Everywoman 2020 Letter
Jun. 12th, 2020 07:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
narya_flameDear creator,
Hello! I'm SO EXCITED about this exchange and I had a really hard time even narrowing down which fandoms I wanted to request, let alone which characters I wanted within those fandoms. Result - I have ended up with a ridiculously long letter. Oops?
I have not managed any sort of uniting thread with my requests so I'm just going to say up front that I am easy to please as long as you stay out of my DNWs:
All prompts are 100% optional - mostly I would just like my lovely creator to have some fun.
Shipping
Yes please! I would be happy with shippy content for any of the groups I have selected (including sibling groups - looking at you, Targaryens). Where I've requested individual characters I've tried to say who I ship them with, if anyone, but I am also open to unrequested ships as long as it doesn't contradict a stated DNW. Femslash, het and poly are equally fine. I don't need my ships to be fluffy or super-romantic or even all that clear cut; I'm definitely here for queerplatonic and other relationships that defy easy categorisation, and if you want to go the route of rivals/enemies with boatloads of sexual tension that may or may not be resolved, I would love that too.
If shipping isn't your thing, don't panic; I love gen too and would be very happy with something focussed on one individual, or on a friendship or other non-shippy relationship. (There are way too many ships in that sentence but never mind.)
Opt Ins
I've tried to include everything in my DNWs that could make me nope straight out of a gift if it isn't handled in a very specific way. (I find it easier to Just Say No than to try and explain in minute detail what will and won't make a specific scenrio OK to me.) I've also tried to consider some of the likely "opt-in" scenarios for each fandom and say whether I'm OK with them, although obviously this isn't exhaustive. If something isn't on my DNW list I will in all likelihood be fine with it, but if you're really not sure, I'm happy to be contacted via a mod for clarification.
I am 100% on board with you combining my requested fandoms and tags to create unprompted crossovers or character groups/ships - for example, Varda and Yavanna visiting the Entwives; Jane, Sif, Valkyrie and Okoye teaming up for a mission; Vanessa Ives encountering a Houseless Elf.
If you have trans and genderqueer headcanons you want to explore, go to town with them. I'm here for it.
General Likes
Fic
Art
Either
Relationship Likes
Many of these could equally apply to friendships, romantic relationships or something in between, so I haven't specifically labelled them all.
Smut Likes
No obligation at all here – write or draw whatever you're comfortable with.
Darker Stuff
If your muse takes you down a more disturbing path, I'm fine with that. I do appreciate stories and artwork that deal with more difficult themes, although as with the smutty stuff, there's no expectation to go here if you don't want to.
And now for the fandoms and prompts! :D
The Lord of the Rings
A note - there has rightly been a lot of discussion of late around diversity in Tolkien fandom, so let me say up front that you are welcome to write or draw the occupants of Middle-earth in any way that you wish. Diverse skin tones, disabilities, different body types, I'm here for it. The same goes for my Silm requests.
Original Female Orc; Original Female Wainrider; Original Female Character from Gondor
I am always a fan of original characters and there's so much scope for them in Tolkien's world. Worldbuilding that explores Orcish culture and gender roles could be fascinating, and I have always wanted to see more of the Wainriders; their young women are canonically trained in arms, so did any of them ever pull an Éowyn and go to war? I would also love to know more about Gondorian society, at any point in Gondor's history, so please consider this an invitation to let all your headcanons loose.
Shipping - free to ship these ladies with canon characters or other OCs as you see fit.
Entwife
Where did they go? What did they do there? How many, if any, survived to the end of the Third Age? I would love anything exploring their culture, their gender roles, how they reproduced, who they met...anything that strikes your fancy. Shipping welcome, either with other Entwives or with canon or original Ents!
The Withywindle
I LOVE all the weirdness of the Old Forest; please feel free to go eldritch and scary and uncanny here. (I'm kind of fascinated by the idea of The Withywindle and Old Man Willow as Goldberry's parents, but maybe the river has her eye on someone else...the Lady with the Blue Brooch, perhaps?)
Galadriel and Nenya
Galadriel is such a wonderful, brilliant, complex character, and I love the idea of her Ring being at least semi-sentient...what does it feel like when she uses it? Can it gather news and whispers from the rivers, streams and rains of the wood? What happens to it when she goes back into the West?
I would be happy to see Galadriel shipped with Celeborn, Melian and/or OFCs.
The Silmarillion
Female Eru
This was discussed on a Discord server and I couldn't resist. There's so much you could do with this tag and I don't want to lead the witness - just enjoy.
Female Houseless Elf
I adore ghost stories and spooky art! Some kind of in-world legend or folk tale could be amazing here, and any character or group of characters you may want to involve is fine by me. I am OK with any kind of haunting - scary, vengeful, sorrowful, take your pick. A cosier take on the supernatural is fine too if that's what you'd prefer – maybe Nargothrond or Himring has a friendly ghost? Or perhaps a character from a later Age, or even our times, has a mysterious encounter they can't quite explain...
Míriel and Vairë
I'd be interested in anything exploring Míriel's eternal task, the weaving of Vairë's tapestries, and the relationship between the two of them. Ship them together if that appeals (it could be fascinating); I am also a lover of Finwë/Míriel/Indis, though I don't much like Námo so I would prefer him to stay in the background.
Finduilas
Finduilas is a quiet favourite of mine. I get the impression that she is a calm, thoughtful, measured person (Túrin begs her for counsel even after her death, although admittedly he’s deep in grief at the time) and I love the epessë Gwindor gives her - Faelivrin, “Gleam of the Sun on the Pools of Ivrin.” This has had a lot of influence on how I imagine her - sunny, gentle, still, contemplative, beautiful in a refreshing, natural way, with hidden depths and a tough, hard streak that only becomes visible in certain circumstances. If you're a Celebrimbor fan, I headcanon them as good friends, or how about something with her and Gwindor? Sad or happy, your choice!
Original Female Noldorin Character
I love outsider POV and I think it would be fascinating to see one (or more!) of the great events of the First Age through the eyes of someone not directly involved in the moving and shaking. Anything from the Flight to the War of Wrath is fine by me - or just a look at day to day life in one of the famous cities or strongholds.
Melian and Estë; Varda and Yavanna; Uinen; Nienna
Ladies of the Ainur, unite! I'm up for anything here - exploration of how their domains relate to each other; how they (as a group or as individuals) relate to the Children; the concept of gender among the Ainur; shapeshifting; the politics of power...go with your muse. Ship them with each other, their spouses, or another character of your choosing, whether canon or original. (If you'd like ideas then I am a sucker for Erendis/Uinen and also intrigued by the Nienna/Nerdanel canoe.)
Ungoliant
What was Ungoliant – a fallen Ainu? A terrible, alien thing that crept out of the Void? What drove her out of there? What in the Void could be scarier than Ungoliant, and more powerful than Melkor himself...? What drew her to Arda? Exploration of the evolution of myths and folk tales about her would be fascinating too, or, for something completely different, an imagining of what she might have become as the Ages passed. Are there fragments of Ungoliant lurking dormant in in some of our modern arachnids, waiting...?
(I ship her with Varda, in a love/hate/want to eat you way, but I am also interested in her relations with Melkor, and with her children, like Shelob.)
The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
Itroun; Corrigan; Daughter of Aotrou and Itroun; Original Female Character; Original Female Attendant of Itroun; Itroun and Corrigan; Itroun and Original Female Character.
Nominating the smaller Tolkien canons in hope rather than expectation has become A Thing I do in exchanges, and I'm in love with this particular one. (If you haven't read it I thoroughly recommend it; it doesn't take long to read through.) The Breton setting! The creepy Corrigan! Curses! Bargains! Magic! There's so much you could do with this, and I'd be thrilled to get something really dark here – non-con is more than OK, and I'd love to see blood magic explored through the lens of sex.
Alternatively, how about outsider POV (I love OCs), or a bit of post-canon exploration? I can't help thinking that Aotrou and Itroun's children might one day go looking for revenge on the wicked fairy whose tricks and wiles caused their parents' deaths. Flipped POV is always fascinating, too. Perhaps the Corrigan isn't so wicked as all that. Maybe she has a story of her own to tell?
Art-wise, anything featuring any of these characters and their setting will make me very happy. Maybe a drawing of the Corrigan's lair, or Itroun in her great house?
Ships - aside from shipping nominated groups I am interested in Itroun/Aoutrou, Corrigan/Aotrou, Aotrou/Itroun/Corrigan, Daughter/Corrigan, and any nominated single character with an OC, though I can also see the daughter turning to her brother if that's something you've a mind to explore.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Shuri and MJ; F.R.I.D.A.Y.; Jane Foster and Sif; Jane Foster; Okoye and Valkyrie; Sif and Valkyrie; Valkyrie; Wanda Maximoff; Sif
I don't have many specific prompts beyond "please let these ladies be amazing!" There are a lot of Asgard and Asgard-adjacent characters here; I love the Thor films and would be very happy with a fic that used that setting, although a canon-divergent fix-it for Infinity War would also be very welcome (maybe F.R.I.D.A.Y. could help somehow?). If you pick Shuri and MJ then I'm fine with seeing them in Wakanda, NYC or somewhere completely different, and if you want to write Wanda, I'm interested in her pre-canon timeline as well as how she settles into the team after Age of Ultron (feel free to rescue Pietro from his fate if you wish - and twincest is fine).
If I've selected a group of characters then I ship them together - however, if you don't want to write F/F then I like the canon ships (except for Okoye's) or gen, and I am also fond of Loki/Jane.
Star Wars (Prequel Trilogy)
Cordé; Sabé; Dormé; Padmé Amidala; Padmé Amidala and Sabé; Padmé and Sabé and Cordé and Dormé
Padmé is possibly my favourite Prequel Trilogy character. As a kid I was utterly obsessed with her costumes, and with the aesthetic and worldbuilding of Naboo. I'd love something political here, or something that gives an insight into life as one of her handmaids/bodyguards - or both! Straight up smut or a short piece of quiet introspection are also equally welcome. Alternatively, if you're doing art, give me one of those gorgeous outfits to stare at and I will love you forever.
Note on what I do and don't know about this canon - I have not consumed every piece of Star Wars media ever produced. I am familiar with all of the Saga and Anthology films, The Clone Wars animated film and series (though I haven't yet seen the final series on Disney+), The Mandalorian, the 2003 Knights of the Old Republic video game, the Thrawn trilogy and the Hand of Thrawn duology. I'm fine with references to events depicted in other games or series, as long as they aren't too spoiler-y, and as long as detailed knowledge of them isn't required to understand the art or fic you create.
I don't mind Anakin but I'd prefer the focus not to be on him.
A Song of Ice and Fire
Melisandre
I am fascinated by her shadowbinding magic, her history with the Red Temple, her quest to find Azor Ahai, her visions in the flames, her sense of theatre, the character she performs, and how she sees herself. I'm not particularly interested in ships for her (though I wouldn't say no to seeing her with an OFC), but I am intrigued by her peculiar bond/relationship with Jon. I'd love to know more about what she thinks of Patchface, and explorations of what might come after A Dance With Dragons are most welcome - though I'd prefer you didn't pull too heavily from the TV series.
If you're doing art, how about the Red Woman in the dark and swirling snow at the Wall?
Jenny of Oldstones
A wild and witchy princess, politics, abdication, tragedy, and a legacy of ghost stories and sad, spooky songs...yes please! Give me anything you like about this mysterious maiden.
Visenya Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen; Daenys Targaryen; Daena Targaryen; Alyssa Targaryen; Rhaenyra Targaryen
I love the problematic and incestuous Targaryens. You could explore so many different bits of canon history here - the Doom of Valyria, Aegon's conquest, the Faith of the Seven, the Maidenvault, the Dance of the Dragons...actually speaking of dragons, given who these characters are and what they can do, I would love it if their scaly fire-breathing friends had a role to play in whatever you end up creating.
In true Targaryen fashion I ship incest here, but as ever, gen is fine if you don't want to ship.
Penny Dreadful
Angelique
Please do better by this beautiful lady than canon did. Give her agency, and don't kill her off. Maybe she could join up with Vanessa and the gang? Or maybe she gets to go on an adventure of her own...
Catriona Hartdegen
She wasn't super popular when she was introduced in Season 3, but personally I loved her, and I wanted more! Past adventures or post canon exploration equally welcome. I ship her hard with Vanessa.
Hecate Poole
What was her road to the nightcomers? What does she think of Vanessa? How does she feel about Ethan? I would love a glimpse inside her head - or, if you're doing art, maybe something that contrasts how Hecate appears to most of the world against how she looks in her "true" form?
Joan Clayton; Dr. Florence Seward
The link between the two characters is never made completely clear in the show - and I know they're nominated as two separate tags, but I would love a fic that explored exactly what the nature of their relationship is. If you want to focus on Joan then anything about her time as the Cut-wife and/or her relationship with Evelyn would be welcome; if we've matched on Florence, I'd love to know her history, and what led her into her chosen profession.
(Slightly AU idea...what if the two of them had some sort of psychic bond that only became apparent in dreams...?)
Lily Frankenstein
All of the characters in this show are concerned in some way with immortality, and Lily is one of the most spectacular explorations of that theme. I've nominated her as Lily and not as Brona on purpose, because it's her post-resurrection self that I'm interested in, though memories and mentions of her past are fine. I'd love a glimpse inside her head when she's living with Victor and manipulating him - or if you're doing art, maybe something in the ballroom at Dorian's house?
Mina Harker; Mina Harker and Vanessa Ives
If we've matched on Mina by herself then I have a slight preference for vampire Mina over human Mina, but I am absolutely up for spooky childhood shenanigans in the Murray household (the taxidermy scenes are some of my favourites), or gapfiller-y explorations of her seduction by her dark Master.
If we've matched on Mina and Vanessa then either shippy or gen is fine; creepy Victorian childhood stuff is a guaranteed win, or the two of them together as young adults, or an exploration of their manipulative psychic bond. (If you're writing, I'd particularly love epistolary, and canon gives so much scope for it with all those long, unsent letters Van wrote to Mina in Season 1.) The quote that sums up this relationship to me? "I love you enough to kill you."
Vanessa Ives
Oh, my beautiful, doomed, black-lace-wearing darling. I will be happy with anything you choose to create here - go full on horror and explore her possession by the Devil; break my heart by depicting one of her periods of illness; give me fierce, terrifying Vanessa standing against (or commanding) the forces of darkness; show her grappling with her faith, show her as a child with Peter and Mina, show her wandering the moors with the Cut-wife. Please don't depict or mention her death - I am fine with canon-divergent AUs that change it, though, if you want to explore post Season 3.
I ship Vanessa with lots of people - Ethan, Dorian, Lily, Catriona, Joan, Florence, Mina, Peter, Hecate, any combination of the above.
Porphyria's Lover
Porphyria
After saying that there was no uniting thread to these requests, it strikes me that immortality, eternity, and preservation/remembrance are pretty common throughout them all. Confession time: I hated this poem the first time I read it. And the second, and the third, and the tenth. I first read it when we were studying gothic fiction at school (year 9, so I'd have been 13/14 ish), and it wasn't until I came back to it at university that I got over my very deep, visceral "nope" reaction to it.
The poem can be found here; it isn't long, so if whatever we've originally matched on has lost its appeal then it might be worth a look, but be warned that the content is dark. I'm not asking anyone to explicitly depict the final moments if that makes you uncomfortable. I suppose I'm more interested in the poem's broader themes - the preservation of beautiful things (or of things perceived to be desirable); the twisted justification of terrible actions; the era's sexual hypocrisy; love as a form of control. If you want to use these as a jumping off point to write or draw something completely original, then that's fine - or feel free to reimagine Porphyria for our times, or reverse her role with the speaker's in the poem.
Ancient Greek Religion and Lore
Andromache and Helen of Troy; Helen of Troy and Aphrodite
It was actually Simon Armitage's play 'The Last Days of Troy' that got me thinking hard about Helen and Andromache, and the nature of their relationship, and I was also intrigued by Helen and Aphrodite when I saw that in the tag set. I wondered about the version of events where it's only Helen's ghost/wraith that goes to Troy, and/or the idea that she was the daughter of Zeus and Nemesis who hatched from an egg - but it's up to you. Ship them or not as you please; I am here for anything.
Crossovers: Tolkien
Goldberry (LOTR) and Melian (Silmarillion)
Two of my favourite creepy eldritch beings in the same fic/art? How could I say no!? I would love an exploration of Goldberry's origins, and/or something exploring the nature of Melian's powers. I especially like the early "fay" versions of Melian's character - much more sinister than she appeared in the published Silm! - and I am intrigued by her association with shadows...
Lalaith (Silmarillion) and the Withywindle (LOTR)
Ghost baby Lalaith is a weakness of mine. Even better if she's hanging out in the Old Forest at the end of the Third Age. EVEN BETTER if Hobbits who venture into those parts tell tales of a laughing ghost child who lives by the river, and who will sometimes slip her hand into yours and chatter nonsense in your ear and try to lead you to the water's edge...
Female Houseless Elf (Silmarillion) and the Corrigan (The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun); Ungoliant (Silmarillion) and the Corrigan (The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun)
I can easily see the Corrigan communing or consorting with either a Houseless Elf or with Ungoliant, for purposes foul or fair. Rituals, blood magic, resurrection and curses are all good by me.
Crossovers: Tolkien and Penny Dreadful
Joan Clayton (Penny Dreadful) and Female Houseless Elf (Silmarillion); Joan Clayton (Penny Dreadful) and the Corrigan (The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun)
The Cut-Wife of Ballantrae Moor is another female character I can see having dealings with the Corrigan. Was the Corrigan a Daywalker who became a Nightcomer? Or are things a little more grey and complicated than that? I'd also be fascinated by Joan encountering a Houseless Elf on the moors - bonus points for involving Vanessa too.
Ungoliant (Silmarillion) and Hecate Poole (Penny Dreadful)
If you're familiar with both canons then the appeal/logic of this shouldn't take too much explaining. Hecate is implied by canon to have some sort of greater plan, beyond her mother Evelyn's machinations; did Ungoliant form part of those?
Crossover: The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride
Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Emily (Corpse Bride)
I am not the nominator for this but I love both of these films to death (pun completely intended), and the idea of their respective leading ladies meeting was too good to pass up. Does Emily find her way to Halloween Town? Or maybe Sally uncovers some kind of portal in Finklestein's lab, and travels to the Underworld?
I'd love something sweet or bittersweet rather than completely dark and hopeless here. I'm open to any ship with any combination of Jack, Sally, Emily, Victor and Victoria. (Bonus points for Zero and Scraps - though not in a shippy way, please!)
For art, maybe you could draw the two of them holding hands - or if you don't want to ship them, just a picture of them hanging out?
Hello! I'm SO EXCITED about this exchange and I had a really hard time even narrowing down which fandoms I wanted to request, let alone which characters I wanted within those fandoms. Result - I have ended up with a ridiculously long letter. Oops?
I have not managed any sort of uniting thread with my requests so I'm just going to say up front that I am easy to please as long as you stay out of my DNWs:
- AU that significantly alters the characters or worldbuilding, or takes the characters out of their canon setting (although canon divergence is more than welcome)
- Crack
- Unrequested kink
- Childbirth, pregnancy (except a passing mention), menstruation - certain fandoms are an exception to this, namely Penny Dreadful and The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
- Focus on bodily functions and fluids (blood from injuries is OK)
- Extreme underage (no sexual or romantic content involving pre-pubescent children)
- Certain ships (Bucky/Shuri; Okoye or Valkyrie shipped with men)
All prompts are 100% optional - mostly I would just like my lovely creator to have some fun.
Shipping
Yes please! I would be happy with shippy content for any of the groups I have selected (including sibling groups - looking at you, Targaryens). Where I've requested individual characters I've tried to say who I ship them with, if anyone, but I am also open to unrequested ships as long as it doesn't contradict a stated DNW. Femslash, het and poly are equally fine. I don't need my ships to be fluffy or super-romantic or even all that clear cut; I'm definitely here for queerplatonic and other relationships that defy easy categorisation, and if you want to go the route of rivals/enemies with boatloads of sexual tension that may or may not be resolved, I would love that too.
If shipping isn't your thing, don't panic; I love gen too and would be very happy with something focussed on one individual, or on a friendship or other non-shippy relationship. (There are way too many ships in that sentence but never mind.)
Opt Ins
I've tried to include everything in my DNWs that could make me nope straight out of a gift if it isn't handled in a very specific way. (I find it easier to Just Say No than to try and explain in minute detail what will and won't make a specific scenrio OK to me.) I've also tried to consider some of the likely "opt-in" scenarios for each fandom and say whether I'm OK with them, although obviously this isn't exhaustive. If something isn't on my DNW list I will in all likelihood be fine with it, but if you're really not sure, I'm happy to be contacted via a mod for clarification.
I am 100% on board with you combining my requested fandoms and tags to create unprompted crossovers or character groups/ships - for example, Varda and Yavanna visiting the Entwives; Jane, Sif, Valkyrie and Okoye teaming up for a mission; Vanessa Ives encountering a Houseless Elf.
If you have trans and genderqueer headcanons you want to explore, go to town with them. I'm here for it.
General Likes
Fic
- Complex character dynamics
- Conflicting motivations
- Politics, on any scale
- Found families/families of choice
- Grief and tragedy
- Hope, redemption and reconciliation
- Mercy/pity
- In-world myths and legends
- Unusual perspectives, minor characters, original characters and textual ghosts
- Unreliable narrators and quirky narrative structures – for example, epistolary, fragmented narratives, stories told through found documents, framing devices, stories told out of chronological order
- In-world meta – scholarship, catalogues, bestiaries and spellbooks, marginalia, letters, working papers and project notes
- Philosophical musings
- Anything to do with languages, linguistics and alphabets
- Twist endings/a sting in the tail (sting in the tale...?)
Art
- Maps! Maps are amazing! (Tricky for this exchange since it is character focused, but if you can make it work, brilliant.)
- Calligraphy/illumination
- Clothing, jewellery and hair
- Close ups of tiny details like stitching, beading, engraving, etc.
- Depictions of the natural world
- Facial expressions conveying more than one emotion at once
- Unusual perspectives – through a window, over a gate, down a tunnel, from a distance...
- Limited colour palette; jewel tones; monochrome
- Beams of light
- Basically anything that plays with colour, light, shadow, space and movement
Either
- Scenery porn
- Weather and seasons
- Animals, either wild or companion
- Dragons! (I adore dragons.)
- Castles, fortresses, palaces and grand houses
- Worldbuilding details – I love acknowledgements of the more mundane/everyday aspects of life in Middle-earth; think trade routes, balancing the books, textile production, agriculture, infrastructure, etc.. You don't have to focus the piece around this (unless you want to!), but little nods are greatly appreciated
- Objects and places with special significance – a “sense of history”
- Setting as character - feel free to take this literally, I love sentient nature and architectural horror
- Ghosts, literal and metaphorical
- The supernatural and the uncanny
- Food, drink and celebration
- Pubs and inns; depictions of bonding over a long drinking session
- Music and musical instruments
- Battle scenes and/or aftermath
- Storytelling, riddles and poetry
- Folklore and fairytale
- Candlelight
- Roaring fires
- Fog and mist
- Libraries, archives and other knowledge repositories
- Fusions of science and magic
- Shining a light into places canon doesn't show us, or barely touches on – going off the edge of the map
- Suggestion and implication, whether this is hints of backstory, a figure hiding in the shadows, or a slightly ambiguous ending – I love it when my imagination can get to work filling in the gaps
Relationship Likes
Many of these could equally apply to friendships, romantic relationships or something in between, so I haven't specifically labelled them all.
- Developing friendships and budding romances
- Banter and teasing
- Bedsharing; huddling for warmth
- “The little things” - light brushes with fingertips, smiles across a room...
- Forehead kisses
- Fierce loyalty and devotion, to the point of one character doing something incredibly stupid to help or save somebody they love
- Hurt/comfort (feel free to go heavy on the hurt, e.g. slow recovery from a serious illness or injury)
- Situational relationships – enemies having to work together, or people who wouldn't normally be drawn to each other forming a bond through circumstance
- Emotional reunions after long separations
- Friendship developing into romance
- Enemies/rivals to lovers/friends
- Tempestuous, complex or unhealthy relationships (see section on darker stuff); passionate encounters between individuals who would be terrible together long term, but can't resist each other in the here and now
- Quiet moments between people who care about each other, especially during or after huge events shaking their world
Smut Likes
No obligation at all here – write or draw whatever you're comfortable with.
- Breath play
- Blood play
- Knifeplay
- Biting and scratching
- Helplessness
- Bathing
- Hair brushing/washing/braiding
- Sex exploring power dynamics and/or deeply informed by characters' history together
- Neck kissing
- “Thank god you're alive” sex; sex after serious injury
- Gags; blindfolds; light bondage
- Aftercare
- Sensation play
- Piercings
- Differing experience levels
- Enthusiastic consent
- Reading erotic literature together
- Orgasm delay/denial
Darker Stuff
If your muse takes you down a more disturbing path, I'm fine with that. I do appreciate stories and artwork that deal with more difficult themes, although as with the smutty stuff, there's no expectation to go here if you don't want to.
- Hurt without comfort, including terminal illness or fatal injury
- Mental illness, including depression and suicidal thoughts
- Substance abuse
- Death and grief
- Torture
- Psychological manipulation and abuse
- Unhealthy relationships/relationships with troubling dynamics, including obsession, jealousy and co-dependency
- Dubious consent (non con for certain ships; see prompts)
- Possession
- Dark magic and curses
- Corruption and decay
- Body horror
- Sentient nature
- Abandoned places
- Resurrection and necromancy
- Seances
- Ritual and sacrifice
- Dreams bleeding into reality
- Being trapped in a small dark space, possibly with something terrifying lurking nearby
- Ghost and horror stories
And now for the fandoms and prompts! :D
The Lord of the Rings
A note - there has rightly been a lot of discussion of late around diversity in Tolkien fandom, so let me say up front that you are welcome to write or draw the occupants of Middle-earth in any way that you wish. Diverse skin tones, disabilities, different body types, I'm here for it. The same goes for my Silm requests.
Original Female Orc; Original Female Wainrider; Original Female Character from Gondor
I am always a fan of original characters and there's so much scope for them in Tolkien's world. Worldbuilding that explores Orcish culture and gender roles could be fascinating, and I have always wanted to see more of the Wainriders; their young women are canonically trained in arms, so did any of them ever pull an Éowyn and go to war? I would also love to know more about Gondorian society, at any point in Gondor's history, so please consider this an invitation to let all your headcanons loose.
Shipping - free to ship these ladies with canon characters or other OCs as you see fit.
Entwife
Where did they go? What did they do there? How many, if any, survived to the end of the Third Age? I would love anything exploring their culture, their gender roles, how they reproduced, who they met...anything that strikes your fancy. Shipping welcome, either with other Entwives or with canon or original Ents!
The Withywindle
I LOVE all the weirdness of the Old Forest; please feel free to go eldritch and scary and uncanny here. (I'm kind of fascinated by the idea of The Withywindle and Old Man Willow as Goldberry's parents, but maybe the river has her eye on someone else...the Lady with the Blue Brooch, perhaps?)
Galadriel and Nenya
Galadriel is such a wonderful, brilliant, complex character, and I love the idea of her Ring being at least semi-sentient...what does it feel like when she uses it? Can it gather news and whispers from the rivers, streams and rains of the wood? What happens to it when she goes back into the West?
I would be happy to see Galadriel shipped with Celeborn, Melian and/or OFCs.
The Silmarillion
Female Eru
This was discussed on a Discord server and I couldn't resist. There's so much you could do with this tag and I don't want to lead the witness - just enjoy.
Female Houseless Elf
I adore ghost stories and spooky art! Some kind of in-world legend or folk tale could be amazing here, and any character or group of characters you may want to involve is fine by me. I am OK with any kind of haunting - scary, vengeful, sorrowful, take your pick. A cosier take on the supernatural is fine too if that's what you'd prefer – maybe Nargothrond or Himring has a friendly ghost? Or perhaps a character from a later Age, or even our times, has a mysterious encounter they can't quite explain...
Míriel and Vairë
I'd be interested in anything exploring Míriel's eternal task, the weaving of Vairë's tapestries, and the relationship between the two of them. Ship them together if that appeals (it could be fascinating); I am also a lover of Finwë/Míriel/Indis, though I don't much like Námo so I would prefer him to stay in the background.
Finduilas
Finduilas is a quiet favourite of mine. I get the impression that she is a calm, thoughtful, measured person (Túrin begs her for counsel even after her death, although admittedly he’s deep in grief at the time) and I love the epessë Gwindor gives her - Faelivrin, “Gleam of the Sun on the Pools of Ivrin.” This has had a lot of influence on how I imagine her - sunny, gentle, still, contemplative, beautiful in a refreshing, natural way, with hidden depths and a tough, hard streak that only becomes visible in certain circumstances. If you're a Celebrimbor fan, I headcanon them as good friends, or how about something with her and Gwindor? Sad or happy, your choice!
Original Female Noldorin Character
I love outsider POV and I think it would be fascinating to see one (or more!) of the great events of the First Age through the eyes of someone not directly involved in the moving and shaking. Anything from the Flight to the War of Wrath is fine by me - or just a look at day to day life in one of the famous cities or strongholds.
Melian and Estë; Varda and Yavanna; Uinen; Nienna
Ladies of the Ainur, unite! I'm up for anything here - exploration of how their domains relate to each other; how they (as a group or as individuals) relate to the Children; the concept of gender among the Ainur; shapeshifting; the politics of power...go with your muse. Ship them with each other, their spouses, or another character of your choosing, whether canon or original. (If you'd like ideas then I am a sucker for Erendis/Uinen and also intrigued by the Nienna/Nerdanel canoe.)
Ungoliant
What was Ungoliant – a fallen Ainu? A terrible, alien thing that crept out of the Void? What drove her out of there? What in the Void could be scarier than Ungoliant, and more powerful than Melkor himself...? What drew her to Arda? Exploration of the evolution of myths and folk tales about her would be fascinating too, or, for something completely different, an imagining of what she might have become as the Ages passed. Are there fragments of Ungoliant lurking dormant in in some of our modern arachnids, waiting...?
(I ship her with Varda, in a love/hate/want to eat you way, but I am also interested in her relations with Melkor, and with her children, like Shelob.)
The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
Itroun; Corrigan; Daughter of Aotrou and Itroun; Original Female Character; Original Female Attendant of Itroun; Itroun and Corrigan; Itroun and Original Female Character.
Nominating the smaller Tolkien canons in hope rather than expectation has become A Thing I do in exchanges, and I'm in love with this particular one. (If you haven't read it I thoroughly recommend it; it doesn't take long to read through.) The Breton setting! The creepy Corrigan! Curses! Bargains! Magic! There's so much you could do with this, and I'd be thrilled to get something really dark here – non-con is more than OK, and I'd love to see blood magic explored through the lens of sex.
Alternatively, how about outsider POV (I love OCs), or a bit of post-canon exploration? I can't help thinking that Aotrou and Itroun's children might one day go looking for revenge on the wicked fairy whose tricks and wiles caused their parents' deaths. Flipped POV is always fascinating, too. Perhaps the Corrigan isn't so wicked as all that. Maybe she has a story of her own to tell?
Art-wise, anything featuring any of these characters and their setting will make me very happy. Maybe a drawing of the Corrigan's lair, or Itroun in her great house?
Ships - aside from shipping nominated groups I am interested in Itroun/Aoutrou, Corrigan/Aotrou, Aotrou/Itroun/Corrigan, Daughter/Corrigan, and any nominated single character with an OC, though I can also see the daughter turning to her brother if that's something you've a mind to explore.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Shuri and MJ; F.R.I.D.A.Y.; Jane Foster and Sif; Jane Foster; Okoye and Valkyrie; Sif and Valkyrie; Valkyrie; Wanda Maximoff; Sif
I don't have many specific prompts beyond "please let these ladies be amazing!" There are a lot of Asgard and Asgard-adjacent characters here; I love the Thor films and would be very happy with a fic that used that setting, although a canon-divergent fix-it for Infinity War would also be very welcome (maybe F.R.I.D.A.Y. could help somehow?). If you pick Shuri and MJ then I'm fine with seeing them in Wakanda, NYC or somewhere completely different, and if you want to write Wanda, I'm interested in her pre-canon timeline as well as how she settles into the team after Age of Ultron (feel free to rescue Pietro from his fate if you wish - and twincest is fine).
If I've selected a group of characters then I ship them together - however, if you don't want to write F/F then I like the canon ships (except for Okoye's) or gen, and I am also fond of Loki/Jane.
Star Wars (Prequel Trilogy)
Cordé; Sabé; Dormé; Padmé Amidala; Padmé Amidala and Sabé; Padmé and Sabé and Cordé and Dormé
Padmé is possibly my favourite Prequel Trilogy character. As a kid I was utterly obsessed with her costumes, and with the aesthetic and worldbuilding of Naboo. I'd love something political here, or something that gives an insight into life as one of her handmaids/bodyguards - or both! Straight up smut or a short piece of quiet introspection are also equally welcome. Alternatively, if you're doing art, give me one of those gorgeous outfits to stare at and I will love you forever.
Note on what I do and don't know about this canon - I have not consumed every piece of Star Wars media ever produced. I am familiar with all of the Saga and Anthology films, The Clone Wars animated film and series (though I haven't yet seen the final series on Disney+), The Mandalorian, the 2003 Knights of the Old Republic video game, the Thrawn trilogy and the Hand of Thrawn duology. I'm fine with references to events depicted in other games or series, as long as they aren't too spoiler-y, and as long as detailed knowledge of them isn't required to understand the art or fic you create.
I don't mind Anakin but I'd prefer the focus not to be on him.
A Song of Ice and Fire
Melisandre
I am fascinated by her shadowbinding magic, her history with the Red Temple, her quest to find Azor Ahai, her visions in the flames, her sense of theatre, the character she performs, and how she sees herself. I'm not particularly interested in ships for her (though I wouldn't say no to seeing her with an OFC), but I am intrigued by her peculiar bond/relationship with Jon. I'd love to know more about what she thinks of Patchface, and explorations of what might come after A Dance With Dragons are most welcome - though I'd prefer you didn't pull too heavily from the TV series.
If you're doing art, how about the Red Woman in the dark and swirling snow at the Wall?
Jenny of Oldstones
A wild and witchy princess, politics, abdication, tragedy, and a legacy of ghost stories and sad, spooky songs...yes please! Give me anything you like about this mysterious maiden.
Visenya Targaryen and Rhaenys Targaryen; Daenys Targaryen; Daena Targaryen; Alyssa Targaryen; Rhaenyra Targaryen
I love the problematic and incestuous Targaryens. You could explore so many different bits of canon history here - the Doom of Valyria, Aegon's conquest, the Faith of the Seven, the Maidenvault, the Dance of the Dragons...actually speaking of dragons, given who these characters are and what they can do, I would love it if their scaly fire-breathing friends had a role to play in whatever you end up creating.
In true Targaryen fashion I ship incest here, but as ever, gen is fine if you don't want to ship.
Penny Dreadful
Angelique
Please do better by this beautiful lady than canon did. Give her agency, and don't kill her off. Maybe she could join up with Vanessa and the gang? Or maybe she gets to go on an adventure of her own...
Catriona Hartdegen
She wasn't super popular when she was introduced in Season 3, but personally I loved her, and I wanted more! Past adventures or post canon exploration equally welcome. I ship her hard with Vanessa.
Hecate Poole
What was her road to the nightcomers? What does she think of Vanessa? How does she feel about Ethan? I would love a glimpse inside her head - or, if you're doing art, maybe something that contrasts how Hecate appears to most of the world against how she looks in her "true" form?
Joan Clayton; Dr. Florence Seward
The link between the two characters is never made completely clear in the show - and I know they're nominated as two separate tags, but I would love a fic that explored exactly what the nature of their relationship is. If you want to focus on Joan then anything about her time as the Cut-wife and/or her relationship with Evelyn would be welcome; if we've matched on Florence, I'd love to know her history, and what led her into her chosen profession.
(Slightly AU idea...what if the two of them had some sort of psychic bond that only became apparent in dreams...?)
Lily Frankenstein
All of the characters in this show are concerned in some way with immortality, and Lily is one of the most spectacular explorations of that theme. I've nominated her as Lily and not as Brona on purpose, because it's her post-resurrection self that I'm interested in, though memories and mentions of her past are fine. I'd love a glimpse inside her head when she's living with Victor and manipulating him - or if you're doing art, maybe something in the ballroom at Dorian's house?
Mina Harker; Mina Harker and Vanessa Ives
If we've matched on Mina by herself then I have a slight preference for vampire Mina over human Mina, but I am absolutely up for spooky childhood shenanigans in the Murray household (the taxidermy scenes are some of my favourites), or gapfiller-y explorations of her seduction by her dark Master.
If we've matched on Mina and Vanessa then either shippy or gen is fine; creepy Victorian childhood stuff is a guaranteed win, or the two of them together as young adults, or an exploration of their manipulative psychic bond. (If you're writing, I'd particularly love epistolary, and canon gives so much scope for it with all those long, unsent letters Van wrote to Mina in Season 1.) The quote that sums up this relationship to me? "I love you enough to kill you."
Vanessa Ives
Oh, my beautiful, doomed, black-lace-wearing darling. I will be happy with anything you choose to create here - go full on horror and explore her possession by the Devil; break my heart by depicting one of her periods of illness; give me fierce, terrifying Vanessa standing against (or commanding) the forces of darkness; show her grappling with her faith, show her as a child with Peter and Mina, show her wandering the moors with the Cut-wife. Please don't depict or mention her death - I am fine with canon-divergent AUs that change it, though, if you want to explore post Season 3.
I ship Vanessa with lots of people - Ethan, Dorian, Lily, Catriona, Joan, Florence, Mina, Peter, Hecate, any combination of the above.
Porphyria's Lover
Porphyria
After saying that there was no uniting thread to these requests, it strikes me that immortality, eternity, and preservation/remembrance are pretty common throughout them all. Confession time: I hated this poem the first time I read it. And the second, and the third, and the tenth. I first read it when we were studying gothic fiction at school (year 9, so I'd have been 13/14 ish), and it wasn't until I came back to it at university that I got over my very deep, visceral "nope" reaction to it.
The poem can be found here; it isn't long, so if whatever we've originally matched on has lost its appeal then it might be worth a look, but be warned that the content is dark. I'm not asking anyone to explicitly depict the final moments if that makes you uncomfortable. I suppose I'm more interested in the poem's broader themes - the preservation of beautiful things (or of things perceived to be desirable); the twisted justification of terrible actions; the era's sexual hypocrisy; love as a form of control. If you want to use these as a jumping off point to write or draw something completely original, then that's fine - or feel free to reimagine Porphyria for our times, or reverse her role with the speaker's in the poem.
Ancient Greek Religion and Lore
Andromache and Helen of Troy; Helen of Troy and Aphrodite
It was actually Simon Armitage's play 'The Last Days of Troy' that got me thinking hard about Helen and Andromache, and the nature of their relationship, and I was also intrigued by Helen and Aphrodite when I saw that in the tag set. I wondered about the version of events where it's only Helen's ghost/wraith that goes to Troy, and/or the idea that she was the daughter of Zeus and Nemesis who hatched from an egg - but it's up to you. Ship them or not as you please; I am here for anything.
Crossovers: Tolkien
Goldberry (LOTR) and Melian (Silmarillion)
Two of my favourite creepy eldritch beings in the same fic/art? How could I say no!? I would love an exploration of Goldberry's origins, and/or something exploring the nature of Melian's powers. I especially like the early "fay" versions of Melian's character - much more sinister than she appeared in the published Silm! - and I am intrigued by her association with shadows...
Lalaith (Silmarillion) and the Withywindle (LOTR)
Ghost baby Lalaith is a weakness of mine. Even better if she's hanging out in the Old Forest at the end of the Third Age. EVEN BETTER if Hobbits who venture into those parts tell tales of a laughing ghost child who lives by the river, and who will sometimes slip her hand into yours and chatter nonsense in your ear and try to lead you to the water's edge...
Female Houseless Elf (Silmarillion) and the Corrigan (The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun); Ungoliant (Silmarillion) and the Corrigan (The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun)
I can easily see the Corrigan communing or consorting with either a Houseless Elf or with Ungoliant, for purposes foul or fair. Rituals, blood magic, resurrection and curses are all good by me.
Crossovers: Tolkien and Penny Dreadful
Joan Clayton (Penny Dreadful) and Female Houseless Elf (Silmarillion); Joan Clayton (Penny Dreadful) and the Corrigan (The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun)
The Cut-Wife of Ballantrae Moor is another female character I can see having dealings with the Corrigan. Was the Corrigan a Daywalker who became a Nightcomer? Or are things a little more grey and complicated than that? I'd also be fascinated by Joan encountering a Houseless Elf on the moors - bonus points for involving Vanessa too.
Ungoliant (Silmarillion) and Hecate Poole (Penny Dreadful)
If you're familiar with both canons then the appeal/logic of this shouldn't take too much explaining. Hecate is implied by canon to have some sort of greater plan, beyond her mother Evelyn's machinations; did Ungoliant form part of those?
Crossover: The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride
Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Emily (Corpse Bride)
I am not the nominator for this but I love both of these films to death (pun completely intended), and the idea of their respective leading ladies meeting was too good to pass up. Does Emily find her way to Halloween Town? Or maybe Sally uncovers some kind of portal in Finklestein's lab, and travels to the Underworld?
I'd love something sweet or bittersweet rather than completely dark and hopeless here. I'm open to any ship with any combination of Jack, Sally, Emily, Victor and Victoria. (Bonus points for Zero and Scraps - though not in a shippy way, please!)
For art, maybe you could draw the two of them holding hands - or if you don't want to ship them, just a picture of them hanging out?
