galfridian: (Default)
galfridian ([personal profile] galfridian) wrote2015-04-29 04:57 pm

dear prime time player | 2015

Thank you! Each of my requests feature characters and/or relationships I love; so however we matched, I can't wait to read what you write.

Below, you'll find the basics and the requests. I've included prompts — just in case — but you shouldn't feel obligated to use them. No need to worry about spoilers, by the way. I'll be up-to-date on all canons when the archive goes live.

INFO, LIKES, DISLIKES

I'm easy to find: I go by [personal profile] galfridian everywhere. (AO3. Tumblr. Twitter.) If you have any questions, [personal profile] weasleytook can answer any of them, so feel free to DM her. You can also contact me via the mods, if you prefer.

Likes: alternate realities, apocalypse/post-apocalypse, bickering/UST, character studies, crossovers, enemies-to-lovers, fake/undercover relationships, fix-its, forced proximity, found families, friends-to-lovers, ghosts, hurt/comfort, soulmarks, original characters, reincarnation/rebirth, road trips, robots, secret identities, time travel, time loops, world-building

Dislikes: abuse, alpha/beta/omega, bestiality, D/s, dub-con/non-con, genderswap, gore, graphic torture, incest, knotting, mpreg, pair the spare, scat, tentacles, voyeurism, watersports

THE 100
Abby Griffin, Marcus Kane

Probably my greatest love of the moment, The 100 is fast-moving, post-apocalypse sci-fi about characters who exists and evolve in grays. It's an ever-expanding, often unpredictable world, and I love it. Abby is among the least liked characters of the series — and I'll admit, she isn't always easy to love — but she's one of my favorites.

I think the greatest contrast between first season Abby and second season Abby is setting. In season 1, on the Ark, she was easy to empathize with — we knew that the ground was survivable, that the Hundred were alive, and that they needed help. Her iron will and unbendable sense of morality were admirable, knowing what we knew. Then came season 2, a mother reunited with her child, and...well, we began to see why Marcus Kane found her frustrating. Still, I love her. She's deeply flawed, yes, but she's just as passionate, and with a little growth, she could be incredible.

Marcus, on the other hand, has had one of the best character arcs so far. He started the series pragmatic and cold, driven to save people under his terms. With the culling, he succeeded, only to discover it had been in vain. This was the turning point, I think. Then came "Unity Day," rescuing Abby, and falling to Earth. He wavered at the start of season 2, yes, but look at him now: Building bridges with Lexa, trying to reason with Abby, choosing his people over himself.

I could talk about these two together for days — weeks, even — but I'll try to keep this short: The contrast between Abby/Marcus in season 1 and Abby/Marcus in season 2 is a sharp as the contrast between the two as individuals in season 1. They began the series so at odds, so determined to best the other; now I think they listen better and understand each other a little more. Seeing so much tenderness between them at the end of season 1, as well as the aftermaths of the Tondc bombing and Mt. Weather, means so much.

One thing I'm interested in: In 2.13, when he's buried beneath all that rubble, they talk about how Clarke's upbringing on the Ark made it possible for her to choose not to warn Tondc about the missile. Clarke learned from them, they agree. But then, didn't Abby and Marcus learn from the generation before them? I don't say this to absolve them of their missteps, but because I'm curious about how life on the Ark shaped the adults of the series.

My expectations for this exchange are the same as my hopes for canon: I'd really, really like these two to be together, but I'm thrilled at every positive step they take together. As long as they're not at each other's throats, I'm happy.

    Optional prompts —
  • The Ark wasn't a large community. Abby and Marcus likely knew each other most of their lives. In the pilot, Abby states that Jake and Marcus were friends, so she was most likely friends with him, too. Explore their history a little, because I'm dying to know more. (Also, I may be alone, but I find it difficult to think the gentler, more optimistic, self-sacrificing Marcus didn't exist beneath — or before — the colder, more pessimistic Marcus. I'm so curious how we got to early season 1 Marcus.)

  • I'd love to read something that zeroes in on these two, that puts them in a situation where they're alone and forced to rely just on each other for survival. Set it whenever, because I'm here for it no matter what.

  • Something set in the few days after the season 2 finale would be great, too. I'd like to see them recovering from their injuries, from losses faced; and also, just trying to learn how to interact with each other without the imminent threat of war or death hanging over them.

[TUMBLR: the 100; marcus/abby]

AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
Gordon, Sif, Skye

For me, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. works because it focuses on smaller, moving parts of the MCU. Characters who would otherwise be footnotes get a spotlight.

That said, I have to confess that I'm a space girl at heart. Right now, one of my favorite elements of the series is the Inhumans. I love their connection to the greater cosmic story that just begun to reveal itself on Earth. I also love the Asgardians and the way they fiercely, if sometimes grumpily, defend other races.

At first, I requested just Gordon and Sif, for reasons I'll get into below. Then I realized that I have a much greater chance of matching someone who offered "any" than someone just offering these two. I decided I might as well add Skye, who I'd also love to see interact with Gordon and/or Sif.

I'd love backstory for Gordon. I don't know if I'm into him because I fell in love with Nightcrawler when I was a kid, or if it's because this canon needs more sense-impaired characters (heroes or villains), but I'm so curious about him. Where does he come from? Does he have family outside of Afterlife? What are the limitations of his abilities? How does he sense people? Do non-powered people read different from powered people? What about Kree, Asgardians, etc?

Sif, well, she's my favorite Asgardian. She's a warrior, strong and capable with Thor or the Warriors Three; and she's loyal, but not so far that she's blinded by it. We've seen relatively little of her, compared to other characters, but I'd love to see more. Incorporate mythology or comics history, if you like.

Then there's Skye. One significant aspect of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is Skye's journey. Right now, she's in this compelling position in her life. Her powers have emerged, she's been reunited with her family; and yet she's torn between that world and her loyalty and love for her team. She's vulnerable, but she's strong, and she's growing.

Feel free to blend any of the prompts below together and/or include a character who doesn't appear in the prompt. I'd prefer fic that features at least two of my requested characters, but if you're really inspired by something that features only one on of them, write it! Of these relationships, the only one I'd like to see ship fic for is Gordon/Sif. Otherwise, gen works.

    Optional prompts —
  • Gordon and Sif: Two characters who exist nearer to the periphery of the story; two characters from insular cultures distrustful of outsiders; one worshipped as a god, the other viewed as a monster. At first, they would be wary of each other, but in time...perhaps not. What if the Inhumans, unsure whether amnesiac Sif was one of them, found her first? What if the Kree returned to Earth, having discovered that the Inhumans survived and were thriving; and what if the Asgardians intervened? Or maybe just a situation where something traps and temporarily strips Sif and/or Gordon of their powers.

  • Gordon and Skye: I'd love to see something that explores the connection these two have through Jiaying. Gordon's gratitude toward Jiaying is clear — and he could definitely tell Skye more about her mother. Alternatively, I'd enjoy Gordon and Skye on a mission (from Jiaying) together, Gordon helping her navigate what it means to be powered, and perhaps Skye softening his view of outsiders.

  • Sif and Skye: Sif definitely doesn't trust that Earth is safe with Skye around. What if she took Skye to Asgard at the end of 2x12? Or what if she returned to Earth after taking the Kree to his homeworld, just to keep an eye on Skye? I'd love to see these two in battle together or just learning more about each other's cultures and becoming allies.

[TUMBLR: agents of shield; skye; sif]

CAPTAIN AMERICA
Sharon Carter, Steve Rogers

So far, CA: The Winter Soldier is my favorite of the franchise. SHIELD's collapse resonated more with Steve caught in that chaos. Here's a thing that Peggy Carter built, crumbling before him, and a monster crawling out. Natasha and Sam were perfect comrades-in-arms for Steve here, I think, and having both Sharon and Bucky present added a great weight to it.

We glimpsed pieces of who Sharon Carter is — other than an excellent agent — loyal, intelligent, and possessing a sense of duty. I'd love to read more of her history, about her connection to Peggy, maybe about her connection to Trip. Has she been with SHIELD since she graduated? Or did she travel and try other things before joining? How much does she know about Peggy and Steve? Did she have reservations about her undercover assignment?

Do I really need to talk about why I love Steve? Instead of talking about that moral compass we all love, or how he respects women, or how he's also a great strategist, I'll just talk about one thing that's become clearer since SHIELD thawed him: He adapts. Sure, it's a struggle to wake and discover the people and ideals he loved have mostly died, but he doesn't get beat down by it. He sees that he can still have a place in the fight for what's good, what's right.

Sharon and Steve have a complicated history, even before they meet. Surely, she's heard stories of Captain America and the Howling Commandos that you won't find in the history books — if not from Peggy, then from Trip. Maybe the "before" image of Steve is as familiar to her as the "after," not because it's plastered in museums and every documentary about World War 2, but because she found it at Peggy's when she was a kid. Then Fury asks her to hide that connection, and she does it, because she's a good agent.

But what happens after SHIELD collapses, when Steve and Sam have hit another dead-end in their search for Bucky? What happens when he discovers that the undercover SHIELD agent, who he's finally called after all of Natasha's nagging, is related to Peggy? Basically, I just want these two to get to know each other.

I ship them, and I'd love ship fic for them; but if that isn't where you're at, just give me a genuine connection between them, please. Other pairings I'm interested in: Steve/Natasha, Bruce/Natasha, Steve/Maria, Sam/Sharon, Trip/Sharon.

    Optional prompts —
  • What if Sharon and Steve had more time as neighbors before SHIELD fell, more time to get to know each other before he learned the truth? Or what if it was Sharon, not Natasha, who Steve was on the run with throughout the movie?

  • Throw Sharon and Steve on a mission together, deep undercover and behind enemy lines, and see what issues come up. How do they tackle all the complications in their histories?

  • Sharon helps Sam and Steve find (and help) Bucky. How does their shared connection to Peggy help and/or hinder that?

[TUMBLR: the avengers; sharon carter; steve/sharon]

STAR WARS
Leia Organa

Star Wars sparked my love for space and science fiction, as well as my preference for bickering battle couples. But it also gave me Leia Organa, who's honestly become my favorite thing about the franchise. Don't get me wrong, I still love Han/Leia, as well as Leia & Luke and Han & Luke, but — Leia Organa, you guys.

Sometimes, Leia doesn't get enough appreciation. Too often, especially with merchandise, your options are Princess Leia or Slave Leia, titles that undersell her importance in the original trilogy. Leia is a princess, but she doesn't sit on a throne and talk abstractly about the Empire's oppressive hold on the galaxy. Using her title as a tool, she joins the rebellion long before Luke leaves Tatooine, and the rebellion costs Leia her planet, most of her people, and her family. Leia is smart, quick on her feet, and a fighter. She's as brave and selfless as she is bossy and stubborn.

On Tatooine, she isn't a victim. She walked in Jabba's palace, knowing the risk. She didn't crumble under the humiliation of being chained to Jabba while wearing a bikini. She waited until an opportunity presented itself, and she took him out.

Include Han and/or Luke, if you want, but I'll love something without them just as much. Han/Leia is where it's at for me, if you want to incorporate that. Definitely not interested in Han/Luke or Leia/Luke. If you want to incorporate characters from the EU (like Winter Celchu or Mara Jade), feel free.

    Optional prompts —
  • There will never be enough fic or EU about Leia's life pre-OT, so if that's something that interests you, please write it. I want to read more about her life on Alderaann, about her decision to join the rebellion, and about her early days in it.

  • Fic that fills the gaps between films is welcome, too, particularly between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. How much of the plan to rescue Han was Leia's idea? What was her mindset on the journey to Tatooine?

  • Post-series fic works, too. I'd love to see Leia's priorities post-OT. For Leia, where did rebuilding the galaxy begin? Alternatively, I'd love to see Leia on a quest to find (and reunite) what's left of her people.

[TUMBLR: star wars; leia organa]