Fandom 5K 2019 Letter

[elegantstupidity]

Hi there! I'm excited for another Fandom 5K and can't wait to see what you cook up! For research purposes (if that's how you roll, but I promise I'm really easy to please!) my AO3 pseud is elegantstupidity I'm on tumblr as megaphonemonday, and all my past exchange letters are here on dreamwidth. Hopefully, though, this letter has everything you need to write your assignment.

Honestly, if none of the following prompts are your cup of tea and/or you had an idea coming into this exchange, that's totally fine! I like these ideas, but I'm not married to any of them. Pretty much anything that focuses on these characters/relationships will be a delight!

Thank you in advance and happy writing!

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Navigation
Yes, Please! and No, Thanks!
Requests: A League of Their Own, Letterkenny, Pitch, Selfie

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Yes, Please!

• character- and relationship-driven plots
• missing scenes
• parallels
• x + 1 times
• AUs (please see No, Thanks! for exceptions)
  • especially canon-divergence or if they’re a little weird but canon-adjacent (ie: body swaps, unexpected telepathic connections, time loops, etc.) or fusions (ie: daemon AUs, Pacific Rim, Hogwarts, in space!, etc.)
• food, baking and/or cooking; please make me hungry!
• characters in their element/competence
• alternatively, I do love a good fish out of water scenario
• loyalty and ride or die friendships
• complex friendship dynamics
  • Much as I love loyalty tropes, I'm also super interested in the ways relationships can sour. I prefer if those 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
• pre-relationship stuff and getting together
• slow burns and UST
  • especially combined with mutual pining and Reasons™ for not being together
• [enemies to] friends to lovers
  • I’m all about snarky antagonism/teasing as flirting
• all the ridiculous, over the top, romantic tropes
  • ie: friends with benefits turning to something more; "needing" to share a bed; secret relationships; mutual pining; weird enforced proximity (ie handcuffed together, locked in a closet, deserted together, strange curses/spells); everyone thinks we’re dating and we’re not. what are we missing?; meddling friends; "Oops, we kissed/slept together/did something unmistakeably romantic. We definitely shouldn't do that again..."; secret identities (à la You’ve Got Mail)
    • actually, if Nora Ephron wrote about it, I love it
• HEA or HFN

Smut/Porn likes

• firsts
  • whether that's the first time together or the first time trying something new or sexual awakenings/kink discovery, shy or desperate or a little awkward, etc. etc., I eat all that up with a spoon.
• resolving UST to "get it out of their systems" or other transparently thin reasons to bang it out
• intensity; basically anything that shows how into each other the characters are
• rough sex
  • losing control, spanking, hair pulling, marking, desperation, etc.
• use of athleticism/strength during sex
• teasing and foreplay, including banter/dirty talk, body worship, hand/mouth stuff, etc.
• enthusiastic oral
• enthusiasm in general, tbh
• laughing/having fun with it
• alternatively, I can definitely get behind some hate/grudge sex
  • I do like when it eventually evolves into something (even slightly) friendlier, though

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No, Thanks!

• pregnancy and non-canonical babies or kids; children who exist in canon are fine to include
• soulmates and/or a/b/o AUs
• incest
• infidelity
• graphic violence
  • ie: assault, gore, abuse, etc.
  • injuries that have occurred in canon are fine to mention
• non-canonical character death (unless prompted)
• rape, non- or dubcon

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Requests

A League of Their Own
character/relationship: Dottie Hinson & Kit Keller, Dottie Hinson/Jimmy Dugan
genre tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Canon-Style Plot, Character Development, Getting Together (for Dottie/Jimmy), Hurt/Comfort, Interpersonal Drama, Slice of Life, Smut (for Dottie/Jimmy); but I'm open to anything that's not Darkfic or Horror

This is one of my absolute favorite movies, and it pretty much always has been. Between the setting (homefront America is right in my history wheelhouse, and I'd adore any details you throw in on that end) and the writing ("Get these wild animals away from me! Haven't you ever heard of a leash?!") and the baseball (it's basically the only sport I like and understand), there's nothing not to love about it. Plus all three of these characters are so great, and there are so many different dynamics between all of them that would make for great fic fodder. All the love and anger and history between Dottie and Kit, sisters and teammates, is just begging for exploration. And I've always been a sucker Dottie and Jimmy's relationship arc—from mutual disdain to grudging respect to friendship to simmering UST—and can't get enough of it.

Note: This is the one canon where you can ignore my non-canonical character death DNW, for Bob specifically. Much as I want Dottie and Jimmy to get together, I don't want her to cheat on Bob to do it. However their relationship ends, though, is up to you. Or maybe it never happened. Or don't bother mentioning Bob at all, and we can all assume what we want. Also, I'd prefer a light touch if you decide to go into the less nostalgic realities of the time. There's no need to idealize the 1940s; mentions of period-typical sexism, homophobia, racism, etc. are fine, but I'd rather they don't become the point of the fic. I'd also be more than happy if any other canon characters make appearances.

prompt ideas
Dottie & Kit

• Some pre-canon of Dottie and Kit/sister feels would be excellent.
  • Who started playing baseball first? How close did one of their parents actually come to saying, “This is our daughter Dottie. This is our other daughter Dottie’s sister”??? How often did Kit run away from home and Dottie was the one who went to find her?
• If Dottie did come back the next season, what would it be like playing against each other without the World Series on the line? Any kind of petty baseball moves—brushing back the batter, kicking up dirt in the batter's box, trash talk, etc.—would be deeply appreciated!
• How do Kit and Dottie keep in contact over the years? I'd love to see snippets from letters they send to each other—and how those letters become phone calls and emails—with the big and little news from their lives.
• Do Dottie and the Kellers ever come to the Midwest to see Kit play?

Dottie/Jimmy

• What if Dottie made an unexpected return to the league? Maybe the next season, maybe a few down the line? What impact does her return have on her former manager?
• Basically, any kind of missing scene would be very appreciated.
  • What did Jimmy/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?
  • What were the bumps in the road between Jimmy being passed out for most of the game to actually being a functional manager? (Aside from making Evelyn cry, that is.) How unsympathetic was Dottie to that struggle? How little did Jimmy mind?
  • Apparently, there’s a deleted scene (#5) where “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.
• I'd love to see a take on the roadhouse scene where Jimmy shows up at the Suds Bucket in addition to all the Peaches. How annoyed is he that his team has interrupted his drinking time, especially when his catcher sits down and picks a fight about his botched steal call in the sixth? Does it become something of a tradition every time the team's in town? How long does it take before he finally asks Dottie to dance?

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Letterkenny
character/relationship: Katy/Reilly/Jonesy, Katy/Bonnie McMurray
genre tags: Canon-Style Plot, Character Development, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Mystery/Procedural, Slice of Life, Smut; but I'm open to anything that's not Darkfic or Horror

This show is such a strange, little delight. I've watched it so many times, and every time have found something new and ridiculous to overthink and obsess over. The high (and so, so low) drama of small town life, the rhythm and (pitter) patter of the dialogue, and the way this oddball cast of characters fit together are just a few of the things that I can't get enough of. Everything is so insanely specific, but, at the same time, even a person who's never been to rural Ontario (AKA: me) can relate to these weirdos' lives. (Not that much, though; thankfully, degens from upcountry don't figure that much into my everyday problems.)

I love both of these ships individually (and together, if that's something you're interested in writing). Katy's dynamic with Jonesy and Reilly—mostly exasperated affection—is so different from her unbridled lust for Bonnie, but they're both so good for drawing out that hidden soft center of Katy's. While I absolutely love the way everyone talks in Letterkenny, I understand that it's not the easiest thing to replicate, especially for 5K. I'd love something that captures the tone of the show, but don't feel like whatever you write needs to imitate it exactly. Also, feel free to include any other Letterkennyans (Letterkennyites?) and canon relationships (I also like Wayne/Daryl) in supporting roles.

prompt ideas
Katy/Reilly/Jonesy

• Honestly, I'd love to know how these three got together. Was Katy dating them both separately and they found out or was it always some kind of mutual triangle/poly-v thing? Were Jonesy and Reilly already friends or just random teammates? Did they ever consider going full tilly time when they found out the other was dating their Katy Cat?
• What kind of concentrated effort would it take Jonesy and Reilly to get Katy to take them back?
  • I can just see the entire town getting pulled into the issue, taking sides, making the ordeal 100% more ridiculous than it really needs to be.
• At a certain point, they must realize it's more efficient to forgo privacy and just get down to business all together. At a certain point, Jonesy and/or Reilly must stop pretending not to watch the other two. At a certain point, they must join in on the action.
• Jonesy and Reilly calling Katy in to deal with their Angie problem was an unexpected delight, and I'd love to see them return the favor (or try, at least) when she's got a problem or a mystery of her own.

Katy/Bonnie

• I'd love to see some kind of bed sharing scenario with Katy and Bonnie. Maybe a snowstorm traps a bunch of people out at the farmhouse, and it's only natural for Bonnie to share with Katy? Or maybe a hot tub party gets a little out of hand and Katy's in no shape to drive back home?
• I don't know how or why it would happen, or how happily she'd take on the mantle, but I've been thinking about Katy somehow becoming Letterkenny's unofficial detective
• This doesn't have to go full noir, but Bonnie as the dame in distress and Katy as the hard-boiled detective on some (probably petty) Letterkenny mystery would be great
• I could see Katy being some kind of legend for the pretty girls in town—I mean, she hit it big and was an actual model in the city—and maybe Bonnie goes to her for some advice/mentoring and it leads to something more.
• Bonnie says that she's just looking to have fun, and I could see Katy caving and agreeing to a no-strings deal (because lbr, Wayne's disappointment scares her less than it scares Dary or Dan). But how quickly do those nonexistent strings get tangled up?

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Pitch
character/relationship: Ginny Baker/Mike Lawson, Ginny Baker/Livan Duarte/Mike Lawson, Blip Sanders/Evelyn Sanders, Ginny Baker & Amelia Slater
genre tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Canon-Style Plot, Character Development, Fix-It Fic, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Interpersonal Drama, Slice of Life, Smut (for all but Ginny & Amelia); but I'm open to anything that isn't Darkfic and Horror.

I can't remember the last time I fell for a show so hard or so fast, though, in retrospect, this was always a show I was basically guaranteed to love. Girl-power narrative with lots of great supporting relationships, grumpy/gruff bearded dude with heart eyes for his rookie, and it's all about baseball? Yeah, I was a goner before I ever saw an episode. But then it was actually good, too? Each and every one of these characters is so well-written, complex and compelling, and they are the heartbeat of this show. I love that the underlying principle of it all was so optimistic, too, while leaving room for realism. The two aren't mutually exclusive, and I really liked the interplay between this idealism—that a woman can make it in MLB—and the realities of the kind of struggles she'd face.

Honestly, anything for these characters or ships is more than welcome. My desire for more of this show knows no bounds. If you want to put in lots of baseball details, I would absolutely love that, but if it's not your bag, I'm all for an exploration of these dynamics on any backdrop. Also, any other canon characters/relationships you want to include are completely welcome. Same for mentions of past relationships, though I'd like them to remain that: just mentions. Feel free to combine requests, too!

prompt ideas
Ginny/Mike

• I'm a sucker for Ginny-moves-out-of-the-hotel scenarios, but being a bit of a domestic disaster. Which, of course, Mike cannot let stand. How much of a nuisance does he make himself before she gives in and lets him help her move/unpack/offer his snarky opinion on every house she likes?
• So, that almost kiss was the first time they came close to crossing the line, but I doubt it was the last. I don't doubt, however, that each time it happens, it's harder and harder to convince themselves to actually stop.
• Tell me all about Ginny and Mike's phone habits. Apparently, they call each other, sometimes late at night, and that's totally normal? I would love an in-depth, extended look at the evolution of their phone conversations.
  • What do they talk about? Do they talk every night? Are they each other's go-to drunk dial? How upset was Mike when Ginny stopped taking his calls after she found out about him and Amelia? When did they start talking again after Ginny's injury? How close have they come to indulging in a little phone sex?
• Mike has probably been through enough massages and rub downs in his professional career that he knows a thing or two. Has he ever put that knowledge to use for Ginny? Alternatively, has she ever tried to fill in as a masseuse for him? I just like the idea of them being handsy with one another, especially if they're not actually together yet.

Ginny/Livan/Mike

• How many "dates" do they go on before they all admit that they're actually dating?
  • Does Mike show Ginny and Livan all his secret San Diego haunts? Does Ginny take her catchers golfing? What secret hobby does Livan indulge in that Ginny and Mike find out about? How hard is it to find somewhere that they don't get swarmed by fans or even recognized? The minefields of dating public figures would be so interesting to explore.
• On the angstier end of the spectrum, I love hurt/comfort. Whether it's taking care of each other through baseball injuries/colds/the flu or mining through the treasure trove of past trauma they each have, there's so much potential for them to be good to one another. Or really, really mean to each other before the kindness comes.
• I don't care how unrealistic it is, I want Ginny, Mike, and Livan getting left behind somewhere (without their phones to make it more difficult maybe?) and forced to figure out their way home or the next stop on the team's road trip
• I'm still holding out hope someone will decide to write a Mike-Livan bodyswap. I don't care how it happens, but just imagine how horrified Livan would be with his creaky knees, how grumpy Mike would be at the lack of respect his team is suddenly giving him, and how confused Ginny'd be by how weird her catchers are suddenly acting.

Blip/Evelyn

• Hi, yes. Please tell me that Blip and Evelyn work their issues out and continue to be #couplegoals. They're too good together not to make it.
• Obviously, there's a pretty long way for them to get back to where they were, and I want to see what compromises they each make in order to preserve their marriage, and how they rediscover their love for one another along the way.
• I would love to see more about their early days! Did Blip try and play it cool while Evelyn saw right through him? Did she shoot him down the first time he asked her out, even though she knew he was the one? Just all the wooing and flirting for these two, please!
• Apparently, there was a storyline—which was unfortunately scrapped—in the second episode about Blip having to deal with the fallout of comments Evelyn had made defending him to the media, and I'd love to see a take on that!
• Evelyn's probably got a great nose (and appetite) for gossip, while Blip hates it, but can't seem to take a step around the clubhouse without stumbling into something he did not want to know. Does he tell Evelyn everything he finds out or do his best to keep her out of it?

Ginny & Amelia

• What kind of growing pains are there when Amelia first takes Ginny on as a client? What's the permanent move to Texas like? How do those early media training sessions go? When do they start making the transition from agent-client to actual friends?
• What kind of ridiculous requests does Amelia have to shield Ginny from? There have to be so many pitches for ad campaigns and photo shoots and merchandising that get tossed without Ginny ever hearing about them, but I do not want to be similarly spared.
• I like to believe that Amelia came back from Mexico—which, what the hell was she doing in Mexico?—and she and Ginny made things right with each other, and would love to read any kind of take on that? How hard was it for them to start trusting one another again and what tips them back into equilibrium?
• I'm semi-convinced Amelia is responsible for buying most of Ginny's (non-workout) wardrobe, with or without Ginny's input.
• At what point does she realize it's just easier to put new clothes in her closet than try to drag her out shopping? Maybe Ginny's a little leery about spending all this time focusing on her appearance when she's put so much effort into making sure it's her talents on the field that people pay attention to, not the way she looks. Or, maybe she's just really pumped to go on the kind of shopping spree she was never allowed to as a kid?

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Selfie
character/relationship: Eliza Dooley/Henry Higgs
genre tags: AU - Canon Divergence, Canon-Style Plot, Character Development, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Interpersonal Drama, Mystery/Procedural, Slice of Life, Smut; but I'm open to anything that isn't Darkfic or Horror

Ah, yet another excellent show that was doomed to an unfairly abbreviated life. I don’t know what it says about me that I fall so hard for TV shows that get canceled after one season, but this is the life I lead. I don't regret it, though, because Selfie was so unrepentantly charming, following in the footsteps of so many other updated classics. From the start, I loved Henry and Eliza's chemistry, and it only got better as they learned to respect and value one another as more than just coworkers and mentor/mentee. They actually became friends! (Who love each other and want to bang it out, but the friendship is what's important, right? No, the banging it out is pretty important, too.)

Aside from Henry and Eliza, any other characters you want to include are more than welcome. I am firmly in Camp Eliza Needs More Female Friends and Henry Needs More Friends in General, and I particularly like their dynamic, individually and together, with Charmonique. But any and all KinderKare employees, Eliza's neighbors, or various family/friends you want to include would be great!

prompt ideas

• Where do these two go from the end of season one? There've both made such huge strides when it comes to their personal growth, but do they keep up that progress, or does a backslide threaten?
• Whether it's a slice of life fic of where everyone is now or more lunch dates over the garbage can or what eventually pushes Eliza and Henry over the edge, I’d love to see it. 
• I'm always down for stories about firsts, so tell me about their first kiss or real date or visit to a trade show together or time locked in the office after hours or win on the company softball team or, or, or...
• We get some bits of Eliza being the expert to Henry's novice in the show, but I'm always down to see more.
  • Maybe Eliza thinks Henry needs to impress a potential new client, so she takes him out to update his wardrobe. Or Henry somehow sticks his foot in it online, and Eliza has to show him how to win a flame war.
• These two seem like they'd be competitive monsters if given the opportunity. Tell me about KinderKare's Field Day or why Henry and Eliza are no longer allowed to be on separate volleyball teams.

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Last updated on April 5, 2019