking primarily of the anime canon, but I have read the first two novels, as well. No explicit sex please --- in fact I’d prefer no romance on this one at all.
Canon Review and Notes:
The anime series on Hulu or on Crunchyroll
The two translated books at ABE, at Amazon
The anime and books at Worldcat
(BTW, the second novel won’t help you with the prompt at all, because Shuga isn’t even mentioned, I just recommend it because it’s awesome.)
I love Nahoko Uehashi. As much as I enjoy driving trucks through plot-holes you can do that with, I love things like this with compelling characters, brilliant worldbuilding that’s so grounded and well-thought-out (the complex interplay of society and folklore and the spirit world is a particular high point), and in general an author who just so manifestly knows what she’s doing. I also love it when no party to a conflict is cartoonishly evil, and Moribito is very much that (especially in the anime). And I’d say I have a weakness for scholarly characters as well as sticky messes, so yeah: Shuga.
By the way, here is the one Moribito fic I have written myself. Shuga doesn't appear, but he had a hand in it behind the scenes. (And yes, somewhere behind the scenes, Torogai gave him whatever is the setting-appropriate diction for "Who the hell writes this crap!?" I don't think it was all his fault though, executive meddling and such...)
Kemono no Souja Erin
Fanfic or Fanart; Characters: Erin, Ial
I want Erin/Ial, preferably something quiet and thoughtful, or something fluffy; anything along that line would make me happy, really, but if you need an angle, maybe think about how he’s adjusting to his new life post-canon, and how Erin’s other friends are adjusting to this guy with his stone face and ninja vibes. Bonus points: include a warm, soft, furry animal, not necessarily an Ohjuu. No explicit sex, please.
Canon Review and Notes
The series on Crunchyroll
There are novels for this one, too, but I haven't been able to read them, so I'm just working from the anime canon. It's more aimed at children, but that doesn't keep it from getting into some serious territory and I love it. After my first viewing (in fansubs), I wrote a review of it that you can see here. And this series was actually my introduction to Uehashi-sensei, and led me to Moribito later on. As in Moribito, we see the masterful, well-grounded fantasy worldbuilding, and as mentioned in the review, I loved the anime’s combination of the domestic and the epic. Erin is such a great strong heroine, too --- brilliant and curious, always chasing her dreams and holding to her principles. Ial is the kind of (figuratively) scarred stone-faced pretty boy I have a weakness for, I admit it. I was happy with the kind of slow and subtle building of their relationship in canon --- Uehashi seems to be good at that, too ::coughBalsaTanda:: --- but I would like to see a bit more with these two.
Fushigi Yuugi
Fanfic or Fanart; Characters: Hongou Yui, Hotohori
If we matched on this one, I apologize, since it's overly-specific and possibly-fraught, but there's the deal: these two may be a crack pairing, but they are my OTP for this fandom, and my request is basically just to see someone do Hotohori/Yui besides me (well, besides me and my estranged former co-author). Please do not include explicit sex or assume canon knowledge beyond the original TV anime. Switched-Miko A/U fic specifically is discouraged (on art it's okay), but don’t worry about canon compliance otherwise. There's kind of a long story behind this one, in my letter.
Canon Review and Notes
Can't help you with canon review on this one, sorry.
As for the promised long story, way, way, back in the day when I first saw FY in fansubs in my university anime club, I actually drew a chart of the love polyhedron and abstractly/jokingly observed that if we could fix up Hotohori and Yui we could solve most of everybody’s problems. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I thought that if you could manage the logistics, they would actually be good for each other; if Hotohori could get over the Suzaku no Miko fixation and be honest with himself, I think he’d be happier with a brainy type like Yui, and I think his kindness and devotion would be good for her, especially right now. They were the flagship couple of my (and a friend’s) epic, rather cracky, still-unfinished switched-Miko A/U (“Fushigi Yuugi: The Mirrorverse,” formerly known as “Fushigi Yuugi (sorta): Through the Looking Glass” --- the thing starts out with like thirty chapters of embarrassing old stuff, the first ten or so of which are REALLY embarrassing; don’t feel like you have to read it, but I discouraged another switched-Miko A/U fic because it would seem redundant after that; art in that vein, on the other hand, would fit with my story and be cool). But it could still be interesting to fix them up in a closer-to-canon situation and try to solve most of everybody’s problems that way --- yeah, I would have liked that much better than the ending we got. Actually in the second half FY jumped my personal shark so completely that I refer to it as the primal trauma of my fannish life and I haven’t re-watched it since university, so requesting it is kind of an adventurous move on my part... ^_^;
And that's it! Thank you again, and happy writing/artmaking!
I'm
LIKES:
Sympathetic Protagonists
Explorations of Issues and Ideas
Character Pieces
Genfic
Angst
Fluff and WAFF
Fixer-upper and "What If?" AUs
Sensuality and Description Porn
(Note that not all of these are necessarily applicable to all my prompts, so don't think you have to check them all off or anything.)
DO NOT WANTS:
Humiliation/Abasement/Embarrassment
Rape, Non-con, Dub-con
Grimdark
Actual Porn (Not really a DNW in general, but what I want in this vein and when I want it is just too quirky for exchange-fic.)
I also tend to be pretty "meh" about genre/setting-change AUs and crossovers.
And here are my prompts with additional notes, roughly in order of canon length/"gimme" status:
Toshokan Rocket (Minna no Uta Music Video)
Fanfic or fanart; no characters specified
This two-and-a-half-minute music video is just packed! So many characters! So many fascinating images! So cute! Much epic! The basic "plot" seems to involve four little birds (in their whale starship and their corgi shuttle!) running a kind of pan-galactic bookmobile for great justice and everlasting peace, but... well, you just have to see it. I just want to see what somebody can do with this, anywhere you want to take it that's in keeping with the canon atmosphere (ie, try to avoid sex, violence, or unredeemed grimdark).
Canon Review and Notes:
Here's the video. Sorry for the jacked-up aspect ratio, but it was the best I could get. If you have something like VLC and can set the aspect ratio to 4:3, it'll look right.
And, since it's not subtitled, here's my own quick-and-dirty translation of the lyrics.
Yeah, for a while there I had a gadget of questionable legality that let me watch streams of NHK-E(ducational). Sadly no longer works, but I ran across some real gems, particularly in NHK's "Minna no Uta" all-ages music video series. I think this one takes the cake. (Fire-breathing feathered dinosaur!)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Fanfic or fanart; Characters: Miriam, Gebel, Johannes
This one is a bit of a curveball, being that it's a video game that doesn't yet exist. I am a huge fan of the Castlevania series, particularly the adventure-style games directed by Koji "IGA" Igarashi, so when I saw IGA take to Kickstarter for the funds to make his own game, I got very excited. Not only do I have another game in my favorite style to look forward to, but the new story he's starting is already fascinating, with gothic atmosphere, compelling characters struggling to hold on to their humanity, and... stained glass. Since it's just concept art at this point, anything we do now is sure to be Jossed over the next couple years as the actual game gets developed, but hey, why not have our fun if so inclined? Pretty much anything you want to do with this, I just want to share my excitement. No sex, please, and I prefer this dark, gothic stuff to come out happy or hopeful in the end. Character requests are and/or on this one; you don't have to use them all.
Canon Review and Notes:
Here's the Kickstarter page. The campaign is over, but the story-related text and concept art is still there. Be sure to check out both the "campaign" tab and the "updates" tab.
Here's an interview with IGA in which he talks more about the story.
And if you want to see my own ramblings, here's story brainstorming and art. Note that everything I did story-wise is already Jossed, pretty much, but I enjoyed it.
Mushishi
Fanfic or fanart; Characters: Karibusa Tanyuu, Ginko, Minai Tama, Minai Kumado
Tanyuu is required; the other listed characters are optional, but I wanted to go ahead and request everyone you might need for the prompts. I'm kind of fascinated by the power dynamic between Tanyuu and the Minai clan; ostensibly they serve her, but because of her disability, youth, and (enforced) inexperience, in some ways they're the ones with power over her (and like the business with Kumado, if she felt able to just tell them to knock the shit off, I think she would). So you could explore that, although I'd rather you didn't get too dark with it. Alternatively, I like the relationship between Tanyuu and Ginko; it's like the two of them both have an unusual compassion for mushi that connects them to each other (and shapes how they both relate to Kumado). I don't ship them, mind, but they make great occasionally-snarky BFFs. Maybe Ginko could bring Tanyuu a mushi; it could be a pet she would enjoy, or maybe something that her extensive book-learning makes her more able to deal with (affirming competence, woot!), and I think he understands her hunger for firsthand experiences. No sex, please.
Canon Review and Notes:
Season 1 at Hulu (Tanyuu is introduced in episode 20)
Season 2 at Crunchyroll (Tanyuu appears in the OVA, then she appears again and Kumado is introduced in the "Path of Thorns" special)
Season 2 at Hulu (Doesn't include the specials, but here if you prefer Hulu for the rest)
I rated this one as somewhat more of a "gimme" because you could conceivably just watch Tanyuu's introductory episode and the "Path of Thorns" special and get by, but watching more of the show will definitely help you grasp the unique feel of the story-world, plus it's just really good.
And here is the one Mushishi fic I've written myself, just a drabble but relevant. (I don't know if canon really supports Tanyuu knowing exactly what's up with Kumado, but it's an interesting lens to view it through, particularly the scene where she's making the request to Ginko.)
Seirei no Moribito | Guardian of the Sacred Spirit
Fanfic or fanart; Character: Shuga
I just want a fanart or genfic about Shuga. Yes, it helps that he’s white-haired and pretty, but he’s also a genius who rose from being a fisherman’s son to being in line to become the most politically powerful man in the country, he’s a very principled person thrown into a situation where those principles will be constantly challenged, just, mmmph! So anything about him you want to do: backstory, day-in-the-life, whatever. Just as possibilities: In the novel, he and Torogai promised to teach each other about their respective disciplines, that could be fun to watch (especially with their personalities so perfectly mismatched). Or, now that Chagum is back in the palace, explore how their relationship has changed. I’m thinking primarily of the anime canon, but I have read the first two novels, as well. No explicit sex please --- in fact I’d prefer no romance on this one at all.
Canon Review and Notes:
The anime series on Hulu or on Crunchyroll
The two translated books at ABE, at Amazon
The anime and books at Worldcat
(BTW, the second novel won’t help you with the prompt at all, because Shuga isn’t even mentioned, I just recommend it because it’s awesome.)
I love Nahoko Uehashi. As much as I enjoy driving trucks through plot-holes you can do that with, I love things like this with compelling characters, brilliant worldbuilding that’s so grounded and well-thought-out (the complex interplay of society and folklore and the spirit world is a particular high point), and in general an author who just so manifestly knows what she’s doing. I also love it when no party to a conflict is cartoonishly evil, and Moribito is very much that (especially in the anime). And I’d say I have a weakness for scholarly characters as well as sticky messes, so yeah: Shuga.
By the way, here is the one Moribito fic I have written myself. Shuga doesn't appear, but he had a hand in it behind the scenes. (And yes, somewhere behind the scenes, Torogai gave him whatever is the setting-appropriate diction for "Who the hell writes this crap!?" I don't think it was all his fault though, executive meddling and such...)
Kemono no Souja Erin
Fanfic or Fanart; Characters: Erin, Ial
I want Erin/Ial, preferably something quiet and thoughtful, or something fluffy; anything along that line would make me happy, really, but if you need an angle, maybe think about how he’s adjusting to his new life post-canon, and how Erin’s other friends are adjusting to this guy with his stone face and ninja vibes. Bonus points: include a warm, soft, furry animal, not necessarily an Ohjuu. No explicit sex, please.
Canon Review and Notes
The series on Crunchyroll
There are novels for this one, too, but I haven't been able to read them, so I'm just working from the anime canon. It's more aimed at children, but that doesn't keep it from getting into some serious territory and I love it. After my first viewing (in fansubs), I wrote a review of it that you can see here. And this series was actually my introduction to Uehashi-sensei, and led me to Moribito later on. As in Moribito, we see the masterful, well-grounded fantasy worldbuilding, and as mentioned in the review, I loved the anime’s combination of the domestic and the epic. Erin is such a great strong heroine, too --- brilliant and curious, always chasing her dreams and holding to her principles. Ial is the kind of (figuratively) scarred stone-faced pretty boy I have a weakness for, I admit it. I was happy with the kind of slow and subtle building of their relationship in canon --- Uehashi seems to be good at that, too ::coughBalsaTanda:: --- but I would like to see a bit more with these two.
Fushigi Yuugi
Fanfic or Fanart; Characters: Hongou Yui, Hotohori
If we matched on this one, I apologize, since it's overly-specific and possibly-fraught, but there's the deal: these two may be a crack pairing, but they are my OTP for this fandom, and my request is basically just to see someone do Hotohori/Yui besides me (well, besides me and my estranged former co-author). Please do not include explicit sex or assume canon knowledge beyond the original TV anime. Switched-Miko A/U fic specifically is discouraged (on art it's okay), but don’t worry about canon compliance otherwise. There's kind of a long story behind this one, in my letter.
Canon Review and Notes
Can't help you with canon review on this one, sorry.
As for the promised long story, way, way, back in the day when I first saw FY in fansubs in my university anime club, I actually drew a chart of the love polyhedron and abstractly/jokingly observed that if we could fix up Hotohori and Yui we could solve most of everybody’s problems. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I thought that if you could manage the logistics, they would actually be good for each other; if Hotohori could get over the Suzaku no Miko fixation and be honest with himself, I think he’d be happier with a brainy type like Yui, and I think his kindness and devotion would be good for her, especially right now. They were the flagship couple of my (and a friend’s) epic, rather cracky, still-unfinished switched-Miko A/U (“Fushigi Yuugi: The Mirrorverse,” formerly known as “Fushigi Yuugi (sorta): Through the Looking Glass” --- the thing starts out with like thirty chapters of embarrassing old stuff, the first ten or so of which are REALLY embarrassing; don’t feel like you have to read it, but I discouraged another switched-Miko A/U fic because it would seem redundant after that; art in that vein, on the other hand, would fit with my story and be cool). But it could still be interesting to fix them up in a closer-to-canon situation and try to solve most of everybody’s problems that way --- yeah, I would have liked that much better than the ending we got. Actually in the second half FY jumped my personal shark so completely that I refer to it as the primal trauma of my fannish life and I haven’t re-watched it since university, so requesting it is kind of an adventurous move on my part... ^_^;
And that's it! Thank you again, and happy writing/artmaking!