Fandom 5k letter

[rhovanel]

 Dear Fandom 5k creator,

Firstly, thank you so much for creating something for me - a 5k story can be a challenge, but I am so excited to see what you come up with! I’m always thrilled to receive anything that someone has made for me, so don’t worry, I’ll be happy with whatever you create. All of my prompts are just possible prompts, and if you have your own idea or plot bunny, you are welcome to chase it.

My taste in fic is generally broad, but I’ve included a list of general likes below. For this particular challenge, I’d really love to see some things that really lend themselves to a longer length - falling in love narratives, and/or plotty stories of adventure and intrigue.
 

Warning: all of my requests contain spoilers, proceed at your own caution.

Anthem; Assassin's Creed; Dragon Age; The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim; Lawrence of Arabia; Original Work 
 

General likes:

• stories that play with form and narrative: epistolary, poetry, time loops, etc.
• angst - break my heart, author
• stories about storytelling and the power of narratives 
• found families
• bittersweet endings
• stories about the power of hope and persevering through difficult times 
• character studies
• complex protagonists and antagonists - i.e. both with morally grey, but understandable, motivations
• heists and adventures
• characters who are competent and unapologetic about who they are
• stars, trees, and the sea

Relationship/shippy likes:

• mutual pining-happy ending narratives
• stories about falling in love
• enemies (to friends) to lovers
• relationships based in communication - talking, challenging and testing one another, wordy declarations/gestures of love
• talking/flirting/falling in love through dancing
• banter, bickering, and humour
• equal power dynamics between people
• moments of quiet intimacy 
• first kisses
• gift giving
• there’s only one bed
• “holy shit they’re hot in that outfit”

DNWs:

• no PWP
• no A/B/O dynamics or mpreg
• no pairings with a major power imbalance (e.g. student/teacher, etc)
• no incest
• no underage
• no non-con or dub-con
• no stories with internalised prejudice as the main theme (homophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, etc)
• no kidfic
• no character de-aging (e.g. high school AUs)
• no abuse (physical or emotional)

 

Anthem

I went into Anthem out of curiosity and a deep-seated loyalty to Bioware, and I came out with a new group of favourite characters and a broken heart. Yep, I got Biowared by Bioware, I don’t know what I expected.

 

I loved the world, the story, and the people of Anthem, and I would have adored a much longer campaign. Give me more content! I'm particularly interested in the cyphers (hence my requests), and I'd like to see more about who the cyphers are, how they work, and what their relationships with their Freelancers are like.

Female Freelancer and Faye Navine

I really loved the relationship between the two of them - that instant sense of camaraderie and trust, something you only get through a long friendship. I'd love to see more of that history.

Possible prompts:

• Any kind of mission - give me action and adventure!
• Something set after the endgame, after Faye has heard (and resisted) the Anthem. Does she keep resisting it? How does this change her relationship with her Freelancer?
• I'd love to see some of their history - how did they meet? How did they become such good friends?
• Bonus points for anything involving the radio dramas.

Female Freelancer and Owen Corley; Female Freelancer/Owen Corley

 

Well, this one hurts. I adored Owen, despite, perhaps, my better judgement - arrogant and insecure and oh so vulnerable. The relationship between the Freelancer and Owen absolutely broke my heart - it feels very much a like a betrayal that goes both ways - and I’d love a story that explores their dynamic in more detail.

 

Possible prompts:

• What happens after the events of the end game? Does the Freelancer seek out Owen, and do they reunite? I NEED ANSWERS. (feel free to angst this up)
• The two of them met when they were younger and shared what sounds like a pretty wild week together. What did they get up to? Why did they connect so strongly?
• I’d love a story about a mission with the two of them working together as a team - some action, some hurt-comfort, some banter - give me a solid, supportive relationship.
• If you want to do something a little more fun, I would love some fake dating with these two. 

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Alexios/Brasidas; Kassandra/Brasidas

 

It is a complete tragedy that Brasidas was not a romance option - Ubisoft, what were you thinking? I loved him so much: his courage, his loyalty, his sense of humour. I would love a story that fleshes out any part of their relationship - just give me more content! With regards to his death, I’m equally happy with a fix-it or with a story in which he does die. I've requested both Alexios and Kassandra here, so write whoever you're most comfortable with.

 

Possible prompts:

• Any kind of adventure/quest story - the two of them hunting Cultists or bandits or Athenians. Give me the action, give me the banter, give me the sexual tension. 
• Alexios/Kassandra thinks that Brasidas is dead, when in reality, he’s just gravely injured and captured by the Cult. What happens when they finds out that he’s still alive? How do they rescue him?
• My knowledge of Greek mythology is shaky, but I believe that Pythagoras wrote about reincarnation - perhaps it’s linked to his staff? What happens if during Alexios/Kassandra’s long life, the universe always brings Brasidas back to them? Or if they search for him again and again until they finds him in every life? 
• Alternatively, Alexios/Kassandra searching for (and rescuing) Brasidas from the underworld. 
• Brasidas lives AU: what do they do after the war? How do they fit into the new family? How do they deal with Brasidas’s injuries?

Dragon Age

Oh, Dragon Age, game of my heart. I love this game, forever and always - the world, the lore, and above all, the characters. I've chosen pairings that have some of my favourite dynamics: two very different people who might have a lot to learn from one another, and might discover how deeply they've misjudged the other. I also love the world of Thedas, and will be happy with anything that fleshes out aspects of this - maybe the Wardens for Alistair/Zevran, or magic/the Veil for Dorian/Solas, for example.

If the Warden, Hawke, and/or the Inquisitor makes an appearance, I have no preference for race/gender/personality - give them whatever identity you would prefer. 

 

Alistair/Zevran Arainai

I always love these two together - Alistair's terrible awkwardness meets Zevran's smooth teasing. I'd love to see an outrageous Zevran, a flustered Alistair, but a genuine connection between the two of them. They both have a lot to offer one another's problems and perspective, and I'd love something that allows them to learn from one another. If you're writing post-DAO, any world state is fine.

Possible prompts:

• I would DIE for something set around the time of (or after) Inquisition - give me older, wiser Wardens! How do their paths cross again? How does their experience change their relationship?
• They end up stranded in the field together, and if they’re going to get back to camp in one piece, they’ll have to learn to work together (and share a tent)
• Zevran infiltrating some kind of fancy event which Alistair is attending (either as king or a Grey Warden representative) - hijinks ensue
• Post-DAO: Alistair accidentally hires Zevran for a job OR Zevran accidentally takes on a contract against Alistair
• These two always work well in AUs, so if an AU takes your fancy, I will love it (but no high school AUs, please)

 

Cassandra Pentaghast/Varric Tethras 

Oh, I adore the relationship between the two of them, and how it evolves over the course of the games. By the end of Inquisition, there’s such a genuine sense of affection and fondness between the two of them. I’d love anything that explores how much they really care for one another, underneath their banter. I would particularly adore a prickly Cassandra being courted by Varric (maybe it starts as a joke and then Varric realises he’s in way too deep).

 

Possible prompts:

• Fake. Dating. If there was ever a pair that was made for this trope, it’s these two.
• They’re also made for an epistolary romance - Varric’s skill with words meets Cassandra’s careful and hesitant prose.
• Post-inquisition meeting the family/friends - either Cassandra ends up in Kirkwall, or Varric meets up with Cassandra in Nevarra
• It's a classic, but: Varric writing a story with a thinly fictionalised (and romanticised) Cassandra as the heroine - what happens when she finds out?

Dorian Pavus/Solas

 

Remember that time Varric told Dorian that “just because two people dislike each other doesn't mean they're about to kiss, Sparkler”? Varric, you have never been more wrong about anything in your life.

 

I didn’t even nominate this but it is my most beloved rare-pair, which means that I am duty-bound to request it. I LOVE THEM. Their relationship is hostile at first but I think they have so much to offer one another. Solas challenges Dorian ideologically, but Dorian, more than anyone, has the potential to remind Solas of the pleasures of being alive, and the value of this world. I’d love a story in which they realise how they’ve misjudged one another.

 

I will take basically anything with them - enemies to lovers, bickering and sexual tension, established relationship fluff, even Trespasser angst - whatever takes your fancy. My only request is that they’re equals in their relationship - no mentor/student-esque dynamics, please. Yes, Solas is basically a god, but I fully believe that Dorian can give him a run for his money - I mean, the man invented time travel AND Skype.

 

Possible prompts:

• Any kind of enemies to lovers dynamic
• They end up stranded in the field together, and if they’re going to get back to camp in one piece, they’ll have to learn to work together 
• Solas once tells Blackwall "You should have seen me when I was younger. Hot-blooded and cocky, always ready to fight." Is this what he sees in Dorian? 
• Of the whole Inquisition, Dorian and Solas were perhaps the most comfortable people at the Winter Palace. Leliana decides to send them out on more undercover missions at balls across Thedas. 
• The Inquisitor asks them to work on devising new (or more efficient) forms of spellcraft, and they spend long nights in the library together on the project. Magic isn’t the only spark that’s in the air. 
• Dorian brings Solas as his date to some magical congress as something of a joke. 
• If you look at the infamous early promo image for the game, Dorian and Solas are staring at one another (and you cannot convince me otherwise). In Haven, they’re both in the same courtyard; in Skyhold, they’re together in the library. Why can’t they keep their eyes off one another? Why are they always seeking out one another’s presence? 
• Post-Trespasser. Break my heart, author - and it's entirely up to you if you repair it again.
• I'm sorry I wrote so many prompts for these two, I am trash for them

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

 

Dragonborn/Brynjolf

 

Oh Brynjolf, my first experience of falling in love with the unromanceable NPC. I adore the entire Thieves Guild arc in this game - I love the quests, I love the characters, and I would love to see a story that does some world-building with the Guild, and/or one that tells the story of a job. In terms of Brynjolf himself, I love that right from the beginning, the Dragonborn and Brynjolf feel very much like a team - he believes in the Dragonborn immediately, and he often seems genuinely concerned about them. I’d love a story about what the two of them see in one another, and why they work so well together.

 

I have no preference for gender or race when it comes to the Dragonborn, but if you’re referring to the civil war quest, I would prefer Imperial.

 

Possible prompts:

• During the Thieves Guild quest, Vekel the Man will comment that “Brynjolf even went out looking for you.” What happens when either Brynjolf or the Dragonborn get themselves into a situation while on a job, and the other has to go and rescue them?
• “I’ve got more important things to do, lad/lass. We’ll speak another time.” THE ETERNAL STRUGGLE. What are those more important things, and what happens if he FINALLY lets the Dragonborn come with him? Or if the Dragonborn sneaks along? 
• The Thieves Guild is back in business, and they decide to pull off the heist of the age. 
• Brynjolf’s exasperated confusion during the Nightingale mission never fails to crack me up. What happens if he tags along with the Dragonborn on a non-Thieves guild related expedition and finds himself quickly out of his depth?) 

Lawrence of Arabia

 

Ali ibn el Kharish/T. E. Lawrence

 

This is one of my very favourite films and I will never get over the sublime tragedy of the relationship between Ali and Lawrence. Ali is my favourite character and I adore his devotion and grace towards Lawrence (who is kind of insufferable, if delightfully so). I’m particularly interested in the deep sense of intimacy between the two of them: show me some tender moments between the two of them. I’m happy with this relationship as romantic/sexual or an intense friendship, and feel free to go for angst - it’s not really a happy story.

 

Possible prompts:

• Ali undergoes quite a shift from being distrustful and suspicious to entirely devoted - show me why/how (give me your best falling in love narrative)
• Flesh out the Aqaba scene on the beach for me: what would have happened if they hadn’t been distracted by Auda? 
• If you’re so inclined, I am always up for a fix-it, and if you’re interested in the history, I find the Paris Peace Conference endlessly fascinating

Original Work

 

There were so many good Original Work prompts this year! As you can tell from the pairings I’ve chosen, I’m particularly fond of the old enemies to lovers trope, or people with very opposing backgrounds/character traits (the straight laced character vs the absolute disaster). I’ve offered a few ideas, but really, the pairing titles say it all, and I’m interested to see your take on these tropes - feel free to ignore my prompts entirely. For the pairings that aren't explicitly gendered, I would prefer F/F or M/M.

Explorer/Forgotten Deity of a Long Lost Shrine

 

This is such a cool idea, and there are so many options. My main request is that I don’t want the deity to be malevolent - they can be as bad-tempered as you want, but I don’t them to be looking for destruction/domination/a slave. Any tone (angst to humour) and any setting (science fiction/fantasy/historical) is fine here. I'd love to see some worldbuilding: who is the deity? Why is their shrine lost? How do they react when someone rediscovers it - is this welcome or not?

 

Possible prompts:

• The explorer has dedicated their life to finding this particular shrine, only to discover that the deity is not at all what they expect.
• The explorer accidentally activates an ancient curse, and the two have to work together to figure out how to reverse it. (maybe love is the cure!)
• Perhaps the deity has been trying to attract someone to their shrine for a long period of time (decades? centuries? millennia?), and the explorer is the only one who has managed to respond to the call. Why?

General/General of opposing army

 

A quality enemies to lovers trope! I’d be particularly interested in a fantasy/science fiction setting here, and I’d love to see some strategising and some worldbuilding - what is this war? What are the stakes? Who are the armies, and why are they fighting against one another?

 

Possible prompts:

• The two have been battling one another all their lives, rising through the ranks together, all to reach this final battle - perhaps they used to be on the same side, perhaps they've always been opposed
• A post-battle story, in which they have to forge a new peace together
• The more their armies fight, the more respect they have for one another

Pirate Captain/Naval Captain Tasked With Capturing Them

 

Oh, I am WEAK for this particular trope. I’m particularly fond of two opposites who kind of resent the fact that they’re in love with one another. There’s a classic dynamic here - rakish pirate versus very serious and self-righteous captain - but feel free to mix things up if that takes your fancy. Any tone from humour to pining to angst is fine here, as is any setting. Pirates in the 18th century Caribbean? Contemporary pirates? Fantasy pirates? Space pirates? I will love it. 

 

Possible prompts:

• The naval captain has been chasing the pirate for a long time, but they have never seen their face. Oh shit, they’re hot.
• The two engage in frequent skirmishes but both somehow keep managing to avoid capturing/killing the other. Their respective crews are getting very fed up.
• Somehow they end up stranded on a deserted island/planet/thing, and have to work together to survive
• Epistolary romance! They started off sending one another threatening notes, which turned into a correspondence, which turned into something a lot more. 

Sensible Queen/Female Spy Who Seduced Her for Her Own Gain and Then Caught Feelings

 

Another quality trope! I'm interested in anything that does some worldbuilding around this trope, with lots of identity porn, politics, court intrigue and quality seduction/romance. Who is the spy, and who is the queen? What does the spy hope to gain? My only request is to please give the queen a bit of agency and power here.

Possible prompts:

• The spy aims to overthrow the monarchy, but doesn't realise that the queen is equally devoted to the cause
• The spy is from a rival kingdom but discovers that everything she knew about her enemy was wrong
• Someone dared the spy to seduce the queen, but she got more than she bargained for 

Time Traveller/Someone Stuck In Groundhog Day

 

I am absolutely in love with this trope, and I’d be particularly up for something a little more angsty with lots of pining. I'd also be interested in something that fleshes out how time-travel works in this particular universe - is it magical? Is it through a machine? Is it dangerous, or painful? Can anyone be a time-traveller? 

 

Possible prompts:

• A professional time traveller is sent to retrieve someone from a time loop and ends up falling in love
• They’re both time travellers and one gets stuck in the loop, either accidentally or deliberately, and the other has to work to save them.