Dear RMSE Creator!
19 May 2021 18:33![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I'm so excited that you're creating something for me! I know I ramble a lot in my letter, but it's meant to be an inspiration more than anything. I'm not attached to any of my prompts.
Contents
DNWs
I don't have any triggers and I am very hard to squick. There are just a few things I do not want to read about:
- death of main canon characters
- giving main canon characters terminal illnesses or unrecoverable injuries
- giving main canon characters mental illnesses or trauma
- gender identity headcanons for main canon characters
- rape/non-con involving main canon characters
- requested characters cheating on anyone (simply not mentioning canon partners is fine)
- open relationships or poly involving requested characters (simply not mentioning canon partners is fine)
- settings AU, e.g. vampires, coffee shop, different time period, A/B/O, soulmate AUs, ... (canon divergence/altering or ignoring canon events is fine)
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Requested: Arthur Hastings/Hercule Poirot, Hercule Poirot/Mr Shaitana — Art & Fic
I love Poirot! He's notoriously arrogant and vain but still funny and lovely, he's brilliant, he's quirky, he's hopelessly old-fashioned on the one hand but unconventional and open-minded on the other.
Arthur Hastings/Hercule Poirot
Dear Hastings, the noble British gentleman, a little naive and slow, bless him, wearing his heart on his sleeve and in many aspects the very opposite of Poirot. I love their bickering and the way they complement each other despite being so ill-matched at first glance, the way they know to handle each other's quirks and regard them with fondness.
I love how especially the early episodes have so many casually domestic scenes between the two of them that make them seem like a couple more often than not (going on holidays together, cooking and dining together, going out together, meeting friends together), and how both Japp and Miss Lemon never question it.
Visually, I love their outfits. Poirot with his meticulous old-fashioned style, obviously, but Hastings' modern look isn't bad either. They just look so dapper together! Oh, and the contrast when Hastings is especially casual in his shirt-sleeves or with rolled-up sleeves... All the art deco settings are amazing as well.
Prompts
- Undercover as a couple: I know I can't expect a complete case fic, but maybe a small scene of them having to act the couple, or Poirot suggesting the plan to Hastings (I imagine he would be taken aback at first), or entering that discreet establishment for the first time? Surely this leads to a revelation of sorts?
- Dancing: I love men ballroom dancing, slow dancing etc in all situations. Maybe in the privacy of Poirot's flat? Or among trusted friends? As an established couple or for the first time as a part of getting together? Spontaneously in their every-day clothes, or in formal evening wear?
- Blackmail: Poirot and Hastings being blackmailed as an established couple? Can they solve the issue on their own, or can they get some help from Japp or Miss Lemon? Or maybe the blackmailer just mistakes them for a couple when they aren't (yet)? Or just Poirot being blackmailed for an entanglement in the past and trying to keep it to himself but Hastings finds out?
- Fixing each other's clothes: As a secret gesture of affection between an established couple, or subconsciously wanting to be close to the other, or ruefully snatching an intimate moment thinking that's all you'll ever have... It's mostly Poirot doing this in the show, but maybe the other way round happens too?
- Japp & Miss Lemon: What's their take on Poirot and Hastings' relationship? Do they believe them a couple before they are? Surprised to find out that they are? Not surprised to find out?
There are also a couple of hair related prompts in my Mane Event Letter, should that inspire you. :D
Hercule Poirot/Mr Shaitana
(Note: My MC death DNW does not apply to Shaitana's canon death or variations of it, though ignoring or fixing it is fine too!)
What made me first ship them was the beginning of the book. An emotion that Poirot seldom had occasion to feel! Duelists en garde! Moustache admiration! Well, and then the TV series cast Alexander Siddig and made everything gayer and here we are.
Poirot and Shaitana seem to have a lot in common: they are both smart and full of spirits, have an interest in crime/the people that commit crime, have a similar style of dress and level of care for their appearance, are both queer and flamboyant foreigners not quite fitting in. I think there's a lot of potential for mutual understanding and attraction, but at the same time there are aspects of Shaitana that Poirot doesn't approve of or that would infuriate him and which could provide a nice conflict or fuel the attraction even more...
Visually, I love both their outfits so much and they are both so handsome and dapper. They do not get a lot of scenes together, unfortunately, so tbh art-wise I'd be happy with anything that puts them next to each other, really.
Prompts
- Working together: Shaitana collects information and maybe Poirot needs his help or they run into each other investigating the same people? Not expecting a whole case fic, but maybe a scene that brings them closer together/makes them respect each other?
- Moustaches! Book!Poirot finds Shaitana's moustache quite impressive—what about TV!Poirot? Does he like it as it is or does he itch to groom it to his own standards? Does he get competitive and spend even more time on his own moustache? (OMG imagine Miss Lemon's POV!) Do Poirot and Shaitana compare notes on proper moustache care? How does Shaitana like Poirot's moustache? Does he flatter Poirot with compliments? How's kissing? Do they allow each other to touch?
- Clothes: They both care about their appearance a lot and seem to share a taste for flamboyant/quaint style of clothes. Do they fix each others clothes? Stand in front of a mirror together? Do they buy each other stuff? Maybe Shaitana's way of courting Poirot is giving him things? Do they enjoy seeing the other wear the things they gave him in public? Does the vanity reach critical mass?
- I love Poirot's funny outbursts when he works himself into a bit of a temper, and Shaitana seems like a person Poirot would often find infuriating, so what about a little quarrel between them? Would Shaitana be amused? Would he deliberately provoke Poirot? Or does he have his own moods? How do they make up?
- UST: I can easily imagine that, while Poirot might feel fascinated by/attracted to Shaitana, ultimately the mismatch in morals/worldview is too much for him to act upon it. How does he realise, how does he deal with it? How far do things go before Poirot puts an end to it? Or does Shaitana's death make the decision for Poirot? Or is there a turning point that changes Poirot's opinion?
- Fix-it: Could Poirot somehow put the puzzle pieces together early enough to prevent Shaitana's death? Feel free to alter the events of the episode as much as you like. Idk, maybe Poirot and Shaitana were already closer before so that Poirot has more of a chance of knowing things?
Availability
A lot can be found on dailymotion. Overall the series is quite long, but the episodes are all episodic and I don't think you have to watch them all in order to create. Not all of them have Hastings or Shaitana in them anyway. The earlier episodes tend to have the most shippy Poirot/Hastings interactions and mostly are only 45 min. Shaitana appears just in one episode: Cards on the Table.
Albion (Video Game)
Requested: Drirr/Rainer Hofstedt — Art & Fic
I love the detailed world of Albion, especially the tropic Nakiridaani with all those lush plants and animals and the culture of Iskai. I can spend hours walking around there, looking at stuff and talking to people! (Glow-in-the-dark flora & fauna! Pretty buildings that are actually shaped out of living plants! Iskai magic! The Former's' guild house!)
Drirr has a couple of funny moments that amuse me greatly and I love his impulsiveness and the fighting ability he brings to the party—strong and quick and probably a joy to watch. Rainer I love because he's the level-headed, geeky scientist, and I'm probably the only person who is actually sad when he leaves the party. Together, they make the perfect opposites attract/unlikely couple, and there's a titbit of dialog where Drirr's rash actions and Rainer's prudence clash in a bicker-y way that just hits all my buttons. Add to that the cultural and physical differences and how they start out knowing nothing about each other's species, and it makes me all the more curious to see how anything between them would play out.
Visually, I love pretty much everything Nakiridaani/Iskai, and since the graphics are so old I'd be thrilled to see anything in your style. The pixel-y character portrait hints at Drirr looking quite fetching with an athletic body and skimpy clothes, and I'm always here for grey-haired middle-aged scientists.
Prompts
- Cultural differences: Do Iskai kiss? Hug? Dance? Do they have any taboos? Do they have any rituals surrounding sex, dating, ...? Does that lead to confusions or misunderstandings? Maybe there are some gestures that one culture sees as platonic and the other as romantic/sexual and an accidental courtship ensues?
- Differences in physique: Exploring each other's differences and loving them, or some awkward moments and creative workarounds. Maybe Iskai go through some sort of heat or Pon Farr and someone has to help Drirr out?
- Drirr's tail: It's practically a tentacle—I mean long third arm and hand, so what fun uses for it are there? Is it unusually sensitive, maybe? Do Iskai attach any special meaning to things done with the tail vs with hands, or are there any specific gestures for it that Rainer learns to decipher bit by bit? Apart from sex, it could be good for inconspicuous hand-holding or other displays of affection? Or Drirr could use it to startle Rainer, maybe he finds that fun in a "pulling pigtails" sort of way. :D
- AU where Rainer and Drirr already meet during the time when Tom is still in coma: Maybe Drirr is fascinated by this newcomer? How is it for Rainer to see this strange world for the very first time, to try to communicate, to try to learn the first words? Does the Iskai mind-meld help, maybe, and does that spark something between Rainer and Drirr?
- Getting closer during a quiet night around the campfire when they are out with the party? I imagine that must be a little awkward, what with the lack of privacy...
- Sex pollen/magic/...: There are so many weird plants and so many ancient places with forgotten magic, there's probably some fun stuff around! (I bet it's Drirr who accidentally triggers it and Rainer is pretty miffed about it. Or it's the other way round for once.) Could be something that induces lust, or that forces proximity or other intimate situations or... Maybe something weird/funny happens with some ancient magic designed for Iskai biology but Rainer is human?
Availability
Albion is abandonware and as such downloadable in various places, and there are walkthroughs, Let's Plays etc available. It's a very long game, but pretty much everything I'm referencing above happens early on and it's not a story that goes very deep into characterisation, plus I'm not wedded to any of the cultural titbits we learn about the Iskai, so I'm good with taking the character archetypes and the basic facts and running with them in any direction you like. (If you do want to go deep into Iskai lore, though, I'm up for that, too!)
In any case, I've collected some resources here
Jurassic Park (Original Trilogy)
Requested: Billy Brennan/Alan Grant — Art & Fic
Dinosaurs! Scientists doing science things! Ahem. I love Alan, grumpy, quiet, smart, confident in his field of work and in a crisis, a dry sense of humour, solitary and self-contained. He's exactly the kind of still-waters-run-deep type that I find extremely fascinating. He's not the type who forms friendships and relationships easily, what with not liking to be around people very much—and yet he likes Billy, who's in many regards the opposite of him. Eager, easy-going, adventurous, impulsive. I can imagine that Alan likes that Billy sometimes drags him into things (if they don't end him on a deathly island, that is), even if he wouldn't admit it or doesn't even realise it himself. (I'm also very amused by how much it looks like Billy is Alan's pretty boytoy and how appalled Alan would be by the idea.)
Visually, well, apart from all the lovely dinosaurs, Billy is just so very pretty, and I find Alan especially sexy, blue eyes and hat and all. Definitely a fan of that hat!
Prompts
- Alan and Billy never really got a happy moment together on Islar Sorna. What I enjoy so much about the first movie is how it not only shows the horrors, but also the wonders of coming face to face with living dinosaurs, touching them even. I'd love for Alan and Billy to have something like that, being able to enjoy the dinosaurs, learn something new about them, sharing that joy with each other...
- In a similar vein, spending a night on the island together not separated? Huddling for warmth, or clinging together while not trying to fall off a tree during their sleep, or tending to each other's wounds, ...
- What if Alan, upon seeing Billy alive on the helicopter, just snogs him before realising what he's doing? Would Billy be so out of it that he later thinks it was all a dream? I guess the other evacuees wouldn't be too surprised, seeing
- That moment when Billy accepts the Kirby's dinner invitation on both of their behalves and Alan doesn't even seem surprised—were there other incidents where Billy has made decisions like that? Maybe purely work-related decisions at first as Alan learned to trust his skills, then slowly spilling over into private stuff as well?
- Mistaken for a couple: By the students, or the Kirbys, or old friends? (I adore Ellie and Lex, btw, always happy to have them in fic!) Maybe Alan talks more about Billy with his friends than he realises...
Availability
Out of the three movies, Billy only appears in JP3, so that's all you need. JP1 is absolutely worth a watch (the best of the franchise, imo) and it has more of Alan and the whole dinosaur backstory. JP2 is entirely skippable—no Alan, no Billy, no island.
The Slow Mo Guys (Roster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF)
Requested: Gavin Free/Dan Gruchy — Art & Fic
I love everything about The Slow Mo Guys: The amazing slow motion footage, the scientific aspects, watching the set-up of the experiments and the improvisation that goes into it, Gavin's camera geekiness, Dan's willingness and ability to do almost anything.
Most of all, I like Gavin and Dan's friendship: the humour, the banter, the nettling each other, the way they know each other so well and always seem to have so much fun with each other and with their experiments. I also love the boyish aspects of the friendship, the playful rudeness and pranking and tussles and laughing at each other's pain. I'd love to see that preserved in a relationship! A friends with benefits situation is also something I could easily see with these two, or FWB that slowly shifts into a relationship. Also, how cute is them calling each other "B"? Or that Dan in in charge of Gavin's shed? Awww.
Visually, I love the often very colourful or aesthetically pleasing experiments, the messes they make (especially on Dan :D), the funny or stupid faces and poses they capture on camera.
For shipping purposes, I'd prefer IRL relationships to be ignored. I don't mind fictional past relationships or hookups, though. I should maybe also note that while I haven't seen much of Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter, I don't mind any of those people as supporting cast.
Prompts
- Something about Dan getting messy during filming: Maybe Dan chasing Gavin to grab him and rub off on him, and that leading to something more? Feeding each other exploded food? Licking exploded fruit off of each other? Gavin behind the camera finding it sexy when Dan gets messy? Dan getting messy in intimate places? Messy sex?
- Apparently Dan isn't exactly careful about keeping himself covered—bless him—so Gavin has got the occasional eyeful. Maybe that leads to a revelation on Gav's part? The hotel room incident is such a great fic opportunity ! (Was there only one bed by any chance???) Maybe Dan does some of these things on purpose to take the piss and is surprised by the reaction it elicits in Gav? Or Dan does it to test the waters while having plausible deniability? Gavin seeking revenge in some form (setting up a camera maybe?), which might or might not backfire?
- Sexy filming: Slow motion sex? Sexy outtakes from their Slow Mo Guys shooting where they couldn't keep their hands off each other? Making a sex tape? Sending each other stuff over the phone, accidentally or on purpose (to take the piss or because of a long distance relationship)? I love camera geekery, so feel free to include as much technical filming stuff as you like.
- Funny sex: They are laughing and goofing around so much that it's hard to imagine it would be any different during sex. Maybe a stupid idea that turns into a funny mishap?
- Mistaken for being in a relationship: Maybe when they go condom shopping for a Slow Mo Guys vid? Playing along for the laughs until it it makes them realise things? What do the Rooster Teeth colleagues think of Dan and Gavin's relationship when they first meet him?
- Bets and dares: Dan seems to be unable to resist a dare, and Gavin seems to enjoy putting him through all kinds of stuff. Like the ice bottle dare—someone needs to make sure Dan is still fully functional after that ordeal. Or warm him up properly. ;) Any other silly stuff Gavin might come up with that leads to unexpected results? Or maybe someone at Rooster Teeth daring Dan and Gavin both, maybe in a game of Truth or Dare or something like that?
Availability
There's the Slow Mo Guys channel with all their slow mo videos and their second channel with behind the scenes stuff. There's also a playlist of all their appearances elsewhere, like interviews and collabs. Overall, it's a lot of material, but every video is self-contained and don't think you need to have seen everything in order to create.
Winter Begonia (TV)
Requested: Cheng Fengtai/Shang Xirui — Art & Fic
I love Xirui and the many facets of his character: his impatience, his naive impulsiveness, his generosity, his sensitivity and his big emotions, his strength, his recklessness, the stubbornness and the pouts... I love the contrast between his delicate side as an artist and female opera role, and his physical strength and martial arts skills on the other. Fengtai is so much the opposite of that, all business and strategy and calm charm, and yet, he is so fascinated by Xirui, and they get on so well and complement each other. Really, their first meeting is just the best thing: instant heart-eyes on Fengtai's side. He's really very good at those, bless him.
Aside from all the feelings and drama, I really appreciate the sweet and funny moments the show gives us. My favourite side-characters are Cha Cha'er, Lao Ge, Xiao Lai, and Gu Dali.
Visually, this show is just soooo pretty! The way it is shot, the colours schemes, the costumes (not only the opera costumes, but Fengtai's whole wardrobe as well), the main characters... I want to wrap myself in that prettiness. ♥
Regarding Fengtai's wife: I prefer it that she either doesn't exist/you don't mention her, that she's Fengtai's relative instead of wife, or that their marriage of convenience stayed a platonic relationship/friendship with no expectations of exclusivity on either side.
Prompts
- At one point in canon, Fengtai muses about how Xirui is so feminine on stage and so masculine off-stage. I'd love to see that explored. I'd prefer if Fengtai finds both sides of Xirui equally attractive and is fascinated by Xirui's ability to be so many different personalities, but I wouldn't mind at all if Fengtai can admit his attraction to Xirui's feminine roles more easily, or if one or both of them find it easier to initiate things that way. Maybe they start flirting when Xirui is dressed up and then stop when he's out of costume? How does it slowly spill over into their regular interactions/personas? Maybe Xirui worrying that Fengtai is only into him "as a woman", or Fengtai worrying that Xirui is just playing a role and not actually interested?
- There's that scene in the show where Xirui shows Fengtai some of his opera hand gestures—I have a things for hands anyway, so all the hand porn is welcome. Fengtai admiring Xirui's hands? Xirui trying to correct Fengtai and the touch slowly turning into more? How does Xirui feel when Fengtai unexpectedly gets it right—does he like how it looks on him?
- One of those physical fights/wrestling of theirs turning into more? I always love feelings or sexual attraction surfacing in the heat of a fight, anger and adrenaline lowering inhibitions, physical closeness revealing desires...
- Fengtai teaching Xirui western ballroom dancing. I guess there's enough plausible deniability that it's just for Xirui's professional interest to get them started :D
- I like to imagine that Lao Ge is not just a loyal driver and employee, but a close friend as well, seeing how they do have plenty of opportunity to talk in the car. He's probably also the person best informed about Fengtai's whereabouts, being the one driving him and his acquaintances places. So maybe his view of Fengtai's and Xirui's relationship? Maybe he understands Fengtai's feelings before Fengtai does? Does he offer a sympathetic ear? Help keeping the affair secret?
Availability
There are 51 episodes à 45 minutes, all of them available on YouTube. They have serviceable English subtitles (which are all I have to go by myself, btw, so no worries).
General Likes
Any rating works for me, be it for sex, violence, language, or lack thereof. I'm here for the character interactions, and sex can be a great part of that, but isn't necessary for me.
General
- getting together
- romance
- humour
- banter & bickering
- action/adventure/casefic/mystery/...
- flirting
- a pairing's first intimate moments: touches, kisses, sex, ...
- dancing
- friends to lovers
- all variations of forced intimacy when they secretly want it anyway: X made them do it/mistletoe/sex pollen/undercover as a couple/fake dating/having to share a bed
- games like truth or dare, bets, ...
- mistaken for a couple/everyone things they are dating
- coming to terms with things: one's past, one's feelings, ...
- competence/people being good at their job
- matchmaking/friends giving a gentle nudge
- feels like an episode/episode related (missing scene, post-ep, casting a new light upon canon events); matching the canon's tone
- bittersweet/melancholy atmosphere
- geeky/nerdy/techy stuff; science
- UST/becoming aware of one's feelings/trying to suppress one's feelings and failing
- best buddies or colleagues/acting like a married couple/knowing how to handle each other's quirks/settling into routines
- relationships that seem mismatched, unbalanced or unlikely at first glance, but aren't or work out against all odds; couples complementing each other
- keeping romantic gestures under the radar (for example because of period-typical homophobia), relying on subtlety or one's own language; unexpected allies
- a silly premise
- imperfections/not being conventionally attractive
- mixed media
- pre-relationship, UST/pining that's not resolved
Art specific
- stylised or realistic style, clean or sketchy
- landscapes and scenery
- costume porn
- unusual lighting or a strong sense of lighting
- contrast
- limited colour palette
- comics
- illustrations to my fic
- memes
- silly poses and expressions
- action poses/physical activities
- relaxed poses, quiet intimacy
- small domestic moments of living together, like sharing a bathroom and bedroom, doing chores together etc.
- touching, almost touching, being in each other's space
- hands
Fic specific
- all fic lengths
- open or ambiguous endings
- happy endings
- five times fic
- outsider POV: someone else's view on my pairings
Sex Scenes
Top/bottom preferences: As to what tab goes in which slot, I don't care at all. As to who's more assertive, I love a give and take between characters.
Random stuff that I like:
- hand jobs, frottage, intercrural, blow jobs, rimming, anal, fingering
- kissing
- exploring each other's bodies with hands and tongues
- acknowledging the messier aspects of sex, like spit, sweat, semen (though I do not like including other bodily fluids)
- sex that develops spontaneously, diving in and seeing where things take you, trying out stuff and figuring things out on the go
- imperfections and loving each other's imperfections
- minor mishaps, laughing
- bantering/bickering/teasing continuing through sex
- those little moments of pause, or guessing, because you can't read your partner's mind—especially if it's the pairing's first time
- quick frantic sex
- slow sensual sex
- touching through clothes
- sex with clothes on
- sex without clothes on
- slowly stripping each other's clothes
- quickly scrambling out of clothes
- altered states of mind acting like a catalyst: adrenaline rush, alcohol, sex pollen... (as long as I can believe they both secretly want it anyway, I'm fine with dubcon-y scenarios)
Common DNWs I'm fine with
Feel free to include if it fits your story!
- Any kind of -isms, internalised -isms, offensive language etc; especially for historical canons.
- Past relationships (canon and not canon), including past relationships that are important to the characters still. As far as my requested ships are the main focus, I'm fine.
- Unrequested background ships
- Teenagers (14 and above) havings sex, drinking, smoking, taking drugs
- Original characters. As long as my requested characters play a main role, I'm fine. You can do anything you like to OCs—my DNWs don't apply to them. (Well, except for the no AU DNW.)
- OCs as POV characters. As long as the main focus is on their thoughts on my requested characters, I'm fine.
- 1st person POV, 2nd person POV
- Epistolary fic (be it traditional letters, or mails, chats and texts)
- Pre-ship endings, UST/pining that's not resolved. As long as non-platonic feelings are had for requested ships, I'm fine.
- Animal harm
- Dubcon for requested ships. I want to be able to believe that both secretly want it anyway (I'm very willing to believe this!), and that there isn't one deliberately taking advantage of the other, but I'm fine with all kinds of outside forces, under the influence, things spiralling out of control, ill-advised sex, stupid ideas etc.