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I'm also Quillori on AO3. All requests are for fic and are equally open to trick or treat.
Ancient Egyptian Religion
Characters: Anubis, Thoth, Set
Anubis as psychopomp? Whether in Ancient Egypt or later. You could go for something eery, where he's mostly appearing around the edges of the story, or then again you could do a full-on description of a soul passing from life to death (either based literally on Egyptian accounts of the process, judgement etc, or taking the Egyptian accounts as somewhat metaphorical/symbolic). The potential for tricks is pretty obvious, but I think you could also make it work as a treat - Anubis can be a comforting, protective figure.
Thoth the record keeper, the master of magic, the trusted and impartial judge. Tell me something about his Ptolemaic position as the master magician (e.g. the tale of Setne); or his role as both peacemaker and remorseless executioner. Or tell me about the life a scribe who worships him; how he reveals himself to a worshipper. Or his relationship with Set.
For Set, you could flesh out the fragmentary Astarte Papyrus, or give me anything at all about Set and Astarte (and Anat, if you like), or Set battling Yamm (or Apophis/Apep). Or expand on that bit in the Pyramid Texts where Thoth as well as Set is said not to mourn Osiris - why is he for once aligned with Set? (For more Set prompts, see last year's yuletide letter.)
Le città invisibili | Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino
Characters: Euphemia
I'd love any story exploring Euphemia, where traders come four times a year, not only to trade in market goods, but to trade their own memories. How does that work? How did it come to start? Who wants to trade their memories and why? What is it like to have memories not your own? What do the townspeople make of the traders? Do they ever take part themselves?
Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Characters: Any [Giulietta, le capitaine Dapertutto, Peter Schlémil]
Stolen reflections and shadows, an irresistible woman and her probably demonic patron... And the whole stolen reflection/shadow thing is pretty creepy, right? But more generally anything more about Giulietta, Dapertutto or Schlémil, singly or in any combination, would be great.
Read a summary on Wikipedia, the libretto on Project Gutenberg or find any number of recordings on YouTube.
Omar Rayyan - Works
Characters: Spanish Mackerel
The fishes made wailing cries
At the wild weather
The Dream of King Don Rodrigo Anon, trans W.S Merwin
I'm always a sucker for underwater worlds, and there is a sort of 'doomed young princess' look to the portrait that's rather appealing. World-building for an underwater world is always welcome, as is more about the princess - I suppose there's no reason to think her story ends unhappily, but somehow she looks to me as though it may. This is one where you could play with form a bit, if you wanted to - what is poetry and literature like in this underwater world? Or you could work with the alienness of the princess - she looks (almost) human, but there are those tentacles. Supposing she's as near to an octopus as she is to us? Let's face it, octopuses are downright weird. What would the world look like to something part octopus?
كتاب ألف ليلة وليلة | Kitaab 'alf layla wa-layla | One Thousand and One Nights
Characters: جعفر بن یحیی برمکی | Ja'far ibn Yahya al-Barmaki
Before we get to the character I'm actually asking for, which is Ja'far, I want to talk for a moment about Hârûn al-Rashîd. He appears within the Nights as the exemplary figure of the supreme ruler: his curiosity and love of learning and the arts, his ready friendship and generosity, his sense of justice, the unparalleled luxury of his court ... and also his cruelty. Often he is shadowed not only by Ja'far but by his executioner also, a reminder of the dark side of absolute power. Perhaps in a sense Ja'far and and Masrûr reflect two sides of their sovereign. In another sense, Hârûn reflects Shahriyâr himself, turning with arbitrary violence on those who should be closest to him, leaving Ja'far dead as Shahriyâr leaves his nameless wives. (I've always been inclined to see an accidental real life reflection also, of Suleiman the Magnificent and Ibrahim Pasha.)
So, what is the relationship between Hârûn and Ja'far, and in particular, what sort of man is Ja'far to live with it? Is he a fatalist, who thinks if he is destined to fall, there is no escape from it, so he should make the most of his life while he has it? Does he trust Hârûn not to turn on him? Does he, famed as he is for his kindness and generosity, see Hârûn's dark side and think it his duty to temper it? Does he take pride in his place and his family, and see everything he does, from serving Hârûn to his legendary generosity, as the duties and obligations of his position, duties that don't include worrying about the future?
Which isn't to say I want you to write about Hârûn - you needn't even mention him - I just can't think of a better way to explain what particularly interests me about Ja'far's character except by reference to him. But Hârûn definitely doesn't need to appear in the story: Ja'far being introspective in a courtyard! Ja'far with some other lover, or with his family! Ja'far with some of Hârûn's other companions - the poets and the singers (this would be fascinating). Ja'far helping someone out! (Think of the stories later, where those whom he helped continue to mourn him despite the risk, e.g. Ja'far and the Bean Seller.) Ja'far going about his duties as vizier (it's easy to forget at times he wasn't just a boon companion). Backstory about Ja'far as a young man! I just want to know what sort of person you see Ja'far as being.
If you do want to include Hârûn in your story, I'm inclined to slash him with Ja'far myself, if you want to go that way, but any other close and longstanding relationship would be just as interesting, if you prefer. If you want 'Abbâsa in some sort of triangle with the two of them, that's fine,* if you'd prefer not to, that is also fine - even within the Nights, there are various different accounts of what leads to his death, and envy of his wealth and fame works perfectly well - Hârûn wouldn't be the first or the last ruler turn on his friends for just that reason.
(I do prefer competent characters, so if you want to include the whole three apples story, I'd be happier with a reading that accepts there was no practical way for him to solve the mystery, other than trusting to god, rather than focussing on him failing to do anything useful.)
* Incest isn't a kink of mine, so I'm unlikely to find it hot for its own sake, but it isn't a squick either, so if you want a proper triangle rather than a V, it's a perfectly reasonable reading, and I shan't be offended by it. Just, if you mean to make it hot rather than (or as well as) messed up, it's more likely to work for me if you include extra reasons for its hotness other than its incestuousness.
Reynardine - Traditional Ballad
Characters: Reynardine, the young woman
And it's day and night she followed him, his teeth so bright did shine.
And he led her over the mountain, did the sly bold Reynardine.
Read a summary here or lyric variants here. Listen to a recording here or (less traditionally) here.
Personally, I tend to prefer an ambiguously supernatural Reynardine, rather than a plain outlaw or a definite monster, but there can never be too many versions of the story, so if you prefer one of those readings, go for it. (For that matter, if you'd prefer Reynardine to be a woman, or the young woman to be a young man, that's absolutely fine with me - it's the situation I'm interested in, not the genders.)
I guess trick or treat for this one depends partly on tone, and partly on what happens next: perhaps Reynardine's intentions aren't that bad, or they are but the girl escapes - it's not as though there aren't plenty of at least bittersweet even if not outright happy human/otherworldly stories, and plenty also of quick-witted humans getting one over their otherworldly enemies. Or, of course, his intentions may well be that bad, and she may not escape.
In General
Things I like (provided only as indicative of my taste, not in any way as particular requirements of your story): established relationships, clever and competent characters, witty banter, slash (incl. femslash), moral ambiguity, apparently simple conversations with a great deal going on under the surface, angst if done with restraint, metaphor, clever use of literary allusions. Let's see, what else? Fierce loyalty (the tear the world apart for you variety, not the sit here passively putting up with anything variety), complicated love/hate relationships with lots of backstory, unflappable characters, arrogance if the party concerned has the requisite ability to back it up, committed partnerships between people who see the world at the same angle (even if they aren't always on the same side) ...
IF is always welcome. So is all sorts of experimentation with style or form.
Things I’d prefer you avoided: I’m not terribly keen on mpreg (or really any pregnancy or baby centred stories); watersports, scat, vomit, or excessive gore (a little bloodplay is fine); humiliation; or stories told in the 2nd person, and I do have something of an embarrassment squick. Other than that, I'm prepared to be convinced by whatever kink you want to write, at least for the length of a story. Oh, all right, I also don't tend to like issuefic, but I'm not sure that's something people generally set out to write - one person's issuefic is another's searingly honest portrayal.
Ancient Egyptian Religion
Characters: Anubis, Thoth, Set
Anubis as psychopomp? Whether in Ancient Egypt or later. You could go for something eery, where he's mostly appearing around the edges of the story, or then again you could do a full-on description of a soul passing from life to death (either based literally on Egyptian accounts of the process, judgement etc, or taking the Egyptian accounts as somewhat metaphorical/symbolic). The potential for tricks is pretty obvious, but I think you could also make it work as a treat - Anubis can be a comforting, protective figure.
Thoth the record keeper, the master of magic, the trusted and impartial judge. Tell me something about his Ptolemaic position as the master magician (e.g. the tale of Setne); or his role as both peacemaker and remorseless executioner. Or tell me about the life a scribe who worships him; how he reveals himself to a worshipper. Or his relationship with Set.
For Set, you could flesh out the fragmentary Astarte Papyrus, or give me anything at all about Set and Astarte (and Anat, if you like), or Set battling Yamm (or Apophis/Apep). Or expand on that bit in the Pyramid Texts where Thoth as well as Set is said not to mourn Osiris - why is he for once aligned with Set? (For more Set prompts, see last year's yuletide letter.)
Le città invisibili | Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino
Characters: Euphemia
I'd love any story exploring Euphemia, where traders come four times a year, not only to trade in market goods, but to trade their own memories. How does that work? How did it come to start? Who wants to trade their memories and why? What is it like to have memories not your own? What do the townspeople make of the traders? Do they ever take part themselves?
Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Characters: Any [Giulietta, le capitaine Dapertutto, Peter Schlémil]
Stolen reflections and shadows, an irresistible woman and her probably demonic patron... And the whole stolen reflection/shadow thing is pretty creepy, right? But more generally anything more about Giulietta, Dapertutto or Schlémil, singly or in any combination, would be great.
Read a summary on Wikipedia, the libretto on Project Gutenberg or find any number of recordings on YouTube.
Omar Rayyan - Works
Characters: Spanish Mackerel
The fishes made wailing cries
At the wild weather
The Dream of King Don Rodrigo Anon, trans W.S Merwin
I'm always a sucker for underwater worlds, and there is a sort of 'doomed young princess' look to the portrait that's rather appealing. World-building for an underwater world is always welcome, as is more about the princess - I suppose there's no reason to think her story ends unhappily, but somehow she looks to me as though it may. This is one where you could play with form a bit, if you wanted to - what is poetry and literature like in this underwater world? Or you could work with the alienness of the princess - she looks (almost) human, but there are those tentacles. Supposing she's as near to an octopus as she is to us? Let's face it, octopuses are downright weird. What would the world look like to something part octopus?
كتاب ألف ليلة وليلة | Kitaab 'alf layla wa-layla | One Thousand and One Nights
Characters: جعفر بن یحیی برمکی | Ja'far ibn Yahya al-Barmaki
Before we get to the character I'm actually asking for, which is Ja'far, I want to talk for a moment about Hârûn al-Rashîd. He appears within the Nights as the exemplary figure of the supreme ruler: his curiosity and love of learning and the arts, his ready friendship and generosity, his sense of justice, the unparalleled luxury of his court ... and also his cruelty. Often he is shadowed not only by Ja'far but by his executioner also, a reminder of the dark side of absolute power. Perhaps in a sense Ja'far and and Masrûr reflect two sides of their sovereign. In another sense, Hârûn reflects Shahriyâr himself, turning with arbitrary violence on those who should be closest to him, leaving Ja'far dead as Shahriyâr leaves his nameless wives. (I've always been inclined to see an accidental real life reflection also, of Suleiman the Magnificent and Ibrahim Pasha.)
So, what is the relationship between Hârûn and Ja'far, and in particular, what sort of man is Ja'far to live with it? Is he a fatalist, who thinks if he is destined to fall, there is no escape from it, so he should make the most of his life while he has it? Does he trust Hârûn not to turn on him? Does he, famed as he is for his kindness and generosity, see Hârûn's dark side and think it his duty to temper it? Does he take pride in his place and his family, and see everything he does, from serving Hârûn to his legendary generosity, as the duties and obligations of his position, duties that don't include worrying about the future?
Which isn't to say I want you to write about Hârûn - you needn't even mention him - I just can't think of a better way to explain what particularly interests me about Ja'far's character except by reference to him. But Hârûn definitely doesn't need to appear in the story: Ja'far being introspective in a courtyard! Ja'far with some other lover, or with his family! Ja'far with some of Hârûn's other companions - the poets and the singers (this would be fascinating). Ja'far helping someone out! (Think of the stories later, where those whom he helped continue to mourn him despite the risk, e.g. Ja'far and the Bean Seller.) Ja'far going about his duties as vizier (it's easy to forget at times he wasn't just a boon companion). Backstory about Ja'far as a young man! I just want to know what sort of person you see Ja'far as being.
If you do want to include Hârûn in your story, I'm inclined to slash him with Ja'far myself, if you want to go that way, but any other close and longstanding relationship would be just as interesting, if you prefer. If you want 'Abbâsa in some sort of triangle with the two of them, that's fine,* if you'd prefer not to, that is also fine - even within the Nights, there are various different accounts of what leads to his death, and envy of his wealth and fame works perfectly well - Hârûn wouldn't be the first or the last ruler turn on his friends for just that reason.
(I do prefer competent characters, so if you want to include the whole three apples story, I'd be happier with a reading that accepts there was no practical way for him to solve the mystery, other than trusting to god, rather than focussing on him failing to do anything useful.)
* Incest isn't a kink of mine, so I'm unlikely to find it hot for its own sake, but it isn't a squick either, so if you want a proper triangle rather than a V, it's a perfectly reasonable reading, and I shan't be offended by it. Just, if you mean to make it hot rather than (or as well as) messed up, it's more likely to work for me if you include extra reasons for its hotness other than its incestuousness.
Reynardine - Traditional Ballad
Characters: Reynardine, the young woman
And it's day and night she followed him, his teeth so bright did shine.
And he led her over the mountain, did the sly bold Reynardine.
Read a summary here or lyric variants here. Listen to a recording here or (less traditionally) here.
Personally, I tend to prefer an ambiguously supernatural Reynardine, rather than a plain outlaw or a definite monster, but there can never be too many versions of the story, so if you prefer one of those readings, go for it. (For that matter, if you'd prefer Reynardine to be a woman, or the young woman to be a young man, that's absolutely fine with me - it's the situation I'm interested in, not the genders.)
I guess trick or treat for this one depends partly on tone, and partly on what happens next: perhaps Reynardine's intentions aren't that bad, or they are but the girl escapes - it's not as though there aren't plenty of at least bittersweet even if not outright happy human/otherworldly stories, and plenty also of quick-witted humans getting one over their otherworldly enemies. Or, of course, his intentions may well be that bad, and she may not escape.
In General
Things I like (provided only as indicative of my taste, not in any way as particular requirements of your story): established relationships, clever and competent characters, witty banter, slash (incl. femslash), moral ambiguity, apparently simple conversations with a great deal going on under the surface, angst if done with restraint, metaphor, clever use of literary allusions. Let's see, what else? Fierce loyalty (the tear the world apart for you variety, not the sit here passively putting up with anything variety), complicated love/hate relationships with lots of backstory, unflappable characters, arrogance if the party concerned has the requisite ability to back it up, committed partnerships between people who see the world at the same angle (even if they aren't always on the same side) ...
IF is always welcome. So is all sorts of experimentation with style or form.
Things I’d prefer you avoided: I’m not terribly keen on mpreg (or really any pregnancy or baby centred stories); watersports, scat, vomit, or excessive gore (a little bloodplay is fine); humiliation; or stories told in the 2nd person, and I do have something of an embarrassment squick. Other than that, I'm prepared to be convinced by whatever kink you want to write, at least for the length of a story. Oh, all right, I also don't tend to like issuefic, but I'm not sure that's something people generally set out to write - one person's issuefic is another's searingly honest portrayal.