Dear Prime Time Player
Since optional options, are, well, optional, if you already have an idea for a fic, I want to read it! If you're looking for inspiration or prompts, read on! If you have questions, I've turned on anon comments and am generally pretty speedy about responding.
General Likes: I'll try to be specific, but I'm actually really easy to please. (The words every fic exchange participant loves to hear, I know.) I like gen, het, slash, and femslash, and anything from the most G-rated fic you'd feel comfortable letting your grandma read all the way to that dirtybadwrong idfic we love fandom for giving us before we even knew we could want it. I love tension and chemistry and fic that explores characters' relationships with one another. I have huge kink for competent characters just taking care of business. Gapfillers and character studies are some of my favorite kinds of fic, but AUs and crossovers are amazing themselves. I have no strong feelings about past vs. present tense in fics, but I do prefer them written in third person.
General Dislikes: Rape/non-con, necro, and scat are pretty much my only squicks and mpreg isn't really my cup of tea. I like characters with all their character flaws, so I don't like when backstories and bad decisions are handwaved away.
Batman, Nolan-verse (John Blake, Selina Kyle)
"War makes for strange bedfellows" is one of my favorite narrative tropes, and I think it works especially well with these two. I know they don't meet or interact in canon during those months that Gotham's being held hostage, but I think there are plenty of parallels between how they both choose to approach the situation that are really fascinating. I'd love to see some John/Selina, but neither am I opposed to Bruce/John or Bruce/Selina (or Bruce/John/Selina y/y? :).
The Boondock Saints (any characters)
You know that gif of Smecker that's used all the time? The one where from when he's reconstructing the throwdown between the McMannus twins + Rocco and Il Duce? With the sobbing, dramatic arm movements, and shit exploding in the background? Yeah, that's basically how I feel about these movies in a nutshell. If you'll pardon my devolution into tumblr-speak for a moment, I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS. I love Connor and Murphy and their relationship (whether as incest or bromance), how much shit they give each other, but you know it comes from a place of love. I wish there was more in canon about their relationship with Noah, especially between the two movies. And Smecker's the kind of character that comes out of nowhere but all of a sudden you're just in love. He seems like he'd be this stuck up federal bigwig, but he's damn good at what he does and doesn't take shit from any of the local detectives. He's gay but not a stereotype and if you didn't flip your shit when he showed up in drag, you're lying :)
The Hobbit:(any characters)
The one things you really need to know about me and the Tolkien fandoms is that they're my forever fandoms. Others may come and go, but I'll always come back to Tolkien. And I love The Hobbit because after the Rohirrim, Dwarves are my favorite culture and set of characters. The elves are awesome, as are the orcs (or the ones Tolkien bothered to give names and roles to), but I just love the dwarves so freaking much. I love fics that are set before/during the quest for Erebor because the cast of characters is so large and everyone's got some sort of relationship with everyone else, and they're all so different, I just want to chinhands and read them forever :) On to characters and prompts! (sidenote: since the nominated fandom is the movie, that's what I'm basing all of my discussion of characters on. If you prefer bookverse!characters, I'm totally open to reading it)
Feel free to mix, match and generally do what you will with the characters. When it comes to ships, I'm a dedicated multi-shipper (and like genderbends! and all manner of incest is welcome!). Which in this fandom means I have a lot to read :)
Azog - I like my Azog as an undisputable, unrepentant Bad Guy. Villain taking years to plot the perfect revenge and create a plan to bring it about to their utmost satisfaction is one of my favorite plots ever. I'd love to see Azog, post-Azanulbizar dealing with his defeat at the hands of Thorin, his injury, and his new appendage (also maybe some challenger to his position?) while plotting the downfall of the Line of Durin.
Elrond - Watching Elrond's scenes, I was struck by how different the character is in The Hobbit compared to the beginning of the Lord of the Rings. And a lot of it is explainable by the ending of the Third Age and the eventual fading of the elves, the continued and increasing shadow across Middle-earth, not to mention the whole Aragorn/Arwen issue, but I'd still like to see the impact and implications of these things and how they changed Elrond in the years between Thorin's Company passing through Rivendell and the Council of Elrond.
Tauriel - What can I really say about Tauriel? While I'm weary not just of her character but how it looks like PJ's expanded the whole Mirkwood section of the story, the only thing we've seen of her character is some behind the scenes clips of filming. So I'm pretty ambivalent about her at this point, but if you love her and want to convince me I should love her too, being persuaded to a new headcanon or perspective by fic is one of the things I love about fandom.
Gandalf - Oh Gandalf, everyone's favorite exasperated field trip supervisor. Seriously though, Gandalf stopping to do head-counts and trying to remember all the dwarves' names, ticking them off his fingers, is legitimately one of my favorite running jokes of the movie. But I also love how Gandalf's character seems to really easily straddle that divide between the comical and the serious, and how he's also the only one of the Istari that really seems to fulfill their mandate.
Radagast - I'm conflicted about Radagast because on the one hand I adore Sylvester McCoy. He's just one of the cutest old men over. But on the other hand I hate that the movie really played Radagast really just for laughs and made him into a caricature so much that when Saruman gets that pinched look of derision on his face and is all "ew, Radagast ~the Brown" he actually has a point rather than it being the purely douchetastic condescension it's supposed to be.
Bilbo Baggins - I think what I like best about Bilbo is that despite being wholly skeptical of this whole 'adventuring' business for a very long while, even once he gets his feet under him he is still fundamentally, unrepentantly a hobbit. In my opinion it's a great bit of character development on Tolkien's part. And how can you not love a character that loves riddles? I am irrationally upset by the epithet 'Mad Baggins.'
Balin - I don't really have favorites, but if I did, Balin would so be it. Ken Stott's description, that he's Thorin's consigliere is perfect to my mind. I think he also tries to be Thorin's loyal opposition, to be that other side of the argument so Thorin can be confident he's making the best decision. I also love how he's become the default storyteller of the Company.
Dwalin - That first scene between Dwalin and Balin ("Evening brother" "By my beard you're shorter and wider than last we met" ... *grabs arm* *head thwack*) is one of my favorite scenes but also really telling of Dwalin's character. Before when it's just Bilbo and Dwalin, he makes no real effort at conversation (true he's focusing on eating). But once the other dwarves get there he's as loud as any of them. I love how loyal Dwalin is, not just to Thorin but the entire company. It seems he takes friendships very seriously and being friends is an honor and something worth preserving.
Bifur - Bifur is awesome. So I can't remember if I read this in an interview with William Kircher or have absorbed someone's headcanon (something that happens a terrifying amount in this fandom), but the idea was that Bifur before his injury was a warrior and after the injury was forced into inaction to recover and now that he's on the quest, relying on the other members of the Company, travelling, fighting, living with this group that in some way it's making him better, sharper. I'd love to see a fic that explores that idea.
Bofur - Even just a mention of Bofur makes me smile and want to wriggle around like a puppy. He's too freaking cute. But I know from experience when you're pretty happy most of the time, how people react to you when you're withdrawn (or heaven forbid, mean) is really interesting. Random headcanon: I love Bofur as the master of bad euphemisms that no one else reads into. At all. ("D'ye hear that lads? He says we'll blunt the knives." "Lovely game that, if you've got the balls for it.")
Bombur - What I'd really love to see from a Bombur fic is the reason he's on the quest. Is it out of familial obligation because his brother and cousin decided to go and someone has to keep Bofur in check? Or is it because Bombur's the best cook this side of the Misty Mountains and Thorin just wouldn't quit bugging him until he agreed to come? Does he run the most popular inn in the whole of the Blue Mountains and misses actually cooking rather than dealing with masons and carpenters working on the inn's expansion?
Dori - That fanon that Dori's actually, hands down, bar none, the most attractive dwarf? Totally on board with that idea. Especially if it's given equal amount of play as his status as the strongest member of the Company. I love a good juxtaposition like that ;) I love fics that balance Dori's (admittedly) mothering of Ori with his take no shit, no one talks to my brothers like that except for me attitude.
Nori - I have no idea where it came from, but I've got a soft-spot for Nori a mile wide. He seems like he'd be out of place on the quest (it being essentially volunteering for unknown risks and uncertain rewards), but it's also really clear how comfortable he is with the group. I think this contradictory place Nori occupies (not to mention being described as a thief and they still work to recruit a burglar) is really fascinating.
Ori - I loved Ori from the very first time I saw the movie. How one hand he can be so endearingly polite, but on the other he has a hidden talent for wielding war hammers and is actually unafraid of being on the quest, of dragons, of going into battle armed with nothing but a slingshot, when he maybe should be or isn't up until some moment too late when they're well and truly fucked. But then somehow the day is saved and he may or may not actually apply what he's supposed to have learned in future situations.
Fíli - To me, I really like seeing Fili struggling with how to relate to his brother and his uncle at the same time. Because Kili is fun and more than a little reckless, and you get the sense that at the beginning at least the quest it sort of a game, but Thorin is not only his uncle but his king and it's one thing to take liberties and joke around if it's just your immediate family, but the quest is a huge deal. I think Fili feels the weight of his position and has to work to accept it and reconcile it with how he's lived up until this point.
Kíli - Aside from Bofur, Kili's the character that makes me smile reflexively when he's on screen. I can't help myself. I think like Fili he knows there's some expectation of how he's supposed to behave, but I don't think he feels it as fundamentally as Fili does. He's still a little brash and doesn't always think things through, even if he means well.
And the leader of our Company Thorin Oakenshield - Not gonna front, tortured leader is one of my favorite tropes. The feeling of being responsible for the lives of others (whether they volunteered is inconsequential), the need to live up to history but also atone for ancestor's sins, the crushing weight of insecurity all carefully hidden? YES FUCKING PLEASE.
Never requesting "any characters" again, because holy effing christ that is a lot of characters to talk about.
General Likes: I'll try to be specific, but I'm actually really easy to please. (The words every fic exchange participant loves to hear, I know.) I like gen, het, slash, and femslash, and anything from the most G-rated fic you'd feel comfortable letting your grandma read all the way to that dirtybadwrong idfic we love fandom for giving us before we even knew we could want it. I love tension and chemistry and fic that explores characters' relationships with one another. I have huge kink for competent characters just taking care of business. Gapfillers and character studies are some of my favorite kinds of fic, but AUs and crossovers are amazing themselves. I have no strong feelings about past vs. present tense in fics, but I do prefer them written in third person.
General Dislikes: Rape/non-con, necro, and scat are pretty much my only squicks and mpreg isn't really my cup of tea. I like characters with all their character flaws, so I don't like when backstories and bad decisions are handwaved away.
Batman, Nolan-verse (John Blake, Selina Kyle)
"War makes for strange bedfellows" is one of my favorite narrative tropes, and I think it works especially well with these two. I know they don't meet or interact in canon during those months that Gotham's being held hostage, but I think there are plenty of parallels between how they both choose to approach the situation that are really fascinating. I'd love to see some John/Selina, but neither am I opposed to Bruce/John or Bruce/Selina (or Bruce/John/Selina y/y? :).
The Boondock Saints (any characters)
You know that gif of Smecker that's used all the time? The one where from when he's reconstructing the throwdown between the McMannus twins + Rocco and Il Duce? With the sobbing, dramatic arm movements, and shit exploding in the background? Yeah, that's basically how I feel about these movies in a nutshell. If you'll pardon my devolution into tumblr-speak for a moment, I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS. I love Connor and Murphy and their relationship (whether as incest or bromance), how much shit they give each other, but you know it comes from a place of love. I wish there was more in canon about their relationship with Noah, especially between the two movies. And Smecker's the kind of character that comes out of nowhere but all of a sudden you're just in love. He seems like he'd be this stuck up federal bigwig, but he's damn good at what he does and doesn't take shit from any of the local detectives. He's gay but not a stereotype and if you didn't flip your shit when he showed up in drag, you're lying :)
The Hobbit:(any characters)
The one things you really need to know about me and the Tolkien fandoms is that they're my forever fandoms. Others may come and go, but I'll always come back to Tolkien. And I love The Hobbit because after the Rohirrim, Dwarves are my favorite culture and set of characters. The elves are awesome, as are the orcs (or the ones Tolkien bothered to give names and roles to), but I just love the dwarves so freaking much. I love fics that are set before/during the quest for Erebor because the cast of characters is so large and everyone's got some sort of relationship with everyone else, and they're all so different, I just want to chinhands and read them forever :) On to characters and prompts! (sidenote: since the nominated fandom is the movie, that's what I'm basing all of my discussion of characters on. If you prefer bookverse!characters, I'm totally open to reading it)
Feel free to mix, match and generally do what you will with the characters. When it comes to ships, I'm a dedicated multi-shipper (and like genderbends! and all manner of incest is welcome!). Which in this fandom means I have a lot to read :)
Azog - I like my Azog as an undisputable, unrepentant Bad Guy. Villain taking years to plot the perfect revenge and create a plan to bring it about to their utmost satisfaction is one of my favorite plots ever. I'd love to see Azog, post-Azanulbizar dealing with his defeat at the hands of Thorin, his injury, and his new appendage (also maybe some challenger to his position?) while plotting the downfall of the Line of Durin.
Elrond - Watching Elrond's scenes, I was struck by how different the character is in The Hobbit compared to the beginning of the Lord of the Rings. And a lot of it is explainable by the ending of the Third Age and the eventual fading of the elves, the continued and increasing shadow across Middle-earth, not to mention the whole Aragorn/Arwen issue, but I'd still like to see the impact and implications of these things and how they changed Elrond in the years between Thorin's Company passing through Rivendell and the Council of Elrond.
Tauriel - What can I really say about Tauriel? While I'm weary not just of her character but how it looks like PJ's expanded the whole Mirkwood section of the story, the only thing we've seen of her character is some behind the scenes clips of filming. So I'm pretty ambivalent about her at this point, but if you love her and want to convince me I should love her too, being persuaded to a new headcanon or perspective by fic is one of the things I love about fandom.
Gandalf - Oh Gandalf, everyone's favorite exasperated field trip supervisor. Seriously though, Gandalf stopping to do head-counts and trying to remember all the dwarves' names, ticking them off his fingers, is legitimately one of my favorite running jokes of the movie. But I also love how Gandalf's character seems to really easily straddle that divide between the comical and the serious, and how he's also the only one of the Istari that really seems to fulfill their mandate.
Radagast - I'm conflicted about Radagast because on the one hand I adore Sylvester McCoy. He's just one of the cutest old men over. But on the other hand I hate that the movie really played Radagast really just for laughs and made him into a caricature so much that when Saruman gets that pinched look of derision on his face and is all "ew, Radagast ~the Brown" he actually has a point rather than it being the purely douchetastic condescension it's supposed to be.
Bilbo Baggins - I think what I like best about Bilbo is that despite being wholly skeptical of this whole 'adventuring' business for a very long while, even once he gets his feet under him he is still fundamentally, unrepentantly a hobbit. In my opinion it's a great bit of character development on Tolkien's part. And how can you not love a character that loves riddles? I am irrationally upset by the epithet 'Mad Baggins.'
Balin - I don't really have favorites, but if I did, Balin would so be it. Ken Stott's description, that he's Thorin's consigliere is perfect to my mind. I think he also tries to be Thorin's loyal opposition, to be that other side of the argument so Thorin can be confident he's making the best decision. I also love how he's become the default storyteller of the Company.
Dwalin - That first scene between Dwalin and Balin ("Evening brother" "By my beard you're shorter and wider than last we met" ... *grabs arm* *head thwack*) is one of my favorite scenes but also really telling of Dwalin's character. Before when it's just Bilbo and Dwalin, he makes no real effort at conversation (true he's focusing on eating). But once the other dwarves get there he's as loud as any of them. I love how loyal Dwalin is, not just to Thorin but the entire company. It seems he takes friendships very seriously and being friends is an honor and something worth preserving.
Bifur - Bifur is awesome. So I can't remember if I read this in an interview with William Kircher or have absorbed someone's headcanon (something that happens a terrifying amount in this fandom), but the idea was that Bifur before his injury was a warrior and after the injury was forced into inaction to recover and now that he's on the quest, relying on the other members of the Company, travelling, fighting, living with this group that in some way it's making him better, sharper. I'd love to see a fic that explores that idea.
Bofur - Even just a mention of Bofur makes me smile and want to wriggle around like a puppy. He's too freaking cute. But I know from experience when you're pretty happy most of the time, how people react to you when you're withdrawn (or heaven forbid, mean) is really interesting. Random headcanon: I love Bofur as the master of bad euphemisms that no one else reads into. At all. ("D'ye hear that lads? He says we'll blunt the knives." "Lovely game that, if you've got the balls for it.")
Bombur - What I'd really love to see from a Bombur fic is the reason he's on the quest. Is it out of familial obligation because his brother and cousin decided to go and someone has to keep Bofur in check? Or is it because Bombur's the best cook this side of the Misty Mountains and Thorin just wouldn't quit bugging him until he agreed to come? Does he run the most popular inn in the whole of the Blue Mountains and misses actually cooking rather than dealing with masons and carpenters working on the inn's expansion?
Dori - That fanon that Dori's actually, hands down, bar none, the most attractive dwarf? Totally on board with that idea. Especially if it's given equal amount of play as his status as the strongest member of the Company. I love a good juxtaposition like that ;) I love fics that balance Dori's (admittedly) mothering of Ori with his take no shit, no one talks to my brothers like that except for me attitude.
Nori - I have no idea where it came from, but I've got a soft-spot for Nori a mile wide. He seems like he'd be out of place on the quest (it being essentially volunteering for unknown risks and uncertain rewards), but it's also really clear how comfortable he is with the group. I think this contradictory place Nori occupies (not to mention being described as a thief and they still work to recruit a burglar) is really fascinating.
Ori - I loved Ori from the very first time I saw the movie. How one hand he can be so endearingly polite, but on the other he has a hidden talent for wielding war hammers and is actually unafraid of being on the quest, of dragons, of going into battle armed with nothing but a slingshot, when he maybe should be or isn't up until some moment too late when they're well and truly fucked. But then somehow the day is saved and he may or may not actually apply what he's supposed to have learned in future situations.
Fíli - To me, I really like seeing Fili struggling with how to relate to his brother and his uncle at the same time. Because Kili is fun and more than a little reckless, and you get the sense that at the beginning at least the quest it sort of a game, but Thorin is not only his uncle but his king and it's one thing to take liberties and joke around if it's just your immediate family, but the quest is a huge deal. I think Fili feels the weight of his position and has to work to accept it and reconcile it with how he's lived up until this point.
Kíli - Aside from Bofur, Kili's the character that makes me smile reflexively when he's on screen. I can't help myself. I think like Fili he knows there's some expectation of how he's supposed to behave, but I don't think he feels it as fundamentally as Fili does. He's still a little brash and doesn't always think things through, even if he means well.
And the leader of our Company Thorin Oakenshield - Not gonna front, tortured leader is one of my favorite tropes. The feeling of being responsible for the lives of others (whether they volunteered is inconsequential), the need to live up to history but also atone for ancestor's sins, the crushing weight of insecurity all carefully hidden? YES FUCKING PLEASE.
Never requesting "any characters" again, because holy effing christ that is a lot of characters to talk about.