Jukebox 2024 Letter
Apr. 14th, 2024 10:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kiralyWow, time flies when you're *checks notes* mostly using Dreamwidth for exchange letters and not actually doing a lot of exchanges, whoops.
Ahem. Anyway!
Dear Jukebox Creator,
Hello! Welcome to the small corner of my brain where several songs play on repeat. I’m excited to see what you come up with, and I’m pretty easy to please. The prompts in this letter are to help get you started, but if you have an idea already, feel free to run with it! I’m sure I’ll love whatever it is, as long as you steer clear of my DNWs.
If you want to know more about me, feel free to poke around here (it’s mostly exchange letters, haha). You can also find me on Tumblr:![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
worldsentwined or check out my AO3: ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Kiraly
General Likes:
I really love character-driven stories with a lot of emotion. I’m all about the fluff, but I also enjoy angst with a happy ending - and a lot of these songs probably lend themselves to angst more than fluff. For gen fics, I love to see characters building friendships, working together, going on adventures, getting into (and out of) trouble. Found family and loyalty are always welcome.
For romances, I have a huge weakness for cuddling, (mild) hurt/comfort, and, uh...characters getting soaked and having to snuggle to warm up, haha. Kisses are good (awkward or sweet or steamy). I’m also totally down for things like “there was only one bed”, “fake/pretend relationship”, or other situations where the characters kind of get thrown together and then develop feelings for each other. Also very here for friends-to-lovers, especially the kind that takes years to realize. Mutual pining is great, though I prefer it to end happily. Most of my ships in other fandoms can be summarized as “idiots to lovers” so feel free to make use of that dynamic.
I don’t really care if you keep the genders of the characters the same as listed in the song - I welcome characters of any genders and in any romantic combo (including trans and nonbinary characters). I’m also open to characters of any sexuality, including asexual or aromantic characters.
I’ve requested fic for all of these, but art treats are welcome!
Speculative: In general I’m a huge fan of any kind of sci-fi or fantasy setting, especially if there’s adventure and romance. A (non-exhaustive) list of character tropes I enjoy:
* superheroes/villains * ladies with swords * librarians * sailors * mermaids * selkies * cyborgs * artificial intelligence * bards/musicians * space pirates/crews * witches * magical creatures hiding in human form * dragons * fair folk * mothman * ghosts *
I enjoy the traditional versions of these character types, but in a lot of cases I’m even more excited to see them turned on their heads, with characters who are defying expectations.
I also enjoy stories set on ships (sailing ships, airships, spaceships - take your pick!), post-apocalyptic settings*, and fairy tales (especially with a twist). I also like stories where the setting is mostly our modern world, but with a hint of magic or supernatural elements. Quest-type adventures are great, but I also love quiet moments in between the action when characters can decompress together, regardless of the wider setting.
*although I like post-apocalyptic stuff, I’d prefer to avoid anything too close to home. Far-future post-apocalypse is preferred, or people coping with some disaster other than a pandemic.
Contemporary: Although I’ve always been primarily a fantasy reader, over the past few years I’ve really gotten into the realm of real-world settings - stories set in coffee shops, offices, college, etc. So! If you’d prefer to focus less on worldbuilding and magic, and more on a couple of idiots figuring things out in our own world, by all means do so! Some of the specific prompts will have more details, but I love stories about longtime friends growing closer (and maybe falling in love), lonely people finding friendship for the first time, characters realizing that their weird bits are actually worth loving, and the messy complicated feelings that come from growing up in a small town or otherwise isolated.
Dislikes (Do Not Want):
Character death or maiming, including characters getting infected with some terminal disease. Some background violence is okay, but nothing too graphic (and no torture!) Abusive relationships. Incest. Sexual violence of any kind. Explicit sex (allusions to sex or situations that get kind of steamy are okay, just...keep it teen rated or lower, please). I’d prefer to steer away from homophobia or transphobia as predominant story themes, though it’s okay to include mentions of them. Dementia/permanent memory loss are also subjects to avoid. If possible, I’d prefer nothing with a completely hopeless ending.
Anyway, on to the songs!
Danny, Dakota and the Wishing Well - A Silent Film (Song)
Link Lyrics
First off I’ll say that it’s totally fine to play around with the genders on this one - Dakota and Danny both feel like gender-neutral names to me, or you could name them something different altogether. On the surface, this song tells a story of childhood friends in an unrequited romance that may turn requited years down the road. I’d be happy to read that story, but if you want to go in a more fantastical direction, I love the idea of Danny being some sort of fae, changeling, or other supernatural entity. What’s the deal with the wishing well where they meet once a year? Is Dakota teaching Danny to “spell” in the most literal sense, or are they learning magic together? Why can’t Danny speak, is it more than just not knowing how to confess to someone?
The Dying Song - Montaigne (Song)
Link Lyrics
I love the idea of this Protagonist (whoever they are) who is so done with being the fulcrum of the story that they’ve come out the other side as the “guess I’ll die” meme. They’re not going to run from their destiny/responsibility/prophesied task, but if they simply don’t care if they succeed. It could be fun to do this as some kind of time loop situation, or a story from the perspective of a video game character who is aware of all the times they’ve tried and failed.
Although this song makes references to some specific pieces of media, I’d prefer if you avoided making it about a specific pre-existing character from a game/show/book etc.
Enchanté - Dirt Poor Robins (Song)
Link Lyrics
This song has SO much going on. Stained glass angels? Guarded by gargoyles? Pinned like butterflies by jealous grounded men? You could honestly pull out so many different stories from the imagery in here. I could see a story about failed necromancers-turned-revolutionaries, or a character dealing with religious trauma, or simply someone who has grown past their own limits in a world full of magic and mayhem.
Metaphor - The Crane Wives (Song)
Link Lyrics
The line “I keep my closet free of skeletons / ‘cause I’m much better at digging graves” lives rent-free in my head. I’m fascinated by the dynamic shown here - the singer is telling us all the ways they can’t be trusted, and all the ways they don’t trust whoever they’re singing to, but why bother saying any of it if there isn’t some desire for connection? I would love to see a story about what has made this character the way they are, how some of the things described would play out if they were literal rather than metaphorical (how many graves are they actually digging? Why?) and how things might go with the person they’re singing to. And what happens if someone does look too hard, sees through the misdirection to what lies underneath?
Through Me (The Flood) - Hozier (Song)
Link Lyrics
I’m fascinated by the bits of story we get in this song and how they might fit together. A person swimming off into a new world, a freshly dug grave, a silent house. How are these connected, how does the story flow through them? It’s clear the narrator is speaking from a deep sense of loss and directing their thoughts at another person, but there also seems to be a hopeful edge to it all.
The Way - Fastball (Song)
Link Lyrics
This is one of those songs that I’ve heard exclusively on the radio and usually just roll along while it plays in the background, maybe sing along with the chorus. But at some point last year I started tuning in to the words and thought “you know, this is kind of strange, what is even happening here?” and wrote it down so I would remember to request it. What is going on with the characters in this song? They’re leaving everything behind, possibly forever, with no set destination. Which isn’t that strange in and of itself, but the chorus adds a level of surrealism. It’s always summer, they aren’t getting hungry, they aren’t aging. Is this a one-off event about a specific group of people? Or is it a recurring phenomenon tied to a particular place? Do the characters have some idea of what they’re getting into when they leave, or does it creep up on them slowly? Feel free to take it in a somewhat creepy direction, though mind my DNWs. As an additional note, the line that goes “the children woke up, and they couldn’t find them” is unclear, but I’d prefer if this story didn’t focus on kids being orphaned or otherwise endangered because their parents wandered off into a mysterious desert or whatever. (A story from the perspective of a person who lost a parent, and this event affecting their own thoughts about possibly wandering off into the mysterious desert, would be okay).
You Told the Drunks I Knew Karate - Zoey Van Goey (Song)
Link Lyrics
This song brings me so much joy! The singer and the person they’re singing to have clearly been having some adventures, whether the singer wants to be having them or not. I’d love to read about any of the events of the song in more detail - how did this interaction with “the drunks” lead to being chased all over town? Why were they on the roof in the first place? Did all of these events happen on the same night, culminating in missing the bus and walking home? Or is this more of a “we end up in shenanigans every weekend, why do I keep hanging out with you?” situation? I would love to know about additional adventures, and maybe see the instigator of them take care of the poor singer at the end as they’re lying prone on the sofa after it all.
A note about the youtube links: They should all work in the U.S., but in the event that you’re located elsewhere and something is region-locked for you, feel free to leave me an anonymous comment and I’ll try to find a better version.
Ahem. Anyway!
Dear Jukebox Creator,
Hello! Welcome to the small corner of my brain where several songs play on repeat. I’m excited to see what you come up with, and I’m pretty easy to please. The prompts in this letter are to help get you started, but if you have an idea already, feel free to run with it! I’m sure I’ll love whatever it is, as long as you steer clear of my DNWs.
If you want to know more about me, feel free to poke around here (it’s mostly exchange letters, haha). You can also find me on Tumblr:
General Likes:
I really love character-driven stories with a lot of emotion. I’m all about the fluff, but I also enjoy angst with a happy ending - and a lot of these songs probably lend themselves to angst more than fluff. For gen fics, I love to see characters building friendships, working together, going on adventures, getting into (and out of) trouble. Found family and loyalty are always welcome.
For romances, I have a huge weakness for cuddling, (mild) hurt/comfort, and, uh...characters getting soaked and having to snuggle to warm up, haha. Kisses are good (awkward or sweet or steamy). I’m also totally down for things like “there was only one bed”, “fake/pretend relationship”, or other situations where the characters kind of get thrown together and then develop feelings for each other. Also very here for friends-to-lovers, especially the kind that takes years to realize. Mutual pining is great, though I prefer it to end happily. Most of my ships in other fandoms can be summarized as “idiots to lovers” so feel free to make use of that dynamic.
I don’t really care if you keep the genders of the characters the same as listed in the song - I welcome characters of any genders and in any romantic combo (including trans and nonbinary characters). I’m also open to characters of any sexuality, including asexual or aromantic characters.
I’ve requested fic for all of these, but art treats are welcome!
Speculative: In general I’m a huge fan of any kind of sci-fi or fantasy setting, especially if there’s adventure and romance. A (non-exhaustive) list of character tropes I enjoy:
* superheroes/villains * ladies with swords * librarians * sailors * mermaids * selkies * cyborgs * artificial intelligence * bards/musicians * space pirates/crews * witches * magical creatures hiding in human form * dragons * fair folk * mothman * ghosts *
I enjoy the traditional versions of these character types, but in a lot of cases I’m even more excited to see them turned on their heads, with characters who are defying expectations.
I also enjoy stories set on ships (sailing ships, airships, spaceships - take your pick!), post-apocalyptic settings*, and fairy tales (especially with a twist). I also like stories where the setting is mostly our modern world, but with a hint of magic or supernatural elements. Quest-type adventures are great, but I also love quiet moments in between the action when characters can decompress together, regardless of the wider setting.
*although I like post-apocalyptic stuff, I’d prefer to avoid anything too close to home. Far-future post-apocalypse is preferred, or people coping with some disaster other than a pandemic.
Contemporary: Although I’ve always been primarily a fantasy reader, over the past few years I’ve really gotten into the realm of real-world settings - stories set in coffee shops, offices, college, etc. So! If you’d prefer to focus less on worldbuilding and magic, and more on a couple of idiots figuring things out in our own world, by all means do so! Some of the specific prompts will have more details, but I love stories about longtime friends growing closer (and maybe falling in love), lonely people finding friendship for the first time, characters realizing that their weird bits are actually worth loving, and the messy complicated feelings that come from growing up in a small town or otherwise isolated.
Dislikes (Do Not Want):
Character death or maiming, including characters getting infected with some terminal disease. Some background violence is okay, but nothing too graphic (and no torture!) Abusive relationships. Incest. Sexual violence of any kind. Explicit sex (allusions to sex or situations that get kind of steamy are okay, just...keep it teen rated or lower, please). I’d prefer to steer away from homophobia or transphobia as predominant story themes, though it’s okay to include mentions of them. Dementia/permanent memory loss are also subjects to avoid. If possible, I’d prefer nothing with a completely hopeless ending.
Anyway, on to the songs!
Danny, Dakota and the Wishing Well - A Silent Film (Song)
Link Lyrics
First off I’ll say that it’s totally fine to play around with the genders on this one - Dakota and Danny both feel like gender-neutral names to me, or you could name them something different altogether. On the surface, this song tells a story of childhood friends in an unrequited romance that may turn requited years down the road. I’d be happy to read that story, but if you want to go in a more fantastical direction, I love the idea of Danny being some sort of fae, changeling, or other supernatural entity. What’s the deal with the wishing well where they meet once a year? Is Dakota teaching Danny to “spell” in the most literal sense, or are they learning magic together? Why can’t Danny speak, is it more than just not knowing how to confess to someone?
The Dying Song - Montaigne (Song)
Link Lyrics
I love the idea of this Protagonist (whoever they are) who is so done with being the fulcrum of the story that they’ve come out the other side as the “guess I’ll die” meme. They’re not going to run from their destiny/responsibility/prophesied task, but if they simply don’t care if they succeed. It could be fun to do this as some kind of time loop situation, or a story from the perspective of a video game character who is aware of all the times they’ve tried and failed.
Although this song makes references to some specific pieces of media, I’d prefer if you avoided making it about a specific pre-existing character from a game/show/book etc.
Enchanté - Dirt Poor Robins (Song)
Link Lyrics
This song has SO much going on. Stained glass angels? Guarded by gargoyles? Pinned like butterflies by jealous grounded men? You could honestly pull out so many different stories from the imagery in here. I could see a story about failed necromancers-turned-revolutionaries, or a character dealing with religious trauma, or simply someone who has grown past their own limits in a world full of magic and mayhem.
Metaphor - The Crane Wives (Song)
Link Lyrics
The line “I keep my closet free of skeletons / ‘cause I’m much better at digging graves” lives rent-free in my head. I’m fascinated by the dynamic shown here - the singer is telling us all the ways they can’t be trusted, and all the ways they don’t trust whoever they’re singing to, but why bother saying any of it if there isn’t some desire for connection? I would love to see a story about what has made this character the way they are, how some of the things described would play out if they were literal rather than metaphorical (how many graves are they actually digging? Why?) and how things might go with the person they’re singing to. And what happens if someone does look too hard, sees through the misdirection to what lies underneath?
Through Me (The Flood) - Hozier (Song)
Link Lyrics
I’m fascinated by the bits of story we get in this song and how they might fit together. A person swimming off into a new world, a freshly dug grave, a silent house. How are these connected, how does the story flow through them? It’s clear the narrator is speaking from a deep sense of loss and directing their thoughts at another person, but there also seems to be a hopeful edge to it all.
The Way - Fastball (Song)
Link Lyrics
This is one of those songs that I’ve heard exclusively on the radio and usually just roll along while it plays in the background, maybe sing along with the chorus. But at some point last year I started tuning in to the words and thought “you know, this is kind of strange, what is even happening here?” and wrote it down so I would remember to request it. What is going on with the characters in this song? They’re leaving everything behind, possibly forever, with no set destination. Which isn’t that strange in and of itself, but the chorus adds a level of surrealism. It’s always summer, they aren’t getting hungry, they aren’t aging. Is this a one-off event about a specific group of people? Or is it a recurring phenomenon tied to a particular place? Do the characters have some idea of what they’re getting into when they leave, or does it creep up on them slowly? Feel free to take it in a somewhat creepy direction, though mind my DNWs. As an additional note, the line that goes “the children woke up, and they couldn’t find them” is unclear, but I’d prefer if this story didn’t focus on kids being orphaned or otherwise endangered because their parents wandered off into a mysterious desert or whatever. (A story from the perspective of a person who lost a parent, and this event affecting their own thoughts about possibly wandering off into the mysterious desert, would be okay).
You Told the Drunks I Knew Karate - Zoey Van Goey (Song)
Link Lyrics
This song brings me so much joy! The singer and the person they’re singing to have clearly been having some adventures, whether the singer wants to be having them or not. I’d love to read about any of the events of the song in more detail - how did this interaction with “the drunks” lead to being chased all over town? Why were they on the roof in the first place? Did all of these events happen on the same night, culminating in missing the bus and walking home? Or is this more of a “we end up in shenanigans every weekend, why do I keep hanging out with you?” situation? I would love to know about additional adventures, and maybe see the instigator of them take care of the poor singer at the end as they’re lying prone on the sofa after it all.
A note about the youtube links: They should all work in the U.S., but in the event that you’re located elsewhere and something is region-locked for you, feel free to leave me an anonymous comment and I’ll try to find a better version.
