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phantomtomato) wrote2023-06-07 10:15 pm
phantomtomato) wrote2023-06-07 10:15 pm
Entry tags:
Rare Male Slash Exchange Letter 2023
My AO3: ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
phantomato
Overview and Likes/DNWs
Dear RMSE author: I am so excited for what you will create! I’ve selected some of my rarest and most treasured ships to request for this exchange; anything that avoids my DNWs and includes some of my likes will be wonderful. I’ve put together a short canon promo and access links for everything to make it a little easier to sort through this. If it is at all helpful to you, I’ve written reviews of each of these books on my Dreamwidth, which you can find through the books tag or individual author tags. There’s no expectation that you read them, but they’re around if you’re interested in those thoughts!
Likes:
First and second person POV, Slice of life, Domesticity, Older characters, Romance, Realism, Complicated feelings, Bed-sharing/forced proximity, Body-part kinks (hand, foot, armpit, etc.), Impotence/sexual dysfunction, Frottage, Rimming, Manual/oral/anal sex, Coming too soon, Awkwardness and embarrassment during sex (especially first time), Cuddling, Crossdressing, Lush descriptions of bodies and clothing, Body hair, Loyalty, Strong and deeply-felt relationships, Bad characters shown as both bad and mundane/regular people, Introspection, Time and place as important to the characters and story, Sex before love or as a path to love, Reunions
DNW:
Noncon, Dubcon, Major Character Death, BDSM, Mpreg, Omegaverse, Setting change AUs, Sexual relationships for characters under age 15, Non-canonical permanent injury, Body horror, Genital torture, Sexual humiliation or degradation, Unrequested pairings, Unrequested identity headcanons, Threesomes/moresomes, Teacher-student
The Fifth Form at St. Dominc’s - Talbot Baines Reed
Oliver Greenfield/Edward Loman
Fifth Form is my favorite book of the public school novel genre. From the late Victorian era, it describes the trials of three schoolboys: brothers Oliver and Stephen Greenfield and Oliver’s rival, Edward Loman. What I love about this novel is that it delivers all the joys of the public school genre (sport, slang, daily life and hijinks, intense relationships between boys) using a relatively sophisticated set of characters. Oliver is notably flawed, struggling to control his temper; Edward makes a series of bad choices stemming from youthful inexperience and fear. Edward and Oliver have such an intense rivalry to build off of and a delightful melodramatic Victorian illness/rescue at the end.
Access: Full text at Project Gutenberg
Edward’s departure for Australia at the end of the novel makes for a natural reunion premise, a few years on when perhaps Oliver has finished his time at university (if he goes) and Edward is back in England (to go straight to work? to begin a university education? perhaps he was educated in Australia and is trying to fit into the working scene in London?). But I would also love canon-era fic which turns some of their school encounters or near-misses into illicit trysts instead, or a divergence which intercedes with the Australia ending and provides Edward some sort of local penance instead. I particularly love how the novel treats Edward’s guilt and shame, and how, in contrast, Oliver staunchly refuses to dwell on those. Playing their personalities off of one another as a lead-up to romance would be wonderful.
The Longest Journey - E. M. Forster
Stewart Ansell/Rickie Elliot
A novel about a young man finding his way in the world as an orphan with a congenital disability, The Longest Journey gives us a picture of Rickie Elliot’s life from university on through marriage and scandal. The stakes are that of a personal drama, and it’s told beautifully. Rickie defines himself by the challenges that he faces and how well he overcomes them to meet the standards of normality; Stewart, his friend, pushes him to consider otherwise. The novel gives Rickie only the briefest fulfillment of this and so offers a chance for fruitful canon divergence!
Access: Full text at Project Gutenberg
I’d enjoy seeing Rickie and Stewart reunited earlier—perhaps they never truly split their friendship and Rickie doesn’t marry Agnes, or the shock of learning about his half-brother drives Rickie to seek counsel from his old friend, or Rickie leaves instead of marrying and taking the teaching post at Sawston, or the death of Rickie’s daughter spurs him to leave, or Stewart is moved to answer one of Rickie’s letters. Perhaps Rickie sends a more honest letter, one of the versions that he burned! I would also be more than happy to receive fix-it fic wherein Rickie’s daughter survives and he and Stewart have some highly-improbable family arrangement of raising her together—I am a sucker for that sort of thing. But really, give me a Stewart who rejects conventionality and loves his friend, and a Rickie who finds the confidence to do the same, and I will be delighted.
The Hill - Horace Annesley Vachell
Reginald Scaife/John Verney
The Hill is a public school novel with flaws, and I desperately want to see those interrogated. Vachell does not want us to like Reginald Scaife, his villain, because Scaife is from a nouveau riche family with (gasp, horror) a tradesman as a grandfather. John Verney, the protagonist, is a Christian moral paragon who deftly dodges the Demon (Scaife’s actual in-universe nickname), unlike his sad friend Henry Desmond. Unfortunately, Vachell put some very horny descriptions of Scaife in Verney’s mouth, and that alone creates a powerful sexual tension for our not-so-pure moral hero.
Access: Full text at Project Gutenberg
I would be overjoyed to get a John Verney overcoming his disgust at his own attraction for Scaife. Perhaps after the war, Scaife returns home as a decorated member of the military and Verney, in some ministerial office following his training with Desmond’s father, finds that they are once again in the same social circle? Or Verney might proactively reach out to Scaife, attempting some priggish moralistic conversion thing, and it’s Scaife who sucks him into the opposite. Or perhaps their mutual devastation over Desmond’s death is what draws them together and the old attraction is rekindled.
Crossover Fandom: Maurice - E. M. Forster and David Blaize - E. F. Benson
Clive Durham/Frank Maddox
Maurice is a wonderful gay romance with a happy ending, and is usually treated as a notable novel for that context, especially given the time of its original authorship (1910s, published after Forster’s death). Maurice, the title character, has a failed romance with the repressed Clive before finding the promise of self-acceptance and happiness with Alec. Clive decides that he’s definitely normal now, and marries a woman.
David Blaize is perhaps the most textually-slashy of the old public school novels, with Frank Maddox making a move on the titular David and then beating himself up about it for the one and a half novels remaining.
Access for Maurice: Full text at the Internet Archive
Access for David Blaize: Full text at Project Gutenberg
Access for David of King’s: Full text at Google Books
For both characters, I am attracted to their repression and what I perceive as the lies they tell themselves about being happy with their lives, absent the relationships they clearly wanted (at least at one point). Both are Cambridge graduates, seemingly with overlap in classical studies, and given the unclear timing of the David Blaize series, Frank could be older or younger than Clive. I would love to see them meet either at Cambridge or through that connection, though anything you can dream up is welcome! I’m interested in how two men struggling with their sexuality in this way would engage with that quality in another person—could they draw each other out of this rut?
Fandom-Specific DNW: movie canon for Maurice
In Memoriam - Alice Winn
Sidney Ellwood/Henry Gaunt
A modern novel about two boys and their group of friends who are in their late adolescence at the onset of WWI. The book grapples with their socioeconomic privilege, and also various other questions of identity. The requested ship is canon and quite compellingly romantic, but there are many questions left unsettled at the end of the book about how their relationship will survive, and there are many opportunities for canon divergence.
Access: this is a recent release, so high seas or local library/bookstores only
The end of the novel doesn’t give us much detail about how Sidney and Henry navigate a mutual romantic attachment, in contrast to the miscommunication/mixed-signals pining of their first go round. I would love to see any part of that filled in: the separation during the second half of the war, though the risk of death is much lower; the discussions around moving; their experiences reacquainting with sex and their bodies. I would also love to see Sidney regaining his appreciation for poetry, if that’s of interest to you!
Overview and Likes/DNWs
Dear RMSE author: I am so excited for what you will create! I’ve selected some of my rarest and most treasured ships to request for this exchange; anything that avoids my DNWs and includes some of my likes will be wonderful. I’ve put together a short canon promo and access links for everything to make it a little easier to sort through this. If it is at all helpful to you, I’ve written reviews of each of these books on my Dreamwidth, which you can find through the books tag or individual author tags. There’s no expectation that you read them, but they’re around if you’re interested in those thoughts!
Likes:
First and second person POV, Slice of life, Domesticity, Older characters, Romance, Realism, Complicated feelings, Bed-sharing/forced proximity, Body-part kinks (hand, foot, armpit, etc.), Impotence/sexual dysfunction, Frottage, Rimming, Manual/oral/anal sex, Coming too soon, Awkwardness and embarrassment during sex (especially first time), Cuddling, Crossdressing, Lush descriptions of bodies and clothing, Body hair, Loyalty, Strong and deeply-felt relationships, Bad characters shown as both bad and mundane/regular people, Introspection, Time and place as important to the characters and story, Sex before love or as a path to love, Reunions
DNW:
Noncon, Dubcon, Major Character Death, BDSM, Mpreg, Omegaverse, Setting change AUs, Sexual relationships for characters under age 15, Non-canonical permanent injury, Body horror, Genital torture, Sexual humiliation or degradation, Unrequested pairings, Unrequested identity headcanons, Threesomes/moresomes, Teacher-student
The Fifth Form at St. Dominc’s - Talbot Baines Reed
Oliver Greenfield/Edward Loman
Fifth Form is my favorite book of the public school novel genre. From the late Victorian era, it describes the trials of three schoolboys: brothers Oliver and Stephen Greenfield and Oliver’s rival, Edward Loman. What I love about this novel is that it delivers all the joys of the public school genre (sport, slang, daily life and hijinks, intense relationships between boys) using a relatively sophisticated set of characters. Oliver is notably flawed, struggling to control his temper; Edward makes a series of bad choices stemming from youthful inexperience and fear. Edward and Oliver have such an intense rivalry to build off of and a delightful melodramatic Victorian illness/rescue at the end.
Access: Full text at Project Gutenberg
Edward’s departure for Australia at the end of the novel makes for a natural reunion premise, a few years on when perhaps Oliver has finished his time at university (if he goes) and Edward is back in England (to go straight to work? to begin a university education? perhaps he was educated in Australia and is trying to fit into the working scene in London?). But I would also love canon-era fic which turns some of their school encounters or near-misses into illicit trysts instead, or a divergence which intercedes with the Australia ending and provides Edward some sort of local penance instead. I particularly love how the novel treats Edward’s guilt and shame, and how, in contrast, Oliver staunchly refuses to dwell on those. Playing their personalities off of one another as a lead-up to romance would be wonderful.
The Longest Journey - E. M. Forster
Stewart Ansell/Rickie Elliot
A novel about a young man finding his way in the world as an orphan with a congenital disability, The Longest Journey gives us a picture of Rickie Elliot’s life from university on through marriage and scandal. The stakes are that of a personal drama, and it’s told beautifully. Rickie defines himself by the challenges that he faces and how well he overcomes them to meet the standards of normality; Stewart, his friend, pushes him to consider otherwise. The novel gives Rickie only the briefest fulfillment of this and so offers a chance for fruitful canon divergence!
Access: Full text at Project Gutenberg
I’d enjoy seeing Rickie and Stewart reunited earlier—perhaps they never truly split their friendship and Rickie doesn’t marry Agnes, or the shock of learning about his half-brother drives Rickie to seek counsel from his old friend, or Rickie leaves instead of marrying and taking the teaching post at Sawston, or the death of Rickie’s daughter spurs him to leave, or Stewart is moved to answer one of Rickie’s letters. Perhaps Rickie sends a more honest letter, one of the versions that he burned! I would also be more than happy to receive fix-it fic wherein Rickie’s daughter survives and he and Stewart have some highly-improbable family arrangement of raising her together—I am a sucker for that sort of thing. But really, give me a Stewart who rejects conventionality and loves his friend, and a Rickie who finds the confidence to do the same, and I will be delighted.
The Hill - Horace Annesley Vachell
Reginald Scaife/John Verney
The Hill is a public school novel with flaws, and I desperately want to see those interrogated. Vachell does not want us to like Reginald Scaife, his villain, because Scaife is from a nouveau riche family with (gasp, horror) a tradesman as a grandfather. John Verney, the protagonist, is a Christian moral paragon who deftly dodges the Demon (Scaife’s actual in-universe nickname), unlike his sad friend Henry Desmond. Unfortunately, Vachell put some very horny descriptions of Scaife in Verney’s mouth, and that alone creates a powerful sexual tension for our not-so-pure moral hero.
Scaife smiled cynically. He looked about a year older than John, but he had the air and manners of a man of the world—so John thought. Also, he was very good-looking, handsomer than Desmond.
Access: Full text at Project Gutenberg
I would be overjoyed to get a John Verney overcoming his disgust at his own attraction for Scaife. Perhaps after the war, Scaife returns home as a decorated member of the military and Verney, in some ministerial office following his training with Desmond’s father, finds that they are once again in the same social circle? Or Verney might proactively reach out to Scaife, attempting some priggish moralistic conversion thing, and it’s Scaife who sucks him into the opposite. Or perhaps their mutual devastation over Desmond’s death is what draws them together and the old attraction is rekindled.
Crossover Fandom: Maurice - E. M. Forster and David Blaize - E. F. Benson
Clive Durham/Frank Maddox
Maurice is a wonderful gay romance with a happy ending, and is usually treated as a notable novel for that context, especially given the time of its original authorship (1910s, published after Forster’s death). Maurice, the title character, has a failed romance with the repressed Clive before finding the promise of self-acceptance and happiness with Alec. Clive decides that he’s definitely normal now, and marries a woman.
David Blaize is perhaps the most textually-slashy of the old public school novels, with Frank Maddox making a move on the titular David and then beating himself up about it for the one and a half novels remaining.
Access for Maurice: Full text at the Internet Archive
Access for David Blaize: Full text at Project Gutenberg
Access for David of King’s: Full text at Google Books
For both characters, I am attracted to their repression and what I perceive as the lies they tell themselves about being happy with their lives, absent the relationships they clearly wanted (at least at one point). Both are Cambridge graduates, seemingly with overlap in classical studies, and given the unclear timing of the David Blaize series, Frank could be older or younger than Clive. I would love to see them meet either at Cambridge or through that connection, though anything you can dream up is welcome! I’m interested in how two men struggling with their sexuality in this way would engage with that quality in another person—could they draw each other out of this rut?
Fandom-Specific DNW: movie canon for Maurice
In Memoriam - Alice Winn
Sidney Ellwood/Henry Gaunt
A modern novel about two boys and their group of friends who are in their late adolescence at the onset of WWI. The book grapples with their socioeconomic privilege, and also various other questions of identity. The requested ship is canon and quite compellingly romantic, but there are many questions left unsettled at the end of the book about how their relationship will survive, and there are many opportunities for canon divergence.
Access: this is a recent release, so high seas or local library/bookstores only
The end of the novel doesn’t give us much detail about how Sidney and Henry navigate a mutual romantic attachment, in contrast to the miscommunication/mixed-signals pining of their first go round. I would love to see any part of that filled in: the separation during the second half of the war, though the risk of death is much lower; the discussions around moving; their experiences reacquainting with sex and their bodies. I would also love to see Sidney regaining his appreciation for poetry, if that’s of interest to you!