Dear Prime Time Player 2017
Apr. 26th, 2017 09:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
doranwenThis is my first time trying Not Prime Time! I'm looking forward to it. :D I did a lot of describing the awesomeness about each character or pairing, and gave a few prompts in case you find them useful. I hope you have a lot of fun writing for me. :)
I love characters who are strong, characters who have quiet depth, characters with an active inner life, characters who think and/or feel… You'll probably see this in the characters I requested. :)
What I love about relationships is all the emotional depth: vulnerability, loyalty, knowing someone so well you know what they feel/think/need, even just having someone there as an emotional "rock". The whole "not being alone" feeling is such a powerful theme.
I once made up a 101 favorite tropes list (in no particular order), so feel free to make use of those if any of them get your muse going: http://doranwen.livejournal.com/246063.html
Besides those tropes, here are my general likes:
deep platonic friendship, romantic friendship, asexual romance, found families, apocalyptic fic, hurt/comfort, nonsexual physical touch (including cuddling), self-sacrifice, characters being vulnerable, character redemption, survival fic, positive treatment of religion, characters dealing with trauma, trust building, missing scenes, alternate universe (especially fix-it fic)
DNWs: sex or sexual feelings, supernatural/fantasy beings (elves, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, zombies, etc.), certain AUs (medieval, fantasy, supernatural, fairytale, feudal, space, historical), deathfic or horror, calling an adult "baby" or "darling", mpreg, crackfic, gore (mild violence is OK, just not as graphic as a surgery documentary), uncensored profanity, first/second person fic
Don't worry if someone's written a similar idea before (even as a gift for me!). My first real fandom was one where people used to write a dozen versions of the same TV ep, and I loved reading them all. There are never too many versions of the same story, in my opinion. I love to see how two people can take the same idea and come up with two totally different stories. :D
If you're crossover-inclined, you're welcome to cross these with any fandom I know: If I've requested it or listed it as a possible crossover fandom in one of my other exchange letters, you can totally use it! Every one of the fandoms I've requested crosses pretty well with others, I think.
And now to the requests (in the order of which I found them in the tagset):
Push (2009)
Basic premise: In a world where people have hidden gifts (such as Movers aka telekinetics, Watchers aka clairvoyance, and Pushers, who make you do what they tell you to), a shadowy government organization called Division hunts them to experiment on them in an effort to create better soldiers. 13-year-old Cassie Holmes (played by Dakota Fanning) and young adult Nick Gant (played by Chris Evans) team up to find a mysterious case that Division will do anything to get their hands on.
The first time I watched this film, I wasn't sure what to think; I hadn't really expected what I saw. But I found it interesting, and there were details I hadn't quite gotten . . . so I had to see it again. And then I skimmed through it again, because it had hooked me. The powers were interesting, the backstory interesting . . . but the connection between Nick and Cassie was what got me.
I came a bit late to this whole fandom, and have to grin at all the threads and LJ posts and comments on how perverted people felt to ship the two of them, but seriously, what else did the director/writers expect? From having their relationship be focused on the most *after* the big Nick/Kira scene (for all the music overlays and whatnot, Cassie/Nick came afterwards, and that's usually when the most important relationship happens) to the amount of jealousy from Cassie, from the looks to her inviting Nick to come with her to the chicken place, to the cross-cutting of her buying alcohol during the Nick/Kira scene… it's just all too obvious. Plus the last scene we see of the two is their arms around each other, lol. TOTALLY Nick/Cassie.
Now, I know the age difference is a bit ridiculous—NOW. Wait a few years and it won't be so much. My headcanon says that Cassie is far older than her years—she's probably seen murders, assaults of all sorts (maybe to her if she doesn't do something to avoid it—which she does, of course, her powers are good for something), and she might even have already seen herself with Nick in a romantic relationship, maybe will see that before it happens. In some senses I see her just as mature as Nick is, on an equal footing in a way. She needs at least a couple years to mature some (particularly physically), but I have absolutely no trouble seeing them together as early as when she's 15 (provided she can convince Nick—I have a feeling he'd freak out, lol). Whatever your age of consent is for her, I want to see the connection between the two of them, and that can be shown with or without them being "together".
As for other characters: I see Kira as good at heart; she just isn't good for Nick. I can't see Pinky sticking around with them; he's more interested in his own skin. Hook could be a real ally, Emily possibly. I'm also really curious about that old woman who was the Shadow. She was seriously powerful!!!!! I should note that I haven't read the comics, and from the opening credits sequence where Cassie gives the voiceover intro, RIGHT AFTER Cassie says "Division took my mom from me", there's a slide that shows a woman's profile as if she's entered into their lab records, a 37-year-old woman named Sarah Frank, a slide that says "Extremely Powerful", and then "Her Powers Could Destroy the Division". It all goes by really really fast . . . but the clear implication is that that is Cassie's mom. How to reconcile with the Elizabeth named in the comics? That's a challenge. But I don't see the comics as part of the film, so I can work with it. Since I have not read them, please don't include comics-only info if you can (powers that aren't in the film being an exception—I love the idea of porters, for instance). You're also welcome to make up your own backstory for things that the comics filled in, since I don't treat them as canon.
Prompts by tag:
Cassie Holmes & None:
I think Cassie's backstory would be interesting to see. How long did she live with her mom before her mom was captured? Where did she live during her childhood (such as it can be called)? Who did she meet? What did she learn? And how did she get to Hong Kong, with a set of braces in her mouth, streaks of color in her hair, and a rather interesting wardrobe? (I found it amusing that they apparently let Dakota Fanning pick what her character would wear.) Feel free to answer any of those questions with fic, or just explore her character a little more!
Nick Gant & Cassie Holmes; Nick Gant/Cassie Holmes:
I'm lumping these two together because the line between friendship and more is fairly thin if you're not going the porn route, so most of my prompts should be applicable to both. With these two I'd love to see anything from post-fic plottiness (what do they do with the case? do they manage to get Cassie's mom out?) to ship-focused (whether hurt/comfort or just plain bonding). I'd love to see more hugs with these two, or relying on each other emotionally. Or you could go the less feelings-oriented route and have them build up a whole resistance network against Division. AU would also be fascinating: I've seen one fic where the syringe actually is full of the real stuff at the end—and Nick survives the injection. That's an interesting place to diverge from canon. Or maybe another element in their plan works differently? (As long as they both live and come out of it OK.) Or an apocalyptic AU; I love the whole process of civilization collapsing, even more than the post-collapse parts of the scenario. Push left a ton of things open to exploration and I'd love to see what you decide to play with!
X-Men (Original Timeline Movies)
Basic premise (in the rare possibility that whoever's reading this actually doesn't know anything about this canon and is curious): Humans have evolved to where some are born with an extra gene, called the X gene, which gives them mutant powers (mostly at adolescence, but some are visibly different at birth). Some use them for good and some for evil, and fear of the latter causes a lot of prejudice against them. One very talented telepath, Professor Xavier, gathers powerful mutants as students, who later become teachers at his own boarding school. Two of his teachers are Scott Summers aka Cyclops (played by James Marsden) and Ororo Munroe aka Storm (played by Halle Berry). During the course of the films, they rescue a mutant with the power to drain life forces (Marie aka Rogue, played by Anna Paquin), and fight multiple villains.
Ahh, X-Men. :D I should note first off that my introduction to X-Men was through the films - the first three only - and I've not experienced any other canon besides them (unless you count poking on Wikipedia for comics info I could borrow for fic as I felt like). I wasn't too keen on what I'd heard about Wolverine when it was being made, so I never ended up watching it, or First Class, or any of the others, just X1, X2, and X3. X1 and X2 I love wholeheartedly, whether you AU them all over the place, or keep the plot as it is. The characters, the issues, there's a lot going on and it's just fantastic! X3, on the other hand… I like parts of it (Jimmy's power, the Cure plot, introducing Angel) but other parts of it I was very dismayed at (what they did to Scott and Professor X) or not fond of (the Phoenix plot, Rogue taking the Cure, even Ororo's haircut). So X3 is a mixed bag for me. I can enjoy a fic set in it, but given the ships I'm requesting (every last one which has Scott in it), I think you might find X3 a challenge to write! :)
I love the big issues the canon raises, such as the question of how much liberty we trade for security, and the ways people fear differences. The parallels to the Holocaust are particularly interesting to me, as the villain Magneto reacts to his experiences by promoting superiority of mutants over humans out of fear that it will happen again. Is his fear valid? Absolutely, which makes him a more sympathetic villain - yet that fear does not justify the means he uses, nor the results he would achieve (subjugating humans would only breed resentment toward mutants, which would make a genocide more likely should they ever be free of that yoke). Each character has to decide where they stand on the subject of mutant-human relations, and how they will demonstrate their views by their actions, and that makes them all the more fascinating.
I also love the personal issues raised by individual characters' stories. My favorite character (if you couldn't tell by the ships I requested) is Scott. Sadly, the films don't give us nearly enough detail on his life or what brought him to be who he is. You're welcome to use whatever backstory you like, as long as it doesn't involve the aliens as in comics canon. (I like my X-Men realistic other than for the powers, lol.) What we do see (from my perspective) is a guy who has to get things right, not in order to dominate, but in order to satisfy his own standards. He has high expectations for himself, whether because he feels a sense of gratitude/obligation to Professor X, or just because he isn't satisfied with less than excellence. There's possibly some insecurity there, too. From the age difference between his actor and Jean's, I tend to headcanon that Jean is older than Scott by several years. What we see of their relationship in the film could be solid, but I've often seen some potential for issues and a breakup, hence some of the ships I requested (none of which are Scott/Jean).
Two of my other favorite characters (I like quite a few of them!) are, obviously, Rogue and Ororo. I love Rogue's relative innocence despite what she's gone through (and having Logan and others in her head), and the issues presented by her not being able to touch people even in a casual way (unless they've got a protective barrier between them) are interesting. Ororo provides an excellent chance to give a different cultural perspective, and I like the comic-derived possibility of her being claustrophobic. While I did not request Professor X, I also really love his character too, as the wise leader who might or might not do a little too much manipulation of things. Since I've not seen any other films besides the first three, you've got a lot of leeway for what you write for the school's history as well as that of some of the characters.
As for other characters: I generally like all the students that are shown to be at the school (for instance, the physics class clearly has Dani and Jubilee in addition to Bobby, Kitty, and John), and I like the X-Men a lot. I'd prefer not to see the villains glamorized or justified; while I can understand their motivations, it doesn't make their actions any more valid (the ends do not justify the means). I headcanon Professor X as likely asexual (but you could sell me on a relationship in the past, perhaps with Moira - since I've not seen more than X1-X3, you're welcome to write her however you like if you include her). I never did see him and Erik as partners in a romantic/sexual sense. The only comics characters that I've run across in fics that I've read and know for sure I would rather not see in my gift are Gambit and any of the characters from the Hellfire Club.
Prompts by tag:
Rogue & Scott Summers; Rogue/Scott Summers:
These two don't have much interaction in the films, but there's so much they have in common. The obvious is that both of them have a power that handicaps and that cannot be masked in some situations. Rogue can't touch anyone's bare skin without hurting them, so she has to wear gloves - even in summertime. Scott cannot look at anyone without glasses or he'll kill them, so he has to wear glasses - even at night. While Rogue might pass for normal in wintertime and Scott wouldn't catch a second glance (except, perhaps, an admiring look for his features) on a summer beach, it doesn't negate the feeling of being marked, set apart. Depending on the backstory you give Scott, they can both be estranged by family (or you can contrast it with Scott being an orphan); either way, neither one seems to have family actively involved in their lives beyond the created family of the X-Men. Whether you write Scott as a surrogate father figure or a potential boyfriend for Rogue, I'd love to see more of them connecting with each other and growing to understand each other better. Maybe Scott reaching out to Rogue soon after she arrives at the mansion, or Rogue reaching out to Scott after the events of X2. I can see Rogue feeling guilty that she was the cause of Jean's death because she tried to fly the Blackbird (even though they never would have reached the jet in time had she not tried); that could make an interesting fic. They're just two wounded souls that I feel could find a lot of strength in each other, and I'd love to see that. :)
Ororo Munroe & Scott Summers; Ororo Munroe/Scott Summers:
This is the rarest of all my rarepairs, I think (there are so few fics that focus on these two!); Ororo/Scott was not a ship I would have thought of till I read a couple really good fics years ago that paired them, and then I wondered why I hadn't seen those possibilities earlier. If you want to write just friendship, I'd love to see more of them bonding as teachers of mutant teenagers, who are still adults with their own lives. Or perhaps them first meeting and becoming friends. Or perhaps Ororo trying to be Scott's friend after Jean's death in X2. If you want to write a relationship, I'd love to see them navigating past the ghost of Jean in the relationship; even if it's set in an AU where Jean lives through X2 or where they break up before X2 ever happens, I'd imagine that Scott would have to adjust to not being in a relationship with Jean anymore, and given the number of years they must have been together, that's not going to be an instantaneous process. If you want to write X3, maybe you can find a way to keep Prof X from dying and bring Scott back? Or write an X3 where Jean is never found, and the Cure plot plays out without Magneto having her as a weapon. You'd probably have to do some tweaking of canon for X3, seeing as how Scott doesn't live very long in X3 and I really hate the thought of his death so would rather not read foreshadowing. It's so tragic! *sobs* But anyway, you'd think that Scott and Ororo would have had a lot of bonding they could do with each other, especially depending on the backstories you give them.
The Pretender
Basic premise: The best description is probably the slide that ran on the pilot episode: "There are extraordinary individuals among us known as Pretenders. Geniuses with the ability to insinuate themselves into any walk of life, to literally become anyone. In 1963, a corporation called the Centre isolated one such Pretender, a young boy named Jarod. Locked in a controlled environment they exploited his genius for their "unofficial" research. Then, one day, their Pretender ran away..." While Jarod grew up in that environment he met a girl known as Miss Parker. They bonded as children, but were separated as teens. Now that Jarod is on the outside, Miss Parker (now tough as nails, the "Ice Queen" of the Centre) has been called back to bring him in. In between righting wrongs through Pretending to be different people in various careers, Jarod hunts for the missing pieces of his life—and Miss Parker's.
Oh, how I love this show. It's very complex, what with all the twisted revelations about this aspect of one or the other's family, Centre history, etc., but the characters are so fascinating. Both Jarod and Miss Parker (unarguably the main characters) are very very scarred, but the intriguing thing is how they react so differently to their scars. Jarod clings to innocence in as many realms as he can (while suspecting just about anything from the Centre), while Miss Parker is as cynical as she can be. One of the best things about the show is seeing her warm up to Jarod slowly over the four seasons, trying to learn to trust him. Trust is a key element, something Jarod keeps asking of her, while all along she keeps putting her trust in the wrong people.
As for other characters: I really love Sydney, and how he's played that father-figure role in Jarod's life. Broots and his daughter are also sweet. Mr. Raines and Lyle are creepy, of course, and Mr. Parker is, in some ways, worse than Mr. Raines, because of how he would pretend to love Miss Parker and then twist that love to use her in some way or further his own agenda. I headcanon Miss Parker's first name as Melissa but it's unlikely you'll need to use her name in a fic anyway, since they managed to avoid it for four seasons and two TV movies, lol…
Prompts by tag:
Jarod (the Pretender) & Miss Parker (the Pretender); Jarod (the Pretender)/Miss Parker (the Pretender):
The connection between these two is one of the most compelling things about the show to me, which is why I only requested tags with the two of them. Whether written as friendship or more, the two of them working together on anything is awesome. These two are really an OTP for me here, because I think they're the only ones who really understand each other. (Mind you, they get things wrong some, but I think they still understand each other better than anyone else.) So if written as friends, I'd prefer not to see either of them involved in a relationship with someone else.
While the show overall is dark—as is the range of fic I enjoy for it—I draw the line at fics where one or the other are dead or hated each other, and would find it very difficult to read a fic where Miss Parker got Jarod re-captured. However, I would love to see a fic exploring the damage they've suffered, and could easily see Miss Parker as an abused child in some way. I could also see one-sided incestuous feelings on Lyle's part, whether he acts on them or not… I'd love a missing scene from the show (there were so many possibilities!) or a classic Pretend where Jarod nearly is caught, but of course escapes in time. Or perhaps a fic where Jarod discovers a new food or item (like we saw with ice cream, doughnuts, fake dog poop, etc.). I'd also love to see Miss Parker finally leave the Centre (making sure, of course, that Sydney, Broots, Angelo, etc. are safe). Or something that deals with getting her little brother (which, given how the show played with genetics, could very well actually be her own child—with Jarod—and I don't see why not!) out of the clutches of the Centre. And I'm always game for hurt/comfort, tropey as it might be. :) If you're crossover-inclined, this show can cross with anything.
Rizzoli & Isles
Basic premise: A tough Boston detective (Jane Rizzoli, played by Angie Harmon) and the Chief Medical Examiner (Dr. Maura Isles, played by Sasha Alexander) team up to solve cases—and become friends. Along the way they learn things about themselves and their families.
I love the bond these two have. Both of them learn so much from each other over the course of the show, and support each other through so many things.
The show, I felt, transformed itself noticeably over the course of the seven seasons. Particularly the first season felt different from the others (it was, imho, by far the best), but the seventh also felt rather different (perhaps because they kept throwing in things out of left field). You're welcome to set your fic anywhere, but I'd be happy pretending the last season never happened. Not only did the Alice Sands thing get cleared up a little too quickly (and then never mentioned again), but the whole revelation about Maura's wedding was a bit weird, and I was all :(((( at the thought of Jane leaving Boston. I'm sure I couldn't be the only one who felt that way! I also found Frost's death unbearably tragic (mostly because of the real-life events that prompted it), so if you've been wanting to pretend he never died in the show, go right ahead (though I do like how they handled that, so I'm good with either way).
One big area the show was noticeably lacking in was actually dealing with all the trauma the characters suffered. The most they would show (even after escaping from being kidnapped) was a little joking around on the couch, and the next episode they were back to normal. It was absolutely ridiculous! If an actual human being had went through all of what they went through, there would be some major PTSD going on there! I really wish they'd dealt with that more.
Prompts by tag:
Maura Isles & Jane Rizzoli:
I really love the relationship between these two—it's why I watched the show, really. While I can see why most fans ship Jane and Maura as a couple, I headcanon Jane as asexual (she just hasn't figured it out yet), though the bond between them does verge on a romantic friendship and I love seeing fics that take it there. They're fairly comfortable with casual physical contact, and I'd love seeing a fic where that's part of supporting each other (hurt/comfort works so well with them). I'd love to see missing scenes where they deal with all that trauma! (Such as when Jane meets Maura right after Doyle lets her go, or after Bass scared her in the pilot. AU it all you like - that might be the only way to deal with the silly birthday party, or the aftermath of Dominic kidnapping Jane.) I'd love action and casefic, or just "a day at BPD". I'd also love some AU possibilities - anything from alternate meetings to what if the baby had lived.
Jane Rizzoli & None:
Jane's a really interesting character, and if I had to pick one of the two that I love the most, it's definitely Jane. There's all sorts of parts of her life that would be interesting to see: her childhood, her time at the police academy, her initial days at BPD, her recovery from what Hoyt did to her palms… (By the way, did you notice that they completely forgot to mention or show those scars after the first season?) Maybe even a scene of family bonding; I can see her being protective of Frankie as they grew up, or having to get Tommy out of some scrape or another.
Happy writing! :D
I love characters who are strong, characters who have quiet depth, characters with an active inner life, characters who think and/or feel… You'll probably see this in the characters I requested. :)
What I love about relationships is all the emotional depth: vulnerability, loyalty, knowing someone so well you know what they feel/think/need, even just having someone there as an emotional "rock". The whole "not being alone" feeling is such a powerful theme.
I once made up a 101 favorite tropes list (in no particular order), so feel free to make use of those if any of them get your muse going: http://doranwen.livejournal.com/246063.html
Besides those tropes, here are my general likes:
deep platonic friendship, romantic friendship, asexual romance, found families, apocalyptic fic, hurt/comfort, nonsexual physical touch (including cuddling), self-sacrifice, characters being vulnerable, character redemption, survival fic, positive treatment of religion, characters dealing with trauma, trust building, missing scenes, alternate universe (especially fix-it fic)
DNWs: sex or sexual feelings, supernatural/fantasy beings (elves, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, zombies, etc.), certain AUs (medieval, fantasy, supernatural, fairytale, feudal, space, historical), deathfic or horror, calling an adult "baby" or "darling", mpreg, crackfic, gore (mild violence is OK, just not as graphic as a surgery documentary), uncensored profanity, first/second person fic
Don't worry if someone's written a similar idea before (even as a gift for me!). My first real fandom was one where people used to write a dozen versions of the same TV ep, and I loved reading them all. There are never too many versions of the same story, in my opinion. I love to see how two people can take the same idea and come up with two totally different stories. :D
If you're crossover-inclined, you're welcome to cross these with any fandom I know: If I've requested it or listed it as a possible crossover fandom in one of my other exchange letters, you can totally use it! Every one of the fandoms I've requested crosses pretty well with others, I think.
And now to the requests (in the order of which I found them in the tagset):
Push (2009)
Basic premise: In a world where people have hidden gifts (such as Movers aka telekinetics, Watchers aka clairvoyance, and Pushers, who make you do what they tell you to), a shadowy government organization called Division hunts them to experiment on them in an effort to create better soldiers. 13-year-old Cassie Holmes (played by Dakota Fanning) and young adult Nick Gant (played by Chris Evans) team up to find a mysterious case that Division will do anything to get their hands on.
The first time I watched this film, I wasn't sure what to think; I hadn't really expected what I saw. But I found it interesting, and there were details I hadn't quite gotten . . . so I had to see it again. And then I skimmed through it again, because it had hooked me. The powers were interesting, the backstory interesting . . . but the connection between Nick and Cassie was what got me.
I came a bit late to this whole fandom, and have to grin at all the threads and LJ posts and comments on how perverted people felt to ship the two of them, but seriously, what else did the director/writers expect? From having their relationship be focused on the most *after* the big Nick/Kira scene (for all the music overlays and whatnot, Cassie/Nick came afterwards, and that's usually when the most important relationship happens) to the amount of jealousy from Cassie, from the looks to her inviting Nick to come with her to the chicken place, to the cross-cutting of her buying alcohol during the Nick/Kira scene… it's just all too obvious. Plus the last scene we see of the two is their arms around each other, lol. TOTALLY Nick/Cassie.
Now, I know the age difference is a bit ridiculous—NOW. Wait a few years and it won't be so much. My headcanon says that Cassie is far older than her years—she's probably seen murders, assaults of all sorts (maybe to her if she doesn't do something to avoid it—which she does, of course, her powers are good for something), and she might even have already seen herself with Nick in a romantic relationship, maybe will see that before it happens. In some senses I see her just as mature as Nick is, on an equal footing in a way. She needs at least a couple years to mature some (particularly physically), but I have absolutely no trouble seeing them together as early as when she's 15 (provided she can convince Nick—I have a feeling he'd freak out, lol). Whatever your age of consent is for her, I want to see the connection between the two of them, and that can be shown with or without them being "together".
As for other characters: I see Kira as good at heart; she just isn't good for Nick. I can't see Pinky sticking around with them; he's more interested in his own skin. Hook could be a real ally, Emily possibly. I'm also really curious about that old woman who was the Shadow. She was seriously powerful!!!!! I should note that I haven't read the comics, and from the opening credits sequence where Cassie gives the voiceover intro, RIGHT AFTER Cassie says "Division took my mom from me", there's a slide that shows a woman's profile as if she's entered into their lab records, a 37-year-old woman named Sarah Frank, a slide that says "Extremely Powerful", and then "Her Powers Could Destroy the Division". It all goes by really really fast . . . but the clear implication is that that is Cassie's mom. How to reconcile with the Elizabeth named in the comics? That's a challenge. But I don't see the comics as part of the film, so I can work with it. Since I have not read them, please don't include comics-only info if you can (powers that aren't in the film being an exception—I love the idea of porters, for instance). You're also welcome to make up your own backstory for things that the comics filled in, since I don't treat them as canon.
Prompts by tag:
Cassie Holmes & None:
I think Cassie's backstory would be interesting to see. How long did she live with her mom before her mom was captured? Where did she live during her childhood (such as it can be called)? Who did she meet? What did she learn? And how did she get to Hong Kong, with a set of braces in her mouth, streaks of color in her hair, and a rather interesting wardrobe? (I found it amusing that they apparently let Dakota Fanning pick what her character would wear.) Feel free to answer any of those questions with fic, or just explore her character a little more!
Nick Gant & Cassie Holmes; Nick Gant/Cassie Holmes:
I'm lumping these two together because the line between friendship and more is fairly thin if you're not going the porn route, so most of my prompts should be applicable to both. With these two I'd love to see anything from post-fic plottiness (what do they do with the case? do they manage to get Cassie's mom out?) to ship-focused (whether hurt/comfort or just plain bonding). I'd love to see more hugs with these two, or relying on each other emotionally. Or you could go the less feelings-oriented route and have them build up a whole resistance network against Division. AU would also be fascinating: I've seen one fic where the syringe actually is full of the real stuff at the end—and Nick survives the injection. That's an interesting place to diverge from canon. Or maybe another element in their plan works differently? (As long as they both live and come out of it OK.) Or an apocalyptic AU; I love the whole process of civilization collapsing, even more than the post-collapse parts of the scenario. Push left a ton of things open to exploration and I'd love to see what you decide to play with!
X-Men (Original Timeline Movies)
Basic premise (in the rare possibility that whoever's reading this actually doesn't know anything about this canon and is curious): Humans have evolved to where some are born with an extra gene, called the X gene, which gives them mutant powers (mostly at adolescence, but some are visibly different at birth). Some use them for good and some for evil, and fear of the latter causes a lot of prejudice against them. One very talented telepath, Professor Xavier, gathers powerful mutants as students, who later become teachers at his own boarding school. Two of his teachers are Scott Summers aka Cyclops (played by James Marsden) and Ororo Munroe aka Storm (played by Halle Berry). During the course of the films, they rescue a mutant with the power to drain life forces (Marie aka Rogue, played by Anna Paquin), and fight multiple villains.
Ahh, X-Men. :D I should note first off that my introduction to X-Men was through the films - the first three only - and I've not experienced any other canon besides them (unless you count poking on Wikipedia for comics info I could borrow for fic as I felt like). I wasn't too keen on what I'd heard about Wolverine when it was being made, so I never ended up watching it, or First Class, or any of the others, just X1, X2, and X3. X1 and X2 I love wholeheartedly, whether you AU them all over the place, or keep the plot as it is. The characters, the issues, there's a lot going on and it's just fantastic! X3, on the other hand… I like parts of it (Jimmy's power, the Cure plot, introducing Angel) but other parts of it I was very dismayed at (what they did to Scott and Professor X) or not fond of (the Phoenix plot, Rogue taking the Cure, even Ororo's haircut). So X3 is a mixed bag for me. I can enjoy a fic set in it, but given the ships I'm requesting (every last one which has Scott in it), I think you might find X3 a challenge to write! :)
I love the big issues the canon raises, such as the question of how much liberty we trade for security, and the ways people fear differences. The parallels to the Holocaust are particularly interesting to me, as the villain Magneto reacts to his experiences by promoting superiority of mutants over humans out of fear that it will happen again. Is his fear valid? Absolutely, which makes him a more sympathetic villain - yet that fear does not justify the means he uses, nor the results he would achieve (subjugating humans would only breed resentment toward mutants, which would make a genocide more likely should they ever be free of that yoke). Each character has to decide where they stand on the subject of mutant-human relations, and how they will demonstrate their views by their actions, and that makes them all the more fascinating.
I also love the personal issues raised by individual characters' stories. My favorite character (if you couldn't tell by the ships I requested) is Scott. Sadly, the films don't give us nearly enough detail on his life or what brought him to be who he is. You're welcome to use whatever backstory you like, as long as it doesn't involve the aliens as in comics canon. (I like my X-Men realistic other than for the powers, lol.) What we do see (from my perspective) is a guy who has to get things right, not in order to dominate, but in order to satisfy his own standards. He has high expectations for himself, whether because he feels a sense of gratitude/obligation to Professor X, or just because he isn't satisfied with less than excellence. There's possibly some insecurity there, too. From the age difference between his actor and Jean's, I tend to headcanon that Jean is older than Scott by several years. What we see of their relationship in the film could be solid, but I've often seen some potential for issues and a breakup, hence some of the ships I requested (none of which are Scott/Jean).
Two of my other favorite characters (I like quite a few of them!) are, obviously, Rogue and Ororo. I love Rogue's relative innocence despite what she's gone through (and having Logan and others in her head), and the issues presented by her not being able to touch people even in a casual way (unless they've got a protective barrier between them) are interesting. Ororo provides an excellent chance to give a different cultural perspective, and I like the comic-derived possibility of her being claustrophobic. While I did not request Professor X, I also really love his character too, as the wise leader who might or might not do a little too much manipulation of things. Since I've not seen any other films besides the first three, you've got a lot of leeway for what you write for the school's history as well as that of some of the characters.
As for other characters: I generally like all the students that are shown to be at the school (for instance, the physics class clearly has Dani and Jubilee in addition to Bobby, Kitty, and John), and I like the X-Men a lot. I'd prefer not to see the villains glamorized or justified; while I can understand their motivations, it doesn't make their actions any more valid (the ends do not justify the means). I headcanon Professor X as likely asexual (but you could sell me on a relationship in the past, perhaps with Moira - since I've not seen more than X1-X3, you're welcome to write her however you like if you include her). I never did see him and Erik as partners in a romantic/sexual sense. The only comics characters that I've run across in fics that I've read and know for sure I would rather not see in my gift are Gambit and any of the characters from the Hellfire Club.
Prompts by tag:
Rogue & Scott Summers; Rogue/Scott Summers:
These two don't have much interaction in the films, but there's so much they have in common. The obvious is that both of them have a power that handicaps and that cannot be masked in some situations. Rogue can't touch anyone's bare skin without hurting them, so she has to wear gloves - even in summertime. Scott cannot look at anyone without glasses or he'll kill them, so he has to wear glasses - even at night. While Rogue might pass for normal in wintertime and Scott wouldn't catch a second glance (except, perhaps, an admiring look for his features) on a summer beach, it doesn't negate the feeling of being marked, set apart. Depending on the backstory you give Scott, they can both be estranged by family (or you can contrast it with Scott being an orphan); either way, neither one seems to have family actively involved in their lives beyond the created family of the X-Men. Whether you write Scott as a surrogate father figure or a potential boyfriend for Rogue, I'd love to see more of them connecting with each other and growing to understand each other better. Maybe Scott reaching out to Rogue soon after she arrives at the mansion, or Rogue reaching out to Scott after the events of X2. I can see Rogue feeling guilty that she was the cause of Jean's death because she tried to fly the Blackbird (even though they never would have reached the jet in time had she not tried); that could make an interesting fic. They're just two wounded souls that I feel could find a lot of strength in each other, and I'd love to see that. :)
Ororo Munroe & Scott Summers; Ororo Munroe/Scott Summers:
This is the rarest of all my rarepairs, I think (there are so few fics that focus on these two!); Ororo/Scott was not a ship I would have thought of till I read a couple really good fics years ago that paired them, and then I wondered why I hadn't seen those possibilities earlier. If you want to write just friendship, I'd love to see more of them bonding as teachers of mutant teenagers, who are still adults with their own lives. Or perhaps them first meeting and becoming friends. Or perhaps Ororo trying to be Scott's friend after Jean's death in X2. If you want to write a relationship, I'd love to see them navigating past the ghost of Jean in the relationship; even if it's set in an AU where Jean lives through X2 or where they break up before X2 ever happens, I'd imagine that Scott would have to adjust to not being in a relationship with Jean anymore, and given the number of years they must have been together, that's not going to be an instantaneous process. If you want to write X3, maybe you can find a way to keep Prof X from dying and bring Scott back? Or write an X3 where Jean is never found, and the Cure plot plays out without Magneto having her as a weapon. You'd probably have to do some tweaking of canon for X3, seeing as how Scott doesn't live very long in X3 and I really hate the thought of his death so would rather not read foreshadowing. It's so tragic! *sobs* But anyway, you'd think that Scott and Ororo would have had a lot of bonding they could do with each other, especially depending on the backstories you give them.
The Pretender
Basic premise: The best description is probably the slide that ran on the pilot episode: "There are extraordinary individuals among us known as Pretenders. Geniuses with the ability to insinuate themselves into any walk of life, to literally become anyone. In 1963, a corporation called the Centre isolated one such Pretender, a young boy named Jarod. Locked in a controlled environment they exploited his genius for their "unofficial" research. Then, one day, their Pretender ran away..." While Jarod grew up in that environment he met a girl known as Miss Parker. They bonded as children, but were separated as teens. Now that Jarod is on the outside, Miss Parker (now tough as nails, the "Ice Queen" of the Centre) has been called back to bring him in. In between righting wrongs through Pretending to be different people in various careers, Jarod hunts for the missing pieces of his life—and Miss Parker's.
Oh, how I love this show. It's very complex, what with all the twisted revelations about this aspect of one or the other's family, Centre history, etc., but the characters are so fascinating. Both Jarod and Miss Parker (unarguably the main characters) are very very scarred, but the intriguing thing is how they react so differently to their scars. Jarod clings to innocence in as many realms as he can (while suspecting just about anything from the Centre), while Miss Parker is as cynical as she can be. One of the best things about the show is seeing her warm up to Jarod slowly over the four seasons, trying to learn to trust him. Trust is a key element, something Jarod keeps asking of her, while all along she keeps putting her trust in the wrong people.
As for other characters: I really love Sydney, and how he's played that father-figure role in Jarod's life. Broots and his daughter are also sweet. Mr. Raines and Lyle are creepy, of course, and Mr. Parker is, in some ways, worse than Mr. Raines, because of how he would pretend to love Miss Parker and then twist that love to use her in some way or further his own agenda. I headcanon Miss Parker's first name as Melissa but it's unlikely you'll need to use her name in a fic anyway, since they managed to avoid it for four seasons and two TV movies, lol…
Prompts by tag:
Jarod (the Pretender) & Miss Parker (the Pretender); Jarod (the Pretender)/Miss Parker (the Pretender):
The connection between these two is one of the most compelling things about the show to me, which is why I only requested tags with the two of them. Whether written as friendship or more, the two of them working together on anything is awesome. These two are really an OTP for me here, because I think they're the only ones who really understand each other. (Mind you, they get things wrong some, but I think they still understand each other better than anyone else.) So if written as friends, I'd prefer not to see either of them involved in a relationship with someone else.
While the show overall is dark—as is the range of fic I enjoy for it—I draw the line at fics where one or the other are dead or hated each other, and would find it very difficult to read a fic where Miss Parker got Jarod re-captured. However, I would love to see a fic exploring the damage they've suffered, and could easily see Miss Parker as an abused child in some way. I could also see one-sided incestuous feelings on Lyle's part, whether he acts on them or not… I'd love a missing scene from the show (there were so many possibilities!) or a classic Pretend where Jarod nearly is caught, but of course escapes in time. Or perhaps a fic where Jarod discovers a new food or item (like we saw with ice cream, doughnuts, fake dog poop, etc.). I'd also love to see Miss Parker finally leave the Centre (making sure, of course, that Sydney, Broots, Angelo, etc. are safe). Or something that deals with getting her little brother (which, given how the show played with genetics, could very well actually be her own child—with Jarod—and I don't see why not!) out of the clutches of the Centre. And I'm always game for hurt/comfort, tropey as it might be. :) If you're crossover-inclined, this show can cross with anything.
Rizzoli & Isles
Basic premise: A tough Boston detective (Jane Rizzoli, played by Angie Harmon) and the Chief Medical Examiner (Dr. Maura Isles, played by Sasha Alexander) team up to solve cases—and become friends. Along the way they learn things about themselves and their families.
I love the bond these two have. Both of them learn so much from each other over the course of the show, and support each other through so many things.
The show, I felt, transformed itself noticeably over the course of the seven seasons. Particularly the first season felt different from the others (it was, imho, by far the best), but the seventh also felt rather different (perhaps because they kept throwing in things out of left field). You're welcome to set your fic anywhere, but I'd be happy pretending the last season never happened. Not only did the Alice Sands thing get cleared up a little too quickly (and then never mentioned again), but the whole revelation about Maura's wedding was a bit weird, and I was all :(((( at the thought of Jane leaving Boston. I'm sure I couldn't be the only one who felt that way! I also found Frost's death unbearably tragic (mostly because of the real-life events that prompted it), so if you've been wanting to pretend he never died in the show, go right ahead (though I do like how they handled that, so I'm good with either way).
One big area the show was noticeably lacking in was actually dealing with all the trauma the characters suffered. The most they would show (even after escaping from being kidnapped) was a little joking around on the couch, and the next episode they were back to normal. It was absolutely ridiculous! If an actual human being had went through all of what they went through, there would be some major PTSD going on there! I really wish they'd dealt with that more.
Prompts by tag:
Maura Isles & Jane Rizzoli:
I really love the relationship between these two—it's why I watched the show, really. While I can see why most fans ship Jane and Maura as a couple, I headcanon Jane as asexual (she just hasn't figured it out yet), though the bond between them does verge on a romantic friendship and I love seeing fics that take it there. They're fairly comfortable with casual physical contact, and I'd love seeing a fic where that's part of supporting each other (hurt/comfort works so well with them). I'd love to see missing scenes where they deal with all that trauma! (Such as when Jane meets Maura right after Doyle lets her go, or after Bass scared her in the pilot. AU it all you like - that might be the only way to deal with the silly birthday party, or the aftermath of Dominic kidnapping Jane.) I'd love action and casefic, or just "a day at BPD". I'd also love some AU possibilities - anything from alternate meetings to what if the baby had lived.
Jane Rizzoli & None:
Jane's a really interesting character, and if I had to pick one of the two that I love the most, it's definitely Jane. There's all sorts of parts of her life that would be interesting to see: her childhood, her time at the police academy, her initial days at BPD, her recovery from what Hoyt did to her palms… (By the way, did you notice that they completely forgot to mention or show those scars after the first season?) Maybe even a scene of family bonding; I can see her being protective of Frankie as they grew up, or having to get Tommy out of some scrape or another.
Happy writing! :D
