Dear Author Letter (Worldbuilding)
Mar. 14th, 2026 06:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fawatsonThank you for writing my request. I really hope you have fun with it, enjoying the prompts you received. In this letter I am providing optional details, because I understand they can be helpful. If you prefer to write something different, I am sure I will enjoy that too. I hope this letter is helpful; I am sorry it is so long.
( Look here for my requests and tips about what I like )
( Look here for my requests and tips about what I like )
various things make a post: work, other work, home decor, fanfic, and Fallen London
Mar. 12th, 2026 09:27 pmedenfallingIt has been kind of a trip living in a Minneapolis suburb these past few months, but I think on the whole I prefer not to get into any of that here.
In general, life continues. I ruthlessly yanked my little section of payroll (mileage tracking and reimbursements) out of chaos into proper organization, and then a coworker I have never personally interacted with got promoted to assistant manager and assigned all the tasks upper management had been trying to foist onto me. Which, on the one hand, I am glad to be free of a task I didn't want in the first place (to say nothing of the sweet release of not dealing with the executive director), but on the other it's annoying to have somebody else reap the fruit of my labors.
Ah well. One moves on.
I am working pretty minimal hours at Not The IRS this year, which is reasonable since I am new locally and don't have a pre-existing client base. But I have been making a good impression on various walk-ins and drop-offs and people who just scheduled an appointment with whoever's available, so next year I should have some repeat/request clients as well as clients of opportunity. I think I really must buckle down and up my certification level, as well as get our in-house small business certification, because that will make me more likely to show up as "the best match for YOU, dear client!" in our various scheduling programs. I have been lazy about testing up because my old office knew I am actually qualified to be a level 4 (or 4.5ish) tax preparer despite only officially ranking as level 3, but unofficial ranks don't transfer like official ones, alas.
I am slowly getting my new apartment in order. All the basic stuff has been done for ages, but I still have some boxes I should unpack and tidy away, my kitchen needs more organizing, and I have yet to hang a few pieces of art. But I bought a new armchair and some nice throw pillows at Ikea recently, so I am good on the furniture front. I think I keep putting stuff off because I want to kind of spend an entire weekend doing Household Tasks, but obviously I won't HAVE an entire weekend until tax season is over. It's a silly psychological block, but annoyingly persistent.
Hmm. Also I have been reading a lot of heavily trope-laden Harry Potter fic lately, sort of returning to my fandom roots. I feel ambivalent about this because, you know, Rowling and her everything (may she die in a fire), but a lot of people still writing for HP have taken an attitude of "Fuck you, you transphobic neo-Nazi asshole, you don't get to steal and destroy a huge part of my childhood," and putting in all kinds of things specifically because she's expressed disapproval of them. Which is kind of nice.
I have to be wary when looking through people's AO3 bookmarks, because a lot of the tropes I am currently wallowing in tend to come with a side of "let's bash Ron and Hermione in order to set [fill in character(s)] up as better friends for Harry!" and I cannot be having with that. There is also quite a lot of Ginny-bashing (but not Neville or Luna), which irritates me because Ginny's (still) (always) my girl and the particular flavor of that bashing leans HEAVILY misogynistic. :(
Also I am having way too much fun playing Fallen London. I did try to narrow my focus to one plot thread at a time after initially running around and sticking my nose into everything, but the game really encourages sticking one's nose into everything so right now I have about two dozen things going and I focus on whichever one speaks to me on a given day. I remain a Watchful Lady in search of my Nemesis (my brother's murderer), but I have backburnered that plot until I get up to level 7 in all the Name quests and crank all my base stats to at least 100. (Currently my Persuasive is lagging. I keep getting distracted from seducing the Barbed Wit.) Then I think I will let the Ambitious Barrister make me a person of some minor importance (I backburnered that too; she's been sitting in my lodgings for DAYS, whoops!), after which I shall at long last embark on a voyage to Venderbight in search of the brother-killing asshole who I am definitely gonna shank one of these nights. :)
In general, life continues. I ruthlessly yanked my little section of payroll (mileage tracking and reimbursements) out of chaos into proper organization, and then a coworker I have never personally interacted with got promoted to assistant manager and assigned all the tasks upper management had been trying to foist onto me. Which, on the one hand, I am glad to be free of a task I didn't want in the first place (to say nothing of the sweet release of not dealing with the executive director), but on the other it's annoying to have somebody else reap the fruit of my labors.
Ah well. One moves on.
I am working pretty minimal hours at Not The IRS this year, which is reasonable since I am new locally and don't have a pre-existing client base. But I have been making a good impression on various walk-ins and drop-offs and people who just scheduled an appointment with whoever's available, so next year I should have some repeat/request clients as well as clients of opportunity. I think I really must buckle down and up my certification level, as well as get our in-house small business certification, because that will make me more likely to show up as "the best match for YOU, dear client!" in our various scheduling programs. I have been lazy about testing up because my old office knew I am actually qualified to be a level 4 (or 4.5ish) tax preparer despite only officially ranking as level 3, but unofficial ranks don't transfer like official ones, alas.
I am slowly getting my new apartment in order. All the basic stuff has been done for ages, but I still have some boxes I should unpack and tidy away, my kitchen needs more organizing, and I have yet to hang a few pieces of art. But I bought a new armchair and some nice throw pillows at Ikea recently, so I am good on the furniture front. I think I keep putting stuff off because I want to kind of spend an entire weekend doing Household Tasks, but obviously I won't HAVE an entire weekend until tax season is over. It's a silly psychological block, but annoyingly persistent.
Hmm. Also I have been reading a lot of heavily trope-laden Harry Potter fic lately, sort of returning to my fandom roots. I feel ambivalent about this because, you know, Rowling and her everything (may she die in a fire), but a lot of people still writing for HP have taken an attitude of "Fuck you, you transphobic neo-Nazi asshole, you don't get to steal and destroy a huge part of my childhood," and putting in all kinds of things specifically because she's expressed disapproval of them. Which is kind of nice.
I have to be wary when looking through people's AO3 bookmarks, because a lot of the tropes I am currently wallowing in tend to come with a side of "let's bash Ron and Hermione in order to set [fill in character(s)] up as better friends for Harry!" and I cannot be having with that. There is also quite a lot of Ginny-bashing (but not Neville or Luna), which irritates me because Ginny's (still) (always) my girl and the particular flavor of that bashing leans HEAVILY misogynistic. :(
Also I am having way too much fun playing Fallen London. I did try to narrow my focus to one plot thread at a time after initially running around and sticking my nose into everything, but the game really encourages sticking one's nose into everything so right now I have about two dozen things going and I focus on whichever one speaks to me on a given day. I remain a Watchful Lady in search of my Nemesis (my brother's murderer), but I have backburnered that plot until I get up to level 7 in all the Name quests and crank all my base stats to at least 100. (Currently my Persuasive is lagging. I keep getting distracted from seducing the Barbed Wit.) Then I think I will let the Ambitious Barrister make me a person of some minor importance (I backburnered that too; she's been sitting in my lodgings for DAYS, whoops!), after which I shall at long last embark on a voyage to Venderbight in search of the brother-killing asshole who I am definitely gonna shank one of these nights. :)
wednesday reads
Mar. 11th, 2026 05:26 pmisisWhat I've recently finished reading:
The Princess Bride by William Goldman, which - I might have read years and years ago? Or I might have seen the movie (though I don't remember doing so)? Or maybe I just knew a lot about it by osmosis and because of the way certain things about it became memes, so I thought I had read it, but really never had. I don't know. Anyway, I read it because I wanted something light and silly to counteract recent more difficult reading and even more difficult current events, and it fit the bill.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which I read and enjoyed despite DNFing The Martian due to finding it powerfully boring. (I liked the movie version! I think the story was fine, but the various supporting characters all felt like cardboard cutouts to me.) Here, the initial hook - the POV character waking up with amnesia on what he eventually determines is a spaceship - was very much up my alley, a trope I love! The various supporting characters that appeared in the flashbacks were definitely better than cardboard cutouts, though sometimes they felt a bit stock. However, they ultimately weren't very important, and I really bought into the book with gusto when...
Okay, I read this book basically unspoiled, in that I knew that the main character was on a desperate space mission to save Earth from some sort of extinction event, but that was it. So I'm going to spoiler-cut the rest, just in case someone reading this hasn't read this book, so that you may have the same experience I had.
There are still misunderstandings and near-fatal disasters and scary adventures, enough to make it a compelling, engaging read. I thought the ending was perfect, and I look forward to seeing the movie eventually! In conclusion, ROCKY MY BELOVED ♥♥♥
The Unicorn Hunter by Katherine Arden, which I read as e-ARC from NetGalley. Arden's One True Story (based on the books by her I've read) is that of a woman constrained by her sex and her circumstances who strives for the agency to direct her own life and protect what she cares about. This book is about a slightly-fantasy alternate-universe Anne of Brittany, who chafes against the fate she and her country are headed for: she will be forced to marry the King of France, bringing Brittany for annexation as her dowry.
To avoid this, in desperation she arranges a secret betrothal to France's enemy, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilien. However, in this version of the world, rulers have diviners who can discern events happening at a distance, and send messages back and forth; to keep it secret, she holds the proxy wedding in the enchanted forest of Brocéliande, which diviners can't penetrate at risk of madness. And there she sees a unicorn, and brings a diviner who disappeared in the forest centuries ago out into the "real" world, setting in motion a chain of events which blur the boundaries between her real kingdom of Brittany and the mysterious otherworld of the "kerriganed", the faerie people of Breton folklore.
If you squint you can see elements of both the Winternight Trilogy and The Warm Hands of Ghosts; a forthright woman who doesn't behave as she should according to the strictures of the day, a figure from a shadowy world who may have ulterior motives, the subtle mix of a realistic world and a fantastical one. Anne is a wonderful heroine who deliberately leads her opponents to underestimate her, who pursues her aims and protects her family with great courage. I really enjoyed this book, especially the afterword in which Arden talks a little about the real Anne, and the real Brittany, and the folkloric Brittany that inspired her.
"The Colorado River Does Not Reach 2030" by Len Necefer and Teal Lehto, on Substack. This is a short story in the form of a news article, in the author's words:
What I'm reading now:
In nonfiction, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by Leah Litman. So far it's a little heavily steeped in pop culture references for me, which means references to pop culture I'm only familiar with through osmosis, but it's interesting and persuasive.
In fiction, Blood over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang. So far it feels rather cliche, though I like the worldbuilding. It reminds me very much of the cartoon Arcane.
In audio, I've just started book 2 of the Bobiverse, For We are Many by Dennis E. Taylor. It's fun!
The Princess Bride by William Goldman, which - I might have read years and years ago? Or I might have seen the movie (though I don't remember doing so)? Or maybe I just knew a lot about it by osmosis and because of the way certain things about it became memes, so I thought I had read it, but really never had. I don't know. Anyway, I read it because I wanted something light and silly to counteract recent more difficult reading and even more difficult current events, and it fit the bill.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, which I read and enjoyed despite DNFing The Martian due to finding it powerfully boring. (I liked the movie version! I think the story was fine, but the various supporting characters all felt like cardboard cutouts to me.) Here, the initial hook - the POV character waking up with amnesia on what he eventually determines is a spaceship - was very much up my alley, a trope I love! The various supporting characters that appeared in the flashbacks were definitely better than cardboard cutouts, though sometimes they felt a bit stock. However, they ultimately weren't very important, and I really bought into the book with gusto when...
Okay, I read this book basically unspoiled, in that I knew that the main character was on a desperate space mission to save Earth from some sort of extinction event, but that was it. So I'm going to spoiler-cut the rest, just in case someone reading this hasn't read this book, so that you may have the same experience I had.
Spoiler spoiler spoiler!
Okay, if you have been reading my book posts for a while, you know that I am a big fan of stories about human-alien encounters. My last books post included a review of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shroud, and I mentioned that it reminded me a little of Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward, in the sense that it starts with an environment which is the opposite of anything humans would expect to find life on, and reasons out from physics and chemistry what life might be like in that environment. But really, Tchaikovsky's approach to human-alien encounters is more adversarial and combative, and probably more realistic, than Forward's. Here, there's also an alien whose form and manner is reasoned out from the conditions of the planet where it developed, but its interactions with the human are more Forwardian than Tchaikovskian. Both the alien and the human are mindful that they are there for the same reason - to save their respective civilizations - and they approach their interactions carefully and with much forethought, for the most part.There are still misunderstandings and near-fatal disasters and scary adventures, enough to make it a compelling, engaging read. I thought the ending was perfect, and I look forward to seeing the movie eventually! In conclusion, ROCKY MY BELOVED ♥♥♥
The Unicorn Hunter by Katherine Arden, which I read as e-ARC from NetGalley. Arden's One True Story (based on the books by her I've read) is that of a woman constrained by her sex and her circumstances who strives for the agency to direct her own life and protect what she cares about. This book is about a slightly-fantasy alternate-universe Anne of Brittany, who chafes against the fate she and her country are headed for: she will be forced to marry the King of France, bringing Brittany for annexation as her dowry.
To avoid this, in desperation she arranges a secret betrothal to France's enemy, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilien. However, in this version of the world, rulers have diviners who can discern events happening at a distance, and send messages back and forth; to keep it secret, she holds the proxy wedding in the enchanted forest of Brocéliande, which diviners can't penetrate at risk of madness. And there she sees a unicorn, and brings a diviner who disappeared in the forest centuries ago out into the "real" world, setting in motion a chain of events which blur the boundaries between her real kingdom of Brittany and the mysterious otherworld of the "kerriganed", the faerie people of Breton folklore.
If you squint you can see elements of both the Winternight Trilogy and The Warm Hands of Ghosts; a forthright woman who doesn't behave as she should according to the strictures of the day, a figure from a shadowy world who may have ulterior motives, the subtle mix of a realistic world and a fantastical one. Anne is a wonderful heroine who deliberately leads her opponents to underestimate her, who pursues her aims and protects her family with great courage. I really enjoyed this book, especially the afterword in which Arden talks a little about the real Anne, and the real Brittany, and the folkloric Brittany that inspired her.
"The Colorado River Does Not Reach 2030" by Len Necefer and Teal Lehto, on Substack. This is a short story in the form of a news article, in the author's words:
What follows is a work of near-future fiction. It is not a prediction. It is a scenario built from conditions that are measurable today: Lake Powell is at 26% capacity and falling, snowpack at record lows, seven states deadlocked on water allocation, and a federal agency that has been gutted of the expertise needed to manage the crisis. // Every element in this scenario is drawn from published science, existing legal disputes, or political dynamics already in motion. Some characters are composites, some are real. The timeline is compressed. The chain of events is plausible. The unsettling part is how little I had to invent.It's cli-fi in the model of Kim Stanley Robinson, purported interviews and charts and mocked-up newspaper images and X tweets, the story of the destruction of the west through climate change and human stupidity. It's really good - and (as the author says) plausible and unsettling.
What I'm reading now:
In nonfiction, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes by Leah Litman. So far it's a little heavily steeped in pop culture references for me, which means references to pop culture I'm only familiar with through osmosis, but it's interesting and persuasive.
In fiction, Blood over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang. So far it feels rather cliche, though I like the worldbuilding. It reminds me very much of the cartoon Arcane.
In audio, I've just started book 2 of the Bobiverse, For We are Many by Dennis E. Taylor. It's fun!
It's 2 am. Your hamster is safely in his cage.
Mar. 10th, 2026 02:13 amcrantzHidey ho. I'm progressing on graduating university this year. But I've fallen a bit behind on schoolwork, which is not great. I'm going to have to get my ass in gear over the next three days to catch up again.
I've started playing City of Heroes regularly again (is this related to falling behind?) and ah it delights the mind and senses. I've been drawing lots of drawings of my beautiful stupid man character Silver Cygnet, a guy who ended up with a giant pair of swan wings after he tried a spell that promised to get him high. He's a wizard now, technically, and fights crime in a decidedly non-violent fashion because he's a good boy.
Speaking of CoH, every once in a while I read general chat and there's someone in there posting like they think they're John C. Lilly and I have about as much tolerant for blazed out nonsense as you would expect. However, just blocking them is a better and more effective reaction than glaring at the screen. I really think the fact that nonsense annoys me so much is a fatal flaw of mine, but I don't want to work on it. I just want people to stop.
Updating my webcomic again (hamsterwheel.art) and I'm going to have another page up in a day or two once I've had a day or two to spot any art errors. It's about my cat, who I draw as some sort of demon creature.
I'm watching Marie the Toy Poodle for the next few days - she's very fluffy because it's almost her grooming time and as a result she looks like a baby polar bear.
Movie-wise, we sort of drifted from filling in pop cultural stuff to 'this seems neat' but we're moving back on target. We watched the original King Kong* and I have to conclude, I am not a fan of Kong! He has bad vibes! He squished those villagers into the mud to kill them just to be mean and I am like, you get what you get, ape. You get what you get. Ann Darrow is very sweet and me and the Movie Pals had fun coming up with reasons why she was, in fact, totally safe on that boat full of men.
Tonight was Little Shop of Horrors (original), and Not of this Earth, a double-feature of short Corman films. I really liked them.
*I have a new enemy now because of it, btw.
Me: I just watched the original King Kong
Person: The 30s version or the 2005 Peter Jackson version
Me: Why would I call something from 2005 the original?
Person: Some people don't know their Cinema History
At which point I assume they burst into flames from how irritated I was.
I've started playing City of Heroes regularly again (is this related to falling behind?) and ah it delights the mind and senses. I've been drawing lots of drawings of my beautiful stupid man character Silver Cygnet, a guy who ended up with a giant pair of swan wings after he tried a spell that promised to get him high. He's a wizard now, technically, and fights crime in a decidedly non-violent fashion because he's a good boy.
Speaking of CoH, every once in a while I read general chat and there's someone in there posting like they think they're John C. Lilly and I have about as much tolerant for blazed out nonsense as you would expect. However, just blocking them is a better and more effective reaction than glaring at the screen. I really think the fact that nonsense annoys me so much is a fatal flaw of mine, but I don't want to work on it. I just want people to stop.
Updating my webcomic again (hamsterwheel.art) and I'm going to have another page up in a day or two once I've had a day or two to spot any art errors. It's about my cat, who I draw as some sort of demon creature.
I'm watching Marie the Toy Poodle for the next few days - she's very fluffy because it's almost her grooming time and as a result she looks like a baby polar bear.
Movie-wise, we sort of drifted from filling in pop cultural stuff to 'this seems neat' but we're moving back on target. We watched the original King Kong* and I have to conclude, I am not a fan of Kong! He has bad vibes! He squished those villagers into the mud to kill them just to be mean and I am like, you get what you get, ape. You get what you get. Ann Darrow is very sweet and me and the Movie Pals had fun coming up with reasons why she was, in fact, totally safe on that boat full of men.
Tonight was Little Shop of Horrors (original), and Not of this Earth, a double-feature of short Corman films. I really liked them.
*I have a new enemy now because of it, btw.
Me: I just watched the original King Kong
Person: The 30s version or the 2005 Peter Jackson version
Me: Why would I call something from 2005 the original?
Person: Some people don't know their Cinema History
At which point I assume they burst into flames from how irritated I was.
Inspiration for Wayne Manor
Mar. 7th, 2026 01:38 pmbeatrice_otterSomeone pointed out that the Crocker-McMillin Mansion in New Jersey might be a good model for Wayne Manor. There aren't many good pictures of it that don't come from real estate listings, but I really like what we see and the mix of "classic Edwardian Mansion Stately Home" and also "modernized for current living". So here it is.
Details: built between 1903 and 1907. Three stories, 75 rooms, 50k square feet, on 12.5 acres. Of those 75 rooms, 21 are bedrooms, and 29 are bathrooms. When it was built, there were a lot of other buildings on the estate: greenhouses, barns, stables, a dairy, gatehouse, garage, workshops, and bathhouses on the river. There were nine single houses and four duplexes for employees, and a two-story house for the head gardener. I think most of those other buildings have either been torn down or sold off--the estate was originally around 1k acres, and now you can tell there are a lot of other buildings around.
( Pics of the interior )
Details: built between 1903 and 1907. Three stories, 75 rooms, 50k square feet, on 12.5 acres. Of those 75 rooms, 21 are bedrooms, and 29 are bathrooms. When it was built, there were a lot of other buildings on the estate: greenhouses, barns, stables, a dairy, gatehouse, garage, workshops, and bathhouses on the river. There were nine single houses and four duplexes for employees, and a two-story house for the head gardener. I think most of those other buildings have either been torn down or sold off--the estate was originally around 1k acres, and now you can tell there are a lot of other buildings around.
( Pics of the interior )
Baldur's Gate Exchange '26
Mar. 7th, 2026 02:39 amseikasoterDear Author,
Welcome to the exchange, be you old or new! It's great that this keeps running, and I'm especially personally grateful that there are still people who match with me on the very particular things that interest me about these games which have meant so much to me for so long. Bon chance!
Some general preferences
Yes, please:
No, thank you - do not want:
Smut preferences
I don't tend to directly prompt for smut, given the risk of making an author uncomfortable, but I am pretty much always glad to accept it.
Yes, please:
No, thank you - do not want:
I'm![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Seika on AO3, and I have my works, my previous gifts, and some of my bookmarks public, often with notes on them, so you can glance through those if you're inclined to keep researching my bad taste.
Obviously, by the terms of the exchange, everything here is optional. I'm very happy for you to remember that, and to take advantage of it: please don't strain anything trying to fit your writing into my ideas. I'm trying to help spark off some thoughts if you aren't immediately seized by one, not to confine you. That's why my prompts often throw out a scattershot of questions and instances at you, even contradictory ones - you're free to pick up as many or as few threads as you'd like. If a single phrase inspires you, I'll be content.
Exchange specifics
'fic only, please.
DNWs: EE content, Heroes of Baldur's Gate/Minsc's Journal content, BG3 content.
Prompts
Imoen
Poor Imoen is ripe for some hurt/comfort situations, giving and receiving. Imoen looking after a distraught Charname for the first day and night in the wilderness after Gorion's death, or after a breakdown at the FAI; Charname, Jaheira, Minsc, or other old companions trying so hard to get through to the dazed and confused Imoen in Spellhold; their more conscious reunion after Irenicus has left Charname soulless too, and they're dumped bleeding physically and spiritually into Bodhi's maze; Imoen trying to help Charname when she's taken her soul back from Bodhi, but Charname is still struggling with Irenicus' theft...
Imoen/F!Charname romance a bonus, but very optional.
Several alternative Imoen prompts across my back catalogue of exchange letters which I'm happy for you to draw on. She's my favourite BG character, probably, so I'm happy to get almost anything for her.
Edwin
Perhaps a more serious take on the character. Yes, he's a bloviating, arrogant git, but he's also a very powerful mage, and not too poor a schemer when he puts his mind to it. The frustrations of the Sword Coast, of the mission he's clearly been sent on with potentially not enough backup or information, of his plans going wrong, of the explosive nature of the Bhaalspawn crisis, and potentially exploring all the Thayan political issues that he appears to be bound up in.
(In short, 1) Homen Odesseiron is an important political figure in Thay, who studied with many magical schools and guards the Rashemi frontier; 2) Szass Tam began an invasion of Rashemen with him, then abandoned him to gain political power elsewhere, in part by disgracing the Zulkir of Conjuration; 3) Homen was drawn out of Szass' camp by this, but regards the anti-Szass camp with scorn too; 4) the new Zulkir of Conjuration, despite gaining his position through Tam's actions, is in the anti-Szass camp; 5) Edwin is apparently beholden to this new Zulkir, Nevran, as evidenced by his own specialisation school and the words of the Red Wizards in BGI when he meets them. There's a lot to explore there. See also the 1e Dreams of the Red Wizards book and the 2e Spellbound box for more detail).
Alternatively, either played seriously or with a lot more comedy, the Ranma 1/2 fanfic special: Edwin gets into his Nether Scroll accident, and slowly goes from resenting his female form to discovering that he prefers it, that she is trans. If you like, a similar incident with the Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity in BGI could take place, or could be referenced. On the comedy side, have previously suggested Minsc ending up adopting trans!Edwin as his new Witch...
Viconia
Viconia and Ust'Natha. I'd love to see some digging into Viconia first figuring out that they're going to have to infiltrate a drow city, her despair at the idea she'll have to guide all the surfacers through drow culture and not get them killed, her fear at confronting Lolth worshippers again, the mix of nostalgia and disgust at coming back home to a place she grew up in but also came to hate. Finding the remnants of House DeVir. If you'd like, you might also dig into the unused plot line that Viconia would betray the party when they entered the city, leading to their capture, before realising that she didn't have a place among the drow any more and coming back to help out.
Viconia cut content.
Several alternative Viconia prompts across my back catalogue of exchange letters which I'm happy for you to draw on.
Garrick
Okay, so, Garrick is probably a genuinely cowardly, bumbling, naive oaf. Probably. But he also trained - as he likes to say quite a lot - at Berdusk. And that just so happens to be the home of Twilight Hall, the Harper HQ. Which sort of merits a second look at any bards that come out of there. Interested in either a comedic interpretation as still a bumbling naïf, who keeps spouting incredibly suspicious things about where he's been trained, or something more serious, with a pretty subtle and competent Garrick who just has to keep up the mask. Interactions with Khalid and Jaheira, with the broader Harpers as a whole and their concerns over the Bhaalspawn prophecy, or with Monty and Xzar as the Zhent representatives all a bonus.
Faldorn & Jaheira
This feels like it has so much potential in BGI, left fallow by the limited interaction system. I'd love to see this expanded a whole lot more over the course of a journey: druid vs shadow druid differences and similarities. Potentially in agreement over the scarring of the recklessly pollutant Cloakwood Mine, but clashing so much elsewhere. Could lead to canon conflict as usual, or could see differences resolved (especially if, e.g., you look at Faldorn as young, overly-ideological, and misguided, and can see Jaheira - perhaps with Khalid - arguing her round over the course of the journey). Consider tying in to BGI themes of nature vs nurture.
Safana/Skie
Horrifically self-referential, but ... when I wrote To Follow And To Lead, I ended up finding I shipped this, because they're so similar, but just different enough. Both rich daughters who wanted to run away from overprotective fathers for adventure - but Safana found someone to steal her away, and Skie was seduced into it by Eldoth. Happy to see anything like Safana replacing Eldoth as Skie's original seducer, Safana taking Skie under her wing before or after Eldoth is dealt with and giving her a lesson in proactivity, both meeting later in life and comparing their similar stories. Also, because I find this very amusing, anything to do with Safana as a marriage candidate for Skie - because if you charm Duke Entar (as with Safana's innate ability), then despite his alleged overprotectiveness, he makes a broad hint at Skie being beautiful and marriageable, with no gender check.
Welcome to the exchange, be you old or new! It's great that this keeps running, and I'm especially personally grateful that there are still people who match with me on the very particular things that interest me about these games which have meant so much to me for so long. Bon chance!
Some general preferences
Yes, please:
- extra/missing scenes which fit the gaps of canon;
- unbreakable friendships;
- teamwork;
- standing battered but triumphant;
- character introspection;
- a touch of the bittersweet.
No, thank you - do not want:
- Unless I prompt otherwise, a lot of the common plug-and-play AUs which significantly alter the background of the setting (e.g. ABO, D/s, vampires/werewolves, Hogwarts/school, daemons, total de-powering rather than just backgrounding supernatural elements) – I like this series not just for the characters but also for the specific journey everyone's going through, so it's difficult for me to get into something which would upend that. If you’re hit really hard by a generic modern AU, that’s something I can take though.
- Character bashing: a villainous story role is fine; it’s when the author is clearly frustrated with a character and taking it out on them that I tune out.
Smut preferences
I don't tend to directly prompt for smut, given the risk of making an author uncomfortable, but I am pretty much always glad to accept it.
Yes, please:
- Breastplay
- Hypnosis and mind control
- "Too good to say no"-style CNC or noncon.
- Alternatively, very soft and encouraging domme.
- Mommy kink
No, thank you - do not want:
- Anal
- Blood, vomit, scat/piss.
- Choking.
- Snuff generally.
- Breeding kink.
- What I understand specifically by 'futa' or 'G!P' - that is, sticking a penis on a cis woman for the sake of making sure there's dick involved in sex - is not my kink, though actual intersex/trans women are fine.
- Beastiality.
I'm
Obviously, by the terms of the exchange, everything here is optional. I'm very happy for you to remember that, and to take advantage of it: please don't strain anything trying to fit your writing into my ideas. I'm trying to help spark off some thoughts if you aren't immediately seized by one, not to confine you. That's why my prompts often throw out a scattershot of questions and instances at you, even contradictory ones - you're free to pick up as many or as few threads as you'd like. If a single phrase inspires you, I'll be content.
Exchange specifics
'fic only, please.
DNWs: EE content, Heroes of Baldur's Gate/Minsc's Journal content, BG3 content.
Prompts
Tamoko, Tamoko & Yoshimo, Tamoko/Sarevok Anchev
Your thoughts on this fascinating character, and her relationships. Watching Sarevok's descent into madness, despairing at the lack of her ability to pull him back. If we're able to convince her not to die for Sarevok at the end of BGI - where did she go from there? What happened, especially as to convince Yoshimo she was dead anyway? Anything with Tamoko in BGII, either meeting up with them later or as part of the group captured by Irenicus, and the heap of drama that results from a reunion with her brother. (Extra bonus points for also examining what then happens with Tamoko and Yoshimo in the party then meeting Sarevok in ToB, whether she can forgive him or fall in love with him again, and the issues resulting from Yoshimo's presence).
Your thoughts on this fascinating character, and her relationships. Watching Sarevok's descent into madness, despairing at the lack of her ability to pull him back. If we're able to convince her not to die for Sarevok at the end of BGI - where did she go from there? What happened, especially as to convince Yoshimo she was dead anyway? Anything with Tamoko in BGII, either meeting up with them later or as part of the group captured by Irenicus, and the heap of drama that results from a reunion with her brother. (Extra bonus points for also examining what then happens with Tamoko and Yoshimo in the party then meeting Sarevok in ToB, whether she can forgive him or fall in love with him again, and the issues resulting from Yoshimo's presence).
A Sarevok quest? Yeah, I would have liked to see Sarevok confronted with the idea that not only was he responsible for Tamoko's death (and delve more into that), but Yoshimo's as well (since Yoshimo came to this land looking for his sister after losing contact). Even a small quest to honor their deaths or something would have been cool.
David Gaider
Imoen
Poor Imoen is ripe for some hurt/comfort situations, giving and receiving. Imoen looking after a distraught Charname for the first day and night in the wilderness after Gorion's death, or after a breakdown at the FAI; Charname, Jaheira, Minsc, or other old companions trying so hard to get through to the dazed and confused Imoen in Spellhold; their more conscious reunion after Irenicus has left Charname soulless too, and they're dumped bleeding physically and spiritually into Bodhi's maze; Imoen trying to help Charname when she's taken her soul back from Bodhi, but Charname is still struggling with Irenicus' theft...
Imoen/F!Charname romance a bonus, but very optional.
Several alternative Imoen prompts across my back catalogue of exchange letters which I'm happy for you to draw on. She's my favourite BG character, probably, so I'm happy to get almost anything for her.
Edwin
Perhaps a more serious take on the character. Yes, he's a bloviating, arrogant git, but he's also a very powerful mage, and not too poor a schemer when he puts his mind to it. The frustrations of the Sword Coast, of the mission he's clearly been sent on with potentially not enough backup or information, of his plans going wrong, of the explosive nature of the Bhaalspawn crisis, and potentially exploring all the Thayan political issues that he appears to be bound up in.
(In short, 1) Homen Odesseiron is an important political figure in Thay, who studied with many magical schools and guards the Rashemi frontier; 2) Szass Tam began an invasion of Rashemen with him, then abandoned him to gain political power elsewhere, in part by disgracing the Zulkir of Conjuration; 3) Homen was drawn out of Szass' camp by this, but regards the anti-Szass camp with scorn too; 4) the new Zulkir of Conjuration, despite gaining his position through Tam's actions, is in the anti-Szass camp; 5) Edwin is apparently beholden to this new Zulkir, Nevran, as evidenced by his own specialisation school and the words of the Red Wizards in BGI when he meets them. There's a lot to explore there. See also the 1e Dreams of the Red Wizards book and the 2e Spellbound box for more detail).
Alternatively, either played seriously or with a lot more comedy, the Ranma 1/2 fanfic special: Edwin gets into his Nether Scroll accident, and slowly goes from resenting his female form to discovering that he prefers it, that she is trans. If you like, a similar incident with the Girdle of Masculinity/Femininity in BGI could take place, or could be referenced. On the comedy side, have previously suggested Minsc ending up adopting trans!Edwin as his new Witch...
Viconia
Viconia and Ust'Natha. I'd love to see some digging into Viconia first figuring out that they're going to have to infiltrate a drow city, her despair at the idea she'll have to guide all the surfacers through drow culture and not get them killed, her fear at confronting Lolth worshippers again, the mix of nostalgia and disgust at coming back home to a place she grew up in but also came to hate. Finding the remnants of House DeVir. If you'd like, you might also dig into the unused plot line that Viconia would betray the party when they entered the city, leading to their capture, before realising that she didn't have a place among the drow any more and coming back to help out.
Viconia cut content.
Several alternative Viconia prompts across my back catalogue of exchange letters which I'm happy for you to draw on.
Garrick
Okay, so, Garrick is probably a genuinely cowardly, bumbling, naive oaf. Probably. But he also trained - as he likes to say quite a lot - at Berdusk. And that just so happens to be the home of Twilight Hall, the Harper HQ. Which sort of merits a second look at any bards that come out of there. Interested in either a comedic interpretation as still a bumbling naïf, who keeps spouting incredibly suspicious things about where he's been trained, or something more serious, with a pretty subtle and competent Garrick who just has to keep up the mask. Interactions with Khalid and Jaheira, with the broader Harpers as a whole and their concerns over the Bhaalspawn prophecy, or with Monty and Xzar as the Zhent representatives all a bonus.
Faldorn & Jaheira
This feels like it has so much potential in BGI, left fallow by the limited interaction system. I'd love to see this expanded a whole lot more over the course of a journey: druid vs shadow druid differences and similarities. Potentially in agreement over the scarring of the recklessly pollutant Cloakwood Mine, but clashing so much elsewhere. Could lead to canon conflict as usual, or could see differences resolved (especially if, e.g., you look at Faldorn as young, overly-ideological, and misguided, and can see Jaheira - perhaps with Khalid - arguing her round over the course of the journey). Consider tying in to BGI themes of nature vs nurture.
Safana/Skie
Horrifically self-referential, but ... when I wrote To Follow And To Lead, I ended up finding I shipped this, because they're so similar, but just different enough. Both rich daughters who wanted to run away from overprotective fathers for adventure - but Safana found someone to steal her away, and Skie was seduced into it by Eldoth. Happy to see anything like Safana replacing Eldoth as Skie's original seducer, Safana taking Skie under her wing before or after Eldoth is dealt with and giving her a lesson in proactivity, both meeting later in life and comparing their similar stories. Also, because I find this very amusing, anything to do with Safana as a marriage candidate for Skie - because if you charm Duke Entar (as with Safana's innate ability), then despite his alleged overprotectiveness, he makes a broad hint at Skie being beautiful and marriageable, with no gender check.
BANDCAMP FRIDAY RETURNS
Mar. 4th, 2026 01:12 pmteaotterBandcamp Friday returns this Friday, March 6.
For 24 hours, every purchase you make on Bandcamp sends even more money directly to the artists and labels you support.
On select Fridays throughout the year, we waive our share of sales. This means fans can support artists more directly. It’s a great time to pick up that album you’ve had your eye on, explore something new, or revisit an old favorite.
For whatever hours those 24 hours are in your time zone!
Challenge: Be the First!
Mar. 3rd, 2026 10:39 pmlovelytomeetyouFor the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
bethefirst challenge, I'll write about Spirit Circle!
bethefirst challenge, I'll write about Spirit Circle!Spirit Circle (manga only) was my favorite new read and discovery last year! It handles the themes of reincarnation, past lives, parallel universes so well! If you are super tired of boring reincarnation stories where the MC escapes to an easier reality (like I was), this is such a fresh breath! We start slow, with a young average teenage boy who's nothing special. Then we slowly discover what's going on in his current life and how it affects his other lives. There's a girl hell-bent on revenge against him but what's the deal there?
Who's in the right (and wrong)? Very interesting discussion on many things like justice, revenge, karma, family, love and regret. Even if you don't like religious themes, this is more of an exploration on what is life and what we get to do with the time we have. Sadly, it does have fanservice, nothing is perfect. I'm not even sure what I'll write yet because we have 8 lives that could be discussed - maybe all of them, maybe just one. There's a lot of content in such short chapters!
current fandom events
Mar. 3rd, 2026 10:27 amsvgurlyoutuberecs is a community where you can rec YouTube videosmarchmetamatterschallenge, a challenge that involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation and also including some prompts for creating new meta, is running again this year.allbingo is running a National Crafting Month Bingo Fest through March. There are pre-made cards or you can create your own using the available prompts.sufficiently_advanced_ex, a fanworks exchange for science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature canons, is open for nominations until March 7th.worldbuildex, a fic exchange based on world building in canon, is accepting nominations until March 8th, 9PM EDT.unsent_letters_exchange, an epistolary fic exchange, is open for sign-ups until March 9th, 11:59PM UTC (posts says the 7th, but it was extended due to AO3 outages)monstersmashexchange, a gift exchange that features monsters, is accepting nominations until March 11th, 8PM Eastern.bethefirst, a challenge where you write the first fic in a fandom that previously had none, is open for sign-ups. The deadline to submit a fic is April 20th, 11:59PM GMT.Multifandom Shelter for Abandoned Fics is an event where you can submit your abandoned WIPs if you want someone else to complete them or claim others
fancake's theme of the month is: siblings. Click on the banner below to learn more!