Trick or Treat Letter
Sep. 14th, 2022 08:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakDear Trick or Treater,
This is my first time participating in this particular ficathon, and I’m really grateful to you for writing a trick or treat for me. All the prompts are just suggestions; if you have very different ideas featuring the same central characters, 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 entirely 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 captivity or non-con scenarios (as in, an unwanted marriage in one case) and I'm not opposed to you exploring the emotional and psychological ramifications. But I’d rather not, say, two thirds of the story consist of sexual brutality.
Likes:
- flirting/seduction via wordplay and banter (if it works for you with the characters in question)
- 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, both romantic and non-romantic, 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, some of which made it into my specific prompts, but I do want to recognize the characters. Half 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 no sex at all (case in point: several of the non-romantic relationships I nominated), as long as the story explores the emotional dynamics in an intense way.
Babylon 5
Londo and G’Kar: I bet both the Narn and the Centauri have their equivalent of ghost stories, I’d be happy with either a more lighthearted tale (say, in an early s1 or a late s4/early s5 setting, maybe the two of them come across an event/person which reminds them of mythological creature X, but they don’t want to admit it in front of the other, except that Londo is actually well versed enough in Narn faith(/s) to know about the relevance of the flower in s1, and G’Kar would have made a point of learning anything useful against his enemies when young, so the respective other recognises it), or a darker tale (all that blood and guilt), as for example a “what if?” AU in which Morden decides to make his deal with G’Kar. (Maybe one of them makes an incautious “make this never happened!” wish?)
Londo and Vir: again, both lighthearted stories (maybe five dishes Vir cooked for Londo and one Londo cooked for Vir) and sadder ones are welcome. Maybe, remembering what the Day of the Dead accomplished on Babylon 5, Emperor Vir who hopes Londo is at peace now and isn’t completely sure and also desperately misses him sells the Brakiri a bit of Centauri territory to get Londo back for one night, and this backfires because with Londo come a lot of dangerous contemporaries (Cartaqgia? Morden? Both?) who find a way they can stay beyond that one night, and in the end this can only be undone/prevented by Londo returning to the dead?
Bester: he canonically (according to Lyta in “Paragon of Animals”) did enough death scans that there are rumors in. Psi Corps about him having seen far too much, which sounds like a set up for a trick story if ever I heard one. What was he looking for? What did he leave with the dead?
18th Century CE RPF
Frederick & brother Henry: I always thought old Heinrich’s time in Wusterhausen shortly before his death, reading Wilhelmine’s memoirs, would have been a ideal for a ghostly encounter or several. If he runs into a young Friedrich whom he first mistakes for his own younger self, and/or ends up comforting before realising who it really is, all the better. Alternatively, and more lightheartedly, the very first pandemic lockdown in Germany trapped a couple of musiceans in Rheinsberg for some weeks, who thought for sure Friedrich was haunting them (complete with dogs). If he was, I bet Heinrich’s ghost pretended to be extremely annoyed at having to deal with his brother here (“Couldn’t you have stayed at Sanssouci?”) , but secretly enjoyed the chance to spar again. And get concerts out of the muicians, with both of them pretending that’s the only reason Friedrich is there.
Isabella, Maria Christina (Mimi) and Joseph: was such a tragic and angsty situation. Maybe Isabella, who thought death would be her freedom, finds herself trapped and thinks she either can communicate with Mimi or get some revenge for the unwanted marriage from Joseph. But Mimi, being the sensible type, has moved on, so doesn’t notice any attempts, and Joseph actually welcomes being haunted by Isabella….
Fredersdorf: if a treat, maybe something about his Paris trip (what did he do there? Secret politics? How did this work, with him not speaking the language?), or his wife (who called him her favourite husband - of three - despite their brief marriage, his state of health and his relationship with the King, so clearly their marriage worked for them). If a trick: his later life passion for alchemy has unexpected results. Maybe he discovers immortality, but it can be given only to one person, and he realises this means who ever gets it will see everyone else they ever care about die, which he wouldn’t do to either Friedrich or himself. Or maybe he finds out a way to bringt a dead person back - but it can be only one,so which one, and does it do it?
….or maybe you just show Fredersdorf and Friedrich curtain shopping for Rheinsberg or dealing with Mimi the monkey destroying manuscripts in 1735!
The Last Kingdom
Aelswith and her character development are my not so secret favourite aspect of the later seasons, and I would love anything that puts her in the center of a story. That she invited herself to stay with Uthred at Bebbanburg for a while in the show finale is a terrific set up, given their entire history with each other (and Alfred), both for comedy gold or serious character exploration. If you’d rather write something set in earlier seasons, or focus on Aelswith’s relationship with her grandchildren, it would be lovely as well. Again, can be light or dark, can deal with Aelswith’s guilt re: separating Aethelstan from his mother, or any mixed feelings she, a Mercian, might have about Aelswynn losing the throne to Edward, or grief for her daughter Aethelflaed, or any other aspect.
If Aelswith as the central character absolutely does not work for you, and we got matched on Alfred/Uthred or Alfred & Uthred instead: their relationship is my favourite thing about the first three seasons, and “medieval road trip” my favourite trope. Maybe Alfred has a secret meeting to go to for which he needs Uthred, but of course won’t just ask, he’s Alfred, he has to manipulate Uthred into volunteering? Maybe Uhtred finally getting Bebbanburg and ensuring Northumbrian independence for another generation is enough to irritate Alfred into making a ghostly appearance? (And also, he would never admit it, but he’s bored surrounded by saints.) Anything goes.
Castle Rock
Annie’s story was the short lived tv series’ most captivating and moving aspect to me, in the way it managed the balance of fleshing her out, making her tragic, yet keeping her responsibility for the way she takes and the choices she makes intact. I would love to get a slice-of-life story from Annie’s life with Joy on the road all the time. (She must have shown Joy how to knock her out with a syringe and the right dosis in an emergency - how do you even practice for something like that? What about their better days? Conversely, moving on in the post show future - does Annie still see Joy in the last years of her life, when she’s fully immersed in Misery fandom? Or even an AU where Annie makes Paul write Joy instead of Misery back to life?
This is my first time participating in this particular ficathon, and I’m really grateful to you for writing a trick or treat for me. All the prompts are just suggestions; if you have very different ideas featuring the same central characters, 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 entirely 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 captivity or non-con scenarios (as in, an unwanted marriage in one case) and I'm not opposed to you exploring the emotional and psychological ramifications. But I’d rather not, say, two thirds of the story consist of sexual brutality.
Likes:
- flirting/seduction via wordplay and banter (if it works for you with the characters in question)
- 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, both romantic and non-romantic, 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, some of which made it into my specific prompts, but I do want to recognize the characters. Half 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 no sex at all (case in point: several of the non-romantic relationships I nominated), as long as the story explores the emotional dynamics in an intense way.
Babylon 5
Londo and G’Kar: I bet both the Narn and the Centauri have their equivalent of ghost stories, I’d be happy with either a more lighthearted tale (say, in an early s1 or a late s4/early s5 setting, maybe the two of them come across an event/person which reminds them of mythological creature X, but they don’t want to admit it in front of the other, except that Londo is actually well versed enough in Narn faith(/s) to know about the relevance of the flower in s1, and G’Kar would have made a point of learning anything useful against his enemies when young, so the respective other recognises it), or a darker tale (all that blood and guilt), as for example a “what if?” AU in which Morden decides to make his deal with G’Kar. (Maybe one of them makes an incautious “make this never happened!” wish?)
Londo and Vir: again, both lighthearted stories (maybe five dishes Vir cooked for Londo and one Londo cooked for Vir) and sadder ones are welcome. Maybe, remembering what the Day of the Dead accomplished on Babylon 5, Emperor Vir who hopes Londo is at peace now and isn’t completely sure and also desperately misses him sells the Brakiri a bit of Centauri territory to get Londo back for one night, and this backfires because with Londo come a lot of dangerous contemporaries (Cartaqgia? Morden? Both?) who find a way they can stay beyond that one night, and in the end this can only be undone/prevented by Londo returning to the dead?
Bester: he canonically (according to Lyta in “Paragon of Animals”) did enough death scans that there are rumors in. Psi Corps about him having seen far too much, which sounds like a set up for a trick story if ever I heard one. What was he looking for? What did he leave with the dead?
18th Century CE RPF
Frederick & brother Henry: I always thought old Heinrich’s time in Wusterhausen shortly before his death, reading Wilhelmine’s memoirs, would have been a ideal for a ghostly encounter or several. If he runs into a young Friedrich whom he first mistakes for his own younger self, and/or ends up comforting before realising who it really is, all the better. Alternatively, and more lightheartedly, the very first pandemic lockdown in Germany trapped a couple of musiceans in Rheinsberg for some weeks, who thought for sure Friedrich was haunting them (complete with dogs). If he was, I bet Heinrich’s ghost pretended to be extremely annoyed at having to deal with his brother here (“Couldn’t you have stayed at Sanssouci?”) , but secretly enjoyed the chance to spar again. And get concerts out of the muicians, with both of them pretending that’s the only reason Friedrich is there.
Isabella, Maria Christina (Mimi) and Joseph: was such a tragic and angsty situation. Maybe Isabella, who thought death would be her freedom, finds herself trapped and thinks she either can communicate with Mimi or get some revenge for the unwanted marriage from Joseph. But Mimi, being the sensible type, has moved on, so doesn’t notice any attempts, and Joseph actually welcomes being haunted by Isabella….
Fredersdorf: if a treat, maybe something about his Paris trip (what did he do there? Secret politics? How did this work, with him not speaking the language?), or his wife (who called him her favourite husband - of three - despite their brief marriage, his state of health and his relationship with the King, so clearly their marriage worked for them). If a trick: his later life passion for alchemy has unexpected results. Maybe he discovers immortality, but it can be given only to one person, and he realises this means who ever gets it will see everyone else they ever care about die, which he wouldn’t do to either Friedrich or himself. Or maybe he finds out a way to bringt a dead person back - but it can be only one,so which one, and does it do it?
….or maybe you just show Fredersdorf and Friedrich curtain shopping for Rheinsberg or dealing with Mimi the monkey destroying manuscripts in 1735!
The Last Kingdom
Aelswith and her character development are my not so secret favourite aspect of the later seasons, and I would love anything that puts her in the center of a story. That she invited herself to stay with Uthred at Bebbanburg for a while in the show finale is a terrific set up, given their entire history with each other (and Alfred), both for comedy gold or serious character exploration. If you’d rather write something set in earlier seasons, or focus on Aelswith’s relationship with her grandchildren, it would be lovely as well. Again, can be light or dark, can deal with Aelswith’s guilt re: separating Aethelstan from his mother, or any mixed feelings she, a Mercian, might have about Aelswynn losing the throne to Edward, or grief for her daughter Aethelflaed, or any other aspect.
If Aelswith as the central character absolutely does not work for you, and we got matched on Alfred/Uthred or Alfred & Uthred instead: their relationship is my favourite thing about the first three seasons, and “medieval road trip” my favourite trope. Maybe Alfred has a secret meeting to go to for which he needs Uthred, but of course won’t just ask, he’s Alfred, he has to manipulate Uthred into volunteering? Maybe Uhtred finally getting Bebbanburg and ensuring Northumbrian independence for another generation is enough to irritate Alfred into making a ghostly appearance? (And also, he would never admit it, but he’s bored surrounded by saints.) Anything goes.
Castle Rock
Annie’s story was the short lived tv series’ most captivating and moving aspect to me, in the way it managed the balance of fleshing her out, making her tragic, yet keeping her responsibility for the way she takes and the choices she makes intact. I would love to get a slice-of-life story from Annie’s life with Joy on the road all the time. (She must have shown Joy how to knock her out with a syringe and the right dosis in an emergency - how do you even practice for something like that? What about their better days? Conversely, moving on in the post show future - does Annie still see Joy in the last years of her life, when she’s fully immersed in Misery fandom? Or even an AU where Annie makes Paul write Joy instead of Misery back to life?
