Fandom5k - Dear Author
Mar. 5th, 2019 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pannyThere are some pairings where I had more to say than others (mostly the ones where I've recently consumed new content and everything is super fresh with nowhere else to go), but I really do want everything I've requested. I am living in rarepair (& raregen?) hell and already love that you also love any of these match ups. You can't go wrong here.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out through a mod. I try to be as speedy in replying as possible and never mind clarifying.
Clickable Table of Contents
· Midnighter and Apollo (Comics): Apollo/Midnighter
· Doom Patrol (TV 2019): Negative Spirit/Larry Trainor
The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde (Comic): Thomas Adye/Edward Hyde | Henry Jekyll
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Fandom Specific Notes: Mentions of Renee/Daria and/or Renee/Helena and Kate/the majority of the women she has interacted with in her various series and appearances (Maggie, Chase, Diana, Julia, Safiyah, Tahani, Tae-Ree, Babs, Helena) are totally fine with me and would not violate my unrequested ship DNW. Safiyah/Tahani is also fine as a ship that might come up in relation to contemporary Batwoman stuff.
I don't have any strong Vic Sage ships (though I could see Vic/Richard Dragon, Vic/Oliver Queen, or even Vic/Bruce Wayne), but if it's M/M, I'll probably be okay with giving it a try if you have something in mind. I could see a few interesting dynamics even without there being much to go off of in canon (Clark Kent? John Constantine? Can you imagine if Vic showed up trying to romantically life coach Jason Todd the same way he did Helena, armed with only butterfly metaphors and his natural talent for irritating people?).
Relevant Past Letters: Kate/Renee Trope Likes, Kate/Renee Hurt/Comfort Likes, F/F Porn Likes
"I could always press her buttons. And she could always press mine. That's what made it so good. That's why it couldn't last. At least, that's what we told ourselves." - Renee Montoya, 52: Week Seven
What I Like About Them:
Man, I love this ship so much – they’re such a mess! I love their complicated feelings about each other. I love their absolute inability to ever entirely get over each other even when they want to move on. I love the weight of the shared history between them and how much they actually don’t know about each other because either one of them just isn’t talking. I love how quickly they push each other’s buttons and the tension and conflict between them. I love how well they work together when they’re co-operating. I love how deeply they care about each other and how protective they can be towards each other. I love that that protectiveness occasionally develops into “I’m going to physically fight you for your own good”. I love the many interesting flaws that they both have and how quick they are to recognize them in each other and call each other out. I love how quickly their personal baggage (and sometimes even their principles) fall by the wayside as soon as the other one is in danger. They’re so intense about each other, every interaction is a blessing.
I love the way that their skills naturally compliment each other and compensate for each other's weaknesses when they work a case together. I love their contrast between their relationships with the issue of identity, masks included, and the similarities and differences of their respective heroic journeys. These two both have fantastic character arcs with crushing low points that make it all the more rewarding to see them find their feet and rise up time and again. I love both of these women just as much for their flaws as for their better qualities and I love how intertwined those two things are for both of them. I love that they've both had to navigate what lines they're willing to cross and sometimes found that their idea of what it takes to be a hero puts them at odds with people who should otherwise be their allies. They're also both damn funny from Kate's trademark dry humour to Renee's unapologetic smartassery. I also live for these two shutting villains down. Kate's pre- or during asskicking speeches are always an absolute highlight (three words: "And I rose"), but Renee definitely has her moments ("I wouldn't kill the man who murdered my partner. What makes you so special?" - goddamn, Renee, you absolute savage).
Renee and Kate both have personalities that I go absolutely gaga for in female heroes, but when you add complicated, messy canon f/f to that? I honestly still can't believe that they exist. I kept having to rewrite this section over and over because I couldn't shut up about them and it kept getting too long. You could write a fic set at any point of their relationship and I'd be all over it. I am also totally fine if you choose to have Renee and Kate not actually be together at the end of the fic, as long as it's clear that there are still feelings there even when they're broken up.
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.
I'm always up for identity porn scenarios with superhero ships if you want to play with some canon divergence, but I equally enjoy how much their history as Kate and Renee carries over to their dynamic when they have to work together as Batwoman and Question.
I love how much the villains these two face deal in mystical and supernatural elements. Part of what drew me to Gotham Central was the premise of normal GCPD detectives (except for Josie, obv) dealing with Gotham's weirdness and the reality of being a cop in a city that regularly faced supervillain-level threats. I've always been kind of delighted by this carrying over in Renee's time as a vigilante where, faceless mask and adhesive gas aside, she's just a person with some really good normal-person-level combat skills and a talent for investigation - she doesn't even get gadgets when she's facing down prophecies and werewolves and immortal biblical dudes. And Kate Kane routinely gets to do things like turn Medusa to stone and shatter her with her fists and completely sells me on being badass enough to do it.
I'm always really into any scenario where an outside source pushes them into conflict and their feelings for each other inevitably complicate their respective convictions in what they feel like they need to do. I love when they try to protect each other to their own and each other's detriment. I love how the anger and the hurt never quite go away, but neither does the love or the caring and they always fall back into each other's orbits with something almost like inevitability, even if it doesn't end up working out. They have a very complicated kind of loyalty where they're both super protective and genuinely want the best for each other, up to and including wanting each other to overcome their personal issues, and will always choose the scenario with the best chance of getting the other one out alive, but getting to that end point will easily justify punching each other in the face or betraying each other or actively hurting each other if it needs to.
Specific Prompts:
- Groundhog day time loop 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. Again, I love some the stranger/more supernatural threats they've had to go up against, but I'd also be here for more traditional street-level crime.
- 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.
- So, the glimpse of Commander Kane and Commissioner Montoya in the bad future in what I've read of Batwoman: Rebirth so far taught me one thing: I am super-duper down for older, grayer, Been Through Some Shit Kate and Renee linking up after not seeing each other for years (again), having to team up to face down some sort of threat (which certainly does not have to be Tim Drake), and discovering that, yep, still got feelings.
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. 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. DC may never give her the Question mantle again, but that's who she'll always be in my heart.
I took a bit of a break from DC after the launch of New 52, but am now working on catching up on Kate and Renee. I just finished the 2012-2015 Batwoman series (and I really liked Blackman & Williams' run - the arc where Kate fought a bunch of urban legends was very much playing to my interests). There's a very good chance I will have worked my way through Bennett's 2017-2018 run by the time the collection reveals, which I am enjoying so far (I have about equal appreciation for the plot/character dynamics and how hot all of these characters are - whoever made the call that led to all of the Tahani bicep fanservice deserves a raise). I have not read Bombshells currently.
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.
Relevant Past Letters: Vic & Renee Hurt/Comfort Likes
DNW Exception: Since Vic’s cancer is a major plot point during their time together in 52, I’m waving my Terminal Illness DNW here. I don’t expect anyone to have to overlook or handwave that part of canon. However, I’d prefer the fic not center entirely around that element.
"It's a trick question, Renee...not who are you...but who are you going to become?" - Vic Sage, 52: Week Thirty-Eight
What I Like About Them:
I love the dynamic between these two so much (have I mentioned that 52 was great? Because it was great!). I have a lot of affection for both of these characters individually, but together *chef's kiss*. As someone who was a big fan of the character arc Renee started in Gotham Central, I also love how much Vic was exactly what she needed exactly when she needed it and how rewarding it was to see her continue out that arc as Vic’s chosen successor to the Question mantle. I love every phase of their partnership and seeing Renee’s actually totally justified annoyance at this weirdo invading her personal life developing to genuine mutual respect and affection. I love Renee coming to see Vic as her best friend and Vic’s total faith in Renee as a person.
These two each have a complicated, equally fascinating relationship with vigilantism and canon treats the choice to put on the Question mask as a type of honesty - for both of them. The question (heh) of morality and how far is too far and trying to figure out where the line lies was a significant part of both of their characters, even if the perspectives and experiences they used to navigate that problem are unique to each of them and their role as the Question means something different as a result. Vic meeting Renee fresh off the whole Corrigan mess was always a fascinating point for their characters to form a connection around considering Vic's own musings on "justifiable homicide" (his words). Similarly, it added a lot of depth to Vic helping Renee cope with finally having to take the shot in a situation where she really didn't want to.
They both have a lot of anger at the world and neither one is a stranger to brutal necessity. They're both stubborn, naturally curious, and have a tendency to get in over their heads very quickly. They're also both characters who are always in need of more good friends. As competent as she is on her own, I always feel like Renee is at her best when working with a partner and having someone who can balance her out and Vic absolutely brought out the best in her at a time when Renee had convinced herself that there was nothing good left to find - even if it took a lot of time and effort and sleeping with rats to get there.
On a less serious note, both characters' senses of humour really work for me and their banter was a serious highlight in 52 - they're hilarious! They're also each exceptionally talented detectives in their own right and it's a lot of fun to see either of them work through a case, but seeing where their strengths compliment each other as they puzzle through problems together was a real treat.
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
I’m totally down for stories set during their time together in 52, Convergence stuff where Renee meets an alt version of Vic, AUs where Vic survives and they continue working together, AUs where they meet under different circumstances, AUs where Vic gets resurrected somehow after his death in 52, Blackest Night fic where (somehow, through shenanigans) Vic actually does come back like Tot was hoping instead of being a murder zombie (or in addition to being a murder zombie), Rebirth fic where the Question harasses an angry Gotham cop into working with him, whatever!
Case fic's an obvious choice for this match up and I would absolutely be down for them investigating anything as mundane or as bizarre as you'd like. Organized (or disorganized) crime in Hub City? Gotham-level supervillainy? Religion of Crime up to the usual? Caught in a time loop together? People spontaneously rising from the grave and newly rezzed Vic helping Renee figure out why? Monkey's paw style wish granting causing trouble?
Hurt/Comfort is also great for these two and their respective issues. I would also be down for a fix-it fic centered around Vic's resurrection in and of itself.
Canon Knowledge Note:
I've read a fair smattering of different writers' takes on Vic Sage since his integration into the DC Universe - O'Neil, Veitch, Rucka. I'm partial to O'Neil or Rucka characterization, but I do have a soft spot for Veitch's weird run with the nice art (as much as canon understandably just ignores it). I'm passingly familiar with the way Ditko wrote him originally, but never read much in depth for the Charlton Comics version of the character. I basically skipped over everything surrounding the Question mantle in general and Vic Sage specifically during the New 52 era (sans Convergence for the sake of New Earth!Renee) until Vic was returned to the role with Rebirth (as little as there has been of him so far). At this point, I still don't have any plans to go back and read either Trinity of Sin!Question (who does not seem to be related to Vic or Renee anyway) or Suicide Squad!Vic (corrupt bureaucrat doesn't really jive with how I personally see Vic at all, but I'm genuinely glad if that version of the character prompted any new fans to get into him). I have been very, very thorough with my Renee Montoya reading from Gotham Central until Flashpoint. While I am planning to catch up with New 52-Rebirth Renee, I'm not super well-read for that era at this time (though I may very well be caught up by the time the collection reveals).
That being said, I was being entirely genuine further up when I said I would be open to, for example, a meeting between the characters set in the Rebirth continuity. I'm generally willing to be flexible when it comes to comics canons because that is the nature of the beast.
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Midnighter and Apollo (Comics)
Fandom Specific Notes: Making reference to the men either of them might have dated while Midnighter was off finding himself is fine and would not violate my unrequested ship DNW. I find M’s penchant for collecting and maintaining friendships with his ex-boyfriends kind of endearing.
Apollo/Midnighter
Relevant Past Letters: Apollo/Midnighter Hurt/Comfort Likes
"...I know who you are, and even if you think you're doomed, I refuse to accept that." - Apollo, Midnighter and Apollo
What I Like About Them:
Honestly, there’s pretty much nothing about these two characters and their relationship that I’m not totally in love with. They care so deeply about each other and they’re just so…good together. I love the sweet, domestic moments between them as much as I love seeing them face down an enemy together. Orlando has done an amazing job with the characters, their relationship, and with making them believably work in the DCU - I seriously adore his run. M tearing shit up in Hell to bring Apollo back and Apollo busting them both out and revealing the reason behind his name was everything to me. But, while I’m focusing on the Orlando versions here since the Midnighter and Apollo title falls under his jurisdiction, feel free to borrow from other continuities if you feel like it.
The more each of their perspectives on the world gets explored, the more interesting I find them. Superheros/vigilantes always walk a morally dubious line in comics and in some ways it's easy to buy into drawing the line at straight up killing people as the default way things work, but Midnighter's reasons for not doing so have been increasingly well explored even beyond the fact that it's what he was designed for and he's very good at it. I think the old byline of M being Batman without the fetters has become incredibly reductive - at this point, I think he and Bruce would just fundamentally disagree about some aspects of basic morality and what is and is not a realistic perspective regarding how the world works. I know Orlando in particular stated that he set a mission for himself to ensure that by the time he was done it would be impossible to confuse Midnighter and Batman and, by god, he succeeded. Apollo being a "lighter" (for a given value of the word and also a sun pun) character who is pretty open when he disapproves of the brutality of Midnighter's methods and/or when he chooses to employ them, also doesn't leave killing off the table when he thinks it's an appropriate counter measure and has expressed some pretty interesting reasoning for why that's the case. In some ways, both of them but especially Apollo, feel strangely down-to-earth in their outlook - they provide a pretty fascinating and different perspective.
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
One of my favourite things about Midnighter is the sort of absolutely ludicrous, over the top fights he gets into and the nature of the threats writers have to put him (and anyone else who's tagging along) up against because of his power set. What's more, Midnighter absolutely loves doing what he does and it's easy to have a blast watching him go to town on some poor schmuck who absolutely deserves it. Better yet if he's in full battle couple mode with Apollo who gets a chance to show off the full might of his own significant power set. And then they kiss.
One thing that I've really loved about Orlando's run is that he is really not afraid to bring on the Midnighter whump or to have Apollo get himself out of trouble and actually have a turn at doing the rescuing every once in a while. I really love seeing normally hyper competent, overwhelmingly powerful characters hurt and vulnerable in hurt/comfort scenarios, so I am all about whumping Midnighter and bringing in protective!Apollo.
Their relationship is also so loving and domestic and real. This is a couple who's been through a lot and grown from their experiences and only found their feelings for each other even more solidified. I love the depth of caring that they have for each other and how sweet they are together in stark contrast to the brutality of the action of Midnighter's comics.
Also, M's well-documented weakness as a big softy around children is always endearing.
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Fandom Specific Notes: Including or bringing up Larry/John is fine. I would also not object to Larry having relationships with or being attracted to other dudes within the fic or even specifically Larry/Cliff or Larry/one of the Dannyzens in addition to the main pairing. I would even be up for Larry/Danny the Street if you want to try and swing that somehow. Reference to Larry having had a family in the past is fine and would not violate my unrequested ship DNW as long as the fic doesn’t focus on his feelings for/relationship with his ex-wife.
Just some quick reassurance that I am keeping on top of the show, have loved every new twist and turn so far, feel free to incorporate any new canon you want without worrying about spoilers, but also don't worry if canon goes in a direction you weren't expecting and/or josses something in the fic - that is the nature of ongoing canons and I love canon-divergence anyway.
Negative Spirit/Larry Trainor
What I Like About Them:
So, I’m not actually super familiar with the comics here, but I fell in love with the TV versions super quickly anyway. I know it’s still early in the season, but what a great show! I love how grounded the characters feel and how that balances out the totally out-there circumstances they’re in. I love this show about this group of very flawed people who struggle to learn how to be heroes in a world they’re already convinced can never accept them while they fight against the narrator of their own story. The whole cast is really great and I love the characters, so any of them are completely welcome to put in an appearance. I’ve especially developed a soft spot for Rita and Larry’s friendship. I also would be 100% down for more Danny the Street and Larry interacting with them, Maura Lee, and the other Dannyzens.
It was obvious from the start that I was going to love Larry. He's a sad, old, gay reluctant "superhero" with a dry sense of humour who spends most of his time with his face covered up, is bad at dealing with his problems, and has a complicated relationship with his own sentient superpower - it's like predictive text software generated a new favourite character for me.
Honestly, the moment that Larry quietly touched his chest about where the spirit manifests after listening to the recording where the spirit calls living inside him "torture" was what cemented this ship for me (and imagine my delight at Larry's last scene in Doom Patrol Patrol). I've been really invested in watching Larry's relationship with the spirit grow and develop. For a being that is clearly effected by its host's emotional state, ending up in the ball of anxiety, avoidance, and self-hatred that is Larry Trainor has to have resulted in an...interesting 60 years even before they started actually almost communicating (which is kind of remarkable on its own considering, even without the specific barriers wrt the spirit, Larry isn't the best at communication anyway and the one time they actually got to speak in words, they spent most of it screaming "fuck you" at each other). We know that the spirit is drawn out/has an easier time manifesting when Larry's in distress and Larry has this delicious/awful balancing act of determinedly avoiding his problems and keeping his own misery as close as possible so that he can marinate in it.
The spirit's behaviour is very interesting so far, especially since we understand so little about what motivates him. There are also all kinds of identity issues wrapped up in their connection, which I love. The developments in Therapy Patrol were a real treat; the John flashbacks are an interesting new addition to the Larry-Spirit dynamic and it was interesting to see the difference in their interactions. The spirit seemed to be genuinely trying to understand Larry and to give him something happy and Larry genuinely seemed to want to be understood and actually treated the spirit like a person with feelings who could be reasoned with - it even lead to character growth and the start of some kind of healing! Also, "buddy".
General Areas of Interest for Fic:
Further development of their relationship and understanding and finding ways to communicate. Any situations you can put them in where they're actually forced to work together and rely on each are choice. Why does the spirit manifest when he does? Is it heroism or is it something else? Why does he sometimes not come out when Larry's in a dangerous situation, even when Larry's deliberately trying to manifest him? How does the spirit feel about Larry (beyond "fuck you" and "torture")? At the very least he seems to want Larry to get his act together. What kind of balance do they need to find to live with each other?The spirit is kind of a terrifying power to have even beyond Larry's particular control issues. As powerful as the spirit is and as useful as its propensity for saving the day is, that Larry's body is helpless/vulnerable once it's manifested and that Larry is essentially dead every time it leaves him seems like a primo source of whump to me. What if a villain figured out how to capitalize on that or how to make it more difficult for the spirit to stay in Larry's body? I understand that comics!Larry initially couldn't survive the spirit being outside of his body for longer than a minute. How long does this version of Larry have before it becomes a real problem?
I also really enjoy the general absurdity of Doom Patrol and the nature of the bizarre problems they face. I live for plots like them defeating a doomsday cult by going back in time to create their own rival cult to summon another giant magic eyeball to blink everything back into existence. I would revel in anything that went for the same balls-to-the-wall strangeness that the show regularly indulges in.
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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
"T.
When the character of a man is not clear, look at his friends.
-H."
- The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde, Volume 4
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.
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