Dear FFFX Creator
AO3 name: Alley_Skywalker
Dear FFFX Creator,
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 and for any of the relationsihps 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!
GENERAL STUFF
Likes:
Art Likes
FANDOMS
Game of Thrones
Fandom-specific DNWs
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. (In this situation though, I'll say that it's really important for me that Theon stands up for himself and his decisions. In the show especially he's decently good at not letting Robb walk all over him/calling Robb out on his BS, so while he might be nervous and uncertain about how Robb will react, I'd rather they fight/argue if there's reason to, like if Theon appears to have considered a defection or had to pretend to take part for a while, than Theon completely falling all over himself to get Robb to take him back or acting like Robb would do him the greatest favor ever if he does.)
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 or whipped 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 tone here you want (though I’d very much prefer Theon not losing or at least him and Robb being equally screwed) - 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
Minors-under-16/adults DNW is waived for Robb/Theon as needed.
Fandom-specific like: for post-Ramsay fic that's set further out into the future (post-war, etc), I really-really love the fanon that Theon's hair eventually starts growing back in dark/black. (Let him have nice things ahhh!!)
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 and loyalty kink! (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/Jeyne Poole
Preliminarily, I will say that I don't mind if you age Jeyne up a couple of years if it's needed for timeline things. ANYWAY, I love this ship both for thematic reasons and also just as a straight up love story - the desperation, the shared angst, the heroic/daring escape, and the chance to find happiness and understanding in each other! And, really there are so many things about them but the one that’s underappreciated I feel like is Jeyne’s pre-series/AGOT era crush on/attraction to Theon. (She likes older guys, clearly, ok. That’s not an abnormal teenager thing lol.) And, of course, then when she meets him again he’s not nearly the attractive, dashing boy he used to be, but he saves her - he saves her when before he probably paid her no attention at all. And it’s like…it’s that story of the girl who grew up in her prettier/better-off/more popular bff’s shadow getting the guy she’s always wanted, and yet…not really? Because it’s not exactly a fairytale and Theon is not the boy he used to be (and yet…in some ways he still is).
But anyway, I just want some of them falling in love and being in love. Idiots to Lovers is great for them. as is pining. What were they up to during the war? Would love to see Jeyne meeting Asha and maybe some other people Theon knows/who are part of his life (what do they think of her? Who does he tell them she is/what is she to him?). What kind of life do they build together? (Do they adopt a child? Or, fuck it, canon is vague enough about this that it’s not strictly speaking acononical/AU to say that Theon still has the ability to procreate, if you catch my drift. Let them have a whole bunch of babies lol.) Does she stick with him from the moment they escape or are they separated at some point and then find each other later/after the war? Also, while I would enjoy fluff for them and definitely want a happy ending with this ship, the whole thing doesn’t have to be fluff. There can be angst and drama, both of the romantic sort and the We Are At War With Zombies/Euron type. (inevitably, their mutual trauma and trauma recovery will likely be a theme, but I’d rather the trauma/PTSD aspect not be the only/overwhelming aspect of the fic.)
Harry Potter
Regulus Black & Barty Crouch Jr. & Evan Rosier & Severus Snape
Evan Rosier/Severus Snape
One of the things I've always loved in the HP universe was the era of the First War. I've got a lot of headcanons about it, but I enjoy reading other's takes on aspects of it as well. It was clearly such a tense time, and the war was ramping up as Severus, Regulus and their classmates were still in school. We don't know too much about the first war era, and about Severus' cohort of young(er) Death Eaters, but we do know some things. Obviously we know a lot about Snape, and we know some about Regulus (he did not see/feel the need to rebel against his family the way Sirius did and they apparently had a...complicated relationsihp at the least, but he eventually defected). We know Barty was and stayed extremely loyal despite his father being very anti-Voldemort and we know Evan was skilled enough to wound Moody in combat/a duel and he died laughing (though I read it as like bitter desparation/dark humor rather than insanity). But we don't really know how exactly the Death Eaters were organized, to what extent they were organized (similar to the Order? Karkaroff says most of them didn't know every other person who was or wasn't a Death Eater, but I imagine people suspected, and how much do we trust Karkaroff anyway?).
How did they train? What were their missions? I'm really interested in the war worldbuilding part of things. But I'm also interested in the more social - Pureblood Society, especially - part of worldbuilding. These boys are all purebloods, save Severus. (Note: I headcanon Evan as being the same age as and friends with Severus.) Also, don't feel limited to just the characters in this group - include anyone else you want from that cohort: e.g. Avery, Mulciber, Wilkes, Rabastan etc. Hell, make up some OCs if you'd like and/or include some of the older Death Eaters - Dolohov, Rookwood, Lucius - as mentors or family friends or commanding officers, or just people they know and have to deal with.
I really love themes and stories of friendship and loyalty, as well as explorations of how those are tested by war. Also explorations of how people come to extrimism. Who is there because they really believe this shit? Who is there for more practical reasons? Who is there because that's what their friends and family are all doing and/or out of a sense of duty to someone/something? Are there ideological debates they have? How does someone like Regulus, who stops believeing in the Cause or perhaps just stops believing in Tom Riddle/Voldemort's leadership. feel and deal with having to betray his friends? (Or a similar question, but for Snape. Let's assume young Severus did have some genuine friendships, even if they didn't mean as much as his love for Lily or save him from being bullied.) I want to see some boys being friends and growing up togther and doing dumb teenage things together and fighting a war together and ending up torn apart by the world and/or their own choices. Or, you know, some subset of those things.
For Severus/Evan specifically, I love the angst potential here. I wouldn’t mind fluff either, though, if you want. I enjoy the potential for opposites attract with these two, especially as I headcanon Evan as a sort of relatively carefree outgoing social butterfly. I would love to see a progression of their relationship. I would seriously like this to be mutual. You don’t have to ignore canon/Lily, I’m all for Severus/Lily, but once she’s out of the picture, I would love to see Sev having a fulfilling relationship with Evan. Oh, yes, hurt/comfort is your friend :D That being said, how does Sev’s betrayal fit into this? How does that affect him emotionally - knowing you’re betraying your friends and your lover? Does Evan have suspicions? And if he does but can’t bring himself to tell/confront Sev - oh the glorious angst and guilt! I wouldn’t mind seeing Sev’s reaction to Evan’s death.
Maybe they get captured and need to find a way to escape before they get handed over to the Ministry. Getting-together fics, especially set against the background of war, are great!
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 Creator,
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 and for any of the relationsihps 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!
GENERAL STUFF
Likes:
- 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 can be 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 (and I'm more interested in the romantic tension getting resolved, than the sexual tension anyway).
- Conversely from the above - romantic partners who just can’t help but adore each other.
- Kissing, hugging, holding hands, cuddling/snuggling, non-sexual physical contact in general. (Special shout out to face touching, forehead kisses and hand kisses!)
- Physical affection in non-romantic relationships.
- 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).
- Hurt/comfort!!! (Both physical and emotional. With physical hurt/comfort I love a lot of touching and tenderness and stuff like that.)
- 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, flirting.
- 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.
- 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 and things like character death don’t bother me much in most cases, 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.
Art Likes
- Bright colors and/or well-lit scenes.
- Nature settings.
- Water imagery and settings (oceans, rivers, rain).
- Tenderness and physical affection - kissing, holding hand, cuddling, etc.
- Re above, special shout-outs to forehead kisses, face touching, hand kissing, rubbing noses.
- Caretaking and hurt/comfort - everything from bandaging wounds to spoon feeding a sick/injured. character to holding someone as they cry to fixing someone’s tie or helping them put on cufflinks/armor/other item of clothing.
- Fancy clothes (and armor); heraldry; culture-specific costumes/clothes.
- Balls, festivals, scenes of dancing generally.
- For my het ships: weddings; family portraits; scenes with their children.
- For requesting involving Theon: love that boy with a bow!
- (Please don't feel limited by this list! I'm sure I'll love whatever you draw! These are just some things that came to my mind, but I'm not that great at describing art/what exactly I like in it, so don't take this as any kind of comprehensive list.)
- Threesomes/moresomes and polyamory (unless requested/prompted or canon).
- Incest (unless requested or explicitly canon; this DNW does not include cousins).
- Pairings with age gaps over 10 years (unless canon for a requested ship).
- Minors under 16 in sexual/romantic relationships with adults (one-sided teenage crushes on adults are fine).
- On-screen sex with characters under 16 (mentions/reference to teenage sexual experimentation is ok; kissing/low rating romance-y stuff also ok).
- Explicit rating and PWPs; above T/PG-13 rating in art.
- 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); glorification of bullying.
- Non-con/rape (dub-con that leans toward/ends up as consensual is ok).
- Mpreg.
- Crack!fic, parody.
- AUs that subvert the universe or drastically change the setting (e.g.: setting change AUs like Coffee Shop, Modern, In Space, etc. This includes stuff like A/B/O and inserting (non-canon) magic/supernatural elements into a universe where those things don't canonically exist).
- 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.)
- Horror; graphic gore.
- Torture. (Mentions of canon events that involve torture is ok; waived for GoT/ASOIAF prompts specifically asking for a "captured together" scenario, but gore DNW still applies, also please still avoid non-canon permanent injuries, vomit/urine/feces, and graphic depictions of infected/open wounds.)
- Parental favoritism presented in a positive/non-negative light by the narrative.
- 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
- Fics set during Theon’s canonical captivity by Ramsay and AU situations where Theon is still captured by Ramsay, unless it’s a “captured together” scenario with Robb.
- Ramsay/Theon; Jaime/Brienne.
- Stories where the narrative implications/main theme/point is that Theon should have chosen the Starks over his own family and/or that they were the best thing to happen to him, etc along those lines - this can be a point of contention/conflict between characters but not a narrative posture or widely accepted POV outside Northern characters.
- Theon begging Robb to take him back/get back together/be friends again after a breakup/fight (normal apologizing for past hurtful actions is fine, though also, whatever mess they’re in I’d rather it not be/not be presented as all Theon’s fault).\
- Theon thinking Robb is "too good" for him or having similar insecurities.
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. (In this situation though, I'll say that it's really important for me that Theon stands up for himself and his decisions. In the show especially he's decently good at not letting Robb walk all over him/calling Robb out on his BS, so while he might be nervous and uncertain about how Robb will react, I'd rather they fight/argue if there's reason to, like if Theon appears to have considered a defection or had to pretend to take part for a while, than Theon completely falling all over himself to get Robb to take him back or acting like Robb would do him the greatest favor ever if he does.)
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 or whipped 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 tone here you want (though I’d very much prefer Theon not losing or at least him and Robb being equally screwed) - 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 say 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. 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, maybe he's even making progress (if not with Balon) 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 or whatever other reason). 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
- Fics set during Theon’s canonical captivity by Ramsay and AU situations where Theon is still captured by Ramsay, unless it’s a “captured together” scenario with Tris.
- Ramsay/Theon; Jaime/Brienne.
- Stories where the narrative implications/main theme/point is that Theon should have chosen the Starks over his own family and/or that they were the best thing to happen to him, etc along those lines - this can be a point of contention/conflict between characters but not a narrative posture or widely accepted POV outside Northern characters.
- Theon begging Robb to take him back/get back together/be friends again after a breakup/fight (normal apologizing for past hurtful actions is fine, though also, whatever mess they’re in I’d rather it not be/not be presented as all Theon’s fault).
- Theon thinking Robb is "too good" for him or having similar insecurities.
Minors-under-16/adults DNW is waived for Robb/Theon as needed.
Fandom-specific like: for post-Ramsay fic that's set further out into the future (post-war, etc), I really-really love the fanon that Theon's hair eventually starts growing back in dark/black. (Let him have nice things ahhh!!)
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 and loyalty kink! (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?) And relatedly -- if they're still doomed and get captured together, I love the scenario of The Ship having to provide comfort/care for each other while being held cpative together, maybe their captors using them against each other (or trying to). Especially sweet if they're secretly pining for one another during all this or have a Feelings Reailzation moment! And really, the captured together scenario doesn't have to be via Ramsay - could be any other AU set-up.
- Balon dies unexpectedly 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 the 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/Jeyne Poole
Preliminarily, I will say that I don't mind if you age Jeyne up a couple of years if it's needed for timeline things. ANYWAY, I love this ship both for thematic reasons and also just as a straight up love story - the desperation, the shared angst, the heroic/daring escape, and the chance to find happiness and understanding in each other! And, really there are so many things about them but the one that’s underappreciated I feel like is Jeyne’s pre-series/AGOT era crush on/attraction to Theon. (She likes older guys, clearly, ok. That’s not an abnormal teenager thing lol.) And, of course, then when she meets him again he’s not nearly the attractive, dashing boy he used to be, but he saves her - he saves her when before he probably paid her no attention at all. And it’s like…it’s that story of the girl who grew up in her prettier/better-off/more popular bff’s shadow getting the guy she’s always wanted, and yet…not really? Because it’s not exactly a fairytale and Theon is not the boy he used to be (and yet…in some ways he still is).
But anyway, I just want some of them falling in love and being in love. Idiots to Lovers is great for them. as is pining. What were they up to during the war? Would love to see Jeyne meeting Asha and maybe some other people Theon knows/who are part of his life (what do they think of her? Who does he tell them she is/what is she to him?). What kind of life do they build together? (Do they adopt a child? Or, fuck it, canon is vague enough about this that it’s not strictly speaking acononical/AU to say that Theon still has the ability to procreate, if you catch my drift. Let them have a whole bunch of babies lol.) Does she stick with him from the moment they escape or are they separated at some point and then find each other later/after the war? Also, while I would enjoy fluff for them and definitely want a happy ending with this ship, the whole thing doesn’t have to be fluff. There can be angst and drama, both of the romantic sort and the We Are At War With Zombies/Euron type. (inevitably, their mutual trauma and trauma recovery will likely be a theme, but I’d rather the trauma/PTSD aspect not be the only/overwhelming aspect of the fic.)
Harry Potter
Regulus Black & Barty Crouch Jr. & Evan Rosier & Severus Snape
Evan Rosier/Severus Snape
One of the things I've always loved in the HP universe was the era of the First War. I've got a lot of headcanons about it, but I enjoy reading other's takes on aspects of it as well. It was clearly such a tense time, and the war was ramping up as Severus, Regulus and their classmates were still in school. We don't know too much about the first war era, and about Severus' cohort of young(er) Death Eaters, but we do know some things. Obviously we know a lot about Snape, and we know some about Regulus (he did not see/feel the need to rebel against his family the way Sirius did and they apparently had a...complicated relationsihp at the least, but he eventually defected). We know Barty was and stayed extremely loyal despite his father being very anti-Voldemort and we know Evan was skilled enough to wound Moody in combat/a duel and he died laughing (though I read it as like bitter desparation/dark humor rather than insanity). But we don't really know how exactly the Death Eaters were organized, to what extent they were organized (similar to the Order? Karkaroff says most of them didn't know every other person who was or wasn't a Death Eater, but I imagine people suspected, and how much do we trust Karkaroff anyway?).
How did they train? What were their missions? I'm really interested in the war worldbuilding part of things. But I'm also interested in the more social - Pureblood Society, especially - part of worldbuilding. These boys are all purebloods, save Severus. (Note: I headcanon Evan as being the same age as and friends with Severus.) Also, don't feel limited to just the characters in this group - include anyone else you want from that cohort: e.g. Avery, Mulciber, Wilkes, Rabastan etc. Hell, make up some OCs if you'd like and/or include some of the older Death Eaters - Dolohov, Rookwood, Lucius - as mentors or family friends or commanding officers, or just people they know and have to deal with.
I really love themes and stories of friendship and loyalty, as well as explorations of how those are tested by war. Also explorations of how people come to extrimism. Who is there because they really believe this shit? Who is there for more practical reasons? Who is there because that's what their friends and family are all doing and/or out of a sense of duty to someone/something? Are there ideological debates they have? How does someone like Regulus, who stops believeing in the Cause or perhaps just stops believing in Tom Riddle/Voldemort's leadership. feel and deal with having to betray his friends? (Or a similar question, but for Snape. Let's assume young Severus did have some genuine friendships, even if they didn't mean as much as his love for Lily or save him from being bullied.) I want to see some boys being friends and growing up togther and doing dumb teenage things together and fighting a war together and ending up torn apart by the world and/or their own choices. Or, you know, some subset of those things.
For Severus/Evan specifically, I love the angst potential here. I wouldn’t mind fluff either, though, if you want. I enjoy the potential for opposites attract with these two, especially as I headcanon Evan as a sort of relatively carefree outgoing social butterfly. I would love to see a progression of their relationship. I would seriously like this to be mutual. You don’t have to ignore canon/Lily, I’m all for Severus/Lily, but once she’s out of the picture, I would love to see Sev having a fulfilling relationship with Evan. Oh, yes, hurt/comfort is your friend :D That being said, how does Sev’s betrayal fit into this? How does that affect him emotionally - knowing you’re betraying your friends and your lover? Does Evan have suspicions? And if he does but can’t bring himself to tell/confront Sev - oh the glorious angst and guilt! I wouldn’t mind seeing Sev’s reaction to Evan’s death.
Maybe they get captured and need to find a way to escape before they get handed over to the Ministry. Getting-together fics, especially set against the background of war, are great!
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!