serephemeral

Hi! Thanks so much for the time and energy you are putting into this exchange. I wish you an ease-filled writing process, and I hope that you have as much fun writing this story as I will surely have reading it!

In this letter: some things I enjoy in stories, my DNWs, my requests, and some prompts. With the exception of my DNWs, please take or leave these as is most useful to you in your creative process. If you're really excited about a prompt of mine, awesome! If your own inspiration wants to take you elsewhere, go for it!

Yuletide Mini-Challenges: Crueltide | Transtide | Yuleporn | Monstrous Tide

My ao3 username: serephemeral
Treats are welcome! 

LIKES

• Character-driven narratives, stories driven equally by plot and character, plotty stories with lots of juicy character development.
• Queer stories. I am bi/queer and have a giant soft spot for tender, nuanced portrayals of queer identities and queer love.
• Women loving each other, whether platonically, romantically, sexually, complicatedly, or all of the above.
• Characters making messy life choices that land them in delightfully awkward/occasionally painful situations. Characters learning and growing from the consequences of those choices. Stories that deal with the general theme of "well, well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions."
• Happy stories. Gentle, cozy stories. Fluff.
• Stories that weave hope into difficult or bittersweet circumstances. Stories about healing from trauma that don't do incredibly detailed, deep dives into the trauma.
• Also, stories about fucked up people doing fucked up things to one another and slowly becoming better. Traumatic situations and their fallout. Trauma that resolves by the end of the story; angsty stories that leave room for hope somewhere in the world of the story.
• Moments where characters show up for one another in little ways that demonstrate deep affection and care.
• Splashes of worldbuilding that convey the intricacy and vibrancy of the world beyond the story. Worldbuilding that focuses on mythology, history, and evolution of magical arts.
• AU space opera settings. Worldbuilding within those settings that gets into the intersections of magic and science + the history of space travel and exploration, and how these things interact with and re-shape existing mythologies.

Romance and Sex-Specific Likes

• Dynamics I enjoy: banter, banter that leads to deep conversations, characters being very competent at what they do and admiring each other's competence, characters holding one another after a big emotional event, touch contact that leads to blushing/yearning.
• Romance tropes I enjoy: slowburn, pining, desire that builds like a thunderstorm and then -- boom! Rivalmances, enemies to lovers, fake dating/marriage to real dating/marriage, falling in love/lust with the mark, falling in love/lust with a captive (or captor), hurt/comfort, power imbalances. Running away from feelings and slowly accepting those feelings. People understanding one another on a deep level and alternately wounding and healing each other through that understanding.
• I enjoy reading romance that features monogamy, ethical non-monogamy, and polyamory. My polyamory taste tends toward ot3s or foursomes simply because my brain sometimes has difficulty keeping track of larger polycules in fic.
• Smutty things I like: Talking: dirty talk, talk that baits someone into sex, banter during sex. Touching: first touches, hand-holding, face-touching, fingers/palms on necks, backs, thighs, wrists, in hair. Kissing: gentle, rough, everything in between. Biting. Fucking: ass play, cunnilingus, fight sex, fingering, fisting, frotting/clothed sex, nonpenetrative sex, rough sex, pegging, scissoring, strap-ons, telepathy and mindfucking, fucking against a wall. Cocksucking and facefucking, particularly when a strap-on is involved. Light, medium, and heavy kink and bdsm (ropes and sensory deprivation = perennial delight); especially enjoy women domming. Dubcon of the variety that suggests both parties are really into it by the end of the encounter. Tentacles. Oviposition. Rough sex that does not lead to serious or lasting injuries. Power dynamics and power play with clearly negotiated limits; power dynamics and power play that stops short of nonconsensual sex.

DO NOT WANTS

• Unrequested prominent themes of ableism, abuse (emotional, physical, sexual), animal cruelty, fatshaming, gender-based violence, harassment, homophobia, misogyny and gender discrimination, racism, rape, slavery, sexual assault, or transphobia.
• Graphic descriptions of violence and gore. Mentions of violence and wounds or injuries is okay; please no graphic, detailed descriptions.
• Forced religious conversion.
• High school, college, or coffee shop AUs; unrequested modern-day or real-world AUs; unrequested crossovers.
• Suicide and/or death of a requested character.

Romance and Sex-Specific Do Not Wants

• Adult/minor romantic or sexual relationships.
• Unrequested 24/7 d/s relationships, abuse, cruelty, excessive control, and/or excessive jealousy as features of a romance.
• Infidelity. I'm fine with two characters established as a couple in canon deciding to open their relationship, but I prefer that all parties enthusiastically consent to it.
• Sex DNWs: age play; a/b/o; daddy or mommy kink; fetishized fatness or weight; forced and/or fetishized pregnancy; master/slave relationships; misogyny in erotic play; rape/noncon; scat; sex acts that incorporate food outside of foreplay (happy if Partner A feeds Partner B a grape during a romantic dinner/while in bed; do not like whipped cream trails over bodies, fruit inserted into bodily orifices during sex, Cosmo-tips scenarios for incorporating food into sex); watersports.

If a character has experienced any of the things mentioned in my DNWs as part of their canon storyline, I am fine with this being referenced and used as part of their character arc as long as it is not the primary driver of the plot and/or new elements of character development.

Same for worldbuilding/universe consistency; if a canon I've requested has elements of any of the above as part of in-universe worldbuilding, please don't feel like you need to break the world in order to write me fic -- I'm fine if said elements are still a part of the world so long as they aren't a huge, central focus of the story. I request and strongly prefer that no new storylines with elements from my DNWs be added.

Thank you so much for your care in writing this story. On to my requests and prompts!

What a delight it is to have you here! Thank you so, so much for writing me fic! I'm deeply grateful for all the time and creative energy you are devoting to this exchange, and above all I wish you easy and joyous writing. May you have as much fun writing this fic as I will surely have reading it!

my ao3 username: serephemeral 

Should you find yourself curious about some of my specific likes, dislikes, and/or prompts, here they are! I hope they will be useful, with the caveat that of course your own inspiration will take you where it wants to go. With the exception of my DNWs, please take or leave these suggestions as is most useful and supportive to you in your writing process. 

LIKES 

- character-driven narratives, narratives driven equally by plot and character; I enjoy plot-centric fic most when it incorporates lots of juicy character moments! 
- queer stories. I am bi/queer and have a giant soft spot for tender and nuanced portrayals of bi+ identities. 
- stories about women loving each other, whether platonically, romantically, sexually, complexly, or all of the above. 
- characters making messy life choices &  learning and growing from the consequences of those choices. 
- happy stories; stories that end on hopeful notes; fluff; angsty stories that resolve or end on hopeful notes; melancholy or bittersweet stories that leave room for hope in the narrative and at the end; basically, stories that do not focus exclusively on doom, gloom, and utterly bleak themes. stories about healing from trauma that don't do incredibly deep dives into the trauma.  
- romance. good ol' slowburn; enemies to frenemies to rivals to friends to lovers to soulmates; pining; fake relationships/marriage to real relationships/marriage. 
- monogamy, ethical non-monogamy, polyamory (mostly in ot3 form -- more than 4 characters in a polycule gets a bit hard for my brain to navigate).  
- sex. touching, kissing, fucking. cunnilingus, fingering, fisting, strap-on sex, pegging. light to medium kink (ropes = hot). tentacles. biting. rough sex that doesn't lead to serious, lasting injuries. power dynamics & power play with clearly negotiated limits where safewords are respected.  
 

DO NOT WANT

- stories that incorporate prominent themes of racism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, rape, sexual assault, harassment, gender-based violence, fatshaming  
- stories that shame, demonize, and/or objectify disabilities and chronic illnesses 
- adult/minor romantic or sexual relationships 
- graphic descriptions of violence and gore (mentions are okay, explicit details less so) 
- boss/employee romantic or sexual relationships (okay if the couple were formerly boss & employee and one or both left their position & the power dynamic changed prior to the beginning of the romantic or sexual relationship) 
- age play; 24/7 d/s or master/slave relationships; alpha/beta/omega; misogyny as erotic play; daddy or mommy kink; incest; scat; forced pregnancy, fetishized pregnancy; weight play; sex acts that incorporate food outside of foreplay (happy if, say, a grape gets sexily dropped into someone's mouth; don't like whipped cream trails over bodies, fruit inserted into orifices, etc.); women sucking men's dicks.
-  forced religious conversion 
- high school or college AUs 
- suicide 

If a character has experienced any of these as a part of their canon storyline, I am fine with it being referenced & used as part of their arc and character growth so long as it is not the primary driver of plot and character.* I strongly prefer that no new storylines with these elements be added. Basically, I do not enjoy reading trauma porn! 

*I feel like this has a good chance of coming up if you are writing Esther & Vashti or Esther/Vashti! In this particular case, I am very fine with references to their shared past and a bit more focus on relevant trauma/oppression-based themes. Love to read two awesome women being fucking awesome together and overcoming shared trauma! 
 

PROMPTS 

I've copied my requests from ao3 here and included a few more details and thoughts. If any of this resonates with you, hurray! If not, totally fine! May your muse be kind and may this writing bring you so much joy! I will love reading whatever you create. <3 
 

The Good Place 

I've requested Eleanor, Tahani, Michael, and Janet. Please feel welcome to focus on these characters in whatever combination you like - you don't have to feature all four, but I would prefer at least two being featured in the fic. I am also fine with you including other characters from The Good Place in the narrative so long as their inclusion doesn't eclipse these four. Specific details about my likes and prompts can be found in my Dear Author Letter! 

General

I've really been feeling these four characters lately and would be happy to read them interacting in a ton of settings! I love reading stories about all kinds of relationships - why characters find each other wonderful, awful, fascinating, thrilling, etc. I enjoy stories where characters show up for one another in both little and large ways - everything from knowing each other's favorite tea & brewing a pot during a particularly stressful afternoon to saving the world together. I love some of the more metaphysical worldbuilding I've encountered in this fandom: if you're inspired to play with cosmology, whimsy, the beautiful and terrible aspects of the supernatural, I'd be very excited to read something in that realm. The writers and showrunners have given us such a goldmine with reboot-fic, and I'm always down to read about characters building relationships/fucking up/etc. in one or multiple reboots. I love the little moments we get of Michael and Janet picking up human traits together and would love to read about sweet moments/conversations they've had about this. For romantic & sex-specific prompts, see below...

Shipping

• Eleanor/Tahani: I love these two so much and am always looking for more good romance and smut featuring them. Especially delightful as I contemplate Yuletide: slowburn romance (possibly across multiple reboots); wedding planning that culminates in eloping; friendly spa date that turns into sexy spa date; Tahani realizing she loves Eleanor while they do the most Arizona thing ever, and/or Eleanor realizing she loves Tahani while they do the most obnoxious rich person thing ever. 

• Eleanor/Michael: I've been stealth shipping these two for some time, but it's only grown stronger during the current season. The way he looks at Eleanor, y'all, especially during her whole "I'm just a girl from Arizona!" breakdown. And then the writers did this. And lo, my monsterfucker self SWOONED. I am thirsty for the followup scene where Eleanor can't get the better of her own curiosity and long-simmering tensions boil over, where Michael the Reformed Demon Fire Squid is tender and vulnerable about his monstrous self and then they FUCK IT OUT with those fire-tentacles in a way that is so good it HURTS. In less monsterfucker prompts: Janet the Michael/Eleanor matchmaker; Janet guessing Michael's feelings for Eleanor (or vice versa), and Michael (or Eleanor) breaking down to Janet about those feelings & having a tender friend moment; Michael and Eleanor must fake date for some absurd reason and then they fall in love? 

• Tahani/Janet: these two are both such powerhouses in their own right, I want to know what would happen if they mutually crushed. Or pined. Other than my general romance & sex likes, I have very little in the way of prompts for this ship - I'm just so curious to read people's takes on it! I think I would enjoy kinky Tahani/Janet, especially with domme!Tahani and sub!Janet. (The relief it must be to just let go of all that knowledge and responsibility and let someone competent take care of you and your needs...) 

• Debbie/Lou: honestly, anything involving them being gay, doing crimes, flirting, and having sex. Semi-public sex with high stakes starring these two would be SO fun to read. Fic featuring Lou's motorcycle is a huge Y E S for me! 

• Debbie/Tammy or Debbie/Lou/Tammy: I'm just so into Debbie and Tammy as bitter exes. I'd read fic about them before they became bitter exes; fic about them fucking out bitter ex feelings; fic about Debbie and Lou trying to make a little peace with Tammy through seduction and sex (and it working). My preference for this is that Tammy is divorced, if possible. 

• Daphne/woman or women: my "I don't have specific ideas but I'm so down to read it if you do" entry for this fandom. :) 

Tanakh & Midrash 

I've requested Esther and Vashti. I prefer both characters be featured in this fic. I am also fine with you including other characters from the story of Esther as long as they their inclusion doesn't eclipse these two. Specific details about my likes and prompts can be found in my Dear Author Letter! 

General
 
There's something that is SO appealing to me about a modern-day retelling or setting for Esther & Vashti. Or a futuristic/space setting with interplanetary politics and conflict --  think Jupiter Ascending meets Dirty Computer meets Judaism. But honestly, any setting will be fine by me! As mentioned in all my gen prompts: I love reading stories about all kinds of relationships - why characters find each other wonderful, awful, fascinating, thrilling, etc. I enjoy stories where characters show up for one another in both little and large ways - everything from knowing each other's favorite tea & brewing a pot during a particularly stressful afternoon to saving the world together.

Shipping

• I would LOVE me some Esther/Vashti in whatever form you'd be down to write.  

Oz - L. Frank Baum 

I've requested Ozma, Dorothy, Polychrome, and Glinda. I would be happy to read character-based fic around any single character, but have a slight preference for at least two of these characters being featured in this fic. I am also fine with you including other characters from the Oz cannon, provided they aren't in the oh-dear-L.-Frank-Baum-was-racist category, and would prefer that if you include other characters the majority of them are not men. Specific details about my likes and prompts can be found in my Dear Author Letter! 

General 

I love the whimsy of Oz, the spiraling elegant oddness that makes it feel so in tune with Faerie. I would love to read fic that weaves in the cheery fantastic and the razor's-edge danger that can come with living in Oz - tonally, something that is very rooted in the Oz of the children's series, but that tackles mature themes in frank terms. I'm so curious about magic in Oz, and becoming a more powerful magic user; how any and all of these women express relationships with the land/elements; about the way these women know and show up for and love one another; about what they do for everyday fun; about the ways the ones who are younger in the books handle challenges as they grow older. This is one fandom where I'd prefer not to read modern-day real-world AUs, if possible. As mentioned in all my gen prompts: I love reading stories about all kinds of relationships - why characters find each other wonderful, awful, fascinating, thrilling, etc. I enjoy stories where characters show up for one another in both little and large ways - everything from knowing each other's favorite tea & brewing a pot during a particularly stressful afternoon to saving the world together.

Shipping 

• Dorothy/Ozma: I want to know about the first time they kiss! How do these two fall in love -- how do they realize they've fallen in love? Do they pine? (Oh, please let them pine.) Does older Dorothy ever miss our world? How would Ozma respond or comfort her? I'd love to read soft queer femme rituals of hair-brushing and styling, sitting with each other and talking feelings...and hard queer femme Dorothy and Ozma kicking magical ass, getting a little bruised and battered...and any style of sex. Anything from tender, sweet kisses and gentle fucking to them getting rough with each other! I am also down to read stories that reflect on Ozma's gender in a joyful, nontraumatic context - trans woman Ozma/genderqueer femme Ozma are SO important to me and so welcome in your fic! 

• Polychrome/a woman or women: my "I don't have specific ideas but I'm so down to read it if you do" entry for this fandom. :) 
  
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