galfridian (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
galfridian) wrote2017-06-26 04:00 pm
galfridian) wrote2017-06-26 04:00 pm
Entry tags:
rare pair fest | 2017
Thank you! I'm looking forward to reading whatever you write. I love each of these relationships and have spent A LOT of time wishing for more fic for all of them.
Below the cut, you'll find general things and likes/dislikes, followed by the fandom/pairing specifics. Other than Do Not Wants, I'm flexible, so please don't feel obligated to stick to prompts or any of that.
I go bygalfridian everywhere. (AO3. Tumblr. Twitter.) Please don't hesitate to contact the mod(s) if you have any concerns or questions!
Likes:Relationships shifting and evolving: enemies-to-friends; friends-to-lovers; enemies-to-friends-to-lovers; lovers-to-enemies; etc.
Pretend relationships as catalysts for honest-to-goodness relationships: undercover; witness protection; marriage of convenience, etc.
Two (or more) characters stuck in a forced proximity situation: stranded somewhere; snowed-in; road trip, etc.
Soulmates and soulmate-identifying marks: nontypical soulmark stories; soulmates/soulmarks as outliers rather than common; characters with multiple soulmates; romantic soulmates; platonic soulmates.
Characters with secret identities: superheroes; royalty in disguise; YOU'VE GOT MAIL-like plots; two-person love triangles resulting from secret identities; revelation of said secret identities.
Time tropes: celestial deadlines; time travel; time stands still; time dilation; time loops; year inside/hours outside; hours inside/years outside.
Space tropes: ancient astronauts; colony ships; elves-in-space; faster-than-light travel; generation ships; lost colony; space marines; space opera.
Miscellaneous: crossovers; gen; het; hurt/comfort; amnesia; angst; confessions; apocalypses; world-building; building-to-relationship; pre-relationship; unresolved sexual tension; realizing feelings; epistolary fic; reincarnation; science fantasy, apocalypse/post-apocalypse; canon divergent AUs; found families; robots.
Dislikes:Kinks: alpha/beta/omega, dub-con, non-con, knotting, incest, voyeurism.
Tropes: abuse, age regression, bodyswap, genderswap, kidfic.
Please note: I'm good with violence in fiction so long as the violence serves a purpose and isn't simply gratuitous. Please, please avoid any non-canonical use of miscarriage or infancy death. These are difficult subjects for me.
Bellamy Blake/Echo.
Relevant tags: Bellamy/Echo. Echo.
I can't wait to see what comes next for this relationship: platonic or antagonistic or romantic or all of the above. I'm loving that Echo and Emori are on the Ark, and honestly, I'd adore anything set in those six years. Just… Bellamy and Echo and all of those stars, you know? Of course, I'd also love to read fic set sometime later—soon after the finale ends? years in the future? Anything.
So I've loved these two since they met in Mt. Weather. Their relationship has such complexity… partly because Echo has such complexity. Echo meets Bellamy at a vulnerable moment in her life. They meet at what she believes to be the end of her life. He keeps his word, freeing both his people and hers, and earns her respect.
It impacts her, and you can tell. She returns to Azgeda, remains loyal to her queen, but she feels bound to Bellamy—she ensures that he survives the explosion at Mt. Weather. She tries to bring Octavia back to Polis without a fight, and I think you can see that it shakes her to believe she's killed Octavia.
I don't think Echo and Bellamy know what to do with each other. They don't know if they can trust each other—Bellamy especially—but they also get each other, in a way. Their scenes in the last two episodes of this season were so great: Bellamy protecting her from Murphy; Bellamy telling her they're stronger with her; Echo making sure he got air.
Optional prompts…
Clarke Griffin/Roan.
Relevant tags: Roan/Clarke.
I would've loved to see Clarke and Roan rule Azgeda alongside each other—possibly with few (if any) of the other Grounder clans surviving Praimfaya. I'd also like to see them fighting as allies in a battle. Unfortunately, you might need to go AU with these two—thanks, Conclave—but I'd enjoy something set between episodes before then, as well. Maybe something between "God Complex" and "DNR"?
I think the greatest setback Clarke and Roan encounter is that they never learn to trust each other. Maybe they each have too much at stake, or maybe their people have betrayed each other too many times, but they come so close… and then Clarke tries to steal the Flame, and Roan refuses to listen to her after. She might never know that her words did sink in.
I love that Clarke and Roan challenge each other. As disappointing as it is that they never came to trust each other, I like that they stand their ground against each other. I also like that because Roan is a king and understands complex choices, he understands the decisions Clarke has to make—even when he doesn't agree with them.
Optional prompts…
Wanda Maximoff/Scott Summers.
Relevant tags: Wanda Maximoff. Scott Summers.
Fox plays fast and loose with the timelines in its Marvel films, so you could probably line up Scott and Wanda's timelines however you like. I'd love to see them in the aftermath of Alkali Lake for Scott and Ultron for Wanda, but I'd also be interested in post-X2 for Scott and post-Civil War for Wanda. Or you could play with some of the unknowns in the alternate timeline, like what happened to the mutants who survived Xavier's first seizure.
I won't lie: I'm drawn to aesthetics here, and I don't just mean because James Marsden and Elizabeth Olsen are both attractive people. I mean the aesthetics of their powers—that scarlet and ruby and raw energy. Honestly, if you want to write full-on battle couple for these two, I would love that.
Beyond that, I have to say I think Wanda and Scott might have a complex relationship—particularly if you're working within the original timeline. He has the ghost (sometimes literally) of Jean, whose powers aren't entirely unlike Wanda's; she's still trying how to fit with people who aren't her brother. Scott has the responsibility of leading the X-Men; Wanda has to deal with the lives she's taken.
But I also think that their realness, each one's honesty or bluntness, would be refreshing. She could trust him, because he doesn't have agendas. He could trust her, because she doesn't filter herself or her feelings. (That is, there wouldn't be complications like Logan.)
I love the idea of Scott and Wanda finding one another in the middle of so much hopelessness and struggle.
Optional prompts…
Skye | Daisy Johnson/Edmund Pevensie.
Relevant tags: Daisy Johnson.
Daisy visits Narnia—or perhaps Daisy has visited Narnia before—and bonds with Edmund. (Young Daisy and young Edmund both felt like outcasts. I wonder if they would connect.) Or Edmund returns to Earth, roughly 30 years old—with or without his siblings—and he's discovered by SHIELD. I'd love to see how Daisy's abilities work in Narnia and how the Narnians would react… or perhaps to see Edmund with abilities upon returning to Earth.
So you have Daisy, a young orphan shuffled from one foster home to another; and you have Edmund, a boy who feels like an outcast in his own family. If Daisy found herself in Narnia as a child at the same time Edmund is a child there, I think they would understand each other—even if he's recently reconciled with his siblings. Perhaps Narnia would become the one place Daisy considered home… until she accidentally leaves and can't return. What if they were reunited as adults?
I also think they would work as adults who hadn't met before. Edmund is intelligent, logical, and intuitive—traits he shares with Daisy. And of course, they're both sarcastic, which I think would be great in fic. However they meet—wherever they meet—one of them will be a fish out of water, but they're both familiar with that feeling.
Optional prompts…
Cassandra Pentaghast/Steve Rogers.
Relevant tags: Cassandra Pentaghast. Steve Rogers.
Cassandra finding herself on Earth in our present could be hilarious: the technology, the buildings, the fashions, and most importantly, the wealth of novels. I bet she and Steve would love reading together. Alternatively, Steve might find Thedas a good fit. He's a soldier, and he might fit well with the Templars or the Seekers or maybe even on the city guard. I'd love to see Cassandra teaching Steve how to fight with swords.
Cassandra and Steve could work so well: They're both soldiers, loyal to their people and to their cause. They both want to choose the right path and inspire those choices in others. They've both had to betray allies (the Avengers; the Seekers).
Also, let's be honest, Steve in armor would be fantastic… and he would be like someone out of one of Varric's books (or the other trashy romance books Cassandra loves), and Cassandra would definitely notice. And it's not like Cassandra isn't Steve's type—he definitely likes women with weapons.
Optional prompts…
Abelas/Female Lavellan.
Relevant tags: Abelas. Dragon Age.
I wish Trespasser let us have more of the ancient elves, particularly Abelas. What's his story? Maybe Abelas comes to Skyhold sometime after Solas disappears? Maybe he offers an alliance after the Exalted Council, dissatisfied with Solas and his plans for Thedas? I'd also love to see Lavellan somehow get a taste of what Elvhenan was like before it fell.
I think I'm drawn to Lavellan/Abelas for several reasons people love Lavellan/Solas: An ancient elf, awake thousands of years outside of his time, discovering that his people have fallen so far; and yet, he finds people and things in this time that have value to him, too.
Meanwhile, you have Lavellan, and you can play her several ways. Does she hold to her people's traditions? Does she value the lives they lead now? Or does she find elven traditions hollow, their written history flawed? Or does she fall somewhere between? How has her time with the Inquisition, learning that much of what the clans teach isn't true, affect her view of her people? And how does all of that determine how she reacts to Abelas and his opinions?
I'm great with Lavellan however you'd like to write her: warrior or mage or rogue; keeper of elven traditions or Andrastian or faithless. Whether she drank from the Well of Sorrows or not is your choice, but I do think that fics for these two are more interesting when she has. For this, I'd prefer that she not have an ongoing romantic relationship with Solas.
Optional prompts…
Alistair/Female Trevelyan.
Relevant tags: Alistair. Trevelyan.
King Alistair—perhaps having loved and lost the Warden?—surprises himself by falling in love with Inquisitor Trevelyan. Or maybe Josephine sees them together and decides it couldn't hurt if people at least thought there's something there. Or maybe Trevelyan falls for Alistair when Hawke introduces them? Something tropey with these two would fun, I think—stranded because of a cave-in? soulmates with marks? time loop/Groundhog Day? space AU? maybe reincarnation fic?
I saw these two nominated in a tagset earlier this year and found myself really intrigued. Between mage, rogue, and warrior Trevelyan and drunk, king, and warden Alistair, this relationship has plenty possibilities to love.
King Alistair with a warrior or rogue Trevelyan, who's grown up among people similar to those he comes from: great. I also enjoy King Alistair with mage Trevelyan because noble mages essentially get disowned, and it took running out of nobility for people to acknowledge Alistair. (Also, I'm a sucker for marriage-of-convenience fics.)
I also love warden Alistair with any Trevelyan, simply because I think Alistair is probably most at ease and happiest as a Warden. I think he might be particularly fun with a warrior, if you're feeling the whole blood-soaked battle couples vibe, but I love a rogue or mage Trevelyan, too.
King or warden Alistair would probably be my first choice for Alistair, but I have to admit there's a certain amount of potential with drunk Alistair: How does he come back into the picture? What does his life look like after Teagan comes for him? Mage Trevelyan might understand him best, but maybe rogue or warrior Trevelyan would sympathize as well?
Of course, I'm open to the other possibilities as well, and these don't cover the complexities of whether the Warden romanced Alistair or the Inquisitor needing to choose between Hawke and Alistair.
Beyond all of that, I love that Alistair and Trevelyan come from noble families. They might bond over certain aspects of that—positive or negative—and probably rebel against those things together.
Also, I tend to play Trevelyan with plenty of humor: as many sarcasm options as possible, and yeah, I let my Trevelyans kill Florianne because Duchess in a Box is fantastic. Alistair has a ridiculous sense of humor, so I feel like they'd appreciate that in each other.
Optional prompts…
Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson.
Relevant tags: Barba/Benson.
What happened with the threats against Barba? What if someone slipped past his security detail? We've seen that Barba can be ruthless in court, but what if he needed to channel that ruthlessness to protect Benson? I'd also love to see Benson and Barba with some downtime: Somewhere safe and sometime happy… maybe visiting Amaro in California?
These two, it's all push-and-pull. They're committed to their work and will use almost any tactic to stop criminals… But sometimes their beliefs clash. Sometimes, he crosses lines she won't. Other times, she surprises him. They fight each other.
But they also fight for each other. Time and again, we've seen that Barba cares about Benson. I think this season's "Know It All" let us see how much she cares about him. (Am I reading too much into that last scene or does it read like maybe she's just realizing how much she cares?)
I see Barba and Benson as hidden longing; as two people who know they can rely on each other but who can't seem to get a read on how the other person feels about them; as people for whom timing is everything.
Optional prompts…
Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins.
Relevant tags: Carisi/Rollins.
Honestly, I would probably read like 100,000 words of platonic-domestic-to-romantic-domestic for these two, so if that type of fluff suits you, I'd love even 1,000 words of that. I'm also here for angstier fics. What happens when Carisi's demons clash with Rollins's? Or when Jesse's father comes back to New York? Is Rollins at all jealous of Carisi's mystery girlfriend? Is he trying to put away feelings he has for Rollins?
Rollins and Carisi's relationship has some of the best development on the show so far, I think. Carisi joins SVU as a temporary replacement for Amaro—which of course offends Rollins, because of her relationship with Amaro—and doesn't leave a great first impression. In time, they take on a type of squabbling sibling relationship… until that became genuine friendship.
I love their relationship in seasons 17 and 18: Carisi becomes someone who supported and encouraged Rollins. He's still relatively new to the squad, but he takes care of her when she's on bedrest and when she's in labor. He cooks for her. (The cooking thing! I am so into it!) They start watching terrible reality TV together.
Rollins starts to look out for him—to ask after his bar exam; to worry about him when he's undercover; to offer the only comfort she knows to give him (her company and Jesse's company) when that case goes wrong. I love that she still teases him… and that he doesn't mind it at all.
Optional details…
Feron/Female Shepard.
Relevant tags: Feron. Shepard.
After Arrival, Shepard comes to Earth to turn herself in. I'd love to see her get to know Feron better in that time—maybe exchanging messages. Or maybe sometime before Shepard turns herself in, Liara asks Shepard to bring Feron along on a mission. Shepard and Feron after the Reaper war would be great, too: Maybe Shepard gets a forged ID from Liara and tries to slip away, but Liara sends Feron to make sure she's safe.
I'm intrigued by Feron and Shepard because you could approach them several ways. On the surface, you have a marine—someone who devotes her life to honor and heroics—and an information broker. But beneath that, there's the Shepard who sacrifices 300,000 Batarians to give the rest of the galaxy time to prepare for the Reapers. There's the Feron who betrays the Shadow Broker rather than let Shepard fall into slavers'' hands.
Then there's what each of them have endured: Shepard giving body and soul to stop the Reapers; Feron surviving two years of torture and interrogation.
I think Shepard and Feron could help each other in the aftermath of everything... but I also think that they could be reflections—of a sort—of each other.
Optional prompts…
Helen Magnus/Will Zimmerman.
Relevant tags: Magnus/Will. Sanctuary.
Generally, the episodes of this series I loved best focused on Magnus and Will's relationship. (Requiem, Pavor Nocturnus, Next Tuesday, Carentan, Out of the Blue, The Depths.) Any fic like that—Magnus and Will isolated in a ridiculous and/or extreme situation—would be incredible. I'm also (still) dying to know what happened post-series with both the Sanctuary and Magnus and Will's relationship. I do love Tesla and the Five and all of that, as well as Hollow Earth and its history, so you could incorporate that, too.
For me, Magnus and Will are the heart of Sanctuary. There's such a level of depth to their relationship, and I think it resonates—particularly in difficult moments. I like that Will acts as her "emotional compass," even before she loses Ashley; I like that he and Magnus challenge each other, but that they'll also protect each other under any circumstance.
As much as it hurt to see—and as much as it was often frustrating—I also like the push-and-pull that Magnus and Will have: that she needs him, but she doesn't want to rely on him; that he wants to follow her, but he has to stand his ground. They're both stubborn, but they care, and it really gets to me.
One thing I love about Magnus and Will throughout the series is the parallels, phrases and ideas repeated throughout, like leaps of faith. I love the way the series ended, with Magnus asking Will, "Shall we begin?" I also really like the Magnus/Will centric episodes, the ones that focus on the complexities of her history and their relationship.
Optional prompts…
Below the cut, you'll find general things and likes/dislikes, followed by the fandom/pairing specifics. Other than Do Not Wants, I'm flexible, so please don't feel obligated to stick to prompts or any of that.
Likes, Dislikes, Etc.
I go by
galfridian everywhere. (AO3. Tumblr. Twitter.) Please don't hesitate to contact the mod(s) if you have any concerns or questions!Likes:
Dislikes:
The 100
Bellamy Blake/Echo.
Relevant tags: Bellamy/Echo. Echo.
I can't wait to see what comes next for this relationship: platonic or antagonistic or romantic or all of the above. I'm loving that Echo and Emori are on the Ark, and honestly, I'd adore anything set in those six years. Just… Bellamy and Echo and all of those stars, you know? Of course, I'd also love to read fic set sometime later—soon after the finale ends? years in the future? Anything.
So I've loved these two since they met in Mt. Weather. Their relationship has such complexity… partly because Echo has such complexity. Echo meets Bellamy at a vulnerable moment in her life. They meet at what she believes to be the end of her life. He keeps his word, freeing both his people and hers, and earns her respect.
It impacts her, and you can tell. She returns to Azgeda, remains loyal to her queen, but she feels bound to Bellamy—she ensures that he survives the explosion at Mt. Weather. She tries to bring Octavia back to Polis without a fight, and I think you can see that it shakes her to believe she's killed Octavia.
I don't think Echo and Bellamy know what to do with each other. They don't know if they can trust each other—Bellamy especially—but they also get each other, in a way. Their scenes in the last two episodes of this season were so great: Bellamy protecting her from Murphy; Bellamy telling her they're stronger with her; Echo making sure he got air.
Optional prompts…
- I'd love to see Bellamy and Echo adapting to the Ark. For him, it's a hollow homecoming; for her, it's beyond anything she's known. Maybe Bellamy finds peace with being back through helping Echo adjust to it.
- So they're on the Ark, and they're safe, but ALIE uploaded to the Ark. Surely, she "knows" that there are people on the Ark again. Maybe ALIE tries to weaken them by isolating them from each other, trapping Bellamy and Echo in one section together?
- On the other hand, maybe ALIE bides her time. Maybe they have some good years on the Ark before ALIE makes a move. So… What do their good years look like? What things do they celebrate? What traditions do they come up with? How do Bellamy and Echo make this place theirs?
- Before the Gagarin lands atop Polaris, it docks with the Ark. The miners have greater numbers and weapons than the seven people on the Ark, so the miners easily overwhelm them. Now, Bellamy and Echo are trapped on the prisoner transport.
- Six years after Praimfaya, Bellamy and Echo return to Earth. When they finally free their people from the bunker, the clans go their separate ways. Which way does Echo choose to go?
Clarke Griffin/Roan.
Relevant tags: Roan/Clarke.
I would've loved to see Clarke and Roan rule Azgeda alongside each other—possibly with few (if any) of the other Grounder clans surviving Praimfaya. I'd also like to see them fighting as allies in a battle. Unfortunately, you might need to go AU with these two—thanks, Conclave—but I'd enjoy something set between episodes before then, as well. Maybe something between "God Complex" and "DNR"?
I think the greatest setback Clarke and Roan encounter is that they never learn to trust each other. Maybe they each have too much at stake, or maybe their people have betrayed each other too many times, but they come so close… and then Clarke tries to steal the Flame, and Roan refuses to listen to her after. She might never know that her words did sink in.
I love that Clarke and Roan challenge each other. As disappointing as it is that they never came to trust each other, I like that they stand their ground against each other. I also like that because Roan is a king and understands complex choices, he understands the decisions Clarke has to make—even when he doesn't agree with them.
Optional prompts…
- "God Complex" was a mess, right? But at least a few hours passed between it and "DNR," so I'd definitely be interested in something to fill that gap: Roan exploring Becca's house, maybe with Clarke as his shadow, would be great. He likely hasn't seen anything like it. Or maybe the two of them talk about the complicated choices she made.
- What if Azgeda and Skaikru share the bunker, like first agree? How do Clarke and Roan lead their people together? Alternatively, what happens when the five years pass, and they're trapped in the bunker? Or when the miners arrive?
- I'm loving that Echo and Emori get to spend six years on the Ark. I'd like to see what Roan would be like there, especially since he'd be separated from his people all that time, and how being back on the Ark might allow Clarke to let her guard down.
- Somehow, Roan survives the Conclave—he only drowned a little—and makes his way to Becca's lab, just before Clarke. She gives him the last vial of Nightblood, uncertain if it will work. It does, but now they're trapped together until Praimfaya passes.
- Raven—with the help of her hallucinations of Becca?—discovers that there's a little segment of South America that will be protected from Praimfaya. What do they find when they arrive? Is it the paradise they've hoped for?
Crossover Fandom
Wanda Maximoff/Scott Summers.
Relevant tags: Wanda Maximoff. Scott Summers.
Fox plays fast and loose with the timelines in its Marvel films, so you could probably line up Scott and Wanda's timelines however you like. I'd love to see them in the aftermath of Alkali Lake for Scott and Ultron for Wanda, but I'd also be interested in post-X2 for Scott and post-Civil War for Wanda. Or you could play with some of the unknowns in the alternate timeline, like what happened to the mutants who survived Xavier's first seizure.
I won't lie: I'm drawn to aesthetics here, and I don't just mean because James Marsden and Elizabeth Olsen are both attractive people. I mean the aesthetics of their powers—that scarlet and ruby and raw energy. Honestly, if you want to write full-on battle couple for these two, I would love that.
Beyond that, I have to say I think Wanda and Scott might have a complex relationship—particularly if you're working within the original timeline. He has the ghost (sometimes literally) of Jean, whose powers aren't entirely unlike Wanda's; she's still trying how to fit with people who aren't her brother. Scott has the responsibility of leading the X-Men; Wanda has to deal with the lives she's taken.
But I also think that their realness, each one's honesty or bluntness, would be refreshing. She could trust him, because he doesn't have agendas. He could trust her, because she doesn't filter herself or her feelings. (That is, there wouldn't be complications like Logan.)
I love the idea of Scott and Wanda finding one another in the middle of so much hopelessness and struggle.
Optional prompts…
- Let's imagine that Jean doesn't kill Scott in The Last Stand. What if instead she sent him elsewhere—to an Earth without mutants but not an Earth without heroes? What if it was Hydra that fouNd Scott?
- Alternatively, Scott survives Jean's resurrection... only to find mutants hunted in the years to come. Does he get rounded up, like other mutants? Does Wanda end up at one of those camps? Or does she help mutants escape them? (Also, you might explore Scott's reaction to the cure, if you want. Would Scott have taken it? How would Wanda react to that?)
- Logan doesn't say which X-Men survived Xavier's first seizure, so let's just… assume that Scott was one of them. Where is he? Why isn't he helping Logan? Has he taken refuge with the Avengers? Or maybe he suffered some type of memory loss as a result of Xavier's seizure?
- What if the X-Men found Pietro and Wanda, rather than the Avengers? Does Wanda still have her brother? How does she fit with the rest of the X-Men?
- Time tropes could be so great for these two. Time travel to save Pietro? Or to prevent Scott's death? Or maybe Scott and Wanda get stuck in a time loop? Or maybe some type of year-inside/hours-outside scenario?
Skye | Daisy Johnson/Edmund Pevensie.
Relevant tags: Daisy Johnson.
Daisy visits Narnia—or perhaps Daisy has visited Narnia before—and bonds with Edmund. (Young Daisy and young Edmund both felt like outcasts. I wonder if they would connect.) Or Edmund returns to Earth, roughly 30 years old—with or without his siblings—and he's discovered by SHIELD. I'd love to see how Daisy's abilities work in Narnia and how the Narnians would react… or perhaps to see Edmund with abilities upon returning to Earth.
So you have Daisy, a young orphan shuffled from one foster home to another; and you have Edmund, a boy who feels like an outcast in his own family. If Daisy found herself in Narnia as a child at the same time Edmund is a child there, I think they would understand each other—even if he's recently reconciled with his siblings. Perhaps Narnia would become the one place Daisy considered home… until she accidentally leaves and can't return. What if they were reunited as adults?
I also think they would work as adults who hadn't met before. Edmund is intelligent, logical, and intuitive—traits he shares with Daisy. And of course, they're both sarcastic, which I think would be great in fic. However they meet—wherever they meet—one of them will be a fish out of water, but they're both familiar with that feeling.
Optional prompts…
- The Pevensie kings and queen (or queens! please ignore all that "no longer a friend of Narnia" nonsense, if you prefer) return to Earth after nearly 70 years with no memories of Narnia.
- When Daisy was a child, she liked to pretend. Her favorite game took her to a faraway kingdom with two queens and two kings. She's forgotten about her game until she meets one of those kings again.
- Edmund returns to Earth alone, unable to explain how he comes to be there. He has unexplained abilities that draw SHIELD's attention.
- Daisy and SHIELD stumble into Narnia shortly before the Pevensies stumble back through the wardrobe in de-age.
- Edmund shows Daisy the kingdom—particularly his territories—or Daisy shows Edmund modern day Earth.
Cassandra Pentaghast/Steve Rogers.
Relevant tags: Cassandra Pentaghast. Steve Rogers.
Cassandra finding herself on Earth in our present could be hilarious: the technology, the buildings, the fashions, and most importantly, the wealth of novels. I bet she and Steve would love reading together. Alternatively, Steve might find Thedas a good fit. He's a soldier, and he might fit well with the Templars or the Seekers or maybe even on the city guard. I'd love to see Cassandra teaching Steve how to fight with swords.
Cassandra and Steve could work so well: They're both soldiers, loyal to their people and to their cause. They both want to choose the right path and inspire those choices in others. They've both had to betray allies (the Avengers; the Seekers).
Also, let's be honest, Steve in armor would be fantastic… and he would be like someone out of one of Varric's books (or the other trashy romance books Cassandra loves), and Cassandra would definitely notice. And it's not like Cassandra isn't Steve's type—he definitely likes women with weapons.
Optional prompts…
- Cassandra becomes separated from the Inquisitor and steps into the wrong mirror… finding herself in modern day New York City, in the aftermath of a battle between the Avengers and an alien force. She bonds with Steve because he knows what's she's going through.
- Steve gets transported to Thedas at the end of Captain America rather than frozen in ice. A certain Seeker finds him collapsed on a dirt road. Now, he's far from home, and there are dragons; and of course, there's the war.
- Solas's efforts to Elvhenan fail. Instead, the barriers between worlds collapse, and Thedas blends with Earth.
- Steve arrives in Haven just before Corypheus attacks the Conclave. He becomes the soul survivor of the Conclave, the Herald of Andraste, and the Inquisitor.
- Cassandra and Steve meet on the Crossroads and find they're in pursuit of a common enemy, so they travel together, learning about the other one's world; as they draw close to their enemy, they realize that soon they'll part ways.
Dragon Age (Video Games)
Abelas/Female Lavellan.
Relevant tags: Abelas. Dragon Age.
I wish Trespasser let us have more of the ancient elves, particularly Abelas. What's his story? Maybe Abelas comes to Skyhold sometime after Solas disappears? Maybe he offers an alliance after the Exalted Council, dissatisfied with Solas and his plans for Thedas? I'd also love to see Lavellan somehow get a taste of what Elvhenan was like before it fell.
I think I'm drawn to Lavellan/Abelas for several reasons people love Lavellan/Solas: An ancient elf, awake thousands of years outside of his time, discovering that his people have fallen so far; and yet, he finds people and things in this time that have value to him, too.
Meanwhile, you have Lavellan, and you can play her several ways. Does she hold to her people's traditions? Does she value the lives they lead now? Or does she find elven traditions hollow, their written history flawed? Or does she fall somewhere between? How has her time with the Inquisition, learning that much of what the clans teach isn't true, affect her view of her people? And how does all of that determine how she reacts to Abelas and his opinions?
I'm great with Lavellan however you'd like to write her: warrior or mage or rogue; keeper of elven traditions or Andrastian or faithless. Whether she drank from the Well of Sorrows or not is your choice, but I do think that fics for these two are more interesting when she has. For this, I'd prefer that she not have an ongoing romantic relationship with Solas.
Optional prompts…
- Lavellan attempts to infiltrate a clan of ancient elves, recently awoken, to learn more about Solas's movements. She doesn't expect Abelas to be there.
- What if stepping outside the boundaries of the Temple of Mythal weakened Abelas, maybe even caused amnesia? and maybe Inquisition scouts find him wandering around as they prepare to return to Skyhold?
- Following the Exalted Council, elves across Thedas begin to disappear—presumably to join Solas—so Lavellan decides to track down the one other ancient elf she knows.
- I have a weakness for time travel, made worse by the fact that "In Hushed Whispers" offered it up. I'd love more of that. Perhaps a spell or relic flings Lavellan back to ancient Elvhenan, where she meets Abelas?
- One thing I love in Lavellan/Abelas stories: Ancient Elven Magic/Gadgets/Sanctuaries/etc. So… sometime after defeating Solas all together (or not!), Lavellan passes the years searching for ancient elven artifacts and whatnot; she stumbles upon Abelas. (Or he stumbles upon her.)
Alistair/Female Trevelyan.
Relevant tags: Alistair. Trevelyan.
King Alistair—perhaps having loved and lost the Warden?—surprises himself by falling in love with Inquisitor Trevelyan. Or maybe Josephine sees them together and decides it couldn't hurt if people at least thought there's something there. Or maybe Trevelyan falls for Alistair when Hawke introduces them? Something tropey with these two would fun, I think—stranded because of a cave-in? soulmates with marks? time loop/Groundhog Day? space AU? maybe reincarnation fic?
I saw these two nominated in a tagset earlier this year and found myself really intrigued. Between mage, rogue, and warrior Trevelyan and drunk, king, and warden Alistair, this relationship has plenty possibilities to love.
King Alistair with a warrior or rogue Trevelyan, who's grown up among people similar to those he comes from: great. I also enjoy King Alistair with mage Trevelyan because noble mages essentially get disowned, and it took running out of nobility for people to acknowledge Alistair. (Also, I'm a sucker for marriage-of-convenience fics.)
I also love warden Alistair with any Trevelyan, simply because I think Alistair is probably most at ease and happiest as a Warden. I think he might be particularly fun with a warrior, if you're feeling the whole blood-soaked battle couples vibe, but I love a rogue or mage Trevelyan, too.
King or warden Alistair would probably be my first choice for Alistair, but I have to admit there's a certain amount of potential with drunk Alistair: How does he come back into the picture? What does his life look like after Teagan comes for him? Mage Trevelyan might understand him best, but maybe rogue or warrior Trevelyan would sympathize as well?
Of course, I'm open to the other possibilities as well, and these don't cover the complexities of whether the Warden romanced Alistair or the Inquisitor needing to choose between Hawke and Alistair.
Beyond all of that, I love that Alistair and Trevelyan come from noble families. They might bond over certain aspects of that—positive or negative—and probably rebel against those things together.
Also, I tend to play Trevelyan with plenty of humor: as many sarcasm options as possible, and yeah, I let my Trevelyans kill Florianne because Duchess in a Box is fantastic. Alistair has a ridiculous sense of humor, so I feel like they'd appreciate that in each other.
Optional prompts…
- King Alistair and Trevelyan first meet at Redcliffe, after "In Hushed Whispers." Perhaps the Inquisitor begins a correspondence with Alistair, under the guise of keeping the King of Ferelden informed about the Inquisition?
- Alternatively, Trevelyan meets Alistair in Crestwood. She gets to know him (and like him) before the assault on Adamant Fortress… and then she must decide between his life and Hawke's. How does their relationship progress if she saves him, sacrificing Hawke? Does the guilt over Hawke affect how she's begun to feel toward Alistair… or how he might feel for her?
- Like I mentioned earlier, I love the marriage-of-convenience trope. Perhaps the Inquisition chooses to do this if Trevelyan decides to keep the Inquisition in tact under the Divine?
- What happened to Alistair in the alternate timeline at Redcliffe? What if Trevelyan found herself flung into wherever he's being held, rather than in a dungeon with Dorian?
- At the Exalted Council, Teagan introduces her to Alistair, who he's kept an eye on since retrieving him from Kirkwall. In between the negotiations and the Crossroads, he and Trevelyan get to know each other. Maybe he joins her for the last leg of the Crossroads travels?
Law & Order: SVU
Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson.
Relevant tags: Barba/Benson.
What happened with the threats against Barba? What if someone slipped past his security detail? We've seen that Barba can be ruthless in court, but what if he needed to channel that ruthlessness to protect Benson? I'd also love to see Benson and Barba with some downtime: Somewhere safe and sometime happy… maybe visiting Amaro in California?
These two, it's all push-and-pull. They're committed to their work and will use almost any tactic to stop criminals… But sometimes their beliefs clash. Sometimes, he crosses lines she won't. Other times, she surprises him. They fight each other.
But they also fight for each other. Time and again, we've seen that Barba cares about Benson. I think this season's "Know It All" let us see how much she cares about him. (Am I reading too much into that last scene or does it read like maybe she's just realizing how much she cares?)
I see Barba and Benson as hidden longing; as two people who know they can rely on each other but who can't seem to get a read on how the other person feels about them; as people for whom timing is everything.
Optional prompts…
- To me, it seemed like Barba and Benson's relationship shifted after "Know It All." I'd love to read a little about that shift, whether it's after that episode or it's set later. (For example, the scene at the end of "Spellbound"? Benson p a u s e s while saying "[...] if it doesn't get it, he's not worth it" to look at Barba. But not—from my POV—like Barba's someone who doesn't get whatever Benson's "it" is. Like he's someone who does.)
- What if Benson and Barba witnessed a crime committed by someone pursued by the FBI or another agency? What if their testimony—as a detective and an ADA—would be vital to the case, but they needed to go into witness protection until they could testify? What if they were allowed to stay together, along with Noah?
- Benson and Barba rush to a rural New York town to deliver a warrant and acquire a witness… only to get stranded by a snowstorm. Stuck in a little highway motel room, they finally have to have a conversation (or conversations) they've put off for months.
- I feel like Barba and Benson would be perfect for a Groundhog Day type of fic—particularly from his POV, but honestly, either POV would be great. Or if you like, maybe both Barba and Benson are aware of the time loop.
- As long as I'm borrowing plots from the '90s: You've Got Mail. 1,000 words probably doesn't leave room to handle most of the plot, so I'd just love to see one or both of them discovering who they've been emailing.
Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins.
Relevant tags: Carisi/Rollins.
Honestly, I would probably read like 100,000 words of platonic-domestic-to-romantic-domestic for these two, so if that type of fluff suits you, I'd love even 1,000 words of that. I'm also here for angstier fics. What happens when Carisi's demons clash with Rollins's? Or when Jesse's father comes back to New York? Is Rollins at all jealous of Carisi's mystery girlfriend? Is he trying to put away feelings he has for Rollins?
Rollins and Carisi's relationship has some of the best development on the show so far, I think. Carisi joins SVU as a temporary replacement for Amaro—which of course offends Rollins, because of her relationship with Amaro—and doesn't leave a great first impression. In time, they take on a type of squabbling sibling relationship… until that became genuine friendship.
I love their relationship in seasons 17 and 18: Carisi becomes someone who supported and encouraged Rollins. He's still relatively new to the squad, but he takes care of her when she's on bedrest and when she's in labor. He cooks for her. (The cooking thing! I am so into it!) They start watching terrible reality TV together.
Rollins starts to look out for him—to ask after his bar exam; to worry about him when he's undercover; to offer the only comfort she knows to give him (her company and Jesse's company) when that case goes wrong. I love that she still teases him… and that he doesn't mind it at all.
Optional details…
- I think Rollins might not acknowledge or act on feelings toward Carisi unless something startled or scared her into it: for example, if a suspect in an investigation subdued and abducted Carisi. What if the suspect put SVU on a timer—with Carisi's life at stake?
- I was a little disappointed that we didn't see Jesse's first birthday. I'd like to read the aftermath of a birthday party—after everyone else goes home, and Jesse falls asleep, and it's just Carisi and Rollins.
- One of Carisi and Rollin's marathons of Desperate Housewives or House Hunters or something like that goes too late one night, leaving him stranded at her place during a snowstorm. (Alternatively, Carisi and Rollins hunkered down somewhere together to wait out a hurricane.) From there, anything you want.
- I know soulmates/soulmate-identifying marks aren't everyone's thing, but I also know Rollins would be super offended by her soulmate being Carisi. It's such an amusing image, I have to put that prompt out there. But I'm also interested in the way Carisi—a man of faith—might accept or reject the notion of soulmates, as well as the way that Rollins's past has sullied the idea of any type of fate for her.
- What if Carisi hadn't transferred to the squad and instead first met Rollins when he became an ADA? Without the squad's influence on him, has Carisi developed into the one we love? How has not having Carisi in her life affected Rollins? (I'd also be into this as one of those "this is how your life could have been" fics.)
Mass Effect Trilogy
Feron/Female Shepard.
Relevant tags: Feron. Shepard.
After Arrival, Shepard comes to Earth to turn herself in. I'd love to see her get to know Feron better in that time—maybe exchanging messages. Or maybe sometime before Shepard turns herself in, Liara asks Shepard to bring Feron along on a mission. Shepard and Feron after the Reaper war would be great, too: Maybe Shepard gets a forged ID from Liara and tries to slip away, but Liara sends Feron to make sure she's safe.
I'm intrigued by Feron and Shepard because you could approach them several ways. On the surface, you have a marine—someone who devotes her life to honor and heroics—and an information broker. But beneath that, there's the Shepard who sacrifices 300,000 Batarians to give the rest of the galaxy time to prepare for the Reapers. There's the Feron who betrays the Shadow Broker rather than let Shepard fall into slavers'' hands.
Then there's what each of them have endured: Shepard giving body and soul to stop the Reapers; Feron surviving two years of torture and interrogation.
I think Shepard and Feron could help each other in the aftermath of everything... but I also think that they could be reflections—of a sort—of each other.
Optional prompts…
- Feron and Shepard exchange messages while she's awaiting trial on Earth. Maybe it turns out that Feron is something of a gossip—at least when he knows it'll ease Shepard's mind a little. Maybe he manages to send her more than just messages.
- What if the Reapers hadn't attacked when they did, leaving Shepard's trial to proceed as planned? What if the Alliance chose to make an example of her rather than reinstating her? I'd love to see Liara send Feron to break Shepard out.
- After the war, Shepard decides to disappears into the Shadow Broker's network. She and Feron end up on a mission together.
- When Liara rejoins the crew, she decides to bring Feron with her. How does his presence on the Normandy change things, particularly after Cerberus attacks the Citadel?
- Somehow, Feron and Shepard end up in cryostasis aboard one of the Andromeda Initiative ships. Maybe Liara uses her contact with Alec to sneak them on rather than Cerberus getting hold of her? How do they deal with waking up in a new galaxy, particularly with the knowledge of the threat that they left behind?
Sanctuary
Helen Magnus/Will Zimmerman.
Relevant tags: Magnus/Will. Sanctuary.
Generally, the episodes of this series I loved best focused on Magnus and Will's relationship. (Requiem, Pavor Nocturnus, Next Tuesday, Carentan, Out of the Blue, The Depths.) Any fic like that—Magnus and Will isolated in a ridiculous and/or extreme situation—would be incredible. I'm also (still) dying to know what happened post-series with both the Sanctuary and Magnus and Will's relationship. I do love Tesla and the Five and all of that, as well as Hollow Earth and its history, so you could incorporate that, too.
For me, Magnus and Will are the heart of Sanctuary. There's such a level of depth to their relationship, and I think it resonates—particularly in difficult moments. I like that Will acts as her "emotional compass," even before she loses Ashley; I like that he and Magnus challenge each other, but that they'll also protect each other under any circumstance.
As much as it hurt to see—and as much as it was often frustrating—I also like the push-and-pull that Magnus and Will have: that she needs him, but she doesn't want to rely on him; that he wants to follow her, but he has to stand his ground. They're both stubborn, but they care, and it really gets to me.
One thing I love about Magnus and Will throughout the series is the parallels, phrases and ideas repeated throughout, like leaps of faith. I love the way the series ended, with Magnus asking Will, "Shall we begin?" I also really like the Magnus/Will centric episodes, the ones that focus on the complexities of her history and their relationship.
Optional prompts…
- Time travel failed Adam Worth, so he decides to experiment with immortality… and he uses Will as his final test subject. Now, Will's life has changed, and he and Magnus must adjust to his longevity.
- What if Will's mother had a greater connection to the Sanctuary network than Magnus let on? What if she was an Abnormal, and Will learns that he is, too? (Thinking back on that strange zoom-in-on-clues thing they dropped after season 1.)/li>
- Post-series, as Magnus and Will rebuild, he must choose between his loyalty to her and a future with Abby. Complicating things, Magnus has begun to listen to his pleas for them to be equal and for her to let him in.
- Personally, I think it's a tragedy we never got to see Magnus and Will with the undercover as a couple trope. I'd really like to read something like that, particularly if they used the histories from their shared dream in "Out of the Blue.")
- Reincarnation fic for these would be great, too, I think—particularly if "Jack" Zimmerman from the flashback episode was actually a version of Will, rather than an ancestor.