![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Yuletide 2012: Dear Writer
First of all, thank you for writing for me this year! Whatever we've matched on, I'm already excited to read a new story in one of these fabulous fandoms.
The fandom-specific sections of this letter are already abominably long, so I figure I'll make this part as short as I can, which is hard for me because I tend to ramble when I'm excited. Sorry. I'm the kind of person who will read basically anything and I don't have a lot of turnoffs as far as fic goes. I've read and loved everything from the fluffiest or gen-est of G-rated stories to the darkest and most violent or most explicit NC-17 fic. I like het, slash, femslash, and gen (ships I particularly love are mentioned in the fandom-specific sections).
Some things that are particular turn-ons:
Some things that actually do squick me: Rape and non-con. Horror (I'm a wuss and have been traumatized by reading terrifying things in the past). Unnecessary gore; people get hurt in my fandoms and I'm cool with that, but please try not to take delight in blood and carnage, that's not my thing. Zombies (I just don't like 'em). And... that's about it, I think.
Fandom: The Adventures of Dr. McNinja
Characters: Any! (Nominated: Dr. McNinja, Dan McNinja, Mitzi McNinja, Sean "Dark Smoke Puncher" McNinja)
Optional details which are optional: I have a great fondness for the whole McNinja clan and would love any story about any of them. I'm seriously unpicky when it comes to this fandom -- any fic at all would make my day.
Expanded optional details, still optional: The thing I love most about Dr. McNinja is how manically zany the plots are. You can think you know where something is going, and then BOOM! you are faced with NASAghasts, motorcycle unicorns, Dracula's moon laser, evil dinosaur overlords from space, an improbable tale from Doc's college days! I love the wild ride this comic takes us on with every new plotline. Basically that's what I'm looking for in this fandom: wackiness, action, and wildly improbable medical conditions. Oh, and family bonding.
Possible prompts if you're into that sort of thing:
*Nota bene: I've only seen like the first season of House. Still, I think it would be a cool concept.
Fandom: Intelligence (TV)
Characters: Bob Tremblay
Optional details which are optional: You know what, guys? I like Bob. A lot. I'd love to read more about him. My ultimate wish would be a post-series fic about how Jimmy's organization deals with the shocking event at the very end of the series finale, but anything at all focusing on Bob would be awesome.
Expanded optional details, still optional: I am a sucker for the trope of the crime family which is an actual family in how its members are emotionally close and loyal and all that, and the Reardon organization hits that button in a big way. I love how Jimmy interacts with his crew. And I love Bob for being calm, quiet, loyal and just insanely competent at what he does. Really, I would read anything set in the Intelligence universe with glee, but Bob is my very very favorite.
As I said above, I would love something set after the series finale. (If you haven't seen the show, please don't read this next part! Here, I'll even put it in spoiler text to save you from yourself:) [I can never decide whether I want Jimmy to survive after being shot by the Americans at the end of the episode and come back and lay a beatdown on those jerks, or whether I want him to die and leave his organization scrambling to fill the void. Really, I'm fine with either way, so however you interpret that is okay with me. I'd love to see how his organization deals with the aftermath, and I would particularly enjoy reading about Bob taking center stage and becoming a leader, or grieving while not letting that get in the way of doing what has to be done for the family. Or hanging out with Stella, or dealing with the Disciples, or... whatever!]
Possible prompts if you're into that sort of thing:
Fandom: Captain Britain and MI:13
Characters: Faiza Hussain
Optional details which are optional: Faiza has recently become my favorite new Marvel heroine. I love her courage, her faith, her sense of humor, and her fangirling of British superheroes. I'd love to read anything about Faiza's childhood, or her career as a doctor, or her life as a superhero.
Expanded optional details, still optional: As long as it's Faiza-centric, I will adore any fic. I'm not a very religious person and I don't know much about Islam, but if you want to touch on how her faith and her heritage affect her in her normal life or her superheroing, I would love to read that fic. And I ship Faiza/Dane like whoa -- romance between those two would be wonderful. Or just Faiza on her lonesome, saving lives and taking names, that would be just brilliant.
Seeing as Faiza is a longtime fangirl of the heroes she now rubs elbows with on a regular basis, I wonder if she's written any fanfic or has any favorite ships? (Wisdom/Captain Britain? <3) If you're into fic that's kind of meta, I would love to read her take on the superhero scene in Britain through her tweets or tumblr posts or anything like that. Or during a field trip to America! Or Canada! Or anywhere!
Possible prompts if you're into that sort of thing:
Fandom: Alpha Flight
Characters: Heather McNeil Hudson (listed as MacNeil, but I'm pretty sure she's a Mc!), James MacDonald Hudson
Optional details which are optional: Happily-married or, um, not, depending on where in canon you want to go with this, Heather and Mac are one of my favorite Marvel couples. I would love to read a story from their marriage, death(s), resurrection(s), separation, parenthood, or really anything.
Expanded optional details, still optional: Alpha Flight is one fandom I can't get enough of, and while I got two (!) excellent fics for this comic last year, I'm always over the moon to read more. While my veryvery favorite character is Jean-Paul and I'm happy to see him always in anything, I chose to make my request for the Hudsons because they have a lot of interesting and often-changing relationship dynamics that I'd enjoy seeing put into fic.
I'm a fan of both classic Flight and the recent Fear Itself tie-in maxiseries, and I'm finishing up reading volume 2 at the moment. Really, any point in canon you like is agreeable to me. The Hudsons are separated (by time, space, and death!) for a lot of the comic, so if you'd rather focus on just one of them, I'm okay with Heather and Mac being apart. I'm also okay with reading about that thing in volume 2 where it was Mac's younger clone, despite how weird that was. I'm very interested in cyborg!not!Mac from volume 1. And Unity!Heather from volume 4. And... Marvel has really heaped the angst on these two, huh? :)
One note on that last one -- I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Unity!Heather. I loved her character arc in volume 1, watching her grow and develop from this determined but naïve young secretary we saw in the 'prequel' comics, to a professional woman holding down the fort for her superhero husband, to a capable leader and superhero in her own right despite many doubts and fears and, let's be honest, an annoying tendency for too much introspection. I'm not sure how to reconcile that arc with the betrayal in Fear Itself; I'm not sure if I want it reconciled or if I prefer to believe that the Heather we saw in volume 4 was... a different/alternate-universe Heather who kidnapped the real Heather and is hiding her somewhere. Or something. In any case, if you want to try to make me understand her actions or write about where she and Claire are after Fear Itself and whether she can ever reconcile with Mac, feel free! If not, go head and ignore that bit of canon.
Possible prompts if you're into that sort of thing:
The fandom-specific sections of this letter are already abominably long, so I figure I'll make this part as short as I can, which is hard for me because I tend to ramble when I'm excited. Sorry. I'm the kind of person who will read basically anything and I don't have a lot of turnoffs as far as fic goes. I've read and loved everything from the fluffiest or gen-est of G-rated stories to the darkest and most violent or most explicit NC-17 fic. I like het, slash, femslash, and gen (ships I particularly love are mentioned in the fandom-specific sections).
Some things that are particular turn-ons:
- AUs and crossovers. I've mentioned crossovers I think could be amazing in the prompts sections; I find them fun in general. Most of my fandoms right now are Marvel comics-verse, as may be obvious from my letter, but if you have another idea for a crossover, go for it! I've been introduced to some awesome canons thanks to reading fanfics. And one of my great fanfic loves is AUs, either of the 'what would happen if...' variety or the total-AU variety of the sort that gets its own tag on AO3. I'm tickled by anything like that.
- Hurt/comfort. It is a thing, a thing I love. It doesn't even have to be a sexual thing, I'm just a sucker for somebody getting hurt and being looked after, and affection between two people brought close in a time of need. Or something.
- Unequal power dynamics in relationships. I'm not talking about BDSM or coercion here, and I'm not necessarily talking about only sexual relationships either. Like, Jimmy is Bob's friend, but also his boss, and what happens when those two roles clash? I love things like age differences or generational gaps in relationships, or relationships where one character has power over the other in some way, and I love the problems that stuff creates.
- Emotions and close friendships and love~. I'm a sucker for people who care deeply about each other and maybe aren't that great at expressing it. Or the friends that everybody else knows they're perfect for each other but they can't see it until, idk, tragedy strikes. See also: hurt/comfort, above. :)
Some things that actually do squick me: Rape and non-con. Horror (I'm a wuss and have been traumatized by reading terrifying things in the past). Unnecessary gore; people get hurt in my fandoms and I'm cool with that, but please try not to take delight in blood and carnage, that's not my thing. Zombies (I just don't like 'em). And... that's about it, I think.
Fandom: The Adventures of Dr. McNinja
Characters: Any! (Nominated: Dr. McNinja, Dan McNinja, Mitzi McNinja, Sean "Dark Smoke Puncher" McNinja)
Optional details which are optional: I have a great fondness for the whole McNinja clan and would love any story about any of them. I'm seriously unpicky when it comes to this fandom -- any fic at all would make my day.
Expanded optional details, still optional: The thing I love most about Dr. McNinja is how manically zany the plots are. You can think you know where something is going, and then BOOM! you are faced with NASAghasts, motorcycle unicorns, Dracula's moon laser, evil dinosaur overlords from space, an improbable tale from Doc's college days! I love the wild ride this comic takes us on with every new plotline. Basically that's what I'm looking for in this fandom: wackiness, action, and wildly improbable medical conditions. Oh, and family bonding.
Possible prompts if you're into that sort of thing:
- Mitzi, Mitzi, Mitzi. How in the world does one marry into the McNinja family? Where does she come from and how did she become a ninja? I would love to read the epic love story of Dan and Mitzi, I'm sure it is crazy and exciting!
- DSP growing up with those parents and that brother -- his life intrigues me. I love DSP a lot, and I especially love his relationship with Gordito. I admit, I ship it... when they're both grown up! Please help me preserve Gordito's innocence, he's just a little boy (with awesome mustachios). If you want to go the slash route, I'd definitely prefer future-fic or something set during the "Futures Trading" arc, that dystopian alternate future wherein DSP and Gordito are leading the human resistance against their evil space-dinosaur overlords. I love it.
- Doc and Batman. Or Doc and Dracula. Or Doc and anyone, really, I am good with all of it.
- If you're interested in crossovers with other comic fandoms, or action-adventure fandoms, or medical fandoms, please do go for it! I think it would be wild to have Dr. McNinja and Dr. House* collaborating to solve a medical mystery of some kind. Would it be hilarious? Maybe! And if you're familiar with the Marvel fandom X-Club (a fandom I almost requested this year), I think it might send me to fangirl heaven to see Dr. McNinja face off with Dr. Nemesis. My two favorite comic-verse doctors in one story? It doesn't need to be said how much I am for this.
*Nota bene: I've only seen like the first season of House. Still, I think it would be a cool concept.
Fandom: Intelligence (TV)
Characters: Bob Tremblay
Optional details which are optional: You know what, guys? I like Bob. A lot. I'd love to read more about him. My ultimate wish would be a post-series fic about how Jimmy's organization deals with the shocking event at the very end of the series finale, but anything at all focusing on Bob would be awesome.
Expanded optional details, still optional: I am a sucker for the trope of the crime family which is an actual family in how its members are emotionally close and loyal and all that, and the Reardon organization hits that button in a big way. I love how Jimmy interacts with his crew. And I love Bob for being calm, quiet, loyal and just insanely competent at what he does. Really, I would read anything set in the Intelligence universe with glee, but Bob is my very very favorite.
As I said above, I would love something set after the series finale. (If you haven't seen the show, please don't read this next part! Here, I'll even put it in spoiler text to save you from yourself:) [I can never decide whether I want Jimmy to survive after being shot by the Americans at the end of the episode and come back and lay a beatdown on those jerks, or whether I want him to die and leave his organization scrambling to fill the void. Really, I'm fine with either way, so however you interpret that is okay with me. I'd love to see how his organization deals with the aftermath, and I would particularly enjoy reading about Bob taking center stage and becoming a leader, or grieving while not letting that get in the way of doing what has to be done for the family. Or hanging out with Stella, or dealing with the Disciples, or... whatever!]
Possible prompts if you're into that sort of thing:
- Bob was once a military man and served in the Special Forces -- how did he go from that to being Jimmy Reardon's chief enforcer? How did he meet Jimmy and what keeps them together? If the answer to this is slashy on some level, so much the better.
- Francine once says that Lorna isn't Bob's usual type; I always kind of hoped this meant he liked sane, smart, put-together women. Or maybe she was inferring that he's not really into women at all. Give Bob some love or something.
- Stella is another of my very favorites on this show, and I'd love to read about her, either in the present when she's a precocious child who already knows a lot about the underworld despite Jimmy's attempts to protect her, or in the future when she's a sharp and kickass lady following in her dad's footsteps or striking her own path. Give Bob a place in her life somewhere (father figure? confidant? mentor? ...eventual rival?) and I will be full of gladness.
- If you're looking for a fun crossover, I've spent a lot of time imagining crossing Intelligence over with my favorite Canadian superteam, Alpha Flight (there was that time the original 'Flight set up their new base near Vancouver, so there's a ready-made potential there). Or, really, any Marvel team who might have a reason to cause havoc in British Columbia. Mutants + spies are a brilliant combination in my book.
Fandom: Captain Britain and MI:13
Characters: Faiza Hussain
Optional details which are optional: Faiza has recently become my favorite new Marvel heroine. I love her courage, her faith, her sense of humor, and her fangirling of British superheroes. I'd love to read anything about Faiza's childhood, or her career as a doctor, or her life as a superhero.
Expanded optional details, still optional: As long as it's Faiza-centric, I will adore any fic. I'm not a very religious person and I don't know much about Islam, but if you want to touch on how her faith and her heritage affect her in her normal life or her superheroing, I would love to read that fic. And I ship Faiza/Dane like whoa -- romance between those two would be wonderful. Or just Faiza on her lonesome, saving lives and taking names, that would be just brilliant.
Seeing as Faiza is a longtime fangirl of the heroes she now rubs elbows with on a regular basis, I wonder if she's written any fanfic or has any favorite ships? (Wisdom/Captain Britain? <3) If you're into fic that's kind of meta, I would love to read her take on the superhero scene in Britain through her tweets or tumblr posts or anything like that. Or during a field trip to America! Or Canada! Or anywhere!
Possible prompts if you're into that sort of thing:
- Faiza's childhood, the birth of her fascination with heroes (and cricket), and her comic book collection. (I'm sure she reads comic books, c'mon.) Also, what inspired her to become a doctor? Obviously her parents both being doctors was probably a big part of that, but it would be very cool to read about her past and how she became the person she is now. Or Faiza in university/med school, especially if she never quite fit in and was kind of the awkward geek.
- I do ship Faiza/Dane a lot, so if that relationship interests you, write about how they make it work! The cultural differences between them (he's an American!), his curses, her struggles to deal with her new powers. I love how much Dane respects and admires Faiza and believes in her ability to be a true hero and a knight even when her confidence isn't quite there yet. I love their banter and snark. I will love it when Faiza finally admits to Dane that he's always been in her top five favorite superheroes. <3
- On a more serious note, I'm interested in how the Hussain family can pick up the pieces that were left after the end of the MI:13 book. I mean, spoilers! [Faiza's father is a VAMPIRE after the events of those last couple issues. That is intense, man. It would interest me to see how Faiza comes to terms with that. Maybe with the help of Lady Jac, who of course has her own issues to deal with after losing her son. Darkfic or more hopeful, I'd love to read a post-canon fic about this.]
- Crossover potential? Well, hey, any other Marvel superhero or superteam would be fun, obviously. I don't have anything specific for this fandom, but if you do, go for it!
Fandom: Alpha Flight
Characters: Heather McNeil Hudson (listed as MacNeil, but I'm pretty sure she's a Mc!), James MacDonald Hudson
Optional details which are optional: Happily-married or, um, not, depending on where in canon you want to go with this, Heather and Mac are one of my favorite Marvel couples. I would love to read a story from their marriage, death(s), resurrection(s), separation, parenthood, or really anything.
Expanded optional details, still optional: Alpha Flight is one fandom I can't get enough of, and while I got two (!) excellent fics for this comic last year, I'm always over the moon to read more. While my veryvery favorite character is Jean-Paul and I'm happy to see him always in anything, I chose to make my request for the Hudsons because they have a lot of interesting and often-changing relationship dynamics that I'd enjoy seeing put into fic.
I'm a fan of both classic Flight and the recent Fear Itself tie-in maxiseries, and I'm finishing up reading volume 2 at the moment. Really, any point in canon you like is agreeable to me. The Hudsons are separated (by time, space, and death!) for a lot of the comic, so if you'd rather focus on just one of them, I'm okay with Heather and Mac being apart. I'm also okay with reading about that thing in volume 2 where it was Mac's younger clone, despite how weird that was. I'm very interested in cyborg!not!Mac from volume 1. And Unity!Heather from volume 4. And... Marvel has really heaped the angst on these two, huh? :)
One note on that last one -- I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Unity!Heather. I loved her character arc in volume 1, watching her grow and develop from this determined but naïve young secretary we saw in the 'prequel' comics, to a professional woman holding down the fort for her superhero husband, to a capable leader and superhero in her own right despite many doubts and fears and, let's be honest, an annoying tendency for too much introspection. I'm not sure how to reconcile that arc with the betrayal in Fear Itself; I'm not sure if I want it reconciled or if I prefer to believe that the Heather we saw in volume 4 was... a different/alternate-universe Heather who kidnapped the real Heather and is hiding her somewhere. Or something. In any case, if you want to try to make me understand her actions or write about where she and Claire are after Fear Itself and whether she can ever reconcile with Mac, feel free! If not, go head and ignore that bit of canon.
Possible prompts if you're into that sort of thing:
- I'm gonna be upfront about this, lovely writer: I ship the whole Mac/Heather/Logan triangle. I enjoy the whole Heather/Logan thing, and I would love to have the chance to ship Mac/Logan, possibly with a side of jealousy and aggressive alpha posturing. If you want to elaborate on that disastrous hiking trip wherein the Hudsons meet Logan, I would love to read that fic.
- For something lighter and fluffier, maybe something pre-series, when Mac was still the hotshot scientist and Heather was still crushing on him from afar? Or early in their marriage, when they were a struggling young couple? It intrigues me that Heather pretty much told Mac she was going to marry him before they really knew each other. And she was seventeen! The age gap is also a thing that interests me. I'd love to see a slice-of-life fic with the two of them adjusting to married life. Or to parenthood, early on, before the baby was taken from them. Or just ignore Fear Itself and show me Claire growing up with parents who still adore each other after all they've been through and a ton of superhero aunts and uncles.
- If you're into volume 4: After Fear Itself, where do Mac and Heather and the baby go from here? As I mentioned above, I'm very ambivalent about Unity!Heather, and I could be convinced either way about whether there's potential for them to be a family again. If not... do they move on? Can either of them find peace? And how does baby Claire grow up in a family with such a history of fracturing?
- More of a note than a prompt, but I love the rest of the team as well and would be happy to see them in a fic! Remember how Jeanne-Marie moved in with the Hudsons briefly at the very beginning of volume 1 and Heather was jealous? Write about how they resolved that. Or write about how Mac and Walt Langkowski are two science dorks together and Heather finds their geekery adorable. Or about Shaman being a mentor figure/marriage counselor to the Hudsons. Or about either or both of them generally struggling to figure out how to lead a team like the one they have.