Dear Chocolate Box Writer
Jan. 4th, 2019 15:50![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mimmHello, person with common interests!
Whether you're completely new to me or we've bumped into each other the past, hi! I've done exchanges for years but thought I'd start this year with a blank slate, so to speak, and I won't be c&p'ing my older letters. This means my DNW list might look different, as does my likes list etc.
My likes haven't really changed, though, so if something you see gives you an idea and that particular prompt/comment isn't here, then yes, assume I still want it. It could be that I've gotten a treat for that prompt and feel satisfied enough to leave it out, but I will always adore more. ALWAYS.
From my sign-up:
DNW: Unrequested rape/noncon between pairing characters, character death, terminal illness, hopeless endings, porn without feelings, D/s, daddy kink, sex in public, sex featuring under 16s, pregnancy, children as the focus, weddings, acquiring pets, AUs that change the setting dramatically (modern/historical, coffeeshop, genderbend etc.), only aliens/sex pollen/mind control made them do it, meta, crossovers, unrequested poly or other relationships on the side, deliberate humiliation of a character by others
Notes about these:
Character death: There are canons where death is canonical (The Terror, for example) and I'm fine with a fic acknowledging death and loss, but ideally all my ships make it through the fic alive, or magically resurrect or whatever you think they should do in order to be less dead. I'm also sappy enough to like an afterlife fic. :) Laugh all you want, I don't care.
Other relationships on the side: In some cases there are canonical spouses, partners and families. Please don't create a poly relationship when I don't ask for it. I also don't want these characters happily cheating on anyone behind their back. You can, however, handwave their situation away by including a divorce or another sort of break-up (but don't just kill them or turn them into villains if they're not that in canon). Or set it early enough that they're not involved with anyone yet. If the infidelity is canonical then I'm better with it, but I prefer them coming to an agreement about an open relationship or anything similar.
Rating: Everything from G to E as long as it's shippy. I mean, I requested pairings only, so I think it's not awful of me to say that I wouldn't be happy with pure gen in this exchange. :) Otherwise I do enjoy friendship fics as well, so add in all the friends you want!
Length: I know the limit is 300 so obviously I don't demand longer than that. Just make it one 300-word thing instead of three unrelated 100-word drabbles, please? But I'm also into longfic, so there's absolutely no reason to worry about whether a fic is too short at 300 or too long at whatever k. If it's more than 299 words it'll be fine, though if it's, idk, 100k, I'm going to have to take a moment to get back to you for comments. :D
Bulletproof likes and general prompts:
(This list really can go with any fandom ever. I like other things as well but with these you really can't go wrong.)
Porn likes: Anything vanilla is always ok, but also blindfolds, a bit of tying up or holding wrists, teasing and mild painplay (except genitalia, please). Everything from frottage to handjobs to penetration, or just coming before they even really begin. Fine with rimming. Condoms optional. Lube or anything to replace it not optional. :D Unless specified I'm fine with either one being the top/bottom. I prefer touching and random interjections and pleads to long conversations during sex, and I'd like you to keep pet names like baby, love or honey to the absolute minimum.
FANDOMS UNDER THE CUT:
ANNE WITH AN E [Cole MacKenzie/Mr. Phillips ** Billy Andrews/Cole MacKenzie ** Gilbert Blythe/Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix]
BABYLON 5 [Alfred Bester/Michael Garibaldi ** Michael Garibaldi/Jeffrey Sinclair]
BON COP BAD COP (2006) [David Bouchard/Martin Ward]
DARK MATTER (TV) [John Anders/Three ** One/Three ** Six/Three]
DOWNTON ABBEY [Thomas Barrow/Edward Courtenay ** Thomas Barrow/Jimmy Kent ** Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson]
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (2012) [Charlie/Patrick]
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE [Julian Bashir/Miles O’Brien]
STARGATE (AMT but both are SGU) [David Telford/Everett Young ** Nicholas Rush/Everett Young]
THE TERROR [Francis Crozier/James Fitzjames ** Francis Crozier/Thomas Jopson]
THE X-FILES [Alex Krycek/Fox Mulder]
You can ignore any of these prompts and write your own ideas. Just take a peek at the canon-specific DNWs (for some canons, not all) before you continue, ok? Or if there's a part of a prompt you like but it's not quite right, tweak it to your liking. These are all ships I crave so I'll take any 300-word piece you're inspired to write. Really.
ANNE WITH AN E
Cole MacKenzie/Mr. Phillips
Billy Andrews/Cole MacKenzie
Gilbert Blythe/Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix
I often feel like the lonely m/m shipper in the sea of Anne/Gil and Anne/Diana shippers. :D Where are you all? I mean, I've loved Anne/Gil since I was very young and it's my OTP when it comes to that canon, and Anne/Diana is sweet as can be, but I have needs. And if you're matched with me in this fandom, yay, you do too!
Ah, Mr. Phillips, you self-loathing mean bully. I want to come and give you a tight hug and say it's perfectly okay to like men, you are hardly the first man in the history of humanity to do that, so stop hating yourself and stop making others suffer. Life is infinitely nicer when you start being you. People will like you more. At least the people who matter, and the rest can go take a hike and drop off a cliff.
Yes, I know, how can I possibly want a bully teacher shipped with the student he bullies? Isn't it terrible and what about the age gap and oh dear what is wrong with you, woman? Sorry, but I really like the idea of Cole being the mature one in this ship, teaching the teacher, showing him that there are ways to find happiness even if you're a bit different. We already get a glimpse of it on the show. I would love you to pieces if you gave me a moment where Phillips Gets It.
With Billy and Cole it's almost the same, except I think Billy's canonically straight (at least until proven otherwise, though there are moments when I wonder..). But I still like the idea of these two boys finding something in common and becoming more than the bully and bullied. That there's a reason Billy is all over Cole. I should dislike Billy for being so obnoxious but I can't. I don't know why. I see hope for him, I guess.
And Gil/Bash, awww, they're wonderful together! Their exotic adventures and bonding, and then actually sharing a house! All that potential for huddling for warmth! Gilbert's very mature for his age and I think I've previously mentioned how much I love just looking at his expressive face. And Bash is a sweetheart. How can this pairing not work when I like each one of them and they're also fun together?
Feel free to handwave any of the canon romances if they're in the way, or pick a time in canon where it's less of an issue. I'm fine either way.
BABYLON 5
Alfred Bester/Michael Garibaldi
Michael Garibaldi/Jeffrey Sinclair
Aaaaa! A Bester/Garibaldi tag shows up in the tag set and it wasn't nominated by me! This can't be real! I think I've waited nearly 20 years to hear that someone else besides me can see it.
So, uh, no pressure. :D My expectations aren't high. In fact, they're anything but. I'd take anything because this is such a rare thing to occurr that on the off chance that someone is offering this I have absolutely no right to be picky. And good news is that I really am very easy to please! Not just with this but with everything I ship.
Ok, calming down a bit.
Bester/Garibaldi: I love and adore the whole cast of this show but Garibaldi and Bester are my two favourite characters. Even after 20 years my feelings are exactly the same as they were when I was younger. I love them on their own, with all their quirks and flaws, and I love them together. I love the way these two opposites play off of each other, both with a snarky sense of humour and not afraid to show open hostility towards each other. They're both on their own missions, they both think their way is the right way, and we see the results on the show.
I mentioned I don't want rape or noncon, and I mean it. But with these two, I'd take all the dubcon in the world and I'd roll in it and hug it and call it... something. You get the point. I'd love something taking place during the time Bester has a hold of Garibaldi. One of their mind games. A brief encounter where they're forced to work together through all the sneering and dislike and, because hey shippiness, attraction. As long as you make it a mutual thing they both want, even when it might start out in a bit of a questionable way, I'll take it. They can hate themselves after, or not, but I need the emotional connection to exist.
Or if you've read the Bester trilogy, I'd also love anything taking place during the time Garibaldi's after Bester. But I understand that while the books have been deemed canon by JMS himself, you're 100% free to ignore them even existing. I'm just throwing it out there in case you know them and want to play with them. There's so much good stuff about young Bester there, but also his actual fate, and I love those books. But I can turn that canon off, too, if it's in the way of a plot, so no problem.
But wait!
Garibaldi/Sinclair: I also love the deep friendship between Garibaldi and Sinclair, such an opposite from Garibaldi/Bester. That love is not lesser, just different. To be honest, I don't even know how I can love two ships that are so different from each other. But I do! Whenever I even imagine those words, "hello, old friend", I feel a bit choked. God I love those two. I love their journey together, Michael's struggles and how Jeffrey's there, and I would love to see a glimpse of that bond they share.
Maybe one time Sinclair was there for Garibaldi, or vice versa. One of their happier moments when they hang out without having to think about work. Anything related to their departure when Sinclair went to fulfill his fate as Valen. More time travel, whether it's Garibaldi going into the past (or any other point in their lifetimes) or just having a communication link open between them. Or Jeffrey does the travelling, I don't know. I'm so open to any fic that I can't even come up with what I could want. :D You know, besides "anything!" which can sometimes be anything but inspiring and helpful. Sorry?
Note: Bester and his gloves. Ffff. I've always been incredibly attracted to them, and I don't even know why. Much like with Laszlo in the Alienist (a fandom which I sadly couldn't fit here, agh), I'm fascinated by the way Bester is unable to use the hand, and I want to give it all the attention and care because of that. Because I'm weird like that.
BON COP BAD COP (2006)
David Bouchard/Martin Ward
Tabarnak! :D Someone nominated this wonderful movie! I saw this and could not possibly pass requesting it. I love these two, the way their egos clash, the way they begrudgingly start to like each other, the way they influence each others' lives, the way they're totally hilarious when they're under the influence (even my inner 'just say no to drugs, any drugs' melts at the sight of their giggling). And their bilingual bickering is a never-ending source of delight.
I'd love anything that takes place during or after the movie. I've seen and enjoyed the sequel as well, and you can either ignore it completely or use parts from it as well. Completely up to you, I promise. Though I'd prefer minimal angst re: [spoilery health stuff] if at all possible.
Take anything from my likes and give it a BCBC spin. Create another crime they have to solve together. Or maybe only one of them has to solve it and handwaves a reason to get the other one involved as well. Maybe it's nothing more than a parking ticket. Maybe it's a huge conspiracy.
Canon-specific DNW: I'd prefer to not have parenting as the focus of the fic. Mentioning their kids is perfectly fine.
DARK MATTER (TV)
John Anders/Three
One/Three
Six/Three
I might be perfectly satisfied with what's out there already but I will never say no to more Three and his snarky dalliances with other men! I miss having his damn face on my screen, narrowing his eyes at people he claims to not even like but will defend when the time comes because hey, they are on the same side. I miss his big heart he tries to hide. I miss all the adventures we'll never have, all the troubles he'll get himself into (kidnapped, marooned, infected with goo, touched the thing he was told repeatedly not to touch), all the guns he'll secretly fondle when no one's looking (ok, not like that, but I do love him with his weapons).
And I miss One, still, bitterly. It just wasn't a good way to get rid of him at all. Any chance of getting him back would be wonderful, whether it's a fix-it or an alternate version #5. Maybe there's an android built to his image, or he exists in a similar manner to Sarah, or I don't know, anything!
I want Six and Three to be friends and trust each other again, fully. I want them to get there. Please? Maybe there's a near death experience and Six saves Three and he's a bit bitter about it but also grateful. Or Three has to save Six and finds himself caring more than he thought he would.
And we got so little of Anders and I always wanted more. Another guy with a heart, just like... well, all four of these people, kinda? I think I have a type. But I'd love to get another glimpse of him doing his job, whether it's boring af or in the field being undercover. If it includes Three it's even better, but maybe they're both doing their own thing and only bump into each other by accident, or maybe one has important intel. (And while Six/Anders isn't in the list, this is also a pairing I will want forever. Just putting it out there.)
Some of these are ideas I'm trying to work into fics of my own but so far no success, so I'm throwing them in here. Can't hurt. :)
DOWNTON ABBEY
Thomas Barrow/Edward Courtenay
Thomas Barrow/Jimmy Kent
Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson
I'm a broken record, but Thomas/happiness, please. I want him for once to get the guy he wants and I want the guy to be a good one, one that will improve him. Not change him as a person but kind of reassure him that he doesn't have to do bad things to get somewhere in life because there are options. He'll neve be a choirboy and he doesn't need to be, but I choose to believe he's unscrupulous only out of necessity, not because he's inherently evil and selfish.
Whichever from these three you happen to match on is the one I want to read. Really, I like the idea of all three, so if you can only get behind one that's more than enough.
Edward Courtenay: Fix-it would be the obvious choice here. Let him survive. Let his death turn out to be an error or mistaken identity or whatever random reason you can think of. I want to see what could have been. Roads not taken.
Tom Branson: They come from similar social status so there's some common ground but they ended up in different places. I like to think there's still a connection, though, even when they're not the best of friends. And I like the idea of Thomas being around to help out Tom with his daughter, though I'd still prefer the focus to be on these two men, not Sybbie. During canon or future fic, either's fine.
Jimmy Kent: I have such a weakness for the whole "I can't be what you want me to be but I'll try to be your friend.. oops, I think I want to be more than friends now, when did that happen?" pattern that I'd take the shallowest of plots if it gave me Jimmy going from just friends to actually wanting more, and him being the instigator while Thomas has already given up on hoping they'll ever happen.
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (2012)
Charlie/Patrick
This was such a charming movie, and I enjoyed all three of the main characters, so any of them can show up! I like Charlie with Sam, I like Patrick with Sam, and I like Charlie with Patrick, all of them either platonic or romantic (yes, sibcest is my cuppa, so there's no need to avoid any of those vibes if they come up), so I really could have picked any twosome or a threesome for them. But I chose these two because that kiss was so cute, and I'd love to see how things could have gone differently. Or maybe everything happened just the way it does in the movie, but something else happens post-canon?
If you want to include Rocky Horror Picture Show or its rehearsals, please do! Future fic a couple years after canon would be wonderful. They can all be dating new people if you like, but I hope this trio will stay friends and not break up for any reason, and wherever they begin I do want the story to end with Charlie/Patrick.
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE
Julian Bashir/Miles O’Brien
This is going to be a short section: I just want this ship to happen! I love me some Julian/Garak and honestly think canon should've gone there, but I will never stop waving my Julian/Miles The Other OTP flag. I want it.
My two favourite plot types for Miles have been the ones where he's been through hell (I dislike the word 'whump' but that's the one, I guess) and really needs someone to comfort him, and the ones where he's bromancing around with Julian, being best buddies. I would love a h/c take on any of the existing plot lines, or create a new one. Or turn it around and make Julian hurt and Miles comfort. I like either kind. Or give me a feel good night out or a conference trip where things go unexpectedly awkward and they have to deal with it.
Canon-specific DNW: It's already in the general DNWs, but I mean it: Don't hurt Keiko in the process of making this ship happen. She's wonderful and doesn't deserve a cheating husband, and besides, Miles never would.
STARGATE
David Telford/Everett Young
Nicholas Rush/Everett Young
Young is my favourite character, in case it wasn't obvious. :D He's not an easy person but he's good at what he does, under the difficult circumstances, and he seems like a good person even though he's flawed. Rush is very similar, as is Telford, I think. I would happily take either one of these ships.
I like how antagonistic Young is with both, butting heads while still showing eventual respect. I'd like them to find some common ground, something they share with each other, whether it happens on Destiny or a random planet or some other place (Earth or elsewhere) in a near post-canon future we never got to see. And I do like the use of those stones, fucked up as it may be to use someone else's body, because they do it willingly.
This is one of the few fandoms where I'm less concerned with infidelity, mostly because it's canon. So if you have an idea that uses that as a plot point, go for it. But I'd like you to keep it to canon cheating only, so preferably no further infidelity (or at least not very much of it) on anyone once the truth is out. Have them come to an agreement instead, or something.
Canon-specific DNW: The less Chloe there is the better. No Rush/Chloe or hints of it even if you do Young/Telford.
THE TERROR
Francis Crozier/James Fitzjames
Francis Crozier/Thomas Jopson
I began to watch this for the second time to remind myself of all the things that I like about this canon, but I'm stuck mid-season. Ack. So this'll be a very shallow prompt section because I can't remember all the details and nuances, but trust me, I am still very eager. :D The overall arc of the story has not left me. I don't think it can.
There's so much to ship on this show, my god. All the ships! All the m/m and some m/f and human/wtf is that thing even! But when I think about what touched me the most, I keep coming back to these two ships (bad pun is unintentional though appropriate). And if you forced me to pick just one, I honestly wouldn't be able to pick one! I love both. Can I have both? Probably not. That's ok.
I love the journey Crozier and Fitzjames have, from enemies to friends, and I can only imagine where it could have gone if they'd been rescued just in time... agh, I want to know! So I'd take a fix-it any day, or a sort of fix-it where Fitzjames also survives and the two of them are stuck there with Silna and create their own little family unit. Or maybe they get to travel back to England. Can they ever return to normal life or are they forever affected by the horrors? Do their relationships with others even work or do they just find themselves constantly in each others' places, seeking comfort from nightmares?
And Jopson, oh god, I just want him to get that final hug and "I'm here, it's ok, you can let go now" and *cries* I'm still not ok with this death, I am not. Of all the people in the crew, he and Goodsir are the ones who I think deserved their fates the least, but Goodsir got to choose his end and he did so willingly while Jopson did not. So obviously I'd love a fix-it for Jopson as well. All the fix-its in the world! And then some! I just want more of him and his devotion to Crozier, and their mutual affection (hush, I see what I want to see) and what it could've become if they'd been given time, or maybe more two-way hurt/comfort because I'm evil but they do it so beautifully. Though the idea that all the hurt's in the past and they made it and now there's only happiness left is... unbearably lovely.
While I occasionally enjoy getting my heart pulled from my chest and stomped on, I think for this year's Chocolate Box I'd rather not have bittersweet endings for these two pairs. I can appreciate those at some later point but not now.
THE X-FILES
Alex Krycek/Fox Mulder
Omg, the nostalgia! I know there's plenty of fic for this pairing and some of it is so very very good. But I'd love to get a newer take on this delightful ship. What would you have written? What would you write now?
I'm game for either fix-its or canon divergence, or big conspiracies to hide the fact that Krycek is Alive For Reasons. Give me Tunguska-esque stuff, aliens and doom, abductions and bodysnatching, or something more light-hearted where they're on a case and it's, I don't know, a blow-up grey instead of an actual alien body, or they're at a diner while Mulder has Krycek handcuffed to himself.
Note: I've seen almost all of season 10 but none of season 11 (I will eventually, it's not that I'm not happy to get more of this fun show), so if you use those episodes as the basis for your story I'll probably be a bit lost and apologize beforehand. But you can also ignore them completely. Same goes for any other part of canon you choose. I'm very flexible with this one.
Whether you're completely new to me or we've bumped into each other the past, hi! I've done exchanges for years but thought I'd start this year with a blank slate, so to speak, and I won't be c&p'ing my older letters. This means my DNW list might look different, as does my likes list etc.
My likes haven't really changed, though, so if something you see gives you an idea and that particular prompt/comment isn't here, then yes, assume I still want it. It could be that I've gotten a treat for that prompt and feel satisfied enough to leave it out, but I will always adore more. ALWAYS.
From my sign-up:
DNW: Unrequested rape/noncon between pairing characters, character death, terminal illness, hopeless endings, porn without feelings, D/s, daddy kink, sex in public, sex featuring under 16s, pregnancy, children as the focus, weddings, acquiring pets, AUs that change the setting dramatically (modern/historical, coffeeshop, genderbend etc.), only aliens/sex pollen/mind control made them do it, meta, crossovers, unrequested poly or other relationships on the side, deliberate humiliation of a character by others
Notes about these:
Character death: There are canons where death is canonical (The Terror, for example) and I'm fine with a fic acknowledging death and loss, but ideally all my ships make it through the fic alive, or magically resurrect or whatever you think they should do in order to be less dead. I'm also sappy enough to like an afterlife fic. :) Laugh all you want, I don't care.
Other relationships on the side: In some cases there are canonical spouses, partners and families. Please don't create a poly relationship when I don't ask for it. I also don't want these characters happily cheating on anyone behind their back. You can, however, handwave their situation away by including a divorce or another sort of break-up (but don't just kill them or turn them into villains if they're not that in canon). Or set it early enough that they're not involved with anyone yet. If the infidelity is canonical then I'm better with it, but I prefer them coming to an agreement about an open relationship or anything similar.
Rating: Everything from G to E as long as it's shippy. I mean, I requested pairings only, so I think it's not awful of me to say that I wouldn't be happy with pure gen in this exchange. :) Otherwise I do enjoy friendship fics as well, so add in all the friends you want!
Length: I know the limit is 300 so obviously I don't demand longer than that. Just make it one 300-word thing instead of three unrelated 100-word drabbles, please? But I'm also into longfic, so there's absolutely no reason to worry about whether a fic is too short at 300 or too long at whatever k. If it's more than 299 words it'll be fine, though if it's, idk, 100k, I'm going to have to take a moment to get back to you for comments. :D
Bulletproof likes and general prompts:
(This list really can go with any fandom ever. I like other things as well but with these you really can't go wrong.)
- Canon-divergent AUs, forks in the road, what if X instead of Y, fix-its for unhappy endings
- Angst and (mutual) pining
- Hurt/comfort of any type and level, from minor wound tending to handling mind control situations, torture and PTSD
- Internalized homophobia when it fits the canon (esp. if eventually learned/taught out of)
- Having to share a space (anything from a single tiny sleeping bag to space shuttles to snowed-in cabins to whatever else you can think of - it's the 'I can't run away and ignore/hide my feelings oh no' that I adore)
- Enemies/rivals having to work together and making a truce, temporary or otherwise
- All the touching! From the tiniest of accidental (or "accidental") brushes to carrying someone wounded and having to unclothe them, helping out with difficult clothes/gear, dancing etc. Face, neck, wrists and lower back are a surefire way to make me go *boom*
- Undercover jobs from the sweetest "we have to fake being a couple" to the most painful "I must watch you get beaten up and can't do anything" (having to hurt the other doesn't work the same as having to watch, though I'd take both)
- Time travel tropes of any kind in canons where it happens or is plausible: Groundhog day, traveling to the past/future and getting (temporarily) stuck there, time moving slower/faster than it does for others in a certain space, messages through time, altering history or future
- First times (touches, dates, kisses, sex, arguments, anything first really)
- Porn with feelings (friends: being able to express how they feel, enemies/rivals: realizing that oh no, it's more than simple lust)
Porn likes: Anything vanilla is always ok, but also blindfolds, a bit of tying up or holding wrists, teasing and mild painplay (except genitalia, please). Everything from frottage to handjobs to penetration, or just coming before they even really begin. Fine with rimming. Condoms optional. Lube or anything to replace it not optional. :D Unless specified I'm fine with either one being the top/bottom. I prefer touching and random interjections and pleads to long conversations during sex, and I'd like you to keep pet names like baby, love or honey to the absolute minimum.
FANDOMS UNDER THE CUT:
ANNE WITH AN E [Cole MacKenzie/Mr. Phillips ** Billy Andrews/Cole MacKenzie ** Gilbert Blythe/Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix]
BABYLON 5 [Alfred Bester/Michael Garibaldi ** Michael Garibaldi/Jeffrey Sinclair]
BON COP BAD COP (2006) [David Bouchard/Martin Ward]
DARK MATTER (TV) [John Anders/Three ** One/Three ** Six/Three]
DOWNTON ABBEY [Thomas Barrow/Edward Courtenay ** Thomas Barrow/Jimmy Kent ** Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson]
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (2012) [Charlie/Patrick]
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE [Julian Bashir/Miles O’Brien]
STARGATE (AMT but both are SGU) [David Telford/Everett Young ** Nicholas Rush/Everett Young]
THE TERROR [Francis Crozier/James Fitzjames ** Francis Crozier/Thomas Jopson]
THE X-FILES [Alex Krycek/Fox Mulder]
You can ignore any of these prompts and write your own ideas. Just take a peek at the canon-specific DNWs (for some canons, not all) before you continue, ok? Or if there's a part of a prompt you like but it's not quite right, tweak it to your liking. These are all ships I crave so I'll take any 300-word piece you're inspired to write. Really.
ANNE WITH AN E
Cole MacKenzie/Mr. Phillips
Billy Andrews/Cole MacKenzie
Gilbert Blythe/Sebastian "Bash" Lacroix
I often feel like the lonely m/m shipper in the sea of Anne/Gil and Anne/Diana shippers. :D Where are you all? I mean, I've loved Anne/Gil since I was very young and it's my OTP when it comes to that canon, and Anne/Diana is sweet as can be, but I have needs. And if you're matched with me in this fandom, yay, you do too!
Ah, Mr. Phillips, you self-loathing mean bully. I want to come and give you a tight hug and say it's perfectly okay to like men, you are hardly the first man in the history of humanity to do that, so stop hating yourself and stop making others suffer. Life is infinitely nicer when you start being you. People will like you more. At least the people who matter, and the rest can go take a hike and drop off a cliff.
Yes, I know, how can I possibly want a bully teacher shipped with the student he bullies? Isn't it terrible and what about the age gap and oh dear what is wrong with you, woman? Sorry, but I really like the idea of Cole being the mature one in this ship, teaching the teacher, showing him that there are ways to find happiness even if you're a bit different. We already get a glimpse of it on the show. I would love you to pieces if you gave me a moment where Phillips Gets It.
With Billy and Cole it's almost the same, except I think Billy's canonically straight (at least until proven otherwise, though there are moments when I wonder..). But I still like the idea of these two boys finding something in common and becoming more than the bully and bullied. That there's a reason Billy is all over Cole. I should dislike Billy for being so obnoxious but I can't. I don't know why. I see hope for him, I guess.
And Gil/Bash, awww, they're wonderful together! Their exotic adventures and bonding, and then actually sharing a house! All that potential for huddling for warmth! Gilbert's very mature for his age and I think I've previously mentioned how much I love just looking at his expressive face. And Bash is a sweetheart. How can this pairing not work when I like each one of them and they're also fun together?
Feel free to handwave any of the canon romances if they're in the way, or pick a time in canon where it's less of an issue. I'm fine either way.
BABYLON 5
Alfred Bester/Michael Garibaldi
Michael Garibaldi/Jeffrey Sinclair
Aaaaa! A Bester/Garibaldi tag shows up in the tag set and it wasn't nominated by me! This can't be real! I think I've waited nearly 20 years to hear that someone else besides me can see it.
So, uh, no pressure. :D My expectations aren't high. In fact, they're anything but. I'd take anything because this is such a rare thing to occurr that on the off chance that someone is offering this I have absolutely no right to be picky. And good news is that I really am very easy to please! Not just with this but with everything I ship.
Ok, calming down a bit.
Bester/Garibaldi: I love and adore the whole cast of this show but Garibaldi and Bester are my two favourite characters. Even after 20 years my feelings are exactly the same as they were when I was younger. I love them on their own, with all their quirks and flaws, and I love them together. I love the way these two opposites play off of each other, both with a snarky sense of humour and not afraid to show open hostility towards each other. They're both on their own missions, they both think their way is the right way, and we see the results on the show.
I mentioned I don't want rape or noncon, and I mean it. But with these two, I'd take all the dubcon in the world and I'd roll in it and hug it and call it... something. You get the point. I'd love something taking place during the time Bester has a hold of Garibaldi. One of their mind games. A brief encounter where they're forced to work together through all the sneering and dislike and, because hey shippiness, attraction. As long as you make it a mutual thing they both want, even when it might start out in a bit of a questionable way, I'll take it. They can hate themselves after, or not, but I need the emotional connection to exist.
Or if you've read the Bester trilogy, I'd also love anything taking place during the time Garibaldi's after Bester. But I understand that while the books have been deemed canon by JMS himself, you're 100% free to ignore them even existing. I'm just throwing it out there in case you know them and want to play with them. There's so much good stuff about young Bester there, but also his actual fate, and I love those books. But I can turn that canon off, too, if it's in the way of a plot, so no problem.
But wait!
Garibaldi/Sinclair: I also love the deep friendship between Garibaldi and Sinclair, such an opposite from Garibaldi/Bester. That love is not lesser, just different. To be honest, I don't even know how I can love two ships that are so different from each other. But I do! Whenever I even imagine those words, "hello, old friend", I feel a bit choked. God I love those two. I love their journey together, Michael's struggles and how Jeffrey's there, and I would love to see a glimpse of that bond they share.
Maybe one time Sinclair was there for Garibaldi, or vice versa. One of their happier moments when they hang out without having to think about work. Anything related to their departure when Sinclair went to fulfill his fate as Valen. More time travel, whether it's Garibaldi going into the past (or any other point in their lifetimes) or just having a communication link open between them. Or Jeffrey does the travelling, I don't know. I'm so open to any fic that I can't even come up with what I could want. :D You know, besides "anything!" which can sometimes be anything but inspiring and helpful. Sorry?
Note: Bester and his gloves. Ffff. I've always been incredibly attracted to them, and I don't even know why. Much like with Laszlo in the Alienist (a fandom which I sadly couldn't fit here, agh), I'm fascinated by the way Bester is unable to use the hand, and I want to give it all the attention and care because of that. Because I'm weird like that.
BON COP BAD COP (2006)
David Bouchard/Martin Ward
Tabarnak! :D Someone nominated this wonderful movie! I saw this and could not possibly pass requesting it. I love these two, the way their egos clash, the way they begrudgingly start to like each other, the way they influence each others' lives, the way they're totally hilarious when they're under the influence (even my inner 'just say no to drugs, any drugs' melts at the sight of their giggling). And their bilingual bickering is a never-ending source of delight.
I'd love anything that takes place during or after the movie. I've seen and enjoyed the sequel as well, and you can either ignore it completely or use parts from it as well. Completely up to you, I promise. Though I'd prefer minimal angst re: [spoilery health stuff] if at all possible.
Take anything from my likes and give it a BCBC spin. Create another crime they have to solve together. Or maybe only one of them has to solve it and handwaves a reason to get the other one involved as well. Maybe it's nothing more than a parking ticket. Maybe it's a huge conspiracy.
Canon-specific DNW: I'd prefer to not have parenting as the focus of the fic. Mentioning their kids is perfectly fine.
DARK MATTER (TV)
John Anders/Three
One/Three
Six/Three
I might be perfectly satisfied with what's out there already but I will never say no to more Three and his snarky dalliances with other men! I miss having his damn face on my screen, narrowing his eyes at people he claims to not even like but will defend when the time comes because hey, they are on the same side. I miss his big heart he tries to hide. I miss all the adventures we'll never have, all the troubles he'll get himself into (kidnapped, marooned, infected with goo, touched the thing he was told repeatedly not to touch), all the guns he'll secretly fondle when no one's looking (ok, not like that, but I do love him with his weapons).
And I miss One, still, bitterly. It just wasn't a good way to get rid of him at all. Any chance of getting him back would be wonderful, whether it's a fix-it or an alternate version #5. Maybe there's an android built to his image, or he exists in a similar manner to Sarah, or I don't know, anything!
I want Six and Three to be friends and trust each other again, fully. I want them to get there. Please? Maybe there's a near death experience and Six saves Three and he's a bit bitter about it but also grateful. Or Three has to save Six and finds himself caring more than he thought he would.
And we got so little of Anders and I always wanted more. Another guy with a heart, just like... well, all four of these people, kinda? I think I have a type. But I'd love to get another glimpse of him doing his job, whether it's boring af or in the field being undercover. If it includes Three it's even better, but maybe they're both doing their own thing and only bump into each other by accident, or maybe one has important intel. (And while Six/Anders isn't in the list, this is also a pairing I will want forever. Just putting it out there.)
Some of these are ideas I'm trying to work into fics of my own but so far no success, so I'm throwing them in here. Can't hurt. :)
DOWNTON ABBEY
Thomas Barrow/Edward Courtenay
Thomas Barrow/Jimmy Kent
Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson
I'm a broken record, but Thomas/happiness, please. I want him for once to get the guy he wants and I want the guy to be a good one, one that will improve him. Not change him as a person but kind of reassure him that he doesn't have to do bad things to get somewhere in life because there are options. He'll neve be a choirboy and he doesn't need to be, but I choose to believe he's unscrupulous only out of necessity, not because he's inherently evil and selfish.
Whichever from these three you happen to match on is the one I want to read. Really, I like the idea of all three, so if you can only get behind one that's more than enough.
Edward Courtenay: Fix-it would be the obvious choice here. Let him survive. Let his death turn out to be an error or mistaken identity or whatever random reason you can think of. I want to see what could have been. Roads not taken.
Tom Branson: They come from similar social status so there's some common ground but they ended up in different places. I like to think there's still a connection, though, even when they're not the best of friends. And I like the idea of Thomas being around to help out Tom with his daughter, though I'd still prefer the focus to be on these two men, not Sybbie. During canon or future fic, either's fine.
Jimmy Kent: I have such a weakness for the whole "I can't be what you want me to be but I'll try to be your friend.. oops, I think I want to be more than friends now, when did that happen?" pattern that I'd take the shallowest of plots if it gave me Jimmy going from just friends to actually wanting more, and him being the instigator while Thomas has already given up on hoping they'll ever happen.
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (2012)
Charlie/Patrick
This was such a charming movie, and I enjoyed all three of the main characters, so any of them can show up! I like Charlie with Sam, I like Patrick with Sam, and I like Charlie with Patrick, all of them either platonic or romantic (yes, sibcest is my cuppa, so there's no need to avoid any of those vibes if they come up), so I really could have picked any twosome or a threesome for them. But I chose these two because that kiss was so cute, and I'd love to see how things could have gone differently. Or maybe everything happened just the way it does in the movie, but something else happens post-canon?
If you want to include Rocky Horror Picture Show or its rehearsals, please do! Future fic a couple years after canon would be wonderful. They can all be dating new people if you like, but I hope this trio will stay friends and not break up for any reason, and wherever they begin I do want the story to end with Charlie/Patrick.
STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE
Julian Bashir/Miles O’Brien
This is going to be a short section: I just want this ship to happen! I love me some Julian/Garak and honestly think canon should've gone there, but I will never stop waving my Julian/Miles The Other OTP flag. I want it.
My two favourite plot types for Miles have been the ones where he's been through hell (I dislike the word 'whump' but that's the one, I guess) and really needs someone to comfort him, and the ones where he's bromancing around with Julian, being best buddies. I would love a h/c take on any of the existing plot lines, or create a new one. Or turn it around and make Julian hurt and Miles comfort. I like either kind. Or give me a feel good night out or a conference trip where things go unexpectedly awkward and they have to deal with it.
Canon-specific DNW: It's already in the general DNWs, but I mean it: Don't hurt Keiko in the process of making this ship happen. She's wonderful and doesn't deserve a cheating husband, and besides, Miles never would.
STARGATE
David Telford/Everett Young
Nicholas Rush/Everett Young
Young is my favourite character, in case it wasn't obvious. :D He's not an easy person but he's good at what he does, under the difficult circumstances, and he seems like a good person even though he's flawed. Rush is very similar, as is Telford, I think. I would happily take either one of these ships.
I like how antagonistic Young is with both, butting heads while still showing eventual respect. I'd like them to find some common ground, something they share with each other, whether it happens on Destiny or a random planet or some other place (Earth or elsewhere) in a near post-canon future we never got to see. And I do like the use of those stones, fucked up as it may be to use someone else's body, because they do it willingly.
This is one of the few fandoms where I'm less concerned with infidelity, mostly because it's canon. So if you have an idea that uses that as a plot point, go for it. But I'd like you to keep it to canon cheating only, so preferably no further infidelity (or at least not very much of it) on anyone once the truth is out. Have them come to an agreement instead, or something.
Canon-specific DNW: The less Chloe there is the better. No Rush/Chloe or hints of it even if you do Young/Telford.
THE TERROR
Francis Crozier/James Fitzjames
Francis Crozier/Thomas Jopson
I began to watch this for the second time to remind myself of all the things that I like about this canon, but I'm stuck mid-season. Ack. So this'll be a very shallow prompt section because I can't remember all the details and nuances, but trust me, I am still very eager. :D The overall arc of the story has not left me. I don't think it can.
There's so much to ship on this show, my god. All the ships! All the m/m and some m/f and human/wtf is that thing even! But when I think about what touched me the most, I keep coming back to these two ships (bad pun is unintentional though appropriate). And if you forced me to pick just one, I honestly wouldn't be able to pick one! I love both. Can I have both? Probably not. That's ok.
I love the journey Crozier and Fitzjames have, from enemies to friends, and I can only imagine where it could have gone if they'd been rescued just in time... agh, I want to know! So I'd take a fix-it any day, or a sort of fix-it where Fitzjames also survives and the two of them are stuck there with Silna and create their own little family unit. Or maybe they get to travel back to England. Can they ever return to normal life or are they forever affected by the horrors? Do their relationships with others even work or do they just find themselves constantly in each others' places, seeking comfort from nightmares?
And Jopson, oh god, I just want him to get that final hug and "I'm here, it's ok, you can let go now" and *cries* I'm still not ok with this death, I am not. Of all the people in the crew, he and Goodsir are the ones who I think deserved their fates the least, but Goodsir got to choose his end and he did so willingly while Jopson did not. So obviously I'd love a fix-it for Jopson as well. All the fix-its in the world! And then some! I just want more of him and his devotion to Crozier, and their mutual affection (hush, I see what I want to see) and what it could've become if they'd been given time, or maybe more two-way hurt/comfort because I'm evil but they do it so beautifully. Though the idea that all the hurt's in the past and they made it and now there's only happiness left is... unbearably lovely.
While I occasionally enjoy getting my heart pulled from my chest and stomped on, I think for this year's Chocolate Box I'd rather not have bittersweet endings for these two pairs. I can appreciate those at some later point but not now.
THE X-FILES
Alex Krycek/Fox Mulder
Omg, the nostalgia! I know there's plenty of fic for this pairing and some of it is so very very good. But I'd love to get a newer take on this delightful ship. What would you have written? What would you write now?
I'm game for either fix-its or canon divergence, or big conspiracies to hide the fact that Krycek is Alive For Reasons. Give me Tunguska-esque stuff, aliens and doom, abductions and bodysnatching, or something more light-hearted where they're on a case and it's, I don't know, a blow-up grey instead of an actual alien body, or they're at a diner while Mulder has Krycek handcuffed to himself.
Note: I've seen almost all of season 10 but none of season 11 (I will eventually, it's not that I'm not happy to get more of this fun show), so if you use those episodes as the basis for your story I'll probably be a bit lost and apologize beforehand. But you can also ignore them completely. Same goes for any other part of canon you choose. I'm very flexible with this one.
