Dear FFFX Author
AO3 name: Alley_Skywalker
Dear FFFX Author,
First, I would like to say thank you for the time and effort that you are willing to put into creating for me! Length of fandom sections or the order the fandoms are in no way indication of how much I want fic for any given fandom; I would be absolutely delighted to receive fic in any of the fandoms I asked for. I've tried to provide some details on the sorts of things I like (and don't) and give prompts for each of my fandoms/ships. In most cases, I've opted to receive both a 10k fic and two 5k fics, so if there are prompts in here that don't lend themselves as well to a 10k fic, think of them as prompts for the 5k fic option or something I'd enjoy as a part/element of a longer fic.
GENERAL STUFF'
Relationsihps/Sex/Ratings:
Likes:
Genres/Themes (and such):
Likes:
FANDOMS
Game of Thrones
Fandom-specific DNWs: For Theon ships - fics set during the Ramsay/Reek period. Post-Ramsay (i.e. post escape with Sansa) is ok. Ramsay/Theon. Also, please no to the sort of Robb-survives-the-Red-Wedding AUs where everything in Theon’s storyline stays the same but Robb survives the Red Wedding and then they are brought back together when Robb takes back the North, etc along those lines. If he survives in some major AU where Theon doesn't defect/never goes to Pyke or Theon's storyline goes differently re: getting captured by Ramsay (e.g. he goes with Asha to Deepwood Motte or something) then that's fine. Also please no reunited-in-the-afterlife fics for Theon/Robb.
To clarify my general DNWs, I realize that there is a lot of torture/violence/gore in this fandom, and it’s fine to mention anything that happens in canon (e.g. Boltons flaying people, Stannis burning people) and non-graphic descriptions of canon-typical violence. I just don’t want graphic/prolonged descriptions/scenes.
Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
I have so many feelings about this ship but also so many of them are really sad? Because, realistically, this relationship is kinda toxic. I’m not saying that in like a Purity Police way or anything, but just the power dynamics, and the fact that Robb is not above employing them when it suits him/when he’s ticked off, means that there is a lot of tension and angst and shit involved - it’s not just fluff and Cute ™. Also Alfie certainly chose to play this a Certain Way where Theon is basically making heart eyes at Robb the whole time. And Robb….never really reciprocates and is kinda cold/distant a lot? Like he sort of is generally reserved here, but it’s kinda jarring when Theon seems to desperately be giving his all - it reads a bit like unrequited love. Although! My favorite way to go here is that Robb is just kind of repressed/unable to deal with his feelings or whatever and never says the things he means/feels. Or maybe (if they’ve got a FWB type thing going) takes it for granted and just assumes that Theon knows his feelings, completely failing to understand that Theon does not actually expect for love and affection to be handed to him and does in fact need it spelled out.
Like, ok, Theon has self-guilt trips in canon about his defection (and other shit he did, admittedly) and that’s plenty explored in fic. But I’d love some Robb angst! Robb pining uselessly (and guiltily. angrily?) after Theon defects, being baffled by why Theon walked away from him, and pissed off, but then actually taking a moment to think through the why and realizing all the ways in which he’d screwed up with this relationship (and just how hurtful things like the Bran incident and the “not your duty, not your house” putdown would have been). I’m open to various takes on what their relationship was beforehand. Maybe Robb is repressed and didn't fully realize his feelings until after Theon left. Maybe Robb was repressed but realized his feelings but knew fuck all what to do with them, not to mention how to express them. Maybe they were casual and never managed to have like A Conversation about their feelings/relationship. Maybe they were lovers and Robb is really confused/pissed at first but then slowly realizes that they hadn't been communicating well/things had been off for a while. (Maybe the fact that Robb never directly addressed the hostage issue after his father died and before sending Theon to Pyke put a strain on things?)
Or you know something lighter would be amazing too! Mutual pining that does get resolved and ends up in them getting together. Banter and being really awkward about their feelings. Worrying about each other’s safety now and again during the war (especially Robb worrying about Theon). (Because, ok, IDK if this will make sense, it does in my head, but like…I’m a lot more invested in Robb being in love with Theon, regardless of whether he manages to confess it or not, than vice-versa, but it’s also important to me that the feelings are actually requited/they’re both in love with each other.)
The mandatary hurt/comfort prompt (lol) - Robb having (another) break down the night he finds out his father is dead and Theon comforting him. Maybe with unexpected tenderness. Could be they’re mutually pining too or could be this is when they end up kissing for the first time. But really, any hurt/comfort scenario you can think of would be great! I especially love the interplay of hurt/comfort and pining! For example, the idea of the pining character receiving care and comfort from someone they’re in love with and both desperately wanting/needing that comfort and realizing how hard it is to keep their feelings under control (and maybe ultimately failing to) when they’re in a more vulnerable state. And in reverse: the tenderness and stress of caring for the object of their affection and wanting to be even MOAR sweet but also feeling like they need to hide it. With someone who seems to have as difficult a time with communicating and processing feelings as Robb, this can all be extra fun! (And I think I’d especially prefer his POV here.) Maybe also an AU where Theon decides to go back to Robb instead of defecting to his family, but he’s hurt in the “escape” from Pyke/on his way back and shows up in camp in pretty bad shape and Robb’s got to deal with both the practicality of the political situation this leaves them in while also providing comfort/care for Theon…and pining (maybe especially hard and guiltily as he realizes how much Theon’s decided to give up for him).
For some extra drama and whump - I love those “captured together” scenarios where the ship has to provide care/comfort for each other after interrogation/torture or them being forced to watch each other’s interrogations or getting one of them to do/say something with the threat of hurting the other. (Per my DNWs I don’t want really extreme or gory torture, nothing Ramsay-esque, but like…characters getting generally beat up some is ok; being threatened with more extreme torture is also ok.) If they’re pining during - extra great! If there’s dramatic escapes and/or politics or whatever also involved - even better!
Would love some kind of AU where Theon makes some smarter choices, e.g. sacks Winterfell, grabs Bran and Rickon, and goes to Deepwood Motte to join Yara/back to the Iron Islands with them as hostages. The really tense negotiations with Robb, or facing off against each other in battle somehow. (The conflict! Also I just want Theon in command and kicking ass, lbr *sigh*.) A fortune reversal where Robb ends up a POW in this AU at whatever stronghold Theon/Theon and Yara are holding. Would love them to get a chance to work out their shit where they are on a more equal footing - and both being forced to confront their mistakes (Theon obviously defecting, but Robb having to come to terms with what position Theon really was in with his family and how he was definitely not sensitive enough to that). Any kind of ending here you want (though I’d very much prefer Theon not dying) - happy (somehow…) or bittersweet or even sad.
I generally love fortune reversal AUs for them! For example:
A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Fandom-specific DNWs: For Theon ships - fics set during the Ramsay/Reek period. Post-Ramsay (i.e. post escape with Jeyne) is ok. Ramsay/Theon. Also, please no to the sort of Robb-survives-the-Red-Wedding AUs where everything in Theon’s storyline stays the same but Robb survives the Red Wedding and then they are brought back together when Robb takes back the North, etc along those lines. If he survives in some major AU where Theon doesn't defect/never goes to Pyke or Theon's storyline goes differently re: getting captured by Ramsay (e.g. he goes with Asha to Deepwood Motte or something) then that's fine. Also please no reunited-in-the-afterlife fics for Theon/Robb.
To clarify my general DNWs, I realize that there is a lot of torture/violence/gore in this fandom, and it’s fine to mention anything that happens in canon (e.g. Boltons flaying people, Stannis burning people) and non-graphic descriptions of canon-typical violence. I just don’t want graphic/prolonged descriptions/scenes. If it’s a fic that’s set post-Ramsay, I realize/expect that Theon’s trauma from that experience will feature in some way, but I’d rather not have very graphic flashbacks, etc, or for it to be the entire/overwhelming focus, and if that means setting the fic further in the future, that’s totally fine by me.
Minors-under-16/adults DNW is waived for Robb/Theon, although I'd very much prefer that Robb is at least 15 when anything reciprocated happens/Theon develops romantic feelings for him. Robb can have a crush as early as seems reasonable, though :).
Tristifer Botley/Theon Greyjoy
The ship that seems to have come out of nowhere, but wouldn’t it be nice for Theon to have a happy ending with a nice ironborn boy? And you can't tell me Tris wasn't just made for some delicious pining. (But...he really does need to get over Asha for his own good, so here's his chance lol.)
While I'm down for canon-compliant, post-canon fic for these two, here are some AUs I love the idea of:
Theon Greyjoy & Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
Ok, so given their age difference in the books (some 4 and a half years) I especially like the more platonic older/younger brother dynamic for the book version of these two. And ahhh I would really, really love some childhood fluff or hurt/comfort or even some angst. How close they are in the books is a bit ambiguous. We never get Robb’s POV at all, though he clearly trusts Theon at least in a professional capacity, and Robb is the one person Theon regrets hurting with his defection to his family/from the Starks. (I mean, to be clear, I don’t think he owed the Starks anything, including Robb, but canonically Theon has regrets about it, specifically when it comes to Robb.) But it doesn’t seem too much of a stretch to say they were at least kind of close, to the extent their age difference and general difficulty of the situation allowed.
So…how do they get there? Is it Robb following around the new older boy and being a cutie that finally breaks through Theon’s defenses? Does Theon just really, really need a friend so he doesn’t go crazy and Robb’s the best option, but then they end up bonding? Really any cute childhood adventures would be great - especially anything with Theon in a (perhaps unwilling/unintentional) mentorship role. (And ahaha how annoyed Cat would be that her Pride and Joy has taken a shining to this Suspicious ™ Greyjoy boy who’s a bad influence.) Actually, maybe something about Theon being a bad influence on Robb, but like in a mostly harmless way - teaches him how to sneak out, teaching him not-quite-age-appropriate stories/jokes/things about sex. For a more hurt/comfort angle (!!!) - tiny Robb really attaching to Theon, just deciding this is his older brother now so he’s gonna like crawl into his bed when he has a nightmare or conscript him into telling him stories when he’s unwell, and all the while Theon is like “I really did not sign up for this shit” but secretly he’s really, embarrassingly soft for this stupid child. (But also - I think there’s implications that Theon sometimes has nightmares about the siege of Pyke, and those were probably more intense when he was much younger so…an unexpected role reversal?)
For something more sad…Ned taking Theon to executions and making him squire is just fgbsdfhklgfh. So like…Ned taking Robb to his first execution when he’s maybe just a little older than Bran was his first time (so maybe 8) and then Theon has to go too and it’s also his first one. And they’re both really shaken, but for different reasons (Theon doesn’t have his laugh-about-everything-always defensive mechanisms worked out yet) and kinda take comfort in each other in a way. Or…maybe at some point when they’re both in the teenage/pre-teen era, there’s some troubling news from the Islands and the boys jump the gun with panic and whether or not The Time has come for Ned to take Theon’s head. (And maybe they try to run away/escape…)
But I’m also totally into stories from when they’re older/canon-era, and a more romantic slant on their relationship is also welcome. Feel free to use any of the prompts in the above GoT section that I gave for them with either a platonic or romantic slant (most of them should be workable for book canon and dynamics as well, and I think the tensions between them/in their relationship are similar ultimately, even if book!Robb is younger and thus reads softer and Theon doesn’t give off quite as strong unrequited love vibes as in the show and, and just generally there is a shift in dynamic due to the age gap).
Dagmer Cleftjaw & Theon Greyjoy
Don’t we all wish Dagmer was Theon’s dad instead of Balon? Ahah. No, but seriously, I love how warm and familiar this relationship feels, how comfortable they are with each other after all these years. Like, everyone else is suspicious or derisive or indifferent to Theon after all his time away, and Dagmer is just…not. He looks at him and sees that kid he trained, the one he’d clearly cared about and still supports and stands by. He knows Theon really well, sees through his facades, and Theon doesn’t even really find this embarrassing, even in the hypersensitive state he’s in during ACOK. And every memory Theon seems to have of Dagmer is largely positive - that’s so rare for him! No wonder he’s sort of “adopted” Dagmer as his uncle.
I would love anything about them, really. I love explorations of Theon as a child pre-rebellion. (And I hold to the opinion that while the Greyjoys were always a highly dysfunctional family, Theon wasn’t especially miserable as a kid either. Likely, he had a good relationship with Asha, if hindered a bit by age and gender difference, and was probably more ignored by his father than disliked or anything. His mother loved him; he had friends. Aeron was a different person back then too, so he might have gotten along with him well enough as an uncle. Like, his memories of his brothers are clearly bad, but that doesn’t seem to spread generally to everything and everyone else on the Islands.) But anyway, yes - anything about Theon’s childhood and Dagmer’s role in it. Feel free to bring in any other Greyjoys and other ironborn families as you like!
But I would also enjoy something about when Theon comes back to Pyke. Maybe Dagmer’s POV on the situation. What does he think about Theon now that he’s grown up? Does he make any active attempts to mentor Theon through the drama with his father/men/overall situation of being a bit of an outsider, or does he expect this to shift into more of a friendship between adults? If they are reunited after Theon’s time with Ramsay, how does that all go?
Here’s a somewhat elaborate AU idea I’m really fond of: Basically Alannys prepares for the eventuality of them losing the Pyke siege/war with the mindset that if they lose the Northerners are gonna kill Balon’s sons or at least take them hostage indefinitely so she arranges for Theon to be hidden outside the castle/be smuggled out at some point if it looks like they’re definitely going to lose. Theon is to hide until things calm down then make his way to a pre-agreed upon location. (Maybe she sends Asha too, or maybe they figured no one would care about her because she’s a girl.) Anyway the other part of the plan is that they tell the Northerners that Theon died during the siege (e.g. died in the South Tower collapse) But they also figure they can’t be caught in the lie right away or like if it’s revealed Theon is alive they’d come back for him. So, Alannys also makes a deal with Dagmer that he’ll raise Theon on the islands but in hiding, basically, as Theon Pyke. So that’s the set up - but how do things go after this plan is successful? This can be taken in a more light/comedy direction: the Theon and Dagmer (mis)adventires. But also can be far more serious and angsty: Theon having to deal with being in hiding essentially/living as a bastard, them having to adjust to this new life even if they see it as temporary (and how much is Dagmer prepared for the fact that raising a kid is not the same as just training/mentoring him?), Theon growing up and learning to lead on a local/minor level but always looking forward to going back to reclaim his birthright. Where does this leave him and Asha? Does she sneakily come visit? Does Balon still make her his de facto heir and how does Theon deal with that? Or is she taken hostage instead of Theon and how does he deal with the emotional fallout from that?
Екатерина | Catherine (2014)
This show has aired three seasons, but only season 1 is really relevant to my request. A fansub for both S1 and S2 is avaliable here. All three seasons are up on Amazon Prime: S1, S2, S3.
Peter/Brockdorff
These two! I even wrote a shipper’s manifesto in case that’s helpful to anyone? (It includes some nifty historical background on Brockdorff, btw.) [BE ADVISED there are GIFs, though they are under spoiler cuts.]
Brockdorff is always in the background but also always around, even when it doesn’t seem like he has a “duty” to be. (Or any comprehensible reason? Like when Peter is woken up in the middle of the night to go watch Catherine give birth and Brockdorff is there with him. I mean, other than like providing moral support, why would he be there?) Brockdorff seems to be the one person who is always exclusively on Peter’s side. (Well, Liza too.) There are just so many little, subtle things. But the potential in this ship for loyalty kink and hurt/comfort and kinda awkward/messed up power dynamics is through the roof. This could even be a one-sided ship. I love the dynamic of the emotionally vulnerable, mildly daft Prince and his loyal and more competent/composed underling (chamberlain in this case).
You could go fluffy - private, happy moments. Maybe they fly that kite (and watch it burn up in the air!). Maybe the reason Peter mentioned the kite at all as something that would make him happy is because that’s something he and Brockdorff would do as kids back in Holstein before things got complicated. Pre-canon childhood fic in general! Triumphant moments/success during Peter’s short rule and/or grand plans for a brighter future. (Oooh! Their first kiss?) Some cute scenes with Paul maybe? If they get into a relationship, when/how do they make the switch from formality to informality? (Especially Brockdorff, as Peter is already all over the place with his yous and thous. but Brockdorff is always overproper and I'd love to see how that formality may break down in intense/intimate moments.)
Or all the angst! Brockdorff’s one-sided love or a complicated relationship made even more complicated by Peter’s constantly worsening paranoia and dissatisfaction with everything. Peter having to leave home (Holstein) and everyone/everything he knows behind. Brockdorff dealing with the coup and Peter’s death - when you’ve basically committed and built your entire life around someone, that’s a lot of empty space to suddenly fill when they’re gone. Having to say goodbye when Peter is first called away to Russia (and Brockdorff swearing he’ll come and join him as soon as he can?).
Hurt/comfort would be amazing <3 Aftermath of Peter’s smallpox and all the emotional fallout and insecurity there and/or remaining physical weakness, for more tradition h/c. Or maybe Brockdorff walks in on Peter during a private breakdown/vulnerable moment after he finds out that Catherine is going to have a child after all and that child might very well not be his. Peter’s constantly dealing with a lot - social pressures of being the heir, insecurity/sense of inferiority instilled by Elizabeth’s constant disappointment, homesickness (especially during his first years in Russia), a failed marriage, constant fears about the future. It’s ripe for some hurt/comfort!
18th Century RPF
Christian August von Brockdorff/Andrei Gudovich.
Alley, why are you requesting something so bizarrely obscure? Honestly...I have no good reason. The heart just wants what it wants I guess xD The good part is that since both of them are such minor historical figures and so little is known about them, there’s a lot of leeway as to the details of their personalities :)
[Who is Brockdorff?]
Brockdorff was the chamberlain of Peter III of Russia, from before he came to Russia, in his capacity as the Duke of Holstein. Brockdorff’s father and Peter’s father were friends (at the least, Brockdorff's father was in favor with Duke Karl Friedrich). A Lady Brockdorff was also prominent at the Kiel court at the time (though I’m not sure of her relation to Christian exactly). There are issues with establishing Brockdorff's age but for fanfic/RPF purposes I like to assume Brockdorff and Peter were about agemates. When Peter was taken to Russia at the age of 14, the man in charge of his education (something of a head tutor), Brümmer, came with him. Brümmer then advised Russian ministers that Brockdorff had such an influence on Peter that he should not be allowed into the country. (Brümmer considered it negative influence, but given the man’s tendency to be abusive and generally not give a damn about Peter’s best interests, his assessment is highly suspect. Catherine didn’t like Brockdorff either, but they had a personal rivalry going.) So when Brockdorff tried to follow Peter to Russia, he was turned away at the border. BUT finally (in about 1754-5) he found a way to get to the Petersburg court - he traveled incognito (allegedly as a glass merchant), and basically snuck into the country. In Petersburg, he got a warm reception from Peter and stayed in his existing position as chamberlain. He continued to have a lot of influence on Peter (which really irritated Catherine as they didn’t get along and Brockdorff constantly advised Peter to divorce her), and on Peter’s ascension to the throne, Brockdorff received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. His indluence began to fade around...mmm I'd say the very start of the 1960s, shortly after the rise of Peter's other favorite, Andrey Gudovich. Most of our information about Brockdorff comes from Catherine II's memoires. She considered him sneaky, politically savvy at best and a coniving intrigue-weaver at worst. There's no argument that Brockdorff strove to gain favor from Peter, then a Grand Duke, and to please him (going as far as sneaking a regiment of Holstein soldiers into Russia for the garrison of Peter's "toy" fortress). But there's also no proof that he was anything but genuinely loyalt to Peter.
[Who is Gudovich?]Andrey Vasilyevich Gudovich (b. 1731, the elder brother of Ivan Godovich) was Peter III’s chamberlain and then, later, adjutant. He was one of Peter’s closest confidants and he was the man Peter entrusted with bringing news to Friedrich the Great that Peter intended to sue for peace and end the 7 Years War. During the coup, Gudovich stayed with Peter until the very end. When Peter was brought to Peterhof after his initial abdication, the only two people who accompanied him there (other than the convoy, ofc) were Liza Vorontsova (his mistress) and Gudovich. They were both arrested at Peterhof on their arrival and briefly imprisoned. At one point, after his arrest, Peter asked Catherine for permission to leave the country. He also asked to be allowed to take Liza and Gudovich with him. After everything, Gudovich was released and Catherine asked him if he wanted to re-enter the service/stay at court. He, however, resigned promptly and went abroad where he stayed for several years. On his return to Russia he lived at his country estate and only returned to court upon a summons, via a very touching note, from Paul I, Peter’s son. Even may years later (~30), Andrey's letters to his friends spoke of Peter IIi in a manner that always struck me as somewhat...mmm...awestruck? If not romantic. (Albeit, this is an inference drawn from a couple of scant instances but still.)
I think what I love the most with these two together are the (potential) contrasts between them. Brockdorff the serious, manipulative, ruthless and political one vs. Gudovich, the youthful, earnest, idealistic one. They’re devoted to their Prince and both favorites of said prince, and probably in a constant struggle for priority, but also forced to work together and get along at least for long enough to get things done. I’d love all the jostling, seething banter, gloating and one-upmanship! But…also…really awkward and suppressed UST and almost-pining. Brockdorff would totally be one of those men who would, to use a quote from a tv show, "feel his desire as hatred,” at least in the case where he considers the target of said desire to be unworthy of it. And I definitely have a headcanon of Andrei kind of…admiring Brockdorff in a way and wanting to be friends on some level but every move he makes is rebuffed and they clash ALL the time.
I also could swear I read somewhere (though I can’t find it anymore D:) that Gudovich got his chamberlain appointment through Catherine or someone close to her so I could honestly see this devolving into a comedy of misunderstandings where Brockdorff has legitimate reasons to believe that Gudovich is a spy even though he really, REALLY isn’t. But also, also - all the post-coup angst. I think it’s the shared grief that would bring them together, would make them want to hold on to each other and maybe realize they didn’t really actually dislike each other THAT much. This ship is ripe for some classic enemies/rivals-to-lovers. Or frenemies to lovers, if you want to go for a softer take.
But really, I just want to see something with lots of tension and banter and snide remarks and power struggles and attraction that everyone chooses to ignore until they explode! Politics and intrigues and scandals. All the dumb shit Peter does and they have to deal with lol. I’m not married to any particular prompt or interpretation of this ship. I also ship them both pretty hard with Peter, so jealousy and love triangles are very welcome here!
Dear FFFX Author,
First, I would like to say thank you for the time and effort that you are willing to put into creating for me! Length of fandom sections or the order the fandoms are in no way indication of how much I want fic for any given fandom; I would be absolutely delighted to receive fic in any of the fandoms I asked for. I've tried to provide some details on the sorts of things I like (and don't) and give prompts for each of my fandoms/ships. In most cases, I've opted to receive both a 10k fic and two 5k fics, so if there are prompts in here that don't lend themselves as well to a 10k fic, think of them as prompts for the 5k fic option or something I'd enjoy as a part/element of a longer fic.
GENERAL STUFF'
Relationsihps/Sex/Ratings:
Likes:
- Outside of any ships I ask for specifically, I'm good with slash, het or fem for background ships!
- All ratings up to R.
- A focus on the romantic/emotional aspect of a relationship and some semblance of a plot/point rather than just sex.
- Mutual pining, especially if it's secretly requited pining and the parties think it's unrequited. (Unrequited pining is nice too.)
- Complicated relationship dynamics, love triangles, relationships that take some effort/time to work, loving each other but because [insert reasons here] not always being able to be together/communicate those feelings, etc in this vain.
- UST. Eventually resolved is probably better than not, however, not a must-have.
- Conversely from the above - romantic partners who just can’t help but adore each other.
- Kissing, hugging, holding hands, non-sexual physical contact in general.
- Praise kink (in the sense that there’s a lot of emotional investment in and getting-off on getting praised or otherwise acknowledged as worthwhile. Works especially well with characters who are deeply insecure. I’m generally fond of other related things, such as body worship, partners being encouraging during sex in a very sweet, reassuring way, etc).
- Threesomes/moresomes and polyamory, unless specifically requested/prompted.
- Incest (unless specifically requested or explicitly canon; this DNW does not include cousins).
- Parings with large age disparity (over 15 years) unless specifically requested.
- Minors under 16 in sexual/romantic relationships with adults; one-sided teenage crushes on adults are fine. I'd rather not read about teenagers under 16 having sex, even if both are 14/15, but romance/kissing and some groping and whatnot is fine; references to off-screen sexual experimentation/sex is fine if it's something that fits the characters/story.
- NC-17 and PWPs.
- Healing cock.
- BDSM, omegaverse, and most kink. (NOT included in this: foreplay; bantery/lighthearted roleplay for the purposes of foreplay; preferences for a certain sexual position, fascination with a partner’s physical trait, such as, e.g., preferring redheads or virgins or younger partners or being fascinated by someone’s shoulders; rough/aggressive/desperate sex or outside-of-bedroom inequalities that transfer into the bedroom, even though there may be pining down of wrists or some other element that could be considered a kink or part of BDSM; anything specifically listed as a “like”).
- Foot fetishes (I know I said liking specific body parts is fine, but this is the exception).
- Humiliation (both sexual and not).
- Non-con/rape (dub-con that leans toward/ends up as consensual is ok).
- Mpreg.
Genres/Themes (and such):
Likes:
- Angst, drama. (Please don’t try to use this as a challenge to see how many angst/dark tropes you can fit into a single fic. I have no issue with dark themes, angst is my crack and things like character death don’t bother me, but if it feels like it’s just a marathon of horrible things happening…that’s a little too intense for me. Exceptions apply if a specific prompt calls for dark!fic or similar endless angst.)
- Humor is fun too, but I like it more as an element in the story rather than a story that sets out to be funny first and foremost.
- Hurt/comfort!!!
- LOYALTY KINK! Themes of loyalty and devotion in general. Protectiveness.
- Related to the above, I enjoy explorations of divided/conflicted loyalties in various contexts.
- Friendship, family (dynamics), platonic love.
- Backstories, especially childhood fics.
- Fluff, banter, cuddling/snuggling, kissing, general adorableness (and adoration!).
- Well-rounded characters, characters with emotions/sympathetic motives; the “other side of the story”.
- Politics, intrigue; plot (if you already happen to be that way inclined).
- Worldbuilding, especailly in fantasy and historical settings.
- Crack!fic, parody.
- AUs that subvert the universe or drastically change the setting (eg: setting a modern fandom as a fairytale, turning a historical fandom all Sci-Fi, Coffee Shop/College AUs, etc. This includes stuff like A/B/O and inserting magic/supernatural elements into a non-magic/supernatural universe).
- Crossovers
- Time travel.
- Apocalypse/post-apocalypse scenarios, regardless of whether done as an AU or some kind of post-canon possibility thing. (Exception for when this setting is explicitly canon.)
- Character bashing. (Especially with requested characters.)
- Horror; graphic gore.
- Torture. (Mentions are fine if torture is something that happens in canon. BUT no deaths/executions by torture - eg: drawing and quartering - whatsoever.)
- Humiliation; any sort of glorification of bullying.
- Ccross-dressing; genderbending/genderswap; non-canonical genders and gender headcanons in general.
- Narrative implications that “sex = love” or that romantic partners HAVE to have sex to have a “valid” relationship or to be “really” in love with each other.
FANDOMS
Game of Thrones
Fandom-specific DNWs: For Theon ships - fics set during the Ramsay/Reek period. Post-Ramsay (i.e. post escape with Sansa) is ok. Ramsay/Theon. Also, please no to the sort of Robb-survives-the-Red-Wedding AUs where everything in Theon’s storyline stays the same but Robb survives the Red Wedding and then they are brought back together when Robb takes back the North, etc along those lines. If he survives in some major AU where Theon doesn't defect/never goes to Pyke or Theon's storyline goes differently re: getting captured by Ramsay (e.g. he goes with Asha to Deepwood Motte or something) then that's fine. Also please no reunited-in-the-afterlife fics for Theon/Robb.
To clarify my general DNWs, I realize that there is a lot of torture/violence/gore in this fandom, and it’s fine to mention anything that happens in canon (e.g. Boltons flaying people, Stannis burning people) and non-graphic descriptions of canon-typical violence. I just don’t want graphic/prolonged descriptions/scenes.
Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
I have so many feelings about this ship but also so many of them are really sad? Because, realistically, this relationship is kinda toxic. I’m not saying that in like a Purity Police way or anything, but just the power dynamics, and the fact that Robb is not above employing them when it suits him/when he’s ticked off, means that there is a lot of tension and angst and shit involved - it’s not just fluff and Cute ™. Also Alfie certainly chose to play this a Certain Way where Theon is basically making heart eyes at Robb the whole time. And Robb….never really reciprocates and is kinda cold/distant a lot? Like he sort of is generally reserved here, but it’s kinda jarring when Theon seems to desperately be giving his all - it reads a bit like unrequited love. Although! My favorite way to go here is that Robb is just kind of repressed/unable to deal with his feelings or whatever and never says the things he means/feels. Or maybe (if they’ve got a FWB type thing going) takes it for granted and just assumes that Theon knows his feelings, completely failing to understand that Theon does not actually expect for love and affection to be handed to him and does in fact need it spelled out.
Like, ok, Theon has self-guilt trips in canon about his defection (and other shit he did, admittedly) and that’s plenty explored in fic. But I’d love some Robb angst! Robb pining uselessly (and guiltily. angrily?) after Theon defects, being baffled by why Theon walked away from him, and pissed off, but then actually taking a moment to think through the why and realizing all the ways in which he’d screwed up with this relationship (and just how hurtful things like the Bran incident and the “not your duty, not your house” putdown would have been). I’m open to various takes on what their relationship was beforehand. Maybe Robb is repressed and didn't fully realize his feelings until after Theon left. Maybe Robb was repressed but realized his feelings but knew fuck all what to do with them, not to mention how to express them. Maybe they were casual and never managed to have like A Conversation about their feelings/relationship. Maybe they were lovers and Robb is really confused/pissed at first but then slowly realizes that they hadn't been communicating well/things had been off for a while. (Maybe the fact that Robb never directly addressed the hostage issue after his father died and before sending Theon to Pyke put a strain on things?)
Or you know something lighter would be amazing too! Mutual pining that does get resolved and ends up in them getting together. Banter and being really awkward about their feelings. Worrying about each other’s safety now and again during the war (especially Robb worrying about Theon). (Because, ok, IDK if this will make sense, it does in my head, but like…I’m a lot more invested in Robb being in love with Theon, regardless of whether he manages to confess it or not, than vice-versa, but it’s also important to me that the feelings are actually requited/they’re both in love with each other.)
The mandatary hurt/comfort prompt (lol) - Robb having (another) break down the night he finds out his father is dead and Theon comforting him. Maybe with unexpected tenderness. Could be they’re mutually pining too or could be this is when they end up kissing for the first time. But really, any hurt/comfort scenario you can think of would be great! I especially love the interplay of hurt/comfort and pining! For example, the idea of the pining character receiving care and comfort from someone they’re in love with and both desperately wanting/needing that comfort and realizing how hard it is to keep their feelings under control (and maybe ultimately failing to) when they’re in a more vulnerable state. And in reverse: the tenderness and stress of caring for the object of their affection and wanting to be even MOAR sweet but also feeling like they need to hide it. With someone who seems to have as difficult a time with communicating and processing feelings as Robb, this can all be extra fun! (And I think I’d especially prefer his POV here.) Maybe also an AU where Theon decides to go back to Robb instead of defecting to his family, but he’s hurt in the “escape” from Pyke/on his way back and shows up in camp in pretty bad shape and Robb’s got to deal with both the practicality of the political situation this leaves them in while also providing comfort/care for Theon…and pining (maybe especially hard and guiltily as he realizes how much Theon’s decided to give up for him).
For some extra drama and whump - I love those “captured together” scenarios where the ship has to provide care/comfort for each other after interrogation/torture or them being forced to watch each other’s interrogations or getting one of them to do/say something with the threat of hurting the other. (Per my DNWs I don’t want really extreme or gory torture, nothing Ramsay-esque, but like…characters getting generally beat up some is ok; being threatened with more extreme torture is also ok.) If they’re pining during - extra great! If there’s dramatic escapes and/or politics or whatever also involved - even better!
Would love some kind of AU where Theon makes some smarter choices, e.g. sacks Winterfell, grabs Bran and Rickon, and goes to Deepwood Motte to join Yara/back to the Iron Islands with them as hostages. The really tense negotiations with Robb, or facing off against each other in battle somehow. (The conflict! Also I just want Theon in command and kicking ass, lbr *sigh*.) A fortune reversal where Robb ends up a POW in this AU at whatever stronghold Theon/Theon and Yara are holding. Would love them to get a chance to work out their shit where they are on a more equal footing - and both being forced to confront their mistakes (Theon obviously defecting, but Robb having to come to terms with what position Theon really was in with his family and how he was definitely not sensitive enough to that). Any kind of ending here you want (though I’d very much prefer Theon not dying) - happy (somehow…) or bittersweet or even sad.
I generally love fortune reversal AUs for them! For example:
- Robb growing up a hostage on Pyke instead of the other way around, or being captured in an ironborn raid in a ‘verse where the rebellion never happened/Theon was never a hostage. (I’ll note that I believe that if Theon grew up with his family he would have had a good relationship with his sister and a decent one at least with his father. It would have probably been a Tywin-and-Jaime type situation if he was the heir and, if his brothers were still alive, he would have probably just been a bit ignored in favor of them, but not mistreated as such. A lot of the tension between Theon and his family in canon is because of the hostage situation/he had been away for so long.)
- Theon never goes to Pyke and is with Robb at the Red Wedding. Everything happens as in canon, but the boys manage to escape. Robb is now a king without the majority of his army whom everyone believes dead (and probably depressed because he just lost even more people he loved). So what do they do? (I guess not exactly fortune reversal, since Theon has still been written off by his fam. But! Actually, I would love some twist that while they’re hiding out, Balon dies. Theon decides to go home to try to reclaim his birthright and Robb comes along because he’s kinda got nowhere else to go at the moment. Cue them teaming up with Yara to get rid of Euron and Robb fighting for Theon’s cause for a change. Maybe Yara ends up as Queen or she and Theon as co-rulers and Theon goes back temporarily with Robb to help him reclaim the North. Or maybe Sansa and Jon have already reclaimed the North while they were busy with Euron and Robb stays with Theon on the Islands, leaving Sansa to rule in Winterfell?) (Re: Robb's wife in this scenario: I'm ok with them never getting married and maybe the Freys just go ahead with the RW even though Robb's the groom because they figured the Lannisters have more to offer after all or whatever. But they can also get married and she dies at the RW - maybe she was Robb's rebound because he and Theon fought/broke up for some reason, e.g. Robb not addressing the hostage situation until he's forced to.)
- Theon defects but doesn’t take Winterfell. He’s mired in winning back his father’s approval which is hard and sucks and he misses Robb but is maybe kinda making progress if not with his dad than with his people, when they hear about the RW. Balon decides to make a renewed strike at the North while it’s so weak, so they capture the Dreadfort, maybe while the majority of Bolton forces have gone to siege Winterfell. Meanwhile, Robb has survived the RW but has been taken prisoner by Ramsay… (I realize it doesn’t make a ton of sense for them to go for the Dreadfort because it’s on the other coast, but feel free to handwave this.)
A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Fandom-specific DNWs: For Theon ships - fics set during the Ramsay/Reek period. Post-Ramsay (i.e. post escape with Jeyne) is ok. Ramsay/Theon. Also, please no to the sort of Robb-survives-the-Red-Wedding AUs where everything in Theon’s storyline stays the same but Robb survives the Red Wedding and then they are brought back together when Robb takes back the North, etc along those lines. If he survives in some major AU where Theon doesn't defect/never goes to Pyke or Theon's storyline goes differently re: getting captured by Ramsay (e.g. he goes with Asha to Deepwood Motte or something) then that's fine. Also please no reunited-in-the-afterlife fics for Theon/Robb.
To clarify my general DNWs, I realize that there is a lot of torture/violence/gore in this fandom, and it’s fine to mention anything that happens in canon (e.g. Boltons flaying people, Stannis burning people) and non-graphic descriptions of canon-typical violence. I just don’t want graphic/prolonged descriptions/scenes. If it’s a fic that’s set post-Ramsay, I realize/expect that Theon’s trauma from that experience will feature in some way, but I’d rather not have very graphic flashbacks, etc, or for it to be the entire/overwhelming focus, and if that means setting the fic further in the future, that’s totally fine by me.
Minors-under-16/adults DNW is waived for Robb/Theon, although I'd very much prefer that Robb is at least 15 when anything reciprocated happens/Theon develops romantic feelings for him. Robb can have a crush as early as seems reasonable, though :).
Tristifer Botley/Theon Greyjoy
The ship that seems to have come out of nowhere, but wouldn’t it be nice for Theon to have a happy ending with a nice ironborn boy? And you can't tell me Tris wasn't just made for some delicious pining. (But...he really does need to get over Asha for his own good, so here's his chance lol.)
While I'm down for canon-compliant, post-canon fic for these two, here are some AUs I love the idea of:
- Theon makes somewhat better decisions after defecting from Robb to his family (a choice which, in and of itself I completely understand and support, let’s just say straight up) and either never takes Winterfell or takes Winterfell but leaves shortly after with Bran and Rickon as hostages… And then he has to deal with his internal conflicts and also earning his people’s/family’s trust even though he kind of resents having to, but Dagmer’s right that like…his ability to bond with them was disrupted by the time he was away. (Not that Balon is right or not a complete asshole. But also maybe if Theon brings some Stark kids as hostages, things will go at least a tiny bit better there - although, maybe on the other hand he kinda hates the idea of having to take these kids as hostages just to impress his dad, because he knows how much the hostage thing sucks). What does this have to do with Tris? I mean basically, whatever the plot backdrop is, part of Theon finding his place on the Iron Islands and in the ironborn war efforts would, in this case, also involve him and Tris falling in love. (Bonus points if they at some point bond over their first loves (Robb and Asha, respectively) being people who don’t love them back.)
- AU where Tris is one of the men of Theon’s crew when he goes raiding and takes Winterfell. (Do things still happen as in canon and they're doomed or is Tris able to counteract Ramsay's bad influence/keep Theon from spiraling so completely?)
- Balon dies unexpectedly (bc who cares about Balon lol) just prior to Theon’s arrival on Pyke and either Theon takes his place as heir (and does the alliance with Robb) or, hell, maybe Asha beats him in a Kingsmoot or whatever (although, I’m not sure how the kingsmoot would happen with a clear line of succession but whatever), but once she’s won, she’s less intent on alienating him than her father was, and decides to go along with the proposed alliance. Or! Maybe they don’t do the alliance and go to war with he North anyway but things pan our differently with Theon’s decision-making. So, Theon and Tris go to war together…and fall in love.
- AU where Theon is never taken hostage - because Balon wins the rebellion or because the rebellion never happens - and he and Tris get together. They both seem like people who aren’t perfect fits for the Ironborn culture and maybe this pulls them together. Maybe, if Theon had stuck around, Tris would fall in love with a different Greyjoy sibling ;) (Though, I’ll say that I don’t think Theon’s relationship with his father, or Asha, would have been so strained if the hostage thing didn’t happen. I’d imagine him and Asha growing up pretty close and then with Balon…it would likely be complicated, given what kind of person Balon is, but far more within reasonable bounds than what we get in ACOK.)
Theon Greyjoy & Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
Ok, so given their age difference in the books (some 4 and a half years) I especially like the more platonic older/younger brother dynamic for the book version of these two. And ahhh I would really, really love some childhood fluff or hurt/comfort or even some angst. How close they are in the books is a bit ambiguous. We never get Robb’s POV at all, though he clearly trusts Theon at least in a professional capacity, and Robb is the one person Theon regrets hurting with his defection to his family/from the Starks. (I mean, to be clear, I don’t think he owed the Starks anything, including Robb, but canonically Theon has regrets about it, specifically when it comes to Robb.) But it doesn’t seem too much of a stretch to say they were at least kind of close, to the extent their age difference and general difficulty of the situation allowed.
So…how do they get there? Is it Robb following around the new older boy and being a cutie that finally breaks through Theon’s defenses? Does Theon just really, really need a friend so he doesn’t go crazy and Robb’s the best option, but then they end up bonding? Really any cute childhood adventures would be great - especially anything with Theon in a (perhaps unwilling/unintentional) mentorship role. (And ahaha how annoyed Cat would be that her Pride and Joy has taken a shining to this Suspicious ™ Greyjoy boy who’s a bad influence.) Actually, maybe something about Theon being a bad influence on Robb, but like in a mostly harmless way - teaches him how to sneak out, teaching him not-quite-age-appropriate stories/jokes/things about sex. For a more hurt/comfort angle (!!!) - tiny Robb really attaching to Theon, just deciding this is his older brother now so he’s gonna like crawl into his bed when he has a nightmare or conscript him into telling him stories when he’s unwell, and all the while Theon is like “I really did not sign up for this shit” but secretly he’s really, embarrassingly soft for this stupid child. (But also - I think there’s implications that Theon sometimes has nightmares about the siege of Pyke, and those were probably more intense when he was much younger so…an unexpected role reversal?)
For something more sad…Ned taking Theon to executions and making him squire is just fgbsdfhklgfh. So like…Ned taking Robb to his first execution when he’s maybe just a little older than Bran was his first time (so maybe 8) and then Theon has to go too and it’s also his first one. And they’re both really shaken, but for different reasons (Theon doesn’t have his laugh-about-everything-always defensive mechanisms worked out yet) and kinda take comfort in each other in a way. Or…maybe at some point when they’re both in the teenage/pre-teen era, there’s some troubling news from the Islands and the boys jump the gun with panic and whether or not The Time has come for Ned to take Theon’s head. (And maybe they try to run away/escape…)
But I’m also totally into stories from when they’re older/canon-era, and a more romantic slant on their relationship is also welcome. Feel free to use any of the prompts in the above GoT section that I gave for them with either a platonic or romantic slant (most of them should be workable for book canon and dynamics as well, and I think the tensions between them/in their relationship are similar ultimately, even if book!Robb is younger and thus reads softer and Theon doesn’t give off quite as strong unrequited love vibes as in the show and, and just generally there is a shift in dynamic due to the age gap).
Dagmer Cleftjaw & Theon Greyjoy
Don’t we all wish Dagmer was Theon’s dad instead of Balon? Ahah. No, but seriously, I love how warm and familiar this relationship feels, how comfortable they are with each other after all these years. Like, everyone else is suspicious or derisive or indifferent to Theon after all his time away, and Dagmer is just…not. He looks at him and sees that kid he trained, the one he’d clearly cared about and still supports and stands by. He knows Theon really well, sees through his facades, and Theon doesn’t even really find this embarrassing, even in the hypersensitive state he’s in during ACOK. And every memory Theon seems to have of Dagmer is largely positive - that’s so rare for him! No wonder he’s sort of “adopted” Dagmer as his uncle.
I would love anything about them, really. I love explorations of Theon as a child pre-rebellion. (And I hold to the opinion that while the Greyjoys were always a highly dysfunctional family, Theon wasn’t especially miserable as a kid either. Likely, he had a good relationship with Asha, if hindered a bit by age and gender difference, and was probably more ignored by his father than disliked or anything. His mother loved him; he had friends. Aeron was a different person back then too, so he might have gotten along with him well enough as an uncle. Like, his memories of his brothers are clearly bad, but that doesn’t seem to spread generally to everything and everyone else on the Islands.) But anyway, yes - anything about Theon’s childhood and Dagmer’s role in it. Feel free to bring in any other Greyjoys and other ironborn families as you like!
But I would also enjoy something about when Theon comes back to Pyke. Maybe Dagmer’s POV on the situation. What does he think about Theon now that he’s grown up? Does he make any active attempts to mentor Theon through the drama with his father/men/overall situation of being a bit of an outsider, or does he expect this to shift into more of a friendship between adults? If they are reunited after Theon’s time with Ramsay, how does that all go?
Here’s a somewhat elaborate AU idea I’m really fond of: Basically Alannys prepares for the eventuality of them losing the Pyke siege/war with the mindset that if they lose the Northerners are gonna kill Balon’s sons or at least take them hostage indefinitely so she arranges for Theon to be hidden outside the castle/be smuggled out at some point if it looks like they’re definitely going to lose. Theon is to hide until things calm down then make his way to a pre-agreed upon location. (Maybe she sends Asha too, or maybe they figured no one would care about her because she’s a girl.) Anyway the other part of the plan is that they tell the Northerners that Theon died during the siege (e.g. died in the South Tower collapse) But they also figure they can’t be caught in the lie right away or like if it’s revealed Theon is alive they’d come back for him. So, Alannys also makes a deal with Dagmer that he’ll raise Theon on the islands but in hiding, basically, as Theon Pyke. So that’s the set up - but how do things go after this plan is successful? This can be taken in a more light/comedy direction: the Theon and Dagmer (mis)adventires. But also can be far more serious and angsty: Theon having to deal with being in hiding essentially/living as a bastard, them having to adjust to this new life even if they see it as temporary (and how much is Dagmer prepared for the fact that raising a kid is not the same as just training/mentoring him?), Theon growing up and learning to lead on a local/minor level but always looking forward to going back to reclaim his birthright. Where does this leave him and Asha? Does she sneakily come visit? Does Balon still make her his de facto heir and how does Theon deal with that? Or is she taken hostage instead of Theon and how does he deal with the emotional fallout from that?
Екатерина | Catherine (2014)
This show has aired three seasons, but only season 1 is really relevant to my request. A fansub for both S1 and S2 is avaliable here. All three seasons are up on Amazon Prime: S1, S2, S3.
Peter/Brockdorff
These two! I even wrote a shipper’s manifesto in case that’s helpful to anyone? (It includes some nifty historical background on Brockdorff, btw.) [BE ADVISED there are GIFs, though they are under spoiler cuts.]
Brockdorff is always in the background but also always around, even when it doesn’t seem like he has a “duty” to be. (Or any comprehensible reason? Like when Peter is woken up in the middle of the night to go watch Catherine give birth and Brockdorff is there with him. I mean, other than like providing moral support, why would he be there?) Brockdorff seems to be the one person who is always exclusively on Peter’s side. (Well, Liza too.) There are just so many little, subtle things. But the potential in this ship for loyalty kink and hurt/comfort and kinda awkward/messed up power dynamics is through the roof. This could even be a one-sided ship. I love the dynamic of the emotionally vulnerable, mildly daft Prince and his loyal and more competent/composed underling (chamberlain in this case).
You could go fluffy - private, happy moments. Maybe they fly that kite (and watch it burn up in the air!). Maybe the reason Peter mentioned the kite at all as something that would make him happy is because that’s something he and Brockdorff would do as kids back in Holstein before things got complicated. Pre-canon childhood fic in general! Triumphant moments/success during Peter’s short rule and/or grand plans for a brighter future. (Oooh! Their first kiss?) Some cute scenes with Paul maybe? If they get into a relationship, when/how do they make the switch from formality to informality? (Especially Brockdorff, as Peter is already all over the place with his yous and thous. but Brockdorff is always overproper and I'd love to see how that formality may break down in intense/intimate moments.)
Or all the angst! Brockdorff’s one-sided love or a complicated relationship made even more complicated by Peter’s constantly worsening paranoia and dissatisfaction with everything. Peter having to leave home (Holstein) and everyone/everything he knows behind. Brockdorff dealing with the coup and Peter’s death - when you’ve basically committed and built your entire life around someone, that’s a lot of empty space to suddenly fill when they’re gone. Having to say goodbye when Peter is first called away to Russia (and Brockdorff swearing he’ll come and join him as soon as he can?).
Hurt/comfort would be amazing <3 Aftermath of Peter’s smallpox and all the emotional fallout and insecurity there and/or remaining physical weakness, for more tradition h/c. Or maybe Brockdorff walks in on Peter during a private breakdown/vulnerable moment after he finds out that Catherine is going to have a child after all and that child might very well not be his. Peter’s constantly dealing with a lot - social pressures of being the heir, insecurity/sense of inferiority instilled by Elizabeth’s constant disappointment, homesickness (especially during his first years in Russia), a failed marriage, constant fears about the future. It’s ripe for some hurt/comfort!
18th Century RPF
Christian August von Brockdorff/Andrei Gudovich.
Alley, why are you requesting something so bizarrely obscure? Honestly...I have no good reason. The heart just wants what it wants I guess xD The good part is that since both of them are such minor historical figures and so little is known about them, there’s a lot of leeway as to the details of their personalities :)
[Who is Brockdorff?]
Brockdorff was the chamberlain of Peter III of Russia, from before he came to Russia, in his capacity as the Duke of Holstein. Brockdorff’s father and Peter’s father were friends (at the least, Brockdorff's father was in favor with Duke Karl Friedrich). A Lady Brockdorff was also prominent at the Kiel court at the time (though I’m not sure of her relation to Christian exactly). There are issues with establishing Brockdorff's age but for fanfic/RPF purposes I like to assume Brockdorff and Peter were about agemates. When Peter was taken to Russia at the age of 14, the man in charge of his education (something of a head tutor), Brümmer, came with him. Brümmer then advised Russian ministers that Brockdorff had such an influence on Peter that he should not be allowed into the country. (Brümmer considered it negative influence, but given the man’s tendency to be abusive and generally not give a damn about Peter’s best interests, his assessment is highly suspect. Catherine didn’t like Brockdorff either, but they had a personal rivalry going.) So when Brockdorff tried to follow Peter to Russia, he was turned away at the border. BUT finally (in about 1754-5) he found a way to get to the Petersburg court - he traveled incognito (allegedly as a glass merchant), and basically snuck into the country. In Petersburg, he got a warm reception from Peter and stayed in his existing position as chamberlain. He continued to have a lot of influence on Peter (which really irritated Catherine as they didn’t get along and Brockdorff constantly advised Peter to divorce her), and on Peter’s ascension to the throne, Brockdorff received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. His indluence began to fade around...mmm I'd say the very start of the 1960s, shortly after the rise of Peter's other favorite, Andrey Gudovich. Most of our information about Brockdorff comes from Catherine II's memoires. She considered him sneaky, politically savvy at best and a coniving intrigue-weaver at worst. There's no argument that Brockdorff strove to gain favor from Peter, then a Grand Duke, and to please him (going as far as sneaking a regiment of Holstein soldiers into Russia for the garrison of Peter's "toy" fortress). But there's also no proof that he was anything but genuinely loyalt to Peter.
[Who is Gudovich?]Andrey Vasilyevich Gudovich (b. 1731, the elder brother of Ivan Godovich) was Peter III’s chamberlain and then, later, adjutant. He was one of Peter’s closest confidants and he was the man Peter entrusted with bringing news to Friedrich the Great that Peter intended to sue for peace and end the 7 Years War. During the coup, Gudovich stayed with Peter until the very end. When Peter was brought to Peterhof after his initial abdication, the only two people who accompanied him there (other than the convoy, ofc) were Liza Vorontsova (his mistress) and Gudovich. They were both arrested at Peterhof on their arrival and briefly imprisoned. At one point, after his arrest, Peter asked Catherine for permission to leave the country. He also asked to be allowed to take Liza and Gudovich with him. After everything, Gudovich was released and Catherine asked him if he wanted to re-enter the service/stay at court. He, however, resigned promptly and went abroad where he stayed for several years. On his return to Russia he lived at his country estate and only returned to court upon a summons, via a very touching note, from Paul I, Peter’s son. Even may years later (~30), Andrey's letters to his friends spoke of Peter IIi in a manner that always struck me as somewhat...mmm...awestruck? If not romantic. (Albeit, this is an inference drawn from a couple of scant instances but still.)
I think what I love the most with these two together are the (potential) contrasts between them. Brockdorff the serious, manipulative, ruthless and political one vs. Gudovich, the youthful, earnest, idealistic one. They’re devoted to their Prince and both favorites of said prince, and probably in a constant struggle for priority, but also forced to work together and get along at least for long enough to get things done. I’d love all the jostling, seething banter, gloating and one-upmanship! But…also…really awkward and suppressed UST and almost-pining. Brockdorff would totally be one of those men who would, to use a quote from a tv show, "feel his desire as hatred,” at least in the case where he considers the target of said desire to be unworthy of it. And I definitely have a headcanon of Andrei kind of…admiring Brockdorff in a way and wanting to be friends on some level but every move he makes is rebuffed and they clash ALL the time.
I also could swear I read somewhere (though I can’t find it anymore D:) that Gudovich got his chamberlain appointment through Catherine or someone close to her so I could honestly see this devolving into a comedy of misunderstandings where Brockdorff has legitimate reasons to believe that Gudovich is a spy even though he really, REALLY isn’t. But also, also - all the post-coup angst. I think it’s the shared grief that would bring them together, would make them want to hold on to each other and maybe realize they didn’t really actually dislike each other THAT much. This ship is ripe for some classic enemies/rivals-to-lovers. Or frenemies to lovers, if you want to go for a softer take.
But really, I just want to see something with lots of tension and banter and snide remarks and power struggles and attraction that everyone chooses to ignore until they explode! Politics and intrigues and scandals. All the dumb shit Peter does and they have to deal with lol. I’m not married to any particular prompt or interpretation of this ship. I also ship them both pretty hard with Peter, so jealousy and love triangles are very welcome here!