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Sign-ups are ongoing. Meanwhile...
Please use this post to promote the fandoms you're interested in requesting, or ask for recommendations of canons that suit you! FFFX is a long-haul exchange - someone might not have time to get into your canon before sign-ups close, but they definitely have time to check it out over the course of the exchange overall.
Information you might include
Title
Please put your fandom's title in the subject of your comment. This helps people find your promo again.
Media
Approx length
Where to find it (If giving links, please only link to legal sources. You may want to encourage people to contact you directly if they are having trouble finding a canon and you can give them tips)
What is it, in summary?
What do you love about it?
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?
Content notes (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence) - this is at your discretion and is not expected to be comprehensive
Some examples: Yuletide, Fandom5k, previous fffx posts.
Please keep an eye on comments, as people may have follow-up questions about your canons.
You're also welcome to leave comments (anon or not) asking people to rec you canons that they are likely to request.
For example: "Please tell me about canons for which you'd be excited to receive interactive fiction."
If asking for recs, consider letting people know if you're interested in specific media only, or have other restrictions.
Please use this post to promote the fandoms you're interested in requesting, or ask for recommendations of canons that suit you! FFFX is a long-haul exchange - someone might not have time to get into your canon before sign-ups close, but they definitely have time to check it out over the course of the exchange overall.
Promoting your canons
Comment here with information about the canons you are thinking of requesting, or otherwise want to get people into!Information you might include
Title
Please put your fandom's title in the subject of your comment. This helps people find your promo again.
Media
Approx length
Where to find it (If giving links, please only link to legal sources. You may want to encourage people to contact you directly if they are having trouble finding a canon and you can give them tips)
What is it, in summary?
What do you love about it?
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?
Content notes (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence) - this is at your discretion and is not expected to be comprehensive
Some examples: Yuletide, Fandom5k, previous fffx posts.
Please keep an eye on comments, as people may have follow-up questions about your canons.
Asking for recs
You're also welcome to leave comments (anon or not) asking people to rec you canons that they are likely to request.
For example: "Please tell me about canons for which you'd be excited to receive interactive fiction."
If asking for recs, consider letting people know if you're interested in specific media only, or have other restrictions.
The Kid Detective
Date: 2023-07-29 03:55 pm (UTC)Title
Please put your fandom's title in the subject of your comment. This helps people find your promo again.
Media: Movie
Approx length: 1 hour 40
Where to find it (If giving links, please only link to legal sources. You may want to encourage people to contact you directly if they are having trouble finding a canon and you can give them tips): I'm not sure where to find it for free streaming, butr a look for the US on Justwatch said it can be rented a few places
What is it, in summary? A mystery movie with a former genius kid detective, who's now in his 30s and pretty much a wreck, who ahs tro solve a murder case... and he mostly solves things like lost pets.
What do you love about it? I love the storytelling so much. it's a mix of mystery, comedy, and drama, and with amazing subtle hints given to those who really pay attention to whjat's going on. And the ending is so wonderfully bittersweet in a way that makes so much sense
What sort of things are you likely to request for it? I requested a mix of things! AU's where Gracie wasn't kidnapped, a post canon-look at Abe trying to fix himself... the works! (and obviously case fic goodness)
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships? No, it's a single movie, and I'd say to watch it all
Content notes (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence) - this is at your discretion and is not expected to be comprehensive: Drug use, rape, and incesty undertones. the rape isn't shown, but it's talked about after the fact. The incest isn't explicit, but (no spoilers), a guy says some really creepy things about his daughter
Alliance Trilogy - E. Jade Lomax
Date: 2023-07-29 04:00 pm (UTC)Media: Book. Sneak, Liar, and Traitor
Approximate Length: Series total word-count is roughly 275K
Where to find it: Free pdfs/epub/etc of the series are available on the author’s website here. https://ejadelomax.com/the-alliance-trilogy/
Optional canon: Sneak (77K), strictly speaking, probably isn’t necessary to write for the series. The author occasionally (with much love) disowns it because it’s more probably the prequel to a duology than Book One of a trilogy. I’m fond of it! There’s a lot of ground-work and character set-up that happens in this book! But in terms of the overall plot, it’s theoretically skippable.
Summary: Five young adults come of age on different sides of a quiet, brimming civil war: a fierce protector born into the life of a guarded young princess (Sasha), a loyal young rebel who will fight as hard to reclaim her world as the princess will to keep hers (Andrea), two orphaned boys who forged a home in each other and who both must learn how to stand on their own outside that bond built in desperate loneliness (Will and Gregory), and a young girl with an adorable button nose, at least one book on her person at all times, and more ambition than most conquering warlords (Gabrielle).
What do you love about it?: Oh god, what don’t I love about it haha. This series is, arguably, at its heart, a story about questioning your assumptions, privileges, moralities, and the fairnesses of your world. What right and wrong have you been taught? What stories have you been told? All of these characters have a Very Specific View of the world that’s immensely informed by their background and what’s “right” changes depending on who happens to be narrating at the moment. (And then there’s poor Gregory, who’s anxiously loyal and attached to pretty much everyone, even as several of his friends actively attempt to murder each other.) There aren’t really clear-cut Right Answers, only the question of “What do [you] want to do with [your] hands?”
What sort of things are you likely to request for it? The Ceren rebellion and cultural worldbuilding and in-depth character study/exploration! Give me all the morality struggles and cultural background context and difficult choices and what it’s like growing up in a world where you are othered. Also, Gabrielle The Most Ambitious Twelve And A Half Year Old Ever learning to listen and vowing to be better.
Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Date: 2023-07-29 05:53 pm (UTC)Media: Primarily known for an 80s/90s anime adaptation, but there's a currently-airing modern anime adaption of the same original novel series, two manga adaptations, and stageplays
Approx length: Ok the 90s OVA anime is 55 hrs long (110 episodes) but I promise it flies by.
Where to find it: Legally, the 90s OVA is on Hidive, and the modern remake is on Crunchyroll. All the original novels are available on Amazon.
What is it, in summary? Legend of the Galactic Heroes is a military SF anime, which takes place at the tail end of the war between two galactic superpowers, the Free Planets Alliance and the Galactic Empire. Both sides have their own protagonists and casts and internal struggles as they battle against each other. It's a serious drama about what it means to be someone's master or servant versus their friend and equal, explored through both the characters' personal struggles and the overall plot of autocracy vs democracy. It's quite possibly the best anime ever made.
What do you love about it? I'm not lying when I say this is the most textually gay mainstream anime you can get from 1980/90. One of the protagonist pairs is based on Alexander the Great &
Hephaestion/Achilles & Patroclus and the show does not shy away from the gay aspects at all. But I love everything about this show-- the story is incredibly cohesive and feels sooo satisfying to dig my teeth into, and all of the characters (in a huge cast!) are incredibly well realized. If you like stories where the wheel of history slowly turns towards inevitable tragedy, you'll love this one lmao.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it? I usually request character-study style fics about secondary characters (this show has a huge cast) but I also usually get in a worldbuilding request that's more open-ended to allow my creator to do as their heart desires. The fandom for this show is pretty small and so I'm always thrilled to see someone explore their own favorite aspect of the show.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships? If you think you might like to give LOGH a shot, I suggest watching the 90 minute movie Overture to a New War to get a sense of what the tone of the show is-- that movie, you can watch without any introduction (it tells the same story as the first two episodes of the show, but gives the events a little more breathing room).
Content notes (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence) It's a military anime so lots of violent death. There is offscreen sexual violence. A cult plotline contains antisemitic conspiracy theory style tropes but is about a made up religion. This isn't a comprehensive list of warnings but those are probably the top 3 I'd give.
The World of Black Hammer
Date: 2023-07-31 03:07 am (UTC)Media: A collection of comic book miniseries
Approximate Length: For the nominated characters and relationships, reading ranges from five issues to twenty-eight (broken down below)
What It's About
The World of Black Hammer is a line of comic book miniseries published by Dark Horse from 2016 to present. It imagines a world of superheroes that has existed since the Golden Age in a place called Spiral City, and skips the origin stories to jump straight into a very lived-in universe full of characters who are already grappling with the best and worst of the paths they've taken.
What happens when a shapeshifting Martian warrior takes a job as a police officer after arriving on Earth—only to realize through the lens of his queerness that the system he's upholding isn't the one he thought it was. Find out in Barbalien: Red Planet (5 issues) for the nominated relationship of Miguel Cruz/Mark Markz.
What about when an aging superheroine hangs up her cape and decides she wants to be with her former archenemy—only to find herself torn away from him and trapped in her old life? Black Hammer: Secret Origins (6 issues), Black Hammer: The Event (6 issues), and Black Hammer: Age of Doom (12 issues) have you covered for Golden Gail's side of the Sherlock Frankenstein/Golden Gail nomination, with a peek at Sherlock's point of view in Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil (4 issues).
What does intergenerational trauma look like played out between well-meaning vigilante heroes and their orphaned sidekicks, and how do you reckon with your worst instincts in a world where the evil inside you is demonstrably real and isn't going anywhere? Skulldigger/Original Male Character has been nominated for Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy (6 issues).
Where to Find It
The miniseries are available in print and digitally wherever comics are sold, as both individual issues and as collected trades. I've linked to the trades on Dark Horse Digital, listed below by the nominated relationships.
• Miguel Cruz/Mark Markz is a canon relationship featured in Barbalien: Red Planet
• Kev Kevz/Mark Markz appears late and only briefly in the sequence of Black Hammer: Secret Origins, Black Hammer: The Event, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Part I and Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Part II, although Mark Markz features all throughout.
• Gail Gibbons/Sherlock Frankenstein is a canon relationship appearing in places throughout Black Hammer: Secret Origins, Black Hammer: The Event, Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Part I and Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Part II.
• Skulldigger/Original Male Character was nominated based on Skulldigger's story in Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy
What I Love About It
I love that the creators have launched a superhero universe where they can play with classic comic tropes in interesting and adult ways that don't diminish the tropes' source material. Despite many of the characters being clear expies for DC heroes, they are all fully formed in their own right and their adventures aren't satire, just Big Two type stories told with indie sensibilities and some loving homages. It all comes down to the characters, and these ones are well-drawn and human enough that it feels like you've known them forever, even when the universe is only a few years old.
I'm Requesting
The aforementioned four ships (Mark Markz/Miguel Cruz, Mark Markz/Kev Kevz, Gail Gibbons/Sherlock Frankenstein, and Skulldiger/Original Male Character), with prompts in the realm of romantic relationships, backstory, what-ifs, casefic, and a chance for some kinder moments and softer landings for my favourite characters.
Content Warnings
Barbalien: Red Planet is set during the AIDS crisis and contains scenes of homophobia and police violence. Skulldigger + Skeleton Boy deals with trauma and child abuse, and contains scenes of violence between adults, including a short scene of torture.
Team Fortress 2
Date: 2023-07-31 03:13 am (UTC)Media: A multiplayer first-person video game, and a comic book series and collection of short videos where the plot and major character work happens
Approximate Length: To get a grounding, six comic book issues plus a short catch-up comic, 35 minutes of video, and as much time with the game as you like.
What It's About
Team Fortress 2 is a team-based first-person shooter video game that was released by Valve in 2007. Jokingly referred to as America's #1 war-themed hat simulator, the game doesn't take itself seriously in the least. You play as one of nine classes of mercenary hired to fight over a New Mexico gravel mine in an alternative version of the late 1960s/early 1970s in which Australia has long ruled as the world's technological superpower thanks to its deposits of wonder-element Australium. Mostly, you strategize with your team, shoot at the opposing side, and collect funny hats.
The game is a hoot, but it didn't spawn such a passionate fandom on its own. As staff at Valve put it:
This labyrinthine story includes century-long revenge plots, secret parentage, wizard roommates, Welsh crooner Tom Jones, corporate takeovers, classic comic homages, friendship, romance, loyalty, cross-species male pregnancy, and a whole lot of naked mercenaries (occasionally slathered in honey).
Where to Find It
Everything is free online!
Videos
Meet the Team (a series of 1-3 minute animated videos introducing each of the mercenaries)
Expiration Date (a 15-minute short film)
Other optional videos include canonized fan project End of the Line and ads for updates to the game like Mann vs. Machine, The Sound of Medicine, The Invasion and Jungle Inferno.
Comics
Catch-Up Comic (a primer on the canon)
TF Comics #1: Ring of Fired
TF Comics #2: Unhappy Returns
TF Comics #3: A Cold Day in Hell
TF Comics #4: Blood in the Water
TF Comics #5: Old Wounds
TF Comics #6: The Naked and the Dead
Other optional reads include supplementary and game update comics.
The game is available for free on Steam.
There is also an official wiki that includes information on all plot points, character moments, game assets and voice lines.
What I Love About It
I really like the chaotic humour and the wild flights of worldbuilding fancy. Even after consuming the canon an overenthusiastic number of times, there are still lines that make me laugh. But what keeps me coming back are the characters, including the ones I've requested like Medic (a mad scientist stripped of his medical license who canonically sold his soul to the devil), Scout (a super-fast young South Boston blowhard who talks a big game but secretly just wants everyone to like him), and Sniper (a polite and professional Australian who always uses his turn signal, enjoys hallucinogens, and is careful to observe proper protocol when murdering people for money). They're part of a large cast of off-beat and oddly charming people who can be thrown together in any combination to tell an entertaining story.
I'm Requesting
Predominantly shippy stuff for Scout/Sniper and Medic/Scout, with any amount of backstory, lore, or mission-based adventure that someone might be inspired to include.
Content Warnings
The series contains a lot of fairly graphic cartoon violence, most often easily mended. (ex. Two characters casually chatting while one operates on the other in the glow of a healing ray, or an argument over sharing the backseat leading to a character having his hand cut off—then sewn back on by a veterinarian at the next stop.)
Something Is Killing the Children | Slaughterverse
Date: 2023-07-31 05:07 am (UTC)Media: A shared universe of two ongoing comic series and an associated one-shot
Approximate Length: For the nominated characters and relationships, reading ranges from five issues to thirty-one (broken down below)
What It's About
Something Is Killing the Children is a dark urban fantasy/horror series set in the present-day United States. The premise: Monsters are real, it's just that most of us (adults) can't see them. These dark creatures come into being because of the beliefs and fears of children, and children are who they hunt.
Our hero Erica Slaughter survived a monster attack as a young girl and was subsequently adopted into the Order of St. George, a secret society dedicated to not just killing monsters but keeping their existence a secret—because the more people who believe that monsters exist, the more monsters that can be brought into the world. Order members are bonded to the spirit of the first monster they defeat as a sort of malevolent familiar, and are sorted into different 'families' based on their roles, from solo and pack hunters, rare creature specialists and record-keepers, to armourers and techies.
Now a veteran solo hunter who spends most of her time travelling across the country investigating suspicious killings and disappearances, Erica's personal history as a survivor and her connections to the people she saves along the way start to put her at odds with the Order.
Meanwhile, the other members of her chapter of the Order are explored in a spin-off series called House of Slaughter. So far, these stories have focused on Erica's foster brother Aaron Slaughter (a handler whose loyalties began to be tested as a teenager when he fell in love with another young man from a rival chapter), his boyfriend Jace Boucher (now grown and trying to protect a group of orphans from the Order), and record-keeper Edwin Slaughter (a neurodivergent artist with an unusual arrangement with his monstrous familiar).
The ramifications of Erica's conflict with the Order, and further lore about the House of Slaughter, are also explored in a one-shot called The Book of Slaughter.
Where to Find It
The series are available in print and digitally wherever comics are sold, as both individual issues and as collected trades. I've linked to the series on the Boom! Studios website, listed below by the nominated relationships.
• Erica Slaughter/Riqui's interactions can be found in the most recent arc of Something Is Killing the Children (#21-#31 at present), when Erica comes to Tribulation, New Mexico to investigate a monster attack involving the family of Riqui's late girlfriend. Erica's story begins in issue #1.
• Jace Boucher/Aaron Slaughter is a canon ship predominantly featured in the first arc of House of Slaughter (#1-5), which covers their teenage romance and reunion as adults. Aaron also appears in a supporting role in the first arc of Something Is Killing the Children (#1-20), and Jace is the lead of issues #11-15 of House of Slaughter.
• Jace Boucher/Original Male Civilian was nominated based on Jace's House of Slaughter issues (#1-5 and #11-15).
• Cecilia Slaughter/Maxine Slaughter's material appears primarily in the Book of Slaughter one-shot, in which Order higher-up Cecilia makes a new job offer to young hunter Maxine. Cecilia also appears as a supporting character in Something Is Killing the Children (#1-#31 at present).
• Edwin Slaughter/Original Male Civilian was nominated based on Edwin's House of Slaughter issues (#6-10).
What I Love About It
Beyond the great writing and art, interesting worldbuilding, and effective horror and action, I'm here for the characters. Even hunters and handlers with unbelievable lives and unique psychology have very real feelings, attachments to each other and the world, and questions about whether they're doing the right thing. There is a lot of competence and big damn heroism on display, but it's the moments of connection and empathy—or alienation, loss, and a yearning for something better—that bring it home.
I'm Requesting
Erica Slaughter/Riqui, Cecilia Slaughter/Maxine Slaughter, Jace Boucher/Original Male Civilian, and Edwin Slaughter/Original Male Civilian, with prompts in the realm of romantic relationships, illicit affairs, what-ifs and fix-its, casefic, and chances for the members of the Order to explore more of life outside monster-hunting.
Content Warnings
All series contain horror and blood, but Something Is Killing the Children is particularly gory (dismemberment, consumption by monsters, etc.) and includes frequent depictions of children in peril or as the victims of supernatural violence.
Ristorante Paradiso (Manga)
Date: 2023-07-31 05:30 am (UTC)Media: Manga
Approximate Length: Four volumes, light on text, all of which can be read in one sitting.
What It's About
Ristorante Paradiso by Natsume Ono and its sequel volumes, Gente: The People of Ristorante Paradiso, tell the story of a small restaurant in Rome whose hook is that all the waiters are dapper older men with glasses.
The series is predominantly made up of slice-of-life stories about the staff's romantic and familial relationships, with a backdrop of picturesque locations and a feast's worth of delicious Italian food. The first volume is primarily concerned with the arrival of a young woman named Nicoletta, who's come to Rome to confront her estranged mother. She gets a job at the restaurant, and as she meets the new people in her mother's life—including a shy older waiter that she becomes smitten with—the story expands to reveal more about the owners, chefs, servers, and customers of Casetta dell'Orso.
Where to Find It
English translations of the series are available through VIZ Media LLC digitally and in print wherever you buy or borrow manga, including (region-dependent) Comixology, Google Play, and many library systems.
Ristorante Paradiso (Comixology | Google Play | WorldCat)
Gente: The People of Ristorante Paradiso vol. 1 (Comixology | Google Play | WorldCat)
Gente: The People of Ristorante Paradiso vol. 2 (Comixology | Google Play | WorldCat)
Gente: The People of Ristorante Paradiso vol. 3 (Comixology | Google Play | WorldCat)
What I Love About It
While Nicoletta's story was a good jumping off point, it's the older characters in the series I fell in love with. Among the nominated characters there's Lorenzo, the restaurant owner and gentle patriarch who takes care of the people around him and has a boundless tolerance for their eccentricities, and Olga, his wife with a complicated past. Gigi the silent, superstitious sommelier who entered Lorenzo's life under unusual circumstances and occupies a strange but dear part of it. Vanna, the brusque head chef who finds herself in a tense budding romance with Teo, the younger man she's mentoring. And Luciano, the grumpy widower still mourning his wife as he helps raise his young grandson.
These are quiet, often subtle little stories about love in its various forms and how good food and comfortable places can bring people together.
I'm Requesting
Gigi Orsini/Lorenzo Orsini (fraternal incest between two half-brothers forbidden to meet as children who reunite as adults) and Gigi Orsini/Original Male Character. Gigi is my favourite character, this delicate and doe-eyed older man who winds his way through the various stories like a stray cat who gets fed by half the neighbourhood, seeming to partially exist in his own world while keenly observing the people who matter to him. He's great, and I just want nice things for him, whether that be romantic adventures, secret affairs, new hobbies, personal growth, or just some interesting days out.
Content Warnings
One of the volumes has a minor subplot in which a supporting character meets a woman dealing with ('off-screen') domestic violence at home.
Derkholm - Diana Wynne Jones
Date: 2023-07-31 11:10 pm (UTC)Title: Dark Lord of Derkholm and Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones
Media: Book
Approx length: Two YA novels
Where to find it: Available in Kindle and paperback from Amazon, or on Audible.
What is it, in summary?: One of Diana Wynne Jones' lesser known series -- she's more famous for Howl's Moving Castle. The two books are set eight or nine years apart, and are both set in the same fantasy world (magic, dragons, talking griffins, demons, gods, portals). I believe her Tough Guide to Fantasyland is also connected, though I haven't read it.
The first is about the wizard Derk and how he and his family work to free the world from the "Pilgrim Parties", created by a capitalist from another dimension. Essentially, the capitalist (who's from a modern world) has suborned the fantasy world and runs a very lucrative business sending tours through, like an extra-immersive LARPing experience. It's a great satire on capitalism as well as being a downright fun adventure book.
The second book is about Derk's youngest griffin daughter Elda as she goes to the magic university. She and her classmates are all defying their relatives in some way to attend, and this causes problems of various kinds -- assassins, pirates, angry kings, jinxes, etc. Under the hood, it's also a great satire on academia.
What do you love about it?: God, what's not to love about anything Diana Wynne Jones ever wrote? The worldbuilding is light and funny and doesn't take itself too seriously, but the characters are very much of that particular world. Most of the worldbuilding has no explanation or apology, and that works incredibly well for DWJ, as usual. All of the characters are vibrant and well-realized. And DWJ has this wonderful style of setting multiple plot threads in motion, only to have them all culminate in one big event that involves every character and resolves all those interconnected threads at once. The magic in the Derkholm books is particularly flexible; there's everything from teleportation ("translocation" in this canon) to genome magic to demonic summoning. Derk is a wizard but also a middle-aged family man trying to make a living while keeping his marriage intact.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Ten-years-later fic about a protagonist from the first book (Blade) one of Elda's friends from the second book (Claudia); fic about Querida, a bad-tempered old cat lady who also happens to be the most powerful wizard in the world.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: You could get away with just reading Year of the Griffin, although skipping Dark Lord of Derkholm would be depriving yourself of a great time. Blade also has a much larger role in Dark Lord of Derkholm.
Warnings & other content notes: In Dark Lord of Derkholm, there's a brief scene where a group of men attempts to assault a 18yo girl. It's one of about five things happening at a chaotic moment; not detailed at all, and they do not succeed. Also, the books contain a stereotyped version of the Middle East (think Aladdin) consistent with the general air of genre-savvy satire throughout.
Even if you don't intend to write fic for the Derkholm books, I highly recommend them! They've been favorites since I was a teen.
Resident Alien (Dark Horse Comics)
Date: 2023-07-31 11:30 pm (UTC)Media: A semi-ongoing comic series running from 2012 to present that tends to update with a miniseries every couple of years.
Approximate Length: Twenty-seven issues to date
What It's About
An alien in disguise on Earth gets roped into becoming a small-town doctor and decides to solve mysteries in his spare time.
The longer version: Captain Hah Re, a biologist from an advanced alien civilization, is surreptitiously surveying Earth when his ship is shot down by a fighter jet and he crash-lands in the U.S. While his nonhuman features are visible on film, his telepathic powers allow him to project an illusion of a human appearance that fools most people, and through these powers and his ingenuity, he manages to elude the Men in Black on his tail for three years and eventually settles down in Patience, Washington, where he lives in the guise of retired doctor Harry Vanderspeigle and spends his days fishing and reading mystery novels while waiting to be rescued.
His life takes a turn when the small town's only real doctor is murdered and Harry is temporarily recruited to fill in. He becomes embroiled in the investigation, has his secret discovered by nurse/love interest Asta Twelvetrees and befriends her along with her father Dan Twelvetrees, and eventually decides to stay on as a doctor. And solves mysteries.
Along with Asta and Dan, other townspeople and their small town drama feature in the story, as well as a subplot involving one of the Men in Black chasing after Harry. Agent Jones is revealed to be a widower who lost his husband young, and who eventually returns to Harry's home planet in his stead to start a new life.
Where to Find It
The series is available in print and digitally wherever comics are sold. Lists of trade paperbacks, omnibuses and individual issues are available on the Dark Horse website.
What I Love About It
The classic ridiculousness of its premise and scope. Harry is not here on a grand mission of intergalactic diplomacy or exploration, and his pursuit by the Men in Black is more subplot than central tension. He is a small-town doctor who solves Mysteries of the Week with his cool nurse friend/later girlfriend, and also he occasionally grapples with the inconvenience of being an undercover alien. There's a throwback earnestness that I love, on top of featuring one of my favourite tropes: humanity seen from an outsider's point of view.
I'm Requesting
Harry solo fic, particularly thinking about fish out of water backstory or culture clashes that lean into his experience as an alien on Earth, as well as Harry/Dan Twelvetrees (particularly interested in AUs where Harry and Dan hit it off first instead of Harry/Asta), Harry & Dan Twelvetrees friendship fic and casefic, and Agent Jones/Original Male Alien that explores what happens after he went to space.
Content Warnings
As implied above, despite having come out in the 2010s, the series has a very 1980s/90s sensibility in its premise of [Insert Wacky Twist Here] Solves Crime. This isn't exactly a content warning, but just a general note that while the series has a spirit of well-intentioned inclusivity, there are some elements—particularly re: Dan and Asta as Kanienʼkehá꞉ka people—that I bounced off periodically.
Vikings (TV)
Date: 2023-08-01 04:14 pm (UTC)Media: TV show
Approx length: 6 seasons, 89 episodes around 40min each
Where to find it: Streaming (I use Prime, but please feel free to contact me if you need other options)
What is it, in summary?
It's a show about vikings, beginning with the mythic figure of Ragnar Lothbrok. It chronicles his adventures and dramas and eventually introduces those of his sons.
It's also about family drama, legacy, faith, and the consequences of violence.
What do you love about it?
It's just so juicy. I love insane, unhealthy family dynamics and Vikings has it in spades, from top to fucking bottom, the worst of the worst. You have a toxic, heroically-decaying patriarch who's a myth in his own time and an expansive immediate family that's trying to make sense of that. There's a lot of action violence (which I love) and the occasional relatively accurate historical detail and some mysterious sort-of-magic stuff going on with pagan gods and prophecies.
Also, I love Ivar. He's the youngest son of the original main character and one of the protagonists of the latter half of the series. He's messy and complicated and cruel and vulnerable and just a bundle of contradictions that I can't tear my eyes away from. His story is often handled clumsily and problematically, but his actor's performance shines through that with incredible clarity and love for the character.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
I'm requesting Ivar-centric fic and/or fic with him and one of his brothers (Hvitserk). Ivar is one of the vikings we have strong accounts of in the historical record, and I'd like to see more of show!Ivar doing what history!Ivar got up to, with artistic license.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?
My primary interest is in the latter half of the series, starting with s4e10, as Ragnar's story comes to a close and the stories of his sons take center stage. Seasons 4b, 5a, and 6a-b have my favorite Ivar content.
Content notes: A LOT of gore and violence, a lot of child death (on and off screen), a few instances of rape (on and off screen), some drug use and addiction, problematic tropes around disability, emotional incest, and one very brief instance of explicit incest.
Our Flag Means Death (TV)
Date: 2023-08-02 04:58 am (UTC)Media: An ongoing television series
Approximate Length: Ten half-hour episodes in season one, another eight half-hour episodes expected in autumn
What It's About
Our Flag Means Death is a historical workplace/romantic comedy set in the Golden Age of Piracy. Very loosely based on real events, it follows what happens when wealthy landowner Stede Bonnet has a midlife crisis in 1717 and embarks upon an eccentric career in piracy that soon brings him to the attention of famed pirate Blackbeard. It's a show with silly humour but also a lot of heart, with an interest in relationships and a bent toward finding love in unexpected places.
The romance between Stede and Blackbeard is a focus of both canon and fandom, but the show is packed with interesting supporting characters from Stede and Blackbeard's respective crews who are just trying to survive their bosses' mad courtship, as well as folks from places ashore, all with their own intriguing canon dynamics or promising possibilities.
A very brief rundown of the characters in the ships I'm requesting (with linked photos):
Fang - A veteran of Blackbeard's crew who can hurt people when necessary but reveals his teddy bear side on Stede's ship (as well as the rest of his form when he's flattered into posing nude for artist Lucius).
Ivan - Another member of Blackbeard's crew, and Fang's partner in crime. He thinks Stede's crew are a bunch of weirdos but appreciates that his captain is more open and available in Stede's company.
Izzy Hands - Blackbeard's exhausted and tightly wound right hand man who goes from the frying pan of a failing partnership to the fire of having his life upended when his boss meets Stede. Nominally an antagonist, Izzy 90% of the time only succeeds in making things worse for himself and bringing Blackbeard and Stede closer when he tries to separate them.
Spanish Jackie - Owner of a tavern in the Republic of Pirates, a badass wooden hand, and a jar full of the noses of those who've crossed her. She has twenty husbands. Well, eighteen now, thanks to some recent downsizing.
"Calico" Jack Rackham - Blackbeard's old buddy with benefits, an aging frat boy type who's slyer than he first appears and sows discord when he comes back into Blackbeard's life.
Lucius Spriggs - Artist, scribe, former pickpocket, and constant mood. Is fantastic at breakups and also at drawing certain parts of his crewmates' anatomy.
Black Pete - Totally a real pirate who used to work for Blackbeard before working for Stede. In actuality, an excitable braggart who stops overcompensating quite so much after getting into a relationship with Lucius.
Where to Find It
The show is available for streaming or digital purchase on various platforms depending on region, including on Max, Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube, and BBC iPlayer.
What I Love About It
The way it approaches the question of "Who would you be if you had the freedom and means to choose" with both a lot of comedy and the occasional dose of serious feelings. It's a show that celebrates people being their weird but genuine selves and where various murder attempts don't need to get in the way of a promising friendship or romance. It makes me laugh, it occasionally punches me in the heart, and it makes me ship virtually everyone.
I'm Requesting
Black Pete/Fang/Israel Hands/Lucius Spriggs, Fang/Israel Hands and Fang/Ivan/Israel Hands, Israel Hands/Spanish Jackie, and Israel Hands/"Calico" Jack Rackham - looking for anything and everything, as long as it's got a happy ending. Backstory, far future, AUs, cozy vignettes, high drama, intimate moments, humour, hurt/comfort, D/s, it's all good.
Content Warnings
The show includes scenes with cartoonish gore, a lot of profanity, and some isolated moments of male nudity.
The Old Guard (Comics)
Date: 2023-08-02 06:01 am (UTC)Media: A limited comic book series with a spin-off anthology miniseries
Approximate Length: At present, there are ten issues of the main series, and six issues of the spin-off anthology miniseries Tales Through Time. The third and final volume of The Old Guard has not yet been completed.
What It's About
The Old Guard tells the story of a band of immortals, each who died as a soldier in their mortal life only to resurrect frozen at the age of their death with an uncanny healing ability. Brought together by dreams of each other, and with no explanation for their gift—or curse—they've honed their fighting skills over the centuries and sell their services as mercenaries to whatever cause they can believe in.
At the start of the first volume, the group consists of leader Andy (a former Copper Age nomadic cavalrywoman), Joe and Nicky (lovers who met killing each other on opposite sides of the Crusades), and Booker (hanged for desertion from Napoleon's army). Their unchanging lives are abruptly shaken up by the appearance of a new immortal, Nile (a young U.S. Marine killed in Afghanistan), at the same time as their healing is caught on video by a former government agent with his own agenda.
The second volume involves the group facing their pasts and the changing standards of morality they've lived through with the return of someone they once thought lost to them. The spin-off miniseries, Tales Through Time, features flashback vignettes about the characters' lives and loves throughout history.
A few favourite pages from volumes 1 and 2, courtesy of Tumblr:
Andy and Nile Having a Leisurely Chat
Nile and Booker Waiting for a Signal
Joe and Nicky Making Bets and Talking Romance
The Gang Getting Cranky Over Coffee
Joe Worrying About Nicky
And two requested characters who appear only in the Tales Through Time anthology.
Yitzhak
Zeus (pictured with Andy)
Where to Find It
Available in both print and digital format. See the Image Comics series page for a list of where to purchase online and links to a comic shop locator. The first issue is available online for free from the publisher.
What I Love About It
The plot, action, visual storytelling, humour and drama are all great, but what makes me fannish about this series is the characters and their relationships. I love all the gruff and rough-edged affection, teasing, loyalty and understanding borne of centuries together—and that we get more than one immortal queer romance. I also enjoy how legitimately old the characters feel without coming across as time travellers plucked from the past and dropped into the present, and the serious questions raised about what it's like to be a person that long, with the powers they have, living through so much change in the world.
I'm Requesting
Gen featuring Zeus (Andy's adopted mortal son introduced in Tales Through Time #3) and the immortals who raised him: Andy, Booker, Joe, Nicky, and Yitzhak. Anything from mercenary adventures with a kid in tow, to family drama, fluffy domesticity, cross-cultural/temporal parenting, or future reunions.
Content Warnings
The series includes moments illustrated violence and gore, most of it involving immortals who recover, but some of which leads to permanent death.
Something Dark and Holy Series
Date: 2023-08-02 09:47 pm (UTC)Media: Books
Approx length: between 400 and 544 pages
Where to find it: Available on Amazon or another retailer, or your local library! Also available as audiobooks
What is it, in summary?:the series in set in fantasy!russia and fantasy!poland, two countries at war because of religious differences - fantasy!russia has a pantheon of gods and clerics, figures that are able to communicate and wield the gods' powers, while fantasy!poland has said "fuck this shit" and invented magic of their own, which upset the gods and caused war for the past few centuries. our protagonist is nadezhda "nadya" lapteva, the last of the clerics, able to commune with the entire pantheon, and who leads a mostly normal life in the monastery where she was abandoned at - until the prince of fantasy!poland comes knocking to kill her. nadya flees, and ends up meeting a mysterious soldier from fantasy!poland, alongside his two traveling companions.
What do you love about it?:I like the cast - they're a bunch of extremely competent people, who also happen to be a few of the biggest losers you've met. I also like the magical systems - both feel rounded and robust, and although they're not the main focus, you can still feel like they make sense. idk I just really like these books
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: I'm requesting shippy content but I'd be genuinely down for Anything
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: just reading Wicked Saints would be good to get you writing!!
Content warnings (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence):blood, self harm, heavy body horror in later books
The Penumbra Podcast
Date: 2023-08-03 12:07 am (UTC)The Penumbra Podcast (Junoverse)
Media: Podcast
Approx length: Currently on the 5th season, each season with 20+ episodes of 40 minutes, but it has 2 main lines of story in each season, so 10+ episodes of 40 minutes each per universe. The Junoverse has a total of 65 episodes along the 5 seasons (+ a couple short extras), adding to around 43 hours of podcast.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships? Season 1 is more than enough to be able to fulfill requests, honestly! Would I recommend watching more? Yes. The characters grow a lot through that, but season 1 (with 13 episodes of Junoverse, adding to a much smaller amount of 8 hours of length) is enough to learn the characters and enough backstory for things to make sense.
Where to find it: http://www.thepenumbrapodcast.com/
What is it, in summary? The Penumbra Podcast (Junoverse) is a sci-fi detective noir story.
Juno Steel is a detective, and he meets a homme fatale on a case one day, and it has some strong noir vibes - except all of this happens in Mars (the planet), on a distant future, and the mysteries he solves reflect that (and the existence of aliens).
What do you love about it?
Where to begin? Juno Steel is a nonbinary he/him lady detective. He is bi. The podcast is unashamedly queer. The story is fun! It gets all of the noir detective things and... remakes them. Yes, Juno is brooding and depressed, but he does not go the Macho Man route, and honestly, he grows so much over the seasons. The lady we meet in s01 is completely different from the one in s03, nevermind by s05. That growth is very important to me.
The other characters are all so good, too! His love interest is well developed and has a complex background, yes, but it's not just him! His best friend is amazing and so important and lovely, and his childhood friends have shaped his story in a way he cannot escape, and the family he makes for himself in this story? Incredible. A+. Love to see it <3
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?
Juno Steel/Peter Nureyev relationship, however you'd like to make it! Juno & Rita being best friends and kind of sibling-like!
A bit more specific: Juno/Nureyev relationships post-canon, or alternate happenstances for early seasons. Completely unimportant of canon exactness, just taking on the universe and characters and having fun with a case or a heist! Romantic drama!
Content notes:
Each episode has trigger warnings at the notes, but in general, what you will encounter here: past abusive home (only explicitly shown in one episode of season 2). Mention of past character's twin death. Depressive character. Some gun violence (no gun shot sounds, I don't think, but there are scenes with guns). Character deaths (no major character, but one is a detective and has investigated death cases). Some non-graphic torture in the end of s01. Eye trauma. Vague mentions of past drug use (and 2 episodes with on-screen drug use in s04).
Mother Panic (Earth Prime)
Date: 2023-08-03 12:45 am (UTC)Media: Limited comic book series published from 2016-17
Approximate Length: Twelve issues, or two trade paperbacks
What It's About
Set on the fringes of the Batman comics universe, Mother Panic tells the story of Violet Paige, celebutante by
daynight and costumed avenger by other part of the night. Fortunately, it's always night in Gotham City.Violet (alter ego: Mother Panic) isn't a dedicated hero so much as someone looking for vengeance and answers. After killing her father in a "hunting accident" as a girl, she found herself sent away to a shady boarding school by her brother where the students were subject to experimentation by a mysterious group known as the Collective. Violet was held there against her will and, after proving good at fighting, was forced to receive several augmentive surgeries to increase her strength and stamina.
In the years since Violet broke free, the Collective has continued to make powerful allies among the wealthy and corrupt of Gotham, turning the city into their own sadistic art project and attempted 'disruption.' Violet wants to know who was responsible for suggesting the boarding school to her brother, find out the extent of what they were doing, and stop them from hurting more children.
Assisting her in her endeavours is Dr. Suditi Varma, Violet's love interest who's implied to be one of the surgeons who operated on her at the boarding school, who's since defected from that life. They're joined by Dominic, a young bodyguard (or possibly 'bodyguard') whose romance with his boss was cut short when he discovered what exactly the man had commissioned from the Collective. Dominic is now attending nursing school and interning with Dr. Varma. Violet also cares for her mother, Rebecca, a woman disconnected from reality whose seemingly whimsical pronouncements sometimes reveal access to information she shouldn't logically have.
The four live together in an abandoned luxury hotel and are joined by reformed Batman villain the Ratcatcher, Otis Flannegan, who takes up residence in the hotel's basement with his crew of rats.
Violet bringing Dominic home to her mother's garden at the hotel
Violet in action as Mother Panic
Violet in action as Violet Paige, celebutante
Dr. Varma reading in bed when she's interrupted by Violet
Dominic chats with Violet's mother
Violet talking to Otis about Batman
Where to Find It
Individual issues and the two trade paperback collections are available in print and digitally where comics are sold. Information about the trade paperbacks is available on the DC website: Mother Panic vol. 1: A Work in Progress (issues #1-6) and Mother Panic vol. 2: Under Her Skin (issues #7-12).
What I Love About It
First off, it's a solid superhero story that occupies the edges of a broken-in setting like Gotham while still standing on its own instead of requiring knowledge about other series or DC lore. It's dark and has some weight, but it also features a character who loves her mother, cares about those closest to her, and finds herself helping kids the way no one helped her when she was young with payoffs that are awkward but touching. I'm also here for Violet and both members of her support team being queer, with complicated cross-faction relationships (Dr. Varma being in love with Violet and seemingly having left the boarding school's employ sometime after meeting her, Violet reconnecting with a girlfriend who betrayed her in their youth, Dominic having dated his older employer before discovering the extent of his darkness). There are complicated people making in-the-moment moral decisions and ultimately starting to come together as a family, and a whole lot of story to explore in light of the series only making it twelve issues.
I'm Requesting
Violet Paige/Suditi Varma (a canonical unrequited ship) and Dominic/Original Male Character in Silver Fox Age Range (because he deserves a replacement sugar daddy after the last disaster - or, hey, an older sugar baby now that he's getting paid by Violet). I'm also requesting the crossover ship of Dominic/Alfred Pennyworth from the Batman comics. I'd be looking for anything and everything from tropey romance to plotty casefic, pining, declarations, rescues, mystery, angst, humour, backstory and futurefic.
Content Warnings
The violence in this series is about on par with the darker issues of Batman or other mainstream comics, and is generally for mature readers. There are several instances of children in peril and elements of institutional abuse, although predominantly referenced/offscreen and involving Violet fighting to protect the vulnerable. At one point, a sexual assault is planned but not executed.
Mother Panic: Gotham A.D. (Comics)
Date: 2023-08-03 06:12 am (UTC)Media: Comic book miniseries published in 2018
Approximate Length: Six issues, or one trade paperback, and one separate set-up issue
What It's About
Mother Panic: Gotham A.D. is a miniseries spinoff of Mother Panic (see promo above) that sends protagonist Violet Paige to an alternate possible future where Gotham City has become a dystopia in Batman's absence.
How do you make a dystopia out of a city that's already a 'dark deco' labyrinth of killer clowns and bat-men? You gentrify it. Through a series of events that doesn't bear trying to summarize coherently because it involves Doom Patrol, Violet is flung forward ten years into a new Gotham where a sinister force has rebranded Gotham and the city's heroes and villains are being hunted.
Accompanied by plucky/murderous orphan sidekick Rosie, a.k.a. Fennec Fox, Violet seeks out this future's version of her mother, Dr. Varma, and Dominic in an attempt to set things right and return to her proper timeline. Along the way, she also encounters several mainstays of the Batman universe, including the Joker, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Red Hood.
Earth Prime Violet missing her people
Rosie - an ordinary Gotham childhood
A commercial for the new and improved Gotham
Where to Find It
Individual issues and the trade paperback collection are available in print and digitally where comics are sold. Information about the trade paperback is available on the DC website: Mother Panic: Gotham A.D. There is also a bridging one-shot that explains how Violet came to the world of Gotham A.D., which was part of a larger 2018 crossover event called Milk Wars: Mother Panic/Batman Special #1.
What I Love About It
Predominantly Rosie. Not only is little Fennec Fox a delight on her own, but having a ward brings out a whole new side of Violet, who both struggles and grows in light of Rosie's determination to see her as a hero. I also appreciate how a certain character (no spoilers here) was brought into Violet's circle by the end. The setting is delightfully fiendish and frequently poignant, and it tugged on my heartstrings to see the team get some closure here denied by the ending of the original series.
I'm Requesting
Rosie gen and/or the residents of the Pike Hotel. Whether it's casefic, lighthearted humour, drama and trauma, a passel of heroes and former villains trying to raise a kid together, universe-hopping or grounded adventures, I just want to spend some more time with these characters.
Content Warnings
The violence in this series is about on par with the darker issues of Batman or other mainstream comics, including harm to children, and is generally for mature readers.
Hardcastle & McCormick (TV 1983)
Date: 2023-08-03 10:41 pm (UTC)Hardcastle & McCormick was one of several dozen TV shows created by Stephen J. Cannell (Wiseguy, A-Team, Rockford Files, 21 Jump Street, etc.). This one is not as well known. It's a typical buddy action series with a fancy car and lots of chases. Milton Hardcastle is a retired judge who wants to investigate cases that got off on technicalities. Mark McCormick is an ex-con car thief who is paroled to Hardcastle. Together they hunt down the bad guys and bring them to justice.
(One issue that I want to bring up is that the judge's nickname is "Hardcase" and he's known for tough sentencing. That's not a good look in this day and age and I wanted to mention it in case that's a trigger. He's retired and not a judge during the show.)
I love the dynamic between the two guys and once I realized people were writing slash for other shows than Star Trek, this was one of the first I searched for. To my sorrow, every fic went for a father and son relationship, which was understandable given the huge age gap (35+ years). They squabble constantly, laugh and joke with each other, and drop everything to rescue each other. Both are very good-looking men, even with Milt at his age.
Stuff I'll be asking for are some tropes I think fit in well. I like angst, on the run, hurt/comfort, 5 times, time travel/peggy sues, assumed dead but really isn't, one of the characters becomes a ghost, etc. Rating wise, I'm happy with teen to explicit. Both first time and established are fine.
Here's a couple fanvids to see if you'd be interested in checking the show out:
Hardcastle & McCormick - Life is a Highway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kdWRWbVeow&t=263s
Hardcastle & McCormick - A Friend Like You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pTuvPtDmSk
Length: 3 seasons, 67 episodes. The show is episodic so if you don't want to watch it all you can get a good grasp of character dynamics with 3 - 5 eps per season. Each episode comes with a little preview at the beginning so you'll know if it grabs you.
The show is available for free on crackle.com. If for some reason it stops being available, contact me for another option.
The Terror
Date: 2023-08-04 04:41 am (UTC)Approx length: I'm only requesting season 1 (season 2 is an entirely different story); 10 episodes of about 47 minutes each
Where to find it: Vudu, Amazon, Youtube, Google Play, etc
What is it, in summary? A fictionalised account of a real Arctic voyage made by the British navy in search of the NW Passage in the 1840s; the voyage slowly spirals into disaster.
What do you love about it? I love how intrinsic the military hierarchy is to the mission's failure; it's fascinating to see it push and pull with religious faith, faith in the Empire, and base survival needs. I adore the characters: Crozier, the captain who believes from the beginning they will likely fail, the miserable little Irishman no-one wants to listen to (at first); Fitzjames, who starts out the swaggering crony of the main commander and grows into so much more; and Goodsir, one of the ship's surgeons, the kindest and tenderest man on board, who is trying his best to keep it together (and keep his faith) as it all crumbles around him.
The tender moments between men are so beautiful -- looking after someone going through withdrawals...I was going to say more, but they're probably more impactful in context.
Also, Hickey the little rat man, who is just so much fun to watch.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it? I've requested Crozier, Fitzjames, and Goodsir as solo characters, but I'm very happy for friendship and/or (un)requited, deeply repressed rom fic. I'd love to see some of the relationships fleshed out more -- with so many wonderful characters the show can't show us everything I want to see, though that's not a critique of canon -- I adore the show. What-if scenarios where something happened sooner or later than in the show. Goodsir character study diving into his struggle with his ideals and what he was thinking when he did [redacted].
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships? I would strongly, strongly recommend watching the whole thing. But after you've watched it all and just want to review the best bits -- the last three episodes have such DELICIOUS conversations and tender moments between Crozier & Fitzjames and Crozier & Goodsir.
Content notes: I say all this with the understanding that it sounds like a LOT, but I would say I'm fairly squeamish and I survived. (It was very helpful from a horror angle, since I don't do super well with suspense, that I knew a lot of what happened ahead of time -- eg I knew X character would survive an encounter because I knew that wasn't how he died.) With that said: alcoholism, animal death, cannibalism, colonialism, fatal illnesses, flogging, gore, graphic animal attacks (animal attacking humans), homophobia, medical procedures (autopsy, amputation), murder, racism, and suicide.
The Night Manager (TV Miniseries)
Date: 2023-08-04 02:07 pm (UTC)Approx length: 6 hours (6 episodes of about an hour each)
Where to find it: It's an Amazon Prime show, but can be found on Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV, and Vudu as well
What is it, in summary? A show about a man named Jonathan Pine (played by Tom Hiddleston) who goes undercover in a criminal organization ran by Richard Roper (played by Hugh Laurie) in order to take him down.
What do you love about it? This show is GENIUS. The acting is off the charts, the characters are compelling, and the story is interesting as fuck. Who doesn't want to watch Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie go head to head? No one, and if you haven't seen it, you're missing out. I have rewatched it like 5 times.
The thing that really makes the series is the dynamic between Jonathan and Roper, which is sheer perfection. I was already predisposed to like it since I like both actors, but still my breath was taken away by it. By the levels and the secrecy and betrayal and genuine affection and respect buried amongst it all. Jonathan is with Roper to avenge someone he loved, but still he found himself for falling for Roper's charms, at least a little bit. He might've hated himself for it, but it went both ways!! Roper doesn't trust people, but Jonathan slid right in like he was a missing puzzle piece finally returning. And I don't want to spoil anything but seriously, this is worth a watch. The first episode starts a little slow but once you move past that it is *chef's kiss*
What sort of things are you likely to request for it? I really just want anything with Jonathan and Roper 😂 Like whether that's ship or gen I'm good with either, I just love them so much and want whatever your beautiful brain comes up with.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships? I'm inclined to say no, since it's only six episodes and the Roper-Jonathan dynamic really gets good in the latter half
Content notes (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): There is violence! People get killed and beaten up, but it isn't excessive.
Bourne Movies
Date: 2023-08-04 02:23 pm (UTC)Approx length: The full series is technically 4 movies, but the one I care about (The Bourne Legacy) is only 2 hours
Where to find it: Peacock for free with a subscription, and then various other locations to rent/buy
What is it, in summary? The Bourne Legacy is set in the world of the original Bourne trilogy, but starring different characters. Aaron Cross is a physically and mentally enhanced secret agent who has to go on the run when his bosses decide to wipe out the entire program (in the wake of all the shit Jason Bourne got up to in the original trilogy).
What do you love about it? Spies! Double crosses! Enhanced people! Manipulation! This film has it all, and all my love is attached to Aaron. Like the action in this movie is super cool, the plot interesting and high-stakes, but it also has so much heart and you seriously feel for Aaron and Marta and what they're going through, especially when you learn more about Aaron's history.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it? I'm a simple girl with simple needs, and just want more of this fandom, especially more of Aaron. Most of the works tagged with TBL are crossovers with other Jeremy Renner projects and I'm so desperate for stuff just about this universe!
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships? Definitely do not have to watch the original Bourne trilogy and just focus on The Bourne Legacy. There are a fair amount of references to the original trilogy in TBL, but it's easy to look past those as just "oh there's another agent out there fucking shit up". I care far more about what Aaron's got going on than what Jason Bourne's doing, and frankly Aaron doesn't know anything about Bourne so it works out XD
Content notes (ie, rape, incest, racism, gore/violence): It's an action movie, so comes with all that normal stuff
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Date: 2023-08-05 07:01 pm (UTC)Media: Video Game (Nintendo Switch)
Approx length: howlongtobeat.com gives an average of about 62 hours, noncompletionist
Where to find it: The usual places one might get switch games; otherwise you can find let's plays and walkthroughs on youtube. (Don't watch the cutscene compilation videos only, they don't give the full story.)
What is it, in summary?: It's a game about a world embroiled in a neverending war between the two nations Agnus and Keves. Six soldiers, three from each side, end up being outcasts from both nations after a special mission goes wrong and they embark on a quest to find the truth behind their world and the war plaguing it.
What do you love about it?: The characters and the way they play off each other is so good. All six of the main characters are incredible and form one of the best JRPG parties I've ever seen. I'm particularly enamoured with the main character Noah and the way he intersects with a certain other character—but unfortunately I can't say anything about that because it's a massive spoiler. You'll know which one I mean when you get there though.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: All things Noah and the aforementioned mystery character. I just want all the fics for them; or honestly just with them as solo characters.
Are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?: Unfortunately the main story can't be sectioned off like that, but you can safely skip the DLC (I didn't like it much and DNW'd it anyway) as well as pretty much all side content. (It's well worth doing! but mostly not relevant to my requests.)
Content notes: The game has a teen rating and thus features a somewhat sanitised depiction of war, but it's still a violent setting and death and grief are major themes of the narrative.
The Fixer Series - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Date: 2023-08-06 06:41 pm (UTC)Media: Book, duology. The Fixer and The Long Game
Approximate Length: 100K for The Fixer, 92K for The Long Game
Where to find it: Available as ebook and paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and possibly available as either print or ebook through your local library. If anyone is interested in this canon, I'm willing to offer up one of my Eleven Library Cards to check out the e-books for this series.
Optional canon: So for the purposes of what I'm requesting, you only probablyneed the first book, The Fixer. There are some juicy character lines in the second book, The Long Game, but if you're picking this up as a pinch hit and don't have the spoons/whatever to read two books, contact me through Modzilla and I'll send you the Juiciest Lines from book two that add context for what I'd request.
Summary: When sixteen-year-old Theresa (Tess) Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 "fixer," known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life...until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, unbelievable family secrets are coming to life, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.
What do you love about it?: So straight up, I'm not into this series for the Politics And Conspiracies and High Stakes Drama, so feel free to gloss or skip over those if you're trying to writer Fixer fic for me. (Also, please never refer to a house as being "On the Virginia side of DC" haha.) I love how all the characters are messy and human and make decisions that they regret and try to atone for and know that some decisions, you just have to live with the consequences. Ivy gives her daughter to her parents to raise seventeen years ago, and is now staring at a teenaged, estranged younger sister furious at her in the face. William Keyes tried to convince his youngest son to not enlist and drove him away, eventually losing him forever, as a result. Adam Keyes someone found out about his little brother's girl and daughter, knowing his parents would have loved nothing more to welcome that little girl, and kept it from everyone including his mother. There's so much tangled and messy humanity in this series, and people (not even necessarily Good People) just trying to make the best decisions that they can, and I love it.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: All the tangled and complicaged famous relationships around Ivy and Tess, Adam and William Keyes and Tommy as the ghost hovering over it all. There's so much unexplored and emotionally fraught backstory here, and I'd absolutely love anything that mined those depths.
Earth Girl Series - Janet Edwards
Date: 2023-08-06 07:22 pm (UTC)Media: Book. So the Portal Future verse comprises two separate series, and two additional companion books. Earth Girl Trilogy: Earth Girl, Earth Star, and Earth Flight. Drago Tell Dramis Series: Hera 2781, Hestia 2781, Array 2781, and Sol 2781. Companion Books: Earth 2788 and Earth Prime.
Approximate Length: Earth Girl Trilogy: Earth Girl (358 pages), Earth Star (374 pages), and Earth Flight (390 pages). Drago Tell Dramis Series: Hera 2781 (56 pages), Hestia 2781 (377 pages), Array 2781 (357 pages) and Sol 2781 (565 pages). Companion Books: Earth 2788 (199 pages) and Earth Prime (454 pages).
Where to find it: Available as ebook and paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Additionally available on Scribid in ebook format.
Optional canon: So the original canon is the three books of the Earth Girl series. The two companion books are nice, but likely not necessary to read for the purpose or fic writing, and of the two, I would prioritize Earth Prime. The Drago Tell Dramis series, however adds a significant amount of background information and context that drastically changes your perspective on Many Significant Events of the original trilogy.
Summary: 2788. Only the handicapped live on Earth. Eighteen-year-old Jarra is among the one in a thousand people born with an immune system that cannot survive on other planets. Sent to Earth at birth to save her life, she has been abandoned by her parents. She can’t travel to other worlds, but she can watch their vids, and she knows all the jokes they make. Jarra makes up a fake military background for herself and joins a class of norms who are on Earth for a year of practical history studies excavating the dangerous ruins of the old cities. She isn’t expecting to make friends with the enemy, to risk her life to save norms, or to discover the truth of her family history.
What do you love about it?: Firstly, I'm also down for History Nerdery, especially in my sci-fi series - historians and archeologists for the win! I also just adore the worldbuilding and political and sociological and culture landscape of this world and discussions of systemic discrimination, several centuries later and diverged from our world. And that's on top of all the Complicated Family Feelings and people just Being Human and making mistakes and acting as best as they can.
What sort of things are you likely to request for it?: Jarra and her Complicated And Tangled Family Series on one hand and worldbuilding on the other. I'll take assorted canon divergence with a side of dramatic ironies in terms of Jarra having met her family earlier (this especially relies on having read the Drago books) or just learning what it means to be Betan and filling in long-empty missing stairs in the Tell Clan family dynamics (which also kind of rely on having read the Drago books as well).