Yuletide 2019
Oct. 25th, 2019 11:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aurillyThank you so much for offering one of these! I like to leave lots of info for those who want it, but I'm not wedded to the prompts; feel free to ignore them, and write something you're excited about, maybe with a general like or two thrown in. I'm ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
aurilly on AO3 as well.
Here are anchor links to the different sections:
Psmith, David Blaize, Three Musketeers Series, The Enchanted Castle
Things I Always Love
• General Fic Stuff: I like fic where people talk and do new things (not missing scenes or alternate POVs of canon scenes). I'm just as--often more!--interested in watching characters navigate what comes after a prompted premise than I am in the premise itself. If you have the time and inclination to include the set-up as well, then great! But feel free to skip all that and start in media res. Basically, stories that end shortly after the introductions make me sad.
• Devoted Odd Couples: enjoying one another's company; laughing at one another; fond exasperation; loyalty; self-sacrificial gestures; contrasting speech patterns; reunions
• Earning Your Happy Ending: self-help; tough love; getting over some of your baggage; finding home where you least expect it; whump and angst with a happy ending
• Adventures & Journeys: vacations gone awry; fish out of water; exploring new territory; daring rescues or escapes; espionage; identity porn
• Competence & Resourcefulness: complementary skill sets; badassery; laughing in the face of danger or absurdity; the pen is mightier than the sword; but swords are more fun
• Friends to Lovers: I like many variations, including, a) friends with benefits or sex before feelings that becomes more; b) fics that start after the first kiss/declaration and focus on how they navigate the relationship transition in the days or weeks that follow, c) adventures that cause people to realize they have more than platonic feelings and decide to make a move d) awkward or ill-advised sexual situations that lead to a later relationship
• Sexy Times: I don't care who tops or bottoms in m/m. I have general porn likes HERE; it's for all ships, not just the ones listed there. There's a more egregiously detailed version HERE (but honestly, the other one is enough).
• Just Add Magic: I love magical realism, urban fantasy, or characters encountering mythological, fantasy, or eldritch horror elements in the otherwise canonical setting--with happy endings, please! I like it even for mundane canons. I'm not crazy about werewolves or vampires, but other than that, anything goes.
• Forced Proximity or Sex: captured or stranded together; forced to have sex tropes (by the bad guys, for cultural or initiation rites, to cast a spell, as part of undercover roles, sex pollen, etc) where people are angsty and/or pining during the sex and they realize afterwards that feelings are requited.
— Crossovers: applying skills/knowledge from one world to another world's problems; contrasting or reconciling differences in how a concept manifests across canons (ex. immortality, magic, realm hopping, time shenanigans); magic in one canon originates from another; characters coming up with logical but incorrect theories before discovering the truth; assuming characters have a past together (ex. cousins, long-lost school chums, etc) and starting the story when they reunite in the present
Do Not Wants
— fusions or setting change AUs (ex. Hogwarts, pirates, modern-day), unrequested crossovers, goofy crack (but crack played seriously is great!)
— non-canon romantic pairings other than the ones specifically requested; poly or threesomes (unless specifically prompted)
— 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 let it end with everyone still thinking everyone else is normal!)
— Things That Upset Me: permanent death of requested characters; the afterlife; bleak endings; 'it was all a dream' or mind-wipe endings
— Sex & Relationship-Related: underage/overage sex or romance; D/s dynamics; soulmates; shovel talks; yentas and matchmakers; pregnancy; adultery; characters written as ace, aro, or demi; gender identity headcanons; dark dynamics within my requested ships; non-canonical pet names or terms of endearment
— Writing Things: 1st & 2nd person POV; phonetically spelled dialogue (my brain genuinely struggles to process it)
— Crossover-related: tragically unresolved lifespan incompatibilities; crossovers of more than two canons (unless specifically prompted); fourth wall breakage; age differences caused by disparate release/pub dates (please pretend one canon took place later so requested characters are around the same age as well as the age they were at some point in canon)
Psmith – PG Wodehouse
Characters: Psmith/Mike
Where to Get It: All four short books are free on Gutenberg here. Only 'Mike & Psmith' and 'Psmith In the City' are necessary for these requests.
Hi, it's me, requesting this ship, again, some more, for the 31st time (I counted). 31st verse, same as the first: I desperately want anything in which they end up unquestionably, unambiguously together by the end. Or maybe they got together before the start of the story. Either way! I love how they are such an odd couple, but understand one another so well. I love their loyalty and what generous, self-sacrificing heroes they both are, while also being total little shits. Psmith's dialogue! Mike's pragmatism! I love it all. You could set it when they're at Sedleigh, the bank, Cambridge, NYC, post-Cambridge, in a wild canon divergence… Anything!
Once they're together, DNW any hint that they will ever be with anyone else in the future; please set it before they met their canon love interests and/or pretend they never did. If you really don't ship it, I'd be up for a gen fic that's either a crossover or has fantasy elements added to the otherwise canonical universe .
Prompts:
— Canon Divergence: What if either or both of their fathers had not gone bankrupt? What if they'd stayed with the bank? What if the plan for Mike to manage Psmith's estates had happened? What if...? What does a getting-together story look like in this divergence? What's their first time like? Or, same as the above, but getting together within a canon-ish scenario, like during boat race weekend at Cambridge, or while visiting one another's families between terms, or...
— Whump with a Happy Ending: I love stories where Psmith is the most stoic woobie to ever get whumped. Whether by unexpected poverty or bullies or gangsters or trash parties or sartorial horrors or systematic boarding school abuse or to save Mike, etc. Pile it on. Increasingly clever bon mots to hide his pain, covering his bruises with perfectly pressed linens, etc. What does his worst day look like? Does he break, or not? How does Mike figure out and/or help? And hurt/comfort! I want a lot of hurt/comfort. Or maybe Mike is the one getting whumped, and he's all repressed and depressed about it, and Psmith machinates to fix it and/or comfort him or get revenge (I like Psmith's sexily ruthless Count of Monte Cristo streak). As long as there's no permanent physical damage, nothing is too self-indulgent.
— A Little More Out There: fighting together in WWI, time loops, slaves together, wishes gone awry, spies and espionage, ritual sex, Gothic horror, random acquisition of superpowers… I've centralized all my prompts HERE for easy one-stop shopping.
— Crossovers: Prompts with Narnia here. Prompts with Penny Dreadful, Good Omens, Atlantis BBC, or My Family & Other Animals are HERE. Link to crossover with David Blaize is below. I'd also be up for Psmith and Mike traveling to Westeros/Essos (but I only know the TV show); most of what I wrote HERE can be tweaked to fit Psmith/Mike instead of the characters I originally prompted.
David Blaize – EF Benson
Characters: Frank Maddox, Hughes
Where to Get It: First book is free on Gutenberg here. The sequel is still under copyright, but is easily available to buy (confession: since Frank is offscreen in Greece for large swaths of the sequel, I control-F-ed for his name and only read the parts that he's in).
I need Frank to get a nice boyfriend so desperately. He's such a fascinating and endearing blend of judgmental, whimsical, bossy, charismatic, and melancholic. While his anguished self-loathing is super compelling, I ultimately want him to get over it (and get over himself, a little), without anyone explicitly lecturing him. I want him to find happiness and self-acceptance with someone new—with actual kissing, or more! Hughes is the only in-canon character I'm interested in shipping with Frank; there's no need for Hughes to appear if you end up writing the Frank/OMC or the crossover options below.
I originally read this series because I love boarding school stories, but I ended up mainly wanting fic about Frank's post-Marchester life. Please let Frank completely get over his tragic crush on David and be entirely into the new person, without bashing David (whom I do like!). And please set it when Frank is anywhere between 19-30 (ie. canon divergence after he leaves Marchester, or shortly post-canon), so he doesn't have to wait long to be happier.
The chapter where he devises the plan to catch the cheaters was such fun, as was his love of the macabre; if it fits, shipfic that incorporates his cleverness, snark, take-chargeness, and/or sense of whimsy would be lovely. Or run with the thing where he cured David with the power of love to a place where Frank is literally magical?
Prompts:
— Hughes: The melodrama of Frank seducing Hughes, dumping Hughes, and then poor Hughes getting expelled when he tries to move on… It's an amazing Part 1. Give me the 5-10 years later sequel! How and where do they meet up again? We know Hughes ended up at Sandhurst, but what about after that? How has he been? If the answer is "great!", how does Frank reconcile that with his years of miserable repression? Is Hughes still hurt, or has he blissfully accepted himself? Or does he have complementary hangups that they work through together? Do they run into one another in London or at war or at a wedding or…? How do they get back together? Who makes the first move?
— OMC: A canon divergence where Frank gets together with someone at Cambridge before David enrolls there? Or during his Greek archeological expeditions? Archaeology is so romantic! Or set a couple of years after the end of the second book… Does Frank live in London, join a Wodehouse-style club, visit country estates, have a job? Or some sort of fucked up initiation rite (for Cambridge or London clubs?) forces Frank to give into what he really wants and he ends up better for it? Or maybe a canon divergence where he fights in WWI and he and a fellow soldier are all desperately angsty and passionate in their trench?
— Crossovers 1: Prompts for Frank/Edmund Pevensie (Narnia), Frank/Bucky Barnes (MCU), and Frank & Psmith/Mike (Wodehouse) are HERE. You could even focus on the Wodehouse ship options mentioned in that writeup, and not include Psmith/Mike at all.
— Crossovers 2: See HERE for Frank with Tirian (Narnia), Victor or Ethan (Penny Dreadful), Dumbledore (Fantastic Beasts), Atlantis (UK TV) characters, Richard (Lost), or Thor (MCU). The write-ups for these are shorter, but I want them just as much!
— Enchanted Castle crossover: See request for that canon below. Frank/Phoebus Apollo! I don't need this to be a true love forever. As long as their sexy fling leaves Frank in a healthier and happier place, I'll be delighted.
Three Musketeers Series - Dumas
Characters: Raoul de Bragelonne/Comte de Guiche
Where to Get It: The whole series is in the public domain. Raoul and de Guiche first appear in 'Twenty Years After'. Control-F-ing for their names in that book to find their chapters is all you need for this request.
This was my first slash ship, years before I learned the term. The loyalty and perfect nobility of this somewhat odd couple in 'Twenty Years After' is wonderful. They work so well together! I want a canon divergence where they get over Louise and Henrietta sooner rather than later and unambiguously get together, with actual makeouts--or more!--to be endgame with each other. It would avert so much awfulness later on. I love everyone in this series, so anyone is welcome to appear in the background. DNW either of them to die; I also don't want to read about the original four musketeers dying.
I’d like something set a few years after their first meeting so that Raoul is at least 18. In real life, de Guiche was apparently an irresistible and openly bisexual playboy. (All I know about him is from Dumas and Wikipedia, so don’t stress about historical accuracy.) I’d love something where he gently initiates Raoul into sexual experiences and/or Raoul is the first of his flings that he's actually fallen for. What makes de Guiche realize his feelings, and what does he do once he figures it out? What makes Raoul realize that what he feels for de Guiche is the real deal (more real than his crush on a child)? Does Raoul need to be gotten over period-typical homophobia, or is he already cool with things, either because of the tolerance around Louis XIV's brother, or because Athos totally used to make out with one of his buds, or because he's been friends with de Guiche for years…?
I will love any ridiculous Dumas-style trope you want to include. Here are a few to get you started: sharing a battlefield tent (this is canon!); aristocrats in haylofts; back to back badasses; horse goes lame so we have to share; rowdy or licentious taverns/brothels; stoically trying to hide wound until dramatic fainting or pool of blood gives it away; tenderly wrapping wounds with ripped pieces of his shirt; OTT self-sacrificing gestures (ex. taking the bullet, taking the blame; ‘take me instead’, ‘I will only slow you down’, dying moment of awesome that he ends up not dying of)…
Prompts:
— Missions Together: What if, between ‘Twenty Years After’ and ‘Ten Years Later’, the Prince sent them on an espionage mission or some other kind of mission, just the two of them (and maybe their lackeys)? To England or Germany or Spain, or to identify conspirators within France, or to rescue a kidnapped noble, or...? How do they work together and get together?
— Glittering Court Parties: I’d love for de Guiche to take Raoul to a wild party... maybe even a masked ball? IDK. Corrupt him, just a little bit? Does Raoul like it, or is he overwhelmed/not into it? Getting caught up in court conspiracies or dangers? Friends with benefits that becomes more? Does Mme de Chevreuse approve (without being a yenta)?
— Visits Home: Getting together while visiting one another's family estates. How do they try to impress the other's parents, etc? Have they been pining? Is one or both nervous? What kinds of fun do they have? Showing one another their favorite haunts or introducing the other to favorite servants, etc? Making out in candlelit corridors or secret passageways?
— Just Add Magic: A spooky adventure (troop stationed in a haunted manor, or there’s something creepy in the fog, etc) or straight up magic added to the otherwise canonical universe. Does immortal Count Cagliostro from Dumas's Marie Antoinette series have ~plans~ for one or both of them? How does facing this adventure together lead to them getting together?
— Stranded Together: Do they get left behind on the battlefield, presumed dead… but they’re
not! Or one of them refuses to leave the other behind. Having to make their way back to their regiment, alone in a hostile place… Desperation or hurt/comfort that turns passionate?
— Captured Together: Both of them captured by the enemy. I want allllll the whump, hurt/comfort, and loyalty. As long as no one ends up with permanent physical damage and there’s a happy ending, you can make their captivity as dark and fucked up as you like. Are they huddled together in a cell? How do they work together to escape, or get ransomed, or finish the mission? How does the experience help them get together?
Enchanted Castle – E Nesbit
Characters: Phoebus Apollo
Where to Get It: Free on Gutenberg here.
(Apologies in advance about how long this got…) The section where the children party all night with the gods and goddesses is one of the loveliest things I've ever read. The gods were all so friendly and sexy and gentle and nonchalant and wise and wonderful. Especially Phoebus! I love it too much to articulate. I want more. I want to learn more about Phoebus—his perspective on stuff, how he spends his nights, his friendships with the other gods, etc. But especially more of his interactions with humans. Since I'm asking for more adult characters, content and themes, there's zero need to mimic the canon narrative voice (though you can, if you want). Any of the other godly or human characters are welcome to appear! I love them all.
'The magic must come to an end' is my least favorite ending, for anything. Thankfully, it seems that the statues would continue to come to life at night regardless, but feel free to pretend they didn't end the ring's magic so the castle can remain magical and people can still use it to become statues (I loved that so much). Or they made new magic! Whatever works; no need to explain. Phoebus kept talking about his world vs the kids' world, etc, so you could argue that the kids realm-hopped into a parallel dimension instead? What's that like? Or is it our plane of existence, after all? Or something else? I'm interested in a wide variety of interpretations of the worldbuilding.
DNW: the Ugly Wuglies (they still terrify me) or underage/overage romance. I don't want tragic lifespan incompatibilities, so please make any god/human ships a revelrous, casual thing; DNW pining or heartbreak or epilogues where the human has gotten old while Phoebus is still young, or for the gods to grow old.
Random Note: I've got a weird existential hangup about these kinds of canons (see also: Night at the Museum). I need to think of the characters as real; I get upset if it's dwelled upon that they are man-made statues. Perhaps they are actual Apollo & Co who were long ago cursed to be dormant statues during the day, so that, of all the statues of these gods that exist in the world, these are the only ones that come to life, because they are the 'real' gods. Or something. The way Phoebus talked about the other special place in Greece made it sound like Zeus was real… Anyway, as long as you don't dwell on the idea that they aren't really alive or aren't really Apollo & Co, and you don't have them meet other versions of themselves, you're good.
Prompts:
— Post-Canon Shipping: I would adore something set 5-10 years later (whenever the kids are at least 18), when one or all of them return to the castle. Do they see one another regularly, or only at these magical reunions? Do they now have grown-up problems or angst (either regarding the castle stuff or in their regular lives), or is everything fine? If angst, can the statues help? Have the gods have watched them grow up over the years? I would love--LOVE!--to have one of the now grown-up kids make out--or more!--with Phoebus. Any of them, your pick! What causes things to change from friendly to more? Does it happen when everyone's a statue, or one is a human, or new magic makes Pheobus flesh for a night? Is this the first time Phoebus has hooked up with a human? Or not? I'll take anything!
— New Homes: Has Phoebus somehow gotten sold and moved elsewhere? Is it just him, or the whole collection? Does Phoebus team up, either with other statues or the now grown-up kids, to deal with a threat or a problem? Are they trying to break the curse so they can become flesh (but still immortal) again, or defeat an enemy who wants to destroy them or put him/them somewhere awful? Or maybe it's a house party whodunnit where the silently watching statues help solve a mystery, without the majority of humans knowing they're alive? Let your imagination run wild!
— Crossovers: Similar to the above prompts, but with crossover characters. More people should experience the magical evenings! Since the castle's been around for awhile, it could be set pre-canon, too. Or pretend the book happened earlier or later (it feels timeless to me, taking place anywhere from mid-19th century to mid-20th century), so that crossover characters are the age they were at some point in their canons. Here are some characters I'd love to see with Phoebus (gen or ship!):
• Psmith – Perhaps the Yaxleys are relatives of one of them, so Psmith and Mike visit the castle, or Mike's little sister goes to Kathleen's school, for a similar set-up as canon. I only want Psmith/Mike emotionally shipped with each other, though a threesome with Phoebus that gets Psmith/Mike together could be hot (PG with kissing would also be awesome, just to be clear!).
• Bertie Wooster – His latest country estate visit! DNW Jeeves/Wooster slash (Jeeves doesn't need to appear, though he can if you want). Bertie is the one exception to my 1st person POV DNW, but I'd be just as interested in Phoebus's 3rd person POV. Any of Bertie's friends are welcome to tag along!
• Frank Maddox from 'David Blaize' – I really want shipfic for this one, because Frank so desperately needs it. Does he tutor at the girl's school? Or is he Mademoiselle/Lord Yaxley's kid or nephew come for a summer visit? Or…?
• Edmund Pevensie – He is NOT allowed to die! Does he visit accidentally, or does he have his own magic rings that allow for something even more interesting? As long as he's grown up again, he can hook up with Phoebus, too!
• Bucky Barnes (MCU) – Perhaps the castle became a hospital in WWII, where Bucky recovers after Azzano, and because of the experiments, he's the only one who can see the gods? Or, any other premise you want!
• Victor, Vanessa, and/or Ethan from Penny Dreadful – Investigating something funky at the castle, or the gods help them defeat monsters, or simply helping Victor loosen up, or they visit the castle because Lyle has read about the ring as a way to defeat some monster, or…? (Note: I wasn't super into the Vanessa/Ethan pairing or the storylines about Victor's creations, and would prefer to ignore the last season)
Here are anchor links to the different sections:
Psmith, David Blaize, Three Musketeers Series, The Enchanted Castle
Things I Always Love
• General Fic Stuff: I like fic where people talk and do new things (not missing scenes or alternate POVs of canon scenes). I'm just as--often more!--interested in watching characters navigate what comes after a prompted premise than I am in the premise itself. If you have the time and inclination to include the set-up as well, then great! But feel free to skip all that and start in media res. Basically, stories that end shortly after the introductions make me sad.
• Devoted Odd Couples: enjoying one another's company; laughing at one another; fond exasperation; loyalty; self-sacrificial gestures; contrasting speech patterns; reunions
• Earning Your Happy Ending: self-help; tough love; getting over some of your baggage; finding home where you least expect it; whump and angst with a happy ending
• Adventures & Journeys: vacations gone awry; fish out of water; exploring new territory; daring rescues or escapes; espionage; identity porn
• Competence & Resourcefulness: complementary skill sets; badassery; laughing in the face of danger or absurdity; the pen is mightier than the sword; but swords are more fun
• Friends to Lovers: I like many variations, including, a) friends with benefits or sex before feelings that becomes more; b) fics that start after the first kiss/declaration and focus on how they navigate the relationship transition in the days or weeks that follow, c) adventures that cause people to realize they have more than platonic feelings and decide to make a move d) awkward or ill-advised sexual situations that lead to a later relationship
• Sexy Times: I don't care who tops or bottoms in m/m. I have general porn likes HERE; it's for all ships, not just the ones listed there. There's a more egregiously detailed version HERE (but honestly, the other one is enough).
• Just Add Magic: I love magical realism, urban fantasy, or characters encountering mythological, fantasy, or eldritch horror elements in the otherwise canonical setting--with happy endings, please! I like it even for mundane canons. I'm not crazy about werewolves or vampires, but other than that, anything goes.
• Forced Proximity or Sex: captured or stranded together; forced to have sex tropes (by the bad guys, for cultural or initiation rites, to cast a spell, as part of undercover roles, sex pollen, etc) where people are angsty and/or pining during the sex and they realize afterwards that feelings are requited.
— Crossovers: applying skills/knowledge from one world to another world's problems; contrasting or reconciling differences in how a concept manifests across canons (ex. immortality, magic, realm hopping, time shenanigans); magic in one canon originates from another; characters coming up with logical but incorrect theories before discovering the truth; assuming characters have a past together (ex. cousins, long-lost school chums, etc) and starting the story when they reunite in the present
Do Not Wants
— fusions or setting change AUs (ex. Hogwarts, pirates, modern-day), unrequested crossovers, goofy crack (but crack played seriously is great!)
— non-canon romantic pairings other than the ones specifically requested; poly or threesomes (unless specifically prompted)
— 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 let it end with everyone still thinking everyone else is normal!)
— Things That Upset Me: permanent death of requested characters; the afterlife; bleak endings; 'it was all a dream' or mind-wipe endings
— Sex & Relationship-Related: underage/overage sex or romance; D/s dynamics; soulmates; shovel talks; yentas and matchmakers; pregnancy; adultery; characters written as ace, aro, or demi; gender identity headcanons; dark dynamics within my requested ships; non-canonical pet names or terms of endearment
— Writing Things: 1st & 2nd person POV; phonetically spelled dialogue (my brain genuinely struggles to process it)
— Crossover-related: tragically unresolved lifespan incompatibilities; crossovers of more than two canons (unless specifically prompted); fourth wall breakage; age differences caused by disparate release/pub dates (please pretend one canon took place later so requested characters are around the same age as well as the age they were at some point in canon)
Psmith – PG Wodehouse
Characters: Psmith/Mike
Where to Get It: All four short books are free on Gutenberg here. Only 'Mike & Psmith' and 'Psmith In the City' are necessary for these requests.
Hi, it's me, requesting this ship, again, some more, for the 31st time (I counted). 31st verse, same as the first: I desperately want anything in which they end up unquestionably, unambiguously together by the end. Or maybe they got together before the start of the story. Either way! I love how they are such an odd couple, but understand one another so well. I love their loyalty and what generous, self-sacrificing heroes they both are, while also being total little shits. Psmith's dialogue! Mike's pragmatism! I love it all. You could set it when they're at Sedleigh, the bank, Cambridge, NYC, post-Cambridge, in a wild canon divergence… Anything!
Once they're together, DNW any hint that they will ever be with anyone else in the future; please set it before they met their canon love interests and/or pretend they never did. If you really don't ship it, I'd be up for a gen fic that's either a crossover or has fantasy elements added to the otherwise canonical universe .
Prompts:
— Canon Divergence: What if either or both of their fathers had not gone bankrupt? What if they'd stayed with the bank? What if the plan for Mike to manage Psmith's estates had happened? What if...? What does a getting-together story look like in this divergence? What's their first time like? Or, same as the above, but getting together within a canon-ish scenario, like during boat race weekend at Cambridge, or while visiting one another's families between terms, or...
— Whump with a Happy Ending: I love stories where Psmith is the most stoic woobie to ever get whumped. Whether by unexpected poverty or bullies or gangsters or trash parties or sartorial horrors or systematic boarding school abuse or to save Mike, etc. Pile it on. Increasingly clever bon mots to hide his pain, covering his bruises with perfectly pressed linens, etc. What does his worst day look like? Does he break, or not? How does Mike figure out and/or help? And hurt/comfort! I want a lot of hurt/comfort. Or maybe Mike is the one getting whumped, and he's all repressed and depressed about it, and Psmith machinates to fix it and/or comfort him or get revenge (I like Psmith's sexily ruthless Count of Monte Cristo streak). As long as there's no permanent physical damage, nothing is too self-indulgent.
— A Little More Out There: fighting together in WWI, time loops, slaves together, wishes gone awry, spies and espionage, ritual sex, Gothic horror, random acquisition of superpowers… I've centralized all my prompts HERE for easy one-stop shopping.
— Crossovers: Prompts with Narnia here. Prompts with Penny Dreadful, Good Omens, Atlantis BBC, or My Family & Other Animals are HERE. Link to crossover with David Blaize is below. I'd also be up for Psmith and Mike traveling to Westeros/Essos (but I only know the TV show); most of what I wrote HERE can be tweaked to fit Psmith/Mike instead of the characters I originally prompted.
David Blaize – EF Benson
Characters: Frank Maddox, Hughes
Where to Get It: First book is free on Gutenberg here. The sequel is still under copyright, but is easily available to buy (confession: since Frank is offscreen in Greece for large swaths of the sequel, I control-F-ed for his name and only read the parts that he's in).
I need Frank to get a nice boyfriend so desperately. He's such a fascinating and endearing blend of judgmental, whimsical, bossy, charismatic, and melancholic. While his anguished self-loathing is super compelling, I ultimately want him to get over it (and get over himself, a little), without anyone explicitly lecturing him. I want him to find happiness and self-acceptance with someone new—with actual kissing, or more! Hughes is the only in-canon character I'm interested in shipping with Frank; there's no need for Hughes to appear if you end up writing the Frank/OMC or the crossover options below.
I originally read this series because I love boarding school stories, but I ended up mainly wanting fic about Frank's post-Marchester life. Please let Frank completely get over his tragic crush on David and be entirely into the new person, without bashing David (whom I do like!). And please set it when Frank is anywhere between 19-30 (ie. canon divergence after he leaves Marchester, or shortly post-canon), so he doesn't have to wait long to be happier.
The chapter where he devises the plan to catch the cheaters was such fun, as was his love of the macabre; if it fits, shipfic that incorporates his cleverness, snark, take-chargeness, and/or sense of whimsy would be lovely. Or run with the thing where he cured David with the power of love to a place where Frank is literally magical?
Prompts:
— Hughes: The melodrama of Frank seducing Hughes, dumping Hughes, and then poor Hughes getting expelled when he tries to move on… It's an amazing Part 1. Give me the 5-10 years later sequel! How and where do they meet up again? We know Hughes ended up at Sandhurst, but what about after that? How has he been? If the answer is "great!", how does Frank reconcile that with his years of miserable repression? Is Hughes still hurt, or has he blissfully accepted himself? Or does he have complementary hangups that they work through together? Do they run into one another in London or at war or at a wedding or…? How do they get back together? Who makes the first move?
— OMC: A canon divergence where Frank gets together with someone at Cambridge before David enrolls there? Or during his Greek archeological expeditions? Archaeology is so romantic! Or set a couple of years after the end of the second book… Does Frank live in London, join a Wodehouse-style club, visit country estates, have a job? Or some sort of fucked up initiation rite (for Cambridge or London clubs?) forces Frank to give into what he really wants and he ends up better for it? Or maybe a canon divergence where he fights in WWI and he and a fellow soldier are all desperately angsty and passionate in their trench?
— Crossovers 1: Prompts for Frank/Edmund Pevensie (Narnia), Frank/Bucky Barnes (MCU), and Frank & Psmith/Mike (Wodehouse) are HERE. You could even focus on the Wodehouse ship options mentioned in that writeup, and not include Psmith/Mike at all.
— Crossovers 2: See HERE for Frank with Tirian (Narnia), Victor or Ethan (Penny Dreadful), Dumbledore (Fantastic Beasts), Atlantis (UK TV) characters, Richard (Lost), or Thor (MCU). The write-ups for these are shorter, but I want them just as much!
— Enchanted Castle crossover: See request for that canon below. Frank/Phoebus Apollo! I don't need this to be a true love forever. As long as their sexy fling leaves Frank in a healthier and happier place, I'll be delighted.
Three Musketeers Series - Dumas
Characters: Raoul de Bragelonne/Comte de Guiche
Where to Get It: The whole series is in the public domain. Raoul and de Guiche first appear in 'Twenty Years After'. Control-F-ing for their names in that book to find their chapters is all you need for this request.
This was my first slash ship, years before I learned the term. The loyalty and perfect nobility of this somewhat odd couple in 'Twenty Years After' is wonderful. They work so well together! I want a canon divergence where they get over Louise and Henrietta sooner rather than later and unambiguously get together, with actual makeouts--or more!--to be endgame with each other. It would avert so much awfulness later on. I love everyone in this series, so anyone is welcome to appear in the background. DNW either of them to die; I also don't want to read about the original four musketeers dying.
I’d like something set a few years after their first meeting so that Raoul is at least 18. In real life, de Guiche was apparently an irresistible and openly bisexual playboy. (All I know about him is from Dumas and Wikipedia, so don’t stress about historical accuracy.) I’d love something where he gently initiates Raoul into sexual experiences and/or Raoul is the first of his flings that he's actually fallen for. What makes de Guiche realize his feelings, and what does he do once he figures it out? What makes Raoul realize that what he feels for de Guiche is the real deal (more real than his crush on a child)? Does Raoul need to be gotten over period-typical homophobia, or is he already cool with things, either because of the tolerance around Louis XIV's brother, or because Athos totally used to make out with one of his buds, or because he's been friends with de Guiche for years…?
I will love any ridiculous Dumas-style trope you want to include. Here are a few to get you started: sharing a battlefield tent (this is canon!); aristocrats in haylofts; back to back badasses; horse goes lame so we have to share; rowdy or licentious taverns/brothels; stoically trying to hide wound until dramatic fainting or pool of blood gives it away; tenderly wrapping wounds with ripped pieces of his shirt; OTT self-sacrificing gestures (ex. taking the bullet, taking the blame; ‘take me instead’, ‘I will only slow you down’, dying moment of awesome that he ends up not dying of)…
Prompts:
— Missions Together: What if, between ‘Twenty Years After’ and ‘Ten Years Later’, the Prince sent them on an espionage mission or some other kind of mission, just the two of them (and maybe their lackeys)? To England or Germany or Spain, or to identify conspirators within France, or to rescue a kidnapped noble, or...? How do they work together and get together?
— Glittering Court Parties: I’d love for de Guiche to take Raoul to a wild party... maybe even a masked ball? IDK. Corrupt him, just a little bit? Does Raoul like it, or is he overwhelmed/not into it? Getting caught up in court conspiracies or dangers? Friends with benefits that becomes more? Does Mme de Chevreuse approve (without being a yenta)?
— Visits Home: Getting together while visiting one another's family estates. How do they try to impress the other's parents, etc? Have they been pining? Is one or both nervous? What kinds of fun do they have? Showing one another their favorite haunts or introducing the other to favorite servants, etc? Making out in candlelit corridors or secret passageways?
— Just Add Magic: A spooky adventure (troop stationed in a haunted manor, or there’s something creepy in the fog, etc) or straight up magic added to the otherwise canonical universe. Does immortal Count Cagliostro from Dumas's Marie Antoinette series have ~plans~ for one or both of them? How does facing this adventure together lead to them getting together?
— Stranded Together: Do they get left behind on the battlefield, presumed dead… but they’re
not! Or one of them refuses to leave the other behind. Having to make their way back to their regiment, alone in a hostile place… Desperation or hurt/comfort that turns passionate?
— Captured Together: Both of them captured by the enemy. I want allllll the whump, hurt/comfort, and loyalty. As long as no one ends up with permanent physical damage and there’s a happy ending, you can make their captivity as dark and fucked up as you like. Are they huddled together in a cell? How do they work together to escape, or get ransomed, or finish the mission? How does the experience help them get together?
Enchanted Castle – E Nesbit
Characters: Phoebus Apollo
Where to Get It: Free on Gutenberg here.
(Apologies in advance about how long this got…) The section where the children party all night with the gods and goddesses is one of the loveliest things I've ever read. The gods were all so friendly and sexy and gentle and nonchalant and wise and wonderful. Especially Phoebus! I love it too much to articulate. I want more. I want to learn more about Phoebus—his perspective on stuff, how he spends his nights, his friendships with the other gods, etc. But especially more of his interactions with humans. Since I'm asking for more adult characters, content and themes, there's zero need to mimic the canon narrative voice (though you can, if you want). Any of the other godly or human characters are welcome to appear! I love them all.
'The magic must come to an end' is my least favorite ending, for anything. Thankfully, it seems that the statues would continue to come to life at night regardless, but feel free to pretend they didn't end the ring's magic so the castle can remain magical and people can still use it to become statues (I loved that so much). Or they made new magic! Whatever works; no need to explain. Phoebus kept talking about his world vs the kids' world, etc, so you could argue that the kids realm-hopped into a parallel dimension instead? What's that like? Or is it our plane of existence, after all? Or something else? I'm interested in a wide variety of interpretations of the worldbuilding.
DNW: the Ugly Wuglies (they still terrify me) or underage/overage romance. I don't want tragic lifespan incompatibilities, so please make any god/human ships a revelrous, casual thing; DNW pining or heartbreak or epilogues where the human has gotten old while Phoebus is still young, or for the gods to grow old.
Random Note: I've got a weird existential hangup about these kinds of canons (see also: Night at the Museum). I need to think of the characters as real; I get upset if it's dwelled upon that they are man-made statues. Perhaps they are actual Apollo & Co who were long ago cursed to be dormant statues during the day, so that, of all the statues of these gods that exist in the world, these are the only ones that come to life, because they are the 'real' gods. Or something. The way Phoebus talked about the other special place in Greece made it sound like Zeus was real… Anyway, as long as you don't dwell on the idea that they aren't really alive or aren't really Apollo & Co, and you don't have them meet other versions of themselves, you're good.
Prompts:
— Post-Canon Shipping: I would adore something set 5-10 years later (whenever the kids are at least 18), when one or all of them return to the castle. Do they see one another regularly, or only at these magical reunions? Do they now have grown-up problems or angst (either regarding the castle stuff or in their regular lives), or is everything fine? If angst, can the statues help? Have the gods have watched them grow up over the years? I would love--LOVE!--to have one of the now grown-up kids make out--or more!--with Phoebus. Any of them, your pick! What causes things to change from friendly to more? Does it happen when everyone's a statue, or one is a human, or new magic makes Pheobus flesh for a night? Is this the first time Phoebus has hooked up with a human? Or not? I'll take anything!
— New Homes: Has Phoebus somehow gotten sold and moved elsewhere? Is it just him, or the whole collection? Does Phoebus team up, either with other statues or the now grown-up kids, to deal with a threat or a problem? Are they trying to break the curse so they can become flesh (but still immortal) again, or defeat an enemy who wants to destroy them or put him/them somewhere awful? Or maybe it's a house party whodunnit where the silently watching statues help solve a mystery, without the majority of humans knowing they're alive? Let your imagination run wild!
— Crossovers: Similar to the above prompts, but with crossover characters. More people should experience the magical evenings! Since the castle's been around for awhile, it could be set pre-canon, too. Or pretend the book happened earlier or later (it feels timeless to me, taking place anywhere from mid-19th century to mid-20th century), so that crossover characters are the age they were at some point in their canons. Here are some characters I'd love to see with Phoebus (gen or ship!):
• Psmith – Perhaps the Yaxleys are relatives of one of them, so Psmith and Mike visit the castle, or Mike's little sister goes to Kathleen's school, for a similar set-up as canon. I only want Psmith/Mike emotionally shipped with each other, though a threesome with Phoebus that gets Psmith/Mike together could be hot (PG with kissing would also be awesome, just to be clear!).
• Bertie Wooster – His latest country estate visit! DNW Jeeves/Wooster slash (Jeeves doesn't need to appear, though he can if you want). Bertie is the one exception to my 1st person POV DNW, but I'd be just as interested in Phoebus's 3rd person POV. Any of Bertie's friends are welcome to tag along!
• Frank Maddox from 'David Blaize' – I really want shipfic for this one, because Frank so desperately needs it. Does he tutor at the girl's school? Or is he Mademoiselle/Lord Yaxley's kid or nephew come for a summer visit? Or…?
• Edmund Pevensie – He is NOT allowed to die! Does he visit accidentally, or does he have his own magic rings that allow for something even more interesting? As long as he's grown up again, he can hook up with Phoebus, too!
• Bucky Barnes (MCU) – Perhaps the castle became a hospital in WWII, where Bucky recovers after Azzano, and because of the experiments, he's the only one who can see the gods? Or, any other premise you want!
• Victor, Vanessa, and/or Ethan from Penny Dreadful – Investigating something funky at the castle, or the gods help them defeat monsters, or simply helping Victor loosen up, or they visit the castle because Lyle has read about the ring as a way to defeat some monster, or…? (Note: I wasn't super into the Vanessa/Ethan pairing or the storylines about Victor's creations, and would prefer to ignore the last season)