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Yuletide letter
Oct. 13th, 2012 10:34 pm[NOTE: SWITCH TAGS ARE NOW WORKING FOR YULETIDE, SO ANYONE WHO HAD DIFFICULTY SIGNING UP/OFFERING IN THIS FANDOM IN THE PAST IS NOW ABLE TO. LIKE ME! YAY!]
Hello, Yulegoat!
I apologise for how long winded this all is. My Yuletide letters always serve a not-so-subtle duel purpose: provide enough info for my assigned writer to feel comfortable and happy writing for me, and totally taking advantage of the fact that people might stumble upon this letter and become as hooked on these series as I am. I am forever an optimist, as I don't believe this has ever happened yet. Additionally, this space gives me an opportunity to babble about series I generally don't have the chance to talk about, and I must admit I get really, ridiculously excited about just talking about these series. The thought of someone actually writing fic for any of them ... be still, my beating heart!
Please note that anything written below is merely for you to use as a prompt and to get a general idea about my interests. As long as the story focusses largely around my favourite character (in this case: Takei, Hinata, or Haruhiko) and isn't a death fic, I'll be incredibly happy.
Things I enjoy:
1. Hurt/comfort. It's my favourite genre, and I love it on a physical, emotional, and psychological level. I am a terrible fan, because if you beat my favourite character up and then have him put back together by someone else, I swoon a bit.
2. Friendships. I adore when characters go to the ends of the earth for each other based just on their platonic love. This is always a difficult one for me, because I also love when that same friendship suggests/flips over into an actual relationship. So: either/or
3. Plot and character development/exploration.
4. Consequences. I love when the consequences of actions (past or current) are explored.
5. Dark, angsty pasts.
6. All ratings right up to and including NC-17. No triggers or areas to avoid.
7. I love gen and yaoi equally for all the couples mentioned below.
Things I dislike:
1. Death fic is pretty much an automatic back buttoner for me. Anything else you attempt I'm sure I'll love and really appreciate, but please avoid this like the burning sun.
Switch by Naked Ape
Switch by Naked Ape (Takei and Shiba)
Description: Eto Kai may look like a squeaky clean kid, but the Greater Kanto Narcotics Control Division's new investigator hides a violent alter ego and a dangerous past. With his stoic partner Hal Kurabayashi, Kai is assigned to track down and stop the distribution of Dragon Speed, a dangerous new drug. But Ryugen, the syndicate trafficking the drug, is almost impossible to infiltrate. Add street violence and a jurisdiction war with the Meguro Police, and poor Kai is in for some very long days at the office.
Why I love the series: Gosh, so much love. I must admit, this is my current obsession (which is not to say I don't adore everything else I'm nominating). The main pair don't do a huge amount for me, but the great thing about the series is that there are so many awesome supporting characters. My favourite pair (and Switch is ALL about the pairs) is Takei (yay!) and Shiba. I really adore the way that in a story where they're fairly minor characters, the author still manages to give them moments to shine. I love the dynamic between the two, how they're both sort of goofy in their own ways right up until the moment they're deadly serious. And they totally break my heart in the last arc, even though we barely see them. Just a couple of background shots are enough. *shakes fist* Damn you, Naked Ape, for making that the final arc! I wanted to see the fallout for Takei and Shiba, damn it!
What I would like: Takei and Shiba, please! I'd love something gritty and a bit dark, very much in line with some of the cases we see in the series. I love the idea of them both being romantically involved AND as platonic partners equally, so which ever direction works best for you is wonderful for me! Takei is my character of choice especially.
Some possible ideas:
1) Takei and Shiba's first mission together. There's a bit of an age gap between them (Shiba is 27, while Takei is 25). Most of the other partners we see are the same age, and have been paired together since they started together. Did Takei start a bit younger than some of the others (there seems to be a trend of them starting at age 22)? Was Shiba a bit picky and wasn't until Takei that he settled down with a partner? Hell, maybe they both had bad experiences with other partners before ending up together?
2) I also have this thing for evil!Shingo. He had no problem taking Takei out, and Shiba was very quick to believe that Shingo was the mole. There doesn't appear to be any love lost between the three of them. Tying a little bit back into the first idea: something where Takei and Shingo are originally partnered together and it ends badly (maybe Shingo has a habit of sleeping with new recruits and Takei is another notch, maybe Shingo screws up and Takei pays the price), and there is bad blood between the three as a result?
3) Really, any case that Shiba and Takei work together, especially if it goes terribly wrong - maybe Shingo has to release Takei after an undercover operation goes wrong. This might be especially interesting if it happens after the series when Shiba is still suspended. I have no issue with any kind of violence - it feeds into my love for the h/c trope, and fits the series pretty well.
4) Maybe something about why Takei and Shiba got into the field in the first place, and how this impacts on their jobs/relationships? I am a sucker for angsty backstories.
5) Ooh. How about something where Takei accidentally/against his will consumes the latest nasty drug, and Shiba has to help him come off it? (You really cannot go wrong with anything you write for me in this fandom, in case you haven't noticed!)
Where you can read it: All 13 volumes can be read here: http://www.mangahere.com/manga/switch/. Just a heads up, if you're not a fan of the art at the beginning, either stick with it or skip a bit forward. I stopped reading the series pretty much immediately a couple of years ago because of the art, but it really does improve drastically - and pretty quickly as well.
Aphorism by Kujo Karuna
Characters: Hinata, Krishna
Description:Naraka High School is a seemingly normal school. However, unknown to the public is the cruel truth of what really goes on in the school's halls. Rather than studying, students are forced to struggle for their very survival. And the strong bonds of friendship may be the only difference between life and death.
Why I love the series:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
trixie_chick did a great rec post for this manga here, and I'm just going to agree with absolutely everything she said. Go read it now. I can wait.
And, oops. Just noticed it is a locked post, so I'm just going to quote some of her write-up:
[Starttrixie_chick]For some reason, of late, I've been somewhat drawn to series that could be described, I guess, as survival horror genre. you know, like... random people getting trapped into an impossible situation where they have to quickly adapt to the surroundings to survive? I don't know what the actual genre classification is, but... In this one, the "cake" is the promise of a superior education that would guarantee that all its graduates would immediately be able to get highly paid, secure government jobs. This is particularly enticing to the lead, who is from a small town and who wants to distinguish himself.
What makes this so interesting is the unflinching way it carries through with its premise. The premise is strong... upon entering this "magical" school, students are directed to put a "character" / word on a special piece of paper... and then, without having any real idea (many of them) why they had to do that, they are suddenly made to use that character to fight for their lives. Their "character" gets onto their body and is manifested into a power... but it's not so simple. For instance, someone who had the character for "fire" has a pretty strong weapon... but she ends up burning her arm because unleashing "fire" without any structure hurts the user as well as the enemy.
It's complex and beautifully constructed, and there are a lot of layers. It unfolds with purpose and direction, and so far there really haven't been any lag times. Even if you're not into "survival horror," I think there's enough interesting elements here, just give it a chapter or two. [endtrixie_chick]
What I would like: Hinata fic. I love how the stakes just seem that little bit higher for him, largely because he comes into the school with the most knowledge of what is going on and with the intent AND responsibility to fix things. That's a lot of weight on him, and sometimes it means he has to make decisions that others aren't willing to. Anything hurt/comfort with him would be fantastic, especially if it is with Krishna.
Some possible ideas:
1) An attack where Hinata has to call upon all his intellect to get them out of the situation.
2) Hinata having to deal with the multiple responsibilities he has, and the pressures from the government to solve things.
3) Really, anything where Krishna has to come to Hinata's aid (during an attack, in a late night moment of doubt, if Hinata was used as a pawn by either the government or other characters back in Krishna's own world)
4) Hinata's sister totally failing him/using him, and Hinata dealing with it. His sister strikes me as a little off.
Where you can read it: Scanlations here, raws can be found here (scanlations are a little behind). The current chapter is located only the official website here.
Psyren by IWASHIRO Toshiaki
Description:PSYЯEN follows the adventures of Ageha Yoshina, a high school student who is chosen by Nemesis Q as a participant in the Psyren games. The games take place in a world known initially as Psyren, which is revealed to be the real world a decade in the future. Ageha and his friends attempt to alter the future and save the world from becoming Psyren.
Why I love the series: In particular, the relationship between Haruhiko, Lan, and Kagetora.
What I would like: Haruhiko is my favorite character, so I would absolutely love something about him. I'd especially love something about his relationship with Kagetora, because that seems to have been incredibly important to him. We know Haruhiko doesn't have any family, just as we know that he is initially very visually resistant to Kagetora (while still going along with everything he says). Something maybe then about how they overcome Haruhiko's original defenses and fears/how Haruhiko slowly comes to trust Kagetora and open up to him in his own way? I must admit, I love hurt/comfort, so anything along this is especially wonderful. Angsty pasts, poor previous male role models - anything you can draw from the fact that all Haruhiko wants in canon is someone to take him in actually care about him.
I also love Haruhiko and Lan, so anything between the two of them would be fantastic as well. Their friendship rocks.
I'm good with either romantic or platonic pairings for the above. The first scenario probably lends itself more to gen, although I don't mind either way. Heh. Maybe combined both ideas and have gen Haruhiko and Kagetora with just a smidgen of Lan/Haruhiko?
Where you can read it: All volumes can be found here: http://www.mangareader.net/346/psyren.html
Hello, Yulegoat!
I apologise for how long winded this all is. My Yuletide letters always serve a not-so-subtle duel purpose: provide enough info for my assigned writer to feel comfortable and happy writing for me, and totally taking advantage of the fact that people might stumble upon this letter and become as hooked on these series as I am. I am forever an optimist, as I don't believe this has ever happened yet. Additionally, this space gives me an opportunity to babble about series I generally don't have the chance to talk about, and I must admit I get really, ridiculously excited about just talking about these series. The thought of someone actually writing fic for any of them ... be still, my beating heart!
Please note that anything written below is merely for you to use as a prompt and to get a general idea about my interests. As long as the story focusses largely around my favourite character (in this case: Takei, Hinata, or Haruhiko) and isn't a death fic, I'll be incredibly happy.
Things I enjoy:
1. Hurt/comfort. It's my favourite genre, and I love it on a physical, emotional, and psychological level. I am a terrible fan, because if you beat my favourite character up and then have him put back together by someone else, I swoon a bit.
2. Friendships. I adore when characters go to the ends of the earth for each other based just on their platonic love. This is always a difficult one for me, because I also love when that same friendship suggests/flips over into an actual relationship. So: either/or
3. Plot and character development/exploration.
4. Consequences. I love when the consequences of actions (past or current) are explored.
5. Dark, angsty pasts.
6. All ratings right up to and including NC-17. No triggers or areas to avoid.
7. I love gen and yaoi equally for all the couples mentioned below.
Things I dislike:
1. Death fic is pretty much an automatic back buttoner for me. Anything else you attempt I'm sure I'll love and really appreciate, but please avoid this like the burning sun.
Switch by Naked Ape (Takei and Shiba)Description: Eto Kai may look like a squeaky clean kid, but the Greater Kanto Narcotics Control Division's new investigator hides a violent alter ego and a dangerous past. With his stoic partner Hal Kurabayashi, Kai is assigned to track down and stop the distribution of Dragon Speed, a dangerous new drug. But Ryugen, the syndicate trafficking the drug, is almost impossible to infiltrate. Add street violence and a jurisdiction war with the Meguro Police, and poor Kai is in for some very long days at the office.
Why I love the series: Gosh, so much love. I must admit, this is my current obsession (which is not to say I don't adore everything else I'm nominating). The main pair don't do a huge amount for me, but the great thing about the series is that there are so many awesome supporting characters. My favourite pair (and Switch is ALL about the pairs) is Takei (yay!) and Shiba. I really adore the way that in a story where they're fairly minor characters, the author still manages to give them moments to shine. I love the dynamic between the two, how they're both sort of goofy in their own ways right up until the moment they're deadly serious. And they totally break my heart in the last arc, even though we barely see them. Just a couple of background shots are enough. *shakes fist* Damn you, Naked Ape, for making that the final arc! I wanted to see the fallout for Takei and Shiba, damn it!
What I would like: Takei and Shiba, please! I'd love something gritty and a bit dark, very much in line with some of the cases we see in the series. I love the idea of them both being romantically involved AND as platonic partners equally, so which ever direction works best for you is wonderful for me! Takei is my character of choice especially.
Some possible ideas:
1) Takei and Shiba's first mission together. There's a bit of an age gap between them (Shiba is 27, while Takei is 25). Most of the other partners we see are the same age, and have been paired together since they started together. Did Takei start a bit younger than some of the others (there seems to be a trend of them starting at age 22)? Was Shiba a bit picky and wasn't until Takei that he settled down with a partner? Hell, maybe they both had bad experiences with other partners before ending up together?
2) I also have this thing for evil!Shingo. He had no problem taking Takei out, and Shiba was very quick to believe that Shingo was the mole. There doesn't appear to be any love lost between the three of them. Tying a little bit back into the first idea: something where Takei and Shingo are originally partnered together and it ends badly (maybe Shingo has a habit of sleeping with new recruits and Takei is another notch, maybe Shingo screws up and Takei pays the price), and there is bad blood between the three as a result?
3) Really, any case that Shiba and Takei work together, especially if it goes terribly wrong - maybe Shingo has to release Takei after an undercover operation goes wrong. This might be especially interesting if it happens after the series when Shiba is still suspended. I have no issue with any kind of violence - it feeds into my love for the h/c trope, and fits the series pretty well.
4) Maybe something about why Takei and Shiba got into the field in the first place, and how this impacts on their jobs/relationships? I am a sucker for angsty backstories.
5) Ooh. How about something where Takei accidentally/against his will consumes the latest nasty drug, and Shiba has to help him come off it? (You really cannot go wrong with anything you write for me in this fandom, in case you haven't noticed!)
Where you can read it: All 13 volumes can be read here: http://www.mangahere.com/manga/switch/. Just a heads up, if you're not a fan of the art at the beginning, either stick with it or skip a bit forward. I stopped reading the series pretty much immediately a couple of years ago because of the art, but it really does improve drastically - and pretty quickly as well.
Characters: Hinata, KrishnaDescription:Naraka High School is a seemingly normal school. However, unknown to the public is the cruel truth of what really goes on in the school's halls. Rather than studying, students are forced to struggle for their very survival. And the strong bonds of friendship may be the only difference between life and death.
Why I love the series:
trixie_chick did a great rec post for this manga here, and I'm just going to agree with absolutely everything she said. Go read it now. I can wait. And, oops. Just noticed it is a locked post, so I'm just going to quote some of her write-up:
[Start
trixie_chick]For some reason, of late, I've been somewhat drawn to series that could be described, I guess, as survival horror genre. you know, like... random people getting trapped into an impossible situation where they have to quickly adapt to the surroundings to survive? I don't know what the actual genre classification is, but... In this one, the "cake" is the promise of a superior education that would guarantee that all its graduates would immediately be able to get highly paid, secure government jobs. This is particularly enticing to the lead, who is from a small town and who wants to distinguish himself.What makes this so interesting is the unflinching way it carries through with its premise. The premise is strong... upon entering this "magical" school, students are directed to put a "character" / word on a special piece of paper... and then, without having any real idea (many of them) why they had to do that, they are suddenly made to use that character to fight for their lives. Their "character" gets onto their body and is manifested into a power... but it's not so simple. For instance, someone who had the character for "fire" has a pretty strong weapon... but she ends up burning her arm because unleashing "fire" without any structure hurts the user as well as the enemy.
It's complex and beautifully constructed, and there are a lot of layers. It unfolds with purpose and direction, and so far there really haven't been any lag times. Even if you're not into "survival horror," I think there's enough interesting elements here, just give it a chapter or two. [end
trixie_chick]What I would like: Hinata fic. I love how the stakes just seem that little bit higher for him, largely because he comes into the school with the most knowledge of what is going on and with the intent AND responsibility to fix things. That's a lot of weight on him, and sometimes it means he has to make decisions that others aren't willing to. Anything hurt/comfort with him would be fantastic, especially if it is with Krishna.
Some possible ideas:
1) An attack where Hinata has to call upon all his intellect to get them out of the situation.
2) Hinata having to deal with the multiple responsibilities he has, and the pressures from the government to solve things.
3) Really, anything where Krishna has to come to Hinata's aid (during an attack, in a late night moment of doubt, if Hinata was used as a pawn by either the government or other characters back in Krishna's own world)
4) Hinata's sister totally failing him/using him, and Hinata dealing with it. His sister strikes me as a little off.
Where you can read it: Scanlations here, raws can be found here (scanlations are a little behind). The current chapter is located only the official website here.
Description:PSYЯEN follows the adventures of Ageha Yoshina, a high school student who is chosen by Nemesis Q as a participant in the Psyren games. The games take place in a world known initially as Psyren, which is revealed to be the real world a decade in the future. Ageha and his friends attempt to alter the future and save the world from becoming Psyren.
Why I love the series: In particular, the relationship between Haruhiko, Lan, and Kagetora.
What I would like: Haruhiko is my favorite character, so I would absolutely love something about him. I'd especially love something about his relationship with Kagetora, because that seems to have been incredibly important to him. We know Haruhiko doesn't have any family, just as we know that he is initially very visually resistant to Kagetora (while still going along with everything he says). Something maybe then about how they overcome Haruhiko's original defenses and fears/how Haruhiko slowly comes to trust Kagetora and open up to him in his own way? I must admit, I love hurt/comfort, so anything along this is especially wonderful. Angsty pasts, poor previous male role models - anything you can draw from the fact that all Haruhiko wants in canon is someone to take him in actually care about him.
I also love Haruhiko and Lan, so anything between the two of them would be fantastic as well. Their friendship rocks.
I'm good with either romantic or platonic pairings for the above. The first scenario probably lends itself more to gen, although I don't mind either way. Heh. Maybe combined both ideas and have gen Haruhiko and Kagetora with just a smidgen of Lan/Haruhiko?
Where you can read it: All volumes can be found here: http://www.mangareader.net/346/psyren.html
