Trick or Treat 2024 Letter

[elegantstupidity]

Dear Trick or Treater,

I always have such a fun time in this exchange and am so pumped to see what you have in store for me! If you're at all interested in more info than this letter (or any older ones) provides, you can find me on ao3: elegantstupidity or tumblr: megaphonemonday. Absolutely don't feel like you have to, though, because:

This letter is pretty long, especially for a low-minimum exchange. If you use even one or two things that you find here to make your gift, I will be thrilled. Feel free to pick and choose what you like and ignore the rest. While I'd love something for any of the prompts below (most of which hopefully are open-ended enough to go either trick or treat), I'm not married to them. Write a fic for an art prompt or draw something for a fic or take a prompt from one fandom to create for another or pick a like or two from the list and go with that idea you already had! Basically, I'm pretty easy to please and will appreciate anything you create!

Thanks in advance and see you on the other side!

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Navigation
Yes, Please! and No, Thanks!
Requests:

A League of Their Own (Film): Dottie, Jimmy
舞妓さんちのまかないさん | Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san (Manga): Kenta, Kiyo, Sumire
Naruto: Tenten
Pitch: Blip, Evelyn, Ginny, Livan, Mike
Tortall - Tamora Pierce: Kel

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Yes, Please!
genres and styles

• adventure (from the everyday to the epic), angst (though preferably with a bittersweet or happy ending), canon-typical plots, character studies, fantasy and sci-fi, fluff, humor/comedy, hurt/comfort, mysteries and casefic, romance, slice of life
  
• AUs
  • especially canon-divergences, canon+ (basically, the canon setting + some fantastical/magical element, ie: body swaps, unexpected telepathic connections, time loops, etc.), or fusions and genre shifts (ie: daemon AUs, Pacific Rim, Hogwarts, in space!, epic fantasy, etc.)
    
  • exceptions I'm not particularly interested in: A/B/O, de-aging, soulmate/soulmark AUs, or making the setting more ordinary/mundane than canon
• character- and relationship-driven plots
  
• crack relationships or premises treated even halfway seriously
  
• epistolary elements
  • both letters and texts/emails/digital communication as well as in-universe texts/published materials
• future fic and/or missing scenes
  
• parallels and canon callbacks
  
• x + 1 times

details

• competence/characters in their element
  • inversely, I do love a good fish out of water scenario
• competitions of pretty much any kind; I love a good competitive streak
  
• food, baking and/or cooking porn
  
• worldbuilding
  • Even for canons that ostensibly take place in the real world, I love getting a taste of all the little details that add color and texture to these character’s lives.
    • Stuff like: politics/local government, what's on their TBR list, what's in their fridge/closet/bag/car, what kind of celebrity gossip exists in their world, etc.
• Honestly, you can't go overboard on the descriptions and detail, no matter how minute or possibly off-topic. Tell me all about the setting or circumstances, the characters' emotions/sensations, bits of backstory, anything!
  
• some Trick/Treat-specific likes:
  
  • The Halloween of it all: costumes, parties, pumpkins, candy
    
  • ghosts, ghost stories, hauntings, mediums and séances
    
  • monsters and mythical creatures
    
  • magic, curses, witches, the occult, psychic/supernatural powers
    
  • spooky/creepy horror, building fear/tension, atmosphere, characters freaking themselves out (whether or not it's for a good reason)

gen relationships

• loyalty and ride or die friendships
  
• complex friendship dynamics
  • I prefer when conflicts are resolved at least semi-happily, but angst on the way is excellent!
• found families and/or family feels and/or complex family situations
  
• team bonding/group dynamics
  • eg: road trips, pranks, inside jokes, friendship building, nights out, games/game nights, betting pools, roughhousing/physical affection, celebrations/parties, etc.
• mutual admiration societies/positive partnerships
  • I love snark and teasing and even outright antagonism, too, they just have to end up liking each other—even grudgingly.

romantic relationships

• anything from above
  • I really love romances that are built on friendships/trust/loyalty or at the very least some kind of shared history
• pre-relationship and/or getting together plots
  • slow burns, UST, mutual pining, denial, flirting, lingering touches, veiled confessions
  • [enemies/rivals/haters to] friends to lovers
    • I'm all about snarky antagonism/belligerence/teasing as flirting
  • FWBs catching feelings
    
  • breaking the seal
    • i.e. “We just kissed/slept together/did something unmistakably romantic, but we’re definitely not gonna do it again for reasons,” and then they absolutely do it again.
  • basically, any kind of romcom trope that you can imagine
• enforced proximity
  • bed sharing, handcuffed together, locked in a closet, deserted together, curses/spells tethering them, sharing body heat, etc.
• secret and/or "forbidden" relationships
  
• HEAs or HFNs

smut/porn

I'm really not very picky re: specific positions/acts/what goes where but these are all A+:

• feelings
  
  • basically anything that shows how into each other the characters are
    
  • romance, trust, enthusiasm, intensity, tenderness, vulnerability, desperation, neediness [to please], intimacy, hand holding, eye contact, laughing/having fun with it
    
  • Alternatively, I can definitely get behind some hate/grudge sex.
• firsts
  
  • first time together or the first time trying something new or sexual awakenings/kink discovery, shy or desperate or a little awkward, etc. etc. and on and on and on
    
  • resolving UST to "get it out of their systems" or other transparently thin reasons to bang it out
    
  • sex pollen/curses/those kinds of generally dubcon-ish scenarios are also great for characters who are already into each other but haven't, for whatever reason, pulled the trigger on their attraction.
• physicality
• rough sex, hair pulling, holding each other down, losing control, marking, not making it to the bed, etc.
  
• use of athleticism/strength/endurance/stamina/flexibility/focus on physique
  
• general handsiness
• cuddling/close contact, DPs, from behind/bent over something, lap sex, riding, three-/moresomes, wall sex
• teasing
  
  • banter/dirty talk, body worship, grinding/frottage, hand/mouth stuff, phone/cyber/video/etc. sex, solo action, lots of foreplay, etc.

art/visual likes

• For book/nonvisual canons, I tend not to have strong opinions on the characters' appearances beyond what's established in the text. Feel free to draw them however you like!
  
• Meta art, if that makes sense?
  • eg: The design of a character's work ID or baseball/trading card, snapshots they might've taken, or a peek inside someone's bedroom/bag/social media accounts/whatever.
• I'm always down for portraits, especially with fun, graphic backgrounds or textures
  
• costume porn, canon-inspired or not
  
• natural elements like floral prints/flowers, wood patterns, clouds and skies, water, etc. are always a plus
  
• domestic scenes or characters at rest/relaxing
  
• sense of movement/action
  
• unusual angles and perspectives
  
• any of likes from above are also absolutely fair game!
  
• Go as wild stylistically as you like!
  
• Color-wise, I like lots of different things!
  • pastels, rich tones, grayscale, minimal palettes, sepia, monochromatic are all great (probably not all together, but I’m not an artist, so it’s not like my opinion on this, or any, front is particularly well informed).

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No, Thanks!

• established relationship for non-canon ships (unless prompted)
  
• explicit and/or extreme (14 or younger) underage
  • implied or referenced underage sex is fine
• graphic violence or gore
  • canon-typical violence and any injuries, physical fights/battles, etc. that have happened in canon are fine to include
  
  
• humiliation
  • embarrassment is fine to include, but I'd prefer no lingering/extended focus on it
• infidelity
  
• non-canonical character death (unless prompted)
  • killing off OCs is fine
• parent/child incest
  
• pregnancy and/or parenting non-canonical children for requested characters/ships or as the focus of a work
  • babysitting, temporary accidental baby acquisition, or kids who exist in canon are fine
• rape or noncon
  
• requested characters as vampires, werewolves, or zombies
  • Totally fine for these to show up or for the characters to dress up as one, though
• spiders

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Requests

A League of Their Own (Film)
characters: Dottie, Jimmy
format: Art Treat, Art Trick, Fic Treat, Fic Trick

When another movie weaves together history and baseball and gender politics into something that’s actually a joy to watch, it can take over as my new favorite. Until then, I'll be busy adoring this one. There isn’t a plot beat or minor character that I wouldn’t be thrilled to have an extended backstory for. Above all else, though, comes my yearning for more for Jimmy and Dottie. As individuals or together, as friends or baseball partners or something more. They're equals and opposites. Equal in their talent and love for the game, even if they’re not equally honest about it. Opposite places in their careers and approaches, even if every moment they spend together brings them closer to equilibrium. However messy it could be—and with Jimmy involved, mess is nearly guaranteed— they just fit together. The entire trajectory of their relationship—snarky antagonism evolving into grudging respect to actual friendship to love—is just catnip to me.

Re: Bob, as long as Dottie doesn’t physically—I’m very here for the emotional mess that results from possibly falling for her drunk of a coach while her picture perfect husband is off at war, though I’m pretty sure Dottie does her best not to think about it—cheat on him while they’re still married, I’m fine. You can kill him off, they could split up, never have gotten married or even together in the first place, or he could just not exist at all. As far as background ships go, I’m open to anything: Marla/Nelson, any of the Peaches or AAGPBL players together, Ira Lowenstein’s one-sided crush on Dottie. Any and all platonic friendships/rivalries/whatever including as many of the Peaches, as well as Dottie and Kit’s relationship, are more than welcome, too!

prompts

• What does the season look like when Dottie makes an abrupt—and impromptu, judging by the complete lack of fanfare organized by Ira Lowenstein—return to the league? Is it really abrupt, or does it just feel that way to Jimmy?
• Having to rebuild trust and camaraderie with the memory of what their relationship used to be. Jimmy trying to stay angry after she left the game (and him, not that it matters) while Dottie pretends it doesn't bother her. Or the fact that they're not bickering, are painfully polite, is just proof that things aren't as good as they say.
• Any kind of missing scene would be greatly appreciated. Here are some ideas:
• What did Jimmy or Dottie think about the filming of that newsreel? Did they get to see a preview of it, or did they have to go to the theater to see it with the rest of the world?
• Apparently there's a deleted scene (#5) in which, “Dottie isn’t sure if going ‘all the way’ is something married women ‘get to’ or ‘have to’ do.” Um, please expand on how Jimmy Dugan convinces her otherwise, either during the movie or after.
• Aside from sneaking out to roadhouses and breaking into local ballparks, what did Dottie and the Peaches do in their downtime? How hard and how long did Jimmy hold out on joining them?
• I don't know that this movie needs a dose of Southern Gothic (or its midwest equivalent, I guess), but I still know that I'd really like to see it.
• I’m all about one or both of them sublimating all of their confusing feelings for the other into the game. So: Jimmy doing his damnedest to get Dottie through her first major injury intact because the Peaches can’t afford to lose their star. Emotional dishonesty manifesting as a truly embarrassing case of the yips. More and more late night batting practices where not many words are said, but baseball’s always spoken loud enough, anyway.
• For reasons beyond comprehending, Jimmy is asked to judge some competition at the local fair, and he actually agrees to do it, though it takes some cajoling to get him to follow through. Or the organizers actually want one of the players, and Dottie's tapped to be the team representative even before they know it's a cattle show.

art prompts

• I just feel in my heart that either (or both) Jimmy and Dottie would look super cute carving pumpkins. Or at the pumpkin patch to pick them out. Maybe because Jimmy hasn't done it since he was a kid, but refuses to ask for help, not that Dottie would, anyway, or maybe because, like most things in life, Dottie is unfairly good at it.
• I'd love a night-time scene of some sort, maybe in silhouette of some sort? Jimmy's follow through as he watches a homer sail across the moon or Dottie sitting on the boarding house's step as night falls or the two of them walking home from a night game, a step too close but not even realizing it.
• I am always here for baseball card designs! Would love a 1940s design—in black and white or with the limited, super bright color palettes—or a more modern layout.
• Something with an autumnal color palette would be really nice; with Dottie's hair and the pink of the Peaches' uniforms, the reds and golds and dark greens could be so warm and lovely!

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舞妓さんちのまかないさん | Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san (Manga)
characters: Kenta, Kiyo, Sumire
format: Art Treat, Art Trick, Fic Treat, Fic Trick

canon-/character-specific likes and miscellaneous thoughts

I find everything about this manga so sweet and cozy and heartwarming. Not least because the friendship (or something more) between Sumire and Kiyo (and Kenta) forms such a wonderful, loving throughline for this story. Their support of and belief in one another is complete and unwavering. Plus, all the loving attention and detail—to Kiyo's and Kenta's cooking and Sumire's performances and wardrobe and life in the yakata itself—creates such a wonderful homeyness within a completely unfamiliar (to me, at least) setting.

I also really enjoy the juxtaposition of modern-day Kyoto with the traditions and rituals that rule the Kagai. Kiyo goes from shopping in regular supermarkets and pining after bread makers to the tradition-bound community that supports these young women dedicating their lives to these art forms rooted in ceremony and constancy. Just half an hour in the hairdresser's chair transforms Sumire into Momohana. I like that Kenta's going through his own version of this now, too, learning the ritual and order of working in a professional kitchen.

The slice-of-life pace is also really soothing. I am very here for generally low-stakes hijinks and domestic adventures that can never go completely awry. (Though, I'm not at all opposed to seeing the kind of emotional and interpersonal messes these characters could get into as they grow up and hormones/feelings take over.) Quick snapshots of Sumire's life in the Kagai versus Kenta in modern Kyoto just across the river and Kiyo, the bridge between them both make for a lot of variety, which is always fun!

These characters are such joys! None of them are exactly effusive—I love that it's kind of a running joke that they're each a little inscrutable to everyone else—but it's so easy to see how much the three friends love and cherish one another. Kiyo's cheerful industry—she really just wants to feed good food to the people she loves, and that turns out to be pretty much everyone in her life—is so refreshing. She's completely guileless, as kind and caring as she appears. Sumire's dedication to her craft—all that practice and determination to improve—is so admirable, even when it's to the exclusion of pretty much everything else, like remembering to eat. Which is exactly where Kiyo comes in! And I really like that Kenta's finding his feet alongside them now that the path he thought he'd follow has ended. Even with his first love out of his reach, he's dedicating himself to a new passion, trying to keep up with his friends.

• Kiyo and Sumire's friendship is absolutely the backbone of this story for me, (which isn't a dig on Kenta at all; he's vital to their dynamic, but the boy doesn't live with them and just doesn't show up as often). They're so in tune with one another, all that history together making for an unbreakable bond and unshakeable faith. They look to one another to measure their own success—ridiculous but adorable considering the three very different paths they're on—and always root for their friends'.
  
• I am absolutely open to any (or none at all) combination of characters/romantic configurations re: Kenta, Kiyo, and Sumire. Purely platonic friendship for all three? Amazing! Building on the unrequited love triangle as it currently stands? Super! An eventually requited romance, however messy that might be? Excellent!

Any other characters or background ships—I especially love Sumire's relationship with Momoko and Momoko and Azusa's dynamic as well as all the other maiko—you want to include are more than welcome, too! Also, I have seen the live-action adaptation of this (and thought it was great!), so if you'd like to include aspects from that, feel free.

prompts

• There must be ghosts in the kagai, right? Just as some specialize in dance or an instrument or singing, maybe some geiko and maiko specialize in entertaining the dead. And what about the geiko who aren't exactly living themselves?
  
  • I'd also love to see clientele/geiko beyond spirits and ghosts! Go wild with traditional Japanese creatures or pull from all kinds of myths and legends. I just love the idea of some kind of Spirited Away situation where Sumire or Kiyo or Kenta find themselves in another world for their apprenticeships. Or just that Kyoto has a far more diverse population than they'd have ever guessed.
• I'd love to see what Kiyo and Sumire (and Kenta)'s friendship (or has it finally morphed into something more?) looks like a few years down the road!
  
  • How do they navigate Sumire's transition from maiko to geiko? Is it strange to go from living under the same roof to Sumire establishing her own place? Does she still eat most of her meals at the yakata? What about Kenta's progression from apprentice to chef? Does he consider opening his own restaurant or traveling to learn from other chefs? How does Kiyo feel to see her friends make such clear steps forward when she's still cooking in the same kitchen?
    
  • On the romance front, I am very here for any exploration of all the complex feelings that could spring up here! Working up the nerve to act on a long-standing crush on someone oblivious! Realizing the old friend you've known forever is suddenly and confusingly hot! Two old friends starting to see each other and the third feeling left out and jealous. (But of who??) Two of three friends dating and realizing that they spend all their time together talking about the third or getting them to tag along on dates!
• Give any or all of them magical powers and I will be a happy camper! I do love the idea of cooking as a form of literal magic. So what if the reason Kiyo didn't make it as a maiko was because her magical talents were awakening? Does Kenta find he shares that talent, or does he have to make do with practice and perseverance? Or what if maiko training was only open to those with magical gifts, and Sumire is the most powerful candidate to come along in ages?
  
• Time loop? Time loop! I feel like the stakes aren't generally very high in a slice-of-life-type world, so maybe this could be the impetus for heightened drama? Romance? Pure, unadulterated silliness? Or what if it takes a few days to realize what's going on? Is the repeating day a big, important event or completely ordinary? A rare day off or absolutely packed with obligations?
  
• Fusion fic and genre shifts are Halloween-y, right? One canon dressing up as another? Sort of? I'm going to go with my heart here and say yes, so you go with yours!
  • I'm always down for adding a little animal/monster friend to proceedings, so Pokemon fusion or daemon AU? Magical girl maiko? Earth- or waterbending as an integral part of most traditional dances performed by geiko and maiko? Kyoto as a sprawling space station with the innermost areas home to the insular kagai?

art prompts

• Give me all the delicious food art you can take! Kiyo's homemade autumnal treats—candy apples and other sweets or fall classics. Gifts Sumire has received from guests at her dinner parties. Kenta trying out western-style staples at the restaurant. Any or all of them going to town on a pile of candy, both as kids or as they've grown up (but not out of their sweet tooths).
  
• Same goes for clothes! I would love to revel in all the rich, textile detail that must make up Sumire's professional wardrobe! I mean, the colors and patterns of her kimono vary from season to season and month to month; there's just so much potential! Dress Kiyo or Kenta up, too! Either traditionally or in modern Halloween costumes! Maybe using the cover of a mask or costume to be a little bolder than usual?
  
• What does downtime in the fall look like for these three? Strolling among the colorful leaves? Attending an autumn festival? Bundled up in
  
• Honestly, art of any of these three really in their element would be a delight! Sumire dancing or practicing as she walks down the street, lost in her concentration, or watching Momoko perform from behind the scenes at a teahouse. Kenta playing catch just for fun or prepping vegetables at the restaurant or studying cookbooks to refine his technique. Kiyo doing the daily groceries with her giant backpack, daydreaming about the day's meals, or waiting up late with a treat for Sumire or putting the finishing touches on breakfast or dinner for a gaggle of hungry maiko.

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Naruto
characters: Tenten
format: Art Treat, Art Trick, Fic Treat, Fic Trick

canon-/character-specific likes and miscellaneous thoughts

Much as I love the pure ridiculousness that is the Naruto-universe—Ninja! With magic! Demon monsters! Princess-Goddesses exiled to the moon! The worldbuilding possibilities alone are incredible!—it is secondary to my love of Tenten.

• As long as she is front and center, I am happy for you to play as fast and loose with canon/the timeline/worldbuilding/whatever as you like. Bring back characters from the dead or completely diverge from the original storyline! Or go completely canon-compliant! Truly, just after something fun or compelling or heartbreaking or completely off the walls or basically anything about Tenten.

Because, for whatever reason, this walking arsenal with not enough screen-/pagetime is the character from this world who has stuck with me. What can I say? Love me a girl with spirit, big dreams, and an entire armory at her disposal. I love that she can hold her own with, and maybe even outmatch, the bunch of weirdos (which I mean wholly affectionately) on Team Gai.

• To be fair, I also like how much potential she's got because she's such a minor character; there’s a lot of filling in the gaps that could be done with her personality and motivations and relationships, all of which make as much sense as anything else in this world.
  
• Essentially, there are about an infinite number of takes on Tenten that I will thoroughly enjoy. Does she have a tragic backstory that was never discussed? Is she entirely too well-adjusted for the Konoha 12? Does she have some secret talent or hobby? Who knows! Make it up and there's a 95% chance it will still fit in with canon!

Any and all Naruto characters you want to include in supporting roles would be more than welcome. I also love Tenten in all kinds of ships, romantic or platonic, if you want to go that route. There truly isn't a Tenten-involved ship that I can think of that I am not at least a little intrigued by. Some possibilities, though don't limit yourself to: Tenten+any of the Konoha 12 or their sensei, Tenten+other weapons users, Tenten+mentors or students of her own, Tenten+reluctant (or not) allies, etc. etc. Totally happy if these relationships are the focus or in the background, leaving most of the plot to Tenten herself.

Note: I don't consider killing off OCs and/or violence in mission fic to violate any of my DNWs; maybe don't lean really hard on particularly gory/bloody details, but don't feel like you have to shy away from the fact that she's an actual ninja and all that entails in-world.

prompts

• Ninja are basically magic, even if they call it by a different name. So is it possible to be a ninja and a witch, or are they supposed to be mutually exclusive? Does Tenten let any of that stop her?
• Literally, give me anything that involves Tenten being a badass. Kicking butt on a mission—either with Team Gai or on a whole new team (ANBU anyone??); going well or everything's a little FUBAR—or learning a new skill (new weapons! coming up with a new technique! signing a summoning contract!) or getting to teach someone one or two of her own.
• Due to enemy action or her own sealing experiments or a jutsu gone wrong, Tenten—on her own? with a team? with enemies?—somehow ends up back in time. Or in a familiar, but still unsettlingly different, world. A few possibilities:
• Time travel: Warring States/Foundation period—she can meet Mito, and it turns out they have more than a shared hairstyle to bond over; the Third War, or basically any time that would put her in Gai and the other senseis’ age group; pre- or during the Second War, letting Tenten meet the Tsunade she admired as a genin.
• Ending up in a world that is too much like her memory of the Infinite Tsukuyomi to trust anyone she meets.
• A Peggy Sue situation where Tenten ends up in her younger body; how much can she actually affect things, and where do the gaps in her own knowledge of motivations and insider politics trip her up?
• I don't know that I see Tenten actively searching out an eternal rival of her own, but I also can't see her turning one down if it falls in her lap, you know? Then again, it's entirely possible she runs hard in the opposite direction because one Gai Jr. is more than enough, even if her potential rival doesn't agree.
• Tenten absolutely wasn't trying to summon spirits/resurrect the dead/sign a contract with a demon, but now that they're here...
• I don't know, it could be fun to see someone who's not a power-hungry megalomaniac reacting to accidentally raising the dead. Though, depending on who came back/showed up, maybe her shock might not last in the face of a new source of weapons tips.

art prompts

• ANBU!Tenten! That's it. That's the prompt.
• I love her Twin Rising Dragons—all the acrobatics! the drama! the metric ton of metal flying around!—and am always here for more art of it. Alternatively: Tenten and a real dragon! She has a very impressive hoard of her own, after all. Or maybe her mission is to steal something from the dragon's den but she ends up making a friend?
• I'd be very into Tenten as some kind of magical being herself! A mermaid or a centaur or something with wings or some kind of youkai, could be cool!
• Since Konoha is all about trees, I'd love to see Tenten up in the canopy. Hiding in all the foliage or setting up traps or chasing after her teammates or a rogue ninja or practicing her aerial skills or, or, or. The possibilities are endless!

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Pitch
characters: Blip, Evelyn, Ginny, Livan, Mike
format: Art Treat, Art Trick, Fic Treat, Fic Trick

canon-/character-specific likes and miscellaneous thoughts

This might just be my forever show? For something that only aired 10 episodes, I really do love it an awful lot. It's such a great drama, with room for humor and romance and all these wonderful character beats. It's earnest and optimistic without getting too pie-in-the-sky, remaining grounded. Just in a slightly kinder reality.

Baseball is one of the few sports I actively enjoy and care about, and I love all the inside, well, baseball that this show delivers. The action on the field is as fun as what goes on in the clubhouse and front office. A story that leans into the love of the game—tradition and pain and victory and pressure and competitiveness all wrapped up in a schoolyard game—would be much appreciated!

The sheer quality of character establishment and development in 10 episodes always astounds me. So many wonderful, flawed, complex characters with their own journeys and perspectives, crossing paths and butting heads and finding real understanding in one another.

I really think that Ginny Baker might be my platonic ideal of a fictional character. Between her grit and her goofiness, her innate talent and the tension between what she’s doing and who she actually is, there’s so much to love. Like, sure, she’s an overnight sensation struggling but determined to live up to the expectations laid on her, but she’s also a 23-year-old fully capable of acting out and making terrible decisions.

• And I love that for all she is on a pedestal all her own, she's really not without a support system. There are so many people who care for her on a personal level, even if that care isn't perfect. Her relationships with her friends and family and teammates really highlight that she's just a human.

And where would Ginny be without her catchers? (I mean, probably exactly where she already is, and arguably less distracted, but.) Both Mike and Livan are such delights, particularly when they’re trying to one up one another; their cockiness and self-assurance manifests in such different ways, but for fairly similar reasons. They're such great foils for one another, the fading hero and the rising star. However little they enjoy each other, or are willing to cop to, they’re at least in total agreement about Ginny. The chemistry between any two of them, let alone all three together, is perfection.

prompts

• I am always here for more postseason for the Padres!
• Are they stuck watching from the sidelines yet again, or have they made it further than anyone thought they would? Champagne showers or drowning their sorrows with Halloween candy? Inadvisable victory hookups or... inadvisable defeat hookups?
• Who is convinced that one of the ballparks or hotels the team always stays in is haunted? Is there a chance they're actually right, or does the rest of the team just do their utmost to make it seem that way?
• What does Halloween look like for the Padres and company? Maybe they’ve finally made it all the way to the World Series, so it’s something of an afterthought, or they’re done for the season and are looking for a reason to pull themselves out of the rut.
• Does Blip get really into planning the trick or treating route for the twins while Evelyn goes all-in on the decorating? What does Livan think of his first American Halloween? How many years has Mike worn the same costume? Does Ginny even want to dress up, or does she get badgered into it?
• As it turns out, the Padres are cursed. Literally. Does the curse manifest on the field, giving everyone a major case of the yips, or is it something less obvious to the fans? (Body swap? Body swap.) Who figures it all out and manages to find the cure?
• Not sure if this is anything, but I really like the idea, so: magical realism + baseball, please! (Or magical not-so-realism, if that's your jam.)
• Commentators and fans and even players like to wax poetic about the magic of baseball, but what if they meant it literally? What if those magical moments could be harnessed, put to use by a team or players and magical ability is as much a part of scouting reports as pitch sequencing or heat maps?
• Or what if Evelyn is a real life, actual witch? Does she keep it secret from most people? How did Blip find (or figure it) out?

art prompts

• Rookie hazing was still a thing in 2016, so what ridiculous costumes did Ginny and Livan have to wear in September?
• I'd love to see Mike, Blip, Ginny, or Livan (one or some or all of them, including Evelyn or not) as quidditch players! Or some other magical/fantasy/sci-fi sporting event, whether it already exists or is your own creation.
• Evelyn brewing up some of her patented Slump-Busting Tonic. Whether it involves actual magic or not depends on who you ask because Ev will never tell.
• Something with firelight feels appropriately autumnal? Big bonfires on the beach or romantic candlelight or stories by the campfire or lit up jack o' lanterns?

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Tortall - Tamora Pierce
characters: Kel
format: Art Treat, Art Trick, Fic Treat, Fic Trick

canon-/character-specific likes and miscellaneous thoughts

The Protector of the Small books occupy an enduring soft spot in my heart. I mean, I really enjoy all of the Tortall series and heroines—fantasy land with women warriors and magic and fraught politics has been and will be my jam forever—but Kel is absolutely in a class all her own. She is Forever Girl™ status to me.

• I love her practicality and understated tenacity, that determination to rise to meet every challenge that comes her way, and unswerving sense of justice, without which she wouldn't be the incredible knight that she becomes. As much natural talent and capacity she has, she also works hard. Because she knows she has to prove herself, however unfair the double standard is, but also because she's not the kind of person who would let herself be anything less than her best.
  
• But I also love that she is just a girl. One who develops inconvenient crushes and likes math and is kind to pretty much every small (and not-so-small) animal that crosses her path. All while turning the expectations of young ladies in her society on their heads. (Because she's excellent at multitasking more than she would dream of seeking out that kind of responsibility on purpose.)
  
• Then, as if that's not enough, she has to go and be incredible at the whole chivalrous warrior thing. For all she might want to be one knight of the realm among many, she is too talented and exceptional to blend in with her peers. She might not seek out glory, but when it comes to find her (with a heavy dose of duty on its heels), she never thinks about turning it away.

I also do love Tortall and its surroundings in and of itself. The sense of history and tradition, the folklore and culture and mythology—complete with deities who are maybe a little too invested in the goings ons of mere mortals—the magic and the mundane, all create a picture of this fully fleshed out world while still leaving so much to explore.

Familiar friends, unexpected allies, newfound enemies, potential lovers for Kel, however unlikely or expected, are more than welcome, too! Any and everyone from this universe (or another: I honestly wouldn't say no to a Circle of Magic crossover if inspiration in that vein has struck) would be so much fun to see!

prompts

• Kel's not sure how, or why, she wound up in such a ridiculous costume, but she's fairly confident that, in the end, she's going to blame it on Neal.
• I love that nearly everything Kel accomplished was the result of mundane hard work—there was no magic or literal divine intervention helping her along—but I do wonder how different she'd be if she had the Gift.
• Would she keep it a secret at the palace so no one could accuse her of enchanting her way through page training? Would she have gone to university/the City of the Gods instead, a trained battle mage being just as capable of protecting the defenseless as a knight?
• How about Kel and (versus?) some heretofore unseen Immortals? Either something wholly wonderful—she's got so much on her shoulders; she deserves a cuddle from a cute creature out of myth—or facing down a monster in battle, maybe. Or something in between, not unlike the baby griffin.
• Trading stories over the fire has to be one of the arguably wholesome and unobjectionable activities Kel and company can use to pass the time when they've made camp, but that doesn't mean it always stays that way.
• Whether they're telling ghost stories to freak each other out/lay the groundwork for some prank or embellishing tales of their own exploits, I'd love to see how story nights are officially banned from any force containing Kel and/or her friends.
• Of course, few would ever suspect her of orchestrating it all, but after hearing about twelve different tall tales about her time in Scanra, Kel's not exactly complaining.
• Kel's used to being gossiped about, maybe to the point that she actively doesn't listen if she ever overhears her name in a conversation. Usually, this works out for the best, but how about the times it burned her?
• Totally down for something completely cute and sweet—who's got a crush on Kel and how much does she wish she had a heads up before??—or more serious—everyone between Corus and Haven knew the Mindelan girl was in line for a big promotion, except, of course, the Mindelan girl.

art prompts

• I'd love to see Kel in her armor! Maybe prepping for a joust or fresh from the lanes (Peachblossom in tow or not). Or! Tending to her weapons/gear during a moment of downtime?
• The descriptions of food from Kel's time serving at feasts, especially the big, showstopping desserts make everything sound so grand and opulent, so I would love to see her actually getting to enjoy one. Griffin-themed confectioneries! Her coat of arms as a cake! Or, they might not be so fancy, but the biscuits from the kitchens at New Hope are just as tasty!
• The respect Kel has for the dead, even in the midst of war, is one of my favorite things about her, and I'm very interested in some depiction of that. Kel and some of her ghosts or making an offering to the Black God or fending off a Stormwing, maybe?
• I'd love to see Kel with animals, especially Peachblossom, Jump, her sparrows, and/or the griffin! A quiet moment of down time or riding off to battle. Going all in on the fall color scheme with Peachblossom or the griffin's coats.

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Last updated on September 17, 2023