Chocolate Box Letter 2018
Jan. 7th, 2018 03:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sadlikeknivesHello, writer! AO3 user sadlikeknives here, and uh this is the first challenge I've done that wasn't Yuletide, and this letter is heavily cribbed from my Yuletide letter, so if something is not quite right for this challenge that's why. I'm really excited and can't wait to see what you write!
Basic likes: I strongly prefer third person prose, including for canons that are in first-person. I'm fine with either porn or no porn. As you are quickly going to discover, I am really into werewolves and cowboys this year. I like pining, hurt/comfort, people using other people's prejudices and expectations of them to their own advantage, loyalty kink, competence kink, scars, and sexy-type biting and bloodplay, especially in vampire-related contexts and possibly for some of the werewolves. I also like soulmate-identifying marks AUs where characters have their soulmate's name or first words to them.
DNWs: bestiality, scat, watersports, cannibalism, noncon, dubcon, infidelity, omegaverse aka a/b/o (including knotting), or any other type of mpreg.
Additionally, I have a powerful embarrassment squick; seeing characters embarrassed, especially socially, or behaving in an embarrassing way without being aware of it where it's played for audience laughs really upsets me. I would prefer no requested character death outside of addressing those that happen in canon if/when necessary. For the tropes I like, I don't really want any dark/unhealthy/overly angsty takes on them. Also, I would prefer no unrequested crossovers or AUs.
Benjamin January mysteries – Barbara Hambly
Benjamin January/Absishag Shaw, Benjamin January/Rose Vitrac January/Abishag Shaw
What It Is: A series of mystery novels set in 1830s New Orleans, starring Benjamin January, a free man of color, Paris-trained surgeon, professional pianist, and sometime amateur detective. There are fifteen books and five short stories in the series so far.
What I Love About It: You remember waaaaaaaaaay back at the end of A Free Man of Color when Shaw's standing by Ben's table at the Place des Armes Because Society and Ben's like, "Or you could sit the fuck down one of these days?" Gentle Yulethor, I shipped it then, and I ship it still. I just want to shove them together like a couple of really tall Ken dolls and go, "NOW KISS." I love how they navigate their godawful society's expectations and restrictions, how they often communicate via what's not said. I love how tentative Ben has always been to trust Shaw, in the face of evidence that Shaw is All In on trusting Ben, and then how in Murder in July Ben realizes Shaw would march off to assassinate the Queen of England if he asked him to (although it sort of drives me crazy that then at the end of the book Hannibal and Ben decided they needed to pull a fast one on Shaw just in case he randomly decided to confiscate the papers at the expense of Rose, like that's a thing he would ever do). I love how committed to justice they both are, and how they recognize that's different from the rule of law, and their mutual frustration with society's preference for a tidy resolution over true justice being done. I love how respectful they both are of the other's skills, and how they both use other people's expectations of their behavior. In short, I love them, and I want more of them.
And Rose! I love Rose! She's so practical except when it comes to science, when she is often two seconds away from an explosion, and she and Ben are so good together! And I think she would basically be the boss of Shaw and he would let her. Confession time: I was queried by the Yuletide mods this year, and, "So how would you feel about Ben/Rose/Shaw?" was what turned out to be one of their cover questions, and my answer was, "...I had never thought about that before but YES ACTUALLY." And so now here we are.
Quick note: I have to confess, I'm shallow. I generally picture Shaw as more, you know, sexy scruffy (like, Hollywood historical scruffy. Mag7 scruffy.) than with the level of hygiene, if one can even call it that, described in the books, because seriously, he's an intelligent man, he has to know what soap is for, why will he not use it?? It's not cute. So, like, if you could steer away from descriptions where he is as unpleasant as in canon, I would greatly appreciate that. Or like he could have to have a bath for plot purposes.
Second note: As I said above I'm really not into straight up infidelity/cheating, and Ben, of course, has a wife. So if you don't want to write the poly option, you could set your fic before Ben met Rose, or handwave the whole relationship away/platonic, or have Rose be really open-minded because she's Rose, but please: no straight-up cheating.
Prompts
1. We never get inside anybody but Ben's head, so Shaw's side of the story for one of their adventures could be a thing.
2. Possibly Shaw could be pining after Ben. I feel like this makes a lot of narrative sense. Like, he knows it's useless and never gonna happen (but then it DOES?) and probably beats himself up over it, but ooooh that commitment to justice and all that expertise, so sexy. Possibly Rose has known about this for a while and is amazed Ben has been so oblivious.
3. They could investigate something new! Who's dead, in the middle of a scandal, or robbed blind this week? Which combination of medical, musical, tracking, science, and marksmanship expertise saves the day?
4. Concept: Abishag 'what is bathing, and also, I can track you through a hurricane' Shaw is a werewolf. (And just maybe Hannibal is a vampire?) Ben finds out (Silver allergy? Something connected to a case?). He's intrigued. Possibly, together they fight supernatural crime.
5. While so much of these books is in the setting, I just really love modern New Orleans. Like a lot. And it's still very atmospheric, no? Picture it: Shaw's still a cop, Ben's a surgeon who moonlights in a jazz band. Rose is a badass chemistry professor at Tulane. Together, they solve crimes. And make out.
7. Something involving loyalty kink idk
8. Shaw gets hurt and Ben (and possibly Rose) nurse him back to health. Possibly while trying to conceal in increasingly slapstick fashion that they're sheltering runaways in their house, which Shaw has probably known for like years now lbr.
The Demon's Lexicon – Sarah Rees Brennan
Alan Ryves/Nicholas "Nick" Ryves | Hnikarr (The Demon's Lexicon - Brennan)
NB: Just because this section is shorter than the others doesn't mean I love it any less, it just wasn't nominated for Yuletide so I can't go back and crib from that letter and we're coming up on the signup deadline.
What It Is: A trilogy of supernatural YA books about the Ryves brothers, Nick and Alan, who are on the run from magicians who use demons to get power, and their various allies. Nick's a demon and Alan's a liar, and they love each other more than anything in two worlds.
Why I Love It: I mean did you read what I just typed? They're so fucked up and codependent and I love them. They love each other so much they'd burn down the world for each other, but they communicate so badly.
Prompts!
1. So when I mentioned I was thinking about requesting The Demon's Lexicon to a friend of mine, she was like, "Oh have you seen this?" and linked me to this, and I didn't quite understand what was going on at first but apparently it's a deleted scene from SRB's tumblr, only copypasted to an anon meme? I'm not sure this is true but I WANT TO BELIEVE because in this deleted scene Anzu-in-Alan kisses Nick and Nick's only objection is, "Alan wouldn't like it." Well what if you're wrong, Nick? You've been wrong before. I'm just saying.
2. Nick and Alan doing things that make each other happy like Nick reluctantly but of his own free will spending time in a library or Alan attempting to help Nick work on cars or them doing unspeakable violence together.
3. Just like generally anything about them being incredibly fucked up and codependent and dangerous but like in a way bizarrely sweet.
4. Something with Nick experimenting with his demonic powers. Maybe in like a sexy way. Maybe he has to mark Alan for some reason and Alan trusts him intrinsically not to use it against him and that's the good shit right there. Maybe there are thunderstorms in their bedroom and it's a little awkward.
5. Generally any hot demon on brother action idk.
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Billy Rocks/Goodnight Robicheaux
What It Is: A Western movie, being a remake of the 1960 film of the same name, which was of course itself an adaptation of The Seven Samurai. Not to be mistaken for the 1990s TV series of the same name, although that canon is a guilty pleasure of mine.
What I Love About It: One of my bffs saw this movie before me and was like, "You have to come see it with me, you're going to love it," and she was right, I love everyone in this bar, and am fine with everyone in this bar being in my fic, or not, but I want to focus on Goody and Billy. I love how everyone goes from mostly strangers to basically family in a week, and how everyone has their own skills and their own damage to bring to the table. I love all the history that's only hinted at between Sam and Goody, and the utter mystery that is Billy Rocks. I love how MARRIED Billy and Goody are, like, one can't even live without the other.
Prompts
1. Okay you know the scene where Red Harvest and Jack show up and Goody wakes up because he smelled blood? From my other requests you should probably be able to figure out where I'm going with this: what if Goody's a werewolf? (I swear I didn't set out to turn everyone into a werewolf in this letter. It just sort of worked out that way.) It doesn't have to be about that scene, that's just where I got it from, just, in general: what if Goody's a werewolf?
2. We saw Goody's goodbye to Sam before he left Rose Creek but it's fairly obvious from how dedicated Billy has suddenly become to drinking the entire bar that he said goodbye to him, too, and Billy consciously chose to stay behind. Write me that incredibly agonizing parting. Why did Billy decide to stay?
3. Billy meets Goody's family o' swamp rats, because, the man hissed like an actual possum, he can wear as many fleurs de lis as he wants and quote as much philosophy as he likes, he's still a swamp rat where it counts. This goes better than anybody could have expected.
4. Goody's recounting of how he and Billy met had the air of a tall tale. So how did it really happen? (I have it in mind that possibly, it involved however two guys in the Old West established an interest in carnal companionship, but I'm open to other options.) Or, what are a bunch of ways Goody claimed it happened?
5. EVERYBODY LIVES AND NOTHING HURTS. (Possibly due to lycanthropy? Or not. I'll take anything.) Maybe they stay in Rose Creek and become its new law enforcement a la the TV show, despite two of them being wanted criminals. Maybe they all ride off together and have new adventures. Whatever you want!
6. Something about their time together before meeting up with Sam & Co., scamming fools and dealing with their demons.
Mercy Thompson Series – Patricia Briggs
Kyle Brooks/Warren Smith
What It Is: An urban fantasy series set in the Tri-Cities area of eastern Washington State, about Mercy Thompson, a coyote shapeshifter, a lot of werewolves, some fae, and assorted vampires. There are ten books in the series so far, as well as four books and a novella in the sister series Alpha and Omega (...not that kind), and several short stories. As far as I know, I'm up to date, unless another short story has been released recently. There's a lot of sexism and homophobia baked into werewolf culture in this universe, which is obviously not great Bob, but a lot of the series is about unlearning or throwing that stuff out and changing the rules to be better and more modern, and those elements I do enjoy.
What I Love About It: So after I read Silence Fallen this spring I embarked on a massive reread project of this entire series and was reminded of how much I have always loved Warren and Kyle. Like, on paper, they don't work: a hundred and fifty year old Texas cowboy werewolf who works at a gas station and a human, Ivy League educated lawyer. And they both know that. And it doesn't matter. I love Kyle's ridiculous marble statues, and his vanity and the chip on his shoulder, and the way Warren loves those things too and sees Kyle's good heart. I love how easygoing and Texan Warren is, and all the pain and violence that's simmering away under the surface, and how Kyle doesn't care about all of the werewolf shit, he just loves him—and how Kyle, as he says in the short story "In Red, with Pearls," is his own kind of predator, and that just because he eviscerates his prey in court, not, you know, literally, doesn't mean he can't understand Warren's wolf.
Prompts
1. There's like seven or eight rough months for Warren and Kyle between Moon Called and Blood Bound that we know very little about, and I'm really interested in this period—the pining and the draw that kept them coming back to each other (Were they sleeping together at any point in this period? That must have been really bittersweet) and saw Kyle hiring Warren, especially, but also how the 'so, werewolves' conversations went (and the fights, you know there were fights).
2. I'm very into Domesticity With Werewolves, apparently, so give me some of that. Maybe make Kyle go camping (Oh god. He will be so bad at it.), since Warren's been trying to get him to for at least three books now, but any sort of domestic cozy shit I'll eat up with a spoon.
3. Concept: Kyle gets turned into a werewolf. I feel like he'd probably be pretty good at it. How does that happen? How does that affect the pack structure? How many bed frames do he and Warren break while Kyle is learning his new strength?
4. In Frost Burned, Kyle reveals that his mating bond with Warren is starting to be two-way, but, being human, he just thought he was going crazy. And then we never really hear about that again. So: how does that psychic bond work for a human? Do he and Warren have enough control over it for it to be useful? Does it have sexytimes applications?
4. Something involving Warren's century and a half of history as a werewolf cowboy before he met Kyle. Maybe some old enemy pops up. Maybe Kyle learns things through the aforementioned mating bond in his dreams or something. Maybe Kyle randomly finds a daguerrotype in an antique shop and is fucking delighted that Warren used to have that ridiculous mustache. The field is wide open.
5. Kyle and Warren get married that's it that's the prompt.
Ordinary Magic Series – Devon Monk
Ben Rossi/Jame Wolfe
What It Is: A contemporary fantasy series set in the small town of Ordinary, Oregon, where the gods go for vacation and various other supernatural beings live under the watchful eye of Delaney Reed, the local police chief. There are three books so far, plus two novellas in which these two do not appear.
What I Love About It: I'm pretty sure I'm this series' only fan, but here we go. I love the concept of Ordinary, a town that's half-mundane and half-really not. I love all the different supernatural beings and especially the gods, and I love the subplot of Jame and Ben. Love them. Like, I started texting my best friend while reading the first scene in which they appear something like, "OMG this book has a vampire and a werewolf and they're firefighters and boyfriends. MY JAM." And then they just kept on being more and more my jam? With the obviously being very much in love, and so very tough, and dealing with their family issues in such a mature way, and then Ben was KIDNAPPED and Jame was BROKEN and their PSYCHIC SOULBOND WAS SEVERED and I spent like half a book reading frantically like "Ben better not be dead!!!!" And then after they were reunited they had to recreate their psychic soulbond through biting and like: *kisses tips of fingers* beautiful. That scene with all the vampires and werewolves getting along and playing cards in Ben's hospital room, while several of the werewolves transfer energy through Jame to Ben, because Well I Guess We're In-Laws Now? LOVE IT. I love these guys and want them to live happily ever after.
Prompts
1. Vampire/werewolf firefighter domesticity fluff. Or hot porn. Or fluffy porn. I just want them to be happy. Something about, I don't know, grocery or house shopping, or on the job stuff, or just like them really going at it in the bedroom and possibly breaking the bed or like sweet reunion 'I thought I lost you' sex once they're both up for such activities after Gods and Ends. With biting. (What else do they play rock paper scissors to decide?)
2. Speaking of biting, I'm here for it. Intimacy through biting! Sexy biting! The first time being A Huge Freaking Deal You Can't Take Back because of the bond that comes with a vampire's bite in this universe! Becoming so settled in together that Ben can lean across in the truck and take a quick nip! Recovering their bond through biting!
3. Hurt/comfort with both of them recovering after the third book. Like, obviously Ben's much worse off, but he can tell Jame's not one hundred percent yet. And they're both worried about each other. Possibly fussing over each other until someone gets annoyed, and then they have to deal with that.
4. How did they get together? Like, I assume it was some kind of workplace romance, but the bad blood between their families is pretty serious, and despite the small town setting, like, Greek gods vacation in Ordinary, so it's not like they were each other's only option (although definitely a better option than, say, Zeus' vacation fling). And how did Old Rossi take it when his only son was like, "Yeah, so, I'm in love with a werewolf."
5. Negotiating their families and all the bad blood between them, and then, after Gods and Ends, dealing with the fact that their families seem to be getting along now, mostly on their behalf, and it's nice but kind of weird. Or maybe something to do with the infamous housewarming party (is that where their succession of fluffy blankets in increasingly ridiculous colors came from?) and what happens when a bunch of werewolves and vampires get drunk in the same house. I imagine many Mexican standoffs were subtly broken up that night.
Basic likes: I strongly prefer third person prose, including for canons that are in first-person. I'm fine with either porn or no porn. As you are quickly going to discover, I am really into werewolves and cowboys this year. I like pining, hurt/comfort, people using other people's prejudices and expectations of them to their own advantage, loyalty kink, competence kink, scars, and sexy-type biting and bloodplay, especially in vampire-related contexts and possibly for some of the werewolves. I also like soulmate-identifying marks AUs where characters have their soulmate's name or first words to them.
DNWs: bestiality, scat, watersports, cannibalism, noncon, dubcon, infidelity, omegaverse aka a/b/o (including knotting), or any other type of mpreg.
Additionally, I have a powerful embarrassment squick; seeing characters embarrassed, especially socially, or behaving in an embarrassing way without being aware of it where it's played for audience laughs really upsets me. I would prefer no requested character death outside of addressing those that happen in canon if/when necessary. For the tropes I like, I don't really want any dark/unhealthy/overly angsty takes on them. Also, I would prefer no unrequested crossovers or AUs.
Benjamin January mysteries – Barbara Hambly
Benjamin January/Absishag Shaw, Benjamin January/Rose Vitrac January/Abishag Shaw
What It Is: A series of mystery novels set in 1830s New Orleans, starring Benjamin January, a free man of color, Paris-trained surgeon, professional pianist, and sometime amateur detective. There are fifteen books and five short stories in the series so far.
What I Love About It: You remember waaaaaaaaaay back at the end of A Free Man of Color when Shaw's standing by Ben's table at the Place des Armes Because Society and Ben's like, "Or you could sit the fuck down one of these days?" Gentle Yulethor, I shipped it then, and I ship it still. I just want to shove them together like a couple of really tall Ken dolls and go, "NOW KISS." I love how they navigate their godawful society's expectations and restrictions, how they often communicate via what's not said. I love how tentative Ben has always been to trust Shaw, in the face of evidence that Shaw is All In on trusting Ben, and then how in Murder in July Ben realizes Shaw would march off to assassinate the Queen of England if he asked him to (although it sort of drives me crazy that then at the end of the book Hannibal and Ben decided they needed to pull a fast one on Shaw just in case he randomly decided to confiscate the papers at the expense of Rose, like that's a thing he would ever do). I love how committed to justice they both are, and how they recognize that's different from the rule of law, and their mutual frustration with society's preference for a tidy resolution over true justice being done. I love how respectful they both are of the other's skills, and how they both use other people's expectations of their behavior. In short, I love them, and I want more of them.
And Rose! I love Rose! She's so practical except when it comes to science, when she is often two seconds away from an explosion, and she and Ben are so good together! And I think she would basically be the boss of Shaw and he would let her. Confession time: I was queried by the Yuletide mods this year, and, "So how would you feel about Ben/Rose/Shaw?" was what turned out to be one of their cover questions, and my answer was, "...I had never thought about that before but YES ACTUALLY." And so now here we are.
Quick note: I have to confess, I'm shallow. I generally picture Shaw as more, you know, sexy scruffy (like, Hollywood historical scruffy. Mag7 scruffy.) than with the level of hygiene, if one can even call it that, described in the books, because seriously, he's an intelligent man, he has to know what soap is for, why will he not use it?? It's not cute. So, like, if you could steer away from descriptions where he is as unpleasant as in canon, I would greatly appreciate that. Or like he could have to have a bath for plot purposes.
Second note: As I said above I'm really not into straight up infidelity/cheating, and Ben, of course, has a wife. So if you don't want to write the poly option, you could set your fic before Ben met Rose, or handwave the whole relationship away/platonic, or have Rose be really open-minded because she's Rose, but please: no straight-up cheating.
Prompts
1. We never get inside anybody but Ben's head, so Shaw's side of the story for one of their adventures could be a thing.
2. Possibly Shaw could be pining after Ben. I feel like this makes a lot of narrative sense. Like, he knows it's useless and never gonna happen (but then it DOES?) and probably beats himself up over it, but ooooh that commitment to justice and all that expertise, so sexy. Possibly Rose has known about this for a while and is amazed Ben has been so oblivious.
3. They could investigate something new! Who's dead, in the middle of a scandal, or robbed blind this week? Which combination of medical, musical, tracking, science, and marksmanship expertise saves the day?
4. Concept: Abishag 'what is bathing, and also, I can track you through a hurricane' Shaw is a werewolf. (And just maybe Hannibal is a vampire?) Ben finds out (Silver allergy? Something connected to a case?). He's intrigued. Possibly, together they fight supernatural crime.
5. While so much of these books is in the setting, I just really love modern New Orleans. Like a lot. And it's still very atmospheric, no? Picture it: Shaw's still a cop, Ben's a surgeon who moonlights in a jazz band. Rose is a badass chemistry professor at Tulane. Together, they solve crimes. And make out.
7. Something involving loyalty kink idk
8. Shaw gets hurt and Ben (and possibly Rose) nurse him back to health. Possibly while trying to conceal in increasingly slapstick fashion that they're sheltering runaways in their house, which Shaw has probably known for like years now lbr.
The Demon's Lexicon – Sarah Rees Brennan
Alan Ryves/Nicholas "Nick" Ryves | Hnikarr (The Demon's Lexicon - Brennan)
NB: Just because this section is shorter than the others doesn't mean I love it any less, it just wasn't nominated for Yuletide so I can't go back and crib from that letter and we're coming up on the signup deadline.
What It Is: A trilogy of supernatural YA books about the Ryves brothers, Nick and Alan, who are on the run from magicians who use demons to get power, and their various allies. Nick's a demon and Alan's a liar, and they love each other more than anything in two worlds.
Why I Love It: I mean did you read what I just typed? They're so fucked up and codependent and I love them. They love each other so much they'd burn down the world for each other, but they communicate so badly.
Prompts!
1. So when I mentioned I was thinking about requesting The Demon's Lexicon to a friend of mine, she was like, "Oh have you seen this?" and linked me to this, and I didn't quite understand what was going on at first but apparently it's a deleted scene from SRB's tumblr, only copypasted to an anon meme? I'm not sure this is true but I WANT TO BELIEVE because in this deleted scene Anzu-in-Alan kisses Nick and Nick's only objection is, "Alan wouldn't like it." Well what if you're wrong, Nick? You've been wrong before. I'm just saying.
2. Nick and Alan doing things that make each other happy like Nick reluctantly but of his own free will spending time in a library or Alan attempting to help Nick work on cars or them doing unspeakable violence together.
3. Just like generally anything about them being incredibly fucked up and codependent and dangerous but like in a way bizarrely sweet.
4. Something with Nick experimenting with his demonic powers. Maybe in like a sexy way. Maybe he has to mark Alan for some reason and Alan trusts him intrinsically not to use it against him and that's the good shit right there. Maybe there are thunderstorms in their bedroom and it's a little awkward.
5. Generally any hot demon on brother action idk.
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Billy Rocks/Goodnight Robicheaux
What It Is: A Western movie, being a remake of the 1960 film of the same name, which was of course itself an adaptation of The Seven Samurai. Not to be mistaken for the 1990s TV series of the same name, although that canon is a guilty pleasure of mine.
What I Love About It: One of my bffs saw this movie before me and was like, "You have to come see it with me, you're going to love it," and she was right, I love everyone in this bar, and am fine with everyone in this bar being in my fic, or not, but I want to focus on Goody and Billy. I love how everyone goes from mostly strangers to basically family in a week, and how everyone has their own skills and their own damage to bring to the table. I love all the history that's only hinted at between Sam and Goody, and the utter mystery that is Billy Rocks. I love how MARRIED Billy and Goody are, like, one can't even live without the other.
Prompts
1. Okay you know the scene where Red Harvest and Jack show up and Goody wakes up because he smelled blood? From my other requests you should probably be able to figure out where I'm going with this: what if Goody's a werewolf? (I swear I didn't set out to turn everyone into a werewolf in this letter. It just sort of worked out that way.) It doesn't have to be about that scene, that's just where I got it from, just, in general: what if Goody's a werewolf?
2. We saw Goody's goodbye to Sam before he left Rose Creek but it's fairly obvious from how dedicated Billy has suddenly become to drinking the entire bar that he said goodbye to him, too, and Billy consciously chose to stay behind. Write me that incredibly agonizing parting. Why did Billy decide to stay?
3. Billy meets Goody's family o' swamp rats, because, the man hissed like an actual possum, he can wear as many fleurs de lis as he wants and quote as much philosophy as he likes, he's still a swamp rat where it counts. This goes better than anybody could have expected.
4. Goody's recounting of how he and Billy met had the air of a tall tale. So how did it really happen? (I have it in mind that possibly, it involved however two guys in the Old West established an interest in carnal companionship, but I'm open to other options.) Or, what are a bunch of ways Goody claimed it happened?
5. EVERYBODY LIVES AND NOTHING HURTS. (Possibly due to lycanthropy? Or not. I'll take anything.) Maybe they stay in Rose Creek and become its new law enforcement a la the TV show, despite two of them being wanted criminals. Maybe they all ride off together and have new adventures. Whatever you want!
6. Something about their time together before meeting up with Sam & Co., scamming fools and dealing with their demons.
Mercy Thompson Series – Patricia Briggs
Kyle Brooks/Warren Smith
What It Is: An urban fantasy series set in the Tri-Cities area of eastern Washington State, about Mercy Thompson, a coyote shapeshifter, a lot of werewolves, some fae, and assorted vampires. There are ten books in the series so far, as well as four books and a novella in the sister series Alpha and Omega (...not that kind), and several short stories. As far as I know, I'm up to date, unless another short story has been released recently. There's a lot of sexism and homophobia baked into werewolf culture in this universe, which is obviously not great Bob, but a lot of the series is about unlearning or throwing that stuff out and changing the rules to be better and more modern, and those elements I do enjoy.
What I Love About It: So after I read Silence Fallen this spring I embarked on a massive reread project of this entire series and was reminded of how much I have always loved Warren and Kyle. Like, on paper, they don't work: a hundred and fifty year old Texas cowboy werewolf who works at a gas station and a human, Ivy League educated lawyer. And they both know that. And it doesn't matter. I love Kyle's ridiculous marble statues, and his vanity and the chip on his shoulder, and the way Warren loves those things too and sees Kyle's good heart. I love how easygoing and Texan Warren is, and all the pain and violence that's simmering away under the surface, and how Kyle doesn't care about all of the werewolf shit, he just loves him—and how Kyle, as he says in the short story "In Red, with Pearls," is his own kind of predator, and that just because he eviscerates his prey in court, not, you know, literally, doesn't mean he can't understand Warren's wolf.
Prompts
1. There's like seven or eight rough months for Warren and Kyle between Moon Called and Blood Bound that we know very little about, and I'm really interested in this period—the pining and the draw that kept them coming back to each other (Were they sleeping together at any point in this period? That must have been really bittersweet) and saw Kyle hiring Warren, especially, but also how the 'so, werewolves' conversations went (and the fights, you know there were fights).
2. I'm very into Domesticity With Werewolves, apparently, so give me some of that. Maybe make Kyle go camping (Oh god. He will be so bad at it.), since Warren's been trying to get him to for at least three books now, but any sort of domestic cozy shit I'll eat up with a spoon.
3. Concept: Kyle gets turned into a werewolf. I feel like he'd probably be pretty good at it. How does that happen? How does that affect the pack structure? How many bed frames do he and Warren break while Kyle is learning his new strength?
4. In Frost Burned, Kyle reveals that his mating bond with Warren is starting to be two-way, but, being human, he just thought he was going crazy. And then we never really hear about that again. So: how does that psychic bond work for a human? Do he and Warren have enough control over it for it to be useful? Does it have sexytimes applications?
4. Something involving Warren's century and a half of history as a werewolf cowboy before he met Kyle. Maybe some old enemy pops up. Maybe Kyle learns things through the aforementioned mating bond in his dreams or something. Maybe Kyle randomly finds a daguerrotype in an antique shop and is fucking delighted that Warren used to have that ridiculous mustache. The field is wide open.
5. Kyle and Warren get married that's it that's the prompt.
Ordinary Magic Series – Devon Monk
Ben Rossi/Jame Wolfe
What It Is: A contemporary fantasy series set in the small town of Ordinary, Oregon, where the gods go for vacation and various other supernatural beings live under the watchful eye of Delaney Reed, the local police chief. There are three books so far, plus two novellas in which these two do not appear.
What I Love About It: I'm pretty sure I'm this series' only fan, but here we go. I love the concept of Ordinary, a town that's half-mundane and half-really not. I love all the different supernatural beings and especially the gods, and I love the subplot of Jame and Ben. Love them. Like, I started texting my best friend while reading the first scene in which they appear something like, "OMG this book has a vampire and a werewolf and they're firefighters and boyfriends. MY JAM." And then they just kept on being more and more my jam? With the obviously being very much in love, and so very tough, and dealing with their family issues in such a mature way, and then Ben was KIDNAPPED and Jame was BROKEN and their PSYCHIC SOULBOND WAS SEVERED and I spent like half a book reading frantically like "Ben better not be dead!!!!" And then after they were reunited they had to recreate their psychic soulbond through biting and like: *kisses tips of fingers* beautiful. That scene with all the vampires and werewolves getting along and playing cards in Ben's hospital room, while several of the werewolves transfer energy through Jame to Ben, because Well I Guess We're In-Laws Now? LOVE IT. I love these guys and want them to live happily ever after.
Prompts
1. Vampire/werewolf firefighter domesticity fluff. Or hot porn. Or fluffy porn. I just want them to be happy. Something about, I don't know, grocery or house shopping, or on the job stuff, or just like them really going at it in the bedroom and possibly breaking the bed or like sweet reunion 'I thought I lost you' sex once they're both up for such activities after Gods and Ends. With biting. (What else do they play rock paper scissors to decide?)
2. Speaking of biting, I'm here for it. Intimacy through biting! Sexy biting! The first time being A Huge Freaking Deal You Can't Take Back because of the bond that comes with a vampire's bite in this universe! Becoming so settled in together that Ben can lean across in the truck and take a quick nip! Recovering their bond through biting!
3. Hurt/comfort with both of them recovering after the third book. Like, obviously Ben's much worse off, but he can tell Jame's not one hundred percent yet. And they're both worried about each other. Possibly fussing over each other until someone gets annoyed, and then they have to deal with that.
4. How did they get together? Like, I assume it was some kind of workplace romance, but the bad blood between their families is pretty serious, and despite the small town setting, like, Greek gods vacation in Ordinary, so it's not like they were each other's only option (although definitely a better option than, say, Zeus' vacation fling). And how did Old Rossi take it when his only son was like, "Yeah, so, I'm in love with a werewolf."
5. Negotiating their families and all the bad blood between them, and then, after Gods and Ends, dealing with the fact that their families seem to be getting along now, mostly on their behalf, and it's nice but kind of weird. Or maybe something to do with the infamous housewarming party (is that where their succession of fluffy blankets in increasingly ridiculous colors came from?) and what happens when a bunch of werewolves and vampires get drunk in the same house. I imagine many Mexican standoffs were subtly broken up that night.
