Chocolate Box Round 2
Dec. 28th, 2016 08:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aurillyThis letter is egregiously long, but it's because I decided to request all the pairings. Regardless, please don't feel limited by the prompts. You can twist them around or ignore them entirely and go off one of the likes. The single-fandom sections are longer, not because I want those ships more, but because I put the character and fandom notes that are relevant to the crossover ships there. I will be over the moon to get pretty much anything, so just have fun! And thank you! I'm aurilly on AO3, too, and I've requested fanfic for everything.
General Notes
— Feel free to skip the meet-cute and start at some point after they've become friends or partners or whatever. What I care most about is what happens after two characters meet--the relationships they forge, the adventures they have, the things they learn, etc. If you have the time and inclination to do both, then yay; however, fics that end right after the introductions make me sad.
— I love friends to lovers, including for pairings who don't canonically know each other (see above note). I love multiple approaches. For example: 1) Where they realize they have more than platonic feelings, or have been lightly crushing for a while, and resolving that UST. 2) Start the story right after the first kiss/declaration, setting it during the days or weeks that follow. The relationship does change; it isn’t simply friends + sex. Working through that transition and learning new things about one another—both wonderful and irritating—that didn't come up before. 3) Friends with benefits or 'sex before feelings' that becomes more serious during the story.
Things I Love
— Devoted Odd Couples: having one another’s backs; enjoying one another's company; laughing at one another; fond exasperation; characters with wildly different speech patterns; secret relationships
— Earning Your Happy Ending: getting over some of your baggage; finding home where you least expect it; Groundhog Day loops
— Forced or Repeated Proximity: forced to share a room/bed; captured or stranded together
— Competence & Resourcefulness: high-functioning teams; badassery; laughing in the face of danger or absurdity
— Adventures & Journeys: exploring unknown territory; daring rescues or escapes; trains; ships; hotels; vacations gone awry; fish out of water; realm-hopping; magical realism
— Dorks Doing It: first times; MAKEOUTS!; slightly awkward but fun and satisfying sex; laughter or friendly banter during sex; inexperienced characters who are into it and not completely clueless; too desperate to properly get clothes off; coming in pants; shower sex; outdoor sex
Do Not Wants
— romantic pairings other than the ones specifically requested
— crack, fusions, and alternate setting AUs (but wild canon divergences are very welcome!)
— fics where none of the main characters ever find out about the others' backgrounds or magic (the reveal doesn't have to happen on-screen, but please don't end it with everyone thinking everything is normal!)
— Things That Upset Me: the afterlife; major character death; bleak endings; noncon; dark dynamics in my ships
— Schmoopiness: plotless fluff; non-canonical pet names or terms of endearment; people saying "I love you" verbatim
— Sex & Relationship-Related: soulmates; D/s dynamics; OT3s; shovel talks, yentas, and matchmakers; pregnancy; adultery; hatesex
— Writing Things: 1st & 2nd person POV; phonetically spelled dialogue
— Crossover Do Not Wants: tragic, Steve/Peggy-style age mismatches; crossovers of more than two canons at a time; fourth wall breakage (people having read Greek myths is an exception, as that is Atlantis canon)
Narnia
Pairings: Tirian/Emeth
These books were the most formative of my whole childhood. I love Tirian SO MUCH. He has such human flaws, and he started off as a hot mess of a king, but he’s such a wonderful guy, and quite resourceful and clever when you rouse him out of his decadence. And Emeth should win a prize for the level of admiration and affection he was able to inspire in so few pages. I loved the conflict he faced between his reason, his duty, his devotion, and his desire to prove himself. I think they’re perfect for one another—brave, noble warriors who could come to respect and love one another despite their differences. I also have a love of language and contrasting speech patterns; the differences between their versions of courtly perfection are catnip to me.
The afterlife is my biggest DNW, so I'm only interested in canon divergences that let people be together in real life. No end of Narnia or train crash, please! Perhaps they succeed in stopping the apocalypse. Or, instead of actively fixing it, you could just... pretend it didn't even come up and Tirian and the friends of Narnia lived long and happy lives. For the crossover prompts... I love Edmund the most. I loved his journey to redemption, and how he remained a sometimes cranky, sarcastic, and real person while also becoming a brave, strategic, and badass warrior king. Something about the Golden Age and/or his post-Narnia life (where he doesn't die!!!) would be lovely.
Prompts
— Enemies to lovers, culture clashes, reluctant allies fall in love, secret forbidden love across enemy lines, brothers in arms, agent falls for mark... I love it all!
— What if they had met before? How might that change have affected the later plot? We know Tirian has been to Calormen. Was it an official trip, or did he go incognito, either for fun or for espionage, and meet Emeth then? Did Emeth know who Tirian was? You could include the flashbacks, or you could assume the backstory and start the fic when they meet again later on—either way!
— What if they had met in Narnia while Emeth was undercover as a merchant, and their love changes the course of the story?
— Maybe the fic starts after the war (no apocalypse! just a regular war!) and they meet and fall in love in the hostile détente?
— The scene where Tirian half goes to our world is one of my favorites in the entire series. What if he and Emeth went for real? What if the stable was a portal to another realm (either ours or a different one), not the afterlife?
— Tirian in a Groundhog Day loop in which he slowly learns how to be a better king (and prevent the apocalypse), with Emeth's help?
MCU
Pairings: Loki/Bucky, Loki&Bucky
I think they would make such an entertainingly snarky and angsty and badass odd couple. They might be able to get each other, and/or tough love each other to a better place. Post-CW is fine, but I'm also more than happy to pretend Phase 2 (or even the first Avengers movie) didn't happen, or happened very differently, or only bits and pieces did. I never get tired of canon divergences that assume "Loki fell to Earth" or "Loki was banished to Earth instead of Thor" or "Bucky escaped/recovered his memories differently", or "Bucky never killed the Starks and isn't being hunted anymore", etc.
Some random things: 1) I have a pet peeve about Bucky (and Steve) saying "ain't". Can they please speak as properly as they do in the films? Cursing is fine, though. 2) Please let Bucky be a fully functional badass with at least a glimmer of a sense of humour, as he was in TWS and/or CW. I like stories about him trying to move on and build a new life, not ones that dwell on his trauma or painful recovery. 3) I see Loki as Chaotic Neutral 4, not as totally evil or crazy. And I think he's too guarded to flirt/sleep with a lot of people (which makes it more special when he does fall for someone). 4) No Darcy or Sharon, please, and nothing from the TV shows, as I'm not familiar with them.
Prompts
— I yearn for Bucky in Asgard or other realms, at any point and for any reason
— The Convergence left wounded Loki stranded on Earth, to be found and taken in by Bucky, who's in hiding post-TWS
— I love canon setting versions of tropes that are usually written as mundane. For example, they're still superheroes/aliens/whatever, but they met as Craigslist roommates or at a bar.
— Identity Porn: Does Loki not know that his crush object is the Winter Soldier? Does Bucky not know that the guy who frequents his favorite coffee shop is the villain from his superhero life? Please let them find out eventually!
— Stranded Together: In space? In an avalanche? On Lost Island? At a terrible party? Anywhere!
— A deal or scheme or trick or dare leads to feelings?
— Missions Together: Maybe something involving a ridiculous trope? Or just action-adventure.
— Sex pollen! But no pre-arranged consent, please; I like it best when it's fraught in the moment and they find out afterwards that it was totally consensual and they like each other
— Arranged marriage, undercover as a couple or marriage of convenience (but not "fake boyfriend for the holidays"). I'm into this trope for the domesticity and getting to know each other that happens during the arrangement. I don't care about the set-up; handwave away. You could even set it after the project ends and they're feeling wistful in a way that makes them want to make a move for real. Gen takes on these tropes are also welcome!
Psmith - PG Wodehouse
Pairings: Psmith/Mike
Wodehouse is my favorite writer, and Psmith/Mike is my favorite thing. Their devoted odd-coupleness is... I love it too much to be articulate. I will treasure anything you write me that involves them getting and/or being together romantically. I have only two main asks: 1) Please set it before they met their wives and/or pretend they never did) 2) While a little longing and hesitation are nice--and a touch of quietly understood, low-key forbiddenness does add a certain frisson--I’d like something in the generally upbeat spirit of the books, without un-Wodhousian anguish or internalized homophobia. 'Psmith & Mike' and 'Psmith In the City' are both free on Gutenberg. Go read them! They'll make you so happy!
Prompts:
— Adventures (with some romance)! Teaming up for drawing room espionage, or a Scooby Doo-style mystery, or survival on Lost island? Perhaps as part of it, Psmith ends up in the soup and Mike has to save him, instead of the other way around?
— One (or both?) in a Groundhog Day loop? No need to explain how it starts or why it ends (handwave away!); what I care about are things people learn about themselves and each other, and how they deal with the situation and how it leads to them getting together
— A wild night out during the bank days and its ramifications. Maybe they made out while drunk? The story could even start the morning after.
— A briefly angsty patch that helps you dig into their relationship/lives before it gets happily resolved? Maybe Psmith feels a little ultimately unjustified jealousy if Wyatt returns? Something else entirely?
— Sex pollen! But no pre-arranged consent, please; I like it best when it's fraught in the moment and they find out only afterwards that it was totally consensual and they like each other.
— Who is the forward one here, or do they bumble equally in their own ways? Is romance with Mike the one area where Psmith is shy or awkward or confusing or clueless or… something? Does he try to hide his nerves/inexperience? Or not? Or maybe he actually is smooth, but that’s the wrong approach with Mike? Any take would be fascinating.
— There’s so much they feel but don’t say, even with Psmith’s incessant talking (his dialogue is sublimely delightful to me); in what other ways can those feelings come out?
— Farcical "true love's kiss", like, where people try to deny or keep secret what happened, or it was an accident, or the kisser has no idea it worked, or the kissee thinks it was someone else... And then it works out in the end.
MCU/Lost Crossovers
Bucky (MCU) & Hurley (Lost):
Bucky on the island, post-series finale, please! The image of these two together on the beach (or in the foot, or in the lighthouse, or playing golf, etc.) just makes me smile SO HARD. Hurley could jolly anyone into a better headspace. What adventures do they have together? Does Bucky help Hurley settle into his new role and fix things after season 6? Does Hurley help Bucky get better? Have some of Hurley's friends come back for a visit? Maybe post-TWS, Bucky ended up on that flight to Guam and was the only other person to survive the massacre, and he runs into Hurley & Co right after the finale? These are just ideas; I honestly don't care how he gets there. Note: Instead of aging Lost characters up, can you please pretend Lost happened alongside the MCU movies (ex. TWS and the Lost finale happened within a few months of each other, or some other intersection)? Also, while Ben is welcome in the background, I'd prefer not to focus on him. I love Rose, Bernard and Desmond, though! (Maybe Bucky is involved in how Desmond got home again?)
Bucky (MCU) & 70s Time Traveler Group (Lost):
I nominated Miles, but I'd be just as happy with something focused on Bucky&Juliet or Bucky&Sawyer or Bucky&Left-Behinders ensemble. Basically, I want Bucky in the 1970s DHARMA commune, being friends with the characters who were stuck there for three years. Maybe the Winter Soldier was one of the soldiers on the freighter (I mean, Lost DOES have a Hydra Island! and Widmore WAS on that council with Fury!) and he flashed to the 70s, too, and the island cured him... Or maybe Hydra sent him to the island in the 70s. Or maybe he fell off the train and onto the island, which time-warped him to the 70s, no Winter Soldier stuff happening to him at all. Maybe he returns to the present with the others and finds Steve again. Honestly, I don't care how he gets there or how he leaves. I just want Bucky experiencing some island mysteries, wearing a jumpsuit, sharing a yellow house with someone nice, getting a Sawyer nickname... You get the idea. And/or maybe they meet up again post-series/post-some MCU canon divergence? If you want to ship Bucky/Miles or Bucky/Juliet, go right ahead (but only one of those ships, please)! Including background Sawyer/Juliet is fine if you're not going to ship her with Bucky. Feel free to ignore any canon character deaths you want.
MCU/Narnia Crossovers
Bucky (MCU)/Tirian (Narnia):
You could excise Jill and Eustace to pretend Tirian's reign lines up with the present-day on Earth, or, seriously, any handwavey canon divergence or timeline collision you want to do. The damaged Brooklyn boy and courtly Narnian king as an odd couple of fearsome warriors. Fish out of water shenanigans. Tirian starting out as a disaster of a king but his time with Bucky gives him perspective. Bucky's Narnian adventure/boyfriend distracting him past his baggage and into a better mental place. Bucky helping Tirian avert the awfulness. Competence porn. Maybe the Aether or Tesseract function like the rings, or the Convergence hits Narnia, too? Did Tirian astrally project to Bucky the way he did to the Friends of Narnia to become Bucky's seemingly imaginary friend growing up, and then they meet for real? Or, maybe the stable was a portal to Earth instead of to the afterlife. Anything!
Bucky (MCU)/Rilian (Narnia):
There are many parallels, what with the brainwashing and trauma chairs and being programmed to kill your friends, and the bad people telling you you're crazy during the rare moments when you're actually lucid, and being lost for years... What adventures do they have together? How do they get to making out? Getting the kingdom in order now that Rilian's back? There would be a lot for him to deal with, both politically and personally, and maybe Bucky's common sense outsider perspective could help. You could even ignore the parallels, and have Bucky fall off the train and into Rilian's reign, without Winter Soldier stuff ever happening to him. Or what about Rilian in our world? Does the Lady send him here to get something magic? Would Hydra get to him? Rilian using his world's knowledge to come up with the solution to a canon MCU problem? Does his star blood make him special in some way? Can Rilian save Bucky from his brainwashing? Or maybe they met before one of them got brainwashed, and years later when they meet again the other doesn't remember him (lots of angst that gets hopefully resolved by the end).
Edmund (Narnia) & Loki (MCU):
What if Loki fell off the Bifrost into Narnia during the Golden Age? Or what if there's a portal directly linking Narnia and Asgard? What if the train crash never happened, and Edmund used the rings to get to Asgard? Or something else? Any scenario you can think of would be great. I'd just love to see these two bounce off one another. Bonding about sibling betrayal and redemption and ice magic and being the younger brothers of the magnificent golden boys? Two clever guys coming to respect one another? Solving a problem in Narnia or Asgard or Earth together? Anyone else from the Narnia books or from Asgard is welcome in the background.
David Blaize Crossovers (but I'm really here for Frank Maddox)
**I'm ALL about Frank here. For most of these, I'm hoping for him to get over David, have his own adventures, and find happiness and self-acceptance with someone new (without bashing David, please!). Except for Vanessa Ives, I don't want het for Frank.
Crossover with Wodehouse's Psmith books:
Frank and Mike were obviously teammates on the Cambridge eleven. I'd love a crossover that facilitates Psmith/Mike and/or Frank/someone else. Or, maybe instead of David, Frank ends up with Adair or Monty Bodkin, who are also at Cambridge (given that Frank was there for years before David, David doesn't need to appear at all)? As long as Psmith/Mike remains endgame, Frank having hooked up with Psmith or Mike at some point would be fun (perhaps when Marchester's team traveled to Eton, Wrykyn or Sedleigh for cricket matches? or later?). How does that backstory affect my actual ship(s) later on, when they are all at Cambridge together? For example, is there misplaced jealousy that leads to feelings revealed? Something else? Or, they can meet for the first time at Cambridge. Whatever!
Cambridge hijinks facilitating friendship and romance? Teaming up to rag on a professor or defeat a bully? Or, while I don’t want matchmaking or interventions, maybe something where getting an outsider POV on one character's angst or happiness or whatever inspires someone from the other canon to do something about his feelings. Ex. Maybe Frank reexamines his stance on 'beastliness' when he finds out that Mike, whom he thinks is great, has a thing with Psmith. Or maybe seeing Frank so miserably repressed makes Mike decide to go for things with Psmith.
Frank/Edmund (Narnia):
My biggest asks are a) for Frank to find out about the magic and b) have Frank and Edmund be around the same age during the story. Does Edmund go to Marchester or Cambridge? How does Frank discover Ed's secret (please let him find out!!!) and the reason why Ed doesn't think anything so terrible about m/m relationships? What is post-Narnia life like for Edmund? Is he also frustrated (sexually or otherwise)? Or maybe it's Frank's parents' house that Edmund burgles to get the rings, and that's how they meet and go off on adventures instead of Edmund dying. Or maybe Frank finds himself in Narnia during the Golden Age and helps the Pevensies with something? How does King Edmund, who probably doesn't have a ton of attractive humans around, react to having Frank there? Does Frank help Ed remember his life from before? No train crash or end of Narnia, please!! The afterlife is my biggest DNW.
Frank/Tirian (Narnia):
Frank finds himself in Narnia, in a canon divergence that pretends most of The Last Battle never happened. Do they nip the Calormene plot way in the bud? Or ignore the whole book entirely and do something else with them! Partying together with Bacchus? Fighting Northern giants together? Or, what if Tirian has been regularly astrally projecting to Frank the way he did to the Friends of Narnia that one time; both he and Frank have always secretly thought they had an imaginary friend (or are going nuts), but one day they meet, either because Tirian comes here or Frank goes thereand then they have sex. Frank enchanted by Tirian's literal fairytale prince-ness, or irritated by his rashness? Tirian having hero-worship about yet another person from our world? No train crash or end of Narnia, please!! The afterlife is my biggest DNW.
Frank/Victor, Frank/Vanessa, or Frank/Ethan (Penny Dreadful):
Please pretend the David Blaize books took place earlier, so that Frank is around the same age as Victor or Vanessa. Perhaps Frank grew up in the same area as the Murray/Ives houses, and was a childhood friend of Vanessa’s? Did Vanessa and Frank initially bond because they were trying to stamp out what was 'wrong' with them, only to realize later on that there's nothing 'wrong'? Or perhaps Victor went to Marchester or Cambridge with Frank? Was Frank the only boy for whom haughty little Victor felt hero worship/a crush? Or not? Regardless of the backstory, I’m even more interested in what happens when they reunite in London as adults. Does Victor or Vanessa pull their old friend/acquaintance Frank into the gang's latest project? Reuniting at a ball?
Or maybe Frank's never met any of them before, and Lyle brings him as a Classics expert. Does he help Victor with his addiction? Does Vanessa give him the kind of pep talks she gives Victor? Does dealing with all this demi-monde insanity put 'beastliness' into new perspective for Frank (I mean, Ethan is LITERALLY a beast, so Frank kind of needs to hush)? Do they have to infiltrate a creepy gathering or society event? Vanessa/Frank undercover as a couple? Or undercover as brothers with one of the guys? Does Frank fuck Dorian before ending up in a more feelings-ful ship with one of the others? Or, does Frank help with post-canon adventures (either keeping the ending or pretending Vanessa didn't die)? I loved this show for the Scooby gang’s teamwork and found family. I was never that interested in the storylines focused on Victor’s creations; I was way more invested in his struggles to connect with the living. While I didn't hate it or anything, I wasn't a huge fan of the Ethan/Vanessa ship, so feel free to pretend it isn't a thing, especially if doing another ship. Extreme canon divergences that ignore the ending, last season, or even before that, are totally welcome!
Frank/Bucky (MCU):
Please pretend the books happened in the 30s/40s so that Frank and Bucky are around the same age (but don't pretend Frank was born in the late 20th century, please). Do they meet during the war (maybe they run into Hughes, too?)? Does the desperation of war get them over their internalized homophobia enough to act on their feelings (or maybe Bucky doesn't have any internalized homophobia?)? Frank as a Howling Commando? Bucky and Frank getting together while using their combined smarts on a mission? Experimented on together? Getting over their painful secret, unrequited crushes on David and Steve by falling for each other (Bucky never having been attracted to Steve is just as welcome)? Random note: I have a pet peeve about Bucky (and Steve) saying things like “ain’t”; can they please speak as properly as they do in the films? Cursing's fine, though.
Frank/Thor (MCU):
Thor's combination of jolly+gravitas+alien would be such a fascinating foil for Frank's complicated temperament, and just generally, it would be super hot. Maybe something where Thor was banished to Earth and fell into one of Frank's archaeological digs? Or fell into Frank's backyard or Cambridge courtyard? (Basically, I'm looking for something where Frank is 18-25.) Helping the fish out of water adjust? Frank's reactions to this amazing fairytale prince who has no hangups about m/m relationships? What do Frank's other friends think of Thor? How does Thor take to having to keep stuff on the DL? Or maybe Thor takes Frank to Asgard. Honestly, anything!
Frank/Loki (MCU):
As long as they genuinely come to like and care about one another by the end, I'm up for anything. An example could be a canon divergence where Loki fell to Earth or was banished or simply visited, set during the early 20th century. Is he taken in by Frank? Do they meet in some other way? Does he take Frank to Asgard? Bonding over mutual self-loathing, even though it stems from different reasons? Do they help one another get over some of their various issues? I don't see Loki as straight-up evil or crazy or blameless woobie; I like a balance where he's a selfish schemer, and can be a dick, but somewhat sympathetic. I think he's too guarded to flirt or sleep with a lot of people--which makes it all the more special when he does fall for someone.
Frank/Pythagoras (Atlantis):
Assume that during one of his trips to Greece, Frank fell into a similar wormhole as Jason did, and start the story after he's arrived in Atlantis. Frank knows all about Greek mythology and could probably help the Atlantis characters solve a problem (ex. the fleece quest, or a missing season 1 episode, saving Medusa or other canon divergence). Is Jason confused because Frank is from his world, but was born 100 years before him? How does Frank react to meeting the people and seeing the stories go a bit differently? Does this experience show him that he was wrong about Ancient Greece becoming "corrupt and beastly"? (see more below)
Frank/Icarus (Atlantis):
Pretty much the same as above, except maybe it's Daedalus & Icarus who take Frank in? Or they meet in some other way? Is Frank stressed out because he's dreading his new friend's fabled fate? Please pick only one of these pairings; no OT3. I'm generally a hardcore Icarus/Pythagoras shipper, so, for either of these requests, you’d have to pretend they never had or never will have feelings for one another. Or maybe the story happened before Icarus/Pythagoras got together, and this is just a nice fling that amicably ends when Frank has to go home again, but they've both grown from the experience (I'm fine with the happy ending being Frank going home and being ready to make a move on David, if you want).
Frank/Richard (Lost):
My main ask is for Frank on the island! Like, a canon divergence in which his ship sinks on one of his trips to Greece. Start at some point after he's washed ashore. Frank exploring the island and its mysteries? Does Frank help Richard set up the first settlement of Others? Does Smokey try to tempt/corrupt Frank? Does Jacob give Frank a magical but ultimately unhealthy 'gift' like he gave Richard? For what it's worth, I also ship Richard/Jacob, and like the idea of Smokey's unrequited desire for Richard (and/or maybe Frank?); I don't mind ships co-existing in this case (or Jacob/Frank instead of Richard/Frank, or even R/J/F OT3), if you want. Does Richard feel confused or self-loathing about his attraction to Frank? And vice versa? Can they get over their hang-ups together? How does Frank react to Jacob, this pseudo-god figure who probably doesn't care who people love, and the fact that Richard is so devoted to him, too? Does this create tension? Are there class or hero worship or religious or other issues that they overcome together? No sideways universe, please!!
Frank & Juliet (Lost):
1970s DHARMA fic, please! Like, Frank's ship to Greece sinks and washes ashore in his own time, but the time warp immediately sends him to the 70s, and the story starts at some point after he joins Sawyer & Co. How does he adjust to life in the hippie-dippy 'future' with all these Americans? Experiencing some island mysteries? I'd love to see Frank befriend Juliet especially, but also any/all of the other time travelers. Are they all, like, "Put on a goddamn swimsuit, Frank!"? Background Sawyer/Juliet is fine to include, if you want, but I don't have any Frank ships here. Pretending Juliet doesn't die is totally fine by me! No sideways universe, please!!
General Notes
— Feel free to skip the meet-cute and start at some point after they've become friends or partners or whatever. What I care most about is what happens after two characters meet--the relationships they forge, the adventures they have, the things they learn, etc. If you have the time and inclination to do both, then yay; however, fics that end right after the introductions make me sad.
— I love friends to lovers, including for pairings who don't canonically know each other (see above note). I love multiple approaches. For example: 1) Where they realize they have more than platonic feelings, or have been lightly crushing for a while, and resolving that UST. 2) Start the story right after the first kiss/declaration, setting it during the days or weeks that follow. The relationship does change; it isn’t simply friends + sex. Working through that transition and learning new things about one another—both wonderful and irritating—that didn't come up before. 3) Friends with benefits or 'sex before feelings' that becomes more serious during the story.
Things I Love
— Devoted Odd Couples: having one another’s backs; enjoying one another's company; laughing at one another; fond exasperation; characters with wildly different speech patterns; secret relationships
— Earning Your Happy Ending: getting over some of your baggage; finding home where you least expect it; Groundhog Day loops
— Forced or Repeated Proximity: forced to share a room/bed; captured or stranded together
— Competence & Resourcefulness: high-functioning teams; badassery; laughing in the face of danger or absurdity
— Adventures & Journeys: exploring unknown territory; daring rescues or escapes; trains; ships; hotels; vacations gone awry; fish out of water; realm-hopping; magical realism
— Dorks Doing It: first times; MAKEOUTS!; slightly awkward but fun and satisfying sex; laughter or friendly banter during sex; inexperienced characters who are into it and not completely clueless; too desperate to properly get clothes off; coming in pants; shower sex; outdoor sex
Do Not Wants
— romantic pairings other than the ones specifically requested
— crack, fusions, and alternate setting AUs (but wild canon divergences are very welcome!)
— fics where none of the main characters ever find out about the others' backgrounds or magic (the reveal doesn't have to happen on-screen, but please don't end it with everyone thinking everything is normal!)
— Things That Upset Me: the afterlife; major character death; bleak endings; noncon; dark dynamics in my ships
— Schmoopiness: plotless fluff; non-canonical pet names or terms of endearment; people saying "I love you" verbatim
— Sex & Relationship-Related: soulmates; D/s dynamics; OT3s; shovel talks, yentas, and matchmakers; pregnancy; adultery; hatesex
— Writing Things: 1st & 2nd person POV; phonetically spelled dialogue
— Crossover Do Not Wants: tragic, Steve/Peggy-style age mismatches; crossovers of more than two canons at a time; fourth wall breakage (people having read Greek myths is an exception, as that is Atlantis canon)
Narnia
Pairings: Tirian/Emeth
These books were the most formative of my whole childhood. I love Tirian SO MUCH. He has such human flaws, and he started off as a hot mess of a king, but he’s such a wonderful guy, and quite resourceful and clever when you rouse him out of his decadence. And Emeth should win a prize for the level of admiration and affection he was able to inspire in so few pages. I loved the conflict he faced between his reason, his duty, his devotion, and his desire to prove himself. I think they’re perfect for one another—brave, noble warriors who could come to respect and love one another despite their differences. I also have a love of language and contrasting speech patterns; the differences between their versions of courtly perfection are catnip to me.
The afterlife is my biggest DNW, so I'm only interested in canon divergences that let people be together in real life. No end of Narnia or train crash, please! Perhaps they succeed in stopping the apocalypse. Or, instead of actively fixing it, you could just... pretend it didn't even come up and Tirian and the friends of Narnia lived long and happy lives. For the crossover prompts... I love Edmund the most. I loved his journey to redemption, and how he remained a sometimes cranky, sarcastic, and real person while also becoming a brave, strategic, and badass warrior king. Something about the Golden Age and/or his post-Narnia life (where he doesn't die!!!) would be lovely.
Prompts
— Enemies to lovers, culture clashes, reluctant allies fall in love, secret forbidden love across enemy lines, brothers in arms, agent falls for mark... I love it all!
— What if they had met before? How might that change have affected the later plot? We know Tirian has been to Calormen. Was it an official trip, or did he go incognito, either for fun or for espionage, and meet Emeth then? Did Emeth know who Tirian was? You could include the flashbacks, or you could assume the backstory and start the fic when they meet again later on—either way!
— What if they had met in Narnia while Emeth was undercover as a merchant, and their love changes the course of the story?
— Maybe the fic starts after the war (no apocalypse! just a regular war!) and they meet and fall in love in the hostile détente?
— The scene where Tirian half goes to our world is one of my favorites in the entire series. What if he and Emeth went for real? What if the stable was a portal to another realm (either ours or a different one), not the afterlife?
— Tirian in a Groundhog Day loop in which he slowly learns how to be a better king (and prevent the apocalypse), with Emeth's help?
MCU
Pairings: Loki/Bucky, Loki&Bucky
I think they would make such an entertainingly snarky and angsty and badass odd couple. They might be able to get each other, and/or tough love each other to a better place. Post-CW is fine, but I'm also more than happy to pretend Phase 2 (or even the first Avengers movie) didn't happen, or happened very differently, or only bits and pieces did. I never get tired of canon divergences that assume "Loki fell to Earth" or "Loki was banished to Earth instead of Thor" or "Bucky escaped/recovered his memories differently", or "Bucky never killed the Starks and isn't being hunted anymore", etc.
Some random things: 1) I have a pet peeve about Bucky (and Steve) saying "ain't". Can they please speak as properly as they do in the films? Cursing is fine, though. 2) Please let Bucky be a fully functional badass with at least a glimmer of a sense of humour, as he was in TWS and/or CW. I like stories about him trying to move on and build a new life, not ones that dwell on his trauma or painful recovery. 3) I see Loki as Chaotic Neutral 4, not as totally evil or crazy. And I think he's too guarded to flirt/sleep with a lot of people (which makes it more special when he does fall for someone). 4) No Darcy or Sharon, please, and nothing from the TV shows, as I'm not familiar with them.
Prompts
— I yearn for Bucky in Asgard or other realms, at any point and for any reason
— The Convergence left wounded Loki stranded on Earth, to be found and taken in by Bucky, who's in hiding post-TWS
— I love canon setting versions of tropes that are usually written as mundane. For example, they're still superheroes/aliens/whatever, but they met as Craigslist roommates or at a bar.
— Identity Porn: Does Loki not know that his crush object is the Winter Soldier? Does Bucky not know that the guy who frequents his favorite coffee shop is the villain from his superhero life? Please let them find out eventually!
— Stranded Together: In space? In an avalanche? On Lost Island? At a terrible party? Anywhere!
— A deal or scheme or trick or dare leads to feelings?
— Missions Together: Maybe something involving a ridiculous trope? Or just action-adventure.
— Sex pollen! But no pre-arranged consent, please; I like it best when it's fraught in the moment and they find out afterwards that it was totally consensual and they like each other
— Arranged marriage, undercover as a couple or marriage of convenience (but not "fake boyfriend for the holidays"). I'm into this trope for the domesticity and getting to know each other that happens during the arrangement. I don't care about the set-up; handwave away. You could even set it after the project ends and they're feeling wistful in a way that makes them want to make a move for real. Gen takes on these tropes are also welcome!
Psmith - PG Wodehouse
Pairings: Psmith/Mike
Wodehouse is my favorite writer, and Psmith/Mike is my favorite thing. Their devoted odd-coupleness is... I love it too much to be articulate. I will treasure anything you write me that involves them getting and/or being together romantically. I have only two main asks: 1) Please set it before they met their wives and/or pretend they never did) 2) While a little longing and hesitation are nice--and a touch of quietly understood, low-key forbiddenness does add a certain frisson--I’d like something in the generally upbeat spirit of the books, without un-Wodhousian anguish or internalized homophobia. 'Psmith & Mike' and 'Psmith In the City' are both free on Gutenberg. Go read them! They'll make you so happy!
Prompts:
— Adventures (with some romance)! Teaming up for drawing room espionage, or a Scooby Doo-style mystery, or survival on Lost island? Perhaps as part of it, Psmith ends up in the soup and Mike has to save him, instead of the other way around?
— One (or both?) in a Groundhog Day loop? No need to explain how it starts or why it ends (handwave away!); what I care about are things people learn about themselves and each other, and how they deal with the situation and how it leads to them getting together
— A wild night out during the bank days and its ramifications. Maybe they made out while drunk? The story could even start the morning after.
— A briefly angsty patch that helps you dig into their relationship/lives before it gets happily resolved? Maybe Psmith feels a little ultimately unjustified jealousy if Wyatt returns? Something else entirely?
— Sex pollen! But no pre-arranged consent, please; I like it best when it's fraught in the moment and they find out only afterwards that it was totally consensual and they like each other.
— Who is the forward one here, or do they bumble equally in their own ways? Is romance with Mike the one area where Psmith is shy or awkward or confusing or clueless or… something? Does he try to hide his nerves/inexperience? Or not? Or maybe he actually is smooth, but that’s the wrong approach with Mike? Any take would be fascinating.
— There’s so much they feel but don’t say, even with Psmith’s incessant talking (his dialogue is sublimely delightful to me); in what other ways can those feelings come out?
— Farcical "true love's kiss", like, where people try to deny or keep secret what happened, or it was an accident, or the kisser has no idea it worked, or the kissee thinks it was someone else... And then it works out in the end.
MCU/Lost Crossovers
Bucky (MCU) & Hurley (Lost):
Bucky on the island, post-series finale, please! The image of these two together on the beach (or in the foot, or in the lighthouse, or playing golf, etc.) just makes me smile SO HARD. Hurley could jolly anyone into a better headspace. What adventures do they have together? Does Bucky help Hurley settle into his new role and fix things after season 6? Does Hurley help Bucky get better? Have some of Hurley's friends come back for a visit? Maybe post-TWS, Bucky ended up on that flight to Guam and was the only other person to survive the massacre, and he runs into Hurley & Co right after the finale? These are just ideas; I honestly don't care how he gets there. Note: Instead of aging Lost characters up, can you please pretend Lost happened alongside the MCU movies (ex. TWS and the Lost finale happened within a few months of each other, or some other intersection)? Also, while Ben is welcome in the background, I'd prefer not to focus on him. I love Rose, Bernard and Desmond, though! (Maybe Bucky is involved in how Desmond got home again?)
Bucky (MCU) & 70s Time Traveler Group (Lost):
I nominated Miles, but I'd be just as happy with something focused on Bucky&Juliet or Bucky&Sawyer or Bucky&Left-Behinders ensemble. Basically, I want Bucky in the 1970s DHARMA commune, being friends with the characters who were stuck there for three years. Maybe the Winter Soldier was one of the soldiers on the freighter (I mean, Lost DOES have a Hydra Island! and Widmore WAS on that council with Fury!) and he flashed to the 70s, too, and the island cured him... Or maybe Hydra sent him to the island in the 70s. Or maybe he fell off the train and onto the island, which time-warped him to the 70s, no Winter Soldier stuff happening to him at all. Maybe he returns to the present with the others and finds Steve again. Honestly, I don't care how he gets there or how he leaves. I just want Bucky experiencing some island mysteries, wearing a jumpsuit, sharing a yellow house with someone nice, getting a Sawyer nickname... You get the idea. And/or maybe they meet up again post-series/post-some MCU canon divergence? If you want to ship Bucky/Miles or Bucky/Juliet, go right ahead (but only one of those ships, please)! Including background Sawyer/Juliet is fine if you're not going to ship her with Bucky. Feel free to ignore any canon character deaths you want.
MCU/Narnia Crossovers
Bucky (MCU)/Tirian (Narnia):
You could excise Jill and Eustace to pretend Tirian's reign lines up with the present-day on Earth, or, seriously, any handwavey canon divergence or timeline collision you want to do. The damaged Brooklyn boy and courtly Narnian king as an odd couple of fearsome warriors. Fish out of water shenanigans. Tirian starting out as a disaster of a king but his time with Bucky gives him perspective. Bucky's Narnian adventure/boyfriend distracting him past his baggage and into a better mental place. Bucky helping Tirian avert the awfulness. Competence porn. Maybe the Aether or Tesseract function like the rings, or the Convergence hits Narnia, too? Did Tirian astrally project to Bucky the way he did to the Friends of Narnia to become Bucky's seemingly imaginary friend growing up, and then they meet for real? Or, maybe the stable was a portal to Earth instead of to the afterlife. Anything!
Bucky (MCU)/Rilian (Narnia):
There are many parallels, what with the brainwashing and trauma chairs and being programmed to kill your friends, and the bad people telling you you're crazy during the rare moments when you're actually lucid, and being lost for years... What adventures do they have together? How do they get to making out? Getting the kingdom in order now that Rilian's back? There would be a lot for him to deal with, both politically and personally, and maybe Bucky's common sense outsider perspective could help. You could even ignore the parallels, and have Bucky fall off the train and into Rilian's reign, without Winter Soldier stuff ever happening to him. Or what about Rilian in our world? Does the Lady send him here to get something magic? Would Hydra get to him? Rilian using his world's knowledge to come up with the solution to a canon MCU problem? Does his star blood make him special in some way? Can Rilian save Bucky from his brainwashing? Or maybe they met before one of them got brainwashed, and years later when they meet again the other doesn't remember him (lots of angst that gets hopefully resolved by the end).
Edmund (Narnia) & Loki (MCU):
What if Loki fell off the Bifrost into Narnia during the Golden Age? Or what if there's a portal directly linking Narnia and Asgard? What if the train crash never happened, and Edmund used the rings to get to Asgard? Or something else? Any scenario you can think of would be great. I'd just love to see these two bounce off one another. Bonding about sibling betrayal and redemption and ice magic and being the younger brothers of the magnificent golden boys? Two clever guys coming to respect one another? Solving a problem in Narnia or Asgard or Earth together? Anyone else from the Narnia books or from Asgard is welcome in the background.
David Blaize Crossovers (but I'm really here for Frank Maddox)
**I'm ALL about Frank here. For most of these, I'm hoping for him to get over David, have his own adventures, and find happiness and self-acceptance with someone new (without bashing David, please!). Except for Vanessa Ives, I don't want het for Frank.
Crossover with Wodehouse's Psmith books:
Frank and Mike were obviously teammates on the Cambridge eleven. I'd love a crossover that facilitates Psmith/Mike and/or Frank/someone else. Or, maybe instead of David, Frank ends up with Adair or Monty Bodkin, who are also at Cambridge (given that Frank was there for years before David, David doesn't need to appear at all)? As long as Psmith/Mike remains endgame, Frank having hooked up with Psmith or Mike at some point would be fun (perhaps when Marchester's team traveled to Eton, Wrykyn or Sedleigh for cricket matches? or later?). How does that backstory affect my actual ship(s) later on, when they are all at Cambridge together? For example, is there misplaced jealousy that leads to feelings revealed? Something else? Or, they can meet for the first time at Cambridge. Whatever!
Cambridge hijinks facilitating friendship and romance? Teaming up to rag on a professor or defeat a bully? Or, while I don’t want matchmaking or interventions, maybe something where getting an outsider POV on one character's angst or happiness or whatever inspires someone from the other canon to do something about his feelings. Ex. Maybe Frank reexamines his stance on 'beastliness' when he finds out that Mike, whom he thinks is great, has a thing with Psmith. Or maybe seeing Frank so miserably repressed makes Mike decide to go for things with Psmith.
Frank/Edmund (Narnia):
My biggest asks are a) for Frank to find out about the magic and b) have Frank and Edmund be around the same age during the story. Does Edmund go to Marchester or Cambridge? How does Frank discover Ed's secret (please let him find out!!!) and the reason why Ed doesn't think anything so terrible about m/m relationships? What is post-Narnia life like for Edmund? Is he also frustrated (sexually or otherwise)? Or maybe it's Frank's parents' house that Edmund burgles to get the rings, and that's how they meet and go off on adventures instead of Edmund dying. Or maybe Frank finds himself in Narnia during the Golden Age and helps the Pevensies with something? How does King Edmund, who probably doesn't have a ton of attractive humans around, react to having Frank there? Does Frank help Ed remember his life from before? No train crash or end of Narnia, please!! The afterlife is my biggest DNW.
Frank/Tirian (Narnia):
Frank finds himself in Narnia, in a canon divergence that pretends most of The Last Battle never happened. Do they nip the Calormene plot way in the bud? Or ignore the whole book entirely and do something else with them! Partying together with Bacchus? Fighting Northern giants together? Or, what if Tirian has been regularly astrally projecting to Frank the way he did to the Friends of Narnia that one time; both he and Frank have always secretly thought they had an imaginary friend (or are going nuts), but one day they meet, either because Tirian comes here or Frank goes there
Frank/Victor, Frank/Vanessa, or Frank/Ethan (Penny Dreadful):
Please pretend the David Blaize books took place earlier, so that Frank is around the same age as Victor or Vanessa. Perhaps Frank grew up in the same area as the Murray/Ives houses, and was a childhood friend of Vanessa’s? Did Vanessa and Frank initially bond because they were trying to stamp out what was 'wrong' with them, only to realize later on that there's nothing 'wrong'? Or perhaps Victor went to Marchester or Cambridge with Frank? Was Frank the only boy for whom haughty little Victor felt hero worship/a crush? Or not? Regardless of the backstory, I’m even more interested in what happens when they reunite in London as adults. Does Victor or Vanessa pull their old friend/acquaintance Frank into the gang's latest project? Reuniting at a ball?
Or maybe Frank's never met any of them before, and Lyle brings him as a Classics expert. Does he help Victor with his addiction? Does Vanessa give him the kind of pep talks she gives Victor? Does dealing with all this demi-monde insanity put 'beastliness' into new perspective for Frank (I mean, Ethan is LITERALLY a beast, so Frank kind of needs to hush)? Do they have to infiltrate a creepy gathering or society event? Vanessa/Frank undercover as a couple? Or undercover as brothers with one of the guys? Does Frank fuck Dorian before ending up in a more feelings-ful ship with one of the others? Or, does Frank help with post-canon adventures (either keeping the ending or pretending Vanessa didn't die)? I loved this show for the Scooby gang’s teamwork and found family. I was never that interested in the storylines focused on Victor’s creations; I was way more invested in his struggles to connect with the living. While I didn't hate it or anything, I wasn't a huge fan of the Ethan/Vanessa ship, so feel free to pretend it isn't a thing, especially if doing another ship. Extreme canon divergences that ignore the ending, last season, or even before that, are totally welcome!
Frank/Bucky (MCU):
Please pretend the books happened in the 30s/40s so that Frank and Bucky are around the same age (but don't pretend Frank was born in the late 20th century, please). Do they meet during the war (maybe they run into Hughes, too?)? Does the desperation of war get them over their internalized homophobia enough to act on their feelings (or maybe Bucky doesn't have any internalized homophobia?)? Frank as a Howling Commando? Bucky and Frank getting together while using their combined smarts on a mission? Experimented on together? Getting over their painful secret, unrequited crushes on David and Steve by falling for each other (Bucky never having been attracted to Steve is just as welcome)? Random note: I have a pet peeve about Bucky (and Steve) saying things like “ain’t”; can they please speak as properly as they do in the films? Cursing's fine, though.
Frank/Thor (MCU):
Thor's combination of jolly+gravitas+alien would be such a fascinating foil for Frank's complicated temperament, and just generally, it would be super hot. Maybe something where Thor was banished to Earth and fell into one of Frank's archaeological digs? Or fell into Frank's backyard or Cambridge courtyard? (Basically, I'm looking for something where Frank is 18-25.) Helping the fish out of water adjust? Frank's reactions to this amazing fairytale prince who has no hangups about m/m relationships? What do Frank's other friends think of Thor? How does Thor take to having to keep stuff on the DL? Or maybe Thor takes Frank to Asgard. Honestly, anything!
Frank/Loki (MCU):
As long as they genuinely come to like and care about one another by the end, I'm up for anything. An example could be a canon divergence where Loki fell to Earth or was banished or simply visited, set during the early 20th century. Is he taken in by Frank? Do they meet in some other way? Does he take Frank to Asgard? Bonding over mutual self-loathing, even though it stems from different reasons? Do they help one another get over some of their various issues? I don't see Loki as straight-up evil or crazy or blameless woobie; I like a balance where he's a selfish schemer, and can be a dick, but somewhat sympathetic. I think he's too guarded to flirt or sleep with a lot of people--which makes it all the more special when he does fall for someone.
Frank/Pythagoras (Atlantis):
Assume that during one of his trips to Greece, Frank fell into a similar wormhole as Jason did, and start the story after he's arrived in Atlantis. Frank knows all about Greek mythology and could probably help the Atlantis characters solve a problem (ex. the fleece quest, or a missing season 1 episode, saving Medusa or other canon divergence). Is Jason confused because Frank is from his world, but was born 100 years before him? How does Frank react to meeting the people and seeing the stories go a bit differently? Does this experience show him that he was wrong about Ancient Greece becoming "corrupt and beastly"? (see more below)
Frank/Icarus (Atlantis):
Pretty much the same as above, except maybe it's Daedalus & Icarus who take Frank in? Or they meet in some other way? Is Frank stressed out because he's dreading his new friend's fabled fate? Please pick only one of these pairings; no OT3. I'm generally a hardcore Icarus/Pythagoras shipper, so, for either of these requests, you’d have to pretend they never had or never will have feelings for one another. Or maybe the story happened before Icarus/Pythagoras got together, and this is just a nice fling that amicably ends when Frank has to go home again, but they've both grown from the experience (I'm fine with the happy ending being Frank going home and being ready to make a move on David, if you want).
Frank/Richard (Lost):
My main ask is for Frank on the island! Like, a canon divergence in which his ship sinks on one of his trips to Greece. Start at some point after he's washed ashore. Frank exploring the island and its mysteries? Does Frank help Richard set up the first settlement of Others? Does Smokey try to tempt/corrupt Frank? Does Jacob give Frank a magical but ultimately unhealthy 'gift' like he gave Richard? For what it's worth, I also ship Richard/Jacob, and like the idea of Smokey's unrequited desire for Richard (and/or maybe Frank?); I don't mind ships co-existing in this case (or Jacob/Frank instead of Richard/Frank, or even R/J/F OT3), if you want. Does Richard feel confused or self-loathing about his attraction to Frank? And vice versa? Can they get over their hang-ups together? How does Frank react to Jacob, this pseudo-god figure who probably doesn't care who people love, and the fact that Richard is so devoted to him, too? Does this create tension? Are there class or hero worship or religious or other issues that they overcome together? No sideways universe, please!!
Frank & Juliet (Lost):
1970s DHARMA fic, please! Like, Frank's ship to Greece sinks and washes ashore in his own time, but the time warp immediately sends him to the 70s, and the story starts at some point after he joins Sawyer & Co. How does he adjust to life in the hippie-dippy 'future' with all these Americans? Experiencing some island mysteries? I'd love to see Frank befriend Juliet especially, but also any/all of the other time travelers. Are they all, like, "Put on a goddamn swimsuit, Frank!"? Background Sawyer/Juliet is fine to include, if you want, but I don't have any Frank ships here. Pretending Juliet doesn't die is totally fine by me! No sideways universe, please!!