Yuletide 2025

Hello, writer, or treat-er! If you've read my letters in the past, this will look very similar, and a lot of it is in fact the same! Most of what I've changed is fandom-specific prompts. You can also find me on AO3 at Mousek.

DNWs:
- Fic where sex is the focus. Sex is fine, not PWP please - it’s really just not my thing.
- On-screen physical assault. Violence and battles, I’m fine with! But I don’t like people getting cornered and abused/similar situations.

Things I love:
Experimental nonsense (and experimental not-nonsense). Truly, go wild with your formatting and push the boundaries of what a linear “story” could be. I’ll be thrilled.
Worldbuilding. While I’d be happy to get an AU, I would much prefer an exploration of the canon world!
Playing with formatting - epistolary, interactive fiction, script format, news article style, overheard conversations, fairy-tale style, take this as your second go-ahead to do something absolutely wild.
“Found documents” - by which I mean the lore, campfire stories, songs, and poetry that one would find in the world. Always Coming Home style, if you’ve read that.
Mission fic
Gen (ie, no romance)
Ace characters, regardless of whether they are in canon
Trans/nonbinary characters, regardless of whether they are in canon (although I prefer it if the fic isn’t focused on issues caused by them being trans).
Polyamory
Missing scenes/post-canon
Things written in the style of the original media
Meditations on the concept of “home,” and thoughts on how adventure and home work together
Found family, chosen family, family aggressively created.

Mini challenge opt-ins:
Before I start, please do not take this list as a limit. These are things I’m very excited about, but it does NOT mean that you should not write something for a challenge I didn’t specifically select! Please do it!!
Unconventionyule
Wrapping Paper (Art)
Interactive Fiction
Chromatic Yuletide (characters of color)
Queering the Tide
TransTide

So now: fandom-specific thoughts! As well as prompts for each - feel free to use them or do something else!

Islander - Anderson/Melton:  
This musical is my absolute favorite musical, ever. It's atmospheric, and gorgeous, and the two actresses (yes, just two!) are incredible. But also the characters, setting, and magical realism vibes are so fascinating. 
If you like musicals, the ocean, or complex discussions of rural life in a changing world, please go listen right now. In addition to the soundtrack, there is a 45-ish-minute bbc radio version. If you can't find it, talk to me on discord mouse.k
Prompts:
- Are there other things going on in the ocean? What is time away from land like?
- Any discussion of a rural community changing, and grappling with that change, in a modern world
- Story from the POV of the whales?
- Do the two girls ever meet again?

The Islanders - Christopher Priest: 


17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future - Jon Bois   
f you haven't read this before, it'll take about an hour or two and be so worth your time!

This made me feel such a rollercoaster of emotions, and I often feel all the same ones with fanfic in this universe. I'm happy with Nine and/or Ten, and would be THRILLED with worldlbuilidng.  It’s such a strange future combination of success and complacency!
Character-focused prompts:
I’d love to read more of Nine and Ten talking, or of them watching a game, or talking to people. 
What are more of Nine’s questions? 
What are these wonderful robots feeling? How do they feel about other human traditions - be it holidays or education or art or more thoughts on religion? 

Worldbuilding-focused prompts:
The strange games that humans have come up with are so cool - what are some others?  
Are there other robots that have a different view of humanity at this point? What about the ones that look elsewhere, instead of Earth?
Re: the medical system: The nanos fascinate me. How do they play out when people are doing something deliberately dangerous? How do they play out if, for example, people are boxing, and throwing punches? What’s left for doctors to do? How does cosmetic surgery work?

Chants of Sennaar (Video Game)   
In my experience, this game takes about 10 hours of playtime, so if you're interested, you should do it!

There are so many small worldbuilding aspects of this game that we see briefly and are left with questions about. Any of them would make a great story - show me something new in this world! What’s going on around/behind/before/after our traveler’s experience? Some suggestions:
What’s going on with the rebellion in the bard’s district?
More about the Prophet and the religion of that district
Interactions between two peoples after they meet
The alchemists and/or warriors with the Monster


A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles:
While I've liked this book for awhile, I think a lot of my current love for this book stems from my relatively recent history of accidentally adopting two teenagers. Any interactions between Rostov and Sofia are welcome! As are any of Sofia's plots and actions in the wider hotel. If you want something more specific - how does their relationship change as Sofia ages? How would she remember him and her time in the hotel when she's older?

A Day of Fallen Night - Samantha Shannon   
I love this world and would be happy with any worldbuilding you were able to do here. Missing scenes, other POVs, characters' internal thoughts. If I had to pick a character, Bardholt would be my favorite. 

Please don't take my lack of prompts as a sign that I wouldn't be thrilled with this fandom! It's just that it's been a long time since I've read it.

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon    
 Eadaz is my favorite, here. Her experiences in the Priory, her travels, her life with Sabran. 

Again, please don't take my lack of prompts as a sign that I wouldn't be thrilled with this fandom! It's just that it's been a long time since I've read it.