Dear Genex Writer 2017
Jul. 12th, 2017 10:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
doranwenThis is my first time trying Genex! I'm looking forward to it. :D I did a lot of describing the awesomeness about each friendship, and gave a few prompts in case you find them useful. I hope you have a lot of fun writing for me. :)
What I love about friendships 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) and a lot of them are ship-oriented, 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, 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, canon divergence AU (especially fix-it fic)
DNWs: sex or sexual feelings, supernatural/fantasy beings (elves, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, zombies, etc.), AUs other than canon divergence or alt beginnings, deathfic or horror, calling an adult "baby" or "darling", 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. 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
And now to the requests (in the order of which I found them in the tagset):
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
I'm not bothering with a basic premise here as everyone should at least know what this fandom is. While I've seen the films, I'm very much a books fan and have read the trilogy (along with the Hobbit) many times over the years, though I had a hard time getting through The Silmarillion when I was younger and I never did go back and re-read the whole thing. I do have a more-or-less decent knowledge of the history from reading a lot of very good fics from some of the best writers out there, and I've poked all through a couple of Tolkien encyclopedia/timeline sites to keep some of it straight, so if you need to make some reference to ancient history in the fic, go right ahead! If I don't know it straight off, I'll look it up, and I love the thoroughness of the world, that there are those references one can throw in. :)
My favorite characters in LOTR are definitely humans (as you can tell from my requests), though I do enjoy elves, hobbits, and the occasional wizard (Gandalf, mainly). While the system of governance could be rife with corruption, many of the characters in the books were the sorts you would actually want to be in charge, and that's part of their appeal. I love the depths of personality, some of which is only hinted at in the books.
I also love seeing characters live that died in the books, so if you're feeling up to AUs at all, you are more than welcome to write some of those! I fear I requested some character combos which would be utterly impossible without AU-ing things somehow. :)
Prompts by tag:
Aragorn & Faramir (LOTR book):
I love both these characters so much - the nobility, wisdom, etc. The relationship between the two of them is lovely - Aragorn as liege lord who respects and loves the younger man whose life he saves. That sort of deep nonsexual bond between men is so rare in media these days (and perhaps in real life) but it is one of my favorite things about LOTR. I would love to see moments between them before the march to the Black Gate, or glimpses of their friendship in the Fourth Age. Maybe they're discussing affairs of state - or testing skills against each other. Or maybe they're remembering those they have lost. (Boromir… *sniffs*) If you really want to go wild with this one, what if Aragorn was Faramir's biological father? Whatever you do with them, I'm sure I'll love it!
Gilraen & Faramir (LotR books):
Here's one of my impossible-without-AUs requests, lol. Canonically Gilraen dies while Faramir is a young man, and they never traveled anywhere close to each other. So AU things! I can't imagine Faramir being able to travel to Rivendell as a young man (think of all the implications of him knowing where it is - and that Aragorn exists, even), but maybe you'd find a way. Or just have Gilraen not despair so easily, and survive to see Aragorn married. Faramir lost his mother early; I could see her taking him as a second son of sorts, and can imagine his children calling her Grandma too.
Imrahil & Faramir (LotR books):
I would imagine Faramir had a much closer relationship with his uncle Imrahil than with his own father. Show me Imrahil doing what he can to show Faramir that he's loved and appreciated when Denethor doesn't seem to, or show me post-war Imrahil and Faramir. I'd love to see them in a happier time, without the shadow of Sauron hanging over Gondor.
Imrahil & Lothíriel (LotR books):
This father-daughter relationship is one I've always imagined would be interesting. Is his wife still alive? Or does the fact that she's not mentioned mean that yet another mother in LOTR has died early? (Mothers in LOTR do not fare well, you might have noticed.) Either way, I'd love to see the bond between Lothíriel and her father, who is very much alive throughout her life and the Ring War. Whether it be when she's a child, or when he's trying to find her the right suitor (maybe he sets her up with Éomer?), I'll enjoy reading it!
Aragorn & Théodred (LotR books):
This is another one that's impossible to write without AU-ing, so have fun with it. I can't imagine Théodred ever leaving Rohan - they need the Rohirrim defending the lands too badly - but perhaps you have a reason why Aragorn might have to revisit Rohan, or maybe he ends up heading back that way after the raid on Umbar. Or find a way for Théodred to survive the Ring War - he'd then be the monarch Aragorn is dealing with instead of Éomer. I'd love to see it no matter how you manage it!
Aragorn & Halbarad (LotR books):
Halbarad was a good friend as well as kinsman to Aragorn, and it's tragic that he dies on the Pelennor. Show me anything from their first meeting to supporting each other as Rangers in the North, or let Halbarad survive and stay in the South to be with Aragorn (after all, the book simply says he never returned to the North, lol).
Halbarad & Boromir (LotR books):
Here's a likely AU one for you - two characters, both of which die in the books, and who have very limited opportunity to meet. You can go with their one canonical chance - Halbarad could've been at Rivendell during some part of the time while they were still putting together the Fellowship. Or have them both survive the war and bond over the fact that both have been right-hand men to Aragorn of sorts? (Boromir being next in line for Steward - though you're welcome to have him abdicate that for Faramir, who is all around better suited for the job anyway) I can see them sharing amusing anecdotes about Aragorn to "keep him humble". ;)
Arwen & Éowyn (LotR books):
I've always wondered what the meeting between these two would have been like. Was Éowyn intimidated that her new queen was an elf - and that she'd had a crush on said elf's new husband? Or is Arwen nervous about being in Gondor among humans all the time, and Éowyn's a breath of fresh air in a stuffy court? I'd love to see your take on these two!
Gold Diggers (1995)
Basic premise: Also known as Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain (1995), the film tells the story of two girls who become close friends and essentially save each other's lives. There's also a plotline involving gold (naturally, given the name), but the story is essentially a story of friendship.
Oh, fandom of my childhood. I LOVED this movie to death. So much so that I spent hours imagining what I now know to be called fanfic, whereupon I changed Beth and Jody's name to Sara and Ricki, and made their family lives nasty enough so they would run away to live in Bear Mountain for the rest of their lives and adopt runaway orphan kids and … yeah. I kid you not. I thought the whole "best friends run away and live together forever happily ever after" was the perfect ending EVER when I was 13, lol.
The thing that captivated me about the movie was most particularly the friendship between the two of them. Beth is fascinated by Jody from the get-go (she goes from confused by just seeing her fight with a kid, to mad with running into her with the groceries—and yet she still heads off with her after the Winnie the Pooh discussion), her toughness that hides an underlying vulnerability and hurt. And Jody appreciates Beth as someone who actually listens to her, who is loyal and supportive. (I think I saw myself some in Beth, and longed for something like what they had.)
I also loved the survivalist theme of Jody wanting to live in Bear Mountain. A lot of my "mindfic" from my childhood days centered around some character surviving by a combination of scavenging (which included raiding "civilization" for anything useful, sometimes by less than legal means), farming/hunting, etc. I wasn't always very realistic about it (since I didn't know much about survival as a 12-year-old), but I loved the idea of it.
I nominated and requested Beth & Jody because to me, this is the core of the film. :) Really, they are the heart of it all. I'd love anything from their friendship during the rest of the summer after the events in the film, or at school the following year; they're local celebrities now, but they're not going to let that get to their heads. What's popularity compared to a friendship you can count on? I just love the bond these two have! I can see them talking about their dads, about what they'll do when they're grown up, going on more adventures at Bear Mountain… Feel free to AU things too, if you like the idea of them running away for whatever reason, or if Jody had actually killed Ray, or if Ray did worse things besides beat up Lynette. (I'm quite OK with some dark themes here as long as the girls have each other.) Or what if Beth didn't crash the boat and Jody was living in Bear Mountain by herself? (whether Ray lived or not) So many ways to focus on these two girls, and I would have so much love for whatever you write. :D
Tomorrow When the War Began (2010)
Basic premise: Seven Australian teens (Ellie, Corrie, Kevin, Homer, Fiona aka Fi, Lee, and Robyn) go camping in the bush, and come back to find their country's been invaded; they become guerilla soldiers and fight back. One of the few films for teens that does not glorify violence but shows the (sometimes) necessity—and horror—of it, and its effects on the psyche. The focus of the film is Ellie (played by Caitlin Stasey), who's a farm girl with a lot of inner toughness. Another character is Robyn (played by Ashleigh Cummings), whose religious convictions draw her into an internal struggle between what she believes is right and the upside-down world she's suddenly living in. The other female teens in the film are Fiona aka Fi (played by Phoebie Tonkin) and Corrie (played by Rachel Hurd-Wood).
This movie is AMAZING. One of the best book-to-movie adaptations I've ever seen, it brings John Marsden's Tomorrow world to life. I requested the women because I love their characters the best, and find the relationships they have with each other by far the most fascinating.
Ellie carries the film with her strength. The actress pulled off subtleties of mood and emotion with the slightest twitch of facial features, and showed us all just why Ellie was the one everyone tends to look to. Homer may have taken over leadership, but if Ellie would assert it, she'd have it in a heartbeat. When Ellie knows what she wants, she will get it done, no matter what. But dealing with the consequences of her actions, on the other hand… my favorite scene in the film is when Ellie, Corrie, and Kevin meet up with Homer and Fi back at Fi's house. It's so emotional underneath it all.
Robyn is fascinating because she has strong convictions and is torn between following them and trying to keep her friends alive. The scene at the end of the movie is partly why I nominated her; the fact that it's a deviation from the book doesn't bother me, as it conveys her character development in a way that fits. I highly respect Robyn and find her struggle to maintain her beliefs alone in a world that's collapsing around her to be a compelling one. If I ended up in that world, I would find myself in a very similar position.
Corrie doesn't have as much of a standout role in the film, as she's mostly there to provide half of the "established couple", and to be the longtime best friend of Ellie. Fi's role is mainly to grow from naïve city girl to someone who can actually be useful in the guerrilla fighting. Neither are fleshed out very much in-film, which leaves lots of room for your fic. :)
Prompts by tag:
Ellie Linton & Robyn Mathers (TWTWB film):
Both of these characters have had to deal with directly killing people and it's changed them in different ways. I'd love to see them address some of that with each other, or just support each other. It would also be really neat to see their first meeting - how long ago? - or some of the circumstances that brought them to be good friends. Robyn's deeply religious/spiritual and Ellie is not; I'd love to see that acknowledged in a fic.
Ellie Linton & Robyn Mathers & Corrie Mackenzie & Fiona Maxwell (TWTWB film):
How did these four characters all get to know each other so that they would end up on the same camping trip? Backstory here would be a great thing to see. Or show some of the camping experience, or conversations between them during the events of the film. Feel free to AU things so Corrie isn't shot (or at least, not shot that badly); that would give you all sorts of possibilities for situations for the four of them to talk or do things together.
X-Men (Movieverse)
Everyone should know the basic premise of X-Men by this point… (And if you haven't, go get the first two films - from 2000 and 2003 - and watch them right away!)
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 (most of which have 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. One of my favorite characters 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.
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.
I've also requested Kitty quite a bit because I love computers and find a female computer geek to be such a compelling character that I just have to see more! Partly due to my mixed feelings about X3, I don't picture the actress in that film as Kitty, sticking more to an amalgamation of the X1 and X2 Kittys. Feel free to give her a different characterization than in X3 if you like - I only consider X1 and X2 truly canon, and the rest is flexible. :) I imagine that while there's a lot of differences between the girls, Kitty and Rogue and Jubilee probably get along fairly well, if for nothing else than "the rest of the world hates us" (bonding through shared persecution).
As for other characters: I generally like all the students that are shown to be at the school (for instance, the physics class in X1 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:
Scott Summers & Rogue (Original Timeline):
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 just a friend with 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. :)
Scott Summers & Ororo Munroe (Original Timeline):
There are so few fics that focus on these two! 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 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.
Professor X & Scott Summers (Original Timeline):
I love these two characters so much, and I love to think of Professor X considering Scott as a son. Show me how Professor X finds Scott in the first place, or the early days of Scott being Professor X's student, or Scott's first day as a teacher and getting advice from Professor X… If you want to write something set during X3, figure out a way to keep the two of them alive and I'll love it!
Scott Summers & Katherine Pryde (Original Timeline):
I don't know why I like the idea of these two so much. I think of Scott as a great mentor for Kitty, someone she can look to for advice, and I'd love to see some situation where that happens! Whether it's serious (how to deal with anti-mutant prejudice, or people who are intimidated by her intelligence) or silly (how to prank someone back after having been the recipient of too many), I think Scott would be the perfect person for Kitty to go to. :D
Ororo Munroe & Katherine Pryde (Original Timeline):
Ororo has always struck me as sort of a mother-type figure for the children at the mansion, or a big sister for the older ones who might have moms at home but no one nearby to talk to when you want an older female. I can see her loving Kitty in her classes (because Kitty would be a great student and all teachers love it when students do well). Maybe Ororo was one of the ones who first invited Kitty to come to the school - I'd love to see that!
Katherine Pryde & Jubilation Lee (Original Timeline):
These two are opposites in a lot of ways, but I think the saying "opposites attract" might actually apply here. I'd love to see them discussing deep issues, being scheming, or just plain having fun. The mansion is kind of like a boarding school with a few special twists (such as the powers); feel free to let your imagination soar with all kinds of boarding school shenanigans.
Logan & Katherine Pryde (Original Timeline):
These might struck one as an unlikely pair, but I can imagine Logan slowly warming up to Kitty. Jubilee I didn't request in this one but you can totally throw her in; I'd imagine Jubilee's approach would be to drive Logan nuts by pestering, but I imagine Kitty as more the quiet one who might find a way into Logan's inner circle, especially if she bonds with Rogue. You could write conversation between them, an action bit, maybe Logan training Kitty so if the mansion's ever raided again, she'll be able to do something about it… I know I'll love whatever you come up with!
Crossover Fandoms
Ahahaha, some of these are the craziest crossover ideas ever, I feel like (though I'm quite sure they aren't, given the levels of creativity some people have). To write most of these will take great amounts of AU-ing. The one generality I can say is that I like crossovers to be taken somewhat seriously; I'd prefer not to receive crackfic. But I'm perfectly OK with "I don't know how I got here" sorts of situations, where one person is suddenly dropped into another world (whether they woke up there, or walked through a weird spot in the air, etc.). You'll have to use some of that to get some of these characters in the same place! For crossovers with LOTR characters, while I love fics that recognize that Westron is not actually English (and Frodo is actually Maura, etc.), I'm also OK with characters being dropped into the world able to speak it as if it were English. Perhaps whatever magic dropped them there made it so that Westron would always sound like English to them?
Prompts by tag:
Jane Rizzoli (R&I TV) & Lindsay Boxer (WMC TV):
I love both these characters for their tough exterior covering the soft part inside. In both cases they've been wounded (Jane with the Surgeon, Lindsay with Kiss-Me-Not and her ex); Jane's armor is even thicker than Lindsay's, because of the greater trauma. The same actress plays both of these characters, so you could do something interesting with them being related somehow. Or else they get mistaken for each other, or work together on something...
Lucy Pevensie (Narnia books) & Éowyn (LOTR):
I feel like Lucy and Éowyn would have a lot in common. They both have such strength and courage inside of them, and I'd love to see that meeting somehow! Whether it be to discuss the trials of older brothers, what it's like to fight in a battle, Lucy getting sword training from Éowyn… I'd love to see Lucy dropped into Middle-earth and meeting up with Éowyn in some way!
Chloe Sullivan (Smallville) & Cassie Holmes (Push):
I've not seen Smallville past season 3, really, but early years is where I see these two meeting up, when they'd be similar ages. Both are blonde, tough, city kids. Cassie might be younger, but she's even tougher - how many years has she been on her own, with her mom locked up by Division? And Chloe's all about discovering and exposing things like that. Whether they team up, whether they get into arguments because Cassie won't tell Chloe what's going on, whether it's just one of them observing the other and noting what they're like… I'm sure it won't be dull! I could see it as set either before the events of Push (wherein I'd wonder if Chloe helps Cassie get to Hong Kong somehow?) or afterward, with Nick and Cassie traveling together.
Cassie Holmes (Push) & Miss Parker (Pretender):
Oh, this one could be veeerrrry interesting. On one hand you have Cassie, a fugitive from a powerful agency… and on the other you have Miss Parker, who works for a large corporation that controls things about as much as Division tries to. Does Cassie help Jarod escape and end up in Miss Parker's sights? Or does Jarod help Cassie out and that gets her to meet Miss Parker in some way? I'm not sure how they meet or what would happen (sorry I'm not more helpful!), but I would love to read whatever you come up with! :D
Cassie Holmes (Push) & Jean Grey (X-Men Original Movieverse):
I mostly wanted to see Cassie with Jean because their perspectives are so radically different. Jean's used to dealing with runaways, scared teens who don't know how to control the powers they have. Cassie, on the other hand, is more of a soldier. A very young one, but a soldier, nonetheless. She's self-controlled in a way few of the teens Jean would know could ever be. Perhaps Cassie ends up staying at the X-Mansion to hide from Division, and that's how they meet. Either way, I'd love to see either one from the other's perspective. Cassie interacts on such an adult level and would not fit in with the other teens, I don't think. As far as the timeline goes, in order to include Jean, you can either set this sometime before the end of X2 or AU it so Jean makes it. (Would prefer that X3 never happened…)
Ororo Munroe (X-Men Original Movieverse) & Éowyn (LOTR):
Oh, this one could be very interesting. What Éowyn would make of Ororo I'm not quite sure! And I really have very little ideas to prompt you on, other than that I'd love to see them interact, and I think it would be more interesting for Ororo to drop into LOTR than the other way around. What would the Rohirrim (or Gríma or Sarúman, for that matter) make of her ability to control the weather? I can see Éowyn finding a way for that to be useful. Either way, Éowyn really has few female friends and I think the two of them might get along well.
Galathea Winthrop (Worldweavers) & Katherine Pryde (X-Men Original Timeline):
Both of these girls are talented with computers - but they approach them in entirely different ways! I'd love to see them meet up and connect somehow. :D
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. Jane's brother Frankie is played by Jordan Bridges.
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:
Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles (R&I TV):
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). For this exchange I'd love all the deep friendship between them. 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 & Frankie Rizzoli Jr. (R&I TV) :
Jane's a really interesting character, and her relationship with Frankie is one of the fun bits of the show. It's classic big sister-little brother, where Jane picks on Frankie - but he's family, and no one messes with family. I'd love to see them as children; I can see her being protective of Frankie as they grew up, or having to work together to get Tommy out of some scrape or another. It'd be great to see Frankie first joining the force, or finding a way to quietly support Jane after her first encounter with Hoyt.
Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye
Basic premise: A Deaf woman (Sue Thomas, played by Deanne Bray) who can read lips very well is hired by the FBI and joins a surveillance unit consisting of five FBI agents (Jack, Bobby, Myles, Tara, and Dominick aka "D") and a "rotor" (Lucy, who calls herself that because she keeps the office running for all the agents). There's a lot of drama, humor, and bunch of "will they or won't they?" between her and her good-looking training agent (Jack Hudson, played by Yannick Bisson). Agent Myles Leland III (played by Ted Atherton) is disdainful of Sue at first but grows to respect her. Agent Tara Williams (played by Tara Samuel) is the lone female agent on the team and the tech whiz.
Aww, Sue Thomas. I fell so madly in love with this one a few summers ago, and it still makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. The show is a delightful mix of drama (solving FBI cases! terrorists and corporate theft and kidnappings), humor (witty banter that makes you wish you worked with such a fun group of people), and heartwarming (people making connections with each other, understanding the world of the Deaf, etc.).
Just about any fic you come up with for this will be welcomed! I requested either Myles or Tara (or both) in my requested ships because they are woefully underrepresented in fic. We know some about Myles' background, but very little about Tara's. And what we know of Myles' could prompt all sorts of interesting fic, but there is a paltry number that focus on him. And Tara! The only female full-fledged FBI agent on the team, and we don't have hardly anything on her. It makes me super curious!
Myles is portrayed somewhat unsympathetically in the show--very much so at first, but as time goes on we see a bit of a softer side to him, a vulnerable side. I read one fic that put it well: "beneath that arrogant, cynical, downright obnoxious at times, persona of yours, beats the heart of a knight and the soul of a poet". That's exactly how I see him! There's so much potential for depth to Myles that we don't get to see.
Then there's Tara. What made her who she is? She's also small and doesn't look particularly tough physically. She must have had to work hard to get where she is now. Yet we have no idea what drives her, what's behind some of her different facets. Of all the team's characters on the show, we probably see her the least, which is a real shame. When we do see her, she's always running the electronic side of things, which, given that she's supposed to be a tech whiz, that makes sense. But I think I can only remember ONE episode where she's out in the field with the others, with her gun and all—season 1, ep # 2. It's a cryin' shame that we don't see more of her kicking butt, lol.
I also love Sue's character - her delightful personality, kind heart, sense of humor, and talents. I love that this show actually made a Deaf character front and center and let us all learn more about her world.
Prompts by tag:
Sue Thomas & Myles Leland (STFBE):
This may seem an unlikely pair, but I think they have the potential for a solid friendship. Sue is very forgiving, and Myles, I think, recognizes that and respects her for it, because he knows he didn't treat her well starting off. Despite his pretense at not knowing any sign, I suspect he's been learning for a while, because I can't see Myles not trying to be excellent at things, and he recognizes the value of knowing that skill, particularly with Sue around. I also think he recognizes that Sue is not going to break confidence if he shares anything with her. I'd love to see him practicing ASL, or them talking about her experiences growing up, or him sharing about his childhood, or even him protecting her in some FBI business gone bad. Doubt that Jack will appreciate that so much, but Jack needs a good shaking up, I think! :D
Myles Leland & Tara Williams (STFBE):
These two are the "odd ones out" in a sense. Jack has Bobby, and Sue has Lucy, and D has his family, but who do Myles and Tara have? Myles sometimes confides in D, as D is a lot more mature than Jack and Bobby are (and despite Myles' shortcomings at the beginning of the show, he's got a lot more maturity, he's just scared to ever be vulnerable), but D isn't the sort of close friend you can go to anytime, I don't think. And Tara is probably used to spending her nights alone in front of a computer. But if they got to really talking with each other, I think they could open up, and be the friends each other has needed. I can see them just hanging out in the evenings, especially if the rest of the team has no idea (precisely because they don't want to be teased when it's just friends). Playing games together and arguing playfully, I can picture it now. Or just conversations in between cases, or Myles saving Tara's life, etc. :)
Sue Thomas & Tara Williams (STFBE):
I'd love to see these two connecting more. Whether it's Tara learning more ASL or about Deaf culture, or Sue listening to Tara talk about her life, I'd love to see it! I love them both so much, so whatever you come up with, I'll enjoy reading. :D
Women's Murder Club (TV)
Basic premise: A small group of friends (three to start, with a fourth working her way in during the first couple episodes) who all work in related fields share information to help each other solve cases. Lindsay Boxer (played by Angie Harmon) is a homicide inspector (aka detective) who works in San Francisco's police department. She's friends with Jill Bernhardt, a deputy district attorney and Claire Washburn (played by Paula Newsome), the medical examiner. As the show unfolds, she begins to respect (and maybe even like?) Cindy Thomas (played by Aubrey Dollar), a young reporter who gets assigned to the crime beat. The show is an excellent mix of drama, comedy, and romance, and has a lot of similarities to Rizzoli & Isles.
I got into Women's Murder Club because I loved watching Angie Harmon in Rizzoli & Isles, and this sounded like a similar role for her. After I saw the video titled "The Best of Women's Murder Club" and read this comment, I was positive I had to see the whole show: "Now it all makes sense. Jane Rizzoli is an extension of Lindsay Boxer. The only difference, they keep butching up Angie Harmon." It is so true. Lindsay is like a milder version of Jane in some ways. But in the ways she's different, I fell in love with her character all over again. Lindsay can actually cry, she hates being vulnerable but she can actually do it and be real with her friends. And that just won me over. (Seriously, make Angie Harmon be all vulnerable and cry in a scene and you have me. Completely.) I love her dedication to her work, the toughness she can bring to the job, but I also love that she can still be human, still be vulnerable, that she doesn't feel like she has to be tough to be respected (Jane Rizzoli, in many ways, hardens herself in order to be respected in her job). I love that she cares about her friends, and that she's torn about her ex but still knows what the right thing is and even respects his fiancée. While Lindsay doesn't always take the best care of herself (or act the most responsibly), it helps that Claire can act as "mom" and give her the lectures she needs but sometimes doesn't accept even from her other friends (something Maura isn't very good at giving Jane in R&I).
Cindy stole my heart because of several reasons. One, she's cute and adorable (I don't usually find redheads fascinating but there's something about Cindy…). Two, she has a delightful personality, bubbly, a little lacking in some common sense now and then, which the others are happy to lecture her about. And three, she has a bravery and courage that is pretty amazing. When she volunteers for the dangerous decoy task in "Father's Day"… that took guts. Real guts. I think Lindsay had to respect her for that. And then with what happens to her in "And The Truth Will (Sometimes) Set You Free", well… I want to hear more. (I also have to admit, I might not be a sports fan, but I loved Cindy in "Play Through the Pain", especially her interaction with Claire's son.)
I love Claire because she's such an awesome character - a great mother figure, a bit snarky, talented, dealing with real life issues (such as her husband's injury and depression) and still being faithful and dedicated. She's great for telling the others what they need to hear, and being there for them.
Prompts by tag:
Lindsay Boxer & Cindy Thomas:
I love the interactions between these two. I see a bit of hero worship on Cindy's side, and annoyance that turns to fondness and respect on Lindsay's. I'd love to see Cindy being ridiculous, or Lindsay saving her life. Or more of Lindsay and Cindy regarding the shooting in ep # 12. Maybe an alternate ending where Jill isn't the one that stays at the hospital? Or maybe a fic about Lindsay and Cindy's friendship starting to grow from the beginning. I see a bit of insecurity in Cindy with regards to her friendships with the others. Or a missing scene with the two women? One possibility is right after Cindy was a decoy (you could AU it so she gets injured doing that if you like), or later that day. I'm sure you can come up with more. Does Cindy ever find out about Lindsay and the baby? (Or crazy idea yet, what if the pregnancy test was positive after all? Cindy finding out would make an interesting story.) Or just a fic where Cindy's being her usual adorably ridiculous self and Lindsay is wondering if she needs to shoot her. Any interaction between these two would make me happy.
Cindy Thomas & Claire Washburn (WMC TV):
I'd love to see Claire mothering Cindy, or even Cindy helping Claire in some way. Cindy's sort of bonded with Claire's son already; I can see them inviting her over a lot, sort of a big sister/aunt figure.
Happy writing! :D
What I love about friendships 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) and a lot of them are ship-oriented, 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, 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, canon divergence AU (especially fix-it fic)
DNWs: sex or sexual feelings, supernatural/fantasy beings (elves, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, zombies, etc.), AUs other than canon divergence or alt beginnings, deathfic or horror, calling an adult "baby" or "darling", 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. 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
And now to the requests (in the order of which I found them in the tagset):
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
I'm not bothering with a basic premise here as everyone should at least know what this fandom is. While I've seen the films, I'm very much a books fan and have read the trilogy (along with the Hobbit) many times over the years, though I had a hard time getting through The Silmarillion when I was younger and I never did go back and re-read the whole thing. I do have a more-or-less decent knowledge of the history from reading a lot of very good fics from some of the best writers out there, and I've poked all through a couple of Tolkien encyclopedia/timeline sites to keep some of it straight, so if you need to make some reference to ancient history in the fic, go right ahead! If I don't know it straight off, I'll look it up, and I love the thoroughness of the world, that there are those references one can throw in. :)
My favorite characters in LOTR are definitely humans (as you can tell from my requests), though I do enjoy elves, hobbits, and the occasional wizard (Gandalf, mainly). While the system of governance could be rife with corruption, many of the characters in the books were the sorts you would actually want to be in charge, and that's part of their appeal. I love the depths of personality, some of which is only hinted at in the books.
I also love seeing characters live that died in the books, so if you're feeling up to AUs at all, you are more than welcome to write some of those! I fear I requested some character combos which would be utterly impossible without AU-ing things somehow. :)
Prompts by tag:
Aragorn & Faramir (LOTR book):
I love both these characters so much - the nobility, wisdom, etc. The relationship between the two of them is lovely - Aragorn as liege lord who respects and loves the younger man whose life he saves. That sort of deep nonsexual bond between men is so rare in media these days (and perhaps in real life) but it is one of my favorite things about LOTR. I would love to see moments between them before the march to the Black Gate, or glimpses of their friendship in the Fourth Age. Maybe they're discussing affairs of state - or testing skills against each other. Or maybe they're remembering those they have lost. (Boromir… *sniffs*) If you really want to go wild with this one, what if Aragorn was Faramir's biological father? Whatever you do with them, I'm sure I'll love it!
Gilraen & Faramir (LotR books):
Here's one of my impossible-without-AUs requests, lol. Canonically Gilraen dies while Faramir is a young man, and they never traveled anywhere close to each other. So AU things! I can't imagine Faramir being able to travel to Rivendell as a young man (think of all the implications of him knowing where it is - and that Aragorn exists, even), but maybe you'd find a way. Or just have Gilraen not despair so easily, and survive to see Aragorn married. Faramir lost his mother early; I could see her taking him as a second son of sorts, and can imagine his children calling her Grandma too.
Imrahil & Faramir (LotR books):
I would imagine Faramir had a much closer relationship with his uncle Imrahil than with his own father. Show me Imrahil doing what he can to show Faramir that he's loved and appreciated when Denethor doesn't seem to, or show me post-war Imrahil and Faramir. I'd love to see them in a happier time, without the shadow of Sauron hanging over Gondor.
Imrahil & Lothíriel (LotR books):
This father-daughter relationship is one I've always imagined would be interesting. Is his wife still alive? Or does the fact that she's not mentioned mean that yet another mother in LOTR has died early? (Mothers in LOTR do not fare well, you might have noticed.) Either way, I'd love to see the bond between Lothíriel and her father, who is very much alive throughout her life and the Ring War. Whether it be when she's a child, or when he's trying to find her the right suitor (maybe he sets her up with Éomer?), I'll enjoy reading it!
Aragorn & Théodred (LotR books):
This is another one that's impossible to write without AU-ing, so have fun with it. I can't imagine Théodred ever leaving Rohan - they need the Rohirrim defending the lands too badly - but perhaps you have a reason why Aragorn might have to revisit Rohan, or maybe he ends up heading back that way after the raid on Umbar. Or find a way for Théodred to survive the Ring War - he'd then be the monarch Aragorn is dealing with instead of Éomer. I'd love to see it no matter how you manage it!
Aragorn & Halbarad (LotR books):
Halbarad was a good friend as well as kinsman to Aragorn, and it's tragic that he dies on the Pelennor. Show me anything from their first meeting to supporting each other as Rangers in the North, or let Halbarad survive and stay in the South to be with Aragorn (after all, the book simply says he never returned to the North, lol).
Halbarad & Boromir (LotR books):
Here's a likely AU one for you - two characters, both of which die in the books, and who have very limited opportunity to meet. You can go with their one canonical chance - Halbarad could've been at Rivendell during some part of the time while they were still putting together the Fellowship. Or have them both survive the war and bond over the fact that both have been right-hand men to Aragorn of sorts? (Boromir being next in line for Steward - though you're welcome to have him abdicate that for Faramir, who is all around better suited for the job anyway) I can see them sharing amusing anecdotes about Aragorn to "keep him humble". ;)
Arwen & Éowyn (LotR books):
I've always wondered what the meeting between these two would have been like. Was Éowyn intimidated that her new queen was an elf - and that she'd had a crush on said elf's new husband? Or is Arwen nervous about being in Gondor among humans all the time, and Éowyn's a breath of fresh air in a stuffy court? I'd love to see your take on these two!
Gold Diggers (1995)
Basic premise: Also known as Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain (1995), the film tells the story of two girls who become close friends and essentially save each other's lives. There's also a plotline involving gold (naturally, given the name), but the story is essentially a story of friendship.
Oh, fandom of my childhood. I LOVED this movie to death. So much so that I spent hours imagining what I now know to be called fanfic, whereupon I changed Beth and Jody's name to Sara and Ricki, and made their family lives nasty enough so they would run away to live in Bear Mountain for the rest of their lives and adopt runaway orphan kids and … yeah. I kid you not. I thought the whole "best friends run away and live together forever happily ever after" was the perfect ending EVER when I was 13, lol.
The thing that captivated me about the movie was most particularly the friendship between the two of them. Beth is fascinated by Jody from the get-go (she goes from confused by just seeing her fight with a kid, to mad with running into her with the groceries—and yet she still heads off with her after the Winnie the Pooh discussion), her toughness that hides an underlying vulnerability and hurt. And Jody appreciates Beth as someone who actually listens to her, who is loyal and supportive. (I think I saw myself some in Beth, and longed for something like what they had.)
I also loved the survivalist theme of Jody wanting to live in Bear Mountain. A lot of my "mindfic" from my childhood days centered around some character surviving by a combination of scavenging (which included raiding "civilization" for anything useful, sometimes by less than legal means), farming/hunting, etc. I wasn't always very realistic about it (since I didn't know much about survival as a 12-year-old), but I loved the idea of it.
I nominated and requested Beth & Jody because to me, this is the core of the film. :) Really, they are the heart of it all. I'd love anything from their friendship during the rest of the summer after the events in the film, or at school the following year; they're local celebrities now, but they're not going to let that get to their heads. What's popularity compared to a friendship you can count on? I just love the bond these two have! I can see them talking about their dads, about what they'll do when they're grown up, going on more adventures at Bear Mountain… Feel free to AU things too, if you like the idea of them running away for whatever reason, or if Jody had actually killed Ray, or if Ray did worse things besides beat up Lynette. (I'm quite OK with some dark themes here as long as the girls have each other.) Or what if Beth didn't crash the boat and Jody was living in Bear Mountain by herself? (whether Ray lived or not) So many ways to focus on these two girls, and I would have so much love for whatever you write. :D
Tomorrow When the War Began (2010)
Basic premise: Seven Australian teens (Ellie, Corrie, Kevin, Homer, Fiona aka Fi, Lee, and Robyn) go camping in the bush, and come back to find their country's been invaded; they become guerilla soldiers and fight back. One of the few films for teens that does not glorify violence but shows the (sometimes) necessity—and horror—of it, and its effects on the psyche. The focus of the film is Ellie (played by Caitlin Stasey), who's a farm girl with a lot of inner toughness. Another character is Robyn (played by Ashleigh Cummings), whose religious convictions draw her into an internal struggle between what she believes is right and the upside-down world she's suddenly living in. The other female teens in the film are Fiona aka Fi (played by Phoebie Tonkin) and Corrie (played by Rachel Hurd-Wood).
This movie is AMAZING. One of the best book-to-movie adaptations I've ever seen, it brings John Marsden's Tomorrow world to life. I requested the women because I love their characters the best, and find the relationships they have with each other by far the most fascinating.
Ellie carries the film with her strength. The actress pulled off subtleties of mood and emotion with the slightest twitch of facial features, and showed us all just why Ellie was the one everyone tends to look to. Homer may have taken over leadership, but if Ellie would assert it, she'd have it in a heartbeat. When Ellie knows what she wants, she will get it done, no matter what. But dealing with the consequences of her actions, on the other hand… my favorite scene in the film is when Ellie, Corrie, and Kevin meet up with Homer and Fi back at Fi's house. It's so emotional underneath it all.
Robyn is fascinating because she has strong convictions and is torn between following them and trying to keep her friends alive. The scene at the end of the movie is partly why I nominated her; the fact that it's a deviation from the book doesn't bother me, as it conveys her character development in a way that fits. I highly respect Robyn and find her struggle to maintain her beliefs alone in a world that's collapsing around her to be a compelling one. If I ended up in that world, I would find myself in a very similar position.
Corrie doesn't have as much of a standout role in the film, as she's mostly there to provide half of the "established couple", and to be the longtime best friend of Ellie. Fi's role is mainly to grow from naïve city girl to someone who can actually be useful in the guerrilla fighting. Neither are fleshed out very much in-film, which leaves lots of room for your fic. :)
Prompts by tag:
Ellie Linton & Robyn Mathers (TWTWB film):
Both of these characters have had to deal with directly killing people and it's changed them in different ways. I'd love to see them address some of that with each other, or just support each other. It would also be really neat to see their first meeting - how long ago? - or some of the circumstances that brought them to be good friends. Robyn's deeply religious/spiritual and Ellie is not; I'd love to see that acknowledged in a fic.
Ellie Linton & Robyn Mathers & Corrie Mackenzie & Fiona Maxwell (TWTWB film):
How did these four characters all get to know each other so that they would end up on the same camping trip? Backstory here would be a great thing to see. Or show some of the camping experience, or conversations between them during the events of the film. Feel free to AU things so Corrie isn't shot (or at least, not shot that badly); that would give you all sorts of possibilities for situations for the four of them to talk or do things together.
X-Men (Movieverse)
Everyone should know the basic premise of X-Men by this point… (And if you haven't, go get the first two films - from 2000 and 2003 - and watch them right away!)
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 (most of which have 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. One of my favorite characters 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.
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.
I've also requested Kitty quite a bit because I love computers and find a female computer geek to be such a compelling character that I just have to see more! Partly due to my mixed feelings about X3, I don't picture the actress in that film as Kitty, sticking more to an amalgamation of the X1 and X2 Kittys. Feel free to give her a different characterization than in X3 if you like - I only consider X1 and X2 truly canon, and the rest is flexible. :) I imagine that while there's a lot of differences between the girls, Kitty and Rogue and Jubilee probably get along fairly well, if for nothing else than "the rest of the world hates us" (bonding through shared persecution).
As for other characters: I generally like all the students that are shown to be at the school (for instance, the physics class in X1 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:
Scott Summers & Rogue (Original Timeline):
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 just a friend with 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. :)
Scott Summers & Ororo Munroe (Original Timeline):
There are so few fics that focus on these two! 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 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.
Professor X & Scott Summers (Original Timeline):
I love these two characters so much, and I love to think of Professor X considering Scott as a son. Show me how Professor X finds Scott in the first place, or the early days of Scott being Professor X's student, or Scott's first day as a teacher and getting advice from Professor X… If you want to write something set during X3, figure out a way to keep the two of them alive and I'll love it!
Scott Summers & Katherine Pryde (Original Timeline):
I don't know why I like the idea of these two so much. I think of Scott as a great mentor for Kitty, someone she can look to for advice, and I'd love to see some situation where that happens! Whether it's serious (how to deal with anti-mutant prejudice, or people who are intimidated by her intelligence) or silly (how to prank someone back after having been the recipient of too many), I think Scott would be the perfect person for Kitty to go to. :D
Ororo Munroe & Katherine Pryde (Original Timeline):
Ororo has always struck me as sort of a mother-type figure for the children at the mansion, or a big sister for the older ones who might have moms at home but no one nearby to talk to when you want an older female. I can see her loving Kitty in her classes (because Kitty would be a great student and all teachers love it when students do well). Maybe Ororo was one of the ones who first invited Kitty to come to the school - I'd love to see that!
Katherine Pryde & Jubilation Lee (Original Timeline):
These two are opposites in a lot of ways, but I think the saying "opposites attract" might actually apply here. I'd love to see them discussing deep issues, being scheming, or just plain having fun. The mansion is kind of like a boarding school with a few special twists (such as the powers); feel free to let your imagination soar with all kinds of boarding school shenanigans.
Logan & Katherine Pryde (Original Timeline):
These might struck one as an unlikely pair, but I can imagine Logan slowly warming up to Kitty. Jubilee I didn't request in this one but you can totally throw her in; I'd imagine Jubilee's approach would be to drive Logan nuts by pestering, but I imagine Kitty as more the quiet one who might find a way into Logan's inner circle, especially if she bonds with Rogue. You could write conversation between them, an action bit, maybe Logan training Kitty so if the mansion's ever raided again, she'll be able to do something about it… I know I'll love whatever you come up with!
Crossover Fandoms
Ahahaha, some of these are the craziest crossover ideas ever, I feel like (though I'm quite sure they aren't, given the levels of creativity some people have). To write most of these will take great amounts of AU-ing. The one generality I can say is that I like crossovers to be taken somewhat seriously; I'd prefer not to receive crackfic. But I'm perfectly OK with "I don't know how I got here" sorts of situations, where one person is suddenly dropped into another world (whether they woke up there, or walked through a weird spot in the air, etc.). You'll have to use some of that to get some of these characters in the same place! For crossovers with LOTR characters, while I love fics that recognize that Westron is not actually English (and Frodo is actually Maura, etc.), I'm also OK with characters being dropped into the world able to speak it as if it were English. Perhaps whatever magic dropped them there made it so that Westron would always sound like English to them?
Prompts by tag:
Jane Rizzoli (R&I TV) & Lindsay Boxer (WMC TV):
I love both these characters for their tough exterior covering the soft part inside. In both cases they've been wounded (Jane with the Surgeon, Lindsay with Kiss-Me-Not and her ex); Jane's armor is even thicker than Lindsay's, because of the greater trauma. The same actress plays both of these characters, so you could do something interesting with them being related somehow. Or else they get mistaken for each other, or work together on something...
Lucy Pevensie (Narnia books) & Éowyn (LOTR):
I feel like Lucy and Éowyn would have a lot in common. They both have such strength and courage inside of them, and I'd love to see that meeting somehow! Whether it be to discuss the trials of older brothers, what it's like to fight in a battle, Lucy getting sword training from Éowyn… I'd love to see Lucy dropped into Middle-earth and meeting up with Éowyn in some way!
Chloe Sullivan (Smallville) & Cassie Holmes (Push):
I've not seen Smallville past season 3, really, but early years is where I see these two meeting up, when they'd be similar ages. Both are blonde, tough, city kids. Cassie might be younger, but she's even tougher - how many years has she been on her own, with her mom locked up by Division? And Chloe's all about discovering and exposing things like that. Whether they team up, whether they get into arguments because Cassie won't tell Chloe what's going on, whether it's just one of them observing the other and noting what they're like… I'm sure it won't be dull! I could see it as set either before the events of Push (wherein I'd wonder if Chloe helps Cassie get to Hong Kong somehow?) or afterward, with Nick and Cassie traveling together.
Cassie Holmes (Push) & Miss Parker (Pretender):
Oh, this one could be veeerrrry interesting. On one hand you have Cassie, a fugitive from a powerful agency… and on the other you have Miss Parker, who works for a large corporation that controls things about as much as Division tries to. Does Cassie help Jarod escape and end up in Miss Parker's sights? Or does Jarod help Cassie out and that gets her to meet Miss Parker in some way? I'm not sure how they meet or what would happen (sorry I'm not more helpful!), but I would love to read whatever you come up with! :D
Cassie Holmes (Push) & Jean Grey (X-Men Original Movieverse):
I mostly wanted to see Cassie with Jean because their perspectives are so radically different. Jean's used to dealing with runaways, scared teens who don't know how to control the powers they have. Cassie, on the other hand, is more of a soldier. A very young one, but a soldier, nonetheless. She's self-controlled in a way few of the teens Jean would know could ever be. Perhaps Cassie ends up staying at the X-Mansion to hide from Division, and that's how they meet. Either way, I'd love to see either one from the other's perspective. Cassie interacts on such an adult level and would not fit in with the other teens, I don't think. As far as the timeline goes, in order to include Jean, you can either set this sometime before the end of X2 or AU it so Jean makes it. (Would prefer that X3 never happened…)
Ororo Munroe (X-Men Original Movieverse) & Éowyn (LOTR):
Oh, this one could be very interesting. What Éowyn would make of Ororo I'm not quite sure! And I really have very little ideas to prompt you on, other than that I'd love to see them interact, and I think it would be more interesting for Ororo to drop into LOTR than the other way around. What would the Rohirrim (or Gríma or Sarúman, for that matter) make of her ability to control the weather? I can see Éowyn finding a way for that to be useful. Either way, Éowyn really has few female friends and I think the two of them might get along well.
Galathea Winthrop (Worldweavers) & Katherine Pryde (X-Men Original Timeline):
Both of these girls are talented with computers - but they approach them in entirely different ways! I'd love to see them meet up and connect somehow. :D
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. Jane's brother Frankie is played by Jordan Bridges.
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:
Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles (R&I TV):
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). For this exchange I'd love all the deep friendship between them. 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 & Frankie Rizzoli Jr. (R&I TV) :
Jane's a really interesting character, and her relationship with Frankie is one of the fun bits of the show. It's classic big sister-little brother, where Jane picks on Frankie - but he's family, and no one messes with family. I'd love to see them as children; I can see her being protective of Frankie as they grew up, or having to work together to get Tommy out of some scrape or another. It'd be great to see Frankie first joining the force, or finding a way to quietly support Jane after her first encounter with Hoyt.
Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye
Basic premise: A Deaf woman (Sue Thomas, played by Deanne Bray) who can read lips very well is hired by the FBI and joins a surveillance unit consisting of five FBI agents (Jack, Bobby, Myles, Tara, and Dominick aka "D") and a "rotor" (Lucy, who calls herself that because she keeps the office running for all the agents). There's a lot of drama, humor, and bunch of "will they or won't they?" between her and her good-looking training agent (Jack Hudson, played by Yannick Bisson). Agent Myles Leland III (played by Ted Atherton) is disdainful of Sue at first but grows to respect her. Agent Tara Williams (played by Tara Samuel) is the lone female agent on the team and the tech whiz.
Aww, Sue Thomas. I fell so madly in love with this one a few summers ago, and it still makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. The show is a delightful mix of drama (solving FBI cases! terrorists and corporate theft and kidnappings), humor (witty banter that makes you wish you worked with such a fun group of people), and heartwarming (people making connections with each other, understanding the world of the Deaf, etc.).
Just about any fic you come up with for this will be welcomed! I requested either Myles or Tara (or both) in my requested ships because they are woefully underrepresented in fic. We know some about Myles' background, but very little about Tara's. And what we know of Myles' could prompt all sorts of interesting fic, but there is a paltry number that focus on him. And Tara! The only female full-fledged FBI agent on the team, and we don't have hardly anything on her. It makes me super curious!
Myles is portrayed somewhat unsympathetically in the show--very much so at first, but as time goes on we see a bit of a softer side to him, a vulnerable side. I read one fic that put it well: "beneath that arrogant, cynical, downright obnoxious at times, persona of yours, beats the heart of a knight and the soul of a poet". That's exactly how I see him! There's so much potential for depth to Myles that we don't get to see.
Then there's Tara. What made her who she is? She's also small and doesn't look particularly tough physically. She must have had to work hard to get where she is now. Yet we have no idea what drives her, what's behind some of her different facets. Of all the team's characters on the show, we probably see her the least, which is a real shame. When we do see her, she's always running the electronic side of things, which, given that she's supposed to be a tech whiz, that makes sense. But I think I can only remember ONE episode where she's out in the field with the others, with her gun and all—season 1, ep # 2. It's a cryin' shame that we don't see more of her kicking butt, lol.
I also love Sue's character - her delightful personality, kind heart, sense of humor, and talents. I love that this show actually made a Deaf character front and center and let us all learn more about her world.
Prompts by tag:
Sue Thomas & Myles Leland (STFBE):
This may seem an unlikely pair, but I think they have the potential for a solid friendship. Sue is very forgiving, and Myles, I think, recognizes that and respects her for it, because he knows he didn't treat her well starting off. Despite his pretense at not knowing any sign, I suspect he's been learning for a while, because I can't see Myles not trying to be excellent at things, and he recognizes the value of knowing that skill, particularly with Sue around. I also think he recognizes that Sue is not going to break confidence if he shares anything with her. I'd love to see him practicing ASL, or them talking about her experiences growing up, or him sharing about his childhood, or even him protecting her in some FBI business gone bad. Doubt that Jack will appreciate that so much, but Jack needs a good shaking up, I think! :D
Myles Leland & Tara Williams (STFBE):
These two are the "odd ones out" in a sense. Jack has Bobby, and Sue has Lucy, and D has his family, but who do Myles and Tara have? Myles sometimes confides in D, as D is a lot more mature than Jack and Bobby are (and despite Myles' shortcomings at the beginning of the show, he's got a lot more maturity, he's just scared to ever be vulnerable), but D isn't the sort of close friend you can go to anytime, I don't think. And Tara is probably used to spending her nights alone in front of a computer. But if they got to really talking with each other, I think they could open up, and be the friends each other has needed. I can see them just hanging out in the evenings, especially if the rest of the team has no idea (precisely because they don't want to be teased when it's just friends). Playing games together and arguing playfully, I can picture it now. Or just conversations in between cases, or Myles saving Tara's life, etc. :)
Sue Thomas & Tara Williams (STFBE):
I'd love to see these two connecting more. Whether it's Tara learning more ASL or about Deaf culture, or Sue listening to Tara talk about her life, I'd love to see it! I love them both so much, so whatever you come up with, I'll enjoy reading. :D
Women's Murder Club (TV)
Basic premise: A small group of friends (three to start, with a fourth working her way in during the first couple episodes) who all work in related fields share information to help each other solve cases. Lindsay Boxer (played by Angie Harmon) is a homicide inspector (aka detective) who works in San Francisco's police department. She's friends with Jill Bernhardt, a deputy district attorney and Claire Washburn (played by Paula Newsome), the medical examiner. As the show unfolds, she begins to respect (and maybe even like?) Cindy Thomas (played by Aubrey Dollar), a young reporter who gets assigned to the crime beat. The show is an excellent mix of drama, comedy, and romance, and has a lot of similarities to Rizzoli & Isles.
I got into Women's Murder Club because I loved watching Angie Harmon in Rizzoli & Isles, and this sounded like a similar role for her. After I saw the video titled "The Best of Women's Murder Club" and read this comment, I was positive I had to see the whole show: "Now it all makes sense. Jane Rizzoli is an extension of Lindsay Boxer. The only difference, they keep butching up Angie Harmon." It is so true. Lindsay is like a milder version of Jane in some ways. But in the ways she's different, I fell in love with her character all over again. Lindsay can actually cry, she hates being vulnerable but she can actually do it and be real with her friends. And that just won me over. (Seriously, make Angie Harmon be all vulnerable and cry in a scene and you have me. Completely.) I love her dedication to her work, the toughness she can bring to the job, but I also love that she can still be human, still be vulnerable, that she doesn't feel like she has to be tough to be respected (Jane Rizzoli, in many ways, hardens herself in order to be respected in her job). I love that she cares about her friends, and that she's torn about her ex but still knows what the right thing is and even respects his fiancée. While Lindsay doesn't always take the best care of herself (or act the most responsibly), it helps that Claire can act as "mom" and give her the lectures she needs but sometimes doesn't accept even from her other friends (something Maura isn't very good at giving Jane in R&I).
Cindy stole my heart because of several reasons. One, she's cute and adorable (I don't usually find redheads fascinating but there's something about Cindy…). Two, she has a delightful personality, bubbly, a little lacking in some common sense now and then, which the others are happy to lecture her about. And three, she has a bravery and courage that is pretty amazing. When she volunteers for the dangerous decoy task in "Father's Day"… that took guts. Real guts. I think Lindsay had to respect her for that. And then with what happens to her in "And The Truth Will (Sometimes) Set You Free", well… I want to hear more. (I also have to admit, I might not be a sports fan, but I loved Cindy in "Play Through the Pain", especially her interaction with Claire's son.)
I love Claire because she's such an awesome character - a great mother figure, a bit snarky, talented, dealing with real life issues (such as her husband's injury and depression) and still being faithful and dedicated. She's great for telling the others what they need to hear, and being there for them.
Prompts by tag:
Lindsay Boxer & Cindy Thomas:
I love the interactions between these two. I see a bit of hero worship on Cindy's side, and annoyance that turns to fondness and respect on Lindsay's. I'd love to see Cindy being ridiculous, or Lindsay saving her life. Or more of Lindsay and Cindy regarding the shooting in ep # 12. Maybe an alternate ending where Jill isn't the one that stays at the hospital? Or maybe a fic about Lindsay and Cindy's friendship starting to grow from the beginning. I see a bit of insecurity in Cindy with regards to her friendships with the others. Or a missing scene with the two women? One possibility is right after Cindy was a decoy (you could AU it so she gets injured doing that if you like), or later that day. I'm sure you can come up with more. Does Cindy ever find out about Lindsay and the baby? (Or crazy idea yet, what if the pregnancy test was positive after all? Cindy finding out would make an interesting story.) Or just a fic where Cindy's being her usual adorably ridiculous self and Lindsay is wondering if she needs to shoot her. Any interaction between these two would make me happy.
Cindy Thomas & Claire Washburn (WMC TV):
I'd love to see Claire mothering Cindy, or even Cindy helping Claire in some way. Cindy's sort of bonded with Claire's son already; I can see them inviting her over a lot, sort of a big sister/aunt figure.
Happy writing! :D
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