Dear FFFX Creator,
Jul. 30th, 2023 06:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chronicbookwormThanks for creating things for me! Should you so want, I can be found at both Tumblr and AO3 also as ChronicBookworm, for any stalking purposes.
In general, I like most things. I’m a multishipper, and I read slash, het, femslash, and gen. I also like most genres: fluff, angst, adventure, case fic, humour, get-together, established relationship, character study, slice of life/domestic, you name it – or a mix of them all! I’m very fond of long, plotty fic, so this exchange is right up my street!
The prompts below are there to help, not box you in, so please feel free to write/make something different if none of my prompts below grab your imagination or inspiration strikes you in a different direction. I’m not very used to prompting for non-fic things, so if anything seems unclear or you want more information, just reach out via the mods and I’ll do my best to answer any questions you may have.
If I request the shippy version of a relationship, I am also very happy to consume the gen version (it sometimes but not always goes the other way as well – feel free to check via the mods if you’re at all unsure). This goes even if the prompts are romantic in nature – I’m also very fond of deep platonic relationships that are the most important to the characters and relationships that straddle the line between platonic and romantic.
The length of the sections has nothing to do with how much I want the request, only with how many different prompts I have for each. I want to read them all very badly, so I’m sure I’ll love whatever you write!
This got quite long – feel free to just read the parts that are relevant to you. There’s also quite a lot of repetition between the sections, if things apply to several sections, to make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for in the place you’re looking for it, but that means the letter seems to be a bit longer than it actually is.
General likes
DNWs
Game of Thrones
Crossover Fandom, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones and Narnia
Crossover Fandom, Mansfield Park and Master and Commander 2003/
Crossover Fandom, Narnia and Agent Carter
Leverage
Mansfield Park
Pride
Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
• found families
• loyalty, both strong, reciprocated loyalty, and more complicated forms such as conflicting loyalties, loyalty to the undeserving, etc.
• ride or die friendships
• co-dependency
• “us against the world” plots and relationships (whether it’s true or just what the characters imagine)
• friends to lovers
• arranged marriages (that can either lead to love or strong friendship)
• marriages of convenience (that can either lead to love or strong friendship)
• pining
• hurt/comfort
• trauma recovery
• characters with low self-worth being loved and accepted
• characters being shown warmth and kindness when they’re expecting or used to being belittled, bullied or abused
• characters uniting forces against a common enemy
• complicated politics and shifting alliances
• partisan and resistance movements, small groups of people going up against or being pursued by large, powerful governments or organisations
• complicated and messy relationships (can be platonic, romantic or familial)
• secrets (both kept and revealed)
• characters working with limited knowledge
• competent characters, characters being recognised for their competence
• women supporting other women
• canon divergence
• outsider POV
• case fic/mission fic (however that applies to the canon in question)
• time travel (both Peggy Sue style and physical time travel)
• worldbuilding
• longfic
• black and white, pastels, soft, muted colours and deep, rich colours
• variation in or playing around with panel shapes and sizes
• contrasts between text and visuals
• flowing lines, sense of movement
• Art Nouveau influences
• realistic body and facial proportions (rather than e.g., caricatures, chibi or other deliberate distortions – but this is a preference and not a hard DNW)
• any level of detail, from rough sketches of the characters to individual leaves on trees in the background
• landscapes
• clothing, jewellery and hairstyles
• declarations of loyalty (such as illustrations of people getting engaged/married, being knighted or crowned, for instance)
• quiet, domestic scenes (hugs and cuddles, cooking, eating, reading, playing an instrument, playing games, walking in nature/the garden, etc. - the list is far from exhaustive!)
• action-packed, adrenaline-filled scenes (running, sword-fighting, climbing, riding a horse, etc. - the list is far from exhaustive!)
DNWs
• explicit sex (fade to black or references to sex are fine)
• changes to human anatomy or physiology (such as mpreg, omegaverse, soulmarks, etc.)
• teacher/student (shouldn't be a problem given the characters I've selected, but if you want to write relationships between characters with a teacher/student relationship, please set any romance some time after they've stopped being teacher/student)
• non-canonical incest (including between adopted or foster family members and biological family members who don’t know they’re related - cousin incest is OK for Jane Austen canons)
• adultery, infidelity or jealousy (real or imagined)
• massive age gaps in ships (the rule of “half the older character’s age plus seven” as a limit usually works quite well, although for teenagers a max of 2-year age-gap works better)
• sex involving characters under 15, setting a date when the character is considered "old enough"/"legal" for sex and fixating on that date
• modern-day terminology for sexual and gender identities in historical or fantasy canons
• characters being ostracised by their friends and loved ones
• important and deep relationships going sour due to rumours, assumptions, misunderstandings, miscommunication or a failure to communicate (relationships starting off based on or influenced by assumptions, misunderstandings etc. as well as long-standing relationships going sour due to genuine differences in opinions, wants, and needs are fine and fun!)
• public embarrassment, humiliation
• character or ship bashing
• hopeless endings, grimdark tone
• unrequested setting change AUs (merging the universes into one or having characters from one universe dimension travel to the other by either hand-wavey or explained means are all fine)
Fandom-specific DNWs:
• ASoIaF/GoT: requited Petyr/Sansa (his canonical desire for her is fine)
• Narnia: the rift between Susan and her family, the end of TLB (let me pretend everyone’s alive and happy)
• Star Wars: Madalorian Clones, Mando'a, Jedi bashing
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• Brienne of Tarth & Sansa Stark (GoT)
• Doran Martell/Sansa Stark
• Sansa Stark & Loras Tyrell
• Jaime Lannister/Sansa Stark
• Sansa Stark/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Gendry Waters
• Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
• Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark
• Tyrion Lannister/Sansa Stark
I’m really not fussed about book or show canon – if I want something for one canon, I’ll be equally happy to see it using the other canon.
Canon-typical age gaps are fine for this canon, but I still prefer only fake sex (if any) to occur if any parties in the relationship are below 15 – I am, however, very fond of the trope where one part (usually the man) cuts themself to fake the bedding sheets.
Sansa is one of my favourite characters in ASOIAF/GoT – I’d love to see a story that doesn’t gloss over the horrors she’s suffered, but also doesn’t reduce her to them. She’s clever and cunning, and she’s learnt to play the game, but she’s still managed to keep her kindness and compassion, despite everything she’s suffered.I like stories where she’s able to heal and move on from the traumas she’s suffered and reclaim her agency.
I also like stories that deal with politics and playing the game of thrones, especially ones that allow Sansa to demonstrate that she actually knows how to play – ones where she demonstrates her cunning and agency earlier in Kings Landing, and somehow manages to save her family, or stories where she’s older and has come into her own in a position of power, maybe as Lady of Winterfell or some other castle, or as a member of the Small Council to Robb, Daenerys, Jon, Stannis, Tommen or whoever you choose to give a crown to, maybe as Queen in the North, or maybe even Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
Jaime has the appearance of being the gallant knight she yearns for, but of course, the reality is far murkier. How do they deal with the fact that they are, essentially, on two different sides of the war? That he attacked her father in the streets of King’s Landing, and her brother held him as a prisoner of war? Where do their loyalties eventually end up? Can they reach an understanding?
Does Jaime take his last chance of honour and take her away from Kings Landing with Brienne? Or maybe Tywin manages to arrange for Jaime to be dismissed from the Kingsguard and made to marry Sansa? Do they go to Casterly Rock and rule the Westerlands? Do they stay in King’s Landing, and if so, can he protect her from Joffrey? Does he return Sansa to Catelyn and Robb, and maybe manage to prevent the Red Wedding? How do they deal with his affair with Cersei, and the fact that he pushed her brother out of a window to cover it up? How conflicted is he between his love for Cersei and his duty and growing love for his wife? How does Cersei react when Sansa takes the other half of her soul away from her?
Or maybe they don’t get married and fall in love in King’s Landing – maybe it happens later. Does he meet her when he rides North to fight for the living as promised, and how conflicted is he between Cersei’s planned betrayal and his promise to fight for the living? How does he react to Sansa growing from essentially a non-entity in King’s Landing: a frightened, abused girl who parroted what she was told to say, to the competent, powerful Lady of Winterfell and eventually Queen in the North?
I like that they’re both very clever and know how to play the game despite their relative lack of physical prowess, and I like how they are both kind, honourable people who will use their kindness and honour for their own ends.
Perhaps they were better friends before their marriage, thus setting better conditions for love to grow out of it? Maybe they work together to become the power couple of King’s Landing? Maybe Tyrion and Sansa escape together after the Purple Wedding or the trial? Is Sansa put on trial alongside Tyrion? Which escape do they follow – to the Vale or to Essos? How does Petyr react when Sansa won’t leave Tyrion behind? How does Sansa’s presence change Tyrion’s reception by Daenerys?
Maybe Sansa travels to Essos after her escape from Ramsay instead of going to Jon? Does having Sansa there in Meereen change things between Daenerys and Sansa? Perhaps they grow to understand each other better?
Or maybe Tyrion and Sansa reach an understanding later, when she’s Lady of Winterfell (or maybe even Queen in the North) and he’s Hand of the Queen, and they’ve both grown and matured. How do they reconcile Tyrion being Hand to Daenerys and Sansa being such a staunch Northern loyalist? Does that make Tyrion have doubts about Daenerys earlier, and how does that change how things play out?
Or maybe he stays in the North, post-canon, and is Hand to Queen Sansa as they rebuild the North after the many wars they have lived through?
I think Doran and Sansa would make an excellent power couple! Doran would be patient and kind as she healed and moved on from her traumas in King’s Landing, and she would be compassionate and helpful when he suffered from his gout. They’re both clever, political people, who are capable of reading others and making long-term plans. Sansa would probably do very well in Dorne, where women have more agency, and she would also be an asset, with her connections and her cleverness.
Perhaps Dorne and the North make an alliance for independence from the Seven Kingdoms? Or maybe the point of divergence is later, and she claims her brother’s crown? How does that work, with their two power bases being so geographically far?
Dorne is a complicated place – how does Sansa navigate the Dornish court? Perhaps she manages to make peace between Ellaria and the Sand Snakes and Doran? Does she manage to convince them that killing Myrcella is not in their best interests and that there are better paths to revenge? Or perhaps she manages to discover their treachery in advance, and she and Doran can outmanoeuvre them without it leading to Doran’s death?
I don’t mind how you deal with Doran's wife – maybe they were never married and his children are legitimised bastards (since Dorne is more accepting of such things), or maybe she’s dead, or they’re legally divorced, or any other way you can think of.
So, the Theon/Sansa ship surprised me – I didn’t ship it in the early seasons, but seasons 6-8 convinced me. They’re the only ones who truly know what the other suffered at the hands of Ramsay, and I’d like to see them supporting each other as they reclaim their agency. They’d know to be careful of each other, know the traumas they’ve both suffered, and so don’t need to explain it or hide from the other, and they’ve both seen the other at their lowest point. This ship offers plenty of opportunities to explore themes of loyalty, forgiveness, healing, and moving on.
Perhaps Theon stays with Sansa when they go to Castle Black – how does that change her reunion with Jon? And how does that affect his and Jon’s reunion? Does he still go to save Yara, or does he stay with Sansa in Winterfell?
Or maybe they go somewhere else, together, and escape Westeros and all the conflicts – Braavos, perhaps? How to they make a living? Does Winter spread even to Braavos, and do they keep up with what’s happening in Westeros? Do they feel guilty for abandoning their homeland, or do they feel well rid of the place that brought them only suffering? Are they recognised at all, or do they manage to fade into obscurity? Some slight jiggling of the timelines could even have them there at the same time as Arya – how does that reunion go down under those circumstances?
Or maybe love blossoms when Sansa's retaken Winterfell and Theon’s returned to fight for Winterfell in season 8? Does he feel torn between his oath to Daenerys and his love for Sansa? Or is this a non-issue for him: Sansa held his loyalty first? Perhaps he manages to survive the defence of Bran against the Night King – does he feel he’s atoned sufficiently for what he did, or will he always feel guilty about it? Do the other Starks forgive him completely, or are they still wary of him?
Sansa gets her dashing and gallant knight after all – even if she happens to be female and not knighted! I’m very fond of loyalty, and if there’s one word to describe Brienne of Tarth, it’s loyal. She would do anything for Sansa, and in return Sansa trusts her, values her, and treats her with respect.
Maybe Brienne manages to save Sansa from King’s Landing and deliver her to Robb and Catelyn? What adventures do they have on the road together? Does Sansa trust her from the start, or does she just go with her for lack of other appealing options? Do they somehow prevent the Red Wedding – maybe they overhear something on the road and can warn the Stark army in time? Or do they arrive when it’s too late, and how do they deal with that, where do they go from there?
Maybe Sansa does go with Brienne when they meet in the Vale – how does that change things when Petyr can’t marry her off to Ramsay and they arrive at Castle Black before Jon’s death? Maybe something set after they’ve retaken Winterfell, maybe Sansa’s Queen in the North and Brienne the Lady Commander of her Queensguard rather than Bran’s Kingsguard, as they rebuild the North after all it’s been through? How does Brienne help and support Sansa when they crown rests heavy on her head? How do they deal with the demands that Sansa marry and beget an heir?
What if the Tyrells had managed to marry Sansa and Loras? Sansa gets her handsome gallant knight, and Loras gets to save a pretty damsel! They’re both Romantics, in that they believe in songs and the ideals of chivalry, which might lead to a strong friendship and companionship, but there is still the barrier that Loras can’t love her the way she’s dreamed of. I don’t mind if this goes slightly bittersweet, given their respective situations, dreams, and hopes, but I do have a fondness for arranged marriages that end not in love, but with deep, enduring friendships, and relationships that straddle the line between romantic and platonic love.
Would they go to reclaim Winterfell? Would they go to Highgarden for Loras to rule while Mace is in King’s Landing? Or would they stay in King’s Landing? How would Tywin react to being outmanoeuvred – and would he try to retaliate? How does Cersei react to having her hostage ripped away from her control? How would Sansa’s marriage to Loras change the position she played the game of thrones from? Would she learn from Olenna and Margaery, and would they be able to outplay the Lannisters together? Would having Sansa in the family change how they killed Joffrey, as they’d want no risk of suspicion to fall on anyone close to them? Would Cersei still suspect Tyrion, or would she blame Sansa, and how would they deal with that?
Perhaps Sansa might have been able to save Loras at his trial by the Faith (maybe she would point out that a squire having seen his knight master undressed is not incriminating in the slightest)? Or maybe there wouldn’t have been a trial if they managed to convincingly fake a romantic relationship?
This can work well with the prompt above, where Loras marries Sansa. That would be the best outcome for everyone involved, really (all that would be needed was a love interest for Loras who wouldn’t sell him out to the Faith) – it would give Sansa the romantic love she’s dreamed of, while still ensuring her safety and a good marriage, and give Sansa and Margaery and excuse to be close and spend a lot of time together, since they’d be good-sisters. How would they manage Tommen, Cersei, and the Faith while hiding both Sansa’s and Margaery’s relationship, as well as Loras’ relationship with his squire?
Maybe the Tyrells succeed with their plot to marry Sansa and Willas, except it turns out Loras is not the only one in the family who prefers the company of men? Or maybe they marry earlier, to create an alliance between Renly and Robb? Maybe the Tyrells kill Stannis and take King’s Landing, making Renly the King, rather than ally with the Lannisters after his death, and rescue Sansa? Sansa, Margaery, Renly and Loras would be such a good power quartet!
Alternatively, if you keep Sansa’s canonical marriage to Tyrion, she and Margaery could get together while they’re still in King’s Landing, behind the backs of their husbands and betrothed: Sansa dealing with her unwanted marriage by seeking out Margaery’s company, and Margaery confiding in Sansa, who knows what Joffrey’s like and what it’s like to have to pretend to love him. Margaery is skilled at manipulation, and Sansa learns quickly (even though she thinks she doesn’t), so before too long, they would be the soft power behind the throne in King’s Landing – I’d love to see the pair of them match wits against Cersei! They’d be even more powerful when Margaery marries Tommen, who’s more biddable than Joffrey, and would probably also get on with Sansa. Would he know about Sansa’s and Margaery’s relationship, or would they hide it from him as well as everyone else? How would Margaery manage to save Sansa’s life if she stayed in King’s Landing after the Purple Wedding? Would Sansa and Margaery working together manage to prevent Cersei’s blunder in giving the Faith more power? Or would they have to deal with it, knowing that they are as much at risk as Loras, if their relationship was discovered? How would they deal with his imprisonment, and would they manage to avert Cersei blowing up the Sept? Or would it still happen, and they somehow survive? I felt like the fall-out from that act was a bit glossed over in the show, so feel free to expand on that, in this request or any other!
This would be a fun pairing, when Gendry’s chip on the shoulder meets Sansa’s romanticism (although she becomes quite jaded fairly quickly as well)! I’d imagine that Sansa would be aware of their different status more than Arya was, but after all she’s gone through, a good heart would probably be more important to her than a good title. Maybe he thinks of their status difference as more of an impediment than she does – since we know he is aware of the difference between him and Arya? Maybe he worries about being good enough for her, especially if he knows about her dreams of marrying a prince or a knight. Maybe his lowborn status and gruff manners would be more of an impediment to early Sansa than later Sansa?
Perhaps Sansa escapes King’s Landing with Yoren, either together with Arya, or instead of Arya. How does she cope with life on the road? Does Sansa also free Jaqen H’gar, and, if so, what names does she give him? Does Gendry still decide to stay with the Brotherhood instead of going with Sansa/the Starks, and if so, what happens when he’s sold to Melisandre? Or perhaps Sansa meets Gendry later, when they’re preparing for the onslaught of the White Walkers at Winterfell? Perhaps, if it’s a post-canon fic, the status difference between the Queen in the North and the legitimised Lord of Storm’s End isn’t so great, but that would bring additional complications of their geographical distance and obligations in two different kingdoms.
If you go with this request, I’d prefer no romantic feelings between Arya and Gendry, on either side, but I’m happy to see Arya/Gendry as a background ship in any other request!
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• Peter Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth
• Susan Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Edmund Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Peter Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Susan Pevensie
I'd just like anything that crosses these two worlds – both fairly similar in that they borrow from mediaeval Europe to create a fantasy world, but so very different in tone and content. Use Narnia to fix things for our heroine(s) or throw the Pevensies into Westeros and see how they cope, either way, I just love the thought of the potential of these groups of people with such different experiences and expectations meeting and interacting!
I’d love to read about their adventures, maybe in Westeros trying to find the Stark sisters to fulfil Brienne’s vow – maybe they even manage to find them (one or both) and get to Winterfell. Maybe they get involved in the politics of Westeros, or maybe they stay out of them and just focus on completing their own tasks and surviving.
Or maybe they’re in Narnia playing politics or fighting against threats to Narnia during the Golden Age. Maybe Brienne is a hero summoned by Susan’s horn in an hour of need? How would Brienne react to Talking Animals and the fairy-tale creatures in Narnia? Narnia is a much more friendly and permissive place, so she’d probably fit in much better at Cair Paravel than she did in Westeros.
With Peter, there are some interesting parallels and contrasts. Both are loyal, moral protectors and knights – however, Peter came to it almost reluctantly, whereas Brienne trained all her life to be a knight. Peter never had to prove himself the way Brienne did – after his first battle against the wolf, he as accepted and hailed, and he’s a King, to boot! Maybe she becomes his bodyguard or a general in his army in Narnia, or maybe he joins her in Westeros, looking for and protecting the Stark sisters. How would she react to another golden hero helping her on her quest – would she think him genuine, or would she be as suspicious of him as she was of Jaime to start, despite that she and Peter would meet under very different circumstances?
Susan would absolutely respect Brienne as a warrior, and she would be very impressed by Susan’s grace and poise, while still managing to be a fine marksman. I’d love to read about their adventures, trying to find the Stark sisters for Brienne – maybe they even manage to get to Winterfell and find them: Susan with her experience of managing a castle and running a kingdom would probably feel right at home in Winterfell. Or maybe Brienne is Susan’s bodyguard in Narnia, protecting her from threats. Would she go with Susan to Calormen, and would that change anything? Or does she arrive after Susan’s trip, and is that why Susan prefers female bodyguards?
Maybe the Pevensies (one or more) get transported to Westeros and find Sansa in the Eyrie, helping her escape Petyr Baelish’s creepiness? Or the story could be set afterwards, when she’s returned to Winterfell, preparing for the winter and the war against the Others? The Pevensies have experience fighting against a very long winter, after all. Maybe Sansa somehow ends up in Golden Age Narnia, a magical land of summer with good and just rulers where she can heal from her past? Or maybe she ends up in Narnia during their long winter, and has to use the skills she learned from Westeros to survive and help the Pevensies defeat the White Witch?
Peter is the shining noble knight she always dreamed of, both without and within, in a way that no one in Westeros seems to match: he’s handsome, noble, chivalrous, dependable, and kind. He’s also a very good monarch, and Sansa hasn’t had much experience with those. He might restore her faith in songs, stories, and knights, and she would help him be the best High King he could possibly be.
Sansa and Susan have a lot in common: they’re both noble ladies, used to being coveted for their looks and having their intelligence overlooked. They’re also both good leaders, diplomatic, and practical. Together they would be nigh unstoppable. They also have similar experiences of being wanted not for who they are but for what they represent. Would they bond over Sansa’s experiences in the Vale, King’s Landing, and, if you go with show canon, with Ramsay, and Susan’s experiences in Calormen? Or is the story set before the trip to Calormen, and Susan hasn’t quite experienced the downsides of being a beautiful woman with political connections yet? How does Sansa relate to a more open and unaware Susan, and is that the balm she needs?
Sansa and Edmund also have a lot in common, but differently than Sansa and Susan. They both have experience of being slightly resentful of their circumstances and family, being charmed beguiled by a beautiful but terrible Queen and trusting the wrong person, and suffering vastly disproportionate consequences from it. Both Edmund and Sansa value justice very highly, partly due to what happened to them. They would understand each other in a different way than the other Pevensies would understand Sansa, and might even be able to share some of the darker aspects of their pasts with each other.
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• Fanny Price/Tom Pullings
This request is mainly due to my desire to see better outcomes for Fanny than she got in canon – she deserves someone who will respect her and listen to her, which neither of her canonical suitors did (they both came close, but they also both put their own desires and wants above hers).
I just want Fanny to marry a dashing naval man who will respect her thoughts and opinions and treat her right! I must admit, this is about 40% because of how handsome James D’Arcy looks with the ponytail, scar, and the naval uniform! The other 60% are because I think they would work quite well together. Pullings is easy-going and cheerful enough to balance out Fanny’s more serious side, but he’s also hard-working, loyal, and dutiful enough that she’d still be able to admire and respect him, unlike Henry Crawford. Fanny has a naval connection through William, perhaps they serve together when William’s made lieutenant and he introduces them to each other? Or perhaps they meet in Portsmouth when she’s banished from Mansfield? Perhaps he sees her being relentlessly pursued by a man she doesn’t want and steps in to rescue her? Or maybe he can offer her an escape from her family’s poverty and dysfunction? Although, as is pointed out with William, it’s hard to have a successful career when you lack connections in the navy, so they might have to deal with that as well during their married life.
Perhaps she even marries Crawford or Edmund, and her husband turns out to be controlling and emotionally abusive. Maybe Pullings meets her while she’s in the abusive marriage (cue pining), or maybe he only meets her when she’s already widowed and is taken by her endurance and fortitude.
It might be fun to contrast the quiet stability and elegance of life at home with the dangerous and rough life of a sailor, even an officer. Perhaps Pullings suffers from PTSD? Perhaps Fanny joins the ship’s crew, and find it an eye-opening experience?
I’m very fond of the Regency period, and would be delighted with something that leaned into the aesthetics and trappings of the time era, and the ritualised etiquette of courtship and marriage. Historical accuracy very optional - as long as there's a general sense of the Regency period, I'll be happy (of course, I won't say no if you do want to painstakingly research how much a naval officer would make and what that meant for the kind of household his wife would be expected to manage, but that part is definitely not required)!
I haven’t read the Aubrey/Maturin books, but I am more than happy for you to use material from them, as long as it can be understood by someone who just knows the film!
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• Peggy Carter & Edwin Jarvis & Creator’s Choice of Pevensie sibling
I’d love to see something with the Pevensies interacting with the Agent Carter crew! Maybe the Pevensies are also agents of the SSR after the War? Or maybe they are civilians who help the SSR agents just because they’re in a place to do so and it’s the Right Thing to Do?
Maybe their time in Narnia marked the Pevensies in some way, and either SSR or Leviathan/Hydra or some other sinister organisation is after them? Maybe they don’t quite trust that the Agent Carter crew have their best interests at heart? Maybe the Agent Carter crew don’t quite trust that the Pevensies aren’t hiding more sinister secrets? Maybe they don’t understand how these on the surface normal, middle-class British schoolchildren/young adults (depending on when you set the story and whether you fuff the timelines) can be so competent, and think they’ve been trained as spies?
I like reading about Pevensies who are somehow Different due to their time in Narnia, for instance unexpectedly mature and competent for their ages, or having skills you wouldn’t normally expect from children or young adults in the mid-20th century, but might expect monarchs from a fantasy medieval kingdom to have. I would prefer all the Friends of Narnia to be alive and well in the story – either they survived the train crash, or it never happened. I’m also less fond of the part where Susan turned her back on Narnia and separated herself from her family, or the judgemental tone they use when they talk about how she cares for nothing but “nylons and lipstick and invitations” – feel free to leave that part out entirely and make up your own headcanon on what the Pevensies would be like when they’re older, regardless of what the later books in the series say, or make it clear that Susan can like nylons and lipstick and invitations and also be clever and insightful and retain her belief in Narnia and her siblings’ respect.
Perhaps the Pevensies are in the US for some reason (holiday? Moved there after the War? Working for the British arm/equivalent of the SSR?), or perhaps the story’s set in England (I’m sure there are reasons why Peggy and Jarvis might go to England – family reasons? Sent there by the SSR because they blend in? There on their own investigations, posing as a Lady and her butler?). Do they come across the Pevensies in their investigations? Are they perhaps even investigating the Pevensies?
Maybe it’s even set during the War – maybe Jarvis meets the Pevensies after he has rescued Ana and been discharged? Maybe they live nearby and help Jarvis and Ana find their feet after what they’ve been through? Or maybe Stark is interested in recruiting them/they get involved with his wartime activities and meet Jarvis that way?
Maybe Peggy meets them during leave in London? Perhaps Peter is a new recruit who ends up where the Howling Commandoes are (he’d be just old enough to sign up by the last year of the War, if he was born in the early months of the year), or maybe even Edmund (if he lied about his age/the timeline is fuffed a bit)?
There are plenty of opportunities for polite manners hiding unexpected competence and BAMF-itude on both sides. Plus, the understated snarking would be through the roof!
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• Maggie Collins
• Jim Sterling
• Todd McSweeten
• Todd McSweeten/Parker
• Todd McSweeten & Parker & Hardison
I love this show so much – the competence kink, the found family aspects, the trust and loyalty between the characters, the character growth, the in-jokes/catchphrases (“let’s go steal a …”, “it’s a very distinctive …”, “age of the geek, baby”, and more), the general optimism and light-heartedness even as they’re dealing with some complex and terrible people. This canon lends itself especially well to case-fic, and I’d love to read about some kind of heist or con, but if you want to go in a more slice of life or friendship/romantic direction, that would also make me happy.
I love Maggie – how quick she is on the uptake, how she can outsmart Nate, but how she generally keeps it under wraps. I love how she’s not jealous of Sophie, but friends with her, and how she genuinely cares for Nate and worries about him even though they’re separated and takes true joy in his moving on.
I would be really interested to see Maggie working with the Leverage team more. Maybe she is their Mastermind approached by Dubenich instead of Nate? She found out that IYS had denied Sam’s treatment and wanted revenge, gathering famous criminals around her? Or maybe Sophie is her way in, since they both move in the fine art circles, and they start with maybe a case like the Two Live Crew Job, helping steal art back for the original owners, and decide to branch out into helping people generally?
Or maybe she works with Parker, Hardison and Eliot after the end of the series when they need an extra person on the con? Maggie is very charming and unassuming, and we’ve seen that she has the makings of a fine grifter – and they all love her and work well with her, so I’m sure they’d be delighted to have her!
Redemption spoilers: I’d also love to see her with the new team, meeting Harry and Breanna, supporting Sophie after Nate’s death. Maybe she’s even on one of the teams that make up Leverage International?
What if it was Sterling in Nate’s place as the Leverage team Mastermind? How different would things be? What if Sterling was the one who lost a child (Olivia? An OC?) and blames IYS? Or maybe he has some other reason for wanting to double cross his employers? He’s equally clever and ruthless as Nate, if not more so, but he’s also less prone to grandstanding. And his moral compass is slightly askew compared to Nate’s (not that Nate’s is entirely straight). Would the team be more prone to go for vengeance on their marks rather than justice for the victims? Or would their goals be the same, just their methods different? Sneakier?
And where is Nate in this? Is he the IYS agent chasing them? Or perhaps they lead Leverage together, like they worked together for IYS? How would their dynamic be as co-criminal masterminds? Would they still have the push and pull that they had in canon, or would they be more egalitarian?
Another thing that might be fun is a fic set pre-series of Sterling chasing members of the Leverage team? Or him and Nate working together at IYS? We saw a glimpse of how they might have worked together in the Zanzibar Marketplace Job, and it might be fun to explore that further. What did they talk about on the rooftop when they were best friends?
Or, for a canon-compliant fic, I love the way Sterling and the team occasionally team up against a bigger threat, but there’s a deep personal dislike there based on their history and always a sense that he will double cross the team at the first opportunity so they can’t trust him. Does there ever come a point where he doesn’t double cross them? Do they reach the point where the antagonism between them is mostly toothless and they mostly get on, or does he remain a slimy bastard?
Redemption spoilers: How does Sterling feel about Nate’s death? Does he ever run across Leverage International and feel like it has Parker, Eliot and Hardison’s finger prints all over it, even if they’re nowhere to be seen (and then it turns out that they are involved)? Or does he come across the new team, and how quickly do they learn to hate him as much as the original team members do?
McSweeten is such a sweetheart! I love his optimism, his faith in people, his kindness! I would love to spend more time with him – as an FBI agent, as a son, as a person. I’d also love more interactions between him and the team. Does the team run across the FBI on another job and have to slip into pretending to be Hagen and Thomas again? Does he ask for their help on another case in the guises they adopted for the D.B. Cooper job? Does he find out who they actually are, and how does he react to that? Does he become someone like Bonnano, a law enforcement officer they can trust to look the other way as long as they’re doing good, and what does it take to get him to that point? Do McSweeten and Bonnano ever work together? Or McSweeten and Sterling? Maybe that’s how he finds out? Or does the team have to tell him for some reason? Or does he find out on his own during an investigation?
I also really like how gone he is on Parker as Hagen and how he sweet is about trying to woo her, even when she’s oblivious. I’d love to see something that brings them together – her being on the other side of the law might be even more of a problem in this case than in the gen version of this request, since it’s more personal when it’s someone he’s romantically interested in or involved with. How do they bridge that difference? Does he end up as an associate member of Leverage International, or even an actual member? Or does he stick with the FBI, and they have to navigate the conflict of interest between his career and hers? Or does he act as their inside man in the FBI?
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• Fanny Price
• Fanny Price & William Price
Fanny is probably Austen’s most divisive heroines, but I love her! I like that she’s quiet, and unassuming, and self-sacrificing to a flaw, but she still won’t budge when everyone around her is trying to persuade her into something she thinks is wrong. I like that inner strength she has, that allows her to endure both Mansfield and Portsmouth.
I’d really like a story that highlights those qualities – and I’d also really like her to be happy and valued. Maybe post-canon, and Edmund learns to not put how own wants above her needs? Or maybe a canon divergence, in which Henry actually goes to Everingham and not to London, and reforms enough to be the kind of husband she deserves? Or maybe she doesn’t get married at all? Maybe she becomes an author and writes improving tracts for young ladies? Or maybe she becomes the companion to another rich lady, one who values her and enjoys her company, and doesn’t see her as a general dogsbody? Maybe they even fall in love? Or maybe you have another idea in mind for what happens to her – I’m open to anything, as long as she’s happy! Feel free to make this a crossover with any other Jane Austen canon – I’m happy see her shipped with any character the Austen narrative sympathises with, male or female, major or minor, or for you to create your own OCs to pair her with.
I love their strong friendship and how much they obviously care for each other! I love that they write to each other, despite how far away they are from each other, and that he gave her a cross. And how obviously she delights in his success, and how he worries about her health. William is the one truly good man in Mansfield Park.
Maybe something about them as children – they’re the eldest, and used to looking after their younger siblings. How does he cope when Fanny goes to Mansfield? How does the death of Mary affect the family and Fanny’s and William’s relationship – she’s away at Mansfield when that happens, does he wish for her there with her family? Is he ever jealous of her good fortune, or is he just happy for her?
Or during the canon era? Does he see what a bad environment Mansfield is for her more clearly, since he’s not so close to it? How does he feel about the woman Fanny has grown into, and about her two suitors? How does he feel about Admiral Crawford and his own promotion after Henry’s actions and his linkage to Admiral Crawford who is not a virtuous man and isn’t well looked-upon by society – does that matter to his future career developments, or is Crawford better respected as a navy man than in society?
Or post-canon? How does he progress in the navy, and how does he feel about Fanny and Edmund being married? How often do they see each other?
Or maybe a canon divergence? Maybe William and Fanny were both sent to Mansfield? How would that change things, if she wasn’t so lonely growing up? Would she still be as close to Edmund, or would the presence of William mean she didn’t need to turn to him for guidance and support? How would William get on with Edmund? How would he get on with Tom, Maria, and Julia?
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• Cliff
• Dai
• Dai & Hefina & Sian
• Joe “Bromley” Cooper & Steph
• Sian
• Joe “Bromley” Cooper & Sian
I love this film! The warmth between the characters, the two separate communities coming together, the friendships, the support they give each other – it’s all so very heart-warming and hopeful! Of course, there are plenty of complications, too, if you want something to sink your teeth in, I’d love something dealing with the complexities and problems of the world we live in and the difficult issues these characters face. Feel free to include difficult themes like poverty, politics, homophobia, and HIV/AIDS that mark the lives of these characters, but don't feel you have to - you can also focus on the happy moments of their lives, the friendships, love and laughter that they share.
I really don’t mind if the story’s set pre-, during or post canon, I’d just love anything that explores the relationships between these wonderful characters! Feel free to include any other non-nominated characters if you want to – I love all of them!
I love Cliff, the soft-spoken, poetry-loving working class intellectual, and I’d love to read more about him and his place in Dulais as a retired miner and gay man, and how he reconciles those two different aspects of himself. Maybe he finds his people in the Gay Poetry and Literature Society? Bonding with Gethin about their love for the written word, and with Jonathan over their love for the spoken word? Going to plays put on by Out Loud? Performing in plays put on by Out Loud? Finding love? Does it come easily for him, or does he struggle with internalised homophobia? Does he meet someone in London or in Wales, and if it’s in London, does the distance pose problems?
How is his relationship with Maureen and his nephews? How was his relationship with his brother, and how did things change when his brother died? What support could he give them when the boys were young, and did Maureen’s pride allow her to accept it, or were there tensions there? Does he come out, and does that change things? At least Johnny came around to accepting LGSM, but does that stretch to Cliff – when it’s not just some abstract gay people in London, but his uncle? Does Lee ever come around?
I really like Dai, how down-to-earth he is, how caring and open, how he rolls with things, and how his quiet demeanour hides an iron core. How did he and Margaret meet? How did he get involved with union politics? Had he been involved for a long time, or did he become more active during the strike? What happens after the strike? Does he find another job when the pit closes? Does he stay involved with politics, or does he fade into the background after the strike?
I loved the friendship these two had, how they both pushed each other onto the stage when they weren’t 100% comfortable in the circumstances, but how they overcame and grew stronger together. The symbol of the clasped hands was a lovely touch, and how Mark and Dai embodied these communities coming together. And they were also wonderful foils for each other – Mark, the firebrand, always looking for a cause, and Dai, the quieter and more pragmatic one who got pushed into activism by circumstances. I’d love something that explores their different approaches to the fight, Dai sharing wisdom from his longer life experience, and Mark sharing wisdom from his longer activism experience. I loved how they were so different, but united.
Their friendship was such a good friendship! Outspoken Steph helping Joe to come out of his shell! Joe unconditionally supporting Steph as she was and not wanting her to change! I’d love to read about Joe and Steph working out how to live together and be young and gay in 1980s London? Does he try to reconcile with his family, or is he done with that? How does Steph deal with all that? Do they ever have to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend for safety?
Or maybe something about them and the rest of LGSM? What does LGSM do after the strike? Do they stay together, or do they drift apart? I’m especially interested in the parallels and differences between Joe and Steph on one side and Jonathan and Gethin on the other, with the different generations of gay people interacting? How different is it? What challenges did Jonathan and Gethin face that Joe and Steph don’t, and what challenges do Joe and Steph face that Jonathan and Gethin didn’t?
I love how strong and caring Sian is, and how she finds her courage and her strength during the mining crisis, how she stands up for what she believes is right, and how she gets down and does what needs to be done. Maybe something about her at university studying Welsh language? Is it a culture shock? How does she get on with the other students? Does she feel alienated as a mature student with rather different life experiences and expectations compared to the other students, or does she find a group of people to fit in with (the 80s was just after the great university expansion and before the introduction of tuition fees, so there would probably be a fair few other students with working-class backgrounds there – maybe she finds her people among them, even if they might be a bit younger than her, or with the other mature students)? Does she struggle balancing her education and her family, and how do they adjust to the change of having a breadwinner and a homemaker to two breadwinners? And how does she get started in politics? Maybe something about her first campaign to become MP? Or her early days in Westminster?
If you want to write something about her and Joe here, I would absolutely love that as well! I love how quickly Sian and Joe take to each other, how she’s there for him and supports him when he’s struggling, and how she’s not afraid of telling his family what a treasure they’re wasting. I really liked the scene when she drives him back to London and he falls asleep, and he looks so young and she looks so fond of him - maybe she has some maternal feelings for him, even though she’s not that much older than he is.
It would also be interesting to see Mark and Joe interact – they’re both quite quiet and reserved, which might make it awkward and tense to start off with, even though we know they become great friends by the end of the film.
Another thing I’d love to get is a work about a story about Dai, Hefina, and Sian, bonding over being official and unofficial leaders of a community that is so dependent on the doomed mine. How do they carry on, after the strike? There must be very complicated emotions going back to work after so long, especially knowing that they’ve been defeated and it’s only a matter of time until the mine closes. How do they keep the community going? How do they keep up the ties between LGSM and Dulais?
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• Bail Organa
• Bail Organa/Breha Organa
I love Bail and Breha – any couple who raise Leia Organa to be who she is must be awesome! In terms of canon, I know the films and most TV shows, but I haven’t read any Legends or New EU, so if you incorporate anything from those sources, make sure it’s understandable to someone whose knowledge of it comes mostly from fandom osmosis. I am also completely happy for you to ignore anything that isn’t in the prequel trilogy (as much as I love Rogue One and their portrayal in the Kenobi show)!
I love Bail’s dedication to democracy and his ideals. I love how competent he is, and how he’s not afraid of getting his hands dirty. I love his determination, and how warm he is with his friends, and how he grieves for the Jedi but gets on with founding the rebellion and doing something proactive with his grief! I’d love a story about him as a senator – what made him join the senate? How did he find his feet? How did he get on with Palpatine before he showed his true colours? Or something about his time founding the rebellion, trying to get it off the ground, finding and funding resistance cells? How much do he and Mon Mothma know about what the other is doing? Do they work closely together, or do they keep the other mostly in the dark for plausible deniability reasons?
We see more of Bail than Breha, especially in the prequel trilogy (but if you want to include what we saw of her in the Kenobi show, that’s absolutely fine by me), but I love how easily she takes Leia into her heart, and I would love more exploration of her role as Queen of Alderaan. How does royalty on Alderaan work, what is their function, how is it inherited? How does she hold Alderaan together through the years of the Empire? How involved is she in the rebellion, or does she leave it mostly to Bail? How does she fit in with her family – if you go by what we saw in the Kenobi show, they have Imperialist leanings? I love her pragmatism, how she can balance the duties of being Queen and the image she needs to convey with allowing Leia some personal touches, and I love the warmth with which they parent her!
How did she and Bail meet? Was it an arranged marriage or a love match? Did they fall in love instantly or did it take some time? How do they manage to balance their relationship with both of their demanding political obligations?
Or what if Bail and/or Breha from the Imperial era or the time of their death time travelled? It would be really cool to see a time-travel fix-it that focuses more on the political problems of the galaxy, since most of them (the Separatist crisis, the slow descent into authoritarianism, the chokehold that the Trade Federation, Banking Clans etc. have on the galaxy) are really outside the remit of the Jedi Order. And it would be fun to see Sidious being hobbled by someone he has no idea is a threat!
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In general, I like most things. I’m a multishipper, and I read slash, het, femslash, and gen. I also like most genres: fluff, angst, adventure, case fic, humour, get-together, established relationship, character study, slice of life/domestic, you name it – or a mix of them all! I’m very fond of long, plotty fic, so this exchange is right up my street!
The prompts below are there to help, not box you in, so please feel free to write/make something different if none of my prompts below grab your imagination or inspiration strikes you in a different direction. I’m not very used to prompting for non-fic things, so if anything seems unclear or you want more information, just reach out via the mods and I’ll do my best to answer any questions you may have.
If I request the shippy version of a relationship, I am also very happy to consume the gen version (it sometimes but not always goes the other way as well – feel free to check via the mods if you’re at all unsure). This goes even if the prompts are romantic in nature – I’m also very fond of deep platonic relationships that are the most important to the characters and relationships that straddle the line between platonic and romantic.
The length of the sections has nothing to do with how much I want the request, only with how many different prompts I have for each. I want to read them all very badly, so I’m sure I’ll love whatever you write!
This got quite long – feel free to just read the parts that are relevant to you. There’s also quite a lot of repetition between the sections, if things apply to several sections, to make it easier for you to find what you’re looking for in the place you’re looking for it, but that means the letter seems to be a bit longer than it actually is.
General likes
DNWs
Game of Thrones
Crossover Fandom, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones and Narnia
Crossover Fandom, Mansfield Park and Master and Commander 2003/
Crossover Fandom, Narnia and Agent Carter
Leverage
Mansfield Park
Pride
Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
General likes
• found families
• loyalty, both strong, reciprocated loyalty, and more complicated forms such as conflicting loyalties, loyalty to the undeserving, etc.
• ride or die friendships
• co-dependency
• “us against the world” plots and relationships (whether it’s true or just what the characters imagine)
• friends to lovers
• arranged marriages (that can either lead to love or strong friendship)
• marriages of convenience (that can either lead to love or strong friendship)
• pining
• hurt/comfort
• trauma recovery
• characters with low self-worth being loved and accepted
• characters being shown warmth and kindness when they’re expecting or used to being belittled, bullied or abused
• characters uniting forces against a common enemy
• complicated politics and shifting alliances
• partisan and resistance movements, small groups of people going up against or being pursued by large, powerful governments or organisations
• complicated and messy relationships (can be platonic, romantic or familial)
• secrets (both kept and revealed)
• characters working with limited knowledge
• competent characters, characters being recognised for their competence
• women supporting other women
• canon divergence
• outsider POV
• case fic/mission fic (however that applies to the canon in question)
• time travel (both Peggy Sue style and physical time travel)
• worldbuilding
• longfic
Art/Comic likes:
• black and white, pastels, soft, muted colours and deep, rich colours
• variation in or playing around with panel shapes and sizes
• contrasts between text and visuals
• flowing lines, sense of movement
• Art Nouveau influences
• realistic body and facial proportions (rather than e.g., caricatures, chibi or other deliberate distortions – but this is a preference and not a hard DNW)
• any level of detail, from rough sketches of the characters to individual leaves on trees in the background
• landscapes
• clothing, jewellery and hairstyles
• declarations of loyalty (such as illustrations of people getting engaged/married, being knighted or crowned, for instance)
• quiet, domestic scenes (hugs and cuddles, cooking, eating, reading, playing an instrument, playing games, walking in nature/the garden, etc. - the list is far from exhaustive!)
• action-packed, adrenaline-filled scenes (running, sword-fighting, climbing, riding a horse, etc. - the list is far from exhaustive!)
DNWs
• explicit sex (fade to black or references to sex are fine)
• changes to human anatomy or physiology (such as mpreg, omegaverse, soulmarks, etc.)
• teacher/student (shouldn't be a problem given the characters I've selected, but if you want to write relationships between characters with a teacher/student relationship, please set any romance some time after they've stopped being teacher/student)
• non-canonical incest (including between adopted or foster family members and biological family members who don’t know they’re related - cousin incest is OK for Jane Austen canons)
• adultery, infidelity or jealousy (real or imagined)
• massive age gaps in ships (the rule of “half the older character’s age plus seven” as a limit usually works quite well, although for teenagers a max of 2-year age-gap works better)
• sex involving characters under 15, setting a date when the character is considered "old enough"/"legal" for sex and fixating on that date
• modern-day terminology for sexual and gender identities in historical or fantasy canons
• characters being ostracised by their friends and loved ones
• important and deep relationships going sour due to rumours, assumptions, misunderstandings, miscommunication or a failure to communicate (relationships starting off based on or influenced by assumptions, misunderstandings etc. as well as long-standing relationships going sour due to genuine differences in opinions, wants, and needs are fine and fun!)
• public embarrassment, humiliation
• character or ship bashing
• hopeless endings, grimdark tone
• unrequested setting change AUs (merging the universes into one or having characters from one universe dimension travel to the other by either hand-wavey or explained means are all fine)
Fandom-specific DNWs:
• ASoIaF/GoT: requited Petyr/Sansa (his canonical desire for her is fine)
• Narnia: the rift between Susan and her family, the end of TLB (let me pretend everyone’s alive and happy)
• Star Wars: Madalorian Clones, Mando'a, Jedi bashing
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Game of Thrones
Characters/Ships
• Brienne of Tarth & Sansa Stark (GoT)
• Doran Martell/Sansa Stark
• Sansa Stark & Loras Tyrell
• Jaime Lannister/Sansa Stark
• Sansa Stark/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Gendry Waters
• Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
• Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark
• Tyrion Lannister/Sansa Stark
General thoughts
I’m really not fussed about book or show canon – if I want something for one canon, I’ll be equally happy to see it using the other canon.
Canon-typical age gaps are fine for this canon, but I still prefer only fake sex (if any) to occur if any parties in the relationship are below 15 – I am, however, very fond of the trope where one part (usually the man) cuts themself to fake the bedding sheets.
Sansa is one of my favourite characters in ASOIAF/GoT – I’d love to see a story that doesn’t gloss over the horrors she’s suffered, but also doesn’t reduce her to them. She’s clever and cunning, and she’s learnt to play the game, but she’s still managed to keep her kindness and compassion, despite everything she’s suffered.I like stories where she’s able to heal and move on from the traumas she’s suffered and reclaim her agency.
I also like stories that deal with politics and playing the game of thrones, especially ones that allow Sansa to demonstrate that she actually knows how to play – ones where she demonstrates her cunning and agency earlier in Kings Landing, and somehow manages to save her family, or stories where she’s older and has come into her own in a position of power, maybe as Lady of Winterfell or some other castle, or as a member of the Small Council to Robb, Daenerys, Jon, Stannis, Tommen or whoever you choose to give a crown to, maybe as Queen in the North, or maybe even Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
Sansa/Jaime
Jaime has the appearance of being the gallant knight she yearns for, but of course, the reality is far murkier. How do they deal with the fact that they are, essentially, on two different sides of the war? That he attacked her father in the streets of King’s Landing, and her brother held him as a prisoner of war? Where do their loyalties eventually end up? Can they reach an understanding?
Does Jaime take his last chance of honour and take her away from Kings Landing with Brienne? Or maybe Tywin manages to arrange for Jaime to be dismissed from the Kingsguard and made to marry Sansa? Do they go to Casterly Rock and rule the Westerlands? Do they stay in King’s Landing, and if so, can he protect her from Joffrey? Does he return Sansa to Catelyn and Robb, and maybe manage to prevent the Red Wedding? How do they deal with his affair with Cersei, and the fact that he pushed her brother out of a window to cover it up? How conflicted is he between his love for Cersei and his duty and growing love for his wife? How does Cersei react when Sansa takes the other half of her soul away from her?
Or maybe they don’t get married and fall in love in King’s Landing – maybe it happens later. Does he meet her when he rides North to fight for the living as promised, and how conflicted is he between Cersei’s planned betrayal and his promise to fight for the living? How does he react to Sansa growing from essentially a non-entity in King’s Landing: a frightened, abused girl who parroted what she was told to say, to the competent, powerful Lady of Winterfell and eventually Queen in the North?
Sansa/Tyrion
I like that they’re both very clever and know how to play the game despite their relative lack of physical prowess, and I like how they are both kind, honourable people who will use their kindness and honour for their own ends.
Perhaps they were better friends before their marriage, thus setting better conditions for love to grow out of it? Maybe they work together to become the power couple of King’s Landing? Maybe Tyrion and Sansa escape together after the Purple Wedding or the trial? Is Sansa put on trial alongside Tyrion? Which escape do they follow – to the Vale or to Essos? How does Petyr react when Sansa won’t leave Tyrion behind? How does Sansa’s presence change Tyrion’s reception by Daenerys?
Maybe Sansa travels to Essos after her escape from Ramsay instead of going to Jon? Does having Sansa there in Meereen change things between Daenerys and Sansa? Perhaps they grow to understand each other better?
Or maybe Tyrion and Sansa reach an understanding later, when she’s Lady of Winterfell (or maybe even Queen in the North) and he’s Hand of the Queen, and they’ve both grown and matured. How do they reconcile Tyrion being Hand to Daenerys and Sansa being such a staunch Northern loyalist? Does that make Tyrion have doubts about Daenerys earlier, and how does that change how things play out?
Or maybe he stays in the North, post-canon, and is Hand to Queen Sansa as they rebuild the North after the many wars they have lived through?
Sansa/Doran
I think Doran and Sansa would make an excellent power couple! Doran would be patient and kind as she healed and moved on from her traumas in King’s Landing, and she would be compassionate and helpful when he suffered from his gout. They’re both clever, political people, who are capable of reading others and making long-term plans. Sansa would probably do very well in Dorne, where women have more agency, and she would also be an asset, with her connections and her cleverness.
Perhaps Dorne and the North make an alliance for independence from the Seven Kingdoms? Or maybe the point of divergence is later, and she claims her brother’s crown? How does that work, with their two power bases being so geographically far?
Dorne is a complicated place – how does Sansa navigate the Dornish court? Perhaps she manages to make peace between Ellaria and the Sand Snakes and Doran? Does she manage to convince them that killing Myrcella is not in their best interests and that there are better paths to revenge? Or perhaps she manages to discover their treachery in advance, and she and Doran can outmanoeuvre them without it leading to Doran’s death?
I don’t mind how you deal with Doran's wife – maybe they were never married and his children are legitimised bastards (since Dorne is more accepting of such things), or maybe she’s dead, or they’re legally divorced, or any other way you can think of.
Sansa/Theon
So, the Theon/Sansa ship surprised me – I didn’t ship it in the early seasons, but seasons 6-8 convinced me. They’re the only ones who truly know what the other suffered at the hands of Ramsay, and I’d like to see them supporting each other as they reclaim their agency. They’d know to be careful of each other, know the traumas they’ve both suffered, and so don’t need to explain it or hide from the other, and they’ve both seen the other at their lowest point. This ship offers plenty of opportunities to explore themes of loyalty, forgiveness, healing, and moving on.
Perhaps Theon stays with Sansa when they go to Castle Black – how does that change her reunion with Jon? And how does that affect his and Jon’s reunion? Does he still go to save Yara, or does he stay with Sansa in Winterfell?
Or maybe they go somewhere else, together, and escape Westeros and all the conflicts – Braavos, perhaps? How to they make a living? Does Winter spread even to Braavos, and do they keep up with what’s happening in Westeros? Do they feel guilty for abandoning their homeland, or do they feel well rid of the place that brought them only suffering? Are they recognised at all, or do they manage to fade into obscurity? Some slight jiggling of the timelines could even have them there at the same time as Arya – how does that reunion go down under those circumstances?
Or maybe love blossoms when Sansa's retaken Winterfell and Theon’s returned to fight for Winterfell in season 8? Does he feel torn between his oath to Daenerys and his love for Sansa? Or is this a non-issue for him: Sansa held his loyalty first? Perhaps he manages to survive the defence of Bran against the Night King – does he feel he’s atoned sufficiently for what he did, or will he always feel guilty about it? Do the other Starks forgive him completely, or are they still wary of him?
Sansa/Brienne, Sansa & Brienne
Sansa gets her dashing and gallant knight after all – even if she happens to be female and not knighted! I’m very fond of loyalty, and if there’s one word to describe Brienne of Tarth, it’s loyal. She would do anything for Sansa, and in return Sansa trusts her, values her, and treats her with respect.
Maybe Brienne manages to save Sansa from King’s Landing and deliver her to Robb and Catelyn? What adventures do they have on the road together? Does Sansa trust her from the start, or does she just go with her for lack of other appealing options? Do they somehow prevent the Red Wedding – maybe they overhear something on the road and can warn the Stark army in time? Or do they arrive when it’s too late, and how do they deal with that, where do they go from there?
Maybe Sansa does go with Brienne when they meet in the Vale – how does that change things when Petyr can’t marry her off to Ramsay and they arrive at Castle Black before Jon’s death? Maybe something set after they’ve retaken Winterfell, maybe Sansa’s Queen in the North and Brienne the Lady Commander of her Queensguard rather than Bran’s Kingsguard, as they rebuild the North after all it’s been through? How does Brienne help and support Sansa when they crown rests heavy on her head? How do they deal with the demands that Sansa marry and beget an heir?
Sansa & Loras
What if the Tyrells had managed to marry Sansa and Loras? Sansa gets her handsome gallant knight, and Loras gets to save a pretty damsel! They’re both Romantics, in that they believe in songs and the ideals of chivalry, which might lead to a strong friendship and companionship, but there is still the barrier that Loras can’t love her the way she’s dreamed of. I don’t mind if this goes slightly bittersweet, given their respective situations, dreams, and hopes, but I do have a fondness for arranged marriages that end not in love, but with deep, enduring friendships, and relationships that straddle the line between romantic and platonic love.
Would they go to reclaim Winterfell? Would they go to Highgarden for Loras to rule while Mace is in King’s Landing? Or would they stay in King’s Landing? How would Tywin react to being outmanoeuvred – and would he try to retaliate? How does Cersei react to having her hostage ripped away from her control? How would Sansa’s marriage to Loras change the position she played the game of thrones from? Would she learn from Olenna and Margaery, and would they be able to outplay the Lannisters together? Would having Sansa in the family change how they killed Joffrey, as they’d want no risk of suspicion to fall on anyone close to them? Would Cersei still suspect Tyrion, or would she blame Sansa, and how would they deal with that?
Perhaps Sansa might have been able to save Loras at his trial by the Faith (maybe she would point out that a squire having seen his knight master undressed is not incriminating in the slightest)? Or maybe there wouldn’t have been a trial if they managed to convincingly fake a romantic relationship?
Sansa/Margaery
This can work well with the prompt above, where Loras marries Sansa. That would be the best outcome for everyone involved, really (all that would be needed was a love interest for Loras who wouldn’t sell him out to the Faith) – it would give Sansa the romantic love she’s dreamed of, while still ensuring her safety and a good marriage, and give Sansa and Margaery and excuse to be close and spend a lot of time together, since they’d be good-sisters. How would they manage Tommen, Cersei, and the Faith while hiding both Sansa’s and Margaery’s relationship, as well as Loras’ relationship with his squire?
Maybe the Tyrells succeed with their plot to marry Sansa and Willas, except it turns out Loras is not the only one in the family who prefers the company of men? Or maybe they marry earlier, to create an alliance between Renly and Robb? Maybe the Tyrells kill Stannis and take King’s Landing, making Renly the King, rather than ally with the Lannisters after his death, and rescue Sansa? Sansa, Margaery, Renly and Loras would be such a good power quartet!
Alternatively, if you keep Sansa’s canonical marriage to Tyrion, she and Margaery could get together while they’re still in King’s Landing, behind the backs of their husbands and betrothed: Sansa dealing with her unwanted marriage by seeking out Margaery’s company, and Margaery confiding in Sansa, who knows what Joffrey’s like and what it’s like to have to pretend to love him. Margaery is skilled at manipulation, and Sansa learns quickly (even though she thinks she doesn’t), so before too long, they would be the soft power behind the throne in King’s Landing – I’d love to see the pair of them match wits against Cersei! They’d be even more powerful when Margaery marries Tommen, who’s more biddable than Joffrey, and would probably also get on with Sansa. Would he know about Sansa’s and Margaery’s relationship, or would they hide it from him as well as everyone else? How would Margaery manage to save Sansa’s life if she stayed in King’s Landing after the Purple Wedding? Would Sansa and Margaery working together manage to prevent Cersei’s blunder in giving the Faith more power? Or would they have to deal with it, knowing that they are as much at risk as Loras, if their relationship was discovered? How would they deal with his imprisonment, and would they manage to avert Cersei blowing up the Sept? Or would it still happen, and they somehow survive? I felt like the fall-out from that act was a bit glossed over in the show, so feel free to expand on that, in this request or any other!
Sansa/Gendry
This would be a fun pairing, when Gendry’s chip on the shoulder meets Sansa’s romanticism (although she becomes quite jaded fairly quickly as well)! I’d imagine that Sansa would be aware of their different status more than Arya was, but after all she’s gone through, a good heart would probably be more important to her than a good title. Maybe he thinks of their status difference as more of an impediment than she does – since we know he is aware of the difference between him and Arya? Maybe he worries about being good enough for her, especially if he knows about her dreams of marrying a prince or a knight. Maybe his lowborn status and gruff manners would be more of an impediment to early Sansa than later Sansa?
Perhaps Sansa escapes King’s Landing with Yoren, either together with Arya, or instead of Arya. How does she cope with life on the road? Does Sansa also free Jaqen H’gar, and, if so, what names does she give him? Does Gendry still decide to stay with the Brotherhood instead of going with Sansa/the Starks, and if so, what happens when he’s sold to Melisandre? Or perhaps Sansa meets Gendry later, when they’re preparing for the onslaught of the White Walkers at Winterfell? Perhaps, if it’s a post-canon fic, the status difference between the Queen in the North and the legitimised Lord of Storm’s End isn’t so great, but that would bring additional complications of their geographical distance and obligations in two different kingdoms.
If you go with this request, I’d prefer no romantic feelings between Arya and Gendry, on either side, but I’m happy to see Arya/Gendry as a background ship in any other request!
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Crossover Fandom, Narnia and A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones
Characters/Ships
• Peter Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth
• Susan Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Edmund Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Peter Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Susan Pevensie
General thoughts
I'd just like anything that crosses these two worlds – both fairly similar in that they borrow from mediaeval Europe to create a fantasy world, but so very different in tone and content. Use Narnia to fix things for our heroine(s) or throw the Pevensies into Westeros and see how they cope, either way, I just love the thought of the potential of these groups of people with such different experiences and expectations meeting and interacting!
Brienne and the Pevensies
I’d love to read about their adventures, maybe in Westeros trying to find the Stark sisters to fulfil Brienne’s vow – maybe they even manage to find them (one or both) and get to Winterfell. Maybe they get involved in the politics of Westeros, or maybe they stay out of them and just focus on completing their own tasks and surviving.
Or maybe they’re in Narnia playing politics or fighting against threats to Narnia during the Golden Age. Maybe Brienne is a hero summoned by Susan’s horn in an hour of need? How would Brienne react to Talking Animals and the fairy-tale creatures in Narnia? Narnia is a much more friendly and permissive place, so she’d probably fit in much better at Cair Paravel than she did in Westeros.
Brienne/Peter
With Peter, there are some interesting parallels and contrasts. Both are loyal, moral protectors and knights – however, Peter came to it almost reluctantly, whereas Brienne trained all her life to be a knight. Peter never had to prove himself the way Brienne did – after his first battle against the wolf, he as accepted and hailed, and he’s a King, to boot! Maybe she becomes his bodyguard or a general in his army in Narnia, or maybe he joins her in Westeros, looking for and protecting the Stark sisters. How would she react to another golden hero helping her on her quest – would she think him genuine, or would she be as suspicious of him as she was of Jaime to start, despite that she and Peter would meet under very different circumstances?
Brienne/Susan
Susan would absolutely respect Brienne as a warrior, and she would be very impressed by Susan’s grace and poise, while still managing to be a fine marksman. I’d love to read about their adventures, trying to find the Stark sisters for Brienne – maybe they even manage to get to Winterfell and find them: Susan with her experience of managing a castle and running a kingdom would probably feel right at home in Winterfell. Or maybe Brienne is Susan’s bodyguard in Narnia, protecting her from threats. Would she go with Susan to Calormen, and would that change anything? Or does she arrive after Susan’s trip, and is that why Susan prefers female bodyguards?
Sansa and the Pevensies
Maybe the Pevensies (one or more) get transported to Westeros and find Sansa in the Eyrie, helping her escape Petyr Baelish’s creepiness? Or the story could be set afterwards, when she’s returned to Winterfell, preparing for the winter and the war against the Others? The Pevensies have experience fighting against a very long winter, after all. Maybe Sansa somehow ends up in Golden Age Narnia, a magical land of summer with good and just rulers where she can heal from her past? Or maybe she ends up in Narnia during their long winter, and has to use the skills she learned from Westeros to survive and help the Pevensies defeat the White Witch?
Sansa/Peter
Peter is the shining noble knight she always dreamed of, both without and within, in a way that no one in Westeros seems to match: he’s handsome, noble, chivalrous, dependable, and kind. He’s also a very good monarch, and Sansa hasn’t had much experience with those. He might restore her faith in songs, stories, and knights, and she would help him be the best High King he could possibly be.
Sansa/Susan
Sansa and Susan have a lot in common: they’re both noble ladies, used to being coveted for their looks and having their intelligence overlooked. They’re also both good leaders, diplomatic, and practical. Together they would be nigh unstoppable. They also have similar experiences of being wanted not for who they are but for what they represent. Would they bond over Sansa’s experiences in the Vale, King’s Landing, and, if you go with show canon, with Ramsay, and Susan’s experiences in Calormen? Or is the story set before the trip to Calormen, and Susan hasn’t quite experienced the downsides of being a beautiful woman with political connections yet? How does Sansa relate to a more open and unaware Susan, and is that the balm she needs?
Sansa/Edmund
Sansa and Edmund also have a lot in common, but differently than Sansa and Susan. They both have experience of being slightly resentful of their circumstances and family, being charmed beguiled by a beautiful but terrible Queen and trusting the wrong person, and suffering vastly disproportionate consequences from it. Both Edmund and Sansa value justice very highly, partly due to what happened to them. They would understand each other in a different way than the other Pevensies would understand Sansa, and might even be able to share some of the darker aspects of their pasts with each other.
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Crossover Fandom, Mansfield Park and Master and Commander 2003/Pirates of the Caribbean
Characters/ships
• Fanny Price/Tom Pullings
General thoughts
This request is mainly due to my desire to see better outcomes for Fanny than she got in canon – she deserves someone who will respect her and listen to her, which neither of her canonical suitors did (they both came close, but they also both put their own desires and wants above hers).
I just want Fanny to marry a dashing naval man who will respect her thoughts and opinions and treat her right! I must admit, this is about 40% because of how handsome James D’Arcy looks with the ponytail, scar, and the naval uniform! The other 60% are because I think they would work quite well together. Pullings is easy-going and cheerful enough to balance out Fanny’s more serious side, but he’s also hard-working, loyal, and dutiful enough that she’d still be able to admire and respect him, unlike Henry Crawford. Fanny has a naval connection through William, perhaps they serve together when William’s made lieutenant and he introduces them to each other? Or perhaps they meet in Portsmouth when she’s banished from Mansfield? Perhaps he sees her being relentlessly pursued by a man she doesn’t want and steps in to rescue her? Or maybe he can offer her an escape from her family’s poverty and dysfunction? Although, as is pointed out with William, it’s hard to have a successful career when you lack connections in the navy, so they might have to deal with that as well during their married life.
Perhaps she even marries Crawford or Edmund, and her husband turns out to be controlling and emotionally abusive. Maybe Pullings meets her while she’s in the abusive marriage (cue pining), or maybe he only meets her when she’s already widowed and is taken by her endurance and fortitude.
It might be fun to contrast the quiet stability and elegance of life at home with the dangerous and rough life of a sailor, even an officer. Perhaps Pullings suffers from PTSD? Perhaps Fanny joins the ship’s crew, and find it an eye-opening experience?
I’m very fond of the Regency period, and would be delighted with something that leaned into the aesthetics and trappings of the time era, and the ritualised etiquette of courtship and marriage. Historical accuracy very optional - as long as there's a general sense of the Regency period, I'll be happy (of course, I won't say no if you do want to painstakingly research how much a naval officer would make and what that meant for the kind of household his wife would be expected to manage, but that part is definitely not required)!
I haven’t read the Aubrey/Maturin books, but I am more than happy for you to use material from them, as long as it can be understood by someone who just knows the film!
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Crossover Fandom, Narnia and Agent Carter
Characters/ships
• Peggy Carter & Edwin Jarvis & Creator’s Choice of Pevensie sibling
General thoughts
I’d love to see something with the Pevensies interacting with the Agent Carter crew! Maybe the Pevensies are also agents of the SSR after the War? Or maybe they are civilians who help the SSR agents just because they’re in a place to do so and it’s the Right Thing to Do?
Maybe their time in Narnia marked the Pevensies in some way, and either SSR or Leviathan/Hydra or some other sinister organisation is after them? Maybe they don’t quite trust that the Agent Carter crew have their best interests at heart? Maybe the Agent Carter crew don’t quite trust that the Pevensies aren’t hiding more sinister secrets? Maybe they don’t understand how these on the surface normal, middle-class British schoolchildren/young adults (depending on when you set the story and whether you fuff the timelines) can be so competent, and think they’ve been trained as spies?
I like reading about Pevensies who are somehow Different due to their time in Narnia, for instance unexpectedly mature and competent for their ages, or having skills you wouldn’t normally expect from children or young adults in the mid-20th century, but might expect monarchs from a fantasy medieval kingdom to have. I would prefer all the Friends of Narnia to be alive and well in the story – either they survived the train crash, or it never happened. I’m also less fond of the part where Susan turned her back on Narnia and separated herself from her family, or the judgemental tone they use when they talk about how she cares for nothing but “nylons and lipstick and invitations” – feel free to leave that part out entirely and make up your own headcanon on what the Pevensies would be like when they’re older, regardless of what the later books in the series say, or make it clear that Susan can like nylons and lipstick and invitations and also be clever and insightful and retain her belief in Narnia and her siblings’ respect.
Perhaps the Pevensies are in the US for some reason (holiday? Moved there after the War? Working for the British arm/equivalent of the SSR?), or perhaps the story’s set in England (I’m sure there are reasons why Peggy and Jarvis might go to England – family reasons? Sent there by the SSR because they blend in? There on their own investigations, posing as a Lady and her butler?). Do they come across the Pevensies in their investigations? Are they perhaps even investigating the Pevensies?
Maybe it’s even set during the War – maybe Jarvis meets the Pevensies after he has rescued Ana and been discharged? Maybe they live nearby and help Jarvis and Ana find their feet after what they’ve been through? Or maybe Stark is interested in recruiting them/they get involved with his wartime activities and meet Jarvis that way?
Maybe Peggy meets them during leave in London? Perhaps Peter is a new recruit who ends up where the Howling Commandoes are (he’d be just old enough to sign up by the last year of the War, if he was born in the early months of the year), or maybe even Edmund (if he lied about his age/the timeline is fuffed a bit)?
There are plenty of opportunities for polite manners hiding unexpected competence and BAMF-itude on both sides. Plus, the understated snarking would be through the roof!
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Leverage
Characters/Ships
• Maggie Collins
• Jim Sterling
• Todd McSweeten
• Todd McSweeten/Parker
• Todd McSweeten & Parker & Hardison
General thoughts
I love this show so much – the competence kink, the found family aspects, the trust and loyalty between the characters, the character growth, the in-jokes/catchphrases (“let’s go steal a …”, “it’s a very distinctive …”, “age of the geek, baby”, and more), the general optimism and light-heartedness even as they’re dealing with some complex and terrible people. This canon lends itself especially well to case-fic, and I’d love to read about some kind of heist or con, but if you want to go in a more slice of life or friendship/romantic direction, that would also make me happy.
Maggie
I love Maggie – how quick she is on the uptake, how she can outsmart Nate, but how she generally keeps it under wraps. I love how she’s not jealous of Sophie, but friends with her, and how she genuinely cares for Nate and worries about him even though they’re separated and takes true joy in his moving on.
I would be really interested to see Maggie working with the Leverage team more. Maybe she is their Mastermind approached by Dubenich instead of Nate? She found out that IYS had denied Sam’s treatment and wanted revenge, gathering famous criminals around her? Or maybe Sophie is her way in, since they both move in the fine art circles, and they start with maybe a case like the Two Live Crew Job, helping steal art back for the original owners, and decide to branch out into helping people generally?
Or maybe she works with Parker, Hardison and Eliot after the end of the series when they need an extra person on the con? Maggie is very charming and unassuming, and we’ve seen that she has the makings of a fine grifter – and they all love her and work well with her, so I’m sure they’d be delighted to have her!
Redemption spoilers: I’d also love to see her with the new team, meeting Harry and Breanna, supporting Sophie after Nate’s death. Maybe she’s even on one of the teams that make up Leverage International?
Sterling
What if it was Sterling in Nate’s place as the Leverage team Mastermind? How different would things be? What if Sterling was the one who lost a child (Olivia? An OC?) and blames IYS? Or maybe he has some other reason for wanting to double cross his employers? He’s equally clever and ruthless as Nate, if not more so, but he’s also less prone to grandstanding. And his moral compass is slightly askew compared to Nate’s (not that Nate’s is entirely straight). Would the team be more prone to go for vengeance on their marks rather than justice for the victims? Or would their goals be the same, just their methods different? Sneakier?
And where is Nate in this? Is he the IYS agent chasing them? Or perhaps they lead Leverage together, like they worked together for IYS? How would their dynamic be as co-criminal masterminds? Would they still have the push and pull that they had in canon, or would they be more egalitarian?
Another thing that might be fun is a fic set pre-series of Sterling chasing members of the Leverage team? Or him and Nate working together at IYS? We saw a glimpse of how they might have worked together in the Zanzibar Marketplace Job, and it might be fun to explore that further. What did they talk about on the rooftop when they were best friends?
Or, for a canon-compliant fic, I love the way Sterling and the team occasionally team up against a bigger threat, but there’s a deep personal dislike there based on their history and always a sense that he will double cross the team at the first opportunity so they can’t trust him. Does there ever come a point where he doesn’t double cross them? Do they reach the point where the antagonism between them is mostly toothless and they mostly get on, or does he remain a slimy bastard?
Redemption spoilers: How does Sterling feel about Nate’s death? Does he ever run across Leverage International and feel like it has Parker, Eliot and Hardison’s finger prints all over it, even if they’re nowhere to be seen (and then it turns out that they are involved)? Or does he come across the new team, and how quickly do they learn to hate him as much as the original team members do?
McSweeten, Parker/McSweeten, Parker & Hardison & McSweeten
McSweeten is such a sweetheart! I love his optimism, his faith in people, his kindness! I would love to spend more time with him – as an FBI agent, as a son, as a person. I’d also love more interactions between him and the team. Does the team run across the FBI on another job and have to slip into pretending to be Hagen and Thomas again? Does he ask for their help on another case in the guises they adopted for the D.B. Cooper job? Does he find out who they actually are, and how does he react to that? Does he become someone like Bonnano, a law enforcement officer they can trust to look the other way as long as they’re doing good, and what does it take to get him to that point? Do McSweeten and Bonnano ever work together? Or McSweeten and Sterling? Maybe that’s how he finds out? Or does the team have to tell him for some reason? Or does he find out on his own during an investigation?
I also really like how gone he is on Parker as Hagen and how he sweet is about trying to woo her, even when she’s oblivious. I’d love to see something that brings them together – her being on the other side of the law might be even more of a problem in this case than in the gen version of this request, since it’s more personal when it’s someone he’s romantically interested in or involved with. How do they bridge that difference? Does he end up as an associate member of Leverage International, or even an actual member? Or does he stick with the FBI, and they have to navigate the conflict of interest between his career and hers? Or does he act as their inside man in the FBI?
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Mansfield Park
Characters/Ships
• Fanny Price
• Fanny Price & William Price
Fanny Price
Fanny is probably Austen’s most divisive heroines, but I love her! I like that she’s quiet, and unassuming, and self-sacrificing to a flaw, but she still won’t budge when everyone around her is trying to persuade her into something she thinks is wrong. I like that inner strength she has, that allows her to endure both Mansfield and Portsmouth.
I’d really like a story that highlights those qualities – and I’d also really like her to be happy and valued. Maybe post-canon, and Edmund learns to not put how own wants above her needs? Or maybe a canon divergence, in which Henry actually goes to Everingham and not to London, and reforms enough to be the kind of husband she deserves? Or maybe she doesn’t get married at all? Maybe she becomes an author and writes improving tracts for young ladies? Or maybe she becomes the companion to another rich lady, one who values her and enjoys her company, and doesn’t see her as a general dogsbody? Maybe they even fall in love? Or maybe you have another idea in mind for what happens to her – I’m open to anything, as long as she’s happy! Feel free to make this a crossover with any other Jane Austen canon – I’m happy see her shipped with any character the Austen narrative sympathises with, male or female, major or minor, or for you to create your own OCs to pair her with.
Fanny Price & William Price
I love their strong friendship and how much they obviously care for each other! I love that they write to each other, despite how far away they are from each other, and that he gave her a cross. And how obviously she delights in his success, and how he worries about her health. William is the one truly good man in Mansfield Park.
Maybe something about them as children – they’re the eldest, and used to looking after their younger siblings. How does he cope when Fanny goes to Mansfield? How does the death of Mary affect the family and Fanny’s and William’s relationship – she’s away at Mansfield when that happens, does he wish for her there with her family? Is he ever jealous of her good fortune, or is he just happy for her?
Or during the canon era? Does he see what a bad environment Mansfield is for her more clearly, since he’s not so close to it? How does he feel about the woman Fanny has grown into, and about her two suitors? How does he feel about Admiral Crawford and his own promotion after Henry’s actions and his linkage to Admiral Crawford who is not a virtuous man and isn’t well looked-upon by society – does that matter to his future career developments, or is Crawford better respected as a navy man than in society?
Or post-canon? How does he progress in the navy, and how does he feel about Fanny and Edmund being married? How often do they see each other?
Or maybe a canon divergence? Maybe William and Fanny were both sent to Mansfield? How would that change things, if she wasn’t so lonely growing up? Would she still be as close to Edmund, or would the presence of William mean she didn’t need to turn to him for guidance and support? How would William get on with Edmund? How would he get on with Tom, Maria, and Julia?
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Pride
Characters/ships
• Cliff
• Dai
• Dai & Hefina & Sian
• Joe “Bromley” Cooper & Steph
• Sian
• Joe “Bromley” Cooper & Sian
General thoughts
I love this film! The warmth between the characters, the two separate communities coming together, the friendships, the support they give each other – it’s all so very heart-warming and hopeful! Of course, there are plenty of complications, too, if you want something to sink your teeth in, I’d love something dealing with the complexities and problems of the world we live in and the difficult issues these characters face. Feel free to include difficult themes like poverty, politics, homophobia, and HIV/AIDS that mark the lives of these characters, but don't feel you have to - you can also focus on the happy moments of their lives, the friendships, love and laughter that they share.
I really don’t mind if the story’s set pre-, during or post canon, I’d just love anything that explores the relationships between these wonderful characters! Feel free to include any other non-nominated characters if you want to – I love all of them!
Cliff
I love Cliff, the soft-spoken, poetry-loving working class intellectual, and I’d love to read more about him and his place in Dulais as a retired miner and gay man, and how he reconciles those two different aspects of himself. Maybe he finds his people in the Gay Poetry and Literature Society? Bonding with Gethin about their love for the written word, and with Jonathan over their love for the spoken word? Going to plays put on by Out Loud? Performing in plays put on by Out Loud? Finding love? Does it come easily for him, or does he struggle with internalised homophobia? Does he meet someone in London or in Wales, and if it’s in London, does the distance pose problems?
How is his relationship with Maureen and his nephews? How was his relationship with his brother, and how did things change when his brother died? What support could he give them when the boys were young, and did Maureen’s pride allow her to accept it, or were there tensions there? Does he come out, and does that change things? At least Johnny came around to accepting LGSM, but does that stretch to Cliff – when it’s not just some abstract gay people in London, but his uncle? Does Lee ever come around?
Dai
I really like Dai, how down-to-earth he is, how caring and open, how he rolls with things, and how his quiet demeanour hides an iron core. How did he and Margaret meet? How did he get involved with union politics? Had he been involved for a long time, or did he become more active during the strike? What happens after the strike? Does he find another job when the pit closes? Does he stay involved with politics, or does he fade into the background after the strike?
Mark & Dai
I loved the friendship these two had, how they both pushed each other onto the stage when they weren’t 100% comfortable in the circumstances, but how they overcame and grew stronger together. The symbol of the clasped hands was a lovely touch, and how Mark and Dai embodied these communities coming together. And they were also wonderful foils for each other – Mark, the firebrand, always looking for a cause, and Dai, the quieter and more pragmatic one who got pushed into activism by circumstances. I’d love something that explores their different approaches to the fight, Dai sharing wisdom from his longer life experience, and Mark sharing wisdom from his longer activism experience. I loved how they were so different, but united.
Joe & Steph
Their friendship was such a good friendship! Outspoken Steph helping Joe to come out of his shell! Joe unconditionally supporting Steph as she was and not wanting her to change! I’d love to read about Joe and Steph working out how to live together and be young and gay in 1980s London? Does he try to reconcile with his family, or is he done with that? How does Steph deal with all that? Do they ever have to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend for safety?
Or maybe something about them and the rest of LGSM? What does LGSM do after the strike? Do they stay together, or do they drift apart? I’m especially interested in the parallels and differences between Joe and Steph on one side and Jonathan and Gethin on the other, with the different generations of gay people interacting? How different is it? What challenges did Jonathan and Gethin face that Joe and Steph don’t, and what challenges do Joe and Steph face that Jonathan and Gethin didn’t?
Sian
I love how strong and caring Sian is, and how she finds her courage and her strength during the mining crisis, how she stands up for what she believes is right, and how she gets down and does what needs to be done. Maybe something about her at university studying Welsh language? Is it a culture shock? How does she get on with the other students? Does she feel alienated as a mature student with rather different life experiences and expectations compared to the other students, or does she find a group of people to fit in with (the 80s was just after the great university expansion and before the introduction of tuition fees, so there would probably be a fair few other students with working-class backgrounds there – maybe she finds her people among them, even if they might be a bit younger than her, or with the other mature students)? Does she struggle balancing her education and her family, and how do they adjust to the change of having a breadwinner and a homemaker to two breadwinners? And how does she get started in politics? Maybe something about her first campaign to become MP? Or her early days in Westminster?
If you want to write something about her and Joe here, I would absolutely love that as well! I love how quickly Sian and Joe take to each other, how she’s there for him and supports him when he’s struggling, and how she’s not afraid of telling his family what a treasure they’re wasting. I really liked the scene when she drives him back to London and he falls asleep, and he looks so young and she looks so fond of him - maybe she has some maternal feelings for him, even though she’s not that much older than he is.
It would also be interesting to see Mark and Joe interact – they’re both quite quiet and reserved, which might make it awkward and tense to start off with, even though we know they become great friends by the end of the film.
Dai & Hefina & Sian
Another thing I’d love to get is a work about a story about Dai, Hefina, and Sian, bonding over being official and unofficial leaders of a community that is so dependent on the doomed mine. How do they carry on, after the strike? There must be very complicated emotions going back to work after so long, especially knowing that they’ve been defeated and it’s only a matter of time until the mine closes. How do they keep the community going? How do they keep up the ties between LGSM and Dulais?
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Star Wars Prequal Trilogy
Characters/ships
• Bail Organa
• Bail Organa/Breha Organa
Bail Organa, Bail Organa/Breha Organa
I love Bail and Breha – any couple who raise Leia Organa to be who she is must be awesome! In terms of canon, I know the films and most TV shows, but I haven’t read any Legends or New EU, so if you incorporate anything from those sources, make sure it’s understandable to someone whose knowledge of it comes mostly from fandom osmosis. I am also completely happy for you to ignore anything that isn’t in the prequel trilogy (as much as I love Rogue One and their portrayal in the Kenobi show)!
I love Bail’s dedication to democracy and his ideals. I love how competent he is, and how he’s not afraid of getting his hands dirty. I love his determination, and how warm he is with his friends, and how he grieves for the Jedi but gets on with founding the rebellion and doing something proactive with his grief! I’d love a story about him as a senator – what made him join the senate? How did he find his feet? How did he get on with Palpatine before he showed his true colours? Or something about his time founding the rebellion, trying to get it off the ground, finding and funding resistance cells? How much do he and Mon Mothma know about what the other is doing? Do they work closely together, or do they keep the other mostly in the dark for plausible deniability reasons?
We see more of Bail than Breha, especially in the prequel trilogy (but if you want to include what we saw of her in the Kenobi show, that’s absolutely fine by me), but I love how easily she takes Leia into her heart, and I would love more exploration of her role as Queen of Alderaan. How does royalty on Alderaan work, what is their function, how is it inherited? How does she hold Alderaan together through the years of the Empire? How involved is she in the rebellion, or does she leave it mostly to Bail? How does she fit in with her family – if you go by what we saw in the Kenobi show, they have Imperialist leanings? I love her pragmatism, how she can balance the duties of being Queen and the image she needs to convey with allowing Leia some personal touches, and I love the warmth with which they parent her!
How did she and Bail meet? Was it an arranged marriage or a love match? Did they fall in love instantly or did it take some time? How do they manage to balance their relationship with both of their demanding political obligations?
Or what if Bail and/or Breha from the Imperial era or the time of their death time travelled? It would be really cool to see a time-travel fix-it that focuses more on the political problems of the galaxy, since most of them (the Separatist crisis, the slow descent into authoritarianism, the chokehold that the Trade Federation, Banking Clans etc. have on the galaxy) are really outside the remit of the Jedi Order. And it would be fun to see Sidious being hobbled by someone he has no idea is a threat!
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