Dear Wayback Exchange Writer Letter
Feb. 23rd, 2019 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
doranwenWayback Exchange reminds me a lot of My Old Fandom, an exchange I had a lot of fun with some years ago, so I couldn't resist trying it out this year. I'm excited you're writing a story for me, and I promise I will comment with much appreciation! I did a lot of describing the awesomeness about each fandom and/or character/ship, and gave a few prompts in case you find them useful. I hope you have a lot of fun writing for me. :)
Prompts are, of course, completely optional - use them or ignore them as suits you best. I also 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: https://doranwen.dreamwidth.org/240453.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, canon divergence AU (especially fix-it fic)
DNWs: supernatural/fantasy beings (elves outside of LOTR, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, zombies, etc.), AUs other than canon divergence or alt beginnings, noncanonical 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
DNW/Caution note: I'm not averse to mentions of sex, but I'd prefer the fic not focus on it or indulge in the physical feelings. Emotional feelings/bonds are what I focus on in any ship. If a prompt requires a mention or implies sex in some way, feel free to include it as necessary as long as the focus of the fic is elsewhere.
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.
And now to the requests (in the order they appear in the tagset):
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.
Prompts by tag:
Beth Easton & Jody Salerno
This is the only tag for the film that I nominated because to me, this is the only relationship that really matters. :) 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'm good with turning it into a romantic friendship, too, if you'd like to go that way. 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 as well; as long as the girls have each other, you can go dark with this one.
Crossover Fandoms
I've seen wilder crossover ideas, but the Push/Pretender one is a little tricky. To write either of them 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 might have to use some of that to get some of these characters in the same place!
Prompts by tag:
Amanda Reardon (C-16: FBI) & Lindsay Boxer (WMC TV)
The same actress plays both of these (about 10 years apart), which leaves all kinds of room for interesting crossover-ness. I can't usually buy "twins separated at birth" storylines (and Lindsay is so obviously older than Amanda), but mistaken identities are so much fun to play with, and both characters are great law enforcement agents in their own right (well, Amanda is rather new and Lindsay's quite experienced, but you know Amanda's gonna be great!). How do they meet?
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
1-800-Missing (TV)
Basic premise: Jess Mastriani (played by Caterina Scorsone) gets struck by lightning and starts dreaming about missing people. When the FBI discovers her dreams have clues that lead them to said missing people, they twist her arm into working cases with them as a special consultant, and she's partnered with field agent Brooke Haslett (played by Gloria Reuben). The second episode brought in Sunny Estrada (played by Justina Machado), "outstanding evidence support supervisor" and "Einstein of Indianapolis". The three of them work together to solve missing persons cases, amidst a little snark and digging into Jess's family history. (Note that the show focuses on three women, with varying ethnicities, two of which are FBI agents! Awesomeness!)
With these three characters, I couldn't possibly pick which I liked best. Is it Jess, whose young innocent feel conceals a caring heart and quirky sense of humor? Is it Brooke, whose cool exterior (particularly when she has to interrogate or face down uncomfortable situations) hides any self-doubt or insecurities she may have? Or is it Sunny, whose warmth and snark are as valuable as her intelligence and computer prowess? You are more than welcome to write a fic about just one of those, or any combination of them.
I like Jess because of the fresh innocent feel, but I think it's also a bit deceiving. Consider what she's dealt with in regards to her brother--she can handle a lot tougher things than she makes out. Given what we know of Brooke's upbringing, there must be a lot of scars inside that she's learned to cover up and ignore; at the same time, she's very competent and an excellent agent. And Sunny's personality and talents add so much to the team--particularly the friendship she has with Jess and to some degree, with Brooke.
Note: I have only seen the first season of this show (1-800-Missing), not the retooling as "Missing". What I love about the show best is the friendships between the three women. I love that Jess is NOT an actual agent, and the dynamics that that brings. I like the family background for Jess.
My views on other characters:
Alan Coyle is interesting—the friction between him and Brooke could use some more exploration. I'm not into Hunter or Jack. Jess's family is nice as a side aspect of a bigger story.
After ep #15, the show gets a little odd, with the inclusion of Jack, exploring Jess's waking dreams, etc. I'd be fine if you pretended those eps never happened, or just set your fics earlier in the show.
Prompts by tag:
Jess Mastriani & None
Introspective look at her new job, at her friendships, etc.? Or maybe take a look at some of the loose ends the show left with regards to her dad?
Brooke Haslett & None
What happened between her and Coyle? Or what was it like for her growing up? Anywhere from childhood to getting into Quantico…
Sunny Estrada & None
How did she get to Quantico? I mean, what was the path of her life to that point? (Keep in mind she's amazing with computers, something I love and that we don't see enough with women!) Also, Sunny calls herself "the Einstein of Indianapolis" but in the next moment says she "was beginning to wonder" about having a career at all. There's some backstory there that I'd love to see.
Jess Mastriani & Brooke Haslett
Anything that gets them chatting, whether it's a case or Brooke giving Jess advice on something…
Jess Mastriani & Sunny Estrada
At the end of "White Whale", which is possibly my favorite ep of all, we see Jess as the only person to really comfort Sunny. Coyle isn't close, he just steps off and takes charge of the situation (which is what he's supposed to do, anyway). Brooke pats Sunny's shoulder and then looks away—she's uncomfortable. But Jess doesn't hesitate: as soon as she's allowed to approach, she's there for Sunny. That speaks of a closeness we don't really get to see a lot of. How did that develop? Or write a continuation of that ep?
Jess Mastriani & Brooke Haslett & Sunny Estrada
Casefic! Or a rare occasion where they hang out outside of work. I just love the dynamic and banter between them. If you're particularly into crossovers (no obligation here!), the whole team would cross nicely with The Pretender, I think (which is eligible for this exchange and is in the tagset, I just didn't think of nominating the ship) I could see Jarod popping up in a missing persons case—that is one of the ones close to his heart, after all. Or Sue Thomas F.B.Eye? (Maybe the two taskforces have to team up for something.)
There are no fics for the first season of this show that I can tell, last I looked (the only ones including Brooke or Sunny are either in another language or have them dropping in in later seasons), so whatever you write will be new and unique.
Because canon is awesome:
If you don't mind being spoiled for episode #9 "Ties That Bind", this set of clips focusing on Sunny is the best compact glimpse of the characters interacting with each other. I particularly love Sunny's "accidentally slipped past the firewall" bit. Yay for female computer geeks! :D
C-16: FBI
Basic premise: Amanda Reardon (played by Angie Harmon) and another rookie join Criminal Division 16, the Major Case Squad, whose four experienced agents includes Annie Rooney (played by Christine Tucci). The squad tackles cases from kidnappings to mob hits to bank robberies, with arcs following each character through various situations in their life. Amanda, as a newbie, doesn't always do things right, and has a lot of friction with her assigned partner and training agent, a much older man named Jack DiRado (played by Zach Grenier). Annie is a competent agent who juggles her career with being a single mother to a little boy of about four years old; her messy divorce causes a lot of stress as her ex-husband seeks custody of their son.
I love the show in its entirety pretty much, except for the addition of the romance between Amanda and Scott. That's the only thing I can think of; Scott just isn't one of my favorite characters (though I love when he's being supportive of Annie in the pilot), and I can't buy him in a relationship with any of the others on their team. I also enjoy seeing Annie as a mentoring agent; I think she does a good job with Mal.
It's impossible to pick a single favorite episode, but I love the pilot (there's a lot of really good conversations in the second half, ep #2, from Annie talking to Scott while sitting on the squad car, to John talking to his boss Dennis at the end). I also love the way ep #3 ends (the one about the radio station). I love the scenes where Amanda's dealing with Jack hurt (particularly in the hospital!), and I love how Jack handles her in the episode where she witnesses the shooting.
Prompts by tag:
Annie Rooney & None:
I love Annie's competence, and the fact that she is trying to be both awesome FBI agent AND mommy—and she struggles, like many women do in her situation. It's not clear-cut; she's good at both (as boss John tells her in one ep), but they both demand so much of her and it's a constant balancing act. I find the realism very fascinating; I haven't seen the like on many shows (when they show women being good at their jobs, they don't usually have a family, or if they do, they don't have a lot of issues trying to do both, and that's just not how it is for a lot of women).
I'd love to see a fic dealing with her being a mom, whether it's a glimpse of her caring for her son (the little she gets to do that) or the custody battle. I'd also love a fic of her being a kicka** agent (I loved it when she figured out who the target was in that one ep and tackled them to save them).
Amanda Reardon & None:
I love Amanda's earnestness, trying to get it right, be good at what she does, and trying to earn respect from Jack. She witnesses a lot during the show, and I really feel for her in that. I also love her snark; Angie Harmon seems to have been destined to play snarky characters (a decade later, her role of Lindsay in Women's Murder Club and recent role of Jane in Rizzoli & Isles both have lots of snark).
I'd love to see more of Amanda growing as an agent, bonding with Mal, learning from some of the more experienced agents, etc. I'd also love to see some of her backstory, what made her become an FBI agent, her experiences at Quantico, etc. Would rather not see any of her with Scott romantically.
Jack Dirado & Amanda Reardon and Jack Dirado/Amanda Reardon
I'd love to see more of these two coming to an understanding. Whether that be platonic or romantic, I'd be good with it. I tend to find it difficult seeing Jack being outright romantic in any way (though what on earth was that kiss on the cheek when he was in the hospital? and he did basically admit to his Indian friend that he liked her), but the line between caring friend and hidden love is rather thin, especially from Amanda's POV, and I'd love a fic that skirted that or played with it. Or perhaps a fic from Jack's POV showing his thoughts on Amanda over time - from verging on harassment to respect? I don't have a clue how they'd actually end up *in* a relationship, but I'd love to see you write it!
I'd also love something plotty focusing on any of them, if that's what interests you! So many possibilities for that…
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.
Prompts by tag:
Myles Leland III/Tara Williams (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye)
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 Myles would be the sort of gentleman that Tara longs for—romantic, genuine, and sincere (as long as he can relax his guard enough to trust her). Plus I think she has the potential to really respect him (and cut back on those cutting barbs they like to throw Myles' way) and build on something deep. I'd love anything from a follow-up convo after the pretend dinner in Bad Hair Day (with a dawning realization on the part of one or the other that their feelings run deeper than they thought for the other agent) to Tara talking with Myles about how it doesn't work for her to date Bobby (but he might do?). Or it could be Myles and her in a bad situation and realizing that they don't want to die before they confess they love each other (sure, it's tropey, but I love it, lol). Whatever comes to mind for you!
Myles Leland & Tara Williams (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye)
Notes here are the same as the / one, but focusing on just their potential for friendship. 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. :)
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:
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.
Lindsay Boxer & Cindy Thomas & Claire Washburn & Jill Bernhardt (WMC TV)
I love the interactions of these four characters and would love anything in the theme of the show. Whether it's discussions of their club "it's not a club", or supporting each other through something, I just love them and would love to see more of them!
Lindsay Boxer & Cindy Thomas (WMC TV)
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.
Happy writing! :D
Prompts are, of course, completely optional - use them or ignore them as suits you best. I also 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: https://doranwen.dreamwidth.org/240453.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, canon divergence AU (especially fix-it fic)
DNWs: supernatural/fantasy beings (elves outside of LOTR, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, zombies, etc.), AUs other than canon divergence or alt beginnings, noncanonical 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
DNW/Caution note: I'm not averse to mentions of sex, but I'd prefer the fic not focus on it or indulge in the physical feelings. Emotional feelings/bonds are what I focus on in any ship. If a prompt requires a mention or implies sex in some way, feel free to include it as necessary as long as the focus of the fic is elsewhere.
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.
And now to the requests (in the order they appear in the tagset):
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.
Prompts by tag:
Beth Easton & Jody Salerno
This is the only tag for the film that I nominated because to me, this is the only relationship that really matters. :) 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'm good with turning it into a romantic friendship, too, if you'd like to go that way. 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 as well; as long as the girls have each other, you can go dark with this one.
Crossover Fandoms
I've seen wilder crossover ideas, but the Push/Pretender one is a little tricky. To write either of them 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 might have to use some of that to get some of these characters in the same place!
Prompts by tag:
Amanda Reardon (C-16: FBI) & Lindsay Boxer (WMC TV)
The same actress plays both of these (about 10 years apart), which leaves all kinds of room for interesting crossover-ness. I can't usually buy "twins separated at birth" storylines (and Lindsay is so obviously older than Amanda), but mistaken identities are so much fun to play with, and both characters are great law enforcement agents in their own right (well, Amanda is rather new and Lindsay's quite experienced, but you know Amanda's gonna be great!). How do they meet?
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
1-800-Missing (TV)
Basic premise: Jess Mastriani (played by Caterina Scorsone) gets struck by lightning and starts dreaming about missing people. When the FBI discovers her dreams have clues that lead them to said missing people, they twist her arm into working cases with them as a special consultant, and she's partnered with field agent Brooke Haslett (played by Gloria Reuben). The second episode brought in Sunny Estrada (played by Justina Machado), "outstanding evidence support supervisor" and "Einstein of Indianapolis". The three of them work together to solve missing persons cases, amidst a little snark and digging into Jess's family history. (Note that the show focuses on three women, with varying ethnicities, two of which are FBI agents! Awesomeness!)
With these three characters, I couldn't possibly pick which I liked best. Is it Jess, whose young innocent feel conceals a caring heart and quirky sense of humor? Is it Brooke, whose cool exterior (particularly when she has to interrogate or face down uncomfortable situations) hides any self-doubt or insecurities she may have? Or is it Sunny, whose warmth and snark are as valuable as her intelligence and computer prowess? You are more than welcome to write a fic about just one of those, or any combination of them.
I like Jess because of the fresh innocent feel, but I think it's also a bit deceiving. Consider what she's dealt with in regards to her brother--she can handle a lot tougher things than she makes out. Given what we know of Brooke's upbringing, there must be a lot of scars inside that she's learned to cover up and ignore; at the same time, she's very competent and an excellent agent. And Sunny's personality and talents add so much to the team--particularly the friendship she has with Jess and to some degree, with Brooke.
Note: I have only seen the first season of this show (1-800-Missing), not the retooling as "Missing". What I love about the show best is the friendships between the three women. I love that Jess is NOT an actual agent, and the dynamics that that brings. I like the family background for Jess.
My views on other characters:
Alan Coyle is interesting—the friction between him and Brooke could use some more exploration. I'm not into Hunter or Jack. Jess's family is nice as a side aspect of a bigger story.
After ep #15, the show gets a little odd, with the inclusion of Jack, exploring Jess's waking dreams, etc. I'd be fine if you pretended those eps never happened, or just set your fics earlier in the show.
Prompts by tag:
Jess Mastriani & None
Introspective look at her new job, at her friendships, etc.? Or maybe take a look at some of the loose ends the show left with regards to her dad?
Brooke Haslett & None
What happened between her and Coyle? Or what was it like for her growing up? Anywhere from childhood to getting into Quantico…
Sunny Estrada & None
How did she get to Quantico? I mean, what was the path of her life to that point? (Keep in mind she's amazing with computers, something I love and that we don't see enough with women!) Also, Sunny calls herself "the Einstein of Indianapolis" but in the next moment says she "was beginning to wonder" about having a career at all. There's some backstory there that I'd love to see.
Jess Mastriani & Brooke Haslett
Anything that gets them chatting, whether it's a case or Brooke giving Jess advice on something…
Jess Mastriani & Sunny Estrada
At the end of "White Whale", which is possibly my favorite ep of all, we see Jess as the only person to really comfort Sunny. Coyle isn't close, he just steps off and takes charge of the situation (which is what he's supposed to do, anyway). Brooke pats Sunny's shoulder and then looks away—she's uncomfortable. But Jess doesn't hesitate: as soon as she's allowed to approach, she's there for Sunny. That speaks of a closeness we don't really get to see a lot of. How did that develop? Or write a continuation of that ep?
Jess Mastriani & Brooke Haslett & Sunny Estrada
Casefic! Or a rare occasion where they hang out outside of work. I just love the dynamic and banter between them. If you're particularly into crossovers (no obligation here!), the whole team would cross nicely with The Pretender, I think (which is eligible for this exchange and is in the tagset, I just didn't think of nominating the ship) I could see Jarod popping up in a missing persons case—that is one of the ones close to his heart, after all. Or Sue Thomas F.B.Eye? (Maybe the two taskforces have to team up for something.)
There are no fics for the first season of this show that I can tell, last I looked (the only ones including Brooke or Sunny are either in another language or have them dropping in in later seasons), so whatever you write will be new and unique.
Because canon is awesome:
If you don't mind being spoiled for episode #9 "Ties That Bind", this set of clips focusing on Sunny is the best compact glimpse of the characters interacting with each other. I particularly love Sunny's "accidentally slipped past the firewall" bit. Yay for female computer geeks! :D
C-16: FBI
Basic premise: Amanda Reardon (played by Angie Harmon) and another rookie join Criminal Division 16, the Major Case Squad, whose four experienced agents includes Annie Rooney (played by Christine Tucci). The squad tackles cases from kidnappings to mob hits to bank robberies, with arcs following each character through various situations in their life. Amanda, as a newbie, doesn't always do things right, and has a lot of friction with her assigned partner and training agent, a much older man named Jack DiRado (played by Zach Grenier). Annie is a competent agent who juggles her career with being a single mother to a little boy of about four years old; her messy divorce causes a lot of stress as her ex-husband seeks custody of their son.
I love the show in its entirety pretty much, except for the addition of the romance between Amanda and Scott. That's the only thing I can think of; Scott just isn't one of my favorite characters (though I love when he's being supportive of Annie in the pilot), and I can't buy him in a relationship with any of the others on their team. I also enjoy seeing Annie as a mentoring agent; I think she does a good job with Mal.
It's impossible to pick a single favorite episode, but I love the pilot (there's a lot of really good conversations in the second half, ep #2, from Annie talking to Scott while sitting on the squad car, to John talking to his boss Dennis at the end). I also love the way ep #3 ends (the one about the radio station). I love the scenes where Amanda's dealing with Jack hurt (particularly in the hospital!), and I love how Jack handles her in the episode where she witnesses the shooting.
Prompts by tag:
Annie Rooney & None:
I love Annie's competence, and the fact that she is trying to be both awesome FBI agent AND mommy—and she struggles, like many women do in her situation. It's not clear-cut; she's good at both (as boss John tells her in one ep), but they both demand so much of her and it's a constant balancing act. I find the realism very fascinating; I haven't seen the like on many shows (when they show women being good at their jobs, they don't usually have a family, or if they do, they don't have a lot of issues trying to do both, and that's just not how it is for a lot of women).
I'd love to see a fic dealing with her being a mom, whether it's a glimpse of her caring for her son (the little she gets to do that) or the custody battle. I'd also love a fic of her being a kicka** agent (I loved it when she figured out who the target was in that one ep and tackled them to save them).
Amanda Reardon & None:
I love Amanda's earnestness, trying to get it right, be good at what she does, and trying to earn respect from Jack. She witnesses a lot during the show, and I really feel for her in that. I also love her snark; Angie Harmon seems to have been destined to play snarky characters (a decade later, her role of Lindsay in Women's Murder Club and recent role of Jane in Rizzoli & Isles both have lots of snark).
I'd love to see more of Amanda growing as an agent, bonding with Mal, learning from some of the more experienced agents, etc. I'd also love to see some of her backstory, what made her become an FBI agent, her experiences at Quantico, etc. Would rather not see any of her with Scott romantically.
Jack Dirado & Amanda Reardon and Jack Dirado/Amanda Reardon
I'd love to see more of these two coming to an understanding. Whether that be platonic or romantic, I'd be good with it. I tend to find it difficult seeing Jack being outright romantic in any way (though what on earth was that kiss on the cheek when he was in the hospital? and he did basically admit to his Indian friend that he liked her), but the line between caring friend and hidden love is rather thin, especially from Amanda's POV, and I'd love a fic that skirted that or played with it. Or perhaps a fic from Jack's POV showing his thoughts on Amanda over time - from verging on harassment to respect? I don't have a clue how they'd actually end up *in* a relationship, but I'd love to see you write it!
I'd also love something plotty focusing on any of them, if that's what interests you! So many possibilities for that…
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.
Prompts by tag:
Myles Leland III/Tara Williams (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye)
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 Myles would be the sort of gentleman that Tara longs for—romantic, genuine, and sincere (as long as he can relax his guard enough to trust her). Plus I think she has the potential to really respect him (and cut back on those cutting barbs they like to throw Myles' way) and build on something deep. I'd love anything from a follow-up convo after the pretend dinner in Bad Hair Day (with a dawning realization on the part of one or the other that their feelings run deeper than they thought for the other agent) to Tara talking with Myles about how it doesn't work for her to date Bobby (but he might do?). Or it could be Myles and her in a bad situation and realizing that they don't want to die before they confess they love each other (sure, it's tropey, but I love it, lol). Whatever comes to mind for you!
Myles Leland & Tara Williams (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye)
Notes here are the same as the / one, but focusing on just their potential for friendship. 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. :)
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:
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.
Lindsay Boxer & Cindy Thomas & Claire Washburn & Jill Bernhardt (WMC TV)
I love the interactions of these four characters and would love anything in the theme of the show. Whether it's discussions of their club "it's not a club", or supporting each other through something, I just love them and would love to see more of them!
Lindsay Boxer & Cindy Thomas (WMC TV)
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.
Happy writing! :D
