Chocolate Box 2021
Dec. 30th, 2020 07:23 pm![[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 a lot of info for those who want it, but please don’t feel boxed in by the prompts. Write whatever you want for these characters, maybe with a general like or two thrown in. As long as you’re having fun, I’m sure I’ll love it! I'm ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
aurilly on AO3 as well.
Here are anchor links to the different sections:
• Gossip Girl
• Mrs Fletcher
• Northanger Abbey
• La Révolution (TV)
• MCU (includes crossovers)
• MCU/Narnia Crossovers
• Psmith Crossovers
• Bond (Craig movies) (includes crossovers)
• Ted Lasso (includes crossovers)
• Sinbad (TV)
General Notes
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, especially in a low minimum wordcount exchange like this, feel free to skip all that and start in media res. Also, some of these prompt sections are longer than others, but I want all my requests equally!
Things I Always Love
• Devoted Odd Couples: enjoying one another's company; laughing at one another; fond exasperation; reunions; friends to lovers (including for characters who never met in canon; I love stories that start after they’re already friends in order to focus on the ‘to lovers’ part)
• Adventures: fish out of water; exploring new territory; dramatic rescues or escapes; finding out about magic; complementary skill sets; badassery; laughing in the face of danger or absurdity; the pen is mightier than the sword (but I also really love swords)
• Sexy Times: This letter is already long, so I left general porn likes/dislikes HERE (they’re for any ship, not just the ones listed there).
• Clothing Porn: suits, leather, armour, uniforms, boots, breeches; admiring how good (or ridiculous) love interest looks in the above; not sure how to get these weird clothes off; neckties and the many uses thereof
• Hurt/Comfort: comforter is hiding their own hurt; bedside vigils; patching up loved one's wounds; fainting; stoic character trying to joke their way through pain; external force/person makes A hurt B; forced to watch loved one endure something awful; helping one another through an awful ordeal; "I thought you were dead!"
• Loyalty & Self-Sacrifice : taking someone else’s blame or punishment; jumping in front of a bullet; sacrificing career, safety, reputation or happiness for loved one (but it turns out okay in the end!); volunteering to be beaten, humiliated, tortured, fucked, etc to spare loved one or to secure some benefit for them; trying to keep sacrifice or hurt secret from loved one, either out of shame, or because A doesn't want B to feel beholden/guilty, or because A doesn’t want B to know the extent of A's feelings; B finding out anyway
• Not Originally Sexual Bondage: I prefer restraint when it, at least initially, occurs for plot reasons. For example, A ties B to the bed for sexy fun? Not my thing. A ties B to the bed to keep B from hurting himself while possessed? Yes, please! Whether or not it then turns sexy in the story (it certainly can!), it's already sexy to me. Examples... tied or chained up for a ritual or because of imprisonment; stoicism and nobility while bound, stripped, whipped, jeered at, or nonconsensually touched; captives find ways to kiss and touch despite being bound; strong character submits or pretends to be unable to break out of bonds for reasons; noble struggling and writhing
• Crossovers: applying skills/knowledge from one canon to another canon’s problems; characters coming up with logical but incorrect theories about what's going on before discovering the truth; contrasting or reconciling differences in how a concept manifests across canons (ex. immortality, magic, realm hopping, time shenanigans); magic or plot point in one canon has roots in another
Do Not Wants
*These are the same as in my signup, but with a little more explanation on some. The category headers and organization don't mean much; I'm just trying to loosely group to reduce scrolling.
• Death & Endings: permanent death of requested characters; the afterlife; bleak endings; as-if-it-never-happened erasure endings (ex. "it was all a dream" or events of fic are permanently mind-wiped away)
• Sex-Related: BDSM; underage/overage sex; A/B/O; pregnancy or infertility issues
• Headcanons: ace, aro, demi or gender identity headcanons
• Ship-Related: non-canon romantic ships, unless prompted (however, mentions of backstory relationships with OCs are fine); poly/threesomes, unless prompted; non-canonical adultery or open relationships; conflicting requested ships (ex. A/B and A/C in same fic), unless prompted; non-canonical nicknames (ex. “Stevie”); shovel talks; yentas and matchmakers; fated love
• Writing-Related: 1st & 2nd person POV (exception for Gerry); phonetically spelled dialogue (my brain genuinely struggles to process it)
• Crossover-Related: unprompted crossovers of more than two canons at a time; fourth wall breakage (ex. World A characters know World B as fiction); crossovers where the main characters remain unaware of each others' backgrounds or magic (the reveal/explanation doesn't have to happen 'on-screen', but please don't let it end with everyone thinking everyone else is normal, in a 'ships passing in the night' kind of way)
• Other: fusions; setting change AUs**; goofy crack (but crack taken seriously is fine!); references to 2020 real-life issues (ex. Covid, US politics)
**A Note on setting change AUs: I welcome invented mechanisms, like portals, to get characters from one world to another. I also welcome the addition of supernatural elements to a canon (ex. time loops, someone's mom was a fairy, Stonehenge is magic, etc.). Shifting timelines within a late 19th/early 20th century range to minimize age differences is also fine! My DNW for setting change AUs is meant to cover scenarios where the supernatural elements that form a canon's premise are wholly removed, or a requested character's pre-canon backstory beats are wholly unrecognizable, or a canon is moved to a wildly different location or time period (ex. 21st century, space).
Gossip Girl
• Serena van der Woodsen/Carter Baizen
What I would most like is a canon divergence or post-series story where they are happily endgame. These two were languorously glamorous and world-weary together in a way that felt oddly right to me. I loved the connection to one another that they just can't kick, and how there's a little hurt woven in with the lightness and fun they have together. Please please please let Serena get over Dan and be 100% into Carter; DNW any hint that Serena/Carter will break up after the end of the story.
I love the way they keep running away together. The way he'll do anything for her, but also calls her out on her shit. The way they so easily fall back into a rhythm, even if they haven't seen one another in awhile. The way they are equally happy partying around Europe and being domestic with poptarts. The way he's always grinning during their make-outs. The way she laughed with such joy at the mischief he managed at the debutante ball. The way she was ready to do anything to get his debts settled. The way he never wears a belt despite being otherwise immaculately dressed (no, really, what is with that?). The way he sees and loves her exactly as she is. The way they truly seem to make each other want to be better people (especially him; he really seemed willing to pull it together for her).
— Do they play the paparazzi? More European jet-setting adventures? Do they inherit all the money (or maybe become successful on their own steam?) and become king and queen of New York? Do they run away to live as barefoot and happy bohemians? Something in-between?
— Does she find him again when things almost immediately fall apart with Dan (or just ignore the finale completely)?
— Something where Serena gets involved with Carter's family/inheritance/whatever drama that kept getting mentioned but never fleshed out? Does he end up back in good graces, or does he need her help to get there? Does she rescue him from the oil rig? Or maybe it’s a canon divergence where he goes to NYU, too?
— Some kind of adventure or mystery they have to face that demonstrates how great they are together and what a good team they make? The plot thing could be canon-relevant, or totally random, or even magical realism; it doesn't matter. Ex. assassins are after them, or they reconnect on a Wodehouse-style country estate visit, or they reconnect at a party while they’re both visiting LA/Paris/wherever, or she gets a Fulbright post-college to study in another country where he is, or he calls her up to run PR for a company he’s now head of, or...
Mrs Fletcher
• Eve/Julian
I loved this little show. I loved the naturalness of the plots and pacing. Most of all, I loved Eve and Julian. The chemistry!!! My god. I loved the slow burn of their first seeing each other in class, to the night they got drunk, to the texts, to just… everything. It was perfect.
I want to know what happens next! It doesn’t have to be literally the next day or the next week (though it can!). You could pick up with them a month later, or three months later. Tell me more sweet gestures that Julian does to show Eve how smitten he is. Or ways that Eve can help him, in a non-maternal way. I don’t necessarily need them to be forever love and get married, but I think they could last for a decent bit and help each other get through this phase of their lives and/or their current issues. (That said, I don’t want to read about them breaking up!)
I love Amanda. However, Eve/Julian is my OTP. I think Amanda is rooting for them, having nothing to do with her, even though they all enjoyed their night together. So, please don’t have them keep having threesomes.
— What is their first real date like? Do they go out, or is it something romantic at one of their houses?
— Do they keep their relationship secret (from everyone but Amanda, and I guess Brandon sort of knows, but maybe he doesn’t know it was more than one time?)? If so, how do they manage it? Like, where/when do they meet up? Do they ever almost get caught (again)? How and by whom? Does Jane or anyone in the creative writing gang (I love them all!) have suspicions? If one/multiple find out, how do they take it?
— Does Eve intentionally or accidentally meet Julian’s mom (or already know her?) and… something awkward along the tone of the show happens, but it turns out fine?
— Do regular grown-up people want to date Eve and she has to deal with the awkwardness of turning them down or explaining why? Does Julian get jealous for whatever reason (in an insecure or stoically resigned way that she can reassure him through, not in a creepy possessive way)?
— MCU Crossover: Super specific, but I’d love something where these characters exist in the MCU world, and Eve got snapped, while Julian didn’t. How long after the show/into their relationship did the Snap happen? What did he do, how did he grieve, and how has he grown during the five years? What is it like when she comes back? Does he have a job now? Still go to school? Has he been sort-of dating someone else, but dumps them as soon as Eve is back? Something else? What’s Eve’s reaction to returning to the world? No need for any MCU characters to appear, unless you want to and it fits.
Northanger Abbey
• Eleanor Tilney/Henry Tilney
Henry is my favorite Austen love interest. I love his sarcasm, teasing playfulness, pragmatism, everything. I love how unembarrassed he is about his reading tastes. The fact that he's a teensy bit annoying--so pedantic!--adds to his endearing realness. And Eleanor is wonderful, handling things with grace, intelligence, and a twinkling sense of humour. They have a great us-against-the-world closeness. I love how they respect one another, all their moments of silent understanding, how she is simultaneously amused by and over his shit.
Feel free to take anyone and anything around Henry and Eleanor to a creepy, dark, fully gothic place (or a wondrously magical place). But no matter what, please don't make them or their relationship dark, and please give them a hopeful ending. A fic that showcases their general closeness and how well they work together, and that allows Henry to be arch and fun, would be great. I like my incest angsty and guilty but truly fond. Stealing secret moments of happiness in gothic spots around the Abbey, or in carriages? Undercover as a couple? Being all playful and teasing yet heartbreaking and stoic?
What I'm hoping for is pre-canon fic and/or a canon divergence where the Tilneys never met Catherine, so the fic can focus on Henry/Eleanor and let me assume they never marry anyone else. No missing scenes or post-canon fic, or mention of Catherine at all, please. Much as I really do love her in canon, I want fic about other stuff, too. I’d love for Henry and Eleanor to be around the same age as in canon, or only very slightly younger (definitely both of them over seventeen).
— What if Northanger Abbey really had been a gothic horror or otherwise magical setting? Maybe it's haunted, or their dad or older brother is an evil entity, or there's some other kind of supernatural thing. Or there's a door to Faerie in the house or gardens? When and how do Henry and Eleanor find out about the thing? What happens and what do they do? How does working through this problem or adventure get them together?
— Getting together during an adventure Henry and Eleanor shared together before canon. An earlier trip to Bath? During a trip to Paris or a season in London? A visit to a friend or family friend's estate (crossovers with other Jane Austen novels are welcome)? United front against something their asshole father was aiming for or abuse he was inflicting? Dealing with an awful aunt or unwelcome suitor? Going somewhere no one knows they're siblings and they can finally be together in public?
— Does their terrible father or brother find out about them? What punishments do they use to try to separate them? Or blackmail? How do Henry and Eleanor fight back and make things okay for themselves?
— Crossover with JS&MN: Assume Northanger Abbey took place in the JS&MN world, even if none of Susanna Clarke's characters appear. Do Henry and/or Eleanor study magic? Does Northanger Abbey have a portal to the fairy realm? Or does Northanger's magic wake up along with everything else at the end of the book; what do Henry and Eleanor do with that? Does the magic help them create a happy ending for themselves? Some other angle? If Clarke's characters do appear, are Henry and/or Eleanor friendly with any of my faves (which include Segundus, Strange, Stephen, Lady Pole and Arabella)? Does the Gentleman try to steal one of them, and the other quests to save them? Or he kidnaps/enchants both and they work together to escape (lots of hurt/comfort welcome)? I'll love anything. I have read the book and short story collection; but I haven't seen the TV show.
La Révolution (TV)
• Oka/Albert Guillotin
• Albert Guillotin/Joseph Guillotin
THIS SHOW! What even. It was the hilariously earnest, bonkers, OTT ancien régime nonsense I’ve been looking for my whole life. I love a badass woobie, and Albert is a great one. He’s so hunky and angsty and self-loathing and loyal. Special shout-out to his styling, with the coats and the guns and hair and just… yes. He has chemistry with everyone, it’s amazing. I really want some shippy m/m fic about him. Although I do like Albert/Elise, for this exchange, I’d like him to be over her (or not yet into her) and focused on Oka or Joseph instead.
Oka/Albert
I adore Oka. His voice is so beautiful. He and Albert are both such badasses. I love the super intense devotion they have, to the point where Albert got all these people to risk their lives to rescue Oka. I love Oka’s loyalty right back, where he is able to help Albert manage his cravings and is so supportive, even if there’s also a little tough love. I love that there’s a little bit of tension between them to keep it interesting, with whatever is going on about Oka’s son, who didn’t get “saved” when Albert did, or whatever.
In what othersexier ways might Oka be distracting Albert from the cravings? Or maybe tell me about something romantic that happened between them the night after Oka’s rescue. Or does it happen on the way to Paris at the end of the first season? Or maybe hurt-comfort if/when Oka gets hurt, and Albert’s angsty self-loathing with regards to being unhurtable? Were they ever captured together (whether before the show, or in some post-S1 thing you make up), and they get together while chained and bound in their cell? Or maybe explore some other sexier applications or extensions of Oka’s magical powers or of the blue blood.
Albert/Joseph
There’s something so amazingly EXTRA about the idea that Joseph had been hero worshipping or crushing on this wonderful older boy, and that Albert’s intense loyalty streak made him decide to be brothers, even though they weren’t. They must have been such lonely orphans (feel free to pile on the poor woobie orphan whump!). The idea of them glomming onto one another, especially since Albert was clearly popular, and Joseph was clearly a weird nerd… it’s all so delicious. If you’re writing backstory where they’re <16, please nothing more than innocent kisses, hand-holding and cuddling; however, feel free to go hot and heavy once they’re older.
I’d love for Joseph’s hero worship to turn into something else, whether before the Albert/Elise thing happened (Joseph’s clearly so jealous!), and/or after Albert comes back (either during the season or in a post-S1 that you make up). Joseph clearly never got over Albert--his grief! I love it. There was so much going on, and Albert was repressing so hard, so we didn’t get to see too much of Albert’s reaction to reuniting with his brother; give me more, with feeeeeeelings. When/how do Albert’s feelings change to something more romantic? Or maybe he was sweet on Joseph even when they were younger, and the “brother” thing was his repressed way of dealing with it? Did they ever do tropey kissing practice, or “playing doctor”? Or escape from the orphanage to spend a night under the stars? Hurt/comfort when Joseph gets hurt? Maybe Joseph used to take care of Albert when he got hurt, and now he feels useless because Albert’s condition means he no longer needs that kind of help (but turns out okay, because Albert loves Joseph for more than his medical knowledge)? Do they get stranded together post-S1, and it’s up to Joseph to try to calm or distract Albert from his cravings until they pass? Does it turn out that Albert did something self-sacrificing to get Joseph into medical school? Or maybe it’s a canon divergence where Albert never dated Elise or left, or never got the blue blood, or… IDK. Anything! Just make them kiss (or more!).
MCU
• Loki/M’Baku
• Loki & Matt Damon (RPF)
• Bucky/Gamora
• Bucky/Valkyrie
• Bucky/Heimdall
• Bucky/Moneypenny (see Bond - Craig movies section below)
General Bucky Notes for both crossover and MCU-only pairings
Please let Bucky quickly recover or start the story as a fully functional badass with at least a glimmer of a sense of humour. I like stories about him trying to move on and build a new life, not ones where he's brainwashed or pathetic for most of it. I have a pet peeve about fics where Bucky (and Steve) say "ain't" and sound like characters from a 1930s gangster movie. I'd like them to sound like they do in canon, where they speak as 'correctly' as, say, Howard or Bruce do. Cursing is fine, though.
It’s always been important to me that Bucky make new friends, have adventures, and build a new life of his own; with people other than Steve’s closest friends, and concerns beyond the usual CA franchise beats. Hence why I mainly request him with the space/magic or Wakandan side of the MCU, or crossovers. So, I’d really like something that diverges at any point before FAWS, and which doesn’t focus on Bucky’s relationships with Natasha, Sam, Sharon, Peggy, or Tony. Steve is always welcome, but if you want/need to give Bucky a different background friendship, I’d be so excited to imagine someone more unexpected in this role.
Bucky/Gamora
Deadly and hot. They’re just so competent, and both have horrific backstories. I love how they’ve both gotten away from their horribly abusive pasts. I’d love to see them try to make something good together. Prompts are similar to the Bucky/Valkyrie ones below. Do they get partnered on something together post-Endgame (either with new!Gamora or pretend OG!Gamora was brought back) or to return a stone? Is Bucky excited to go to space? Is she more receptive to his weird Earth flirting than she was to Peter’s in the first GotG movie? Are they turned on by one another’s badassery? What kind of team do they make? You can include their first meeting, but I also love stories that start later, when they’re already friends/partners, to focus on “to lovers”. You can have Peter/Gamora have broken up (please let her be 100% over him and into Bucky), or pretend they never dated, or use the new!Gamora who isn’t into Peter at all.
Bucky/Valkyrie
My needs here are simple. They’re both so full of pain and regret and hotness and I love them both so much. They should be hot together. I want them riding a Pegasus together. I want them fighting together. I want them drinking together. I want them giving each other tough love and real talk. I want them to be friends who rib each other a lot and also have sex, and maybe develop feelings. Maybe they went to get or return some Stones together. Or maybe he moved to New Asgard at some point. Or maybe they get together at a party after the big Endgame fight, or during the mess of cleanup after that fight. Or maybe they need to go to space together for some reason. Or maybe Bucky was stuck on Sakaar for reasons that I don’t care about, and they met then. Or anything else you think of will be great! Just please make them kiss (or more!). You can include their first meeting, but I also love stories that start later, when they’re already friends/partners, to focus on “to lovers”.
Bucky/Heimdall
I just love them both a lot and want them to love each other, too. Heimdall is so solemn and wise (but he also smiles, and I think he has a deadpan funny side)... and hot. I like his giant sword (I’m literally talking about the sword), and the whole watcher thing is fascinating. You can include their first meeting, but I also love stories that start later, when they’re already friends/partners, to focus on “to lovers”.
Maybe post-TWS, Bucky got extradited to Asgard to keep him safe, and he meets Heimdall there? Does Bucky like hanging out in the Bifrost dome? Does he ask Heimdall how people on Earth are doing, only to end up falling for the watcher? Does Heimdall like the company? Or maybe the Asgardian ship made it safely to Earth, and they meet in Wakanda or New Asgard? What does Heimdall make of his new life and new role? I mean, he stayed in that dome for thousands of years, and now it’s gone; he must have feelings about that. How can he and Bucky figure out the next phase of their lives together? Does Bucky maybe meet a younger version of Heimdall while getting/retrieving the Stones, but also know him in the present time? Did Heimdall used to watch Bucky back in WWII or later? Do they fall in love while trying to keep Loki from pranking the hell out of the whole world? Or are they pranking Thor? Does Heimdall do the mind-meldy thing with Bucky? Anything! Just please make them kiss (or more!).
Loki/M’Baku
I just think this would be hilarious (and hot). They’re both such trolls, and it would be fun to see them try to annoy one another. But they also have serious and loyal sides, and end up coming through in a pinch, when it matters. Maybe the Asgardian ship landed on Earth and T’Challa let them settle? What does M’Baku think of it all? Do people even know who/what was behind the NYC attack, or did SHIELD cover it up? I’m having trouble coming up with prompts, but I promise I will love anything you think of for these two.
Loki & Matt Damon (RPF)
This is kind of specific, but I get a lot of joy from the idea that the guy who played Loki in the play in Ragnarok was literally, actually Matt Damon, who exists in the MCU world (DNW alternate universes or fourth wall-breaking). I’d vastly prefer if ONLY Matt Damon was his real self, and that the other people in the play were just random Asgardian actors (i.e. not literal Sam Neill or other!Hemsworth). Given that starting premise... spin me a tale! I don’t actually know much about Matt Damon (or most actors, really) as a person, so don’t stress about perfect characterization. But… he seems like a chill, pleasant, good sport who could roll with weird stuff? (If he isn’t nice, I’m not sure I want to know.) I do know that he has a wife and kids; it might be too sad for him to be away from them for years, so if you want to pretend they don’t exist, that’s totally cool. If you want to have Matt/Loki get together in a world where Matt is single, go for it, though I’d prefer Loki to look like himself (not Odin) during the shippy scenes. (Was Loki jealous of Ben Affleck, only to find out Ben and Matt are just friends)?
Is Loki a big fan, and uses the Bifrost to kidnap Matt Damon to Asgard to star in his plays? Which of Matt’s roles made Loki such a fan? What are Matt’s reactions to living in Asgard and being made to act in these plays? He’s treated well and is not a “prisoner”, but he’s also not allowed to go home… Does he sense that something is off about “Odin”? Does Loki reveal himself to Matt? Do they become weird sort-of friends? Does Matt end up getting into the role? Does he give Loki edits? What’s Loki like as a director? Does Matt somehow end up helping Loki work through his issues? Is Matt maybe TOO good of an actor for this schlock? What’s his life like in Asgard when he isn’t performing? You can show his first few days there, or skip a few months to start when he’s more settled. Or maybe the story starts even later, when he’s on the Statesman (which does NOT get attacked by Thanos, please!). What were the events of Ragnarok like for him? He obviously has seen Thor and the Hulk etc on the news; what’s it like to meet them? Does Loki keep putting on plays even on the refugee ship?
MCU/Narnia Crossovers
• Bucky/Tirian
• Bucky/Edmund
General Narnia Notes
General Bucky notes are in the MCU request section here. Tirian and Edmund were my very first favorite characters, and Narnia's worldbuilding elements formed most of my narrative interests. I love Golden Age fics and fics that diverge from canon (as wildly as you like!) at any point before the closing chapters of the Last Battle. Time between these realms is already untethered and random, and I welcome as much timey-wimey handwaving as you want to add. Ex. I see no reason why post-TWS Bucky couldn't travel to the Golden Age or Tirian’s reign.
I love everyone's competency, earnestness, and courage when it counts, but also their flaws, fears, and crankiness. Tirian has such human flaws, and he started off as a hot mess of a king, but he means so well, and is quite resourceful and clever when you rouse him out of his decadence. I love that being redeemed into a just warrior king didn’t entirely cure Edmund of being a cranky, sarcastic little shit.
The end of Narnia, train crash, and afterlife are my biggest DNWs. Please let it be clear that everyone will get to live out their lives. I don't need a fix-it (i.e. a fic focused on how their canon death was averted that day). I prefer to pretend it just never came up! I'm not at all invested in the religious allegory elements.
Bucky/Tirian
They would be so competent and delightful and hot together. Fairytale king + Brooklyn street smarts, yum. I really don't care how Bucky and Tirian get here or there. Feel free to leave it unexplained and/or start with him already there. I like all the 'nice' people in TLB, so include whomever you want. If it’s easier not to include the Friends of Narnia, that’s fine, too!
— Does Bucky seek Tirian or Narnia out? Somehow getting his hands on the rings? Or Tirian blows the horn? Something else?
— Met In Dreams First: You know how Tirian astrally projected to the Friends of Narnia that one time? Well, what if he's been doing it on the regular, with Bucky? They have always secretly thought they had an imaginary friend (or are going nuts), but one day they meet, either in Narnia or on Earth. Maybe Tirian inherited star magic, which makes this possible? What I'm most interested in is what happens when they are together in the flesh, so you can even background the vision part, if you want.
— Caught In Calormen: Bucky somehow joining Tirian for a pre-TLB jaunt into Calormen? Is Tirian there for espionage, diplomacy and/or undercover partying? How do they get together? Does this adventure result in the whole Calormene invasion getting nipped in the bud so the world doesn't have to end?
— Canon-Divergent Post-TLB: What if, instead of the world ending, Tirian & Co ran away to the mountains and started a resistance to the Calormene occupation, like they talked about doing at one point? I love espionage, desperate missions, angsty last stands and people bonding while struggling to survive in nature. It could be set near the start when they’re corralling Narnians and spiriting them to safety. Or you could start it later on, when the resistance has grown pretty strong and they’re ready to start making moves. How/when does Bucky end up with them, how he can help, and how do he and Tirian fall for one another? Does Tirian know more secret hideouts full of wine? Does Puzzle (the darling!) somehow end up saving the day along with Bucky? Do Bucky and Tirian go on a quest to the magic garden place?
Bucky/Edmund
I want them to love each other as much as I love them, and to have adventures, and be competent, and unambiguously get together, with actual makeouts (or more!). What aspects of their angsty backgrounds can they pep talk each other through? How can their experiences and skill sets help each other or help solve an issue in either canon? How do they figure out one another's backstories, and what do they think of the other's? How do they fall in love? There's delicious potential for angsty separations and happy ending reunions in this ship, too, if you want.
Edmund being a kid and Bucky being a soldier during WWII is too situationally intrinsic to both characters for my usual timeline adjustment approach. However, I’d be thrilled to ignore or break the timelines to make it work in other ways. For example, post-TWS Bucky traveling to the Golden Age or some other point in Narnian history works for me, no explanation needed! Or maybe at the end of Endgame, Bucky time travels to the 50s/60s when Edmund is grown up again, either as the initial premise of the story or as the happy ending epilogue. Basically, do whatever you need to avoid an age discrepancy ending and I'll roll with it. (It's okay if adult!Bucky temporarily hangs out with kid!Edmund at some point, as long as he doesn't touch the kid, and the happy ending is with grown-up Ed).
— Edmund in the Future: The story starts when grown up again Edmund returns from going on adventures with the rings. However, because of handwavey inter-realm time shenanigans, the rings have dropped him off decades after he left, and now he's stuck in the future… Whoops! Or maybe it's a canon divergence where the Pevensies return from the Golden Age as adults 15 years later instead of deaging to kids at the moment they'd left? Does Ed rescue Bucky from Hydra (possibly earlier than in canon?), or is it post-TWS? Or even post-Endgame? Out of time together, hurt/comfort, etc. Is Hydra after one or both, or is it more slice of life?
— Traveling with Rings: Hydra sends the Winter Soldier to the Professor's childhood home to get the rings on the same day that Edmund goes, resulting in them going to other realms instead of Edmund dying. Exploring the Wood, or deserted Charn, or Asgard, or back to Narnia, or GoT's Westeros, or the Witcher (TV) world, or a world you make up?
— Canon-Setting Spies: I enjoy the fanon that Edmund grows up and becomes a spy. Does he get partnered with the Asset, is like, "gah, this poor guy" and run away with him? Or do they go on a spy mission while Bucky's in Narnia? What adventures do they have together?
— Bucky In Golden Age Narnia: Maybe someone blows the horn, summoning Bucky? Or the Tesseract or Bifrost takes him there? Or he fell off the train and into Narnia? Or some other way, or leave it unexplained, I don't care. Getting together while dealing with giants, or during some annual tournament in Archenland? Helping Edmund get rid of the remaining werewolves or hags from the Witch’s reign? Sea voyage adventures on the Splendour Hyaline? Outwitting Calormene spies, implementing educational policies, the Rabadash situation? Something else? Is it a divergence where the Pevensies ruled for longer? Or do Bucky and Edmund reunite later back in our world?
— Reunions: Does Bucky encounter the Pevensies while they’re still rather young (whether during ‘Prince Caspian’, VoDT, early on during the Golden Age, or during WWII); nothing shippy happens then, but it does when they reunite once Edmund is an adult and Bucky basically hasn’t aged? Or maybe they never met before, but Bucky went to Narnia (or had some Narnia-related experience) during a time when the Pevensies weren’t there, and he meets adult Edmund back in our world; how do they figure out their Narnian connection while also falling for one another? Or maybe some of the mythical figures that exist in both Narnia and Earth (ex. Bacchus, Father Christmas) help them meet or reunite, either here or there? You can include the flashbacks, or just focus on the reunions!
Psmith Crossovers
• Psmith/Mike & Tirian (Narnia)
• Psmith/Mike & Edmund (Narnia)
• Psmith/Mike & Corin (Narnia)
• Psmith/Mike & The Durrells (Corfu Trilogy)
I will never get enough of Psmith and Mike having new and wildly different adventures than they got to have in canon, and interacting with weird new people. Hence all the crossovers. The ship element doesn't have to be major (though it can and that would be very welcome!), if you want to focus the story more on the crossover element. A line or two about feelings, or with some touching would be fine. DNW any hint that they will ever be with anyone else in the future; please set it before they met their wives and/or pretend they never did.
Ship-wise… There’s so much they feel but don’t say, even with Psmith’s incessant talking; in what other ways can those feelings come out? Who is the forward one here, or do they bumble equally in their own ways? Does either try to hide his nerves/inexperience? Or not? Or maybe one or both is actually experienced? Any take on a romance between them would be fascinating.
Psmith/Mike & The Durrells (Corfu Trilogy)
Please pretend Psmith and Mike were university age in the 1930s. Did they spend a summer between university years in Corfu? Were they some of Larry's houseguests? Party guests (I love the Durrells' parties!)? Or did they just happen to be vacationing in Corfu and met the family when the story starts? Something else? Think of the combined eccentricity! I love all the family members, plus friends like Theo and Spiro, so feel free to focus on any subset of characters you like; it’s fine if the whole family doesn’t appear. There’s no need to write it from Gerry’s POV, unless you really want to; I've actually always wanted to read an outsider's (3rd person) perspective on the family and their friends.
Psmith/Mike & Narnia Crossovers
What are their reactions to finding themselves in Narnia? How might they help characters there? What do the Narnians think of them? How does this adventure help them get together (or were they already together?)? DNW train crash, apocalypse or the afterlife. Please make it clear that everyone will get to live out their lives. My biggest asks are a) for Psmith and/or Mike to find out about Edmund’s secret, if the story is set in our world, and b) to pretend the Psmith books were set later so that they are the same age as the requested Narnia characters during the story.
— Does Edmund or Tirian blow the horn, summoning Psmith and Mike for help with a problem? Fighting giants, espionage, outwitting Calormene spies, implementing educational policies, dealing with the Rabadash situation? Something else? Or just exploring or partying with royalty in either of these eras/countries. Is Psmith or Mike erroneously jealous of someone (could be anyone, not just Ed, Corin or Tirian), leading to stoic angst before they sort it out?
— Helping Golden Age Edmund remember his previous life? Is this the only time they meet, or do they reconnect at boarding school or Cambridge?
— Is it Mike or Psmith's house that Edmund burgles to get the rings, resulting in them going on adventures to other realms together instead of Edmund dying? Exploring the Wood, or deserted Charn, or Westeros, or a world you make up? Or traveling to Narnia together to help Tirian?
— Corin is like the Narnia version of a public school story character. I think he’d get along splendidly with Psmith and Mike. Does he take them traveling through Archenland? Do they team up to play pranks on his new twin brother? Do Psmith and Mike help him keep score against the bear? Something else? What it’s like for Corin to suddenly not be the crown prince, or to suddenly have a twin who is basically a foreigner, or having grown up with a sweet but sad dad who was mourning his queen and son? How can Psmith and Mike help him work through any of his potential issues?
— Met In Dreams First: You know how Tirian astrally projected to the Friends of Narnia that one time? Well, what if he's been doing it on the regular, with Psmith or Mike? They have always secretly thought they had an imaginary friend (or are going nuts), but one day they meet, either in Narnia or on Earth. Is it possible because of Tirian's star heritage magic (IDK), or Psmith and/or Mike seek Tirian out, somehow getting their hands on the rings, or does Tirian blow the horn? Something else? What I'm most interested in is what happens when they meet in the flesh, so you can background the vision part, if you want.
— Narnians In Our World: What if, instead of astrally projecting, Tirian actually goes. Either to Sedleigh or Cambridge or London or other? How do Psmith and Mike react to this weird prince/king? Do they try to pass him off as a student or club member or whatever? How does that go? Is there something here that could help Tirian deal with problems back in Narnia? Can Tirian help Psmith or Mike with a problem they're facing here (ex. mean college professors, Bickersdyke, cricket cheaters, being broke, etc.)?
— Caught In Calormen: Psmith and Mike somehow joining Tirian for a pre-TLB jaunt into Calormen (it's canon that he went there before becoming king)? Is he there for espionage, diplomacy and/or undercover partying? How do they get together? Does this adventure result in the whole Calormene invasion getting nipped in the bud so the world doesn't have to end?
— Canon-Divergent Post-TLB: What if, instead of the world ending, Tirian & Co ran away to the mountains and started a resistance to the Calormene occupation, like they talked about doing at one point? I love espionage, desperate missions, angsty last stands and people bonding while struggling to survive in nature. How do Psmith and Mike end up with them (maybe they were the ones Tirian summoned while he was tied to the tree, or someone blew Susan's horn?), and how they can help? Does the adventure help Psmith/Mike get together? Are there more secret hideouts full of wine? Does Puzzle (the darling!) somehow end up saving the day along with Mike? Do they go on a quest to the magic garden place? The more horrible of an ending for Shift, the better.
Bond (Craig Movies)
• Moneypenny/Q
• Moneypenny/Mallory
• Moneypenny/Bucky Barnes (MCU)
• Moneypenny/Ted Lasso (see Ted Lasso section here)
General Notes: Below are notes for each requested ship (general Eve notes are in the first one), and then below that are prompts that you could use for any of the ships. But I’ll honestly take anything, as long as they kiss (or more!). Bonus points for a little protectiveness between beautifully dressed badasses. I’m cool with either Mallory as M or an AU where Dench is still around. I adore the entire MI6 gang (plus Felix), but I don’t ship Bond with any of his coworkers. I’m also not really into Bond/Madeleine.
Moneypenny/Q
I would love a colleagues/friends to lovers story for them. I’ve been obsessed with this ship since Skyfall when they didn’t even scenes together. But it got even better in Spectre when it was clear that they really DO get on well--I loved them working together and running to Mallory with clues, and how angry Q was at Bond on Eve’s behalf. I want to see so much more of them together! I love how arch and dryly sarcastic they are. I love their senses of humour and how resourceful they both are. I love how playful Eve is and how slightly persnickety Q is. They both project intense confidence and competence, but they sometimes screw up or show vulnerabilities that keep them endearing. They’re so incredibly loyal, but will bend the rules to do the right thing when needed. I’m up for all kinds of dynamics between them.
Do they start off more like teasing siblings, and then one day realize their feelings are not actually platonic? Are they annoyed with themselves for having these impractical, inconvenient feelings, and therefore keep sabotaging things until finally working it out? Or does he think she’s way out of his league, and is therefore oblivious to her crush (or the fact that they’re half-dating)? Or, what is he like when he’s wooing someone? Is he impressively suave, or just kind of confusing? Is he way better (and more genuinely FUN) in bed than she expected? Does she just not have time for his pining, and takes care of things for them? Or maybe she’s the one pining, and no one would guess because they think she’s too hot for him? Anything! Even if you’re writing one of the other ships, making them friends in the background is always welcome.
Moneypenny/Mallory
They’re both so sexy, but he has a little avuncular hot going on, too, to match his world-weary hyper-competence. UNF. And obviously, as we saw in the amazing “C is for Careless” scene and others, he has a wickedly dry sense of humour. But most of all, the loyalty! Even before he was M! I want to know so much more about their dynamic. What’s their history together? Why is she so loyal to him and what made him trust her for the job? Is her job actually waaaay more important than most people know? Is he often interpersonally absent-minded (like how in canon she was sad about him forgetting her birthday) but then he surprises her with thoughtfulness or does nice things that she doesn't even know about? Has she been crushing on him, or is it more the other way around? What was it like for her to move from fieldwork to this? Is it a step up? Is she being groomed to be the new M one day? The only thing I wouldn’t like is Mallory creepily taking advantage of the power dynamics (I don’t think he would; he’s too good of a guy). You don’t have to make her quit her job or anything. As long as she never feels pressured to do anything, I’ll love it!
Moneypenny/Bucky (MCU)
See MCU section here for general Bucky notes. I think they’d make a great, snarky, badass team, and be boiling hot together. I think she could tough love and tease him into a better place after all his trauma. What if he was the man in her bed when Bond called during Spectre? Or maybe he runs to her after he escapes Hydra, and she keeps him safe while he recuperates? Or maybe MI6 hires the ex-Winter Soldier in exchange for his safety, and they get partnered together on missions. Or maybe he’s contracted for just one specific mission relevant to his background, and they’re partnered together. Are the various double-oh’s secretly intimidated by Bucky, no matter how humble he is? Is Bucky put under her watch, to the point where he has to stay in her flat? Do Eve and Bucky have a past together that they work through in the present? Like, maybe they had a run-in years ago when she was on a mission and he was brainwashed, but the story starts in the present when they reunite (I love that sort of thing). Does she get sent on a mission to Wakanda? Did she shoot him once? Is there pining? Anything!
Prompts
— Spies/assassins planning surprise parties for one another. How does that go?
— Undercover as a couple, or housemates, or old friends, or siblings or…
— Forced to share a bed or hotel room
— Surprise gifts from all over the world
— Identity porn! Secret admirers/saviors!
— Secretly roommates and hiding that fact from MI6 (with a roommates fall in love trope)
— “You looked like you needed a vacation. So I arranged one for you through incredibly baroque and highly illegal means.”
— They met under different circumstances or worked together years ago on a one-time mission before one or both had joined MI6, and are now reuniting! What’s that like?
— Quotidian office life overlaid with espionage setting! Holiday parties, fire drills, mandatory HR trainings, secret bathrooms around the office, the office cafeteria, awkward team happy hours, the slowest/worst elevators in the world…
— Eve training Q (or Mallory and Eve giving one another a refresh) on fieldwork, or the two of them on a mission together
— Q making Eve cool things, either practical and/or ridiculous, just because they’re friends (or maybe he’s trying to impress her, or maybe he’s helping her try to impress Mallory, or maybe he’s making things for Mallory to use to impress Eve?). Which is her favorite? What does she do with them?
Ted Lasso
• Ted Lasso/Keeley Jones
• Sam Obisanya/Rebecca Welton
• Sam Obisanya/Dani Rojas
• Ted Lasso/Eve Moneypenny (Bond - Craig movies)
This heartwarming show was exactly what I needed in 2020. I love what a secret (or not-so-secret) sweetheart everyone is. I adore pretty much everyone, so anyone you like is welcome to feature in the background. That said, I only want Rupert to appear if he’s going to get some come-uppance. I don’t know much about UK football clubs, so don’t worry about accuracy there. I mainly want people to kiss (or more!).
If you’re writing one of the non-Keeley ships, feel free to include Keeley/Roy in the background (I love them!); however, if you’re writing Ted/Keeley, please pretend Keeley/Roy were never interested in each other, and set it after both Ted and Keeley have ended their previous relationships. Below, I have little write-ups with prompts for each of the requested ships, and then also a few prompts that, depending on execution, could work for any of them.
— Ted/Keeley: I shipped it from the scene about lions vs pandas; they had an immediate spark. Ted clearly finds her great, and I loved how she was one of the first people who took him seriously. They have similar senses of humor/whimsy, and are both so kind. They’d be great together but also a great odd couple. How might they have gotten together post-breakup/divorce? Do they run into each other in their non-team-related lives? Does she introduce him to fun stuff in London? Or maybe the pictures DID come out, and they decided, for reasons, to pretend they really were together… only for real feelings to develop? Does she have a little crush, but keeps it to herself until after he’s officially divorced? Maybe she’s the one he sleeps with in his post-divorce hysteria instead of Sassy Smurf, and it leads to something real? Or, tell me more about her bizarre modeling/acting projects. Does Ted get involved, leading to romance? Or something else? Anything!
— Sam/Rebecca: I shipped it from the scene when Sam went into her office, paid her very genuine compliments, and started geeking out about Harry Potter. She looked just as charmed as I was, and I loved that she showed up at the curse thing just for him. Awww! Does he develop (or already have?) a crush? Would she melt even more if she found out? Does she have a lot of angst because she knows she shouldn’t get involved with the players? What would something between them look like? How could it start? He’s so cute; get it, Rebecca! Maybe something tropey, like locked in the locker room all night, or stranded at a terrible hotel, IDK?
— Sam/Dani Rojas: They’re both such adorable bundles of joy. I love how their roles are to pass to each other and score. How could they extend this seamless and generous partnership even off the pitch? If you want to do something with the fact that they come from countries that perhaps aren’t as open to m/m relationships as the UK, feel free. But you could also sweep that all away to focus on fun. I’d love something about them discovering new joys in England, or sharing things from their backgrounds with each other… and then they make out. Does Dani help Sam with his homesickness? Does Dani have his own? Separately, did Dani actually get to know the guys while he was still injured? Were they secretly in love before Dani officially started playing? Are they roommates on an away game, for some tropey shenanigans?
— Ted/Moneypenny (Bond - Craig movies): However you want to make this work would be fantastic. I always want characters I love to love each other, and these two would make a great power/odd couple. Ted has an understatedly steely core that might make them a great match, and I’d love to see their senses of humor bump up against one another. Maybe something about his role as coach gives him access to people or information that MI6 needs for a current project, and Eve is assigned to work with him? Does Q make him some soccer-related gadget? Do Eve and Ted team up to take down Rupert, who is even more evil than we know? Or maybe there’s more to why he specifically was picked to manage the team? Or maybe they live in the same building, and that’s how he accidentally gets pulled into her spy drama (and/or it’s a cute neighbors fall in love story). Or maybe she’s a lifelong Richmond fan, and hangs out at Mae’s pub? Anything! My biggest asks are 1) makeouts (or more!) and 2) that he finds out she’s a spy at some point.
— I was obsessed with the moments when Ted focused his rage into action or subtle verbal burns. Ex. the dart competition… UNF. Hot. A story where he pulls other people into one of his plans for understatedly confident take-down of assholes would be fun!
— I wanted more about Keeley’s branding projects for the team. It's a great way to show off how fun yet savvy she is, and I love the arc about her growing into a real business-woman. How does she execute the stuff Sam and Dani said they liked? Or does she talk them into other ideas? Do Sam and Dani do the same project, leading to romance? Does Keeley do one for Ted?
— Ted’s secret breakdowns about his divorce got me right in the feels. He’s always looking out for everyone’s pain, and yet hides his own. In what other repressed ways does his hurt manifest? How might any of the other requested characters figure out that he’s hurting and comfort him, in their own unique character-driven ways? It could either lead to Ted/Keeley, or it could be a project another pairing is doing to cheer up Ted that leads to them getting together.
Sinbad (TV)
• Sinbad/Gunnar
My favorite canons tend to be "attractive misfits thrown together by chance form odd-couple friendships/found family while exploring attractive scenery". So, discovering this little show was one of the highlights of 2020 for me!
I shipped Gunnar/Sinbad from the moment they first made eye contact, and then they proceeded to eyefuck in every scene. Please make them kiss (or more!)! I loved their wry banter. I loved their self-sacrificing loyalty and protective instincts. I am weak for Gunnar's self-loathing about his past, as well as for Sinbad's guilt and character growth. They're such a lovely odd couple. Gunnar is so quiet and methodical while Sinbad is so brash and impulsive. I love how they defer to one another even though their approaches to things are so different. I love how thirsty Sinbad always looks whenever he sees Gunnar fight, and all the wistfully fond looks Gunnar gives Sinbad. I could list everything I love about them (and all the other characters!), but I'd be here all day. I love the idea of them pining (esp. Gunnar who seems to bottle things up), but I also adore watching people's feelings morph from platonic to longing for more and/or realizing that they have more than friendly feelings (and then doing something about it without pining). Or a combination!
Some random details that I especially loved: Sinbad's kohl eyeliner; Gunnar's whole muscles + tattoo + sword look; every single time Sinbad starts melodramatically choking to deathdoes he end up with a choking kink?; general "on a boat" canon details (ex. the work of sailing, nights under the stars, hammocks, swimming, etc.)
— Random Acquisition of Superpowers: Gunnar randomly gets walloped with a superpower. No need to explain how/why he gets it unless you really want to; handwave away! Does he try to keep it secret, but Sinbad (any maybe Cook?) finds out? If Sinbad finds out, how does he help Gunnar through this weird time? Or does he get greedy and want Gunnar to use it for something he probably shouldn't? Is having the power fun and awesome, or awkward and awful? What uses do they find for it? Does Gunnar accidentally hurt someone he cares about (the angst potential!)? Or can he use it to improve the group's lot? Does Gunnar need to quest to get rid of it (sort of like a curse)? How does this premise help them get together? Any superpower would be great, from traditional ones to something super random and seemingly useless.
— Other Tropes: I will buy anything, no matter how handwaved. For example: undercover tropes (as a couple, as master/slave, as enemies, as…); bad guys made them do it; "fuck or die"; body swap; ritual sex (bonus points if the ritual involves bodypainting one another); captured together (bonus points if there's hurt/comfort and angsty hookups in their cell or whatever); Aladdin's lamp/wishes gone awry; heists gone awry; vacations gone awry…
— Other Curses: Canon divergence where Amma's curse was something completely, wildly different than 'choking to death if too long on land'. I have no idea what; let your imagination run wild! How would the gang (or just Gunnar, IDK) find out about the curse? How could Gunnar hurt/comfort Sinbad? Or, maybe it's only Cook or someone who knows, and the curse creates some kind of angsty, ridiculous impediment to Sinbad being with Gunnar until it's resolved?
— Gunnar's Northern Past: Something about having to face some aspect of his past, and all the angst that brings out. Maybe we find out that the only way he finally got out of the Valsgarde was through some sort of magic or deal that finally catches up with him, and problems ensue? Or maybe they run into some Valsgarde guys he used to know, and they expect him to be the same old Gunnar (was he chattier then? drunk? other?), which makes him feel really awkward/angsty? Do they make fun of his new weird friends or make lewd jokes about thinking Gunnar's fucking one of them (doesn't have to be Sinbad)? Or something else?
— Inspired by Voyage of the Dawn Treader (if you are familiar with Narnia; ignore these prompts if not): That book had some good magical island tropes, you know? Twist the basic idea around to make it your own and/or make it work for Sinbad characters; the less similar to the source material the better! Ex. Nightmare Island, captured and sold into slavery, friendships temporarily torn apart by gold-greed, Lucy trying spells she shouldn’t in the Magician's book, sea serpents, magical seas where beautiful things happen…
— Cook: Sinbad and Gunnar getting together as a result of an adventure that revolves around Cook and some issue or mystery about him. What was his deal? He refused to leave the ship, didn't seem to have a name, and was so incredibly wise. Was he the spirit of the ship? Was he cursed in some way that prevented him from leaving it? Was there a magical reason why he was the only one of the original crew to survive? How did he gain all of his knowledge about magic? Is he secretly a dragon? Or maybe it's less about his backstory and more about something that happens to him in an adventure-of-the-week way. A new (or old) recipe that goes awry?
— Whump: I love when super strong and stoic characters are made to suffer, and Gunnar would be perfect for this. Maybe some sort of magic makes him do bad things, or turns him into a berserker, or he accidentally hurts one of his new friends. Or maybe someone blackmails/coerces him into betraying (or seeming to betray) his friends, or bad people threaten to hurt Sinbad unless Gunnar does a bad thing... which makes the gang angry with Gunnar and he angsts... Or something else, possibly something more physically whump-y than the above? IDK. Either way, followed up by some sweet, sweet comfort from Sinbad (and possibly also the rest of the gang!).
— If I have a criticism of the show, it's that it was a little too focused on Sinbad (even though, obviously, I adore him). I wanted more of everyone's dynamics with one another, not just with him. Ex. I loved Anwar&Rina, and wished all combinations of characters had gotten a focus like that. So, something that explores Gunnar's friendship with someone else, leading to Sinbad/Gunnar would be great!
— Time Loops: I love individual journeys of self-discovery, as well as self-help adventures in which people learn life lessons, overcome some baggage, figure out priorities, etc. This trope is amazing for all that! I don't really care how/why it starts or stops; feel free to handwave or leave things unexplained. I also don’t care which character is in the loop (or maybe both!). Depending on whether it would be in-character for the character at hand, I enjoy a variety of reactions and loop iterations—from wacky, to “give no fucks”, to suicidal, to darkest timeline, to erroneously thinking it’s over, etc. This trope gets a little creepy for me when it’s solely focused on making someone fall in love with you, or where character B is treated simply as character A's oblivious reward. However, as long as the loop person has other goals/projects (or if the non-loop person already had feelings), I'll be ecstatic. Or maybe find a way for the non-loop person to have agency?
Here are anchor links to the different sections:
• Gossip Girl
• Mrs Fletcher
• Northanger Abbey
• La Révolution (TV)
• MCU (includes crossovers)
• MCU/Narnia Crossovers
• Psmith Crossovers
• Bond (Craig movies) (includes crossovers)
• Ted Lasso (includes crossovers)
• Sinbad (TV)
General Notes
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, especially in a low minimum wordcount exchange like this, feel free to skip all that and start in media res. Also, some of these prompt sections are longer than others, but I want all my requests equally!
Things I Always Love
• Devoted Odd Couples: enjoying one another's company; laughing at one another; fond exasperation; reunions; friends to lovers (including for characters who never met in canon; I love stories that start after they’re already friends in order to focus on the ‘to lovers’ part)
• Adventures: fish out of water; exploring new territory; dramatic rescues or escapes; finding out about magic; complementary skill sets; badassery; laughing in the face of danger or absurdity; the pen is mightier than the sword (but I also really love swords)
• Sexy Times: This letter is already long, so I left general porn likes/dislikes HERE (they’re for any ship, not just the ones listed there).
• Clothing Porn: suits, leather, armour, uniforms, boots, breeches; admiring how good (or ridiculous) love interest looks in the above; not sure how to get these weird clothes off; neckties and the many uses thereof
• Hurt/Comfort: comforter is hiding their own hurt; bedside vigils; patching up loved one's wounds; fainting; stoic character trying to joke their way through pain; external force/person makes A hurt B; forced to watch loved one endure something awful; helping one another through an awful ordeal; "I thought you were dead!"
• Loyalty & Self-Sacrifice : taking someone else’s blame or punishment; jumping in front of a bullet; sacrificing career, safety, reputation or happiness for loved one (but it turns out okay in the end!); volunteering to be beaten, humiliated, tortured, fucked, etc to spare loved one or to secure some benefit for them; trying to keep sacrifice or hurt secret from loved one, either out of shame, or because A doesn't want B to feel beholden/guilty, or because A doesn’t want B to know the extent of A's feelings; B finding out anyway
• Not Originally Sexual Bondage: I prefer restraint when it, at least initially, occurs for plot reasons. For example, A ties B to the bed for sexy fun? Not my thing. A ties B to the bed to keep B from hurting himself while possessed? Yes, please! Whether or not it then turns sexy in the story (it certainly can!), it's already sexy to me. Examples... tied or chained up for a ritual or because of imprisonment; stoicism and nobility while bound, stripped, whipped, jeered at, or nonconsensually touched; captives find ways to kiss and touch despite being bound; strong character submits or pretends to be unable to break out of bonds for reasons; noble struggling and writhing
• Crossovers: applying skills/knowledge from one canon to another canon’s problems; characters coming up with logical but incorrect theories about what's going on before discovering the truth; contrasting or reconciling differences in how a concept manifests across canons (ex. immortality, magic, realm hopping, time shenanigans); magic or plot point in one canon has roots in another
Do Not Wants
*These are the same as in my signup, but with a little more explanation on some. The category headers and organization don't mean much; I'm just trying to loosely group to reduce scrolling.
• Death & Endings: permanent death of requested characters; the afterlife; bleak endings; as-if-it-never-happened erasure endings (ex. "it was all a dream" or events of fic are permanently mind-wiped away)
• Sex-Related: BDSM; underage/overage sex; A/B/O; pregnancy or infertility issues
• Headcanons: ace, aro, demi or gender identity headcanons
• Ship-Related: non-canon romantic ships, unless prompted (however, mentions of backstory relationships with OCs are fine); poly/threesomes, unless prompted; non-canonical adultery or open relationships; conflicting requested ships (ex. A/B and A/C in same fic), unless prompted; non-canonical nicknames (ex. “Stevie”); shovel talks; yentas and matchmakers; fated love
• Writing-Related: 1st & 2nd person POV (exception for Gerry); phonetically spelled dialogue (my brain genuinely struggles to process it)
• Crossover-Related: unprompted crossovers of more than two canons at a time; fourth wall breakage (ex. World A characters know World B as fiction); crossovers where the main characters remain unaware of each others' backgrounds or magic (the reveal/explanation doesn't have to happen 'on-screen', but please don't let it end with everyone thinking everyone else is normal, in a 'ships passing in the night' kind of way)
• Other: fusions; setting change AUs**; goofy crack (but crack taken seriously is fine!); references to 2020 real-life issues (ex. Covid, US politics)
**A Note on setting change AUs: I welcome invented mechanisms, like portals, to get characters from one world to another. I also welcome the addition of supernatural elements to a canon (ex. time loops, someone's mom was a fairy, Stonehenge is magic, etc.). Shifting timelines within a late 19th/early 20th century range to minimize age differences is also fine! My DNW for setting change AUs is meant to cover scenarios where the supernatural elements that form a canon's premise are wholly removed, or a requested character's pre-canon backstory beats are wholly unrecognizable, or a canon is moved to a wildly different location or time period (ex. 21st century, space).
Gossip Girl
• Serena van der Woodsen/Carter Baizen
What I would most like is a canon divergence or post-series story where they are happily endgame. These two were languorously glamorous and world-weary together in a way that felt oddly right to me. I loved the connection to one another that they just can't kick, and how there's a little hurt woven in with the lightness and fun they have together. Please please please let Serena get over Dan and be 100% into Carter; DNW any hint that Serena/Carter will break up after the end of the story.
I love the way they keep running away together. The way he'll do anything for her, but also calls her out on her shit. The way they so easily fall back into a rhythm, even if they haven't seen one another in awhile. The way they are equally happy partying around Europe and being domestic with poptarts. The way he's always grinning during their make-outs. The way she laughed with such joy at the mischief he managed at the debutante ball. The way she was ready to do anything to get his debts settled. The way he never wears a belt despite being otherwise immaculately dressed (no, really, what is with that?). The way he sees and loves her exactly as she is. The way they truly seem to make each other want to be better people (especially him; he really seemed willing to pull it together for her).
— Do they play the paparazzi? More European jet-setting adventures? Do they inherit all the money (or maybe become successful on their own steam?) and become king and queen of New York? Do they run away to live as barefoot and happy bohemians? Something in-between?
— Does she find him again when things almost immediately fall apart with Dan (or just ignore the finale completely)?
— Something where Serena gets involved with Carter's family/inheritance/whatever drama that kept getting mentioned but never fleshed out? Does he end up back in good graces, or does he need her help to get there? Does she rescue him from the oil rig? Or maybe it’s a canon divergence where he goes to NYU, too?
— Some kind of adventure or mystery they have to face that demonstrates how great they are together and what a good team they make? The plot thing could be canon-relevant, or totally random, or even magical realism; it doesn't matter. Ex. assassins are after them, or they reconnect on a Wodehouse-style country estate visit, or they reconnect at a party while they’re both visiting LA/Paris/wherever, or she gets a Fulbright post-college to study in another country where he is, or he calls her up to run PR for a company he’s now head of, or...
Mrs Fletcher
• Eve/Julian
I loved this little show. I loved the naturalness of the plots and pacing. Most of all, I loved Eve and Julian. The chemistry!!! My god. I loved the slow burn of their first seeing each other in class, to the night they got drunk, to the texts, to just… everything. It was perfect.
I want to know what happens next! It doesn’t have to be literally the next day or the next week (though it can!). You could pick up with them a month later, or three months later. Tell me more sweet gestures that Julian does to show Eve how smitten he is. Or ways that Eve can help him, in a non-maternal way. I don’t necessarily need them to be forever love and get married, but I think they could last for a decent bit and help each other get through this phase of their lives and/or their current issues. (That said, I don’t want to read about them breaking up!)
I love Amanda. However, Eve/Julian is my OTP. I think Amanda is rooting for them, having nothing to do with her, even though they all enjoyed their night together. So, please don’t have them keep having threesomes.
— What is their first real date like? Do they go out, or is it something romantic at one of their houses?
— Do they keep their relationship secret (from everyone but Amanda, and I guess Brandon sort of knows, but maybe he doesn’t know it was more than one time?)? If so, how do they manage it? Like, where/when do they meet up? Do they ever almost get caught (again)? How and by whom? Does Jane or anyone in the creative writing gang (I love them all!) have suspicions? If one/multiple find out, how do they take it?
— Does Eve intentionally or accidentally meet Julian’s mom (or already know her?) and… something awkward along the tone of the show happens, but it turns out fine?
— Do regular grown-up people want to date Eve and she has to deal with the awkwardness of turning them down or explaining why? Does Julian get jealous for whatever reason (in an insecure or stoically resigned way that she can reassure him through, not in a creepy possessive way)?
— MCU Crossover: Super specific, but I’d love something where these characters exist in the MCU world, and Eve got snapped, while Julian didn’t. How long after the show/into their relationship did the Snap happen? What did he do, how did he grieve, and how has he grown during the five years? What is it like when she comes back? Does he have a job now? Still go to school? Has he been sort-of dating someone else, but dumps them as soon as Eve is back? Something else? What’s Eve’s reaction to returning to the world? No need for any MCU characters to appear, unless you want to and it fits.
Northanger Abbey
• Eleanor Tilney/Henry Tilney
Henry is my favorite Austen love interest. I love his sarcasm, teasing playfulness, pragmatism, everything. I love how unembarrassed he is about his reading tastes. The fact that he's a teensy bit annoying--so pedantic!--adds to his endearing realness. And Eleanor is wonderful, handling things with grace, intelligence, and a twinkling sense of humour. They have a great us-against-the-world closeness. I love how they respect one another, all their moments of silent understanding, how she is simultaneously amused by and over his shit.
Feel free to take anyone and anything around Henry and Eleanor to a creepy, dark, fully gothic place (or a wondrously magical place). But no matter what, please don't make them or their relationship dark, and please give them a hopeful ending. A fic that showcases their general closeness and how well they work together, and that allows Henry to be arch and fun, would be great. I like my incest angsty and guilty but truly fond. Stealing secret moments of happiness in gothic spots around the Abbey, or in carriages? Undercover as a couple? Being all playful and teasing yet heartbreaking and stoic?
What I'm hoping for is pre-canon fic and/or a canon divergence where the Tilneys never met Catherine, so the fic can focus on Henry/Eleanor and let me assume they never marry anyone else. No missing scenes or post-canon fic, or mention of Catherine at all, please. Much as I really do love her in canon, I want fic about other stuff, too. I’d love for Henry and Eleanor to be around the same age as in canon, or only very slightly younger (definitely both of them over seventeen).
— What if Northanger Abbey really had been a gothic horror or otherwise magical setting? Maybe it's haunted, or their dad or older brother is an evil entity, or there's some other kind of supernatural thing. Or there's a door to Faerie in the house or gardens? When and how do Henry and Eleanor find out about the thing? What happens and what do they do? How does working through this problem or adventure get them together?
— Getting together during an adventure Henry and Eleanor shared together before canon. An earlier trip to Bath? During a trip to Paris or a season in London? A visit to a friend or family friend's estate (crossovers with other Jane Austen novels are welcome)? United front against something their asshole father was aiming for or abuse he was inflicting? Dealing with an awful aunt or unwelcome suitor? Going somewhere no one knows they're siblings and they can finally be together in public?
— Does their terrible father or brother find out about them? What punishments do they use to try to separate them? Or blackmail? How do Henry and Eleanor fight back and make things okay for themselves?
— Crossover with JS&MN: Assume Northanger Abbey took place in the JS&MN world, even if none of Susanna Clarke's characters appear. Do Henry and/or Eleanor study magic? Does Northanger Abbey have a portal to the fairy realm? Or does Northanger's magic wake up along with everything else at the end of the book; what do Henry and Eleanor do with that? Does the magic help them create a happy ending for themselves? Some other angle? If Clarke's characters do appear, are Henry and/or Eleanor friendly with any of my faves (which include Segundus, Strange, Stephen, Lady Pole and Arabella)? Does the Gentleman try to steal one of them, and the other quests to save them? Or he kidnaps/enchants both and they work together to escape (lots of hurt/comfort welcome)? I'll love anything. I have read the book and short story collection; but I haven't seen the TV show.
La Révolution (TV)
• Oka/Albert Guillotin
• Albert Guillotin/Joseph Guillotin
THIS SHOW! What even. It was the hilariously earnest, bonkers, OTT ancien régime nonsense I’ve been looking for my whole life. I love a badass woobie, and Albert is a great one. He’s so hunky and angsty and self-loathing and loyal. Special shout-out to his styling, with the coats and the guns and hair and just… yes. He has chemistry with everyone, it’s amazing. I really want some shippy m/m fic about him. Although I do like Albert/Elise, for this exchange, I’d like him to be over her (or not yet into her) and focused on Oka or Joseph instead.
Oka/Albert
I adore Oka. His voice is so beautiful. He and Albert are both such badasses. I love the super intense devotion they have, to the point where Albert got all these people to risk their lives to rescue Oka. I love Oka’s loyalty right back, where he is able to help Albert manage his cravings and is so supportive, even if there’s also a little tough love. I love that there’s a little bit of tension between them to keep it interesting, with whatever is going on about Oka’s son, who didn’t get “saved” when Albert did, or whatever.
In what other
Albert/Joseph
There’s something so amazingly EXTRA about the idea that Joseph had been hero worshipping or crushing on this wonderful older boy, and that Albert’s intense loyalty streak made him decide to be brothers, even though they weren’t. They must have been such lonely orphans (feel free to pile on the poor woobie orphan whump!). The idea of them glomming onto one another, especially since Albert was clearly popular, and Joseph was clearly a weird nerd… it’s all so delicious. If you’re writing backstory where they’re <16, please nothing more than innocent kisses, hand-holding and cuddling; however, feel free to go hot and heavy once they’re older.
I’d love for Joseph’s hero worship to turn into something else, whether before the Albert/Elise thing happened (Joseph’s clearly so jealous!), and/or after Albert comes back (either during the season or in a post-S1 that you make up). Joseph clearly never got over Albert--his grief! I love it. There was so much going on, and Albert was repressing so hard, so we didn’t get to see too much of Albert’s reaction to reuniting with his brother; give me more, with feeeeeeelings. When/how do Albert’s feelings change to something more romantic? Or maybe he was sweet on Joseph even when they were younger, and the “brother” thing was his repressed way of dealing with it? Did they ever do tropey kissing practice, or “playing doctor”? Or escape from the orphanage to spend a night under the stars? Hurt/comfort when Joseph gets hurt? Maybe Joseph used to take care of Albert when he got hurt, and now he feels useless because Albert’s condition means he no longer needs that kind of help (but turns out okay, because Albert loves Joseph for more than his medical knowledge)? Do they get stranded together post-S1, and it’s up to Joseph to try to calm or distract Albert from his cravings until they pass? Does it turn out that Albert did something self-sacrificing to get Joseph into medical school? Or maybe it’s a canon divergence where Albert never dated Elise or left, or never got the blue blood, or… IDK. Anything! Just make them kiss (or more!).
MCU
• Loki/M’Baku
• Loki & Matt Damon (RPF)
• Bucky/Gamora
• Bucky/Valkyrie
• Bucky/Heimdall
• Bucky/Moneypenny (see Bond - Craig movies section below)
General Bucky Notes for both crossover and MCU-only pairings
Please let Bucky quickly recover or start the story as a fully functional badass with at least a glimmer of a sense of humour. I like stories about him trying to move on and build a new life, not ones where he's brainwashed or pathetic for most of it. I have a pet peeve about fics where Bucky (and Steve) say "ain't" and sound like characters from a 1930s gangster movie. I'd like them to sound like they do in canon, where they speak as 'correctly' as, say, Howard or Bruce do. Cursing is fine, though.
It’s always been important to me that Bucky make new friends, have adventures, and build a new life of his own; with people other than Steve’s closest friends, and concerns beyond the usual CA franchise beats. Hence why I mainly request him with the space/magic or Wakandan side of the MCU, or crossovers. So, I’d really like something that diverges at any point before FAWS, and which doesn’t focus on Bucky’s relationships with Natasha, Sam, Sharon, Peggy, or Tony. Steve is always welcome, but if you want/need to give Bucky a different background friendship, I’d be so excited to imagine someone more unexpected in this role.
Bucky/Gamora
Deadly and hot. They’re just so competent, and both have horrific backstories. I love how they’ve both gotten away from their horribly abusive pasts. I’d love to see them try to make something good together. Prompts are similar to the Bucky/Valkyrie ones below. Do they get partnered on something together post-Endgame (either with new!Gamora or pretend OG!Gamora was brought back) or to return a stone? Is Bucky excited to go to space? Is she more receptive to his weird Earth flirting than she was to Peter’s in the first GotG movie? Are they turned on by one another’s badassery? What kind of team do they make? You can include their first meeting, but I also love stories that start later, when they’re already friends/partners, to focus on “to lovers”. You can have Peter/Gamora have broken up (please let her be 100% over him and into Bucky), or pretend they never dated, or use the new!Gamora who isn’t into Peter at all.
Bucky/Valkyrie
My needs here are simple. They’re both so full of pain and regret and hotness and I love them both so much. They should be hot together. I want them riding a Pegasus together. I want them fighting together. I want them drinking together. I want them giving each other tough love and real talk. I want them to be friends who rib each other a lot and also have sex, and maybe develop feelings. Maybe they went to get or return some Stones together. Or maybe he moved to New Asgard at some point. Or maybe they get together at a party after the big Endgame fight, or during the mess of cleanup after that fight. Or maybe they need to go to space together for some reason. Or maybe Bucky was stuck on Sakaar for reasons that I don’t care about, and they met then. Or anything else you think of will be great! Just please make them kiss (or more!). You can include their first meeting, but I also love stories that start later, when they’re already friends/partners, to focus on “to lovers”.
Bucky/Heimdall
I just love them both a lot and want them to love each other, too. Heimdall is so solemn and wise (but he also smiles, and I think he has a deadpan funny side)... and hot. I like his giant sword (I’m literally talking about the sword), and the whole watcher thing is fascinating. You can include their first meeting, but I also love stories that start later, when they’re already friends/partners, to focus on “to lovers”.
Maybe post-TWS, Bucky got extradited to Asgard to keep him safe, and he meets Heimdall there? Does Bucky like hanging out in the Bifrost dome? Does he ask Heimdall how people on Earth are doing, only to end up falling for the watcher? Does Heimdall like the company? Or maybe the Asgardian ship made it safely to Earth, and they meet in Wakanda or New Asgard? What does Heimdall make of his new life and new role? I mean, he stayed in that dome for thousands of years, and now it’s gone; he must have feelings about that. How can he and Bucky figure out the next phase of their lives together? Does Bucky maybe meet a younger version of Heimdall while getting/retrieving the Stones, but also know him in the present time? Did Heimdall used to watch Bucky back in WWII or later? Do they fall in love while trying to keep Loki from pranking the hell out of the whole world? Or are they pranking Thor? Does Heimdall do the mind-meldy thing with Bucky? Anything! Just please make them kiss (or more!).
Loki/M’Baku
I just think this would be hilarious (and hot). They’re both such trolls, and it would be fun to see them try to annoy one another. But they also have serious and loyal sides, and end up coming through in a pinch, when it matters. Maybe the Asgardian ship landed on Earth and T’Challa let them settle? What does M’Baku think of it all? Do people even know who/what was behind the NYC attack, or did SHIELD cover it up? I’m having trouble coming up with prompts, but I promise I will love anything you think of for these two.
Loki & Matt Damon (RPF)
This is kind of specific, but I get a lot of joy from the idea that the guy who played Loki in the play in Ragnarok was literally, actually Matt Damon, who exists in the MCU world (DNW alternate universes or fourth wall-breaking). I’d vastly prefer if ONLY Matt Damon was his real self, and that the other people in the play were just random Asgardian actors (i.e. not literal Sam Neill or other!Hemsworth). Given that starting premise... spin me a tale! I don’t actually know much about Matt Damon (or most actors, really) as a person, so don’t stress about perfect characterization. But… he seems like a chill, pleasant, good sport who could roll with weird stuff? (If he isn’t nice, I’m not sure I want to know.) I do know that he has a wife and kids; it might be too sad for him to be away from them for years, so if you want to pretend they don’t exist, that’s totally cool. If you want to have Matt/Loki get together in a world where Matt is single, go for it, though I’d prefer Loki to look like himself (not Odin) during the shippy scenes. (Was Loki jealous of Ben Affleck, only to find out Ben and Matt are just friends)?
Is Loki a big fan, and uses the Bifrost to kidnap Matt Damon to Asgard to star in his plays? Which of Matt’s roles made Loki such a fan? What are Matt’s reactions to living in Asgard and being made to act in these plays? He’s treated well and is not a “prisoner”, but he’s also not allowed to go home… Does he sense that something is off about “Odin”? Does Loki reveal himself to Matt? Do they become weird sort-of friends? Does Matt end up getting into the role? Does he give Loki edits? What’s Loki like as a director? Does Matt somehow end up helping Loki work through his issues? Is Matt maybe TOO good of an actor for this schlock? What’s his life like in Asgard when he isn’t performing? You can show his first few days there, or skip a few months to start when he’s more settled. Or maybe the story starts even later, when he’s on the Statesman (which does NOT get attacked by Thanos, please!). What were the events of Ragnarok like for him? He obviously has seen Thor and the Hulk etc on the news; what’s it like to meet them? Does Loki keep putting on plays even on the refugee ship?
MCU/Narnia Crossovers
• Bucky/Tirian
• Bucky/Edmund
General Narnia Notes
General Bucky notes are in the MCU request section here. Tirian and Edmund were my very first favorite characters, and Narnia's worldbuilding elements formed most of my narrative interests. I love Golden Age fics and fics that diverge from canon (as wildly as you like!) at any point before the closing chapters of the Last Battle. Time between these realms is already untethered and random, and I welcome as much timey-wimey handwaving as you want to add. Ex. I see no reason why post-TWS Bucky couldn't travel to the Golden Age or Tirian’s reign.
I love everyone's competency, earnestness, and courage when it counts, but also their flaws, fears, and crankiness. Tirian has such human flaws, and he started off as a hot mess of a king, but he means so well, and is quite resourceful and clever when you rouse him out of his decadence. I love that being redeemed into a just warrior king didn’t entirely cure Edmund of being a cranky, sarcastic little shit.
The end of Narnia, train crash, and afterlife are my biggest DNWs. Please let it be clear that everyone will get to live out their lives. I don't need a fix-it (i.e. a fic focused on how their canon death was averted that day). I prefer to pretend it just never came up! I'm not at all invested in the religious allegory elements.
Bucky/Tirian
They would be so competent and delightful and hot together. Fairytale king + Brooklyn street smarts, yum. I really don't care how Bucky and Tirian get here or there. Feel free to leave it unexplained and/or start with him already there. I like all the 'nice' people in TLB, so include whomever you want. If it’s easier not to include the Friends of Narnia, that’s fine, too!
— Does Bucky seek Tirian or Narnia out? Somehow getting his hands on the rings? Or Tirian blows the horn? Something else?
— Met In Dreams First: You know how Tirian astrally projected to the Friends of Narnia that one time? Well, what if he's been doing it on the regular, with Bucky? They have always secretly thought they had an imaginary friend (or are going nuts), but one day they meet, either in Narnia or on Earth. Maybe Tirian inherited star magic, which makes this possible? What I'm most interested in is what happens when they are together in the flesh, so you can even background the vision part, if you want.
— Caught In Calormen: Bucky somehow joining Tirian for a pre-TLB jaunt into Calormen? Is Tirian there for espionage, diplomacy and/or undercover partying? How do they get together? Does this adventure result in the whole Calormene invasion getting nipped in the bud so the world doesn't have to end?
— Canon-Divergent Post-TLB: What if, instead of the world ending, Tirian & Co ran away to the mountains and started a resistance to the Calormene occupation, like they talked about doing at one point? I love espionage, desperate missions, angsty last stands and people bonding while struggling to survive in nature. It could be set near the start when they’re corralling Narnians and spiriting them to safety. Or you could start it later on, when the resistance has grown pretty strong and they’re ready to start making moves. How/when does Bucky end up with them, how he can help, and how do he and Tirian fall for one another? Does Tirian know more secret hideouts full of wine? Does Puzzle (the darling!) somehow end up saving the day along with Bucky? Do Bucky and Tirian go on a quest to the magic garden place?
Bucky/Edmund
I want them to love each other as much as I love them, and to have adventures, and be competent, and unambiguously get together, with actual makeouts (or more!). What aspects of their angsty backgrounds can they pep talk each other through? How can their experiences and skill sets help each other or help solve an issue in either canon? How do they figure out one another's backstories, and what do they think of the other's? How do they fall in love? There's delicious potential for angsty separations and happy ending reunions in this ship, too, if you want.
Edmund being a kid and Bucky being a soldier during WWII is too situationally intrinsic to both characters for my usual timeline adjustment approach. However, I’d be thrilled to ignore or break the timelines to make it work in other ways. For example, post-TWS Bucky traveling to the Golden Age or some other point in Narnian history works for me, no explanation needed! Or maybe at the end of Endgame, Bucky time travels to the 50s/60s when Edmund is grown up again, either as the initial premise of the story or as the happy ending epilogue. Basically, do whatever you need to avoid an age discrepancy ending and I'll roll with it. (It's okay if adult!Bucky temporarily hangs out with kid!Edmund at some point, as long as he doesn't touch the kid, and the happy ending is with grown-up Ed).
— Edmund in the Future: The story starts when grown up again Edmund returns from going on adventures with the rings. However, because of handwavey inter-realm time shenanigans, the rings have dropped him off decades after he left, and now he's stuck in the future… Whoops! Or maybe it's a canon divergence where the Pevensies return from the Golden Age as adults 15 years later instead of deaging to kids at the moment they'd left? Does Ed rescue Bucky from Hydra (possibly earlier than in canon?), or is it post-TWS? Or even post-Endgame? Out of time together, hurt/comfort, etc. Is Hydra after one or both, or is it more slice of life?
— Traveling with Rings: Hydra sends the Winter Soldier to the Professor's childhood home to get the rings on the same day that Edmund goes, resulting in them going to other realms instead of Edmund dying. Exploring the Wood, or deserted Charn, or Asgard, or back to Narnia, or GoT's Westeros, or the Witcher (TV) world, or a world you make up?
— Canon-Setting Spies: I enjoy the fanon that Edmund grows up and becomes a spy. Does he get partnered with the Asset, is like, "gah, this poor guy" and run away with him? Or do they go on a spy mission while Bucky's in Narnia? What adventures do they have together?
— Bucky In Golden Age Narnia: Maybe someone blows the horn, summoning Bucky? Or the Tesseract or Bifrost takes him there? Or he fell off the train and into Narnia? Or some other way, or leave it unexplained, I don't care. Getting together while dealing with giants, or during some annual tournament in Archenland? Helping Edmund get rid of the remaining werewolves or hags from the Witch’s reign? Sea voyage adventures on the Splendour Hyaline? Outwitting Calormene spies, implementing educational policies, the Rabadash situation? Something else? Is it a divergence where the Pevensies ruled for longer? Or do Bucky and Edmund reunite later back in our world?
— Reunions: Does Bucky encounter the Pevensies while they’re still rather young (whether during ‘Prince Caspian’, VoDT, early on during the Golden Age, or during WWII); nothing shippy happens then, but it does when they reunite once Edmund is an adult and Bucky basically hasn’t aged? Or maybe they never met before, but Bucky went to Narnia (or had some Narnia-related experience) during a time when the Pevensies weren’t there, and he meets adult Edmund back in our world; how do they figure out their Narnian connection while also falling for one another? Or maybe some of the mythical figures that exist in both Narnia and Earth (ex. Bacchus, Father Christmas) help them meet or reunite, either here or there? You can include the flashbacks, or just focus on the reunions!
Psmith Crossovers
• Psmith/Mike & Tirian (Narnia)
• Psmith/Mike & Edmund (Narnia)
• Psmith/Mike & Corin (Narnia)
• Psmith/Mike & The Durrells (Corfu Trilogy)
I will never get enough of Psmith and Mike having new and wildly different adventures than they got to have in canon, and interacting with weird new people. Hence all the crossovers. The ship element doesn't have to be major (though it can and that would be very welcome!), if you want to focus the story more on the crossover element. A line or two about feelings, or with some touching would be fine. DNW any hint that they will ever be with anyone else in the future; please set it before they met their wives and/or pretend they never did.
Ship-wise… There’s so much they feel but don’t say, even with Psmith’s incessant talking; in what other ways can those feelings come out? Who is the forward one here, or do they bumble equally in their own ways? Does either try to hide his nerves/inexperience? Or not? Or maybe one or both is actually experienced? Any take on a romance between them would be fascinating.
Psmith/Mike & The Durrells (Corfu Trilogy)
Please pretend Psmith and Mike were university age in the 1930s. Did they spend a summer between university years in Corfu? Were they some of Larry's houseguests? Party guests (I love the Durrells' parties!)? Or did they just happen to be vacationing in Corfu and met the family when the story starts? Something else? Think of the combined eccentricity! I love all the family members, plus friends like Theo and Spiro, so feel free to focus on any subset of characters you like; it’s fine if the whole family doesn’t appear. There’s no need to write it from Gerry’s POV, unless you really want to; I've actually always wanted to read an outsider's (3rd person) perspective on the family and their friends.
Psmith/Mike & Narnia Crossovers
What are their reactions to finding themselves in Narnia? How might they help characters there? What do the Narnians think of them? How does this adventure help them get together (or were they already together?)? DNW train crash, apocalypse or the afterlife. Please make it clear that everyone will get to live out their lives. My biggest asks are a) for Psmith and/or Mike to find out about Edmund’s secret, if the story is set in our world, and b) to pretend the Psmith books were set later so that they are the same age as the requested Narnia characters during the story.
— Does Edmund or Tirian blow the horn, summoning Psmith and Mike for help with a problem? Fighting giants, espionage, outwitting Calormene spies, implementing educational policies, dealing with the Rabadash situation? Something else? Or just exploring or partying with royalty in either of these eras/countries. Is Psmith or Mike erroneously jealous of someone (could be anyone, not just Ed, Corin or Tirian), leading to stoic angst before they sort it out?
— Helping Golden Age Edmund remember his previous life? Is this the only time they meet, or do they reconnect at boarding school or Cambridge?
— Is it Mike or Psmith's house that Edmund burgles to get the rings, resulting in them going on adventures to other realms together instead of Edmund dying? Exploring the Wood, or deserted Charn, or Westeros, or a world you make up? Or traveling to Narnia together to help Tirian?
— Corin is like the Narnia version of a public school story character. I think he’d get along splendidly with Psmith and Mike. Does he take them traveling through Archenland? Do they team up to play pranks on his new twin brother? Do Psmith and Mike help him keep score against the bear? Something else? What it’s like for Corin to suddenly not be the crown prince, or to suddenly have a twin who is basically a foreigner, or having grown up with a sweet but sad dad who was mourning his queen and son? How can Psmith and Mike help him work through any of his potential issues?
— Met In Dreams First: You know how Tirian astrally projected to the Friends of Narnia that one time? Well, what if he's been doing it on the regular, with Psmith or Mike? They have always secretly thought they had an imaginary friend (or are going nuts), but one day they meet, either in Narnia or on Earth. Is it possible because of Tirian's star heritage magic (IDK), or Psmith and/or Mike seek Tirian out, somehow getting their hands on the rings, or does Tirian blow the horn? Something else? What I'm most interested in is what happens when they meet in the flesh, so you can background the vision part, if you want.
— Narnians In Our World: What if, instead of astrally projecting, Tirian actually goes. Either to Sedleigh or Cambridge or London or other? How do Psmith and Mike react to this weird prince/king? Do they try to pass him off as a student or club member or whatever? How does that go? Is there something here that could help Tirian deal with problems back in Narnia? Can Tirian help Psmith or Mike with a problem they're facing here (ex. mean college professors, Bickersdyke, cricket cheaters, being broke, etc.)?
— Caught In Calormen: Psmith and Mike somehow joining Tirian for a pre-TLB jaunt into Calormen (it's canon that he went there before becoming king)? Is he there for espionage, diplomacy and/or undercover partying? How do they get together? Does this adventure result in the whole Calormene invasion getting nipped in the bud so the world doesn't have to end?
— Canon-Divergent Post-TLB: What if, instead of the world ending, Tirian & Co ran away to the mountains and started a resistance to the Calormene occupation, like they talked about doing at one point? I love espionage, desperate missions, angsty last stands and people bonding while struggling to survive in nature. How do Psmith and Mike end up with them (maybe they were the ones Tirian summoned while he was tied to the tree, or someone blew Susan's horn?), and how they can help? Does the adventure help Psmith/Mike get together? Are there more secret hideouts full of wine? Does Puzzle (the darling!) somehow end up saving the day along with Mike? Do they go on a quest to the magic garden place? The more horrible of an ending for Shift, the better.
Bond (Craig Movies)
• Moneypenny/Q
• Moneypenny/Mallory
• Moneypenny/Bucky Barnes (MCU)
• Moneypenny/Ted Lasso (see Ted Lasso section here)
General Notes: Below are notes for each requested ship (general Eve notes are in the first one), and then below that are prompts that you could use for any of the ships. But I’ll honestly take anything, as long as they kiss (or more!). Bonus points for a little protectiveness between beautifully dressed badasses. I’m cool with either Mallory as M or an AU where Dench is still around. I adore the entire MI6 gang (plus Felix), but I don’t ship Bond with any of his coworkers. I’m also not really into Bond/Madeleine.
Moneypenny/Q
I would love a colleagues/friends to lovers story for them. I’ve been obsessed with this ship since Skyfall when they didn’t even scenes together. But it got even better in Spectre when it was clear that they really DO get on well--I loved them working together and running to Mallory with clues, and how angry Q was at Bond on Eve’s behalf. I want to see so much more of them together! I love how arch and dryly sarcastic they are. I love their senses of humour and how resourceful they both are. I love how playful Eve is and how slightly persnickety Q is. They both project intense confidence and competence, but they sometimes screw up or show vulnerabilities that keep them endearing. They’re so incredibly loyal, but will bend the rules to do the right thing when needed. I’m up for all kinds of dynamics between them.
Do they start off more like teasing siblings, and then one day realize their feelings are not actually platonic? Are they annoyed with themselves for having these impractical, inconvenient feelings, and therefore keep sabotaging things until finally working it out? Or does he think she’s way out of his league, and is therefore oblivious to her crush (or the fact that they’re half-dating)? Or, what is he like when he’s wooing someone? Is he impressively suave, or just kind of confusing? Is he way better (and more genuinely FUN) in bed than she expected? Does she just not have time for his pining, and takes care of things for them? Or maybe she’s the one pining, and no one would guess because they think she’s too hot for him? Anything! Even if you’re writing one of the other ships, making them friends in the background is always welcome.
Moneypenny/Mallory
They’re both so sexy, but he has a little avuncular hot going on, too, to match his world-weary hyper-competence. UNF. And obviously, as we saw in the amazing “C is for Careless” scene and others, he has a wickedly dry sense of humour. But most of all, the loyalty! Even before he was M! I want to know so much more about their dynamic. What’s their history together? Why is she so loyal to him and what made him trust her for the job? Is her job actually waaaay more important than most people know? Is he often interpersonally absent-minded (like how in canon she was sad about him forgetting her birthday) but then he surprises her with thoughtfulness or does nice things that she doesn't even know about? Has she been crushing on him, or is it more the other way around? What was it like for her to move from fieldwork to this? Is it a step up? Is she being groomed to be the new M one day? The only thing I wouldn’t like is Mallory creepily taking advantage of the power dynamics (I don’t think he would; he’s too good of a guy). You don’t have to make her quit her job or anything. As long as she never feels pressured to do anything, I’ll love it!
Moneypenny/Bucky (MCU)
See MCU section here for general Bucky notes. I think they’d make a great, snarky, badass team, and be boiling hot together. I think she could tough love and tease him into a better place after all his trauma. What if he was the man in her bed when Bond called during Spectre? Or maybe he runs to her after he escapes Hydra, and she keeps him safe while he recuperates? Or maybe MI6 hires the ex-Winter Soldier in exchange for his safety, and they get partnered together on missions. Or maybe he’s contracted for just one specific mission relevant to his background, and they’re partnered together. Are the various double-oh’s secretly intimidated by Bucky, no matter how humble he is? Is Bucky put under her watch, to the point where he has to stay in her flat? Do Eve and Bucky have a past together that they work through in the present? Like, maybe they had a run-in years ago when she was on a mission and he was brainwashed, but the story starts in the present when they reunite (I love that sort of thing). Does she get sent on a mission to Wakanda? Did she shoot him once? Is there pining? Anything!
Prompts
— Spies/assassins planning surprise parties for one another. How does that go?
— Undercover as a couple, or housemates, or old friends, or siblings or…
— Forced to share a bed or hotel room
— Surprise gifts from all over the world
— Identity porn! Secret admirers/saviors!
— Secretly roommates and hiding that fact from MI6 (with a roommates fall in love trope)
— “You looked like you needed a vacation. So I arranged one for you through incredibly baroque and highly illegal means.”
— They met under different circumstances or worked together years ago on a one-time mission before one or both had joined MI6, and are now reuniting! What’s that like?
— Quotidian office life overlaid with espionage setting! Holiday parties, fire drills, mandatory HR trainings, secret bathrooms around the office, the office cafeteria, awkward team happy hours, the slowest/worst elevators in the world…
— Eve training Q (or Mallory and Eve giving one another a refresh) on fieldwork, or the two of them on a mission together
— Q making Eve cool things, either practical and/or ridiculous, just because they’re friends (or maybe he’s trying to impress her, or maybe he’s helping her try to impress Mallory, or maybe he’s making things for Mallory to use to impress Eve?). Which is her favorite? What does she do with them?
Ted Lasso
• Ted Lasso/Keeley Jones
• Sam Obisanya/Rebecca Welton
• Sam Obisanya/Dani Rojas
• Ted Lasso/Eve Moneypenny (Bond - Craig movies)
This heartwarming show was exactly what I needed in 2020. I love what a secret (or not-so-secret) sweetheart everyone is. I adore pretty much everyone, so anyone you like is welcome to feature in the background. That said, I only want Rupert to appear if he’s going to get some come-uppance. I don’t know much about UK football clubs, so don’t worry about accuracy there. I mainly want people to kiss (or more!).
If you’re writing one of the non-Keeley ships, feel free to include Keeley/Roy in the background (I love them!); however, if you’re writing Ted/Keeley, please pretend Keeley/Roy were never interested in each other, and set it after both Ted and Keeley have ended their previous relationships. Below, I have little write-ups with prompts for each of the requested ships, and then also a few prompts that, depending on execution, could work for any of them.
— Ted/Keeley: I shipped it from the scene about lions vs pandas; they had an immediate spark. Ted clearly finds her great, and I loved how she was one of the first people who took him seriously. They have similar senses of humor/whimsy, and are both so kind. They’d be great together but also a great odd couple. How might they have gotten together post-breakup/divorce? Do they run into each other in their non-team-related lives? Does she introduce him to fun stuff in London? Or maybe the pictures DID come out, and they decided, for reasons, to pretend they really were together… only for real feelings to develop? Does she have a little crush, but keeps it to herself until after he’s officially divorced? Maybe she’s the one he sleeps with in his post-divorce hysteria instead of Sassy Smurf, and it leads to something real? Or, tell me more about her bizarre modeling/acting projects. Does Ted get involved, leading to romance? Or something else? Anything!
— Sam/Rebecca: I shipped it from the scene when Sam went into her office, paid her very genuine compliments, and started geeking out about Harry Potter. She looked just as charmed as I was, and I loved that she showed up at the curse thing just for him. Awww! Does he develop (or already have?) a crush? Would she melt even more if she found out? Does she have a lot of angst because she knows she shouldn’t get involved with the players? What would something between them look like? How could it start? He’s so cute; get it, Rebecca! Maybe something tropey, like locked in the locker room all night, or stranded at a terrible hotel, IDK?
— Sam/Dani Rojas: They’re both such adorable bundles of joy. I love how their roles are to pass to each other and score. How could they extend this seamless and generous partnership even off the pitch? If you want to do something with the fact that they come from countries that perhaps aren’t as open to m/m relationships as the UK, feel free. But you could also sweep that all away to focus on fun. I’d love something about them discovering new joys in England, or sharing things from their backgrounds with each other… and then they make out. Does Dani help Sam with his homesickness? Does Dani have his own? Separately, did Dani actually get to know the guys while he was still injured? Were they secretly in love before Dani officially started playing? Are they roommates on an away game, for some tropey shenanigans?
— Ted/Moneypenny (Bond - Craig movies): However you want to make this work would be fantastic. I always want characters I love to love each other, and these two would make a great power/odd couple. Ted has an understatedly steely core that might make them a great match, and I’d love to see their senses of humor bump up against one another. Maybe something about his role as coach gives him access to people or information that MI6 needs for a current project, and Eve is assigned to work with him? Does Q make him some soccer-related gadget? Do Eve and Ted team up to take down Rupert, who is even more evil than we know? Or maybe there’s more to why he specifically was picked to manage the team? Or maybe they live in the same building, and that’s how he accidentally gets pulled into her spy drama (and/or it’s a cute neighbors fall in love story). Or maybe she’s a lifelong Richmond fan, and hangs out at Mae’s pub? Anything! My biggest asks are 1) makeouts (or more!) and 2) that he finds out she’s a spy at some point.
— I was obsessed with the moments when Ted focused his rage into action or subtle verbal burns. Ex. the dart competition… UNF. Hot. A story where he pulls other people into one of his plans for understatedly confident take-down of assholes would be fun!
— I wanted more about Keeley’s branding projects for the team. It's a great way to show off how fun yet savvy she is, and I love the arc about her growing into a real business-woman. How does she execute the stuff Sam and Dani said they liked? Or does she talk them into other ideas? Do Sam and Dani do the same project, leading to romance? Does Keeley do one for Ted?
— Ted’s secret breakdowns about his divorce got me right in the feels. He’s always looking out for everyone’s pain, and yet hides his own. In what other repressed ways does his hurt manifest? How might any of the other requested characters figure out that he’s hurting and comfort him, in their own unique character-driven ways? It could either lead to Ted/Keeley, or it could be a project another pairing is doing to cheer up Ted that leads to them getting together.
Sinbad (TV)
• Sinbad/Gunnar
My favorite canons tend to be "attractive misfits thrown together by chance form odd-couple friendships/found family while exploring attractive scenery". So, discovering this little show was one of the highlights of 2020 for me!
I shipped Gunnar/Sinbad from the moment they first made eye contact, and then they proceeded to eyefuck in every scene. Please make them kiss (or more!)! I loved their wry banter. I loved their self-sacrificing loyalty and protective instincts. I am weak for Gunnar's self-loathing about his past, as well as for Sinbad's guilt and character growth. They're such a lovely odd couple. Gunnar is so quiet and methodical while Sinbad is so brash and impulsive. I love how they defer to one another even though their approaches to things are so different. I love how thirsty Sinbad always looks whenever he sees Gunnar fight, and all the wistfully fond looks Gunnar gives Sinbad. I could list everything I love about them (and all the other characters!), but I'd be here all day. I love the idea of them pining (esp. Gunnar who seems to bottle things up), but I also adore watching people's feelings morph from platonic to longing for more and/or realizing that they have more than friendly feelings (and then doing something about it without pining). Or a combination!
Some random details that I especially loved: Sinbad's kohl eyeliner; Gunnar's whole muscles + tattoo + sword look; every single time Sinbad starts melodramatically choking to death
— Random Acquisition of Superpowers: Gunnar randomly gets walloped with a superpower. No need to explain how/why he gets it unless you really want to; handwave away! Does he try to keep it secret, but Sinbad (any maybe Cook?) finds out? If Sinbad finds out, how does he help Gunnar through this weird time? Or does he get greedy and want Gunnar to use it for something he probably shouldn't? Is having the power fun and awesome, or awkward and awful? What uses do they find for it? Does Gunnar accidentally hurt someone he cares about (the angst potential!)? Or can he use it to improve the group's lot? Does Gunnar need to quest to get rid of it (sort of like a curse)? How does this premise help them get together? Any superpower would be great, from traditional ones to something super random and seemingly useless.
— Other Tropes: I will buy anything, no matter how handwaved. For example: undercover tropes (as a couple, as master/slave, as enemies, as…); bad guys made them do it; "fuck or die"; body swap; ritual sex (bonus points if the ritual involves bodypainting one another); captured together (bonus points if there's hurt/comfort and angsty hookups in their cell or whatever); Aladdin's lamp/wishes gone awry; heists gone awry; vacations gone awry…
— Other Curses: Canon divergence where Amma's curse was something completely, wildly different than 'choking to death if too long on land'. I have no idea what; let your imagination run wild! How would the gang (or just Gunnar, IDK) find out about the curse? How could Gunnar hurt/comfort Sinbad? Or, maybe it's only Cook or someone who knows, and the curse creates some kind of angsty, ridiculous impediment to Sinbad being with Gunnar until it's resolved?
— Gunnar's Northern Past: Something about having to face some aspect of his past, and all the angst that brings out. Maybe we find out that the only way he finally got out of the Valsgarde was through some sort of magic or deal that finally catches up with him, and problems ensue? Or maybe they run into some Valsgarde guys he used to know, and they expect him to be the same old Gunnar (was he chattier then? drunk? other?), which makes him feel really awkward/angsty? Do they make fun of his new weird friends or make lewd jokes about thinking Gunnar's fucking one of them (doesn't have to be Sinbad)? Or something else?
— Inspired by Voyage of the Dawn Treader (if you are familiar with Narnia; ignore these prompts if not): That book had some good magical island tropes, you know? Twist the basic idea around to make it your own and/or make it work for Sinbad characters; the less similar to the source material the better! Ex. Nightmare Island, captured and sold into slavery, friendships temporarily torn apart by gold-greed, Lucy trying spells she shouldn’t in the Magician's book, sea serpents, magical seas where beautiful things happen…
— Cook: Sinbad and Gunnar getting together as a result of an adventure that revolves around Cook and some issue or mystery about him. What was his deal? He refused to leave the ship, didn't seem to have a name, and was so incredibly wise. Was he the spirit of the ship? Was he cursed in some way that prevented him from leaving it? Was there a magical reason why he was the only one of the original crew to survive? How did he gain all of his knowledge about magic? Is he secretly a dragon? Or maybe it's less about his backstory and more about something that happens to him in an adventure-of-the-week way. A new (or old) recipe that goes awry?
— Whump: I love when super strong and stoic characters are made to suffer, and Gunnar would be perfect for this. Maybe some sort of magic makes him do bad things, or turns him into a berserker, or he accidentally hurts one of his new friends. Or maybe someone blackmails/coerces him into betraying (or seeming to betray) his friends, or bad people threaten to hurt Sinbad unless Gunnar does a bad thing... which makes the gang angry with Gunnar and he angsts... Or something else, possibly something more physically whump-y than the above? IDK. Either way, followed up by some sweet, sweet comfort from Sinbad (and possibly also the rest of the gang!).
— If I have a criticism of the show, it's that it was a little too focused on Sinbad (even though, obviously, I adore him). I wanted more of everyone's dynamics with one another, not just with him. Ex. I loved Anwar&Rina, and wished all combinations of characters had gotten a focus like that. So, something that explores Gunnar's friendship with someone else, leading to Sinbad/Gunnar would be great!
— Time Loops: I love individual journeys of self-discovery, as well as self-help adventures in which people learn life lessons, overcome some baggage, figure out priorities, etc. This trope is amazing for all that! I don't really care how/why it starts or stops; feel free to handwave or leave things unexplained. I also don’t care which character is in the loop (or maybe both!). Depending on whether it would be in-character for the character at hand, I enjoy a variety of reactions and loop iterations—from wacky, to “give no fucks”, to suicidal, to darkest timeline, to erroneously thinking it’s over, etc. This trope gets a little creepy for me when it’s solely focused on making someone fall in love with you, or where character B is treated simply as character A's oblivious reward. However, as long as the loop person has other goals/projects (or if the non-loop person already had feelings), I'll be ecstatic. Or maybe find a way for the non-loop person to have agency?