Rare Pairs Exchange 2021 letter

[verecunda]

Dear Rare Pairs writer

Hello! Thank you so much for writing one of my rarepairs for me! :D This letter contains a rundown of my general likes and DNWs, as well as some potential prompts. If you find something here to inspire you, great! But please don’t feel restricted to what’s here, either. If you want to take one of my prompts in a slightly different direction, or if you have ideas of your own, I’ll love them too. As long as you’re having fun with it!

I think some sections are a bit longer than others, but that shouldn’t be taken as a mark of preference. I’d be delighted with fic for any of the pairings requested here.

I can be found on AO3 as Verecunda.

If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch through the mod.


Likes

• Fic of all ratings.


• I enjoy most genres: humour, angst, fluff, darkfic, hurt/comfort, slice-of-life, character pieces, plotty pieces. I like happy endings as well as a good tragedy, or even bittersweet endings.


• I’ve got a special fondness for fics that fill in characters’ backstories, “missing scenes” from canon, and alternate POVs on canon events. Post-canon settings are always good, of course, as are canon divergence AUs.


• 5+1 fics are always fun.


• Worldbuilding detail. I always want to know more about whatever world these characters inhabit. Most of my fandoms are in historical settings, and I love history, so if you want to nerd out on the background details, awesome!! But this is definitely not obligatory. First and foremost, I’m here for the characters.


• Intelligent, competent characters being intelligent and competent.


• Characters with tough/stoic/snarky exteriors having to confront and/or show their vulnerabilities.


• Odd couples. I love opposites that attract: characters who seem completely different but who end up complementing each other perfectly.


• Banter! I love characters who have a good back-and-forth.


• The ones in love always being the last to know.


• Learning to love again.


• Pining!! I live for good old-fashioned, hopeless pining, especially if it’s mutual and all parties are in silent agonies, equally convinced it can never be. UST and unrequited love also hurt so good.


• Outsider POVs. What do the friends, families, or even enemies think of these two idiots?


• Pairings that cross cultural/class/professional lines, and how they navigate the conflicts that arise.


• Power dynamics in general are just great, whether they’re being managed in a healthy way, or just completely fucked up.


• First times: first kiss, first confession of love, first time having sex, etc.


• Smut is great, but by no means obligatory. (Smutty likes are below!) Pure G-rated fluff or even just a few sensual details sketched it are equally fine by me.


• Getting together and established relationship fic are equally good.


• Cosy moments of intimacy: characters having heart-to-heart talks; kisses on cheeks, foreheads, noses, etc.; hand-holding; face-stroking; hair-stroking; cuddles; resting heads on shoulders or chests; forehead-touching, etc.


• Apart from my requested characters, I'm quite happy with other characters making an appearance in the fic.

Smutty likes

• Penetrative sex.


• Non-penetrative sex, especially frottage and intercrural.


• Oral.


• Handjobs/fingering/etc.


• Clothed or partially-clothed sex.


• Body worship.


• One character unable to see the other (whether facing away, blindfolded, etc.) and having to rely on their other senses.


• Voyeurism/exhibitionism.


• Mutual masturbation.


• Restraints, bondage.


• Breast/nipple play.


• Riding, whether the rider is setting the pace or just - ahem - along for the ride.


• Sweet, slow, romantic cuddle-sex.


• Equally: rough, desperate, oh-god-must-have-you-now fucking.


• Older/more experiences characters guiding their younger/less experienced partners.


• Power dynamics explored, reflected, or even dismantled through sex. Whether it’s a character in a generally subordinate position who takes charge in the bedroom, or whether one half of the ship holds all the cards, up to and including dub-con/non-con scenarios. I’m also entirely weak for the trope where the character who seems to have the most power in the relationship being so totally loopy for the other that they’ll give them anything they want.


• For dub-con/non-con especially, the “iron fist in a velvet glove” sort of force, subtle - even psychological - force over physical.


• I have no preferences when it comes to who tops or bottoms in my ships, and very often enjoy seeing characters who usually get put on the bottom get to be on top for a change. So if you’d like to switch things up a bit, be my guest!

DNW

• First or second POV (unless that's the POV of the original canon).


• Modern/mundane/coffee-shop AUs.


• Soulmate AUs.


• A/B/O.


• Unrequested non-canon ships. (Appearances by/references to canon pairings are fine.)


• Unrequested trans headcanons.


• Watersports.


• Scat.


• Rimming.


• Mpreg.


• Tentacles.


• Most of my fandoms have historical/fantasy settings, with mores very different to ours, so I’m fine with references to characters being married or having sex in their early teens, but would prefer no explicit sexual content involving any characters under 16. Fade to black is fine, though.


• I don’t mind dub-con/non-con in a kink context, but I don’t want rape/sexual abuse/prostitution as plot devices for tragic character backstory, unless it’s already canon. Even then, I’d prefer not to dwell on it.

Final Fantasy VIII

Pairing: Seifer Almasy/Laguna Loire

This is one of those pairing ideas that got randomly stuck in my head one day, and I haven’t been able to shake it out since. Free me!!

With these two being such different personalities, this strikes me as a pairing that could be taken a number of different ways. First, there’s the lighthearted, goofy option: Seifer’s romantic dream was inspired by watching Laguna’s sorceress’ knight film when he was a kid, up to the point of basing his fighting stance on the moves in the movie. Maybe the actor was wee!Seifer’s first crush and he had this whole idealised image of him, fuelled by random bits of movie trivia (like how he actually fought a real Ruby Dragon when it invaded the set!) and the ~mystery~ surrounding the actor, who apparently just disappeared off the face of the earth (I’m assuming Laguna never made any other movies!). Then, somehow, years later, he and Laguna cross paths, and Seifer’s horrified to discover that the guy he idealised all this time is this dorky, kind of bumbling guy who wears flip-flops, gets leg cramps when he’s nervous, gets his metaphors and proverbs mixed up… yet still exudes considerable DILF energy. Oops.

Or you could do something more intense or angsty, perhaps dealing with the fact that they were essentially enemy commanders during the war. Perhaps after the events in the game, Seifer winds up in Esthar: on the run from vengeful Galbadian leaders who want to stamp out the last remnants of the sorceress’ regime? A quasi-AU version where instead of ending up fishing with Raijin and Fujin, Seifer ends up in Estharian custody after the war? Is Dr. Odine conducting some sort of research that requires data from a known sorceress’ knight? Does Laguna agree to monitor Seifer’s movements after the war, perhaps as a favour to Squall? Does Seifer get picked up as a hired bodyguard to protect Laguna from some sort of political threat? (There’s so many scenarios that suggest themselves - don’t feel you have to stick with the ones I’ve listed here if you have ideas of your own.) Tension Ensues.

There’s quite a lot of interesting areas for tension between these two. If Seifer’s just recovering from having his head messed with by Ultimecia, it would probably be a real struggle for him to believe in someone like Laguna, who is, in the main, so open and straightforward, and not really a one for ulterior motives. There’s also the fact that Seifer has always hankered for glory and heroism, but through Laguna he’d probably have a chance to really see the hard work and sacrifices that come with being in a position of true leadership. Also, he’s Squall’s dad - even if that’s not something that’s common knowledge, that would be a hell of a thing for him to find out.

As for Laguna, apart from being well aware that Seifer was once Ultimecia’s henchman, he strikes me as the kind of guy who’d probably be very conflicted over the age gap between them, especially if you go the route that Seifer is now in his custody or under his supervision somehow, making the power imbalance between them all the more marked. And having lost both Raine and Julia, maybe he’d be very reluctant and guilty about getting involved with anyone else.

Apart from the conflict, though, I can see some ways in which they might hit it off. Laguna seems to me like he’d be able to see that under all the arrogance and aggression, Seifer’s dreams really were noble, and he’s got potential to do great things. Even in an angstier fic, the movie could still be a cute bonding thing for them, with Laguna finding out about Seifer’s obsession with it, and being quite touched that he could have inspired such a passionate dream. I can also see him being equally weirded out and fascinated by the fact that Seifer grew up with his son and has this intense link with him: maybe he comes to see Seifer as this link between Squall and himself.

Can it last in the long-term? I enjoy a happy ending, but I also rather enjoy having my heartstrings pulled, so I’ll leave that up to you!

Incidentally, although I haven’t requested them specifically in this exchange, I do ship Squall/Seifer something rotten, so if you wanted to bring that in somehow to complicate the issue, I certainly wouldn’t complain! Maybe they had a past thing, maybe Seifer’s always had feelings for Squall, and is now uncomfortably turned on by the fact that he’s attracted to Squall’s dad as well… Even if you don’t want to go down that road, Squall’s reaction to his rival hooking up with his estranged father would surely be something worth seeing! XD


The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)

Pairing: Bilbo Baggins/Bofur

I fell rather hard for this pairing on my most recent watch of the films. Bofur’s just so fond of Bilbo and protective of him I just asdfghjkls. That scene in the cave in AUJ — need I say more?? Or Bofur’s huge smiling sigh of relief when he sees that Bilbo has escaped from the goblin tunnels and rejoined the Company after all! Or at the rampart in BOFA when he rushes Bilbo away from the enraged Thorin and encourages him to get away for his own safety! Or when… gah *draws hearts all over the place*

This ship strikes me as having all sorts of potential for fun and flirty, sweet and fluffy, sexy, or even angsty. Any missing scenes set during the quest would be great: bonding on the road, perhaps: sharing pipeweed and teaching each other songs? More relaxed moments in Rivendell, Beorn’s home, or Lake-town? Or first impressions: what does Bilbo make of the cheerful Dwarf with the silly hat and dubious line in double entendres? What does Bofur make of their tetchy wee burglar? Did he wager for or against Bilbo coming after them? Does he try to make it up to him for making him faint? Or if you want to go for something angstier, what about something set during BOFA, while they’re trapped in the Mountain? I love that Extended Edition scene where Bofur thinks Bilbo’s trying to escape and says goodbye, while making it very clear that he’s willing to turn a blind eye. What was his reaction the next morning when he realised that Bilbo was very much still with them?

I’m all for a post-canon setting too. Does Bofur come back to the Shire to take Bilbo up on his standing invitation to tea (don’t bother knocking)? In the book of LOTR, some of the older hobbits grumble about dwarves visiting Mr. Bilbo at night - is Bofur one of them? This could either be a great excuse for some cute hobbity domesticity, or for Bofur whisking Bilbo away on another trip - to the Blue Mountains, maybe? Or even further afield? If you do write post-canon, it’s entirely up to you if you want to take in the canon leading up to LOTR - perhaps with Bofur learning about the Ring and seeing the change in Bilbo over the years. Or if you want to go AU and pretend the Ring really is just some funky wee magic doo-da with absolutely no affiliations at all to ancient dark lords, go for it!

Something I like about this pairing is the contrast between genteel and (initially) settled Bilbo, and more rough-and-ready, wandering Bofur, so anything exploring that would be fun, as well as the fact that they’re both relative outsiders in this Company mostly made up of Durin kinsmen. Equally, anything exploring hobbit customs and mores vs. Dwarvish ones would be great - generally, but also when it comes to relationships. (I can take or leave the popular fanons like Dwarves having a One True Love, or courting braids/beads, etc. If you like them, go for it; but equally, if you want to break from the orthodoxy, I’m always here for that. Whatever’s most fun for you, basically.)

I love outsider POVs, and this seems like a good pairing for that, what with them being surrounded by twelve other Dwarves + one meddling wizard. Specifically, what do Bifur and Bombur make of their relationship? Is Bofur’s crush ridiculously obvious, or do they assume it’s just fun flirting, joking around as usual? Are we in for some Dwarven matchmaking?

Incidentally, I do enjoy stories about people learning to love again, so I’m very much here for fics where Bilbo finds happiness again after losing Thorin. Obviously, by itself Bilbo/Thorin falls outside the scope of this exchange, but I think having it as a background pairing would still be okay? As long as the focus of the story is the relationship between Bilbo and Bofur. Whether that means there was previous Bagginshield, fulfilled or not, unrequited feelings from either Bilbo or Thorin’s side, or whether Bofur is just worried that he has competition, I’m all for it. Equally, if Bagginshield does nothing for you, feel free to ignore this paragraph entirely!

Bonus points for Bilbo wearing Bofur’s hat! Or Bofur keeping his hat on during sex. ;)

As an extra, I’m also quite partial to rule 63!Bilbo, if that’s something that appeals to you too.


Pairing: Thranduil/Tauriel

Another pairing that hit me on the last watch-through. I think the Baggage™ would be fascinating! The end of BOFA leaves them at quite an interesting crossroads, with Thranduil acknowledging that Tauriel’s love for Kíli was real, and Tauriel realising that Thranduil does have a heart, after all. They’re in a position to really understand each other now. So, where do they go from there? How do Elves go about getting over a broken heart, in addition to falling for someone else?

I’d like to imagine that Tauriel returns to Mirkwood, whether that’s straight after the battle, or maybe, like Legolas, she needs a bit of a sabbatical before she goes back. Either way, what are things like between her and Thranduil after that? Obviously things can’t go back to exactly the way they were before - and there’s also the small matter that about half the Woodland Realm army saw her aiming an arrow at the King’s head! Will she take up her old position of captain of the guard, or does she do something else? There’s potential for some excellent tension there, but I’d also like to imagine that, having seen each other’s true hearts, she and Thranduil are in a good position to recover together and grow closer.

And if they do grow closer, what then? Thranduil has spent so long closing off his heart after the loss of his wife - how does he deal with falling in love again? There’s also the tiny fact that he’s well aware his own son had feelings for Tauriel - just a bit awkward, to say the least! There’s also the class element (for want of a better phrase): he objected to a romance between Legolas and Tauriel because she’s a Silvan Elf, not a Sindar, so how does that reflect on him now that he’s developing feelings for her? Also, do Elves even register age differences, or is that particular issue all a bit immaterial to them, being thousands of years old and all?

And what about Tauriel? Does she feel any apprehension about trying to measure up to Thranduil’s wife, at least in her own mind? Does her influence encourage Thranduil to abandon his policy of splendid isolation and form stronger ties with the outside world? Does she know about the scars of dragon-fire that he usually keeps hidden?

Beauty and sorrow are things that particularly seem to characterise Tolkien’s Elves, and this strikes me as a pairing that could deliver both in spades. Sharing memories, walking in the starlight… they also strike me as having great potential as a Battle Couple. In particular, I’d love to see what they do in the years leading up to the events of LOTR. According to the book, the Woodland Realm and Lothlórien unite to fight Sauron’s armies in Mirkwood, eventually routing Dol Guldur once and for all, so I’d love to see something based around that! On the other hand, this is a movie-verse prompt, you don’t have to feel yourself bound by what happens in the books, so if you’d like to write something else for this era, go for it!

As far as I recall, Tolkien never specified whether Thranduil eventually sails West or stays in Middle-earth, so it might be interesting to explore what both he and Tauriel choose in the end. Do they even choose the same thing? I don’t mind having my heart broken, if the story requires it!

I also can’t help but think that Legolas’ reaction to this particular pairing would be priceless! Especially if it’s after the War of the Ring and he turns up with Gimli in tow. :P


Outcast - Rosemary Sutcliff

Pairing: Beric/Lucilla

I love the relationship between these two so much! It’s one of the few bright spots in all of poor Beric’s (mis)adventures. I love how, unlike the rest of her family, Lucilla actually sees Beric as a human being, and how Beric values her friendship and trusts her to treat him well. And how, even after Beric escapes, Lucilla still finds ways to help him, giving him an alibi, etc. Anything that captures that strong mutual loyalty would be lovely!

This is a pairing where I can imagine a lot of sweetness: first love, thoughtful gestures, lots of emotional intimacy. But it would be romance touched by danger, because Glaucus especially would surely make trouble if he realised there were feelings between them. So I’d definitely be here for all those feelings blossoming under the noses of Lucilla’s family: secret, meaningful glances, hands brushing accidentally (or accidentally-on-purpose)… all the classic period drama hallmarks! The respectable lady/slave divide is also pretty insurmountable, so there could be stolen moments with plenty of angst, with Lucilla not wanting to make Beric feel pressured into being with her, or wanting to get him into trouble with her family, and Beric not wanting to compromise Lucilla’s reputation and screw up her marriage prospects, as well as plain not wanting to trust that this good thing could last. Give me all the pining and noble, hopeless self-denial!

I absolutely love the setting of the half-wild garden in the old temple of Pan Sylvanus, so anything set there would be gorgeous! Maybe it’s the one place they know they can go without being spied on?

Do they ever meet again in the future, perhaps with Lucilla conveniently divorced/widowed? Maybe she comes to Britain to visit him, once she’s found out that he’s safe and settled with Justinius. Or, if Beric does join the Eagles, his service takes him back to Rome, where they find themselves reunited. How have they changed since they were 15-16? How are they the same? Does Lucilla find out about all the various misfortunes Beric suffered? If you want to do some h/c involving his scars from the lash aboard the galley, I would have no complaints!

One bit I really like in the book is when they talk about marriage customs among the British tribes, so maybe if they meet again in Britain, Beric has the opportunity to put some of them into practice. Perhaps he introduces her to a Beltane celebration? (I am always, always a sucker for the trope of characters getting together about the Beltane fires!) Anything exploring the cultural themes of the story would be great, in fact.

Re: Valarius, I’d ask that you don’t make him an abusive jerk or anything. He seems like a good guy, and Beric and Lucilla both think well of him. An amicable divorce, an open marriage, or a gentle release are all perfectly fine options where he’s concerned.


Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators

Pairing: Frank Hathaway/Luella Shakespeare

This show is such a hidden-away gem: so chill and cosy and good-natured. (All three series so far are currently available on BBC iPlayer.) I adore the Stratford setting, and spotting all the Shakespeare references is great fun. Above all, I love Frank and Lu. I’m always weak for double acts - and ships - that throw together the grumpy one and the sunshine one. I love the banter and the bickering, and how their various strengths complement each other: eg. Frank’s old police experience and contacts with Lu’s people skills and memory for detail. Plus the fact that they’re both essentially good people who want to do the right thing.

They’ve already gone undercover as a couple more than once in canon, and I’m always up for more of that trope. How about a case where they find themselves getting more into their roles than they bargained for? Or a stake-out that ends up getting cosier than usual?

Or what about Frank opening up a bit to Lu about his past? Maybe she lets on what Marlowe told her in the series 2 finale, prompting him to confide in her more about it. Also in ep. 3.3 we also learn that he has been married - the one and only time canon has even hinted at such a thing! So what’s the story there? Is he divorced, separated, widowed, and does it have any bearing on why he is… the way he is?

There’s also some angsty potential in the fact that Frank is well aware that Lu has been hurt in the past - after all, they first met when she hired him to investigate her con-man fiancé. Is Lu wary of romance after that, and is Frank wary of muscling his way in? (Imagine Frank trying to be the sensitive male!) Does an ex from either one of their pasts show up, prompting some serious re-evaluation of feelings?

Apart from that, this is a pairing that has lots of potential for casefic, if that’s what catches your fancy, or domesticity. How about UST in the office? Does Sebastian get fed up with all the obvious (or oblivious!) pining going on and decide, in the name of a quiet life, to kick off some suitably whacky Much Ado-esque scheme to “bring them into a mountain of affection, the one with the other”?

I always love outsider POVs, and this seems like a great pairing for that? Marlowe unable to believe her eyes that Frank’s in love?? Billy the Brick? Gloria? Does Lu’s mum show up to stick her oar in?

One other thing I love about this show is how often we see the characters eating, so anything centred around food would be lovely, whether that’s a candlelit dinner, or just sharing a bag of chips in the car. And of course, gratuitous Shakespeare references are always good!