Dear Yuletide Benefactor....
Oct. 20th, 2023 07:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamcranverHi, Yuletide writer! Whoo, after my first year not doing Yuletide since I don't even know when, I'm psyched to jump back on the bike this year. Thank you for writing me a story--I'm happy we matched on any of these fandoms! If you have a story idea that doesn’t fit into one of the prompts I come up with here, go for it! But here’s some general prompts, likes, dislikes, etc., and I hope at least some of it is useful.
Things I generally enjoy:
--AUs and fusions
--genre mixing
--happy endings
--poly ships
--moments of discovery or revelation
--gen and casefic
--important conversations between characters
--first meetings and/or characters getting to know each other.
--cliche rom-com tropes--some faves include second chance romance, renovation romance, and marriage of convenience
--literally any amount of sex--none whatsoever, non-stop smut, I like it all
--having my heartstrings pulled, as long as there's a happy ending
Things I do not enjoy:
--dark or angsty endings
--character bashing
--infidelity
--gore--I actually really enjoy action, I just don't enjoy graphic gore or lingering focus on damage to the human body.
--non-con
--incest
--relationships where the parties don't seem to like each other
As far as fandom-specific stuff goes, I laid out my general preferences in the sign-up, but if you'd like some prompt ideas, here you go!
In the sign-up, I said: I'd really enjoy some post-book Gareth/Joss. I'm not picky if you'd like to focus on one character more than the other, because I'd frankly be interested in seeing what either or both of them end up doing, what with Joss's smuggling and Gareth coming to be accepted on the Marsh and both of their complex family issues, but I'd really like to see more of their relationship and how it develops with a lot of the pressures from Elijah Doomsday, Henry and Lionel Inglis, and Bill Sweetwater removed.
I just devoured this book when it came out--the family angst, the initially hostile reunion followed by tentative getting to know each other for real, the gothic mystery angle, all of it, just ate it up with a spoon. I enjoyed Book 2 as well, but frankly some more Gareth/Joss would really hit the spot for me. As far as specifics that might be fun to read:
--Gareth finding a lot of bugs and starts writing his book about the beetles, with help, of course, from the Chief Beetle-Hand of Romney Marsh
--Outsider POV about Joss and Gareth becoming the best-kept secret on the Marsh
--AU where Joss and Gareth find the treasure. How, I don't know--maybe it's in a different location, maybe Gareth has to hang out with the d'Aumestys for some reason--but I'd like to see more of Joss and Gareth working together to solve the mystery
--Gareth and Cecy bonding, or Gareth and Luke bonding
--Joss uses his smuggling connections to find stuff Gareth wants--scientific equipment? Books on insects?
--Joss and his relationship with his mother, and how that's changed now that she finally had to admit how awful Elijah was
--Joss and Gareth get into some kind of conflict--maybe over Luke?--and Catherine mediates
As far as fandom-specific DNWs go, I'd be fine with characters from Book 2 coming in if you wanted to set it later and, like, have Odo and Gareth hang out, but I'd just as soon steer clear of any kind of major deception between partners being a major theme, of the sort seen in Book 2's epilogue.
In the sign-up, I said: Ultimately, what I'd really like is a story about Guildeluëc being awesome sans Eliduc, ideally going in a femslash direction where she hooks up with Guilliadun. This could be during the main plot, with Guildeluëc holding down the fort, or at the end after she's gone to be the head of the nunnery, but whenever and wherever it's set, some nice competence porn would be great.
Every time I read this, I just enjoy Guildeluëc more and more, and her saving the day via magical weasel flower. I want so much more about her. Some prompts that I'd enjoy reading:
--Epistolary fic with Guildeluëc and Guilliadun falling in love via letters
--Guildeluëc being an awesomely competent abbess whom even the King of Brittany turns to for advice.
--Looks like the magic weasel flower thing wasn't a one-off: simply through her keen observational skills, Guildeluëc becomes a famous physician, a skilled magician, or both!
--AU of the ending where Guildeluëc and Guilliadun end up together--maybe going back to Exeter
--So, Eliduc and Guilliadun are married, but something happens--Idk, maybe Eliduc is on the outs with the king again--and Guildeluëc has to help out, either by assisting Guilliadun or going on a quest for something or doing some diplomatic negotiation, and Guilliadun falls in love with her (and of course, she still loves Guilliadun, even if the feelings there are complicated since she's married to Guildeluëc's ex)
--AU where, for whatever reason, it's Guildeluëc rather than Eliduc who ended up going to Exeter. What happens?
For fandom-specific DNWs, I don't know, I usually go for the happy threesome option in love triangle plots but Eliduc/Guildeluëc/Guilliadun doesn't really do it for me. I just basically want something where Guildeluëc ends up getting exactly what she wants, so regardless of what ship is endgame, I'd like Guildeluëc to be happy with the conclusion.
In the sign-up, I said:I would really enjoy mission or casefic for this fandom, whether this involves getting the whole gang back together again, or Mace and Marie reluctantly teaming up again, or Graciela recruiting the rest of them or some subset of them to help out with an issue requiring their special set of skills. Femslash would be amazing--I definitely came out of the movie shipping Mace/Marie--but more mission- or friendship-focused fic would be awesome, too.
I watched this movie on an airplane and was bowled over with femslash possibilities, which definitely kept my attention throughout the flight, but I'm also a sucker for secret agent-y women doing missions (cf. my fondness for Nikita), so I'd be happy with gen or pretty much any f/f combo of characters. For some specific ideas (and feel free to ignore, as I know I'm bringing in characters that aren't in the nominated tag set for some of these, but only for purposes of potential prompting):
--Mace and Marie bond over their father issues and hook up. What happens next?
--Mace and Marie unexpectedly find themselves having to work together again.
--Mace and Khadijah's backstory--how do they know each other? And did they have a romantic relationship in the past?
--Marie has to protect Graciela for whatever reason and they end up hooking up (either with her husband's involvement or with her husband being okay with it, as infidelity is a DNW for me)
--Living on the run is challenging, and one of them gets framed for something--how do the others reunite to help?
--Mace and Marie form a two-person A-Team to help people For Reasons, both finding themselves absolutely baffled by the thanks they get and the perception that they're some kind of Robin Hood-esque figures.
--The gang goes drinking with Lin Mi Sheng sometime before the epilogue of the movie, so that she can get to know them a little better and grieve for her father.
--Graciela helps Mace and Marie get new identities so they can live without being on the run. The problem? These identities are as married suburbanites. Shenanigans ensue.
As far as fandom-specific likes or DNWs go, I don't mind if Nick comes up as part of Mace's backstory, but I'd rather he not be the main focus. If you like action, feel free to include as much as you like--I'm a big fan of action myself--but don't feel obliged or anything!
In the sign-up, I said: I'd really be interested in post-movie Christian/Aaron--getting together and (maybe? presumably) living together would represent a huge lifestyle change for both of them, and I'd be all about them encountering unexpected difficulties and overcoming them, but I'd also be delighted with fluff about them watching movies together or something. Feel free to include Julie, Lila, or any of the rest of their friends.
Ah, I have a lot of nostalgic feelings about this one! I enjoy these seemingly very different characters bonding over being movie nerds, and the fact that both of them have distinct journeys they have to go on to recognize the value in loving each other and being together. This is one where I feel like I'd enjoy angst, smut, and fluff, or some combination thereof, equally. For some prompt ideas, here are a couple I thought of:
--Aaron becoming friends with Julie after her video saved his life.
--Aaron and Christian house-hunting, and squabbling/bonding/learning about each other over what each one wants in a living space
--Aaron becoming aspiring actor Christian’s number one fan--and maybe Christian gets a big break that Aaron is mega enthusiastic about
--Christian dealing with some of the obstacles that come of living with a romantic partner for the first time, especially one with a lot of trauma.
--Aaron tentatively dipping his toes into the gay community and finding friends there
--Aaron and Christian trying something new in the bedroom
--Christian surprised to find that Aaron and Lila are friends and that his own relationship with Lila takes on new dimensions now that they have Aaron in common
--Aaron and Christian throw their first party as a couple
For fandom-specific DNWs, hmm, some of the friends' banter in the movie gets a little mean-spirited, which is fine, but I'd prefer to avoid the casual fatphobia there.
In the sign-up, I said: What I would really like is Georgie/Jez, or possibly also Georgie/Jez/Dylan. I feel like there's so much room for romance tropes with Georgie and Jez--renovating the 'stately home,' class differences, faking some aspect of their relationship because "con artist and impoverished lady reunite to rip off the lady's fiance" doesn't play in the society journals as a "how we met story," the works.
This movie is like catnip to me--the heists, the fairy-tale like element of finding out Georgie's noble and them all moving into their dream house, the nerd-smooth talker dynamic Dylan and Jez have going on, Georgie being fond of Jez's oddness and finding that she herself likes pulling cons, all of it is so fun. I really want some Jez/Georgie happily-ever-after shenanigans. Specifically, here are some scenarios that could be fun:
--Georgie, Jez, and Dylan have to pull another con together after the end of the movie, For Reasons. Maybe Robin and Floss help out again, too.
--Full-on home renovation romance: the 'stately home' has big parts that have fallen into disrepair, and Jez and Dylan bring their DIY abilities to the task.
--Georgie introduces either her medical friends or her upper-class friends to Jez--how does that go?
--Jez suddenly finds that he can make oodles of money making speech-to-text and text-to-speech software--how do he and Dylan cope with the fact that they can suddenly get rich by legitimate means? Maybe Dylan and Georgie help him craft a 'tech innovator' persona (which he finds very challenging to keep up outside the framework of a con), maybe he goes full on 'mad inventor' and starts churning out wild inventions now that he actually has space and money to buy all the refrigerator parts he wants, who knows?
--Georgie now turns her full attention to medical school, now that the money problems and the Roger problems are handled--how does she balance that with a new relationship?
--Jez and Robin bond
--Georgie and Jez get engaged, which causes some issues: the tabloids are interested in how they met, Jez's prison record comes up, Roger makes a nuisance of himself, etc., and they have to work together to solve those issues.
--Georgie and Jez get to know each other without any deception, taking it slow...which is complicated by the fact that they live together and Floss and Dylan are engaging in some hardcore rom-com shenanigans as they get together.
--Georgie is fascinated by the fact that Dylan and Jez used to hook up, and the three of them spend an enjoyable night together.
Fandom-specific DNWs...gosh, I don't know. I could go for endgame Dylan/Georgie/Jez, but not just endgame Dylan/Jez.
I would enjoy casefic...that also features Poirot and Hastings being a couple. They could be an old established couple, they could get together on the case--either way, I'd be happy as a clam.
I've just gotten into this show this fall, and I'm just enjoying the heck out of it. I really enjoy the dynamic between Poirot and Hastings--I could see where they would drive other people up the wall, but suit each other really well--and I like their friendship with Miss Lemon and Chief Inspector Japp. I could go for friendship or romance between the two of them, but I do have a hankering for Hastings/Poirot. Obviously this is one where, if you're hankering to write a murder mystery, this would be perfect, but in terms of more specific ideas, here are some prompts I came up with:
--Poirot and Hastings’ first meeting
--Poirot and Hastings in some wild AU setting like outer space or the 12th century, where of course they're still solving mysteries.
--AU where they didn't meet before Poirot came to England, and they still end up meeting each other during a mystery
--Hastings being chivalrous toward Poirot--he's got that kind of old-fashioned streak to him, which I think would be charming when directed toward Poirot.
--Poirot appreciating Hastings--the poor guy never gets to tell his caiman-hunting stories and frequently gets reminded of how wrong he is or how little Poirot cares about golf and cars, it would be nice to see Poirot really valuing what Hastings brings to the case!
--Poirot and Hastings help Miss Lemon solve a problem in her life, whether filing-related or relationship-related or landlord-related or what have you.
--This is random, but I was really entertained by the episode where Poirot is hosting Japp and Japp just can't wait to leave by the end, he's so sick of the bidet and the temperature and Poirot's food. I can see where he'd try to bond with Hastings over that stuff and be absolutely baffled by the fact that everything that grated on him about living with Poirot is stuff that Hastings is absolutely fine with.
--Hastings still occasionally connects with John, Mary, and Lawrence Cavendish and Cynthia Murdoch, and is surprised to find that they all assume (rightly or wrongly--your call!) that he and Poirot are an old married couple.
--What's up with Hastings's family and backstory? I think it would be cool if there was some kind of mystery involving, let's say, Hastings's brother, or aunt, or something, and he had to introduce his various family members to Poirot.
--That director friend of Hastings's from "The King of Clubs" wants to make a movie about their cases. How does that go?
As far as fandom-specific DNWs, I'd prefer that Hastings either not be married or that at some point he and Bella amicably split up--as I mentioned earlier, infidelity is not my jam.
I hope something in here is helpful to you, and that you enjoy writing your story as much as I'm looking forward to reading it! Thanks for writing for me, and happy Yuletide!
Best,
Tam Cranver
Things I generally enjoy:
--AUs and fusions
--genre mixing
--happy endings
--poly ships
--moments of discovery or revelation
--gen and casefic
--important conversations between characters
--first meetings and/or characters getting to know each other.
--cliche rom-com tropes--some faves include second chance romance, renovation romance, and marriage of convenience
--literally any amount of sex--none whatsoever, non-stop smut, I like it all
--having my heartstrings pulled, as long as there's a happy ending
Things I do not enjoy:
--dark or angsty endings
--character bashing
--infidelity
--gore--I actually really enjoy action, I just don't enjoy graphic gore or lingering focus on damage to the human body.
--non-con
--incest
--relationships where the parties don't seem to like each other
As far as fandom-specific stuff goes, I laid out my general preferences in the sign-up, but if you'd like some prompt ideas, here you go!
In the sign-up, I said: I'd really enjoy some post-book Gareth/Joss. I'm not picky if you'd like to focus on one character more than the other, because I'd frankly be interested in seeing what either or both of them end up doing, what with Joss's smuggling and Gareth coming to be accepted on the Marsh and both of their complex family issues, but I'd really like to see more of their relationship and how it develops with a lot of the pressures from Elijah Doomsday, Henry and Lionel Inglis, and Bill Sweetwater removed.
I just devoured this book when it came out--the family angst, the initially hostile reunion followed by tentative getting to know each other for real, the gothic mystery angle, all of it, just ate it up with a spoon. I enjoyed Book 2 as well, but frankly some more Gareth/Joss would really hit the spot for me. As far as specifics that might be fun to read:
--Gareth finding a lot of bugs and starts writing his book about the beetles, with help, of course, from the Chief Beetle-Hand of Romney Marsh
--Outsider POV about Joss and Gareth becoming the best-kept secret on the Marsh
--AU where Joss and Gareth find the treasure. How, I don't know--maybe it's in a different location, maybe Gareth has to hang out with the d'Aumestys for some reason--but I'd like to see more of Joss and Gareth working together to solve the mystery
--Gareth and Cecy bonding, or Gareth and Luke bonding
--Joss uses his smuggling connections to find stuff Gareth wants--scientific equipment? Books on insects?
--Joss and his relationship with his mother, and how that's changed now that she finally had to admit how awful Elijah was
--Joss and Gareth get into some kind of conflict--maybe over Luke?--and Catherine mediates
As far as fandom-specific DNWs go, I'd be fine with characters from Book 2 coming in if you wanted to set it later and, like, have Odo and Gareth hang out, but I'd just as soon steer clear of any kind of major deception between partners being a major theme, of the sort seen in Book 2's epilogue.
In the sign-up, I said: Ultimately, what I'd really like is a story about Guildeluëc being awesome sans Eliduc, ideally going in a femslash direction where she hooks up with Guilliadun. This could be during the main plot, with Guildeluëc holding down the fort, or at the end after she's gone to be the head of the nunnery, but whenever and wherever it's set, some nice competence porn would be great.
Every time I read this, I just enjoy Guildeluëc more and more, and her saving the day via magical weasel flower. I want so much more about her. Some prompts that I'd enjoy reading:
--Epistolary fic with Guildeluëc and Guilliadun falling in love via letters
--Guildeluëc being an awesomely competent abbess whom even the King of Brittany turns to for advice.
--Looks like the magic weasel flower thing wasn't a one-off: simply through her keen observational skills, Guildeluëc becomes a famous physician, a skilled magician, or both!
--AU of the ending where Guildeluëc and Guilliadun end up together--maybe going back to Exeter
--So, Eliduc and Guilliadun are married, but something happens--Idk, maybe Eliduc is on the outs with the king again--and Guildeluëc has to help out, either by assisting Guilliadun or going on a quest for something or doing some diplomatic negotiation, and Guilliadun falls in love with her (and of course, she still loves Guilliadun, even if the feelings there are complicated since she's married to Guildeluëc's ex)
--AU where, for whatever reason, it's Guildeluëc rather than Eliduc who ended up going to Exeter. What happens?
For fandom-specific DNWs, I don't know, I usually go for the happy threesome option in love triangle plots but Eliduc/Guildeluëc/Guilliadun doesn't really do it for me. I just basically want something where Guildeluëc ends up getting exactly what she wants, so regardless of what ship is endgame, I'd like Guildeluëc to be happy with the conclusion.
In the sign-up, I said:I would really enjoy mission or casefic for this fandom, whether this involves getting the whole gang back together again, or Mace and Marie reluctantly teaming up again, or Graciela recruiting the rest of them or some subset of them to help out with an issue requiring their special set of skills. Femslash would be amazing--I definitely came out of the movie shipping Mace/Marie--but more mission- or friendship-focused fic would be awesome, too.
I watched this movie on an airplane and was bowled over with femslash possibilities, which definitely kept my attention throughout the flight, but I'm also a sucker for secret agent-y women doing missions (cf. my fondness for Nikita), so I'd be happy with gen or pretty much any f/f combo of characters. For some specific ideas (and feel free to ignore, as I know I'm bringing in characters that aren't in the nominated tag set for some of these, but only for purposes of potential prompting):
--Mace and Marie bond over their father issues and hook up. What happens next?
--Mace and Marie unexpectedly find themselves having to work together again.
--Mace and Khadijah's backstory--how do they know each other? And did they have a romantic relationship in the past?
--Marie has to protect Graciela for whatever reason and they end up hooking up (either with her husband's involvement or with her husband being okay with it, as infidelity is a DNW for me)
--Living on the run is challenging, and one of them gets framed for something--how do the others reunite to help?
--Mace and Marie form a two-person A-Team to help people For Reasons, both finding themselves absolutely baffled by the thanks they get and the perception that they're some kind of Robin Hood-esque figures.
--The gang goes drinking with Lin Mi Sheng sometime before the epilogue of the movie, so that she can get to know them a little better and grieve for her father.
--Graciela helps Mace and Marie get new identities so they can live without being on the run. The problem? These identities are as married suburbanites. Shenanigans ensue.
As far as fandom-specific likes or DNWs go, I don't mind if Nick comes up as part of Mace's backstory, but I'd rather he not be the main focus. If you like action, feel free to include as much as you like--I'm a big fan of action myself--but don't feel obliged or anything!
In the sign-up, I said: I'd really be interested in post-movie Christian/Aaron--getting together and (maybe? presumably) living together would represent a huge lifestyle change for both of them, and I'd be all about them encountering unexpected difficulties and overcoming them, but I'd also be delighted with fluff about them watching movies together or something. Feel free to include Julie, Lila, or any of the rest of their friends.
Ah, I have a lot of nostalgic feelings about this one! I enjoy these seemingly very different characters bonding over being movie nerds, and the fact that both of them have distinct journeys they have to go on to recognize the value in loving each other and being together. This is one where I feel like I'd enjoy angst, smut, and fluff, or some combination thereof, equally. For some prompt ideas, here are a couple I thought of:
--Aaron becoming friends with Julie after her video saved his life.
--Aaron and Christian house-hunting, and squabbling/bonding/learning about each other over what each one wants in a living space
--Aaron becoming aspiring actor Christian’s number one fan--and maybe Christian gets a big break that Aaron is mega enthusiastic about
--Christian dealing with some of the obstacles that come of living with a romantic partner for the first time, especially one with a lot of trauma.
--Aaron tentatively dipping his toes into the gay community and finding friends there
--Aaron and Christian trying something new in the bedroom
--Christian surprised to find that Aaron and Lila are friends and that his own relationship with Lila takes on new dimensions now that they have Aaron in common
--Aaron and Christian throw their first party as a couple
For fandom-specific DNWs, hmm, some of the friends' banter in the movie gets a little mean-spirited, which is fine, but I'd prefer to avoid the casual fatphobia there.
In the sign-up, I said: What I would really like is Georgie/Jez, or possibly also Georgie/Jez/Dylan. I feel like there's so much room for romance tropes with Georgie and Jez--renovating the 'stately home,' class differences, faking some aspect of their relationship because "con artist and impoverished lady reunite to rip off the lady's fiance" doesn't play in the society journals as a "how we met story," the works.
This movie is like catnip to me--the heists, the fairy-tale like element of finding out Georgie's noble and them all moving into their dream house, the nerd-smooth talker dynamic Dylan and Jez have going on, Georgie being fond of Jez's oddness and finding that she herself likes pulling cons, all of it is so fun. I really want some Jez/Georgie happily-ever-after shenanigans. Specifically, here are some scenarios that could be fun:
--Georgie, Jez, and Dylan have to pull another con together after the end of the movie, For Reasons. Maybe Robin and Floss help out again, too.
--Full-on home renovation romance: the 'stately home' has big parts that have fallen into disrepair, and Jez and Dylan bring their DIY abilities to the task.
--Georgie introduces either her medical friends or her upper-class friends to Jez--how does that go?
--Jez suddenly finds that he can make oodles of money making speech-to-text and text-to-speech software--how do he and Dylan cope with the fact that they can suddenly get rich by legitimate means? Maybe Dylan and Georgie help him craft a 'tech innovator' persona (which he finds very challenging to keep up outside the framework of a con), maybe he goes full on 'mad inventor' and starts churning out wild inventions now that he actually has space and money to buy all the refrigerator parts he wants, who knows?
--Georgie now turns her full attention to medical school, now that the money problems and the Roger problems are handled--how does she balance that with a new relationship?
--Jez and Robin bond
--Georgie and Jez get engaged, which causes some issues: the tabloids are interested in how they met, Jez's prison record comes up, Roger makes a nuisance of himself, etc., and they have to work together to solve those issues.
--Georgie and Jez get to know each other without any deception, taking it slow...which is complicated by the fact that they live together and Floss and Dylan are engaging in some hardcore rom-com shenanigans as they get together.
--Georgie is fascinated by the fact that Dylan and Jez used to hook up, and the three of them spend an enjoyable night together.
Fandom-specific DNWs...gosh, I don't know. I could go for endgame Dylan/Georgie/Jez, but not just endgame Dylan/Jez.
I would enjoy casefic...that also features Poirot and Hastings being a couple. They could be an old established couple, they could get together on the case--either way, I'd be happy as a clam.
I've just gotten into this show this fall, and I'm just enjoying the heck out of it. I really enjoy the dynamic between Poirot and Hastings--I could see where they would drive other people up the wall, but suit each other really well--and I like their friendship with Miss Lemon and Chief Inspector Japp. I could go for friendship or romance between the two of them, but I do have a hankering for Hastings/Poirot. Obviously this is one where, if you're hankering to write a murder mystery, this would be perfect, but in terms of more specific ideas, here are some prompts I came up with:
--Poirot and Hastings’ first meeting
--Poirot and Hastings in some wild AU setting like outer space or the 12th century, where of course they're still solving mysteries.
--AU where they didn't meet before Poirot came to England, and they still end up meeting each other during a mystery
--Hastings being chivalrous toward Poirot--he's got that kind of old-fashioned streak to him, which I think would be charming when directed toward Poirot.
--Poirot appreciating Hastings--the poor guy never gets to tell his caiman-hunting stories and frequently gets reminded of how wrong he is or how little Poirot cares about golf and cars, it would be nice to see Poirot really valuing what Hastings brings to the case!
--Poirot and Hastings help Miss Lemon solve a problem in her life, whether filing-related or relationship-related or landlord-related or what have you.
--This is random, but I was really entertained by the episode where Poirot is hosting Japp and Japp just can't wait to leave by the end, he's so sick of the bidet and the temperature and Poirot's food. I can see where he'd try to bond with Hastings over that stuff and be absolutely baffled by the fact that everything that grated on him about living with Poirot is stuff that Hastings is absolutely fine with.
--Hastings still occasionally connects with John, Mary, and Lawrence Cavendish and Cynthia Murdoch, and is surprised to find that they all assume (rightly or wrongly--your call!) that he and Poirot are an old married couple.
--What's up with Hastings's family and backstory? I think it would be cool if there was some kind of mystery involving, let's say, Hastings's brother, or aunt, or something, and he had to introduce his various family members to Poirot.
--That director friend of Hastings's from "The King of Clubs" wants to make a movie about their cases. How does that go?
As far as fandom-specific DNWs, I'd prefer that Hastings either not be married or that at some point he and Bella amicably split up--as I mentioned earlier, infidelity is not my jam.
I hope something in here is helpful to you, and that you enjoy writing your story as much as I'm looking forward to reading it! Thanks for writing for me, and happy Yuletide!
Best,
Tam Cranver