![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Yuletide Letter (2016)
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Thank you so much for volunteering to write a fic for me! Please feel free to take a look around my journal if you want to see what kinds of stories I like. You can find my Fanfic Masterlist here, and the fics are also tagged by fandom and/or title in the sidebar. As you can see, I mostly read and write m/m slash, but if you don't feel comfortable writing that, I would be perfectly happy with a gen story, (or also het, for the fandoms that have female characters) too!
Btw, my name on A03 is geri_chan, the same as here on LJ/IJ.
Likes: Love stories with happy endings. Romantic fluff is fine, but I also like angsty fics--as long as they eventually end happily. For gen, I have a soft spot for stories about family or friendship. For both romance and gen: humor, drama, hurt/comfort--it's all good, as long as it ends happily, or at least hopefully. (Actually, I have a pretty big narrative kink for emotional hurt/comfort in particular.) If you decide to write romance, I'm fine with any rating--explicit, steamy sex scenes are great, but I'm happy even if it doesn't go beyond a kiss or fade-to-black. The emotions that the characters share are more important to me than the level of physical affection.
Dislikes/squicks: Character death, noncon, infidelity, mpreg (not really expecting that in these fandoms, but just to be on the safe side). And I generally don't read BDSM unless I'm familiar with the author and know how they'll handle it. Also, it's not a big squick, but I'm not really into threesomes--I'm more into the "two people find true love" trope.
Listed below are some prompt ideas for my chosen fandoms in case you'd like some suggestions, but I want to stress that these are only suggestions and you should feel free to follow your muse, so please don't be intimidated by my very long comments! (I love character/meta discussion and tend to get carried away when talking about my favorite fandoms.) If you come up with an idea that's completely different, it will be all the more exciting for me because it's a surprise, and I'm sure I'll be thrilled with whatever you write!
The Aibou section of the letter is longer than the rest in order to include a variety of character prompts for my "any" request, and some fandom/character discussion to hopefully entice new fans to the show. I promise I will be equally happy with whichever fandom you choose to write for!
Please be aware that my letter may contain spoilers for the various canons.
相棒 | Aibou | Partners (TV) (Any--Itami Kenichi, Kai Tooru, Kanbe Takeru, Sugishita Ukyo):
See my Aibou tags (including past letters) for more on my thoughts about the show and characters.
There's not much of an English-speaking fandom for this show, so I'd be thrilled with any fic about any of the characters! Shippy or gen, casefic or stories about any of the guys' personal lives--it's all good! What I love most about the show is the characters and their interactions with each other, so you could write a story about them just hanging out at Hana no Sato for a drink after work and I would be perfectly happy.
That said, in case you need some ideas, here are some prompts and thoughts about the characters:
I really love that all Sugishita's partners are quite different, as are his relationships with them. For example, his friendship with first partner Kameyama vs. his (initially, at least) more adversarial relationship with Kanbe. In contrast, Sugishita's relationship with Kai is particularly interesting, since Kai is the first partner that he actually chose, and also because he acts as more of a mentor to Kai, who is younger and inexperienced compared to Kameyama and Kanbe.
I am quite intrigued by the fact that Sugishita specifically chose Kai, and even calls him by the nickname "Kaito" when he usually formally addresses people by their last name plus "san" or "kun". And I like that Kai is idealistic and a bit hotheaded, not unlike Kameyama, and that he's young enough to make some rookie mistakes. I'm currently watching Season 12, and I'm really enjoying watching Kai grow and mature as a detective.
As mentioned in previous letters, what I like about Kanbe is that he's more reserved (compared to the other two partners), and how his outward charm often hides what he’s really thinking. I also like the tension that sometimes develops between him and Sugishita when they clash over moral issues: Sugishita is devoted to exposing the truth no matter what, while Kanbe sometimes wants to bend the rules in order to protect someone and/or show compassion. And on a lighter note, I am vastly amused by Kanbe's squeamishness over dead bodies.
As for Itami, I love his ongoing feud with the Special Mission unit, and I love that beneath all the gruff rudeness and sneering insults, Itami is an honest and decent cop who has more in common with the Special Mission team than he'd like to admit. And I love the rare moments when he shows a softer or more vulnerable side, like in Season 11, Ep. 9 when he is unusually gentle and understanding while questioning Kai, who has suffered amnesia after an attack, or in Season 8, Ep. 15 (狙われた刑事, or "Detective Targeted"), when he's struck with guilt over his failure to protect a witness. That was one of my favorite episodes because he and Kanbe have a brief bonding moment in which they both discuss mistakes they've made resulting in an innocent person being hurt--something that the genius Sugishita, who never makes mistakes, would not understand. Just for that one moment, there was a sense of understanding and connection, and ever since then, I've shipped the two of them together in my headcanon.
And finally Sugishita: I like the way that he never takes offense to Itami's (or any of the other cops') insults, but cheerfully ignores them and carries on with his investigation. I like the different sense of respect/connection that he develops with each of his various partners, and at the same time, I am intrigued and sometimes a little saddened by the sense of distance (however slight) that exists between him and them--well, between him and everyone else, actually. Despite his intellectual brilliance, I think that's his weak point, and one that makes him interesting to me: he’s a bit aloof and sometimes has difficulty with emotionally relating to other people, which I suspect is why he and his wife broke up.
Suggested prompts:
-Any combination of characters working together on a case, or getting together for a drink after work. If you want to explore how the characters do or don't get along with each other, that's great, but feel free to keep it light if you prefer.
-Kanbe temporarily joining Sugishita and Kai on a case--I'd love to see how he and Kai react to each other. Maybe they're each a little jealous of the other? Or maybe they actually get along and commiserate about having to put up with Sugishita's eccentricities.
-Itami seeking out Special Mission's help on a case, or Itami being temporarily demoted to Special Mission as punishment for talking back to his superiors.
-Itami is gay, but is closeted for the sake of his career. One night he goes to a gay bar and is shocked to find Kanbe there, and somehow the two of them wind up going home together. (Kanbe has a canonical ex-girlfriend, so for the sake of fic, let's say he's bisexual.)
-For solo character prompts, maybe a story about the character's past, such as the time that Sugishita spent training at Scotland Yard, or Kanbe's work in the MPD or NPA (either in the past, or after he left Special Mission). For Kai, maybe something exploring his relationship with his father and why they are estranged? And for Itami, you could write a story where he solves a case without Special Mission's interference for once. Or tell me why any of them decided to become a police officer--have they always had a strong sense of justice, or is there a personal reason, such as the death of a loved one or some past injustice that they suffered?
I don't have any fanon ships other than Itami/Kanbe, but if you want to write shippy fic, I'd enjoy seeing your take on the characters! If you want canon ships, feel free to include Tamaki and/or Etsuko. If you want to write slash, I'm fine with that, but I don't care for infidelity, so if you're shipping Kai with one of the guys, please make it an AU in which he and Etsuko broke up amicably or were never a couple to begin with.
You can also feel free to write about about any other Aibou character that you want--I love them all, but didn't have enough slots to include more of them! As mentioned above, I'm watching Season 12, but I'm okay with being spoiled if you have an awesome idea that takes place after that. I'm semi-spoiled for the end of Season 13 (I know how Kai left the show, but not the exact circumstances), so if you have a burning desire to write fix-it fic, please go right ahead! I haven't seen Season 14, but if you want include Kaburagi I'm okay with that as long as he isn't the main focus of the story.
The Chinese site Youku has episodes available for streaming online--with Chinese subtitles only, I'm afraid. Dramacool and Dramanice have some subbed and some raw episodes, though not all the seasons are available. You might also be able to find some videos on YouTube if you do a search for "Aibou" or "相棒", though they're mostly short clips rather than full episodes.
The official Japanese website for the show can be found here.
Blue Bloods (TV) (Jamie Reagan, Noble Sanfino): Seeing these characters in the tag set reminded me of how much I liked the interaction between Jamie and Noble, and that I wished their story arc had lasted longer. Even though Jamie went undercover to investigate the Sanfino family, I think he did genuinely like Noble--after all, he did disobey orders to try and warn Noble about the hit on him, if I remember correctly. And there's all that wonderful potential angst: feelings of betrayal when Noble finds out that his trusted friend is a cop working to arrest him and his family, and feelings of painful conflict for Jamie who has to betray the friend he has come to care about in spite of himself.
I was really hoping (and I think maybe Jamie was too) that Noble was not involved with the family business, even though he may have turned a blind eye to it while accepting the privileges that came with being a member of the Sanfino family. I'd love an AU in which Noble was innocent of any crimes, which perhaps might have left Jamie feeling less guilty--but OTOH, maybe that would make him feel more guilty, knowing that Noble hadn't done anything to be targeted other than be born into the wrong family.
As for Noble, I'm sure he'd still feel bitterly betrayed, knowing that he had been used by his friend. But maybe this would wake him up to the harm his family has done, and realize that he can't simply ignore their crimes--especially if his uncle still puts a hit out on him for (inadvertently) bringing a cop into their crew. And now having lost his family (who are either in jail or regard him as a traitor), maybe he has no one to turn to now except for Jamie?
Or if you want to stick with the canon storyline, I'd love to see Noble and Jamie meet post-Season 2. What is Noble doing now, after he testified against his uncle? Are he and Jamie able to make peace? Maybe he's able to return the favor and save Jamie's life this time, after hearing that a remnant of the Sanfino family (or some other gang) is out to get Jamie?
It would also be interesting to see an AU in which Noble finds out Jamie's true identity sooner than he did in canon. Maybe they're out together when an old classmate or family friend bumps into them and greets Jamie by name, not knowing he's undercover. Or maybe a picture of Jamie with his family shows up in the news or on the internet--it could be as innocent as a candid shot with him in the background at one of his nephew's sports games. After all, his father is famous enough that I thought for sure he'd get outed that way in canon, although it turned out that he didn't. How does Noble react? Does he try to protect Jamie from his family even though he's angered by the betrayal? Or does he tell his family, and then have second thoughts after they decide to kill Jamie?
I totally ship these two, so if you want to write them as lovers, have at it! Let's say Jamie ends up in a relationship with an innocent or reformed Noble--how does his family react? I think they would be okay (or would eventually be okay) with him being gay or bisexual, but I think they would most definitely be opposed to him dating someone from a mob family. How do they win over his family, and is that even possible?
Or if you prefer, some angsty sex while Jamie is still undercover--he knows that he shouldn't, but maybe somehow one thing leads to another and they just get carried away one night.
If you don't ship them, I'm fine with them just being friends--I did love their canonical friendship, after all. In that case, I'd still love to see how the Reagan family reacts to Jamie and Noble somehow managing to patch up their friendship post-Season 2. There could still be a lot of conflict over Jamie choosing to stand by Noble, saying that he deserves a second chance (or if you go the AU route, was innocent of his family's crimes). That is what I love about Jamie, how he'll always stand up for what he believes is right, even if it means going up against his family. Shippy or gen, I think it would be a lot of fun to see what would happen if Jamie brought Noble over to a Sunday family dinner--though it probably wouldn't be much fun for Noble!
I realize I said that I like happy endings, and I know it's kind of difficult to write one for Jamie and Noble, but if you can manage a happy or at least hopeful ending, I'll love you for it! However, it's fine if you feel that a bittersweet ending works better (especially for the angsty undercover sex prompt).
Noble appears in episodes 1, 5, 9, 16, and 21 of Season 2. Blue Bloods is available on dvd, or can be streamed on Netflix and Hulu.
Elemental Blessings - Sharon Shinn (Corene, Garameno, Jiramondi): I love all the worldbuilding in this series, and I particularly enjoyed the political intrigue in Jeweled Fire. I also loved all the new characters we got to meet, particularly Jiramondi and Garameno, who are rivals to inherit the throne, but still seem to respect each other and get along fairly well, perhaps because they can share some empathy for both being regarded as "flawed" heirs: Jiramondi for being gay, and Garameno for being wheelchair-bound. And I enjoyed seeing the cultural differences between Welce and Malinqua, and the culture clash that Corene experiences in an unfamiliar country. As for Corene, I've felt a lot of sympathy for her over the course of the series, having grown up with a mother who saw her only as a pawn to manipulate in her quest for power. Also interesting to me is that she remains a little naive and bluntly honest (even when it's impolitic) despite having been raised amid the court intigue in Welce--which to be fair, is usually less cutthroat than it is in Malinqua.
Canonically, Corene wasn't interested in marrying Garameno, but she did like him as a friend, so I would really be interested in an AU in which she did marry him--whether it's to prove her independence and find a place of her own to belong, or to make an alliance between Welce and Malinqua. Maybe they need to unite against an enemy that threatens them both? Perhaps it starts off as purely political, but slowly matures into love. Or maybe Garemeno decides that he needs a queen who can help him change Malinquan society (including the prejudices that he and Jiramondi experienced), and he sets out to woo and win over Corene.
I also think it would be interesting if Garameno had not been faking his disability but still became the heir and managed to prove himself to be a capable ruler--with Corene's help as his wife if you want to ship them, or if you don't, she could still help him as a friend and advisor. In the gen option, maybe she convinces Darien to appoint her as an ambassador or envoy to Malinqua?
I realize I haven't mentioned Jiramondi yet, and if you want to focus on Corene and Garameno, I'm okay with it if you leave him out or give him a minor role. But I also would love to see a story in which he stays in Malinqua as an advisor to Garameno, and together with Corene as either queen or diplomat, they work to make the country a better place and change its more repressive attitudes. I realize that's a lot to ask of a 1000-word story, so I don't expect them to change the world overnight, but it would be great to see them at least make a start at it and have some hope for the future.
Or if you want to ship Garameno and Jiramondi, I would definitely be cool with that! They'd have to be secret lovers for the time being in Malinqua, but maybe hopeful that someday things will change. Or maybe Steff becomes the heir, and they decide to go to Welce with Corene, where they'd be able to be together openly.
If you don't want to contradict canon, then I would still be happy with Corene, Garameno, and Jiramondi having some adventure together while she's in Malinqua--maybe they're showing her around the city when an attack happens and they get separated from the guards. Or maybe they just want to forget about politics for a few hours and go on a picnic! Or maybe Garameno and Jiramondi visit Welce, and it's Corene's turn to show them around (presumably she's returned home after her post-canon adventures, either permanently or on a visit to assure Darien that she's all right).
I loved the friendship between Corene and the other potential brides (especially Melissande), so if you want to include them in the story, please feel free to do so! In fact, feel free to include any of the other characters, nominated or not, since I love them all. (Well, almost all--Alys, I love to hate. But it's fine to include her if you want to cause some conflict or confrontation between her and Corene.) And I nominated Kayle because I find him fascinating, though I didn't request him since it could be difficult to work him into a story with the other three. However, if you like him and want to include him, I'd be thrilled--but that's completely optional, so don't feel like you have to.
I love Foley, and I'm okay with him and Corene being paired in canon, and I also like Josetta and Rafe, but I still OTP Josetta/Foley (which is Zoe's fault, since she's the one who mistakenly thought Foley was in love with Josetta). So it's fine if you want to write Corene/Foley as a canonical couple, but I'd prefer that their romance not be the main focus of the story.
One last idea to throw out there: it would be fun to have Garameno and Jiramondi draw blessings (either from Corene's set or a temple in Welce) to see what they come up with, and whether than has some bearing on whatever happens to them in your story.
Sharon Shinn has a printable set of blessings on the Troubled Waters page if anyone wants to try it out themselves!
I know there's a new book being released in November, and I will probably have read it by the time of Yuletide reveals, so don't worry about spoiling me, but also don't feel obligated to reference it in your fic if you don't want to.
ETA 10/13/16: I've been re-reading Jeweled Fire, and just had a thought if you're open to fanon pairings and want to include Foley. I still ship Corene/Garameno, but I also like Foley being loyal and devoted to her, and it occurred to me that if he and Jiramondi (very discreetly) became a couple, he could stay in Malinqua as her loyal guard after she's married without feeling like a bit like a third wheel, as he did with Josetta and Rafe. Also, I like the idea of everyone being happy! But as with the Kayle prompt, this is 100 percent optional since Foley wasn't nominated.
Haru wo Daiteita | Embracing Love (Any--Iwaki Kyousuke, Katou Youji, Kikuchi Katsuya, Onozuka Yuu): I nominated my favorite characters (Iwaki, Katou, Onozuka, and Kikuchi), but am requesting "0" characters in order to give potential writers the freedom to write about any character(s) they want. Onozuka doesn't appear until Book 8, and I know that people who have only read the BeBeautiful or Viz books might not be familiar with him. So if you write a story including Onozuka, that would be awesome, but if you would just like to write about Iwaki and/or Katou and/or Kikuchi, that would be awesome also! This is one fandom for which I can definitely say that I would be happy to get a story about any character, so feel free to write about whomever you want--I love absolutely every character in the series, even the minor supporting ones! That means if you have a burning desire to write about an unnominated character, feel free to have at it!
What I like most about Kikuchi and Onozuka are how devious and complex they are. Kikuchi is a jerk towards Iwaki and Katou, but at the same time, I can understand his bitterness and have some sympathy for the way his career was destroyed by the past gay scandal. As for Onozuka, he's a manipulative bastard, but he's also very loyal towards his friends. I ship the two of them together in my fics, so I would be thrilled if you wanted to write that pairing, but since it's purely fanon, please don't feel like you have to. It would be great if you wanted to include either or both of them as gen characters: perhaps Kikuchi is scheming to make trouble for Katou and Iwaki, and/or Onozuka schemes to help his friends; or Kikuchi and Onozuka team up to play a (mostly) harmless prank on Iwaki and Katou; or I'd be happy with a fic showing Iwaki and/or Katou working on a movie with Kikuchi and/or Onozuka.
If you do choose to write Kikuchi and Onozuka as a couple, I'd love to see them having lovers' quarrels for the pleasure of making up later--maybe one day it goes too far and a fake quarrel becomes real, or maybe their coworkers get fed up with all the drama and decide to teach them a lesson. Or show me how they got together in the first place! (Obviously, I have my own headcanon for that in my fics, but I'd love to see a different take on the pairing.)
If you prefer to concentrate on Iwaki and Katou, that's absolutely fine, too. Part of what I like about them is how different their personalities are: how open Katou is about his feelings, and in contrast, how Iwaki has difficulty expressing his feelings, and how that often leads to misunderstandings and conflicts between them. Iwaki seems to have some trust issues, and I love seeing how he slowly begins to trust and open up to Katou in the manga, so I would enjoy seeing that examined in a fic. Some prompt suggestions: the two of them fighting over a misunderstanding (such as the tabloid article about Katou's alleged infidelity in Book 2), or Katou wanting Iwaki to do something romantic (such as a public date or exchanging candy on Valentines Day) in order to be reassured that Iwaki loves him, but Iwaki is embarrassed by the idea and unintentionally hurts Katou's feelings by refusing to go along with it.
I'm also intrigued by the storyline in the more recent volumes, when after Iwaki is hospitalized, Katou is shaken by the realization that he doesn't have the legal rights of a spouse because their marriage isn't recognized in Japan. He considers marriage-by-adoption, but his father is hurt and angered at the thought of Katou leaving their family to be adopted into Iwaki's family. So Katou decides he wants to fight to make same-sex marriage legal, although Iwaki seems less certain about the idea and apprehensive about what Katou might do. If you'd like to run with this idea, maybe you could explore how the public and the media react to Katou's campaign--are they supportive or hostile, or maybe a combination of both? Perhaps young gay actors or fans start to look up to them as role models, something the very reserved and private Iwaki might be a little uncomfortable with.
Since the fandom is a yaoi manga/anime, I'm assuming most people are interested in the slash pairings, but if you would like to write a story focusing mainly on a solo character, I'd be happy with that, too! For Iwaki or Katou, maybe a story about their past career in the porn industry before they became a couple? For Kikuchi, I'd love to see a story taking a look at the scandal that forced him to leave Japan, and/or showing us what his life in America was like. For Onozuka, maybe something about how he got into show business or why he's so devious?
Viz is currently releasing the manga in both print and e-book form.
The Youka Nitta LJ comm has some summaries of the later chapters, but since the comm is friends-locked, you'll need to join to see the entries.
甘々と稲妻 | Sweetness and Lightning (Inuzuka Kouhei, Yagi Yuusuke): For those not familiar with this fandom, it's a very easy one to access, as the manga is currently being published in the US by Kodansha, and the anime is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. Kouhei is a high school teacher and recently widowed father who wants to learn how to cook delicious meals for his daughter Tsumugi. By chance, he stumbles across the restaurant owned by the mother of his student Kotori, and he and Kotori end up learning to cook together. His old friend Yagi works at a restaurant as well, and sometimes joins Kouhei, Tsumugi, and Kotori on their cooking adventures.
This is such an adorable manga/anime, and I love the recipes and all the references to food and cooking. I love how Kouhei's doing in his best in a difficult situation, and how he's trying so hard to be a good father to Tsumugi. He's not perfect, and sometimes he makes mistakes, but I love the way he always does his best to make things right and explain things properly to Tsumugi.
As for Yagi, he's stoic and a bit sardonic on the surface, and even looks a bit scary--Kotori mistakes him for a kidnapper when she spots him with Tsumugi. But he's clearly a kindhearted and good guy deep down, and I like how that contrasts with his outward appearance.
I started shipping these two when I was watching the episode where Yagi mentions that he used to cook for Kouhei when they were in high school, and there were several comments on the Crunchyroll site saying that it sounded like Yagi had a crush on Kouhei, and maybe still has a thing for him now. (Sorry, I forget which episode it was, but I think it might have been the gyoza one.) Ever since then, I haven't been able to get the idea out of my head, so I'd love to see a fic in which the oblivous Kouhei finally realizes that Yagi is in love with him--maybe someone else points it out. (I think Shinobu would be the first to notice, or Tsumugi could innocently and off-handedly mention how much Yagi likes Daddy.) Or maybe Yagi blurts it out after drinking a little too much one night. Or maybe you have a competely different scenario! I'm sure Kouhei would be taken aback, and I'd love to see how he deals with it and comes to recognize his own feelings for Yagi. Bonus points if they show each other their feelings through their cooking! (But don't feel like you have to stick to the canonical cooking/recipe story format unless you want to.)
If you don't ship them, that's fine, because I love the canon version too! In that case, I'd love to see a story about their high school days, or a canonical-style story in which they cook together (with Tsumugi, Kotori, and/or Shinobu if you want). Or maybe it's Yagi who gives Kouhei a cooking lesson this time, or he and Kouhei and Tsumugi go out together on an outing (maybe to the zoo, or a picnic or camping, if you want suggestions). Or Tsumugi is sleeping over at a friend's house, leaving Kouhei free to relax for an evening and go out drinking with Yagi.
I also love Tsumugi, Kotori, and Shinobu, so it's absolutely fine to include them (and/or Kotori's mom) if you want to! But I don't ship Kouhei/Kotori, so please keep their relationship platonic, although it's perfectly fine to reference her crush on him the way canon does.
Completely optional option: If you happen to be a fan of the What Did You Eat Yesterday manga and want to write a crossover, feel free to do so! The emphasis on cooking (and emotions being shown through the cooking) is very similar in both stories, so they seem well-suited to each other. Shiro could be a fan of Kotori's mom, or maybe he or Kenji are friends of Kouhei or Yagi. However, this prompt is of course 100 percent optional, and I'm just throwing it out there in case you're a fan of both stories.
Once again, my prompts are just suggestions, so please don't feel bound to follow them if you come up with something different! I'd be overjoyed to get fic for any of my small fandoms, so I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever you come up with. ^_^
Thank you so much for volunteering to write a fic for me! Please feel free to take a look around my journal if you want to see what kinds of stories I like. You can find my Fanfic Masterlist here, and the fics are also tagged by fandom and/or title in the sidebar. As you can see, I mostly read and write m/m slash, but if you don't feel comfortable writing that, I would be perfectly happy with a gen story, (or also het, for the fandoms that have female characters) too!
Btw, my name on A03 is geri_chan, the same as here on LJ/IJ.
Likes: Love stories with happy endings. Romantic fluff is fine, but I also like angsty fics--as long as they eventually end happily. For gen, I have a soft spot for stories about family or friendship. For both romance and gen: humor, drama, hurt/comfort--it's all good, as long as it ends happily, or at least hopefully. (Actually, I have a pretty big narrative kink for emotional hurt/comfort in particular.) If you decide to write romance, I'm fine with any rating--explicit, steamy sex scenes are great, but I'm happy even if it doesn't go beyond a kiss or fade-to-black. The emotions that the characters share are more important to me than the level of physical affection.
Dislikes/squicks: Character death, noncon, infidelity, mpreg (not really expecting that in these fandoms, but just to be on the safe side). And I generally don't read BDSM unless I'm familiar with the author and know how they'll handle it. Also, it's not a big squick, but I'm not really into threesomes--I'm more into the "two people find true love" trope.
Listed below are some prompt ideas for my chosen fandoms in case you'd like some suggestions, but I want to stress that these are only suggestions and you should feel free to follow your muse, so please don't be intimidated by my very long comments! (I love character/meta discussion and tend to get carried away when talking about my favorite fandoms.) If you come up with an idea that's completely different, it will be all the more exciting for me because it's a surprise, and I'm sure I'll be thrilled with whatever you write!
The Aibou section of the letter is longer than the rest in order to include a variety of character prompts for my "any" request, and some fandom/character discussion to hopefully entice new fans to the show. I promise I will be equally happy with whichever fandom you choose to write for!
Please be aware that my letter may contain spoilers for the various canons.
相棒 | Aibou | Partners (TV) (Any--Itami Kenichi, Kai Tooru, Kanbe Takeru, Sugishita Ukyo):
See my Aibou tags (including past letters) for more on my thoughts about the show and characters.
There's not much of an English-speaking fandom for this show, so I'd be thrilled with any fic about any of the characters! Shippy or gen, casefic or stories about any of the guys' personal lives--it's all good! What I love most about the show is the characters and their interactions with each other, so you could write a story about them just hanging out at Hana no Sato for a drink after work and I would be perfectly happy.
That said, in case you need some ideas, here are some prompts and thoughts about the characters:
I really love that all Sugishita's partners are quite different, as are his relationships with them. For example, his friendship with first partner Kameyama vs. his (initially, at least) more adversarial relationship with Kanbe. In contrast, Sugishita's relationship with Kai is particularly interesting, since Kai is the first partner that he actually chose, and also because he acts as more of a mentor to Kai, who is younger and inexperienced compared to Kameyama and Kanbe.
I am quite intrigued by the fact that Sugishita specifically chose Kai, and even calls him by the nickname "Kaito" when he usually formally addresses people by their last name plus "san" or "kun". And I like that Kai is idealistic and a bit hotheaded, not unlike Kameyama, and that he's young enough to make some rookie mistakes. I'm currently watching Season 12, and I'm really enjoying watching Kai grow and mature as a detective.
As mentioned in previous letters, what I like about Kanbe is that he's more reserved (compared to the other two partners), and how his outward charm often hides what he’s really thinking. I also like the tension that sometimes develops between him and Sugishita when they clash over moral issues: Sugishita is devoted to exposing the truth no matter what, while Kanbe sometimes wants to bend the rules in order to protect someone and/or show compassion. And on a lighter note, I am vastly amused by Kanbe's squeamishness over dead bodies.
As for Itami, I love his ongoing feud with the Special Mission unit, and I love that beneath all the gruff rudeness and sneering insults, Itami is an honest and decent cop who has more in common with the Special Mission team than he'd like to admit. And I love the rare moments when he shows a softer or more vulnerable side, like in Season 11, Ep. 9 when he is unusually gentle and understanding while questioning Kai, who has suffered amnesia after an attack, or in Season 8, Ep. 15 (狙われた刑事, or "Detective Targeted"), when he's struck with guilt over his failure to protect a witness. That was one of my favorite episodes because he and Kanbe have a brief bonding moment in which they both discuss mistakes they've made resulting in an innocent person being hurt--something that the genius Sugishita, who never makes mistakes, would not understand. Just for that one moment, there was a sense of understanding and connection, and ever since then, I've shipped the two of them together in my headcanon.
And finally Sugishita: I like the way that he never takes offense to Itami's (or any of the other cops') insults, but cheerfully ignores them and carries on with his investigation. I like the different sense of respect/connection that he develops with each of his various partners, and at the same time, I am intrigued and sometimes a little saddened by the sense of distance (however slight) that exists between him and them--well, between him and everyone else, actually. Despite his intellectual brilliance, I think that's his weak point, and one that makes him interesting to me: he’s a bit aloof and sometimes has difficulty with emotionally relating to other people, which I suspect is why he and his wife broke up.
Suggested prompts:
-Any combination of characters working together on a case, or getting together for a drink after work. If you want to explore how the characters do or don't get along with each other, that's great, but feel free to keep it light if you prefer.
-Kanbe temporarily joining Sugishita and Kai on a case--I'd love to see how he and Kai react to each other. Maybe they're each a little jealous of the other? Or maybe they actually get along and commiserate about having to put up with Sugishita's eccentricities.
-Itami seeking out Special Mission's help on a case, or Itami being temporarily demoted to Special Mission as punishment for talking back to his superiors.
-Itami is gay, but is closeted for the sake of his career. One night he goes to a gay bar and is shocked to find Kanbe there, and somehow the two of them wind up going home together. (Kanbe has a canonical ex-girlfriend, so for the sake of fic, let's say he's bisexual.)
-For solo character prompts, maybe a story about the character's past, such as the time that Sugishita spent training at Scotland Yard, or Kanbe's work in the MPD or NPA (either in the past, or after he left Special Mission). For Kai, maybe something exploring his relationship with his father and why they are estranged? And for Itami, you could write a story where he solves a case without Special Mission's interference for once. Or tell me why any of them decided to become a police officer--have they always had a strong sense of justice, or is there a personal reason, such as the death of a loved one or some past injustice that they suffered?
I don't have any fanon ships other than Itami/Kanbe, but if you want to write shippy fic, I'd enjoy seeing your take on the characters! If you want canon ships, feel free to include Tamaki and/or Etsuko. If you want to write slash, I'm fine with that, but I don't care for infidelity, so if you're shipping Kai with one of the guys, please make it an AU in which he and Etsuko broke up amicably or were never a couple to begin with.
You can also feel free to write about about any other Aibou character that you want--I love them all, but didn't have enough slots to include more of them! As mentioned above, I'm watching Season 12, but I'm okay with being spoiled if you have an awesome idea that takes place after that. I'm semi-spoiled for the end of Season 13 (I know how Kai left the show, but not the exact circumstances), so if you have a burning desire to write fix-it fic, please go right ahead! I haven't seen Season 14, but if you want include Kaburagi I'm okay with that as long as he isn't the main focus of the story.
The Chinese site Youku has episodes available for streaming online--with Chinese subtitles only, I'm afraid. Dramacool and Dramanice have some subbed and some raw episodes, though not all the seasons are available. You might also be able to find some videos on YouTube if you do a search for "Aibou" or "相棒", though they're mostly short clips rather than full episodes.
The official Japanese website for the show can be found here.
Blue Bloods (TV) (Jamie Reagan, Noble Sanfino): Seeing these characters in the tag set reminded me of how much I liked the interaction between Jamie and Noble, and that I wished their story arc had lasted longer. Even though Jamie went undercover to investigate the Sanfino family, I think he did genuinely like Noble--after all, he did disobey orders to try and warn Noble about the hit on him, if I remember correctly. And there's all that wonderful potential angst: feelings of betrayal when Noble finds out that his trusted friend is a cop working to arrest him and his family, and feelings of painful conflict for Jamie who has to betray the friend he has come to care about in spite of himself.
I was really hoping (and I think maybe Jamie was too) that Noble was not involved with the family business, even though he may have turned a blind eye to it while accepting the privileges that came with being a member of the Sanfino family. I'd love an AU in which Noble was innocent of any crimes, which perhaps might have left Jamie feeling less guilty--but OTOH, maybe that would make him feel more guilty, knowing that Noble hadn't done anything to be targeted other than be born into the wrong family.
As for Noble, I'm sure he'd still feel bitterly betrayed, knowing that he had been used by his friend. But maybe this would wake him up to the harm his family has done, and realize that he can't simply ignore their crimes--especially if his uncle still puts a hit out on him for (inadvertently) bringing a cop into their crew. And now having lost his family (who are either in jail or regard him as a traitor), maybe he has no one to turn to now except for Jamie?
Or if you want to stick with the canon storyline, I'd love to see Noble and Jamie meet post-Season 2. What is Noble doing now, after he testified against his uncle? Are he and Jamie able to make peace? Maybe he's able to return the favor and save Jamie's life this time, after hearing that a remnant of the Sanfino family (or some other gang) is out to get Jamie?
It would also be interesting to see an AU in which Noble finds out Jamie's true identity sooner than he did in canon. Maybe they're out together when an old classmate or family friend bumps into them and greets Jamie by name, not knowing he's undercover. Or maybe a picture of Jamie with his family shows up in the news or on the internet--it could be as innocent as a candid shot with him in the background at one of his nephew's sports games. After all, his father is famous enough that I thought for sure he'd get outed that way in canon, although it turned out that he didn't. How does Noble react? Does he try to protect Jamie from his family even though he's angered by the betrayal? Or does he tell his family, and then have second thoughts after they decide to kill Jamie?
I totally ship these two, so if you want to write them as lovers, have at it! Let's say Jamie ends up in a relationship with an innocent or reformed Noble--how does his family react? I think they would be okay (or would eventually be okay) with him being gay or bisexual, but I think they would most definitely be opposed to him dating someone from a mob family. How do they win over his family, and is that even possible?
Or if you prefer, some angsty sex while Jamie is still undercover--he knows that he shouldn't, but maybe somehow one thing leads to another and they just get carried away one night.
If you don't ship them, I'm fine with them just being friends--I did love their canonical friendship, after all. In that case, I'd still love to see how the Reagan family reacts to Jamie and Noble somehow managing to patch up their friendship post-Season 2. There could still be a lot of conflict over Jamie choosing to stand by Noble, saying that he deserves a second chance (or if you go the AU route, was innocent of his family's crimes). That is what I love about Jamie, how he'll always stand up for what he believes is right, even if it means going up against his family. Shippy or gen, I think it would be a lot of fun to see what would happen if Jamie brought Noble over to a Sunday family dinner--though it probably wouldn't be much fun for Noble!
I realize I said that I like happy endings, and I know it's kind of difficult to write one for Jamie and Noble, but if you can manage a happy or at least hopeful ending, I'll love you for it! However, it's fine if you feel that a bittersweet ending works better (especially for the angsty undercover sex prompt).
Noble appears in episodes 1, 5, 9, 16, and 21 of Season 2. Blue Bloods is available on dvd, or can be streamed on Netflix and Hulu.
Elemental Blessings - Sharon Shinn (Corene, Garameno, Jiramondi): I love all the worldbuilding in this series, and I particularly enjoyed the political intrigue in Jeweled Fire. I also loved all the new characters we got to meet, particularly Jiramondi and Garameno, who are rivals to inherit the throne, but still seem to respect each other and get along fairly well, perhaps because they can share some empathy for both being regarded as "flawed" heirs: Jiramondi for being gay, and Garameno for being wheelchair-bound. And I enjoyed seeing the cultural differences between Welce and Malinqua, and the culture clash that Corene experiences in an unfamiliar country. As for Corene, I've felt a lot of sympathy for her over the course of the series, having grown up with a mother who saw her only as a pawn to manipulate in her quest for power. Also interesting to me is that she remains a little naive and bluntly honest (even when it's impolitic) despite having been raised amid the court intigue in Welce--which to be fair, is usually less cutthroat than it is in Malinqua.
Canonically, Corene wasn't interested in marrying Garameno, but she did like him as a friend, so I would really be interested in an AU in which she did marry him--whether it's to prove her independence and find a place of her own to belong, or to make an alliance between Welce and Malinqua. Maybe they need to unite against an enemy that threatens them both? Perhaps it starts off as purely political, but slowly matures into love. Or maybe Garemeno decides that he needs a queen who can help him change Malinquan society (including the prejudices that he and Jiramondi experienced), and he sets out to woo and win over Corene.
I also think it would be interesting if Garameno had not been faking his disability but still became the heir and managed to prove himself to be a capable ruler--with Corene's help as his wife if you want to ship them, or if you don't, she could still help him as a friend and advisor. In the gen option, maybe she convinces Darien to appoint her as an ambassador or envoy to Malinqua?
I realize I haven't mentioned Jiramondi yet, and if you want to focus on Corene and Garameno, I'm okay with it if you leave him out or give him a minor role. But I also would love to see a story in which he stays in Malinqua as an advisor to Garameno, and together with Corene as either queen or diplomat, they work to make the country a better place and change its more repressive attitudes. I realize that's a lot to ask of a 1000-word story, so I don't expect them to change the world overnight, but it would be great to see them at least make a start at it and have some hope for the future.
Or if you want to ship Garameno and Jiramondi, I would definitely be cool with that! They'd have to be secret lovers for the time being in Malinqua, but maybe hopeful that someday things will change. Or maybe Steff becomes the heir, and they decide to go to Welce with Corene, where they'd be able to be together openly.
If you don't want to contradict canon, then I would still be happy with Corene, Garameno, and Jiramondi having some adventure together while she's in Malinqua--maybe they're showing her around the city when an attack happens and they get separated from the guards. Or maybe they just want to forget about politics for a few hours and go on a picnic! Or maybe Garameno and Jiramondi visit Welce, and it's Corene's turn to show them around (presumably she's returned home after her post-canon adventures, either permanently or on a visit to assure Darien that she's all right).
I loved the friendship between Corene and the other potential brides (especially Melissande), so if you want to include them in the story, please feel free to do so! In fact, feel free to include any of the other characters, nominated or not, since I love them all. (Well, almost all--Alys, I love to hate. But it's fine to include her if you want to cause some conflict or confrontation between her and Corene.) And I nominated Kayle because I find him fascinating, though I didn't request him since it could be difficult to work him into a story with the other three. However, if you like him and want to include him, I'd be thrilled--but that's completely optional, so don't feel like you have to.
I love Foley, and I'm okay with him and Corene being paired in canon, and I also like Josetta and Rafe, but I still OTP Josetta/Foley (which is Zoe's fault, since she's the one who mistakenly thought Foley was in love with Josetta). So it's fine if you want to write Corene/Foley as a canonical couple, but I'd prefer that their romance not be the main focus of the story.
One last idea to throw out there: it would be fun to have Garameno and Jiramondi draw blessings (either from Corene's set or a temple in Welce) to see what they come up with, and whether than has some bearing on whatever happens to them in your story.
Sharon Shinn has a printable set of blessings on the Troubled Waters page if anyone wants to try it out themselves!
I know there's a new book being released in November, and I will probably have read it by the time of Yuletide reveals, so don't worry about spoiling me, but also don't feel obligated to reference it in your fic if you don't want to.
ETA 10/13/16: I've been re-reading Jeweled Fire, and just had a thought if you're open to fanon pairings and want to include Foley. I still ship Corene/Garameno, but I also like Foley being loyal and devoted to her, and it occurred to me that if he and Jiramondi (very discreetly) became a couple, he could stay in Malinqua as her loyal guard after she's married without feeling like a bit like a third wheel, as he did with Josetta and Rafe. Also, I like the idea of everyone being happy! But as with the Kayle prompt, this is 100 percent optional since Foley wasn't nominated.
Haru wo Daiteita | Embracing Love (Any--Iwaki Kyousuke, Katou Youji, Kikuchi Katsuya, Onozuka Yuu): I nominated my favorite characters (Iwaki, Katou, Onozuka, and Kikuchi), but am requesting "0" characters in order to give potential writers the freedom to write about any character(s) they want. Onozuka doesn't appear until Book 8, and I know that people who have only read the BeBeautiful or Viz books might not be familiar with him. So if you write a story including Onozuka, that would be awesome, but if you would just like to write about Iwaki and/or Katou and/or Kikuchi, that would be awesome also! This is one fandom for which I can definitely say that I would be happy to get a story about any character, so feel free to write about whomever you want--I love absolutely every character in the series, even the minor supporting ones! That means if you have a burning desire to write about an unnominated character, feel free to have at it!
What I like most about Kikuchi and Onozuka are how devious and complex they are. Kikuchi is a jerk towards Iwaki and Katou, but at the same time, I can understand his bitterness and have some sympathy for the way his career was destroyed by the past gay scandal. As for Onozuka, he's a manipulative bastard, but he's also very loyal towards his friends. I ship the two of them together in my fics, so I would be thrilled if you wanted to write that pairing, but since it's purely fanon, please don't feel like you have to. It would be great if you wanted to include either or both of them as gen characters: perhaps Kikuchi is scheming to make trouble for Katou and Iwaki, and/or Onozuka schemes to help his friends; or Kikuchi and Onozuka team up to play a (mostly) harmless prank on Iwaki and Katou; or I'd be happy with a fic showing Iwaki and/or Katou working on a movie with Kikuchi and/or Onozuka.
If you do choose to write Kikuchi and Onozuka as a couple, I'd love to see them having lovers' quarrels for the pleasure of making up later--maybe one day it goes too far and a fake quarrel becomes real, or maybe their coworkers get fed up with all the drama and decide to teach them a lesson. Or show me how they got together in the first place! (Obviously, I have my own headcanon for that in my fics, but I'd love to see a different take on the pairing.)
If you prefer to concentrate on Iwaki and Katou, that's absolutely fine, too. Part of what I like about them is how different their personalities are: how open Katou is about his feelings, and in contrast, how Iwaki has difficulty expressing his feelings, and how that often leads to misunderstandings and conflicts between them. Iwaki seems to have some trust issues, and I love seeing how he slowly begins to trust and open up to Katou in the manga, so I would enjoy seeing that examined in a fic. Some prompt suggestions: the two of them fighting over a misunderstanding (such as the tabloid article about Katou's alleged infidelity in Book 2), or Katou wanting Iwaki to do something romantic (such as a public date or exchanging candy on Valentines Day) in order to be reassured that Iwaki loves him, but Iwaki is embarrassed by the idea and unintentionally hurts Katou's feelings by refusing to go along with it.
I'm also intrigued by the storyline in the more recent volumes, when after Iwaki is hospitalized, Katou is shaken by the realization that he doesn't have the legal rights of a spouse because their marriage isn't recognized in Japan. He considers marriage-by-adoption, but his father is hurt and angered at the thought of Katou leaving their family to be adopted into Iwaki's family. So Katou decides he wants to fight to make same-sex marriage legal, although Iwaki seems less certain about the idea and apprehensive about what Katou might do. If you'd like to run with this idea, maybe you could explore how the public and the media react to Katou's campaign--are they supportive or hostile, or maybe a combination of both? Perhaps young gay actors or fans start to look up to them as role models, something the very reserved and private Iwaki might be a little uncomfortable with.
Since the fandom is a yaoi manga/anime, I'm assuming most people are interested in the slash pairings, but if you would like to write a story focusing mainly on a solo character, I'd be happy with that, too! For Iwaki or Katou, maybe a story about their past career in the porn industry before they became a couple? For Kikuchi, I'd love to see a story taking a look at the scandal that forced him to leave Japan, and/or showing us what his life in America was like. For Onozuka, maybe something about how he got into show business or why he's so devious?
Viz is currently releasing the manga in both print and e-book form.
The Youka Nitta LJ comm has some summaries of the later chapters, but since the comm is friends-locked, you'll need to join to see the entries.
甘々と稲妻 | Sweetness and Lightning (Inuzuka Kouhei, Yagi Yuusuke): For those not familiar with this fandom, it's a very easy one to access, as the manga is currently being published in the US by Kodansha, and the anime is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. Kouhei is a high school teacher and recently widowed father who wants to learn how to cook delicious meals for his daughter Tsumugi. By chance, he stumbles across the restaurant owned by the mother of his student Kotori, and he and Kotori end up learning to cook together. His old friend Yagi works at a restaurant as well, and sometimes joins Kouhei, Tsumugi, and Kotori on their cooking adventures.
This is such an adorable manga/anime, and I love the recipes and all the references to food and cooking. I love how Kouhei's doing in his best in a difficult situation, and how he's trying so hard to be a good father to Tsumugi. He's not perfect, and sometimes he makes mistakes, but I love the way he always does his best to make things right and explain things properly to Tsumugi.
As for Yagi, he's stoic and a bit sardonic on the surface, and even looks a bit scary--Kotori mistakes him for a kidnapper when she spots him with Tsumugi. But he's clearly a kindhearted and good guy deep down, and I like how that contrasts with his outward appearance.
I started shipping these two when I was watching the episode where Yagi mentions that he used to cook for Kouhei when they were in high school, and there were several comments on the Crunchyroll site saying that it sounded like Yagi had a crush on Kouhei, and maybe still has a thing for him now. (Sorry, I forget which episode it was, but I think it might have been the gyoza one.) Ever since then, I haven't been able to get the idea out of my head, so I'd love to see a fic in which the oblivous Kouhei finally realizes that Yagi is in love with him--maybe someone else points it out. (I think Shinobu would be the first to notice, or Tsumugi could innocently and off-handedly mention how much Yagi likes Daddy.) Or maybe Yagi blurts it out after drinking a little too much one night. Or maybe you have a competely different scenario! I'm sure Kouhei would be taken aback, and I'd love to see how he deals with it and comes to recognize his own feelings for Yagi. Bonus points if they show each other their feelings through their cooking! (But don't feel like you have to stick to the canonical cooking/recipe story format unless you want to.)
If you don't ship them, that's fine, because I love the canon version too! In that case, I'd love to see a story about their high school days, or a canonical-style story in which they cook together (with Tsumugi, Kotori, and/or Shinobu if you want). Or maybe it's Yagi who gives Kouhei a cooking lesson this time, or he and Kouhei and Tsumugi go out together on an outing (maybe to the zoo, or a picnic or camping, if you want suggestions). Or Tsumugi is sleeping over at a friend's house, leaving Kouhei free to relax for an evening and go out drinking with Yagi.
I also love Tsumugi, Kotori, and Shinobu, so it's absolutely fine to include them (and/or Kotori's mom) if you want to! But I don't ship Kouhei/Kotori, so please keep their relationship platonic, although it's perfectly fine to reference her crush on him the way canon does.
Completely optional option: If you happen to be a fan of the What Did You Eat Yesterday manga and want to write a crossover, feel free to do so! The emphasis on cooking (and emotions being shown through the cooking) is very similar in both stories, so they seem well-suited to each other. Shiro could be a fan of Kotori's mom, or maybe he or Kenji are friends of Kouhei or Yagi. However, this prompt is of course 100 percent optional, and I'm just throwing it out there in case you're a fan of both stories.
Once again, my prompts are just suggestions, so please don't feel bound to follow them if you come up with something different! I'd be overjoyed to get fic for any of my small fandoms, so I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever you come up with. ^_^