RMSE Letter
May. 27th, 2022 03:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakDear RMSE Author,
thank you so much for writing a story featuring one of these pairings for me. I am very much looking forward to reading story, and am grateful for anything you choose to do. All the prompts are just suggestions; if you have very different ideas, go for them. Also, I enjoy a broad range from fluff to angst, so whatever suits you best works fine with me.
DNW:
- bashing of canon pairings or characters in general. By which I don't mean the characters have to like each and everyone - a great number of those I've nominated can be described as prickly jerks, among other things, and it would be ic for them to say something negative about people they canonically can't stand - but there's a difference between that and the narrative giving me the impression to go along with said opinions.
- Alpha/Beta/Omega scenarios, watersports, infantilisation. Really not my thing, sorry.
- Rape. Now, several of the pairings I nominated involve relationships with power differentials, or even canonical captive scenarios, and I'm not opposed to questionable consent per se to start with, but I really want both partners to, in the end, agree with what's going on. (Resentment at one partner for wanting him is fine, though.)
- non-canonical torture (several canons do include torture, and if you want to explore what that means for character x in their relationship with Y, absolutely, just don't add
Likes:
- flirting/seduction via wordplay and banter (doesn't work for all pairings, I know)
- for the darker push/pull dynamics: moments of tenderness and understanding in between the fighting/one upman shipping (without abandoning the anger)
- for the pairings that are gentler and harmonious by nature: making it clear each has their own life and agenda as well
- some humor amidst the angst (especially if the character in question displays it in canon)
The question of AUs: depends. "What if this key canon event did not happen?" can lead to great character and dynamics exploration, but I do want to recognize the characters. The majority of those I nominated are from historical canons, and the history is part of the fascination the canon has for me. ) However, if you feel inspired to, say, write Frederick the Great, space lawyer, and manage to do it in a way that gives me gripping analogues to the historical situations: be my guest!
How much or how little sex: I'm cool with anything you feel comfortable with, from detailed sex to the proverbial fade out after a kiss. Or even no sex at all, as long as the story explores the emotional dynamics in a way that makes it clear what's going on there is love/passion.
Stealing Fire - Bagoas favorite of Alexander the Great/Lydias
Bagoas and Lydias in "Stealing Fire" hit several of my fictional buttons almost better than any other pairing - they're both survivors of tragedies (of which the loss of their respective loves is but one, but a terrible one), they both help each other at different points to start a new life, and the author gets across beautifully that it's never an "either/or" or "better/worse" question, that their love for the dead and for the living are both real. As long as your story captures something of this, I'll be delighted.
Possible prompts: "Stealing Fire" is all Lydias' pov, of course, so: how about Bagoas? Tell me about his starting to relate to Lydias and to see a point to his life beyond guarding Alexander's dead body. Or: when does friendship become more? Bagoas' perspective on Egypt, which might be different from that of Lydias, would also be very interesting to me.
(BTW: if you want to include Chloe and/or set the story at a post-book point, I'm fine with this, too. It's entirely up to you.)
18th Century Frederician RPF
Any of the pairings I nominated would make me happy, in whichever fashion (i.e. historical or AU, contemporary or sci fi). Ideas for individual prompts,
Friedrich/Voltaire in combination with Friedrich/Fredersdorf:
I've always been wildly curious as to what Fredersdorf, who had a front row seat (and presumably had to hear many a rant and/or praise) to the Frederick/Voltaire saga, made of that relationship. Any point in the time line would be good, from the honeymoon phase to the big implosion. If the later: considering Fredersdorf got married in 1753, aka the year of the show-stopping fiery finale of Voltaire's time in Prussia, feel free to include that in his reaction.
If you want to deal with the relationships separately: for Friedrich/Fredersdorf, I'd like a "moving into Rheinsberg" story. This was self-confessedly the start of Friedrich's happiest years, the unwanted wife not withstanding (and he was kinder to her then than he'd ever be again). What was it like for Fredersdorf? (Who must have done much of the practicalities of the move.) The Rheinsberg years offer the chance of pure fluff and curtainfic, or a dose of angst since there was still Friedrich's father (who liked to make surprise visits) to contend with, and his capacity to inflict misery. And as happy as Friedrich was there, he was waiting to become King, and planning for that event in an ever more detailed fashion. He was by no means intending to live the Rheinsberg life forever. What did Fredersdorf hope/fear from a royal future? How did he deal with Elisabeth Christine, who in later years had to use him as a go-between if she wanted to visit her husband? What was his take on the increasing number of friends and courtiers showing up?
Meanwhile, Friedrich/Voltaire: considering Frederick survived Voltaire by several years, he had the chance to read Voltaire's memoirs. (Which were only forbidden to be sold in Prussia after Friedrich's death.) Give me his reactions and annotations, and I shall be a very happy recipient. Or: it's 1743, Voltaire makes his second visit to Prussia, has a great time, flirts with Ulrike, receives poetry by Friedrich-Cyrano while doing that... and leaves again to reunite with Émilie, much to Friedrich's anoyance. Seems to ask to be covered by fanfiction!
Lehndorff/Heinrich: here my dream prompt is a "Five times Lehndorff kissed Heinrich" story spread through their lives. The first time when they're young and Lehndorff goes from ambitious young courtier hanging out with the princes to falling in love with one of them, the last time when they're both old (can be reconciliation after mutual irritation during Lehndorff's last Rheinsberg visit), and in between moments from particular emotional points, like for Lehndorff when he's lost both his children and first wife, is in dire need of comfort and distraction and he and Heinrich travel through the Netherlands together, or for Heinrich the first time they see each other after August Wilhelm has died.
Algarotti/Heinrich: a one (or two) night stand is my not entirely serious headcanon about these two; they both got around in general, plus Algarotti might have been working out his Fritz issues and Heinrich always had Fritz issues to work out. Possible scenarios: first Silesian War, while Algarotti is quickly getting bored in Berlin and Heinrich gets "apply yourself!" mail from Big Brother; later 1740s, Heinrich is still incensed about the Marwitz affair - or, if it's 1749, about being blackmailed into marriage - and Algarotti starts to wonder whether this coming back to Prussia thing had been a good idea.
Friedrich/Heinrich: because they're just that dysfunctional and wrapped up in each other. If you're more crack-inclined: that time in 1746, when Frederick the recently Great visited the spa at Pyrmont; his entourage included his younger brother Heinrich. Considering Heinrich and Fritz had just been through the Marwitz affair, and were about to get ever more dysfunctional with each other, and considering Fritz actually seems to have listened to Doctor’s orders on th the occasion (meaning that there were no getaway trips from the spa) this must have been something to behold. Give me the glorious fraternal bickering, the one up manship eventually spilling over into sexual territory...
If you want a serious scenario and are up for something supernatural: When Heinrich in 1799 moves into Dear Old Wusterhausen and gets given Wilhelmine's memoirs to read, he encounters a ghost there. It's brother Friedrich. But not the brother he knew for the most years of his life. No, he keeps running into young Fritz being miserable at Wusterhausen in 1728/1729/1730. (If I did, it would be a self rip-off because I used that concept in this story about Darla and Connor from Angel.) What does Heinrich make of a vulnerable Fritz who has no power over him? (What does young Fritz with no knowledge of the future make of this weird old man?)
The Third Man (1949)
Of all the amoral tricksters to grace moviedom, Harry Lime to me is the most memorable. He's on screen just for a short while, but you can see why Holly and Anna were so drawn to him. Holly gets disillusioned about the extent to which Harry is willing to go for his own profit, but how did the relationship become so important that he was willing to come to Vienna for it in the first place? And what did Harry think Holly could do for him? (Writers of none too successful Westerns are hardly targets worthy of exlpoitation.) How did their friendship work back in the day, and how much could Harry seduce Holly into?
I'm mostly interested in backstory for these two, but if you want to go AU and/or declare Harry faked his death (again) at the end of the Third Man in order to present a post movie scenario, that would be fine with me as well.
Alias (TV)
What can I say? Arvin Sloane, the show's antagonist, is just one of my all time favourite characters. And the decades long intense frenemies relationship with Jack Bristow one of my favourite relationships. I'm game for anything: a story set in their younger years as fellow CIA agents (a shared mission or just the two hanging out); the era when Arvin defected and created SD-6, and Jack became a double agent, pretending to defect as well (given that Jack had just been maltreated by the CIA due to the Irina reveal, was he ever seriously tempted to do what Arvin had done, for real?); working together to save Sydney a couple of times, conversely Jack coming close to killing Arvin a couple of times as well; an AU where they both get out of that cave, immortal, post show. One of the great things about the relationship is that the emotional core of it would not change if you assume they were friends with benefits the whole time, or that Arvin was in love with Jack but saw Jack as straight (in more ways than one) and thus never said or did anything until the point of your story. Or, hell, why not a "undercover in a gay bar" or "enemies made them do it" scenario. Whatever it is, it will make me a happy reader.
The Last Kingdom (TV)
The Uthred and Alfred relationship in its prickly complexity was one of my favourite elements of this show, so anything focusing on it would be most welcome. As an idea: road trip at any point in canon complete with mutual snark, emotional power games and one or both having to be under cover. Canon gives us this situation for Alfred near the end of s1, but how about a trip for a three ways negotiation between Saxons, Danes and Normans where they both need to pretend to be someone else en route during the nebulous time mid s2?
If you want to go AU: Uthred extends his moment of hostage taking in s3 to actually kidnapping Alfred in order to get out of Winchester in s3, intending to release him once he's out of the city, but instead, he and Alfred both find themselves captured by mutual enemies and have to rely on each other to get out of this captivity alive?
Fandom specific DNW: Aelswith bashing. By which I mean: yes, Uthred and Aelswith loathe each other at this point in canon, but Alfred does not feel the same way, and while Aelswith has her share of flaws (just like the male characters), I don't want the narrative sestting her up as a villain.
thank you so much for writing a story featuring one of these pairings for me. I am very much looking forward to reading story, and am grateful for anything you choose to do. All the prompts are just suggestions; if you have very different ideas, go for them. Also, I enjoy a broad range from fluff to angst, so whatever suits you best works fine with me.
DNW:
- bashing of canon pairings or characters in general. By which I don't mean the characters have to like each and everyone - a great number of those I've nominated can be described as prickly jerks, among other things, and it would be ic for them to say something negative about people they canonically can't stand - but there's a difference between that and the narrative giving me the impression to go along with said opinions.
- Alpha/Beta/Omega scenarios, watersports, infantilisation. Really not my thing, sorry.
- Rape. Now, several of the pairings I nominated involve relationships with power differentials, or even canonical captive scenarios, and I'm not opposed to questionable consent per se to start with, but I really want both partners to, in the end, agree with what's going on. (Resentment at one partner for wanting him is fine, though.)
- non-canonical torture (several canons do include torture, and if you want to explore what that means for character x in their relationship with Y, absolutely, just don't add
Likes:
- flirting/seduction via wordplay and banter (doesn't work for all pairings, I know)
- for the darker push/pull dynamics: moments of tenderness and understanding in between the fighting/one upman shipping (without abandoning the anger)
- for the pairings that are gentler and harmonious by nature: making it clear each has their own life and agenda as well
- some humor amidst the angst (especially if the character in question displays it in canon)
The question of AUs: depends. "What if this key canon event did not happen?" can lead to great character and dynamics exploration, but I do want to recognize the characters. The majority of those I nominated are from historical canons, and the history is part of the fascination the canon has for me. ) However, if you feel inspired to, say, write Frederick the Great, space lawyer, and manage to do it in a way that gives me gripping analogues to the historical situations: be my guest!
How much or how little sex: I'm cool with anything you feel comfortable with, from detailed sex to the proverbial fade out after a kiss. Or even no sex at all, as long as the story explores the emotional dynamics in a way that makes it clear what's going on there is love/passion.
Stealing Fire - Bagoas favorite of Alexander the Great/Lydias
Bagoas and Lydias in "Stealing Fire" hit several of my fictional buttons almost better than any other pairing - they're both survivors of tragedies (of which the loss of their respective loves is but one, but a terrible one), they both help each other at different points to start a new life, and the author gets across beautifully that it's never an "either/or" or "better/worse" question, that their love for the dead and for the living are both real. As long as your story captures something of this, I'll be delighted.
Possible prompts: "Stealing Fire" is all Lydias' pov, of course, so: how about Bagoas? Tell me about his starting to relate to Lydias and to see a point to his life beyond guarding Alexander's dead body. Or: when does friendship become more? Bagoas' perspective on Egypt, which might be different from that of Lydias, would also be very interesting to me.
(BTW: if you want to include Chloe and/or set the story at a post-book point, I'm fine with this, too. It's entirely up to you.)
18th Century Frederician RPF
Any of the pairings I nominated would make me happy, in whichever fashion (i.e. historical or AU, contemporary or sci fi). Ideas for individual prompts,
Friedrich/Voltaire in combination with Friedrich/Fredersdorf:
I've always been wildly curious as to what Fredersdorf, who had a front row seat (and presumably had to hear many a rant and/or praise) to the Frederick/Voltaire saga, made of that relationship. Any point in the time line would be good, from the honeymoon phase to the big implosion. If the later: considering Fredersdorf got married in 1753, aka the year of the show-stopping fiery finale of Voltaire's time in Prussia, feel free to include that in his reaction.
If you want to deal with the relationships separately: for Friedrich/Fredersdorf, I'd like a "moving into Rheinsberg" story. This was self-confessedly the start of Friedrich's happiest years, the unwanted wife not withstanding (and he was kinder to her then than he'd ever be again). What was it like for Fredersdorf? (Who must have done much of the practicalities of the move.) The Rheinsberg years offer the chance of pure fluff and curtainfic, or a dose of angst since there was still Friedrich's father (who liked to make surprise visits) to contend with, and his capacity to inflict misery. And as happy as Friedrich was there, he was waiting to become King, and planning for that event in an ever more detailed fashion. He was by no means intending to live the Rheinsberg life forever. What did Fredersdorf hope/fear from a royal future? How did he deal with Elisabeth Christine, who in later years had to use him as a go-between if she wanted to visit her husband? What was his take on the increasing number of friends and courtiers showing up?
Meanwhile, Friedrich/Voltaire: considering Frederick survived Voltaire by several years, he had the chance to read Voltaire's memoirs. (Which were only forbidden to be sold in Prussia after Friedrich's death.) Give me his reactions and annotations, and I shall be a very happy recipient. Or: it's 1743, Voltaire makes his second visit to Prussia, has a great time, flirts with Ulrike, receives poetry by Friedrich-Cyrano while doing that... and leaves again to reunite with Émilie, much to Friedrich's anoyance. Seems to ask to be covered by fanfiction!
Lehndorff/Heinrich: here my dream prompt is a "Five times Lehndorff kissed Heinrich" story spread through their lives. The first time when they're young and Lehndorff goes from ambitious young courtier hanging out with the princes to falling in love with one of them, the last time when they're both old (can be reconciliation after mutual irritation during Lehndorff's last Rheinsberg visit), and in between moments from particular emotional points, like for Lehndorff when he's lost both his children and first wife, is in dire need of comfort and distraction and he and Heinrich travel through the Netherlands together, or for Heinrich the first time they see each other after August Wilhelm has died.
Algarotti/Heinrich: a one (or two) night stand is my not entirely serious headcanon about these two; they both got around in general, plus Algarotti might have been working out his Fritz issues and Heinrich always had Fritz issues to work out. Possible scenarios: first Silesian War, while Algarotti is quickly getting bored in Berlin and Heinrich gets "apply yourself!" mail from Big Brother; later 1740s, Heinrich is still incensed about the Marwitz affair - or, if it's 1749, about being blackmailed into marriage - and Algarotti starts to wonder whether this coming back to Prussia thing had been a good idea.
Friedrich/Heinrich: because they're just that dysfunctional and wrapped up in each other. If you're more crack-inclined: that time in 1746, when Frederick the recently Great visited the spa at Pyrmont; his entourage included his younger brother Heinrich. Considering Heinrich and Fritz had just been through the Marwitz affair, and were about to get ever more dysfunctional with each other, and considering Fritz actually seems to have listened to Doctor’s orders on th the occasion (meaning that there were no getaway trips from the spa) this must have been something to behold. Give me the glorious fraternal bickering, the one up manship eventually spilling over into sexual territory...
If you want a serious scenario and are up for something supernatural: When Heinrich in 1799 moves into Dear Old Wusterhausen and gets given Wilhelmine's memoirs to read, he encounters a ghost there. It's brother Friedrich. But not the brother he knew for the most years of his life. No, he keeps running into young Fritz being miserable at Wusterhausen in 1728/1729/1730. (If I did, it would be a self rip-off because I used that concept in this story about Darla and Connor from Angel.) What does Heinrich make of a vulnerable Fritz who has no power over him? (What does young Fritz with no knowledge of the future make of this weird old man?)
The Third Man (1949)
Of all the amoral tricksters to grace moviedom, Harry Lime to me is the most memorable. He's on screen just for a short while, but you can see why Holly and Anna were so drawn to him. Holly gets disillusioned about the extent to which Harry is willing to go for his own profit, but how did the relationship become so important that he was willing to come to Vienna for it in the first place? And what did Harry think Holly could do for him? (Writers of none too successful Westerns are hardly targets worthy of exlpoitation.) How did their friendship work back in the day, and how much could Harry seduce Holly into?
I'm mostly interested in backstory for these two, but if you want to go AU and/or declare Harry faked his death (again) at the end of the Third Man in order to present a post movie scenario, that would be fine with me as well.
Alias (TV)
What can I say? Arvin Sloane, the show's antagonist, is just one of my all time favourite characters. And the decades long intense frenemies relationship with Jack Bristow one of my favourite relationships. I'm game for anything: a story set in their younger years as fellow CIA agents (a shared mission or just the two hanging out); the era when Arvin defected and created SD-6, and Jack became a double agent, pretending to defect as well (given that Jack had just been maltreated by the CIA due to the Irina reveal, was he ever seriously tempted to do what Arvin had done, for real?); working together to save Sydney a couple of times, conversely Jack coming close to killing Arvin a couple of times as well; an AU where they both get out of that cave, immortal, post show. One of the great things about the relationship is that the emotional core of it would not change if you assume they were friends with benefits the whole time, or that Arvin was in love with Jack but saw Jack as straight (in more ways than one) and thus never said or did anything until the point of your story. Or, hell, why not a "undercover in a gay bar" or "enemies made them do it" scenario. Whatever it is, it will make me a happy reader.
The Last Kingdom (TV)
The Uthred and Alfred relationship in its prickly complexity was one of my favourite elements of this show, so anything focusing on it would be most welcome. As an idea: road trip at any point in canon complete with mutual snark, emotional power games and one or both having to be under cover. Canon gives us this situation for Alfred near the end of s1, but how about a trip for a three ways negotiation between Saxons, Danes and Normans where they both need to pretend to be someone else en route during the nebulous time mid s2?
If you want to go AU: Uthred extends his moment of hostage taking in s3 to actually kidnapping Alfred in order to get out of Winchester in s3, intending to release him once he's out of the city, but instead, he and Alfred both find themselves captured by mutual enemies and have to rely on each other to get out of this captivity alive?
Fandom specific DNW: Aelswith bashing. By which I mean: yes, Uthred and Aelswith loathe each other at this point in canon, but Alfred does not feel the same way, and while Aelswith has her share of flaws (just like the male characters), I don't want the narrative sestting her up as a villain.
