fffx22 letter

[Last updated 5 September 2022; freshly added piffle not binding -- nor, indeed, anything here not in my AO3 signup -- but merely offered to help with cage matches negotiations with the Muse if those be ongoing.]

Dear FFFXer,

Hello! I'm so looking forward to seeing what you make of/from these!

In general:

Any rating is cool with me.

Happy/hopeful endings preferred. That said, I am totally okay with you killing even my most beloved characters in the course of steering others toward maturity, realizations, and/or victory, given how most of these fandoms intersect with world or intergalactic war of some variety.

If you're inspired to combine two or more fandoms on this list, I shall be in awe and full of glee, but that will also be true should you stay with a single person and setting. All these characters contain multitudes, as far as I'm concerned.

Bulletproof kinks: competence, kissing, bondage

I'm also partial to: hurt/comfort, hidden badass variations, love declarations in disguise (e.g., odd gifts, peculiar favors, baffling alliances), emotions overtaking reticence and/or blithering facades, thwarting autocrats and oligarchs, unapologetic and unrepentant sowing of wild oats by women, cheerful bisexuals, harpsichords, and sheep jokes.

And also longtime friends or partners picking up on tells/traits that aren't noticed by less intimate members of their circles (e.g., x recognizes that y is on the verge of going ballistic over z, but y is so good at masking how they really feel that everyone else thinks things are just dandy).

DNWs for this exchange: incest, bestiality, underage, ageplay, pee/poop play, protagonist humiliation, mpreg, A/B/O, prequels, body swapping, slavefic, babytalk, the word "cum"


I would be delighted by treats!


Chronicles of Chrestomanci
Jane James and/or Irene Yeldham/Jason Yeldham

Possible directions:
*I can't get enough of these gifted, good-humored, down-to-earth creators of beauty and sustenance. (And strength and defence, too, when needed.) I'd love to see more about where they work and what they make/grow/bake/draw/coax into being, their friendship and support of the Chants and of Marianne, their handling of Nutcase and Syracuse...

* A gardening journal, a sales ledger, cooking notes, expense reports for trips/transactions on behalf of Chrestomanci -- this doesn't have to be a conventional narrative. Feel free to give me a jumble of excerpts from, say, an archive, or a section of a finding aid (examples: https://archives.nypl.org/mss/6398 https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/24/resources/3026)


David Blaize
Margery Blaize

Possible directions:
* Margery is such a loyal and perceptive sister, and she has so many dimensions that we get only a glimpse of -- music, cricket, gardening, books, and who knows what else. I'd love to see what she grows into, and how she might be an ally to both David and Frank, whether they end up together or not (and, in turn, how they support her quest for say, a university post, or becoming head of a school, or...)...
* Mrs Maddox takes Margery under her wing...?
* Margery's practice journal, as a church musician or archaeologist or...?

Canon compliance note: since Benson didn't make any credible effort to tie the series to contemporary events, I don't see why you should have to. Feel free to shift the whole lot into whatever decade your Muse wants to romp around in. Ignore or incorporate The Blue Door as you please.

Green Men
Beatrice Phan, Syrena Phan, Sam Caldwell, Randolph and Theresa Glyde

Possible directions:
* The mentions of mother and daughter Phan in the series are so tantalizing. It would be so awesome to see more of their work, and their friendship with the Fetter Lane residents. If you'd rather explore their relationships with characters pulled into the Remnant from other universes (like Dr Silence), consider yourself encouraged.
* Sam: He's been through a lot. He's astoundingly sane and down to earth. I want more of him -- having a bad time because bad guys won't leave bad enough alone, having a good time because he's physically and mentally agile af, snarking at and taking care of the other Green Men and being taken care of when things go pear-shaped, being urban (and maybe urbane at times, too) as he goes about Green-Man-ing...
* Randolph & Theresa: she can't resist getting involved when she thinks he and/or the remaining Green Men could do better? Or when a favorite artist or a sister-in-arms seeks their help? Or, if you really want to give Randolph/Saul a bad time, you could inflict more of her taste in art (which I share, as it happens) on them? ;)
* Nightclubs and/or restaurants and/or libraries: a 5+1 or 10 scenes (or whatever fraction your muse deems workable) of these folks at these venues, learning what they need to know to keep saving the world -- or, taking a much-needed break from it?

Canon compliance note: I'm not on Facebook, and I don't consider anything announced or argued about there as canonical. This goes for all things KJC: unless it's in the ebooks or on the website, I may not have seen it and don't consider it binding.


Psmith
Mike Jackson/Rupert Psmith

I am weak for steely Psmith, protective Mike seeing through the persiflage...

Wodehouse suggests outside of canon (notes 5 and 6) that Psmith becomes a defence lawyer and then a judge. This positions him nicely to deal periodically with the head of a private bureau, possibly with mutual clients.

Possible directions:
* Psmith rails against fish a lot, but how surprised would any of us be if he turned out to be a superb fly-fisherman? How dazzled would Mike be watching him cast, watching those elegant fingers tie flies, listening to Psmith's monologues to the fish as he returns them to the water...? How refreshing might it be for Psmith to go on holiday with Mike and enjoy the sight of his beloved wrestling with a two-hundred-pound tarpon?
* Psmith speaks nostalgically of Sunday evenings with cold beef with Phyllis and Mike. What are some Sunday evenings like post-Blandings?
* Psmith declaiming "Take this kiss upon the brow!" before launching himself into some secret self-sacrificial scheme...?

Canon compliance note: In all candor, I inhaled and osmosed a heap of fic before wading into the actual books, so I definitely have fanon goggles at the ready for this particular universe. (That said, one of my own joys in life is being contrary about fanon, so if you feel like pushing against a popular trope, consider yourself encouraged.)

Feel free to diverge from the source whenever the Muse insists; my two non-negotiables are (1) please stick with "Rupert" as Psmith's first name (Ronald WTF), and (2) please don't woobie-fy him beyond recognition. I like him terrified and in the throes of heartbreak as much as the next black-hearted mountain troll, but do please also remember that he's a varsity-level athlete who casually, clinically propels a linebacker-sized intruder out his study window. (See above re bulletproof kinks.)


The Charioteer
* Nice things for Ralph Lanyon, please, at least ultimately. Hurt/comfort with him as the person being comforted? More of his friendship with Alec? He & Alec doing more good turns for each other (or for a patient, or a subordinate, or...) over the years?
* Laurie says to Alec, "You'll be all right, because you're more a doctor than you're a queer." How true is this? How do future incidents bear this out? (I'm not squicked by medical details, btw, so getting graphic and gross is fine here.)


Crossovers
Archie Curtis/Daniel da Silva (England Series) & Mike Jackson/Psmith
Mary Wimsey (Lord Peter Wimsey) & Edward Molyneux (Will Darling Adventures)
Saul Lazenby (Green Men Series) & Frank Maddox (David Blaize)
Saul Lazenby (Green Men Series) & Ramses Emerson (Amelia Peabody)
Mary Parker (Lord Peter Wimsey) & Kim Secretan (Will Darling Adventures)

Protective everyone. Iron woobies masking their feelings behind snark and persiflage.

Psmith x England:
* Mike & Psmith (and perhaps their wives?) interacting with Daniel & Archie professionally and/or socially...
* Wodehouse suggests that Psmith eventually becomes a defence lawyer and judge. Perhaps that's how his circles and the Private Bureau initially and/or periodically intersect? Or maybe he joins forces with DS on a backchannel quest for justice, while Mike and Archie commiserate ...

Psmith x Chrestomanci:
* Jacksons & mates & villagers encounter Chants & allies & villagers on cricket pitches across time and worlds...
* Christopher Chant and Psmith share a tailor...
* Mike hangs out with Cat, Syracuse and Mr. Adams...

Saul x Frank or Ramses: archaeologists, mayhem, go. Maybe something to do with who owns/controls objects, people, nations, gods...? True authorities vs. authoritarians?

Mary x Teddy: fashion designers with connections to both London and Paris, discussing mutual acquaintances, materials, suppliers, clients, love lives ...

Mary x Kim: How might they meet? What conversations do they have about idealism vs. actual people, with each other and other people in their circles, including the children? What new projects might they become involved in behind the scenes? (Note: I am absolutely okay with cutting remarks about and to Tories and "apolitical" people in this context, including Peter Wimsey.)

Original Work
Wizard with unfair rep for being helpless/Warrior with unfair rep for being a meathead (M/M) (OW)

As I said on the Exchanges After Dark Discord channel, this reflects the vibe of half my fave pairings, and if you remove "unfair" it describes half of the rest. So. =)

Possible directions:
* Hurt/comfort crisis forces hidden competence to become visible?
* Two idiots in love trying to get another wizard-warrior team with massive UST to get on with things, whilst not recognizing and/or acknowledging their own attraction/stalemate?
* Outsider POV (visiting and/or stranded animal, vegetable, mineral, human) reporting on the mayhem?

I hope this helped, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you got out of this!

Gratefully,
Ribbons