Chocolate Box 2019 (Dear Author)
Dec. 19th, 2018 09:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pannyGeneral Likes:
Clickable Table of Contents:
The Adventure Zone
Fandom Specific Notes: I'm totally fine with background Aubrey/Dani. I listen to each new episode as they come out so no need to worry about spoilers, but also don't worry too much if canon josses something you were planning on. I'm well aware of the dangers of ongoing canons and canon divergence is a very solid like for me anyway; it won't be an issue.
Update:
Edmund "Ned" Chicane/Duck Newton
Relevant Past Letters: Some AU Ideas, Ned/Duck Trope Likes
What I Like About Them:
I'm a real sucker for shared histories and odd friendships, so these two were already half way to charming me when they were introduced. I was 100% for the combination of park ranger-who-has-spent-his-life-avoiding-
Clint dove into the role of Ned so quickly and gave him so much charm and character. I can't help but love the concept of a conman who came into possession of real supernatural artifacts while thinking the whole thing is bogus (and I haven't even watched Gravity Falls). Justin's characters are always a hit with me in general, but I'm also really into chosen-ones-who-avoid-the-call and Duck's combination of straight man delivery and familiar rural charm are pitch perfect. I also like that these are explicitly older dudes with some life experience under their belts.
Since season 2 is ongoing and these characters are still being developed, I'm not at all worried about anything potentially being jossed later. The new reveals that we're slowly getting are fun (high school burnout!Duck!), but wherever you feel makes sense to take these characters is fine. The rest of the Amnesty crew is totally welcome to put in an appearance as well, especially Beacon (oh god, Beacon) and Aubrey.
There's been some interesting stuff to play off of already, particularly how each of them reacted when the other was in mortal danger. Duck freezing up because he couldn't figure out how to deal with someone he cares about being in danger and that being his worst fear is great. Ned diving in with some creative heroics and then backing out as soon as he was in danger himself, only to have to apologize afterward is also great. The French Onion Soup convo was also A+++. I love Ned's loquacious patter almost as much as I love Duck's complete absence of guile and his insistence on trying to lie when he's hilariously abysmal at it. I lived for moments like Ned opening up about how overwhelmed he is to the sheriff and Duck standing up to Minerva over saving Billy - these are such great characters and every nuance they've brought to the table has so much potential.
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
I often gravitate toward badass in distress tropes (along with the complimentary protectiveness from other potential badasses and associated hurt/comfort scenarios) and while Duck is very Tough, he's not invulnerable - absolutely feel free to put him in peril and bring on the whump, I live for that kind of thing. With Ned being the Normal surrounded by Specials, I love when he gets opportunities to actually be the hero and so far he's been great for unconventional solutions that sometimes even pay off. I also never, ever get enough of complex, supernatural problems being solved through mundane means and mundane, relatively insignificant problems being solved through needlessly complicated, sometimes supernatural means.
I would be super into anything set during a hunt (for any sort of cryptid your heart desires) because I have always been a fan of the whole Monster of the Week genre formula and I think a case provides great opportunity for tension and character interaction. I am also up for weird, general supernatural tropey shenanigans like Groundhog Day loops and tangentially related general tropey fun that could come about from being monster hunters like "oh no, we are now trapped in this cave together".
Beacon & Duck Newton
Relevant Past Letters: Duck & Beacon Trope Likes
What I Like About Them:
So I really, really like Duck Newton. Every new fact we find out about him just charms me even more. I love the whole chosen-avoiding-the-call-thing. I love how he reacts (or doesn't) to the weird stuff he encounters. I love him trying to fruitlessly reign in his teammates as they try to steal Mothman's glasses. Every other week, I am left howling with laughter over Duck being such a terrible liar. I love when he handles tense situations poorly. I love every little tidbit about his past. I even love the constant fear I'm in as Justin rolls poorly on another beginning of the arc vision sequence and I have to worry that the Duckman's gonna kick the bucket. I was absolutely gaga for that speech he gave Minerva about saving the goatman. I really love Duck Newton.
Beacon is a constant delight every time he is given the opportunity to open his mouth. I was in love with him from the moment that Justin rolled out that Tim Curry impression and if I had one complaint about Amnesty so far, it's that Beacon does not get to talk anywhere near enough. I love the clashing personalities between him and Duck and their reluctant partnership. I love his drawling voice and relentless snark. I appreciate how awkward it must be for Justin to RP with himself, but man oh man, I want some Duck & Beacon adventures.
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
Casefic is always wonderful, especially for a monster of the week show like Amnesty. Duck whump is definitely okay with me. Reluctant partners to...kiiiind of friends-style development would be great. Protective!Beacon is very, very choice - especially if he's maybe a little surprised by how much he cares about Duck being in genuine peril.
Specific Prompts:
The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde (Comic)
Fandom Specific Notes: If you write in a new villain/encounter for our "heroes" to deal with like, say, Dorian Gray as canon had initially intended, I have no problem with Tom experiencing some attraction or there being something of a M/M/M love triangle. Provided Tom/Hyde is endgame.
Also, while I know the original comic has a lot of violence against women because, well, Jack the Ripper and I'm fine with there being some female murder victims in fic for it, I'd also prefer that the fic not dwell on that aspect if it can be avoided.
Thomas Adye/Edward Hyde | Henry Jekyll
What I Like About Them:
Ruthless serial killers in love! Goody-goodies making increasingly dangerous moral compromises! "But Tom, we're mates"! Rooftop/air balloon battles! Mind games and pretentious quote matches and disillusionment in idealistic notions about the upper class! What's not to like!
The dynamic between these two pretty much made the comic for me. It's so good. The general back and forth and learning to work together and Tom discovering things about himself that maybe he would have preferred not to. And then that genuine moment of returned friendship (Hyde's goddamn smile when Tom finally agrees that they're mates) just before Tom shoots Hyde in the chest followed by Tom tearing up in relief over having confirmation that Hyde's still alive and then using his serial killer best buddy to threaten people. Right up my alley.
I really like all the development and internal conflict that Tom went through over the course of the comic and would be totally stoked to see further development and potential fallout related to that. Whatever reason you can cook up for Hyde making a return and the two of them having to team up again is totally fine with me. (Has someone come after Hyde? Is Hyde keeping tabs on his good mate Tom? Did Tom finally decide to track Hyde down himself? Does the newest villain have something Hyde's interested in?)
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
Tom finding himself in positions to take shadier options and dealing with balancing those impulses with his righteous ideals is always great. Hyde, as smart and powerful as he is, potentially compromising his goals because he's become genuinely fond of Tom is great. Tom getting damsel-in-distressed as per issue 4 and Hyde swooping in to rescue him is great. Hyde calculating and machinating while Tom pieces things together is great. Tom finding ways to surprise Hyde as much as he did when he shot him is great. Tom realizing how deep he's slipping and being discomfited by how easy it is for Hyde to get under his skin is great. Swapping barbs and quotes while no one else around them understands them half as well as they understand each other is great.
I would be totally head over heels for something set after the original comic dealing with some other famous literary monsters/villains, especially those drawn from Gothic horror. The sequel hook at the end of the comic teased the Invisible Man as Tom's next case and the cover for the planned sequel comic (which sadly never materialized) confirmed that Dorian Gray exists in this universe and would come into contact with Tom (I was so looking forward to Tom being "seduced by his philosophy"). Either of those options would be fabulous, but don't feel restricted by them - bring in whoever you want.
- Tropey goodness, taken as seriously or as silly as you like.
- Protectiveness.
- Loyalty.
- Conflict.
- Hurt/comfort.
- Messy, complicated relationships where no one person is necessarily "better" than the other.
- Characters who are normally in control very much not being that.
- Canon divergence/for want of a nail AUs.
- Self-destructive tendencies.
- Mind games and mutually dangerous people engaging in cat-and-mouse scenarios.
- Badass in distress.
- Competency and cleverness.
- "Good guys" being driven to do shady, questionable things in the pursuit of their goals/righteous ideals.
- Morally bankrupt bad guys falling in love and doing things that screw over their agenda or leave them vulnerable because they care about one particular person.
- Emotion-driven desperation.
- Women pinning other women against walls.
- Role swaps.
- Time loops.
- Superheroes.
- Fairy tales.
- Dragons and/or robots.
- Hair ruffling.
- PWP (and I'm only interested in F/F porn in general).
- Non-canonical (permanent) major character death; character death as part of a Groundhog Day scenario or where the other half of the ship goes on a quest to revive them or etc. is totally fine.
- Torture or mutilation.
- Issue fic.
- Terminal illness.
- Mundane AUs (e.g. coffee shop, high school, no powers, etc.).
- Non-con, even off screen.
- Age play.
- Unrequested ships (if the unrequested ship is canon, I'd prefer to just gloss over it).
Clickable Table of Contents:
(Spoilers for all fandoms below!)
DCU (Comics)
Fandom Specific Notes: Mentions of Renee/Daria, Kate/Maggie, and/or Renee/Helena are totally fine with me.
Kate Kane/Renee Montoya
Relevant Past letters: Kate/Renee Trope Likes, F/F Porn Likes
What I Like About Them:
You know that scene in Crime Bible/The Five Books of Blood, specifically "The Lesson of Greed", where Batwoman and Question get into a physical scrap out of sheer desperation to save each other (in Kate's case, saving Renee from herself and in Renee's case, saving Kate from the Religion of Crime)? And there are these really intense feelings even though they're already exes at this point? And a lack of communication and a lot of hurt on both sides?
Hoo boy, that's my shit. That level of conflict and tension is the pinnacle of what gets to me about Kate/Renee as a ship.
It doesn't all have to be physical brawls (though those are certainly welcome). The scenes related to their break-up in pre-New 52 Batwoman cut me deep in the best way, especially knowing how Renee being outed actually went down when it happened. Kate/Renee is one of those absurdly rare canon F/F ships that draws off a rich shared history and complex character flaws and motivations and an absolute inability to completely move on even when they want to, it's a blessing. Anything that gives them an opportunity to interact and a reason for conflict while still having those intense emotions and that deep caring and protectiveness in place is going to be my jam.
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
I'm really into the idea of super tropey casefic for these two. I'm also very into scenarios that draw on Renee's self-destructive "ends justify the means" approach to problem solving; her willingness to do some pretty shady things despite the cost to herself (physically, mentally, ethically) in order to protect the people she cares about is like catnip to me. On that note, I'm also very down with Kate being entirely, justifiably furious over Renee taking it upon herself to be the martyr.
Porn with plot is very much welcome for these characters. Shoving into walls and emotion-driven desperation work particularly well here.
Specific Prompts:
Canon Knowledge Note: I started off with Renee in Gotham Central, fell in love with her, and followed her appearances religiously up until the New 52 reboot, from single issue cameos to full runs. I also read the two issue Convergence limited run. I have read next to nothing from either New 52 or Rebirth in general and probably won't get any references to specific canon events from that point onward (I have also not read Bombshells). Renee's character arc through Gotham Central and 52 [Weeks] and Greg Rucka's writing for her were what defined her as one of my favourite characters of all time and I am very attached to that version of her.
All that being said, I have been in enough comics fandoms for long enough that I am not going to get upset and take issue with a fic that doesn't match up 100% to the specific version of canon that I like/am familiar with. We all know what it's like to try and navigate reboots and retcons and alternate universes and parallel timelines and just different writers having different perspectives. If Renee was an A-lister and had the benefit of more frequent appearances, chances are that I wouldn't have been able to follow her so closely in the first place and frankly wouldn't have even tried to keep on top of her every appearance - and that would not have in any way stopped me from reading fic. I'm here for the characters I like, all the rest is gravy. As important as Renee's journey to becoming the Question is to me, that's all still there if I want to break out my comics collection; I'm not going to be mad if you're feeling a different direction when you're writing.
DCU (Comics)
Fandom Specific Notes: Mentions of Renee/Daria, Kate/Maggie, and/or Renee/Helena are totally fine with me.
Kate Kane/Renee Montoya
Relevant Past letters: Kate/Renee Trope Likes, F/F Porn Likes
What I Like About Them:
You know that scene in Crime Bible/The Five Books of Blood, specifically "The Lesson of Greed", where Batwoman and Question get into a physical scrap out of sheer desperation to save each other (in Kate's case, saving Renee from herself and in Renee's case, saving Kate from the Religion of Crime)? And there are these really intense feelings even though they're already exes at this point? And a lack of communication and a lot of hurt on both sides?
Hoo boy, that's my shit. That level of conflict and tension is the pinnacle of what gets to me about Kate/Renee as a ship.
It doesn't all have to be physical brawls (though those are certainly welcome). The scenes related to their break-up in pre-New 52 Batwoman cut me deep in the best way, especially knowing how Renee being outed actually went down when it happened. Kate/Renee is one of those absurdly rare canon F/F ships that draws off a rich shared history and complex character flaws and motivations and an absolute inability to completely move on even when they want to, it's a blessing. Anything that gives them an opportunity to interact and a reason for conflict while still having those intense emotions and that deep caring and protectiveness in place is going to be my jam.
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
I'm really into the idea of super tropey casefic for these two. I'm also very into scenarios that draw on Renee's self-destructive "ends justify the means" approach to problem solving; her willingness to do some pretty shady things despite the cost to herself (physically, mentally, ethically) in order to protect the people she cares about is like catnip to me. On that note, I'm also very down with Kate being entirely, justifiably furious over Renee taking it upon herself to be the martyr.
Porn with plot is very much welcome for these characters. Shoving into walls and emotion-driven desperation work particularly well here.
Specific Prompts:
- Groundhog day timeloop shenanigans. I'm totally willing to break my character death DNW for this, provided the final loop comes out with both Kate and Renee alive.
- Somebody gets a hold of a monkey's paw (or, well, something like it). I could see this leading to some interesting conflict whether the holder is Kate or Renee, but Renee's tendency toward self-destruction could be particularly relevant here.
- Any situation where they have to investigate something together. They could both start off investigating independently and be drawn together by the case or set out to work together from the get go.
- Any sort of Betray Her to Save Her scenario - with the betrayal coming from either end. The more tension, the more regret, the more desperation, the better.
Canon Knowledge Note: I started off with Renee in Gotham Central, fell in love with her, and followed her appearances religiously up until the New 52 reboot, from single issue cameos to full runs. I also read the two issue Convergence limited run. I have read next to nothing from either New 52 or Rebirth in general and probably won't get any references to specific canon events from that point onward (I have also not read Bombshells). Renee's character arc through Gotham Central and 52 [Weeks] and Greg Rucka's writing for her were what defined her as one of my favourite characters of all time and I am very attached to that version of her.
All that being said, I have been in enough comics fandoms for long enough that I am not going to get upset and take issue with a fic that doesn't match up 100% to the specific version of canon that I like/am familiar with. We all know what it's like to try and navigate reboots and retcons and alternate universes and parallel timelines and just different writers having different perspectives. If Renee was an A-lister and had the benefit of more frequent appearances, chances are that I wouldn't have been able to follow her so closely in the first place and frankly wouldn't have even tried to keep on top of her every appearance - and that would not have in any way stopped me from reading fic. I'm here for the characters I like, all the rest is gravy. As important as Renee's journey to becoming the Question is to me, that's all still there if I want to break out my comics collection; I'm not going to be mad if you're feeling a different direction when you're writing.
Fandom Specific Notes: I'm totally fine with background Aubrey/Dani. I listen to each new episode as they come out so no need to worry about spoilers, but also don't worry too much if canon josses something you were planning on. I'm well aware of the dangers of ongoing canons and canon divergence is a very solid like for me anyway; it won't be an issue.
Update:
Spoilers for Ep. 20
So Duck going from Chosen One to Official Dude in Distress is...so much. I felt like I needed to address what happened this episode because it was so unexpected and also very...relevant to my Duck-related pursuits. But basically, if you want to do something set while Duck is still Chosen or in a canon divergence continuity where he didn't lose his powers or in a hypothetical far future where he gets powers again? Absolutely, go for it, good. If you want to play with mundane!Duck? Yes, absolutely, sounds great. Also still definitely into Duck-in-distress either way.
Edmund "Ned" Chicane/Duck Newton
Relevant Past Letters: Some AU Ideas, Ned/Duck Trope Likes
What I Like About Them:
I'm a real sucker for shared histories and odd friendships, so these two were already half way to charming me when they were introduced. I was 100% for the combination of park ranger-who-has-spent-his-life-avoiding-
Clint dove into the role of Ned so quickly and gave him so much charm and character. I can't help but love the concept of a conman who came into possession of real supernatural artifacts while thinking the whole thing is bogus (and I haven't even watched Gravity Falls). Justin's characters are always a hit with me in general, but I'm also really into chosen-ones-who-avoid-the-call and Duck's combination of straight man delivery and familiar rural charm are pitch perfect. I also like that these are explicitly older dudes with some life experience under their belts.
Since season 2 is ongoing and these characters are still being developed, I'm not at all worried about anything potentially being jossed later. The new reveals that we're slowly getting are fun (high school burnout!Duck!), but wherever you feel makes sense to take these characters is fine. The rest of the Amnesty crew is totally welcome to put in an appearance as well, especially Beacon (oh god, Beacon) and Aubrey.
There's been some interesting stuff to play off of already, particularly how each of them reacted when the other was in mortal danger. Duck freezing up because he couldn't figure out how to deal with someone he cares about being in danger and that being his worst fear is great. Ned diving in with some creative heroics and then backing out as soon as he was in danger himself, only to have to apologize afterward is also great. The French Onion Soup convo was also A+++. I love Ned's loquacious patter almost as much as I love Duck's complete absence of guile and his insistence on trying to lie when he's hilariously abysmal at it. I lived for moments like Ned opening up about how overwhelmed he is to the sheriff and Duck standing up to Minerva over saving Billy - these are such great characters and every nuance they've brought to the table has so much potential.
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
I often gravitate toward badass in distress tropes (along with the complimentary protectiveness from other potential badasses and associated hurt/comfort scenarios) and while Duck is very Tough, he's not invulnerable - absolutely feel free to put him in peril and bring on the whump, I live for that kind of thing. With Ned being the Normal surrounded by Specials, I love when he gets opportunities to actually be the hero and so far he's been great for unconventional solutions that sometimes even pay off. I also never, ever get enough of complex, supernatural problems being solved through mundane means and mundane, relatively insignificant problems being solved through needlessly complicated, sometimes supernatural means.
I would be super into anything set during a hunt (for any sort of cryptid your heart desires) because I have always been a fan of the whole Monster of the Week genre formula and I think a case provides great opportunity for tension and character interaction. I am also up for weird, general supernatural tropey shenanigans like Groundhog Day loops and tangentially related general tropey fun that could come about from being monster hunters like "oh no, we are now trapped in this cave together".
Beacon & Duck Newton
Relevant Past Letters: Duck & Beacon Trope Likes
What I Like About Them:
So I really, really like Duck Newton. Every new fact we find out about him just charms me even more. I love the whole chosen-avoiding-the-call-thing. I love how he reacts (or doesn't) to the weird stuff he encounters. I love him trying to fruitlessly reign in his teammates as they try to steal Mothman's glasses. Every other week, I am left howling with laughter over Duck being such a terrible liar. I love when he handles tense situations poorly. I love every little tidbit about his past. I even love the constant fear I'm in as Justin rolls poorly on another beginning of the arc vision sequence and I have to worry that the Duckman's gonna kick the bucket. I was absolutely gaga for that speech he gave Minerva about saving the goatman. I really love Duck Newton.
Beacon is a constant delight every time he is given the opportunity to open his mouth. I was in love with him from the moment that Justin rolled out that Tim Curry impression and if I had one complaint about Amnesty so far, it's that Beacon does not get to talk anywhere near enough. I love the clashing personalities between him and Duck and their reluctant partnership. I love his drawling voice and relentless snark. I appreciate how awkward it must be for Justin to RP with himself, but man oh man, I want some Duck & Beacon adventures.
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
Casefic is always wonderful, especially for a monster of the week show like Amnesty. Duck whump is definitely okay with me. Reluctant partners to...kiiiind of friends-style development would be great. Protective!Beacon is very, very choice - especially if he's maybe a little surprised by how much he cares about Duck being in genuine peril.
Specific Prompts:
- Backstory - the initial development of their relationship, maybe even Duck making the decision to leave Beacon with Ned.
- Something happens during a hunt that requires Beacon to act independently. Beacon is caught between the desire to finally act on his own impulses, unrestrained by Duck's interference, and the inconvenient need to act in Duck's best interests.
- Duck's in danger from something that Beacon is completely useless against and help is taking longer in coming than he's comfortable with - hypothermia? cave-in? injured after separating from the group?
- Beacon shares Duck's future visions - as is befitting of a magical weapon designed to protect a Chosen One. Duck doesn't know.
- Duck loses his Chosen One powers for some reason. Maybe it's a creature on a hunt, maybe he touches something in the Cryptonomica he shouldn't have, maybe it happens for some other reason. Up to you whether it's temporary or permanent. As much as Duck never asked for his destiny and as much as Beacon has longed for a new owner, they both wind up feeling that this is...not so great. Also Kepler is still very dangerous and Duck is no longer Tough.
- Time Loop - temporary character death (and other catastrophes) is definitely a-okay here. Either Beacon is the only one aware of the loop and keeps making long-suffering attempts to avert whatever goes wrong or both Duck and Beacon are the only ones aware and are suffering through it together.
The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde (Comic)
Fandom Specific Notes: If you write in a new villain/encounter for our "heroes" to deal with like, say, Dorian Gray as canon had initially intended, I have no problem with Tom experiencing some attraction or there being something of a M/M/M love triangle. Provided Tom/Hyde is endgame.
Also, while I know the original comic has a lot of violence against women because, well, Jack the Ripper and I'm fine with there being some female murder victims in fic for it, I'd also prefer that the fic not dwell on that aspect if it can be avoided.
Thomas Adye/Edward Hyde | Henry Jekyll
What I Like About Them:
Ruthless serial killers in love! Goody-goodies making increasingly dangerous moral compromises! "But Tom, we're mates"! Rooftop/air balloon battles! Mind games and pretentious quote matches and disillusionment in idealistic notions about the upper class! What's not to like!
The dynamic between these two pretty much made the comic for me. It's so good. The general back and forth and learning to work together and Tom discovering things about himself that maybe he would have preferred not to. And then that genuine moment of returned friendship (Hyde's goddamn smile when Tom finally agrees that they're mates) just before Tom shoots Hyde in the chest followed by Tom tearing up in relief over having confirmation that Hyde's still alive and then using his serial killer best buddy to threaten people. Right up my alley.
I really like all the development and internal conflict that Tom went through over the course of the comic and would be totally stoked to see further development and potential fallout related to that. Whatever reason you can cook up for Hyde making a return and the two of them having to team up again is totally fine with me. (Has someone come after Hyde? Is Hyde keeping tabs on his good mate Tom? Did Tom finally decide to track Hyde down himself? Does the newest villain have something Hyde's interested in?)
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
Tom finding himself in positions to take shadier options and dealing with balancing those impulses with his righteous ideals is always great. Hyde, as smart and powerful as he is, potentially compromising his goals because he's become genuinely fond of Tom is great. Tom getting damsel-in-distressed as per issue 4 and Hyde swooping in to rescue him is great. Hyde calculating and machinating while Tom pieces things together is great. Tom finding ways to surprise Hyde as much as he did when he shot him is great. Tom realizing how deep he's slipping and being discomfited by how easy it is for Hyde to get under his skin is great. Swapping barbs and quotes while no one else around them understands them half as well as they understand each other is great.
I would be totally head over heels for something set after the original comic dealing with some other famous literary monsters/villains, especially those drawn from Gothic horror. The sequel hook at the end of the comic teased the Invisible Man as Tom's next case and the cover for the planned sequel comic (which sadly never materialized) confirmed that Dorian Gray exists in this universe and would come into contact with Tom (I was so looking forward to Tom being "seduced by his philosophy"). Either of those options would be fabulous, but don't feel restricted by them - bring in whoever you want.
