Welcome to Small Gifts

[busaikko]

The holiday season is almost upon us, and while I know many people are busy with other holiday fests, it would be a sad and lonely year without a Remus/Sirius holiday gift exchange.

Hence Small Gifts (think of them as stocking stuffers): a community for posting requests that can be claimed for short fic (500 to 3,000 words, we thought, would not be intimidating), or art, or icons, or whatever people can give. It's the thought that counts, really. Celebrating the season of lights, the solstice, birth and new beginnings, the promise of renewal. Snow and cheery fires, tinsel and mistletoe. Draw up a chair by that fire, settle in, and read....

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How it works:

1. NOVEMBER 15-24 Please respond to this post with a comment giving the following information:

your name
age statement (one of the following: "I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country (note here if you have a preference for rating)" OR "I am under 18 or the legal age in my country, and will neither ask for nor read anything with a rating over R.") No age statement, or a falsified age statement, and you're out. Coal in the stocking and all that.
three wishes (Please give three prompts consisting of: one word; one sentence; one quote; one LINK to an image (no hotlinking!); see below for suggestions)
do not want to recieve (insert squicks and pet peeves here: "songfic", "deathfic", "Tonks", etc.)
am fond of (insert favourite things here: "cuddling on a sofa", "sexually-confident!Remus", "Lying-low-at-Lupin's", etc.)

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Prompts:

Please do not suggest too much detail, give a plot outline, or ask for a novel -- these are small gifts!

bad example: "Sirius and James have a Clever Plan, and there is pudding, and somehow the Prank happens, and I'd love to have Lily there too, and also it should all be a flashback during the Grimmauld Christmas party, with sex." You will get... coal. For true.

good examples: "story - trimming the tree"; "art for anything I've written"; "a remix for something of mine"; "story or art - Splendid Wings (song by David Brown)"; "cute MWPP-era icons". Please do not ask only for art: in general, there are more writers than artists.

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2. NOVEMBER 25 Prompts will be open to claims. Please claim by responding to the post with the request that you want ("I, busaikko, do hereby claim marysue's request"). Please, one claimant per request. We would like everyone to get something! If you finish your first, you are more than welcome to come back and claim again *g*

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3. DECEMBER 20 Final Submission deadline: please submit your work BETA'D as a post to this community (you'll need to join, if you've not already). It will go into the moderation queue: we will post 2 or 3 stories a day for about a week, assuming we can get about 14 to 21 entries. I think we can!

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4. DECEMBER 24 First stories posted.... (Or we can start the 23rd, if anyone out there celebrates the Emperor's Birthday...)

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So: happy, happy holidays all around!

love love
busaikko and magnetic_pole

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Oh! If anyone clever wanted to donate a pretty layout or an icon or anything to make this comm gorgeous, please! My artistic skills are... nil.

Comments

[busaikko]

Name: busaikko
Age statement: I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country, and any rating flats my boat
Three wishes:
1. solstice (story or art)
2. first kiss (story or art)
3. "Splendid Wings" (yes, the David Brown song) (story or art)
Do not want to recieve: cutesy nicknames, Tonks
Am fond of: heart-ripping angst AND lighthearted romantic comedy; or both together.... Sexually-confident!Remus is also fun

Yoroshiku!

[busaikko]

Music Links! for #3

Splendid Wings... I love it, but if that's too much of a downer for you, how about:

You Think You're a Man Now, which currently owns me *g*

[kasche.livejournal.com]

kasche
Age statement: I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country (which is still 18 :P) and have no problems whatsoever with any rating. :D (you know. Nudge nudge wink wink.)
three wishes
1 - (my fav :D) Remus and Sirius do not really like each other. At first. (Bonus points if it has nothing to do with the Prank. ;) )
2 - "they don't love you like I love you" (lyrics from YeahYeahYeah's Maps. ...possibly from Sirius' pov?)
3 - a fight. Make them fight, make it look realistic, and I'll be more than ecstatic. :D
do not want to receive Remus/Tonks. Am not too overly fond of that. Neither dom/sub stories, come to think of that.
am fond of banter. Very fond of banter. And humor, too - a character's self-irony has always pushed a big button. :D Also... small acts of gentleness, especially if unremarked on, not underscored. You know? But all of this is optional. :)

[magnetic-pole.livejournal.com]

magnetic_pole

Age: 33 years, 11 months, and three weeks. (Almost 34!) I am also over 18 or over the legal age in my country. Any rating works for me.

Three wishes:

1. public transportation (magical or muggle)
2. interesting ordinary places (flats, pubs, shops)
3. leftist politics (magical or muggle)

Do not wish to receive: cutesy nicknames, "I love you" said out loud (though the sentiment is welcome!)

Fond of: moody Sirius, Remus with a strong personality, irony and humor (But write or draw whatever makes you happy!)

[remeciel.livejournal.com]

I, remeciel, do hereby claim magnetic_pole's request #2. :)

[closet-zebra.livejournal.com]

With you guys doing it? Dear god I'm in. hahaha

your name Kate/ closet_zebra

age statement "I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country

three wishes fic-Mouse, fic or art-big umbrella, fic- early snow chills the bones.

do not want to recieve Nothing in particular-

am fond of = Cuddling, jealous Sirius.

[sojisaanaru.livejournal.com]

I, sojisaanaru do claim closet_zebra's request. And it shall be art, as I am not about to foray into fanfiction. I plan to combine all three wishes, hoorah!

[lexicon.livejournal.com]

I, cappuchino, claim last_radio's request! :D

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

Name: Kris, sambethe
Age: I am over the legal age in my country. Any rating is fine with me.
Three wishes:
1. This image (http://pics.livejournal.com/sambethe/gallery/00001r91).
2. Trains/Travel
3. You may tire of me as our December sun is setting because I'm not who I used to be. No longer easy on the eyes but these wrinkles masterfully disguise. The youthful boy below who turned your way and saw
Something he was not looking for: both a beginning and an end. But now he lives inside someone he does not recognize When he catches his reflection on accident. Brothers on a Hotel Bed/Death Cab for Cutie
Pet Peeves: ADD Sirius; whiny, social inept Remus.
Am fond of: Stories set post-PoA, boys who are just boys, romance without the sap, angst, humor.

[minnow-53.livejournal.com]

Hi! It's minnow_53, and I'd like to claim your second prompt, Trains/Travel. Hope that's okay! I'll do my best to do it justice.

^_^xx

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

Name: glass_icarus

Age statement: I am over 18, and any rating is fine with me! :)

Three wishes: 1. first day of my life (http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/The-First-Day-of-My-Life-lyrics-Bright-Eyes/8C038655BF0D251E48256D29001F4AC5) -bright eyes; 2. e.e.cummings (http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/8454/766.htm); 3. "Ce qui embellit le désert, dit le petit prince, c'est qu'il cache un puits quelque part..." ("What makes the desert beautiful," says the little prince, "is that somewhere it hides a well.")

Don't want to receive: Nicknames other than Moony and Padfoot; (unadulterated) angst; Tonks.

Am fond of: Understated romance, snarky smitten boys, MWPP japes, banter, James and not-stupid!Peter.

[lotrwariorgodss.livejournal.com]

I, lotrwariorgodss, do hereby claim glass_icarus 's propmt #1.

[such_heights]

your name: Amy // such_heights

age statement: "I am under 18 or the legal age in my country, and will neither ask for nor read anything with a rating over R." Oh alas, but cheers for not excluding us young 'uns completely!

three wishes: Quiet Christmas Eve in Grimmauld Place ; warming hands on a fire ; buying a Christmas tree

do not want to receive: out-and-out angst, though bittersweet is lovely ; Remus and Sirius not as equals ; overt sappiness

am fond of: references to the stars & starlight ; intellectual conversation ; imagery/poetic language ; humour ; witty!Remus. But I'm fond of many, many things.

[sambethe.livejournal.com]

I (lj user="sambethe") am claiming such_heights's request.

[penknife.livejournal.com]

Name: Penknife
Age statement: I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country, and any rating is fine
Three wishes:
1. art for anything I've written
2. story - before dawn Christmas morning
3. story - Christmas shopping
Do not want to recieve: cutesy nicknames, songfic, overwrought declarations of love
Am fond of: angst, humor, banter, love, sex

[almost-clara.livejournal.com]

I, almost_clara, claim this prompt...

[moony]

your name: Moony

age statement: "I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country, but I don't necessarily need porn but it's got to be at least PG!"

three wishes: 1. Post-Hogwarts/Pre-Azkaban. 2. Remus & Lily. 3. Midnight Mass.

do not want to recieve: Remi/Siri crapola, stereotypical werewolf lore (i.e. mate-for-life, whatever), wimpy Remus, stupid or whorish Sirius, glam-rock.

am fond of: Snarky Remus, bookshops, pregnant!Lily, Sirius being sweet, smushy sap, first kisses, pining, unrequited love (that ends up requited, of course), hurt/comfort, AUs where nobody dies/goes to Azkaban.

[krabapple.livejournal.com]

I, krabapple, hereby claim moony's request.

[lotrwariorgodss.livejournal.com]

lotrwariorgodss
Age statement: "I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country, and will accept any rating.
Three wishes (fic or art for any):
1. This quote - "And things can never go badly wrong/ If the heart be true and the love be strong./ For the mist, if it comes, and the weeping rain/ Will be changed by the love into sunshine again." from the poem Sweet Peril by George MacDonald
2. This quote - "A hundred years from now, dear heart/ We shall not mind the pain;/ The throbbing, crimson tide of life/ Will not have left a stain./ The song we sing together, dear/ The dreams we dream together here,/ Will mean no more than means a tear/ Amid a summer rain." from the poem In A Rose Garden by John Bennett
3. word - "orphans"

Do not want to recieve: something overly angsty, other 'ships, girly!R or S (in dialogue or otherwise), smut without a point
Am fond of: MWPP era or just after, I want fluff for Christmas, depictions of small/cozy Christmases

[gwathhenation.livejournal.com]

I might have somewhere to go with this, so I guess I, gwathhenation, do hereby claim lotrwariorgodss's request.

[lily_backup]

Name: Lily/radiobroadcast

Age Statement: I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country. And I like smut of the R or NC-17 variety.

Three Wishes:
1. Lyric: "I like a boy in uniform, school uniform!" [The Pipettes - I Like A Boy In Uniform]
2. A Christmas morning-after.
3. Quote: "Really, sex and laughter do go very well together, and I wondered - and I still do - which is more important." [Hermione Gingold]

Do not want to receive: Tonks, cutesy nicknames, deathfic, too much angst.

Am fond of: boys who act like stupid wonderful BOYS, firsts, smut with a story, MWPP era or just after, fumbling, James finding out.

[medicinal-mirth.livejournal.com]

I, medicinal_mirth hereby claim radiobroadcast's request.

[rufus.livejournal.com]

age statement I am over 18 (way over!) but any rating is fine.

three wishes

1. art for anything I've written for the seasonal communities, i.e. July 1977 (http://rufus.livejournal.com/342095.html), Shenanigans/April 1975 (http://community.livejournal.com/wellymuck/82890.html) or January 1972 (http://rufus.livejournal.com/317861.html)

2. story -- Sirius' first Christmas @ the Potter's post-running away and how Remus helps him celebrate and/or cope. Perhaps with a guest appearance by the Tonks family? But that's up to you!

3. story -- One of them gets conned into being the "Santa" at a "Breakfast With Santa" (or "tea with Santa") and the other is somehow made to attend and insists on sitting on "Santa"'s lap. Shenanigans ensue.

do not want to recieve: songfic, deathfic, excessive angst, doofy nicknames (remy, siri, honey or baby, for example), any weeping of any kind by anyone, dub/non-con, homophobic!James,

am fond of: a tinge of the bittersweet, cuddling, snuggling, banter, confident!Remus, tricksy!Remus, not-stupid!Peter, nervous!Sirius, ridiculous holiday food, crackling fires, sleigh rides, Yule logs, snowball fights, boys being boys, ickle!Tonks and happy endings.

[snow-blossoms.livejournal.com]

hmm, maybe i'm supposed to put this here? just in case i'll post it here as well:

i, snow_blossoms do hereby claim rufus' prompt of one of the guys getting conned into being Santa.

[rian219.livejournal.com]

your name: rian219
age statement: I am waaay over 18, and any rating is fine by me.
three wishes:
1. An AU where Remus is still a werewolf, but he never went to Hogwarts, so he and Sirius meet some other way.
2. Holiday! Fic – the boys visit each other's houses during the summer, or at Christmas – something where they see each other outside school.
3. Lie-low-at-Lupin's relearning each other fic.

do not want to receive:Girly!men, weak!pathetic!Remus, idiotic!Sirius, anything with nicknames other than what JKR gave them, utter fluff, heavy kink.
am fond of: unresolved sexual tension that ends up resolved, boys being boys, them acting like friends as well as lovers (except if it's an AU, of course), humour, angst, slightly drunken confessions/shagging, first times, first kisses, the path of true love not being smooth.

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

May I have this one, please?

[minnow-53.livejournal.com]

Name: minnow_53 (Minnow)
Age: I'm well over eighteen, but prefer fics rated lower than NC-17. (R is fine.)

Three wishes:
1. Fic: Boys misbehaving in lessons, preferably with erotic overtones.
2. Fic: R and S just after school, but not sharing a flat.
3. A gorgeous icon: I’d really, really love an icon.

Do not want to receive: Pre-slash, angst, PWP, graphic sex scenes, clichés (e.g. Sirius’s puppy-dog eyes), uptight Remus. For the record, I don’t mind cutesy nicknames at all!

Am fond of: Context and some plot, emotional Sirius (within IC bounds), subtly-written sex scenes, James finding out about R/S, humour.

[lily_backup]

I, radiobroadcast, claim minnow_53's request!

[snow-blossoms.livejournal.com]

your name: ashley/ snow_blossoms
age statement (one of the following: I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country and can handle any rating...although under NC-17 would be preferred.
three wishes: 1. decorating for christmas/sharing of christmas traditions (any era is fine) 2. meddling, but not annoying lily (she's their friend and is interested in their relationship/them getting together, etc. but isn't completely obnoxious) 3. remus' first christmas sans everyone he loves (angst, anyone?)
do not want to recieve: pwp, evil or missing peter (if mwpp era), slutty sirius, overuse of mistletoe
am fond of: fics that explore friendship with lily, witty conversation, literary allusions, boys who don't really know that they are in love with each other yet

and did someone ask for icons??
i made them up real quick so you don't have to use them if you don't want...but i just couldn't resist:

[lykoi.livejournal.com]

I, mysticlykoi will take on snow_blossoms request. ♥

[eudaimon.livejournal.com]

your name: Zai/eudaimon
age statement "I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country (and any rating at all is good by me)"
three wishes (Please give three prompts consisting of: one word; one sentence; one quote; one LINK to an image (no hotlinking!); see below for suggestions):
o fic: "this is the story of the boys who loved you"
o fic: "glory"
o fic: "And if we can't say our hands our clean, can we die in our dancing shoes?" (The Song They Sang When Rome Fell, Anais Mitchell) - October, 1981?
do not want to recieve (insert squicks and pet peeves here: songfics upset me. And if Lily Potter or Tonks are going to show up, please to be making them sound like real people, not palid imitations next to Messer Black, would you? :)
am fond of: Looking back, things happen in or out of sequence, end of the worlds, October, 1981, Sirius-talking-to-Lily, Remus-talking-to-James, the Maurauders in all their glory.

[beckaandzac.livejournal.com]

I, beckaandzac do hereby claim eudaimon's request.

[medicinal-mirth.livejournal.com]

your name: medicinal_mirth
age statement: I am waaaaaay over 18 or over the legal age in my country.
three wishes (art or fic, I'd love either): footprints in the snow * snowsuits * unexpected gift/s
do not want to recieve: I don't want anything terribly angsty. Bittersweet is okay as long as it's around 25% bitter, %75 sweet. Or 30/70. *g*
am fond of: OotP era is my favorite for these two, but not a necessity. I also like Hogwarts years, with James and Peter present as well. Sweetness is good -- it is for Christmas -- but nothing cavity-inducing. And throw in a little humor! :D

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

I, glass_icarus, hereby claim medicinal_mirth's request. :)

[passakiss.livejournal.com]

Name: Liss/passakiss
Age: Sixteen. ._.;; Yeah yeah, hush you. "I am under 18 or the legal age in my country, and will neither ask for nor read anything with a rating over R."
Three wishes: Full moon on Christmas (;-;), carols, and some snow snogging.
Do not want to receive: Remus/Girl. ANY girl. And none of the sappy stuff, please. < 3
Am fond of: Angst, of the lightish or hardcore variety. x) Hogwarts and post Hogwarts. Silly hats (and other randomness).

[busaikko]

I claim YOU, passakiss! (er, no -- haven't been watching Pocket Monsters, nope...)

[sojisaanaru.livejournal.com]

Name: Marija/sojisaanaru
Age Statement: I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country.
Three Wishes: (in either art or story form) a) rum b) Ducks in the water. c) "Look at my army men!" d) Picture picture (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/raiden_thorne/65.png).
(If you can get all four of these, I will be amazed...)
I do not want to recieve: petnames (nothing other than Moony and Padfoot), deathfic, Tonks.
I am fond of: MWPP era, funny/serious shifting done well, ridiculous situations, well-done making out.

[sojisaanaru.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I'm sorry. I have four wishes. I didn't even realize that. Go ahead and take out 'b'.

[liseuse.livejournal.com]

Name: Hannah, liseuse
Age: I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country, and any rating is fine, though I have a preference for R or NC-17.
Three Wishes:
a) a remix of anything I've written
b) "Pack your bags your room’s for let / They’re putting up the barricades / And laying off all bets / I’ve never seen so many people smoke / So many cigarettes" Morning Rain, by I am Kloot
c) this photo (http://www.fotosearch.com/IGS243/is109-014/).
Do not want to receive: cute nicknames, socially inept Remus, boys not being boys
Am fond of: boys being boys, frustration, desperation, sharp and terse conversations

[eudaimon.livejournal.com]

I, eudaimon, do hereby claim liseuse's request

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

lupinslittlesis (Lissa)
age statement I'm 32. Anything is fine.
three wishes

1.) Happiness during OotP timeframe
2.) Art for anything I've written, but rated PG-13 or lower
3.) Late New Year's Eve night at 12 GP, with Molly and Arthur (there can never be enough good friendship fics with these two pairs)

do not want to recieve any of the big squicks (beastiality, water sports, etc), PWP, serious angst, Sirius's death


am fond of Comfy, older, interactions with others, closer to gen

[onehundredmoons.livejournal.com]

Hi there! I moondagny (aka Lisa) would like to claim this prompt. Thanks. :)

[maraudersaffair.livejournal.com]

Name: maraudersaffair

Age Statement: I am under 18 or the legal age in my country, and will neither ask for nor read anything with a rating over R.

Three Wishes:
1. AU where Remus is in Slytherin and Sirius meets him through Regulus.
2. Remus struggles with his feelings for Sirius, and Sirius will never admit that he has feelings for Remus.
3. Crackfic where Remus and Sirius are both girls. You explore the possibilities. :D

Do not want to recieve: "Carefree" characters/ un-needed humor / any sort of talk about Lily and James's relationship.

Am fond of: Bastardy Sirius / Emotionally unstable Remus. :] Angst!

Happy Holidays!

[morwen-eleriel.livejournal.com]

morwen_eleriel is totally stealing this one.

[gwathhenation.livejournal.com]

gwathhenation
age statement I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country, but I prefer R or under.
three wishes art or fiction
1. "We Both Go Down Together (http://www.lyricsdomain.com/20/the_decemberists/we_both_go_down_together.html)" by The Decemberists
2. Cette picture (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Pegase.jpg)
3. The Greeks

do not want to recieve
extra-R/S relationships, effemininity/crying outside of very justified causes, OOC-ness, callous!Sirius, orbs
am fond of
AU, adoring!Sirius, dandy!Sirius, melancholic fic that ends with some degree of happiness

[liseuse.livejournal.com]

Claimed!

[theenginedriver.livejournal.com]

your name: theenginedriver

age statement: "I am over 18 or over the legal age in my country"; any rating is fine with me.

three wishes:
1. http://image.ox.ac.uk/images/bodleian/ms.bodl.264/3r.jpg
2. http://www.imagesofcolorado.com/apix/trailridgesnow17acbwr.jpg
3.
Like when you wake up behind the bar
Trying to remember where you are
Having crushed all the pretty things
There before the grace of God go I!

But I still believe
And I will rise up with fists
And I will take what's mine mine mine
-- Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, "Rise up with Fists"

do not want to recieve: pwp; cliches; tonks in any shape or form.

am fond of: wartime stories that aren't TOO angsty; Welsh mountains; plots that incorporate books, ie, have novel-reading as a major plot point or cool magical books as major set-pieces