Dear Chocolatier

[enemyofperfect]

It's that time of year again!  I'm already thrilled that you've signed up to write one of the following relationships, but for people who like more details, more details are here! Please do note that there might be spoilers for individual canons past their respective cuts.

General likes

• Fics of any length, from exactly 300 words to as long as your inspiration takes you. I have given and received fics in both categories in previous exchanges, and I love them all!
• A wide variety of moods, from fluffy to funny to thoughtful to melancholy to morally and emotionally tangled. Most of the following fandoms can cover a lot of emotional range themselves, and I'd love anything within that range -- or even a bit beyond!
• First person, second person, third person -- any way your story wants to be written, that's the way I want you to write it. ETA: And the same goes for past, present, or even future tense!
• Gay characters, bi characters, straight characters, ace and/or aro characters, trans and cis characters, neurodivergent characters, any kind of characters that fit the story you're telling! Whether you're interpreting canon characterization or introducing an OC, feel free to mix things up beyond the media default.
• In terms of shipfic, anything from flirting to full out explicit sex is fabulous and welcome, as well as everything in between. Hand holding, making out, fantasizing about each other, relationship negotiation, cute domesticity... I'm into all of it. Just please tag for any sort of compromised consent if your fic goes that direction!
• If and only if AUs are your kind of thing, fantasy or magical realism twists for any of these fandoms would be awesome.

Doctor Who (2005)

Donna Noble & Bill Potts
Donna Noble/Bill Potts
Heather/Bill Potts
Martha Jones & Bill Potts
Martha Jones/Bill Potts
Twelfth Doctor & Bill Potts.

Likes: Bill getting to explore new concepts, relationships, worlds -- with or without Heather by her side! Donna having a good life, damn it! Martha getting to be awesome outside the Doctor's shadow! And that particular gentle care Twelve showed towards Bill, less dramatic and in some ways more respectful than with other companions. Canon divergence AUs welcome!
Do Not Wants: Including infidelity or breakups as a way of making any of these ships possible -- I would much prefer polyamory or just not mentioning canon relationships instead!

What can I say:  I love Bill Potts, and I'd love to spend more time with her.  She's so beautifully interested in people and in the world, and I'd love to see her spending time with any of the people above.

I'll note that as of this writing, I haven't seen anything after the 2017 special "Twice Upon a Time".  I'm not horribly opposed to spoilers for this show, so don't worry if some later knowledge slips in, but anything that depends heavily on plot developments I haven't seen yet might take a little more effort for me to follow!

To expand a little on my likes above:

• Donna I put down because I still ache over what the show did to her.  Whether you restore her memories or give her a new adventure to fill the TARDIS-shaped hole in her life, I'd love to see her and Bill get meet -- and perhaps make out, depending on your preferences at a writer!
• For Martha, I think it would be fun to contrast her hard won expertise with Bill's relative inexperience, in a story set pre-"The Doctor Falls" -- or perhaps to reverse that dynamic if Bill's been traveling with Heather for a while!
• With Heather, I'd love a glimpse of their adventures after Bill exits the show, or perhaps an AU where they had a chance to grow closer as humans.  What could these two be to each other, on Earth or off of it?
• And finally, the Doctor.  I feel like he brought a sadder but wiser air to their season together, and it suited him.  I'd just like them to have a little bit more time together, I guess.

Foreigner (CJ Cherryh)

Bren Cameron & Guy Cullen
Bren Cameron/Ilisidi
Bren Cameron & Ilisidi
Ilisidi & Irene

Likes: Introspection, politics, alliances, conversations whether fraught or light! For Bren & Guy especially, feel free to question Bren's decisions and the fallout they have for other people -- but you could also focus simply on the commonalities between them, if that's what interests you.
Do Not Wants: Any disrespect to Jago-ji, should Ilisidi and Bren pursue a more intimate experience; whether this liaison might predate Jago's understanding with Bren, be permitted by it, or exist in a world where that understanding does not exist, I would leave to the honored author.

Ahh, this series!  Bren's endlessly anxious yet well-meaning internal monologue hooked me from the start, but there are some other really intriguing perspectives on offer, too.

• As far as Ilisidi goes, I love the shameless flattery and flirtation between her and Bren, as well as the real respect and admiration that underlies it.  I'd be delighted by anything from a light conversation between them to a serious political mission to Bren being disconcerted to realize she's genuinely interested in a more intimate relationship with him -- and that he returns that interest.  (What could be more hazardous to the impartiality of a paidhi?  And yet, could there not be opportunity as well?)
• Guy Cullen I would love to see more of, because, damn, but that guy's got a rough life.  In some ways, Bren has now fully become the authority figure convinced of his right to rewrite other people's lives.  And of course at the same time, in many ways he identifies with Guy Cullen intensely.  What went on during their conversations?  What more could have gone on if the kyo had stayed longer, or returned?  How does Guy see Bren?  I'd be interested in anything you come up with for these two!
• Finally, with Irene and Ilisidi... I'd just really love to see them comparing perspectives, as an extremely accomplished atevi matriarch and a very young human who's fought so hard to make a place for herself.  Do they talk about Cajeiri, or do they very carefully avoid that subject?  Are one or both of them surprised by the turn their conversation takes?  It's hard to get much in the way of interaction between women in a series so tightly tied to Bren (and later Cajeiri's) point of view, but I'd love to see more of these two!

The Good Place

Chidi Anagonye/Jason Mendoza
Chidi Anagonye/Eleanor Shellstrop
Chidi Anagonye/Simone Garnett
Chidi Anagonye/Simone Garnett/Eleanor Shellstrop
Simone Garnett/Eleanor Shellstrop
Simone Garnett/Mindy St. Claire
Chidi Anagonye & Janet

Likes: I mean, only practically this entire show. I don't even know what to tell you. Have fun!
Do Not Wants: More than incidental Derek, I guess. I don't mind if he shows up in passing, since he's a part of Janet and Mindy's life, but that guy can be pretty intense.

My two main focuses for this fandom in this exchange are Simone, because she's sarcastic and amazing and I'd love to see more of her, and Chidi, because he's such a relatable cinnamon roll of a giant ethics nerd. But of course I also love Eleanor, smoking hot reformed dirtbag that she is. And I love how into both Simone and Chidi she is!

I can't even believe that this show is going to be over before this exchange is, but, well -- feel free to incorporate new canon as it comes in if you're inspired to, but that is absolutely not a requirement as far as I'm concerned. I will love your fic whatever era it's set in!

• Chidi, who is possibly the most indecisive person in the universe, somehow said confidently in 3x05 that he isn't bi.  If he weren't a fictional character, I would 100% respect that, but since he is... can we please have Jason's gorgeousness somehow getting him to question that?  In a time loop, on Earth after realizing with shock that he's made a vast assumption about himself, purely in Chidi's own imagination -- any of the above would be delightful!
• Chidi and Eleanor and Simone in any combination:  Look, they're all hotties.  They're all attracted to each other. (At least according to Janet.)  And they're all really really funny and charming people.  There is no way for this to go wrong -- or even if there was, I would probably enjoy reading about that too!
• As of the time of writing, Simone and Mindy have never met, but who knows what happens once Simone and John drive off and leave Brent to his death?  And I feel like even though they're nearly as far apart morally as Chidi and Eleanor were in season one, they also have something in common in their irreverent approach to the world. They intrigue me!
• Finally, I would never have thought to request Chidi & Janet before I saw it in the tag set, but now I want it so much.  She knows everything, and he's sure of nothing, and they've both grown so much, and I just need to see them talk about all of the things.  Or even just one thing, however trivial.  Does Janet have opinions about colors for hats?  Or could there be something she wants Chidi's help with?  I'd love to find out!

Imperial Radch (Ann Leckie)

Athoek Station & Mercy of Kalr
Athoek Station & Piat

Likes: AIs being cinnamon roll AIs together! Explorations of the brave new world of RoTS, but also scenes set within the series proper! With respect to Station & Piat, should you choose to explore the painful fact of Raughd Denche, absolutely feel free to let things get as messy and complex as you like. I love Station, but that doesn't mean that things would be simple between those two. On the other hand, they could also feel that they had something in common.
Do Not Wants: Assigning binary gender as we understand it to culturally Radchaai citizens. (This doesn't apply to Uran, Queter, or any other citizens whose cultures clearly do have the concept of binary gender, should they appear!)

I'm just in such an Athoek Station mood lately, I can't even tell you.  I was always fond of Station during Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy, and it hasn't really faded since.

• For Station and Mercy of Kalr, I'd really just like any kind of AI to AI interaction.  Do they chat about Breq?  The future of the RoTS?  About how tricky it can be to keep humans happy and healthy?  What does self-care mean for AIs? Give me all things AI!  ♥ ♥ ♥
• To expand a little on my thoughts about Station and Piat -- it's quietly canon that Station may well have known, or at least guessed, what Raughd did to Piat, but chosen not to do even what little a Station is permitted to do:  "The hints could often be enough. But if Station was unhappy, it might not even do that."  I would love pretty much any possible exploration of this subject. On the other hand, if that's a little too heavy for you, I'd also love just a little snapshot of these two moving ahead with their new lives in the RoTS.  How does Station's role evolve once AIs are more than just useful furniture? And how is Piat doing these days, anyway?

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Sophie Lennon & Susie
Sophie Lennon/Susie
Shy Baldwin/Reggie
Lenny Bruce & Susie Myerson

Likes: Susie! Susie being a manager and a damn good one! Sophie being a more ridiculously overbred borzoi than either of her dogs! Lenny Bruce and Susie trading notes on life and/or being hopelessly in love with Midge Maisel? Shy and Reggie getting some happiness!!
Do Not Wants: The edgier side of the show's humor -- I would be a miss for some of Midge's more daring jokes, mostly where they relate to people getting hurt (whether on a personal basis or by way of societal oppressions). A great big exception to this DNW is any #ownvoices perspectives you might feel moved to include.

This show is so weird and messy and I watched all of it over the last couple of months.  Please give me more of my faves?

• As beautiful as Susie's devotion to Midge is, I was actually really excited to see her expanding her managerdom and taking a chance on Sophie.  More than that, I kind of just love the juxtaposition of these two, with Sophie as the living incarnation of ~drama~ and Susie as in some ways the most earnest character on the show.  So I'd love to see these two finding ways to make Sophie her best on stage, or resolve their differences through passionate makeouts, or come to realize that those beautiful borzoi puppies actually really love Susie, or anything!
• I don't really have much of a reason for requesting Susie and Lenny Bruce, except that I love both of them, and both of them love Midge, and... arguably both of them would really like to get into Midge's pants, too, so... okay, maybe I have more of a rationalization here than I realized.  But that doesn't mean they have to sit down and trade stories of hopeless longing, okay -- I also loved Susie's fannishness towards Lenny at their first meeting.  And who knows, maybe he could use a manager who'd really go to bat for him, too.
• "No one has to know I think you're wonderful," just break my fucking heart into smithereens, Shy, aslkfhlskdg.  Are these two somehow together in such a way such that Shy still pines? Have they been together in the past, without letting it become a settled thing?  Or has Reggie been holding back, somehow believing it's better that way, when he couldn't be farther from the truth?  However these two love each other, I don't think it's a simple thing -- but I'd like to see a little more of it.

Person of Interest

Joss Carter & Taylor Carter
Joss Carter/John Reese
Joss Carter/Sameen Shaw
Joss Carter & Sameen Shaw
Bear & Leon Tao
Bear & Sameen Shaw
Control/Schiffman

Likes: Joss Carter as an honorable badass, good friend, and loving mom. Also Joss Carter as one extremely attractive lady. Bear getting all the scritches; also learning about people's personalities from how they interact with Bear. Shaw especially when she's competent and collected, but also when she's fluttery over Carter. Leon Tao when he's a ridiculous endearing disaster. Also, just... Control was never a nice person, but wow she had presence, and the glimpse of her and Schiffman? Divine.
Do Not Wants: If you go in a casefic direction, just please no torture by the good guys, or as an effective way of getting information! Also, should Root come up, please only call her by her chosen name.

Show of my heart! This year I started out really focusing on Joss, my late lamented fave, but I couldn't leave out Bear, and when I saw Control/Schiffman in the tagset, I just knew I had to ask for them too. I'll be delighted for more about any of these characters!

• I always really liked that Carter got to be a mom without being defined by her motherhood. You know the time Taylor was kidnapped and she still wouldn't betray her principles, even though she clearly loves her son to bits? That's the kind of thing I mean. But with that said, I would love to see more of Taylor and of what Carter's like when she's not wearing her cop or Team Machine hats. Domestic fluff? Serious conversations about their lives? Teasing him about cute girls (or boys, or NBs) at school? I'm here for all of it!
• I didn't necessarily like Carter/Reese the way the show eventually gave it to us -- particularly, I didn't like the way she died right afterwards -- but he always admired her so much, and they both had fun teasing each other, and basically I just think she deserved someone to show her a really good time. Whether this in the form of a heartfelt conversation, flirtatious banter, or something more explicitly sexy, I'd love to see it!
• Ahh, Shaw's enormous crush on Carter. That was utterly adorable. Do you think she would ever have calmed down with time, or is calming down just not something Shaw does? I'd be equally happy with one-sided attraction on Shaw's part, a perfectly platonic and/or professional interaction between two badasses, or Carter deciding that Shaw is pretty attractive herself. We could have had it all!
• Bear is a Very Good Dog and deserves many good things. We know that Leon gives him snacks and that Shaw loves him best of anyone (Root possibly excepted) -- what other adventures, whether fun or life and death, could Bear get up to with either of them? Feel free to set this at any point during the series, after it, or even in an Everyone Lives AU!
• We never really got to learn much about Schiffman except that she has impeccable style, and I'd love to know more! Do you think she and Control would be the type to mix work and pleasure, or would they be very compartmentalized? Do you think Control is as toppy in the bedroom as she is everywhere else? Does Schiffman ever call her anything but Ma'am?? I'd love any glimpse of these two!

Stumptown (TV)

Ansel Parios & Dex Parios
Ansel Parios & Sue Lynn Blackbird
Dex Parios/Liz Melero
Dex Parios & Sue Lynn Blackbird
Dex Parios/Sue Lynn Blackbird
Lieutenant Cosgrove & Tookie Alvarez
Miles Hoffman/Lieutenant Cosgrove

Likes: Dex Parios, glorious mess. Sue Lynn Blackbird, savvy operator with a heart. Ansel Parios, a young man with good instincts and ambitions! Liz is arguably even more of a mess than Dex, but sometimes I'm into that. Cosgrove and Tookie are utterly adorable together. And as for Miles and Cosgrove... look, I'm not saying it would ever happen, I'm just saying that if it did, it'd be hot.
Do Not Wants: Treating Ansel like he's a little kid. Other than that, unlike some other fandoms I've requested, I am basically cool with however weird and messy you want to get with any of the / relationships I have here. If things go in a casefic direction for you, please no torture by good guys or as a good way of getting info!

Aahh, this is such a fun new show! I even wrote a primer for it! I love all of these characters so much!

Since it's is going to resume airing, wow, the very day after I'm writing this, I'll also note that it's 100% fine with me either way if you use events and information from new episodes or if you don't. I will not be distressed at all by a gift that's jossed by the time I read it, but you don't need to worry about spoilering me either. Do whatever works for you!

• For Ansel and Dex, I'd just like to see some family downtime between these two. Anything from grocery shopping to Ansel demolishing her at soccer to late night conversation could be amazing. These two are so rock-solidly there for each other, and I love them.
• I think it's so interesting that Sue Lynn and Ansel knew each other at one point, given the kind of uncomfortable relationship between Sue Lynn and Dex. What might their interactions have been like then, or what might they grow into now? They're both pretty good at reading people, I think -- what do they read in each other?
• So Liz manipulated Dex and treated her pretty terribly, I think we can agree. But sometimes reading about really bad decisions can be fun! Or what about an AU where Liz latched onto Dex, rather than Grey, from the outset? I just think these two could be fascinating together, in a complicated, possibly disastrous kind of way.
• Dex and Sue Lynn are just so great. There's all that prickly history, but when Sue Lynn told Dex to make her bed in 1x09, Dex did it. And I think that's amazing, both in the electric though entirely platonic way it presumably exists in canon, and in the incredibly ill-advised shippy version I can't help but dream up for them. Just give me more of these two!
• So first of all, taking bribes is very wrong and Cosgrove should never have done it. But secondly, she and Tookie are so great when they're geeking out over food together? I love that glimpse of a budding friendship we got in 1x06! It's fine if you aren't a culinary expert, because I know I'm not, but I would just love to see these two being friends in any context. She told him to call her Bobby!!!
• Finally, Miles/Cosgrove is just... I actually really love Miles and Dex together and I'm cheering for them, but the show is already doing a pretty good job of giving me what I want there, so for this exchange, I'm requesting a really ill-advised and unprofessional relationship that I nevertheless think would be really fun! You can use any pretext or none to get them together; in fact, you could even totally AU it and have them meet in some context where it would be completely appropriate for them to kiss. Just please don't age her down if you got that route -- I like that she's an older woman!

Above all, if trying to meet any of the specific suggestions I make above stresses you out too much, please don't worry about it. Just show me what you love about these characters, and I know I'll be thrilled too! ♥

Comments

[st_aurafina]

Do you think she would ever have calmed down with time, or is calming down just not something Shaw does?

I'm laughing so hard, because this is true. Shaw just doesn't calm down, and having a wild crush would be so frustrating and confusing to her.

Do you think Control is as toppy in the bedroom as she is everywhere else? Does Schiffman ever call her anything but Ma'am??

Oh, fuck yes. And have you read the fic by canadianwheatpirates that is basically this? It's so good.

Your fandom primer is excellent and the main reason I've requested and offered Stumptown this round. *chews nails* I'm nervous, but excited that I might get a chance to write it.

I love all of your requests!!

[enemyofperfect]

I had not read that Control/Schiffman fic but thank you so much for bringing it to my attention! Ahh, there is so much potential between those two, it only makes me want more. ♥

And I'm so thrilled I was able to inspire you to request/offer Stumptown as well! Your prompts are fantastic too, and I'm so excited to see what gets written!