Dear FFFX creator,

[chronicbookworm]

Thanks for writing me a story or drawing me a comic! Should you so want, I can be found at both Tumblr and AO3 also as ChronicBookworm, for any stalking purposes.
In general, I like most things. I’m a multishipper, and I read slash, het, femslash, and gen. I also like most genres: fluff, angst, adventure, case fic, humour, get-together, established relationship, character study, slice of life/domestic, you name it – or a mix of them all! I’m very fond of long, plotty fic, so this exchange is right up my street!
The prompts below are there to help, not box you in, so please feel free to write something different if none of my prompts below grab your imagination or inspiration strikes you in a different direction. If I request the shippy version of a relationship, I am also very happy to read 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 ideas/questions 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.

General likes
DNWs

A Song of Ice and Fire
Game of Thrones
Crossover Fandom, Mediaeval Fantasy Edition
Crossover Fandom, Intergalactic Traveller Edition
Crossover Fandom, Jane Austen Naval Edition
Crossover Fandom, WWII and Post-War Edition
Downton Abbey
Leverage
Sense and Sensibility


General likes
• found families
• loyalty
• ride or die friendships
• co-dependency
• “us against the world” plots and relationships (whether it’s true or just what the characters imagine)
• friends to lovers
• arranged marriages (that can either lead to love or strong friendship)
• marriages of convenience (that can either lead to love or strong friendship)
• pining
• hurt/comfort
• trauma recovery
• characters with low self-worth being loved and accepted
• characters being shown warmth and kindness when they’re expecting or used to being belittled/bullied/abused
• characters uniting forces against a common enemy
• complicated politics and shifting alliances
• complicated relationships (not necessarily romantic)
• secrets (both being kept and being revealed)
• characters working with limited knowledge
• competent characters
• characters being recognised for their competence
• women supporting other women
• canon divergence
• outsider POV
• case fic/mission fic (however that applies to the canon in question)
• worldbuilding

Comics likes
• soft, muted colours or deep, rich colours
• variation in or playing around with panel shapes and sizes
• contrasts between the text and the visuals
• realistic body and facial proportions
• any level of detail, from rough sketches of the characters to individual leaves on trees in the background


DNWs
• smut (fade to black or references to sex are fine)
• mpreg, a/b/o
• teacher/student, non-canonical incest
• adultery, infidelity or jealousy (real or imagined)
• massive age gaps in ships (the rule of “half the older character’s age plus seven” as a limit usually works quite well, although for teenagers a max of 2-year age-gap works better. This DNW does not apply to ASOIAF/GOT)
• sex involving characters under 15, counting down time until the character is old enough for sex
• conflicts between characters entirely due to misunderstandings, miscommunication or a failure to communicate (conflicts due to genuine differences in opinions, wants, and needs are fine and fun!)
• public embarrassment, humiliation
• character or ship bashing
• hopeless endings, grimdark tone
• unrequested setting change AUs (for crossovers, changing things so both canons exist in the same universe or having characters from one canon universe dimension travel to the other canon universe by either hand-wavey or explained means are all fine, even in those cases where I prompt mainly for one kind of crossovers)

• Fandom-specific DNW for ASoIaF/GoT: requited Petyr/Sansa (his canonical desire for her is fine)
• Fandom-specific DNW for Narnia: the rift between Susan and her family, the end of TLB (pretend everyone’s alive and happy)
• Fandom-specific DNWs for SGA: wraith/human relationships, focus on John/Rodney
• Fandom-specific DNWs for Downton Abbey: requited Jimmy/Thomas, non-consensual kissing between Thomas and Jimmy



A Song of Ice and Fire
Characters/Ships: Sansa Stark, Doran Martell/Sansa Stark, Oberyn Martell/Sansa Stark, Oberyn Martell/Ellaria Sand/Sansa Stark, Jaime Lannister/Sansa Stark, Tyrion Lannister/Sansa Stark, Sansa Stark/Willas Tyrell

Applicable to all requests:
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.

Sansa Stark:
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.

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.

Oberyn/Ellaria/Sansa, Oberyn/Sansa
As I said in the above request for Doran/Sansa, 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. Maybe she would balance out Oberyn’s impetuousness? Maybe she would be a confidante for Ellaria?
I’m also happy for this to be a V-shaped triad, with Ellaria and Sansa as metamours, or maybe even Oberyn and Sansa as metamours (even if Ellaria/Sansa wasn’t nominated on their own).
Maybe Oberyn marries her to save her from the Lannisters, knowing the abuse she suffers in King’s Landing? Maybe Oberyn sees something of Elia in Sansa? Maybe Robb makes a marriage alliance with Dorne in exchange for their support – the two Kingdoms who most want their independence. Maybe Joffrey marries Sansa to the infamous Viper to be cruel, and it backfires horribly on him? Maybe she escapes on her own, and makes her way to Dorne?
Maybe Ellaria is outraged at the way Sansa's treated, and she's the one who makes the first overture, led by her gentle heart? Sansa notes in canon that Ellaria draws the eye, so perhaps she’s attracted to Ellaria first, and perhaps she’s more confident in her feelings for gentle Ellaria than Oberyn, who’s a man, and one with quite an alarming reputation at that.
How do the Sand Snakes react to her? Both the older girls, who are older than Sansa, and Ellaria’s daughters, who might fear that their mother is being replaced? Or do they accept Sansa since Ellaria does and Sansa makes it clear she’s not out to replace Ellaria?
Just as in the above request, Sansa would need to navigate the politics of the Dornish court – it’s less immediate, since she wouldn’t be the wife of the ruling Prince, but even as Oberyn’s wife, she would have an important position, and be an important player, and could tip the delicate balance between Arianne and Doran one way or the other.
How does the marriage to Sansa change Oberyn’s duel with the Mountain - does he put his living wife over his dead sister and decline to represent Tyrion in the Trial by Combat, or does he keep from taunting the Mountain into a confession and thereby win the combat and come out alive? Or does it play out the same way as in canon – and Sansa and Ellaria go to Dorne to mourn? Ellaria wants to have an end to the cycle of violence – does Sansa join the Sand Snakes in their wish for revenge? Or does she agree with Ellaria? Or does she take Doran’s approach, and subtly work to take down the Lannisters in the long term?

Jaime/Sansa:
Jaime has the appearance of being the gallant knight she yearns for, but of course, the reality is far murkier. How do they deal with the fact that they are, essentially, on two different sides of the war? That he attacked her father in the streets of King’s Landing, and her brother held him as a prisoner of war? Where do their loyalties eventually end up? Can they reach an understanding?
Does Jaime take his last chance of honour and take her away from Kings Landing with Brienne? Or maybe Tywin manages to arrange for Jaime to be dismissed from the Kingsguard and made to marry Sansa? Do they go to Casterly Rock and rule the Westerlands? Do they stay in King’s Landing, and if so, can he protect her from Joffrey? Does he return Sansa to Catelyn and Robb, and maybe manage to prevent the Red Wedding? How do they deal with his affair with Cersei, and the fact that he pushed her brother out of a window to cover it up? How conflicted is he between his love for Cersei and his duty and growing love for his wife? How does Cersei react when Sansa takes the other half of her soul away from her?
Or do they meet/get together later, after the Red Wedding, when his love for Cersei has cooled and he’s searching for a purpose and an identity? Is this where Jaime takes his last chance for honour, having squandered the previous opportunity? Does Sansa meet Lady Stoneheart, and if so, how does she deal with what her mother has become and the fact that her mother wants to kill her husband? Where does Brienne fit into all of this – presumably she is going to deliver Jaime to Lady Stoneheart in exchange for Podrick’s and Hyle’s lives – how does the presence of Sansa change her actions?

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 GoT canon or make up your own version of the future – 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?

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 have lived a quiet life, away from the politics of King’s Landing? Or would they be dragged into the game against their wishes?
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?

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?

I am also happy for this request to use show canon – I didn’t have the space to request it among my GoT requests, so I’m putting the prompts that use the show canon here:
Maybe Sansa does go with Brienne when they meet in the Vale – how does that change things with no marriage to Ramsay etc. 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 its 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?

return to top


Game of Thrones
Characters/Ships: Jaime Lannister/Sansa Stark, Tyrion Lannister/Sansa Stark, Doran Martell/Sansa Stark, Podrick Payne/Sansa Stark, Doran Martell/Sansa Stark, Oberyn Martell/Ellaria Sand/Sansa Stark, Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark,Sansa Stark/Daenerys Targaryen, Sansa Stark & Loras Tyrell, Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell, Sansa Stark/Gendry Waters,

Applicable to all requests:
As I said in the above request for ASOIAF, 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/Jaime:
Jaime has the appearance of being the gallant knight she yearns for, but of course, the reality is far murkier. How do they deal with the fact that they are, essentially, on two different sides of the war? That he attacked her father in the streets of King’s Landing, and her brother held him as a prisoner of war? Where do their loyalties eventually end up? Can they reach an understanding?
Does Jaime take his last chance of honour and take her away from Kings Landing with Brienne? Or maybe Tywin manages to arrange for Jaime to be dismissed from the Kingsguard and made to marry Sansa? Do they go to Casterly Rock and rule the Westerlands? Do they stay in King’s Landing, and if so, can he protect her from Joffrey? Does he return Sansa to Catelyn and Robb, and maybe manage to prevent the Red Wedding? How do they deal with his affair with Cersei, and the fact that he pushed her brother out of a window to cover it up? How conflicted is he between his love for Cersei and his duty and growing love for his wife? How does Cersei react when Sansa takes the other half of her soul away from her?
Or maybe they don’t get married and fall in love in King’s Landing – maybe it happens later. Does he meet her when he rides North to fight for the living as promised, and how conflicted is he between Cersei’s planned betrayal and his promise to fight for the living? How does he react to Sansa growing from essentially a non-entity in King’s Landing: a frightened, abused girl who parroted what she was told to say, to the competent, powerful Lady of Winterfell and eventually Queen in the North?

Sansa/Tyrion:
I like that they’re both very clever and know how to play the game despite their relative lack of physical prowess, and I like how they are both kind, honourable people who will use their kindness and honour for their own ends.
Perhaps they were better friends before their marriage, thus setting better conditions for love to grow out of it? Maybe they work together to become the power couple of King’s Landing? Maybe Tyrion and Sansa escape together after the Purple Wedding or the trial? Is Sansa put on trial alongside Tyrion? Which escape do they follow – to the Vale or to Essos? How does Petyr react when Sansa won’t leave Tyrion behind? How does Sansa’s presence change Tyrion’s reception by Daenerys?
Maybe Sansa travels to Essos after her escape from Ramsay instead of going to Jon? Does having Sansa there in Meereen change things between Daenerys and Sansa? Perhaps they grow to understand each other better?
Or maybe Tyrion and Sansa reach an understanding later, when she’s Lady of Winterfell (or maybe even Queen in the North) and he’s is Hand to the Queen, and they’ve both grown and matured. How do they reconcile Tyrion being Hand to Daenerys and Sansa being such a staunch Northern loyalist? Does that make Tyrion have doubts about Daenerys earlier, and how does that change how things play out?
Or maybe he stays in the North, post-canon, and is Hand to Queen Sansa as they rebuild the North after the many wars they have lived through?

Sansa/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 with no marriage to Ramsay etc. 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/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/Oberyn/Ellaria:
I love the idea of Sansa going to Dorne, where they don’t hurt little girls (let’s all agree to ignore the part where they uh… apparently do).
I’m also happy for this to be a V-shaped triad, with Ellaria and Sansa as metamours, or maybe even Oberyn and Sansa as metamours (even if Ellaria/Sansa wasn’t nominated on their own, and I didn’t have space to request Oberyn/Sansa among my GoT requests).
Maybe Oberyn marries her to save her from the Lannisters, knowing the abuse she suffers in King’s Landing? Maybe Oberyn sees something of Elia in Sansa? Maybe Robb makes a marriage alliance with Dorne in exchange for their support – the two Kingdoms who most want their independence. Maybe Joffrey marries Sansa to the infamous Viper to be cruel, and it backfires horribly on him? Maybe she escapes on her own, and makes her way to Dorne?
Maybe Ellaria is outraged at the way Sansa's treated, and she's the one who makes the first overture? Perhaps Sansa’s attracted to Ellaria first, and perhaps she’s more confident in her feelings for gentle Ellaria than Oberyn, who’s a man, and one with quite an alarming reputation at that.
How do the Sand Snakes react to her? Do they look down on her due to her lack of weapon skills? Do they worry about her replacing Ellaria? Or do they acknowledge the power of political manipulation and accept Sansa since Ellaria does and Sansa makes it clear she’s not out to replace Ellaria, and understand that political acumen is also a valuable skill to have?
Just as in the above request, Sansa would need to navigate the politics of the Dornish court – it’s less immediate, since she wouldn’t be the wife of the ruling Prince, but even as Oberyn’s wife, she would have an important position, and be an important player.
How does the marriage to Sansa change Oberyn’s duel with the Mountain - does he put his living wife over his dead sister and decline to represent Tyrion in the Trial by Combat, or does he keep from taunting the Mountain into a confession and thereby win the combat and come out alive? Or does it play out the same way as in canon – and Sansa and Ellaria go to Dorne to mourn and plan their revenge? How does Sansa react to the plot to kill Myrcella? Does she manage to convince Ellaria and the Sand Snakes to spare the innocent, and focus their revenge on those who actually deserve it? Does she convince them to take Doran's long-term approach to revenge? Or do their different ideas about how to best get revenge cause a rift between Sansa and Ellaria that they have to navigate?

Sansa/Theon
So, the Theon/Sansa ship surprised me – I didn’t ship it in the early seasons, but seasons 6-8 convinced me. They’re the only ones who truly know what the other suffered at the hands of Ramsay, and I’d like to see them supporting each other as they reclaim their agency. They’d know to be careful of each other, know the traumas they’ve both suffered, and so don’t need to explain it or hide from the other, and they’ve both seen the other at their lowest point. This ship offers plenty of opportunities to explore themes of loyalty, forgiveness, healing, and moving on.
Perhaps Theon stays with Sansa when they go to Castle Black – how does that change her reunion with Jon? And how does that affect his and Jon’s reunion? Does he still go to save Yara, or does he stay with Sansa in Winterfell?
Or maybe they go somewhere else, together, and escape Westeros and all the conflicts – Braavos, perhaps? How to they make a living? Does Winter spread even to Braavos, and do they keep up with what’s happening in Westeros? Do they feel guilty for abandoning their homeland, or do they feel well rid of the place that brought them only suffering. Are they recognised at all, or do they manage to fade into obscurity? Some slight jiggling of the timelines could even have them there at the same time as Arya – how does that reunion go down under those circumstances?
Or maybe love blossoms when Sansa's retaken Winterfell and Theon’s returned to fight for Winterfell in season 8? Does he feel torn between his oath to Daenerys and his love for Sansa? Or is this a non-issue for him: Sansa held his loyalty first? Perhaps he manages to survive the defence of Bran against the Night King – does he feel he’s atoned sufficiently for what he did, or will he always feel guilty about it? Do the other Starks forgive him completely, or are they still wary of him?

Sansa/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. Of course, there are plenty of challenges for the couple to navigate, with Sansa a staunch supporter of Northern independence, and Daenerys holding to her claim on all Seven Kingdoms. How do they navigate that conflict?
What if Jon had sent Sansa to Dragonstone to plead for her aid in his stead? Or what if Jon hadn’t bent the knee, but had instead brought Dany to Winterfell as an ally, not their Queen? Or maybe they did manage to find common ground between the Lady of Winterfell and the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. I find Sansa’s development in Season 8 rather odd – throughout the series, she has learnt to disguise her thoughts and feelings, and pretend to get on with people more powerful than her to achieve her goals, so the blunt and unpolitical way she treats Daenerys in season 8 makes no sense to me. Perhaps understanding could grow between them if Sansa wasn’t so antagonistic, giving Daenerys less reason to be mistrustful and eventually paranoid?
I'd like to see something more about the food situation, which the show king of glossed over aside from a few comments, and them trying to reconcile their different ideas about what they should do regarding the North, the battle for Dawn, and the fight to retake the Seven (or Six) Kingdoms.

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 (maybe she would draw attention to the fact that a squire having seen his knight master undressed is not incriminating)? 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 so much 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?
Alternatively, if you keep Sansa’s canonical marriage to Tyrion, she and Margaery could get together while they’re still in King’s Landing, behind the backs of their husbands and betrothed: Sansa dealing with her unwanted marriage by seeking out Margaery’s company, and Margaery confiding in Sansa, who knows what Joffrey’s like and what it’s like to have to pretend to love him. Margaery is skilled at manipulation, and Sansa learns quickly (even though she thinks she doesn’t), so before too long, they would be the soft power behind the throne in King’s Landing – I’d love to see the pair of them match wits against Cersei! They’d be even more powerful when Margaery marries Tommen, who’s more biddable than Joffrey, and would probably also get on with Sansa. Would he know about Sansa’s and Margaery’s relationship, or would they hide it from him as well as everyone else? How would Margaery manage to save Sansa’s life if she stayed in King’s Landing after the Purple Wedding? Would Sansa and Margaery working together manage to prevent Cersei’s blunder in giving the Faith more power? Or would they have to deal with it, knowing that they are as much at risk as Loras, if their relationship was discovered? How would they deal with his imprisonment, and would they manage to avert Cersei blowing up the Sept? Or would it still happen, and they somehow survive? I felt like the fall-out from that act was a bit glossed over in the show, so feel free to expand on that, in this request or any other!

Sansa/Gendry:
This would be a fun pairing, when Gendry’s chip on the shoulder meets Sansa’s romanticism (although she becomes quite jaded fairly quickly as well)! I’d imagine that Sansa would be aware of their different status more than Arya was, but after all she’s gone through, a good heart would probably be more important to her than a good title. Maybe he thinks of their status difference as more of an impediment than she does – since we know he is aware of the difference between him and Arya? Maybe he worries about being good enough for her, especially if he knows about her dreams of marrying a prince or a knight. Maybe his lowborn status and gruff manners would be more of an impediment to early Sansa than later Sansa?
Perhaps Sansa escapes King’s Landing with Yoren, either together with Arya, or instead of Arya. How does she cope with life on the road? Does Sansa also free Jaqen H’gar, and, if so, what names does she give him? Does Gendry still decide to stay with the Brotherhood instead of going with Sansa/the Starks, and if so, what happens when he’s sold to Melisandre? Or perhaps Sansa meets Gendry later, when they’re preparing for the onslaught of the White Walkers at Winterfell? Perhaps, if it’s a post-canon fic, the status difference between the Queen in the North and the legitimised Lord of Storm’s End isn’t so great, but that would bring additional complications of their geographical distance and obligations in two different kingdoms.

return to top


Crossover Fandom, Mediaeval Fantasy Edition
Characters/Ships: Sansa Stark/Peter Pevensie, Sansa Stark/Susan Pevensie, Sansa Stark/Edmund Pevensie, Sansa Stark/Lucy Pevensie, Lucy Pevensie/Brienne of Tarth

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?
Peter is the shining noble knight she always dreamed of, both without and within, in a way that no one in Westeros seems to match: he’s handsome, noble, chivalrous, dependable, and kind. He’s also a very good monarch, and Sansa hasn’t had much experience with those. He might restore her faith in songs, stories, and knights, and she would help him be the best High King he could possibly be.
Sansa and Susan have a lot in common: they’re both noble ladies, used to being coveted for their looks and having their intelligence overlooked. They’re also both good leaders, diplomatic, and practical. Together they would be nigh unstoppable.
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.
Lucy’s incredible warmth and faith, her joy with life, and just pure goodness would be a balm to Sansa’s soul. Lucy, out of all the Pevensies, is probably the most accepting. She might restore Sansa’s faith in humanity, and in herself. They would probably complement each other well – Lucy’s valour and Sansa’s caution, Lucy’s heart and Sansa’s mind.

Lucy/Brienne:
I feel like these two would get on so well! Lucy who embraces life fully, delights in those who are difference, and has such strong faith in the goodness of people would be absolutely perfect for Brienne, and Brienne with her strong honour, her determination and her ideals of chivalry would be a wonderful complement to Lucy.
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.

return to top


Crossover Fandom, Intergalactic Traveller Edition

Applicable to both requests:
I saw the Stargate Atlantis crossover tag in the tagset of the AU Exchange, and ever since, I really want to read a story with either Donna (with her memories intact) or Martha as a British or UNIT representative on Atlantis! I’d love to see Donna and/or Martha make a place for themselves in Atlantis, and interact with the other members of the Atlantis expedition. I’d love to see them apply the skills they had before travelling with the Doctor and the skills they picked up during their travels in a new environment. I’d love to see them be appreciated for who they are and what they can do – maybe not at first, maybe it takes some time, but eventually. I’d love to see them deal with and try to move on from the horrors and wonders they experienced during their time in the T.A.R.D.I.S., and I’d love to see them deal with the horrors and wonders of Atlantis and the Pegasus galaxy.
I’d be especially keen on the Atlantis people not knowing that they’ve travelled with the Doctor. Maybe they don’t even know who the Doctor is, or maybe they think he’s a myth, or maybe they have access to some of Torchwood or UNIT’s archives about him, and being a little bit suspicious of them at first (why are they here, how are they qualified, where do their loyalties lie), maybe finding out about the Doctor during the course of the story, or maybe it never comes up – maybe Donna and/or Martha manage to prove their competence and loyalties some other way.
I love the potential of the world-building of SGA, so anything that builds off that would be great – the idea of a floating/flying city, the way they never seem to have enough resources, the way they can lose contact with Earth at any given moment and are so reliant on the Stargates, the way different societies react differently to the Wraith threat, and the place of the Atlanteans in the Pegasus galaxy, etc., so feel free to explore those aspects!

The characters in the prompts are just people I thought it would be extra fun to see Donna and/or Martha interact with – if you have a favourite who’s not mentioned, do feel free to focus on them instead.
As I said in the introduction to this letter, I’m a multishipper, so any and all ships are welcome, with the exception of wraith/human ships. Regarding John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, I don’t mind it being included in the background, but I’d prefer it if it wasn’t a focus.

Donna Noble & Atlantis crew:
Donna is strong, abrasive, and doesn’t hide who she is, so she might rub people, the wrong way to start, especially Weir. But, on the other hand, she’s not likely to be a spy, given her general everything. She’s the best temp in Chiswick – and also Atlantis? She can help out with organisation, and administrative support, and would quickly make herself invaluable to Weir, Carter, or Woolsey.
As for the rest of the expedition, she and Rodney would get along either very, very well, or very, very badly. Her outspoken shell hides very kind-hearted person who doesn’t like to see anyone suffer, and I think they’d come to appreciate that quickly. Maybe she can act as a support for Aiden, when he’s in over his head? She also has experience with someone who’s the last of his people, so she might be good at comforting Ronon when he needs it. Maybe she, Lorne and Chuck would bond over being the people who aren’t as flashy as the others, but hold the place together with their understated competence (not that they would probably phrase it that way, or that anything about Donna can be described as understated)?
You don’t have to explain her memory restoration, but you can if want to. Maybe there are even remnants of the DoctorDonna – maybe she displays occasional flashes of genius and comprehension beyond the human, before she goes back to her normal self – how would the Atlantis expedition react to that? Would they be suspicious of her, or would they be appreciative of the times it did happen, and curious about why it’s not all the time? Do Rodney and Zelenka want to poach her for the science department?

Martha Jones & Atlantis crew:
Martha has common sense, and is soft-spoken, but she’s also pragmatic and willing to tough it out and do what needs doing – this might help her get on better in Atlantis than Donna to start with, but she’s also more reserved, which would make her more suspicious to them. There is also the fact that she works/worked for UNIT and has some shadowy figure very high up in the organisation pulling strings for her. But once they get over their suspicions, they would probably really appreciate her competence, her brilliance, and not compare to her to her predecessor constantly.
Carson and Martha would probably quickly establish an easy rapport in the infirmary, as would Keller and Martha – Martha and Keller have a similar no-nonsense approach to medicine, and Carson is accepting and would probably care more about her competence than the fact that she’s hiding secrets. But there might be potential for conflict between them: how would she react to his unethical medical experiments on Wraith?
Or maybe she would instead be on gate team as a field medic – since she has fighting skills beyond what Carson and Keller showed – honed during her year on the run from the Toclafane, and evidenced in End of Time part 2. Lorne, Zelenka and Martha would probably represent the voices of reason and prgmatism on Atlantis, and might get on very well because of it. Like Donna, she has experience with someone who’s the last of his people, so she would also able to support Ronon. She would probably also get on very well with Teyla – they have the same work ethic, the same inner strength, and the same ability to quickly get back on their feet and adapt when life throws them curve balls.
How does her family react to her going off into space and another galaxy again? Is she at all conflicted about leaving them after the Year that Never Was? Maybe you could even include Mickey and Martha on Atlantis as a married couple – how would that change how they react to her? How would they react to Mickey?

return to top


Crossover Fandom, Jane Austen Naval Edition
Characters/ships: Elizabeth Bennet/James Norrington, Fanny Price/James Norrington, Fanny Price/Tom Pullings

Applicable to all pairings:
This request is mainly due to my desire to see better matches for Norrington and for Fanny than they got in canon – Norrington deserves someone who can love him back, who will appreciate his good heart and sense of duty. 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 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. 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)!

Elizabeth Bennet/James Norrington::
I think Elizabeth would probably be delighted with his story of ghost crew of the Black Pearl (being as far removed from it as she is), and would help him get over what happened. She wouldn’t take him too seriously, and canon has shown that he likes outspoken, witty women who know their own minds.
Maybe Mr Bennet dies, and Elizabeth’s choices are to live on fifty pounds per annum with her mother and sisters, marry the odious Mr Collins, or marry Norrington – she’s always been certain she’ll marry for love, but maybe she needs to make the pragmatic choice. How does she deal with that, and how does he feel if she is open about the fact that she doesn’t love him (but she does like him)? Does he still try his best to woo her? How do they fall in love once they’re married?
Or maybe her Aunt and Uncle take her to the coast rather than to Derbyshire, and she meets Norrington there, and forgets all about Mr Darcy. Here’s someone who is courteous, and handsome, and intelligent, and treats her well right from the start. How does Lydia's elopement affect Elizabeth in these changed circumstances? Does Norrington step in and help her avoid ruin by marrying her, since he doesn't have the knowledge Darcy has to hunt Wickham down and save her that way?
Or maybe their meeting happens before canon, and Lydia's elopement and Mr Darcy's affections for Elizabeth aren't an issue? How does an Elizabeth who hasn't learned to see beyond the surface of people's manners react to Norrington? Does it change anything, since Norrington is very charming and has fine manners (at least early movies Norrington)? Perhaps it's a Norrington from AWE she meets, a jaded Admiral rather than a gallant Commodore?

Fanny Price/James Norrington:
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 Carribean, 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! How does the family settle in to 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 Price/Tom Pullings:
This is quite similar to the Fanny/Norrington prompt – I just want Fanny to marry a dashing naval man who will respect her thoughts and opinions and treat her right!
I must admit, this is about 40% because of how dashing 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. Again, Fanny has a naval connection through William, perhaps they serve together when William’s made lieutenant and he introduces them to each other? Or perhaps they meet in Portsmouth when she’s banished from Mansfield? Perhaps he sees her being relentlessly pursued by a man she doesn’t want and steps in to rescue her? Or maybe he can offer her an escape from her family’s poverty and dysfunction? Although, as is pointed out with William, it’s hard to have a successful career when you lack connections in the navy, so they might have to deal with that as well during their married life.
Perhaps she even marries Crawford or Edmund, and her husband turns out to be controlling and emotionally abusive. Maybe Pullings meets her while she’s in the abusive marriage (cue pining), or maybe he only meets her when she’s already widowed and is taken by her endurance and fortitude.
I’m very fond of the Regency period, and would be delighted with something that leaned into the time era, and the etiquette of courtship and marriage.
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!

return to top


Crossover Fandom, Post-War Edition

Applicable to all requests:
I’d love to see something with the Pevensies interacting with the Agent Carter crew! Maybe the Pevensies are also agents of the SSR after the War? Or maybe they are civilians who help the SSR agents just because they’re in a place to do so and it’s the Right Thing To Do?
Maybe their time in Narnia marked the Pevensies in some way, and either SSR or Leviathan/Hydra or some other sinister organisation is after them? Maybe they don’t quite trust that the Agent Carter crew have their best interests at heart? Maybe the Agent Carter crew don’t quite trust that the Pevensies aren’t hiding more sinister secrets? Maybe they don’t understand how these on the surface normal, middle-class British schoolchildren/young adults (depending on when you set the story and whether you fuff the timelines) can be so competent, and think they’ve been trained as spies?
I like reading about Pevensies who are somehow Different due to their time in Narnia, for instance unexpectedly mature and competent for their ages, or having skills you wouldn’t normally expect from children or young adults in the mid-20th century, but might expect monarchs from a fantasy medieval kingdom to have. I would prefer all the Friends of Narnia to be alive and well in the story – either they survived the train crash, or it never happened. I’m also less fond of the part where Susan turned her back on Narnia and separated herself from her family, or the judgemental tone they use when they talk about how she cares for nothing but “nylons and lipstick and invitations” – feel free to leave that part out entirely and make up your own headcanon on what the Pevensies would be like when they’re older, regardless of what the later books in the series say, or make it clear that Susan can like nylons and lipstick and invitations and also be clever and insightful and retain her belief in Narnia and her siblings’ respect.

Peggy & Jarvis & the Pevensie siblings:
The Pevensies meet the English AC characters! Perhaps the story’s set in England (I’m sure there are reasons why Peggy and Jarvis might go to England – family reasons? Sent there by the SSR because they blend in? There on their own investigations, posing as a Lady and her butler?), or perhaps the Pevensies are in the US for some reason (holiday? Moved there after the War? Working for the British arm/equivalent of the SSR?). Do they come across the Pevensies in their investigations? Are they perhaps even investigating the Pevensies?
Maybe it’s even set during the War – maybe Jarvis meets the Pevensies after he has rescued Ana and been discharged? Maybe they live nearby and help Jarvis and Ana find their feet after what they’ve been through? Or maybe Stark is interested in recruiting them/they get involved with his wartime activities and meet Jarvis that way?
Maybe Peggy meets them during leave in London? Perhaps Peter is a new recruit who ends up where the Howling Commandoes are (he’d be just old enough to sign up by the last year of the War, if he was born in the early months of the year), or maybe even Edmund (if he lied about his age/the timeline is fuffed a bit)?
There are plenty of opportunities for polite manners hiding unexpected competence and BAMF-itude on both sides. Plus, the understated snarking would be through the roof!
Not all characters in the group need to be showcased or focused on (especially if it’s during the War, it might be difficult to get everyone together in the same place).

Susan & Peggy, Susan/Peggy:
Both are put-together and highly competent, but often overlooked due to their sex. I’d love to see Susan as an agent of the SSR – perhaps she and Peggy bond over their male counterparts’ sexism?
It would be fascinating to see the different ways these two operate within, stretch the boundaries of, and break society’s expectations of them in different circumstances – Peggy’s more direct and blunt, whereas Susan’s more diplomatic, but they’re both as willing to speak up and to do things their own way, without asking for permission (Peggy because that’s the only way she can get things done, and Susan because it simply doesn’t occur to her that she needs to ask someone’s permission and that she’s no longer the highest authority around aside from her older brother, until after the fact).

Edmund/Sousa:
Mild-mannered exteriors hiding greater depths! I love Edmund’s snark and sarcasm, and I think he would play very well of Sousa’s more straight-man tendencies – although Sousa shows moments of wittiness and snark himself!
Daniel loves a mystery and can’t help trying to work things out, and he doesn’t balk at investigating his friends – it would be a lot of fun seeing him try to work out the mystery of Edmund and his siblings, and the ways they don’t make sense (unless you happen to know that they were monarchs of a fantasy land for a decade and a half). I bet he would get so frustrated, but still be drawn to and fascinated by Edmund.

Lucy/Angie:
I love these two! So full of life, so warm, so friendly and interested in other people – they would have a great time together. Maybe Lucy is a boarder at the Griffith Hotel, or maybe she’s a regular at the automat? I’d love to see what they get up to together and getting on with their lives. I’d also love to see what Lucy ends up doing after the war – I can’t quite see her as a spy, but I also can’t see her being content to fade into the background and live an ordinary life. Is she studying to be a doctor and fighting the sexism that makes everyone think she’s a nurse? Is she involved in politics in the women’s rights or civil rights movements? Is she involved in post-War relief and rebuilding efforts?
Maybe Susan, Edmund and Peggy are getting involved with spy shenanigans in the background, and Lucy and Angie pretend to be oblivious? Or maybe they get involved in their own spy shenanigans, or get pulled into Peggy’s – maybe they decide to continue working to clear Peggy’s name when the SSR came looking for her?

return to top


Downton Abbey
Characters/Ships: Thomas Barrow & William Mason, Thomas Barrow & Gwen Dawson, Thomas Barrow & Tom Branson, Thomas Barrow & Anna Smith

Applicable to all requests:
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. I mainly want to see him having friends, but love interests are good also. 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 or Richard Ellis 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
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 beard for each other?

Thomas & 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 develops those leanings later on? How does he react when Branson marries Sybil and becomes a member of the Upstairs?
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?

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?

return to top


Leverage
Characters/Ships: Maggie Collins, Jim Sterling

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!

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? 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. Would they 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?

return to top


Sense and Sensibility

Colonel Brandon/Elinor Dashwood/Edward Ferrars:
I’m very fond of sensible people coming to practical solutions! Perhaps a married couple living with a very good “bachelor friend” of theirs would probably be (just) within the bounds of regency propriety. I’d love to see how they came to the arrangement, and how they live. Who is the married couple, and who is the “bachelor friend”?
Perhaps Elinor and Edward marry, just as in canon?
Maybe Edward and Elinor marry after he’s been disinherited and Lucy’s thrown him over, and they move into the unmarried Brandon’s parsonage. Maybe then he manages to fall for both his good friends at the same time, and worries that he’s taking advantage of them (meanwhile they’re worrying that they’re taking advantage of him).
Or maybe Edward and Elinor marry before canon starts (maybe he avoids being disinherited, or maybe they have to rely on charity from their good friend Brandon), and they console and help Brandon as he’s searching for Eliza Williams, and feelings develop as they mutually support and help one another…
Or maybe Brandon and Elinor marry, instead?
Elinor was among the earliest in her family to express appreciation for Brandon, so maybe the appreciation turns to love, and believing Edward to be lost to her, accepts a marriage to him instead? Except then it turns out Edward isn’t lost to her, and she has to deal with loving two men at the same time?
Perhaps Elinor and Brandon enter into a marriage of convenience for her family’s sake – and then Edward enters back into her life and feelings develop in all directions… Maybe Edward and Brandon fall in love first, and that helps Elinor also fall in love with Brandon, her husband?

return to top