Rarepair letter
Dear Rare Pair Author:
Hello! Thank you for writing for me! A few quick things: I tend to babble about the things that I love. I'm writing this letter in case you're a writer that likes more information, but if you want to go your own way, feel free to skip all this. Additionally, I've given info about what I like, sex-wise, in stories, but never feel that I'm angling for sex in the story over not having sex in the story. It's just there for additional information.
I have fairly wide reading interests--I like gen, het, slash, femslash, multiples, UST, established-relationship, first time, romance, episode-like stories, mysteries, action, introspection, moment-in-time fics, PWPs, outside POVs, etc. I'm *not* big on crack, and I don't generally care for mundane AUs (coffeeshop AUs, high school AUs, etc.) Also, please no drug addiction or hard drug use (pot is okay) or eating disorder themes.
I'm okay with several things that fandom can be iffy about: infidelity, some dubcon (drinking leading to sex, underage sex for the Teen Wolf teens), age difference, watersports. Please don't feel like you have to write any of these, however.
The sex question: I generally prefer that the sex in stories tells me something about the characters and how they relate to each other. (Where 'tells me something' can be just that they're totally head over heels for each other, that's fine. I just don't want the sex to feel like I could swap any other characters out and have the same story.) It can be as kinky or vanilla as you like, with a few exceptions.
Please no:
That list looks super long, sorry.
Likes:
I don't have a lot of kinks that I seek out - I tend to go "oh, yeah, that was hot in this story!" But things that I have enjoyed include shaving-as-seduction, biting, knifeplay, physical power games such as play wrestling, slamming into walls, holding wrists down. Everything else is good, just not stuff that I immediately think of when you ask me what I like.
Some non-sexual story kinks: I have a thing for secret or small gifts between the characters, especially jewelry, especially if it's a sign of their relationship that's hidden under other people's noses. Sharing things--clothes, space, food, anything that's a sign of closeness/intimacy. I like characters taking care of each other--because they care about each other, not because one character is incompetent or childlike. Oh, and I do love a good hurt/comfort scenario, as long as it's heavier on the comfort than the hurt. I like romance but not sap. Most of all, I like the characters enjoying being around each other.
Several of the characters I've chosen are generally stoic, very professional types (Hotch and Walt Longmire in particular) and it's always catnip to me if they reach a point where they reach out and are willing to show physical caring/affection to their partner. Hugging, brushing hair back, hand on the face - that kind of thing outside a sexual situation.
Now, onto the fandom specifics. :)
Criminal Minds, Hotch/John Blackwolf, Hotch/Madame Bouvier, Hotch/Morgan, Hotch/Garcia, Hotch/Morgan/Garcia, Hotch/JJ/Will, JJ/Will/Reid
So, if you didn't figure it out from my requests, I maybe kind of like Hotch a little? :D He might actually be my favorite character of all time. I really love the rest of the team as well, and would absolutely love a story for any of these combos. (I have a *lot* of rare pairings for this show, many not including Hotch, but these were the ones I could squeeze into the nominations.)
What I really love about this show are the characters and how they've come to be their own chosen family. I love that they are (fallible) heroes who solve the puzzles of the crimes and then save the day.
I love case fic, especially when it's combined with romance. I have no problem with violence and gore that are on the same level as the show. Just know that I'm much more interested in the BAU team than any of the criminals. On the other hand, if you want to write slice-of-life for these pairings, that's great, too. Like I said in my sign up: these characters have been through a lot of trauma, and I'd really love to see them happy.
Hotch/John Blackwolf - Up until The Tribe, I was all "you know, I really like these characters, but I can't really ship any of them, especially not Hotch." And then John Blackwolf stepped onto the screen and snarked at Hotch, and I was doomed. (DOOMED.)
I just really enjoy how these two sparked off each other from the moment they met. Initially, they both seemed to dismiss each other, but by the middle of the episode they'd earned each other's respect. In the final fight, Blackwolf actually goads Hotch into using his baton, rather than his gun; how many times do we ever see something like that happen?
Pretty much anything you can come up with is okay with me, as long as it's clear that they respect and like each other, and you don't kill them off.
Hotch/Madame Bouvier - If you haven't kept up with the show, you might not be familiar with Madame Bouvier. She's a trans character who appeared briefly at the beginning of Episode 10.5 (Boxed In). What I really loved about this scene was that Hotch wasn't thrown by who she was-black, trans, professional psychic-but he got awkward and a bit shy when she flirted with him. I'd just love to see another meeting between them. Falling in love would be a fantastic bonus.
Hotch/Morgan - My alpha male pairing. I love how these two have navigated their friendship over the years. They test each other constantly, yet they always have the other's back. No question. They've both got huge trust issues, which they've called each other on, and yet I've never questioned the trust between them.
I feel like the road to get these two together would be a difficult one, but once they decided to go for it, boom! They'd be all in.
Hotch/Garcia - Aw, these two. I adore how Hotch -Mr. Suit, Mr. Stoic, Mr. FBI - is never, ever put off by Penelope's vibrant, off-beat ways. (He's snapped at her maybe twice during ten seasons, and it's always been when he's seriously stressed.) She makes him smile, and he completely respects her. There's genuine warmth between these two, and I'd love to see something where they sort of accidentally fall in love somewhere along the way. (Sexy times also more than welcome.)
Hotch/Morgan/Garcia - Take the previous two pairings, add Morgan and Garcia's hot, hot chemistry, and blend. Mmmm, yes please.
As for how to get there? Well, perhaps Hotch and Garcia start dating, and Morgan realizes he wants in on that. Or Morgan wants to date Garcia, but he has leftover intimacy issues that he talks to Hotch about, and things go from there. I don't know. Or established relationship is good, too.
Hotch/JJ/Will - Hotch/JJ is my het OTP for Criminal Minds, but I like JJ with Will, too. Why not have it all?
I really adore Hotch and JJ's close working relationship through the early seasons of the show. AJ called JJ the Robin to Hotch's Batman. As far as JJ and Will, I like the way he's always ready to be what she needs him to be. They really seem to work to be partners for each other.
I could see this being some sort of comfort thing - for some reason they don't like that Hotch is alone and seemingly content to stay that way, and they decide to do something about that. Or maybe it's a late night relaxing with wine and things turn interesting. If you're okay with infidelity, maybe something happens with Hotch and JJ and Will finds out (JJ tells him?) and they decide to turn it into a three-way relationship instead of breaking up.
JJ/Will/Reid - Honestly, this trio hadn't really occurred to me until the other day when I was rewatching Memoriam (the ep where JJ has Henry) the other day. I've always really adored JJ and Reid's relationship, occasionally dipping into shipping them, and I'd enjoy seeing what somebody could do with this.
Any of my suggestions for Hotch/JJ/Will also work for this one. :)
Intelligence, Riley Neal/Gabriel Vaughn -
I really loved this show, and was so sad that it was cancelled. I enjoyed the whole spy - computer chip in the brain - scifi now element of it, but the characters really kept me coming back. I love both Riley and Gabriel, and I thought they had incredible chemistry together. My request is basically "More, please!" Just give me more of Riley and Gabriel together, whether it's flirting, fucking, fighting, or all three.
Please don't kill either of them, and please don't give them an unhappy ending. Show me that they adore each other, and I'll be happy.
Longmire, Walt Longmire/Vic Moretti
I really, really love this show. (And the books, but I haven't read all of them, so I'd prefer it if you stuck to the show universe.) I love the characters, I love the setting, and I really, really love Walt/Vic.
I'd love to see the moment when the tension between the two of them finally snaps and they just go for it. If that doesn't appeal to you, then pretty much anything else with the two of them together would be great: working a case, drinking beer, dealing with the town or other work-related shit. Just treat them well and don't break them up, please, and we're good.
Teen Wolf, Chris/Lydia, Derek/Allison, Derek/Chris
I was really in love with this show for a while, but I've become disappointed by the direction it's gone and I stopped watching after the first half of season 3. I'm still aware of the big plotlines after that, so don't worry about spoiling me or anything like that. At the same time, don't feel like you have to stick to what's happened in canon. I do prefer that you keep the supernatural elements - please no coffee shop AUs or mundane high school AUs or anything along those lines.
Fandom specific note - I don't like A/B/O (Omegaverse) stories, but I'm fine with knotting, if that's something you'd like to incorporate.
Chris Argent/Lydia Martin - I am completely enamored by the way Lydia flirted with Chris a few times in the first season. (Exhibit A.) I'd absolutely love a story that explored that - either her just being flirtatious with him, or completely seducing him. (Exhibit B.) Either is good. I do enjoy the dirtybadwrong element of the age difference, so if you'd like to play that up, that's great, but please don't feel like it's required.
If the underage element bothers you, that's totally cool. I'd also enjoy a story where they meet up a few years down the road, when Lydia is more mature, and something happens between them. Maybe they've both escaped from Beacon Hills and, out of the blue, they bump into each other at a coffee shop.
I love Allison, so if you'd like to bring her back/just pretend the last season didn't happen, that's great. I'm also fine with a story set after her death. Perhaps you'd like to explore their grief and/or recovery, and how it might be a catalyst for a relationship (or vice versa).
Derek Hale/Allison Argent - This is a pairing that I discovered through reading fic, and it really intrigues me. I know some people like to approach them as enemies-who-fuck/hate-fucking, and I enjoy those stories. But I really love stories where they find some kind of healing together, learning to love and trust again after all the crap that they've been through.
Again, whether you set this in a universe where Allison is still alive, or if you bring her back from the dead, I'm good however you want to work it.
SO NOT REQUIRED BUT: If *you* want to go there, please feel free to add Stiles and/or Lydia to the mix (as in threesome or foursome). I ship every combination of these four (Derek/Allison/Lydia/Stiles) you can come up with. It's all good. :D
Derek Hale/Chris Argent - For me, a lot the reason behind this ship comes from Tyler Hoechlin and JR Bourne's chemistry. They just really seem to adore one another, and that translates into some serious sparks on screen. The two characters have so much painful history that it seems like it'd be impossible to get them together - but that's what makes the ship interesting. I'd love to see them work through some of that past and learn how to love and trust again.
Sleepy Hollow, Nick Hawley/Abbie Mills/Ichabod Crane
I honestly think the biggest problem with Sleepy Hollow has been that there were way too many chefs in the kitchen, and they were all trying to add a dash of this, a dash of that to make everybody happy. And it all just turned into...muck. That being said, I still really love Abbie and Ichabod and their relationship, and I actually really like Nick, too.
I like the world of the show, but so much of it doesn't make any sense, particularly in the way they've tried to plot out the episodes. If you want to play around with it some, try to make it make more sense, that's totally cool. Like Teen Wolf, I would prefer you to keep the supernatural elements. (In other words, I'd prefer no mundane, everybody's-a-regular-human AUs.)
I'm going to repeat what I wrote in my request:
I love the way Nick just got to Ichabod. And I really thought that he and Abbie had good chemistry, too, and I liked the idea that there was more to him underneath his devil-may-care, fuck-everything-but-the-bottom-dollar attitude.
I'd love something set in the future of the series where either they've gone and brought Nick back, or he's come back for one reason or the other. I love first times, seeing how they get from nothing to something, but I'm not going to say no to a nice hot PWP or some lovely flirting that doesn't quite get to the action stage. Or something that's established relationship would be nice, too - perhaps all fighting the good fight together, or something more mundane like karaoke or an evening at the cabin.
Please don't feel like you have to focus on the Nick angle alone. I love Ichabod and Abbie together as well, so perhaps that's a different tack to take. Maybe Nick and Ichabod get together first, but they're both in love with Abbie, too. Whatever works to get them there. :)
Looking back over this list, I realize the one thing these all have in common is that I really like it when people who aren't supposed to fall for each other, for one reason or another, actually do. The reasons are often very valid: they work together (almost all the law enforcement pairings), there's some age issues (Chris/Lydia being the extreme one, but also Walt/Vic, Derek/Chris and Derek/Allison), history (Chris/Derek and Derek/Allison). Or there are trust issues (Hotch/Blackwolf, Hotch/Morgan) or societal pressures (the poly combos).
I want to see them being brave enough to say 'fuck it' to all of that and go for it instead.
Hello! Thank you for writing for me! A few quick things: I tend to babble about the things that I love. I'm writing this letter in case you're a writer that likes more information, but if you want to go your own way, feel free to skip all this. Additionally, I've given info about what I like, sex-wise, in stories, but never feel that I'm angling for sex in the story over not having sex in the story. It's just there for additional information.
I have fairly wide reading interests--I like gen, het, slash, femslash, multiples, UST, established-relationship, first time, romance, episode-like stories, mysteries, action, introspection, moment-in-time fics, PWPs, outside POVs, etc. I'm *not* big on crack, and I don't generally care for mundane AUs (coffeeshop AUs, high school AUs, etc.) Also, please no drug addiction or hard drug use (pot is okay) or eating disorder themes.
I'm okay with several things that fandom can be iffy about: infidelity, some dubcon (drinking leading to sex, underage sex for the Teen Wolf teens), age difference, watersports. Please don't feel like you have to write any of these, however.
The sex question: I generally prefer that the sex in stories tells me something about the characters and how they relate to each other. (Where 'tells me something' can be just that they're totally head over heels for each other, that's fine. I just don't want the sex to feel like I could swap any other characters out and have the same story.) It can be as kinky or vanilla as you like, with a few exceptions.
Please no:
- Lifestyle BDSM or BDSM worlds/universes
- A/B/O (Alpha/Beta/Omega; Omegaverse)
- Cannibalism/vore/body horror
- Scat
- Rape
- Sexual humiliation (humiliation as a kink)
- Genital torture/CBT
- Serious danger (hardcore breathplay, drawing a dangerous amount of blood, gunplay with bullets chambered)
- Orgasm denial
That list looks super long, sorry.
Likes:
I don't have a lot of kinks that I seek out - I tend to go "oh, yeah, that was hot in this story!" But things that I have enjoyed include shaving-as-seduction, biting, knifeplay, physical power games such as play wrestling, slamming into walls, holding wrists down. Everything else is good, just not stuff that I immediately think of when you ask me what I like.
Some non-sexual story kinks: I have a thing for secret or small gifts between the characters, especially jewelry, especially if it's a sign of their relationship that's hidden under other people's noses. Sharing things--clothes, space, food, anything that's a sign of closeness/intimacy. I like characters taking care of each other--because they care about each other, not because one character is incompetent or childlike. Oh, and I do love a good hurt/comfort scenario, as long as it's heavier on the comfort than the hurt. I like romance but not sap. Most of all, I like the characters enjoying being around each other.
Several of the characters I've chosen are generally stoic, very professional types (Hotch and Walt Longmire in particular) and it's always catnip to me if they reach a point where they reach out and are willing to show physical caring/affection to their partner. Hugging, brushing hair back, hand on the face - that kind of thing outside a sexual situation.
Now, onto the fandom specifics. :)
Criminal Minds, Hotch/John Blackwolf, Hotch/Madame Bouvier, Hotch/Morgan, Hotch/Garcia, Hotch/Morgan/Garcia, Hotch/JJ/Will, JJ/Will/Reid
So, if you didn't figure it out from my requests, I maybe kind of like Hotch a little? :D He might actually be my favorite character of all time. I really love the rest of the team as well, and would absolutely love a story for any of these combos. (I have a *lot* of rare pairings for this show, many not including Hotch, but these were the ones I could squeeze into the nominations.)
What I really love about this show are the characters and how they've come to be their own chosen family. I love that they are (fallible) heroes who solve the puzzles of the crimes and then save the day.
I love case fic, especially when it's combined with romance. I have no problem with violence and gore that are on the same level as the show. Just know that I'm much more interested in the BAU team than any of the criminals. On the other hand, if you want to write slice-of-life for these pairings, that's great, too. Like I said in my sign up: these characters have been through a lot of trauma, and I'd really love to see them happy.
Hotch/John Blackwolf - Up until The Tribe, I was all "you know, I really like these characters, but I can't really ship any of them, especially not Hotch." And then John Blackwolf stepped onto the screen and snarked at Hotch, and I was doomed. (DOOMED.)
I just really enjoy how these two sparked off each other from the moment they met. Initially, they both seemed to dismiss each other, but by the middle of the episode they'd earned each other's respect. In the final fight, Blackwolf actually goads Hotch into using his baton, rather than his gun; how many times do we ever see something like that happen?
Pretty much anything you can come up with is okay with me, as long as it's clear that they respect and like each other, and you don't kill them off.
Hotch/Madame Bouvier - If you haven't kept up with the show, you might not be familiar with Madame Bouvier. She's a trans character who appeared briefly at the beginning of Episode 10.5 (Boxed In). What I really loved about this scene was that Hotch wasn't thrown by who she was-black, trans, professional psychic-but he got awkward and a bit shy when she flirted with him. I'd just love to see another meeting between them. Falling in love would be a fantastic bonus.
Hotch/Morgan - My alpha male pairing. I love how these two have navigated their friendship over the years. They test each other constantly, yet they always have the other's back. No question. They've both got huge trust issues, which they've called each other on, and yet I've never questioned the trust between them.
I feel like the road to get these two together would be a difficult one, but once they decided to go for it, boom! They'd be all in.
Hotch/Garcia - Aw, these two. I adore how Hotch -Mr. Suit, Mr. Stoic, Mr. FBI - is never, ever put off by Penelope's vibrant, off-beat ways. (He's snapped at her maybe twice during ten seasons, and it's always been when he's seriously stressed.) She makes him smile, and he completely respects her. There's genuine warmth between these two, and I'd love to see something where they sort of accidentally fall in love somewhere along the way. (Sexy times also more than welcome.)
Hotch/Morgan/Garcia - Take the previous two pairings, add Morgan and Garcia's hot, hot chemistry, and blend. Mmmm, yes please.
As for how to get there? Well, perhaps Hotch and Garcia start dating, and Morgan realizes he wants in on that. Or Morgan wants to date Garcia, but he has leftover intimacy issues that he talks to Hotch about, and things go from there. I don't know. Or established relationship is good, too.
Hotch/JJ/Will - Hotch/JJ is my het OTP for Criminal Minds, but I like JJ with Will, too. Why not have it all?
I really adore Hotch and JJ's close working relationship through the early seasons of the show. AJ called JJ the Robin to Hotch's Batman. As far as JJ and Will, I like the way he's always ready to be what she needs him to be. They really seem to work to be partners for each other.
I could see this being some sort of comfort thing - for some reason they don't like that Hotch is alone and seemingly content to stay that way, and they decide to do something about that. Or maybe it's a late night relaxing with wine and things turn interesting. If you're okay with infidelity, maybe something happens with Hotch and JJ and Will finds out (JJ tells him?) and they decide to turn it into a three-way relationship instead of breaking up.
JJ/Will/Reid - Honestly, this trio hadn't really occurred to me until the other day when I was rewatching Memoriam (the ep where JJ has Henry) the other day. I've always really adored JJ and Reid's relationship, occasionally dipping into shipping them, and I'd enjoy seeing what somebody could do with this.
Any of my suggestions for Hotch/JJ/Will also work for this one. :)
Intelligence, Riley Neal/Gabriel Vaughn -
I really loved this show, and was so sad that it was cancelled. I enjoyed the whole spy - computer chip in the brain - scifi now element of it, but the characters really kept me coming back. I love both Riley and Gabriel, and I thought they had incredible chemistry together. My request is basically "More, please!" Just give me more of Riley and Gabriel together, whether it's flirting, fucking, fighting, or all three.
Please don't kill either of them, and please don't give them an unhappy ending. Show me that they adore each other, and I'll be happy.
Longmire, Walt Longmire/Vic Moretti
I really, really love this show. (And the books, but I haven't read all of them, so I'd prefer it if you stuck to the show universe.) I love the characters, I love the setting, and I really, really love Walt/Vic.
I'd love to see the moment when the tension between the two of them finally snaps and they just go for it. If that doesn't appeal to you, then pretty much anything else with the two of them together would be great: working a case, drinking beer, dealing with the town or other work-related shit. Just treat them well and don't break them up, please, and we're good.
Teen Wolf, Chris/Lydia, Derek/Allison, Derek/Chris
I was really in love with this show for a while, but I've become disappointed by the direction it's gone and I stopped watching after the first half of season 3. I'm still aware of the big plotlines after that, so don't worry about spoiling me or anything like that. At the same time, don't feel like you have to stick to what's happened in canon. I do prefer that you keep the supernatural elements - please no coffee shop AUs or mundane high school AUs or anything along those lines.
Fandom specific note - I don't like A/B/O (Omegaverse) stories, but I'm fine with knotting, if that's something you'd like to incorporate.
Chris Argent/Lydia Martin - I am completely enamored by the way Lydia flirted with Chris a few times in the first season. (Exhibit A.) I'd absolutely love a story that explored that - either her just being flirtatious with him, or completely seducing him. (Exhibit B.) Either is good. I do enjoy the dirtybadwrong element of the age difference, so if you'd like to play that up, that's great, but please don't feel like it's required.
If the underage element bothers you, that's totally cool. I'd also enjoy a story where they meet up a few years down the road, when Lydia is more mature, and something happens between them. Maybe they've both escaped from Beacon Hills and, out of the blue, they bump into each other at a coffee shop.
I love Allison, so if you'd like to bring her back/just pretend the last season didn't happen, that's great. I'm also fine with a story set after her death. Perhaps you'd like to explore their grief and/or recovery, and how it might be a catalyst for a relationship (or vice versa).
Derek Hale/Allison Argent - This is a pairing that I discovered through reading fic, and it really intrigues me. I know some people like to approach them as enemies-who-fuck/hate-fucking, and I enjoy those stories. But I really love stories where they find some kind of healing together, learning to love and trust again after all the crap that they've been through.
Again, whether you set this in a universe where Allison is still alive, or if you bring her back from the dead, I'm good however you want to work it.
SO NOT REQUIRED BUT: If *you* want to go there, please feel free to add Stiles and/or Lydia to the mix (as in threesome or foursome). I ship every combination of these four (Derek/Allison/Lydia/Stiles) you can come up with. It's all good. :D
Derek Hale/Chris Argent - For me, a lot the reason behind this ship comes from Tyler Hoechlin and JR Bourne's chemistry. They just really seem to adore one another, and that translates into some serious sparks on screen. The two characters have so much painful history that it seems like it'd be impossible to get them together - but that's what makes the ship interesting. I'd love to see them work through some of that past and learn how to love and trust again.
Sleepy Hollow, Nick Hawley/Abbie Mills/Ichabod Crane
I honestly think the biggest problem with Sleepy Hollow has been that there were way too many chefs in the kitchen, and they were all trying to add a dash of this, a dash of that to make everybody happy. And it all just turned into...muck. That being said, I still really love Abbie and Ichabod and their relationship, and I actually really like Nick, too.
I like the world of the show, but so much of it doesn't make any sense, particularly in the way they've tried to plot out the episodes. If you want to play around with it some, try to make it make more sense, that's totally cool. Like Teen Wolf, I would prefer you to keep the supernatural elements. (In other words, I'd prefer no mundane, everybody's-a-regular-human AUs.)
I'm going to repeat what I wrote in my request:
I love the way Nick just got to Ichabod. And I really thought that he and Abbie had good chemistry, too, and I liked the idea that there was more to him underneath his devil-may-care, fuck-everything-but-the-bottom-dollar attitude.
I'd love something set in the future of the series where either they've gone and brought Nick back, or he's come back for one reason or the other. I love first times, seeing how they get from nothing to something, but I'm not going to say no to a nice hot PWP or some lovely flirting that doesn't quite get to the action stage. Or something that's established relationship would be nice, too - perhaps all fighting the good fight together, or something more mundane like karaoke or an evening at the cabin.
Please don't feel like you have to focus on the Nick angle alone. I love Ichabod and Abbie together as well, so perhaps that's a different tack to take. Maybe Nick and Ichabod get together first, but they're both in love with Abbie, too. Whatever works to get them there. :)
Looking back over this list, I realize the one thing these all have in common is that I really like it when people who aren't supposed to fall for each other, for one reason or another, actually do. The reasons are often very valid: they work together (almost all the law enforcement pairings), there's some age issues (Chris/Lydia being the extreme one, but also Walt/Vic, Derek/Chris and Derek/Allison), history (Chris/Derek and Derek/Allison). Or there are trust issues (Hotch/Blackwolf, Hotch/Morgan) or societal pressures (the poly combos).
I want to see them being brave enough to say 'fuck it' to all of that and go for it instead.