Holly Poly

[tielan]

Dear author,

Welcome to my letter for holly_poly, wherein I try to give you a snapshot of the kind of stuff I like, and which you are welcome to take as gospel (although I don’t recommend it), consider as guidelines (rather than rules), or simply read as an exercise in curiosity (entirely acceptable).



Do Not Wants:
non-con, dubcon
in sex: wet, messy, dirty, bodily fluids, guro
pairings I haven’t asked for (even in the background)
unhappy/depressing endings
one character left out/pushed aside/sidelined
pairings I have indicated I don’t want (specific to fandom)

Likes:
negotiation
non stereotypically-feminine female characters
action, dialogue, conversation, crisis/conflict, resolution
show, don’t tell
femmedomme for multiple malesub
sedoretu relationships
day-in, day-out depiction of relationships
relationships where everyone is into everyone else
depictions of relationships that show non-sexual interaction with each other (with or without sex)
angst with a happy ending

note: a sedoretu relationship is one where four people are in relationships with each other. Think of it as a square with four people as the corners, and each side as a sexual relationship. The person at each corner is not allowed to have a relationship with the person on the opposite corner. The traditional form is two males and two females, with one female and one male to a ‘moiety’ or a social group, and the other female and other male belonging to the alternative moiety/social group. In the traditional form every person has one heterosexual relationship and one homosexual relationship. Obviously, you can work this to be a non-traditional form but there will still be four sexual relationships and two platonic relationships.

If you don't like the sexual relationships that I've outlined in a sedoretu, then even focusing on the platonic relationships that you may prefer is perfectly okay. I like relationships that have a lot of layers about them - personal, intimate, friendly - and I imagine two same-moiety people in a sedoretu have plenty of things to discuss in dealing with their significant others - and to me that's still a part of poly negotiation, which is one of the things I like about poly fics.

If you don't like the sedoretu concept, then just go with the foursome.



Marvel Cinematic Universe
✔ James "Bucky" Barnes/Maria Hill/Steve Rogers (MCU)
✔ James "Bucky" Barnes/Maria Hill/Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov (MCU)
✔ Maria Hill/Pepper Potts/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark (MCU)
✔ James "Bucky" Barnes/Maria Hill/Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson (MCU)
✔ James "Bucky" Barnes/Nakia/Shuri/T'Challa (MCU)
✔ Maria Hill/Steve Rogers/Thor/The Valkyrie (MCU)
✔ Jane Foster/Maria Hill/Steve Rogers/Thor (MCU)

I chose these polys mostly thinking of sedoretus (with the exception of Steve/Maria/Bucky threesome, of course) but I'm okay with all-in. I just like the dynamics of how sedoretus work between characters: friendships between the individuals of the same moiety, and negotiating the sexual relationships, particularly in terms of the power differentials between the individuals.

Feel free to use the canonical world (okay, you can skip Endgame, or make things end differently there), or to go off-road!

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Related Fandoms (Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV))
✔ Angel/Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers/Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Buffyverse)

Vampires and Vampire Slayers and Watchers/Rogue Demon Hunters, ahoy! Uh, I would love this as a sedoretu, or even just as a fighting foursome who are lovers (I never watched Season 5 of Angel, or read the comics) so just run with this.

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Merlin (TV)
✔ Gwen/Merlin/Morgana/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

I was introduced to the sedoretu concept through a Merlin fic, and it worked pretty well for me. Seeing as we got a lot of Arthur/Merlin in the show, I'd prefer the focus on the other relationship dynamics, please. Whether you want to write the scenario of them developing the relationships during the course of the show, or the scenario of Arthur as King and his sedoretu and how they balance everything out, is up to you!

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Battlestar Galactica (2003)
✔ Lee "Apollo" Adama/Sam Anders/Anastasia "Dee" Dualla/Kara "Starbuck" Thrace

Given there were canonical poly relationships shown on Caprica in the series 'Caprica', it's a pity that they never took the Dee/Lee/Kara and Lee/Kara/Anders triangles in this direction. Much as I have a deep fondness for Kara/Lee, please don't leave out Dee and Anders.

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Stargate - All Media Types
✔ Sam Carter/Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran/Jack O'Neill

Another sedoretu option. Surely in all their travels they must have come across 'big love' planets, or sedoretu-style relationships. Or there's always the perennial favourite: "they woke up married". Or, you know, maybe in an alternate earth of arranged marriages, a military couple are cross-married to a civilian couple for the purposes of...IDK. Make it up!

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DC Extended Universe
✔ Diana (Wonder Woman)/Clark Kent/Lois Lane/Bruce Wayne (DCEU)

Superhumans loving humans, and humans loving superhumans. But it's all still love.

The sedoretu pairings I'd like are: Bruce/Diana, Diana/Lois, Lois/Clark, Clark/Bruce. Sex between immortals and mortals, and perhaps Bruce giving Lois advice (or Lois offering Bruce advice, since she's been in a sexual relationship with Clark - see 'Man of Steel, Woman of Tissue' for an extreme take). Also, Lois or Bruce interrogating Diana during sex. (Because you just know they would.) How about Clark asking Diana for tips on how to deal with Bruce - she'd be accustomed to sleeping with mortal men, while Clark...might not be?

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Twelfth Night - Shakespeare
✔ Olivia/Orsino/Sebastian/Viola | Cesario

I have long wanted to see these four as a sedoretu, with all the complexities and complications of rank and due requirement. The things in 'Cesario' that attracted both Orsino and Olivia are in the twins - how would the development of these relationships play out?

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Ultimately, remember that these are all ideas and thoughts - frankly, I'm just tossing ideas out to see if they stick, although I would love to read your take on any of the scenarios I've listed. That said, if you have a vision in your own head, then so long as the relationships are as matched, and the Likes/DNWs are covered, it'll be fine.

Thank you so much for writing for me!
tielan