Candy Hearts letter
Jan. 2nd, 2023 09:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
verecundaDear Candy Heart Maker,
Hello, and thank you for creating something for me! :D This letter contains a rundown of my general likes and DNWs, as well as some potential prompts for each of my requested ships. If you find something here to inspire you, that’s great - but at the same time, please don’t feel restricted to what’s here, either. If you have ideas of your own that you’d rather go with, I’d love to see them too!
I can be found on AO3 as![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Verecunda.
If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch via the mod.
Likes
Art likes
Smut likes
DNWs
Final Fantasy X
- Auron/Priest’s Daughter, Auron & Priest’s Daughter
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
- Flavia/Saxon Husband
- Flavia/Ambrosius Aurelianus
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
- Khamûl/Witch-king of Angmar
The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien
- Beleg Cúthalion/Túrin Turambar
- Eönwë/Sauron | Mairon
Roman Britain RPF
- Cartimandua/Venutius, Cartimandua/Vellocatus, Cartimandua/Vellocatus/Venutius
- Barates/Regina
- Lucius the Gladiator/Verecunda the Actress
Likes
• Fic and art of all ratings.
• Most genres: humour, angst, fluff, darkfic, hurt/comfort, slice-of-life, character pieces, plotty pieces.
• I love a good happy ending, but the canons/pairings I’ve requested in this round have a definite tendency towards the bittersweet or downright tragic, so I’m quite ready and willing to have my heartstrings wrenched!
• I’ve got a special fondness for works that fill in characters’ backstories, “missing scenes” from canon, and alternate POVs on canon events. Post-canon settings are always good, of course.
• I love canon compliant fic, but I also love canon divergence AUs. I love exploring the possibilities.
• Worldbuilding detail. I always want to know more about whatever world these characters inhabit. Most of my fandoms are in historical/fantasy settings, so if you want to nerd out on the background details and lore, 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 complement each other perfectly.
• Banter! I love characters who have a good back-and-forth.
• Characters 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.
• The ones in love always being the last to know. Which leads to:
• Outsider POVs are always fun. 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 great, whether they’re being managed in a healthy way, or just completely fucked up. 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.
• Related to that: loyalty kink, King (or Queen) and Lionheart dynamics.
• 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.
• Quiet moments of intimacy: 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.
• When in doubt, there’s always the classic tropes: sex pollen, marriage of convenience that blossoms into something more, fake relationship, only one bed, etc.
• Apart from my requested characters, I'm quite happy with other characters making an appearance in the fic.
Art likes
I know sweet sod all about art, so I find it much harder to come up with prompts on this side. I am very sorry about that. Suffice it to say, anything in your own style will be wonderful! I’ve tried to include some specific prompts with my requests, but here’s a brief list of some very general art likes:
• Portraits of my requested characters/ships, or an illustration of one of the scenarios I’ve prompted. Illustrations of key scenes from canon would also be very welcome!
• In general, I love images that tell a story.
• Details of costume and material culture.
• I love bold colours as well as black and white, contrasting shades, mingling of light and shadow, cell shading.
• If it helps, here are some artists I particularly love: Van Gogh, Matisse, Caravaggio, Ivan Aivazovsky, John Atkinson Grimshaw, Geoff Hunt, Arthur Rackham, Beatrix Potter, Alan Lee.
• Homages to/spoofs of famous paintings - eg. characters in the pose from Klimt’s Kiss or Burton’s The Meeting on the Turret Stairs.
• Characters drawn in distinctive styles: art nouveau, Disney, etc.
• Effects of different light sources, especially firelight and candlelight; sunsets and sunrises; moonlight and starlight; light on water.
• I also love water effects: rivers and pools, waterfalls, fountains, oceans. I love ripples, currents, spray, etc.
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.
• Orgasm delay/denial.
• Toys.
• Riding, whether the rider is setting the pace or just - ahem - along for the ride.
• Sweet, slow, romantic sex.
• Equally: rough, desperate, oh-god-must-have-you-now fucking.
• Older/more experienced characters guiding their younger/less experienced partners.
• Alternatively, the older/more experienced partner being the cautious one, while the younger/less experienced one is more than raring to go.
• Anything about overcoming shyness and/or inhibitions.
• 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.
• 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 fandom usually puts on the bottom get to be on top for a change. So if you’d like to depart from the usual orthodoxy, be my guest!
DNWs
• First or second person POV (unless it’s the POV of the original canon).
• Modern/mundane/coffee-shop AUs.
• Soulmate/soulmark/soulbond AUs.
• A/B/O.
• Unrequested non-canon ships. (Appearances by/references to canon pairings are fine.)
• Unrequested gender/sexuality 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 X
Auron/Priest’s Daughter, Auron & Priest’s Daughter
“A warrior monk, doomed to obscurity for refusing the hand of the priest’s daughter.” I’ve always been fascinated to know just what went down between Auron and the priest’s daughter. Did he just refuse to marry her because he didn’t love her, simple as that, or was there more going on beneath the surface?
What if Auron did love the girl, but something prevented him from being able to accept her hand? Circumstances, or some matter of principle? Perhaps the Yevon authorities, disapproving of his friendship with the heretical Braska, tried to bring him into the fold by dangling this offer of marriage in front of him, on the condition that he abandon his friendship with Braska? And if so, what was the girl’s reaction when she learned of Auron’s decision? Was she understanding, or was she hurt/angry? Did she know about the marriage offer, or did her father try to arrange it without her knowledge - and how did she feel about that? Did they meet again before he left on the pilgrimage with Braska?
If you want to write a shippy story, I’d love anything exploring the development of their relationship up until that fateful marriage offer. We can assume the girl’s father was a pretty high-ranking priest, if he had the power to break a man’s career over a perceived slight to him or his family. Is there perhaps some sort of class element at play, a forbidden romance between a high-ranking priest’s daughter and a lowly warrior monk? How did they first meet? Was Auron perhaps detailed to guard the girl or act as an escort to her and/or her father? Did their relationship grow in Bevelle, under the noses of the maesters and the priests and all the precepts and rules and traditions - or were they both seconded to another temple for a while, where there was a certain measure of freedom from the shadow of the ultimate authority? Auron being so stoic and by-the-book (at least in his younger days), it seems like their story would have ample room for pining and denial and slow-burn, loaded eye contact across crowded temple precincts… all that good stuff!
I love having my heartstrings pulled, so don’t be afraid to lay on the angst and the tragedy, if that’s what you want to go for! Especially for this game — I mean, geez. ;____; (I’m not usually fond of character death, but in this case, I wouldn’t say no to a reunion on the Farplane!)
The potential dynamic between these two fascinates me so much, however you want to slice it, so I’d be equally happy with a gen take on them. Perhaps they were just friends, but everyone - the girl’s father included - assumed that they were in love, and the whole marriage offer thing was a terrible misunderstanding. Or maybe Auron knew she loved someone else, and didn’t want to trap her in a loveless political marriage.
Whatever angle you’d like to go with, I’m so interested to find out what sort of person the priest’s daughter is, and what her relationship with Auron was like. Did that relationship have any impact on their individual relationships with Yevon? Is she a true believer, or did her upbringing within the system give her a unique insight into the corruption and deceit of Bevelle? One thing I’d love to know is how she saw Auron’s disgrace, then his rapid mythologising into the “legendary guardian”. How was she perceived after that? Was his rejection of her a big scandal? (Somehow, I get the feeling the Bevelle gossip-mill must be especially toxic!) What on earth must it be like to be known as the woman who was knocked back by Sir Auron??
One scenario I’d love to see, again whether romantic or gen, is a reunion between the two of them during the events of the game. Perhaps she plays some role in helping Yuna’s party escape from Bevelle? Or perhaps she crosses paths with them at some other point in the game. What has she done with herself in the ten years that he was away? Is she a priestess herself, or did she pack it all in and go off to join the Crusaders or something? And the big question: does she perceive that Auron is unsent? That would wring those heartstrings of mine in just the right way!
Art prompts: I love the vivid colours and exoticness of Spira, the Asian and Polynesian influences, so anything using those would be lovely! Or perhaps something about the passing of the years, contrasting the youthful versions of the characters with their older selves at the time of the game?
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
Flavia/Saxon Husband
How did Flavia go from being captive slave to the wife of a Saxon warrior? When Aquila asks her if it’s love or hate between her and her husband, she tells him it’s a bit of both, which makes me wonder so much about what sort of complex and conflicting emotions lie behind those words. I like to think, at least, it means there’s something more going on than just Flavia being utterly forced and unwilling, even if that’s how things started out. And if that’s how it did start, how did things change? Was the birth of Mull a catalyst for something changing between them? How does their relationship progress over the years? Do they have more children? Does Flavia ever tell her husband about how she helped her brother escape his thraldom?
The fact that her husband gives Flavia back the dolphin ring as a bride-gift seems like quite a sweet, respectful gesture, given the circumstances: almost like an acknowledgement or apology for the loss of her family and former life, giving her back something that’s rightfully hers. I’d love to see anything about his point of view - part of me wonders if he was attracted to Flavia after seeing her fighting “like a Fury” during the raid on the farm. We don’t get much information on the husband, so admittedly you’re having to craft a character out of whole cloth. But there are a few things. Flavia describes him as brave, so does that mean she’s had an opportunity to witness his courage in other situations? She also trusts him not to beat her, so has he demonstrated gentleness and kindness to her, perhaps in some unexpected way?
Aquila himself wonders if Flavia’s situation was anything like Ness’, so to be honest, I’d like to imagine that Flavia and her husband were also able to find some common ground and affection. I just want Flavia to find some healing and peace in the end, too. The mingling of peoples and bloodlines is also such an important theme throughout Sutcliff’s work, and I’d love anything exploring the cultural contrasts between Flavia and her husband. How far does Flavia assimilate into Saxon life? What, if anything, of her Roman identity does she hold onto? Does her husband take an interest in her past and family?
Given the circumstances, don’t feel you have to whitewash the brutality or tragedy of the situation. The world of The Lantern Bearers is a harsh one, and I’m fine with portrayals of/references to rape, or at least an attitude of “lie back and think of Roman Britain”, if that’s what the story requires, but I’d prefer there to be something more than that.
Art prompts: anything capturing the clash and/or mingling of cultures between the two of them. The gifting of the dolphin ring, perhaps? The contrast between dark little Flavia and her big golden husband. A moment of hard-won tenderness between them.
Flavia/Ambrosius Aurelianus
Firmly in AU territory here, but it’s one of those “Hey, what if…?” ideas that hit me one day. What if Flavia also somehow escaped the Saxons, made her way to Dinas Ffaraon, and met Ambrosius?
It could happen a few ways: either she escapes the raid on the farm by herself, or she does escape from Tanatus with Aquila when he asks. The second version potentially has more drama in it, because it comes with the added complexity of her having lived among the Saxons - especially if she brings Mull with her. What would happen between the British king-in-exile and the runaway wife of a Saxon warrior? It seems to me that there could be so many issues of allegiance and identity to explore by throwing these two together. Does it start with Ambrosius trying to pick her brains about Hengest’s settlement and his military strength, and is she willing to comply? Or does the fact that she does have Saxon ties make her unwilling/conflicted?
There’s also the fact that Flavia was privy to her father’s involvement with Ambrosius’ cause. How does she feel about that now? Up till now, Ambrosius and the royal line might have been more or less an ideal, a symbol of Rome-in-Britain, but now he’s a flesh-and-blood person. Is she a fervent supporter of the cause, or does she feel any resentment over the fact that it was why Vortigern sent the raiders to destroy the farm? How does she feel upon meeting the man behind the symbol?
It’d also be pretty interesting to explore the relationship from Ambrosius’ side, as he is quite a solitary figure, and in Sword at Sunset especially we learn that he has remained unmarried for political reasons. So how very inconvenient (and how narratively delicious!) would it be to see him falling in love, especially with Aquila’s sister, especially if she has a Saxon husband and a half-Saxon son?? As far as the last part goes, there’s also the fact that he’s had the raising of Artos, his brother’s illegitimate son - another child with an uncertain place in Dinas Ffaraon (if not quite so uncertain as Mull’s might be - his situation might be an interesting side-issue to touch on). Perhaps this is an area where he and Flavia find that they understand each other?
This uncertainty of position might also be something that causes their relationship to develop. How are Flavia and Mull regarded in Dinas Ffaraon? Roman Britons who escaped from Saxon thraldom, or quasi-Saxons to be treated with suspicion? I can’t imagine anyone would dare fuck with Aquila’s family, but maybe Aquila asks Ambrosius to take Flavia and her son under his protection whenever he’s away campaigning, and things develop between them from there. (One can only imagine Aquila’s reaction!)
This is the sort of pairing I can imagine developing fairly quietly and organically over the years, almost in tandem with Aquila and Ness’ - though perhaps not as acrimonious in its beginning? What sort of relationship do they work out in the end? If you want to take things further, into the Sword at Sunset timeline, how does Ambrosius’ crowning as High King affect things for them? Does it make things easier, or does it simply throw up new challenges for them? If you really feel like breaking my heart, is Flavia still around for Ambrosius’ illness and final hunt…?
Don’t worry, it’s Sutcliff, so I’m perfectly prepared for a bittersweet, imperfectly happy ending at best, or utter heartbreak at worst!
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Khamûl/Witch-king of Angmar
The Lord of the Nazgûl and his second-in-command? Now there’s a dynamic rife with possibilities! And hey, they even have matching rings. ;)
Since we know virtually nothing about these two as individuals, you have complete carte blanche to do whatever you like with this idea. And as per my likes above, I love things that fill in characters’ backstories. So tell me all about these two and whatever it is that’s between them.
Who were they when they were alive? We know Khamûl was an Easterling, but the Witch-king’s identity is unknown. He may be one of the three Númenórean lords who accepted rings from Sauron, but it’s equally possible he belonged to one of the indigenous kingdoms of Middle-earth. Did he and Khamûl know each other before they joined Sauron - old rivals, perhaps, who were constantly at war with each other? Cue all the Nemesis Mine scenarios, UST-laden sword-fights, etc. Was one of them ever a prisoner of the other 👀? Or maybe they were even unlikely allies, who banded together against some common enemy, and discovered they had even more in common than that? Did Sauron recruit them individually, or did he get them as a package deal? Did he somehow manipulate their relationship to bring them under his thrall? Were they willing servants of the Dark Tower, or were they originally noble figures, whose good qualities were twisted towards evil ends? Did one of them end up in some sort of mortal danger, prompting the other to turn to Sauron to help him save him, only for them both to be caught in his net?
Honestly, I’ll take absolutely any sort of story about these two, any kind of dynamic. Enemies to lovers, enemies with benefits, frenemies with benefits, or even a completely devoted captain and second-in-command? Mordor’s equivalent to the Sacred Band of Thebes??
If you’re into worldbuilding, this pairing has so many opportunities to build on! Cultural differences - and similarities - between the Men of the East and the West. Different perceptions of kingship and lordship, territorial rights, courtship, m/m relationships… the whole lot! I’d love to know more about Easterling history and culture, their POV on the history of Middle-earth.
And how does their bond work as they stop being living men and become wraiths? There’s some sense in canon that although they are totally in thrall to Sauron, they’re not quite mindless drones. The Witch-king in particular seems to have some personality of his own, and the fact that they have different degrees of power suggests there are some traces of individuality still there. Do Angmar and Khamûl retain some sense of their own personalities and their relationship? Do they still have feelings for each other, and if so, how does that gel with the fact that their raison d’être is now wholly to serve Sauron and the Ring? Can wraiths even have personal relationships? Does Sauron get any cruel enjoyment out of manipulating their bond for his own purposes? And what is Khamûl’s reaction when the Witch-king is slain? Is he still able to feel grief?
Art prompts: I’d love to see your take on both Angmar and Khamûl when they were living men, including your take on Easterling costume (and Númenórean, if that’s the background you’re choosing for Angmar). Something involving the motif of their two rings? Something featuring them as wraiths would also be cool. If the Witch-king’s wraith form is a pale king, how does Khamûl appear?
The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien
Beleg Cúthalion/Túrin Turambar
I love the relationship between these two so much. Just… the way Beleg’s love for Túrin continually overrides his own better judgement, the constant devotion, the way all of Túrin’s outlaw gang get so jealous of Beleg, the heart-wrenching tragedy of Beleg’s death and Túrin’s complete blue-screen-of-death devastation after it. Just… *screams*.
I’d love absolutely anything and everything expanding on what we get in canon. I want to know more about their time fighting together on the borders of Doriath: Beleg training Túrin in Elvish fighting and tracking, battling side by side and back to back against the hordes of Morgoth, rescuing each other and tending to each other’s wounds, their friendship gradually turning into something else as it’s forged in the fire of war. Those lodges used by the Marchwardens also sound like very cosy places when you’re alone out in the wilds together…
I wonder what it would be like for Beleg, falling in love with a Man, especially since it’s been less than twenty years since Lúthien left Doriath for the sake of mortal love. Then there’s the fact that he’s known Túrin since he was a child. The lives of Men must pass in a flash to the Eldar, so I imagine for Beleg there must have been an incredible whiplash moment of realising that Túrin was suddenly an adult — swiftly followed by the disconcerting realisation of “oh no he’s hot”. As for Túrin, I’m tempted to imagine that he always quietly adored Beleg from the time of that first rescue, with that adoration gradually maturing into something more over the years.
Anything set during their time among the outlaws would also be great: Túrin looking after Beleg after he’s been roughed up by the group, renewing their bond, getting to know each other again, fighting together in the Land of Bow and Helm. (Even the entire region ends up being named after the pair of them — I mean!!) Plus if you want to work in Andróg and co. writhing with jealousy in the background, I certainly wouldn’t complain!
For me, the great beauty of this story is very much in its tragedy, so I’m perfectly happy if you want to do something canon-compliant. That said, we fans do tend to be a sappy, soft-hearted lot who just want our faves to be happy, so if you prefer, I certainly wouldn’t say no to an AU where things somehow end happily (or at least, happier). What if Beleg doesn’t die in Taur-nu-Fuin, but accompanies Túrin and Gwindor to Nargothrond (and beyond)? What if Túrin agrees to return to Doriath after all? If you have some idea how the curse might be lifted and they all live happily ever after, go for it!!
Art prompts: I love the contrast between Túrin’s all-black aesthetic, and Beleg in his white cloak, so anything leaning into that would be lovely. Any scenes of more contented days in Doriath, or stolen moments in the House of Ransom, etc. There are also so many iconic weapons and other artefacts associated with these characters - the Dragon-helm, Anglachel, Belthronding, etc., so I’d love to see something featuring them. Something dark and tragic featuring Anglachel, perhaps, since they both die by its blade?
Eönwë/Sauron | Mairon
This is one of those pairings that has exactly one canon interaction — but oh, the possibilities! I like to imagine that when Sauron dons his fair form and surrenders to Eönwë after the War of Wrath, we’re not just seeing Morgoth’s lieutenant surrendering to Manwë’s herald, but two Maiar who were once friends meeting again after several ages apart. Friends… or possibly even lovers? Just imagine all the messy emotions that would be flying around a reunion like that!
Imagining they did have a history together, what was it like? Perhaps a slow, tentative evolution from friends to lovers: flirting in the gardens of Almaren, first kisses, experimenting together as they get to know how their physical forms work. Or is it something that lies between them, unspoken, perhaps not even fully understood, still unfulfilled when Mairon leaves to follow Melkor? Did Mairon ever confide in Eönwë about his doubts and inner conflict as his allegiance began to shift, or did he keep it all absolutely secret? Did Eönwë ever sense that something was off with him, or did Mairon’s betrayal take him completely aback? Alternatively, perhaps their relationship originated while Mairon was still in Almaren as Melkor’s spy. Did he perhaps strike up a flirtation/seduction of Eönwë in order to gain information about Manwë’s intentions?
And when Mairon does leave? Does Eönwë learn of his betrayal, perhaps confronting him before he leaves? Does Mairon try to convince him to come with him? Or does Eönwë only learn of his betrayal after he’s gone? What are his feelings when word gets out about Melkor’s terrible new lieutenant? Does he think that Mairon might have been taken by force, or does he guess the truth at once?
(fwiw, Angbang is pretty much my otp where Sauron is concerned, so if you want to throw a bit of that into the mix for some conflict, I’ll certainly not complain! As long as Eönwë/Sauron remains the focus. Are Eönwë and Melkor both aware and highly jealous of each other?)
There’s so much scope for conflict and angst and regret in this pairing, especially after Mairon has gone over to evil. Just as Manwë gives Melkor a chance to redeem himself, does Eönwë hold out hope that Mairon might still come back to the light? And what about Mairon? I adore how absolutely, gleefully evil Sauron is in the Silmarillion, but according to Tolkien himself, he still wasn’t completely beyond redemption even then. Are there ever times that he finds himself remembering, with just a teeny-tiny tinge of regret, what he had with Eönwë? During the various wars with the Valar and their hosts, does he ever subtly deflect Melkor’s attentions away from endangering Eönwë?
Then we come to the surrender. Is it simple manipulation on Sauron’s part, assuming his fair guise in the hope that he can use their former relationship to charm or seduce Eönwë into showing him leniency? Or if we go with the view that Sauron’s repentance at this point was genuine, what sort of emotions and memories are stirred up? Is Sauron surprised by how strong his feelings for Eönwë still are, after all this time? Does Eönwë try to resist his own feelings in order to carry out his duty properly? Does he believe in Sauron’s sincerity? When the book says that he doesn’t have the authority to judge a fellow Maia, but tells Sauron to face the Valar’s judgement, it sounds to me like he genuinely wants to help, but his hands are tied. Is there a passionate but short-lived reunion between the two of them, before Sauron flees? Is Eönwë crushed by this latest betrayal, or did he know in his heart that Sauron would never return? And does Sauron feel any last lingering regret for betraying Eönwë yet again as he disappears into the East?
And what about the Second and Third Ages? How does Eönwë feel, learning about Sauron’s rise as the new Dark Lord? The Maiar have the ability to walk about the world undetected even by the Eldar, so does he ever travel to Middle-earth and witness Sauron’s atrocities for himself? Do they ever meet again? At the end of the War of the Ring, does Eönwë have to go out and gather up whatever little is left of Sauron’s spirit so he can be cast into the Void once and for all?
Art prompts: Anything with Eönwë and Mairon in the Years of the Lamps. I’d love to see your take on these Maiar in either their physical or spirit forms. Or something playing with the various contrasts between them: eg. Eönwë the warrior vs. Sauron the sorcerer, the heavenly herald of Manwë vs. the diabolical lieutenant of Morgoth. Any rendering of Sauron’s surrender would be great!
Roman Britain RPF
Roman Britain is one of my all-time favourite historical periods, in fact and in fiction. I'm open to any kind of story in this setting: whether that's a quiet, slice-of-life, historically plausible piece; an evocative, almost mythical Rosemary Sutcliff-style tale; or a big, Old Hollywood-esque swords and sandals melodrama of highly dubious historical accuracy. I love it all!
Cartimandua/Venutius, Cartimandua/Vellocatus, Cartimandua/Vellocatus/Venutius
I love these three. On the one hand, they're like some over-the-top Brigantian soap opera. On the other, there’s something almost Arthurian about it: the queen throws over her husband for his right-hand man, and the resulting schism plunges an entire kingdom into civil war. There’s so much you could do with this story. I’ve requested various ship configurations here, so it’s up to you which dynamic you want to focus on. My only real request is that none of the three are demonised. Moral greyness and ambiguity are fine, naturally, given the personalities involved. Equally, in the case of this request, I'm fine with character death, since the ultimate fates of these people are unknown, and probably lend themselves quite well to a tragic tale.
Cartimandua/Venutius
What were the original circumstances of their marriage? Arranged for political reasons, perhaps as an alliance between tribes, or was it initially a love match? As described by Tacitus, they both sound like very fierce, passionate people, so it’s easy to imagine that when their relationship was good, it was very, very good (if you know what I mean~), but when it was bad, it took a whole tribe down with it! That potential mingling of the personal with the political makes their story so very fascinating to me.
Cartimandua seems to have been very much pro-Roman, while Venutius ended up as the leader of the anti-Roman faction. Was this always the case, or did their allegiances and outlooks shift over time? Was this difference something they were able to manage in earlier years, or was it always a source of friction between them? Was Cartimandua’s betrayal of Caratacus a breaking-point for them?
Tacitus’ description of Cartimandua makes it sound like she was Queen of the Brigantes in her own right (though there are probably various ways it could be read). If so, how did that affect their relationship? In later Celtic literature, there’s a theme of the king deriving his authority from his symbolic marriage to the goddess of sovereignty — was there something of that tradition going on? Was their schism a matter of principle, a personal grudge, or was there a power struggle between them that they could never sufficiently resolve?
Cartimandua/Vellocatus
So what was it about this fella, that Cartimandua was willing to rock her tribe to its foundations for him? Maybe she really was just a silly bimbo with no control over her libido… but she seems to have been queen for quite a while by that point, so it’s hard to believe she wouldn’t be aware of the political ramifications. So I like to think there’s a more interesting, emotional story here than Tacitus would have us believe.
How did their relationship develop? Vellocatus’ role as Venutius’ armour-bearer would presumably have brought them into close contact pretty often, so was it something that developed naturally between all their public duties, hunts, festivals, feasts, etc.? Perhaps Vellocatus comforted Cartimandua during an unhappy period, perhaps during a rough patch with Venutius? Or did Cartimandua just see him and go for it? If you want to write something sexy with her going full cougar on her husband's handsome armour-bearer, that would be a blast! I’d love to know Vellocatus’ feelings, too. Was he initially overwhelmed by the attentions of his queen, guilty because he was betraying his lord, or did he just go for it too?
As with Cartimandua/Venutius, I’d be interested in exploring in anything exploring the political implications of their relationship. Was there some sound political reason for Cartimandua to choose Vellocatus? Based on what we know of Celtic fosterage systems, etc. it may be that he was high-born himself, to be such a close associate of the king. Perhaps even a relation of Venutius?
Cartimandua/Vellocatus/Venutius
Equally, I’d love anything exploring the messy dynamics between all three of them at once! Was Venutius so incensed because he was betrayed by the two people he loved most? Being his armour-bearer sounds like it was probably quite a close, personal relationship: perhaps he and Vellocatus were also lovers? Did Vellocatus find himself conflicted, caught between his love for both his king and his queen? If their relationship was under strain, did he perhaps try to step in to mediate between them, only to find himself in love with them both? Did Cartimandua perhaps start an affair with Vellocatus as some sort of take that to Venutius, only to find herself catching feelings? Even after the divorce, did she still love Venutius after everything? There are so many possibilities you could explore! Want to write a fixit where they all settle their differences with a nice, earth-shattering threesome? I certainly wouldn’t say no to that. :D
Honestly, we know so little about these people — we don’t even know their ultimate fates! — I would be thrilled with any sort of story you wanted to tell me!
Art prompts: I love Celtic La Tène art, all those swirling lines, triskeles, hidden animals, etc., so if you want to do something incorporating that style, that would be lovely. Above all, I’d love to see your vision of these people. Historical costume porn — all those wonderful gold torques and armlets, plus the Celts loved their colours! The number three also had great mystical significance to the Celts, so if you’re wanting to go with the full OT3 option, you could maybe do something with that?
Barates/Regina
Regina’s tombstone is one of my favourite things from Roman Britain. It’s a beautiful monument from a husband to his wife, and it’s also almost a microcosm of Roman Britain itself. You’ve got this incredible mingling of cultures: a British woman married to a man from Palmyra, dressed as a very fancy Roman matron — then you’ve also got that element of colonialism and slavery: Regina was Barates’ freedwoman as well as his wife. There’s so much going on here, and there’s probably a great story you could spin out of it.
Don’t feel you have to whitewash the hideous realities of Roman imperialism and slavery, especially where women were concerned. But at the same time, for these two I’d prefer an essentially positive take on their relationship. The beauty of the memorial, and the fact that Regina is specifically referred to as belonging to the Catuvellauni tribe, suggests to me that Barates did genuinely love her and respect her British identity.
That said, the slavery aspect would be a natural source of conflict between them. Think all the Eagle of the Ninth fanfiction tropes: the tension between the growing romance and the awareness that one half of the pairing holds full legal power over the other. How did Regina end up as a slave in the first place? Did Barates perhaps buy her away from an abusive owner, or something like that? Did feelings develop between them first, leading to marriage? Or was it essentially a marriage of convenience that grew into love later?
The multicultural aspect of their relationship is one of the things that makes them so fascinating for me. Although the tombstone is very Roman in form, neither Regina nor Barates seem to have identified as primarily Roman themselves: she being described as a tribeswoman of the Catuvellauni, and he as a Palmyrene. I love stories about couples across cultures, so I’d love any kind of slice-of-life about the two of them learning the customs and traditions of each other’s people, perhaps even learning each other’s languages. If Barates was a merchant or attached to the army in some way, did Regina help him to get to grips with British ways?
I feel you could also have a lot of fun with Regina’s name. “Queen” is an ironic name for a slave, and presumably not her original one, seeing as it’s Latin. Maybe it was given to her by the slave-traders as a reflection of her personality: I sort of love the idea of her not letting anyone forget that she was a woman of the Catuvellauni! Or maybe she was indeed originally high-born, descended from chieftains and/or kings and queens of the old tribal order?
Lucius the Gladiator/Verecunda the Actress
NB: no relation — as far as I know! ;)
We know about these two from a simple potsherd inscribed with their names, found at Leicester, and it’s one of those artefacts I find poignant, because it’s such a simple testimonial to lives that have otherwise been completely forgotten. And again, because all we have of these people are their names and occupations, you pretty much have carte blanche to create any kind of story you want with them!
Why were these names inscribed together? It’s tempting to think we’re looking at the Romano-British equivalent of a glossy showbiz romance splashed across all the tabloids. Maybe they’re both mutual fans, never missing each other’s performances — then, once they actually meet, the sparks fly! Or alternatively, they’re rivals of a sort, vying for the hearts of a fickle public, before they accidentally catch feelings? Or it’s some sort of fake-dating publicity stunt that unexpectedly turns sincere? I feel there are so many rom-com scenarios you could create with these two. :D
If you want to go for something fun and sexy, feel free to lean into all the stuff about gladiators as sex symbols. Is Lucius just the hottest guy in Britannia?? Equally, maybe Verecunda is well-known for naughty comedy roles… ;) The potsherd with their names was found about the site of a bathhouse, so maybe that was a common trysting-place for them. Always a good setting for something steamy!
There’s potential for angst, too. Gladiators and actors, even the ones who weren’t slaves, were still considered infames: of that class considered disreputable and blocked from certain legal rights and protections, so it could be interesting to explore that side of their lives. Maybe they both find in each other some true companionship and understanding, a relief from the social stigma that surrounds them? Another angsty possibility: Verecunda worrying about Lucius whenever he’s due to fight in the ring, or a Moulin Rouge-style scenario where she’s the object of obsession by a powerful and possessive patron of the arts? Do Lucius’ lanista and Verecunda’s manager make him fight a duel to the death in the arena (rigged, naturally) for the chance to earn both their freedoms? I’m here for all the melodrama!
One big question: what are a gladiator and an actress doing in Leicester, a city that - so far - has turned up no evidence of either a theatre or an arena? Perhaps they belong to touring companies, or they’re brought in for a special occasion: a festival, or an entertainment being put on by a local big-wig to buy public goodwill ahead of elections? Is it only ever meant to be a fling, ships passing in the night? If so, do they find a way to be together permanently? Maybe they win their freedom and go to live in Ratae, precisely because it has no amphitheatre or theatre.
Worth noting: I’ve been going with the usual interpretation of the inscription, which translates the word ludia as “actress”, but it can also be interpreted as “dancer” — and even conceivably “female gladiator”. Do with that what you will!
Hello, and thank you for creating something for me! :D This letter contains a rundown of my general likes and DNWs, as well as some potential prompts for each of my requested ships. If you find something here to inspire you, that’s great - but at the same time, please don’t feel restricted to what’s here, either. If you have ideas of your own that you’d rather go with, I’d love to see them too!
I can be found on AO3 as
If you have any queries, don’t hesitate to get in touch via the mod.
Likes
Art likes
Smut likes
DNWs
Final Fantasy X
- Auron/Priest’s Daughter, Auron & Priest’s Daughter
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
- Flavia/Saxon Husband
- Flavia/Ambrosius Aurelianus
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
- Khamûl/Witch-king of Angmar
The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien
- Beleg Cúthalion/Túrin Turambar
- Eönwë/Sauron | Mairon
Roman Britain RPF
- Cartimandua/Venutius, Cartimandua/Vellocatus, Cartimandua/Vellocatus/Venutius
- Barates/Regina
- Lucius the Gladiator/Verecunda the Actress
Likes
• Fic and art of all ratings.
• Most genres: humour, angst, fluff, darkfic, hurt/comfort, slice-of-life, character pieces, plotty pieces.
• I love a good happy ending, but the canons/pairings I’ve requested in this round have a definite tendency towards the bittersweet or downright tragic, so I’m quite ready and willing to have my heartstrings wrenched!
• I’ve got a special fondness for works that fill in characters’ backstories, “missing scenes” from canon, and alternate POVs on canon events. Post-canon settings are always good, of course.
• I love canon compliant fic, but I also love canon divergence AUs. I love exploring the possibilities.
• Worldbuilding detail. I always want to know more about whatever world these characters inhabit. Most of my fandoms are in historical/fantasy settings, so if you want to nerd out on the background details and lore, 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 complement each other perfectly.
• Banter! I love characters who have a good back-and-forth.
• Characters 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.
• The ones in love always being the last to know. Which leads to:
• Outsider POVs are always fun. 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 great, whether they’re being managed in a healthy way, or just completely fucked up. 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.
• Related to that: loyalty kink, King (or Queen) and Lionheart dynamics.
• 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.
• Quiet moments of intimacy: 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.
• When in doubt, there’s always the classic tropes: sex pollen, marriage of convenience that blossoms into something more, fake relationship, only one bed, etc.
• Apart from my requested characters, I'm quite happy with other characters making an appearance in the fic.
Art likes
I know sweet sod all about art, so I find it much harder to come up with prompts on this side. I am very sorry about that. Suffice it to say, anything in your own style will be wonderful! I’ve tried to include some specific prompts with my requests, but here’s a brief list of some very general art likes:
• Portraits of my requested characters/ships, or an illustration of one of the scenarios I’ve prompted. Illustrations of key scenes from canon would also be very welcome!
• In general, I love images that tell a story.
• Details of costume and material culture.
• I love bold colours as well as black and white, contrasting shades, mingling of light and shadow, cell shading.
• If it helps, here are some artists I particularly love: Van Gogh, Matisse, Caravaggio, Ivan Aivazovsky, John Atkinson Grimshaw, Geoff Hunt, Arthur Rackham, Beatrix Potter, Alan Lee.
• Homages to/spoofs of famous paintings - eg. characters in the pose from Klimt’s Kiss or Burton’s The Meeting on the Turret Stairs.
• Characters drawn in distinctive styles: art nouveau, Disney, etc.
• Effects of different light sources, especially firelight and candlelight; sunsets and sunrises; moonlight and starlight; light on water.
• I also love water effects: rivers and pools, waterfalls, fountains, oceans. I love ripples, currents, spray, etc.
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.
• Orgasm delay/denial.
• Toys.
• Riding, whether the rider is setting the pace or just - ahem - along for the ride.
• Sweet, slow, romantic sex.
• Equally: rough, desperate, oh-god-must-have-you-now fucking.
• Older/more experienced characters guiding their younger/less experienced partners.
• Alternatively, the older/more experienced partner being the cautious one, while the younger/less experienced one is more than raring to go.
• Anything about overcoming shyness and/or inhibitions.
• 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.
• 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 fandom usually puts on the bottom get to be on top for a change. So if you’d like to depart from the usual orthodoxy, be my guest!
DNWs
• First or second person POV (unless it’s the POV of the original canon).
• Modern/mundane/coffee-shop AUs.
• Soulmate/soulmark/soulbond AUs.
• A/B/O.
• Unrequested non-canon ships. (Appearances by/references to canon pairings are fine.)
• Unrequested gender/sexuality 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 X
Auron/Priest’s Daughter, Auron & Priest’s Daughter
“A warrior monk, doomed to obscurity for refusing the hand of the priest’s daughter.” I’ve always been fascinated to know just what went down between Auron and the priest’s daughter. Did he just refuse to marry her because he didn’t love her, simple as that, or was there more going on beneath the surface?
What if Auron did love the girl, but something prevented him from being able to accept her hand? Circumstances, or some matter of principle? Perhaps the Yevon authorities, disapproving of his friendship with the heretical Braska, tried to bring him into the fold by dangling this offer of marriage in front of him, on the condition that he abandon his friendship with Braska? And if so, what was the girl’s reaction when she learned of Auron’s decision? Was she understanding, or was she hurt/angry? Did she know about the marriage offer, or did her father try to arrange it without her knowledge - and how did she feel about that? Did they meet again before he left on the pilgrimage with Braska?
If you want to write a shippy story, I’d love anything exploring the development of their relationship up until that fateful marriage offer. We can assume the girl’s father was a pretty high-ranking priest, if he had the power to break a man’s career over a perceived slight to him or his family. Is there perhaps some sort of class element at play, a forbidden romance between a high-ranking priest’s daughter and a lowly warrior monk? How did they first meet? Was Auron perhaps detailed to guard the girl or act as an escort to her and/or her father? Did their relationship grow in Bevelle, under the noses of the maesters and the priests and all the precepts and rules and traditions - or were they both seconded to another temple for a while, where there was a certain measure of freedom from the shadow of the ultimate authority? Auron being so stoic and by-the-book (at least in his younger days), it seems like their story would have ample room for pining and denial and slow-burn, loaded eye contact across crowded temple precincts… all that good stuff!
I love having my heartstrings pulled, so don’t be afraid to lay on the angst and the tragedy, if that’s what you want to go for! Especially for this game — I mean, geez. ;____; (I’m not usually fond of character death, but in this case, I wouldn’t say no to a reunion on the Farplane!)
The potential dynamic between these two fascinates me so much, however you want to slice it, so I’d be equally happy with a gen take on them. Perhaps they were just friends, but everyone - the girl’s father included - assumed that they were in love, and the whole marriage offer thing was a terrible misunderstanding. Or maybe Auron knew she loved someone else, and didn’t want to trap her in a loveless political marriage.
Whatever angle you’d like to go with, I’m so interested to find out what sort of person the priest’s daughter is, and what her relationship with Auron was like. Did that relationship have any impact on their individual relationships with Yevon? Is she a true believer, or did her upbringing within the system give her a unique insight into the corruption and deceit of Bevelle? One thing I’d love to know is how she saw Auron’s disgrace, then his rapid mythologising into the “legendary guardian”. How was she perceived after that? Was his rejection of her a big scandal? (Somehow, I get the feeling the Bevelle gossip-mill must be especially toxic!) What on earth must it be like to be known as the woman who was knocked back by Sir Auron??
One scenario I’d love to see, again whether romantic or gen, is a reunion between the two of them during the events of the game. Perhaps she plays some role in helping Yuna’s party escape from Bevelle? Or perhaps she crosses paths with them at some other point in the game. What has she done with herself in the ten years that he was away? Is she a priestess herself, or did she pack it all in and go off to join the Crusaders or something? And the big question: does she perceive that Auron is unsent? That would wring those heartstrings of mine in just the right way!
Art prompts: I love the vivid colours and exoticness of Spira, the Asian and Polynesian influences, so anything using those would be lovely! Or perhaps something about the passing of the years, contrasting the youthful versions of the characters with their older selves at the time of the game?
The Lantern Bearers - Rosemary Sutcliff
Flavia/Saxon Husband
How did Flavia go from being captive slave to the wife of a Saxon warrior? When Aquila asks her if it’s love or hate between her and her husband, she tells him it’s a bit of both, which makes me wonder so much about what sort of complex and conflicting emotions lie behind those words. I like to think, at least, it means there’s something more going on than just Flavia being utterly forced and unwilling, even if that’s how things started out. And if that’s how it did start, how did things change? Was the birth of Mull a catalyst for something changing between them? How does their relationship progress over the years? Do they have more children? Does Flavia ever tell her husband about how she helped her brother escape his thraldom?
The fact that her husband gives Flavia back the dolphin ring as a bride-gift seems like quite a sweet, respectful gesture, given the circumstances: almost like an acknowledgement or apology for the loss of her family and former life, giving her back something that’s rightfully hers. I’d love to see anything about his point of view - part of me wonders if he was attracted to Flavia after seeing her fighting “like a Fury” during the raid on the farm. We don’t get much information on the husband, so admittedly you’re having to craft a character out of whole cloth. But there are a few things. Flavia describes him as brave, so does that mean she’s had an opportunity to witness his courage in other situations? She also trusts him not to beat her, so has he demonstrated gentleness and kindness to her, perhaps in some unexpected way?
Aquila himself wonders if Flavia’s situation was anything like Ness’, so to be honest, I’d like to imagine that Flavia and her husband were also able to find some common ground and affection. I just want Flavia to find some healing and peace in the end, too. The mingling of peoples and bloodlines is also such an important theme throughout Sutcliff’s work, and I’d love anything exploring the cultural contrasts between Flavia and her husband. How far does Flavia assimilate into Saxon life? What, if anything, of her Roman identity does she hold onto? Does her husband take an interest in her past and family?
Given the circumstances, don’t feel you have to whitewash the brutality or tragedy of the situation. The world of The Lantern Bearers is a harsh one, and I’m fine with portrayals of/references to rape, or at least an attitude of “lie back and think of Roman Britain”, if that’s what the story requires, but I’d prefer there to be something more than that.
Art prompts: anything capturing the clash and/or mingling of cultures between the two of them. The gifting of the dolphin ring, perhaps? The contrast between dark little Flavia and her big golden husband. A moment of hard-won tenderness between them.
Flavia/Ambrosius Aurelianus
Firmly in AU territory here, but it’s one of those “Hey, what if…?” ideas that hit me one day. What if Flavia also somehow escaped the Saxons, made her way to Dinas Ffaraon, and met Ambrosius?
It could happen a few ways: either she escapes the raid on the farm by herself, or she does escape from Tanatus with Aquila when he asks. The second version potentially has more drama in it, because it comes with the added complexity of her having lived among the Saxons - especially if she brings Mull with her. What would happen between the British king-in-exile and the runaway wife of a Saxon warrior? It seems to me that there could be so many issues of allegiance and identity to explore by throwing these two together. Does it start with Ambrosius trying to pick her brains about Hengest’s settlement and his military strength, and is she willing to comply? Or does the fact that she does have Saxon ties make her unwilling/conflicted?
There’s also the fact that Flavia was privy to her father’s involvement with Ambrosius’ cause. How does she feel about that now? Up till now, Ambrosius and the royal line might have been more or less an ideal, a symbol of Rome-in-Britain, but now he’s a flesh-and-blood person. Is she a fervent supporter of the cause, or does she feel any resentment over the fact that it was why Vortigern sent the raiders to destroy the farm? How does she feel upon meeting the man behind the symbol?
It’d also be pretty interesting to explore the relationship from Ambrosius’ side, as he is quite a solitary figure, and in Sword at Sunset especially we learn that he has remained unmarried for political reasons. So how very inconvenient (and how narratively delicious!) would it be to see him falling in love, especially with Aquila’s sister, especially if she has a Saxon husband and a half-Saxon son?? As far as the last part goes, there’s also the fact that he’s had the raising of Artos, his brother’s illegitimate son - another child with an uncertain place in Dinas Ffaraon (if not quite so uncertain as Mull’s might be - his situation might be an interesting side-issue to touch on). Perhaps this is an area where he and Flavia find that they understand each other?
This uncertainty of position might also be something that causes their relationship to develop. How are Flavia and Mull regarded in Dinas Ffaraon? Roman Britons who escaped from Saxon thraldom, or quasi-Saxons to be treated with suspicion? I can’t imagine anyone would dare fuck with Aquila’s family, but maybe Aquila asks Ambrosius to take Flavia and her son under his protection whenever he’s away campaigning, and things develop between them from there. (One can only imagine Aquila’s reaction!)
This is the sort of pairing I can imagine developing fairly quietly and organically over the years, almost in tandem with Aquila and Ness’ - though perhaps not as acrimonious in its beginning? What sort of relationship do they work out in the end? If you want to take things further, into the Sword at Sunset timeline, how does Ambrosius’ crowning as High King affect things for them? Does it make things easier, or does it simply throw up new challenges for them? If you really feel like breaking my heart, is Flavia still around for Ambrosius’ illness and final hunt…?
Don’t worry, it’s Sutcliff, so I’m perfectly prepared for a bittersweet, imperfectly happy ending at best, or utter heartbreak at worst!
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Khamûl/Witch-king of Angmar
The Lord of the Nazgûl and his second-in-command? Now there’s a dynamic rife with possibilities! And hey, they even have matching rings. ;)
Since we know virtually nothing about these two as individuals, you have complete carte blanche to do whatever you like with this idea. And as per my likes above, I love things that fill in characters’ backstories. So tell me all about these two and whatever it is that’s between them.
Who were they when they were alive? We know Khamûl was an Easterling, but the Witch-king’s identity is unknown. He may be one of the three Númenórean lords who accepted rings from Sauron, but it’s equally possible he belonged to one of the indigenous kingdoms of Middle-earth. Did he and Khamûl know each other before they joined Sauron - old rivals, perhaps, who were constantly at war with each other? Cue all the Nemesis Mine scenarios, UST-laden sword-fights, etc. Was one of them ever a prisoner of the other 👀? Or maybe they were even unlikely allies, who banded together against some common enemy, and discovered they had even more in common than that? Did Sauron recruit them individually, or did he get them as a package deal? Did he somehow manipulate their relationship to bring them under his thrall? Were they willing servants of the Dark Tower, or were they originally noble figures, whose good qualities were twisted towards evil ends? Did one of them end up in some sort of mortal danger, prompting the other to turn to Sauron to help him save him, only for them both to be caught in his net?
Honestly, I’ll take absolutely any sort of story about these two, any kind of dynamic. Enemies to lovers, enemies with benefits, frenemies with benefits, or even a completely devoted captain and second-in-command? Mordor’s equivalent to the Sacred Band of Thebes??
If you’re into worldbuilding, this pairing has so many opportunities to build on! Cultural differences - and similarities - between the Men of the East and the West. Different perceptions of kingship and lordship, territorial rights, courtship, m/m relationships… the whole lot! I’d love to know more about Easterling history and culture, their POV on the history of Middle-earth.
And how does their bond work as they stop being living men and become wraiths? There’s some sense in canon that although they are totally in thrall to Sauron, they’re not quite mindless drones. The Witch-king in particular seems to have some personality of his own, and the fact that they have different degrees of power suggests there are some traces of individuality still there. Do Angmar and Khamûl retain some sense of their own personalities and their relationship? Do they still have feelings for each other, and if so, how does that gel with the fact that their raison d’être is now wholly to serve Sauron and the Ring? Can wraiths even have personal relationships? Does Sauron get any cruel enjoyment out of manipulating their bond for his own purposes? And what is Khamûl’s reaction when the Witch-king is slain? Is he still able to feel grief?
Art prompts: I’d love to see your take on both Angmar and Khamûl when they were living men, including your take on Easterling costume (and Númenórean, if that’s the background you’re choosing for Angmar). Something involving the motif of their two rings? Something featuring them as wraiths would also be cool. If the Witch-king’s wraith form is a pale king, how does Khamûl appear?
The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien
Beleg Cúthalion/Túrin Turambar
I love the relationship between these two so much. Just… the way Beleg’s love for Túrin continually overrides his own better judgement, the constant devotion, the way all of Túrin’s outlaw gang get so jealous of Beleg, the heart-wrenching tragedy of Beleg’s death and Túrin’s complete blue-screen-of-death devastation after it. Just… *screams*.
I’d love absolutely anything and everything expanding on what we get in canon. I want to know more about their time fighting together on the borders of Doriath: Beleg training Túrin in Elvish fighting and tracking, battling side by side and back to back against the hordes of Morgoth, rescuing each other and tending to each other’s wounds, their friendship gradually turning into something else as it’s forged in the fire of war. Those lodges used by the Marchwardens also sound like very cosy places when you’re alone out in the wilds together…
I wonder what it would be like for Beleg, falling in love with a Man, especially since it’s been less than twenty years since Lúthien left Doriath for the sake of mortal love. Then there’s the fact that he’s known Túrin since he was a child. The lives of Men must pass in a flash to the Eldar, so I imagine for Beleg there must have been an incredible whiplash moment of realising that Túrin was suddenly an adult — swiftly followed by the disconcerting realisation of “oh no he’s hot”. As for Túrin, I’m tempted to imagine that he always quietly adored Beleg from the time of that first rescue, with that adoration gradually maturing into something more over the years.
Anything set during their time among the outlaws would also be great: Túrin looking after Beleg after he’s been roughed up by the group, renewing their bond, getting to know each other again, fighting together in the Land of Bow and Helm. (Even the entire region ends up being named after the pair of them — I mean!!) Plus if you want to work in Andróg and co. writhing with jealousy in the background, I certainly wouldn’t complain!
For me, the great beauty of this story is very much in its tragedy, so I’m perfectly happy if you want to do something canon-compliant. That said, we fans do tend to be a sappy, soft-hearted lot who just want our faves to be happy, so if you prefer, I certainly wouldn’t say no to an AU where things somehow end happily (or at least, happier). What if Beleg doesn’t die in Taur-nu-Fuin, but accompanies Túrin and Gwindor to Nargothrond (and beyond)? What if Túrin agrees to return to Doriath after all? If you have some idea how the curse might be lifted and they all live happily ever after, go for it!!
Art prompts: I love the contrast between Túrin’s all-black aesthetic, and Beleg in his white cloak, so anything leaning into that would be lovely. Any scenes of more contented days in Doriath, or stolen moments in the House of Ransom, etc. There are also so many iconic weapons and other artefacts associated with these characters - the Dragon-helm, Anglachel, Belthronding, etc., so I’d love to see something featuring them. Something dark and tragic featuring Anglachel, perhaps, since they both die by its blade?
Eönwë/Sauron | Mairon
This is one of those pairings that has exactly one canon interaction — but oh, the possibilities! I like to imagine that when Sauron dons his fair form and surrenders to Eönwë after the War of Wrath, we’re not just seeing Morgoth’s lieutenant surrendering to Manwë’s herald, but two Maiar who were once friends meeting again after several ages apart. Friends… or possibly even lovers? Just imagine all the messy emotions that would be flying around a reunion like that!
Imagining they did have a history together, what was it like? Perhaps a slow, tentative evolution from friends to lovers: flirting in the gardens of Almaren, first kisses, experimenting together as they get to know how their physical forms work. Or is it something that lies between them, unspoken, perhaps not even fully understood, still unfulfilled when Mairon leaves to follow Melkor? Did Mairon ever confide in Eönwë about his doubts and inner conflict as his allegiance began to shift, or did he keep it all absolutely secret? Did Eönwë ever sense that something was off with him, or did Mairon’s betrayal take him completely aback? Alternatively, perhaps their relationship originated while Mairon was still in Almaren as Melkor’s spy. Did he perhaps strike up a flirtation/seduction of Eönwë in order to gain information about Manwë’s intentions?
And when Mairon does leave? Does Eönwë learn of his betrayal, perhaps confronting him before he leaves? Does Mairon try to convince him to come with him? Or does Eönwë only learn of his betrayal after he’s gone? What are his feelings when word gets out about Melkor’s terrible new lieutenant? Does he think that Mairon might have been taken by force, or does he guess the truth at once?
(fwiw, Angbang is pretty much my otp where Sauron is concerned, so if you want to throw a bit of that into the mix for some conflict, I’ll certainly not complain! As long as Eönwë/Sauron remains the focus. Are Eönwë and Melkor both aware and highly jealous of each other?)
There’s so much scope for conflict and angst and regret in this pairing, especially after Mairon has gone over to evil. Just as Manwë gives Melkor a chance to redeem himself, does Eönwë hold out hope that Mairon might still come back to the light? And what about Mairon? I adore how absolutely, gleefully evil Sauron is in the Silmarillion, but according to Tolkien himself, he still wasn’t completely beyond redemption even then. Are there ever times that he finds himself remembering, with just a teeny-tiny tinge of regret, what he had with Eönwë? During the various wars with the Valar and their hosts, does he ever subtly deflect Melkor’s attentions away from endangering Eönwë?
Then we come to the surrender. Is it simple manipulation on Sauron’s part, assuming his fair guise in the hope that he can use their former relationship to charm or seduce Eönwë into showing him leniency? Or if we go with the view that Sauron’s repentance at this point was genuine, what sort of emotions and memories are stirred up? Is Sauron surprised by how strong his feelings for Eönwë still are, after all this time? Does Eönwë try to resist his own feelings in order to carry out his duty properly? Does he believe in Sauron’s sincerity? When the book says that he doesn’t have the authority to judge a fellow Maia, but tells Sauron to face the Valar’s judgement, it sounds to me like he genuinely wants to help, but his hands are tied. Is there a passionate but short-lived reunion between the two of them, before Sauron flees? Is Eönwë crushed by this latest betrayal, or did he know in his heart that Sauron would never return? And does Sauron feel any last lingering regret for betraying Eönwë yet again as he disappears into the East?
And what about the Second and Third Ages? How does Eönwë feel, learning about Sauron’s rise as the new Dark Lord? The Maiar have the ability to walk about the world undetected even by the Eldar, so does he ever travel to Middle-earth and witness Sauron’s atrocities for himself? Do they ever meet again? At the end of the War of the Ring, does Eönwë have to go out and gather up whatever little is left of Sauron’s spirit so he can be cast into the Void once and for all?
Art prompts: Anything with Eönwë and Mairon in the Years of the Lamps. I’d love to see your take on these Maiar in either their physical or spirit forms. Or something playing with the various contrasts between them: eg. Eönwë the warrior vs. Sauron the sorcerer, the heavenly herald of Manwë vs. the diabolical lieutenant of Morgoth. Any rendering of Sauron’s surrender would be great!
Roman Britain RPF
Roman Britain is one of my all-time favourite historical periods, in fact and in fiction. I'm open to any kind of story in this setting: whether that's a quiet, slice-of-life, historically plausible piece; an evocative, almost mythical Rosemary Sutcliff-style tale; or a big, Old Hollywood-esque swords and sandals melodrama of highly dubious historical accuracy. I love it all!
Cartimandua/Venutius, Cartimandua/Vellocatus, Cartimandua/Vellocatus/Venutius
I love these three. On the one hand, they're like some over-the-top Brigantian soap opera. On the other, there’s something almost Arthurian about it: the queen throws over her husband for his right-hand man, and the resulting schism plunges an entire kingdom into civil war. There’s so much you could do with this story. I’ve requested various ship configurations here, so it’s up to you which dynamic you want to focus on. My only real request is that none of the three are demonised. Moral greyness and ambiguity are fine, naturally, given the personalities involved. Equally, in the case of this request, I'm fine with character death, since the ultimate fates of these people are unknown, and probably lend themselves quite well to a tragic tale.
Cartimandua/Venutius
What were the original circumstances of their marriage? Arranged for political reasons, perhaps as an alliance between tribes, or was it initially a love match? As described by Tacitus, they both sound like very fierce, passionate people, so it’s easy to imagine that when their relationship was good, it was very, very good (if you know what I mean~), but when it was bad, it took a whole tribe down with it! That potential mingling of the personal with the political makes their story so very fascinating to me.
Cartimandua seems to have been very much pro-Roman, while Venutius ended up as the leader of the anti-Roman faction. Was this always the case, or did their allegiances and outlooks shift over time? Was this difference something they were able to manage in earlier years, or was it always a source of friction between them? Was Cartimandua’s betrayal of Caratacus a breaking-point for them?
Tacitus’ description of Cartimandua makes it sound like she was Queen of the Brigantes in her own right (though there are probably various ways it could be read). If so, how did that affect their relationship? In later Celtic literature, there’s a theme of the king deriving his authority from his symbolic marriage to the goddess of sovereignty — was there something of that tradition going on? Was their schism a matter of principle, a personal grudge, or was there a power struggle between them that they could never sufficiently resolve?
Cartimandua/Vellocatus
So what was it about this fella, that Cartimandua was willing to rock her tribe to its foundations for him? Maybe she really was just a silly bimbo with no control over her libido… but she seems to have been queen for quite a while by that point, so it’s hard to believe she wouldn’t be aware of the political ramifications. So I like to think there’s a more interesting, emotional story here than Tacitus would have us believe.
How did their relationship develop? Vellocatus’ role as Venutius’ armour-bearer would presumably have brought them into close contact pretty often, so was it something that developed naturally between all their public duties, hunts, festivals, feasts, etc.? Perhaps Vellocatus comforted Cartimandua during an unhappy period, perhaps during a rough patch with Venutius? Or did Cartimandua just see him and go for it? If you want to write something sexy with her going full cougar on her husband's handsome armour-bearer, that would be a blast! I’d love to know Vellocatus’ feelings, too. Was he initially overwhelmed by the attentions of his queen, guilty because he was betraying his lord, or did he just go for it too?
As with Cartimandua/Venutius, I’d be interested in exploring in anything exploring the political implications of their relationship. Was there some sound political reason for Cartimandua to choose Vellocatus? Based on what we know of Celtic fosterage systems, etc. it may be that he was high-born himself, to be such a close associate of the king. Perhaps even a relation of Venutius?
Cartimandua/Vellocatus/Venutius
Equally, I’d love anything exploring the messy dynamics between all three of them at once! Was Venutius so incensed because he was betrayed by the two people he loved most? Being his armour-bearer sounds like it was probably quite a close, personal relationship: perhaps he and Vellocatus were also lovers? Did Vellocatus find himself conflicted, caught between his love for both his king and his queen? If their relationship was under strain, did he perhaps try to step in to mediate between them, only to find himself in love with them both? Did Cartimandua perhaps start an affair with Vellocatus as some sort of take that to Venutius, only to find herself catching feelings? Even after the divorce, did she still love Venutius after everything? There are so many possibilities you could explore! Want to write a fixit where they all settle their differences with a nice, earth-shattering threesome? I certainly wouldn’t say no to that. :D
Honestly, we know so little about these people — we don’t even know their ultimate fates! — I would be thrilled with any sort of story you wanted to tell me!
Art prompts: I love Celtic La Tène art, all those swirling lines, triskeles, hidden animals, etc., so if you want to do something incorporating that style, that would be lovely. Above all, I’d love to see your vision of these people. Historical costume porn — all those wonderful gold torques and armlets, plus the Celts loved their colours! The number three also had great mystical significance to the Celts, so if you’re wanting to go with the full OT3 option, you could maybe do something with that?
Barates/Regina
Regina’s tombstone is one of my favourite things from Roman Britain. It’s a beautiful monument from a husband to his wife, and it’s also almost a microcosm of Roman Britain itself. You’ve got this incredible mingling of cultures: a British woman married to a man from Palmyra, dressed as a very fancy Roman matron — then you’ve also got that element of colonialism and slavery: Regina was Barates’ freedwoman as well as his wife. There’s so much going on here, and there’s probably a great story you could spin out of it.
Don’t feel you have to whitewash the hideous realities of Roman imperialism and slavery, especially where women were concerned. But at the same time, for these two I’d prefer an essentially positive take on their relationship. The beauty of the memorial, and the fact that Regina is specifically referred to as belonging to the Catuvellauni tribe, suggests to me that Barates did genuinely love her and respect her British identity.
That said, the slavery aspect would be a natural source of conflict between them. Think all the Eagle of the Ninth fanfiction tropes: the tension between the growing romance and the awareness that one half of the pairing holds full legal power over the other. How did Regina end up as a slave in the first place? Did Barates perhaps buy her away from an abusive owner, or something like that? Did feelings develop between them first, leading to marriage? Or was it essentially a marriage of convenience that grew into love later?
The multicultural aspect of their relationship is one of the things that makes them so fascinating for me. Although the tombstone is very Roman in form, neither Regina nor Barates seem to have identified as primarily Roman themselves: she being described as a tribeswoman of the Catuvellauni, and he as a Palmyrene. I love stories about couples across cultures, so I’d love any kind of slice-of-life about the two of them learning the customs and traditions of each other’s people, perhaps even learning each other’s languages. If Barates was a merchant or attached to the army in some way, did Regina help him to get to grips with British ways?
I feel you could also have a lot of fun with Regina’s name. “Queen” is an ironic name for a slave, and presumably not her original one, seeing as it’s Latin. Maybe it was given to her by the slave-traders as a reflection of her personality: I sort of love the idea of her not letting anyone forget that she was a woman of the Catuvellauni! Or maybe she was indeed originally high-born, descended from chieftains and/or kings and queens of the old tribal order?
Lucius the Gladiator/Verecunda the Actress
NB: no relation — as far as I know! ;)
We know about these two from a simple potsherd inscribed with their names, found at Leicester, and it’s one of those artefacts I find poignant, because it’s such a simple testimonial to lives that have otherwise been completely forgotten. And again, because all we have of these people are their names and occupations, you pretty much have carte blanche to create any kind of story you want with them!
Why were these names inscribed together? It’s tempting to think we’re looking at the Romano-British equivalent of a glossy showbiz romance splashed across all the tabloids. Maybe they’re both mutual fans, never missing each other’s performances — then, once they actually meet, the sparks fly! Or alternatively, they’re rivals of a sort, vying for the hearts of a fickle public, before they accidentally catch feelings? Or it’s some sort of fake-dating publicity stunt that unexpectedly turns sincere? I feel there are so many rom-com scenarios you could create with these two. :D
If you want to go for something fun and sexy, feel free to lean into all the stuff about gladiators as sex symbols. Is Lucius just the hottest guy in Britannia?? Equally, maybe Verecunda is well-known for naughty comedy roles… ;) The potsherd with their names was found about the site of a bathhouse, so maybe that was a common trysting-place for them. Always a good setting for something steamy!
There’s potential for angst, too. Gladiators and actors, even the ones who weren’t slaves, were still considered infames: of that class considered disreputable and blocked from certain legal rights and protections, so it could be interesting to explore that side of their lives. Maybe they both find in each other some true companionship and understanding, a relief from the social stigma that surrounds them? Another angsty possibility: Verecunda worrying about Lucius whenever he’s due to fight in the ring, or a Moulin Rouge-style scenario where she’s the object of obsession by a powerful and possessive patron of the arts? Do Lucius’ lanista and Verecunda’s manager make him fight a duel to the death in the arena (rigged, naturally) for the chance to earn both their freedoms? I’m here for all the melodrama!
One big question: what are a gladiator and an actress doing in Leicester, a city that - so far - has turned up no evidence of either a theatre or an arena? Perhaps they belong to touring companies, or they’re brought in for a special occasion: a festival, or an entertainment being put on by a local big-wig to buy public goodwill ahead of elections? Is it only ever meant to be a fling, ships passing in the night? If so, do they find a way to be together permanently? Maybe they win their freedom and go to live in Ratae, precisely because it has no amphitheatre or theatre.
Worth noting: I’ve been going with the usual interpretation of the inscription, which translates the word ludia as “actress”, but it can also be interpreted as “dancer” — and even conceivably “female gladiator”. Do with that what you will!
