ladybird97 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladybird97) wrote2021-10-15 07:25 pm
ladybird97) wrote2021-10-15 07:25 pm
Entry tags:
Dear Yuletide Writer 2021
Dear Yuletide 2021 Writer,
Thank you so much for writing for me! I’m already grateful that you would dedicate your creativity towards giving me a fic.
All of my previous Yuletide posts are public under my Yuletide tag, so you can see the kinds of things I like, rec, and have received in the past.
Things I Love
Things I Love: Gen. Strong friendship. Found family. Romance. Femslash. Bechdel-passing. Feminism. Inclusivity. Genderflipping (but _never_ to straighten a queer relationship!). Extreme competence. Teamwork. Stories that replicate the tone and style of the original. Plot. Well-researched history. Snappy dialogue. Hurt/comfort. Gift-giving. Holiday stories. (Not just Christmas! I'm Jewish, and I'd love to see some religious inclusivity. If there's a character whose religion hasn't been specified in canon and you want to make them Jewish, go for it!) Casefic. (If you write me casefic, I will be your friend forever!) Time-travel and just-add-magic AUs.
And, most of all, I love crossovers! If you find inspiration for one, it would be an amazing Yuletide present! It can be a crossover or fusion between two of the fandoms I've requested, or with an outside one. Time travel and ‘just add magic’ are two of my fandom catnips, and also some of my favorite excuses for crossovers. (Doctor Who and Timeless would be awesome time-travel crossovers. Please, no Harry Potter for the 'just add magic' crossover, not anymore; but just generally having magic would be cool.) So, an older Pat and Fen go to Canada and team up with Frankie Drake and Co; or retire to Yorkshire where James Herriot takes care of their pets. Or, a huge crossover during WWI - Audrey and Dorothy in the Wrens, Frankie doing her spy thing, Pat and Fen doing something awesome of their own. Some time-travel shenanigans bring Benjamin January and Co. into contact with one of the other groups. The Doctor comes to Ted Lasso’s corner of London: can you imagine Keeley and Thirteen being cheery together, or Roy and Twelve grumping at each other? Or a ridiculous fluffy crossover, like Richmond AFC going on Great British Bake Off. Or whatever inspires you!
Absolute Do Not Want
Explicit sex (I'm OK with a rating up to M). Gory violence. Rape, non-con, dubcon. Incest. Humiliation. (Seriously, I can't even watch The Office because humiliation makes me cringe so hard.) Sexual relationships between adults and teens. Violence against children, child abuse, or other children-in-peril. Physical or psychological torture. Misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other bigotry. And please, no 'they act like they hate each other but that's actually because they're in love,' unless that's already been established in canon. I want "no" to mean "no."
And, because it is this year (sigh): no COVID, and no stories about other epidemics.
Would Rather Not Have
The Five Things / 5+1 structure. Angst. Major character death. Plotless character studies. Non-canonical pairings that I haven't specified in my request. Character or pairing hate - if you don’t like a character or pairing, just leave them out!
And here are my fandoms! I, uh, did not realize how much I was focusing on historical mysteries this year, but here we are :)
All Creatures Great and Small (2020), any character
I read the books so many times when I was a kid that the covers nearly fell off, and this adaptation makes me enormously happy. The show helped sustain me through what was a very dark winter this past year.
I love the show’s gentleness and kindness. I love that it’s about people trying to do their best, and even when they mess up, they keep on trying - and, even better, they let each other keep on trying. I love the quiet way the characters show how much they care for each other, and the subtle ways they help each other out. It’s hard to say that I _like_ the way the characters (especially the Farnon brothers!) struggle to communicate, but I deeply sympathize, and want the best for them.
I’ve only seen the first season! The second hasn’t been released in the US yet. So, please try to avoid spoilers, or a story that depends on a lot of context from S2. (That’s one of the reason why I’m requesting some prequels or canon departures!)
I’d be happy with a story about any or all of the nominated characters. Here are some ideas:
- A story about the friendship between Mrs. Hall and Dorothy: something pre-canon about their past together; their adventures in the Wrens; maybe a past romance between them? I’d love to see Mrs. Hall when she was younger and less worn down by the world, with a vivacity that makes her more similar to Dorothy, and still as super-competent as she is in the present day. (I’m also not super into the idea of a romance between Siegfried and Mrs. Hall - I love that friendship and want it to stay as friendship.)
- Something supernatural - a ghost, an isolated farmer who is _totally_ a fae or a witch, etc. How would everyone react? Probably Siegfried would be skeptical; Tristan would totally believe and want to be dramatic about it; James would be cautious; Helen would just accept it as something that happens around the village.
- A pre-canon story about the Farnon brothers, filling in some of the details about how their relationship deteriorated - but also upholding the love they have for each other. Maybe Tristan does something to help Siegfried and tries to hide it from him, but Siegfried finds out and tries to hide that he knows?
I’d be super happy with a general ensemble story too - a veterinary case, a day in the life of the practice, etc. Descriptions of adorable animals would be a huge plus :) Please steer away from descriptions of blood and gore, though, if your story is about a veterinary case.
Benjamin January Mysteries, Barbara Hambly. Benjamin January, Dominique Vieillard, Hannibal Sefton, Rose Vitrac January.
I'm happy with a story about any or all of these characters, at any point during the series.
What I love about this series: The New Orleans setting: its social complexity, racial diversity, music, history. The emotional authenticity of everyone's strengths and weaknesses. The way it respects the characters' pasts. The complications of friendship and family. The way each mystery is so deeply embedded in the fabric of its society. I also respect how the series doesn't look away from the legacy of slavery, racism, and trauma, both in the characters' lives and in the wider world. I absolutely understand that some of those elements need to be in this story if it's going to do justice to the original and the historical reality. However, I would strongly prefer a story that is not primarily about racism, slavery, or trauma.
About the characters specifically: I love Dominique's emotional intelligence, unabashed femininity, perceptiveness, and skillful navigation of New Orleans' racial divisions and her own place within them. I love Rose's intellect, gentleness, pragmatism, and the little flashes of daring and bravery that are getting more frequent as time goes on. (The cross-dressing is especially excellent.) I love Hannibal's loyalty, haplessness, accidental charisma, stealth competence, and fast-talking.
My first choice is a story in which Rose and Dominique team up and take the lead in solving a case. Maybe it's while Benjamin is away; maybe it's a case that he can't investigate on his own: just as he takes on cases that other people can't (or won't) investigate, maybe Rose and Dominique have taken on one that Benjamin can't or won't. How do Rose and Dominique work together? What are their detective methods like? How do they rescue Hannibal (because you know he'll need to be rescued!)
If you'd like to do a solo story, I'd love to see Hannibal on his own. Maybe you could show what he was doing during one of the many times when he was offstage working on Benjamin's behalf, trying to bluff his way out of a tight situation.
Obviously I'm happy to have a conventional case with Benjamin there! I'd just really like to see some of the other characters working on their own, too.
England Series, KJ Charles. Patricia Merton and Fenella Carruth
When someone recommended “Proper English” to me as “f/f English country house murder mystery”, my response was “every single part of that description is catnip to me.” And I love these two SO MUCH.
I love Fen’s femininity, stealth competence, keen perception, emotional intelligence, unexpected confidence when it comes to romance. I love the way she learns how to take advantage of the way people underestimate her - how she understands that that’s actually one of her strengths - but I wish she had more opportunities to show the world outright how absolutely awesome she is.
I love Pat’s not-at-all-stealth competence and only slightly-stealth gentle side. I love her supportive relationship with her brother. I love her sense of justice. I love the way she _sees_ Fen when nobody else does and I love the way she respects her. I love her resourcefulness.
Together, I love they way they work as a team: how each teaches the other, how their strengths complement each other, how they admire each other, and how they support each other. I’m OK with a solo story about either Pat or Fen, but I’d strongly prefer one about them together.
Casefic would be fabulous, obviously. I’d love to see Pat and Fen working together to solve another murder or other crime, especially one where they’re the only people who really understand how important it is. And/or, it would be great to have a moment of role reversal, where Pat is imperiled and Fen has to step up to be brave to save her. (This would be a great opportunity for some hurt/comfort!) I’d also love to see this relationship traced forward into the future: how do they grow over time? What do they do during WWI - what badass stuff does Pat do, and how does Fen hold down the home front? What kind of community do they build around themselves as they move forward in life?
Frankie Drake Mysteries, any character.
I’ve just finished watching Season 4, so I’ve just been reminded all over again of why this show is so much fun. I love its snappy pacing; I love the way it’s juuuuust a bit over the top (especially in S4!); I love when it digs into real history; I like that it shows some of the historical diversity of Toronto and wish it would do that more. And of course, I love the friendship among the four main characters that anchors it.
I love that Frankie is badass, quick thinking, outrageously daring, unashamedly sexy (and that the show doesn’t punish her for it!), a good leader. (If you want to include one of her current or past boyfriends, I’m fine with that; I like the growing relationship with Smoldering Carpenter at the end of S4 and would be happy to see more of him, but I’m also OK without.)
I love Trudy’s resourcefulness, ambition, fabulous fashion sense, creativity, and strong work ethic. I love her dedication to her family and community; and I love how naturally she weaves that in with her friendship with the others.
I love Mary’s dedication to her job, and her growth over the course of the show. I love that she’s really starting to think seriously about ethics and grapple with questions of justice (and glad that the writers are talking about police corruption/misconduct/brutality!). I love that she’s braver than she thinks she is.
I love that Flo is confident, competent, flirty, smart. I love that she’s good at her job and owns it. I love that she’s a good dancer; I love that she’s ambitious; I love that she’s moving on after losing her husband but also carries his presence with her - she refers to her life and love with him very naturally.
I’d love an ensemble story, of course - the teamwork among the four main women is one of the things I like best about the show. Something that lets each of them showcase their strengths; something that shows how each of them is growing; something that shows how they all work together and help each other shine.
If you want to do a solo story, my first choice would be one focusing on Flo. Maybe an adventure in her new job singing at the club (starting a relationship with a nice woman?); maybe navigating the challenges of medical school and her job at the coroner; maybe solving a medical mystery by herself, using knowledge that only she could have. Or maybe a story about her bonding with her niece - I really loved that storyline in S4, and it was wonderful to see Flo step up to be a supportive ally even as she clearly felt the magnitude of the task of becoming a surrogate parent.
Ted Lasso. Keeley Jones, Rebecca Welton, Sharon Fieldstone, Roy Kent.
Do you have about five hours so that I can tell you how much I love this show? Because I LOVE THIS SHOW. I love its optimism and faith in human nature. I love the way it centers friendship: men friends who talk about their feelings; women friends who admire each other and lift each other up; friends who see each other and reach out hands to help; friends who push each other to be their best selves; friends who hold each other accountable. I love the found-family of the Richmond team. I love that it has so many characters who are struggling to be better; I love that it acknowledges that some questions don’t have easy answers; I love that it shines a bright light on mental health issues.
Even though it had a few misses this season, I admire that it took risks. (And I SUPER love the Christmas episode. No way do I consider that one of the misses! If you want to write me another Christmas scene I’d be really happy! Or a Chanukah or a Jewish-folks-on-Christmas scene - was Sharon not doing anything Christmassy in that episode because she's Jewish?)
My first choice is a story about Keeley and Rebecca, either as friends or as lovers.
I love Keeley’s humor, confidence, and utter comfort in who she is - and that that comfort doesn’t prevent her from re-examining herself and trying to change for the better. I love that Keeley sees the goodness in people even when they can’t see it themselves. I love that she just openly admires Rebecca’s physical beauty. (And justifiably so!) I love that she and Sassy absorb each other’s friendship rather than each getting jealous of the other’s bond with Rebecca.
I love that Rebecca wants to be a better person, and that though the support of her friends, she comes to understand just how much she’s lost her way. I love the way she found her way back to her old confidence, compassion, and humor after digging her way out from under Rupert’s abuse. I love the way she’s exploring her own power: using her wealth and privilege to advocate for good causes in the sponsorship shakeup; realizing that she’s a role model for Nora and Keeley and others and trying to live up to their admiration.
Together, I love the way that Keeley’s presence inspires Rebecca to understand that she can use her power to help rather than to harm; I love the way that Keeley looks up to Rebecca and sees a potential example to follow - but at the same time, that Keeley sees Rebecca’s vulnerability and isn’t afraid to reach out to help Rebecca heal.
However, I also love Keeley/Roy, so if you want to write a Keeley/Rebecca story I’d really prefer to have it set in the time after Keeley breaks up with Jamie and before she gets together with Roy. So, in 1-4, Rebecca and Keeley ride off in the pedicab with their champagne, and the rest is history. Maybe they have some kind of adventure while they’re riding around London - maybe Keeley spots someone who needs help and drags Rebecca along? Either way, I’d love to see them talking and sharing and having fun and opening up and supporting each other. Or in 1-7, instead of going off alone after Roy says good night, Keeley goes to Rebecca’s room to vent about what’s just happened, and again, the rest is history. (I love Sassy, too, so maybe they’d each go to Sassy to talk about it after?)
Other brainstorms for ideas:
- a solo story focusing on Sharon: can we see more of her inner life? We've seen how much her bike and her music mean to her - what else sustains her? What else does she do for fun? What support system does she have besides her own therapist?
- Anything Keeley/Roy! Finally getting that Christmas date - or having another obstacle pop up, in true rom-com fashion? Or some Keeley/Roy hurt/comfort, with all of Roy's injuries - or maybe some role reversal, where Roy has to take care of Keeley. Genderflipping Roy - what if AFC Richmond is a women's team? How does f!Roy deal with her aging, retirement, rivalry with Jamie, relationship with Keeley, etc?
- Fallout from the Dubai Air protest: one of the few major problems I have with S2 is that they never really did justice to that storyline. So, a story could fill in that blank. Or a story that explains why there wasn’t any fallout: what happened to suppress it? Did Rebecca quietly put her own money into the team, or make a deal with Trent Crimm (The Independent) to quiet down the press fallout?
I’m also happy if you’ve got other ideas, of course! With such a huge wonderful ensemble, there are tons of great stories to be told, and I want to hear them all.
Thank you so much for writing for me! I’m already grateful that you would dedicate your creativity towards giving me a fic.
All of my previous Yuletide posts are public under my Yuletide tag, so you can see the kinds of things I like, rec, and have received in the past.
Things I Love
Things I Love: Gen. Strong friendship. Found family. Romance. Femslash. Bechdel-passing. Feminism. Inclusivity. Genderflipping (but _never_ to straighten a queer relationship!). Extreme competence. Teamwork. Stories that replicate the tone and style of the original. Plot. Well-researched history. Snappy dialogue. Hurt/comfort. Gift-giving. Holiday stories. (Not just Christmas! I'm Jewish, and I'd love to see some religious inclusivity. If there's a character whose religion hasn't been specified in canon and you want to make them Jewish, go for it!) Casefic. (If you write me casefic, I will be your friend forever!) Time-travel and just-add-magic AUs.
And, most of all, I love crossovers! If you find inspiration for one, it would be an amazing Yuletide present! It can be a crossover or fusion between two of the fandoms I've requested, or with an outside one. Time travel and ‘just add magic’ are two of my fandom catnips, and also some of my favorite excuses for crossovers. (Doctor Who and Timeless would be awesome time-travel crossovers. Please, no Harry Potter for the 'just add magic' crossover, not anymore; but just generally having magic would be cool.) So, an older Pat and Fen go to Canada and team up with Frankie Drake and Co; or retire to Yorkshire where James Herriot takes care of their pets. Or, a huge crossover during WWI - Audrey and Dorothy in the Wrens, Frankie doing her spy thing, Pat and Fen doing something awesome of their own. Some time-travel shenanigans bring Benjamin January and Co. into contact with one of the other groups. The Doctor comes to Ted Lasso’s corner of London: can you imagine Keeley and Thirteen being cheery together, or Roy and Twelve grumping at each other? Or a ridiculous fluffy crossover, like Richmond AFC going on Great British Bake Off. Or whatever inspires you!
Absolute Do Not Want
Explicit sex (I'm OK with a rating up to M). Gory violence. Rape, non-con, dubcon. Incest. Humiliation. (Seriously, I can't even watch The Office because humiliation makes me cringe so hard.) Sexual relationships between adults and teens. Violence against children, child abuse, or other children-in-peril. Physical or psychological torture. Misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other bigotry. And please, no 'they act like they hate each other but that's actually because they're in love,' unless that's already been established in canon. I want "no" to mean "no."
And, because it is this year (sigh): no COVID, and no stories about other epidemics.
Would Rather Not Have
The Five Things / 5+1 structure. Angst. Major character death. Plotless character studies. Non-canonical pairings that I haven't specified in my request. Character or pairing hate - if you don’t like a character or pairing, just leave them out!
And here are my fandoms! I, uh, did not realize how much I was focusing on historical mysteries this year, but here we are :)
All Creatures Great and Small (2020), any character
I read the books so many times when I was a kid that the covers nearly fell off, and this adaptation makes me enormously happy. The show helped sustain me through what was a very dark winter this past year.
I love the show’s gentleness and kindness. I love that it’s about people trying to do their best, and even when they mess up, they keep on trying - and, even better, they let each other keep on trying. I love the quiet way the characters show how much they care for each other, and the subtle ways they help each other out. It’s hard to say that I _like_ the way the characters (especially the Farnon brothers!) struggle to communicate, but I deeply sympathize, and want the best for them.
I’ve only seen the first season! The second hasn’t been released in the US yet. So, please try to avoid spoilers, or a story that depends on a lot of context from S2. (That’s one of the reason why I’m requesting some prequels or canon departures!)
I’d be happy with a story about any or all of the nominated characters. Here are some ideas:
- A story about the friendship between Mrs. Hall and Dorothy: something pre-canon about their past together; their adventures in the Wrens; maybe a past romance between them? I’d love to see Mrs. Hall when she was younger and less worn down by the world, with a vivacity that makes her more similar to Dorothy, and still as super-competent as she is in the present day. (I’m also not super into the idea of a romance between Siegfried and Mrs. Hall - I love that friendship and want it to stay as friendship.)
- Something supernatural - a ghost, an isolated farmer who is _totally_ a fae or a witch, etc. How would everyone react? Probably Siegfried would be skeptical; Tristan would totally believe and want to be dramatic about it; James would be cautious; Helen would just accept it as something that happens around the village.
- A pre-canon story about the Farnon brothers, filling in some of the details about how their relationship deteriorated - but also upholding the love they have for each other. Maybe Tristan does something to help Siegfried and tries to hide it from him, but Siegfried finds out and tries to hide that he knows?
I’d be super happy with a general ensemble story too - a veterinary case, a day in the life of the practice, etc. Descriptions of adorable animals would be a huge plus :) Please steer away from descriptions of blood and gore, though, if your story is about a veterinary case.
Benjamin January Mysteries, Barbara Hambly. Benjamin January, Dominique Vieillard, Hannibal Sefton, Rose Vitrac January.
I'm happy with a story about any or all of these characters, at any point during the series.
What I love about this series: The New Orleans setting: its social complexity, racial diversity, music, history. The emotional authenticity of everyone's strengths and weaknesses. The way it respects the characters' pasts. The complications of friendship and family. The way each mystery is so deeply embedded in the fabric of its society. I also respect how the series doesn't look away from the legacy of slavery, racism, and trauma, both in the characters' lives and in the wider world. I absolutely understand that some of those elements need to be in this story if it's going to do justice to the original and the historical reality. However, I would strongly prefer a story that is not primarily about racism, slavery, or trauma.
About the characters specifically: I love Dominique's emotional intelligence, unabashed femininity, perceptiveness, and skillful navigation of New Orleans' racial divisions and her own place within them. I love Rose's intellect, gentleness, pragmatism, and the little flashes of daring and bravery that are getting more frequent as time goes on. (The cross-dressing is especially excellent.) I love Hannibal's loyalty, haplessness, accidental charisma, stealth competence, and fast-talking.
My first choice is a story in which Rose and Dominique team up and take the lead in solving a case. Maybe it's while Benjamin is away; maybe it's a case that he can't investigate on his own: just as he takes on cases that other people can't (or won't) investigate, maybe Rose and Dominique have taken on one that Benjamin can't or won't. How do Rose and Dominique work together? What are their detective methods like? How do they rescue Hannibal (because you know he'll need to be rescued!)
If you'd like to do a solo story, I'd love to see Hannibal on his own. Maybe you could show what he was doing during one of the many times when he was offstage working on Benjamin's behalf, trying to bluff his way out of a tight situation.
Obviously I'm happy to have a conventional case with Benjamin there! I'd just really like to see some of the other characters working on their own, too.
England Series, KJ Charles. Patricia Merton and Fenella Carruth
When someone recommended “Proper English” to me as “f/f English country house murder mystery”, my response was “every single part of that description is catnip to me.” And I love these two SO MUCH.
I love Fen’s femininity, stealth competence, keen perception, emotional intelligence, unexpected confidence when it comes to romance. I love the way she learns how to take advantage of the way people underestimate her - how she understands that that’s actually one of her strengths - but I wish she had more opportunities to show the world outright how absolutely awesome she is.
I love Pat’s not-at-all-stealth competence and only slightly-stealth gentle side. I love her supportive relationship with her brother. I love her sense of justice. I love the way she _sees_ Fen when nobody else does and I love the way she respects her. I love her resourcefulness.
Together, I love they way they work as a team: how each teaches the other, how their strengths complement each other, how they admire each other, and how they support each other. I’m OK with a solo story about either Pat or Fen, but I’d strongly prefer one about them together.
Casefic would be fabulous, obviously. I’d love to see Pat and Fen working together to solve another murder or other crime, especially one where they’re the only people who really understand how important it is. And/or, it would be great to have a moment of role reversal, where Pat is imperiled and Fen has to step up to be brave to save her. (This would be a great opportunity for some hurt/comfort!) I’d also love to see this relationship traced forward into the future: how do they grow over time? What do they do during WWI - what badass stuff does Pat do, and how does Fen hold down the home front? What kind of community do they build around themselves as they move forward in life?
Frankie Drake Mysteries, any character.
I’ve just finished watching Season 4, so I’ve just been reminded all over again of why this show is so much fun. I love its snappy pacing; I love the way it’s juuuuust a bit over the top (especially in S4!); I love when it digs into real history; I like that it shows some of the historical diversity of Toronto and wish it would do that more. And of course, I love the friendship among the four main characters that anchors it.
I love that Frankie is badass, quick thinking, outrageously daring, unashamedly sexy (and that the show doesn’t punish her for it!), a good leader. (If you want to include one of her current or past boyfriends, I’m fine with that; I like the growing relationship with Smoldering Carpenter at the end of S4 and would be happy to see more of him, but I’m also OK without.)
I love Trudy’s resourcefulness, ambition, fabulous fashion sense, creativity, and strong work ethic. I love her dedication to her family and community; and I love how naturally she weaves that in with her friendship with the others.
I love Mary’s dedication to her job, and her growth over the course of the show. I love that she’s really starting to think seriously about ethics and grapple with questions of justice (and glad that the writers are talking about police corruption/misconduct/brutality!). I love that she’s braver than she thinks she is.
I love that Flo is confident, competent, flirty, smart. I love that she’s good at her job and owns it. I love that she’s a good dancer; I love that she’s ambitious; I love that she’s moving on after losing her husband but also carries his presence with her - she refers to her life and love with him very naturally.
I’d love an ensemble story, of course - the teamwork among the four main women is one of the things I like best about the show. Something that lets each of them showcase their strengths; something that shows how each of them is growing; something that shows how they all work together and help each other shine.
If you want to do a solo story, my first choice would be one focusing on Flo. Maybe an adventure in her new job singing at the club (starting a relationship with a nice woman?); maybe navigating the challenges of medical school and her job at the coroner; maybe solving a medical mystery by herself, using knowledge that only she could have. Or maybe a story about her bonding with her niece - I really loved that storyline in S4, and it was wonderful to see Flo step up to be a supportive ally even as she clearly felt the magnitude of the task of becoming a surrogate parent.
Ted Lasso. Keeley Jones, Rebecca Welton, Sharon Fieldstone, Roy Kent.
Do you have about five hours so that I can tell you how much I love this show? Because I LOVE THIS SHOW. I love its optimism and faith in human nature. I love the way it centers friendship: men friends who talk about their feelings; women friends who admire each other and lift each other up; friends who see each other and reach out hands to help; friends who push each other to be their best selves; friends who hold each other accountable. I love the found-family of the Richmond team. I love that it has so many characters who are struggling to be better; I love that it acknowledges that some questions don’t have easy answers; I love that it shines a bright light on mental health issues.
Even though it had a few misses this season, I admire that it took risks. (And I SUPER love the Christmas episode. No way do I consider that one of the misses! If you want to write me another Christmas scene I’d be really happy! Or a Chanukah or a Jewish-folks-on-Christmas scene - was Sharon not doing anything Christmassy in that episode because she's Jewish?)
My first choice is a story about Keeley and Rebecca, either as friends or as lovers.
I love Keeley’s humor, confidence, and utter comfort in who she is - and that that comfort doesn’t prevent her from re-examining herself and trying to change for the better. I love that Keeley sees the goodness in people even when they can’t see it themselves. I love that she just openly admires Rebecca’s physical beauty. (And justifiably so!) I love that she and Sassy absorb each other’s friendship rather than each getting jealous of the other’s bond with Rebecca.
I love that Rebecca wants to be a better person, and that though the support of her friends, she comes to understand just how much she’s lost her way. I love the way she found her way back to her old confidence, compassion, and humor after digging her way out from under Rupert’s abuse. I love the way she’s exploring her own power: using her wealth and privilege to advocate for good causes in the sponsorship shakeup; realizing that she’s a role model for Nora and Keeley and others and trying to live up to their admiration.
Together, I love the way that Keeley’s presence inspires Rebecca to understand that she can use her power to help rather than to harm; I love the way that Keeley looks up to Rebecca and sees a potential example to follow - but at the same time, that Keeley sees Rebecca’s vulnerability and isn’t afraid to reach out to help Rebecca heal.
However, I also love Keeley/Roy, so if you want to write a Keeley/Rebecca story I’d really prefer to have it set in the time after Keeley breaks up with Jamie and before she gets together with Roy. So, in 1-4, Rebecca and Keeley ride off in the pedicab with their champagne, and the rest is history. Maybe they have some kind of adventure while they’re riding around London - maybe Keeley spots someone who needs help and drags Rebecca along? Either way, I’d love to see them talking and sharing and having fun and opening up and supporting each other. Or in 1-7, instead of going off alone after Roy says good night, Keeley goes to Rebecca’s room to vent about what’s just happened, and again, the rest is history. (I love Sassy, too, so maybe they’d each go to Sassy to talk about it after?)
Other brainstorms for ideas:
- a solo story focusing on Sharon: can we see more of her inner life? We've seen how much her bike and her music mean to her - what else sustains her? What else does she do for fun? What support system does she have besides her own therapist?
- Anything Keeley/Roy! Finally getting that Christmas date - or having another obstacle pop up, in true rom-com fashion? Or some Keeley/Roy hurt/comfort, with all of Roy's injuries - or maybe some role reversal, where Roy has to take care of Keeley. Genderflipping Roy - what if AFC Richmond is a women's team? How does f!Roy deal with her aging, retirement, rivalry with Jamie, relationship with Keeley, etc?
- Fallout from the Dubai Air protest: one of the few major problems I have with S2 is that they never really did justice to that storyline. So, a story could fill in that blank. Or a story that explains why there wasn’t any fallout: what happened to suppress it? Did Rebecca quietly put her own money into the team, or make a deal with Trent Crimm (The Independent) to quiet down the press fallout?
I’m also happy if you’ve got other ideas, of course! With such a huge wonderful ensemble, there are tons of great stories to be told, and I want to hear them all.