Dear Auctions Creator,
May. 4th, 2025 08:29 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!
For the auctions, because we’ve got so many requests, I’ve basically gone ahead and requested pretty much anything I’ve requested in the past that I’m still actively fannish about! If I’ve missed something, I still have fond feelings about it, so feel free to also gift me things that match other previous requests! I haven’t noted the freeform tags in this letter, because I think they should match the prompts or general likes pretty well, but if there is a tag that inspires you that I haven’t prompted for, go with your inspiration! I’d love to see what you come up with!
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 about the art/vid likes or any other medium, 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
Andor
Bridgerton
Crossover Fandom, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones and Narnia
Crossover Fandom, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon
Crossover Fandom, Mansfield Park and Master and Commander 2003/Pride and Prejudice
Downton Abbey
The Goblin Emperor
Game of Thrones
House of the Dragon
The Hunger Games
Leverage
Pride
A Song of Ice and Fire
Star Wars: All Media Types
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order Series
Sunrise on the Reaping
Tortall
General likes
• found families, especially ones that don’t try to fit characters into traditional family roles (“team mom”, etc.)
• ride or die friendships
• characters who are kind even when it’s difficult, kindness as a choice
• loyalty, both strong, reciprocated loyalty, and more complicated forms such as conflicting loyalties, loyalty to the undeserving, etc.
• “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
• characters navigating power differentials and power dynamics
• 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)
• conflicts between characters based on differences in opinions, wants, and needs (rather than misunderstandings or erroneous assumptions), conflicts between characters without easy solutions, conflicts between characters where neither side is completely right or completely wrong
• moral dilemmas, trying to do the right thing in situations where there is no good choice
• 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
• 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!)
Vid likes
• My tastes in music are eclectic and I like lots of different genres and styles, both with and without vocals! Generally, I like the sound of acoustic instruments better than electronic (so I’d prefer if you avoided heavy metal, techno, synthpop, disco, and other music styles that rely mostly on electric guitars, synths, etc.), but I am very fond of blended music or the hybrid orchestra style (also known as epic or trailer music), as well as pop, soft rock, classical, and many more!
• Dialogue in videos is not necessary, but I do like it a lot
• I tend to like vids conveying certain emotions and/or themes better than constructed narratives – I often struggle to follow along and get distracted trying to work out what’s happening or which clip is supposed to match up to which “plot point” unless it’s super clear – fake trailers are fine (trailers are supposed to be disjointed so I can parse those ok, it’s just disjointed video narratives that I sometimes struggle with)
• Vids highlighting comparisons and contrasts (between characters, between characters at the start and end of canons, between canons, between anything you can think of)
• Vids showing off pretty cinematography
• Feel free to include footage from other canons/sources than the one you’re vidding for if it fits (but sources are appreciated, so I can find the original if I get intrigued)
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 (if it’s relevant, please set any romance sometime 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 and canon-typical Targaryen incest are OK)
• infidelity or jealousy within relationships (real or imagined. Open relationships and jealousy as a path to feelings discovery are OK)
• more than 3-year age gaps for any ships involving characters 16 years or younger
• 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
• public embarrassment, humiliation
• character or ship bashing
• hopeless endings, grimdark tone
• unrequested setting change AUs (merging crossover 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:
• Bridgerton: people being forced into an engagement/marriage due to being ~compromised (I would much rather see people choosing to get together for either love or practical reasons)
• Downton Abbey: the kiss between Jimmy and Thomas
• ASoIaF/GoT: requited Petyr/Sansa (his canonical desire for her is fine)
• House of the Dragon: Aemond/Lucerys
• Narnia: the rift between Susan and her family
• Star Wars: Jedi bashing, Mandalorian clones, Mando’a (feel free to have Mandalorian characters speak in Mando’a, just don’t use the conlang)
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Andor
Characters/ships
• Bix Caleen
• Bix Caleen & Luthen Rael
• Wilmon Paak
• Brasso the Ferrixian
• Cassian Andor & Brasso the Ferrixian & Bix Caleen & Wilmon Paak
• Cassian Andor & Mon Mothma
• Mon Mothma
• Perrin Fertha & Mon Mothma
• Mon Mothma & Bail Organa
• Mon Mothma & Erskin Semaj
• Leida Mothma & Stekan Sculdun
• Added after sign-up close: opting in to works centred on Kleya
General thoughts
Obviously season 2 isn’t over by the time sign-ups end, but I feel like the point where we left things in episode 9 are kind of a climax of their own, so feel free to just use material from up to that point—but I will have finished the season by the time auctions reveal, so feel free to use stuff from the last arc as well if you feel like it fits. There will be spoilers for Andor season 2 in the prompts below! If you don’t want to be spoiled, click return to top to return to the main menu and use the links to skip straight to another fandom section. These sections also include spoilers for the final arc of season 2.
I love this show! I love the complicated and messy politics, both in the Senate and among the rebellion groups! I love the clashing viewpoints, how cynicism and faith, despair and optimism are intertwined, and how the same character can represent both sides of the argument. I love how the rebellion is made up of people making hard choices and sacrifices, and how oppressive the Empire is, but how people still find community amongst each other, how they decide to trust each other, and how that is often rewarded (but not always)! I love the characters and the communities they inhabit, and the worldbuilding of Ferrix, of Chandrila, and all the other worlds we see!
Bix, Bix & Luthen
I want to see more of Bix! What does she do on Yavin, how does she fit in? What is her role? Does she take on missions? Does she stay on base as an engineer/mechanic? How does she adapt to the militarisation of the rebellion—Cassian struggles, but does she as well?
How does she get over what was done to her—I’m sure blowing up Gorst helped but there must be other aspects of it as well! Does that ever interfere with her missions? Does she kick her addiction, or get it under control, or does it still cause problems?
What does she do after leaving Yavin? Who does she fall in with, what do they know about her and her past? What kinds of mission or tasks does she take on? Does she ever meet Cassian again before the events of Rogue One? Does she find out what happened?
Or what if she’d decided to stay? Would she have persuaded Cassian to stay, or would she have been persuaded to go with him and leave the rebellion, and would she have been content? It feels like reclaiming her agency by getting revenge on the people who hurt her is quite important to her—would she have wanted to go back to that? Would Cassian be content? Or would they find themselves sucked back in?
What was her relationship with Luthen like? Before she was interrogated with the ISB, afterwards, on Coruscant or once she had moved to Yavin? How did they meet? Did she know he was Rebellion, or did she think he was just a black market buyer? What points of conflict did they have? Did they regain a trusting working relationship after she started regaining her sense of self, or was their relationship irreparably damaged? Did she do missions for him even after mobbing to Yavin, the way Cassian did, or did she go over to working exclusively with the Rebel Alliance based on Yavin?
Wilmon, Brasso, Cassian & Wilmon & Brasso & Bix
The Ferrix gang—I love them all separately and together! I loved Brasso’s no-nonsense loyalty, Wilmon’s anger and impulsiveness, Bix’s resilience and inner strength, and Cassian’s I loved the sense of community of Ferrix, the little touches of how they all looked out for each other. I would love to see something pre-series with them, dealing with everyday life on Ferrix, how the Preox-Morlana Corporation worked, what avenues there were for people—like Cassian—who didn’t work for Preox-Morlana.
Or something about them settling in on Mina-Rau? What happened to them during the year between seasons? Did they have to flee multiple times, or did they spend most of it on Mina-Rau? They seem to have settled in and made themselves home in the community (again, I love the theme of ordinary people protecting each other from their Imperial overlords), suggesting they had been there a while. What story did they tell people—about where they came from, what Cassian did on his trips away, what they had been through previously?
What if Brasso had survived? How would he have coped on Coruscant? Would he have been roped into doing missions for Luthen as well? Would his survival have changed anything in terms of what Bix and Cassian did afterwards? Would having someone around when Cassian was on missions helped Bix, or would she still have started taking substances to sleep?
What kinds of missions did Wil do, when he wasn’t on loan to Saw? How were his skills as an engineer used? How did he go from being held captive by Saw (or even integrated into the Partisans) to being on Yavin? Did he defect to Saw’s Partisans? If so, what was he doing with the Rebel Alliance?
Cassian & Mon
They finally got to meet, and what a meeting it was! I loved the contrast between his world and hers, how shocked she was at seeing people killed, and how easy it was for him! I loved how she didn’t quite trust him, but still put herself in his hands, and how he really and truly delivered against almost impossible odds!
And the tenseness of their meeting afterwards, when he told her to make it worth it, how he was at home in the dingy apartment, how he knew all the others there (Wil, Dreena, Kleya), while Mon is an outsider? And then how they want to re-write the narrative and not give Cassian the credit for the extraction, but to give it to a more appealing, well-connected group instead! And both Mon and Cassian accept this without protest, presumably for different reasons. Love the whole scene!
Do they meet again on Yavin? How much contact do they have? Does she ever ask him to go on missions, or is it always through Draven? Does he ever act as protection for her, or is it once again given to other, “cleaner”, members of the Rebellion (not that any of them have clean hands). Do they have to pretend they don’t know each other?
Mon, Mon & Bail, Mon & Erskin, Mon & Perrin
Mon is such a good character! I love how this show has given her depth and complexity, and made her grapple with issues of ethics, what and how much she can sacrifice for the rebellion (and I love how she does sacrifice, how she throws Perrin under the bus and all but sells her daughter off to the son of someone she thinks of as a thug to cover her financial difficulties! She’s not morally pure—nobody under the Empire can remain morally pure, but they still try to be good people!), and the strain she’s under trying to hide her activities from the Empire! I would love to see more about her, her past, her present, her future! What was it like, growing up on Chandrila? She didn’t embrace the Chandrilan traditions the way Leida did, but did she overtly rebel against them, and to what extent (not too much, since she married Perrin in an arranged marriage, but maybe some?) What was her early marriage to Perrin like? Did they try to make a good marriage, despite their differences, or was it obvious from the start that they were too incompatible? What moments of reconciliation or closeness did they have? What happened to Perrin after Mothma made her inflammatory speech and escape? Were they reunited, and how did that reunion go?
How does she settle in on Yavin? How does she deal with the culture shock of high society to living on a military base in a jungle? From being a political representative to a military leader?
How did Erskin balance maintaining Mon’c confidence with reporting to Luthen? Did he ever find himself in a moral quandary about what to do and how much to say? What is Mon’s working relationship with Erskin like on Yavin, after she knows that he used to spy on her? Do they ever regain the trust that was damaged?
How closely does she work with Bail? Do they maintain a distance of plausible deniability in public? They clearly know of each other’s ties to the rebellion—did they know from the start or find out later? Do they ever coordinate activities, or do they keep each other in the dark? How do they deal with being two of the last progressive Sneators in a hostile Senate? What kinds of change can they affect, what can’t they, and do they ever have doubts about their role lending legitimacy to the Empire?
I’d love to see more of Imperial politics – how does the Senate work? Does it have any purpose, or is it just a distraction from the real politics? Is it ever full, the way it was before the Empire, and, if so, when? Which factions exist, and how do they relate to each other? Are there any rebel factions in the Senate other than the one Mon Mothma and Bail Organa belong to? How open can they be? How engaged is the Emperor in politics? Does he take an active interest, or leave it to subordinates? Who has the ear of the Emperor, and how do those who don’t work to get their ideas and policies implemented? What are the limits to debate? We saw that some criticism of the Empire’s policies is allowed, but where are the boundaries? How often do Senators cross those boundaries, and what are the effects of that on the rest of the Senate?
I would also love to read more about Chandrilans on Coruscant, if you feel like going that way! Who are they? How centrally organised are they? What is Mon’s role in the Chandrilan expat community? How much is the Chandrilan Embassy there to help Chandrilans, and how much is it a representation for the benefit of Coruscant and other citizens? Do they have another central point for their social life (a Chandrilan restaurant or marketplace, the home of another community figure, or something else)? Who are the other girls in Leida’s study circle, and who are their parents? Is there an equivalent for boys? How does Chandrilan and Coruscanti customs differ, and how do they adapt to Coruscant culture versus how much do they keep of Chandrilan culture? Are their conflicts within the community about this? What about the ones who don’t belong to Coruscant high society? Who are they? Where do they meet? How much contact do they have with the Embassy and their political representation?
Leida/Stekan
I love a good arranged marriage! I love that it’s not easy for them, that they struggle to communicate, that they are so young, and so unsure of who they are and what they want in life, and then they’re forced into proximity! Do they reach an understanding, or does their marriage turn as distant and loveless as Leida’s parents?
We don’t see much of what Stekan is actually like, so I’d love to see some exploration of his character, and how he relates to Chandrilan traditional culture? Does he embrace it the way Leida does, or does he find it oppressive, the way Mon and Vel do, or does he have a mixed or different relationship with his culture, being slightly on the outskirts of Chandrilan high society? Does he feel like they look down on him, and does his marriage to Leida change his position in society?
What is Stekan’s relationship with his parents like, and how does Leida fit into it? What do they do during the days? Are they still in school, or does being married and thus considered adult mean they have to leave school? What do they do instead?
How do they react to Mon’s defection—are there any consequences for them? Do they suffer from Imperial suspicion, and how do they deal with that? Does it tie them together or separate them? Leida’s relationship with Mon is already fraught (to say the least)—I’m sure that doesn’t help!
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Bridgerton
Characters/ships
• Alfred Debling/Penelope Featherington
• Benedict Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington
• Benedict Bridgerton/Edwina Sharma
• Benedict Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper
• Colin Bridgerton/Marina Thompson
• Cressida Cowper/Alfred Debling
• Daphne Bridgerton/Prince Friedrich
• Eloise Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper
• Prince Friedrich/Edwina Sharma
• Simon Basset/Marina Thompson
General Thoughts
What I like about this show is the characters, and the conflicts between them, the different points of view that are explored as they try to find love. I am fully aware that historical realism has been thrown out of the window, and it’s essentially Regency fairyland. If you want to write something more historically accurate (for instance, a world in which the Napoleonic wars are a thing), by all means go ahead—but I’m also quite fond of the ridiculousness of the show and would be equally delighted by something that adheres to the same level of fantasy as the show itself. I’m interested in getting a better ending for the characters who didn’t get their happy ending on the show! If there is a canonical couple that’s in the way of the requested ship, feel free to have them never get together, break things off before the wedding, or kill off any character to make the ship work.
Alfred Debling/Penelope Featherington
I have to admit, this almost-romance really charmed me! They were so wonderful together, and I really liked the connection between them! I like how they were open to each other’s eccentricities and how they are both considered odd by society, yet have found a niche of their own. Given Debling isn’t interested in society, Penelope being Lady Whistledown would be much less of an issue! What would have happened if Colin hadn’t shown up to ruin Debling’s plan to propose? How does Penelope settle in as the mistress of Debling’s estate, and how does she get on with managing it throughout his absence? What sorts of challenges does she face, and what sorts of tales does he have to tell on his return?
It might be interesting to explore how they reconcile Penelope’s romanticism with Debling’s pragmatism, and how Penelope’s wish to be placed first conflicts with Debling putting his work ahead of his family?
Benedict Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington
I think they’d do really well together! Benedict is easy-going and would probably take Penelope being Lady Featherington a lot better than Colin did! He might be more inclined to help and support her, rather than want her to quit: he doesn’t have much patience for the ton, and might see a kindred spirit in her. She might also encourage him to keep up with his art even when he’s discouraged. They’re both kind, quite sensitive people, even if they express it differently, and I think Benedict could help Penelope out of her shell, and Penelope could help Benedict find some direction with his life!
Benedict Bridgerton/Edwina Sharma
I just want poor Edwina to have a happy ending! Perhaps she and Benedict bond over their ridiculous siblings? Perhaps Benedict gets her attention first, before Anthony? How would he go about courting her? How would that change things for Anthony and Kate, if there was no Edwina to throw them together and keep them apart? Or maybe Benedict consoles her after everything goes wrong, and gives her an outlet for her anger, frustration, and sorrow? I don’t really have that many prompts for this pairing, but I’d love to see whatever you come up with!
Benedict Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper
This is a bit of an odd-ball pairing, but it would be very fun to explore! Does Benedict see a different side to Cressida when she becomes friends with Eloise? Or do the Benedict and Cressida become friends first—and if so, how—and love grows from there? Or is it a marriage of convenience, and if so, does it turn into anything more?
It might be fun to explore how she has to find her place with all of her in-laws, who are all sceptical of her, and how she makes a place for herself as Cressida Bridgerton. I would be very interested to see who she is when out from under her parents’ thumbs, and I think Benedict could coax a more carefree, kinder Cressida out of her shell!
Cressida Cowper/Alfred Debling
I love Cressida in all her petty, spiteful, insecure, lonely glory! I love how complicated she is, how she is what her parents made her be, how she becomes a better person when exposed to better influences but can’t quite shake herself free from her parents’ hold over her. She made bad decisions, but so understandable ones, scrabbling for whatever power she could get. I would love to see her gain happiness and independence, and be valued for who and what she is—maybe some of her rough edges are sanded off if she no longer feels under threat.
I also love Alfred Debling’s openness and frankness—he’s a man who knows who he is and what he wants, and doesn’t let anyone make him ashamed of that. I love his practicality and pragmatism, his kind-heartedness and willingness to accept people as they are, not trying to please him!
I can see this as a marriage of convenience: Debling get his wife who can manage his estate and be someone to come back to after his travels, and Cressida gains the freedom she’s been looking for! Maybe they grow to find that they have more in common than they thought, or that even if they are very different, they complement each other well? Maybe love grows slowly after marriage, as they navigate society and their duties on the estate as a couple?
I would also be happy with this as a lavender marriage, with either or both of them being gay or ace, and them just growing into good friends who support each other and are happy to cover for each other!
Colin Bridgerton/Marina Thompson
I feel so bad for Marina, trapped by circumstances and trying to make the best of the hand she’s been dealt! I have a great deal of sympathy for her actions in trying to save herself a horrible future. I would love to see her gain a better end than she got in the show, and a chance at real happiness, real love to grow from her marriage!
. Maybe she confesses to Colin and he decides to go through with it regardless, out of love for her and compassion at her circumstances? How do they navigate that imbalance of feelings, does Marina fall as in love with Colin as he is with her?
Or maybe Penelope doesn’t write her exposé, and he finds out after the marriage? How does Colin react, and how do they navigate that, very different relationship than the one described above? How do they reach an equilibrium and reconciliation under those more difficult circumstances?
Or maybe they fall in love later, after they’ve both matured and grown, as a second love or second marriage for both of them? How does their shared past colour that kind of relationship, and how have they changed in the meantime?
I would also be interested in seeing Colin deal with Marina’s children. Does he ever grapple with the fact that they aren’t his, or does he simply step into the father role without any second thoughts?
Daphne Bridgerton/Prince Friedrich
Prince Friedrich was such a sweetheart! I loved the care with which he courted Daphne, and how gallant he was! I loved how kind, understanding and non-possessive he was, and how considerate he was of Daphne and her wants and wishes.
I would love to see a story in which his courtship of Daphne was successful. Does she accept out of obligation (one doesn’t simply turn down royalty, no matter how kind) and love grows afterwards, or does she fall in love with Friedrich over the course of the courtship? How does she adjust to being Princess—even though she’s the daughter of a Viscountess, that’s still a massive step up in the social hierarchy! Everyone who sees Friedrich and her together agree that she’d make a very good Princess—are they right, or does she struggle getting her feet under her in her new role, like she did as Duchess? How does Friedrich adapt to living in England? Does he miss Prussia, and how does he deal with that? What’s their family like—both the one they make on their own, and their relationships with their new in-laws and extended family?
Eloise Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper
I was also really intrigued by the connection Cressida and Eloise seemed to form, and how much she seemed to value Eloise’s friendship—it wouldn’t be hard to convince me there were some romantic feelings there as well! With a woman comes the additional complication that they can’t marry—and I doubt Cressida’s parents will be very happy to pay for her to set up a household on her own with a friend, which might be a cause of concern for the relationship, but maybe the love interest has means of her own or a family that’s happy to support her and her partner? Or maybe she finds some way of bringing in enough to support her lifestyle—maybe she has a hidden talent not revealed in the show that will allow her to live an independent life?
Prince Friedrich/Edwina Sharma
What I like about Edwina is her sweet temperament, her shyness, her charm, her willingness to please, and her ability to get on with a range of different people, coupled with an integrity that makes her take a stand when it’s something she feels strongly about! I like how she clearly cared for both Kate and Anthony, and how she was willing to forgive and move on after they both hurt her deeply and caused a scandal for both families. I would love to see her find love and happiness and a suitable match with someone who can give her what she wants! As I said in the above request for Friedrich/Daphne, I love Friedrich’s openness, chivalry, and kindness.
The season 2 ending implied that the Queen would introduce her to Friedrich—what does that look like? How does their courtship proceed? Maybe he arrives a season later, and is charmed by Edwina, sponsored by his aunt’s dear friend, thus avoiding heartbreak for them both? While they might get on personally, there is still the vast class difference to contend with—how doe they overcome that? How does Edwina face being thrust into the spotlight as a Princess of one of the major powers of Europe? Do they get involved in the Prussian court, or do they live a more quiet life in England, such as Friedrich was willing to for Daphne? Or do they go to India, and what do they do there? I imagine that wherever they go, there would still be some amount of politics that they would need to play, just by virtue of Friedrich’s connections to several royal houses of Europe!
Simon Basset/Marina Thompson
As I said in my above request for Colin/Marina, I feel so bad for Marina, trapped by circumstances and trying to make the best of the hand she’s been dealt! I have a great deal of sympathy for her actions in trying to save herself a horrible future. I would love to see her gain a better end than she got in the show, and a chance at real happiness, real love to grow from her marriage!
Maybe Simon decides the best way to spite his father is to have the Hastings name continue through children with none of his blood? How does Simon find out—before or after the wedding? How does he react if it’s after the wedding? How do they deal with rumours and the threat of scandal if it’s before, given that they would have to have a very quick wedding and the children would still be quite premature yet healthy!
How does Marina cope with being Duchess, and how do her Featherington relations react? Is there any jealousy? Does her relationship with Penelope remain intact if Penelope isn’t put in a position to choose between her and Simon, or does Penelope still choose to disclose her pregnancy to everyone?
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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
• Edmund Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth
• Lucy Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Edmund Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Peter Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Susan Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Lucy 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?
Brienne/Edmund
I feel like these two would have a very fun dynamic – Edmund’s sarcasm and Brienne’s sincerity. They’ve also both thought very hard about their moral codes and made them deliberate – Edmund after the White Witch debacle and to earn his epithet of the Just, and Brienne to determine what chivalry means for her. Where do they clash and where do they align? How have they adapted to the very different worlds they come from, and how do they meet the other and how the other has adapted to their world and their circumstances?
Brienne/Lucy
This would also be a really fun dynamic to explore – instead of contrasting Brienne’s sincerity with Edmund’s sarcasm, it’s paired with Lucy’s boundless faith and joy! I think Lucy would just accept Brienne completely as she is, no questions asked, and that would be such a breath of fresh air for Brienne who’s always had to justify herself and her choices! Lucy is also not as ladylike and dignified as Susan, so she might not be as intimidating to Brienne, and I’d love to read about their adventures together!
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.
Sansa/Lucy
In contrast to Susan and Edmund sharing some of the darker parts of Sansa’s past. Lucy is light and faith and innocence, and maybe that’s what Sansa needs from Narnia! Maybe Lucy shows her to have fun again and just delight in life, and not worry about the past or the future? Maybe Sansa and Lucy go on adventures in Narnia together? Maybe she helps Sansa in Winterfell, keeping everyone’s spirits us during the Long Night? Lucy is a healer, so maybe she teaches Sansa valuable skills? Maybe
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Crossover Fandom, House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones (Fire & Blood and A Song of Ice and Fire also welcome)
Characters/Ships
• Sansa Stark/Jacaerys Targaryen
• Aegon II Targaryen (HotD)/Margaery Tyrell (GoT)
• Alicent Hightower (HOTD) & Sansa Stark (GOT)
• Margaery Tyrell (GoT)/Viserys I Targaryen (HotD)
• Sansa Stark (GoT) & Rhaena Targaryen (HotD)
• Sansa Stark (GoT)/Viserys I Targaryen (HotD)
General thoughts
I love both shows (the quality of the latter half of GoT notwithstanding) and I would love to see them crossed over! I love the politics, the intrigue, the characters all having their own motivations, goals and desires that sometimes align and sometimes conflict, and the way even good characters make bad choices! I have also read both ASOIAF and Fire & Blood, so if you want to use the book versions of any characters, feel free!
Time travel would be a lot of fun: either the later era characters going back to the time of the Dance, and having to make their way while knowing there is a civil war coming: how much do they try to change, how much can they change, or the Dance characters coming to the later era: how does the arrival of a historical figure with potentially a dragon upset the War of the Five Kings, or the lead-up to it, or the War for the Living, or any other point of the show?
Or maybe the characters have always been there, with the Tyrells of the Dance being the later-day characters we know, and the Starks being related to either Rickard or Cregan somehow, or the Targaryens being lost Targaryens that survived Robert’s Rebellion? Either way, it would be really fun to see how the addition of new characters changes the political dynamics and outcomes of the show(s)!
Aegon/Margaery
I think this pairing would be really intriguing! Margaery has a talent manipulating recalcitrant kings, as evidenced by her relationship with Joffrey, and unlike Joffrey, Aegon in some way does care about smallfolk and does want to be loved, not just feared. I think she could be a fantastic addition to the Green Council—would that change things? Would having Aegon married to Margaery leave space for Helaena to be married to Jace, thereby avoiding the Dance, or would the battle lines still be drawn? Would having Margaery by his side make Aegon want to do better, and does that change how he’s seen by the smallfolk, and the course of the war. Can she avoid Aegon being injured, or does he still insist on riding to battle, and how does she manage when Aemond takes over as regent? Does Margaery ever chafe against the role assigned to her as a woman, and how does she manage that?
Alicent & Sansa
Alicent and Sansa are very similar in some ways, and different in others—it would be really fascinating to explore their parallels and contrasts! Both are young women caught in the schemes of older, manipulative men around them, grabbing for whatever power they can and using their soft power to the best of their ability, both eventually become Queen, but what they do with the power they have is so very different, and so is how they approach their powerlessness. Maybe Sansa counsels a younger Alicent before her wedding to Viserys? Maybe Alicent is there in the Red Keep when Sansa’s a prisoner of the Lannisters? Maybe Sansa is a hostage of the Hightowers to make Cregan join the Greens? Whatever way you think of bringing these two together, I would love to see them exchange ideas and perspectives!
Jacaerys/Sansa
These two would be so sweet together! They’re both kind, considerate people who care about the others around them, and they both have a skill with politics and getting people to want to follow them. Maybe they get engaged before the Dance, or maybe it’s part of the negotiations for Northern support? Maybe Sansa is at Dragonstone as part of Team Black, and counsels Jacaerys through his impatience? Maybe she’s able to use either her cunning, or her knowledge of the future, to help the Blacks to victory and allow Jace to survive the Dance? How would they do, ruling a war-torn kingdom? How would they ensure peace in the Seven Kingdoms? I would also be really interested in seeing Sansa interact with Vermax, and how she as a non-Targaryen deals with the dragons—maybe she even has Lady, still, and Lady and Vermax have to reach an equilibrium?
Margaery/Viserys
Margaery as Viserys’ Queen would be so fascinating! She would know how to play politics, and would manage him to be better—but what would “be better” mean for her? Would she manage where Alicent failed, and get her sons put before Rhaenyra in the succession? Would she see that it’s hopeless, and work on cultivating Rhaenyra instead, and betroth their children? Would she cultivate allies for the inevitable war, like the Hightowers did, and not be blindsided like Alicent wat? How would her relationship with Viserys be? Would it be fond but platonic, or would they grow to love each other? Or would it be one-sided, with Viserys in love, and Margaery appreciating him for what he can give her, but ultimately not interested in him herself? So many different possibilities to explore!
Rhaena & Sansa
There are quite a lot of parallels and differences between these two characters as well, and I think they’d get on well! Both are more political and calmer people in a family that’s more boisterous. Maybe they bond over Sansa being the only Stark without a Direwolf and Rhaena as the only Targaryen without a Dragon? Maybe they meet in the Vale, and learn to play politics during wartime together? Or maybe they go further afield—to Pentos, to the North? Maybe Rhaenyra sends her younger children North, placing them well out of the way for the Greens?
Sansa/Viserys
What if Sansa was in Alicent’s position as Viserys’ second wife? No idea how she got there—perhaps Baelish was pushing for her, or it was a political choice to bind the North closer to the Iron Throne, or perhaps when Otto pushed for Alicent, Viserys took it as encouragement to go after Sansa, or perhaps it was actually love? How would Rhaenyra react, and how would Viserys not choosing Alicent change the relationship between Viserys and Rhaenyra? What would Sansa be like as Viserys’ Queen, both in his prime and as his health started to fail him? How would she navigate the time leading up to the Dance? Would she bind Rhaenyra closer, and cultivate a relationship between her children and Rhaenyra’s, or would she, like Alicent, try to shore up their position? How would that change the alliances and factions during the Dance? Would having someone who also knows about the threat from beyond the Wall and the Song of Ice and Fire, but from a Northern perspective, mean they were more likely to be working towards the same goal? Would that even come out, given it’s a secret they were both keeping, or would they keep their motivations hidden and marvel that the other part was being so cooperative in avoiding bloodshed—or maybe they wouldn’t even reflect on it, as avoiding bloodshed is generally seen as a good thing, even when you’re not trying to prevent a calamity that will have repercussions generations down the line?
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Crossover Fandom, Mansfield Park and Master and Commander 2003/Pirates of the Caribbean
Characters/ships
• Fanny Price/Tom Pullings
• James Norrington/Fanny Price
• Fanny Price/Charles Bingley
General thoughts
I just want Fanny to marry a dashing man who will respect her thoughts and opinions and treat her right! This request is mainly due to my desire to see a better outcome 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’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. 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.
Fanny/Norrington
Someone said that Norrington’s only flaw was to be an Austen hero in the wrong genre – so let’s make him an Austen hero!
Fanny Price has connections to the Navy, maybe she meets Norrington through her brother? Or maybe they meet by chance in Portsmouth while Norrington is in dock and she’s with her family? Or maybe Sir Thomas meets him on his trip to the Caribbean, and introduces him to his family in England? Maybe he sees how they treat her at Mansfield Park and wants to do something about it?
Norrington would also be in a position to help William, and unlike Henry Crawford, he’d do it because he’s a good person, without any ulterior motives. I feel like she’d be quietly supportive of him and his supernatural pirate-related trauma, and he would appreciate her inner strength.
Or perhaps Sir Thomas took his family with him on his trip to the Caribbean! How does the family settle into Port Royal? Are they swept up in the pirate-related excitement, or do they stay out of it? Maybe Norrington is stationed on the ship they take to get over there, or maybe they meet while already there?
Perhaps Fanny even marries Crawford or Edmund, and her husband turns out to be controlling and emotionally abusive. Maybe Norrington 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.
Fanny/Pullings
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. Like in the above request, 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.
Or, again, just as in the above request, 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.
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!
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)!
Fanny/Bingley
This is such an intriguing pairing! We know that Bingley has a fondness for reserved ladies with great moral character, which Fanny definitely is, and Bingley is a very good man who would be a great match for Fanny—outgoing enough to bring her out of her shell, but still amiable enough not to overwhelm her! How do they meet? How does her family react, when she’s courted by someone as wealthy as Bingley—do they claim the credit for her upbringing that allowed her to catch his attention, or do they begrudge her it, especially Mrs Norris, Maria and Julia? How do Bingley’s sisters and Darcy react to Fanny—do they try to separate them the same way they did Bingley and Jane, given Fanny’s low connections and lack of dowry, and is Bingley receptable? What other obstacles lie in their path towards happiness?
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Downton Abbey
Characters/ships
• Thomas Barrow & Anna Smith
• Thomas Barrow & Gwen Dawson
• Thomas Barrow & Tom Branson
• Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson
• Thomas Barrow & William Mason
• Thomas Barrow/William Mason
• Thomas Barrow & Daisy Mason
General thoughts
I would really like to see Thomas have more friends and feel more at home at Downton Abbey, like later season Thomas had Baxter and Andy. Given how easily he gave his loyalty to Baxter and Andy, and how ride or die he was for them, it might not take much to wrangle early season Thomas away from O’Brien – probably just acceptance of his sexuality and showing they can be relied on to keep it a secret. Don’t get me wrong – Thomas is a self-serving bastard, and I love that about him, but I also think that part of why he lashes out so much and is his own worst enemy, is his deep-seated insecurity and feeling of being at war with the world. I’d love it if he had better friends who could curb his worst impulses rather than encourage them, and who’d encourage him to turn his scheming and manipulation for good.
If you want to give Thomas a love interest, that is completely fine with me. It could be William or Branson – this is one instance I’m perfectly happy to see a gen relationship turned shippy, or it could be an OC, or it could be Chris Webster, Richard Ellis or Guy Dexter arriving on the scene early, but please, no Jimmy. Feel free to have Thomas pining for Jimmy, but I don’t want it requited, and I also don’t want Thomas kissing an unwitting Jimmy – I don’t really mind how you deal with it: change the circumstances so the possibility never arises, have his friends talk him out of it, keep everything the same but just pretend it never happened, or some other way are all fine with me.
Historical accuracy very optional - as long as there's a general sense of the early 20th century, I'll be happy (of course, I won't say no if you do want to painstakingly research what daily life below stairs would be like, but that part is definitely not required)!
Thomas & William, Thomas/William
Maybe William finds out and accepts Thomas’ sexuality early on in his career at Downton, and maybe that means Thomas actually acts as a mentor to him in his early days at Downton Abbey? Thomas would probably still be a bit exasperated with William’s general naïveté, and would be a very prickly friend, but William’s good-natured enough he could probably let it flow off him, as long as he knew Thomas didn’t mean it, really.
Maybe William helps cover for him, and make it look like Thomas is interested in women, and maybe Thomas helps him woo Daisy? Maybe they shield each other from Carson’s wrath?
Or maybe William survives the war, and they bond over the horrors they have both experienced, and difficulties returning to normal life? Maybe the War has made William more jaded, and more able to understand Thomas’ bitterness?
Thomas & Gwen
Both ambitious people who want to improve their situation – Gwen by leaving service, and Thomas by rising to the top of the service career ladder. Maybe they help each other, and cover for each other – Thomas when Gwen goes to interview, and Gwen if he wants to sneak out to meet a special someone? Maybe seeing Gwen’s success makes him realise there is a world outside service, and she helps him find a job, particularly after the war when he’s desperate and Downton Abbey aren’t willing to have him back? Maybe Gwen is a lesbian or female-leaning bisexual, and they act as each other’s beards?
Thomas & Branson Tom/Branson
Thomas resents the wealth the Crawleys have, and think they’re no better than him – and he’s absolutely right! Maybe Branson manages to turn Thomas’ resentment into political activity, and they have their own little Socialists Charter at Downton? Maybe they recruit Daisy, who shows some interest for workers’ rights? How does he react when Branson marries Sybil and becomes a member of the Upstairs? Does Branson let him know what he and Sybil are planning, or does he keep it a secret? How betrayed does he feel, and do they manage to overcome it?
Or maybe they become friends through Sybil during the war, and Thomas helps them cover up their relationship? Or you could combine this with the request above regarding Gwen, and have a foursome of Gwen, Thomas, Branson and Sybil all trying to get Gwen a better job?
Or maybe Branson and Thomas have a secret relationship, sneaking off to Branson’s cottage? How do they keep it a secret, does anyone suspect?
Thomas & Anna
Anna has a sneaky side, as evidenced when she made Thomas and O’Brien think she’d hidden the stolen snuff box in one of their rooms – she’s cunning enough to keep up with Thomas, but also has a good heart and strong morals, so she’d be slightly more able to keep him on the straight and narrow.
How does Thomas and Anna being friends change his relationship with Bates? How does Anna react when the two men she cares about are fighting over the same job? Or does her friendship with Thomas mean she never grows close to Bates? Maybe she even finds out he’s gay and acts as his beard – how does that influence her courtship with Bates?
Thomas & Daisy
What if Thomas, in his attempts to make William jealous, found that he actually liked Daisy as a friend and person? Early season Daisy is quite young and naïve, does he like having someone he can mentor who doesn’t think the worst of him? How does he deal with Daisy’s crush on him and having to let her down, and how does she take it?
As I said earlier in my above request with Branson, maybe they bond over wanting better than to be treated like servants – although neither of them is political to start, so they might need some triggering event for Daisy to discover politics earlier than she does in canon/Thomas to turn his general bitterness and resentment into political thought.
How does season 3 onwards with the drama of Daisy, Alfred, Jimmy, and Ivy play out if Daisy has Thomas on her side? Both of them can be petty and act out against people they don’t like (although Daisy never takes it as far as Thomas), do they ever go too far? Or does Mrs Patmore’s influence on Daisy also start to affect Thomas?
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The Goblin Emperor
Characters/ships
• Arbelan Drazharan
• Chenelo Drazharan
• Arbelan Drazharan & Chenelo Drazharan
• Csethiro Ceredin & Arbelan Drazharan
General Thoughts
This is such a nice comfort read book! I loved Maia finding his feet in court, how he started to flourish and come into his own, and how he, through his kindness and consideration, managed to win people over and start making changes for the better! I also love the politics, how people use subtle cues to signal favour or disfavour, the thought that goes into appearances, and back-room deals where people trade favours with each other!
I’d also be incredibly interested in seeing how the women’s court functions, politics among the ladies—both their own politics, but also how they move things in the national politics that’s usually seen as the men’s domain, how they wield influence over other ladies and over men, the different factions among the women – not just Csoru’s faction and Csethiro’s, but what other factions, among the older ladies, and to what extent does it mirror the men’s factions, what Csethiro is like as the Empress, Vedero’s circle and who is included in it, and how it interacts with other factions in the women’s court, what role Arbelan has at court and how she fits in, or what role Chenelo would have in Maia’s court if she survived – or what role Chenelo or Arbelan had before their relegations, when they were the Empress?
Arbelan Drazharan
I would love something about Arbelan, at any time point! Her early life with Varenechibel would be interesting to explore: what was court like under Varevesena? What was Arbelan like as Empress, or before he was even crowned? What was Varenechibel like in his early reign, or as Crown Prince? What political issues were on the agenda, and how did Arbelan manage them? What conflicts did she have to navigate?
What was her life like during relegation? What did she do during the days, who did she interact with? How did she settle back into court after her relegation—did she still have friends? What was her relationship with the other women of the Drazhada family? What was her role at court? She was one of the first courtiers Maia let in behind his guard—I’d love to see more about their relationship, how she advised him and guided him. And how did that affect her standing at court? Was she ever courted for a second marriage after Varenechibel’s death, and how did she react to that?
Or, what if she had been able to give Varenechibel children—what if her miscarried child had survived to be born? What if she’d given him a son—obviously that would have changed the course of the story a great deal, since he wouldn’t have been able to marry any of his subsequent wives. What would have happened to him and his family instead? What would the Curneisei have done instead? Or what if her child had been a daughter for her to cherish? Would he still have relegated her, or would they have tried to make the best of it? How would he have treated her and their daughter? What would her daughter’s fate have been, and how would the succession of the Drazhada line be secured?
Chenelo Drazharan
I would love to see an Au where Chenelo came to court with Maia, and helped him settle in, could give him the guidance and support he needed when he was floundering in the beginning! What would Maia be like raised by his mother? Would his resentment of his father be as deep, given they were still relegated, or would he be more understanding given he hadn’t spent eight years being abused by a bitter relative who cared nothing for him, but instead with his mother? What would Chenelo’s feelings about her ex-husband and her relegation be? How would she cope with being back at court? Would she feel out of place, due to the changes or due to being a goblin in an elf court, or would she find that without Varenechibel there, she was free to make court her own and set up her own power faction at court? She would be in a completely different position, as the Emperor’s beloved mother, as opposed to the unwanted fourth wife in a political marriage that the Emperor didn’t want and had in fact been manipulated into! How would that influence how she dealt with the court when she came back—those who had shunned her before who now want to be in her good graces (or would they still shun her due to being a goblin?)—did she have any allies then, and would they still be around to welcome her back, or would they have run afoul of Varenechibels’ temper and court politics? What would she have made of Sheveän—would she have handled the situation differently? Perhaps Stano would have joined her household instead, or she might have nurtured that contact in a way Maia couldn’t and found out about Sheveän’s plans that way?
What would the relationship between Chenelo and Maia as an adult be like? What sort of difficulties would they face? Would they have arguments, what about, and how would they play out and be resolved?
Or what about an AU where Chenelo reconciles with her father, and he names Maia his heir? How would she fit in back in Barizhan? How would Maia adapt? How would she get on with her sisters? Would the Great Avar recognize them in these circumstances? How would her relationship with her father be—would all be forgiven, or would she still feel some resentment over being traded away to Varenechibel and left in relegation for however many years?
Arbelan Drazharan & Chenelo Drazharan
The two Drazharan who were relegated by Varenechibel should definitely get to meet and bitch about him, and get their vengeance by basically ruling the ladies’ side of the court and being trusted and valued advisors to Edrehasivar the Emperor as well as beloved mentors to Maia the person. What would their relationship be like, how well would they get on, would there be anything that separated them: their experiences of both the Court, Varenechibel, and their respective relegation, is likely to be quite different? Besides, Arbelan would be old enough to be Chenelo’s mother, so while they’re equals socially (more or less, officially, at least), the age might play a role in how they relate to each other?
What if they were relegated together: if Chenelo and Maia were relgated to Cethoree instead of Isvaroë? How would they have got along in isolation? How would Arbelan have dealt with Chenelo’s illness and raising Maia? I imagine that might have led to a better fate for all of them: giving Arbelan company and a child to dote on, almost like a grandchild, and Chenelo an older woman she could turn for support and guidance, and to help her through her illness. Perhaps she even survived in these circumstances?
Or, what if it’s not due to Maia’s ascendancy to Emperor that they’re both recalled to court, but due to Nemolis’, or one of his other brothers? How would they get on with Empress Sheveän? Would there be a battle of wills between them, or would they have to be more subtle about their alliance-building and influence? Or Empress Stano, if Ciris was the sole survivor? I imagine she would be more easily led by the two older women, but if Sheveän was still around, she might make life difficult for them!
Csethiro Ceredin & Chenelo Drazharan
Like many of the above requests, I think the relationship between Chenelo and Csethiro would be really fascinating to explore—how each of them relate to their role in court, the different ways they take to fulfil it, and how they work together to further their agenda and Maia’s agenda! Csethiro as someone who is unconventional but still knows and is comfortable in court settings would be very interesting to contrast with Chenelo, who is marked as an outsider by her appearance, and whose previous time at court, one can infer, was miserable. How active would Chenelo be in Maia’s choice of wife, and what would her take on Csethiro be (whether or not she was actively involved)? What does Csethiro think of her mother-in-law? How do they balance their own agendas, their shared agendas, and what Maia wants? Do they move in different circles, and how do they combine their social lives, and how much do they keep them separate? What kinds of causes do they champion, either together or apart?
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House of the Dragon
Characters/ships
• Addam of Hull
• Alicent Hightower
• Criston Cole
• Criston Cole & Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Criston Cole/Alicent Hightower
• Alicent Hightower & Otto Hightowe
• Alicent Hightower & Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Alicent Hightower/Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Alicent Hightower/Viserys I Targaryen
• Baela Targaryen & Rhaena Targaryen & Jacaerys Velaryon & Lucerys Velaryon
• Rhaena Targaryen
• Rhaenys Targaryen
• Rhaenys Targaryen/Corlys Velaryon
• Tyland Lannister & Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Tyland Lannister/Rhaenyra Targaryen
General thoughts
I love the complicated and messy politics and family relations, the betrayals and loyalty, how there are multiple points where the characters can choose to be better people and don’t, how both the Greens and the Blacks have legitimate reasons to be upset with each other and how there are no easy answers! I would love to see an exploration of the dynamics, or an alternate universe where things end up better for the characters and they make better choices, or an alternate universe where they make different choices and everything still ends on literal or metaphorical fire! Maybe one in which the coalitions are different (what would it take for the Velaryons to support Aegon at the outbreak of the war? Or for the Lannisters to support Rhaenyra? Or what if the Greens and the Blacks came to an arrangement, and instead the Velaryons rebelled against the Crown? Or some other shift in circumstances that leads the alliances to turn out differently?) or one in which different characters die or survive, and how would that change either the lead-up to or the outcome of the Dance?
I have read Fire and Blood, and would be happy to see something drawing from that canon rather than the show canon, or that mixes both.
Addam
I have quickly grown very fond of Addam—his steadfastness, his want to be recognised and ambition, and his loyalty! (Particularly his loyalty: I love how it’s his defining trait in the book, and would love to see that aspect part of his character brought out in the story.)
I would love to read more about him finding his feet as a dragon rider, his fealty to Rhaenyra, and finding a place for himself in her court and among her forces, thrust into a position where he can make a difference to the large-scale events of Westeros in a way most (individual) smallfolk can’t! Does he find that having servants and riches and moving among the nobility is everything he wanted, or does he find that the stares, sneers, and judgement outweighs the positives?
How does his relationship with Alyn change when he becomes a dragonrider? What was it like growing up? Did Addam ever resent that Alyn got to join Corlys at sea and got to work close to him (even though Alyn didn’t appreciate it), while he was landbound as a shipwright?
It would also be very fascinating to explore his relationship with Corlys—so awkward, and so full of things unsaid, Addam’s longing to be recognised and acknowledged by Corlys, the power differential and Addam’s birth acting as barriers between them. We saw Alyn’s bitterness at not being recognised as a boy, how did Addam feel? What are his thoughts on Corlys, Rhaenys, Laenor and Laena? It would be very fun to see him interacting with Laenor, Corlys’ trueborn son and heir—perhaps before Laenor’s purported death, perhaps in an AU where Laenor stayed in Westeros?
Or what about his relationship with Jacaerys? Both bastards, but in very different positions. Jace clearly feels threatened by the dragonseed claiming dragons, how does Addam navigate that? Do they reach an equilibrium and understanding, or are they always a little bit at odds, never quite managing to get over the differences of birth and fortunes, and the threat they pose to each other (inadvertently or not)?
Or maybe interacting with Baela and Rhaena, or with Luke, in an AU where Luke does inherit the Driftwood Throne? Does he ever resent that the inheritance goes to Corlys’ purported grandson, just as much a bastard as he, even though nobody admits it, or does he accept it as the way of the world?
Alicent
I love Alicent – how she tries her best to work within the roles that she’s been thrust into, and her complicated relationship with her gilded cage and the ways she manages to still wield her power. I love how she does her duty and sacrifices, and it still doesn’t bring her happiness and fulfilment, and her resentment of those who she perceives as flaunting their disrespect for the rules she follows so ardently. I think she’s a really complicated and fun character to explore, with her relationship to her father, her husband, her children—how she tries to be a good mother but fails on several occasions, and her fear for their lives, fanned by Otto, drive her to inflame the conflict with Rhaenyra. It would be very fun to see who she could be if she had a better husband, or if she managed to maintain a good relationship with Rhaenyra. I would also be very interested in something exploring her faith.
Criston Cole
Like Alicent, Criston is a really interesting flawed character. I love his dedication to his duty, and how torn up he is about failing it – his loyalty first to Rhaenyra and then, when she rejects his offer to be more than just a secret affair, to Alicent. I think how his pride in his position that turns into resentment, and how he manages to regain some pride through dedicating herself to Alicent and her children really fascinating. He’s also a very compliex character who has internalised a lot of toxic masculinity and externalises his own failings (blaming Rhaenyra for breaking his vows, for instance) and is prone to see violence as a legitimate way to respond to situations where it’s really not!
What did he do on the borders of Dorne before coming to court? What might have happened if his relationship with Rhaenyra didn’t turn sour – would he have fathered her children instead of Harwin Strong when it turned out Laenor really couldn’t? Or what if she hadn’t tried to seduce him or he hadn’t given in and he still remained her loyal knight, and nothing more – would he have resented Laenor? How might the Dance have changed if Criston Kingmaker was on the side of the Blacks?
I would also be just as happy with something canon-compliant, that investigates him being torn between his duty to Aegon, his feelings for Alicent, and his loyalty to Aemond, or something exploring his relationship with Otto, these two men who both wield such power in the kingdom, but in different ways, and with different ideas on how to win the war. What if Otto had remained Aegon’s hand—would Criston have chafed, and would he ever have gone against Otto’s order to engage in battle before Otto decided it was time?
Or something exploring his suicidality, how he got to that point, trapped by his duty and war, and does he ever find a way out?
Criston & Rhaenyra, Criston/Rhaenyra
I like how intense Criston is, and how he desperately wants something or someone he can devote himself to, and how Rhaenyra needs someone who is unquestioningly hers after Alicent marries Viserys, souring her relationships with both her closest friend and father in one swoop: in that way, their needs at that particular time match, but the tragedy is that they had different ideas of what their future would look like. What would their relationship have been like if they didn’t? If they had fled to Essos, like he suggested: would she have been content giving up her crown for him, or would she start to resent him? Or what if they stayed in Westeros, like Rhaenyra wanted – would he have fathered her children instead of Harwin Strong when it turned out Laenor really couldn’t? Or what if she hadn’t tried to seduce him or he hadn’t given in and he still remained her loyal knight, and nothing more – would he have resented Laenor, or would he be content being her guard? Would he have remained her confidant? How might the Dance have changed if Criston Kingmaker was on the side of the Blacks?
Criston/Alicent
I’m also fascinated, not just by Criston and Alicent in separation, but also their relationship together. I would very much like an exploration of the line between courtly love and romantic love, pining for someone when honour won’t allow you to give in – for Alicent because of her faith, and for Criston because he’s been burned once by that, and both of them because of the grave consequences of discovery. I’m also interested in exploring other ways to express love than just via sex and traditional romance, hence the inclusion of them as a platonic relationship in the request, based on strong loyalty and dedication to each other within the roles set out for them as Queen and Kingsguard.
Or, if you do want to include a sexual component to their relationship, season 2 has them actively having sex—how did they get to that point? How soon after Viserys’ death did it start? For both of them, there are very good reasons they would feel conflicted about it, and how do they deal with that? How do they balance their duties and their feelings? How do they deal with the guilt of the consequences of their actions, do they reconcile, or does that tear them apart?
What if he hadn’t picked Aemond over Alicent as Aegon’s regent? Would the council still have gone for the male heir over the experienced woman? How would their relationship have changed if she felt like she could truly count on his support? Would that have changed any of their actions during the second season, or would it still have played out the same?
Alicent & Otto
I love Alicent – how she tries her best to work within the roles that she’s been thrust into, and her complicated relationship with her gilded cage and the ways she manages to still wield her power. I really like the complicated dynamic between her and Otto, how she both fears and loves him, how she tries to outplay him even as she does what he demands of her. I really liked their more equal dynamic in season 2, how she could be frank with him and he seemed to listen to her when she points out that he’s undermining her—what did it take to get to that point?
What was her childhood like? Otto seems to be genuinely fond of Alicent, and not excessively strict for a Westerosi father, but his ambitions influence every relationship he has, and he essentially ruins her only friendship. How did the death of Alicent’s mother affect their relationship? How did Otto’s ambition affect Alicent as a child, or when she was trying to find her feet as a Queen, or as she became a mother herself? What was their relationship like when Alicent’s children were young? Did she turn to her father for support and advice, or did she try to carve out her own position, independently of him, and how did he react to that? How did their relationship change as Alicent became Viserys’ regent, and did Otto push for it, or did her feel like as Hand, he should have that position?
Alicent & Rhaenyra, Alicent/Rhaenyra
I love both these women, and the relationship between them! I love how complicated they both are, and how complicated their relationship is. One of the main tragedies of the show to me is how their friendship fell apart and all the moments they had to mend it but didn’t. I’m really interested in how they relate to each other, and that they’re both complicated women constrained by their stations and the circumstances around them, and how they react and act differently to exercise their agency within those structures.
What if Alicent hadn’t heard and misunderstood Viserys last words? Would she have acted differently in the coup? Tried to send a message to Rhaenyra or even go herself with Rhaenys? Or would she still have fallen into line with her father, and what would she have thought and felt about that, torn between all her various loyalties and duties?
Or what if they had betrothed Jaecerys and Helaena, as per Rhaenyra’s suggestion? Could the two branches of the family have reconciled that way, or would Alicent and Rhaenyra still have clashed, given their different attitudes and ways of approaching the world? How would they have handled their sons, who at that point had a very inflamed relation?
What if Alicent hadn’t found out that Rhaenyra lied about the night with Daemon and Ser Criston? Would she still have been so averse to Rhaenyra’s sons with Harwin Strong, because it means she was unfaithful to her husband and exposed the crown to gossip, or was it the fact that Rhaenyra lied that really hurt her?
Or what if the point of divergence was earlier? What if Rhaenyra married Gwayne Hightower, and the way for Otto to get his grandchild on the Iron Throne went through Rhaenyra? Would the Dance of the Dragons be averted if he didn’t push for Aegon over Rhaenyra and her children, or would there have been a different Dance with whichever family Viserys’ second wife was from (would he have married Laena if Otto wasn’t pushing Alicent at him, or would he still have balked at marrying a twelve-year-old and married someone else?)? Or would Otto still have hedged his bets and pushed for Alicent as Viserys’ second wife as well, and would Rhaenyra’s marriage to Gwayne change anything about how she reacted to that?
What about a time travel fix-it? Most of the ones I’ve seen have had Rhaenyra as the time traveller, since she has more room to change things with her actions, which is why it might be interesting to see Alicent as the time traveller, as she’s much more constrained in her choices. What can she change, and what happens without her being able to avert it? Or what unexpected consequences are there of her actions – which is something I’m also very interested in with Rhaenyra time travelling! Or what about both? How do they react to each other back in their early days with all the weight of their history behind them? Do they work together to ensure a better future, or do their future conflicts spill over into their old relationship? Do they even know the other also has travelled in time, or do the ascribe all changes to their own actions? How long does it take them to realise, who realises first, and how does she act in response to that?
For the shipfic request, how did they get together? As teenagers, when they were still friends, and if so, how did that change how they reacted to future events? Or as adults, when they have to get over all the betrayals and bitterness that sprung up between them? How do they handle that they’re both highborn women with obligations to marry and bear children? For Rhaenyra, that might be easier, given her personality and her arrangement with Leonor, but how does Alicent reconcile her sense of duty and sacrifice with her love for Rhaenyra?
Alicent/Viserys
This was such a complex, compelling relationship, with power dynamics and uneven feelings galore! I am really compelled by Alicent’s reticence and her powerlessness compared to her husband, yet she does grow fond of him in her own way (as a coping strategy? Genuine fondness? Up to you!), and as he grows weaker, the power dynamics start shifting in the other way, and she takes the position she has and makes something more of it (but still, she’s the one looking after him, his needs and wants are centred, not hers, and her value always lies in what she can provide for him and never the other way round). I would love something that explores the dynamics between them, perhaps early in their marriage, when they’re still unsure of each other, or perhaps later, when they’re more settled into the dynamics. There is plenty of opportunity to explore what a messy relationship this is, with Alicent’s resentment of her powerlessness, and Viserys’ resentment that she isn’t Aemma—but I would also be interested in a fix-it! Perhaps something where Viserys supports Alicent more unequivocally in her new role as Queen, and she grows to not just tolerate but love him? Perhaps Viserys takes a more active role in mending the fences between Rhaenyra and Alicent, and finds a compromise? Perhaps he doesn’t neglect his children by Alicent to such a degree that she fears for their lives when he dies, but instead ensures that their futures are safe even when Rhaenyra inherits?
Baela & Rhaena & Jacaerys & Lucerys
I really like the strong friendship between these four step-siblings/second cousins/first cousins (kind of)! I would love to read something about them growing up, preparing to take on the responsibilities they are due to inherit. Do Baela and Rhaena ever resent Jace and Luke for taking what otherwise would be theirs? Or are they always as accepting as they seem to be in the show?
I would also be really interested in the future in a canon divergence where they all survive and win the war! How do they relate to each other as King and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord and Lady of Driftmark? Does Luke take to the sea in the same way Corlys did? Is it a case where Luke is Lord in name, but Rhaena is the power behind the throne, or are they more equal. How about Jace and Baela as King and Queen? How do they navigate politics in King’s Landing? How do they deal with the surviving Greens and their supporters? Are there any surviving Greens?
Or what about an AU where they are betrothed to different people (maybe Jace was betrothed to Helaena, and Luke was free to accept one of the Baratheon daughters: maybe either Baela or Rhaena is betrothed to Oscar Tully or Cregan Stark—just throwing ideas out there, feel free to pick any character, show or book-verse, to pair any of them with instead)? How do their bonds grow and change as they move to different positions and different keeps? Does that change the alliances, course, and outcome of the war? Do any of them fight for the Greens in this AU, and do they overcome being on different sides of the war once it’s over? Or do their different alliances put Rhaenyra in a better position, allowing the war to end with all of their survival?
Rhaena
I felt really bad for Rhaena, ignored by her father for not being a dragonrider, sent off to look after the children—an important job, which she realizes, but it’s not what she wants! I would love to read about her dealing with the disappointment of not being a dragonrider in a family of dragonriders, or about what she does when she eventually gets a dragon—does she join the war for Rhaenyra? Does she take the dragon to Pentos? Does she join the other dragonriders in being more proactive in the war? Does she stay and guard the Vale? I was really intrigued by her relationship with Lady Arryn—so tense, with disappointment on both sides, yet so polite and cordial. How does Rhaenyra react to her basically abandoning her duty to her Princes?
Alternatively, I would be just as interested in a story where Rhaena doesn’t tame the Vale dragon (maybe something more along the book plot, where she’s the last person to hatch a dragon before Daenerys—how does she do it? What repercussions does that have, on her relationship with her father, Rhaenyra, her siblings and cousins? How is her plotline changed by having a hatchling rather than a full-grown dragon), and her gaining skill and experience at politics rather than battles!
Rhaenys, Rhaenys/Corlys
I love Rhaenys! I would love to see a story in which she got to shine! What would things have been like if she got to be Queen, and Viserys was passed over at the Great Council? How would she have dealt with the issues we saw Viserys fumble (the succession, the Stepstones, etc.)? How would her relationship with Corlys have been affected? How would she have managed the scheming nobles in King’s Landing, and the demands of her various bannermen? Would she have been able to navigate court life and keep balance between the various factions in a way Viserys utterly failed to do, or would she have to compromise and found she compromised too much one way? Would there still have been a Dance—Laenor’s inability to father children might have been more or an issue when he was the Crown Prince, rather than just the Crown Princess’ consort: we saw how much of an issue their potential bastardy was when Rhaenyra’s children’s claim to the throne went through her, not through Laenor, how much worse would it be when their claim (whoever his wife is) runs through him? Who would the challengers be? Laena’s in-laws/children? Daemon’s? Rhaenyra’s? Viserys’ surviving sons, assuming he has any in this AU? Someone else?
I love the relationship between Corlys and Rhaenys, and would love to see more of it! Was it love, was it an arranged marriage, or somewhere in between? How did they navigate the early years of their marriage? How did she cope with Corlys’ long absences and ruling Driftmark in his place? Was she ever challenged due to her sex, and how did she deal with that?
Or maybe a story in which she survives, or at least survives longer—how would that have changed the events of the war? What would she have counselled Rhaenyra to do, and how would she have dealt with Rhaenyra’s Council?
Alternatively, I would love to see something with her relationship and interactions with any of her grandchildren (trueborn or claimed bastards)—what was she like as a grandmother? How much influence did she have over their rearing? What was her relationship like with her grown-up children?
Or something with her and Corlys’ bastards—how did she find out about them? How did she react? How did it affect her relationship with Corlys? Does she ever warm up to them (perhaps in an AU where Corlys dies), or does she always view them as a threat to her grandchildren, which isn’t entirely unfair, given Corlys in the books at least ended up naming Alyn his heir rather than Baela or Rhaena. In the show, we see Baela reject the Driftmark Throne, but maybe Rhaenys thinks it ought to go to Rhaena instead? Does that cause friction in their relationship in an AU where Rhaenys survives?
Tyland & Rhaenyra, Tyland/Rhaenyra
Tyland is quite serious and awkward, both sexist but surprisingly open-minded when it comes to Sharako Lohar – what would convince him to support Rhaneyra’s claim instead of Aegon’s, and how would having him on her side change things? He’s very clever and strategic, so having him on hers ide might lead to her bolstering her political strength more in the later years? Or perhaps he can even bring about a reconciliation between Alicent and Rhaneyra, and find a solutin that makes everyone, if not happy, then at least not openly declaring war?
Perhaps they were allies on some matter on the Small Council, and that lead to them working more closely together and becoming friends—perhaps Tyland even mentored her in politics? Perhaps Aegon takes his humiliation of Tyland one step too far, and makes him switch allegiances—or perhaps some incident before Viserys’ death makes Tyland question his suitability as King?
Or perhaps it’s Tyland, not Jason, who’s the candidate for Rhaenyra’s hand during Aegon’s nameday hunt? How would she react to that proposal—would his overtures be better received than Jason’s assumption that she would be grateful to marry into the Lannister family? Or maybe Rhaenyra picks him herself on her marriage tour—as a second son, he would be better placed to support her a consort without a seat of his own? How would they negotiate their marriage, either arranged or chosen, and what would that mean for the future of House Targaryen—and for House Velaryon, twice overlooked in a short period of time?
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Game of Thrones
Characters/Ships
• Doran Martell/Sansa Stark
• Sansa Stark & Loras Tyrell
• Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
• Sansa Stark/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Gendry Waters
• Podrick Payne/Sansa Stark
• Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark
General thoughts
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.
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/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 & 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/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/Podrick
Podrick is so dependable and loyal, he would be a great match for Sansa! Maybe Tyrion/Shae and Podrick/Sansa come to an arrangement in King’s Landing? How does that change Sansa’s experience of King’s Landing? Does she still escape at the Purple Wedding, does Podrick come with her, and how does that change Petyr’s plans? Or does she stay in King’s Landing – and how does she fare after Tyrion is jailed? Is she also accused, and how does she get out of it?
Or maybe they meet instead when Podrick is with Brienne? Does Sansa go with them when they meet in the Vale – how does that change things when that means Petyr can’t marry her off to Ramsay and they arrive at Castle Black before Jon’s death? Or does love only grow between them after Brienne and Podrick have saved her from Ramsay and they’ve retaken Winterfell? Or even after the series, when Sansa’s Queen in the North and Podrick’s in the Kingsguard – perhaps he leaves the Seven Kingdoms to join Sansa’s Queensguard instead?
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?
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Hunger Games
Characters/Ships
• Any Career tribute
• Any Career Victor
• Any Career tribute & any non-Career tribute
• Any Career Victor & any non-Career Victor
General thoughts
I’m very interested in Career training: how did one get to the point of being happy and eager to risk one’s life in order to kill other children? Was there some kind of selection process, or did anyone who wanted receive training? If there was a selection process, who did the selecting? Who was selected/trained, and was it voluntary or forced? What sort of indoctrination did they go through? What sort of skills did they learn: obviously weapons and fighting, but did they also train survival or how to get sponsors? How organised was the training, and how official – was it an open secret who was in training, or was it a matter of pride that the potential tributes advertised, or something they did on the down-low? And how did the Volunteers get picked? Collins has one throwaway line that the Reaping could go on for hours in the inner districts – what happened during these hours? Who decided which teenagers would go to the Games and which didn’t – and what happened to the ones that didn’t? When did the first seeds to training tributes start in the career districts? How did Career training and attitudes towards Careers and Victors differ between the three districts? When did volunteering become a thing? How different were the career districts in their approach to training for the Games?
I’m also interested in past Hunger Games in general! What kinds of arenas did the Gamemakers come up with? How did they go wrong? What were team-up dynamics like when non-Career tributes joined the Career Pack - or if a Career tribute decided to go alone or make a different alliance than the standard Career Pack, if that ever happened?
When did the culture of selling victors start? How much did the past Victors see each other when they were in the Capitol? How did they settle back into their home districts as Victors? Were they welcomed since they brought food, were they outsiders, to what extent could they settle back into their old community – presumably it varied between districts and between victor, but in what ways? How did they cope with mentoring, and how did they cope with bringing home new Victors knowing the fate that awaited them? What sort of duties did mentors have? How did they balance getting sponsorships with keeping an eye on the Game and making sure sponsor gifts got to the Tributes when they were needed? How did they find sponsors? How much control did they have over what gifts could be sent? Could the sponsors decide to send something against the will of the mentor?
Were there different expectations on Career and non-Career Victors? How much did the Careers know about what awaited them after victory - or did that depend on the District? Were there ever tensions between Career and non-Career mentors, and how were they handled during unusual pair-ups (e.g. the boy from District 3 being invited into the Career pack in Katniss' year)?
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Leverage
Characters/Ships
• Maggie Collins
• Jim Sterling
• Todd McSweeten
• Todd McSweeten/Parker
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!
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?
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
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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Pride (2014)
Characters/ships
• Cliff
• Cliff & Johnny
• Cliff & Johnny & Lee
• Dai Donovan
• Mark Ashton & Dai Donovan
• Hefina & Dai Donovan & Sian
• Sian
• Joe "Bromley" Cooper & Sian
• Joe "Bromley" Cooper & Steph
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, Cliff & his nephews
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.
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?
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?
Joe & Sian
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.
Joe “Bromley” Cooper and 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?
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A Song of Ice and Fire
Characters/ships
• Arianne Martell/Sansa Stark
• Doran Martell/Sansa Stark
• Sansa Stark/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Daenerys Targaryen
• Sansa Stark & Loras Tyrell
• Sansa Stark/Gendry Waters
• Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
• Sansa Stark/Rhaenys Targaryen
• Sansa Stark/Willas Tyrell
• Tyrion Lannister/Sansa Stark
• Quentyn Martell/Sansa Stark
General thoughts
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, Aegon, 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.
I’m a multishipper, and I’m happy with any of the ships I’ve given prompts for here, or any of the ships down in the GoT section, or most other ships, so if you ship something else, then go for it! I’m less fond of Sansa/Petyr as a romantic ship (him being creepy and assaulting her is fine) and non-canonical incest, however.
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 (except where noted).
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.
Arianne/Sansa
I love the idea of Sansa in Dorne, claiming her agency and making allies! Perhaps she manages to escape King’s Landing and makes her way to Dorne, since the Lannisters will be expecting her to go North? Perhaps Robb makes and alliance with Dorne, for the two countries’ respective independence, and Sansa goes to Dorne to seal the alliance as a companion to Arianne? Maybe she’s one of Arianne’s advisors?
Arianne is very impetuous and headstrong, how does she get on with the much more reserved Sansa? Do they conflict at first, before they learn to appreciate each other? Or does she bring out Sansa’s headstrong and imperious side, hidden away during her traumatic time in King’s Landing?
How can Sansa help Arianne’s political ambitions? Does she join in the plan to crown Myrcella and free the Sand Snakes? Or does she argue for a more cautious approach, and if so, how does Arianne take it? Does she manage to bring about an earlier reconciliation between Arianne and Doran?
Doran/Sansa
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 have mastered the trick of appearing more harmless than they are. 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? Or does Winterfell/the Crown in the North go to one of her younger siblings, while Sansa builds her own a power base in Done? Does she get involved with the Dornish plots to restore the Targaryen dynasty through Daenerys and/or Aegon (whether he’s a Blackfyre or Doran’s legitimate nephew is up to you)?
Dorne is a complicated place – how does Sansa navigate the Dornish court? Does she bring about reconciliation between Arianne and her father? Or does Arianne take against her, this stepmother who’s younger than she is? How does she get on with the Sand Snakes? How does she deal with their plot to put Myrcella on the throne? Does she meet with Arys Oakheart again, and how does that go, given he has very complicated feelings about Sansa and what he did to her in his chapter, and she probably does too, given all she went through in King's Landing?
I don’t mind how you deal with Doran's canonical 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.
Quentyn/Sansa
This fits in with my other “Sansa in Dorne” requests – I just think she’d do very well there! Quentyn is an interesting character, because we don’t see very much of him – only a few chapters before he dies, but what we do see is quite cool! He’s described as earnest and dutiful – two qualities that are like catnip to me, and his political position is quite interesting – having been raised by another the Yronwoods, and maybe feeling more like he fits in with them than with his biological family, and his insecurities about his place and purpose in the world, and reconciling him being Doran’s first choice of successor with the traditional straight primogeniture of Dornish tradition. What does he know of Doran’s plans? Maybe the death of Viserys made Doran change his plans? Maybe Quentyn wasn’t sent to treat with Daenerys, but instead married off to Sansa for influence in the North? How would that go? Would they be awkward with each other at first, and would there be any misconceptions and misunderstandings between them? How does the conflict with Arianne play out with Sansa thrown into the mix? Does Arianne think they are gathering Northern allies to displace her? How does she react? Can Sansa mediate the conflict, or does her presence only inflame it? Do they manage to set aside their differences and join forces against the Lannisters? Or do they instead go North, to reclaim Winterfell in an attempt to convince her that they have no interest in the stewardship of Dorne?
Brienne/Sansa
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 maybe they only find each other later? Maybe Brienne finds her in the Vale – does she stay and protect Sansa from Petyr’s creepiness and machinations, and the marriage to Harry the Heir, or do they go back to the Riverlands or try to head North? Does Brienne bring Sansa to Lady Stoneheart to fulfil her oath, and if so, how does Sansa react to what her mother has become? Or does she decide to spare Sansa that pain, even though it means the Brotherhood will hang her if they come across her again?
Sansa/Daenerys
Sansa and Daenerys have a lot in common – they were both young girls who were used and abused by older and more powerful men, who took power for themselves and discovered their agency, but in different ways. There are also, of course, a few stumbling blocks, mainly in the form of their family history, with everything that happened at time of Robert’s Rebellion. How do they manage to overcome this history? How do they reconcile their different views and versions of the past?
What if Daenerys didn’t stay in Essos, but came to Westeros when Sansa was in King’s Landing? How would Sansa persuade her to spare her, given she’s a Stark either engaged to a Baratheon or married to a Lannister, depending on when the story is set? Does Daenerys see a smiliarity between Joffrey and Viserys, and spare her on the basis of that, or does Sansa need to use more of her cunning and manipulation? When does it stop being manipulation and become real friendship/love?
Or what if it was Sansa who escaped to Essos after the Purple Wedding and found Daenerys there? How would she convince Daenerys of her worth as an advisor? Would she advocate going to take over the Seven Kingdoms, and get revenge on the Lannisters? Or would she want to stay in Essos, where life is good, and she’s well away from the rot of King’s Landing, and they become the ruling couple of Mereen?
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, 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? 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’s presence change Gendry’s arc? Maybe he doesn’t decide to stay with the Brotherhood? Does Sansa also free Jaqen H’gar, and, if so, what names does she give him? Or perhaps Sansa meets Gendry when she’s pretending to be Alayne and he’s smithing for the brotherhood? Does she reveal who she actually is, or does she keep it a secret? How does she react to Lady Stoneheart?
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 to support Willas, safe from the Game of Thrones (for a while, at least), or would they be granted their own, smaller, keep? 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?
Obviously, if he had a wife, he wouldn’t be able to join the Kingsguard. How would he feel about that, and what would he do to give his life purpose instead? Would he still volunteer for the mission to take Dragonstone, or would he have refrained or been more cautious during it if he knew he had someone relying on him for his protection? And if he did go, and was injured, how would that impact Sansa? What would that mean for her position in King’s Landing, and how would she react to that?
Margaery/Sansa
What I really like about this couple is that they genuinely like each other and are good friends, even while sometimes the friendship has to take a back seat to politics. I also like how through Margaery Sansa gets other female friends, in Margaery’s ladies – something she sorely needs! I loved the little detail of Leonette teaching Sansa the High Harp.
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? They’d 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/Rhaenys
I would love an AU in which Sansa and Rhaenys get to meet, and I would love to see who Rhaenys grows up to be. We know she was a sweet child who liked her kitten—does she keep that sweetness into adulthood, or does a childhood in the Red Keep or on the run make her more jaded.
Perhaps Rhaenys is rescued from King’s Landing as a child, and comes back to reclaim her throne instead of or together with Aegon—how does the addition of yet another Targaryen claimant influence the politics of Westeros, and how does Sansa deal with the Targaryens vying for her loyalty? Does she throw her support behind Rhaenys, or do they have a more fraught relationship?
Or what if Rhaenys survived the Rebellion, but was sent to foster as a hostage in Winterfell? Perhaps she and Sansa grew up as childhood companions? How does Rhaenys as a hostage feel about the Starks—her situation would be quite different to Theon’s, but I imagine they would have similar mixed feelings? How does that change the events of the book, the decisions Ned and/or Robb make? Is Rhaenys brought back to King’s Landing with Sansa, or is she left in the North?
Or maybe Robert’s Rebellion fails, and Rhaegar wins? How do Sansa and Rhaenys relate to each other in such an AU, where Rhaenys’ mother was cast aside in favour of Sansa’s aunt? How have the politics shaken out in the years since?
Willas/Sansa
So we haven’t actually seen Willas in the books yet, but what we’ve heard makes me believe that Sansa would have been very happy if the Tyrells had managed to get her out of King’s Landing and wed to him. His gentleness and kindness would be what Sansa needs after her harrowing experiences with Joffrey, and as a bonus, he likes animals and we know he doesn’t hold grudges, since he gets along with Oberyn even after Oberyn caused his jousting accident. Besides, he’s scholarly and clearly has political acumen, since he’s thought clever by no less a person than the Queen of Thorns! Does she have to manage her disappointment that he isn’t a knight and never will be, or has she had enough of knights?
Would they go to Highgarden to rule the Reach and protect it from the Ironborn? Would they live a quiet life, away from the politics of King’s Landing, dealing with the (slightly) smaller-scale politics of the Reach? Or would they be dragged into the game against their wishes? Or do they throw themselves into the game willingly and plot to take down the people who hurt Sansa’s family/raise the position of the Tyrells?
How would Tywin and Cersei react to losing their hostage – would they retaliate against the Tyrells in some way? Would the Tyrells pull out of the alliance with the Lannisters and join forces with the North? Would that change the course of the War? Or would they try to claim Winterfell after the Red Wedding? How would they deal with Margaery’s arrest and trial – would they go to King’s Landing to try to free her, and how would that affect Sansa?
Tyrion/Sansa
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 after 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 rather harrowing journey?
Or maybe they reach an understanding later, at an eventual reunion, when they’ve both grown and matured and come to terms with who they are and who the other one is. Feel free to follow show canon or make up your own version of the future for the books – the show changed both of their journey sufficiently that different outcomes for either of them are entirely plausible! Perhaps Tyrion becomes Hand of the King to Young Griff instead of Daenerys? Or perhaps he never becomes more than an advisor in the Second Sons? Perhaps Sansa makes her way back to Winterfell and claims her brother’s crown without first giving it to Jon? Perhaps she doesn’t make it out of the Vale, and Tyrion finds here there?
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Star Wars – All Media Types
Characters/Ships
• Finn & Mace Windu
• Rey & Mace Windu
• Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey & Creator's Choice of Canon Prequels-Era Jedi
General thoughts
I’m really keen on the idea of the sequel trio (any or all) ending up in the prequels era! How do they deal with meeting these heroes of a bygone era? Do they try to change the fate of the galaxy, to stop the rise of the Empire, and if so, how do they go about it?
Does Finn or Rey get to train with the Jedi? How do they deal with the Council? Are they welcomed? Or are they viewed with suspicion? Does Finn get to meet the clones? How do they react to what has been done with their legacy? How does he react to meeting his forerunners? How does his experiences and skills from their time with the Resistance help them before or during the galactic civil war?
I’d be super keen to read something where they don’t have all the facts, that they’re floundering a bit – not everything became public knowledge, secrets were being kept, things got twisted in the retellings, and so on. Maybe they have to try to keep their origins a secret – how suspicious are they to those native to the time they travel to? Or do they get on with the others right from the start? Or maybe they can be open about their origins, and the people from the two different times try to piece together what happened by combining their respective fragmented knowledge – I’d love to see what misconceptions they come up with on the way!
My favourite take on the Jedi Order is fundamentally good people who genuinely try to do their best in a very difficult situation, but I’m happy with anything that avoids outright bashing of either the Jedi Order or individual Jedi.
Finn & Mace Windu
I love the idea of Force-sensitive Finn, and I’d love to see him get the opportunity to train as a Jedi! It would be very interesting to see him and Mace interact – Mace who’s a very traditional Jedi, contrasted with Finn, who’s had a much more eclectic past – and who might feel he has more in common with the clone troopers than with the Jedi! How do they overcome this and find common ground?
How does the rest of the Council react? Is there any resistance to the idea of training Finn due to his age, and how do they resolve that? How does Mace react to the fate of the Jedi order? What does Finn know about the fall of the Republic and the Jedi and how it could potentially be avoided?
Finn & Rey & Poe & the Jedi
Does Finn or Rey get to train with the Jedi? How do they deal with the Council? Are they welcomed? Or are they viewed with suspicion? Does Finn get to meet the clones? How do they react to what has been done with their legacy? How does he react to meeting his forerunners? How does his experiences and skills from their time with the Resistance help them before or during the galactic civil war?
How do Rey’s, Finn’s and Poe’s experiences and skills from their time with the Resistance help them in the prequel era? Can they avoid the Clone Wars before they even break out, or is the course locked well before they arrive in the past? Maybe they can help the GAR? Both Poe and to a lesser extent Finn are experienced with command and military tactics, and they all have experience of spying and sabotage missions. Does the fact that they have the skills needed and are willing to help make them less suspicious, or more?
Does Rey know things that Luke discovered on Ach-To that the Jedi have forgotten? How has the Jedi philosophy changed between the prequels and sequels era, and how do the characters relate to that (no bashing of the Jedi philosophy of either era, please! Discussions where both sides have valid points are fine, but I'd prefer if you avoided one side being Clearly Right and the other being Obviously Wrong)?
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Characters/Ships
• Bail Organa
• Padmé Amidala & Bail Organa
• Mace Windu
• Mace Windu & Bail Organa
• Mace Windu & Katooni
General thoughts
I love the worldbuilding of the prequel trilogy/the Clone Wars, how expansive the galaxy seems, the political intrigue, the tragedy of the fall of the Republic, and the impending sense of doom that the characters can also feel. I love how there are no easy answers (because Palpatine is manipulating everything to remove the easy answers), and I would love to see a story about the heroes prevailing despite this! Or how they survive after the fall of the Republic, how the Rebellion is started and comes together, what challenges and obstacles they face along the way.
My favourite take on the Jedi Order is fundamentally good people who genuinely try to do their best in a very difficult situation, but I’m happy with anything that avoids outright bashing of either the Jedi Order or individual Jedi.
Bail:
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?
Or what if Bail from the Imperial era or even the time of his 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 beaten by someone he has no idea is a threat!
Bail & Padmé:
I would love to see them working together in the Senate before the fall of the Republic – how they divided the labour of convincing allies, deciding what battles to fight and their strategies, balancing Padmé’s passion and Bail’s experience and wisdom. How often did they have different opinions, and how did they manage those?
Or maybe Padmé stays with Bail and Breha after the fall of the Republic with the twins, hiding in plain sight? Or she goes on the run, and only sees them occasionally? Or maybe she never had a relationship with Anakin, and she joins Bail and Mon as the Rebellion’s links to the Senate? How does she manage to keep her ideals under control in the new hostile climate?
This might also be fun as a time travel prompt! Do both of them time travel, or does only one time travel and have to deal with the past version of their friend? If they both time travel, do they know or recognise that the other is also a time traveller? Do they agree on priorities and methods to avoid the fall of the Republic, or do they disagree on how to best go about it? Would they try to reform the Republic, or would they consider the corruption too far gone, and what is the alternative? What if Naboo and Alderaan were to secede while Palpatine was the Chancellor, how would that impact galactic policies?
Mace:
I love Mace so much! I love his seriousness, his dedication to democracy and his principles, I love his compassion and his wisdom! I love that he considers things from different angels, and that he’s willing to reconsider his opinions.
I would love to read more about Mace during the Clone Wars, and how he balances his roles as Master of the Order and General, how he tries to protect both the Jedi and the Clones from the vagaries of the Senate and the Chancellor, and how he tackles being thrown into a war against his will, and how the Jedi attempted to keep their identity and faith as Jedi despite the circumstances. I would also love a story about the quiet moments during the war, with his troops or with civilians, or with other Jedi!
I would adore a fix-it where Mace survives his duel with Palpatine. I love him so much – his seriousness and sincerity, how strongly he believes in the Jedi code, his faith in the Force, his patience and gentleness but also his determination and authority! I would love to see what he gets up to after the fall of the Republic, getting involved with the Resistance, trying to restore the Jedi Order, or just trying to survive. Does he find any Clones and gets them de-chipped, and how does that reunion go?
Mace would also be a fun time traveller, in different ways! How would he handle being back in time? What choices would he make differently, and how would they turn out? I really like the complexities of the situation, and how the Jedi made the only choice they could make, give the situation, but with different facts and more knowledge, would they make a different choice? How would they deal with the Clone army ostensibly ordered in their name, or leave them to a probably worse fate at the hands of the Senate or the Kaminoans? How would they deal with the corruption at the heart of the Republic—both the Sith-related corruption, which clearly falls within their remit, and the everyday, garden variety of political corruption, which doesn’t?
Mace & Bail:
Given how much I love both Bail and Mace, it would be awesome to see something with them together!
I would love to see their take on politics, coming from different viewpoints and representing different interests, but still both with a fundamental belief in democracy. Do they have different ideas of the role of Jedi in the Republic, or the function of the Republic itself, and how do they work to resolve those? Do they work together to tackle problems in the Republic from each of their own angles, politician and peacekeeper/diplomat?
Or maybe they go on an adventure together? There’s lots of fun things that can be done in the Star Wars universe! Maybe they’re on a diplomatic trip together and run into trouble, or maybe they get stranded on an inhospitable planet? How do they deal with that?
Or something set during the Clone Wars, in battle, with Mace trying to protect Bail, or dealing with politics and/or logistics of where to send the army, how to get them there, etc.? Or fighting for Clone rights together?
Or maybe Mace survives his duel with Palaptine, and they meet up after the Fall of the Republic? Does Mace turn to Bail for help, not knowing where else to go? Or do they run into each other unexpectedly? Do they each work against the Empire in different ways, and decide to join forces, or are they coordinated from the start? Do they have different priorities, or are they aligned with each other? Does Mace focus on finding surviving Jedi and hide them, while Bail deals with politics and funding sabotage missions? Or does Mace also carry out sabotage missions?
Just, anything with these two!
Mace Windu & Katooni
I’d also love something with Mace and Katooni as survivors of Order 66 – maybe he takes her as a Padawan! I’d love to see him teaching her, guiding her and keeping her safe in what is, admittedly, very dangerous circumstances for them to be in. How do they blend in? Do they pretend to be (adoptive) father and daughter, and how does that change the Padawan-Master relationship? Does she manage to keep her faith in the goodness of those she meets even after the rise of the Empire, and her faith in the Jedi way?
Or maybe an Au in which Order 66 never happens, and he takes her as his Padawan anyway? What lessons does he teach her and what does he learn from her? How do they work to heal the galaxy from the civil war, and to restore peace and harmony? What sort of adventures do they get up to?
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Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order Series
Characters/Ships
• Cal Kestis
• Cal Kestis & Cere Junda
• Cal Kestis & Prauf
• Cal & Cere & Merrin & Greez & BD-1
• Kata Akuna & Cal
General Thoughts
I love this series – I love both the characters and the world-building! It fits really neatly into the Star Wars universe, and fleshes out parts that we haven’t seen before – and I’d love to see that fleshed out more! I love the theme of the game, of picking yourself up after failure and trying again, and never giving up. I loved exploring the different worlds, the flora and fauna of each, and the little quirks that made each unique, like the wind tunnels of Zeffo, or the springboard mushrooms of Kashyyyk – and how they developed the worlds for the second game. I’d love to see more quirky worlds of the Star Wars Universe!
And I loved all the characters, how they each had their flaws they struggled with, but how they kept going, kept struggling, kept trying to do the right thing, and how they made their own little family on board the Mantis! I also love how even when they were on different paths, they came together when it mattered. I loved the community Greez was settling into on Koboh, and that Cere had found Eno Cordova and that they were helping the Hidden Path. I also loved the connections to Jedi history on Jedha and with Tanalorr, and the glimpses we saw of the High Republic in the second game!
As I said earlier, my favourite take on the Jedi Order is fundamentally good people who genuinely try to do their best in a very difficult situation, but I’m happy with anything that avoids outright bashing of either the Jedi Order or individual Jedi!
Cal
Cal is great! I love his slightly self-deprecating humour, his strength, his perseverance, his compassion and his sense of adventure. I like that he’s always willing to extend his hand, how quick he is to forgive and move on, but that he also stands his ground when needed. I love his relationship with BD-1, but I didn’t have any prompts for stories centred around that relationship, so that’s why I haven’t requested that tag. However, if you want to bake that into the story, do feel free – I’d be delighted!
Maybe something about Cal and the clone troopers, learning to fit in on the Albedo Brave? Or about him and Master Tapal? How did Master Tapal choose Cal? What challenges did they face early in the relationship – was there and adjustment period or did they find a way or working together easily?
Or something about Cal learning to deal with his psychometry – as an initiate, as a padawan, or after the Purge?
I’d also love seeing something set between the games, when Cal is working with Saw: who were the others on the mission to Coruscant with him, what missions had they run together before, what had they achieved and what had gone wrong? Did Cal ever question Saw’s ideology and disregard for collateral damage, or was he also equally focused on results at any cost?
Or what about Cal after Jedi: Survivor? How does he settle into Tanalorr? How does he deal with Bode’s betrayal? How does he deal with his own brush with the Dark Side? How does he heal? How does he move on from there?
Cal & Prauf
There isn’t nearly enough fic about Cal’s early days on Bracca, finding work in the Scrappers guild and someplace to live, and how he and Prauf met! How did Prauf go from engineer to scrapper, how did he take it, what did the other engineers think? Was it all the engineers at Bracca, or just the non-human ones?
How protective does Prauf feel about Cal? What does he think happened to leave this orphaned kid scrambling for survival on Bracca’s scrapheaps? Or maybe they only meet later, when Cal’s been at Bracca a couple of years, and is a little rougher around the edges and fits in better? Maybe he protects Prauf from something? Maybe they’re both the protectors of the other scrappers – Cal trying to keep his head down, but still not being able to shed his training as Jedi that’s taught him that it’s his duty to try to help if he can?
Or what if Prauf survived Bracca? How does he fit in with rest of Mantis crew? How does he adapt to life on the run from the Empire? How does his relationship with Cal change at the reveal he’s a Jedi? Accepting, keep secret, loyal – but does change what think about? Does he have any complicated feelings about Cal lying, even if he knows why? We know he’s accepting and loyal, and that he keeps Cal’s secret even when it leads to his death, but how does he feel about it? Did he use to hero worship the Jedi Order? How does he reconcile his ideas of the Jedi with what he knows about Cal?
Or what if the Mantis hadn’t showed up? What if Cal and Prauf had ended up going on the run from the Empire together? What would they have done? Where would they have gone? Nar Shadda, like Cal planned to, or somewhere else? How would they have survived and who would they have met on their travels? Would they have laid low, finding low-level work where they could get it, or would they have found the Rebellion or the Partisans somehow, and joined them? How would they have fit in in either group? Would Cal keep his Jedi identity secret, or would he let people know? What would Prauf bring to the table? How would they be welcomed?
Cal & Cere & Merrin & Greez & BD-1
What happens to them between the games? I’d love to read about the further adventures of this group of rag-tag heroes! Presumably they keep fighting against the Empire – what sort of missions do they undertake? Espionage, sabotage, heists?
Do they meet up with the Rebellion? Come across Saw’s people again? Do they ever meet other Jedi survivors? Or do they meet any of the Force-sensitive children who were on the list, and how do they act? Do they try to save them, and how? By taking them with them? By teaching them to hide? What are Cal and Cere’s feelings about the fate of the Order, after they destroy the holocron?
Maybe the Haxion Brood comes after them again, determined to get their money’s worth from Greez? Do they have to rescue him, or does the Brood kidnap Cal again, or Cere or Merrin?
How do they decide to split up? Who leaves first, and why, and how do the others react? How do they keep in contact when they have each found their own path to pursue?
Cal & Cere
I really like the mentorship between Cal and Cere, and how they work through their issues, initial mistrust and secrets and come to a point where they understand each other and work together so well! I like how Cere always has advice for Cal, but that she lets him make his own decisions as an adult. I find it really fascinating how she’s almost like a Master but not really, because Cal had a Master, and she had a Padawan and they can’t replace Jaro Tapal or Trilla, but that they make something new. I like their different responses to being Jedi in a world where there are no Jedi.
Maybe something about them exploring an old Jedi Temple, recovering lost relics and dealing with whatever dangers and traps that lurk within? Do they find other ancient Force civilisations? Do they join the Rebellion, and do they have different opinions on that – we know that Cere was suspicious of Saw Gerrera – is she also suspicious of the Rebellion, or was Cal burned a bit by Saw abandoning Kashyyk, and is now slower to trust, and it’s Cere who wants to join the Rebellion, knowing what she knows of Mon Mothma and Bail Organa? Maybe they even go to Tatooine and meet Obi-Wan, or meet Ahsoka or Caleb/Kanan or any other Jedi survivor? Do they tell them about the holocron, and are there differing opinions about what they should have done with it?
I would love to see an AU where Cere survives Jedha and goes with Cal and Bode! Does she cotton on to Bode’s betrayal first? How does she react to Tanalorr and the Jedi history there? What are her ambitions and how does she work with Cal? How does she react to Cal’s brush with the Dark Side? Is she able to mentor him back from it, having been there herself? How does she find the confidence to start using the Force again?
Cal & Kata
How do Cal and Kata relate to each other after the events of Survivor? Kata seems to understand why Cal did what he did, and doesn’t seem to hold a grudge, but does that change as she grows up? Does she start to resent him, and how do they deal with that? What is Cal like as a teacher, and Kata like as a student, and how do they cope on the run from the Empire? What’s their cover story? What do they get up to?
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Sunrise on the Reaping
Characters/ships
• Wellie
• Haymitch & Wellie
General thoughts
I really enjoy the Hunger Games universe, and I loved seeing this look at how previous attempts at rebellion and sabotage have failed (making me wonder about the earthquake and flooding during Annie’s year, but that’s beside the point), and the tension between the Capitol, with force on their side, versus the Districts, with numbers, and how hard the Capitol has to work to keep the Districts from uniting and overthrowing them: frankly, I’m amazed they lasted 75 years. I’m also really intrigued by the use of propaganda, and how the Games are used for spin and to sell a specific narrative, and how any sedition is edited out. I’m happy to see characters or events from any book in the series (the main trilogy, TBoSaS, or SotR) included or referred to.
Wellie, Haymitch & Wellie
What if the final moments of the 50th Hunger Games went differently? What if Wellie did manage to land the poison dart, or what if Haymitch returned earlier? How would the Capitol react to Wellie as Victor, who hadn’t made much of herself during the Games? What spin would they put on her Games? What would Snow ask of her, and how would she react? How would she settle into District 6? Feel free to include as much worldbuilding about District 6 into this request as you’d like: I eat that kind of thing up with a spoon!
I’d be especially interested in an outcome where Haymitch killed himself in a way that couldn’t be easily edited out or made out to be a mistake – what would they have done with an act of compassion from someone who should have no logical reason to show Wellie compassion? How would they have spun that: how could they have spun that? And how would she react to Haymitch’s sacrifice? What would her feelings and thoughts about Haymitch be, after the Games? How would the Districts react? Would it have ripples that the Capitol had to use all their energy to stay? Would it perhaps even spark more overt rebellion earlier than the 75th? Would Wellie and Haymitch’s sacrifice be able to unite the Districts (my instincts say no, but it would definitely be interesting exploring a world where the answer was yes!)?
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Tortall
Characters/Ships
• Maura of Dunlath
• Kalasin/Kel
• Maura & Kel
• Adalia & Oranie & Kel
General Thoughts
The Tortall books are an old childhood favourite of mine, and I really like the worldbuilding, the strong heroines, and the politics (that Pierce often glosses over as her stories are more focused on protagonists who aren’t very interested in politics, but the bits we do get fascinate me). I like how the universe gets more and more complex as the series go on, how what starts as fairly straightforward good vs. evil becomes more complicated, and the characters become more complex in later stories, but they don’t lose their hope and their belief in the goodness of humankind!
Maura
I would love to read more about Maura and what happens to her: how does she restore Dunlath, and heal the land? What sort of trouble does she face with the wolves, ogres, and people? How does she get along with her guardians? How much power does she actually have, as Lady of the Fief—perhaps more than average, given how she came to be Lady of Dunlath and her determination to do what’s right for her fief, but perhaps not as much as she’d like, given she’s still not of age?
What does she do during the Immortals War? How does she lead her fief through war with mythical creatures? What sort of defences does she put up? Does she ever fight herself, or does she take a commanding and leading role instead?
What does she do when she comes of age? How does that change things? According to Pierce, Maura goes to Corus: how does that work out for her? How does she fit in? What sort of challenges does she face there? What is life like for the noblewomen who aren’t fighters? How does Thayet organise her ladies-in-waiting, and what is Maura’s role? Perhaps she stumbles across some kind or conspiracy at court, and has to deal with that?
Maura is the only remaining person of her family—what sort of contingencies are there in place for the inheritance of Dunlath? Who is Maura’s heir until she has children of her own? Is there an arranged marriage for her, and how does she feel about that? How involved is she in arranging it?
Maura & Kel
I like both of these very stubborn, very determined young women, and would love to read about a friendship between them!
What if Haven or New Hope was on Dunlath lands, given how close fief Dunlath is to the border? Maybe Maura and Kel would work together to ensure the safety of the refugees? Maybe Kel is stationed on or near Dunlath after the events of Lady Knight—what is their working relationship like? What conflicts do they have (if any, but I imagine they must have different opinions occasionally, when the priorities of their various duties clash), and how do they resolve them?
There are some references to her in the Protector of the Small—what does she think of the pages trampling all over her lands? Is she drawn to Kel because of her bond with the animals? Do Maura’s wolves approve of her?
Or what if Maura tried for knighthood after the events of Wolf Speaker, and was the oldest lady page, and acted as Kel’s sponsor and/or mentor? How would she deal with the bullying that Kel faced? Would she have put Joren in his place by the time Kel started, or would it still be an ongoing problem?
Kalasin/Kel
I’d love something that leans into the notions of chivalric and courtly love, with Kel as the loyal knight and Kalasin as the Princess/Queen she gives her devotion to. The line of plausible deniability might be quite blurred, given they’re both women.
Kalasin wanted to be the first lady knight: perhaps she takes an interest in Kel (either directly or via Roald) and lives vicariously through her? Perhaps she trains with Kel, gives her advice and gifts, or perhaps Kel gives her tips and advice that she’s picked up in her training?
Or maybe Wyldon doesn’t allow Kel to continue after her probation, and she joins the Queen’s Ladies (as that was an option Kel considered that would still allow her to fight), or becomes one of Kalasin’s ladies-in-waiting? A romance between a Princess and her lady-in-waiting would also be very much in line with what I would enjoy with these two! How would Kel manage as a lady of the court? How would she channel her dreams of being a protector through her rather different role in Tortall’s society (which would give her both more and fewer options to enact the changes she wants)?
Kalasin’s upcoming betrothal would be an issue if they are still in Tortall, and they both know Kalasin will need to go to Carthak to be Empress. Or maybe she already is? Do they meet when Kalasin is at home visiting, or Kel is in Carthak for some reason? How does Kalasin reconcile her duties to Kaddar and Carthak with her feelings?
Adalia & Oranie & Kel
I really would like something that explores the relationship between Kel and her sisters! They obviously like and love each other, even with as different as they are, but Kel going for knighthood does affect Adalia’s and Oranie’s chances, as with Adalia having to pretend that there is a greater emotional distance than there is between them Florzile of Nond: does that ever wear on their relationship? Do they ever resent Kel? How does Kel’s knighthood influence the matches they make—with Adalia marrying into the conservative Nond family and Oranie marrying the progressive Hannalof, do their in-laws treat them differently based on that?
How did they get on as children, in the Yamani court where expectations on noblewomen and -girls were different? Did one or the other of them flourish there, and how did that affect the others? How Adalia and Oranie take to glaive training, and how did they feel about giving it up—did they give it up, or did they train with Thayet and her ladies when Shinko came to Tortall?
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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!
For the auctions, because we’ve got so many requests, I’ve basically gone ahead and requested pretty much anything I’ve requested in the past that I’m still actively fannish about! If I’ve missed something, I still have fond feelings about it, so feel free to also gift me things that match other previous requests! I haven’t noted the freeform tags in this letter, because I think they should match the prompts or general likes pretty well, but if there is a tag that inspires you that I haven’t prompted for, go with your inspiration! I’d love to see what you come up with!
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 about the art/vid likes or any other medium, 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
Andor
Bridgerton
Crossover Fandom, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones and Narnia
Crossover Fandom, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon
Crossover Fandom, Mansfield Park and Master and Commander 2003/Pride and Prejudice
Downton Abbey
The Goblin Emperor
Game of Thrones
House of the Dragon
The Hunger Games
Leverage
Pride
A Song of Ice and Fire
Star Wars: All Media Types
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order Series
Sunrise on the Reaping
Tortall
General likes
• found families, especially ones that don’t try to fit characters into traditional family roles (“team mom”, etc.)
• ride or die friendships
• characters who are kind even when it’s difficult, kindness as a choice
• loyalty, both strong, reciprocated loyalty, and more complicated forms such as conflicting loyalties, loyalty to the undeserving, etc.
• “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
• characters navigating power differentials and power dynamics
• 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)
• conflicts between characters based on differences in opinions, wants, and needs (rather than misunderstandings or erroneous assumptions), conflicts between characters without easy solutions, conflicts between characters where neither side is completely right or completely wrong
• moral dilemmas, trying to do the right thing in situations where there is no good choice
• 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
• 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!)
Vid likes
• My tastes in music are eclectic and I like lots of different genres and styles, both with and without vocals! Generally, I like the sound of acoustic instruments better than electronic (so I’d prefer if you avoided heavy metal, techno, synthpop, disco, and other music styles that rely mostly on electric guitars, synths, etc.), but I am very fond of blended music or the hybrid orchestra style (also known as epic or trailer music), as well as pop, soft rock, classical, and many more!
• Dialogue in videos is not necessary, but I do like it a lot
• I tend to like vids conveying certain emotions and/or themes better than constructed narratives – I often struggle to follow along and get distracted trying to work out what’s happening or which clip is supposed to match up to which “plot point” unless it’s super clear – fake trailers are fine (trailers are supposed to be disjointed so I can parse those ok, it’s just disjointed video narratives that I sometimes struggle with)
• Vids highlighting comparisons and contrasts (between characters, between characters at the start and end of canons, between canons, between anything you can think of)
• Vids showing off pretty cinematography
• Feel free to include footage from other canons/sources than the one you’re vidding for if it fits (but sources are appreciated, so I can find the original if I get intrigued)
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 (if it’s relevant, please set any romance sometime 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 and canon-typical Targaryen incest are OK)
• infidelity or jealousy within relationships (real or imagined. Open relationships and jealousy as a path to feelings discovery are OK)
• more than 3-year age gaps for any ships involving characters 16 years or younger
• 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
• public embarrassment, humiliation
• character or ship bashing
• hopeless endings, grimdark tone
• unrequested setting change AUs (merging crossover 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:
• Bridgerton: people being forced into an engagement/marriage due to being ~compromised (I would much rather see people choosing to get together for either love or practical reasons)
• Downton Abbey: the kiss between Jimmy and Thomas
• ASoIaF/GoT: requited Petyr/Sansa (his canonical desire for her is fine)
• House of the Dragon: Aemond/Lucerys
• Narnia: the rift between Susan and her family
• Star Wars: Jedi bashing, Mandalorian clones, Mando’a (feel free to have Mandalorian characters speak in Mando’a, just don’t use the conlang)
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Andor
Characters/ships
• Bix Caleen
• Bix Caleen & Luthen Rael
• Wilmon Paak
• Brasso the Ferrixian
• Cassian Andor & Brasso the Ferrixian & Bix Caleen & Wilmon Paak
• Cassian Andor & Mon Mothma
• Mon Mothma
• Perrin Fertha & Mon Mothma
• Mon Mothma & Bail Organa
• Mon Mothma & Erskin Semaj
• Leida Mothma & Stekan Sculdun
• Added after sign-up close: opting in to works centred on Kleya
General thoughts
Obviously season 2 isn’t over by the time sign-ups end, but I feel like the point where we left things in episode 9 are kind of a climax of their own, so feel free to just use material from up to that point—but I will have finished the season by the time auctions reveal, so feel free to use stuff from the last arc as well if you feel like it fits. There will be spoilers for Andor season 2 in the prompts below! If you don’t want to be spoiled, click return to top to return to the main menu and use the links to skip straight to another fandom section. These sections also include spoilers for the final arc of season 2.
I love this show! I love the complicated and messy politics, both in the Senate and among the rebellion groups! I love the clashing viewpoints, how cynicism and faith, despair and optimism are intertwined, and how the same character can represent both sides of the argument. I love how the rebellion is made up of people making hard choices and sacrifices, and how oppressive the Empire is, but how people still find community amongst each other, how they decide to trust each other, and how that is often rewarded (but not always)! I love the characters and the communities they inhabit, and the worldbuilding of Ferrix, of Chandrila, and all the other worlds we see!
Final arc spoilers:
So, if nominations and requests were still on-going, I would definitely nominate and request Kleya! I liked her even before the final arc, but seeing her backstory with Luthen, how she was raised to be part of the rebellion, how she was his duaghter ”when it was useful”, and how she dealt with the whole situation of him being captured by ISB and having to mercy-kill him to protect the cause, how she had to be convinced to come with Cassian and Melshi to Yavin, and her lack of warm welcome there—I absolutely loved her part of the arc! I would love to see anything that delves more into her youth with Luthen, or settling in as his assistant even after he’d saved her and raised her, and their working relationship all tangled up with their personal relationship, or how she carried on after the show—what did she do, what position (if any) did she have in the Rebellion, how did she get on with Mon and Vel, with all their history, and with Bail, without the weight of their history (but also without the trust that comes from years of collaborating—not always easily, but collaborating—in very difficult circumstances)? How did she adapt after the end of the war and to the New Republic?Bix, Bix & Luthen
I want to see more of Bix! What does she do on Yavin, how does she fit in? What is her role? Does she take on missions? Does she stay on base as an engineer/mechanic? How does she adapt to the militarisation of the rebellion—Cassian struggles, but does she as well?
How does she get over what was done to her—I’m sure blowing up Gorst helped but there must be other aspects of it as well! Does that ever interfere with her missions? Does she kick her addiction, or get it under control, or does it still cause problems?
What does she do after leaving Yavin? Who does she fall in with, what do they know about her and her past? What kinds of mission or tasks does she take on? Does she ever meet Cassian again before the events of Rogue One? Does she find out what happened?
Or what if she’d decided to stay? Would she have persuaded Cassian to stay, or would she have been persuaded to go with him and leave the rebellion, and would she have been content? It feels like reclaiming her agency by getting revenge on the people who hurt her is quite important to her—would she have wanted to go back to that? Would Cassian be content? Or would they find themselves sucked back in?
What was her relationship with Luthen like? Before she was interrogated with the ISB, afterwards, on Coruscant or once she had moved to Yavin? How did they meet? Did she know he was Rebellion, or did she think he was just a black market buyer? What points of conflict did they have? Did they regain a trusting working relationship after she started regaining her sense of self, or was their relationship irreparably damaged? Did she do missions for him even after mobbing to Yavin, the way Cassian did, or did she go over to working exclusively with the Rebel Alliance based on Yavin?
Final arc spoilers:
OK, I didn’t love that she apparently went back to Mina-Rau to raise Cassian’s child, so feel free to go with any AU where she doesn’t, and actually does something that revolves around her and her arc, in which case, feel free to go with any of my prompts above or make up your own version of her future in line with your thoughts and ideas! But if you do want to write something canon-compliant, did she know she was pregnant when she left Cassian, and why did she leave instead of letting him come with her to be with his child? Or did she find out later, and how did she react?Wilmon, Brasso, Cassian & Wilmon & Brasso & Bix
The Ferrix gang—I love them all separately and together! I loved Brasso’s no-nonsense loyalty, Wilmon’s anger and impulsiveness, Bix’s resilience and inner strength, and Cassian’s I loved the sense of community of Ferrix, the little touches of how they all looked out for each other. I would love to see something pre-series with them, dealing with everyday life on Ferrix, how the Preox-Morlana Corporation worked, what avenues there were for people—like Cassian—who didn’t work for Preox-Morlana.
Or something about them settling in on Mina-Rau? What happened to them during the year between seasons? Did they have to flee multiple times, or did they spend most of it on Mina-Rau? They seem to have settled in and made themselves home in the community (again, I love the theme of ordinary people protecting each other from their Imperial overlords), suggesting they had been there a while. What story did they tell people—about where they came from, what Cassian did on his trips away, what they had been through previously?
What if Brasso had survived? How would he have coped on Coruscant? Would he have been roped into doing missions for Luthen as well? Would his survival have changed anything in terms of what Bix and Cassian did afterwards? Would having someone around when Cassian was on missions helped Bix, or would she still have started taking substances to sleep?
What kinds of missions did Wil do, when he wasn’t on loan to Saw? How were his skills as an engineer used? How did he go from being held captive by Saw (or even integrated into the Partisans) to being on Yavin? Did he defect to Saw’s Partisans? If so, what was he doing with the Rebel Alliance?
Final arc spoilers (kind of):
Was he one of the ones who followed Cassian to Scarif? If not, what did he do instead? How did he take the news? What did he do during the Battle for Yavin and afterwards?Cassian & Mon
They finally got to meet, and what a meeting it was! I loved the contrast between his world and hers, how shocked she was at seeing people killed, and how easy it was for him! I loved how she didn’t quite trust him, but still put herself in his hands, and how he really and truly delivered against almost impossible odds!
And the tenseness of their meeting afterwards, when he told her to make it worth it, how he was at home in the dingy apartment, how he knew all the others there (Wil, Dreena, Kleya), while Mon is an outsider? And then how they want to re-write the narrative and not give Cassian the credit for the extraction, but to give it to a more appealing, well-connected group instead! And both Mon and Cassian accept this without protest, presumably for different reasons. Love the whole scene!
Do they meet again on Yavin? How much contact do they have? Does she ever ask him to go on missions, or is it always through Draven? Does he ever act as protection for her, or is it once again given to other, “cleaner”, members of the Rebellion (not that any of them have clean hands). Do they have to pretend they don’t know each other?
Mon, Mon & Bail, Mon & Erskin, Mon & Perrin
Mon is such a good character! I love how this show has given her depth and complexity, and made her grapple with issues of ethics, what and how much she can sacrifice for the rebellion (and I love how she does sacrifice, how she throws Perrin under the bus and all but sells her daughter off to the son of someone she thinks of as a thug to cover her financial difficulties! She’s not morally pure—nobody under the Empire can remain morally pure, but they still try to be good people!), and the strain she’s under trying to hide her activities from the Empire! I would love to see more about her, her past, her present, her future! What was it like, growing up on Chandrila? She didn’t embrace the Chandrilan traditions the way Leida did, but did she overtly rebel against them, and to what extent (not too much, since she married Perrin in an arranged marriage, but maybe some?) What was her early marriage to Perrin like? Did they try to make a good marriage, despite their differences, or was it obvious from the start that they were too incompatible? What moments of reconciliation or closeness did they have? What happened to Perrin after Mothma made her inflammatory speech and escape? Were they reunited, and how did that reunion go?
How does she settle in on Yavin? How does she deal with the culture shock of high society to living on a military base in a jungle? From being a political representative to a military leader?
How did Erskin balance maintaining Mon’c confidence with reporting to Luthen? Did he ever find himself in a moral quandary about what to do and how much to say? What is Mon’s working relationship with Erskin like on Yavin, after she knows that he used to spy on her? Do they ever regain the trust that was damaged?
How closely does she work with Bail? Do they maintain a distance of plausible deniability in public? They clearly know of each other’s ties to the rebellion—did they know from the start or find out later? Do they ever coordinate activities, or do they keep each other in the dark? How do they deal with being two of the last progressive Sneators in a hostile Senate? What kinds of change can they affect, what can’t they, and do they ever have doubts about their role lending legitimacy to the Empire?
I’d love to see more of Imperial politics – how does the Senate work? Does it have any purpose, or is it just a distraction from the real politics? Is it ever full, the way it was before the Empire, and, if so, when? Which factions exist, and how do they relate to each other? Are there any rebel factions in the Senate other than the one Mon Mothma and Bail Organa belong to? How open can they be? How engaged is the Emperor in politics? Does he take an active interest, or leave it to subordinates? Who has the ear of the Emperor, and how do those who don’t work to get their ideas and policies implemented? What are the limits to debate? We saw that some criticism of the Empire’s policies is allowed, but where are the boundaries? How often do Senators cross those boundaries, and what are the effects of that on the rest of the Senate?
I would also love to read more about Chandrilans on Coruscant, if you feel like going that way! Who are they? How centrally organised are they? What is Mon’s role in the Chandrilan expat community? How much is the Chandrilan Embassy there to help Chandrilans, and how much is it a representation for the benefit of Coruscant and other citizens? Do they have another central point for their social life (a Chandrilan restaurant or marketplace, the home of another community figure, or something else)? Who are the other girls in Leida’s study circle, and who are their parents? Is there an equivalent for boys? How does Chandrilan and Coruscanti customs differ, and how do they adapt to Coruscant culture versus how much do they keep of Chandrilan culture? Are their conflicts within the community about this? What about the ones who don’t belong to Coruscant high society? Who are they? Where do they meet? How much contact do they have with the Embassy and their political representation?
Leida/Stekan
I love a good arranged marriage! I love that it’s not easy for them, that they struggle to communicate, that they are so young, and so unsure of who they are and what they want in life, and then they’re forced into proximity! Do they reach an understanding, or does their marriage turn as distant and loveless as Leida’s parents?
We don’t see much of what Stekan is actually like, so I’d love to see some exploration of his character, and how he relates to Chandrilan traditional culture? Does he embrace it the way Leida does, or does he find it oppressive, the way Mon and Vel do, or does he have a mixed or different relationship with his culture, being slightly on the outskirts of Chandrilan high society? Does he feel like they look down on him, and does his marriage to Leida change his position in society?
What is Stekan’s relationship with his parents like, and how does Leida fit into it? What do they do during the days? Are they still in school, or does being married and thus considered adult mean they have to leave school? What do they do instead?
How do they react to Mon’s defection—are there any consequences for them? Do they suffer from Imperial suspicion, and how do they deal with that? Does it tie them together or separate them? Leida’s relationship with Mon is already fraught (to say the least)—I’m sure that doesn’t help!
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Bridgerton
Characters/ships
• Alfred Debling/Penelope Featherington
• Benedict Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington
• Benedict Bridgerton/Edwina Sharma
• Benedict Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper
• Colin Bridgerton/Marina Thompson
• Cressida Cowper/Alfred Debling
• Daphne Bridgerton/Prince Friedrich
• Eloise Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper
• Prince Friedrich/Edwina Sharma
• Simon Basset/Marina Thompson
General Thoughts
What I like about this show is the characters, and the conflicts between them, the different points of view that are explored as they try to find love. I am fully aware that historical realism has been thrown out of the window, and it’s essentially Regency fairyland. If you want to write something more historically accurate (for instance, a world in which the Napoleonic wars are a thing), by all means go ahead—but I’m also quite fond of the ridiculousness of the show and would be equally delighted by something that adheres to the same level of fantasy as the show itself. I’m interested in getting a better ending for the characters who didn’t get their happy ending on the show! If there is a canonical couple that’s in the way of the requested ship, feel free to have them never get together, break things off before the wedding, or kill off any character to make the ship work.
Alfred Debling/Penelope Featherington
I have to admit, this almost-romance really charmed me! They were so wonderful together, and I really liked the connection between them! I like how they were open to each other’s eccentricities and how they are both considered odd by society, yet have found a niche of their own. Given Debling isn’t interested in society, Penelope being Lady Whistledown would be much less of an issue! What would have happened if Colin hadn’t shown up to ruin Debling’s plan to propose? How does Penelope settle in as the mistress of Debling’s estate, and how does she get on with managing it throughout his absence? What sorts of challenges does she face, and what sorts of tales does he have to tell on his return?
It might be interesting to explore how they reconcile Penelope’s romanticism with Debling’s pragmatism, and how Penelope’s wish to be placed first conflicts with Debling putting his work ahead of his family?
Benedict Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington
I think they’d do really well together! Benedict is easy-going and would probably take Penelope being Lady Featherington a lot better than Colin did! He might be more inclined to help and support her, rather than want her to quit: he doesn’t have much patience for the ton, and might see a kindred spirit in her. She might also encourage him to keep up with his art even when he’s discouraged. They’re both kind, quite sensitive people, even if they express it differently, and I think Benedict could help Penelope out of her shell, and Penelope could help Benedict find some direction with his life!
Benedict Bridgerton/Edwina Sharma
I just want poor Edwina to have a happy ending! Perhaps she and Benedict bond over their ridiculous siblings? Perhaps Benedict gets her attention first, before Anthony? How would he go about courting her? How would that change things for Anthony and Kate, if there was no Edwina to throw them together and keep them apart? Or maybe Benedict consoles her after everything goes wrong, and gives her an outlet for her anger, frustration, and sorrow? I don’t really have that many prompts for this pairing, but I’d love to see whatever you come up with!
Benedict Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper
This is a bit of an odd-ball pairing, but it would be very fun to explore! Does Benedict see a different side to Cressida when she becomes friends with Eloise? Or do the Benedict and Cressida become friends first—and if so, how—and love grows from there? Or is it a marriage of convenience, and if so, does it turn into anything more?
It might be fun to explore how she has to find her place with all of her in-laws, who are all sceptical of her, and how she makes a place for herself as Cressida Bridgerton. I would be very interested to see who she is when out from under her parents’ thumbs, and I think Benedict could coax a more carefree, kinder Cressida out of her shell!
Cressida Cowper/Alfred Debling
I love Cressida in all her petty, spiteful, insecure, lonely glory! I love how complicated she is, how she is what her parents made her be, how she becomes a better person when exposed to better influences but can’t quite shake herself free from her parents’ hold over her. She made bad decisions, but so understandable ones, scrabbling for whatever power she could get. I would love to see her gain happiness and independence, and be valued for who and what she is—maybe some of her rough edges are sanded off if she no longer feels under threat.
I also love Alfred Debling’s openness and frankness—he’s a man who knows who he is and what he wants, and doesn’t let anyone make him ashamed of that. I love his practicality and pragmatism, his kind-heartedness and willingness to accept people as they are, not trying to please him!
I can see this as a marriage of convenience: Debling get his wife who can manage his estate and be someone to come back to after his travels, and Cressida gains the freedom she’s been looking for! Maybe they grow to find that they have more in common than they thought, or that even if they are very different, they complement each other well? Maybe love grows slowly after marriage, as they navigate society and their duties on the estate as a couple?
I would also be happy with this as a lavender marriage, with either or both of them being gay or ace, and them just growing into good friends who support each other and are happy to cover for each other!
Colin Bridgerton/Marina Thompson
I feel so bad for Marina, trapped by circumstances and trying to make the best of the hand she’s been dealt! I have a great deal of sympathy for her actions in trying to save herself a horrible future. I would love to see her gain a better end than she got in the show, and a chance at real happiness, real love to grow from her marriage!
. Maybe she confesses to Colin and he decides to go through with it regardless, out of love for her and compassion at her circumstances? How do they navigate that imbalance of feelings, does Marina fall as in love with Colin as he is with her?
Or maybe Penelope doesn’t write her exposé, and he finds out after the marriage? How does Colin react, and how do they navigate that, very different relationship than the one described above? How do they reach an equilibrium and reconciliation under those more difficult circumstances?
Or maybe they fall in love later, after they’ve both matured and grown, as a second love or second marriage for both of them? How does their shared past colour that kind of relationship, and how have they changed in the meantime?
I would also be interested in seeing Colin deal with Marina’s children. Does he ever grapple with the fact that they aren’t his, or does he simply step into the father role without any second thoughts?
Daphne Bridgerton/Prince Friedrich
Prince Friedrich was such a sweetheart! I loved the care with which he courted Daphne, and how gallant he was! I loved how kind, understanding and non-possessive he was, and how considerate he was of Daphne and her wants and wishes.
I would love to see a story in which his courtship of Daphne was successful. Does she accept out of obligation (one doesn’t simply turn down royalty, no matter how kind) and love grows afterwards, or does she fall in love with Friedrich over the course of the courtship? How does she adjust to being Princess—even though she’s the daughter of a Viscountess, that’s still a massive step up in the social hierarchy! Everyone who sees Friedrich and her together agree that she’d make a very good Princess—are they right, or does she struggle getting her feet under her in her new role, like she did as Duchess? How does Friedrich adapt to living in England? Does he miss Prussia, and how does he deal with that? What’s their family like—both the one they make on their own, and their relationships with their new in-laws and extended family?
Eloise Bridgerton/Cressida Cowper
I was also really intrigued by the connection Cressida and Eloise seemed to form, and how much she seemed to value Eloise’s friendship—it wouldn’t be hard to convince me there were some romantic feelings there as well! With a woman comes the additional complication that they can’t marry—and I doubt Cressida’s parents will be very happy to pay for her to set up a household on her own with a friend, which might be a cause of concern for the relationship, but maybe the love interest has means of her own or a family that’s happy to support her and her partner? Or maybe she finds some way of bringing in enough to support her lifestyle—maybe she has a hidden talent not revealed in the show that will allow her to live an independent life?
Prince Friedrich/Edwina Sharma
What I like about Edwina is her sweet temperament, her shyness, her charm, her willingness to please, and her ability to get on with a range of different people, coupled with an integrity that makes her take a stand when it’s something she feels strongly about! I like how she clearly cared for both Kate and Anthony, and how she was willing to forgive and move on after they both hurt her deeply and caused a scandal for both families. I would love to see her find love and happiness and a suitable match with someone who can give her what she wants! As I said in the above request for Friedrich/Daphne, I love Friedrich’s openness, chivalry, and kindness.
The season 2 ending implied that the Queen would introduce her to Friedrich—what does that look like? How does their courtship proceed? Maybe he arrives a season later, and is charmed by Edwina, sponsored by his aunt’s dear friend, thus avoiding heartbreak for them both? While they might get on personally, there is still the vast class difference to contend with—how doe they overcome that? How does Edwina face being thrust into the spotlight as a Princess of one of the major powers of Europe? Do they get involved in the Prussian court, or do they live a more quiet life in England, such as Friedrich was willing to for Daphne? Or do they go to India, and what do they do there? I imagine that wherever they go, there would still be some amount of politics that they would need to play, just by virtue of Friedrich’s connections to several royal houses of Europe!
Simon Basset/Marina Thompson
As I said in my above request for Colin/Marina, I feel so bad for Marina, trapped by circumstances and trying to make the best of the hand she’s been dealt! I have a great deal of sympathy for her actions in trying to save herself a horrible future. I would love to see her gain a better end than she got in the show, and a chance at real happiness, real love to grow from her marriage!
Maybe Simon decides the best way to spite his father is to have the Hastings name continue through children with none of his blood? How does Simon find out—before or after the wedding? How does he react if it’s after the wedding? How do they deal with rumours and the threat of scandal if it’s before, given that they would have to have a very quick wedding and the children would still be quite premature yet healthy!
How does Marina cope with being Duchess, and how do her Featherington relations react? Is there any jealousy? Does her relationship with Penelope remain intact if Penelope isn’t put in a position to choose between her and Simon, or does Penelope still choose to disclose her pregnancy to everyone?
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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
• Edmund Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth
• Lucy Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Edmund Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Peter Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Susan Pevensie
• Sansa Stark/Lucy 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?
Brienne/Edmund
I feel like these two would have a very fun dynamic – Edmund’s sarcasm and Brienne’s sincerity. They’ve also both thought very hard about their moral codes and made them deliberate – Edmund after the White Witch debacle and to earn his epithet of the Just, and Brienne to determine what chivalry means for her. Where do they clash and where do they align? How have they adapted to the very different worlds they come from, and how do they meet the other and how the other has adapted to their world and their circumstances?
Brienne/Lucy
This would also be a really fun dynamic to explore – instead of contrasting Brienne’s sincerity with Edmund’s sarcasm, it’s paired with Lucy’s boundless faith and joy! I think Lucy would just accept Brienne completely as she is, no questions asked, and that would be such a breath of fresh air for Brienne who’s always had to justify herself and her choices! Lucy is also not as ladylike and dignified as Susan, so she might not be as intimidating to Brienne, and I’d love to read about their adventures together!
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.
Sansa/Lucy
In contrast to Susan and Edmund sharing some of the darker parts of Sansa’s past. Lucy is light and faith and innocence, and maybe that’s what Sansa needs from Narnia! Maybe Lucy shows her to have fun again and just delight in life, and not worry about the past or the future? Maybe Sansa and Lucy go on adventures in Narnia together? Maybe she helps Sansa in Winterfell, keeping everyone’s spirits us during the Long Night? Lucy is a healer, so maybe she teaches Sansa valuable skills? Maybe
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Crossover Fandom, House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones (Fire & Blood and A Song of Ice and Fire also welcome)
Characters/Ships
• Sansa Stark/Jacaerys Targaryen
• Aegon II Targaryen (HotD)/Margaery Tyrell (GoT)
• Alicent Hightower (HOTD) & Sansa Stark (GOT)
• Margaery Tyrell (GoT)/Viserys I Targaryen (HotD)
• Sansa Stark (GoT) & Rhaena Targaryen (HotD)
• Sansa Stark (GoT)/Viserys I Targaryen (HotD)
General thoughts
I love both shows (the quality of the latter half of GoT notwithstanding) and I would love to see them crossed over! I love the politics, the intrigue, the characters all having their own motivations, goals and desires that sometimes align and sometimes conflict, and the way even good characters make bad choices! I have also read both ASOIAF and Fire & Blood, so if you want to use the book versions of any characters, feel free!
Time travel would be a lot of fun: either the later era characters going back to the time of the Dance, and having to make their way while knowing there is a civil war coming: how much do they try to change, how much can they change, or the Dance characters coming to the later era: how does the arrival of a historical figure with potentially a dragon upset the War of the Five Kings, or the lead-up to it, or the War for the Living, or any other point of the show?
Or maybe the characters have always been there, with the Tyrells of the Dance being the later-day characters we know, and the Starks being related to either Rickard or Cregan somehow, or the Targaryens being lost Targaryens that survived Robert’s Rebellion? Either way, it would be really fun to see how the addition of new characters changes the political dynamics and outcomes of the show(s)!
Aegon/Margaery
I think this pairing would be really intriguing! Margaery has a talent manipulating recalcitrant kings, as evidenced by her relationship with Joffrey, and unlike Joffrey, Aegon in some way does care about smallfolk and does want to be loved, not just feared. I think she could be a fantastic addition to the Green Council—would that change things? Would having Aegon married to Margaery leave space for Helaena to be married to Jace, thereby avoiding the Dance, or would the battle lines still be drawn? Would having Margaery by his side make Aegon want to do better, and does that change how he’s seen by the smallfolk, and the course of the war. Can she avoid Aegon being injured, or does he still insist on riding to battle, and how does she manage when Aemond takes over as regent? Does Margaery ever chafe against the role assigned to her as a woman, and how does she manage that?
Alicent & Sansa
Alicent and Sansa are very similar in some ways, and different in others—it would be really fascinating to explore their parallels and contrasts! Both are young women caught in the schemes of older, manipulative men around them, grabbing for whatever power they can and using their soft power to the best of their ability, both eventually become Queen, but what they do with the power they have is so very different, and so is how they approach their powerlessness. Maybe Sansa counsels a younger Alicent before her wedding to Viserys? Maybe Alicent is there in the Red Keep when Sansa’s a prisoner of the Lannisters? Maybe Sansa is a hostage of the Hightowers to make Cregan join the Greens? Whatever way you think of bringing these two together, I would love to see them exchange ideas and perspectives!
Jacaerys/Sansa
These two would be so sweet together! They’re both kind, considerate people who care about the others around them, and they both have a skill with politics and getting people to want to follow them. Maybe they get engaged before the Dance, or maybe it’s part of the negotiations for Northern support? Maybe Sansa is at Dragonstone as part of Team Black, and counsels Jacaerys through his impatience? Maybe she’s able to use either her cunning, or her knowledge of the future, to help the Blacks to victory and allow Jace to survive the Dance? How would they do, ruling a war-torn kingdom? How would they ensure peace in the Seven Kingdoms? I would also be really interested in seeing Sansa interact with Vermax, and how she as a non-Targaryen deals with the dragons—maybe she even has Lady, still, and Lady and Vermax have to reach an equilibrium?
Margaery/Viserys
Margaery as Viserys’ Queen would be so fascinating! She would know how to play politics, and would manage him to be better—but what would “be better” mean for her? Would she manage where Alicent failed, and get her sons put before Rhaenyra in the succession? Would she see that it’s hopeless, and work on cultivating Rhaenyra instead, and betroth their children? Would she cultivate allies for the inevitable war, like the Hightowers did, and not be blindsided like Alicent wat? How would her relationship with Viserys be? Would it be fond but platonic, or would they grow to love each other? Or would it be one-sided, with Viserys in love, and Margaery appreciating him for what he can give her, but ultimately not interested in him herself? So many different possibilities to explore!
Rhaena & Sansa
There are quite a lot of parallels and differences between these two characters as well, and I think they’d get on well! Both are more political and calmer people in a family that’s more boisterous. Maybe they bond over Sansa being the only Stark without a Direwolf and Rhaena as the only Targaryen without a Dragon? Maybe they meet in the Vale, and learn to play politics during wartime together? Or maybe they go further afield—to Pentos, to the North? Maybe Rhaenyra sends her younger children North, placing them well out of the way for the Greens?
Sansa/Viserys
What if Sansa was in Alicent’s position as Viserys’ second wife? No idea how she got there—perhaps Baelish was pushing for her, or it was a political choice to bind the North closer to the Iron Throne, or perhaps when Otto pushed for Alicent, Viserys took it as encouragement to go after Sansa, or perhaps it was actually love? How would Rhaenyra react, and how would Viserys not choosing Alicent change the relationship between Viserys and Rhaenyra? What would Sansa be like as Viserys’ Queen, both in his prime and as his health started to fail him? How would she navigate the time leading up to the Dance? Would she bind Rhaenyra closer, and cultivate a relationship between her children and Rhaenyra’s, or would she, like Alicent, try to shore up their position? How would that change the alliances and factions during the Dance? Would having someone who also knows about the threat from beyond the Wall and the Song of Ice and Fire, but from a Northern perspective, mean they were more likely to be working towards the same goal? Would that even come out, given it’s a secret they were both keeping, or would they keep their motivations hidden and marvel that the other part was being so cooperative in avoiding bloodshed—or maybe they wouldn’t even reflect on it, as avoiding bloodshed is generally seen as a good thing, even when you’re not trying to prevent a calamity that will have repercussions generations down the line?
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Crossover Fandom, Mansfield Park and Master and Commander 2003/Pirates of the Caribbean
Characters/ships
• Fanny Price/Tom Pullings
• James Norrington/Fanny Price
• Fanny Price/Charles Bingley
General thoughts
I just want Fanny to marry a dashing man who will respect her thoughts and opinions and treat her right! This request is mainly due to my desire to see a better outcome 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’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. 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.
Fanny/Norrington
Someone said that Norrington’s only flaw was to be an Austen hero in the wrong genre – so let’s make him an Austen hero!
Fanny Price has connections to the Navy, maybe she meets Norrington through her brother? Or maybe they meet by chance in Portsmouth while Norrington is in dock and she’s with her family? Or maybe Sir Thomas meets him on his trip to the Caribbean, and introduces him to his family in England? Maybe he sees how they treat her at Mansfield Park and wants to do something about it?
Norrington would also be in a position to help William, and unlike Henry Crawford, he’d do it because he’s a good person, without any ulterior motives. I feel like she’d be quietly supportive of him and his supernatural pirate-related trauma, and he would appreciate her inner strength.
Or perhaps Sir Thomas took his family with him on his trip to the Caribbean! How does the family settle into Port Royal? Are they swept up in the pirate-related excitement, or do they stay out of it? Maybe Norrington is stationed on the ship they take to get over there, or maybe they meet while already there?
Perhaps Fanny even marries Crawford or Edmund, and her husband turns out to be controlling and emotionally abusive. Maybe Norrington 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.
Fanny/Pullings
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. Like in the above request, 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.
Or, again, just as in the above request, 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.
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!
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)!
Fanny/Bingley
This is such an intriguing pairing! We know that Bingley has a fondness for reserved ladies with great moral character, which Fanny definitely is, and Bingley is a very good man who would be a great match for Fanny—outgoing enough to bring her out of her shell, but still amiable enough not to overwhelm her! How do they meet? How does her family react, when she’s courted by someone as wealthy as Bingley—do they claim the credit for her upbringing that allowed her to catch his attention, or do they begrudge her it, especially Mrs Norris, Maria and Julia? How do Bingley’s sisters and Darcy react to Fanny—do they try to separate them the same way they did Bingley and Jane, given Fanny’s low connections and lack of dowry, and is Bingley receptable? What other obstacles lie in their path towards happiness?
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Downton Abbey
Characters/ships
• Thomas Barrow & Anna Smith
• Thomas Barrow & Gwen Dawson
• Thomas Barrow & Tom Branson
• Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson
• Thomas Barrow & William Mason
• Thomas Barrow/William Mason
• Thomas Barrow & Daisy Mason
General thoughts
I would really like to see Thomas have more friends and feel more at home at Downton Abbey, like later season Thomas had Baxter and Andy. Given how easily he gave his loyalty to Baxter and Andy, and how ride or die he was for them, it might not take much to wrangle early season Thomas away from O’Brien – probably just acceptance of his sexuality and showing they can be relied on to keep it a secret. Don’t get me wrong – Thomas is a self-serving bastard, and I love that about him, but I also think that part of why he lashes out so much and is his own worst enemy, is his deep-seated insecurity and feeling of being at war with the world. I’d love it if he had better friends who could curb his worst impulses rather than encourage them, and who’d encourage him to turn his scheming and manipulation for good.
If you want to give Thomas a love interest, that is completely fine with me. It could be William or Branson – this is one instance I’m perfectly happy to see a gen relationship turned shippy, or it could be an OC, or it could be Chris Webster, Richard Ellis or Guy Dexter arriving on the scene early, but please, no Jimmy. Feel free to have Thomas pining for Jimmy, but I don’t want it requited, and I also don’t want Thomas kissing an unwitting Jimmy – I don’t really mind how you deal with it: change the circumstances so the possibility never arises, have his friends talk him out of it, keep everything the same but just pretend it never happened, or some other way are all fine with me.
Historical accuracy very optional - as long as there's a general sense of the early 20th century, I'll be happy (of course, I won't say no if you do want to painstakingly research what daily life below stairs would be like, but that part is definitely not required)!
Thomas & William, Thomas/William
Maybe William finds out and accepts Thomas’ sexuality early on in his career at Downton, and maybe that means Thomas actually acts as a mentor to him in his early days at Downton Abbey? Thomas would probably still be a bit exasperated with William’s general naïveté, and would be a very prickly friend, but William’s good-natured enough he could probably let it flow off him, as long as he knew Thomas didn’t mean it, really.
Maybe William helps cover for him, and make it look like Thomas is interested in women, and maybe Thomas helps him woo Daisy? Maybe they shield each other from Carson’s wrath?
Or maybe William survives the war, and they bond over the horrors they have both experienced, and difficulties returning to normal life? Maybe the War has made William more jaded, and more able to understand Thomas’ bitterness?
Thomas & Gwen
Both ambitious people who want to improve their situation – Gwen by leaving service, and Thomas by rising to the top of the service career ladder. Maybe they help each other, and cover for each other – Thomas when Gwen goes to interview, and Gwen if he wants to sneak out to meet a special someone? Maybe seeing Gwen’s success makes him realise there is a world outside service, and she helps him find a job, particularly after the war when he’s desperate and Downton Abbey aren’t willing to have him back? Maybe Gwen is a lesbian or female-leaning bisexual, and they act as each other’s beards?
Thomas & Branson Tom/Branson
Thomas resents the wealth the Crawleys have, and think they’re no better than him – and he’s absolutely right! Maybe Branson manages to turn Thomas’ resentment into political activity, and they have their own little Socialists Charter at Downton? Maybe they recruit Daisy, who shows some interest for workers’ rights? How does he react when Branson marries Sybil and becomes a member of the Upstairs? Does Branson let him know what he and Sybil are planning, or does he keep it a secret? How betrayed does he feel, and do they manage to overcome it?
Or maybe they become friends through Sybil during the war, and Thomas helps them cover up their relationship? Or you could combine this with the request above regarding Gwen, and have a foursome of Gwen, Thomas, Branson and Sybil all trying to get Gwen a better job?
Or maybe Branson and Thomas have a secret relationship, sneaking off to Branson’s cottage? How do they keep it a secret, does anyone suspect?
Thomas & Anna
Anna has a sneaky side, as evidenced when she made Thomas and O’Brien think she’d hidden the stolen snuff box in one of their rooms – she’s cunning enough to keep up with Thomas, but also has a good heart and strong morals, so she’d be slightly more able to keep him on the straight and narrow.
How does Thomas and Anna being friends change his relationship with Bates? How does Anna react when the two men she cares about are fighting over the same job? Or does her friendship with Thomas mean she never grows close to Bates? Maybe she even finds out he’s gay and acts as his beard – how does that influence her courtship with Bates?
Thomas & Daisy
What if Thomas, in his attempts to make William jealous, found that he actually liked Daisy as a friend and person? Early season Daisy is quite young and naïve, does he like having someone he can mentor who doesn’t think the worst of him? How does he deal with Daisy’s crush on him and having to let her down, and how does she take it?
As I said earlier in my above request with Branson, maybe they bond over wanting better than to be treated like servants – although neither of them is political to start, so they might need some triggering event for Daisy to discover politics earlier than she does in canon/Thomas to turn his general bitterness and resentment into political thought.
How does season 3 onwards with the drama of Daisy, Alfred, Jimmy, and Ivy play out if Daisy has Thomas on her side? Both of them can be petty and act out against people they don’t like (although Daisy never takes it as far as Thomas), do they ever go too far? Or does Mrs Patmore’s influence on Daisy also start to affect Thomas?
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The Goblin Emperor
Characters/ships
• Arbelan Drazharan
• Chenelo Drazharan
• Arbelan Drazharan & Chenelo Drazharan
• Csethiro Ceredin & Arbelan Drazharan
General Thoughts
This is such a nice comfort read book! I loved Maia finding his feet in court, how he started to flourish and come into his own, and how he, through his kindness and consideration, managed to win people over and start making changes for the better! I also love the politics, how people use subtle cues to signal favour or disfavour, the thought that goes into appearances, and back-room deals where people trade favours with each other!
I’d also be incredibly interested in seeing how the women’s court functions, politics among the ladies—both their own politics, but also how they move things in the national politics that’s usually seen as the men’s domain, how they wield influence over other ladies and over men, the different factions among the women – not just Csoru’s faction and Csethiro’s, but what other factions, among the older ladies, and to what extent does it mirror the men’s factions, what Csethiro is like as the Empress, Vedero’s circle and who is included in it, and how it interacts with other factions in the women’s court, what role Arbelan has at court and how she fits in, or what role Chenelo would have in Maia’s court if she survived – or what role Chenelo or Arbelan had before their relegations, when they were the Empress?
Arbelan Drazharan
I would love something about Arbelan, at any time point! Her early life with Varenechibel would be interesting to explore: what was court like under Varevesena? What was Arbelan like as Empress, or before he was even crowned? What was Varenechibel like in his early reign, or as Crown Prince? What political issues were on the agenda, and how did Arbelan manage them? What conflicts did she have to navigate?
What was her life like during relegation? What did she do during the days, who did she interact with? How did she settle back into court after her relegation—did she still have friends? What was her relationship with the other women of the Drazhada family? What was her role at court? She was one of the first courtiers Maia let in behind his guard—I’d love to see more about their relationship, how she advised him and guided him. And how did that affect her standing at court? Was she ever courted for a second marriage after Varenechibel’s death, and how did she react to that?
Or, what if she had been able to give Varenechibel children—what if her miscarried child had survived to be born? What if she’d given him a son—obviously that would have changed the course of the story a great deal, since he wouldn’t have been able to marry any of his subsequent wives. What would have happened to him and his family instead? What would the Curneisei have done instead? Or what if her child had been a daughter for her to cherish? Would he still have relegated her, or would they have tried to make the best of it? How would he have treated her and their daughter? What would her daughter’s fate have been, and how would the succession of the Drazhada line be secured?
Chenelo Drazharan
I would love to see an Au where Chenelo came to court with Maia, and helped him settle in, could give him the guidance and support he needed when he was floundering in the beginning! What would Maia be like raised by his mother? Would his resentment of his father be as deep, given they were still relegated, or would he be more understanding given he hadn’t spent eight years being abused by a bitter relative who cared nothing for him, but instead with his mother? What would Chenelo’s feelings about her ex-husband and her relegation be? How would she cope with being back at court? Would she feel out of place, due to the changes or due to being a goblin in an elf court, or would she find that without Varenechibel there, she was free to make court her own and set up her own power faction at court? She would be in a completely different position, as the Emperor’s beloved mother, as opposed to the unwanted fourth wife in a political marriage that the Emperor didn’t want and had in fact been manipulated into! How would that influence how she dealt with the court when she came back—those who had shunned her before who now want to be in her good graces (or would they still shun her due to being a goblin?)—did she have any allies then, and would they still be around to welcome her back, or would they have run afoul of Varenechibels’ temper and court politics? What would she have made of Sheveän—would she have handled the situation differently? Perhaps Stano would have joined her household instead, or she might have nurtured that contact in a way Maia couldn’t and found out about Sheveän’s plans that way?
What would the relationship between Chenelo and Maia as an adult be like? What sort of difficulties would they face? Would they have arguments, what about, and how would they play out and be resolved?
Or what about an AU where Chenelo reconciles with her father, and he names Maia his heir? How would she fit in back in Barizhan? How would Maia adapt? How would she get on with her sisters? Would the Great Avar recognize them in these circumstances? How would her relationship with her father be—would all be forgiven, or would she still feel some resentment over being traded away to Varenechibel and left in relegation for however many years?
Arbelan Drazharan & Chenelo Drazharan
The two Drazharan who were relegated by Varenechibel should definitely get to meet and bitch about him, and get their vengeance by basically ruling the ladies’ side of the court and being trusted and valued advisors to Edrehasivar the Emperor as well as beloved mentors to Maia the person. What would their relationship be like, how well would they get on, would there be anything that separated them: their experiences of both the Court, Varenechibel, and their respective relegation, is likely to be quite different? Besides, Arbelan would be old enough to be Chenelo’s mother, so while they’re equals socially (more or less, officially, at least), the age might play a role in how they relate to each other?
What if they were relegated together: if Chenelo and Maia were relgated to Cethoree instead of Isvaroë? How would they have got along in isolation? How would Arbelan have dealt with Chenelo’s illness and raising Maia? I imagine that might have led to a better fate for all of them: giving Arbelan company and a child to dote on, almost like a grandchild, and Chenelo an older woman she could turn for support and guidance, and to help her through her illness. Perhaps she even survived in these circumstances?
Or, what if it’s not due to Maia’s ascendancy to Emperor that they’re both recalled to court, but due to Nemolis’, or one of his other brothers? How would they get on with Empress Sheveän? Would there be a battle of wills between them, or would they have to be more subtle about their alliance-building and influence? Or Empress Stano, if Ciris was the sole survivor? I imagine she would be more easily led by the two older women, but if Sheveän was still around, she might make life difficult for them!
Csethiro Ceredin & Chenelo Drazharan
Like many of the above requests, I think the relationship between Chenelo and Csethiro would be really fascinating to explore—how each of them relate to their role in court, the different ways they take to fulfil it, and how they work together to further their agenda and Maia’s agenda! Csethiro as someone who is unconventional but still knows and is comfortable in court settings would be very interesting to contrast with Chenelo, who is marked as an outsider by her appearance, and whose previous time at court, one can infer, was miserable. How active would Chenelo be in Maia’s choice of wife, and what would her take on Csethiro be (whether or not she was actively involved)? What does Csethiro think of her mother-in-law? How do they balance their own agendas, their shared agendas, and what Maia wants? Do they move in different circles, and how do they combine their social lives, and how much do they keep them separate? What kinds of causes do they champion, either together or apart?
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House of the Dragon
Characters/ships
• Addam of Hull
• Alicent Hightower
• Criston Cole
• Criston Cole & Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Criston Cole/Alicent Hightower
• Alicent Hightower & Otto Hightowe
• Alicent Hightower & Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Alicent Hightower/Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Alicent Hightower/Viserys I Targaryen
• Baela Targaryen & Rhaena Targaryen & Jacaerys Velaryon & Lucerys Velaryon
• Rhaena Targaryen
• Rhaenys Targaryen
• Rhaenys Targaryen/Corlys Velaryon
• Tyland Lannister & Rhaenyra Targaryen
• Tyland Lannister/Rhaenyra Targaryen
General thoughts
I love the complicated and messy politics and family relations, the betrayals and loyalty, how there are multiple points where the characters can choose to be better people and don’t, how both the Greens and the Blacks have legitimate reasons to be upset with each other and how there are no easy answers! I would love to see an exploration of the dynamics, or an alternate universe where things end up better for the characters and they make better choices, or an alternate universe where they make different choices and everything still ends on literal or metaphorical fire! Maybe one in which the coalitions are different (what would it take for the Velaryons to support Aegon at the outbreak of the war? Or for the Lannisters to support Rhaenyra? Or what if the Greens and the Blacks came to an arrangement, and instead the Velaryons rebelled against the Crown? Or some other shift in circumstances that leads the alliances to turn out differently?) or one in which different characters die or survive, and how would that change either the lead-up to or the outcome of the Dance?
I have read Fire and Blood, and would be happy to see something drawing from that canon rather than the show canon, or that mixes both.
Addam
I have quickly grown very fond of Addam—his steadfastness, his want to be recognised and ambition, and his loyalty! (Particularly his loyalty: I love how it’s his defining trait in the book, and would love to see that aspect part of his character brought out in the story.)
I would love to read more about him finding his feet as a dragon rider, his fealty to Rhaenyra, and finding a place for himself in her court and among her forces, thrust into a position where he can make a difference to the large-scale events of Westeros in a way most (individual) smallfolk can’t! Does he find that having servants and riches and moving among the nobility is everything he wanted, or does he find that the stares, sneers, and judgement outweighs the positives?
How does his relationship with Alyn change when he becomes a dragonrider? What was it like growing up? Did Addam ever resent that Alyn got to join Corlys at sea and got to work close to him (even though Alyn didn’t appreciate it), while he was landbound as a shipwright?
It would also be very fascinating to explore his relationship with Corlys—so awkward, and so full of things unsaid, Addam’s longing to be recognised and acknowledged by Corlys, the power differential and Addam’s birth acting as barriers between them. We saw Alyn’s bitterness at not being recognised as a boy, how did Addam feel? What are his thoughts on Corlys, Rhaenys, Laenor and Laena? It would be very fun to see him interacting with Laenor, Corlys’ trueborn son and heir—perhaps before Laenor’s purported death, perhaps in an AU where Laenor stayed in Westeros?
Or what about his relationship with Jacaerys? Both bastards, but in very different positions. Jace clearly feels threatened by the dragonseed claiming dragons, how does Addam navigate that? Do they reach an equilibrium and understanding, or are they always a little bit at odds, never quite managing to get over the differences of birth and fortunes, and the threat they pose to each other (inadvertently or not)?
Or maybe interacting with Baela and Rhaena, or with Luke, in an AU where Luke does inherit the Driftwood Throne? Does he ever resent that the inheritance goes to Corlys’ purported grandson, just as much a bastard as he, even though nobody admits it, or does he accept it as the way of the world?
Alicent
I love Alicent – how she tries her best to work within the roles that she’s been thrust into, and her complicated relationship with her gilded cage and the ways she manages to still wield her power. I love how she does her duty and sacrifices, and it still doesn’t bring her happiness and fulfilment, and her resentment of those who she perceives as flaunting their disrespect for the rules she follows so ardently. I think she’s a really complicated and fun character to explore, with her relationship to her father, her husband, her children—how she tries to be a good mother but fails on several occasions, and her fear for their lives, fanned by Otto, drive her to inflame the conflict with Rhaenyra. It would be very fun to see who she could be if she had a better husband, or if she managed to maintain a good relationship with Rhaenyra. I would also be very interested in something exploring her faith.
Criston Cole
Like Alicent, Criston is a really interesting flawed character. I love his dedication to his duty, and how torn up he is about failing it – his loyalty first to Rhaenyra and then, when she rejects his offer to be more than just a secret affair, to Alicent. I think how his pride in his position that turns into resentment, and how he manages to regain some pride through dedicating herself to Alicent and her children really fascinating. He’s also a very compliex character who has internalised a lot of toxic masculinity and externalises his own failings (blaming Rhaenyra for breaking his vows, for instance) and is prone to see violence as a legitimate way to respond to situations where it’s really not!
What did he do on the borders of Dorne before coming to court? What might have happened if his relationship with Rhaenyra didn’t turn sour – would he have fathered her children instead of Harwin Strong when it turned out Laenor really couldn’t? Or what if she hadn’t tried to seduce him or he hadn’t given in and he still remained her loyal knight, and nothing more – would he have resented Laenor? How might the Dance have changed if Criston Kingmaker was on the side of the Blacks?
I would also be just as happy with something canon-compliant, that investigates him being torn between his duty to Aegon, his feelings for Alicent, and his loyalty to Aemond, or something exploring his relationship with Otto, these two men who both wield such power in the kingdom, but in different ways, and with different ideas on how to win the war. What if Otto had remained Aegon’s hand—would Criston have chafed, and would he ever have gone against Otto’s order to engage in battle before Otto decided it was time?
Or something exploring his suicidality, how he got to that point, trapped by his duty and war, and does he ever find a way out?
Criston & Rhaenyra, Criston/Rhaenyra
I like how intense Criston is, and how he desperately wants something or someone he can devote himself to, and how Rhaenyra needs someone who is unquestioningly hers after Alicent marries Viserys, souring her relationships with both her closest friend and father in one swoop: in that way, their needs at that particular time match, but the tragedy is that they had different ideas of what their future would look like. What would their relationship have been like if they didn’t? If they had fled to Essos, like he suggested: would she have been content giving up her crown for him, or would she start to resent him? Or what if they stayed in Westeros, like Rhaenyra wanted – would he have fathered her children instead of Harwin Strong when it turned out Laenor really couldn’t? Or what if she hadn’t tried to seduce him or he hadn’t given in and he still remained her loyal knight, and nothing more – would he have resented Laenor, or would he be content being her guard? Would he have remained her confidant? How might the Dance have changed if Criston Kingmaker was on the side of the Blacks?
Criston/Alicent
I’m also fascinated, not just by Criston and Alicent in separation, but also their relationship together. I would very much like an exploration of the line between courtly love and romantic love, pining for someone when honour won’t allow you to give in – for Alicent because of her faith, and for Criston because he’s been burned once by that, and both of them because of the grave consequences of discovery. I’m also interested in exploring other ways to express love than just via sex and traditional romance, hence the inclusion of them as a platonic relationship in the request, based on strong loyalty and dedication to each other within the roles set out for them as Queen and Kingsguard.
Or, if you do want to include a sexual component to their relationship, season 2 has them actively having sex—how did they get to that point? How soon after Viserys’ death did it start? For both of them, there are very good reasons they would feel conflicted about it, and how do they deal with that? How do they balance their duties and their feelings? How do they deal with the guilt of the consequences of their actions, do they reconcile, or does that tear them apart?
What if he hadn’t picked Aemond over Alicent as Aegon’s regent? Would the council still have gone for the male heir over the experienced woman? How would their relationship have changed if she felt like she could truly count on his support? Would that have changed any of their actions during the second season, or would it still have played out the same?
Alicent & Otto
I love Alicent – how she tries her best to work within the roles that she’s been thrust into, and her complicated relationship with her gilded cage and the ways she manages to still wield her power. I really like the complicated dynamic between her and Otto, how she both fears and loves him, how she tries to outplay him even as she does what he demands of her. I really liked their more equal dynamic in season 2, how she could be frank with him and he seemed to listen to her when she points out that he’s undermining her—what did it take to get to that point?
What was her childhood like? Otto seems to be genuinely fond of Alicent, and not excessively strict for a Westerosi father, but his ambitions influence every relationship he has, and he essentially ruins her only friendship. How did the death of Alicent’s mother affect their relationship? How did Otto’s ambition affect Alicent as a child, or when she was trying to find her feet as a Queen, or as she became a mother herself? What was their relationship like when Alicent’s children were young? Did she turn to her father for support and advice, or did she try to carve out her own position, independently of him, and how did he react to that? How did their relationship change as Alicent became Viserys’ regent, and did Otto push for it, or did her feel like as Hand, he should have that position?
Alicent & Rhaenyra, Alicent/Rhaenyra
I love both these women, and the relationship between them! I love how complicated they both are, and how complicated their relationship is. One of the main tragedies of the show to me is how their friendship fell apart and all the moments they had to mend it but didn’t. I’m really interested in how they relate to each other, and that they’re both complicated women constrained by their stations and the circumstances around them, and how they react and act differently to exercise their agency within those structures.
What if Alicent hadn’t heard and misunderstood Viserys last words? Would she have acted differently in the coup? Tried to send a message to Rhaenyra or even go herself with Rhaenys? Or would she still have fallen into line with her father, and what would she have thought and felt about that, torn between all her various loyalties and duties?
Or what if they had betrothed Jaecerys and Helaena, as per Rhaenyra’s suggestion? Could the two branches of the family have reconciled that way, or would Alicent and Rhaenyra still have clashed, given their different attitudes and ways of approaching the world? How would they have handled their sons, who at that point had a very inflamed relation?
What if Alicent hadn’t found out that Rhaenyra lied about the night with Daemon and Ser Criston? Would she still have been so averse to Rhaenyra’s sons with Harwin Strong, because it means she was unfaithful to her husband and exposed the crown to gossip, or was it the fact that Rhaenyra lied that really hurt her?
Or what if the point of divergence was earlier? What if Rhaenyra married Gwayne Hightower, and the way for Otto to get his grandchild on the Iron Throne went through Rhaenyra? Would the Dance of the Dragons be averted if he didn’t push for Aegon over Rhaenyra and her children, or would there have been a different Dance with whichever family Viserys’ second wife was from (would he have married Laena if Otto wasn’t pushing Alicent at him, or would he still have balked at marrying a twelve-year-old and married someone else?)? Or would Otto still have hedged his bets and pushed for Alicent as Viserys’ second wife as well, and would Rhaenyra’s marriage to Gwayne change anything about how she reacted to that?
What about a time travel fix-it? Most of the ones I’ve seen have had Rhaenyra as the time traveller, since she has more room to change things with her actions, which is why it might be interesting to see Alicent as the time traveller, as she’s much more constrained in her choices. What can she change, and what happens without her being able to avert it? Or what unexpected consequences are there of her actions – which is something I’m also very interested in with Rhaenyra time travelling! Or what about both? How do they react to each other back in their early days with all the weight of their history behind them? Do they work together to ensure a better future, or do their future conflicts spill over into their old relationship? Do they even know the other also has travelled in time, or do the ascribe all changes to their own actions? How long does it take them to realise, who realises first, and how does she act in response to that?
For the shipfic request, how did they get together? As teenagers, when they were still friends, and if so, how did that change how they reacted to future events? Or as adults, when they have to get over all the betrayals and bitterness that sprung up between them? How do they handle that they’re both highborn women with obligations to marry and bear children? For Rhaenyra, that might be easier, given her personality and her arrangement with Leonor, but how does Alicent reconcile her sense of duty and sacrifice with her love for Rhaenyra?
Alicent/Viserys
This was such a complex, compelling relationship, with power dynamics and uneven feelings galore! I am really compelled by Alicent’s reticence and her powerlessness compared to her husband, yet she does grow fond of him in her own way (as a coping strategy? Genuine fondness? Up to you!), and as he grows weaker, the power dynamics start shifting in the other way, and she takes the position she has and makes something more of it (but still, she’s the one looking after him, his needs and wants are centred, not hers, and her value always lies in what she can provide for him and never the other way round). I would love something that explores the dynamics between them, perhaps early in their marriage, when they’re still unsure of each other, or perhaps later, when they’re more settled into the dynamics. There is plenty of opportunity to explore what a messy relationship this is, with Alicent’s resentment of her powerlessness, and Viserys’ resentment that she isn’t Aemma—but I would also be interested in a fix-it! Perhaps something where Viserys supports Alicent more unequivocally in her new role as Queen, and she grows to not just tolerate but love him? Perhaps Viserys takes a more active role in mending the fences between Rhaenyra and Alicent, and finds a compromise? Perhaps he doesn’t neglect his children by Alicent to such a degree that she fears for their lives when he dies, but instead ensures that their futures are safe even when Rhaenyra inherits?
Baela & Rhaena & Jacaerys & Lucerys
I really like the strong friendship between these four step-siblings/second cousins/first cousins (kind of)! I would love to read something about them growing up, preparing to take on the responsibilities they are due to inherit. Do Baela and Rhaena ever resent Jace and Luke for taking what otherwise would be theirs? Or are they always as accepting as they seem to be in the show?
I would also be really interested in the future in a canon divergence where they all survive and win the war! How do they relate to each other as King and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord and Lady of Driftmark? Does Luke take to the sea in the same way Corlys did? Is it a case where Luke is Lord in name, but Rhaena is the power behind the throne, or are they more equal. How about Jace and Baela as King and Queen? How do they navigate politics in King’s Landing? How do they deal with the surviving Greens and their supporters? Are there any surviving Greens?
Or what about an AU where they are betrothed to different people (maybe Jace was betrothed to Helaena, and Luke was free to accept one of the Baratheon daughters: maybe either Baela or Rhaena is betrothed to Oscar Tully or Cregan Stark—just throwing ideas out there, feel free to pick any character, show or book-verse, to pair any of them with instead)? How do their bonds grow and change as they move to different positions and different keeps? Does that change the alliances, course, and outcome of the war? Do any of them fight for the Greens in this AU, and do they overcome being on different sides of the war once it’s over? Or do their different alliances put Rhaenyra in a better position, allowing the war to end with all of their survival?
Rhaena
I felt really bad for Rhaena, ignored by her father for not being a dragonrider, sent off to look after the children—an important job, which she realizes, but it’s not what she wants! I would love to read about her dealing with the disappointment of not being a dragonrider in a family of dragonriders, or about what she does when she eventually gets a dragon—does she join the war for Rhaenyra? Does she take the dragon to Pentos? Does she join the other dragonriders in being more proactive in the war? Does she stay and guard the Vale? I was really intrigued by her relationship with Lady Arryn—so tense, with disappointment on both sides, yet so polite and cordial. How does Rhaenyra react to her basically abandoning her duty to her Princes?
Alternatively, I would be just as interested in a story where Rhaena doesn’t tame the Vale dragon (maybe something more along the book plot, where she’s the last person to hatch a dragon before Daenerys—how does she do it? What repercussions does that have, on her relationship with her father, Rhaenyra, her siblings and cousins? How is her plotline changed by having a hatchling rather than a full-grown dragon), and her gaining skill and experience at politics rather than battles!
Rhaenys, Rhaenys/Corlys
I love Rhaenys! I would love to see a story in which she got to shine! What would things have been like if she got to be Queen, and Viserys was passed over at the Great Council? How would she have dealt with the issues we saw Viserys fumble (the succession, the Stepstones, etc.)? How would her relationship with Corlys have been affected? How would she have managed the scheming nobles in King’s Landing, and the demands of her various bannermen? Would she have been able to navigate court life and keep balance between the various factions in a way Viserys utterly failed to do, or would she have to compromise and found she compromised too much one way? Would there still have been a Dance—Laenor’s inability to father children might have been more or an issue when he was the Crown Prince, rather than just the Crown Princess’ consort: we saw how much of an issue their potential bastardy was when Rhaenyra’s children’s claim to the throne went through her, not through Laenor, how much worse would it be when their claim (whoever his wife is) runs through him? Who would the challengers be? Laena’s in-laws/children? Daemon’s? Rhaenyra’s? Viserys’ surviving sons, assuming he has any in this AU? Someone else?
I love the relationship between Corlys and Rhaenys, and would love to see more of it! Was it love, was it an arranged marriage, or somewhere in between? How did they navigate the early years of their marriage? How did she cope with Corlys’ long absences and ruling Driftmark in his place? Was she ever challenged due to her sex, and how did she deal with that?
Or maybe a story in which she survives, or at least survives longer—how would that have changed the events of the war? What would she have counselled Rhaenyra to do, and how would she have dealt with Rhaenyra’s Council?
Alternatively, I would love to see something with her relationship and interactions with any of her grandchildren (trueborn or claimed bastards)—what was she like as a grandmother? How much influence did she have over their rearing? What was her relationship like with her grown-up children?
Or something with her and Corlys’ bastards—how did she find out about them? How did she react? How did it affect her relationship with Corlys? Does she ever warm up to them (perhaps in an AU where Corlys dies), or does she always view them as a threat to her grandchildren, which isn’t entirely unfair, given Corlys in the books at least ended up naming Alyn his heir rather than Baela or Rhaena. In the show, we see Baela reject the Driftmark Throne, but maybe Rhaenys thinks it ought to go to Rhaena instead? Does that cause friction in their relationship in an AU where Rhaenys survives?
Tyland & Rhaenyra, Tyland/Rhaenyra
Tyland is quite serious and awkward, both sexist but surprisingly open-minded when it comes to Sharako Lohar – what would convince him to support Rhaneyra’s claim instead of Aegon’s, and how would having him on her side change things? He’s very clever and strategic, so having him on hers ide might lead to her bolstering her political strength more in the later years? Or perhaps he can even bring about a reconciliation between Alicent and Rhaneyra, and find a solutin that makes everyone, if not happy, then at least not openly declaring war?
Perhaps they were allies on some matter on the Small Council, and that lead to them working more closely together and becoming friends—perhaps Tyland even mentored her in politics? Perhaps Aegon takes his humiliation of Tyland one step too far, and makes him switch allegiances—or perhaps some incident before Viserys’ death makes Tyland question his suitability as King?
Or perhaps it’s Tyland, not Jason, who’s the candidate for Rhaenyra’s hand during Aegon’s nameday hunt? How would she react to that proposal—would his overtures be better received than Jason’s assumption that she would be grateful to marry into the Lannister family? Or maybe Rhaenyra picks him herself on her marriage tour—as a second son, he would be better placed to support her a consort without a seat of his own? How would they negotiate their marriage, either arranged or chosen, and what would that mean for the future of House Targaryen—and for House Velaryon, twice overlooked in a short period of time?
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Game of Thrones
Characters/Ships
• Doran Martell/Sansa Stark
• Sansa Stark & Loras Tyrell
• Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
• Sansa Stark/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Gendry Waters
• Podrick Payne/Sansa Stark
• Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark
General thoughts
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.
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/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 & 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/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/Podrick
Podrick is so dependable and loyal, he would be a great match for Sansa! Maybe Tyrion/Shae and Podrick/Sansa come to an arrangement in King’s Landing? How does that change Sansa’s experience of King’s Landing? Does she still escape at the Purple Wedding, does Podrick come with her, and how does that change Petyr’s plans? Or does she stay in King’s Landing – and how does she fare after Tyrion is jailed? Is she also accused, and how does she get out of it?
Or maybe they meet instead when Podrick is with Brienne? Does Sansa go with them when they meet in the Vale – how does that change things when that means Petyr can’t marry her off to Ramsay and they arrive at Castle Black before Jon’s death? Or does love only grow between them after Brienne and Podrick have saved her from Ramsay and they’ve retaken Winterfell? Or even after the series, when Sansa’s Queen in the North and Podrick’s in the Kingsguard – perhaps he leaves the Seven Kingdoms to join Sansa’s Queensguard instead?
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?
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Hunger Games
Characters/Ships
• Any Career tribute
• Any Career Victor
• Any Career tribute & any non-Career tribute
• Any Career Victor & any non-Career Victor
General thoughts
I’m very interested in Career training: how did one get to the point of being happy and eager to risk one’s life in order to kill other children? Was there some kind of selection process, or did anyone who wanted receive training? If there was a selection process, who did the selecting? Who was selected/trained, and was it voluntary or forced? What sort of indoctrination did they go through? What sort of skills did they learn: obviously weapons and fighting, but did they also train survival or how to get sponsors? How organised was the training, and how official – was it an open secret who was in training, or was it a matter of pride that the potential tributes advertised, or something they did on the down-low? And how did the Volunteers get picked? Collins has one throwaway line that the Reaping could go on for hours in the inner districts – what happened during these hours? Who decided which teenagers would go to the Games and which didn’t – and what happened to the ones that didn’t? When did the first seeds to training tributes start in the career districts? How did Career training and attitudes towards Careers and Victors differ between the three districts? When did volunteering become a thing? How different were the career districts in their approach to training for the Games?
I’m also interested in past Hunger Games in general! What kinds of arenas did the Gamemakers come up with? How did they go wrong? What were team-up dynamics like when non-Career tributes joined the Career Pack - or if a Career tribute decided to go alone or make a different alliance than the standard Career Pack, if that ever happened?
When did the culture of selling victors start? How much did the past Victors see each other when they were in the Capitol? How did they settle back into their home districts as Victors? Were they welcomed since they brought food, were they outsiders, to what extent could they settle back into their old community – presumably it varied between districts and between victor, but in what ways? How did they cope with mentoring, and how did they cope with bringing home new Victors knowing the fate that awaited them? What sort of duties did mentors have? How did they balance getting sponsorships with keeping an eye on the Game and making sure sponsor gifts got to the Tributes when they were needed? How did they find sponsors? How much control did they have over what gifts could be sent? Could the sponsors decide to send something against the will of the mentor?
Were there different expectations on Career and non-Career Victors? How much did the Careers know about what awaited them after victory - or did that depend on the District? Were there ever tensions between Career and non-Career mentors, and how were they handled during unusual pair-ups (e.g. the boy from District 3 being invited into the Career pack in Katniss' year)?
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Leverage
Characters/Ships
• Maggie Collins
• Jim Sterling
• Todd McSweeten
• Todd McSweeten/Parker
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!
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?
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
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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Pride (2014)
Characters/ships
• Cliff
• Cliff & Johnny
• Cliff & Johnny & Lee
• Dai Donovan
• Mark Ashton & Dai Donovan
• Hefina & Dai Donovan & Sian
• Sian
• Joe "Bromley" Cooper & Sian
• Joe "Bromley" Cooper & Steph
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, Cliff & his nephews
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.
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?
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?
Joe & Sian
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.
Joe “Bromley” Cooper and 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?
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A Song of Ice and Fire
Characters/ships
• Arianne Martell/Sansa Stark
• Doran Martell/Sansa Stark
• Sansa Stark/Brienne of Tarth
• Sansa Stark/Daenerys Targaryen
• Sansa Stark & Loras Tyrell
• Sansa Stark/Gendry Waters
• Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
• Sansa Stark/Rhaenys Targaryen
• Sansa Stark/Willas Tyrell
• Tyrion Lannister/Sansa Stark
• Quentyn Martell/Sansa Stark
General thoughts
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, Aegon, 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.
I’m a multishipper, and I’m happy with any of the ships I’ve given prompts for here, or any of the ships down in the GoT section, or most other ships, so if you ship something else, then go for it! I’m less fond of Sansa/Petyr as a romantic ship (him being creepy and assaulting her is fine) and non-canonical incest, however.
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 (except where noted).
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.
Arianne/Sansa
I love the idea of Sansa in Dorne, claiming her agency and making allies! Perhaps she manages to escape King’s Landing and makes her way to Dorne, since the Lannisters will be expecting her to go North? Perhaps Robb makes and alliance with Dorne, for the two countries’ respective independence, and Sansa goes to Dorne to seal the alliance as a companion to Arianne? Maybe she’s one of Arianne’s advisors?
Arianne is very impetuous and headstrong, how does she get on with the much more reserved Sansa? Do they conflict at first, before they learn to appreciate each other? Or does she bring out Sansa’s headstrong and imperious side, hidden away during her traumatic time in King’s Landing?
How can Sansa help Arianne’s political ambitions? Does she join in the plan to crown Myrcella and free the Sand Snakes? Or does she argue for a more cautious approach, and if so, how does Arianne take it? Does she manage to bring about an earlier reconciliation between Arianne and Doran?
Doran/Sansa
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 have mastered the trick of appearing more harmless than they are. 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? Or does Winterfell/the Crown in the North go to one of her younger siblings, while Sansa builds her own a power base in Done? Does she get involved with the Dornish plots to restore the Targaryen dynasty through Daenerys and/or Aegon (whether he’s a Blackfyre or Doran’s legitimate nephew is up to you)?
Dorne is a complicated place – how does Sansa navigate the Dornish court? Does she bring about reconciliation between Arianne and her father? Or does Arianne take against her, this stepmother who’s younger than she is? How does she get on with the Sand Snakes? How does she deal with their plot to put Myrcella on the throne? Does she meet with Arys Oakheart again, and how does that go, given he has very complicated feelings about Sansa and what he did to her in his chapter, and she probably does too, given all she went through in King's Landing?
I don’t mind how you deal with Doran's canonical 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.
Quentyn/Sansa
This fits in with my other “Sansa in Dorne” requests – I just think she’d do very well there! Quentyn is an interesting character, because we don’t see very much of him – only a few chapters before he dies, but what we do see is quite cool! He’s described as earnest and dutiful – two qualities that are like catnip to me, and his political position is quite interesting – having been raised by another the Yronwoods, and maybe feeling more like he fits in with them than with his biological family, and his insecurities about his place and purpose in the world, and reconciling him being Doran’s first choice of successor with the traditional straight primogeniture of Dornish tradition. What does he know of Doran’s plans? Maybe the death of Viserys made Doran change his plans? Maybe Quentyn wasn’t sent to treat with Daenerys, but instead married off to Sansa for influence in the North? How would that go? Would they be awkward with each other at first, and would there be any misconceptions and misunderstandings between them? How does the conflict with Arianne play out with Sansa thrown into the mix? Does Arianne think they are gathering Northern allies to displace her? How does she react? Can Sansa mediate the conflict, or does her presence only inflame it? Do they manage to set aside their differences and join forces against the Lannisters? Or do they instead go North, to reclaim Winterfell in an attempt to convince her that they have no interest in the stewardship of Dorne?
Brienne/Sansa
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 maybe they only find each other later? Maybe Brienne finds her in the Vale – does she stay and protect Sansa from Petyr’s creepiness and machinations, and the marriage to Harry the Heir, or do they go back to the Riverlands or try to head North? Does Brienne bring Sansa to Lady Stoneheart to fulfil her oath, and if so, how does Sansa react to what her mother has become? Or does she decide to spare Sansa that pain, even though it means the Brotherhood will hang her if they come across her again?
Sansa/Daenerys
Sansa and Daenerys have a lot in common – they were both young girls who were used and abused by older and more powerful men, who took power for themselves and discovered their agency, but in different ways. There are also, of course, a few stumbling blocks, mainly in the form of their family history, with everything that happened at time of Robert’s Rebellion. How do they manage to overcome this history? How do they reconcile their different views and versions of the past?
What if Daenerys didn’t stay in Essos, but came to Westeros when Sansa was in King’s Landing? How would Sansa persuade her to spare her, given she’s a Stark either engaged to a Baratheon or married to a Lannister, depending on when the story is set? Does Daenerys see a smiliarity between Joffrey and Viserys, and spare her on the basis of that, or does Sansa need to use more of her cunning and manipulation? When does it stop being manipulation and become real friendship/love?
Or what if it was Sansa who escaped to Essos after the Purple Wedding and found Daenerys there? How would she convince Daenerys of her worth as an advisor? Would she advocate going to take over the Seven Kingdoms, and get revenge on the Lannisters? Or would she want to stay in Essos, where life is good, and she’s well away from the rot of King’s Landing, and they become the ruling couple of Mereen?
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, 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? 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’s presence change Gendry’s arc? Maybe he doesn’t decide to stay with the Brotherhood? Does Sansa also free Jaqen H’gar, and, if so, what names does she give him? Or perhaps Sansa meets Gendry when she’s pretending to be Alayne and he’s smithing for the brotherhood? Does she reveal who she actually is, or does she keep it a secret? How does she react to Lady Stoneheart?
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 to support Willas, safe from the Game of Thrones (for a while, at least), or would they be granted their own, smaller, keep? 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?
Obviously, if he had a wife, he wouldn’t be able to join the Kingsguard. How would he feel about that, and what would he do to give his life purpose instead? Would he still volunteer for the mission to take Dragonstone, or would he have refrained or been more cautious during it if he knew he had someone relying on him for his protection? And if he did go, and was injured, how would that impact Sansa? What would that mean for her position in King’s Landing, and how would she react to that?
Margaery/Sansa
What I really like about this couple is that they genuinely like each other and are good friends, even while sometimes the friendship has to take a back seat to politics. I also like how through Margaery Sansa gets other female friends, in Margaery’s ladies – something she sorely needs! I loved the little detail of Leonette teaching Sansa the High Harp.
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? They’d 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/Rhaenys
I would love an AU in which Sansa and Rhaenys get to meet, and I would love to see who Rhaenys grows up to be. We know she was a sweet child who liked her kitten—does she keep that sweetness into adulthood, or does a childhood in the Red Keep or on the run make her more jaded.
Perhaps Rhaenys is rescued from King’s Landing as a child, and comes back to reclaim her throne instead of or together with Aegon—how does the addition of yet another Targaryen claimant influence the politics of Westeros, and how does Sansa deal with the Targaryens vying for her loyalty? Does she throw her support behind Rhaenys, or do they have a more fraught relationship?
Or what if Rhaenys survived the Rebellion, but was sent to foster as a hostage in Winterfell? Perhaps she and Sansa grew up as childhood companions? How does Rhaenys as a hostage feel about the Starks—her situation would be quite different to Theon’s, but I imagine they would have similar mixed feelings? How does that change the events of the book, the decisions Ned and/or Robb make? Is Rhaenys brought back to King’s Landing with Sansa, or is she left in the North?
Or maybe Robert’s Rebellion fails, and Rhaegar wins? How do Sansa and Rhaenys relate to each other in such an AU, where Rhaenys’ mother was cast aside in favour of Sansa’s aunt? How have the politics shaken out in the years since?
Willas/Sansa
So we haven’t actually seen Willas in the books yet, but what we’ve heard makes me believe that Sansa would have been very happy if the Tyrells had managed to get her out of King’s Landing and wed to him. His gentleness and kindness would be what Sansa needs after her harrowing experiences with Joffrey, and as a bonus, he likes animals and we know he doesn’t hold grudges, since he gets along with Oberyn even after Oberyn caused his jousting accident. Besides, he’s scholarly and clearly has political acumen, since he’s thought clever by no less a person than the Queen of Thorns! Does she have to manage her disappointment that he isn’t a knight and never will be, or has she had enough of knights?
Would they go to Highgarden to rule the Reach and protect it from the Ironborn? Would they live a quiet life, away from the politics of King’s Landing, dealing with the (slightly) smaller-scale politics of the Reach? Or would they be dragged into the game against their wishes? Or do they throw themselves into the game willingly and plot to take down the people who hurt Sansa’s family/raise the position of the Tyrells?
How would Tywin and Cersei react to losing their hostage – would they retaliate against the Tyrells in some way? Would the Tyrells pull out of the alliance with the Lannisters and join forces with the North? Would that change the course of the War? Or would they try to claim Winterfell after the Red Wedding? How would they deal with Margaery’s arrest and trial – would they go to King’s Landing to try to free her, and how would that affect Sansa?
Tyrion/Sansa
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 after 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 rather harrowing journey?
Or maybe they reach an understanding later, at an eventual reunion, when they’ve both grown and matured and come to terms with who they are and who the other one is. Feel free to follow show canon or make up your own version of the future for the books – the show changed both of their journey sufficiently that different outcomes for either of them are entirely plausible! Perhaps Tyrion becomes Hand of the King to Young Griff instead of Daenerys? Or perhaps he never becomes more than an advisor in the Second Sons? Perhaps Sansa makes her way back to Winterfell and claims her brother’s crown without first giving it to Jon? Perhaps she doesn’t make it out of the Vale, and Tyrion finds here there?
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Star Wars – All Media Types
Characters/Ships
• Finn & Mace Windu
• Rey & Mace Windu
• Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey & Creator's Choice of Canon Prequels-Era Jedi
General thoughts
I’m really keen on the idea of the sequel trio (any or all) ending up in the prequels era! How do they deal with meeting these heroes of a bygone era? Do they try to change the fate of the galaxy, to stop the rise of the Empire, and if so, how do they go about it?
Does Finn or Rey get to train with the Jedi? How do they deal with the Council? Are they welcomed? Or are they viewed with suspicion? Does Finn get to meet the clones? How do they react to what has been done with their legacy? How does he react to meeting his forerunners? How does his experiences and skills from their time with the Resistance help them before or during the galactic civil war?
I’d be super keen to read something where they don’t have all the facts, that they’re floundering a bit – not everything became public knowledge, secrets were being kept, things got twisted in the retellings, and so on. Maybe they have to try to keep their origins a secret – how suspicious are they to those native to the time they travel to? Or do they get on with the others right from the start? Or maybe they can be open about their origins, and the people from the two different times try to piece together what happened by combining their respective fragmented knowledge – I’d love to see what misconceptions they come up with on the way!
My favourite take on the Jedi Order is fundamentally good people who genuinely try to do their best in a very difficult situation, but I’m happy with anything that avoids outright bashing of either the Jedi Order or individual Jedi.
Finn & Mace Windu
I love the idea of Force-sensitive Finn, and I’d love to see him get the opportunity to train as a Jedi! It would be very interesting to see him and Mace interact – Mace who’s a very traditional Jedi, contrasted with Finn, who’s had a much more eclectic past – and who might feel he has more in common with the clone troopers than with the Jedi! How do they overcome this and find common ground?
How does the rest of the Council react? Is there any resistance to the idea of training Finn due to his age, and how do they resolve that? How does Mace react to the fate of the Jedi order? What does Finn know about the fall of the Republic and the Jedi and how it could potentially be avoided?
Finn & Rey & Poe & the Jedi
Does Finn or Rey get to train with the Jedi? How do they deal with the Council? Are they welcomed? Or are they viewed with suspicion? Does Finn get to meet the clones? How do they react to what has been done with their legacy? How does he react to meeting his forerunners? How does his experiences and skills from their time with the Resistance help them before or during the galactic civil war?
How do Rey’s, Finn’s and Poe’s experiences and skills from their time with the Resistance help them in the prequel era? Can they avoid the Clone Wars before they even break out, or is the course locked well before they arrive in the past? Maybe they can help the GAR? Both Poe and to a lesser extent Finn are experienced with command and military tactics, and they all have experience of spying and sabotage missions. Does the fact that they have the skills needed and are willing to help make them less suspicious, or more?
Does Rey know things that Luke discovered on Ach-To that the Jedi have forgotten? How has the Jedi philosophy changed between the prequels and sequels era, and how do the characters relate to that (no bashing of the Jedi philosophy of either era, please! Discussions where both sides have valid points are fine, but I'd prefer if you avoided one side being Clearly Right and the other being Obviously Wrong)?
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Characters/Ships
• Bail Organa
• Padmé Amidala & Bail Organa
• Mace Windu
• Mace Windu & Bail Organa
• Mace Windu & Katooni
General thoughts
I love the worldbuilding of the prequel trilogy/the Clone Wars, how expansive the galaxy seems, the political intrigue, the tragedy of the fall of the Republic, and the impending sense of doom that the characters can also feel. I love how there are no easy answers (because Palpatine is manipulating everything to remove the easy answers), and I would love to see a story about the heroes prevailing despite this! Or how they survive after the fall of the Republic, how the Rebellion is started and comes together, what challenges and obstacles they face along the way.
My favourite take on the Jedi Order is fundamentally good people who genuinely try to do their best in a very difficult situation, but I’m happy with anything that avoids outright bashing of either the Jedi Order or individual Jedi.
Bail:
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?
Or what if Bail from the Imperial era or even the time of his 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 beaten by someone he has no idea is a threat!
Bail & Padmé:
I would love to see them working together in the Senate before the fall of the Republic – how they divided the labour of convincing allies, deciding what battles to fight and their strategies, balancing Padmé’s passion and Bail’s experience and wisdom. How often did they have different opinions, and how did they manage those?
Or maybe Padmé stays with Bail and Breha after the fall of the Republic with the twins, hiding in plain sight? Or she goes on the run, and only sees them occasionally? Or maybe she never had a relationship with Anakin, and she joins Bail and Mon as the Rebellion’s links to the Senate? How does she manage to keep her ideals under control in the new hostile climate?
This might also be fun as a time travel prompt! Do both of them time travel, or does only one time travel and have to deal with the past version of their friend? If they both time travel, do they know or recognise that the other is also a time traveller? Do they agree on priorities and methods to avoid the fall of the Republic, or do they disagree on how to best go about it? Would they try to reform the Republic, or would they consider the corruption too far gone, and what is the alternative? What if Naboo and Alderaan were to secede while Palpatine was the Chancellor, how would that impact galactic policies?
Mace:
I love Mace so much! I love his seriousness, his dedication to democracy and his principles, I love his compassion and his wisdom! I love that he considers things from different angels, and that he’s willing to reconsider his opinions.
I would love to read more about Mace during the Clone Wars, and how he balances his roles as Master of the Order and General, how he tries to protect both the Jedi and the Clones from the vagaries of the Senate and the Chancellor, and how he tackles being thrown into a war against his will, and how the Jedi attempted to keep their identity and faith as Jedi despite the circumstances. I would also love a story about the quiet moments during the war, with his troops or with civilians, or with other Jedi!
I would adore a fix-it where Mace survives his duel with Palpatine. I love him so much – his seriousness and sincerity, how strongly he believes in the Jedi code, his faith in the Force, his patience and gentleness but also his determination and authority! I would love to see what he gets up to after the fall of the Republic, getting involved with the Resistance, trying to restore the Jedi Order, or just trying to survive. Does he find any Clones and gets them de-chipped, and how does that reunion go?
Mace would also be a fun time traveller, in different ways! How would he handle being back in time? What choices would he make differently, and how would they turn out? I really like the complexities of the situation, and how the Jedi made the only choice they could make, give the situation, but with different facts and more knowledge, would they make a different choice? How would they deal with the Clone army ostensibly ordered in their name, or leave them to a probably worse fate at the hands of the Senate or the Kaminoans? How would they deal with the corruption at the heart of the Republic—both the Sith-related corruption, which clearly falls within their remit, and the everyday, garden variety of political corruption, which doesn’t?
Mace & Bail:
Given how much I love both Bail and Mace, it would be awesome to see something with them together!
I would love to see their take on politics, coming from different viewpoints and representing different interests, but still both with a fundamental belief in democracy. Do they have different ideas of the role of Jedi in the Republic, or the function of the Republic itself, and how do they work to resolve those? Do they work together to tackle problems in the Republic from each of their own angles, politician and peacekeeper/diplomat?
Or maybe they go on an adventure together? There’s lots of fun things that can be done in the Star Wars universe! Maybe they’re on a diplomatic trip together and run into trouble, or maybe they get stranded on an inhospitable planet? How do they deal with that?
Or something set during the Clone Wars, in battle, with Mace trying to protect Bail, or dealing with politics and/or logistics of where to send the army, how to get them there, etc.? Or fighting for Clone rights together?
Or maybe Mace survives his duel with Palaptine, and they meet up after the Fall of the Republic? Does Mace turn to Bail for help, not knowing where else to go? Or do they run into each other unexpectedly? Do they each work against the Empire in different ways, and decide to join forces, or are they coordinated from the start? Do they have different priorities, or are they aligned with each other? Does Mace focus on finding surviving Jedi and hide them, while Bail deals with politics and funding sabotage missions? Or does Mace also carry out sabotage missions?
Just, anything with these two!
Mace Windu & Katooni
I’d also love something with Mace and Katooni as survivors of Order 66 – maybe he takes her as a Padawan! I’d love to see him teaching her, guiding her and keeping her safe in what is, admittedly, very dangerous circumstances for them to be in. How do they blend in? Do they pretend to be (adoptive) father and daughter, and how does that change the Padawan-Master relationship? Does she manage to keep her faith in the goodness of those she meets even after the rise of the Empire, and her faith in the Jedi way?
Or maybe an Au in which Order 66 never happens, and he takes her as his Padawan anyway? What lessons does he teach her and what does he learn from her? How do they work to heal the galaxy from the civil war, and to restore peace and harmony? What sort of adventures do they get up to?
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Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order Series
Characters/Ships
• Cal Kestis
• Cal Kestis & Cere Junda
• Cal Kestis & Prauf
• Cal & Cere & Merrin & Greez & BD-1
• Kata Akuna & Cal
General Thoughts
I love this series – I love both the characters and the world-building! It fits really neatly into the Star Wars universe, and fleshes out parts that we haven’t seen before – and I’d love to see that fleshed out more! I love the theme of the game, of picking yourself up after failure and trying again, and never giving up. I loved exploring the different worlds, the flora and fauna of each, and the little quirks that made each unique, like the wind tunnels of Zeffo, or the springboard mushrooms of Kashyyyk – and how they developed the worlds for the second game. I’d love to see more quirky worlds of the Star Wars Universe!
And I loved all the characters, how they each had their flaws they struggled with, but how they kept going, kept struggling, kept trying to do the right thing, and how they made their own little family on board the Mantis! I also love how even when they were on different paths, they came together when it mattered. I loved the community Greez was settling into on Koboh, and that Cere had found Eno Cordova and that they were helping the Hidden Path. I also loved the connections to Jedi history on Jedha and with Tanalorr, and the glimpses we saw of the High Republic in the second game!
As I said earlier, my favourite take on the Jedi Order is fundamentally good people who genuinely try to do their best in a very difficult situation, but I’m happy with anything that avoids outright bashing of either the Jedi Order or individual Jedi!
Cal
Cal is great! I love his slightly self-deprecating humour, his strength, his perseverance, his compassion and his sense of adventure. I like that he’s always willing to extend his hand, how quick he is to forgive and move on, but that he also stands his ground when needed. I love his relationship with BD-1, but I didn’t have any prompts for stories centred around that relationship, so that’s why I haven’t requested that tag. However, if you want to bake that into the story, do feel free – I’d be delighted!
Maybe something about Cal and the clone troopers, learning to fit in on the Albedo Brave? Or about him and Master Tapal? How did Master Tapal choose Cal? What challenges did they face early in the relationship – was there and adjustment period or did they find a way or working together easily?
Or something about Cal learning to deal with his psychometry – as an initiate, as a padawan, or after the Purge?
I’d also love seeing something set between the games, when Cal is working with Saw: who were the others on the mission to Coruscant with him, what missions had they run together before, what had they achieved and what had gone wrong? Did Cal ever question Saw’s ideology and disregard for collateral damage, or was he also equally focused on results at any cost?
Or what about Cal after Jedi: Survivor? How does he settle into Tanalorr? How does he deal with Bode’s betrayal? How does he deal with his own brush with the Dark Side? How does he heal? How does he move on from there?
Cal & Prauf
There isn’t nearly enough fic about Cal’s early days on Bracca, finding work in the Scrappers guild and someplace to live, and how he and Prauf met! How did Prauf go from engineer to scrapper, how did he take it, what did the other engineers think? Was it all the engineers at Bracca, or just the non-human ones?
How protective does Prauf feel about Cal? What does he think happened to leave this orphaned kid scrambling for survival on Bracca’s scrapheaps? Or maybe they only meet later, when Cal’s been at Bracca a couple of years, and is a little rougher around the edges and fits in better? Maybe he protects Prauf from something? Maybe they’re both the protectors of the other scrappers – Cal trying to keep his head down, but still not being able to shed his training as Jedi that’s taught him that it’s his duty to try to help if he can?
Or what if Prauf survived Bracca? How does he fit in with rest of Mantis crew? How does he adapt to life on the run from the Empire? How does his relationship with Cal change at the reveal he’s a Jedi? Accepting, keep secret, loyal – but does change what think about? Does he have any complicated feelings about Cal lying, even if he knows why? We know he’s accepting and loyal, and that he keeps Cal’s secret even when it leads to his death, but how does he feel about it? Did he use to hero worship the Jedi Order? How does he reconcile his ideas of the Jedi with what he knows about Cal?
Or what if the Mantis hadn’t showed up? What if Cal and Prauf had ended up going on the run from the Empire together? What would they have done? Where would they have gone? Nar Shadda, like Cal planned to, or somewhere else? How would they have survived and who would they have met on their travels? Would they have laid low, finding low-level work where they could get it, or would they have found the Rebellion or the Partisans somehow, and joined them? How would they have fit in in either group? Would Cal keep his Jedi identity secret, or would he let people know? What would Prauf bring to the table? How would they be welcomed?
Cal & Cere & Merrin & Greez & BD-1
What happens to them between the games? I’d love to read about the further adventures of this group of rag-tag heroes! Presumably they keep fighting against the Empire – what sort of missions do they undertake? Espionage, sabotage, heists?
Do they meet up with the Rebellion? Come across Saw’s people again? Do they ever meet other Jedi survivors? Or do they meet any of the Force-sensitive children who were on the list, and how do they act? Do they try to save them, and how? By taking them with them? By teaching them to hide? What are Cal and Cere’s feelings about the fate of the Order, after they destroy the holocron?
Maybe the Haxion Brood comes after them again, determined to get their money’s worth from Greez? Do they have to rescue him, or does the Brood kidnap Cal again, or Cere or Merrin?
How do they decide to split up? Who leaves first, and why, and how do the others react? How do they keep in contact when they have each found their own path to pursue?
Cal & Cere
I really like the mentorship between Cal and Cere, and how they work through their issues, initial mistrust and secrets and come to a point where they understand each other and work together so well! I like how Cere always has advice for Cal, but that she lets him make his own decisions as an adult. I find it really fascinating how she’s almost like a Master but not really, because Cal had a Master, and she had a Padawan and they can’t replace Jaro Tapal or Trilla, but that they make something new. I like their different responses to being Jedi in a world where there are no Jedi.
Maybe something about them exploring an old Jedi Temple, recovering lost relics and dealing with whatever dangers and traps that lurk within? Do they find other ancient Force civilisations? Do they join the Rebellion, and do they have different opinions on that – we know that Cere was suspicious of Saw Gerrera – is she also suspicious of the Rebellion, or was Cal burned a bit by Saw abandoning Kashyyk, and is now slower to trust, and it’s Cere who wants to join the Rebellion, knowing what she knows of Mon Mothma and Bail Organa? Maybe they even go to Tatooine and meet Obi-Wan, or meet Ahsoka or Caleb/Kanan or any other Jedi survivor? Do they tell them about the holocron, and are there differing opinions about what they should have done with it?
I would love to see an AU where Cere survives Jedha and goes with Cal and Bode! Does she cotton on to Bode’s betrayal first? How does she react to Tanalorr and the Jedi history there? What are her ambitions and how does she work with Cal? How does she react to Cal’s brush with the Dark Side? Is she able to mentor him back from it, having been there herself? How does she find the confidence to start using the Force again?
Cal & Kata
How do Cal and Kata relate to each other after the events of Survivor? Kata seems to understand why Cal did what he did, and doesn’t seem to hold a grudge, but does that change as she grows up? Does she start to resent him, and how do they deal with that? What is Cal like as a teacher, and Kata like as a student, and how do they cope on the run from the Empire? What’s their cover story? What do they get up to?
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Sunrise on the Reaping
Characters/ships
• Wellie
• Haymitch & Wellie
General thoughts
I really enjoy the Hunger Games universe, and I loved seeing this look at how previous attempts at rebellion and sabotage have failed (making me wonder about the earthquake and flooding during Annie’s year, but that’s beside the point), and the tension between the Capitol, with force on their side, versus the Districts, with numbers, and how hard the Capitol has to work to keep the Districts from uniting and overthrowing them: frankly, I’m amazed they lasted 75 years. I’m also really intrigued by the use of propaganda, and how the Games are used for spin and to sell a specific narrative, and how any sedition is edited out. I’m happy to see characters or events from any book in the series (the main trilogy, TBoSaS, or SotR) included or referred to.
Wellie, Haymitch & Wellie
What if the final moments of the 50th Hunger Games went differently? What if Wellie did manage to land the poison dart, or what if Haymitch returned earlier? How would the Capitol react to Wellie as Victor, who hadn’t made much of herself during the Games? What spin would they put on her Games? What would Snow ask of her, and how would she react? How would she settle into District 6? Feel free to include as much worldbuilding about District 6 into this request as you’d like: I eat that kind of thing up with a spoon!
I’d be especially interested in an outcome where Haymitch killed himself in a way that couldn’t be easily edited out or made out to be a mistake – what would they have done with an act of compassion from someone who should have no logical reason to show Wellie compassion? How would they have spun that: how could they have spun that? And how would she react to Haymitch’s sacrifice? What would her feelings and thoughts about Haymitch be, after the Games? How would the Districts react? Would it have ripples that the Capitol had to use all their energy to stay? Would it perhaps even spark more overt rebellion earlier than the 75th? Would Wellie and Haymitch’s sacrifice be able to unite the Districts (my instincts say no, but it would definitely be interesting exploring a world where the answer was yes!)?
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Tortall
Characters/Ships
• Maura of Dunlath
• Kalasin/Kel
• Maura & Kel
• Adalia & Oranie & Kel
General Thoughts
The Tortall books are an old childhood favourite of mine, and I really like the worldbuilding, the strong heroines, and the politics (that Pierce often glosses over as her stories are more focused on protagonists who aren’t very interested in politics, but the bits we do get fascinate me). I like how the universe gets more and more complex as the series go on, how what starts as fairly straightforward good vs. evil becomes more complicated, and the characters become more complex in later stories, but they don’t lose their hope and their belief in the goodness of humankind!
Maura
I would love to read more about Maura and what happens to her: how does she restore Dunlath, and heal the land? What sort of trouble does she face with the wolves, ogres, and people? How does she get along with her guardians? How much power does she actually have, as Lady of the Fief—perhaps more than average, given how she came to be Lady of Dunlath and her determination to do what’s right for her fief, but perhaps not as much as she’d like, given she’s still not of age?
What does she do during the Immortals War? How does she lead her fief through war with mythical creatures? What sort of defences does she put up? Does she ever fight herself, or does she take a commanding and leading role instead?
What does she do when she comes of age? How does that change things? According to Pierce, Maura goes to Corus: how does that work out for her? How does she fit in? What sort of challenges does she face there? What is life like for the noblewomen who aren’t fighters? How does Thayet organise her ladies-in-waiting, and what is Maura’s role? Perhaps she stumbles across some kind or conspiracy at court, and has to deal with that?
Maura is the only remaining person of her family—what sort of contingencies are there in place for the inheritance of Dunlath? Who is Maura’s heir until she has children of her own? Is there an arranged marriage for her, and how does she feel about that? How involved is she in arranging it?
Maura & Kel
I like both of these very stubborn, very determined young women, and would love to read about a friendship between them!
What if Haven or New Hope was on Dunlath lands, given how close fief Dunlath is to the border? Maybe Maura and Kel would work together to ensure the safety of the refugees? Maybe Kel is stationed on or near Dunlath after the events of Lady Knight—what is their working relationship like? What conflicts do they have (if any, but I imagine they must have different opinions occasionally, when the priorities of their various duties clash), and how do they resolve them?
There are some references to her in the Protector of the Small—what does she think of the pages trampling all over her lands? Is she drawn to Kel because of her bond with the animals? Do Maura’s wolves approve of her?
Or what if Maura tried for knighthood after the events of Wolf Speaker, and was the oldest lady page, and acted as Kel’s sponsor and/or mentor? How would she deal with the bullying that Kel faced? Would she have put Joren in his place by the time Kel started, or would it still be an ongoing problem?
Kalasin/Kel
I’d love something that leans into the notions of chivalric and courtly love, with Kel as the loyal knight and Kalasin as the Princess/Queen she gives her devotion to. The line of plausible deniability might be quite blurred, given they’re both women.
Kalasin wanted to be the first lady knight: perhaps she takes an interest in Kel (either directly or via Roald) and lives vicariously through her? Perhaps she trains with Kel, gives her advice and gifts, or perhaps Kel gives her tips and advice that she’s picked up in her training?
Or maybe Wyldon doesn’t allow Kel to continue after her probation, and she joins the Queen’s Ladies (as that was an option Kel considered that would still allow her to fight), or becomes one of Kalasin’s ladies-in-waiting? A romance between a Princess and her lady-in-waiting would also be very much in line with what I would enjoy with these two! How would Kel manage as a lady of the court? How would she channel her dreams of being a protector through her rather different role in Tortall’s society (which would give her both more and fewer options to enact the changes she wants)?
Kalasin’s upcoming betrothal would be an issue if they are still in Tortall, and they both know Kalasin will need to go to Carthak to be Empress. Or maybe she already is? Do they meet when Kalasin is at home visiting, or Kel is in Carthak for some reason? How does Kalasin reconcile her duties to Kaddar and Carthak with her feelings?
Adalia & Oranie & Kel
I really would like something that explores the relationship between Kel and her sisters! They obviously like and love each other, even with as different as they are, but Kel going for knighthood does affect Adalia’s and Oranie’s chances, as with Adalia having to pretend that there is a greater emotional distance than there is between them Florzile of Nond: does that ever wear on their relationship? Do they ever resent Kel? How does Kel’s knighthood influence the matches they make—with Adalia marrying into the conservative Nond family and Oranie marrying the progressive Hannalof, do their in-laws treat them differently based on that?
How did they get on as children, in the Yamani court where expectations on noblewomen and -girls were different? Did one or the other of them flourish there, and how did that affect the others? How Adalia and Oranie take to glaive training, and how did they feel about giving it up—did they give it up, or did they train with Thayet and her ladies when Shinko came to Tortall?
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