Dear Rare Pairs Exchange writer
May. 8th, 2024 10:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eye_of_a_catHello and thank you so much for writing for me! Please consider all fandom-specific prompts below to be suggestions only and write whatever calls to you.
General stuff
General likes:
Angst, complicated feelings, stories that dive into a character and what motivates them, questions of loyalty and of how the past affects the present. Happy with any degree of smut from ‘none at all’ to ‘E-rated’. Other things I like in fics: parenthood/kidfic (prefer if it’s about the emotional feels of the adult characters rather than cute kid things); canon divergence AUs; worldbuilding in fantasy/sci-fi fandoms; and established relationships being complicated.
DNWs:
Non-canonverse AUs; omegaverse; bashing of characters or ships; traumatic birth or pregnancy loss; noncon as a major plot element (dubcon is fine); heavy dom/sub dynamics with a male dom and female sub; underage; watersports and scat.
Things often DNWed that I like:
Infidelity, preferably in the sense of overlapping pairings and feelings for multiple people (not if it’s infidelity to get one ship out of the way); first- and second-person POV; epistolary or other non-strictly-narrative formats; ambiguous endings; pregnancy; sibling incest, if tragic; poly ships and open relationships (happy or tragic).
Fandom- and ship- specifics
Babylon 5:
Marcus/Ivanova - I am equally happy with tragedy or fluff, including canon-divergence where everybody lives.
Delenn and anybody - I adore her and her complicated principled devoted repentant-war-criminal ways. Would love to read fics exploring anything about how different characters see different parts of her, or how she views her history and her future, or how she feels about knowing more than Sinclair (or others!) about the war and/or the Valen thing. If it's in a setting where Sheridan exists: I'm cool with infidelity or Minbari poly relationships or them not getting together in the first place, wherever you want to go, but please don't bash him - this man and his unbeatably sunny outlook single-handedly cured me of ship wars.
For Delenn/Lennier - I love his devotion, I love that he sees a part of her and her past that she doesn't show Sheridan, I lovethat he must have all sorts of conflicted feelings about his own past and what his people did (and he mentions he has family who died on the Black Star!). Happy with anything set before the series, or after, or a canon divergence where the end of Season 5 goes differently.
For Delenn/Neroon - I love that he's her counterpart in a lot of ways, that they have a lot in common like their devotion to their people and they recognise that in each other. I love that his objections to her and what she's doing are uncharitable but not entirely incorrect! Would love something where he survives the Starfire Wheel, or something pre-series (they must have known each other through Branmer? who I always picture as being fed up with how much they both clearly adored him but fought each other!)
For Delenn/Sinclair - Either before or after he's Valen is cool with me, but I am particularly fascinated by Delenn knowing this and what she must think - this is someone she genuinely cares for and would no matter whose soul he had, but also, that's her god-figure even if he doesn't known it, what does that DO to personal relationships?
Rings of Power:
I love fic that includes wider Tolkien legendarium stuff, but I'm fine if you just want to stick to show canon too.
As you can probably tell by the overlapping tags in all combinations of Galadriel and Celeborn and Halbrand, I am a happy multishipper and I'm cool with any combination of the above but would rather none of them get bashed for the sake of another pairing. (Infidelity fine as long as person doing the cheating still loves the one being cheated on and it's all angsty and painful, just not That Guy Sucks So It's For The Best.)
Galadriel/Celeborn - where's he been for the past however-many centuries? How much have one or the other of them changed - do they even recognise each other now?
Galadriel/Halbrand - either before or after the Sauron reveal is fine (I would love anything set in their time in Numenor), or I'm cool with a human-Halbrand take on him if you want to go there. I like how he's an interruption to her journey and makes her reconsider how she sees herself, what she's doing, her relationship to the world around her, and so on - and the same for him. For this I would rather not have takes where he's the sexually experienced one and she's more naive/innocent/virginal (but I'd be happy if you want to write that dynamic the other way round!)
Celeborn/Sauron - Sauron manipulatively trying to drive a wedge between Galadriel and her husband, Sauron genuinely falling for him, either is fine! Maybe Sauron's the one who finds Celeborn after s1, wherever he is?
Galadriel/Tar-Miriel - love that they're both deeply principled and determined and yet at odds with each other because of the circumstances. Would love anything that includes Miriel's complicated thoughts and feelings about having an elf on Numenor, or maybe something set after the Battle of Tirharad or post-s1.
Disa/Durin, Disa/Durin/Elrond - I love them, I love all of them! I love Disa's ambition and determination and genuine love for her husband and her children. I could see her having a very straightforward approach to open relationships and being the instigator of that, or her letting Elrond know that she absolutely saw right through a lot of his very carefully-played behaviour to get Durin talking to him again in the s1 storyline, but likes him for it.
Silmarillion:
I love elves, I love tragedy, I love characters dealing with their complicated pasts and guilt and loyalty, I love characters finding love and peace and joy unexpectedly even in the middle of bad circumstances. I will gobble up absolutely anything about Noldor vs. Sindar relationships and cultural misunderstandings therein.
Ossë/Uinen - It fascinates me that she didn't lose hope in him and she went to get him back from Melkor, and she succeeded. Would love to read anything about that; or the leadup to that (did she suspect Melkor was trying to get to him? was it a literal Melkor/Ossë seduction?); or the aftermath of that; their relationship with elves; their relationship with Numenor; their thoughts about the First Kinslaying or the fall of Numenor.
Celeborn/Celebrimbor - What was HAPPENING in Eregion? Open to any and all takes on this! Maybe there's a tragic angst-filled moment between them haunted by the ghosts of what happened to Doriath; maybe they meet up for drinks and sympathy in an Ost-in-Edhil tavern while Galadriel and Annatar are getting into some new fight.
Aredhel/Eöl - fine with tragic, fine with any take on 'the story says THIS but here's what REALLY happened'. I would love any of Aredhel's thoughts on life in Gondolin, or Nan Elmoth, or how either of them compare to each other or to Valinor; I would love her thinking back about her choices to leave any or all of them.
Maedhros/Elwing - fire and water! enemies who maybe didn't have to be, but their past and the Oath left them with no choice! Or maybe it did - what would have happened if she gave the Silmaril back and accepted his offer of alliance and friendship? Or an AU in which the Feanorians never attacked Sirion, or never attacked Doriath? Do they catch up in Valinor after Maedhros is reincarnated and have things to discuss? How does Elwing feel about him and Maglor raising her children - maybe she's visiting all the time when Elrond and Elros are young, unknown to them?
Melian/Galadriel/Celeborn - Melian basically saw an elf she liked and caught him up in an enchantment for 200 years when everyone was looking for him. I will not believe she's bound by any Laws and Customs among the Eldar-style sexual mores.
Elwing/Eärendil - two royal heirs left refugees finding hope in the middle of tragedy, it's beautiful. Fine with fluff, fine with angst, fine with anything set in Sirion or afterwards or both.
Galadriel/Celeborn - I love that they have a very long old marriage, I love that they clearly love each other and also clearly aren't always on the same page about things. Would love anything about Noldor-Sindar cultural differences and relations;or maybe angst about the aftermath of Galadriel's cousins attacking Doriath; or how they got together; or whether he does go to Valinor eventually and they reunite. Happy with fluff, happy with angst.
Celeborn/Sauron, Galadriel/Celeborn/Sauron - I can't believe Annatar would have missed any opportunity to drive a wedge between them if he could. Or maybe something earlier in the First Age, in some other disguise? or later in canon? I would be equally happy with this being Sauron evil manipulation or Sauron genuinely falling for one/both of them.
Lord of the Rings
I do love LOTR fics that include Silmarillion and wider legendarium content, but please don't feel you're obliged to do that! I'd be MORE than happy with a nice LOTR story that's LOTR alone. On adaptations - I'm happy with Rings of Power plots as background if you want, but for events of LOTR itself I would rather not have film canon for points where the book and the films diverge. (With the exception of the never-seen Arwen fighting at Helm's Deep scenes - if you want to write a canon-divergence AU where that happens, 100% go ahead and I will love it.)
Galadriel/Celeborn - I love that they have a very long old marriage, I love that they clearly love each other and also clearly aren't always on the same page about things, and I love the sorrow of her feeling a call to Valinor and he wanting to stay on Middle-earth. Happy with angst, happy with something lighter if you want to write them finding some hope and peace in the middle of Everything. Prompt ideas - what kind of conversations might they have during the month the Fellowship (and the Ring!) are in Lothlorien? Or afterwards, when Galadriel has Gandalf brought back to Lothlorien and he's re-born there as Gandalf the White? What kind of relationship do they have with Elrond and their grandchildren? Or maybe Celeborn thinking back to the past after Galadriel has sailed and he's living in Rivendell with the twins?
Celeborn/Glorfindel - I find this rarepair FASCINATING and would love anything about them, First- or Second- or Third Age, or after (if Celeborn makes it to Valinor eventually; or if Glorfindel also stays behind in Rivendell after Elrond sails). I'm fascinated by Noldor-Sindar differences and tensions and by the parallels of Gondolin and Doriath if you want to bring in First Age material, but I'd be equally happy with something that just works for LOTR (maybe they could compare shared experiences of encountering the Hobbits? or a canon-divergence where things go differently for the Fellowship?). On Galadriel: I'd love a fic to acknowledge their relationship and Celeborn's love for her in some way (be that as an open relationship or as infidelity that's guilt-ridden and angsty), but I'm cool with canon-divergence where they just never got together as well, just please don't bash her or their marriage.
Elladan/Elrohir - I would love something at least a bit bittersweet and sorrowful for these two, during LOTR time or before, or after when they're all that's left of their family. Equally happy with pure messed-up angst or with finding comfort in the face of bleakness. I'm fascinated by what life would have been live in Rivendell for them so anything set there would be lovely - or given they visit their grandparents in Lothlorien, maybe something during/about one of those trips?
Arwen/Éowyn - I love that they come from such different worlds and histories and yet they both have a surprising amount in common. If after the war, I would love to know what Arwen as the descendant of Luthien thought of Éowyn's decisions to fight, or what Éowyn thinks about Arwen's long history and all she's seen. I'd love something set after both their weddings when they're working to establish a new world while also mourning the passing of the old and what they both might miss about it. Canon husbands: I would prefer they not be bashed or existing marriages split up (although canon-divergence where they don't get together is fine) - happy with open relationships, happy with angst-ridden infidelity.
Celeborn/Sauron - another rarepair that has become very compelling to me! By LOTR time Galadriel is the foe Sauron seems most concerned with. Would he see her husband as a weak point he could try to deceive or manipulate? What would he do if he kept/regained the ability to change shape into whatever form he liked? Or maybe Sauron in his 'formless defeated angry cloud' era after the Ring is destroyed finds a way to communicate somehow, and has a lot to say to Celeborn after Galadriel sails? For this I'm happy with Sauron being 100% evil and manipulative or with him genuinely falling for Celeborn (and I can never get enough of stories where he starts out seducing someone to manipulate them and ends up in love despite himself). I love Galadriel and their marriage so while I'm fine with angst, please don't bash her!
General stuff
General likes:
Angst, complicated feelings, stories that dive into a character and what motivates them, questions of loyalty and of how the past affects the present. Happy with any degree of smut from ‘none at all’ to ‘E-rated’. Other things I like in fics: parenthood/kidfic (prefer if it’s about the emotional feels of the adult characters rather than cute kid things); canon divergence AUs; worldbuilding in fantasy/sci-fi fandoms; and established relationships being complicated.
DNWs:
Non-canonverse AUs; omegaverse; bashing of characters or ships; traumatic birth or pregnancy loss; noncon as a major plot element (dubcon is fine); heavy dom/sub dynamics with a male dom and female sub; underage; watersports and scat.
Things often DNWed that I like:
Infidelity, preferably in the sense of overlapping pairings and feelings for multiple people (not if it’s infidelity to get one ship out of the way); first- and second-person POV; epistolary or other non-strictly-narrative formats; ambiguous endings; pregnancy; sibling incest, if tragic; poly ships and open relationships (happy or tragic).
Fandom- and ship- specifics
Babylon 5:
Marcus/Ivanova - I am equally happy with tragedy or fluff, including canon-divergence where everybody lives.
Delenn and anybody - I adore her and her complicated principled devoted repentant-war-criminal ways. Would love to read fics exploring anything about how different characters see different parts of her, or how she views her history and her future, or how she feels about knowing more than Sinclair (or others!) about the war and/or the Valen thing. If it's in a setting where Sheridan exists: I'm cool with infidelity or Minbari poly relationships or them not getting together in the first place, wherever you want to go, but please don't bash him - this man and his unbeatably sunny outlook single-handedly cured me of ship wars.
For Delenn/Lennier - I love his devotion, I love that he sees a part of her and her past that she doesn't show Sheridan, I lovethat he must have all sorts of conflicted feelings about his own past and what his people did (and he mentions he has family who died on the Black Star!). Happy with anything set before the series, or after, or a canon divergence where the end of Season 5 goes differently.
For Delenn/Neroon - I love that he's her counterpart in a lot of ways, that they have a lot in common like their devotion to their people and they recognise that in each other. I love that his objections to her and what she's doing are uncharitable but not entirely incorrect! Would love something where he survives the Starfire Wheel, or something pre-series (they must have known each other through Branmer? who I always picture as being fed up with how much they both clearly adored him but fought each other!)
For Delenn/Sinclair - Either before or after he's Valen is cool with me, but I am particularly fascinated by Delenn knowing this and what she must think - this is someone she genuinely cares for and would no matter whose soul he had, but also, that's her god-figure even if he doesn't known it, what does that DO to personal relationships?
Rings of Power:
I love fic that includes wider Tolkien legendarium stuff, but I'm fine if you just want to stick to show canon too.
As you can probably tell by the overlapping tags in all combinations of Galadriel and Celeborn and Halbrand, I am a happy multishipper and I'm cool with any combination of the above but would rather none of them get bashed for the sake of another pairing. (Infidelity fine as long as person doing the cheating still loves the one being cheated on and it's all angsty and painful, just not That Guy Sucks So It's For The Best.)
Galadriel/Celeborn - where's he been for the past however-many centuries? How much have one or the other of them changed - do they even recognise each other now?
Galadriel/Halbrand - either before or after the Sauron reveal is fine (I would love anything set in their time in Numenor), or I'm cool with a human-Halbrand take on him if you want to go there. I like how he's an interruption to her journey and makes her reconsider how she sees herself, what she's doing, her relationship to the world around her, and so on - and the same for him. For this I would rather not have takes where he's the sexually experienced one and she's more naive/innocent/virginal (but I'd be happy if you want to write that dynamic the other way round!)
Celeborn/Sauron - Sauron manipulatively trying to drive a wedge between Galadriel and her husband, Sauron genuinely falling for him, either is fine! Maybe Sauron's the one who finds Celeborn after s1, wherever he is?
Galadriel/Tar-Miriel - love that they're both deeply principled and determined and yet at odds with each other because of the circumstances. Would love anything that includes Miriel's complicated thoughts and feelings about having an elf on Numenor, or maybe something set after the Battle of Tirharad or post-s1.
Disa/Durin, Disa/Durin/Elrond - I love them, I love all of them! I love Disa's ambition and determination and genuine love for her husband and her children. I could see her having a very straightforward approach to open relationships and being the instigator of that, or her letting Elrond know that she absolutely saw right through a lot of his very carefully-played behaviour to get Durin talking to him again in the s1 storyline, but likes him for it.
Silmarillion:
I love elves, I love tragedy, I love characters dealing with their complicated pasts and guilt and loyalty, I love characters finding love and peace and joy unexpectedly even in the middle of bad circumstances. I will gobble up absolutely anything about Noldor vs. Sindar relationships and cultural misunderstandings therein.
Ossë/Uinen - It fascinates me that she didn't lose hope in him and she went to get him back from Melkor, and she succeeded. Would love to read anything about that; or the leadup to that (did she suspect Melkor was trying to get to him? was it a literal Melkor/Ossë seduction?); or the aftermath of that; their relationship with elves; their relationship with Numenor; their thoughts about the First Kinslaying or the fall of Numenor.
Celeborn/Celebrimbor - What was HAPPENING in Eregion? Open to any and all takes on this! Maybe there's a tragic angst-filled moment between them haunted by the ghosts of what happened to Doriath; maybe they meet up for drinks and sympathy in an Ost-in-Edhil tavern while Galadriel and Annatar are getting into some new fight.
Aredhel/Eöl - fine with tragic, fine with any take on 'the story says THIS but here's what REALLY happened'. I would love any of Aredhel's thoughts on life in Gondolin, or Nan Elmoth, or how either of them compare to each other or to Valinor; I would love her thinking back about her choices to leave any or all of them.
Maedhros/Elwing - fire and water! enemies who maybe didn't have to be, but their past and the Oath left them with no choice! Or maybe it did - what would have happened if she gave the Silmaril back and accepted his offer of alliance and friendship? Or an AU in which the Feanorians never attacked Sirion, or never attacked Doriath? Do they catch up in Valinor after Maedhros is reincarnated and have things to discuss? How does Elwing feel about him and Maglor raising her children - maybe she's visiting all the time when Elrond and Elros are young, unknown to them?
Melian/Galadriel/Celeborn - Melian basically saw an elf she liked and caught him up in an enchantment for 200 years when everyone was looking for him. I will not believe she's bound by any Laws and Customs among the Eldar-style sexual mores.
Elwing/Eärendil - two royal heirs left refugees finding hope in the middle of tragedy, it's beautiful. Fine with fluff, fine with angst, fine with anything set in Sirion or afterwards or both.
Galadriel/Celeborn - I love that they have a very long old marriage, I love that they clearly love each other and also clearly aren't always on the same page about things. Would love anything about Noldor-Sindar cultural differences and relations;or maybe angst about the aftermath of Galadriel's cousins attacking Doriath; or how they got together; or whether he does go to Valinor eventually and they reunite. Happy with fluff, happy with angst.
Celeborn/Sauron, Galadriel/Celeborn/Sauron - I can't believe Annatar would have missed any opportunity to drive a wedge between them if he could. Or maybe something earlier in the First Age, in some other disguise? or later in canon? I would be equally happy with this being Sauron evil manipulation or Sauron genuinely falling for one/both of them.
Lord of the Rings
I do love LOTR fics that include Silmarillion and wider legendarium content, but please don't feel you're obliged to do that! I'd be MORE than happy with a nice LOTR story that's LOTR alone. On adaptations - I'm happy with Rings of Power plots as background if you want, but for events of LOTR itself I would rather not have film canon for points where the book and the films diverge. (With the exception of the never-seen Arwen fighting at Helm's Deep scenes - if you want to write a canon-divergence AU where that happens, 100% go ahead and I will love it.)
Galadriel/Celeborn - I love that they have a very long old marriage, I love that they clearly love each other and also clearly aren't always on the same page about things, and I love the sorrow of her feeling a call to Valinor and he wanting to stay on Middle-earth. Happy with angst, happy with something lighter if you want to write them finding some hope and peace in the middle of Everything. Prompt ideas - what kind of conversations might they have during the month the Fellowship (and the Ring!) are in Lothlorien? Or afterwards, when Galadriel has Gandalf brought back to Lothlorien and he's re-born there as Gandalf the White? What kind of relationship do they have with Elrond and their grandchildren? Or maybe Celeborn thinking back to the past after Galadriel has sailed and he's living in Rivendell with the twins?
Celeborn/Glorfindel - I find this rarepair FASCINATING and would love anything about them, First- or Second- or Third Age, or after (if Celeborn makes it to Valinor eventually; or if Glorfindel also stays behind in Rivendell after Elrond sails). I'm fascinated by Noldor-Sindar differences and tensions and by the parallels of Gondolin and Doriath if you want to bring in First Age material, but I'd be equally happy with something that just works for LOTR (maybe they could compare shared experiences of encountering the Hobbits? or a canon-divergence where things go differently for the Fellowship?). On Galadriel: I'd love a fic to acknowledge their relationship and Celeborn's love for her in some way (be that as an open relationship or as infidelity that's guilt-ridden and angsty), but I'm cool with canon-divergence where they just never got together as well, just please don't bash her or their marriage.
Elladan/Elrohir - I would love something at least a bit bittersweet and sorrowful for these two, during LOTR time or before, or after when they're all that's left of their family. Equally happy with pure messed-up angst or with finding comfort in the face of bleakness. I'm fascinated by what life would have been live in Rivendell for them so anything set there would be lovely - or given they visit their grandparents in Lothlorien, maybe something during/about one of those trips?
Arwen/Éowyn - I love that they come from such different worlds and histories and yet they both have a surprising amount in common. If after the war, I would love to know what Arwen as the descendant of Luthien thought of Éowyn's decisions to fight, or what Éowyn thinks about Arwen's long history and all she's seen. I'd love something set after both their weddings when they're working to establish a new world while also mourning the passing of the old and what they both might miss about it. Canon husbands: I would prefer they not be bashed or existing marriages split up (although canon-divergence where they don't get together is fine) - happy with open relationships, happy with angst-ridden infidelity.
Celeborn/Sauron - another rarepair that has become very compelling to me! By LOTR time Galadriel is the foe Sauron seems most concerned with. Would he see her husband as a weak point he could try to deceive or manipulate? What would he do if he kept/regained the ability to change shape into whatever form he liked? Or maybe Sauron in his 'formless defeated angry cloud' era after the Ring is destroyed finds a way to communicate somehow, and has a lot to say to Celeborn after Galadriel sails? For this I'm happy with Sauron being 100% evil and manipulative or with him genuinely falling for Celeborn (and I can never get enough of stories where he starts out seducing someone to manipulate them and ends up in love despite himself). I love Galadriel and their marriage so while I'm fine with angst, please don't bash her!
