elegantstupidity | Dear Yuletider 2022 (Reply)

Hello!

Every year I say it, and every year I mean it: I can't believe it's time for Yuletide again. Can't believe it, but I am super excited for it!

If you're someone who wants even more prompts/thoughts/whatever to look through, you can always check my past letters or poke around my tumblr (

megaphonemonday). All of these fandoms aren't equally represented there, but that's not not at all an indicator of my enthusiasm; I will be delighted to receive fic for any of these fandoms!

I'd also be delighted with ship or gen (or somewhere in between), long or short, and G- through E-rated fic. Also, where I've requested more than one character, don't feel as though you need to focus equally on each. Feel free to include any other canon characters and/or relationships in your fic as well.

Essentially, I'm not particularly picky. I'd absolutely love any kind of take on any of the following prompts, but pretty much any fic about these characters would be wonderful and will be greatly appreciated!

elegantstupidity

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Yes, Please! and No, Thanks!
Requests

A League of Their Own (Film)

A League of Their Own (TV)

Pitch

Yes, Please!
genres and styles

adventure (from the everyday to the epic), angst (though preferably with a bittersweet or happy ending), canon-typical plots, character studies, fantasy and sci-fi, fluff, humor/comedy, hurt/comfort, mysteries and casefic, romance, slice of life
AUs
- especially canon-divergences, canon+ (basically, the canon setting + some fantastical/magical element, ie: body swaps, unexpected telepathic connections, time loops, etc.), or fusions and genre shifts (ie: daemon AUs, Pacific Rim, Hogwarts, in space!, epic fantasy, etc.)
- exceptions I'm not particularly into: A/B/O, de-aging, soulmate/soulmark AUs, or making the setting more ordinary/mundane than canon
character- and relationship-driven plots
crack relationships or premises treated even halfway seriously
epistolary elements
- both letters and texts/emails/digital communication as well as in-universe texts/published materials
missing scenes
parallels and canon callbacks
x + 1 times

details

competence/characters in their element
- alternatively, I do love a good fish out of water scenario
food, baking and/or cooking porn
worldbuilding
- Even for canons that ostensibly take place in the real world, I love getting a taste of all the little details that add color and texture to these character’s lives.
  - Stuff like: politics/local government, what's on their TBR list, what's in their fridge/closet/bag/car, what kind of celebrity gossip exists in their world, etc.
Honestly, you can't go overboard on the descriptions and detail, no matter how minute or possibly off-topic. Tell me all about the setting or circumstances, the characters' emotions/sensations, bits of backstory, anything!

gen relationships

loyalty and ride or die friendships
complex friendship dynamics
- I prefer when conflicts are resolved at least semi-happily, but angst on the way is excellent!
found families and/or family feels and/or complex family situations
team bonding/group dynamics
- eg: road trips, pranks, inside jokes, friendship building, nights out, games/game nights, betting pools, roughhousing/physical affection, celebrations/parties, etc.
mutual admiration societies/positive partnerships
- I love snark and teasing and even outright antagonism, too, they just have to end up liking each other—even grudgingly.

romantic relationships

anything from above
- I really love romances that are built on friendships/trust/loyalty or at the very least some kind of shared history
pre-relationship and/or getting together plots
- slow burns, UST, mutual pining, denial, flirting, lingering touches, veiled confessions
- [enemies/rivals to] friends to lovers
  - I'm all about snarky antagonism/belligerence/teasing as flirting
- FWBs catching feelings
- breaking the seal
  - i.e. “We just kissed/slept together/did something unmistakably romantic, but we’re definitely not gonna do it again for reasons,” and then they absolutely do it again.
- basically, any kind of romcom trope that you can imagine
enforced proximity
- bed sharing, handcuffed together, locked in a closet, deserted together, curses/spells tethering them, sharing body heat, etc.
secret and/or "forbidden" relationships
HEAs or HFNs

smut/porn

feelings

basically anything that shows how into each other the characters are
romance, trust, enthusiasm, intensity, tenderness, vulnerability, desperation, neediness [to please], intimacy, hand holding, eye contact, laughing/having fun with it
Alternatively, I can definitely get behind some hate/grudge sex.

firsts

first time together or the first time trying something new or sexual awakenings/kink discovery, shy or desperate or a little awkward, etc. etc. and on and on and on
resolving UST to "get it out of their systems" or other transparently thin reasons to bang it out
sex pollen/curses/those kinds of generally dubcon-ish scenarios are also great for characters who are already into each other but haven't, for whatever reason, pulled the trigger on their attraction.

physicality

rough sex, hair pulling, holding each other down, losing control, marking, not making it to the bed, etc.
use of athleticism/strength/endurance/stamina/flexibility/focus on physique
general handsiness
cuddling/close contact, DP, from behind/bent over something, lap sex, riding, three-/moresomes, wall sex

teasing
- banter/dirty talk, body worship, grinding/frottage, hand/mouth stuff, phone/cyber/video/etc. sex, solo action, lots of foreplay, etc.

No, Thanks!

established relationship for non-canon ships (unless prompted)
explicit and/or extreme (14 or younger) underage
graphic violence or gore
- canon-typical violence, as well as injuries, physical fights/battles, etc. that have happened in canon are fine to include
humiliation

embarrassment is fine to include, but I'd prefer no lingering/extended focus on it

infidelity
non-canonical character death (unless prompted)
parent/child incest
pregnancy and/or parenting non-canonical children for requested characters/ships as the focus of a work
- babysitting, temporary accidental baby acquisition, or kids who exist in canon are fine
rape or noncon

Requests

A League of Their Own (Film)
characters: Jimmy Dugan and Dottie Hinson

This is, hands down, one of my favorite movies of all time. When another movie weaves together history and baseball and gender politics into something that’s actually a joy to watch, I’ll consider letting it take over the top spot. Until then, I will happily rewatch this one for about the thousandth time. Even though I've seen it more times than I can count, there’s always some new detail or moment to appreciate and contemplate. There isn’t a plot beat or minor character that I wouldn’t be thrilled to have an extended backstory for. Above all else, though, comes my yearning for more for Jimmy and Dottie. Both individually and together. To me, they feel like equals and opposites. Equal in their talent and love for the game, even if they’re not equally honest about it. Opposite places in their careers and approaches, even if every moment they spend together brings them closer to equilibrium. However messy it could be, they just fit together. And with Jimmy involved, there is so much potential for messiness. Both because he’s a disaster and he’s more willing to wear his heart on his sleeve. The entire trajectory of their relationship—snarky antagonism evolving into grudging respect to actual friendship to love—is just catnip to me.

Re: Bob, as long as Dottie doesn’t physically—I’m very here for the emotional mess that results from possibly falling for her drunk of a coach while her picture-perfect husband is off at war, though I’m pretty sure Dottie does her best not to think about it—cheat on him while they’re still married, I’m fine. You can kill him off, they could split up, never have gotten married or even together in the first place, or he could just not exist at all. As far as background ships go, I’m open to anything: Marla/Nelson, any of the Peaches or AAGPBL players together, Ira Lowenstein’s one-sided crush on Dottie. Any and all platonic friendships/rivalries/whatever including as many of the Peaches, as well as Dottie and Kit’s relationship, are more than welcome, too!

prompts

What does the season look like when Dottie makes an abrupt—and impromptu, judging by the complete lack of fanfare organized by Ira Lowenstein—return to the league? Is it really abrupt, or does it just feel that way to Jimmy?

Having to rebuild trust and camaraderie with the memory of what their relationship used to be. Jimmy trying to stay angry after she left the game (and him, not that it matters) while Dottie pretends it doesn't bother her. Or the fact that they're not bickering, are painfully polite, is just proof that things aren't as good as they say.

Any missing scene, especially one that expands on the progression from Jimmy's utter apathy and Dottie's general disdain for him to their mutual respect and admiration, would be greatly appreciated! Some possibilities:

Aside from sneaking out to roadhouses and breaking into local ballparks, what did Dottie and the Peaches do in their downtime? How hard and how long did Jimmy hold out on joining them?
At some point, Jimmy must’ve accepted, or even actively sought out, Dottie’s opinions on new plays and strategies. Except, I feel like it might be closer to him needling her, on the bus or at team dinners or on the rare afternoons they had off and he just so happened to stop by the boarding house, in the hopes she’d lose her temper and tell him exactly how she would do his job given the chance. Did Dottie ever actually fall for it?
Evidently, there’s an actual deleted scene in which “Dottie isn’t sure if going ‘all the way’ is something married women ‘get to’ or ‘have to’ do.” (Which, c’mon, Bob.) Anyway, please expand on how Jimmy Dugan convinces her otherwise, either during the events of the movie or after.

I feel like the Suds Bucket was not the only time the girls snuck out for a little dancing and fun, and at some point, Dottie must join them. Maybe the first time they run into Jimmy, it's an accident—he's just trying to get a drink that didn't come out of a warm flask and did not count on this gaggle of ballplayers—but all the times after are a little harder to justify.
I’m all about one or both of them sublimating all of their confusing feelings for the other into the game. So: Jimmy doing his damnedest to get Dottie through her first major injury intact because the Peaches can’t afford to lose their star. Emotional dishonesty manifesting as a truly embarrassing case of the yips. More and more late night batting practices where not many words are said, but the game’s always spoken loud enough, anyway.
What about Jimmy and Dottie sticking around Rockford over the offseason? Does he visit her boarding house, well after visiting hours (though her landlady keeps turning a blind eye)? Are they fixtures at the ballpark, even as fall comes and they have to bundle up to take batting practice? Do they somehow end up getting snowed in somewhere, either because they’re coincidentally together or one of them braves the storm to make sure the other’s okay?

A League of Their Own (TV)
characters: Max Chapman and/or Lupe García, Esti González, and Jess McCready

Truthfully, based on how much I love the movie, I was a little nervous about what they were going to do with this show. But, wow, did I not need to worry. The show—the humor while not shying away from serious subjects and the interweaving of all the storylines and the variety of relationships between all the characters—absolutely blew me away! I love that, even while it paid homage to the original, it stands on its own feet, delving into storylines and issues that the movie couldn't. It honored the spirit of the film—nostalgia and sisterhood and the love of the game—without letting rose-colored glasses blur over the dangers faced by players who weren't white and/or straight and can't or won't pass for either. I really appreciated that race and ethnicity and sexuality weren't just pasted on to two-dimensional characters for diversity points; those aspects shaped authentic, compelling backgrounds for characters who ended up feeling like real people.

For this request, feel free to either focus on Max or Lupe and Esti and Jess. If you fit all four of them into the same fic, though, I would not complain! Some of the things I love about these characters and their journeys include (but are not remotely limited to): Max's dedication and fire, the way she doesn't let herself settle for what she knows would be easy; Lupe's pride and touchiness, her bitterness over having to prove herself when Carson is just handed the reins as well as the ways she lets loose with people she trusts; Esti's youth and eagerness even when she's homesick and her frustration with the language barrier; Jess being all rough and tumble stoicism to cover up an inner well of kindness as well as her willingness to play by the letter if not the spirit of league regulations, paying the fine for wearing pants in public. Basically anything that expands on any of these four—back stories, their rich, inner lives, where they go next—would be deeply appreciated. As far as ships go, any gen relationships would be great, particularly Max & Clance, Max & Carson, Max & her family, Lupe & Esti & Jess, Lupe & Carson, Jess & Jo, Jess & Sergeant Beverly. For main romances, I especially like Max/Esther, Max/Carson, Clance/Guy, and Esti/Jess, but am honestly open to pretty much anything that doesn't violate a DNW. Any ship, canon or not, that's just happening in the background is totally fine.

prompts

I'd love some back story expansion/missing scenes centering any of these four. How Max got on the pitcher's mound in the first place or Esti deciding to leave home to play baseball. Or how Jess and Lupe tested the waters with each other before realizing they really are hermanos.
I always love a good reunion, and there are so many possibilities here. The Peaches (the three I've requested plus whoever else you feel like) returning to Rockford after the offseason or Max's family and Clance taking a trip to see her play or the All-Stars playing an exhibition game against the Peaches, and Max and Carson's first meeting in the game.
How do training/practice sessions eventually go when they don't have to hide them from their manager and/or parents? Does it depend on if it's before, during, or after the season?

Does Max revel in having an actual coach and team to finally play with, or are there some growing pains? As the fastest Peach, how much does Esti have to run during throw-down drills and how often do they end with her sliding straight into Jess at second?
Say the show ever gets to 1947; that was the year the AAGPBL spent their spring training in Cuba. I'd love to see Esti getting to show off her home to her teammates!

I'm always down for team bonding! Esti getting to feel like she's part of the Peaches or Max learning the ins and outs of the All-Stars. I mean, traveling the country (in Max's case) or a fairly limited area of the Midwest (in the Peaches') by bus has gotta leave a lot of downtime, right?

Playing non-baseball games, sharing stories, cooking together, getting into trouble, plotting elaborate heists to free whatever contraband has been confiscated from them! Anything goes, here!

Give me more baseball scenes, please! Lupe practicing pick-offs to second, Esti and Jess working on setting each other up to make double plays, or Max learning the All-Stars' trick plays and set pieces or developing her own on-field persona. Getting through more cases of the yips or borrowing each others' bats because theirs are dead or intra-team competitions for getting the most outs. Who can't keep track of their gear and who can't sit still in the dugout and who's

Pitch
characters/relationships: Ginny Baker, Livan Duarte, and Mike Lawson

Oh, Pitch. Gone too soon from my airwaves. In some alternate universe, it’s still on TV, and I hope that me is enjoying the hell out of herself. Since technology hasn’t magically advanced enough to send me into that universe, I rely on fanworks for my fix of baseball drama/romance with a compelling, flawed, beautiful female lead. In just ten episodes, Ginny really did manage to become one of my favorite characters of all time. Between her grit and her goofiness, her innate talent and the tension between what she’s doing and who she actually is, there’s so much to love. Like, sure, she’s an overnight sensation struggling but determined to live up to the expectations laid on her, but she’s also a 23-year-old fully capable of acting out and making terrible decisions. And where would Ginny be without her catchers? (I mean, probably exactly where she already is, and arguably less distracted, but.) Mike and Livan are such delights, particularly when they’re trying to one up one another; their cockiness and self-assurance manifests in such different ways, but for fairly similar reasons, resulting in two hotshot catchers with angsty pasts. However little they enjoy each other, they’re in total agreement about Ginny: that she’s great!

Pretty much anything that delves into these characters’ dynamics on or off the field is going to be such a joy. I do ship both Ginny/Mike and Ginny/Mike/Livan, but that's largely because of their existing connections as teammates (and/or rivals) and friends. So, I’m totally happy to see platonic, pre-ship, or getting together fic about these three. (For Ginny/Livan/Mike, it’s fine for two of the three to already be dating/together as the third gets added in.) If you’d like to go heavy on the baseball—the heroics and the injuries and the gossip and the daily grind of 162 games—I am 100% here for that. If you want to focus more on their downtime or offseasons, that’d be very welcome, too! Same goes for any background ships or characters—don’t limit yourself to just these, but I’ve got huge soft spots for Blip/Ev, Oscar, Eliot, and Cara—you’d like to include.

prompts

As it turns out, Mike and Ginny get very good about not talking about it. Maybe too good. After years of putting the game, their relationship as teammates, athletes, pitcher and catcher first, it’s easier to let their bodies do the talking for them. Which, honestly, isn’t too bad, but it does mean neither of them are quite sure where they stand with the other. Does Livan get sick of watching them dance around each other and take matters into his own hands? Or does he decide to work his way into their relationship before it can really take off?
These three, but especially Ginny, are huge celebrities, basically hypervisible. Having all these random people who feel like they know them, based on what they can read online or watch on TV, has got to be exhausting. That there are people who really do understand them—not just as an athlete or spokesperson or media image—it’s no wonder they might gravitate towards one another.

Anything involving their interviews or gossip or Twitter hot takes or actual press coverage and how they deal with it (or don’t; avoidance all the way, baby!) would be super interesting!

I am fully dying for a body swap situation. Why does it happen? Who knows! How does it go away? Unclear! But it sure as hell is going to make for a weird game against the Giants!

Would be thrilled by either a Freaky Friday setup (probably between Mike and Livan? but more than happy to see Ginny in on the weirdness rather than the outside perspective trying to figure out what has gotten into both of them at the same time) or a round robin where they all wake up in the wrong body. Just all the ridiculous revelations—“You have a tattoo where?!” or “How do you play on these knees?”—and other nonsense, please!

For whatever reason, Ginny or Livan need a place to stay, and like so many rookies before them, find refuge in Mike’s pool house. (Maybe not this exact pool house, since I feel like he bought his fish tank after Rachel left him, but you get the idea.) Unlike so many rookies before them, the week they were supposed to stay turns into a few into months, until they hardly spend time in the pool house at all.
Somehow, and getting anyone to agree on the exact sequence of events is a lost cause from the get go, they get left behind somewhere and have to either wait for someone to come back for them or make their way on their own.

Did they get stranded when the team left for the next stop on a road trip? Are they stuck in a small town following some offseason fan outreach and/or Stubbs’ most recent wedding? Did they miss the bus after a spring training game?

Last updated on October 22, 2022

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