Dear Trick or Treat Writer
[Sept. 22: It's done, it's done, it's done! Thank you so much for your patience, trick or treat writer! ^_^]
Hello! This is my first time doing Trick or Treat, and I'm very excited about it! ^_^ First and foremost I'd like to offer up a huge "Thank You!!" to you for writing a story for me. I know how difficult it can be to put any part of your creative process into the hands of another individual, so I will do my best to treat that trust with the care and respect it deserves. ^_^
AO3: eirenical (chibi1723)
tumblr: eirenical
Rating and kink:
Any rating can fly. Really. Any rating. And for shipfic, my general preferences tend towards slash or femslash and/or polyamory. ^_^
As for kink, if you’d like to write something on the higher end of the rating scale, I'll specify within specific fandoms if there are any particular kinks I might be interested in. (If you'd like to include a kink and you aren't sure I'll be OK with it, please ask the mods to contact me and ask. I'm pretty approachable and I really won't mind being spoiled with something like that. If anything, it will only heighten my gleeful anticipation. ^_^)
General likes and dislikes:
Likes:
I like fluff. I like angst. I like hurt/comfort (emotional or physical) and sickfic. I like found family stories. I like shipfic. I like plotty fic. I like long fic. I like short fic. I like character studies. I like AUs of the "What if?" variety (i.e. what if character A had made a different decision here; what if character B hadn't died). I like explorations of things beyond canon (i.e. continuations of canon, deeper explorations of things only mentioned in passing in canon, expanding on the stories of minor characters, backstories, etc.).
I like a whole lot more than that, but in the interest of not writing a 20,000 word letter, here's the punch line to all of this babbling: what draws me to fandom is the characters and the interactions between them. So, if you keep the story focused on the characters, I'll generally be happy with whatever other plot trappings fall around them. ^_^
DNWs (do not wants):
1) I prefer to keep other kinds of AUs (i.e. coffeehouse AUs, high school AUs, etc.) to my larger fandom explorations. For exchanges, I prefer to stay closer to actual canon.
2) I have a huge fealty/loyalty kink, and discussions of infidelity/cheating/going behind someone's back/etc., make me highly uncomfortable. So, if you could avoid that kind of thing, I'd appreciate it.
3) I have a huge embarrassment/public humiliation squick, so if you could avoid that, I'd be grateful.
4) I’m a veterinarian and an animal lover and any talk of animal abuse or animal death makes me really upset. So, if there are any animals in your stories, I’d appreciate it if none of them were hurt or killed, and that they are all treated with care and respect. Thanks!
5) The following kinks: Age play/infantalism, scat, watersports, a/b/o dynamics/omegaverse. Basically, if I haven't listed it as something I'd like for a particular story, please just don't include it. Thanks!
Specific Requests:
You are free to utilize any prompt I toss out there or none of them. If reading what I like about the characters/worlds sparks a fic idea in your head, feel free to ignore the prompts and run with it. ^_^
Also, length of babble in no way indicates my fandom preferences. (i.e., I literally just finished watching the last season and then doing a full series rewatch of Dark Matter before sign-ups so I ended up having a LOT more to say about that canon than some of the others, but it in no way means that I care less about the others. DM is just fresher in my mind.) I promise I’m equally excited about the possibility of all of these requests. ^_^
1. Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types
Characters: Edmund Pevensie
I have a type. I really do. And Edmund Pevensie was one of the first indications I had of what that type was going to be. There’s something about a character who has done something egregiously wrong, whether for the wrong or right reasons, and ends up turning it around, being willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to redeem themselves. And when that character, even in redemption, is still a shade darker, is still haunted by their past mistakes, forever trying to make up for them? Yeah. I’m gone. Sign me right the fuck up.
…enter Edmund Pevensie. ;D
Potential ships:
2. Dark Matter (TV)
Characters: Three | Marcus Boone
…I’ve mentioned I have a type, yes? Three honestly fascinates me because through most of season one, he convincingly plays the part of the irredeemable jerk, but even then you can see these cracks in his armor starting to appear, like when he gives up the passcode to try to save Two. And the further along you go through the series, the more those cracks appear and widen, until by season three, he’s revealed to be… pretty much the biggest sap of them all? He’s happiest when his family is around him, when he can do whatever needs doing to keep them all safe. Like I mentioned with Edmund above, he’s another one who will gladly do the dirty work so no one else has to. And I just can’t get enough of him and that dichotomy. ^_^
Potential Ships:
3. Dark Visions - L. J. Smith
Characters: Gabriel Wolfe
This book (and this character) has been a favorite of mine for a long time. ^_^ I kid you not… I named my cat after him. ^_^ That type I talked about with both Edmund and Three? He definitely falls under there, too. He’s done some Bad Shit in his life, unintentional though it might have been, but once he lets Kaitlyn and the others in, he spends a good amount of time trying to redeem himself. And he’s willing to do the darker things, commit the bigger crimes, to keep the others from having to do the same. As much as he snarks against them, he really would do anything to protect them, and I love that. ^_^
Potential Ships:
Trick Prompts:
4. Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Characters: Finnick Odair
Oh, Finnick. Talk about someone who absolutely deserved better than what canon gave him. FUCK. Thrown into the Hunger Games at 14… and won, just to be sold into prostitution in the Capitol. Had to stand by and watch the woman he loved (or would soon love?) risk her life in the games five years later, then lose her sanity as a result. Was reaped AGAIN at the Quarter Quell, nearly saw Annie get reaped, again, only to be saved by Mags-the only other person he truly loves-getting reaped in her stead. Losing his own sanity for a while when Annie gets taken by the Capitol. THE LIST GOES ON. Like… life just does not give him a break, ever. And then finally that thing that happens in book three that I like to pretend never did.
Then again… I do so love those breaking noises. ^_~
Potential Ships:
Trick Prompts:
Hello! This is my first time doing Trick or Treat, and I'm very excited about it! ^_^ First and foremost I'd like to offer up a huge "Thank You!!" to you for writing a story for me. I know how difficult it can be to put any part of your creative process into the hands of another individual, so I will do my best to treat that trust with the care and respect it deserves. ^_^
AO3: eirenical (chibi1723)
tumblr: eirenical
Rating and kink:
Any rating can fly. Really. Any rating. And for shipfic, my general preferences tend towards slash or femslash and/or polyamory. ^_^
As for kink, if you’d like to write something on the higher end of the rating scale, I'll specify within specific fandoms if there are any particular kinks I might be interested in. (If you'd like to include a kink and you aren't sure I'll be OK with it, please ask the mods to contact me and ask. I'm pretty approachable and I really won't mind being spoiled with something like that. If anything, it will only heighten my gleeful anticipation. ^_^)
General likes and dislikes:
Likes:
I like fluff. I like angst. I like hurt/comfort (emotional or physical) and sickfic. I like found family stories. I like shipfic. I like plotty fic. I like long fic. I like short fic. I like character studies. I like AUs of the "What if?" variety (i.e. what if character A had made a different decision here; what if character B hadn't died). I like explorations of things beyond canon (i.e. continuations of canon, deeper explorations of things only mentioned in passing in canon, expanding on the stories of minor characters, backstories, etc.).
I like a whole lot more than that, but in the interest of not writing a 20,000 word letter, here's the punch line to all of this babbling: what draws me to fandom is the characters and the interactions between them. So, if you keep the story focused on the characters, I'll generally be happy with whatever other plot trappings fall around them. ^_^
DNWs (do not wants):
1) I prefer to keep other kinds of AUs (i.e. coffeehouse AUs, high school AUs, etc.) to my larger fandom explorations. For exchanges, I prefer to stay closer to actual canon.
2) I have a huge fealty/loyalty kink, and discussions of infidelity/cheating/going behind someone's back/etc., make me highly uncomfortable. So, if you could avoid that kind of thing, I'd appreciate it.
3) I have a huge embarrassment/public humiliation squick, so if you could avoid that, I'd be grateful.
4) I’m a veterinarian and an animal lover and any talk of animal abuse or animal death makes me really upset. So, if there are any animals in your stories, I’d appreciate it if none of them were hurt or killed, and that they are all treated with care and respect. Thanks!
5) The following kinks: Age play/infantalism, scat, watersports, a/b/o dynamics/omegaverse. Basically, if I haven't listed it as something I'd like for a particular story, please just don't include it. Thanks!
Specific Requests:
You are free to utilize any prompt I toss out there or none of them. If reading what I like about the characters/worlds sparks a fic idea in your head, feel free to ignore the prompts and run with it. ^_^
Also, length of babble in no way indicates my fandom preferences. (i.e., I literally just finished watching the last season and then doing a full series rewatch of Dark Matter before sign-ups so I ended up having a LOT more to say about that canon than some of the others, but it in no way means that I care less about the others. DM is just fresher in my mind.) I promise I’m equally excited about the possibility of all of these requests. ^_^
1. Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types
Characters: Edmund Pevensie
I have a type. I really do. And Edmund Pevensie was one of the first indications I had of what that type was going to be. There’s something about a character who has done something egregiously wrong, whether for the wrong or right reasons, and ends up turning it around, being willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to redeem themselves. And when that character, even in redemption, is still a shade darker, is still haunted by their past mistakes, forever trying to make up for them? Yeah. I’m gone. Sign me right the fuck up.
…enter Edmund Pevensie. ;D
Potential ships:
- I ship Edmund and Peter pretty hard, ngl, so if you want to play with that, I am totally down for it, either in a Trick or a Treat. ^_^
- The aftermath of Narnia - I’m always on board for this idea. It was hard for all the Pevensies to return from Narnia that first time. There was still a war going on. They were still alone in the country, away from their family. How much worse was it for Edmund? Not many adults can say that they’ve gone through what he went through. How much worse was it for him to be an adult who has… in the body of a child everyone still sees as young and innocent?
- Is Edmund ever haunted by his time with the White Witch? Either literally or figuratively?
- In the 2008 Prince Caspian movie, the White Witch nearly tempts Peter into letting her through into Narnia and it’s Edmund who saves him. And he’s so bitter-yet matter-of-fact-about it, it makes one wonder how often the White Witch has haunted him exactly the same way. I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the fall-out afterwards, either - maybe the two brothers discussing what happened, and how often it’s happened before? A little emotional hurt/comfort?
- In the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the sailors are haunted by voices in a dense fog bank. Does Edmund hear the White Witch, then? How about the voices of Narnians dead because of his early treachery?
- Edmund’s time in the White Witch’s palace, perhaps? What was it like being held captive, knowing that he’d betrayed his family, knowing that things were only going to get worse? How was he treated while he was there? (I’m not averse to a little mental/physical/sexual torture here, either, if you want to take it that way. Noncon is definitely a kink I like. ^_^)
- I also really enjoy the headcanon that King Edmund the Just was also the palace spymaster/executioner/assassin/what-have-you, the one in charge of handling the less… pristine side of being a ruler. Since his soul is already darkened by what he did in LWW, he’ll take on all those tasks, take all the further stains on his soul that he can, in order to spare his siblings being sullied in the same way. There’s a world of potential darkness in the pursuit of being “just” and “fair,” after all.
- Hurt/comfort is one of my favorite tropes, ngl. Lucy wasn’t able to stay with Edmund after she saved him in LWW, but what about later? Any of the siblings getting a chance to reconnect here, and to coddle Edmund a bit, after what happened would be welcome. ^_^
- Or for that matter, anywhere else within the Narnian timeline. We know there were other wars; maybe someone had to nurse Edmund back to health because he’s still in the habit of taking those huge risks to try to make up for what he did in LWW.
- I talked about the darker side of their return from Narnia in the Trick section, but there’s a lighter side, too. A story of Edmund dancing verbal rings around teachers/bullies/fellow classmates/people he doesn’t like the way he did to Miraz in Prince Caspian could be a lot of fun. ^_^
- Coming back to the ship I mentioned above, I’m pretty much always down for Peter x Edmund fluff. Did the fact that they’re brothers even come up or was this a totally accepted Narnian thing? (It was pretty common for royalty to marry very close relatives, even brothers/sisters, in certain historical dynasties, after all. Maybe it was common in Narnia, too?) So, feel free to go full on fluff here, because I love seeing them happy. ^_^
- Incest not your thing? Cool beans. I’d be just as happy to see happy sibling moments, too, either with Peter, Lucy, or Susan, either in Narnia or when they return.
- I’d love to see Edmund either comforting or being comforted after a nightmare about his time in Narnia once they returned. Maybe he was dreaming about something truly terrible (i.e., the White Witch), or maybe he was dreaming about something wonderful and missing it.
2. Dark Matter (TV)
Characters: Three | Marcus Boone
…I’ve mentioned I have a type, yes? Three honestly fascinates me because through most of season one, he convincingly plays the part of the irredeemable jerk, but even then you can see these cracks in his armor starting to appear, like when he gives up the passcode to try to save Two. And the further along you go through the series, the more those cracks appear and widen, until by season three, he’s revealed to be… pretty much the biggest sap of them all? He’s happiest when his family is around him, when he can do whatever needs doing to keep them all safe. Like I mentioned with Edmund above, he’s another one who will gladly do the dirty work so no one else has to. And I just can’t get enough of him and that dichotomy. ^_^
Potential Ships:
- Six: I am… SUCH A SUCKER FOR THESE TWO. I really am. I love how they run the gamut from distrust to solid working relationship back to distrust to Three climbing him like a tree while he’s out of his mind from the voices in his head at Nova-17 and Six cradling him close and- SORRY, got a bit distracted. *sheepish grin* ^_^ Also, the way Three just grins like mad every time someone punches him or roughs him up a bit makes me think he’d appreciate a partner who had the strength to manhandle him a little. ^_~
- Two: Three has a real fealty thing going on with Two and it fascinates me. He definitely loves her, but I don’t know that he’s necessarily IN love with her. What fascinates me about that love, though, is that it’s really so all-encompassing. He looks to her first for everything, especially by the time season three comes around. She wants sex? He can definitely do sex. She’s happy? He’s happy. If she’s unhappy, he will break everything in the galaxy if that’s what it takes to make her happy. If she asks something of him, he’ll turn himself inside out to do it for her. And the way he perks up like a happy puppy in the time travel episode when he realizes she really IS happy? BREAKS MY HEART A LITTLE EVERY TIME. Like, he just wants so much to see her happy and to give her whatever she wants, whatever form that may take, and I really enjoy their interactions. ^_^
- Five: Oh gosh, THAT EPISODE. FUCK. I was slowly sliding towards falling in love with Three that whole season, but the one where he rescued Five from the kidnappers? After that I was GONE. The way he doesn’t even question it or stop to get reinforcements when he finds out she’s been taken, he just GOES FOR IT, metaphorical guns blazing. The way he’s so focused on making sure that she not only is safe but that she FEELS safe. The way that he’d rather break her heart (and his own in the process) than see her get really hurt, and she sees RIGHT THROUGH IT. I CAN’T. TT^TT I just love their big brother/little sister relationship SO MUCH. And then there’s the time loop episode where one of the things that gets to him the most in that whole loop is seeing Five upset and he finally breaks down with “You’re upset and it upsets me to see you upset and PLEASE HELP, I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT,” just COME ON. And then when it turns out that that DID help, he’s just as happy that he made her happy as he is when he makes Two happy.
- What really happened when Three and Six were captured by Dwarf Star? We know there was mind-fuckery with the alien, but what else happened? Torture? Tentacle rape? I’m game. ^_^
- How about the aftermath? Does Three have flashbacks to his time at Dwarf Star? To having the alien inside his body? Nightmares? (This may be more of a treat prompt, but I wouldn’t mind a little post-game hurt/comfort to these, either. ^_^)
- I’m also a bit fascinated by how quickly and frantically he responded to Five’s kidnapping. Could that have been a little muscle memory/deep instinct going on from a man who was once a little boy taken by a band of criminals? Obviously, he had a little Stockholm Syndrome going on when he was taken, himself. Was there more to it than that?
- How about Nova-17? Honestly, anything that happened to him in that whole episode is great fodder for fic: him knowing something was wrong even before he even really knew the aliens were there, his entire breakdown, his conversation with the aliens - did they try to take him over again? How did he react if they did?
- The prison. He honestly seemed a bit more beaten down than either Two or Four while he was there. It might have been something as simple as just knowing that his little family that he’d just started to settle into had been broken up or that he was helpless to really protect any of them, especially Five… or maybe it was something more sinister. Between him, Two, and Four, he’s the least effective at unarmed combat-note Two having to rescue him when that gang tried to get some of their own back-maybe one time she wasn’t on hand? (My kinks may be showing, but I wouldn’t be averse to a little prison rape going on here.)
- The time loop. I am a sucker for a time loop, too. ^___^ Especially because… dude. HOW LONG DID THAT GO ON FOR? He had time to learn French. Considering he was completely fluent at the end and couldn’t even get a single word right at the beginning… he could have been stuck in that time loop for months. YEARS. What was that like? What happened while he was stuck in the loop that we didn’t see?
- Alt!Two taking possession of him at the end of Season three. YIKES. What goes down after that? I mean, Alt!Three definitely came off like he was Portia’s boy toy. What does Portia decide to do with him once she has him? Does Alt!Three get involved? Maybe she’d like to see alt!Three fuck actual!Three? SO many possibilities!
- The time travel episode, OH GOSH. That whole date between him and Two? I CAN’T. *flails about incoherently* That was adorable. And she was so happy! And he was so happy! And just… COME ON. ^_________^ More of anything like that would be welcome.
- For that matter, what if they ended up stuck in the past? As much as he grumbled about all the things he’d miss, I think that a large part of Three would not have minded in the SLIGHTEST if they got stuck there. All the people he cared about, forever safe from the GA and all the shit waiting for them back home? SIGN HIM UP, right? ;D I’d love a further exploration of that. ^_^ (This is also probably one of the places where I still ship he and Two a bit, even if I still think it would start with him just being so eager to see her happy, I could easily see it morphing into more, so if you wanted to go that route, I could get behind that. ^_^)
- Any shenanigans between Three and Five. Really, just, anything with their ridiculous big brother/kid sister teasing-yet-truly-caring dynamic. ^_^
- Anything with Three getting to have happy family/crew times. Like, legit I just want to see him happy in the long run. Maybe they take a vacation on a planet and rent a cabin and go to a fall festival or something with all the expected clichés like bonfires and hayrides and apple cider? I could totally get behind that! :D
- I would honestly love a regular old get-together fic for Three and Six, too. Smut would also be very welcome, especially if there was a little bonus Three getting off on getting manhandled a bit. ^_~
3. Dark Visions - L. J. Smith
Characters: Gabriel Wolfe
This book (and this character) has been a favorite of mine for a long time. ^_^ I kid you not… I named my cat after him. ^_^ That type I talked about with both Edmund and Three? He definitely falls under there, too. He’s done some Bad Shit in his life, unintentional though it might have been, but once he lets Kaitlyn and the others in, he spends a good amount of time trying to redeem himself. And he’s willing to do the darker things, commit the bigger crimes, to keep the others from having to do the same. As much as he snarks against them, he really would do anything to protect them, and I love that. ^_^
Potential Ships:
- Rob: I just honestly love their dynamic. They’re such polar opposites, but because of that, they complement each other so well. I love that antagonistic, push-pull, striving against each other aspect to their relationship. I love how they each push the other to be better than they were just by existing in the same space. I think they have a lot to offer each other if they could every go so far as to let it happen.
- On a side note, I do really like Kaitlyn and I wouldn’t mind her being included (and I certainly don’t want her bashed in the process of shipping Gabriel and Rob if you go that route), but I honestly ship her far more with Anna than I do either Rob or Gabriel, so if you could avoid Rob x Kate and Gabriel x Kate, I would appreciate it. Thanks!
Trick Prompts:
- The whole idea of Gabriel’s telepathy is practically a set up for a trick prompt. I could just imagine when he was younger and didn’t understand and couldn’t control his telepathy. How terrifying must that have been for him?
- And once he’s inside that stable link, and no longer in contact with the crystal, does his telepathy become more along the lines of “normal” telepathy? Does he hear the thoughts of people outside the link? Considering how private he is, that must be invasive and exhausting if he does. How does he cope with that? Do the others help?
- For that matter, between fueling the web and protecting himself against outside thoughts, I imagine that overuse strain/psychic overextension/massive headaches are probably part and parcel of the deal. And hurt/comfort is totally my jam, even though I’m sure Gabriel would be reluctant to even admit anything was wrong, much less let himself be coddled. For that matter, how much pain would he have to be in to actually go along with being taken care of?
- We know that Gabriel did some terrible things in the past and preyed on innocents while the five of them were on the run-do those actions ever haunt him?
- For that matter, he was in prison (even if it was the juvenile version) with wildly out of control telepathy. And considering how closed off and like a cornered animal he was when he got to the center, that must have been pretty rough on him. What was that time in prison like?
- I would love to see something with Gabriel actually getting to connect with someone else in the web, not just Kaitlyn. Or all five of them having time to just relax and enjoy something innocuous, like a camping trip or a day at the beach. Maybe Gabriel would be bristly to begin with, but secretly really pleased to be included? I just would love to see him uncoil, even just a little, from all that mistrust and let himself be friends with the others.
- How about post-book canon when they go up to help the Fellowship rebuild? Is Gabriel happy there, even for a little while? Does he ever get to find any peace?
- On the naughtier side of happiness, I always wondered what would happen if sex was happening anywhere in the web. Does Gabriel get caught up in it no matter who having sex? Do we end up in puppy pile territory if we’re not careful or is he just an unwilling (…or willing ;D) voyeur to whatever is going on? I know I said I ship Rob x Gabriel, but in this case, I wouldn’t mind one giant pile of web-friends polyamory, if you wanted to go that road. ^_~
- As I said above, I’m not picky here, so anything with some Rob x Gabriel in it would make me happy.
- Get together fic?
- Slice of life fic?
- Smut with total lack of personal boundaries thanks to telepathy?
- Gabriel slowly opening up to the idea of letting Rob take care of him a little, slowly learning to accept those small gestures of kindness without needing to attack afterwards?
4. Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Characters: Finnick Odair
Oh, Finnick. Talk about someone who absolutely deserved better than what canon gave him. FUCK. Thrown into the Hunger Games at 14… and won, just to be sold into prostitution in the Capitol. Had to stand by and watch the woman he loved (or would soon love?) risk her life in the games five years later, then lose her sanity as a result. Was reaped AGAIN at the Quarter Quell, nearly saw Annie get reaped, again, only to be saved by Mags-the only other person he truly loves-getting reaped in her stead. Losing his own sanity for a while when Annie gets taken by the Capitol. THE LIST GOES ON. Like… life just does not give him a break, ever. And then finally that thing that happens in book three that I like to pretend never did.
Then again… I do so love those breaking noises. ^_~
Potential Ships:
- Of the other characters listed, I don’t really have strong shipping feelings any which way. I don’t mind a little Haymitch x Finnick sometimes, but again, I don’t feel entirely strongly about it.
Trick Prompts:
- Anything exploring that time after Annie was taken by the Capitol and Finnick lost his sanity. It starts off as soon as they pick up he and Katniss from the arena.
”I wish [Annie] was dead,” he says. “I wish they were all dead and we were, too. It would be best.”
This is a Finnick who suggested killing himself so they wouldn’t need to keep Annie as bait. How low does someone’s self esteem have to fall that that’s the first thing they think of in a situation like that? FUCK.
And then later: Despite serious reservations, I had to forgive Finnick for his role in the conspiracy that landed me here. He, at least, has some idea of what I’m going through. And it takes too much energy to stay angry with someone who cries so much.
When the restless, wiggling majority has settled into sleep, I carefully extricate myself from my blanket and tiptoe through the cavern until I find Finnick, feeling for some unspecified reason that he will understand. He sits under the safety light in his space, knotting his rope, not even pretending to rest. As I whisper my discovery of Snow’s plan to break me, it dawns on me. This strategy is very old news to Finnick. It’s what broke him.
…
Finnick and I sit for a long time in silence, watching the knots bloom and vanish, before I can ask, “How do you bear it?”
Finnick looks at me in disbelief. “I don’t, Katniss! Obviously, I don’t. I drag myself out of nightmares each morning and find there’s no relief in waking.” Something in my expression stops him. “Better not to give in to it. It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”
Well, he must know.
…don’t mind me as I quote the whole book at you apparently? -.-;;; But yeah, anything delving further into what’s going on with him during this time period would be welcome. ^_^ - “Concentration problems, eh?’ Beetee smiles grimly. ‘If you knew what Finnick’s been through the last few years, you’d know how remarkable it is he’s still with us at all.”
YOU’RE NOT KIDDING. What else has he been through? Considering how quickly he jumps to suggest suicide as a solution, how many times did he ride too close to that edge? Did he ever make the attempt? Or maybe it was an edge of a different kind-drugs or alcohol. Maybe he overdosed. In either case, who found him? Maybe Haymitch? Who’s all too familiar with the road excessive drinking can take you down? (Maybe more of a treat prompt, but maybe Haymitch tries to take care of him for a while at this point? Mitigate some of what’s going on?) - Finnick has been getting sold around the Capitol since he was 14. Yikes. Then again… noncon is a kink I enjoy. ^_~ So, as far as you want to go there… I’m definitely on board! I’m sure some of the people who bought him wanted him fawning all over them and happy to be with them… but some of them must have wanted to feel they held power over him. Some of them must have wanted him to be afraid. Did Snow ever sell him to someone deliberately cruel who would revel in hurting him, in scaring him?
- Kind of a sub-prompt of that last one… what if in the in between times, the people of the Capital liked a different kind of Hunger Games involving the victors? The one who loses ends up having to service the others in a demonstration for all those watching? What if Finnick was the one who ended up in that position? As young as he was, especially in the beginning, and as big as some of the other victors were, that would have been terrifying.
- For that matter, what was it like for Finnick being so young and winning the Hunger Games? What was it like for him to come home after that, so young and so twisted by what he had to do to survive, both in the Games and in the Capitol afterwards? Was he welcomed back with open arms or was he shunned for what he’d become?
- FIX IT. FIX IT, FIX IT, FIX IT. PLEASE. Even if you just want to handwave away Finnick’s death and give me happy slice-of-life post-series fic, I’M GOOD WITH THAT. I just want to see him alive and happy.
- What was his life like growing up? He was a Career, so I assume he spent time training, but did he ever have moments where he could just be happy? District Four is a shoreline district. I’d love to see a happy Finnick getting to show that connection he obviously has to the ocean.
- Or if you want to look at it post-series because he naturally didn’t die-does he ever bring anyone with him to District 4? Maybe he brings Katniss and Peeta with him and he and Katniss finally teach Peeta to swim?
- Maybe he brings Haymitch to District 4. Haymitch has been through so much in his life and so has Finnick-maybe he wants to try to get Haymitch to relax, have a vacation. Maybe something develops between them when he does… ^_~
- Honestly, for a treat fic for him, I really am just looking for a happy Finnick. Because he has been through so much crap in this series and he deserves a little happy!
5. Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
Characters: Elmont (Jack the Giant Slayer)
I admit, I stumbled across this movie at a time when I was looking for anything I could find with Ewan McGregor in it, but I quickly became a bit obsessed with it, in its own right. It’s exactly the right amount of corny to not take itself too seriously, to still be able to have a little fun with itself, but the characters are so sincere in themselves and with each other, their relationships so real, that it’s hard to remain unmoved by them. And Elmont. Elmont is my favorite of the bunch for that. He’s competence porn incarnate. He’s just so. incredibly. good. at. his. job. He’s calm and cool as hell in a crisis and he’s such a good judge of people and abilities that he’s able to incorporate those people and abilities into whatever plan he’s concocting on the fly. I also love that he’s another character who doesn’t hesitate to take on the darker, expediently necessary deeds to spare the people he cares about having to commit them. I love that he doesn’t ask anything of anyone that he wouldn’t do, himself. I JUST LOVE HIM, OK. ^_^
Potential Ships:- King Brahmwell: …no, but really. Hear me out?
What it basically boils down to is that the King and Lionheart trope is one of my favorite tropes. (I tried to find a better link for you, but that’s the only reference I could actually find to the trope? O_o;;;) Anyway, the basic deal with a King and Lionheart trope is that there is a ruler and their vassal/guard/champion/what-have-you, and there is MAD FEALTY AND RESPECT between the two and, while it may be only the vassal showing fealty in public, in reality, it goes both ways, with the vassal able to take liberties in private that they would never dream of taking in public. (…I definitely have a loyalty/fealty kink. ^_^) And Elmont exemplifies that Lionheart character achetype. He has such utter, absolute, unshakable faith in his monarchs - both Brahmwell and Isabelle - but you can see in the beginning that neither of them quite lives up to his mental image of what they could be: Isabelle because she’s too young and too sheltered, and Brahmwell because he’s been so devastated by loss that he’s let fear coax him into making selfish and poor decisions. Then, through the course of the movie, both Isabelle and Brahmwell step up to the plate and grow up a little, until by the end he’s so proud of both of them and so full of love for them that he’s practically glowing with it.
And from there, it’s a very short step to shipping? ^_^
(Also, you’re welcome to check out my tumblr tag for them, if you’re interested -- it’s pretty short, but there’s some fun stuff in there. ^_^) - Isabelle/Jack/Elmont: I love the three of them, too. ^_^ Elmont obviously cares a great deal for Isabelle, going above and beyond the call of duty to keep her safe and happy. And he comes to care just as deeply for Jack, both as the man who makes Isabelle happy and in his own right. But that affection he has for the two of them doesn’t extend to coddling either one of them-if they insist they can do something, he accepts it unquestioningly and does whatever he can to support them without interfering. And there’s a bit of King and Lionheart going on between Elmont and Isabelle, too. So, I could very happily see Isabelle and Jack coaxing him into a relationship with the two of them.
- Elmont is so gentle and so easy-going most of the time. And then there are moments when you’re reminded that he is a very dangerous man-like when he carries through on the decision that, for the good of the kingdom, Roderick has to die. He’s a man capable of doing anything to keep the kingdom and its monarchs safe. His duty is everything to him. What kind of upbringing does he come from that the thought of, essentially, coldblooded assassination doesn’t even slow him down? Do these things ever haunt him (either literally or figuratively)? What else has he done in the name of duty?
- What if Elmont hadn’t gotten onto the beanstalk before the army cut it down? What if the other bean had been lost? What if he’d been trapped on the giants’ island alone with the giants, forced to run and hide, constantly keeping one step ahead of them, lest he become dinner or a plaything? What would that do to him? (And, feel free to take that as dark as you want to-torture, noncon, tentacle porn (hey, who knows what else lives up there? There are giants with two heads, after all!), are all fair game. Or if you want to just stay on the psychological trauma aspect, that’s fine with me, too!) Does he ever find a way back to Earth? If so, does he return to Cloister? What kind of shape is he in when he does? (This last bit is more of a treat prompt, but if you take it this direction, I wouldn’t mind seeing either Brahmwell or Isabelle and Jack helping to put him back together. ^_^)
- What would the land be like if the giants had won? What if humanity became a captive and/or hunted species? Was Elmont captured or did he escape? Who else might still be alive? How about a giant apocalypse scenario, instead of a zombie apocalypse? (Again, feel free to take that one to a really dark place, if you like.)
- This is probably one of the few fandoms I wouldn’t mind a bit of AU for. I love that snapshot into the future they show of the Crown in modern day England. I’m also a sucker for reincarnation fic. Maybe Elmont (and some of the others, maybe Brahmwell, Isabelle, and/or Jack?) get reincarnated into the present day and the giants once more become a threat? What do they do? How does that go down? Do they have their memories? Maybe Elmont remembers and the others don’t? There’s some delicious angst potential down that road. ^_~
- In the case of either potential ship, I could see it starting out as Elmont just wanting to do whatever it takes to make the other person happy. He’s very much a product of a vassal mentality, where everything he does is to make is ruler happy and keep them safe. But then, over time, he slowly realizes that he isn’t just a convenience, that Brahmwell, or Isabelle and Jack, want him because he’s HIM, that they see him as an equal, that he is valued. I just want to see Elmont happy. ^_^
- Man, ANYTHING Brahmwell x Elmont (shippy) or Brahmwell & Elmont (platonic) would make me happy. Slice of life? PWP? Aftermath of the giant battle? Elmont comforting Brahmwell (either emotionally or physically/sexually) after his wife’s death? Brahmwell realizing that he’s done a really poor job of being king since his wife’s death and deciding it’s damned time he turned it around and started living up to Elmont’s hopes for him as a ruler? (I’m pretty sure I’m on this little rowboat of a ship by myself, so really, anything would be welcome. ^_^)
- I would also love to see happy threesome Isabelle/Jack/Elmont. How did it come about? Was it Jack’s idea? Isabelle’s? Was there any pining on Elmont’s part? Was he resigned to the fact that it would never happen (or that it shouldn’t happen)? Or maybe we want to skip all that and just have happy threesome cuddles or sex? Or the three of them raising Isabelle and Jack’s kids? Is this an acknowledged, public, threeway marriage? Or is Elmont a dirty, little secret? I just love their whole dynamic together and the dynamics of each of the pairings in the threesome, so more of all of it would be welcome. ^_^
- As I mentioned above, Elmont is like competence porn incarnate. Any fic of him just being damned good at his job would thrill me to no end. Stories about him being head of the guard, protecting the kingdom, talking tactics and strategy, etc. YES, PLEASE.
- Elmont backstory would also be awesome! What was his upbringing like? How did he rise to be the captain of the king’s guard? Did he grow up at the palace or come to it later in life?
- This is probably one of the few fandoms I wouldn’t mind a bit of AU for. I love that snapshot into the future they show of the Crown in modern day England. I’m also a sucker for reincarnation fic. Maybe Elmont (and some of the others, maybe Brahmwell, Isabelle, and/or Jack?) get reincarnated into the present day and the giants aren’t a threat? How do they meet? Do they have their memories? Honestly, I’d be happy with a meet-cute here, too. ^_^ Because as much as I love my angst, I also really want Elmont to just be able to claim a little happiness for himself. ^_^
- I’m also just a complete sucker for hurt/comfort and sick!fic, especially for characters who are the ones usually doing the caregiving/protecting, like Elmont. Maybe he gets injured on duty or maybe he just gets sick and has to let someone take care of him for a change?
6. Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Characters: Courfeyrac (Hugo)
Oh, Les Mis. *shakes head fondly* This is probably my most active fandom year round, but I still never get enough of it, or of Courfeyrac, specifically. ^_^ (I’d send you to browse my tumblr tag for him, but it’s terrifyingly large. *sheepish grin*) Anyway, that aside, I just love Courfeyrac. I do. He has this blazing passion that just never quits, he’s unfailingly optimistic, and he wouldn’t hesitate to give his friends the shirt off his back if he thought they needed it. I just really love him. ^_^
Potential Ships:- Marius: I am an absolute sucker for these two. I really am. ^_^ Marius is so endearing and well-intentioned, but shy and so, so awkward, and I feel like Courfeyrac would understand how to bolster his confidence without coddling him and how to push him outside his comfort zone without truly doing him damage. And when push comes to shove, they’re both equally passionate about the things they believe in and I think that would make them pretty well matched. And I mean… come on. “I have come to sleep with you!” Need I say more? ;D (Oh, Marius. *shakes head fondly*)
- Marius/Cosette/Courfeyrac: Yep. Also a sucker for MC2. ^_^ Pretty much for all the above reasons, plus I think that Cosette would be a really good balancing influence on the two of them. Because I think both Courfeyrac (“I do not like this thing so I will SET IT ON FIRE”) and Marius (“I am so sad that Cosette is leaving and so swept up by what’s going on at the barricade that I will THREATEN TO BLOW IT ALL UP INCLUDING MYSELF”) have ABSOLUTELY ZERO CHILL when it comes to the things that they’re passionate about. Cosette has enough of that in her to understand the impulse, but she’s also a much more practical, even-tempered kind of a person. I feel like she’d be up for shenanigans if they were, but also the one to make sure they’re less likely to get arrested for whatever those shenanigans were. ;D
Trick Prompts: You know that phrase “you always hurt the ones you love?” Well… I adore Courfeyrac. *evil grin*- (Canon Era) Courfeyrac is the only one to survive the barricade. Just… even just thinking about it makes me want to cry. Considering that Courfeyrac is one of Les Amis most attached to his friends I think if he alone were to survive the barricade it would… not go well. O_o;;; …and I’d love to read about it. ^_^
- (Canon Era) Courfeyrac and Marius survive the barricade. I feel as though this would be slightly less sad, maybe? At least they’d have each other to lean on. As depressed as Marius is post-barricade, I feel like Courfeyrac would probably try to be strong for both of them, and between he and Cosette, they’d get Marius back on his feet and on the road to recovery. And then Courfeyrac would be oh-so-careful to not fall apart where he could be caught at it… but he would fall apart. After all, these were his friends; Marius only peripherally knew them. I could quite envision him having a real breakdown once Marius no longer needed him to be quite so strong for him. (And I would be happy with some emotional hurt/comfort here from Marius and Cosette, even though it’s a trick prompt. I like to see him suffer, but I’m not totally heartless. ^_~)
- (Canon Era) As a more traditional Halloween trick prompt-the Romantics were very fond of hanging about in cemeteries and such. What if Courfeyrac, again, survived the barricade alone and was haunted by Marius’ spirit? Maybe Marius hears him sobbing one night-basically having his own variation on the Empty Chairs at Empty Tables breakdown-and manifests in their once-shared rooms to try to comfort him. I’d be OK with this played seriously, as a sad, angst-ridden prompt, or as a more treat-like ghostly shenanigans/ghost roommate type prompt. ^_^
- (Canon Era or Modern AU) Unrequited love… or is it? Courfeyrac is pining for Marius while Marius is pining for Cosette. I’d be OK with this being unrequited, with Courfeyrac doing his best to step aside and be self-sacrificing so Marius can be happy. I’d also be OK with this ending up requited in the end, either as MC or MC2.
- (Canon Era or Modern AU) I’m always a sucker for hurt/comfort or sick!fic. ^_^ I’m pretty much always up for any variation of “Courfeyrac gets hurt or sick or has an emotional breakdown of some sort and needs to be taken care of.”
- (Canon era) As a more traditional Halloween trick prompt-the Romantics were very fond of hanging about in cemeteries and such. What if Courfeyrac, again, survived the barricade alone and was haunted by Marius’ spirit? Ghostly roommate shenanigans ensue? ;D For that matter, I could also see this working as Marius surviving the barricade and Courfeyrac haunting him.
- (Canon Era or Modern AU) Unrequited love… or is it? Courfeyrac is pining for Marius but does his best to not let his feelings show, either because he thinks Marius is straight or because Marius is pining over Cosette. Marius, however, figures it out and isn’t willing to let him step aside like that…
- (Modern AU) Courfeyrac is pining over Marius and is half in love with Cosette, too, but is So Determined to see them settled together, in spite of his feelings, because really they're perfect for each other?? But Marius and Cosette can see how secretly sad and lonely he is and mutually decide that if they're going to be together, he should really be part of that because they love him, too.
- (Canon Era or Modern AU) I know his death in canon is a perfectly valid and happy completion of Valjean’s character arc in Les Mis. I still wish he’d gotten to live and be a grandpapa to all of Cosette’s children and gotten to interact with more of Les Amis than just Marius. This would have to be another “survives the barricade” AU if you write it canon era, I guess? Anyway, I would love to see Courfeyrac get to meet Valjean and hear the story of his life. Especially because you can damned well bet that Courfeyrac wouldn’t have let him get away with slinking off like an old dog to die if he did.
- (Canon Era) An everyone lives canon era AU where Marius and Cosette get married and Courfeyrac is somehow just part of that i.e., Courfeyrac is rich bachelor "Uncle Courfeyrac" to Marius and Cosette's children who just often sleeps over and is as much a parent to them as Marius and Cosette and no one questions it?
- (Modern Era) OK, so, there was this one specific ridiculous tumblr post that I think would be perfect for an MC2 if you’re looking for something really specific -- with Courfeyrac as Jared and Marius and Cosette on the date, and they all end up together in the end. ^_^
- I’ll be honest that I’m having difficulty coming up with a prompt that centers on just Courfeyrac because I so often think of him in the context of his friends, since he’s one of the most gregarious, passionate, outspoken of Les Amis. -.-;;; But really, I’d be OK with just about anything centered around him, because I just love him as a character so much. ^_^
- I’m also a sucker for reincarnation AUs for Les Mis. Just putting that out there. ^_^
Holy cow, that’s a really long letter. O_O Sorry about that, I just tend to get excited. ^_^ Hopefully you found something at least a little bit helpful in there, somewhere. If you didn’t, however, they really were just thoughts and suggestions. So, if any of the details I provided don't work for you, feel free to toss them out the window and write what's most comfortable for you. If you are happy and excited about what you're writing, I'm sure I will love it. Passion comes across and I do not in any way want to dampen yours. ^_^ I certainly won't object if you want to accommodate me in my far-too-verbose additional requests, but as stated many times -- totally not a requirement. ^_^ Go with your gut. The fact that you're writing something for me is plenty enough to have me thrilled and excited and bouncing for joy. ^_^
Thank you so much for your patience as I finished this monster up, and happy writing! ^_^
A grateful recipient
(This entry was originally posted on DW @ http://rchan.dreamwidth.org/258078.html)
- Marius: I am an absolute sucker for these two. I really am. ^_^ Marius is so endearing and well-intentioned, but shy and so, so awkward, and I feel like Courfeyrac would understand how to bolster his confidence without coddling him and how to push him outside his comfort zone without truly doing him damage. And when push comes to shove, they’re both equally passionate about the things they believe in and I think that would make them pretty well matched. And I mean… come on. “I have come to sleep with you!” Need I say more? ;D (Oh, Marius. *shakes head fondly*)
- King Brahmwell: …no, but really. Hear me out?