Dear Fandom5K Runner
Mar. 26th, 2018 10:54![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theladywandererHello Runner (I don't think that's official, but that's what I'm calling it), & thank you very much for signing up for this year's exchange. Feel free to read (or not read) this at your own will, the few absolute hard no thank you's are already in the Optional Details section of the prompt you received, so this is just a heavy dose of Even More Facts, in case you're interested.
Apologies for recycling some of the general notes from exchanges past, & for any rambling that may ensue, we're doing our best here. I'm going to try to be Eloquent & Helpful in re Ideas & Feels, but a great deal of this does just boil down to Gosh, I Like This A Lot, Please Sir, May I Have Another.
For any ~practical evidence~ of myself, I'm here on DW attheladywanderer , the twitter as ![[twitter.com profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/e0caa790ec10/-/twitter.com/favicon.ico)
MacTireDona , & the tumbles as ![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
cauthons . I'm most likely on the twitter, & the tumbles is on perma-queue, even as I lurk.
~~~
IN GENERAL | XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS | FARSCAPE
STARGATE - ALL MEDIA TYPES | STAR TREK: DISCOVERY | ORIGINAL WORK
~~~
IN GENERAL
First, let me say that, as a repeat of the Optional Details notes, I'm not usually a fan of either mpreg, incest, or any shade of non-con, & would prefer if none of the above were included in whichever story it is you choose to write. Additionally, for the prompts with no clearly stated gender, my imagination is pretty gender neutral, & willfully ignorant of any relevant historical accuracy in that regard.
The Additional Tags section of this particular challenge are there more as suggestions, permissions, or guidelines, rather than actual rules. I give a lot of rambling nonsense in re what I enjoy about each character/pairing, but as for any particular situation to set them in, I'm not hugely particular.
More general dislikes are first/second person POVs, absolute no-choice soulmate AUs (see non-con above), infidelity, kidfic, AUs of the movie 'The Notebook' (we all have our struggles), unrealistic depictions of the American South, & the use of Don't Ask, Don't Tell as a crutch &/or excuse for angst (regular binges of pre-2010 fandom reading makes this one a particularly Hard Time).
Everything else, I generally am wide-open to: romance, gen, darkfic, alternate universes, m/f, f/f, m/m, polyamory, you name it, I'm here.
I especially like fics that get into the heads of the characters, take a few moments to crawl around inside their brains, see what makes them tick, as well as those that propose a ridiculous or radically different premise from the canon reality, & have a bit of fun seeing how everyone fits into this new world. I like pining, romantic misery, sarcasm, cynicism, optimism, joy, & the true satisfaction of landing a good sly dig.
But, as you know, optional details are optional, & the things here even more so. Surprise me, Runner, & have fun while doing it.
~~~
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS
Group: Gabrielle/Xena, Callisto (Xena), Lao Ma (Xena)
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Getting Together, Slice of Life
Can you believe that Lucy Lawless kicking ass & making eyes at men & women alike is something we got to see? On television? In our lifetimes? God.
Gabrielle/Xena: These two are so great (so great). To quote my own self, while watching the vision of them getting crucified together (I can't believe that's a sentence), "poetic cinema". Love that nonsense. Love. It. I love the fact that they grow from reluctant companions on an uneven footing, to eternal soulmates with equal standing. I'd love to see how they meet, how they come back together, how they support each other, or how they live. Xena is a Warrior Princess, Gabrielle is an Amazon Queen, & I'd also love to see those societies & those roles transposed into almost any AU you can think of.
Callisto (Xena): Callisto's story is so deeply interesting to me. She's violent, amoral, more than a bit unhinged, & vengeful as all hell. She was broken by the events of her past, put herself back together the wrong way, but still. Girl kept going. I love every time she shows up in Xena, & would love to see her travel some more with Xena & Gabrielle, just this side of uncomfortable & combative. If you've ever seen Legend of the Seeker, think a bit like Cara Mason's situation there, but with a touch more crazy. Talk about her separate from Xena & Gabrielle, of her own arc of Xena-like repentance & travel (instead of being sucked up to Heaven & transformed into an angel).
Lao Ma (Xena): /slams hands down on table/ I wanna know more about her!!! Tell me about her life, how she got to where she is, how she lived in the intricacies of court life, what Xena meant to her, how she would have lived if she didn't have to stand just behind her husband, & what she would have been like. Transfer her to modern day, to the future, to a fantastical world that goes beyond the realms covered in Xena itself.
[Summary: Consider any of the above relationships or characters in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
NOTE: This might have absolutely zero significance to you, but if you choose to do anything in re the concept of soulmates, please keep the following in mind. I know I mention 'absolute no-choice soulmate AUs' in my DNWs, & then come back & call Xena & Gabrielle soulmates here. Soulmate AUs by themselves are fine, I love a good reincarnation. What I'm trying to say with 'absolute no-choice soulmate AU' is that I don't like the concept of finding/meeting your soulmate & suddenly/automatically you're a) bound to them, b) fall in love with them, c) don't have any romantic or sexual choice other than your pre-determined, pre-destined soulmate. Free will & consent are fucking important, okay, & the above smack too much of non-con for me.
~~~
FARSCAPE
Group: John Crichton/Aeryn Sun
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Slice of Life, Getting Together
I just. You guys. I have a lot of feelings about '90s shows, okay, especially those set in or involving space.
John Crichton/Aeryn Sun: /clutches chest/ I love these idiots. Watching Crichton steadily get nuttier over the seasons, & Aeryn become one of the few who manages to pull him back is just /kisses fingers/ poetic cinema. I'm fascinated by how much they come to rely on each other, & would love to see the progression of this relationship transferred over to any non-canon setting you'd like to explore. Crichton's almost antagonistically fish-out-of-water stance, Aeryn's disavowal of everything she was, the fact that the two of them have come from two very different places to a place that neither of them quite understand, & yet they carry on! Together! Some! Good! Shit!
[Summary: Consider the above relationship in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
~~~
STARGATE - ALL MEDIA TYPES
Group: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill, Group: Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran, Group: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard, Group: Samantha Carter & Daniel Jackson & Vala Mal Doran & Cameron Mitchell & Jack O'Neill & Teal'c
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Slice of Life, Getting Together
Oh, look! It's another show from the '90s about--you guessed it--space!
Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill: I was trying to start this & all my brain could think of (to the tune of 'My Date With The President's Daughter') was 'She's In Love (In Love!) With Her Superior Officer'. So you can see where my head's at. I'd love some vignettes over time (either in canon or outside) where either person slowly comes to realize the depth of their connection, resolves to do nothing about it (conceal, don't feel, don't let them know), & then, you know. Suffers. For years. In silence. Only to one day realize that the other person has been doing the exact. same. thing. Or whatever. Angst, dear Runner. That slow-burn, seemingly-unrequited, consummate-professionalism angst. That's it, that's what I've got.
Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran: These! Two! Keep! Snipping! At! Each! Other! &! I! Keep! Falling! For! It! Yep, that's it, that's what I've got. I'd love to see the two of them completely oblivious to the fact that the urge they keep feeling to go & bother the other is actually Another Feeling Entirely, or some repercussions from Daniel dying (again) & coming back (again) (or Vala doing the same, switch it up), & the not-recently-resurrected one inexplicably angry about it (because, as you know: feelings). Think about them in a non-canon setting, of Daniel as the absent-minded Egyptologist & Vala the seemingly-flighty scoundrel who drops by every now & again to simultaneously see Teal'c & infuriate him, of Vala, the all-smiles Queen of Thieves, & Daniel, the beleaguered bookshop owner who knows exactly who she is, but can't quite seem to bring himself to turn her in, no matter how many 'responsibly acquired tomes' she brings him or how much she annoys him.
Rodney McKay/John Sheppard: I'd like to see some more of John's casual genius (Complicated maths? In his head? You'd be surprised) , Rodney's chatter (the caustic nerves & neuroses of a man who cares too much & doesn't want to admit it), their thoughts about how they fit (or don't fit) on both Atlantis & in each others' lives, & how they work (or don't work) together.
Samantha Carter & Daniel Jackson & Vala Mal Doran & Cameron Mitchell & Jack O'Neill & Teal'c: The team (the whole team!) doing stuff (stuuuuff!) in space (spaaaaace!). I'm actually not certain if all of SG-1 is ever on the same gate team, at the same time, going the same place, but I'd love to see how the six of them work together, either on planet, on base, or in any kind of AU setting. There's such a variety of personality at play, & such a wide range of different experiences, that there's something to talk about at every turn, whether it be Vala & Teal'c's unexpected friendship, Cam & Jack's slightly tense respect, Daniel & Vala's sniping, the list goes on. (NOTE: for this one, feel free to include any of the above as background ships, but I'd really like the focus to be on all of their relationships as a unit.)
[Summary: Consider any of the above relationships in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
NOTE: please refer to the General Notes above, & please do not include DADT as a crutch &/or excuse for angst. These people travel through space & occasionally time on a daily basis; they've got bigger things to worry about. Also, feel free to pull in any side characters from both SG-1 & SGA.
~~~
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY
Group: Michael Burnham & Sylvia Tilly, Group: Michael Burnham & Philippa Georgiou, Michael Burnham (ST: Discovery)
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Slice of Life
I love space, my god, & look: space from this side of the decade/century! The serial-ish nature of this show, & its whole general vibe (especially post the mid-season finale) is so great. Michelle Yeoh & Sonequa Martin Green are simultaneously raising me up & knocking me down, week to week.
Michael Burnham & Sylvia Tilly: There's such a great big sister/little sister, mentor/mentee relationship here, & I'd love to see that reflected across any AU that catches your eye. Perhaps Tilly's a reluctant debutante doing her first Season, Burnham is escaping a Tense Family Situation (that may or may not include her Close Bosom Friend Philippa) by escorting Tilly (whom she's never met before) as her Chaperone, & the two of them have to successfully navigate the pitfalls & dangers of the haut ton (& maybe the less haut ton, maybe Burnham's birth family are from Seven Dials, or connected to Jacobite sympathizers, or whatever, you catch my drift). I'd love to see Michael patiently & low-key sarcastically explain to Lady Jersey (or any other overbearing authority figure who's just this side of ridiculous) that yes, her name is Michael, & no, she has no intention of hiding or changing that fact. TBH, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, this just caught my attention as I was writing this. I'm hype for anything.
Michael Burnham & Philippa Georgiou: These two, Captain & Number One of the USS Shenzhou before everything goes to shit, are something that draws my attention, not just because they're the first lady 'Fleet captain & first officer duo I've seen on screen. There's a line in the second episode of this first season where Yeoh's Georgiou says something like 'I was a human who had seen a life of loss, but still chose hope', & we only see the start of her & Burnham's relationship even as we're witness to the very end of it as well. I want to know more, I want to extrapolate on what Georgiou meant by 'a life of loss', I want to see how her influence changed Burnham's worldview over the next few years. I want to see them live, in whatever universe catches your eye.
Michael Burnham: Michael Burnham! Human! Complicated! Raised as a Vulcan by a human-Vulcan family group! Step-sister to Spock & Sybok! What a life! Did she go on kolinahr? If so, was she allowed, or did she just do it? The show spends a lot of time looking at her issues with identity, belonging, morality, etc, & I'd love to see that explored some more, in a canon setting or in an AU.
[Summary: Consider any of the above relationships or characters in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
NOTE: I mention historical AUs here, & while I think it should go without saying, I'm going to say it anyway: gross historical inaccuracy in regards to attitudes towards gender, sexuality, race, religion, etc, is not only expected, but encouraged. Proper presence, length, & size of mutton sleeves? Obsess away. Proper depictions of gender politics in the 1700s? Less important. Do what thou wilt.
~~~
ORIGINAL WORK
Group: (Star)fighter Pilot/Reincarnated True Love They're Never Quite Able To Hold On To (Until Now), Group: Master Thief/Put Upon Art Restorer Just Trying To Do Their Job FFS Steal This One Next Week, Group: Reluctantly Optimistic Cynic/The Only Person They've Ever Believed In, Group: Sarcastic Antisocial Cleric/Charming Flirtatious Crimelord/Exasperated Local Bookshop Owner, Group: Regency Debutante/Regency Debutante, Group: Regency Romantic Heroine/Regency Romantic Heroine, Group: Blind Adventuress/Woman Under a Medusa Curse
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Slice of Life, Getting Together, Action/Adventure
(Star)fighter Pilot/Reincarnated True Love They're Never Quite Able To Hold On To (Until Now): Once upon a time, long, long ago, a pilot/charioteer/whatever, fell in love with their best friend, only for the friend to die in winter. Once upon a time, long ago, a pilot/captain/whatever, fell in love with their neighbor, only for the neighbor to die in spring. Once upon a time, a pilot/whatever fell in love with their local librarian, only for the librarian to die in summer. Once upon a time, in the future, a star-fighter pilot falls in love, & autumn is coming. OR WHATEVER. Reincarnation, guys, I'd love some.
Master Thief/Put Upon Art Restorer Just Trying To Do Their Job FFS Steal This One Next Week: Basically...basically just that. "Excuse me." "Uh--" "What do you think you're doing with that?" "Well..." "That painting is halfway through a cleaning treatment, you absolute Philistine, do you want to disrupt the process?" "I'm sorry, this has never ha--" "Put it down--" "Who are--?" "--& if you must take something, the Sargent over there was cleaned & restored last month." "I--sure." Have fun with it. Do they meet? Does the Art Restorer take to the evening news or to twitter to air their grievances for the Master Thief to find? Do they leave a list for the Master Thief of Things They Absolutely Should Not Steal On Pain Of Imminent Disintegration (Of The Painting, You Idiot, This Isn't Star Trek)? Work it out. Get wacky with it.
Reluctantly Optimistic Cynic/The Only Person They've Ever Believed In: I mean. You know this one. You know how it goes. Gimme that longing from a distance, that realization that you're the only person holding this person back from complete despair. "I don't believe in [the cause], I believe in you." & the struggle of living under that responsibility. How does the relationship go from one of ideals to one based on romantic feelings? Are there any ideological shifts as their relationship develops. Whatever you got.
Sarcastic Antisocial Cleric/Charming Flirtatious Crimelord/Exasperated Local Bookshop Owner: Honestly? Exactly what it says on the tin. How do they meet? Why do they keep meeting? Do they all despise each other? Is the Crimelord in love with the other two & going about the Exact Wrong Way of trying to woo them? Are the Crimelord & the Cleric teaming up to seduce the Bookshop Owner? Does the Cleric blame the other two for their loss of Cleric Street Cred? I'd love to see almost any exploration of the dynamic between these three archetypes. Go wild.
Regency Debutante/Regency Debutante: A brightly optimistic & vivacious young lady, fresh from her ancestral home in increasingly war-torn France, languishes as a wallflower in the drawing rooms of London. A shy, lightly gloomy, surprisingly sarcastic young lady from the staid avenues of Bath makes a splash in le bon ton's social whirl as a diamond of the first water, much to her dismay. Maybe they look oddly alike. Maybe they decide to switch places, or to help each other to get through the experience, growing slowly closer all the while. Whatever. I'm down. Tell me more.
Regency Romantic Heroine/Regency Romantic Heroine: A dark, mysterious lady, heiress to a ramshackle pile of stones weighed down with history & held together by sheer determination to the north. Another, different, dark, mysterious lady, heiress to a different, equally ramshackle pile of stones weighed down with history & held together by sheer determination to the north. Both of them have come down to the City, to find a Match, to seduce away the scions of brighter, more respectable families, but tragedy of tragedies: they've both arrived in the same City, in the same Season, & there's nowhere near enough easily duped ultra-rich young folk to snap up in the jaws of (Un)Holy Matrimony. Competition erupts! Abounds! Sly digs & sharp words fly! But hark! A change in the seas? A shift in the humors? Could, perhaps, these two ladies be, against all expectation, falling for each other?
Blind Adventuress/Woman Under a Medusa Curse: "Don't look at me!" "Is that...is that supposed to be a joke?" "Huh?" "I'm blind, you asshole, did the blank stare not make that clear?" "No, what, I'm so--" "Help me out of this hole, first, be sorry after." Anyway. That, basically. This hilarious, lopsided partnership between a woman who's entirely unprepared to be host to a head full of snakes, & a woman who keeps having to explain that a lack of vision doesn't suddenly make her sword(s) any less sharp.
[Summary: Consider any of the above relationships in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
NOTE: This section, more than any other, is where the note about my imagination being gender-neutral means the most. Unless it's already specified in the tag, I don't care. Go F/F, F/M, M/M, or F/F/F, F/F/M, M/M/F, M/M/M, whatever floats your boat. Additionally (& this is a repeat of the section from the Xena: Warrior Princess section above) & this might have absolutely zero significance to you, but if you choose to do anything in re the concept of soulmates, please keep the following in mind. I know I mention 'absolute no-choice soulmate AUs' in my DNWs, & then come back & ask straight up for soulmates in some of the prompts here. Soulmate AUs by themselves are fine, I love a good reincarnation. What I'm trying to say with 'absolute no-choice soulmate AU' is that I don't like the concept of finding/meeting your soulmate & suddenly/automatically you're a) bound to them, b) fall in love with them, c) don't have any romantic or sexual choice other than your pre-determined, pre-destined soulmate. Free will & consent are fucking important, okay, & the above smack too much of non-con for me.
~~~
IN CONCLUSION
My God! You've finished! Dear Reader, glorious Runner, congratulations! Good luck, & I hope you have fun writing for this exchange!
Apologies for recycling some of the general notes from exchanges past, & for any rambling that may ensue, we're doing our best here. I'm going to try to be Eloquent & Helpful in re Ideas & Feels, but a great deal of this does just boil down to Gosh, I Like This A Lot, Please Sir, May I Have Another.
For any ~practical evidence~ of myself, I'm here on DW at
theladywanderer , the twitter as IN GENERAL | XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS | FARSCAPE
STARGATE - ALL MEDIA TYPES | STAR TREK: DISCOVERY | ORIGINAL WORK
~~~
IN GENERAL
First, let me say that, as a repeat of the Optional Details notes, I'm not usually a fan of either mpreg, incest, or any shade of non-con, & would prefer if none of the above were included in whichever story it is you choose to write. Additionally, for the prompts with no clearly stated gender, my imagination is pretty gender neutral, & willfully ignorant of any relevant historical accuracy in that regard.
The Additional Tags section of this particular challenge are there more as suggestions, permissions, or guidelines, rather than actual rules. I give a lot of rambling nonsense in re what I enjoy about each character/pairing, but as for any particular situation to set them in, I'm not hugely particular.
More general dislikes are first/second person POVs, absolute no-choice soulmate AUs (see non-con above), infidelity, kidfic, AUs of the movie 'The Notebook' (we all have our struggles), unrealistic depictions of the American South, & the use of Don't Ask, Don't Tell as a crutch &/or excuse for angst (regular binges of pre-2010 fandom reading makes this one a particularly Hard Time).
Everything else, I generally am wide-open to: romance, gen, darkfic, alternate universes, m/f, f/f, m/m, polyamory, you name it, I'm here.
I especially like fics that get into the heads of the characters, take a few moments to crawl around inside their brains, see what makes them tick, as well as those that propose a ridiculous or radically different premise from the canon reality, & have a bit of fun seeing how everyone fits into this new world. I like pining, romantic misery, sarcasm, cynicism, optimism, joy, & the true satisfaction of landing a good sly dig.
But, as you know, optional details are optional, & the things here even more so. Surprise me, Runner, & have fun while doing it.
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS
Group: Gabrielle/Xena, Callisto (Xena), Lao Ma (Xena)
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Getting Together, Slice of Life
Can you believe that Lucy Lawless kicking ass & making eyes at men & women alike is something we got to see? On television? In our lifetimes? God.
Gabrielle/Xena: These two are so great (so great). To quote my own self, while watching the vision of them getting crucified together (I can't believe that's a sentence), "poetic cinema". Love that nonsense. Love. It. I love the fact that they grow from reluctant companions on an uneven footing, to eternal soulmates with equal standing. I'd love to see how they meet, how they come back together, how they support each other, or how they live. Xena is a Warrior Princess, Gabrielle is an Amazon Queen, & I'd also love to see those societies & those roles transposed into almost any AU you can think of.
Callisto (Xena): Callisto's story is so deeply interesting to me. She's violent, amoral, more than a bit unhinged, & vengeful as all hell. She was broken by the events of her past, put herself back together the wrong way, but still. Girl kept going. I love every time she shows up in Xena, & would love to see her travel some more with Xena & Gabrielle, just this side of uncomfortable & combative. If you've ever seen Legend of the Seeker, think a bit like Cara Mason's situation there, but with a touch more crazy. Talk about her separate from Xena & Gabrielle, of her own arc of Xena-like repentance & travel (instead of being sucked up to Heaven & transformed into an angel).
Lao Ma (Xena): /slams hands down on table/ I wanna know more about her!!! Tell me about her life, how she got to where she is, how she lived in the intricacies of court life, what Xena meant to her, how she would have lived if she didn't have to stand just behind her husband, & what she would have been like. Transfer her to modern day, to the future, to a fantastical world that goes beyond the realms covered in Xena itself.
[Summary: Consider any of the above relationships or characters in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
NOTE: This might have absolutely zero significance to you, but if you choose to do anything in re the concept of soulmates, please keep the following in mind. I know I mention 'absolute no-choice soulmate AUs' in my DNWs, & then come back & call Xena & Gabrielle soulmates here. Soulmate AUs by themselves are fine, I love a good reincarnation. What I'm trying to say with 'absolute no-choice soulmate AU' is that I don't like the concept of finding/meeting your soulmate & suddenly/automatically you're a) bound to them, b) fall in love with them, c) don't have any romantic or sexual choice other than your pre-determined, pre-destined soulmate. Free will & consent are fucking important, okay, & the above smack too much of non-con for me.
FARSCAPE
Group: John Crichton/Aeryn Sun
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Slice of Life, Getting Together
I just. You guys. I have a lot of feelings about '90s shows, okay, especially those set in or involving space.
John Crichton/Aeryn Sun: /clutches chest/ I love these idiots. Watching Crichton steadily get nuttier over the seasons, & Aeryn become one of the few who manages to pull him back is just /kisses fingers/ poetic cinema. I'm fascinated by how much they come to rely on each other, & would love to see the progression of this relationship transferred over to any non-canon setting you'd like to explore. Crichton's almost antagonistically fish-out-of-water stance, Aeryn's disavowal of everything she was, the fact that the two of them have come from two very different places to a place that neither of them quite understand, & yet they carry on! Together! Some! Good! Shit!
[Summary: Consider the above relationship in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
STARGATE - ALL MEDIA TYPES
Group: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill, Group: Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran, Group: Rodney McKay/John Sheppard, Group: Samantha Carter & Daniel Jackson & Vala Mal Doran & Cameron Mitchell & Jack O'Neill & Teal'c
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Slice of Life, Getting Together
Oh, look! It's another show from the '90s about--you guessed it--space!
Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill: I was trying to start this & all my brain could think of (to the tune of 'My Date With The President's Daughter') was 'She's In Love (In Love!) With Her Superior Officer'. So you can see where my head's at. I'd love some vignettes over time (either in canon or outside) where either person slowly comes to realize the depth of their connection, resolves to do nothing about it (conceal, don't feel, don't let them know), & then, you know. Suffers. For years. In silence. Only to one day realize that the other person has been doing the exact. same. thing. Or whatever. Angst, dear Runner. That slow-burn, seemingly-unrequited, consummate-professionalism angst. That's it, that's what I've got.
Daniel Jackson/Vala Mal Doran: These! Two! Keep! Snipping! At! Each! Other! &! I! Keep! Falling! For! It! Yep, that's it, that's what I've got. I'd love to see the two of them completely oblivious to the fact that the urge they keep feeling to go & bother the other is actually Another Feeling Entirely, or some repercussions from Daniel dying (again) & coming back (again) (or Vala doing the same, switch it up), & the not-recently-resurrected one inexplicably angry about it (because, as you know: feelings). Think about them in a non-canon setting, of Daniel as the absent-minded Egyptologist & Vala the seemingly-flighty scoundrel who drops by every now & again to simultaneously see Teal'c & infuriate him, of Vala, the all-smiles Queen of Thieves, & Daniel, the beleaguered bookshop owner who knows exactly who she is, but can't quite seem to bring himself to turn her in, no matter how many 'responsibly acquired tomes' she brings him or how much she annoys him.
Rodney McKay/John Sheppard: I'd like to see some more of John's casual genius (Complicated maths? In his head? You'd be surprised) , Rodney's chatter (the caustic nerves & neuroses of a man who cares too much & doesn't want to admit it), their thoughts about how they fit (or don't fit) on both Atlantis & in each others' lives, & how they work (or don't work) together.
Samantha Carter & Daniel Jackson & Vala Mal Doran & Cameron Mitchell & Jack O'Neill & Teal'c: The team (the whole team!) doing stuff (stuuuuff!) in space (spaaaaace!). I'm actually not certain if all of SG-1 is ever on the same gate team, at the same time, going the same place, but I'd love to see how the six of them work together, either on planet, on base, or in any kind of AU setting. There's such a variety of personality at play, & such a wide range of different experiences, that there's something to talk about at every turn, whether it be Vala & Teal'c's unexpected friendship, Cam & Jack's slightly tense respect, Daniel & Vala's sniping, the list goes on. (NOTE: for this one, feel free to include any of the above as background ships, but I'd really like the focus to be on all of their relationships as a unit.)
[Summary: Consider any of the above relationships in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
NOTE: please refer to the General Notes above, & please do not include DADT as a crutch &/or excuse for angst. These people travel through space & occasionally time on a daily basis; they've got bigger things to worry about. Also, feel free to pull in any side characters from both SG-1 & SGA.
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY
Group: Michael Burnham & Sylvia Tilly, Group: Michael Burnham & Philippa Georgiou, Michael Burnham (ST: Discovery)
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Slice of Life
I love space, my god, & look: space from this side of the decade/century! The serial-ish nature of this show, & its whole general vibe (especially post the mid-season finale) is so great. Michelle Yeoh & Sonequa Martin Green are simultaneously raising me up & knocking me down, week to week.
Michael Burnham & Sylvia Tilly: There's such a great big sister/little sister, mentor/mentee relationship here, & I'd love to see that reflected across any AU that catches your eye. Perhaps Tilly's a reluctant debutante doing her first Season, Burnham is escaping a Tense Family Situation (that may or may not include her Close Bosom Friend Philippa) by escorting Tilly (whom she's never met before) as her Chaperone, & the two of them have to successfully navigate the pitfalls & dangers of the haut ton (& maybe the less haut ton, maybe Burnham's birth family are from Seven Dials, or connected to Jacobite sympathizers, or whatever, you catch my drift). I'd love to see Michael patiently & low-key sarcastically explain to Lady Jersey (or any other overbearing authority figure who's just this side of ridiculous) that yes, her name is Michael, & no, she has no intention of hiding or changing that fact. TBH, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, this just caught my attention as I was writing this. I'm hype for anything.
Michael Burnham & Philippa Georgiou: These two, Captain & Number One of the USS Shenzhou before everything goes to shit, are something that draws my attention, not just because they're the first lady 'Fleet captain & first officer duo I've seen on screen. There's a line in the second episode of this first season where Yeoh's Georgiou says something like 'I was a human who had seen a life of loss, but still chose hope', & we only see the start of her & Burnham's relationship even as we're witness to the very end of it as well. I want to know more, I want to extrapolate on what Georgiou meant by 'a life of loss', I want to see how her influence changed Burnham's worldview over the next few years. I want to see them live, in whatever universe catches your eye.
Michael Burnham: Michael Burnham! Human! Complicated! Raised as a Vulcan by a human-Vulcan family group! Step-sister to Spock & Sybok! What a life! Did she go on kolinahr? If so, was she allowed, or did she just do it? The show spends a lot of time looking at her issues with identity, belonging, morality, etc, & I'd love to see that explored some more, in a canon setting or in an AU.
[Summary: Consider any of the above relationships or characters in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
NOTE: I mention historical AUs here, & while I think it should go without saying, I'm going to say it anyway: gross historical inaccuracy in regards to attitudes towards gender, sexuality, race, religion, etc, is not only expected, but encouraged. Proper presence, length, & size of mutton sleeves? Obsess away. Proper depictions of gender politics in the 1700s? Less important. Do what thou wilt.
ORIGINAL WORK
Group: (Star)fighter Pilot/Reincarnated True Love They're Never Quite Able To Hold On To (Until Now), Group: Master Thief/Put Upon Art Restorer Just Trying To Do Their Job FFS Steal This One Next Week, Group: Reluctantly Optimistic Cynic/The Only Person They've Ever Believed In, Group: Sarcastic Antisocial Cleric/Charming Flirtatious Crimelord/Exasperated Local Bookshop Owner, Group: Regency Debutante/Regency Debutante, Group: Regency Romantic Heroine/Regency Romantic Heroine, Group: Blind Adventuress/Woman Under a Medusa Curse
ADDITIONAL TAGS: AU - Modern, Sci-fi/fantasy, AU - Genre Shift, Slice of Life, Getting Together, Action/Adventure
(Star)fighter Pilot/Reincarnated True Love They're Never Quite Able To Hold On To (Until Now): Once upon a time, long, long ago, a pilot/charioteer/whatever, fell in love with their best friend, only for the friend to die in winter. Once upon a time, long ago, a pilot/captain/whatever, fell in love with their neighbor, only for the neighbor to die in spring. Once upon a time, a pilot/whatever fell in love with their local librarian, only for the librarian to die in summer. Once upon a time, in the future, a star-fighter pilot falls in love, & autumn is coming. OR WHATEVER. Reincarnation, guys, I'd love some.
Master Thief/Put Upon Art Restorer Just Trying To Do Their Job FFS Steal This One Next Week: Basically...basically just that. "Excuse me." "Uh--" "What do you think you're doing with that?" "Well..." "That painting is halfway through a cleaning treatment, you absolute Philistine, do you want to disrupt the process?" "I'm sorry, this has never ha--" "Put it down--" "Who are--?" "--& if you must take something, the Sargent over there was cleaned & restored last month." "I--sure." Have fun with it. Do they meet? Does the Art Restorer take to the evening news or to twitter to air their grievances for the Master Thief to find? Do they leave a list for the Master Thief of Things They Absolutely Should Not Steal On Pain Of Imminent Disintegration (Of The Painting, You Idiot, This Isn't Star Trek)? Work it out. Get wacky with it.
Reluctantly Optimistic Cynic/The Only Person They've Ever Believed In: I mean. You know this one. You know how it goes. Gimme that longing from a distance, that realization that you're the only person holding this person back from complete despair. "I don't believe in [the cause], I believe in you." & the struggle of living under that responsibility. How does the relationship go from one of ideals to one based on romantic feelings? Are there any ideological shifts as their relationship develops. Whatever you got.
Sarcastic Antisocial Cleric/Charming Flirtatious Crimelord/Exasperated Local Bookshop Owner: Honestly? Exactly what it says on the tin. How do they meet? Why do they keep meeting? Do they all despise each other? Is the Crimelord in love with the other two & going about the Exact Wrong Way of trying to woo them? Are the Crimelord & the Cleric teaming up to seduce the Bookshop Owner? Does the Cleric blame the other two for their loss of Cleric Street Cred? I'd love to see almost any exploration of the dynamic between these three archetypes. Go wild.
Regency Debutante/Regency Debutante: A brightly optimistic & vivacious young lady, fresh from her ancestral home in increasingly war-torn France, languishes as a wallflower in the drawing rooms of London. A shy, lightly gloomy, surprisingly sarcastic young lady from the staid avenues of Bath makes a splash in le bon ton's social whirl as a diamond of the first water, much to her dismay. Maybe they look oddly alike. Maybe they decide to switch places, or to help each other to get through the experience, growing slowly closer all the while. Whatever. I'm down. Tell me more.
Regency Romantic Heroine/Regency Romantic Heroine: A dark, mysterious lady, heiress to a ramshackle pile of stones weighed down with history & held together by sheer determination to the north. Another, different, dark, mysterious lady, heiress to a different, equally ramshackle pile of stones weighed down with history & held together by sheer determination to the north. Both of them have come down to the City, to find a Match, to seduce away the scions of brighter, more respectable families, but tragedy of tragedies: they've both arrived in the same City, in the same Season, & there's nowhere near enough easily duped ultra-rich young folk to snap up in the jaws of (Un)Holy Matrimony. Competition erupts! Abounds! Sly digs & sharp words fly! But hark! A change in the seas? A shift in the humors? Could, perhaps, these two ladies be, against all expectation, falling for each other?
Blind Adventuress/Woman Under a Medusa Curse: "Don't look at me!" "Is that...is that supposed to be a joke?" "Huh?" "I'm blind, you asshole, did the blank stare not make that clear?" "No, what, I'm so--" "Help me out of this hole, first, be sorry after." Anyway. That, basically. This hilarious, lopsided partnership between a woman who's entirely unprepared to be host to a head full of snakes, & a woman who keeps having to explain that a lack of vision doesn't suddenly make her sword(s) any less sharp.
[Summary: Consider any of the above relationships in any situation you see fit (canon, AU, etc).]
NOTE: This section, more than any other, is where the note about my imagination being gender-neutral means the most. Unless it's already specified in the tag, I don't care. Go F/F, F/M, M/M, or F/F/F, F/F/M, M/M/F, M/M/M, whatever floats your boat. Additionally (& this is a repeat of the section from the Xena: Warrior Princess section above) & this might have absolutely zero significance to you, but if you choose to do anything in re the concept of soulmates, please keep the following in mind. I know I mention 'absolute no-choice soulmate AUs' in my DNWs, & then come back & ask straight up for soulmates in some of the prompts here. Soulmate AUs by themselves are fine, I love a good reincarnation. What I'm trying to say with 'absolute no-choice soulmate AU' is that I don't like the concept of finding/meeting your soulmate & suddenly/automatically you're a) bound to them, b) fall in love with them, c) don't have any romantic or sexual choice other than your pre-determined, pre-destined soulmate. Free will & consent are fucking important, okay, & the above smack too much of non-con for me.
IN CONCLUSION
My God! You've finished! Dear Reader, glorious Runner, congratulations! Good luck, & I hope you have fun writing for this exchange!
