Fic in a Box 2022 Letter

AO3 Username: StopTalkingAtMe

Welcome to my letter, Mystery Creator. Let me start by saying I’m open to a LOT of different things, and to endings of all kinds from tooth-rottingly happy to bleak despair. I’m also open to unrequested crossovers, so as long as you have good reason to believe I’m into a fandom, then go for it. And while my general likes might lean towards the bleak and angsty, believe it or not, I do also really love more light-hearted styles of fic as well as pure unadulterated smut. Some of the sections here may be longer than others but please don’t read anything into that – I’d be delighted with a gift for any one of them. I’m excited to see what you come up with! :D

For the unusual mediums, it's fine to disregard the requested ship is that makes things simpler.

General Likes
Smut Likes
DNWs
Assassins’ Creed
Doomsday (2008)
Hamlet (1969)
Inspector George Gently
The Last Days of Pompeii (1984)
Poirot (TV)
The Professionals
Supernatural (1977)
Whisky Galore

General Likes and DNWs

General Likes

Character studies and introspection
Loneliness and isolation
Angst
Atmospheric description, scenery porn, sensory description
World-building, backstory, and character development.
Horror.
Closed Circle - Stranded with a murderer in your midst, whether in horror or murder mystery. Think And Then There Were None.
Case-fic, whether fully realised or just touching on elements from a case.
Whump, hurt/comfort and hurt/no comfort.
Endings of all kinds, happy, bleak or bittersweet.
Canon-divergent AUs, especially post-canon ones where the bad guys win.
Pining, whether mutual or one-sided
Repression and stoicism
Descriptions of scars
Main Character Death and grief; characters getting together while still grieving for previous partners, taking solace in each other, the dead character still seeming like a presence in the relationship, etc. (Please note the exception for Whisky Galore!)
Crossovers, especially oddball crossovers that come completely out of left field, although I do tend to prefer crack played straight rather than outright crack. If you have reason to believe I know and like the other fandom, then I encourage you to go for it. (and for the record, I’m not sure why The Professionals has become the fandom I would really love to see crossed over with everything, but for some reason it has.)
Post-Apocalypse scenarios, with focus on angst and the struggle for survival. This includes zombie apocalypse AUs.
Stranded Together With No Way Home, us against the world, deep mutual dependence on the other party because there’s no one else around (which may not be entirely healthy)
Time Loops
Older characters finding love.
Age gap relationships
I really love historical detail and extensive research notes, so if that’s what you’re into then feel free to go wild. (If that’s not your thing, then please don’t worry: I am in no way an expert, and I love tropey indulgent stuff and cheerfully anachronistic fics just as much).
Hair kink. Hands pushed into hair, coiling it around fingers, routinely cutting another character's hair if appropriate in context (e.g. in post-apocalyptic scenarios), hairwashing as part of hurt/comfort, yanking head back by the hair, etc
Textiles, especially knitwear and embroidery; men in jumpers; historical and cultural details and craft in general
Unusual structures and ways of telling a story, such as Rashomon plots, non-linear narratives, outsider POVs, epistolary works, etc.
Cigarette kink: descriptions of smoking, sharing cigarettes, lighting cigarettes for each other, etc.
Finally, and I cannot emphasise this enough, men in pyjamas.

Smut Likes

Sex Pollen and aftermath, and any other kind of something made them do it scenario
Angry Sex, rough sex, hate sex, rough sex that turns tender
Clothed Sex, or clothed/naked
Comfort Sex
Dubcon when requested (mutual dubcon of the something-made-us-do-it kind is ALWAYS okay even when not explicitly requested)
Mild bondage and other forms of gentle restraint
Oral Sex, especially cunnilingus in all its forms, and ESPECIALLY cunnilingus with fingering
Rough Sex - Lots of Scratching and Biting and Hair-Grabbing/Pulling and Holding Partner(s) Down
Sex in grimy, grim, uncomfortable places
Threesomes
Situations where one character is too tired, injured etc to orgasm themselves, but takes great pleasure in making the other person come, so long as it's part of a wider give-take relationship when it comes to sex.

DNWs

A/B/O
Unreqested Noncon (Bad Guys Made Them Do It scenarios are fine though)
Dubcon involving unaroused characters
Unrequested Incest
Bestiality (monsters don't count here)
Scat and waterplay
Formalised D/s dynamics (bondage and other forms of restraint are OK)
Underage
Het anal sex
Breathplay (antagonistic choking is fine)
Fisting
Sexualised lactation
Any variation of the word 'come' in a sexual context spelled as 'cum' (please use 'come', 'came', 'precome' etc)

Assassin’s Creed

Requested ships:
Octavian Claudius Britannicus/Brendan of Clonfert
Deimos!Kassandra/Stentor
Requested mediums:
Medium Opt In: Art - A Softer World style art,
Medium Opt In: Art - Fanart
Medium Opt In: Art - Comics
Medium Opt In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium
Medium Opt In: Art - Stained Glass
Medium Opt In: Art - Tarot Card
Medium Opt In: Writing - Epistolary
Medium Opt In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives
Medium Opt In: Writing - Remix - Fic Remix of my Fic
Medium Opt In: Art - Remix - Art Remix of my Fic

Octavian Claudius Britannicus/Brendan of Clonfert

Yes, this ship is absurdly weird and cracky, and is at least partly inspired by them having the same voice actor, and I have no idea how it would even work, but. That Octavian exists is one of the things I appreciate most about AC: Valhalla, this Roman-obsessed, sexually repressed, utterly adorable weirdo just chilling with his beloved statuary in the middle of a Viking settlement. I mean, what the HELL? Who is he? Why (and when) did he change his name? What tf happened between him and Maximilian? Where does he get his togas? I just find it utterly delightful that he exists, and I wish he had a bit more of a role in the game. Plus sexually repressed fish-out-of-water oddballs are very, very much RTMI. He's delightful and I just want him to have nice things, and also, with any luck, get laid. Ideally at the hands of the ghost of a long-dead Irish monk who’s clearly been eating the wrong sort of mushrooms. Or the right sort, idek.

The atmosphere at the standing stones is so eerie, yet peaceful, and there's this weird ebb that pulls at me. I'd love to know more. I don't even know how it would work -- ghosts, time travel? -- but I would LOVE to see it happen. (Bear in mind that I don't know much about the sci-fi aspects of the AC universe, which might well be behind Brendan's ramblings about Nephilim, so while it's fine for that to be the case, if you'd prefer you can ignore the modern day/futuristic aspects and go with some other explanation). Smut, character studies, scenery porn, and anything exploring the atmosphere of the standing stones and/or the Roman ruins are all very welcome too.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of extensive prompts for this one, mainly because the ship is so cracky it’s tricky to come up with ideas, but I can only apologise for the crapness of my prompts, and assure you that whatever you write for this absurd pairing of one I will be delighted.

Optional Prompts

Octavian is sent back in time.
Or alternatively Brendan is transported forwards in time.
Cracky as the ship is, I'd really love something that takes the absurd premise and runs with it, deep-diving into both their characters and exploring how it would work.
Eivor takes Octavian with him to visit some Roman ruins and they run into trouble along the way, idk… something something mushrooms something something standing stones something something ghost sex.

Deimos!Kassanda/Stentor

Because apparently nothing gets me shipping something harder than spontaneous antagonistic wrestling in the middle of dinner. <3<3<3 I love the idea of them together so, so much, and how they’re almost imperfect mirrors of each other: they were both raised to be warriors, and both adopted. I am absolutely HERE for any angst-ridden fallout of Deimos adjusting to what she did for the Cult (That tormented ‘I’ve done terrible things’ to her mother towards the end of the game is CATNIP), and maybe finding she has more in common with Stentor than she does with her brother as a result of their upbringings. As always, canon-divergent AUs are welcome. I’m also fine with most background ships for the other characters, but I’m particularly fond of Myrrine/Nikolaos and Alexios/Brasidas. A couple of these prompts are for AUs where Kassandra had a sister rather than a brother, and if you choose that option then feel free to change either the PC’s name or Deimos’s name.

Optional Prompts

What if their paths crossed before they meet in canon? Does Stentor notice the resemblance, or does Deimos realise he is Nikolaos’s adoptive son, and perhaps see it as an opportunity for revenge, defying/angering the Cult? Perhaps an AU where Kassandra had a sister rather than a brother, and the resemblance between them is so obvious Stentor cannot help but notice the resemblance.
Speaking of AUs where Kassandra had a sister rather than a brother… perhaps Stentor thinks he’s in love with protagonist!Kassandra, and is sleeping with Deimos as a way to drown his sorrows, but gradually he begins to realise she’s much more suited to him.
Smut – their sparring or wrestling sessions (whether friendly or otherwise) keep leading to sex.
One of my favourite bits of their interaction in canon was the way the other characters react to the wrestling session. The way Alexios WTFs and Myrrine’s little smile at the end. So something shown through one or more of the other characters’ POVs. Do the other characters realise there’s something between them before they do? Or is Alexios (whom I always played as being extremely slow on the uptake because it was more fun that way) genuinely concerned they might actually murder each other until Myrrine puts him right?
Anything exploring how they’re adjusting to their lives at the end of the game, with Deimos adjusting to life in Sparta and both of them to their new family.
Hurt/comfort of any kind, particularly the ‘captured and tortured by the enemy’ type, whether bandits, Athenians, or the Followers of Ares (I particularly love claustrophobic settings and caves
More smut – sex in captivity, whether it’s of the ‘bad guys made them do it’ or if they’re just seeking comfort in each other.
Time-loop or some other reality-breaking down weirdness. Play with the meta of the various potential endings and characters who could be alive or dead. Perhaps a time-loop where one or the other keeps dying, or one of them finds themselves in a version of reality where the other didn’t survive.
Kid-fic. Not for them necessarily, but instead Alexios (or Kassandra if you want to go the two sisters!AU) settles down (as far as he or she ever will), marries, and just generally does what Good Spartans are meant to do. Mainly I’m here for mild angst and for the image of Deimos being the most terrifying auntie ever. (I have no preference as to whom the PC is shipped with, btw, although I’m not keen on mpreg – accidental baby acquisition is definitely a possibility though)
Meta action/adventure. I love stealth games despite being dreadful at them, and I really like the idea of these two being forced to be stealthy despite being two of the least stealthy characters in the game. Take them out of their comfort zone, take away all their weapons, leave them vulnerable, injured and outnumbered, and put them in a position where they have to rely on stealth and throat-slitting rather than confronting their enemies head-on.

Alternative Medium Prompts

When it comes to fanart, I’d love to see the atmosphere of the games captured. Odyssey is so gorgeous: one of my favourite things to do was just to wander round and look at the scenery. The same goes for Valhalla, although it wasn’t quite as pretty. XD I did however love the atmosphere of the Standing Stones and of the Roman ruins. For Deimos!Kassandra/Stentor, an image of them wrestling wouldn't go amiss (is naked wrestling between men and women historically accurate? Let's pretend it is, at least in Sparta). Or something post-coital, where they're both bruised and battered and look like they've gone to hell and back. Or the two of them as a battle couple, slaughtering their way through a fort full of bandits. Or a moment of hurt-comfort between them after they've been caught and tortured by enemy soldiers.

For Octavian and Brendan of Clonfert, I'd love to see the gorgeous locations in the game incorporated, especially the eerie atmosphere of the Standing Stones or the Roman ruins. Or alternatively, play with smoke and light and shadow in the longhouse.

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Doomsday

Requested Ships:
Sol & Cally
Sol/Cally
Requested Mediums:
Medium Opt In: Art - A Softer World style art
Medium Opt In: Art - Fanart
Medium Opt In: Art - Comics
Medium Opt In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium
Medium Opt In: Art - Stained Glass
Medium Opt In: Art - Tarot Card
Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Excerpts from a Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook
Medium Opt In: Writing - Any In-Universe Documents
Medium Opt In: Writing - Epistolary
Medium Opt In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives

This film has grown on me so hard over the years. It revels in what it is, and while I wasn't sure about it when it first came out (probably because it wasn’t The Descent), I unashamedly love it now. It’s so gloriously batshit and unrestrained, and I'd love to see the world beyond the wall and its history explored, particularly the relationship between Sol and Cally. How did they come to be in such different places at the start of the film? What was their upbringing like? All kinds of fucked up, presumably, but their relationship with each other and with Kane fascinates me. I’d especially love to see something of how Sol turned into the total fucking maniac that he is at the start of the film and how he came to be the leader of the marauders in the first place.

Oh, and if you want to go with Sol/Cally, whether implied or otherwise (and Sol/Cally/Viper would be very interesting indeed), then please do.

How did Sol come to be the leader of the cannibals? How do the various factions get on generally? And what's life beyond the wall like, either when they were growing up or closer to when canon is set? Explore their backstories, or go with a canon-divergent fic where Sol survives. What’s going to happen to Scotland if a cure is found and there’s no longer an excuse to keep the wall standing with the world still looking on? If the wall comes down, how will the survivors adapt to the new world?

Optional Prompts

How did he become leader of the cannibals? Did they run away from home? Did she originally go with him, but decided to return home because, you know, cannibalism and shit.
A canon-divergent AU where Sol survives. Does he storm the wall with his army and unleash the Reaper Virus on the rest of the UK? Turns out Cally isn't entirely on Sinclair's side after all.
Cally/Sol/Viper? However it turns out, whether dubcon or entirely consensual. An AU where Cally is (almost?) entirely allied with Sol? And they have a messed-up incestuous poly vibe going on?
Cally has to choose between Sol and Captain Sinclair
Captivity – Whether an exploration of Cally being imprisoned by Sol and the Marauders, or Sol being imprisoned by Cally’s father. In canon Cally tells Sinclair he was going to kill her – was he, and if so was he going to do it entirely willingly? (and on this note it’s interesting that Viper targets Sinclair as being specifically for Sol. A replacement for Cally?)
Hurt/Comfort – Yep, I am so here for them having a childhood where they were completely wrapped up in each other and had only each other to turn to for comfort. I’m fine with it being extremely unhealthy (I mean… *gestures at canon*) and incestuous.
Maybe all through their childhoods, Cally and Sol used to talk about how they'd run away together, and then when they're older, they manage it, and run away to Glasgow. What happens before their father drags them back? Or does he only drag Cally back? Is this when Sol gets his first taste of the Maurauders' life? Is this when he meets Viper? Or does Sol appear to sacrifice himself to save his sister, which means she thinks he's dead until by chance she finds out otherwise? Whatever you do, I'd love to see something of them exploring the ruined city together. Maybe for a little while it’s even fun.
Zombie Apocalypse AU – Fast zombies (which I think would fit pretty well with canon) or otherwise.
A canon-divergent fic where Cally still leaves on the helicopter, but Sol survives and goes on to confront his father.
So, post-canon, what happens if they manage to develop a cure, and the wall surrounding Scotland is demolished allowing those beyond to reintegrate with the rest of the country, presumably with all crimes forgotten.
Character Surprised By Their Own Deep Loyalty Feels; Object Of Loyalty Even More Surprised – I’d just love to see their relationship explored, especially given Cally’s role in Viper’s death. Maybe Sol’s trying to get revenge but finds he’s unable to hurt his sister, or he was trying very hard to keep her alive, because keeping the Marauders from turning against him is a fine line to tread?
Fuck or Die with mutual pining – Pre-canon when they were younger or closer to the point at which canon takes place, and with Sol apparently in the aggressor role, but it’s actually a bit more complicated than that, and he’s very much trying to keep her alive.
Grief - privately and conflictedly mourning a loved one whom society regards as evil – I’m also fine with post-canon fics where Sol is dead so long as there’s a significant focus on their relationship. (I’m fine with Cally/Stirling too so include that if you want) While I love canon-divergence, I’d also love to see a canon-compliant post-canon fic which focuses on Cally, her complicated grief over her brother and what he became, and how she adjusts to the new world, which, uh, may not exactly be the paradise she might have imagined. XD

Alternative Medium Prompts

One of my favourite things about this film is the contrast between all the different settings, from the grimy run-down futurescape of England south of the wall, to the post-apocalyptic ruins of Glasgow and its dieselpunk cannibals, to the gorgeous countryside, and the pseudo-mediaeval castle and knights. Not to mention Sol and Cally, who despite being brother and sister, couldn’t be more different from each other. Art-wise, there is so much to explore.

Here for violence, horror and gore, but also quiet moments of peace amidst the horror. I’m fascinated by their backstory, what their lives were like growing up, how Sol came to be the way he is, what their relationship was like before the events in the film and to what extent that’s changed. Visually, I’d especially love to see Sol himself in that mediaeval setting.

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Hamlet (1969)

Requested Ships:
Hamlet/Horatio
Requested Mediums:
Medium Opt In: Art - A Softer World style art
Medium Opt In: Art - Fanart
Medium Opt In: Art - Comics
Medium Opt In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium
Medium Opt In: Art - Stained Glass
Medium Opt In: Art - Tarot Card
Medium Opt In: Writing - Epistolary
Medium Opt In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives

When I started watching this version of Hamlet my thoughts for it went something along the lines of, yep, okay, I’m basically just watching this for one particular actor, but hey, I have been meaning to watch more Shakespeare for a while, so I might as well start here, and it’s not like I’m going to end up shipping it or anyth-- dammit.

Seriously, though. Horatio. Baby. <3<3<3 He’s so lovely in this, sweet and smiley and bookish, and he gives Ophelia the loveliest hug, and the dynamic between him and Hamlet is… well, uhm, how do I put this, I was very definitely getting a low-key Horatio is desperately in love with Hamlet subtext up until the final scene, at which point it ceased to be subtext and became about as close to being text-text as it’s possible to get without them actually kissing, and in a way that appeals extremely strongly to my id.

(ETA: Since writing the above I rewatched, got to the 'and I will wear him in my heart's core […] as I do thee' bit, and oh hey, mystery solved. Horatio’s adoring gaze when Hamlet says that line, combined with the hand-touching, and yep, let’s just say I can see where I got the shippy vibes, hot damn. Frankly, the only mystery is why I was only low-key shipping them.)

As for the death scene, look, there are forehead presses and hands pushed into hair and Horatio gently lowering a dying Hamlet down, and that ‘more an antique Roman than a Dane’ sure does look a whole lot like a moment of ‘I don’t want to live in a world without Hamlet in it’ grief. The way it’s filmed means that there’s heavy focus on faces and the whole bit is just this extremely heartwrenching understated moment of grief and love on both sides which took me from ‘aww, I semi-ship it’ to ‘THEY HAVE MY SWORD’. (Also, and I know this is goofy as fuck, they have matching beards, which it took me far too long to realise was a very deliberate attempt at mirroring. Apparently, it took them gazing into each other’s eyes – no really – for me to figure it out. *facepalm*)

Put short, it’s one of the shippiest things I’ve ever seen.

I’ve never studied Hamlet in detail, so can’t really say much about how it compares with other performances in terms of what they’ve cut and how they’ve rearranged scenes, and I definitely raised an eyebrow at Nicol Williamson (Hamlet) being only a year younger than Judy Parfitt (Gertrude), but what it does have is a young(ish) Anthony Hopkins being sexy as fuck as Claudius (if that’s your thing. It sure as hell is MINE), and some incestuous vibes between Ophelia and Laertes. Also, I love how pared back and intimate and emotionally raw it is, Hamlet’s death scene and his confrontation with Gertrude in particular.

The filming is pretty odd, in that it’s something between a film and a filmed performance (and I may well be talking bollocks here, but bear with me XD). The sets are stripped back, but unlike with a filmed performance where you might make allowances for the moving of the sets etc. because it’s treated more like a film, it almost makes it feel like it’s taking place in this weird unreal liminal space. So if you at all want to take advantage of that, then please do. Is it purgatory? This unreal place between worlds? Some weird time-fuckery?

As for Hamlet/Horatio, ahhh, man. <3<3<3 My personal headcanon for these particular versions is that they love each other, but it’s platonic on Hamlet’s side, however it’s entirely up to you whether you go with that, or if you want to have Hamlet reciprocating, whether or not he takes it as seriously as Horatio does. I’d love to see hurt/comfort, backstory for them, explorations of the class issues, pining (mutual or otherwise), missing scenes, post-canon fics, whether canon-divergent or otherwise (and I am more than happy for Main Character Death and heavy focus on grief here, just for the record). Or a post-canon thing focusing on the theme of truth? Also ghosts, supernatural fuckery, Horatio dealing with the aftermath of canon and essentially being the last man standing. That moment when Horatio hugged Ophelia was so sweet and tender, and it got me wondering about the relationship between the two of them – why is it Horatio who encourages the queen to talk to Ophelia?

Finally, while I’m not in any way an expert on Hamlet, I would very much like to understand more about its themes, use of language, and references, etc, so if you happen to have studied it in any great detail, then please consider this carte blanche to dig deep into its themes to an indulgent degree. I’m especially drawn to the references to stage-craft and in-jokes to the audience – Horatio probably going off into an advert for Julius Caesar in one of the alternative texts, for example – so if you want to explore some fourth-wall breaking stuff then do. If it’s not your thing, don’t worry; I’ll also be delighted with something fun and iddy, or creepy, or smutty, or angsty, or… well, look, basically anything.

Optional Prompts

Was there ever a canon more suited for ghosts? Maybe in the aftermath, Horatio sees Hamlet’s ghost, but is it really Hamlet? I am open to all explorations of the supernatural, I love creepiness in general and ghost stories in particular, but, uh, I’m also partial to ghost-fucking if you wanted to go smuttier, or really delve into the guilt and grief and sense of loss.
"Casual" Sex Turning Tender" – So maybe while they were both at Wittenberg, he and Horatio had a casual sexual relationship. Give me all the pining while having sex, Horatio believing he isn’t good/rich/noble enough for Hamlet, and knowing he should stop it because it will end up breaking his heart, but he can’t bring himself to finish it.
Character expected to die but didn't and now has no idea how to live anymore – Although everyone else who dies, still dies, somehow Hamlet survives the poison, and okay, yes, he’s revenged his father, but unfortunately with one or two casualties along the way. Which raises again the question of the ghost’s motivations, and plunges him into a whole new quagmire of guilt and grief while Horatio tries to bring him through it.
Characters A and C brought together by shared love for B – Specifically Horatio and Ophelia. I’d really love to see the relationship between this version of Horatio and Ophelia explored. That hug, and what exactly is going on between her and her brother. I absolutely 100% believe that this version of Horatio adores Hamlet, but also he’s lovely, and I can completely see him Horatio pining for Hamlet and making the decision to love Ophelia too because he believes Hamlet loves her. Seriously, that hug.
Characters Are In Love But Duty Will Keep Them Apart Forever Until Something Makes Them Do It – Always and forever, ‘Something made them do it’ scenarios are one of my favourite tropes. The nature of the something that made them do it is up to you, but… drugs? Alcohol? Pirates?
Pining. All the pining, whether one-sided or mutual, whether they have a sexual relationship or not. Maybe Horatio’s awareness of the differences in their stations, or because he believes Hamlet is in love with another (or using Horatio as a substitute, which yes, fine, but the heartache), or because Hamlet is straight.
Drunken Confessions – Danes or not, turns out they’re both very bad at being drunk.
That Time of Night So Late It's Early Again (And the Liminal Conversations Had At This Hour) – Hamlet and Horatio get into the habit of staying out late in the hopes of seeing the ghost again. Conversations, huddling for warmth, lack of sleep...
A canon-divergent fic where Claudius decides that it might be wiser to let Hamlet return to Wittenberg after all, but the ghost still won’t leave him alone while he’s there.
Elsinore as a weird liminal space between life and death, and Horatio as the only character who’s actually real/alive? A time loop, where events keep repeating themselves?
Time Loop – The whole thing as a semi-neverending story. On explaining the story to Fortinbras (which happens off-screen in this production which ends with the ‘Goodnight sweet prince’ line, making it feel even more like a tragic Hamlet/Horatio love story), Horatio keeps looping back to the beginning and living it all over again. Gradually, reality starts to break down, and he begins to realise it’s all starting to feel a bit familiar.
It's partly the mirroring in the matching beards (I feel so silly writing that, and yet) and partly a note about the text I read somewhere which points out that Horatio is whatever the script (or Hamlet) needs him to be at that particular moment. So play with that. Horatio as the ghost? Or Horatio as a creation of Hamlet's mind which has brought forth at a time of extreme stress, with Horatio's disapproval at the killing of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern an echo of Hamlet's own guilt?

Alternative Medium Prompts

Visually, I love how pared-back and simple the sets are in this version of Hamlet, to the point where it verges on eerie, almost giving the impression that it’s happening in this strange limbo between worlds, and I’d love to see that captured in art. Or the mirroring between Hamlet and Horatio, or one of Horatio’s adoring looks, or… well, anything really. Ghosts and eerie spookiness are also welcome.

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Inspector George Gently

Requested Ships:
George Gently/John Bacchus

Daaaamn, this is such a great series. I’ll admit I started watching for silver fox!Martin Shaw, but it’s just got better and better, culminating in series 6, which has absolutely been the peak of the series for me. While I like the bleaker turn series 7 has taken (and I’m delighted to see that Gently’s still willing to interfere in Bacchus’s life at every single opportunity), series 6 is fantastic from start to finish, mainly because of Bacchus, and the turnaround in his character. I always liked him, despite what an absolute little shit he is (and still is, let’s face it), but he’s grown up so much, finally trying to step up to the mark as a father. And oh god oh god, all the loyalty kink and trust issues between him and Gently, (the bit where Gently thinks Bacchus is the one who let slip about his leg when it was Rachel, and Bacchus confronting the situation dead on), and all the fallout from the season finale of season 5, and the different ways they’re both dealing with the trauma of getting shot: all of this is absolutely at the heart of why I ship them.

I especially love the way I get the impression that while Bacchus is growing as a character, almost the opposite thing is happening with Gently: while Bacchus is lightening up a bit and growing, it’s almost like Gently is retreating into a darker place – his struggle to trust Bacchus, the angry boxing, and those rare but terrifying moments when he loses his temper. And him still interfering with Bacchus’s life, while at the same time being intensely private about his own, and everything he’s going through. That mixture of loneliness and intense need for privacy is tailor-made to my id, especially combined with Bacchus’s need for approval/friendship/whatever from Gently. Like Bacchus trying to joke and getting unceremoniously knocked back? Gently snarling that he doesn’t need help when he knocks the bottle of whisky over in season 7? Oh, and every time they make each other laugh (and especially every time Gently laughs at Bacchus). All that is golden. <3<3<3

Idk, I just find the interplay between them and how it’s shifted over the course of the series so far absolutely fascinating. I’m at the point now where I just want to go back and watch it all over again from the beginning. :D

Optional Prompts

Can't Stop Thinking About It - A Accidentally Sees B Naked – Bacchus sees Gently naked, and can’t get it out of his mind.
Canon Divergence – What would have happened at the start of season 6 if Bacchus hadn’t been so easily persuaded, or if his injuries/trauma were more severe than they were in canon?
Captivity - Trapped with someone in need of medical attention – Captivity is one of my favourite tropes: all that sexual tension in close quarters, fuck or die, hurt/comfort and we’re not dead yet sex, and this tag in particular, which is the ideal opportunity for feelings confessions.
Char. wears a suit - oh no they're hot; then they get hurt & disheveled - oh no they're even hotter – Because the only thing better than suit kink is the moment when the immaculately dressed character is scruffed up a bit. :D
One thing I really love about the series is how it deals with parenthood (and the lack of it, in Gently’s case). His admission that he and his wife were trying for children and it just never happened is so poignant, especially when combined with everything that’s going on with Bacchus and his daughter. So let’s say they’re already in a tentative relationship – explore all the complicated feelings of co-parenting (along with Lisa), Bacchus’s difficulty in adjusting to the idea of Leigh Ann thinking about Gently as a step-father (jealousy? Some lingering streak of internalised homophobia?), and Gently’s wariness about become a father to someone else’s child.
Accidental Baby Acquisition – Gently accidentally acquires a baby. Who better to help him look after it than Bacchus?
Character Surprised By Their Own Deep Loyalty Feels; Object Of Loyalty Even More Surprised – I would just really love to see more exploration of the loyalty kink and trust issues in season 6, and especially that shift in their characters, with Bacchus chilling out a bit, while Gently does the exact fucking opposite.
Get Together (A/B/A) - A time travels to fix B's death; A gets stuck and now there are two of A – Oh god oh god, I love this tag so much. :D Bacchus travelling back in time to fix Gently’s death makes the most sense to me, but if you want to do it the other way around please do. Having not seen season 8 yet, I’m not quite sure what happens. Go with the canonical death if that makes sense, or an AU where it happens differently. Maybe future!Bacchus has grown up significantly and accepted that he’s gay/bi, which leads present day!Bacchus to some revelations about his own sexuality. Maybe present day!Bacchus walks in on Gently/Future!Bacchus, and is overcome by lust. I’m open to any combination of Bacchus/Gently here, including the threesome.
A canon-divergent AU where Bacchus gets that job with the Met, either during the course of the series or afterwards, and they solve a crime based in London.
Rough sex as unhealthy coping mechanism or rough sex turns unexpectedly tender and/or emotional – After the season 5 finale, maybe, and part of Bacchus’s way of coping with the trauma is through rough meaningless sex with Gently. But actually it’s not all that meaningless after all.
Something Made Them Do It - Undercover assignment requires putting on a performance – Along with every other flavour of Bad Guys (or Something) Made Them Do It. Here for porn, or something concentrating on the awkward guilty aftermath, which ideally is messy and filled with pining.
A Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) fusion where Bacchus is assisted by Gently’s ghost
Authority Figure Societally Expected To Have Sex With Subordinate - Oh man, I just love this freeform so much. The bleak dystopian alternative universe it implies! How much they'd both hate it (but maybe not actually). Explore the worldbuilding, how does it work? How do they both deal with it and adapt to it? When do feelings start creeping in, or do they both do their damndest to keep feelings out of it?

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The Last Days of Pompeii – 1984 Miniseries

Requested Ships:
Sporus/Lydon
Sporus/Lydon/Nydia
Requested Mediums:
Medium Opt In: Art - Fanart
Medium Opt In: Art - Comics
Medium Opt In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium
Medium Opt In: Art - Stained Glass
Medium Opt In: Art - Tarot Card
Medium Opt In: Writing - Epistolary
Medium Opt In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives

(Available on Youtube here: part one, part two, and part three.)

Basically my distilled pure id from start to finish. Hallucinatory dubcon threesome sex, rival gladiators, doomed lovers, and so many satisfying death scenes I’m shivering in delight at the thought of them. I enjoyed the book too, but found myself preferring a lot of the changes the miniseries made – many of the characters are significantly more likeable, and I was low-key invested in a *lot* of the canon ships and friendships. I also thoroughly appreciated that they decided to give the gladiators more of a role in the story, that they eased back on the ‘Ancient Greece is massively superior to Ancient Rome’ theme in the book, and added a couple of the characters who came to be favourites of mine (especially Chloe <3).

Go with a fix-it or take full advantage of my being fine with Major Character Death and wallow in the tragedy and grief. I’d particularly love to see the gladiatorial life explored a little, especially the various relationships between them all, and canon-divergent AUs are welcome, as are fix-its, whether they’re genuinely fixing things or otherwise. One of the things that appeals about canon is the web of interconnecting friendships (Lydon and Glaucus comparing wrestling styles XD) so I’d love to see that reflected too if you have a chance.

Sporus is a fantastic character, a tightly knit bundle of resentment, envy, jealousy, and bitterness (I love how pissy he is at not being appreciated when Marcus snipes at him for killing his opponent in the arena). And the early scene after the first gladiator fight when he helps Lydon with his armour and tells him, utterly sincerely, to be careful. <3<3<3 And then later the scene where Lydon is training with Gar, and Sporus doesn’t know whether to be jealous of Gar or Nydia or of Lydon being champion. And his lines in his final scene, which led to a massive record scratch on my part: Lydon, I did love you. Not ‘Lydon, I loved you’ but ‘I DID love you.’ Implying… what? That the question of his feelings for Lydon had come up at some point in the past? Did they have a fling? Was Lydon in love with Sporus before Nydia? Did Sporus deny him? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? And Lydon holding his hand while he dies… goddamnit, my heart.

I would love backstory for this, or something set during canon. Canon-divergent AUs are always welcome, and I’d also be happy for any level of ship: from fully realised, to pining, whether mutual or one-sided. If you're not sure what to do with Nydia and don't want to write Sporus/Lydon/Nydia where everyone is happy with the set-up, I'm pretty invested in Nydia/Ione and Nydia/Glaucus/Ione.

And then there's Sporus/Lydon/Nydia, which I would particularly like to see as a triad although a v-shaped set-up where everyone is fine with the situation is okay (or a v-shaped set-up which gradually turns into a triad). If they all manage to make it out of Pompeii it would be a pretty fascinating dynamic, especially if Sporus feels himself dependent on Lydon due to his injuries. I'd be especially interested in seeing Sporus's relationship with Nydia developed.

Optional Prompts

We know how and why Lydon came to be a gladiator and why he continues in that life despite having earned his freedom, but what about Sporus? Was he already there when Lydon turned up as a slave whom no one expected to last more than a couple of matches?
Always here for descriptions of gladiator matches or sparring, the blood, the sweat, the sexual tension… Also helping each other with their armour, and tending to wounds afterwards. And, uh, bathhouses.
And hey, if you just want to write PWP, sex in the wake of a match or sparring session wouldn’t go amiss.
What happened when they all left Pompeii for Campania?
A post-canon fix-it. Lydon escapes Pompeii with an injured Sporus. What does the aftermath look like? Bitter angst and hurt/comfort welcome here. Given what a massive jealous shit Sporus is in canon, I’d love to see that explored.
Nydia understands something about being in love with someone you feel dependent on and the heartbreak of watching them love another. An understanding develops between her and Sporus.

Alternative Medium Prompts

The ensemble cast makes this perfect for a Rashomon-style narrative. I’d love anything art-wise – an action-oriented comic focusing on fights in the arena? – but given that so much ancient art has been preserved in Pompeii it would be amazing to see that incorporated somehow, whether it be in mosaics or wall-paintings, or in filthy, filthy graffiti. I can see Sporus being the type to write graffiti about himself, is all I’m saying. XD

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Agatha Christie’s Poirot

Requested Ships:
Charles Cartwright/Hermione "Egg" Lytton Gore

While normally I'm equally divided between whether I prefer the show version or the book, in this case I particularly prefer the series, mainly because the characters seem significantly more likeable, there’s the wonderful dynamic between Poirot and Sir Charles, and, um, *cough* Martin Shaw arguably at his hottest in a tragic May-December romance. Which… God, I’d just LOVE to see more of. I ship Egg and Sir Charles so freaking hard. They love each other so much, and I especially adore the bleak turn taken in the denouement, when Egg realises the truth, and just damn my freaking heart. I adore Sir Charles – he’s so very much a luvvie, but then towards the end that mask slips the tiniest bit, and everything he does is so utterly ruthless and terrible, and completely inexcusable, and yet… I’d really love to see more of them, and especially a glimpse of a world where things went differently.

I love the way the age gap is dealt with, the no one’s really judgemental of it even if it does raise a couple of eyebrows – it’s treated as natural and understandable on both their parts, and they just adore each other so much in a way that I am completely weak for. I love the moment where Egg’s mother points out that an older man’s discretions are mostly behind him, and whether that’s right or wrong I can’t help making hearteyes at the pair of them.

Go with a permanent fix-it, or a temporary fix-it only to make things much much worse (and let me just say I am completely fine with Main Character Death here), something canon-compliant or something which looks at how differently things might have gone had the circumstances been different. (Background Egg/Oliver Manders is fine too, especially in post-canon canon-compliant fics). And if you want to go hard on that delicious loyalty kink between Sir Charles and Poirot then that’s welcome too. :D

Optional Prompts

Missing scenes and sweet little moments from their courtship and the investigation. The two of them bonding over clue-hunting, or going sailing together, Sir Charles trying to be noble and self-sacrificing (ha!) and Egg not standing for it. (In age gap relationships I’m particularly fond of the younger party doing the pursuing)
A canon-divergent fix-it of sorts? Because for whatever reason there’s no impediment to the marriage. Sweetly indulgent fluff or does the tragic part just happen differently? Do they end up tangled up in another murder, and if so, is one of them the victim or the murderer??
Poirot investigates Tollie’s murder as a cold-case after Sir Charles and Egg are married.
A role reversal AU where Egg is the murderer.
What would have happened if Egg had recognised Sir Charles at Strange’s party, and he was forced to pass it off as a joke?
They hold their own murder mystery party.
On the one hand, I ship it so hard. On the other, he’s so horribly ruthless, and I suddenly remember one of the potential murder victims could have been her mother. So what if it was Egg’s mother who drank the poisoned cocktail? How would that affect the plot?
After Egg and Sir Charles are married, he’s approached by a blackmailer.
Pure indulgent fluff or smut with the very slightest edge of darkness.

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The Professionals

Requested Ships
William Bodie/George Cowley
William Bodie/Ray Doyle
William Bodie & Ray Doyle
Solo: George Cowley
George Cowley/Elizabeth Walsh
George Cowley/Annie Irvine
Requested Mediums:
Medium Opt In: Any - Any In-Universe Documents
Medium Opt In: Art - A Softer World style art
Medium Opt In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium
Medium Opt In: Art - Comics
Medium Opt In: Art - Fanart
Medium Opt In: Art - Point - Pixel Art
Medium Opt In: Art - Stained Glass
Medium Opt In: Art - Tarot Card
Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Bureaucratic Paperwork
Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Excerpts from a Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook
Medium Opt In: Writing - Any In-Universe Documents
Medium Opt In: Writing - Bureaucratic Paperwork
Medium Opt In: Writing - Epistolary
Medium Opt In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives
Medium Opt In: Writing - Remix - Fic Remix of my Fic
Medium Opt In: Art - Remix - Art Remix of my Fic
Medium Opt In: Unique Rules - Cross Stitch Pattern

God, I love this show so much. I could spend forever watching the dynamic between Cowley, Bodie, and Doyle, the banter, the jokes, the friendly rivalry, the way their different backgrounds give them different insights and skills, and the vibe I get that Cowley, who I adore beyond all reason (*gestures sheepishly to most of the rest of my sign-up*) is actually harder than Bodie and Doyle put together. Cowley chewing them out because they've disobeyed his orders and then immediately doing a U-turn and supporting them to the hilt, the way their characters shift and adapt over time, the uncomfortable questions it raises about their methods… Oh, and the whump. Getting shot and beaten up and captured and generally getting the shit kicked out of them. So damn here for all of that. XD I love the way it subverts expectations too, with all the literary references and the acknowledgement of CI5’s often deeply questionable tactics.

I’d also like to make it clear that I am extremely here for Bad Guys Made Them Do It for all the ships I’ve requested. Handle that however you want with Bodie/Doyle, but for Cowley/Bodie I’d prefer Cowley topping if it comes to penetrative sex. Beyond that I have no topping preferences. I’m also open to noncon scenarios involving noncon by a third party, whether on or off-screen, for the purposes of hurt/comfort or whumpy hurt/no comfort scenarios because they’re too damn stoic to talk about it and must suffer in silence like the emotionally constipated blokes they are (and my Dubcon with Unaroused Victims DNW doesn’t apply here).

I also really, really love Apocalypse AUs (including zombies), and this is one of those series that I would absolutely LOVE that trope for, whatever style of apocalypse it is. Oh, and while I know my chances of getting it are extremely slim, I’ll mention it on the off-chance: I particularly adore the 70s version of Survivors, and I cannot emphasise enough how much I would love a crossover set in that world, even if just in the very beginnings of the series. I’ve requested it before, including some suggestions for crossovers, so take a look at my other letters if you’re interested, but even if you just give me one of them nursing the other through the illness and the tiniest glimpse of society falling apart, OH MY GOD I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER OH MY GOD. (Fair warning that Survivors is grim though. Really, really grim. XD)

William Bodie/Ray Doyle, George Cowley/William Bodie

For Bodie/Doyle, explore the mutual codependence that comes as a result of working in close confines in a way that may not be entirely healthy, the tedium of surveillance, working and training together, working late and falling asleep at your desk, actively threatening to murder a suspect if anything happens to your partner… Anything goes here from explicit smut to pining (mutual or otherwise), and including canon-style relationships with women is fine too. Maybe they come to the realisation that while women come and go, their relationship remains immutable. They also sure do seem to get shot/beaten up on the reg, and look very pretty doing it, *especially* Doyle, so if you wanted to go hard on the whump… I absolutely love all the moments of character interaction, the bonding moments in Mixed Doubles and that bit where Bodie interrupts Doyle’s brooding session by just sitting there and looking at him? Yeah…

I am so, so here for the contrast between them. And Bodie, Bodie. <3<3<3 The way his character shifts and changes over the course of the series, and those bleak little glimpses of darkness, and that sense that he hasn’t really believed in anything until he came to CI5… The way the show alludes to his time in Northern Ireland, and how intensely private he is and prickly when Doyle asks, and just… *sigh*, I’m struggling to put into words why I love them so much.

Give me canon style casefic or something that takes them out of their comfort zones, backstory for either one of them, or post-canon fic. Also here for character studies, and anything that digs into any moral qualms they might have about CI5 and its methods, especially Doyle.

And then there’s Cowley/Bodie. This ship hit me pretty hard after a chance comment got me thinking how it would work, and then in the middle of that I watched Need to Know, and noticed that little bit where Cowley brushes back Bodie's hair after administering oxygen (all Doyle gets is a cheek pat), and huh, okay, turns out I do actually ship it, and turns out I really ship it.

I'm nearly always drawn to age-gap relationships anyway, and something about this particular age gap ship just really appeals -- it's something about the mix of loyalty, trust issues, and the low-level disapproval on Cowley's part - his little dig about how it's not like Bodie will ever have to worry about it when the subject of them needing his permission to get married comes up (also Bodie's 'Wait, what?' reaction, XD). Even aside from the age gap, there are so many fundamental differences between them -- faith, repression, romanticism, etc -- but in a way that gets me wanting to see just how they'd fit together, as well as all the different ways they could fit together.

I’m also fascinated by the way Bodie and Cowley sort of mirror each other in their early lives, and the way they both ran away from home at a young age to fight abroad… A LOT of this is headcanon, but I see Cowley as having left a happy and supportive home to fight for a cause he absolutely believed in, while Bodie is basically the polar opposite, running away from an abusive home, and fighting for one group or another, and ultimately never believing in anything, until maybe CI5, and even then it takes him a while to come round to that.

Repression and trust issues and pining (mutual or otherwise) are always golden, as well as imperfect awkward sex and scenarios where they're both out of their depth and forced to rely on each other. Not to mention having to keep any relationship secret and/or self-denial because of Cowley's 'No Fraternisation Between Agents' rule. And Bad Guys Made Them Do It scenarios, which take on an extra layer of interest if it's Cowley being made to fuck Bodie -- that delicious additional guilt during and afterwards because ultimately Cowley is the one responsible for their safety. Just... fucking yes please. That, and the delicious guilt and angst of the aftermath.

There absolutely doesn't need to be a happy ending. Oh, and I should mention that background Bodie/Doyle is welcome here too.

Optional Prompts (some of these have been written with specific ships/characters in mind, but please feel free to mix and match)

Casefic, or elements from a partially realised casefic, whether canon-typical or something which takes them out of their comfort zones.
5 + 1 ways of livening up surveillance detail.
Bonding in captivity – whether as a result of trauma and torture, or being imprisoned together somewhere dark and claustrophobic.
Ever seen Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)? Well, that AU, where one half of the pairing is a ghost the other can’t see, whether the ghost is potentially a sign that the other one is cracking up, or an actual literal ghost, and the first case they have to solve together is who murdered him. I was thinking Bodie/Doyle for this, with one of them as the ghost, but Cowley as the ghost (and absolutely livid about it) would be great too, whichever ship you go with.
If they do get together, how does it happen? How do they come to realise they have feelings for the other? When it starts is it just about sex, or is the sexual attraction develop out of a result of their bond?
The bit in Stake Out where Bodie flung himself across a bowling alley to manhandle Doyle to the floor to stop him from kicking off at an aggressive member of the public, including hooking his leg over Doyle's in the process, did things to me. More undercover stuff please, with them both trying to keep a low profile, and having to rely on the other one to rein them in. Additional manhandling is optional, but very much appreciated.
”Casual” sex turning tender - (both ships) neither character thinks the other has any genuine feelings, or maybe the sex is just something that keeps happening without either of them ever intending it to. What happens when tenderness starts creeping in? Is it mutual? Is the other party unnerved by it? Into it? Or both?
Aftermath of Torture – Character trying to hold it together is clearly low-key fraying at the edges - Either paring, any character. Trying to remain stoic and refusing help much to the frustration of the other/s. If Cowley’s the whumped character then maybe it could be a semi-fakeout, where he’s using his weakness as bait, and it works, but actually he’s suffering too.
Agonisingly slow build-up of sexual tension - Along with copious amounts of mutual self-denial and pining, while trying to hide the mutual attraction from each other/other people/themselves.
A zombie apocalypse AU, or some other apocalyptic scenario. Always and forever one of my favourite tropes. Or alternatively, if you’re familiar with it, a crossover with Survivors, even if it only uses the other series as a backdrop for desperate ‘us against the crumbling world’ sex.
Character A confesses feelings because they think Character B is unconscious - Man, the awkwardness and painful aftermath, the self-doubt and the questioning – did they mishear? Should they say anything, or would it be better to pretend they didn’t hear?
While working undercover, one half of the couple is forced to torture the other to maintain their cover
Complicated feelings of love and loyalty and hurt and resentment - For either pairing really, although I have to admit I have Cowley/Bodie in mind specifically. Just a relationship study, really, examining all the complicated trust issues and matters of loyalty
Estranged Characters – Injured A shows up on B’s doorstep saying ‘I didn’t know where else to go’. – future fic or canon-divergent where the injured character has gone AWOL or otherwise rogue.
Fighting/sparring as foreplay – I mean, the usual, but for Cowley/Bodie this would probably also include Cowley watching (disapprovingly?) as Bodie gets the shit kicked out of him by Macklin, followed by something that could theoretically be described as comfort if you squint. For Bodie/Doyle, them enjoying sparring with each other.
Cowley goes rogue. Is it for real, or another ruse?
Country House Party – Weird time-slip where they find themselves in an interwar house party that ended in murder. Ghosts? Inexplicable events that are never explained beyond handwavy nonsense? A Sapphire & Steel crossover? Or is this just an excuse to get them into period dress?
Time Loop – the part where the looper breaks and stops giving any fucks – Again any character, but I admit I’m thinking of Cowley here, mainly because I’m delighted by the idea of him being thwarted at every turn and then just going FUCK THIS.
Character A and Character B Mutually Pine For Each Other While They Fuck Other People Together -- I'm specifically thinking of Bodie/Doyle (Cowley would NEVER), but dear god do I love it for them. The drunken aftermath of a double date turns orgiastic, or else one of the lads has been stood up or had an argument with his girlfriend, and the other's girlfriend insists he join them to cheer him up.
And of course now that I've said that Cowley would NEVER, I'm immediately trying to think of situations in which he would. *sigh* I suppose the most likely scenario is a combination of the procuring an undercover Bodie claims to do in Take Away and everything that happens with Anna in The Untouchables -- another party who knows this is a CI5 operation and is working with full consent. So a 'Sex while undercover' scenario, probably?
Bodysharing - one of them commenting/giving orders while the other jerks off -- Ahaha, <3. I love this tag so much. Either pairing, either character. Although I do have to admit, that while it would be especially weird and filthy and fun for Bodie/Doyle, the idea of this for Cowley/Bodie fills me with glee. God, it would be excruciating and I can't figure out which scenario I like more: Bodie trying to have a surreptitious wank when he thinks Cowley isn't looking, and his dawning horror at the first sour comment, or while Bodie's inside Cowley some of his general horniness rubs off on him, and even when Cowley was young he hadn't been as horny as this all the damn time, what the hell, man? It appeals so much, the two of them trying to make it work as best they can until they can get the mess fixed, and grudgingly actually getting sort of into it, weird and fucked up as it is.
sex under the stars – Ohhh, I love this tag: the romanticism of sex outdoors, the setting and potential for scenery porn, the low-level risk of semi-public sex, and the suggestion that they’re so turned on they can’t keep their hands off each other. How does it come about? Are they camping for plot reasons, on a stake-out, stranded in nature for some reason?
Authority Figure Societally Expected To Have Sex With Subordinate – I obviously had Cowley/Bodie in mind for this, but if you want to use it for Bodie/Doyle instead, then please do. I can see a couple of ways that’d work – an AU where either Bodie or Doyle is the other’s subordinate, OR where Cowley being expected to have sex with his subordinates is part of the background to the Bodie/Doyle ship (a Droit du Seigneur situation which arises when two of his subordinates are in a relationship, which is part of the reason why Cowley discourages relations between his agents because he hates having to fulfil his duties and he is extremely unimpressed every time it happens?) Either way, what appeals with this is how utterly awkward and uncomfortable it would be, and Cowley’s reluctance and impatience with the whole business. I’d love to see the worldbuilding explored whichever ship the focus is on. Would Cowley put it off or grit his teeth and get it over with as soon as possible? Is it a one-off, or is he expected to keep it up on a regular basis? (and oh, bless him, but he’s not as young as he used to be and CI5 has a LOT of agents) Or maybe he does usually try to keep it a one-off, although nominally it isn’t meant to be, but for some reason he keeps fulfilling his statutory duties with Bodie more often than he does with his other agents… (or that Droit de Seigneur situation again, where Bodie keeps submitting fraternisation request forms for different people, and Cowley gets progressively more exasperated every time he has to fuck him, until he realises that Bodie hasn’t so much as gone on a date with the party named in the most recent form (but why? Is it an excuse to fuck Cowley, or a form of bratty non-violent protest, which leads to the two of them bonding over their mutual resentment at the practice).
A Doomsday fusion (the 2008 Neil Marshall film). I'm assuming Cowley's in the Bob Hoskins role, as much as I'd secretly love to see him facing off against a bunch of Mad Max style Scottish cannibals. (And it's not like he's explicitly sending them north of the wall to get him some Scotch, but have you seen what the price of single malt is on the black market these days?)

George Cowley/Elizabeth Walsh and George Cowley/Annie Irvine

Cowley has very fast become one of my favourite characters in anything ever: it’s that combination of implied loneliness and stoicism, dedication to the life he’s chosen even if he might have been happier on another path, repression and self-sacrifice and sarcasm, the clash of his staunch code of ethics combined with some very questionable tactics, and the conflict of him wanting to look after the woman he’s fallen in love with, but of course it’s his fate to only ever fall in love with tough-as-nails women who wouldn’t want to be looked after in a million fucking years. <3<3<3 Look, there are very few characters I love quite as much as Cowley, and I just want him to be happy, dammit. I’m open to any kind of relationship here, from stoic one-sided pining, to indulgent smut, to a happy ending.

The episode in which Annie appears was an absolute delight. From Bodie and Doyle’s reaction to the idea of Cowley in a relationship with a woman (that conversation in the car! Doyle slightly dubiously describing him as attractive :D) to the way Cowley actually behaves when he meets her and then quietly having his heart broken all over again (and oh god, my heart).

And the backstory we get for him, picking his education back up after the war, as a student going to political meetings, and falling in love with a woman who he keeps loving even after she breaks his heart. Just that line about him watching her. And that line about how she never knew him at all? Damn. It’s so up my street I can’t even say: quiet loneliness and a lingering feeling of regret even while you’re getting on with all the shit that needs to get done will get me every time. Him wanting to look after her when she’s not the sort of woman who wants to be looked after, and if she had been, then he probably wouldn’t have fallen in love with her as hard as he did.

And then there’s Elizabeth Walsh. I, uh, ship Cowley with quite a few people, but out of everyone that I ship him with this the relationship I can actually see working long-term. Spy Probe worked out as the last episode I watched, so there’s nothing to contradict my head-canon that the two of them get together post-canon, or that one of his primary motivations for getting her involved in the case (other than keeping her safe and the possibility of her being behind the killings) is to buy him a little time while he dithers about asking her out for dinner, and after the case has been solved he’s got the perfect excuse – how else is he going to thank her for all her help?

He spends a significant part of the episode making impressed hearteyes at her, and they clearly have a history, and since he’s not pining for Annie any more… Well, let’s just say that the idea of them finally getting together in middle age really appeals.

And she’s perfect for him: she’s a retired spy so she knows and understands the demands of the work, she’s intelligent and trustworthy enough that he can pick her brains, and she’s independent enough not to mind doing her own thing while he turns up every now and then like an outdoor cat looking for food and affection, and in fact she’d probably hate having him under her feet all the time so the situation works perfectly for both of them.

Optional Prompts

Okay, so what the hell did happen with Annie Irvine? Explore their backstory. When they meet Annie says it’s been about ten years since they last met, so depending on how you figure the timeline that must have been significantly after their university days. Was he at her wedding? I have so many questions.
What did Annie actually say to Bodie and Doyle which made them so reluctant to share with Cowley?
Give me something that follows on from the ending of Look After Annie. Do their paths cross again? Where do they go from there?
Give me an AU of that episode where events go differently.
Bad Guys Made Them Do It. Always. <3<3<3 (and oh god, the guilt! The terrible all-consuming guilt!).
A zombie apocalypse AU, or some other apocalyptic scenario. Always and forever one of my favourite tropes. Or alternatively, if you’re familiar with it, a crossover with Survivors, even if it only uses the other series as a backdrop for desperate ‘us against the crumbling world’ sex.
Hurt/Comfort - Cowley is injured during a case, and the other character reluctantly starts looking in on him despite his protests.
Experience – Experienced/Inexperienced – Look, he’s been pining after Annie for, what, twenty years or so, so chances are he hasn’t had that much experience with women.
They’re stranded at some isolated out-of the way place, which is potentially derelict, where the forced proximity puts them in a position where they have to work together and get over any potential awkwardness.
The aftermath of Spy Probe. Cowley takes Elizabeth out to dinner as a way of saying thank you (well, he claims that’s his primary motivation), and walks her back to her hotel room afterwards. (and while I haven’t requested it for this particular exchange I do love the freeform: Late-Night Discussions Outside in the Gently Falling Rain.) Luckily she’s not quite as reticent as he is, and since someone did just try to have her murdered, the least he could do is double-check her hotel room to make sure it’s safe.
Or Cowley/Elizabeth but a slower courtship, where he starts picking her brains on a regular basis and they start to see more and more of each other, until they’ve get as familiar with each other as an old married couple, only without the sex. And then they have sex.
Back in their MI5 days Cowley and Elizabeth narrowly avoided having to have sex to maintain their cover. They both pretended to be relieved about it at the time, but secretly they’ve both regretted it since then.
The AU where my completely off-base assumption that Elizabeth was behind the killings wasn’t quite so off-base, and her arranging her own attempted murder was a set-up to get her inside CI5 because she knew Cowley wouldn’t be able to resist. Except he suspects, and the whole thing is the two of them trying to out-think each other, combined with genuine professional mutual admiration and sexual attraction.
An epistolary fic where they kept in touch by exchanging letters over the years.
Get Together – Character recovering from torture gets taken care of by the person they’re pining for – When Cowley and the other character's paths meet again after a case has gone wrong, she reluctantly starts looking in on him despite his protests.
Smut – guiding an inexperienced partner in how to perform cunnilingus – Look, he’s been pining after Annie for, what, twenty years or so, so chances are he hasn’t had that much experience with women.
Undercover as a couple leads to mutual feelings – When their paths cross again, Cowley poses as Annie’s lover to protect her.
5 Times Cowley had his heart broken.

Alternative Medium Prompts

Welp, since apparently my fannish world has been almost taken over by The Professionals, I basically want everything. The shades of grey in this fandom and the complicated relationships between the characters would make it particularly suited to A Softer World style comic strip, and Pixel Art would be so fucking adorable omg.

I’d also love to see story telling through unusual formats, such as in-universe paperwork (even if it’s something as light and fun as 5 Expense Chits that Cowley Will Not Sign Off On). Or stylised Tarot Cards that capture the characters.

And finally, it's been a long, long while since I did any cross stitch, but I'd love to be given the impetus to take it up again. I'm especially fond of samplers (along the lines of the Historical Sampler Company, so anything like that, slightly old-fashioned but with a Pros edge (quotes included), and I will be delighted.

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Supernatural (1977)

Requested Ships
Howard Lawrence/Mary Lawrence
Requested Mediums:
Medium Opt In: Art - A Softer World style art
Medium Opt In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium
Medium Opt In: Art - Comics
Medium Opt In: Art - Fanart
Medium Opt In: Art - Stained Glass
Medium Opt In: Art - Tarot Card
Medium Opt In: Illustrated Text (Art & Writing) - Excerpts from a Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook
Medium Opt In: Writing - Any In-Universe Documents
Medium Opt In: Writing - Epistolary
Medium Opt In: Writing - Rashomon (1950)-style Conflicting Narratives
Medium Opt In: Writing - Remix - Fic Remix of my Fic
Medium Opt In: Art - Remix - Art Remix of my Fic

The characters requested only appear in the standalone episode Night of the Marionettes, which is currently up on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuqafiyLnN4. The episode is also available from Amazon Prime UK. It's just under an hour long.

And while it should go without saying, if you’re at all in any doubt regarding my DNW, this very much counts as requested incest, whatever level of explicitness you go with. :D Please avoid any suggestions of anything underage though: a huge part of why I love the dynamic between them is the implication that Mary isn’t that young and that she’s fast approaching spinsterhood.

Hah, well, damn, turns out that when you go trawling through an actor’s back catalogue, you find some… I want to say gems, but I’m not sure if that’s really the work for this batshit fever dream of a horror show. I wish to god it was longer: there’s a whole novel’s worth of Gothic WTFery to unpack here.

This is a standalone episode from a 1970s BBC anthology series of gothic horror stories, gloriously overwrought, somewhat stagey, and just bonkers from start to finish. (The puppet show. Oh, god, the puppet show.) All the episodes feature a narrator telling a grisly tale to the members of a Club in the hopes of becoming a member themselves: if they fail to convince, it means their death, and that’s really all you need to know about the wider series (although the other episodes are also worth watching).

This episode is so gloriously fucking weird. Scenery-chewing, Hammer-horror-esque sets, Howard in a loose shirt and undone waistcoat exploring darkened corridors and brandishing a candelabra, the heavily implied incestuous attraction between him and his daughter…. uh, and FYI, those scenes between them are some of the most uncomfortably hot things I’ve ever seen – her touching his hand, the way he eases her down onto the bed, while he touches her face and searchingly gazes at her. The slowly dawning realisation that the slight incesty vibes I was getting weren’t actually accidental, and oh, hey, turns out I ship it. Oh, damn, he’s really distraught and guilty over what happened? Turns out I REALLY ship it.

I’ve watched it twice and I’m still not 100% sure I know what’s going on. Is Mary possessed by the spirit of Mary Shelley? Are the Huberts actually murderers or have they been unfairly castigated when all they really wanted to do entertain? Who the fuck knows? Certainly not me! Go with whatever head canon takes your fancy and hand-wave whatever you need to.

I have so many questions. Like, what happened at the Villa Diodati that meant he needed rest? What’s going on with Mary? And for that matter, what’s going on with Howard? Who’s really to blame for what happened? What’s with the lack of crucifixes in the guesthouse? It’s entirely up to you what headcanon you go with (part of the joy of fanfiction for me is seeing other people’s takes), but I really like the idea of the Huberts using their, uh, skills to fulfil needs beyond the puppet shows, such as helping people come to terms with bereavement. The mix of rich and poor in the audience enthralled me too. Who are these people? What the hell is going on? Thinking about it, I’m leaning towards the idea that Mary, and possibly Howard too, are possessed or influenced by an entity that also may have possessed Mary Shelley. It just seems to fit with the theme of puppetry, and it makes the weird coincidence of them turning up in this specific guesthouse a bit more likely.

And finally there’s the relationship between Mary and Howard. I really, really love their dynamic, the fact that she isn’t all that young, but probably about 30 or so, a bluestockingy spinster destined for an unmarried life dedicated to helping her father with his research. They are so utterly devoted to one another, but at the same time he’s so horribly selfish and caught up with his own obsessions. It’s so uncomfortable to watch: the way they’re clearly such a happy loving family at the start, but the cracks are already there, and they’re beginning to deepen, with the father-daughter team developing their own little world with Elsbeth excluded – partly because she’s simply not interested in his work in the same way Mary is, and partly because of her alcoholism. Also, I really love the idea of the relationship between Howard and Mary shifting in the Villa Diodati: perhaps Elsbeth was feeling unwell and had to take to her bed, which led to them spending more time with each other, and all that Byronic influence taking its effect.

I'm open to any level of explicitness for the ship, from canon-style uncomfortable smarm to explicit sex, but I'd also love to see something that concentrates on the gothic atmosphere/plot, and which treats it as an entirely non-incestuous father-daughter relationship.

Optional Prompts

So, uh, that scene where the Monster turns up in Mary’s bedroom? I’m not sure how much this fits with canon (fudge it if you need to, and bear in mind the whole thing could be filtered through Howard’s narration anyway), but it occurred to me that maybe part of the way they entertained themselves at the Villa Diodati could have been through putting themselves in the Shelleys’ mindset by reenacting Regency-style games like Charades (that dressing up and posing in tableaux thing). So what if her first thought when she sees the Monster is that it’s her father in a costume? And that raises some major fucking questions given the turn the puppet show takes.
Unreliable narrator. Play with this however you want. Assume the whole thing is filtered through Howard’s narration, and that events may not necessarily have played out as he claims. Maybe the whole thing comes about because of his obsession with Mary Shelley? Maybe there are no animated corpses, but just people in costume, or maybe they are just puppets, and the whole thing is an invention of his fevered brain because he feels so horribly guilty about an affair with his daughter? And maybe he was in fact the Monster that turned up in her bedroom in a moment of delusion.
A Rashomon-style narrative where we see the other versions of the story. I’d particularly love to get the Huberts’ take if they’re more or less innocent of actual murder – this overwrought maddened candelabra-wielding academic who’s clearly got a thing for his daughter feverishly accusing them of fuck knows what. (“Ghouls! Murderers! Frankenstein! Frankenstein!” XD) And it never fails to crack me up that he makes certain to question Hubert about his pet academic theory before accusing him of murder. Priorities!
Explore the aftermath of canon. Like, fuuuuck, that ending and everything that happens to Mary, and what we learn of her fate, and how distressed he is about it, which. Is. Catnip. Is she mad? Is she dead and somehow been reanimated? Does she have lucid moments? Is she specifically reenacting the role of that female marionette? She’s mostly the one who knowingly initiates most of the inappropriate touching: I’d love to see some of the aftermath where he’s stuck caring for this poor broken creature whom he still adores, but she keeps on with the inappropriate touching. Maybe it distresses her not to have the puppet show reenacted, so he plays along with it as much as he can bear, resisting letting it go too far, but in a way she doesn’t really feel like his daughter any more, until one day in a moment of weakness, he breaks and sleeps with her, and oh god the guilt, the horrible horrible GUILT.
Hurt character offered comfort they think they don’t deserve – Or the aftermath of canon and Howard caring for Mary, as above, but something painfully tender and bittersweet, where he genuinely loves his daughter and would never take advantage of her in that way, he knows he should never have let things get to that point in the first place, and he should probably send her to an asylum, but her delusions are real, and she’s the proof that his were real in turn so he can’t bring himself to do it. And if she does try to do the inappropriate touching thing he’s learned from his mistakes and quickly disengages. Hair washing, and the whole thing heavy with grief and guilt and love and attempting to atone, and her trying to comfort him as much as he’s trying to comfort her, and look, just rip my heart out and have done with it, okay?
Keeping with the marionette theme, maybe he gradually begins to suspect that there’s someone or something controlling her. Perhaps a ghost which has been influencing their actions (and possibly Elsbeth’s too) since the Villa Diodati.
Explore his reasons for approaching the Club in the first place. Why was he trying to join? (The Club features throughout the series, but we never learn much about it other than what I’ve written about it above so you really have an open book). If he doesn’t convince them of his story (and at the end of canon it seems very much like he hasn’t), it means his death, so why has he gone to them? Has Mary died? Do they have the rumoured power to bring her back, or somehow reunite him with her spirit, or is he so guilt-ridden he’s secretly hoping he’ll fail?
Just give me more of the horribly awkward and uncomfortably father-daughter incesty smarm. Slice-of-life moments from their time together pre-canon or during the early part of the episode. I did sort of feel everything happened a little too fast, so I’d really love to see some missing scenes and expansions which take canon events and slow them down to dwell on them a bit longer. Their chess games, Elsbeth’s alcoholism, the transition between ‘o what a lovely peaceful guesthouse’ to ‘clearly these people are murdering their guests.’ Or answer the question of what really happened at the Villa Diodati.
Epistolary – Entirely suited for the setting. Mary’s diaries, especially if she has occasional lucid-ish moments post-canon? Perhaps she has no memory of what happened, or of who she really is, and is still playing out the story she saw in the puppet show, or something similar? Letters that explore what’s going on, pre, during or post-canon, or which explore another story, perhaps from an Outsider POV, where Howard and Mary have moved, and to make it easier to explain away the occasional moments of inappropriate touching, he’s decided to pretend she’s his wife rather than his daughter. It makes things simpler. Except it doesn’t, of course.
Incest – platonic touching slowly turning less platonic – Yeah, okay, look, as far as I’m concerned, the incesty bits are fucking hot. So, uh, that, basically. The slow creep from affection to something much darker.
Possessiveness – Bites and scratches and bruises as claiming – Yep, also something that I basically just think is hot. :D I’d love to see a darker take on what Mary becomes, where she isn’t just this innocent broken doll, but something with a malicious streak, maybe something which isn’t entirely his daughter anymore. And maybe Howard has given up and is already sleeping with her, or he’s trying to be noble and self-sacrificing (successfully or otherwise), but either way as far as she’s concerned, he belongs to her in every way: as father, lover, husband, victim, and marks him accordingly.
Outsider POV – Especially one which goes all-out on the Gothic atmosphere, such as the point of view of the nurse/companion Howard brings in to look after Mary, who gradually begins to get the impression that something isn’t quite right in the house.
What happens between Howard and the Huberts in the aftermath of what happens in canon? I’m fascinated by the Huberts’ whole deal – there’s a moment where you see the woman’s grim, faintly despairing expression just before the puppet show begins – and I really do like the idea that they’re not actually murderers, and are, in fact, decent people, corpse-desecration aside. And hey, maybe they have permission for the corpse-desecration. Maybe it’s considered an honour. Maybe they have other sources of income other than what they earn from the shows, such as offering solace to the recently bereaved. And maybe, if Howard hadn’t gone poking about where he didn’t belong and encouraging Mary to do the same, nothing bad would have happened other than some restless nights (No fucking wonder no one stays in that guesthouse if they can help it with that racket going on). So give me that confrontation with Herr Hubert, either in the immediate aftermath, or over a longer period of time with Herr Hubert visiting him occasionally in England in an attempt to persuade Howard to come to terms with his daughter’s death so that she can finally laid to rest, and they become friends of a kind.

Alternative Medium Prompts

I’d love to see art that captures the absurdly Gothic atmosphere and the visuals, such as the oppressive setting of the guesthouse or the grotesque imagery of the marionettes. The nature of the canon makes it especially perfect for epistolary story-telling, and it’s another one where I’d love to see what ideas you can come up with. Several characters either canonically do, or have reason to, keep journals, so it would be great to see those explored too.

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Whisky Galore! (1949)

Requested Ships:
George Campbell/Catriona Macroon
Requested Mediums:
Medium Opt In: Art - Any Nominated Art Medium
Medium Opt In: Art - Fanart
Medium Opt In: Writing - Epistolary

Canon-specific DNWs: Heavy angst, dark themes, unhappy endings

Oh god, this film is absolutely delightful. It’s just the loveliest film, and I love everything about it: the central message of how every problem can be solved with bootleg whisky, the quiet understated humour, and especially all the scenes of island life, the rèiteach, and all the Gaelic, and the scenery (even if it doesn’t quite come through in b&w), and the two central romances, particularly George and Catriona, who were adorable. I’d love to see more of the two of them, whether it follows them post-canon, or if it’s set in the period leading up to the events in the film. The film focuses a lot on the men of the island, so if you want to expand on the two sisters and their relationship with each other, and the other women of the island, especially George’s mother, then please do. I’d really love either something which captures the tone of the film (sweet and fluffy and gently funny) OR something atmospheric which captures the character and beauty of the island.

Generally I’d love to see something indulgently fluffy and heartwarming, home guard shenanigans, or some other low-stakes conflict, something domestic, sweet or smutty (or both), or alternatively something which goes hard on the atmosphere, details of island life, and scenery porn, or domestic details of married life as their marriage evolves over the years and the seasons. A gentle murder mystery or some other kind of casefic would also be wonderful.

Optional Prompts

The scenes where the islanders hide bottles of whisky everywhere made me laugh quite a bit, because you just know they’ll never be able to find them all again later, so they’ll be finding bottles of whisky in unexpected places for months afterwards. So… stumbling across a carefully hidden bottle after you thought it had all run out? Digging multiple places because you can’t remember exactly where you hid it?
Weddings - I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted something tooth-rottingly fluffy. I’d love to see something which captures the film’s gentle humour and relatively low-stakes here. The trials and tribulations of holding a wedding during rationing (wedding dress details, because I’m also here for home sewing), trying to keep George’s mother sweet, pre-wedding nerves, bickering between the sisters, or a minor home guard crisis (suspected German spy who turns out to be a birdwatcher? Unexploded bomb?). Is it a double-wedding?
First Time - Wedding Night – And speaking of wedding nights… *ahem* I’m a sucker for inexperienced couples figuring things out. Smut? Or George discreetly tries to seek advice from Sergeant Odd
Inclement weather - Storms and heavy snow and sea fogs, whether just for atmosphere, or for tropey situations like huddling for warmth, mildly perilous rescue attempts, or just a reason for the two of them to shelter inside with only each other for company. And then nine months later…
Falling in love - How did they come to fall in love? Pre-canon quiet pining, or the two of them getting to know each other. Were they childhood sweethearts? Why didn’t his mother like Catriona?
His mother! Using whisky as the solution to all life’s problems is great, until the whisky runs out. Has his mother permanently come around to their relationship, or are there still going to be some blips along the way? Is there a permanent battle of wills between Catriona and Mrs Campbell, or do they find some common ground?
Scenery Porn - I am completely here for something plotless and quiet and atmospheric, maybe just vignettes of their life together set at different times of the year. A year (or longer) in the life of a relationship, where the island itself plays a part.
Pregnancy – Yeah, I really wasn’t kidding about wanting indulgent fluff. All the pregnancy tropes, George sweating it about not being ready to be a father, Catriona and his mother butting heads about how to raise a baby, getting the nursery ready, both the sisters pregnant at the same time…
5 times fic – Five things George and Catriona have argued about.

Alternative Medium Prompts

I absolutely love this film to bits, so anything you can come up with is welcome. I’d absolutely love to see some scenery porn, something where the island is virtually a character in its own right, all mists and wet drizzle and sheep and the sea. But also the islands of the Outer Hebrides are pretty good locations for seeing the Northern Lights. Maybe the two of them against the backdrop of the island, or something sweet and quietly understated, a moment of quiet in the middle of the rèiteach, them holding hands, or one of them watching the other when they think the other can’t see them.

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Thanks for reading!

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Fic in a Box Letter 2022

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General Likes and DNWs

General Likes

Smut Likes

DNWs

Assassin’s Creed

Doomsday

Hamlet (1969)

Inspector George Gently

The Last Days of Pompeii – 1984 Miniseries

Agatha Christie’s Poirot

The Professionals

Supernatural (1977)

Whisky Galore! (1949)

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