Dear Yuletide Writer

Hi, Yuletide writer! Thank you so much for writing a story for me! Normally I don't post a letter, because I want my writer to feel free to do whatever s/he wants, but thought I'd try it this year. Don't worry, I'm sure I will love whatever you write.

Things I like in general
Well-crafted dialogue
Witty banter
Hurt/comfort that is at least somewhat realistic
AUs of any type
Happy endings that are well-earned
Bittersweet endings with a glimmer of hope
Porn with plot
Plot with porn
Angst
Historical accuracy
BDSM themes/anything to do with power exchange or shifting power dynamics
Character studies
Stories that pass the Bechdel test

Things I don't like in general
Endings that are irredeemably bleak
Gender-swapping
Mpreg
Using trauma as an impetus for a character to get together with her one Twu Wuv
Gratuitous rape
Overly fluffy things. I like my romances to have an edge

Now on to my specific requests

Request 1--Slave Breakers (Yves, Alix/Greta, Valor)

I love the Slave Breakers universe, but think the girls get seriously short shrift. I would love any story that deals with Alix and Greta's relationship. I gave the prompt of their relationship with Valor, but if you are not a Valor fan, as I know many are not, don't feel you have to include her in more than a minor role. I would love to know how they deal with Greta's freedom. Or something from the early days of their relationship--what is it that draws them together?

If girls don't float your boat, a story about Yves at university would be amazing. I would love to see Yves falling in love with someone else, maybe a professor. I know maculategiraffe has said that he will remain faithful to Holden, but I can't see him not being tempted by someone who is truly his intellectual equal. If you go this route, please don't break up Yves and Holden. Ideally, this would end happily, with the new person being welcomed into the family. However, basically anything about Yves finding out who he is as a free man would make me happy.

The entire Slave Breakers canon may be found at: http://maculategiraffe.livejournal.com/10338.html.

Request 2--Classical Philosophy RPF (Plato/Aristotle)
Basically what it says on the tin. Anything at all about them would make me happy. If you could incorporate as much of the philosophy as possible into it, I would be overjoyed. I would love a slashy setup where Aristotle is in love/hero worship with Plato, but Plato has always been grieving for Socrates blahblahblahangstcakes, but if you want to just have them talking about philosophy, that would be awesome too. Basically anything with them interacting.

My favourite Platonic dialogues are the Republic and Timaeus, and my favourite work of Aristotle is the Ethics. I am fond of both philosophers, but admit to a preference for Aristotle.

The Dialogues of Plato: http://www.classicallibrary.org/plato/dialogues/ Note: There are many better translations out there.
Works of Aristotle: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Aristotle No idea of the quality of the translation.

Request 3--Shadow Unit (Hafidha, Chaz, Daphne/Tricia)

I would like a fic where Hafidha is the main focus. I would love to see how her treatment in Idlewood progresses--it seems that she has built a fairly strong bond with her therapist since she arrived there, and am curious about how it evolved. I really want to see Hafs and Daphne interacting--it is implied that it is difficult for both, but we never see how that plays out. I would also love to see more of Hafs after Daphne's death--does she talk to Tricia at all? But really I would love anything about these four characters.

Shadow Unit: http://www.shadowunit.org/ More free online fiction!

Request 4: 12th Century CE RPF--Peter Abelard/Heloise

I love Heloise. Anything about her at any point would be amazing. I'd love to see her life in the convent, where she tries to make happiness for herself. Or her relationship with Astralabe, or that time they screwed in a church, or, or, or. I'd especially love something that shows Abelard is kind of a jerk, but why she loves him anyway. Heloise 4eva!!! LOL. One note of warning: I am a medievalist by trade, so historical inaccuracy is likely to bother me more her than it otherwise might.

The Letters of Abelard and Heloise: http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/aah/index.htm Again, can't swear to the accuracy of the translation.

Thank you again, dear Yuetide Writer! I can't wait to see what you come up with.
-atheilen