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Yuletide letter 2018
Hello Yuletide author!
Yuletide is a highlight of my year, every year. I'm so glad you're participating and you like some of the same stuff that I do! I'm going to include some extra information below. If you're someone who finds that helpful, read on; if you're not, it's all good! Mostly I yell "love" over and over again. I JUST LOVE THINGS A LOT.
Things that I love: Friendships and family (found family and blood-related family), teams coming together, romance, domesticity; people being concerned about, caring for, and protecting each other. I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort and people just really liking each other! I love humor, competence, banter, ridiculous fluffy tropes (fake dating/fake married! cuddling for warmth! holiday content, where appropriate! fic with epistolary elements or that makes use of social media! ok those last few aren't tropes, but I like them anyway), action, and happy or hopeful endings. I'm fine with sex scenes as long as they work in the context of the story; same goes for violence.
Things that aren't my jam: Incest, rape, infidelity, torture, non-canon character death, romantic relationships with big age or power imbalances (ie: boss/employee, teacher/student, a/b/o). I'm also not into porn without plot or gay-for-you (aka 'I'm straight, I just love this one person who contradicts that; no really, I'm super straight!!!').
I actually love alternate-setting AU's, but the canons that I've requested have such tiny fandoms that, unless I specifically mention an AU prompt for a certain request, I'd prefer to read straight-up canon fic for them.
In other places on the internet, I'm![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
growingintheweeds and ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Lexie. I've listed my Tumblr tag for each fandom below! (Sorry the book/webcomic tags are short; there's so much less readymade content out there! Rest assured that I'm greedily reblogging all the content in my heart!)
HIStory2-越界 | HIStory2: Crossing the Line (2018) - webseries with subs (needs VPN for Taiwan) / webseries with subs (YouTube) | tumblr tag
Xia Yu Hau; Qiu Zi Xuan
Optional details: Yu Hao and Zi Xuan are so charming and they're so charmed by each other! I would love to read about what happens after the series ends. Studying together, going on dates, cooking together again? Meeting families? Big volleyball games or figuring out how to date around all the very practical/real obstacles that Zi Xuan laid out in his big speech at the end of the series?? I LOVE IT ALL. Or: we didn't get nearly as much insight into Zi Xuan's perspective -- what had him so spooked about the feelings he was clearly having (I mean, obviously his sister liking Yu Hao, for one thing), and what changed his mind after that conversation with Cheng En? I just love these two and would love to read about them navigating their new relationship and finding their way together!
Oh fuck this show is the sweetest. Yu Hao with the pining and the TOP TIER HEART EYES, holy hell. I love settling-into-new-relationship stories and am always sad when canon ends with two characters getting together (as lovely and deeply satisfying as this particular get-together was; THAT KISS THO), so post-canon fic would be fantastic. Basically any time you have a piece of media where two kind characters take turns taking care of each other, and take the time to learn about things that are important to each other, and tenderly watch each other sleep and someone gently removes somebody else’s glasses (TWICE), that's going to be my kryptonite, bye!!
I loved that you think he's going to be a bad boy character but it turns out Yu Hao is a big softy and a (mischievous and hotheaded, granted) cinnamon roll who wants to help the volleyball team succeed and make his mom proud, and he's just so goofy (his obnoxious victory dances!). I also really appreciated that he just straight-up accepted his raging crush on Zi Xuan from the get-go. He just so genuinely likes and deeply respects Zi Xuan!! I really love stories where characters figure out new ways to push forward and achieve their dreams after unexpected setbacks, so Zi Xuan's trajectory from 'it doesn't matter if I hurt my injured leg again since I can't play volleyball anymore anyway' to 'I'm going to double major in computer science and sports management and become the best volleyball coach of all time' was just ... a lot. Like, stick a fork in me, I’m done.
The volleyball in the series itself was kind of hilarious, in re: how divorced it was from the story and how low-stakes the one game felt (Zi Xuan literally didn't even teach Yu Hao the rules!!), so it could be interesting to incorporate the volleyball more into a narrative? But I'm also not at all wedded to that as an idea, since, you know, it wasn't particularly important in the show!
Notes about other characters, in case you are someone who likes to know these things: 1) I enjoy Yu Hao's friendship with the WenWu bros but the stepbrothers-in-love thing is not for me. I'm okay with where the show left things between the two of them and would be okay with that continuing in the background in fic, but would prefer not to read about them getting together and/or navigating romance feelings. 2) Zi Xuan's sister complex is hilarious and I like Quan Ru and love their relationship. When Zi Xuan is apologizing about the whole sister-confession scene, Yu Hao says, 'I know, your sister explained it to me' -- did she go find him after the fact and plead her brother's case?! 3) Zi Xuan's friendship with He Cheng En is ridiculous and I love them.
How to Be a Werewolf - webcomic | tumblr tag
Malaya Dysangco Walters; Vincent Dysangco Walters
Optional details: I love Malaya and Vincent's relationship! They're so close and supportive of each other but also give each other endless shit, which is my favorite sibling content forever. I would love to read about them at really any point in time, childhood through the time period covered by the comic or beyond! Being protective of each other as kids? Malaya making the shift from her little-kid jealousy of the new baby/toddler to their closer relationship? Teenage-Vincent taking her on a drive once he gets his driver's license? Working in the family garden? Something set in the future, with Malaya taking classes at the university or moving into her own place or being a sounding board as Vince starts to think about his sexuality? Honestly I'll be really happy with Mal and Vincent doing anything together!
I think they have a really interesting dynamic, because while Malaya's the older sibling, she's spent her whole life only going as far as the coffee shop and the university, and Vincent watches out for her. I love that what it takes to ground her and help her transform back into human, after she's wolfed out, is hugging Vincent and seeing he's okay. I love that they watch Scandal (and presumably other shows) together and bicker in Tagalog and English over avoiding spoilers on the internet, and pick out clothes for each other at the mall and Vincent twirls Malaya in the dressing room. I just love them!
I've loved watching Malaya start to open up and take risks in the comic; she's so kind and brave and funny. And I've loved how proud Vincent and their parents are. The way that her characteristics as a person carry over when she's transformed as a wolf is delightful -- god, the panels where, as a massive ferocious wolf, she's standing there wringing her paws or hugging her parents. Also Vincent's flat faces are fucking hilarious; some of his reaction panels have made me legitimately shout with laughter. I love that while he's stoic, quiet, and a little grumpy, he also doesn't hesitate to tell his sister he loves her and he makes amazing deadpan puns.
Added info on other characters in case it's helpful: The Dysangco Walters parents are lovely and I'd be down if you wanted to write about the family as a whole! I love/ship the heck out of Vincent and Eli (I tend to read Vince as demiromantic and pansexual, mostly based on this page, but also don't have strong feelings!), and obviously also MarMar. Charlene is marvelous. I'm not super invested in Connie's crew of werewolves, but otherwise, I love everyone and the world is your oyster. I know this is a weekly-updating canon and just for the record, I'm not tied to canon here -- if you want to write stuff that's set in the future or that may be contradicted by the comic, go for it; I'm not a stickler for canon like that!
Sins of the Cities series by KJ Charles - tumblr tag
Justin Lazarus; Mark Braglewicz
Optional details: The second I finished this series, I knew that I was going to ask for Braglewicz & Lazarus, Private Enquiry Agents, for Yuletide. We missed a lot of their investigating on the Moreton case, during Pen's POV -- the two of them identifying Frankie's body in the mortuary or discussing the case? Post-canon casefic about an entirely new case, as serious or as lighthearted as you'd like? Bonding on a boring stakeout or hanging out at the Jack and Knave? Moving into their new office? I just want to see more of them becoming partners/friends!
God, I've read An Unnatural Vice in particular so many times. I love Mark's steadiness and Justin's ... I mean, let's be real, I love Justin's everything, but in particular what I enjoy about the two of them is the interplay of Mark's straightforward approach with Justin's sharp sneakiness and coming at everything sideways, and their shared bluntness and refusal to tolerate bullshit, and compatible senses of humor. Honestly I can't even count the number of times I laughed out loud at one or both of them while reading this series! They're both so meticulous and snarky and overwhelmingly competent (and both so excellent at skewering Nathaniel); no wonder they appreciate each other.
In An Unsuitable Heir, there's the line: "Mark had stood with Justin in the mortuary, looking down at [Frankie's] river-bloated corpse; he'd seen his new partner's face." That single line was A Lot; I would read more about that. On the lighter side of things, Mark says that being an enquiry agent is mostly about finding lost dogs and lost letters, and I would be delighted to read about Mark and Justin hunting down a missing dog or any kind of case that isn't fog, bigamy, torture, and murder! I just think they could have a beautiful(/slightly ridiculous) friendship and would love to read more about it in any kind of circumstances, from cases to slice-of-life fic.
If it's helpful to know my feelings on other characters: I love Pen to pieces and I ship everybody with their canon partners, including Mark/Pen and Justin/Nathaniel. Justin's little grifter fam makes my heart sing (I could see Sukey being interested in detective work and would totally enjoy fic about that!). I really dig the whole supporting crew from the Jack and Knave, and Greta is wonderful. Basically for anyone you might like to include, there's no losing here!
Sungkyunkwan Scandal - tumblr tag
Moon Jae-shin; Gu Yong-ha
Optional details: I love the entire Jalgeum quartet with everything in me, but Yong-ha and Jae-shin hold a special place in my heart. I'd love to read anything about them, along any point in the timeline of their friendship - meeting as kids? I can only imagine what in god's name Yong-ha was like as a child. Running around as teenagers, having misadventures as young adults, Yong-ha guilting Jae-shin into going to class, exploring their lives after the end of the series or after 'the end' but before that little epilogue, Jae-shin saving the day (Yong-ha's always the one to swoop in and save Jae-shin's [usually copiously-bleeding] bacon, WHICH I LOVE, but turning the tables could be interesting!), a modern AU where Jae-shin runs a seditious blog?? I'm game for anything! I love the push and pull of their relationship, and while I do ship it, I'm super happy to read them as bff's, as well.
My god. This show. I love so many things about Sungkyunkwan Scandal (unapologetic feminism! sports training montages! puppy piles! ROOMMATE SHENANIGANS!), but most of all, it's the friendships. (I only requested Yong-ha and Jae-shin because they're my heart of hearts, but in case it's helpful, I feel that YOON-HEE and Sun-joon [and also Yoon-hee/Sun-joon] are so great too!) I didn't write this post but I might as well have -- it very neatly encapsulates so much of what I love about Sungkyunkwan Scandal (as well as my frustrations). Also I will always appreciate this show for bringing the phrase "The homosexual is me" into my daily vocabulary. Bless u, SKKS.
The long history behind Yong-ha and Jae-shin's friendship appeals to me, as does their entire button-pushing (and face-pushing) dynamic -- Yong-ha's fabulousness and entire troll life (and the fact that he is an absolute coward about ridiculous things but has balls of steel when it counts), Jae-shin's faily gruffness hiding a tortured idealist/poet/faily hiccuping dweeb's interior... I was pretty fascinated by Yong-ha openly admitting to his raging case of feelings for Jae-shin and I'd be interested to see it explored, but will be happy too if you'd rather go in a less shippy direction! I was also interested in the 11th hour appearance of Yong-ha's father and what in the f that relationship/those expectations were like. Out of everything in the show, I was probably the least interested in the political intrigue, so this is one request where I'd absolutely love an AU if you felt like setting the characters in a different time!
In case it's helpful to have as background knowledge, when it comes to other characters, I love Yoon-hee SO MUCH, and I ship Yoon-hee and Sun-joon. I also love Cho-sun!
The Turner series by Cat Sebastian - tumblr tag
Julian Medlock; Eleanor, Lady Standish
Optional details: Eleanor and Julian's conflict from the book felt unfinished to me; I would love to see what it looks like for them to start mending their relationship afterward. Or as kids in India -- in happy moments together and/or with Ned, or supporting each other in tougher moments like when Julian's sick or they're struggling with their grandfather's expectations. What was it like when they first got to England? I so want to see more of them together!
Honestly, I felt a little sad when it comes to Eleanor and Julian's relationship. This was one of those cases where I found what the narrative told us about them really interesting, but then the two of them didn't actually interact all that much. We heard a lot about how important Eleanor is to Julian (and vice versa), but they didn't spend as much time together as I'd hoped during the book.
Their last actual conversation was their massive dust-up upon the reveal of Julian's relationship with Courtenay. What the book has to say about it: "He and Eleanor had apologized to one another profusely and apologetically." Missed opportunity! Show me what their make-up conversation(s) looked like, and how they got closer again afterward? And post-canon, presumably Julian won't dress Eleanor like Painfully Prim and Proper Barbie anymore; does Eleanor start picking her own dresses? Wearing trousers? Julian was lonely and walled-off, pre-canon, and Eleanor was painfully sad and clearly struggling, and I would happily read happier times for them! I love Eleanor's scientific brilliance and business acumen, and I wished Julian had been more supportive of her work instead of seeing it as a social liability as he did early in the book.
Or I'd love to read about earlier times, with Eleanor taking care of Julian when he suffered from bouts of malaria and keeping him entertained while he convalesced, or what their childhood was like. What did it look like to have a determined teenage boy ruthlessly negotiating his sister's betrothal (oh Julian)? How was it for Eleanor, making that choice to go to England?
Other character knowledges!: I ship all things canon, including Eleanor/Ned and Julian/Courtenay. Eleanor and Courtenay's friendship gives me life! I also love Charlotte and Oliver and their budding friendship with Julian.
Yuletide is a highlight of my year, every year. I'm so glad you're participating and you like some of the same stuff that I do! I'm going to include some extra information below. If you're someone who finds that helpful, read on; if you're not, it's all good! Mostly I yell "love" over and over again. I JUST LOVE THINGS A LOT.
Things that I love: Friendships and family (found family and blood-related family), teams coming together, romance, domesticity; people being concerned about, caring for, and protecting each other. I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort and people just really liking each other! I love humor, competence, banter, ridiculous fluffy tropes (fake dating/fake married! cuddling for warmth! holiday content, where appropriate! fic with epistolary elements or that makes use of social media! ok those last few aren't tropes, but I like them anyway), action, and happy or hopeful endings. I'm fine with sex scenes as long as they work in the context of the story; same goes for violence.
Things that aren't my jam: Incest, rape, infidelity, torture, non-canon character death, romantic relationships with big age or power imbalances (ie: boss/employee, teacher/student, a/b/o). I'm also not into porn without plot or gay-for-you (aka 'I'm straight, I just love this one person who contradicts that; no really, I'm super straight!!!').
I actually love alternate-setting AU's, but the canons that I've requested have such tiny fandoms that, unless I specifically mention an AU prompt for a certain request, I'd prefer to read straight-up canon fic for them.
In other places on the internet, I'm
HIStory2-越界 | HIStory2: Crossing the Line (2018) - webseries with subs (needs VPN for Taiwan) / webseries with subs (YouTube) | tumblr tag
Xia Yu Hau; Qiu Zi Xuan
Optional details: Yu Hao and Zi Xuan are so charming and they're so charmed by each other! I would love to read about what happens after the series ends. Studying together, going on dates, cooking together again? Meeting families? Big volleyball games or figuring out how to date around all the very practical/real obstacles that Zi Xuan laid out in his big speech at the end of the series?? I LOVE IT ALL. Or: we didn't get nearly as much insight into Zi Xuan's perspective -- what had him so spooked about the feelings he was clearly having (I mean, obviously his sister liking Yu Hao, for one thing), and what changed his mind after that conversation with Cheng En? I just love these two and would love to read about them navigating their new relationship and finding their way together!
Oh fuck this show is the sweetest. Yu Hao with the pining and the TOP TIER HEART EYES, holy hell. I love settling-into-new-relationship stories and am always sad when canon ends with two characters getting together (as lovely and deeply satisfying as this particular get-together was; THAT KISS THO), so post-canon fic would be fantastic. Basically any time you have a piece of media where two kind characters take turns taking care of each other, and take the time to learn about things that are important to each other, and tenderly watch each other sleep and someone gently removes somebody else’s glasses (TWICE), that's going to be my kryptonite, bye!!
I loved that you think he's going to be a bad boy character but it turns out Yu Hao is a big softy and a (mischievous and hotheaded, granted) cinnamon roll who wants to help the volleyball team succeed and make his mom proud, and he's just so goofy (his obnoxious victory dances!). I also really appreciated that he just straight-up accepted his raging crush on Zi Xuan from the get-go. He just so genuinely likes and deeply respects Zi Xuan!! I really love stories where characters figure out new ways to push forward and achieve their dreams after unexpected setbacks, so Zi Xuan's trajectory from 'it doesn't matter if I hurt my injured leg again since I can't play volleyball anymore anyway' to 'I'm going to double major in computer science and sports management and become the best volleyball coach of all time' was just ... a lot. Like, stick a fork in me, I’m done.
The volleyball in the series itself was kind of hilarious, in re: how divorced it was from the story and how low-stakes the one game felt (Zi Xuan literally didn't even teach Yu Hao the rules!!), so it could be interesting to incorporate the volleyball more into a narrative? But I'm also not at all wedded to that as an idea, since, you know, it wasn't particularly important in the show!
Notes about other characters, in case you are someone who likes to know these things: 1) I enjoy Yu Hao's friendship with the WenWu bros but the stepbrothers-in-love thing is not for me. I'm okay with where the show left things between the two of them and would be okay with that continuing in the background in fic, but would prefer not to read about them getting together and/or navigating romance feelings. 2) Zi Xuan's sister complex is hilarious and I like Quan Ru and love their relationship. When Zi Xuan is apologizing about the whole sister-confession scene, Yu Hao says, 'I know, your sister explained it to me' -- did she go find him after the fact and plead her brother's case?! 3) Zi Xuan's friendship with He Cheng En is ridiculous and I love them.
How to Be a Werewolf - webcomic | tumblr tag
Malaya Dysangco Walters; Vincent Dysangco Walters
Optional details: I love Malaya and Vincent's relationship! They're so close and supportive of each other but also give each other endless shit, which is my favorite sibling content forever. I would love to read about them at really any point in time, childhood through the time period covered by the comic or beyond! Being protective of each other as kids? Malaya making the shift from her little-kid jealousy of the new baby/toddler to their closer relationship? Teenage-Vincent taking her on a drive once he gets his driver's license? Working in the family garden? Something set in the future, with Malaya taking classes at the university or moving into her own place or being a sounding board as Vince starts to think about his sexuality? Honestly I'll be really happy with Mal and Vincent doing anything together!
I think they have a really interesting dynamic, because while Malaya's the older sibling, she's spent her whole life only going as far as the coffee shop and the university, and Vincent watches out for her. I love that what it takes to ground her and help her transform back into human, after she's wolfed out, is hugging Vincent and seeing he's okay. I love that they watch Scandal (and presumably other shows) together and bicker in Tagalog and English over avoiding spoilers on the internet, and pick out clothes for each other at the mall and Vincent twirls Malaya in the dressing room. I just love them!
I've loved watching Malaya start to open up and take risks in the comic; she's so kind and brave and funny. And I've loved how proud Vincent and their parents are. The way that her characteristics as a person carry over when she's transformed as a wolf is delightful -- god, the panels where, as a massive ferocious wolf, she's standing there wringing her paws or hugging her parents. Also Vincent's flat faces are fucking hilarious; some of his reaction panels have made me legitimately shout with laughter. I love that while he's stoic, quiet, and a little grumpy, he also doesn't hesitate to tell his sister he loves her and he makes amazing deadpan puns.
Added info on other characters in case it's helpful: The Dysangco Walters parents are lovely and I'd be down if you wanted to write about the family as a whole! I love/ship the heck out of Vincent and Eli (I tend to read Vince as demiromantic and pansexual, mostly based on this page, but also don't have strong feelings!), and obviously also MarMar. Charlene is marvelous. I'm not super invested in Connie's crew of werewolves, but otherwise, I love everyone and the world is your oyster. I know this is a weekly-updating canon and just for the record, I'm not tied to canon here -- if you want to write stuff that's set in the future or that may be contradicted by the comic, go for it; I'm not a stickler for canon like that!
Sins of the Cities series by KJ Charles - tumblr tag
Justin Lazarus; Mark Braglewicz
Optional details: The second I finished this series, I knew that I was going to ask for Braglewicz & Lazarus, Private Enquiry Agents, for Yuletide. We missed a lot of their investigating on the Moreton case, during Pen's POV -- the two of them identifying Frankie's body in the mortuary or discussing the case? Post-canon casefic about an entirely new case, as serious or as lighthearted as you'd like? Bonding on a boring stakeout or hanging out at the Jack and Knave? Moving into their new office? I just want to see more of them becoming partners/friends!
God, I've read An Unnatural Vice in particular so many times. I love Mark's steadiness and Justin's ... I mean, let's be real, I love Justin's everything, but in particular what I enjoy about the two of them is the interplay of Mark's straightforward approach with Justin's sharp sneakiness and coming at everything sideways, and their shared bluntness and refusal to tolerate bullshit, and compatible senses of humor. Honestly I can't even count the number of times I laughed out loud at one or both of them while reading this series! They're both so meticulous and snarky and overwhelmingly competent (and both so excellent at skewering Nathaniel); no wonder they appreciate each other.
In An Unsuitable Heir, there's the line: "Mark had stood with Justin in the mortuary, looking down at [Frankie's] river-bloated corpse; he'd seen his new partner's face." That single line was A Lot; I would read more about that. On the lighter side of things, Mark says that being an enquiry agent is mostly about finding lost dogs and lost letters, and I would be delighted to read about Mark and Justin hunting down a missing dog or any kind of case that isn't fog, bigamy, torture, and murder! I just think they could have a beautiful(/slightly ridiculous) friendship and would love to read more about it in any kind of circumstances, from cases to slice-of-life fic.
If it's helpful to know my feelings on other characters: I love Pen to pieces and I ship everybody with their canon partners, including Mark/Pen and Justin/Nathaniel. Justin's little grifter fam makes my heart sing (I could see Sukey being interested in detective work and would totally enjoy fic about that!). I really dig the whole supporting crew from the Jack and Knave, and Greta is wonderful. Basically for anyone you might like to include, there's no losing here!
Sungkyunkwan Scandal - tumblr tag
Moon Jae-shin; Gu Yong-ha
Optional details: I love the entire Jalgeum quartet with everything in me, but Yong-ha and Jae-shin hold a special place in my heart. I'd love to read anything about them, along any point in the timeline of their friendship - meeting as kids? I can only imagine what in god's name Yong-ha was like as a child. Running around as teenagers, having misadventures as young adults, Yong-ha guilting Jae-shin into going to class, exploring their lives after the end of the series or after 'the end' but before that little epilogue, Jae-shin saving the day (Yong-ha's always the one to swoop in and save Jae-shin's [usually copiously-bleeding] bacon, WHICH I LOVE, but turning the tables could be interesting!), a modern AU where Jae-shin runs a seditious blog?? I'm game for anything! I love the push and pull of their relationship, and while I do ship it, I'm super happy to read them as bff's, as well.
My god. This show. I love so many things about Sungkyunkwan Scandal (unapologetic feminism! sports training montages! puppy piles! ROOMMATE SHENANIGANS!), but most of all, it's the friendships. (I only requested Yong-ha and Jae-shin because they're my heart of hearts, but in case it's helpful, I feel that YOON-HEE and Sun-joon [and also Yoon-hee/Sun-joon] are so great too!) I didn't write this post but I might as well have -- it very neatly encapsulates so much of what I love about Sungkyunkwan Scandal (as well as my frustrations). Also I will always appreciate this show for bringing the phrase "The homosexual is me" into my daily vocabulary. Bless u, SKKS.
The long history behind Yong-ha and Jae-shin's friendship appeals to me, as does their entire button-pushing (and face-pushing) dynamic -- Yong-ha's fabulousness and entire troll life (and the fact that he is an absolute coward about ridiculous things but has balls of steel when it counts), Jae-shin's faily gruffness hiding a tortured idealist/poet/faily hiccuping dweeb's interior... I was pretty fascinated by Yong-ha openly admitting to his raging case of feelings for Jae-shin and I'd be interested to see it explored, but will be happy too if you'd rather go in a less shippy direction! I was also interested in the 11th hour appearance of Yong-ha's father and what in the f that relationship/those expectations were like. Out of everything in the show, I was probably the least interested in the political intrigue, so this is one request where I'd absolutely love an AU if you felt like setting the characters in a different time!
In case it's helpful to have as background knowledge, when it comes to other characters, I love Yoon-hee SO MUCH, and I ship Yoon-hee and Sun-joon. I also love Cho-sun!
The Turner series by Cat Sebastian - tumblr tag
Julian Medlock; Eleanor, Lady Standish
Optional details: Eleanor and Julian's conflict from the book felt unfinished to me; I would love to see what it looks like for them to start mending their relationship afterward. Or as kids in India -- in happy moments together and/or with Ned, or supporting each other in tougher moments like when Julian's sick or they're struggling with their grandfather's expectations. What was it like when they first got to England? I so want to see more of them together!
Honestly, I felt a little sad when it comes to Eleanor and Julian's relationship. This was one of those cases where I found what the narrative told us about them really interesting, but then the two of them didn't actually interact all that much. We heard a lot about how important Eleanor is to Julian (and vice versa), but they didn't spend as much time together as I'd hoped during the book.
Their last actual conversation was their massive dust-up upon the reveal of Julian's relationship with Courtenay. What the book has to say about it: "He and Eleanor had apologized to one another profusely and apologetically." Missed opportunity! Show me what their make-up conversation(s) looked like, and how they got closer again afterward? And post-canon, presumably Julian won't dress Eleanor like Painfully Prim and Proper Barbie anymore; does Eleanor start picking her own dresses? Wearing trousers? Julian was lonely and walled-off, pre-canon, and Eleanor was painfully sad and clearly struggling, and I would happily read happier times for them! I love Eleanor's scientific brilliance and business acumen, and I wished Julian had been more supportive of her work instead of seeing it as a social liability as he did early in the book.
Or I'd love to read about earlier times, with Eleanor taking care of Julian when he suffered from bouts of malaria and keeping him entertained while he convalesced, or what their childhood was like. What did it look like to have a determined teenage boy ruthlessly negotiating his sister's betrothal (oh Julian)? How was it for Eleanor, making that choice to go to England?
Other character knowledges!: I ship all things canon, including Eleanor/Ned and Julian/Courtenay. Eleanor and Courtenay's friendship gives me life! I also love Charlotte and Oliver and their budding friendship with Julian.