FemslashEx 2021 Dear Author letter for Tamoline
Dear author,
Thank you for agreeing to write me a fic. I hope you find it a fun and interesting experience.
Things that turn me off -
Explicit smut is very hit and miss with me. I might find it interesting, I might not. Caveat emptor, but it's more likely to be a hit if it's more about feelings than body parts.
Futanari and other male parts on women is a definite squick, though, so please none of that. No torture or non-con, and preferably no character bashing. I'm also not interested in any relationships with male characters - I'd prefer the relationships just written out, unless you want to do something interesting with the breakup.
Things that do work for me -
Pieces that are character driven, character exploration or that concern the evolution of a relationship definitely work for me. Things that make me feel - humour and tragedy - are also good bets.
General notes
AUs are in general fine.
MCU
Katy/Xialing: It felt to me like the movie elided much of Xialing's story - possibly due the framing device of this tale being retold by Katy and Shang-chi. Despite family obviously still being important to her, despite what she claims, that thread never really gets resolved. She never reconciles with her father - as far as we see on screen, he never even seems to really consider her an entity outside 'the family', certainly not in the same way he does Shang-chi. Shang-chi never offers to share the inheritance of the rings with her and - though we don't see it on-screen - it seems not unlikely that he decided that the Ten Rings organisation should be disbanded without really talking it through with her. (It's presumably either that or she decided that he probably wouldn't agree to let her take it over, which... well, trust obviously hasn't been rebuilt from her side, regardless of what Shang-chi may think.) Basically, Xialing still has a host of reasons to be angry at her brother, even as she loves him.
And, well, given Katy is Shang-chi's best friend, some of that tension is likely to spill out into any relationship she has with Xialing. Maybe Xialing in a fit of sibling rivalry decides to take away Shang-chi's best friend by seducing Katy, catching feelings along the way. Maybe Katy, having found herself as an adventurer, and Shang-chi interfere with Ten Rings operations, but only Katy can actually talk to Xialing without tension getting in the way, and finds out that the Ten Rings is more morally grey than outright villainous these days, and they actually have a common cause. Or maybe Xialing wants a connection with Shang-chi but certainly isn't going to admit to that, keeps on dropping in on Katy to see how things are going, and that becomes something more.
Natasha/Xialing: I can see their paths crossing post Civil War, when Natasha was travelling the world, getting into all sorts of trouble and maybe helping out/needing help from Xialing, who certainly has connections. Or maybe during the Snap, when everything is falling apart - Xialing certainly has a knack for organisation and being able to recruit people with unusual powers, both things that would be invaluable to Natasha's Avengers, and Natasha's definitely the kind of morally flexible person who'd be willing to work with a morally grey organisation like Xialing's. And, finally, given Xialing has ties to a village on a mystical threshold, it's certainly not impossible that wherever Nat went to after the Soul Stone test is reachable from there. If you're feeling really ambitious, you could try and weave in all three elements.
Peggy/Natasha: My main idea is Captain Carter/Natasha, from that What If. Would they have a similar friendship to her and Steve, or would they clash a little more personality wise? Or would they actually get on better, given Peggy's intelligence background? Or maybe, due to Captain Carter demonstrating that women can be supersoldiers, Dreykov would have wanted to fold the supersoldier program into his project. Sure, there'd be more fatalities, but it's not like he'd care about that. In which case, Natasha might have an understandable dislike of Peggy, especially if she's been left with a chronic condition of some kind due to the partially successful treatment. (Maybe she needs to take pills each day or something.)
Yelena/Wanda: Maybe Natasha drops Wanda off with Yelena, Alexei and Melina after the rescue from the Raft and they bond. Or maybe Yelena decides to try out this flirting thing for herself, now that she can, and Wanda isn't too sure what to make of it, especially after Vision's betrayal and gaslighting during Civil War. Or maybe, after WandaVision, Yelena hears on the grapevine that Wanda's on the outs with the authorities, and decides to check in on her after having heard about her from Natasha, and something between them develops.
Yelena/Xialing: There's a certain amount of similarity here with Natasha/Xialing, with similar kinds of prompts. (Wacky adventures after Civil War, check. Yelena interacting with Xialing on behalf of Natasha during the Snap, check. Maybe even tracking her down to see if Natasha can be retrieved after Endgame, check.) I imagine there could be a certain amount of bonding regarding older siblings who think they know best and leave them behind, not to mention I think Yelena would be a lot more impressed with what Xialing's managed to build. If there is a Widow Corp after Black Widow of former Widows, I can see them allying or clashing with the new Ten Rings as well, which could lead to fun (and possibly flirty) interactions between Yelena and Xialing, especially if they're both going after the same targets.
Motherland: Fort Salem
Abigail/Raelle: I do like the way their relationship has evolved, as well as the ways they still differ and clash. I'm pretty much good for a fic from any point from the start of season 1, when they're very much still clashing, through the end of season 1 when they're trekking together after the witch bomb, through what happens in season 2 and through to the end, when they're running away together. (Though Scylla would definitely be a complication in that last case.) And there are certainly enough potential hingepoints if you want to go that route.
Abigail/Raelle/Scylla: Obviously end of season 2, they're all together and nominally working together, at the very least. Which isn't to say that getting into any kind of relationship for all three of them will be any kinds of easy. They all have rather different morality systems, to say the least, even if Scylla seems to be trying - with differing levels of success - not to be such a monster. If you're going to write this relationship, I don't want Scylla to be whitewashed, but maybe they can make somthing work, regardless.
Raelle/Izadora: This isn't going to be an easy pairing, in any sense. I wouldn't want the fic to overlook the age difference, or that some part of Izadora is going to view Raelle as a fascinating test subject, or that Raelle isn't going to resent that. But maybe something could grow between them besides that, or even with that complicated tangle worked right in, in a not particularly healthy way.
Raelle/Tally: Tally is always the peacemaker, trying forever to take care of everyone else, regardless of the emotional toll it takes on her. Raelle, of course, does something similar in a far more physical way, literally taking on the wounds of others. Maybe that's enough to find some kind of commonality between them. Maybe Tally pushes herself too far, and Raelle has to take care of her for once. Or maybe something happens after the end of season 2, bringing them closer together. Alternatively, maybe something happens when Tally and Raelle visits Raelle's father in season 2. (If you want to use a version of Raelle's home and community that's closer to what's shown in the pilot as opposed to season 2, I feel like that might have promise, as Raelle reconnects with the community that seemed to depend on her, as well as decide whether or not she wants to pick up the burden of looking after her father.)
Sarah/Izadora: There's obviously a strong bond of loyalty and trust between these two. Options for loyalty kink abound, as well as something of a more complicated nature - one of Alder's more recent talented proteges - as well as possibly an ex - rebelled and formed the Spree, so I can imagine that she'd want to keep an eye on Izadora and assure her loyalty. And from Izadora, I can imagine a part of her might not be able to help taking notes on this extremely unique specimen.
Sarah/Tally: This is also not going to be an easy pairing. I wouldn't want a fic to overlook the dramatic power differential between the two, both in life experience and position. Nor the difference in perspectives, with Tally being far more idealistic than Alder's pragmatism. And yet there's a definite connection between the two. Tally fairly obviously has some kind of crush on Alder, and Alder certainly values and respects her, even as Tally repeatedly stands up to her. Something that explores this complicated and problematic dynamic could be fun, though I'd definitely want Alder to acknowledge how problematic anything between them would be.
The Nevers
Penance/Amalia|Zephyr: I'm really in love with how much they're a couple already, with how well they know each other's mannerisms and trust each other. Which isn't to say they don't have their differences of course. I can definitely see a case of mutual pining where they're unwilling to push for something more just in case it goes wrong. From Penance, I imagine there would be some hesitation about given Amalia doesn't seem to be big on monogamy generally, and the example of her relationship with Cousens. From Amalia, it could be that Penance seems relatively innocent in affairs of the heart, and Amalia has self punishing tendencies that might well think that she's not good enough for Penance.
Shadow and Bone
Genya/Alina: This has the potential to be another fun and complicated relationship. Genya is put into a place by Kirigan where she's abused, then recruited by him when he offers a way out of the abuse as well as a way to get her revenge. And in turn, she abuses the trust Alina puts in her, even as she obviously becomes torn by that decision, to the point where she's obviously almost at the breaking point by the time of the party. If you want to do an AU where Genya makes a different decision during Alina's stay at the palace, feel free. (Maybe she's been recruited by Baghra, playing a very dangerous game of being a double agent, and then Alina manages to break through her barriers regardless.) Maybe it's post season 1, and they have to repair their relationship somehow, which could also be fairly juicy.
Inej/Zoya: Maybe the Crows stick around long enough to search for Zoya's aunt, then - given all the betrayals - Zoya leaves with them for Ketterdam afterwards, and something between Inej and Zoya grows. Or maybe they meet during the palace job - maybe Inej has to distract Zoya from something, and does so with a kiss. If you want to write something where the differences in the way they relate to their Suli heritage comes up, that could be really interesting.
Zoya/Alina: I'd love a good enemies to lovers trope here. Feel free to go into why Zoya dislikes Alina, and why it changes. (The obvious reason is that, riding in with Kirigan like that, she threatens Zoya's already not exactly stable relationship with Kirigan, and Zoya lashes out the only way she can. But if you want to go in another direction, feel free. And if you do include mention of Zoya's relationship with Kirigan, be aware I do consider it absolutely exploitative and manipulative from Kirigan's end, no matter what Zoya undsoubtedly thinks.) Possibly Zoya and Alina get into a contentious relationship in the palace, arguing in public, exchanging kisses and bites in secret. Or possibly it's after the end of season one, when things are more complicated between them. If Zoya's aunt is dead, maybe she decides to accompany Alina for her best chance of revenge and they start talking, each being the only one who can really understand the other's complicated feelings about Kirigan. Or, for a complete AU, maybe Zoya decides to try and sleep with Alina instead in that first episode, maybe flustering Alina, maybe causing a different reaction, so they have a very different start and progression.
Zoya/Genya: I'm not sure we ever see these two really interact in the tv series, but I can see that neither of them might have much use for the other - Zoya having only contempt for Genya as a civilian, Genya looking down her nose at Zoya for not having any understanding for what real work for the Grisha looks like - which could lead to an interesting push/pull dynamic. Or maybe it's not that at all, maybe for whatever reason, they can only be honest with each other, at least about some things. Alternatively, if you want to set it after season one, then I can see Zoya looking to make contact with Genya as one of Kirigan's partisans, looking to find out information on her quest for revenge. Maybe Genya finds out what she's planning, and has a crisis over the doubts she obviously already has. Or maybe she turns her in, and then has second doubts. Or maybe this is just a story of two women looking to use each other. Regardless, it could be fun and complicated.
Mass Effect
Ashley/Tali: It might be fun to see Ashley's - not undeserved - cynicism clash with Tali's idealism during ME1, though Tali's probably a little too young to be in a proper relationship at that point. Maybe Ashley feels protective about her and takes Tali under her wing, maybe while being constantly impressed by her. Maybe Tali crushes on her during ME1 even if she doesn't make a move, then they reconnect during ME3 when Tali's older and emotionally more mature and Ashley has to reassess her impression of Tali. Maybe Tali has to make the first move, either during the end of the galaxy of ME3, or afterwards, or maybe the whole crew gets involved in helping to gently push them together in a rom-com like manner. Bonus points if Ashley's family is part of things.
EDI/Tali: There's obviously a conflict here in that Tali has a higher cultural distrust for AI than most anyone else, and yet she's also the most technically competent person in the crew, most able to understand EDI. One potential idea is that the Illusive Man planted backdoors in EDI then activates them after Shepard blows up the Collector's base, and Tali has to help EDI retain her freedom, and they become closer during this process. Alternatively, this could take place after ME3, and maybe Tali's helping EDI recover after the damage from the destruction of the Reapers and the Reaper code. Or maybe this could just be a fun matchup between two outsiders to the general galaxy community, neither quite understanding the signals the other is putting out, even as they date each other, even if they don't quite realise what they're doing.
Fem!Shep/Tali: I really liked the progression of their relationship over the three games, and something that continues that - either in the course of ME2/3 or after the end where Shepard lives - would be great.
Miranda/Fem!Shep: I've always really liked the way that Miranda starts off as a diehard partisan of Cerebus, both as the organisation that saved her (for its own reasons) when she was young and the purpose to which she's devoted her life, only to develop doubts and finally defect by the end of ME2, and Shepard, the woman she brought back from the dead on one hand, but initially views her as a tool that would best off having a control chip to someone she truly trusts and values by the end of the game, provides a lot of fun tension that could be mined. Their contrasting and battling values and ethics could be fun to play with, as could having a look at what happens next after ME3. What does Miranda do once she doesn't have an assigned purpose any more? Does she try and make amends for all the hamr she facilitated or even directly caused when she was part of Cerebus? For that matter, does Shepard settle down, or does she find another situation to handle, that Miranda has to help her out of. Miranda also doesn't seem to be great with emotions, so she might need a nudge or two to realise what they are.
Locked Tomb Series
Harrowhark/Ianthe: I really like the tangled relationship these two have, the way that Ianthe fairly gleefully pursues Harrow with utmost confidence even as Harrow grumpily protests that she's not interested. Apparently I'm something of a sucker for that kind of thing when it's two women. Maybe push this to a place where Harrow realises that she's maybe not quite that opposed to Ianthe's advances as she thought, or maybe she decides to use them as a cover for something else. Feel free to be somewhat ambiguous with this pairing - I think it could work well for them.
Gideon/Ianthe: These two fairly cordially hate each other, which could make a fun push-pull of a different kind. Maybe Gideon decides to try and sleep with Ianthe to get her off Harrow's back, and ends up with more of a problem than she really anticipated. Or maybe Ianthe decides to play with Gideon to try and make Harrow jealous - of one of them at least - and finds out it's not quite as simple as she might have expected. Or maybe they're just stuck somewhere they have to work together and find out - to their mutual disgust - they actually kind of like each other when it comes down to it.
Legacies
Hope/Lizzie: I like the relationship these two have, from mutual dislike to close friendship. Maybe set it during the period of time when only Lizzie remembers Hope and they're working together and feelings get intense. Or possibly during early season 3 after Lizzie disguised as Hope gives Lizzie's eulogy and then everyone thinks that they were dating and hijinks ensue afterwards. Or maybe post season 3, when they're finally, finally working together, actually this time, and Hope has finally gotten the message that she and Landon need to take some time apart.
Thank you for agreeing to write me a fic. I hope you find it a fun and interesting experience.
Things that turn me off -
Explicit smut is very hit and miss with me. I might find it interesting, I might not. Caveat emptor, but it's more likely to be a hit if it's more about feelings than body parts.
Futanari and other male parts on women is a definite squick, though, so please none of that. No torture or non-con, and preferably no character bashing. I'm also not interested in any relationships with male characters - I'd prefer the relationships just written out, unless you want to do something interesting with the breakup.
Things that do work for me -
Pieces that are character driven, character exploration or that concern the evolution of a relationship definitely work for me. Things that make me feel - humour and tragedy - are also good bets.
General notes
AUs are in general fine.
MCU
Katy/Xialing: It felt to me like the movie elided much of Xialing's story - possibly due the framing device of this tale being retold by Katy and Shang-chi. Despite family obviously still being important to her, despite what she claims, that thread never really gets resolved. She never reconciles with her father - as far as we see on screen, he never even seems to really consider her an entity outside 'the family', certainly not in the same way he does Shang-chi. Shang-chi never offers to share the inheritance of the rings with her and - though we don't see it on-screen - it seems not unlikely that he decided that the Ten Rings organisation should be disbanded without really talking it through with her. (It's presumably either that or she decided that he probably wouldn't agree to let her take it over, which... well, trust obviously hasn't been rebuilt from her side, regardless of what Shang-chi may think.) Basically, Xialing still has a host of reasons to be angry at her brother, even as she loves him.
And, well, given Katy is Shang-chi's best friend, some of that tension is likely to spill out into any relationship she has with Xialing. Maybe Xialing in a fit of sibling rivalry decides to take away Shang-chi's best friend by seducing Katy, catching feelings along the way. Maybe Katy, having found herself as an adventurer, and Shang-chi interfere with Ten Rings operations, but only Katy can actually talk to Xialing without tension getting in the way, and finds out that the Ten Rings is more morally grey than outright villainous these days, and they actually have a common cause. Or maybe Xialing wants a connection with Shang-chi but certainly isn't going to admit to that, keeps on dropping in on Katy to see how things are going, and that becomes something more.
Natasha/Xialing: I can see their paths crossing post Civil War, when Natasha was travelling the world, getting into all sorts of trouble and maybe helping out/needing help from Xialing, who certainly has connections. Or maybe during the Snap, when everything is falling apart - Xialing certainly has a knack for organisation and being able to recruit people with unusual powers, both things that would be invaluable to Natasha's Avengers, and Natasha's definitely the kind of morally flexible person who'd be willing to work with a morally grey organisation like Xialing's. And, finally, given Xialing has ties to a village on a mystical threshold, it's certainly not impossible that wherever Nat went to after the Soul Stone test is reachable from there. If you're feeling really ambitious, you could try and weave in all three elements.
Peggy/Natasha: My main idea is Captain Carter/Natasha, from that What If. Would they have a similar friendship to her and Steve, or would they clash a little more personality wise? Or would they actually get on better, given Peggy's intelligence background? Or maybe, due to Captain Carter demonstrating that women can be supersoldiers, Dreykov would have wanted to fold the supersoldier program into his project. Sure, there'd be more fatalities, but it's not like he'd care about that. In which case, Natasha might have an understandable dislike of Peggy, especially if she's been left with a chronic condition of some kind due to the partially successful treatment. (Maybe she needs to take pills each day or something.)
Yelena/Wanda: Maybe Natasha drops Wanda off with Yelena, Alexei and Melina after the rescue from the Raft and they bond. Or maybe Yelena decides to try out this flirting thing for herself, now that she can, and Wanda isn't too sure what to make of it, especially after Vision's betrayal and gaslighting during Civil War. Or maybe, after WandaVision, Yelena hears on the grapevine that Wanda's on the outs with the authorities, and decides to check in on her after having heard about her from Natasha, and something between them develops.
Yelena/Xialing: There's a certain amount of similarity here with Natasha/Xialing, with similar kinds of prompts. (Wacky adventures after Civil War, check. Yelena interacting with Xialing on behalf of Natasha during the Snap, check. Maybe even tracking her down to see if Natasha can be retrieved after Endgame, check.) I imagine there could be a certain amount of bonding regarding older siblings who think they know best and leave them behind, not to mention I think Yelena would be a lot more impressed with what Xialing's managed to build. If there is a Widow Corp after Black Widow of former Widows, I can see them allying or clashing with the new Ten Rings as well, which could lead to fun (and possibly flirty) interactions between Yelena and Xialing, especially if they're both going after the same targets.
Motherland: Fort Salem
Abigail/Raelle: I do like the way their relationship has evolved, as well as the ways they still differ and clash. I'm pretty much good for a fic from any point from the start of season 1, when they're very much still clashing, through the end of season 1 when they're trekking together after the witch bomb, through what happens in season 2 and through to the end, when they're running away together. (Though Scylla would definitely be a complication in that last case.) And there are certainly enough potential hingepoints if you want to go that route.
Abigail/Raelle/Scylla: Obviously end of season 2, they're all together and nominally working together, at the very least. Which isn't to say that getting into any kind of relationship for all three of them will be any kinds of easy. They all have rather different morality systems, to say the least, even if Scylla seems to be trying - with differing levels of success - not to be such a monster. If you're going to write this relationship, I don't want Scylla to be whitewashed, but maybe they can make somthing work, regardless.
Raelle/Izadora: This isn't going to be an easy pairing, in any sense. I wouldn't want the fic to overlook the age difference, or that some part of Izadora is going to view Raelle as a fascinating test subject, or that Raelle isn't going to resent that. But maybe something could grow between them besides that, or even with that complicated tangle worked right in, in a not particularly healthy way.
Raelle/Tally: Tally is always the peacemaker, trying forever to take care of everyone else, regardless of the emotional toll it takes on her. Raelle, of course, does something similar in a far more physical way, literally taking on the wounds of others. Maybe that's enough to find some kind of commonality between them. Maybe Tally pushes herself too far, and Raelle has to take care of her for once. Or maybe something happens after the end of season 2, bringing them closer together. Alternatively, maybe something happens when Tally and Raelle visits Raelle's father in season 2. (If you want to use a version of Raelle's home and community that's closer to what's shown in the pilot as opposed to season 2, I feel like that might have promise, as Raelle reconnects with the community that seemed to depend on her, as well as decide whether or not she wants to pick up the burden of looking after her father.)
Sarah/Izadora: There's obviously a strong bond of loyalty and trust between these two. Options for loyalty kink abound, as well as something of a more complicated nature - one of Alder's more recent talented proteges - as well as possibly an ex - rebelled and formed the Spree, so I can imagine that she'd want to keep an eye on Izadora and assure her loyalty. And from Izadora, I can imagine a part of her might not be able to help taking notes on this extremely unique specimen.
Sarah/Tally: This is also not going to be an easy pairing. I wouldn't want a fic to overlook the dramatic power differential between the two, both in life experience and position. Nor the difference in perspectives, with Tally being far more idealistic than Alder's pragmatism. And yet there's a definite connection between the two. Tally fairly obviously has some kind of crush on Alder, and Alder certainly values and respects her, even as Tally repeatedly stands up to her. Something that explores this complicated and problematic dynamic could be fun, though I'd definitely want Alder to acknowledge how problematic anything between them would be.
The Nevers
Penance/Amalia|Zephyr: I'm really in love with how much they're a couple already, with how well they know each other's mannerisms and trust each other. Which isn't to say they don't have their differences of course. I can definitely see a case of mutual pining where they're unwilling to push for something more just in case it goes wrong. From Penance, I imagine there would be some hesitation about given Amalia doesn't seem to be big on monogamy generally, and the example of her relationship with Cousens. From Amalia, it could be that Penance seems relatively innocent in affairs of the heart, and Amalia has self punishing tendencies that might well think that she's not good enough for Penance.
Shadow and Bone
Genya/Alina: This has the potential to be another fun and complicated relationship. Genya is put into a place by Kirigan where she's abused, then recruited by him when he offers a way out of the abuse as well as a way to get her revenge. And in turn, she abuses the trust Alina puts in her, even as she obviously becomes torn by that decision, to the point where she's obviously almost at the breaking point by the time of the party. If you want to do an AU where Genya makes a different decision during Alina's stay at the palace, feel free. (Maybe she's been recruited by Baghra, playing a very dangerous game of being a double agent, and then Alina manages to break through her barriers regardless.) Maybe it's post season 1, and they have to repair their relationship somehow, which could also be fairly juicy.
Inej/Zoya: Maybe the Crows stick around long enough to search for Zoya's aunt, then - given all the betrayals - Zoya leaves with them for Ketterdam afterwards, and something between Inej and Zoya grows. Or maybe they meet during the palace job - maybe Inej has to distract Zoya from something, and does so with a kiss. If you want to write something where the differences in the way they relate to their Suli heritage comes up, that could be really interesting.
Zoya/Alina: I'd love a good enemies to lovers trope here. Feel free to go into why Zoya dislikes Alina, and why it changes. (The obvious reason is that, riding in with Kirigan like that, she threatens Zoya's already not exactly stable relationship with Kirigan, and Zoya lashes out the only way she can. But if you want to go in another direction, feel free. And if you do include mention of Zoya's relationship with Kirigan, be aware I do consider it absolutely exploitative and manipulative from Kirigan's end, no matter what Zoya undsoubtedly thinks.) Possibly Zoya and Alina get into a contentious relationship in the palace, arguing in public, exchanging kisses and bites in secret. Or possibly it's after the end of season one, when things are more complicated between them. If Zoya's aunt is dead, maybe she decides to accompany Alina for her best chance of revenge and they start talking, each being the only one who can really understand the other's complicated feelings about Kirigan. Or, for a complete AU, maybe Zoya decides to try and sleep with Alina instead in that first episode, maybe flustering Alina, maybe causing a different reaction, so they have a very different start and progression.
Zoya/Genya: I'm not sure we ever see these two really interact in the tv series, but I can see that neither of them might have much use for the other - Zoya having only contempt for Genya as a civilian, Genya looking down her nose at Zoya for not having any understanding for what real work for the Grisha looks like - which could lead to an interesting push/pull dynamic. Or maybe it's not that at all, maybe for whatever reason, they can only be honest with each other, at least about some things. Alternatively, if you want to set it after season one, then I can see Zoya looking to make contact with Genya as one of Kirigan's partisans, looking to find out information on her quest for revenge. Maybe Genya finds out what she's planning, and has a crisis over the doubts she obviously already has. Or maybe she turns her in, and then has second doubts. Or maybe this is just a story of two women looking to use each other. Regardless, it could be fun and complicated.
Mass Effect
Ashley/Tali: It might be fun to see Ashley's - not undeserved - cynicism clash with Tali's idealism during ME1, though Tali's probably a little too young to be in a proper relationship at that point. Maybe Ashley feels protective about her and takes Tali under her wing, maybe while being constantly impressed by her. Maybe Tali crushes on her during ME1 even if she doesn't make a move, then they reconnect during ME3 when Tali's older and emotionally more mature and Ashley has to reassess her impression of Tali. Maybe Tali has to make the first move, either during the end of the galaxy of ME3, or afterwards, or maybe the whole crew gets involved in helping to gently push them together in a rom-com like manner. Bonus points if Ashley's family is part of things.
EDI/Tali: There's obviously a conflict here in that Tali has a higher cultural distrust for AI than most anyone else, and yet she's also the most technically competent person in the crew, most able to understand EDI. One potential idea is that the Illusive Man planted backdoors in EDI then activates them after Shepard blows up the Collector's base, and Tali has to help EDI retain her freedom, and they become closer during this process. Alternatively, this could take place after ME3, and maybe Tali's helping EDI recover after the damage from the destruction of the Reapers and the Reaper code. Or maybe this could just be a fun matchup between two outsiders to the general galaxy community, neither quite understanding the signals the other is putting out, even as they date each other, even if they don't quite realise what they're doing.
Fem!Shep/Tali: I really liked the progression of their relationship over the three games, and something that continues that - either in the course of ME2/3 or after the end where Shepard lives - would be great.
Miranda/Fem!Shep: I've always really liked the way that Miranda starts off as a diehard partisan of Cerebus, both as the organisation that saved her (for its own reasons) when she was young and the purpose to which she's devoted her life, only to develop doubts and finally defect by the end of ME2, and Shepard, the woman she brought back from the dead on one hand, but initially views her as a tool that would best off having a control chip to someone she truly trusts and values by the end of the game, provides a lot of fun tension that could be mined. Their contrasting and battling values and ethics could be fun to play with, as could having a look at what happens next after ME3. What does Miranda do once she doesn't have an assigned purpose any more? Does she try and make amends for all the hamr she facilitated or even directly caused when she was part of Cerebus? For that matter, does Shepard settle down, or does she find another situation to handle, that Miranda has to help her out of. Miranda also doesn't seem to be great with emotions, so she might need a nudge or two to realise what they are.
Locked Tomb Series
Harrowhark/Ianthe: I really like the tangled relationship these two have, the way that Ianthe fairly gleefully pursues Harrow with utmost confidence even as Harrow grumpily protests that she's not interested. Apparently I'm something of a sucker for that kind of thing when it's two women. Maybe push this to a place where Harrow realises that she's maybe not quite that opposed to Ianthe's advances as she thought, or maybe she decides to use them as a cover for something else. Feel free to be somewhat ambiguous with this pairing - I think it could work well for them.
Gideon/Ianthe: These two fairly cordially hate each other, which could make a fun push-pull of a different kind. Maybe Gideon decides to try and sleep with Ianthe to get her off Harrow's back, and ends up with more of a problem than she really anticipated. Or maybe Ianthe decides to play with Gideon to try and make Harrow jealous - of one of them at least - and finds out it's not quite as simple as she might have expected. Or maybe they're just stuck somewhere they have to work together and find out - to their mutual disgust - they actually kind of like each other when it comes down to it.
Legacies
Hope/Lizzie: I like the relationship these two have, from mutual dislike to close friendship. Maybe set it during the period of time when only Lizzie remembers Hope and they're working together and feelings get intense. Or possibly during early season 3 after Lizzie disguised as Hope gives Lizzie's eulogy and then everyone thinks that they were dating and hijinks ensue afterwards. Or maybe post season 3, when they're finally, finally working together, actually this time, and Hope has finally gotten the message that she and Landon need to take some time apart.