Dear Yuletider (2011)

[aphrodite_mine]

*waves*

I'm absolutely thrilled that you matched me on one of my small fandoms (Atonement, Melancholia, Our Idiot Brother)! I'm pretty darn open-minded when it comes to these. Optional details are totally optional as always, and hopefully this letter will serve to offer some options that inspire you. This is my fifth year doing yuletide, and I really want you to have fun writing for me. So please don't let my optional details deter you if your ideas lean elsewhere. If you have any questions or trouble obtaining something, I trust my girlfriend immortality or my bestie prozacpark to leave me in the dark as to the specifics and to aide you in whatever you might need.

If you're looking for my fandomy stuff, I post here.

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First off, here are some things that I love: Women. Women being awesome, women having emotions that don't revolve around men, women having stories, queer women, non-traditional women, women loving women, women doing/loving things/people that society says they shouldn't, women building their own narratives. Taboo. Consensual incest, queerness, non-fetishized mental illness, masturbation. Exploration. Character, theme, relationship, kink. Narratives. Parenthesis, non-linear stories, fractured patriarchy. Relationships. Non-romantic love, romantic love, trust, growing up, growing apart, growing together, staying the same, quiet moments, consent (assumed or otherwise), lust, confusion, domesticity.

A few (small) deal breakers: Rape (mention/dealing with canonical rape is okay), magical happy endings (happy endings themselves are okay), racism, fetishizing race (as in describing characters by aspects of personality, and then "the brown-skinned girl"), non-canon abuse of women (or anyone, really).

Atonement -- Ian McEwan
Briony Tallis, Cecilia Tallis

I'm fascinated by Briony's sexual coming of age, how it is introduced in innocence with Robbie, but comes to a raging climax (if you will) with the introduction of the word "cunt" and being forced, dramatically, to change her point of view of her sister (the simultaneous rape of Lola being another catalyst). In the novel, there are some small details leading me to think about how queer Briony's sexuality is and, and how entangled Cecilia is in Briony's immature (and later mature, but still sort of arrested) ideas about sexuality [given that !!!SPOILER!!!! the entire novel is Briony's recreation, one can read Robbie's descriptions of Cee as projections of Briony's thoughts]. I'm also very interested in Briony's construction of life to fit (or not) into the romantic narrative, and how she deals when things don't line up as they should.

A few quotes from the source:

"But would their sister play a man? She had green eyes and sharp bones in her face, and hollow cheeks, and there was something brittle in her reticence that suggested strong will and a temper easily lost.... could Briony really hold hands with her before the alter....? ....The sight of these nails gave Briony a constricting sensation around her sternum, and she knew at once that she could not ask Lola to play the prince." (13)

And scattered through the beginning chapters, the curious description of Cecilia and thing around her as undone in various ways, "a stew of unclosed books, unfolded clothes, unpade bed, unemptied ashtrays" (5), and "unchanging charm.... the unplayed, untuned harpsichord and the unused rosewood music stands" (24-25). The dichotomy between how casual Cee appears to be and the neurotic and hyper-organized and obsessive qualities Briony tends towards. How bits of Briony's consciousness (and self-consciousness) leak over into Cecilia's. The differences between what does happen and what could have happened. Right then, this is getting ridiculous and lengthy, so I'll stop.

I would love gen about Cecilia or Briony or both. I would love Briony femslash (a fellow nurse, perhaps?), incest (Cee/Briony, Briony/Lola). I would love to see either of the girls interacting with Robbie, or even a kind of triad. I didn't request Lola, but if you want to write about her I would also love gen, or femslash or non-Paul-het about her. Tone for anything can range from however floofy or angsty you desire.

The film (which is a wonderful adaptation of the novel) is available on Netflix and here, to watch or download. The novel is available, as far as I know, only for purchase.

Our Idiot Brother
Cindy

This movie makes me so insanely happy. I'd love to read just about anything; happy or sad, set before, during, or after the events of the film. Any rating. I requested Cindy, so something gen, Cindy/Natalie, or Cindy interacting with any of the other characters. (Please don't de-gay her, however! And I know it's not specified in the film, but please don't white-wash Cindy either, if that comes up in your story. Which. It totally doesn't have to.) I'm absolutely not afraid of [SPOILER!!! pregnancy fic, pregnancy sex, baby fic, family domesticity] if that's something you'd like to write.

Also? You should totally watch this movie, even if we didn't match on it (which is looking likely). Because it will make you happy. And this happens.

Several times.

And Rashida Jones looks like this:

If you'd rather write about Natalie, or Liz, or Miranda, I'm totally happy with that as well. Again, gen is wonderful, femslash is awesome. I ship Cindy/Natalie, Liz/Ned (I know, I know, but just think! They'd make such cute parents together! Even in a non-cesty way, I loved seeing how he brings out the best in her, and she tempers him.), and Miranda/Jeremy. Or, I don't know. Mix it up! Did you come away from the film with a crackship? Write about them! The only person I'd rather NOT read about (at least in a shippy way) is Dylan.

I'd love to see them, maybe, at Christmas, with the Rochlins, or maybe with Cindy's family. A story about the three sisters out and about, or at home. I'm definitely okay with sad or angsty stories, because half of the canon does deal with some pretty shitty stuff, but don't be afraid of ridiculously happy stories either.

This film is still in some theaters, and available here, to watch or download. I believe it will be released on DVD and BluRay soon.

Melancholia
Justine, Claire

Interested in the themes of the film; probably one of the best films (if not THE best) ever made about depression and anxiety. Their pasts, tangled up. Gen about either or both, hints and more of incest welcome if that's your boat. How did they get on before Melancholia showed up on the horizon? How did Justine meet her husband? Justine has had previous bouts with depression; how did Claire deal with that growing up, and how did that affect who she became? I'd prefre to not see much of Claire's husband, unless he's a catalyst for Claire being awesome.

Sorry I don't have much else to write here. I'd be happy with just about anything that involves Justine and/or Claire. Fixit fic where the ending doesn't happen? Sure. An alternate universe? Why not! I can't imagine a truly happy story for these two, but if you can, write it! I'm cool with any tone.

The film is currently in theaters, available On Demand, and here, to watch or download.
And I realize it's neither here nor there, really, but there's a list of the fandoms I'm offering to write (the better to guess me with!):

Bucket fandoms: Atonement, Baby Mama, Bandits, Black Swan, Bridesmaids, The Class, Mean Girls, Our Idiot Brother, The Runaways, Up All Night
Partials: Parks & Recreation, Party Down, The Playboy Club, Actor RPF

And can I just note that someone WHO ISN'T ME nominated the BEST MUSICAL EVER and ONLY NOMINATED FEMALE CHARACTERS? *SQUEEZES TINY FANDOM*