Dear Chocolate Box creator
Dear 
chocolateboxcomm creator,
thank you so much for writing a story or creating art for me! I'll be absolutely thrilled about anything you can create about the relationships I requested, and everything important is in the requests themselves, but if you'd like even more info, general likes etc., here you go:
General Preferences
Likes:
For porn: For fic, I usually prefer a little plot to go with it, even if it's just the context of the sex. I like improvised/unnegotiated/under-negotiated BDSM and explorations of power dynamics, but for the most part I'm not much into stories where a kink itself is the focus, and entirely vanilla is great, too. I'm generally looking for emotional intensity and a sense of connection, not particular sex acts.
For art: I love art that focuses on one tiny moment in canon and puts it in the spotlight, AU moments of what might have been, or missing scenes. Action or domestic, romantic or angsty or both. Characters touching, or looking at each other. I also love portraits and depictions of scenery and worldbuilding objects ... Or more symbolic artwork that doesn't depict any particular scene.
Dislikes/DNWs:
Now for the fandoms and relationships I requested, in no particular order - note that some sections are expanded compared to the sign-up form:
山河令 | Word of Honor: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu, Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu & Luo Fumeng
[Note: this section is identical to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: submissive or exclusive bottom Wen Kexing; fighting over who tops (fighting over who gets to choose is fine, but please no "winning equals topping"); extensive use of "wife" and "husband" without switching up the roles; focus on shidi/shixiong relationship; Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu giving up immortality (never gaining it is fine).
Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu are both killers; they can be terrifyingly dark and violent and cruel - and yet both of them are also capable of immense kindness and gentleness. I would love something that leans into that. I love them at their deadliest (Wen Kexing especially got me first at his most unhinged-and-murdery), and I love them soft, playful, fighting, protecting each other, and I especially love the contrast between those two sides. I also love wuxia and fight scenes, insane competence, found family stuff with Chengling and Gu Xiang, Valley Master Wen Kexing, and the women from Ghost Valley, so anything including some of that would be awesome. I'm especially intrigued by Luo Fumeng and her relationship with Wen Kexing - the way he cuts her more leeway than anyone but Gu Xiang but doesn't quite trust her, the way she doesn't fear him but also doesn't know his goals, and so on. I would love to see her perspective on Wenzhou, or Zhou Zishu getting to know her, or anything that combines her with Wenzhou.
Some ideas: in-between canon, when exactly did Wenzhou get together? how? when did Zhou Zishu first realise Wen Kexing must be the Ghost Valley Master? when did he really understand what that means? what if it had happened earlier/under different circumstances? Or something after the end - what do they do, other than sit on top of that mountain? Or a different ending for them - where could things have gone differently? How about a canon divergence AU where they end up living together with their found family, either in Four Seasons Manor or in Ghost Valley? (Building a life in Ghost Valley would be fascinating! So would them having to learn how to actually lead a functional sect. And what if Luo Fumeng and her women joined them at Siji Manor?) Maybe a time travel do-over scenario - I can never get enough of those. Or something that explores the canon ending and makes its somewhat disjointed parts more coherent. Or how about early canon divergence where Zhou Zishu doesn't get away cleanly from Window of Heaven at the start, and ends up in Ghost Valley instead? Also, Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu both, despite all evidence to the contrary, keep thinking the other will be all right if they die. What would it take for them to realise that won't happen? and what would happen next?
I'm not as much into the early-episode dynamic where we can't quite tell how serious Wen Kexing is with his flirting just yet (or when he starts being fully serious about Zhou Zishu), or how serious Zhou Zishu's grumpy rejection is (or when he starts being genuinely invested). And unless it's canon divergence that goes very differently, I'd prefer something set no sooner than their first falling-out when Zhou Zishu discovered the plot with the duplicated Glazed Armor pieces. If you'd like to include novel elements, or go for an ending more similar to the novel, feel free.
For porn, I find Wen Kexing topping hotter, but in general I prefer them to switch. When it comes to D/s, though, I'm on the side of dom!Wen Kexing. Both because he'd be absolutely terrifying if he let his extremes come out to play even a little, and I think Zhou Zishu would be into it - and because Zhou Zishu holds so tightly on to his self-control, and I'd love to see him give some of it up to Lao-Wen. I'm also here for fighting and violent sex, both of them letting themselves be not-so-careful about each other, letting their violent/darker sides out to play. Kink, trust, make them fight and play hard, but whatever it is, I want them both to be enthusiastically into what they're doing.
Grimm: Nick/Renard, Nick/Renard/Juliette, Renard/Juliette, Renard & Henrietta, Renard & Elizabeth, Elizabeth/Kelly
[Note: this section is expanded compared to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: submissive Renard; Nick/Adalind as more than a passing mention.
Generally: I've always been fascinated with Renard and his place in the world of the show: the royal bastard allying with the Resistance, the Zauberbiest allying with a Grimm, the police captain who balances all of that. I'm also fascinated with Hexenbiests/Zauberbiests, their psychology, their relationship with the rest of the Wesen world and with the Royals, and with the Wesen world in general, the roles of Royals and Grimms, and the unorthodox places both Renard and Nick carve out for themselves in that world. Worldbuilding is always welcome - I'd love anything that explored or showed some details of the worldbuilding around Wesen, Grimms, Royals, the Gesetzbuch-Ehrenkodex and the Wesen Council, Nick's inheritance of Grimm paraphernalia, and the various kinds of Wesen and how they interact with the mundane world.
镇魂 | Guardian (TV): Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Ye Zun, Ya Qing/Zhu Hong
[Note: this section is expanded compared to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: novel worldbuilding or characterisation; reincarnation; a focus on pining; Shen Wei being passive, naïve, submissive, shy and/or totally out of his depth (even in his youth); depowered Shen Wei; Ye Zun in a sexual and/or romantic relationship.
绅探 | Detective L: Huo Wensi/Luo Fei, Huo Wensi/Luo Fei & Qin Xiaoman, Huo Wensi & Luo Fei, Huo Wensi & Luo Fei & Qin Xiaoman
[Note: this section is identical to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: sub or exclusive bottom Huo Wensi.
I adore Luo Fei - he's quick and smart; he's sometimes sweet, sometimes abrasive; he can be a total mess. (Particularly regarding Captain.) And Huo Wensi's calm cleverness and amused reaction to Luo Fei intrigued me from the start, but what particularly hit me was seeing him being beaten up in a prison courtyard while the look on his face said he was exactly where he wanted to be. Together, they absolutely fascinate me.
Dr Huo brings out very intriguing reactions in Luo Fei. Luo Fei is prickly and rude towards him without apparent reason, right from the start. He distances himself during their interactions, standing or sitting off to the side, looking away, or walking right out. He claims not to believe in psychology, but at the same time repeatedly puts considerable stock in Dr Huo's professional opinion, even after Dr Huo is in prison. Luo Fei wants nothing to do with Dr Huo - but doesn't even turn him down when Dr Huo asks him to help him court Xiaoman. And when Luo Fei desperately wants someone to confirm his theory that Captain is faking, he appeals to Dr Huo. I would love anything that plays on this dynamic or explores where it's coming from - and I ship them, but gen is just as welcome. In most of their scenes, Qin Xiaoman is stuck right in the middle of it all, talking to Dr Huo when Luo Fei won't, and being almost-courted by Dr Huo. She trusts his good intentions, for the most part, but doesn't always accept his conclusions, and I'd love to see how her inclusion might affect any of the scenarios Luo Fei and Huo Wensi might find themselves in.
Some ideas: A missing case where Luo Fei and Dr Huo (and mabye Xiaoman) work together? A missing scene in between - maybe they were lovers once (a bad breakup could explain their weird dynamic!), and they have a relapse. Maybe Dr Huo manipulates Luo Fei into it, or maybe he's carried away himself. (Maybe both.) I also like the parallels between them, right down to them solving cases from the same clues, and would love something that played into that. What does Xiaoman think about the similarities and differences between them? What does Dr Huo think about Xiaoman? Or something about Dr Huo's role as a psychologist, in a case that has nothing to do with his extracurricular affairs? Enemies to friends or lovers is one of my all-time favourite tropes; lovers to enemies to lovers would also be delightful in this case. Plot or PWP, it's all good.
At the end of the show, Luo Fei is certain that he has outwitted Dr Huo. Has Dr Huo lost control of his own plan? When he detonates the bombs, is he choosing suicide as his only way out? (Does he survive despite that?) Or is Dr Huo that good an actor, and it's still all going according to his plan, whatever that might be? He has previously demonstrated a willingness to get himself arrested and beaten up in order to achieve his purposes ... And if Captain was faking all this time - what if Dr Huo and Luo Fei end up working together against the real Captain after the bridge, despite everything? Or what about an alternate ending? I always thought the sequence after Dr Huo's escape from prison felt too straightforward and rushed; I would love to see another take on an ending. Something twisty and evil on Dr Huo's part that's directed at Luo Fei is also very welcome, so long as it doesn't end entirely unhappily for either character. Likewise, redemption for Dr Huo would be great, but them remaining on opposite sides is also good, so long as there's some genuine mutual connection there.
(For even more of my thoughts on Detective L, I have detailed episode reactions up to episode 18.)
Legend of the Seeker: Cara Mason/Darken Rahl
[Note: this section is identical to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: exclusive sub or bottom Darken Rahl; exclusive sub or bottom Cara. I also see Cara and Darken as very much attracted to each other, even if perhaps unwillingly at times, so regardless of circumstances, time frame and possible consent issues, please no outright noncon. (Dubcon is fine, though!)
Ever since Reckoning I've been fascinated by the complicated power dynamics between Cara and Darken Rahl. Even when she's unequivocally serving him she's not at all afraid to challenge him, and then in season 2 when she's with Kahlan, Richard and Zedd, he keeps wanting her back even though she's betrayed him in the worst way. Not to mention that Darken's relationship with the Mord'Sith in general is fascinating - many of them are loyal to him in a way that can't be explained simply by his being Lord Rahl, and he's entirely comfortable around them, and with handling an agiel. Darken Rahl's own history - his upbringing (with a father who explicitly told him he'd one day be killed by his brother), his early deal with the Keeper, which he's later desperate to escape from - only adds to my fascination.
Cara herself is so many things that I love, a formerly evil character with a redemption arc; a stoic, closed-off introvert giving tantalising glimpses into her emotional landscape while remaining mostly closed off and an introvert. A bisexual woman whose sexuality is never censored. I would love to see more about how she became who she is and what role Darken Rahl played in it, but I'd also love to see them interacting after everything that happened, and how they relate to each other now. I love Cara's redemption arc and her learning how to connect with people who aren't Mord'Sith or Darken Rahl, but I'd also love her reconnecting with people from her past and maybe finding that there's something real there after all. Lovers to enemies to lovers would be great, but I'd love anything that explored Cara and Darken Rahl and the complexities between them at any point in time while Cara serves him or after she's left. Set in the past or in the future, or during canon - anything would both be great. For something set later, "forced to work together" or "trapped together" tropes would be fun, and/or exploring both their relationships with the Mord'Sith, or the situation of the Mord'Sith after the fall of the D'Haran regime - is there a future for any part of their lifestyle, and should there be? I'd love to see them grappling with that. I'd love a redemption for Darken, but I'm also happy to have them remaining on opposite sides, so long as there's more between them than merely enmity. Or Agiel porn, that's just as good. *g*
Sherlock (BBC): Jim Moriarty/Sherlock Holmes, Jim Moriarty/Sherlock Holmes & Eurus, Jim Moriarty & Sherlock Holmes, Jim Moriarty & Eurus Holmes
[Note: this section is identical to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: Please no "Moriarty faked his death" (a failed suicide attempt is fine), no "Eurus manipulated Moriarty into killing himself," and no Sherlock/John of any kind (canon-level friendship is great, though).
Crossovers: Luo Fusheng/Luo Fei, Time Engraver/Luo Fei, Time Engraver/Jiang Yang, Time Engraver/Zhao Yunlan
[Note: this section is expanded compared to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: sub or exclusive bottom Luo Fusheng; sub or exclusive bottom Time Engraver; breaking up Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan.
xpost: https://trobadora.dreamwidth.org/1134025.html |
comment(s) @ DW
chocolateboxcomm creator,
thank you so much for writing a story or creating art for me! I'll be absolutely thrilled about anything you can create about the relationships I requested, and everything important is in the requests themselves, but if you'd like even more info, general likes etc., here you go:
General Preferences
Likes:
- types of fic/art: missing scenes, codas, romance, porn (including porny plots/plotty porn), canon-related angst, canon divergence, action-adventure, canon-typical cases, post-canon settings, getting together, established relationship ...
- themes: strange bedfellows; unlikely heroes; unlikely allies or friends or lovers; trust or friendship/relationships or alliances being tested; conflicting loyalties; making difficult choices; overcoming seemingly insurmountable differences or difficulties; willingness to sacrifice; against-all-odds relationships (particularly ones that shouldn't work out but somehow do) ...
- tropes: (should-be-)enemies to friends/lovers; found/chosen family; (mutual) protectiveness, (unexpected) gestures of loyalty; amnesia; time travel do-over; forced to work together/rely on each other; trapped together; h/c (especially if stoic characters remain stoic throughout); (unexpected) competence; BAMF characters; redemption ...
For porn: For fic, I usually prefer a little plot to go with it, even if it's just the context of the sex. I like improvised/unnegotiated/under-negotiated BDSM and explorations of power dynamics, but for the most part I'm not much into stories where a kink itself is the focus, and entirely vanilla is great, too. I'm generally looking for emotional intensity and a sense of connection, not particular sex acts.
For art: I love art that focuses on one tiny moment in canon and puts it in the spotlight, AU moments of what might have been, or missing scenes. Action or domestic, romantic or angsty or both. Characters touching, or looking at each other. I also love portraits and depictions of scenery and worldbuilding objects ... Or more symbolic artwork that doesn't depict any particular scene.
Dislikes/DNWs:
- permanent death of requested characters; partner betrayal; unrequested pairings for requested characters; humiliation; noncon; woobification; mundane AUs and other unrequested changes to the canon setting or premise; unrequited pining; fake dating (except for Guardian's Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan); soulmates (except in the zhiji sense); A/B/O; mpreg; immortals becoming mortal/nonhuman characters becoming human; unmitigated fluff; permanent separation of requested ships; unhappy endings (ambiguous ones are fine)
- first or second person narration (I'm generally too picky about that - with an exception for imitating the canon voice, where applicable)
- A lot of characters I love are introverted control freaks, sometimes with a dark edge and/or a Machiavellian mindset. If such a character appears in your work, please don't 'cure' them of (or punish them for) those traits.
- I also have a huge embarrassment squick, so fish-out-of-water scenarios are usually not my thing.
Now for the fandoms and relationships I requested, in no particular order - note that some sections are expanded compared to the sign-up form:
山河令 | Word of Honor: Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu, Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu & Luo Fumeng
[Note: this section is identical to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: submissive or exclusive bottom Wen Kexing; fighting over who tops (fighting over who gets to choose is fine, but please no "winning equals topping"); extensive use of "wife" and "husband" without switching up the roles; focus on shidi/shixiong relationship; Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu giving up immortality (never gaining it is fine).
Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu are both killers; they can be terrifyingly dark and violent and cruel - and yet both of them are also capable of immense kindness and gentleness. I would love something that leans into that. I love them at their deadliest (Wen Kexing especially got me first at his most unhinged-and-murdery), and I love them soft, playful, fighting, protecting each other, and I especially love the contrast between those two sides. I also love wuxia and fight scenes, insane competence, found family stuff with Chengling and Gu Xiang, Valley Master Wen Kexing, and the women from Ghost Valley, so anything including some of that would be awesome. I'm especially intrigued by Luo Fumeng and her relationship with Wen Kexing - the way he cuts her more leeway than anyone but Gu Xiang but doesn't quite trust her, the way she doesn't fear him but also doesn't know his goals, and so on. I would love to see her perspective on Wenzhou, or Zhou Zishu getting to know her, or anything that combines her with Wenzhou.
Some ideas: in-between canon, when exactly did Wenzhou get together? how? when did Zhou Zishu first realise Wen Kexing must be the Ghost Valley Master? when did he really understand what that means? what if it had happened earlier/under different circumstances? Or something after the end - what do they do, other than sit on top of that mountain? Or a different ending for them - where could things have gone differently? How about a canon divergence AU where they end up living together with their found family, either in Four Seasons Manor or in Ghost Valley? (Building a life in Ghost Valley would be fascinating! So would them having to learn how to actually lead a functional sect. And what if Luo Fumeng and her women joined them at Siji Manor?) Maybe a time travel do-over scenario - I can never get enough of those. Or something that explores the canon ending and makes its somewhat disjointed parts more coherent. Or how about early canon divergence where Zhou Zishu doesn't get away cleanly from Window of Heaven at the start, and ends up in Ghost Valley instead? Also, Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu both, despite all evidence to the contrary, keep thinking the other will be all right if they die. What would it take for them to realise that won't happen? and what would happen next?
I'm not as much into the early-episode dynamic where we can't quite tell how serious Wen Kexing is with his flirting just yet (or when he starts being fully serious about Zhou Zishu), or how serious Zhou Zishu's grumpy rejection is (or when he starts being genuinely invested). And unless it's canon divergence that goes very differently, I'd prefer something set no sooner than their first falling-out when Zhou Zishu discovered the plot with the duplicated Glazed Armor pieces. If you'd like to include novel elements, or go for an ending more similar to the novel, feel free.
For porn, I find Wen Kexing topping hotter, but in general I prefer them to switch. When it comes to D/s, though, I'm on the side of dom!Wen Kexing. Both because he'd be absolutely terrifying if he let his extremes come out to play even a little, and I think Zhou Zishu would be into it - and because Zhou Zishu holds so tightly on to his self-control, and I'd love to see him give some of it up to Lao-Wen. I'm also here for fighting and violent sex, both of them letting themselves be not-so-careful about each other, letting their violent/darker sides out to play. Kink, trust, make them fight and play hard, but whatever it is, I want them both to be enthusiastically into what they're doing.
Grimm: Nick/Renard, Nick/Renard/Juliette, Renard/Juliette, Renard & Henrietta, Renard & Elizabeth, Elizabeth/Kelly
[Note: this section is expanded compared to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: submissive Renard; Nick/Adalind as more than a passing mention.
Generally: I've always been fascinated with Renard and his place in the world of the show: the royal bastard allying with the Resistance, the Zauberbiest allying with a Grimm, the police captain who balances all of that. I'm also fascinated with Hexenbiests/Zauberbiests, their psychology, their relationship with the rest of the Wesen world and with the Royals, and with the Wesen world in general, the roles of Royals and Grimms, and the unorthodox places both Renard and Nick carve out for themselves in that world. Worldbuilding is always welcome - I'd love anything that explored or showed some details of the worldbuilding around Wesen, Grimms, Royals, the Gesetzbuch-Ehrenkodex and the Wesen Council, Nick's inheritance of Grimm paraphernalia, and the various kinds of Wesen and how they interact with the mundane world.
- Nick/Renard: I've been fascinated by the dynamic between Nick and Renard from the start - the Grimm who has a badge and a conscience, and his captain the royal bastard. Two people who have been antagonists and allies, who have protected and deceived each other, who have every reason to distrust each other at times - and yet they always ended up setting their differences aside when it mattered, turned away from confrontation and toward cooperation. Renard may be ruthless, he may plans of his own, and the two of them may often trust each other only so far, but they've also saved each other's lives and implicitly relied on each other. Even after the massive breakdown in late season 5/early season 6, even after trying to kill each other in all seriousness, they still ultimately ended up on the same side.
I would love anything that explored their dynamic, whether early on or after things have started to break down. Some suggestions: Nick and Renard forced to rely on each other while things are tense; trapped or hiding together; getting together after Juliette breaks up with Nick; Nick deciding to get involved when he sees Renard getting taken in by Black Claw. Or a complete AU - we've been given some hints about the history of Grimms working for Royals; what would their relationship have looked like under those circumstances? I'm particularly fond of anything that involves trust issues, demonstrations of loyalty, and unexpected (unexpectedly public?) displays of support, but most of all I want the two of them ultimately being good for each other. - Renard/Juliette: I always thought that after Juliette and Renard were cured of Adalind's curse, a certain mutual attraction remained. They avoided each other afterwards and barely interacted, never really dealing with the aftermath or any remaining feeling. Juliette turning into a Hexenbiest gave them something fundamental in common, and I loved her turning to Renard for help when she didn't know what to do, trusting him to help when she felt her entire life crumbling around her. Unfortunately in the end, Renard was too caught up in his own issues to help much. And in season 5, even when they were working together, Eve's disconnection and the complicated situation with Black Claw meant they never actually connected again.
I would love anything about the two of them that builds on that foundation; I really want to see what it could be under better circumstances. Some suggestions: the two of them confronting their residual feelings from the curse; bonding over the Hexenbiest issue; getting together after Juliette breaks up with Nick; Eve seeing Renard getting taken in by Black Claw and trying to stop it; or just having copious amounts of UST. I'm particularly fond of anything that involves trust issues, demonstrations of loyalty, and unexpected displays of support, but most of all I want the two of them ultimately being good for each other. - Nick/Renard/Juliette: Considering the above, but also Nick's and Juliette's relationship that was very solid for a long time and then spectacularly broke down, exposing all the things they'd never really dealt with before, I would love anything that brings all three of these characters together to overcome whatever bad things the world throws at them. Perhaps Nick and Renard manage to stop Juliette's downward spiral before it goes too far, or she never ends up with Hadrian's Wall and manages to come back from it all with Nick's and Renard's help. Perhaps season 5 takes a different turn when Nick and Renard manage to reconcile with each other before things fall apart completely, and/or they manage to break through Eve's conditioning. Perhaps Eve sees Renard getting taken in by Black Claw, and recruits Nick to stop that. Maybe post-season 6, they have a chance to reconsider everything that happened, and to come together after all. But I'd also love something set earlier in the show, perhaps all three of them having to work together closely for some reason, or one or two of them saving the other(s), and a closer connection ensuing. Perhaps Juliette and Renard confront their residual feelings from the curse while Nick and Juliette are still together. Or an AU where they all meet under different circumstances - maybe Juliette met Renard first, and they're already involved when Nick appears on the scene? I'm particularly fond of anything that involves trust issues, demonstrations of loyalty, and unexpected (unexpectedly public?) displays of support, but most of all I want the three of them ultimately being good for each other.
- Elizabeth Lascelles & Sean Renard:Renard's backstory is intriguing, particularly his relationship with his parents, and his mother running away with him to save him - but we know so little of it. I really adored the obvious fondness between Renard and his mother, and the way it's clear that they trust each other, even while paranoia is the key to survival for both of them. I would love anything about their relationship, from backstory to future - Elizabeth running away with her child, teaching him about survival and politics and Hexenbiest/Zauberbiest things, keeping in touch over the years (what do they talk about?), her thoughts about what he's doing in Portland ... How does she react as he begins to ally with Nick? What does she think about Nick, once she meets him? A lot of bad things happened to Renard after she left in season 4, and I'd love to see why she was out of touch for so long, and how she reacts to what happened in her absence. Does he resent her for that? Or alternately, an AU where she comes back in time to help deal with any of the later problems from Jack the Ripper to Black Claw!
I'm also fascinated with Renard's relationships with Hexenbiests in general, so anything that includes that would be awesome. - Henrietta & Renard: Renard's backstory is intriguing, particularly his relationship with his parents, and his mother running away with him to save him - but we know so little of it. Henrietta was part of the show only for a short time, but she also fascinates me immensely. She is old, a friend of Elizabeth's, has a relationship of some kind with Renard and was involved in trying to help Juliette at Renard's request. I'd love to see more of her, in the context of any of that. Henrietta reacting to what's going on in Portland and with Renard, at any time during the show. The way her relationship with Renard must have changed over the years as he made his own place in Portland; Renard going to Henrietta for help; Henrietta's reaction to Renard working with a Grimm; an AU where Henrietta mentors Juliette while Renard attempts to help; something from when Elizabeth and young!Renard first came to Portland ... any of that would be fantastic. Or an AU where she survives and plays a part in later events - perhaps making a difference for Renard's path?
I'm also fascinated with Renard's relationships with Hexenbiests in general, so anything that includes that would be awesome. - Kelly Burkhardt/Elizabeth Lascelles: I've wanted these two women to meet ever since Elizabeth announced she was going to go looking for her granddaughter in season 4. Kelly Burkhardt is a darker and more traditional Grimm than her son, and she opts for violence much more readily; Elizabeth is a powerful Hexenbiest even Monroe is a little afraid of, and she must have been as baffled by the company her son chooses to keep as Kelly was by Nick befriending a Blutbad. They're both powerful and cynical and not easily swayed, and I would love to see how a confrontation between them might play out, and how they would relate to each other. It could so easily end in disaster ("I don't want my mother to kill your mother!"), but Kelly did work with Team Grimm, Renard included (despite him trying to kill her sister once), and ended up with a baby Hexenbiest in her care. Elizabeth was instrumental in returning his Grimm powers to Nick. And they have a lot in common; I think it would probably be instant chemistry. I'd love to see them deal with that! Maybe Kelly is all right with Nick's friends now, but what would she do if she found herself attracted to a Hexenbiest? and Elizabeth to a Grimm? They're both used to being the most dangerous person in the room - do they each constantly try to get the upper hand, or is it a relief to be pretty evenly matched? Seriously, anything with the two of them together would be great.
I'm also fascinated with Hexenbiests in general, so anything that includes that would be awesome. Maybe Kelly, through Diana and Elizabeth, confronts some of her pre-conceived notions about Hexenbiests?
镇魂 | Guardian (TV): Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Ye Zun, Ya Qing/Zhu Hong
[Note: this section is expanded compared to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: novel worldbuilding or characterisation; reincarnation; a focus on pining; Shen Wei being passive, naïve, submissive, shy and/or totally out of his depth (even in his youth); depowered Shen Wei; Ye Zun in a sexual and/or romantic relationship.
- Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Ye Zun:
I adore Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan - their moebius strip relationship, in which each of them first falls in love with a version of the other who already loves him, how intense and weird they are about each other, and also each of them separately. Shen Wei's steel under the unassuming professor's surface and the kindness under the black mask - the way the person beneath isn't merely the professor or the Envoy, but not really not them, either. The same way Zhao Yunlan isn't just the bad boy rebel he seems at first glance: they're both very much performing their public personas, and are more alike than they outwardly seem. They both care deeply about the work they do and the people they're protecting, are willing to sacrifice themselves for others' sake. And I adore Zhao Yunlan's cleverness, flirting and boundary-pushing almost as much as I do Shen Wei's understated competence, iron self-control, and general BAMF-ness.
I also love the drama itself in its entirety - the Haixing vs. Dixing conflict, the cases of the week, the found family of the SID team, and so on, including the worldbuilding (aliens, yes!) and the ending (both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan using their own death to wring victory from disaster, and also that promise to meet again - for more of my feelings about the ending, see my comments in this discussion.)
And I love Ye Zun in all his tragic, (self-)destructive drama-queen glory - ripped from his brother, abused and radicalised and taught to blame his brother for all his suffering, while Shen Wei never quite understood why he hated him so. Ye Zun was a villain under his own power for a pretty short time before he ended up imprisoned in a pillar and left there to stew in his own resentments for 10,000 years. He does terrible things - it would be very hard to come back from that, and I don't think he'd be willing or able to hear the truth or move forward until he's hit absolute rock bottom - but where he's coming from is understandable, and it was so satisfying to see him and Shen Wei reconciling in the end, for both their sakes.
I'd love anything that shows off Weilan's strengths and connection - with or without Ye Zun - whether in a case of the week, something related to the overarching plot, a PWP, a shared quiet moment, or anything else. Angst or porn, canon-typical cases or romance, worldbuilding or character exploration - it's all good. UST early in canon during a case; navigating an established relationship during canon; getting together late in canon, during or after the blindness arc or even post canon; canon divergence where Zhao Yunlan gets closer to the Envoy before he knows he's Shen Wei; early canon divergence where Zhao Yunlan finds proof that Shen Wei is Dixingren, with less time to first adjust his thinking about Dixing; something post-finale where they find each other again - and Zhao Yunlan has to deal with Ye Zun being part of Shen Wei's life now. Anything about the time loop and the way they both help shape the person they already met; the aftermath of the canonical Envoy reveal (when Zhao Yunlan finds out, or when others do), or different ways it could have happened; working together on Dixing-related cases, or the aftermath of one, with Shen Wei getting protective, aggressively taking care of Zhao Yunlan, and/or h/c in either or both directions; time travel with a chance for a do-over.
I'd love something focused on Dixing worldbuilding, too, especially with good things about Dixing, maybe Zhao Yunlan coming to like Dixing? Or just them spending personal time there. Or something involving the origins of Dixingren and Yashou! Also, anything involving Shen Wei in Envoy cloak, especially if it's an action scene, or something romantic or sexy. (Or all of the above!)
For porn, I prefer Shen Wei topping or domming, and sex involving Dixing powers would be awesome. For h/c, I like it when there's a focus on the characters' resilience and ability to keep doing what needs doing regardless. For angst, I'd love to see more Zhao Yunlan angst. - Ya Qing/Zhu Hong:
Ya Qing is one of the most fascinating of Guardian's side characters to me. She's dedicated to advancing the Crow Tribe, dissatisfied with the state of affairs (Yashou basically in hiding while human society advances), and for a long time, she thinks working for/with Ye Zun will gain her what she wants. To her, that end justifies her means - but in the end, she's forced to realise that all her efforts did nothing to further her goals, and instead nearly led to disaster. I'd love to see more of what drives her, and the aftermath and the consequences of her choices.
As for Zhu Hong, I like the respectful way canon treats her unrequited feelings for Zhao Yunlan, and the way she ultimately finds her place as Yashou High Chief, but I would have loved to see more of her coming into her own. I think the intersection of that and Ya Qing's story would make for an amazing pairing - and Ya Qing might be just Zhu Hong's type, with her superficial cockiness and sincere intentions underneath, no matter how misguided. For the two of them, I'd particularly love to see something post-canon, or maybe diverging late in canon. How does Zhu Hong deal with an Elder who was on the wrong side until not so long ago? How does Ya Qing deal with Zhu Hong becoming High Chief? Zhu Hong could perhaps learn leadership skills from Ya Qing, but what would actually make her listen? Attraction might be quick, but what would it take to give in to it - for either of them? What would Ya Qing do to win Zhu Hong's trust? What would convince Zhu Hong? Or do they end up in bed together before they actually trust each other? Alternately, a time travel do-over is always good! What if Ya Qing got the chance to do things differently? Or canon divergence where something sets Ya Qing on a different path sooner. Either way, I'd especially love to see how Ya Qing's relationship with Zhu Hong is shaped by Ya Qing's own bad choices and their consequences.
绅探 | Detective L: Huo Wensi/Luo Fei, Huo Wensi/Luo Fei & Qin Xiaoman, Huo Wensi & Luo Fei, Huo Wensi & Luo Fei & Qin Xiaoman
[Note: this section is identical to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: sub or exclusive bottom Huo Wensi.
I adore Luo Fei - he's quick and smart; he's sometimes sweet, sometimes abrasive; he can be a total mess. (Particularly regarding Captain.) And Huo Wensi's calm cleverness and amused reaction to Luo Fei intrigued me from the start, but what particularly hit me was seeing him being beaten up in a prison courtyard while the look on his face said he was exactly where he wanted to be. Together, they absolutely fascinate me.
Dr Huo brings out very intriguing reactions in Luo Fei. Luo Fei is prickly and rude towards him without apparent reason, right from the start. He distances himself during their interactions, standing or sitting off to the side, looking away, or walking right out. He claims not to believe in psychology, but at the same time repeatedly puts considerable stock in Dr Huo's professional opinion, even after Dr Huo is in prison. Luo Fei wants nothing to do with Dr Huo - but doesn't even turn him down when Dr Huo asks him to help him court Xiaoman. And when Luo Fei desperately wants someone to confirm his theory that Captain is faking, he appeals to Dr Huo. I would love anything that plays on this dynamic or explores where it's coming from - and I ship them, but gen is just as welcome. In most of their scenes, Qin Xiaoman is stuck right in the middle of it all, talking to Dr Huo when Luo Fei won't, and being almost-courted by Dr Huo. She trusts his good intentions, for the most part, but doesn't always accept his conclusions, and I'd love to see how her inclusion might affect any of the scenarios Luo Fei and Huo Wensi might find themselves in.
Some ideas: A missing case where Luo Fei and Dr Huo (and mabye Xiaoman) work together? A missing scene in between - maybe they were lovers once (a bad breakup could explain their weird dynamic!), and they have a relapse. Maybe Dr Huo manipulates Luo Fei into it, or maybe he's carried away himself. (Maybe both.) I also like the parallels between them, right down to them solving cases from the same clues, and would love something that played into that. What does Xiaoman think about the similarities and differences between them? What does Dr Huo think about Xiaoman? Or something about Dr Huo's role as a psychologist, in a case that has nothing to do with his extracurricular affairs? Enemies to friends or lovers is one of my all-time favourite tropes; lovers to enemies to lovers would also be delightful in this case. Plot or PWP, it's all good.
At the end of the show, Luo Fei is certain that he has outwitted Dr Huo. Has Dr Huo lost control of his own plan? When he detonates the bombs, is he choosing suicide as his only way out? (Does he survive despite that?) Or is Dr Huo that good an actor, and it's still all going according to his plan, whatever that might be? He has previously demonstrated a willingness to get himself arrested and beaten up in order to achieve his purposes ... And if Captain was faking all this time - what if Dr Huo and Luo Fei end up working together against the real Captain after the bridge, despite everything? Or what about an alternate ending? I always thought the sequence after Dr Huo's escape from prison felt too straightforward and rushed; I would love to see another take on an ending. Something twisty and evil on Dr Huo's part that's directed at Luo Fei is also very welcome, so long as it doesn't end entirely unhappily for either character. Likewise, redemption for Dr Huo would be great, but them remaining on opposite sides is also good, so long as there's some genuine mutual connection there.
(For even more of my thoughts on Detective L, I have detailed episode reactions up to episode 18.)
Legend of the Seeker: Cara Mason/Darken Rahl
[Note: this section is identical to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: exclusive sub or bottom Darken Rahl; exclusive sub or bottom Cara. I also see Cara and Darken as very much attracted to each other, even if perhaps unwillingly at times, so regardless of circumstances, time frame and possible consent issues, please no outright noncon. (Dubcon is fine, though!)
Ever since Reckoning I've been fascinated by the complicated power dynamics between Cara and Darken Rahl. Even when she's unequivocally serving him she's not at all afraid to challenge him, and then in season 2 when she's with Kahlan, Richard and Zedd, he keeps wanting her back even though she's betrayed him in the worst way. Not to mention that Darken's relationship with the Mord'Sith in general is fascinating - many of them are loyal to him in a way that can't be explained simply by his being Lord Rahl, and he's entirely comfortable around them, and with handling an agiel. Darken Rahl's own history - his upbringing (with a father who explicitly told him he'd one day be killed by his brother), his early deal with the Keeper, which he's later desperate to escape from - only adds to my fascination.
Cara herself is so many things that I love, a formerly evil character with a redemption arc; a stoic, closed-off introvert giving tantalising glimpses into her emotional landscape while remaining mostly closed off and an introvert. A bisexual woman whose sexuality is never censored. I would love to see more about how she became who she is and what role Darken Rahl played in it, but I'd also love to see them interacting after everything that happened, and how they relate to each other now. I love Cara's redemption arc and her learning how to connect with people who aren't Mord'Sith or Darken Rahl, but I'd also love her reconnecting with people from her past and maybe finding that there's something real there after all. Lovers to enemies to lovers would be great, but I'd love anything that explored Cara and Darken Rahl and the complexities between them at any point in time while Cara serves him or after she's left. Set in the past or in the future, or during canon - anything would both be great. For something set later, "forced to work together" or "trapped together" tropes would be fun, and/or exploring both their relationships with the Mord'Sith, or the situation of the Mord'Sith after the fall of the D'Haran regime - is there a future for any part of their lifestyle, and should there be? I'd love to see them grappling with that. I'd love a redemption for Darken, but I'm also happy to have them remaining on opposite sides, so long as there's more between them than merely enmity. Or Agiel porn, that's just as good. *g*
Sherlock (BBC): Jim Moriarty/Sherlock Holmes, Jim Moriarty/Sherlock Holmes & Eurus, Jim Moriarty & Sherlock Holmes, Jim Moriarty & Eurus Holmes
[Note: this section is identical to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: Please no "Moriarty faked his death" (a failed suicide attempt is fine), no "Eurus manipulated Moriarty into killing himself," and no Sherlock/John of any kind (canon-level friendship is great, though).
- Sherlock/Moriarty:
From the moment Sherlock recognised Moriarty's boredom as his own, they both keep equating themselves with each other, right up to "you are me". And it's not just about intellect: they understand each other in ways Sherlock and Mycroft clearly don't. I've always been fascinated with that almost telepathic mutual understanding, and their delighted admiration of each other's brilliance. I would love anything that explored that connection and took it in a slashy direction. Enemies to lovers is one of my all-time favourite tropes.
What if they'd met again sooner after TGG, not in the context of Moriarty's endgame? I'd love to see them forced to, or choosing to, temporarily work together for a common interest, or ending up trapped together, or just playing. I also like enemies unexpectedly saving/protecting each other, banter, deductions, competence and competitive genius. Plot or PWP, it's all good. (For porn, I love the idea of BDSM with Sherlock and Moriarty competitively domming each other. And with this pairing, dubcon is more than fine - ulterior motives would hardly be a surprise - but please no noncon.)
But Moriarty being suicidal doesn't come out of nowhere in TRF. He created a vast criminal network to keep himself entertained, and despairs when everything becomes too easy to manipulate. He doesn't connect with anyone enough to mitigate that, and he can't find a way out of the trap. He's certain from the start that even anything he and Sherlock do must eventually grow repetitive and dull. To me it's clear he never intended to survive the showdown in TRF; he only meant for Sherlock to die with him. What would it take to avert Moriarty's suicide, or for him to put his endgame on hold? I also like the idea of Moriarty surviving his suicide attempt and waking up from having been in a coma for a while.
I also love mind palace Moriarty and the way Sherlock keeps recurring to him. He's both a threatening figure and actually helpful to Sherlock (HLV: it's Moriarty who spurs him into clawing his way back to life; TAB: it's Moriarty who reminds him he's trapped in his mind palace), not to mention blatantly sexualised in TAB. Something that happens entirely in Sherlock's mind would be great, too! - Eurus:
I'm fascinated with Eurus and her utter isolation - partly due to her own mind, partly due to being locked away for most of her life. She can get into anyone's head, can impersonate normal people so perfectly even Sherlock can't tell anything is amiss, and yet doesn't really understand or relate to people at all. She's still reaching out to Sherlock, though, even if she does it in the worst way possible, and wants to be found by him, to connect with him after all. There's only one person I'd say Eurus did share a genuine, instant connection with, brief though it was: Moriarty. They seemed entirely delighted with each other, and Eurus clearly still thinks well of him in TFP. She uses Moriarty's image because she knows it gets to Sherlock, but I'd argue it's also for herself. Moriarty, in turn, with his own endgame in mind, doesn't use Redbeard against Sherlock, but instead helps Eurus with her own game, and makes it his failsafe: if Sherlock survives him, Eurus is waiting. (As Eurus says: "His revenge apparently is me.")
I'd love to see more of her, and her relationship with Sherlock and Moriarty, whether pre-TRF, canon divergence or post-s4. Pre-TRF, something about Eurus and Moriarty making plans together - what with all the videos Moriarty prepared for her, they must have had more contact than merely those five minutes. How about Eurus getting out of Sherrinford for the first time, experiencing the outside world with Moriarty? What if TRF had happened differently and Moriarty hadn't died - or what if he'd survived the attempt? How about Eurus and Moriarty developing a friendship, and/or dealing with the fallout from their joint and separate plans? Bonding over their mutual obsession with Sherlock? After series 4, does Eurus communicate other than via violin? Where does her relationship with Sherlock go, and what would happen if you added Moriarty to the mix again?
Crossovers: Luo Fusheng/Luo Fei, Time Engraver/Luo Fei, Time Engraver/Jiang Yang, Time Engraver/Zhao Yunlan
[Note: this section is expanded compared to what's in the sign-up form.]
Fandom-specific DNWs: sub or exclusive bottom Luo Fusheng; sub or exclusive bottom Time Engraver; breaking up Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan.
- Luo Fusheng/Luo Fei:
What I love best about Luo Fusheng is that he can be a terrible person, but he also has a giant soft streak. He's a jerk, and he's cruel, and he's violent, but if he cares about someone he'll do anything for them. He can be absolutely awful and absolutely sweet, and it always fits; it's always integrated; it never feels out of place. He's a joy to watch when he's having fun, and a joy to watch when he's suffering; a joy when he's violent and when he's tender, and everything in between. He's also incredibly good at what he does. And I desperately want more of him (and him being a BAMF).
I also adore Luo Fei - he's quick and smart; he can be a total mess - and he shares Luo Fusheng's ability to be abrasive as hell while also being incredibly sweet at times. They both really need someone to be good to them. I'd love them to find that in the most unlikely of places! What would it take for Luo Fei to trust someone with Luo Fusheng's background? Luo Fusheng is the sort of person to go all-in and never look back - how would Luo Fei deal with that? How could Luo Fusheng fit into the world of Detective L, or vice versa? Plot-wise, I'd also love Luo Fei and Luo Fusheng both discovering Captain's network from two very different directions/approaches, and ending up working together against Captain.
This is a criminal/detective ship, and I'm here for all the associated tropes, and the tension and balance between the characters. Some ideas: mutual cat-and-mouse games; working together against a common enemy; undercover operations and divided loyalties; criminal turning consultant or informer; redemption stories; detective turned vigilante ... For should-be-enemies ships, I always enjoy characters figuring out another's soft spots, and anything that plays with trust/loyalty issues. As I said in my general likes, I absolutely love ships that by all rights shouldn't work out, and yet somehow do - so even if they do remain enemies I'd really love to see them be ultimately good for (and to) each other.
For sex scenes, I prefer Luo Fusheng to top (or dom), but switching is also good. - Time Engraver crossovers:
I love these commercials (2019 commercial | 2020 commercial). Despite also being a vehicle for an "O NOES NOT THE WRINKLES" product, they're fantastic little mini-films. Back when the first commercial came out in 2019, I immediately fell in love with the character and concept of the Time Engraver - the mythology, the way he chats at and about his subjects, the way he relates to the world. All the worldbuilding possibilities about who exactly he is, how his world works. He's a character who could exist anywhere, interact with anyone - which makes him perfect for crossovers.
And I've always been fascinated by mortal/immortal relationships, so that's what I'm looking for here. Whether with someone who's leading an ordinary life like Jiang Yang, or someone who's already immersed in the non-mundane like Zhao Yunlan, either would be equally fascinating. Tragedy is sort of baked into the concept of this kind of relationship, and I'm all here for a lot of angst, but would very much prefer something ultimately hopeful. And for this, reincarnation tropes would be awesome. I would love to see the Time Engraver waiting for his lover's reincarnation, or finding them again and again across time.
For sex scenes, if applicable I prefer the Time Engraver topping or domming.
- Time Engraver/Zhao Yunlan in particular:
I'm thinking in the context of a world where there is no Shen Wei, or where Shen Wei is the Time Engraver, rather than the Black-Cloaked Envoy. A Guardian fusion would be lovely! Here is an old thread playing with that concept - I'm not wedded to any of the ideas there, but I thought it might be useful for inspiration. Or (with thanks to
laireshi for the brilliant idea) how about incorporating Guardian's time loop - what if, a long time ago in the past, the Time Engraver encountered someone who, impossibly, recognised him? And then that person vanished - but here he is again, except he doesn't know him yet ... Or you could import Zhao Yunlan's character into the Time Engraver's world - I'd love to see that, too. - Time Engraver/Jiang Yang in particular:
I would love something that gives Jiang Yang some happiness - he deserves all the good things! But I also love Jiang Yang's canonical ending, and the way he uses his own death to finally succeed and achieve justice, so feel free to keep the canonical character death - I don't count that as an unhappy ending. (Full disclosure: I've written this pairing myself, and would also totally be on board with anything that played with that fic's version of the ship.) - Time Engraver/Luo Fei in particular:
I adore Luo Fei - he's quick and smart; he's sometimes sweet, sometimes abrasive; he can be a total mess. (Particularly regarding Captain.) He's always very confident of his own abilities, and when he can't solve something he keeps worrying away at it, sometimes for years, until he can. How about confronting him with something that can't be solved with real-world logic? I would love to see what he made of the Time Engraver, and how their respective worlds might mesh.
- Time Engraver/Zhao Yunlan in particular:
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