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trick or treat 2021—
Sep. 8th, 2021 07:01 pmPREFACE
Hello, hello! First of all, I'm awfully sorry for leaving you hanging; I was hoping to get this letter finished before the sign-ups closed, but alas, life got in the way big time. Most importantly, I want to thank you for writing for me! This is my first time doing any fic exchange, and so I'm very excited, even in spite of my stage fright. Feel free to mix and match any of these ideas, but don't worry if none of them strike your fancy—considering my immense fondness for these canons and characters, I'm bound to love just about anything that happens to feature them. Also, although a lot of my prompts admittedly tend to skew towards shipfic (either & or /), I would be equally happy with solofic if that's something you're more comfortable writing!
⇒ unreliable narrators,
CHARACTERISATION/RELATIONSHIP LIKES:
SMUT LIKES: blowjobs / cunnilingus, penetrative (anal or vaginal), fingering (anal or vaginal), size kink / size differences, manhandling, hate sex, rough sex (to stave off other violent urges), drunk sex, raw sex / coming inside the partner, first times (of all variety), orgasm delay, break-up sex / make-up sex, nipple play, reacharound, masturbation / mutual masturbation, feeling up through clothes / dry humping / frottage, mouth spitting / mouth fingering, wet dreams / dream sex, bonding through sex (especially in a difficult/traumatic situation), exploring / admiring each other's bodies / getting off on the differences between them (can be tied to the aforementioned size kink), pillow talk / dirty talk, period sex / bloodplay, fighting leading to sex (or vice versa!)
DNWs:
Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas; Ryan Cooper.
Requested: Trick (fic). Treat (fic). You may ignore my Trick/Treat preferences for extra gifts.
God, this movie absolutely wrecked me—sitting through the last act felt like getting repeatedly punched in the throat—and yet, I still cannot bring myself to stop thinking about it. And about Cassie. Especially about Cassie.
➢ Maybe Ryan accidentally prevents Cassie's death? Either because he follows her to that bachelor party himself or because he alerts the cops in advance (to be fair, their last conversation was nothing if not suspicious), only for them (or him) to catch Al in the act of choking her. Unsurprisingly, Ryan being (either directly or indirectly) responsible for saving Cassie's life doesn't make things any less ugly between them; he still considers her a self-destructive psycho, and she, in turn, thinks him a selfish coward devoid of any stronger moral principles. Still, for some unfathomable reasons, he decides to stick around, and—weirdly enough—she actually lets him. Is it just a twisted sense of obligation? A self-serving attempt at redemption? Is he afraid of her? Is he afraid for her? How do their interactions look like, now that they no longer harbour any delusions about each other? Where do they even go from here, both as individuals and as... well, whatever they are together? I'd love to see Cassie in particular slowly rebuilding her life and, most importantly, healing—just like she was beginning to before everything blew up in her face.
➢ Alternatively: what about Cassie dying but not staying gone? Is she an actual ghost or just an invention of Ryan's guilty conscience? Or maybe she keeps showing up in his dreams/nightmares? What about a resurrection fic? Or a time-loop fic? Or even something else entirely—hopeful or hopeless, redemptive or bleak, bittersweet or fucked-up, or somehow all of these things at once, I'm all game!
Other prompts (read: shamelessly recycled freeforms from various past exchanges):
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007)
Carla Jean Moss; Anton Chigurh.
Requested: Trick (fic). Treat (fic). You may ignore my Trick/Treat preferences for extra gifts.
The coin ain't got no say. It's just you.
While I'm awfully fond of McCarthy's novel, I have to say that I'm partial to the Coens' depiction of these characters, and of Carla Jean in particular. Her facing the Grim Reaper with more dignity than any other character in the movie, refusing to gamble for her own life, and even managing to call him out on his bullshit before... see, I was almost compelled to complete this sentence with "before meeting her fate," except fate having nothing to do with this was her entire point. Hers was an unnecessary and cruel death, and she knew it, and wanted Anton to know it, too—and to actually live with this knowledge. As it was, she might have been only a secondary character, but still; it's her and her quiet resolve that first come to my mind whenever I find myself thinking back on this film.
As for Anton himself... As much as I loathe to admit it, Javier Bardem with that godawful bowl-cut does things to me. To be fair, the Coens did want him to look like someone "who could have come from Mars," and apparently even his introduction was supposed to be a subtle riff on the opening scene of The Man Who Fell to Earth. Unsurprisingly, plenty has been written about the supernatural (or at least non-human) implications of his character, and he seems to be commonly interpreted as being either the actual reincarnation/embodiment of Death, an angel of punishment, the spiritual equivalent of bubonic plague, or at least a semi-mortal agent of fate (or Fate, if you will); in any case, he's all but a walking allegory. And yet, he's not completely infallible—he bleeds just like a mortal man, and is eventually bound to die like one, too. Or is he? God, if there ever was a character fit for a Halloween-themed exchange.
(Speaking of Halloween: Anton has also been widely compared to Michael Myers (who, incidentally, happens to be among my favourite fictional creations; I even toyed with the idea of requesting Halloween as another of my fandoms for this exchange, but ultimately decided against it). It makes a lot of sense, what with both of them being nigh indestructible, unwilling to be reasoned with, remorseless, and only vaguely human ("human-shaped" would be a better term), but... the reason I mention this is that the only time either of them actually stops in his tracks—even if only ever so briefly—is when they get exposed: Michael when his mask is pulled off by Laurie, Anton when Carla Jean challenges his self-proclaimed lack of agency, a belief which functions as the cornerstone of his... ethical code, for lack of a better term. Sure, it doesn't last, but it's more than any "real" weapon can accomplish against such as them. [Saoirse Ronan's voice] Women—!)
THE CROWN (TV)
Diana Princess of Wales; Charles Prince of Wales.
Requested: Trick (fic). Treat (fic). You may ignore my Trick/Treat preferences for extra gifts.
Whatever "in love" means.
Ah, the Waleses and their marriage from hell! Frankly, their entire subplot in the last season was some id-heaven for me—resentment and affection intertwined, a fairy tale gone terribly wrong, spouses turned bitter rivals, the trappings of a loveless high-profile marriage... Emma and Josh's insanely good chemistry was only the cherry on top.
I adore Diana—a lot!—but I am glad that the writers didn't take the line of least resistance by portraying her as a faultless saint. She's a fully-realised portrait of a sensitive young woman forced into a situation vastly out of her depth; deeply empathetic yet somewhat self-centred, theatrical yet awfully self-conscious, effortlessly charming yet continuously alienated and misunderstood. She's a pathological people pleaser with a penchant for drama, and I am very much fond and protective of her, faults and all. (Young Diana not getting to experience THE scorned woman masterpiece that is Olivia Rodrigo's SOUR makes me want to single-handedly rip through the fabric of reality with a spare copy.) And as for Charles... Well, I don't hate Charles—which is much more than I can about his real life counterpart—and I blame it entirely on Josh O'Connor's inherent lovability. His Charles can be utterly loathsome, there's no getting around that, but his boyish charm, bookishness, and that slightly self-conscious way of carrying himself at least explain why Diana fell for him in the first place (well, that, and both of us clearly having somewhat questionable taste in men).
Also, what I find especially fascinating is that despite their (numerous!) outward differences, they are actually quite alike in their almost desperate need to be loved and appreciated—as it is, their tragedy is partially caused by their seeking validation from people who are unwilling to give it to them (Diana might be adored by the entire world, but all she ever wanted was for her husband to be on her side; Charles, on the other hand, dooms himself by refusing to let go of Camilla, who, fond of him as she might be, clearly doesn't need him in the same way he needs her). Still, against my better judgment, I found myself actively rooting for Charles to do some goddamn soul searching and actually provide emotionally for the woman he married. Clearly, The Crown was never meant to be a fix-it story (unlike, say, Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), but hey, it's already heavily fictionalised—what is one more layer of revisionism?
As for a potential shipfic: Absolutely, yes! I do love broken marriages dearly.
Some ideas:
➢ I've been reading the first reviews of Spencer (honestly, November can't come soon enough!), and if they're to be believed, Larraín has interspersed his Diana biopic with some heavy Gothic imagery. Somewhat predictably, I'm positively obsessed with this concept, and would love to read a story building upon it—maybe with some psychological horror thrown in the mix? Endless hallways, draped furniture, portraits whose gazes seem to constantly follow you, ancient and dusty mirrors (at times Diana could almost swear it's no longer her own self looking back at her)—basically, the royal premises being all draughty and creaky and actively hostile to their inhabitants despite their superficial luxuriousness. Also, haunted. Definitely haunted. Is Diana the only one who can sense that? Or maybe Charles does, too, and only pretends not to? I mean, the entire show revolves around the theme of a dying empire coping with the ageing of its own mythology and withering influence—feel free to make these metaphorical ghosts of the past (semi-)corporeal, and ready to target anybody who's not willing to sacrifice their personal happiness at the altar of history and tradition.
➢ And speaking of the Gothic...
If I was bound for hell, let it be hell. No more false heavens. No more damned magic. You hate me and I hate you. We’ll see who hates best. But first, first I will destroy your hatred. Now. My hate is colder, stronger, and you’ll have no hate to warm yourself. You will have nothing.
(Wide Sargasso Sea happens to be the book of my heart, which... not really that surprising, is it. I'm not interested in an AU or even a fusion, but any references/allusions to Rochester and Bertha/Antoinette are more than welcome! Or maybe Diana is aware that in case of her and Charles' marriage being deemed unsalvageable, the Royal Family might exploit her mental health issues and try to force her into the role of madwoman in the attic—when she's actually the sanest member of that household (or at least the only one not stuck in the past)?)
➢ Honestly, feel free to really dial up all that bitterness and resentment present in any steadily deteriorating marriage. Show me their fights and arguments—all the more vicious now that they have nothing to lose and know exactly how to really hurt their partner. Tell me about Charles and Diana sabotaging each other at every turn, obsessively keeping track of what the other one is up to (and, most importantly, with whom), feeling inexplicably possessive of their technically-still-spouse despite both of them considering their relationship to be all but officially dissolved. I'd love to read about their marriage paradoxically only becoming passionate when it is hurrying to its end, and all the deeply messed up repercussions of that (them hating each other with a greater intensity and focus than they ever loved each other!).
➢ Alternatively—and this is a total 180 from the previous one—show me their marriage at its best! Whether Charles and Diana's potential best is actually good (or at least good enough to prevent their divorce) is up to you, but I'd be especially delighted with their shared happiness always remaining somewhat fragile, as if one wrong word could send it collapsing. Anyhow! Feel free to build upon the Australia storyline and have them learn to live with each other, as bittersweet and unromantic it might sound (to be perfectly honest, awfully unromantic romance is my most favourite kind). I'd love to see them still constantly stepping on each other's toes and getting frustrated/fed up with each other, except this time both of them are equally set on making this marriage work, and so they're willing to work through their issues together (which is the key word here, let's be real). Let them find happiness—whatever "happiness" means.
Other prompts (read: shamelessly recycled freeforms from various past exchanges):
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019)
Pussycat; Cliff Booth.
Requested: Trick (fic). Treat (fic). You may ignore my Trick/Treat preferences for extra gifts.
Want me to suck your cock while driving?
[ general gushing about these characters tba since i'm already behind on actually publishing this letter :^( ]
A sidenote: Although I haven't read the novelisation myself, I have no real preference as to its canonicity; you can incorporate anything you want from it, or you can just pretend that it doesn't exist—I'm fine either way!
As for a potential shipfic: I absolutely love the concept of Cliff/Pussycat, so by all means go there! However, Cliff & Pussycat is grand too. Also, I headcanon Cliff as bisexual, and while I'd rather Cliff/Rick wasn't the actual focus of the fic—I'd prefer Rick didn't appear at all, unless it's just a cameo; him being mentioned is more than fine, though!—feel free to allude to their relationship as being not entirely platonic.
A fandom-specific DNW: Pussycat being younger than seventeen. (Although I'd rather her age wasn't mentioned (or even alluded to) at all, unless it's explicitly futurefic.)
Some ideas:
➢ Since Manson doesn't get killed or captured that night, it is fair to assume that he is still on the loose post-movie, and so his cult continues to operate. A few years down the road, Pussycat is still one of its members—she's also older, considerably more zealous, and set on taking revenge on Cliff (and Rick, but mostly Cliff) for killing her friends. How would he react when faced with such a blast from the past?
➢ Pussycat is present that night at Rick Dalton's house! What is Cliff's reaction to seeing her again in such circumstances (him being high as hell notwithstanding)? Does he feel as indifferent about fighting her as he does about the other cultists? Or maybe he feels at least a pang of regret at having to kill someone he was actually acquainted with, even if only so briefly? Is her potential death as violent and gruesome as those of her fellow Family members? Or perhaps she manages to get away (mostly) unscathed? Is it because Cliff deliberately lets her go? (Personally, I'm fine with any outcome, even a particularly gruesome or bleak one, so don't worry about that!)
➢ And if Pussycat does end up getting killed, I'd love to read about her refusing to actually stay dead—as it turns out, being a ghost is not all that exciting, and so she spends most of her time following Cliff around and doing her best to sufficiently torment him for sending her to the other side in the first place. Cliff himself is not very impressed. (If anything, he's mostly annoyed; he's also killed his own wife, mind you, and if she didn't find it necessary to haunt him afterwards, then neither should this random hippie girl, goddamn it.)
(As to the exact nature of this monstrosity getting let loose on Hollywood's finest: I have no preference! Demons, zombies, vampires, deadites, eldritch abominations of all shapes and sizes—count me in! Fusions with any horror movies are also more than fine.)
Hello, hello! First of all, I'm awfully sorry for leaving you hanging; I was hoping to get this letter finished before the sign-ups closed, but alas, life got in the way big time. Most importantly, I want to thank you for writing for me! This is my first time doing any fic exchange, and so I'm very excited, even in spite of my stage fright. Feel free to mix and match any of these ideas, but don't worry if none of them strike your fancy—considering my immense fondness for these canons and characters, I'm bound to love just about anything that happens to feature them. Also, although a lot of my prompts admittedly tend to skew towards shipfic (either & or /), I would be equally happy with solofic if that's something you're more comfortable writing!
LIKES & DISLIKES
NARRATIVE LIKES:
NARRATIVE LIKES:
⇒ unreliable narrators,
⇒ character studies,
⇒ nonlinearity,
⇒ genre fusions,
⇒ epistolary stories (letters, case files, academic papers, diary entries, articles, etc.),
⇒ canon divergence/"what if"/the butterfly effect AUs,
⇒ Rashōmon-esque conflicting narratives,
⇒ dialogue-driven stories! feel free to sit the requested characters together and just. let them talk it—"it" being any topic you feel like having them tackle, really—out.
⇒ Rashōmon-esque conflicting narratives,
⇒ dialogue-driven stories! feel free to sit the requested characters together and just. let them talk it—"it" being any topic you feel like having them tackle, really—out.
⇒ on a related note: banter, insults, innuendos, teasing, flirting, etc.,
⇒ quiet, introspective stories where seemingly nothing happens; characters ruminating over their past (speaking of: i do love future fics!) or reconsidering their future, that sense of "where do we even go from here?",
⇒ on the road, on the run, road trips, picaresque narratives. also: liminal spaces, thresholds, in-between places.
⇒ worldbuilding (especially the detail-oriented kind) (also: lore!),
⇒ intertextuality, non-anachronistic/canon-compliant references to (pop)culture,
⇒ deconstructing/dissecting the canon,
⇒ bittersweet endings, ambiguous endings, open endings,
CHARACTERISATION/RELATIONSHIP LIKES:
⇒ bisexual characters, sexual fluidity,
⇒ characters who feel too much and characters who feel too little (and opposite extremes in general),
⇒ similarly: characters who are not good at being human, don't know how to "people" correctly, and their different ways of coping with it (does it make them feel inferior? superior? do they even care?),
⇒ competence, characters highly skilled at what they do (♫ baby you got lucky 'cause you're rocking with the best ♫)
⇒ competence, characters highly skilled at what they do (♫ baby you got lucky 'cause you're rocking with the best ♫)
⇒ emotional ambivalence, moral ambiguity, all things conflicted/contradictory/paradoxical,
⇒ unrepentant, unbothered, utterly arrogant assholes,
⇒ enemies to lovers and back to enemies, enemies as lovers, lovers to enemies, hand 👏🏻 in 👏🏻 unlovable 👏🏻 hand 👏🏻,
⇒ mutual antagonism (/disdain/contempt/disgust/etc.),
⇒ tenderness and cruelty intertwined,
⇒ anything that can be described as consensual but not safe or sane,
⇒ couples that are simply not meant to be (the opposite of soulmates, if you will), intense yet short-lived flames, unhappy unions, unrequited passions, broken marriages, etc.,
⇒ couples that are simply not meant to be (the opposite of soulmates, if you will), intense yet short-lived flames, unhappy unions, unrequited passions, broken marriages, etc.,
⇒ human-shaped eldritch abominations,
⇒ supernatural beings attempting & failing to think and/or act like humans,
⇒ awful people being tender with each other (and with each other only), good people being cruel to each other (and to each other only),
⇒ self-destructive tendencies, sabotaging the best thing you’ve ever had,
⇒ choosing one's duty or ambition over love,
⇒ senseless betrayals, impossible forgiveness (or lack thereof),
⇒ reluctant vulnerability, forced intimacy,
⇒ irrational, "ugly" emotions (jealousy, resentment, paranoia, etc.),
⇒ power imbalances, power struggles, gender-based power dynamics,
⇒ identity issues (including those of "becoming the mask" variety),
⇒ self-recognition through the other (derogatory),
⇒ the state of lovelessness, be it considered a tragedy or a blessing (or both!),
⇒ casual/dismissive/thoughtless cruelty,
⇒ seeking/receiving comfort from the person responsible for your suffering (to quote the one and only Angela Carter: "I clung to him as though only the one who had inflicted the pain could comfort me for suffering it"),
⇒ self-awareness! specifically: being aware (catastrophically aware) that you have fucked up. or been fucked up. or both! (see: Gone Girl's "What have we done to each other?") (also: epiphanies. or slowly dawning realisations. i just live for the moment when the truth finally sinks in, in all its unbearableness)
⇒ relationships that don't necessarily feel like endgames, but offer these characters something there and then. lack of permanence in general, in all its bittersweetness. characters being aware (see above!) that their current state/situation is in all probability only temporary and that things might go south at any given moment.
⇒ relationships that don't necessarily feel like endgames, but offer these characters something there and then. lack of permanence in general, in all its bittersweetness. characters being aware (see above!) that their current state/situation is in all probability only temporary and that things might go south at any given moment.
SMUT LIKES:
I'M (MORE THAN) OKAY WITH:
explicit sex, major character death (even if it involves one or both of requested characters), dubcon (even of the extremely dubious variety), period/canon-typical or internalised -isms and -phobias, mentions of past relationships/crushes of requested characters (even if they aren't canonical), requested characters still harbouring feelings for non-requested characters (as long as they don't actually get together / aren't the main focus of the fic), gaslighting and emotional manipulation, physical violence, requested relationships (or characters) being portrayed as fucked-up/toxic/dysfunctional/unhealthy.
DNWs:
fetishes or hard kinks not mentioned in my likes, non-con (dubcon is more than fine, even of the extremely dubious variety), anything explicit involving characters under seventeen years of age, permanent disfigurement (temporary injuries are okay, even if they're particularly excessive/gory), animal cruelty or death, unrequested crossovers, unrequested AUs (canon divergence is okay, though!), unrequested poly arrangements, issuefic, foodfic (mentions of food/eating are fine, but I'd rather it wasn't the actual premise of the fic).
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (2020)
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (2020)
Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas; Ryan Cooper.
Requested: Trick (fic). Treat (fic). You may ignore my Trick/Treat preferences for extra gifts.
I see no need to take me home,
I'm old enough to face the dawn.
She's just... so much. Selfless to the point of being self-sacrificial, stubborn to the point of being reckless, loyal to the point of being obsessive, methodical and theatrical, wickedly intelligent yet borderline irrational, and not nice—God, not even close—but good. Still, like I said—she's troubled, very much so, and even her self-appointed vendetta is so over-the-top that at times it comes across as self-centred; she all but appropriates her friend's tragedy (a sentiment that even Nina's mother seems to share) in order to cope with her own survivor's guilt; besides, it's highly doubtful that Nina herself would want Cassie to throw her own life away for her sake. But then again—by denying herself any sense of closure, as painful as it might be, she takes the same luxury away from people who do not deserve it, despite them wanting nothing more than to leave Nina behind. She's a flesh-and-blood anti-heroine, is what I'm trying to say; as much a Cassandra as she is a Fury. And, paradoxically, it's her being so unselfconsciously unlikeable that makes her such an endearing character to me. Yes, she's a disaster of a person, no, she hasn't done anything wrong in her life ever, etc. ❣️
And Ryan...Well, the thing about Ryan is: he's not a good person—he's too much of a coward for that—but he tries so hard to be one. That's why he comes to resent Cassie in the end; his career and reputation being on the line is one thing (and she might not care about such things, but he does, thank you very much), but she also exposed him before himself. I don't suppose that it's something easy to live with, not when you've actually begun to believe in your own nice guy act. He's the opposite of Cassie in that regard; as sour and off-putting she might be, she has a very clear sense of right and wrong and is courageous to a fault. Still, I don't think everything about him pre-reveal was just a carefully rehearsed lie; Ryan the affectionate and understanding boyfriend and Ryan the spineless coward simply happen to be the very same person. His coming to terms with his own moral ambivalence and fallibility, now that he no longer has the luxury of pretending to be someone he's not, is something that I'd genuinely love to read about. Additionally, while I'm definitely open to a (semi-)redemptive take on him, I'm far from a Ryan apologist (and I'd rather the fic didn't whitewash his actions, either, since he was clearly complicit in what happened to Nina). He's a deeply flawed character—just not necessarily a two-dimensional one.
As for a potential shipfic: I enjoy Cassie/Ryan immensely! As it is, I usually only like romantic subplots when they're either furiously unromantic or outright ugly, so, unsurprisingly, I'm into these two because of how their story played out, not despite it. So! If you feel like going there, please do. But Cassie & Ryan is grand too, and so is Cassie v. Ryan. Frankly, feel free to take this messed-up relationship of theirs in any direction you want to!
Some ideas:
➢ Maybe Ryan accidentally prevents Cassie's death? Either because he follows her to that bachelor party himself or because he alerts the cops in advance (to be fair, their last conversation was nothing if not suspicious), only for them (or him) to catch Al in the act of choking her. Unsurprisingly, Ryan being (either directly or indirectly) responsible for saving Cassie's life doesn't make things any less ugly between them; he still considers her a self-destructive psycho, and she, in turn, thinks him a selfish coward devoid of any stronger moral principles. Still, for some unfathomable reasons, he decides to stick around, and—weirdly enough—she actually lets him. Is it just a twisted sense of obligation? A self-serving attempt at redemption? Is he afraid of her? Is he afraid for her? How do their interactions look like, now that they no longer harbour any delusions about each other? Where do they even go from here, both as individuals and as... well, whatever they are together? I'd love to see Cassie in particular slowly rebuilding her life and, most importantly, healing—just like she was beginning to before everything blew up in her face.
➢ Alternatively: what about Cassie dying but not staying gone? Is she an actual ghost or just an invention of Ryan's guilty conscience? Or maybe she keeps showing up in his dreams/nightmares? What about a resurrection fic? Or a time-loop fic? Or even something else entirely—hopeful or hopeless, redemptive or bleak, bittersweet or fucked-up, or somehow all of these things at once, I'm all game!
Other prompts (read: shamelessly recycled freeforms from various past exchanges):
- Aftermath of Canonical Character Death,
- Bedside Vigils,
- Came Back the Same but Really Doesn't Want to Be Back,
- Came Back Wrong; Then Came Back Wronger; Why Does It Keep Getting Worse,
- Character A Is a Ghost That Only Character B Can See and Hear and Touch,
- Character Expected to Die but Didn't and Now Has No Idea How to Live Anymore,
- Character Makes Better Decisions Than in Canon,
- Character Is Dead and Doesn't Know It,
- Character Is Haunted by an Act of Cowardice They Committed,
- Character Survived Their Ordeal but Will Never Be the Same Again,
- Characters Know Exactly How to Hurt Each Other Emotionally,
- Characters With Complicated Pasts Struggling With Guilt and Grief and Forgiveness,
- Dreams Bleeding Into Reality,
- Dreams/Nightmares of What Will Never Be (Again),
- Fake Relationship for Incredibly Flimsy Reasons,
- Hurt/Comfort Where the One Doing the Comforting Is the Same as the One Who Did the Hurting,
- I Hate So Much About the Things That You Choose to Be,
- Inappropriately Timed Emotional Conversations,
- Look at Your Life Look at Your Choices,
- Pushing Each Other's Buttons / Getting Under Each Other's Skin (For Sport),
- Repairing Relationship After a Betrayal,
- Rough Sex as Unhealthy Coping Mechanism,
- Rough Sex Turns Unexpectedly Tender and/or Emotional,
- Technically Awful Attempts at Comfort Are Actually Very Comforting,
- Technically We Broke Up but We Keep Fucking Anyway,
- Time Loop - Character A Keeps Failing to Save Character B,
- Time Loop - Character Makes Things Worse Before Making Them Better,
- We Need Therapy but Let's Try Sex Instead,
- You Are the Worst and I Hate You but I Hate Myself More for Being So Into You.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007)
Carla Jean Moss; Anton Chigurh.
Requested: Trick (fic). Treat (fic). You may ignore my Trick/Treat preferences for extra gifts.
The coin ain't got no say. It's just you.
While I'm awfully fond of McCarthy's novel, I have to say that I'm partial to the Coens' depiction of these characters, and of Carla Jean in particular. Her facing the Grim Reaper with more dignity than any other character in the movie, refusing to gamble for her own life, and even managing to call him out on his bullshit before... see, I was almost compelled to complete this sentence with "before meeting her fate," except fate having nothing to do with this was her entire point. Hers was an unnecessary and cruel death, and she knew it, and wanted Anton to know it, too—and to actually live with this knowledge. As it was, she might have been only a secondary character, but still; it's her and her quiet resolve that first come to my mind whenever I find myself thinking back on this film.
As for Anton himself... As much as I loathe to admit it, Javier Bardem with that godawful bowl-cut does things to me. To be fair, the Coens did want him to look like someone "who could have come from Mars," and apparently even his introduction was supposed to be a subtle riff on the opening scene of The Man Who Fell to Earth. Unsurprisingly, plenty has been written about the supernatural (or at least non-human) implications of his character, and he seems to be commonly interpreted as being either the actual reincarnation/embodiment of Death, an angel of punishment, the spiritual equivalent of bubonic plague, or at least a semi-mortal agent of fate (or Fate, if you will); in any case, he's all but a walking allegory. And yet, he's not completely infallible—he bleeds just like a mortal man, and is eventually bound to die like one, too. Or is he? God, if there ever was a character fit for a Halloween-themed exchange.
(Speaking of Halloween: Anton has also been widely compared to Michael Myers (who, incidentally, happens to be among my favourite fictional creations; I even toyed with the idea of requesting Halloween as another of my fandoms for this exchange, but ultimately decided against it). It makes a lot of sense, what with both of them being nigh indestructible, unwilling to be reasoned with, remorseless, and only vaguely human ("human-shaped" would be a better term), but... the reason I mention this is that the only time either of them actually stops in his tracks—even if only ever so briefly—is when they get exposed: Michael when his mask is pulled off by Laurie, Anton when Carla Jean challenges his self-proclaimed lack of agency, a belief which functions as the cornerstone of his... ethical code, for lack of a better term. Sure, it doesn't last, but it's more than any "real" weapon can accomplish against such as them. [Saoirse Ronan's voice] Women—!)
As for a potential shipfic: Yes, please! As I've mentioned a few times in this letter, deeply fucked-up romance is my favourite kind. Make it as weird and uncomfortable as you please!
A sidenote: While I'm all for a potential character study of Anton, I'd rather it didn't completely rob him of his general air of mystery. Feel free to drop some potential hints and clues as to his past/identity here and there—I'd especially love it if they were weirdly contradictory and somewhat implausible—but please, let him remain something of an enigma. Similarly, I'd love for his status as either human or inhuman to stay somewhat ambiguous, without the narrative explicitly confirming him to be one or the other (once again, some hints/clues/allusions are more than okay!).
A sidenote: While I'm all for a potential character study of Anton, I'd rather it didn't completely rob him of his general air of mystery. Feel free to drop some potential hints and clues as to his past/identity here and there—I'd especially love it if they were weirdly contradictory and somewhat implausible—but please, let him remain something of an enigma. Similarly, I'd love for his status as either human or inhuman to stay somewhat ambiguous, without the narrative explicitly confirming him to be one or the other (once again, some hints/clues/allusions are more than okay!).
Some ideas:
➢ If you want to go the romantic/sexual route, I would be definitely on board with Anton growing to care about Carla—even if only in his own way, as sick and twisted it may seem—yet still planning on eventually killing her, because he's given his word, and he's that devoted to his ethical code.
➢ Speaking of, I'd love to read anything dealing with the inner workings of Anton's moral compass, since he clearly has one; it's just that it happens to be terribly misaligned with those of most people. I'm similarly interested in the question of his sexual life, or lack thereof. I mean, he might or might not be wholly human, but we know that he still displays at least some of the basic physiological needs—we see him eating and drinking—and human weaknesses: he can be physically hurt, and, considering his use of anaesthetics, he does feel pain. What about arousal, then? And is he as clinical in his approach to sex as he is about everything else?
➢ I'd be delighted with anything that fleshes out Carla Jean, too! What was her life like before meeting Llewelyn? What attracted her to him initially? What were her hopes for their future? Was she truly satisfied with her lot in life or did she simply manage to convince herself that's all that there is to it anyway? It is mentioned in the novel that she had a strong, almost supernatural premonition about meeting her future husband—but wouldn't that lend some credence to Anton's theory about everything in her life being long predetermined, including her eventual death at his hands? And yet in her last moments, she refuses to abide by his philosophy of predestination, instead choosing to believe that each person possesses free will (and as such should be held accountable for their actions). As it is, I would love to read something exploring in depth her ambivalent relationship with the concepts of fate and destiny. And what about drawing on that brief moment in the book and giving her actual psychic abilities? Does her being able to see into the future only confirm that the course of each life is already determined and cannot be possibly changed? Or maybe it's being constantly rewritten as we go? If you want to go the treat route, I'd love to see Carla Jean regaining control of her own narrative, the stars be damned. Alternatively, Anton wanting to exploit her potential sixth sense would make for a great trick premise!
➢ Carla Jean doesn't die; or at least she doesn't die the same way she does in canon. Is it because she effectively shocks Anton out of killing her (since I wouldn't count on his displaying actual mercy)? Or perhaps he tries to force her to call the coin toss, but as long as her answer remains up in the air, so does her fate? How long can Carla keep exploiting this loophole before Anton's (already scarce) patience runs out? And how does she cope with the knowledge that all of this is only happening because of her late husband (who, as Anton did not hesitate to inform her, deliberately put her life on the line)? (Also, I wouldn't be opposed to a light fusion with Bergman's The Seventh Seal here... 👀)
➢ If you want to go the romantic/sexual route, I would be definitely on board with Anton growing to care about Carla—even if only in his own way, as sick and twisted it may seem—yet still planning on eventually killing her, because he's given his word, and he's that devoted to his ethical code.
➢ Or maybe he offers no real reprieves but isn't opposed to an occasional trade? I'm thinking about a scenario in which Anton doesn't kill Carla Jean because he... well, he doesn't need her, not really, but maybe he finds her potentially useful (similarly to these two boys at the end of the movie)? Lord, I can practically hear him trying to reason with her in that disengaged, almost bored tone of his: with her husband out of the picture and her only alternative joining him there, she should consider herself lucky, really. Still, just because she has to indulge a psychotic hitman whenever he needs a cover or a place to lay low, it doesn't mean that she has to be happy about it, let alone grateful. (What can I say! I do have a soft spot for the forced intimacy / co-habitation trope.)
➢ Speaking of, I'd love to read anything dealing with the inner workings of Anton's moral compass, since he clearly has one; it's just that it happens to be terribly misaligned with those of most people. I'm similarly interested in the question of his sexual life, or lack thereof. I mean, he might or might not be wholly human, but we know that he still displays at least some of the basic physiological needs—we see him eating and drinking—and human weaknesses: he can be physically hurt, and, considering his use of anaesthetics, he does feel pain. What about arousal, then? And is he as clinical in his approach to sex as he is about everything else?
➢ I'd be delighted with anything that fleshes out Carla Jean, too! What was her life like before meeting Llewelyn? What attracted her to him initially? What were her hopes for their future? Was she truly satisfied with her lot in life or did she simply manage to convince herself that's all that there is to it anyway? It is mentioned in the novel that she had a strong, almost supernatural premonition about meeting her future husband—but wouldn't that lend some credence to Anton's theory about everything in her life being long predetermined, including her eventual death at his hands? And yet in her last moments, she refuses to abide by his philosophy of predestination, instead choosing to believe that each person possesses free will (and as such should be held accountable for their actions). As it is, I would love to read something exploring in depth her ambivalent relationship with the concepts of fate and destiny. And what about drawing on that brief moment in the book and giving her actual psychic abilities? Does her being able to see into the future only confirm that the course of each life is already determined and cannot be possibly changed? Or maybe it's being constantly rewritten as we go? If you want to go the treat route, I'd love to see Carla Jean regaining control of her own narrative, the stars be damned. Alternatively, Anton wanting to exploit her potential sixth sense would make for a great trick premise!
➢ Additionally, something that I cannot quite get out of my head is a Weird West AU. What if people aren't the only thing that Anton is willing to target? Monster-hunting as bounty-hunting, "the desert is cold and vast and possibly sentient and definitely out to get us," the coyotes not being what they seem, Anton's past hits rising from their graves to inflict revenge on him, roughing it in abandoned cabins in the middle of nowhere while having to deal with undead gunslingers or cryptids or whatnot—you know the drill!
➢ Finally, I do love stories with a strong sense of place, and the distinctively Southern atmosphere of this film is one of the reasons why I fell in love with it in the first place. That is to say, if you happen to be somewhat familiar with that region and its customs yourself, feel free to weave any elements of the Texan culture and/or folklore into your story! I'm practically bound to love it.
Other prompts (read: shamelessly recycled freeforms from various past exchanges):- Anyone With Sense In My Position Would Hate You But Instead I Keep Letting You Fuck Me,
- Awkward Conversations With People You Tried to Kill,
- Character Expected to Die but Didn't and Now Has No Idea How to Live Anymore,
- Character Survived Their Ordeal but Will Never Be the Same Again,
- Conversations in Liminal Spaces on the Border of One World and Another,
- Conversations in Mundane Liminal Spaces,
- Dependent on Enemy for Survival,
- Dubiously Consensual Sex as Unhealthy Coping Mechanism,
- Fake Marriage - As Cover Identity While Evading Law Enforcement,
- Falling for the Person You Were Planning to Kill; Still Intending to Kill Them,
- I Am Everything You Hate but Have You Considered No One Will Ever Understand You Like I Do,
- Intense Pretentious Conversations About Philosophy or Art as a Prelude to Murder,
- No One Is Allowed to Kill You But Me,
- Obsession That the Obsessed Party Doesn't Realise Is Romantic/Sexual,
- On the Run While Everything/Everyone Around You Is Trying to Kill You,
- Road Trip From Hell,
- Rough Sex to Stave Off Other Violent Urges,
- Trapped and Isolated While Something/Someone Is Out to Get Us,
- Used to Rough Sex; This Is Something Else Entirely.
THE CROWN (TV)
Diana Princess of Wales; Charles Prince of Wales.
Requested: Trick (fic). Treat (fic). You may ignore my Trick/Treat preferences for extra gifts.
Whatever "in love" means.
Ah, the Waleses and their marriage from hell! Frankly, their entire subplot in the last season was some id-heaven for me—resentment and affection intertwined, a fairy tale gone terribly wrong, spouses turned bitter rivals, the trappings of a loveless high-profile marriage... Emma and Josh's insanely good chemistry was only the cherry on top.
I adore Diana—a lot!—but I am glad that the writers didn't take the line of least resistance by portraying her as a faultless saint. She's a fully-realised portrait of a sensitive young woman forced into a situation vastly out of her depth; deeply empathetic yet somewhat self-centred, theatrical yet awfully self-conscious, effortlessly charming yet continuously alienated and misunderstood. She's a pathological people pleaser with a penchant for drama, and I am very much fond and protective of her, faults and all. (Young Diana not getting to experience THE scorned woman masterpiece that is Olivia Rodrigo's SOUR makes me want to single-handedly rip through the fabric of reality with a spare copy.) And as for Charles... Well, I don't hate Charles—which is much more than I can about his real life counterpart—and I blame it entirely on Josh O'Connor's inherent lovability. His Charles can be utterly loathsome, there's no getting around that, but his boyish charm, bookishness, and that slightly self-conscious way of carrying himself at least explain why Diana fell for him in the first place (well, that, and both of us clearly having somewhat questionable taste in men).
Also, what I find especially fascinating is that despite their (numerous!) outward differences, they are actually quite alike in their almost desperate need to be loved and appreciated—as it is, their tragedy is partially caused by their seeking validation from people who are unwilling to give it to them (Diana might be adored by the entire world, but all she ever wanted was for her husband to be on her side; Charles, on the other hand, dooms himself by refusing to let go of Camilla, who, fond of him as she might be, clearly doesn't need him in the same way he needs her). Still, against my better judgment, I found myself actively rooting for Charles to do some goddamn soul searching and actually provide emotionally for the woman he married. Clearly, The Crown was never meant to be a fix-it story (unlike, say, Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), but hey, it's already heavily fictionalised—what is one more layer of revisionism?
As for a potential shipfic: Absolutely, yes! I do love broken marriages dearly.
Some ideas:
➢ I've been reading the first reviews of Spencer (honestly, November can't come soon enough!), and if they're to be believed, Larraín has interspersed his Diana biopic with some heavy Gothic imagery. Somewhat predictably, I'm positively obsessed with this concept, and would love to read a story building upon it—maybe with some psychological horror thrown in the mix? Endless hallways, draped furniture, portraits whose gazes seem to constantly follow you, ancient and dusty mirrors (at times Diana could almost swear it's no longer her own self looking back at her)—basically, the royal premises being all draughty and creaky and actively hostile to their inhabitants despite their superficial luxuriousness. Also, haunted. Definitely haunted. Is Diana the only one who can sense that? Or maybe Charles does, too, and only pretends not to? I mean, the entire show revolves around the theme of a dying empire coping with the ageing of its own mythology and withering influence—feel free to make these metaphorical ghosts of the past (semi-)corporeal, and ready to target anybody who's not willing to sacrifice their personal happiness at the altar of history and tradition.
➢ And speaking of the Gothic...
If I was bound for hell, let it be hell. No more false heavens. No more damned magic. You hate me and I hate you. We’ll see who hates best. But first, first I will destroy your hatred. Now. My hate is colder, stronger, and you’ll have no hate to warm yourself. You will have nothing.
(Wide Sargasso Sea happens to be the book of my heart, which... not really that surprising, is it. I'm not interested in an AU or even a fusion, but any references/allusions to Rochester and Bertha/Antoinette are more than welcome! Or maybe Diana is aware that in case of her and Charles' marriage being deemed unsalvageable, the Royal Family might exploit her mental health issues and try to force her into the role of madwoman in the attic—when she's actually the sanest member of that household (or at least the only one not stuck in the past)?)
➢ Honestly, feel free to really dial up all that bitterness and resentment present in any steadily deteriorating marriage. Show me their fights and arguments—all the more vicious now that they have nothing to lose and know exactly how to really hurt their partner. Tell me about Charles and Diana sabotaging each other at every turn, obsessively keeping track of what the other one is up to (and, most importantly, with whom), feeling inexplicably possessive of their technically-still-spouse despite both of them considering their relationship to be all but officially dissolved. I'd love to read about their marriage paradoxically only becoming passionate when it is hurrying to its end, and all the deeply messed up repercussions of that (them hating each other with a greater intensity and focus than they ever loved each other!).
➢ Alternatively—and this is a total 180 from the previous one—show me their marriage at its best! Whether Charles and Diana's potential best is actually good (or at least good enough to prevent their divorce) is up to you, but I'd be especially delighted with their shared happiness always remaining somewhat fragile, as if one wrong word could send it collapsing. Anyhow! Feel free to build upon the Australia storyline and have them learn to live with each other, as bittersweet and unromantic it might sound (to be perfectly honest, awfully unromantic romance is my most favourite kind). I'd love to see them still constantly stepping on each other's toes and getting frustrated/fed up with each other, except this time both of them are equally set on making this marriage work, and so they're willing to work through their issues together (which is the key word here, let's be real). Let them find happiness—whatever "happiness" means.
Other prompts (read: shamelessly recycled freeforms from various past exchanges):
- Being Together Is Just Fighting Destiny,
- Characters Have The Important Conversation(s) They Never Got The Chance To Have In Canon,
- Character Makes Better Decisions Than in Canon,
- Character Realises Their Partner Is Incapable of Loving Them Specifically,
- Character Reveals Their True Feelings While Not Quite Lucid (Hurt/Drunk/etc.),
- Character Who Is Normally Dressed Up Dressing Down for Once,
- Characters Know Exactly How to Hurt Each Other Emotionally,
- Characters With Complicated Pasts Struggling With Guilt and Grief and Forgiveness,
- Dreams/Nightmares of What Will Never Be (Again),
- Guiltily Aroused by Loved One's Distress,
- Hurt/Comfort Where the One Doing the Comforting Is the Same as the One Who Did the Hurting,
- I Don't Return Your Love but I Wish I Did,
- I'm Going to Stroke Your Hair but It Doesn’t Mean Anything Because I Still Hate You,
- Inappropriately Timed Emotional Conversations,
- Late Night Conversations,
- Reconciliation Sex - Rediscovering Each Other's Bodies After Long Estrangement,
- Repairing Relationship After a Betrayal,
- Rough Sex as Unhealthy Coping Mechanism,
- Rough Sex Turns Unexpectedly Tender and/or Emotional,
- Technically Awful Attempts at Comfort Are Actually Very Comforting,
- Technically We Broke Up but We Keep Fucking Anyway.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019)
Pussycat; Cliff Booth.
Requested: Trick (fic). Treat (fic). You may ignore my Trick/Treat preferences for extra gifts.
Want me to suck your cock while driving?
[ general gushing about these characters tba since i'm already behind on actually publishing this letter :^( ]
A sidenote: Although I haven't read the novelisation myself, I have no real preference as to its canonicity; you can incorporate anything you want from it, or you can just pretend that it doesn't exist—I'm fine either way!
As for a potential shipfic: I absolutely love the concept of Cliff/Pussycat, so by all means go there! However, Cliff & Pussycat is grand too. Also, I headcanon Cliff as bisexual, and while I'd rather Cliff/Rick wasn't the actual focus of the fic—I'd prefer Rick didn't appear at all, unless it's just a cameo; him being mentioned is more than fine, though!—feel free to allude to their relationship as being not entirely platonic.
A fandom-specific DNW: Pussycat being younger than seventeen. (Although I'd rather her age wasn't mentioned (or even alluded to) at all, unless it's explicitly futurefic.)
Some ideas:
➢ Since Manson doesn't get killed or captured that night, it is fair to assume that he is still on the loose post-movie, and so his cult continues to operate. A few years down the road, Pussycat is still one of its members—she's also older, considerably more zealous, and set on taking revenge on Cliff (and Rick, but mostly Cliff) for killing her friends. How would he react when faced with such a blast from the past?
➢ Pussycat is present that night at Rick Dalton's house! What is Cliff's reaction to seeing her again in such circumstances (him being high as hell notwithstanding)? Does he feel as indifferent about fighting her as he does about the other cultists? Or maybe he feels at least a pang of regret at having to kill someone he was actually acquainted with, even if only so briefly? Is her potential death as violent and gruesome as those of her fellow Family members? Or perhaps she manages to get away (mostly) unscathed? Is it because Cliff deliberately lets her go? (Personally, I'm fine with any outcome, even a particularly gruesome or bleak one, so don't worry about that!)
➢ And if Pussycat does end up getting killed, I'd love to read about her refusing to actually stay dead—as it turns out, being a ghost is not all that exciting, and so she spends most of her time following Cliff around and doing her best to sufficiently torment him for sending her to the other side in the first place. Cliff himself is not very impressed. (If anything, he's mostly annoyed; he's also killed his own wife, mind you, and if she didn't find it necessary to haunt him afterwards, then neither should this random hippie girl, goddamn it.)
➢ Oh, but this movie lends itself beautifully to a Weird West AU, even if it's a Hollywood-flavoured Weird West—which apparently has been christened Sinister Southwest by TV Tropes? Anyhoo! What about the cultists stumbling upon some grimoires or cursed artefacts and subsequently coming into contact with forces they can barely understand (let alone actually control)? I can see them attempting to unleash something truly sinister upon Tinseltown, only for that... something to turn out to be non-discriminatory in its choice of victims and target the Family itself before wreaking havoc upon the rest of L. A. Cliff, being his indestructible veteran self, would probably fare better than anyone else in a post-apocalyptic scenario. (Rick would just barricade himself and Francesca in their mansion and hope for the best, bless his heart.) As for Pussycat: what about her finding herself stranded in the city and forced to fight for her life—perhaps after getting separated from the few initial Family survivors—before unexpectedly (or maybe not that unexpectedly, considering their history) running into Cliff? Does she once again succeed in convincing him to let her into his car? (Cue the road trip from hell! Or at least through hell.)
(As to the exact nature of this monstrosity getting let loose on Hollywood's finest: I have no preference! Demons, zombies, vampires, deadites, eldritch abominations of all shapes and sizes—count me in! Fusions with any horror movies are also more than fine.)
Other prompts (read: shamelessly recycled freeforms from various past exchanges):
- Anyone With Sense In My Position Would Hate You But Instead I Keep Letting You Fuck Me,
- Character A Is a Ghost That Only Character B Can See and Hear and Touch,
- Character Is Dead And Doesn't Know It,
- Conversations In Liminal Spaces On The Border Of One World And Another,
- Conversations In Mundane Liminal Spaces,
- Dependent on Enemy for Survival,
- Falling For The Person You Were Planning To Kill; Still Intending To Kill Them,
- Inappropriately Timed Emotional Conversations,
- On the Run While Everything/Everyone Around You Is Trying to Kill You,
- Road Trip From Hell,
- Rough Sex to Stave Off Other Violent Urges,
- The Eroticism of Knowing Your Partner Could Kill You (But Won't),
- Trapped and Isolated While Something/Someone Is Out to Get Us,
- Two Characters Who Don't Like Each Other Grudgingly Save Each Other From Horrific Fates,
- Used To Rough Sex; This Is Something Else Entirely.
