Rare Pair Exchange 2023 Creator Letter

[withthekeyisking]

Hello, I'm Q! This is my Creator Letter for the 2023 Rare Pair Exchange. First, thank you for your interest! Whether you're my assigned giftor or thinking of making a treat, I appreciate you so very much :)

This letter has my general DNWs and Likes, and then I have individual sections for each of my fandom requests for this year's exchange (and I don't have a preference between any of them, so don't think if one's section is longer than the other that I want it more!). I hope my provided details will give you some inspiration! I really look forward to whatever y'all create, I know I'm gonna love it <3


GUIDE

• DNWs


• General Likes


• Dark Likes


• Smut Likes


• Alternate Universe Likes


• Supernatural (TV)


• Suits (TV)


• Crossover Fandom


• DCU Comics


• Marvel 616


• The Night Manager (TV)


• Doctor Who (2005)


• The Following (TV)


• Bourne (Movies)

DNWs

• Genderbends (but trans welcome!)


• Scat


• Crackfic or Pure Fluff


• Reader Insert


• First Person POV

back to top


GENERAL LIKES

• Angst and Hurt/Comfort of all kinds


• Universe Travel


• Time Travel/Loop


• Role/Age Reversal


• Rescue Missions


• Second Person POV (can be fun as long as it's not readerfic!)


• Trauma Recovery


• Rare Pairings


• Enemies to Lovers


• Trust Issues


• Power Dynamics & Imbalance


• Identity Porn


• Soulmates


• Amnesia & Memory Alteration


• Possessiveness


• Fix-Its


• Missing Scenes


• Trapped Together


• Undercover


• Found Family & Deep Bonds Between Characters


• Fake/Pretend Relationship


• Pre- and Post-Canon


• Alternate Universes (favorites listed below!)


• Outsider POV


• All Kinds of Endings

back to top


DARK LIKES

I'm a huge fan of darkfic, whether that's serious Dead Dove: Do Not Eat or whump or simple hurt/comfort (with a healthy dose of hurt XD). This can mean physical, mental, or sexual (absolutely a fan of noncon!). I also really enjoy the aftermath of these events, having characters deal with what's happened to them. Some more great things are:

• Manipulation (emotional, mental, etc.)


• Mind Control & Demon Possession & Hypnosis


• Codependency


• Trauma Exploration


• Gaslighting


• Brainwashing/Conditioning


• Worse-Its


• Kidnapping & Captivity


• War Prize


• Addiction and all the things that go with it


• Forced Pregnancy


• Droit Du Seigneur/The Lord’s Right


• Betrayal


• Sensory Deprivation


• Stockholm & Lima Syndrome


• Drugged Sex


• Auction


• Forced Consent


• Fuck or Die


• Seriously touch-starved characters


• Ignored Safeword


• Torture


• "Take me instead" situations


• Abuse


• Earn Your Keep


• and just about everything 😆

back to top


SMUT LIKES

These really are non-exhaustive, as I’m down for basically everything other than scat! These also can be used with any level of consent (including the complete lack thereof XD) and make me super happy.

• Weapon Play - Gunplay is definitely top of the list, but I love all kinds! If you can think it I guarantee I’ll like it


• Bondage - The regular kind for sure, along with Predicament Bondage and Honor Bondage


• Messy Blowjobs, Face-Fucking, Deepthroating, Face-Sitting


• Boot Worship - One character licking another’s shoes or kissing them....great great shit


• Fingers in Mouth. Tbh anything in mouth; oral fixation FTW! This includes Gags for sure


• Humiliation, Degradation, Objectification, Begging


• Biting - Neck, thighs, everywhere is good. Love bruises being left behind


• Breathplay/Choking - Whether by hand or belt or suffocation or whatever you like, it’s all damn good


• Overstimulation, Multiple Orgasms, Forced Orgasms, Orgasm Delay/Denial


• Manhandling/Strength Kink, Size Kink - It’s great when one partner is much larger/stronger than the other, and can really manhandle them around. Also great when one has a big dick and the other is loving it. Love one character being held down during sex or grabbed roughly


• Praise Kink, Loyalty Kink, Competence Kink


• Impact Play - Spanking, Belting, Whipping, Etc.


• Desk Sex, Wall Sex, Car Sex, Semi-Public Sex


• Non-Penetrative Sex - Thigh Fucking, Asscheek Fucking, Breast Fucking


• Glove Kink - Being fingered with gloves on, sucking on gloved fingers, descriptions of the gloves on skin, etc.


• Cock Warming, Glory Hole


• Womb/Cervix Fucking (yea I know, physically impossible, idgaf it's sexy)


• Somnophilia


• Tentacle Porn (both by creature and by plant), Oviposition, Bestiality (both monster & regular animals)


• Creampie - Love when one character fills another up, especially if the feeling of it leaking out afterwards is included


• Forced Feminization - A male character being put in lingerie or skirts or panties; being called things like “babygirl”; having their genitals referred to with a feminine slant (such as their asshole being called a pussy/boypussy, their cock being call a girlcock, their pecs called tits, etc.)


• Breeding Kink - Whether being bred is actually possible or not, I love one character really kinking on the idea, especially if they’re not on the receiving end


• Object Insertion/Regular Items Used in Sexual Ways - Ties used for bondage, something normal filling the role of a buttplug, etc.


• Sex Pollen & Heat/Rut Inducers - Whether only one party is drugged or both are


• Watersports, Omorashi


• Necrophilia - Read a fic where this was a main aspect and suddenly had a discovery about myself. Love how dark and terrible this is. Whether someone's fucking a dead body or near one or on top of one, I am game


• Rape Roleplay - Both violent and gentle

back to top


ALTERNTE UNIVERSE LIKES

I can get behind just about every AU, but my favorites are:

General AUs

• Royalty


• Pirate


• Criminal (mafia, assassin, thief, etc.)


• Angel/Demon


• Genetic Dom/Sub


• Bodyguard


• Bounty Hunter


• Dystopian


• Creature (fae, vampires, etc.)


• Teacher/Student


• Western


• Omegaverse


• High School/College


• Fantasy


• Law Enforcement/Military


• Prison


• Single Parent

Fandom AUs

• Star Wars


• Hogwarts/Wizarding World


• Bender (ATLA)


• Pacific Rim


• Inception


• Supernatural (TV show)


• The Magicians


• Hunger Games


• Percy Jackson


• Star Trek (including Mirrorverse!)


• Pushing Daisies


• Tron


• X-Men/Mutant

back to top


SUPERNATURAL

Nick/Sam Winchester

I fucking loved the Nick plotline from season 14. Like, jesus christ was that so fucked up!! Dude housed the Devil for forever, of course he was going to be changed by it, and the way he started emulating Lucifer?? The way he sank down into sadism and actually tried to bring Lucifer back?? The way he fucking called Jack his son?? Oh yes, I'm so fucking here for it. And Sam tried So Damn Hard to give Nick all the chances, all the benefit of the doubt, despite what Lucifer did to him wearing that face. And I really think the show could've so easily had Nick fixate on Sam more than he did—after all, he wanted everything Lucifer did, and Lucifer wanted his True Vessel.

Lucifer/Ruby/Sam Winchester

In this letter you can read sections where I talk about both Ruby/Sam and Lucifer/Sam, because they are two ships I absolutely adore and the idea of combining them together sparks so much joy. Go ham, do whatever sparks your imagination! Maybe Ruby lives, maybe Lucifer enters the game earlier, maybe Ruby comes back in a later season when Lucifer's back around. Whatever AU hits you, go for it!

Azazel/Sam Winchester

Azazel was so delightfully messed up. All his quips, his smiles, his fucked up paternal actions towards Sam...Love it all. Like him saying "I'll be there in a minute, Champ! But I'm proud of you; knew you had it in you." Just love that entire vibe. He felt like it was fact that Sam was his boy, and was absolutely his favorite. Man had big plans! I'm so curious about AUs involving Azazel, like what if he actually raised Sam, or didn't die in the s2 finale, or Sam's powers developed earlier, or that scene with Azazel possessing John went differently...like I just fucking love this dude and want so much more of him.

Demon Tyson Brady/Sam Winchester

I seriously wish we'd gotten to see more of this character and this dynamic, because it was so fucking interesting and fucked up at the same time. Sam getting the reveal that one of his best friends in the world was actually a demon, someone he put a lot of emotional energy into, I just ahhhh. Like I'm so glad Sam got to kill Brady for the cathartic element, but part of me also wishes that Brady had survived for a few more episodes, or been introduced earlier. Brady's cocky, sarcastic, superior attitude was absolutely everything to me, and I'd be so happy to receive a fic set during a time where Sam knows what Brady is, or before the reveal! Tasty and terrible either way XD

God | Chuck Shurley/Sam Winchester

Will never get over the fact that, canonically, Sam used to pray daily. He had so much faith, always believed in God, an you can plainly see that in him when he meets the angels for the first time, and when he meets Chuck as God. There was so much excitement, so much hope, and I could flip a table over how immediately Castiel crushed all Sam's little dreams in that first meeting (Sam looks like a kicked puppy!! it's so unfair!!). With Chuck, Sam had a bit more of an adjustment time, but he still had so much he wanted to ask him, wanted to be around him, and I really wish we'd gotten to have this element of Sam addressed when God became the bad guy. Like, this being that Sam prayed to his entire life is actually a psychopathic megalomaniac manipulating him at every turn. So much fucking shit to work with here.

Patrick the Witch/Sam Winchester

"Curious Case of Dean Winchester" was one of Sam's most badass episode IMO; the dude managing to out-poker a 900 year old poker witch was just fucking Awesome, and Sam getting to single-handedly save the day during a period where he was blamed for so much made me extremely happy. And Patrick himself is such an underrated character, I hate that we only see him in that one episode! He was so interesting—mischievous and extremely morally gray, but with a code and a good side that kept coming out (like when he lost a hand on purpose to help an old man!!). All the scenes between him and Sam were really interesting, and I think Patrick genuinely came to like Sam by the end, definitely respected him. It would've been so awesome to see him again, so bummed we never did.

Rowena MacLeod/Sam Winchester

The slow development of this bond was fucking everything to me. Rowena was fucking terrible at the start and did so many terrible things to the Winchesters & Co, and then SPN gave her such a fucking awesome arc, chipping away at the villain thing bit by miniscule bit until she was their ally, and the relationship between her and Sam was a gigantic part of that. Them discussing their similar trauma and offering comfort was so sweet and so rare for Sam to get, and I absolutely adored how Rowena was drawing out Sam's witchy side!! They came to care for each other so deeply, and I genuinely believe that if she'd been around a little longer they would've eventually gotten to sharing an actual kiss, or an intimate moment such as that. And, fuck, how heartbroken Sam was by her death!!! It fucking destroyed him!!! These two were genuinely one of the best relationships on the show (whether you see it as romantic or platonic) and I think Sam deserves so much more of his BAMF witchy BFF.

Paul/Sam Winchester

I hadn't considered this relationship until I saw it in the tagset and now it has me so captured. Paul's skepticism and tiredness played so well with everything Sam was going through in season 5, and they managed to create such depth for a character that only appeared in one episode, and his death was so freaking sad. I can't help but imagine what might've happened if Paul lived, or even if we'd just gotten more between these two. I feel like it's an interaction that would've lingered in Sam's mind after it was over.

Reggie Hull/Tim Janklow/Sam Winchester
Roy/Walt/Sam Winchester

If you aren't obsessed with 5x03 Free to Be You and Me then you clearly haven't watched it enough and need to go do that Immediately. Sam having hunters come after him and try to force him to drink demon blood in order to be their weapon against demons is just SO SPECTACULAR I cannot even. Like Sam is so panicked when he realizes what they're planning, and Tim and Reggie so uncaring of it. They see a monster they can use and nothing more, and I think they would've used Sam over and over again without any lick of remorse, if they'd managed to get him to drink the blood. And with Sam's addiction playing a role, well, Sam really wouldn't be in for a good time, that's for sure. Hell, even without getting him to drink the blood, they sure as hell could've taken their pound of flesh.

And then, in the same vein of feral, Sam is actually hunted down and murdered by people he thought he could trust. Roy and Walt saw killing Sam as justice, as something right to do, and that breaks my goddamn heart. What if we'd seen them again (before that ridiculous forgiveness in S12, I mean)? What if Dark Side of the Moon went different? Or, if you feel like mixing and matching, what if Tim, Reggie, Roy, and Walt (or any combination therein) decided to combine their resources to take Sam Winchester down once and for all?

back to top


SUITS

Honestly all the relationships I have tagged for this request are because the villains in Suits are Awesome and have such FUCKING AWESOME dynamics with Harvey & Mike, and I am frothing at the mouth for one of them to do bad things to either of the boys. You can't convince me Forstman didn't do fucky shit to a young Harvey, and he totally would've done fucky shit to Mike, too, in order to get at Harvey. Hell, that could go for any of the villains, really. Harvey might've had Daddy energy in every other aspect of the show, but when it came to the bad guys, it just always seemed so obvious that one of them would dick him down. And with Mike's big mouth, it didn't take them any of them long to want to do the same to him, all the better if it hurt Harvey at the same time.

So really go live your best life XD Charles Forstman, Cameron Dennis, and Daniel Hardman were awesome and utterly terrible characters, and I look forward to whatever you do with them!

back to top


CROSSOVER FANDOM

Julia Wicker (Magicians TV)/Sam Winchester (SPN)
Quentin Coldwater (Magicians TV)/Sam Winchester (SPN)

The Magicians and Supernatural are two of my absolute favorite shows so of course I am in desperate need of a crossover between the two. Sam is my main man, and I think he'd have such a cool dynamic with the folks over at Brakebills! I think Sam & Quentin actually have a lot in common. Sam would listen to Quentin when no one else did, and Quentin would be Sam's first defender against anyone who called him an abomination. And then Margo & Eliot would instantly adopt him just like they did Quentin (high-strung super nerd who happens to be a badass, anyone?).

A friend pointed out to me the similarities between Julia & Sam's arcs, and ever since then I've been obsessed with the idea of them crossing over. Whether that's Sam in the Magicians world or Julia in SPN, or some mixing of the two, I just desperately want them interacting. They're both brilliant and troubled and do some fucked up shit, get betrayed a thousand times over, end up being uber powerful and going up against impossible odds with so many people counting on them—any interaction would be awesome!

Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV)/Sam Winchester (SPN)

The idea of Sam coming into contact with the Lucifer from the Lucifer TV show fascinates and grips me to no end, considering how traumatic Sam's relationship with SPN's Lucifer is (and that's certainly an understatement lol). I just really love to think about how he'd react to a very different version of the "same" man. Sam has a tendency to try to see the best in people, but usually he doesn't have to look on the light side of a person who spent centuries torturing him. Boy spent an entire season hallucinating Lucifer because the trauma was just that bad. How the hell would he handle a Lucifer who has an extremely different outlook on life?

Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds)/Sam Winchester (SPN)

I recently binge-watched all 15 seasons of Criminal Minds, and it put me in such a mood to read crossovers between it and SPN! Some of my favorite stories that I've found have been interactions between Sam and Reid, but really I think Sam & any of the team members (or all!) is so super fun. Sam is brilliant and badass, and the BAU team so damn good at what they do—how would they profile him, whether as an unsub or just someone they meet? What would it be like if Sam was on the team, or a friend of one of them? What if some criminal went after him to get at the BAU, or some monster went after the BAU to get Sam's attention? Maybe Sam & Reid get to just talk about some of the shit they've been through, or maybe their addictions!

Clint Barton (MCU)/Marc Spector (MK TV)

Two damaged badasses who push their issues way down and then have to face them at the worst times possible, how could I resist? I think Clint and Marc could go one of two wildly different ways—either they'd get along famously and be a great partnership, or they'd drive each other nuts and bicker all the time. Either way, super fun. Maybe they knew each other pre-SHIELD or pre-Khonshu. Maybe Clint becomes the Avatar for Khnoshu or some other god (maybe after his family is dusted and he's in a dark place). Maybe Clint was part of Marc's mercenary team, or Marc Clint's partner at SHIELD. Maybe Clint meets Steven first and then is taken aback the first time he meets Marc. Angst and identity issues abound!

Dick Grayson (DC Comics)/Ben Reilly (Marvel 616)

My DC fav and my Marvel fav!! I can't really say I have any ideas about how this would work/go, why they would have any relevance to each other, but why look at logic when the vibes are just so good?? I just love these two so much and would love literally any and all interaction between them. You could write them painting a wall and I would still be sitting here with popcorn like you were showing me the next great novel of our generation. Maybe Ben gets wrapped up with the Teen Titans, maybe Dick is investigating Beyond, idk, literally anything.

Clint Barton (616)/Dick Grayson (DCU Comics)

This pairing could go in so many directions, depending on the time period you set it in for either of these characters! Maybe Dick during one of his extremely down periods ends up living in Clint's apartment building. Maybe Nightwing gets to know Ronin in the way Nightwing seems to always get to know the antiheroes/morally gray characters. Maybe they were part of the same circus as kids. Maybe Spyral Agent Dick crosses paths with Clint during one of his SHIELD periods. Maybe one of Dick's teams melds with one of Clint's. So many paths for two wonderfully complex characters!!

Klaus Mikaelson (TVD World)/Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf)

So it a random, sudden spark of inspiration I wrote this fic, and from there Klaus/Stiles became something I truly loved. Stiles has never been shy about admitting when he's terrified, but he also always steps up anyway, always throws himself into danger, and I think that would amuse and then impress Klaus. Stiles would also be the one to talk back no matter what the situation, and Klaus has always loved a little bit of fire in his partners. And, hey, if you throw in a little magic!Stiles or Nogitsune!Stiles I definitely wouldn't be upset!

Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock TV)/Rose Tyler (Doctor Who 2005)

The idea of these two interacting delights me more than I thought it would. Rose would absolutely take none of Sherlock's shit! The instant he was rude to her her indignation would come roaring to the surface and she would shout right back at him, refusing to be talked down to, which Sherlock would enjoy the way he always enjoys when John snarks at him. Rose would be a good partner for Sherlock; her sweetness would endear him despite himself, and her spine of steel would be just what he needed at his side in the field. Rose is a fiercely loyal person, and I could so easily see her filling John's place. Plus I fucking love Rose and think she deserves to shout at Sherlock for being a dick to someone XD

Neal Caffrey (White Collar)/Mike Ross (Suits)

Have recently been rewatching Suits, which has made me fall for Mike Ross all over again, and my partner pointed out to me how well Mike would fit into the worlds of White Collar or Leverage. Mike and Neal would be such a blast to see interact! They're both so intelligent, so good at what they do, and I think Neal would be so fascinated by Mike's mind, maybe even be attracted to it in the way Neal always gets around super competent people. They both love showing off, and both have such deep hearts, and both are no strangers to cons lol, and I really think sparks would fly between them. Meanwhile Peter and Harvey would not be able to stop rolling their eyes 😆

Ezra Bloom (Imposters)/Neal Caffrey (White Collar)
Ezra Bloom (Imposters)/Neal Caffrey (White Collar)/Parker (Leverage)
Ezra Bloom (Imposters)/Parker (Leverage)
Ezra Bloom (Imposters)/Sophie Devereaux (Leverage)

AKA my prompt of shoving my fav boi from Imposters into a closet with two excellent thief shows and shouting kiss, dammit! You can read me rambling about how awesome Ezra is in the Imposters sections here, and I just think the dynamics with Parker, Sophie, or Neal would be a blast and a half. Ezra goes from newbie, bumbling conman to pulling off one of the biggest cons in the world (and ending up taking over a giant criminal organization), and I can only imagine how awesome him encountering these other masters in the field would go. Give me allll the hijinks!! Do they try to con each other? Does Ezra try to recruit one of them to his organization? Does Ezra encounter one of them on his path to becoming a better thief? Maybe he's a childhood friend, or maybe they're rivals! So many possibilities XD

James Bond (Craig JB)/Jonathan Pine (Night Manager TV)
Aaron Cross (Bourne Movies)/James Bond (Craig JB)

This is me really just wanting to stick all my fav superspies together to see what happens. Jonathan Pine and Aaron Cross are two extremely underrated characters, and I think they'd fit well in the James Bond world! How would Bond react to an enhanced agent like Aaron? Would MI6 try to recruit Jonathan permanently after he took down Roper? And I know it's not tagged but if you want to do some crossing over between Aaron & Jonathan I'd be down for that too! Not that Jonathan needs the added agita after everything he had to put up with in Roper's organization 😂 Anyway, I'm just a huge fan of spy media and would love to see any crossover of the worlds!

Aaron Cross (Bourne Movies)/Mitch Rapp (American Assassin)

Extremely similar to the section directly above, just minus the Bond lol (though if you wanted to cross American Assassin with James Bond I would be so very down!). Love Aaron, and American Assassin is a movie that had a vice grip around me. The fact that more people aren't obsessed with it is Wild to me, Dylan O'Brien goddamn KILLS it is so badass and Mitch so cool and ahhhhhh just love it. I think Mitch and Aaron could have a really cool dynamic.

William Brandt (M:I Movies)/Natasha Romanov (MCU)
William Brandt (M:I Movies)/Phil Coulson (MCU)
William Brandt (M:I Movies)/Tony Stark (MCU)

I'm definitely a Jeremy Renner fan, so I was biased to enjoy Brandt before even seeing the movie, but then I met Brandt and fell in love with him because Fuck I can't resist a traumatized badass. One of my absolute favorite scenes in media is the one where Ethan confronts Brandt about his past and Brandt proves he can go toe to toe with Agent Hunt by taking both his guns and getting into the position of power. I just ahhhhhh I love this guilt-ridden, hypercompetent boyo who just wants to do the right thing so fucking badly. And so I want to drop him in the MCU and see what Natasha, Phil, or Tony would do with him XD You can keep or discard the fact that he looks like (is identical to) Clint, I don't much mind, I just want my boy Brandt with any of those three.

back to top


DCU COMICS

Dorian Chase/Dick Grayson

Honestly, just check out this post I made about Dorian & Dick, because it perfectly encapsulates everything that's awesome and compelling about them. Be warned that I kind of rant in the post 😂

Dick Grayson/Eddie Hwang
Dick Grayson/Eddie Hwang/Liu
Dick Grayson/Liu

Not to repeat myself, but I have a tumblr post that describes Dick's time with Eddie & Liu! This is a dynamic filled with manipulation and angst and Dick being put through the wringer, and has thus been one of my absolute favorite storylines since I read it. That post focuses a bit more on what Liu did, but definitely don't count out the fact that a dude who was basically a cult leader got his claws in Dick during an extremely vulnerable time and got Dick committing crimes for him!! Like!!!!!!!!

Dick Grayson/Tommy Tevis

Once more gonna hit you with an informative tumblr post!! I'm sorry, but I get super passionate about my DC favs and can't help but spew all about them. Please go fall in love with the only good man in Dick's Harem of Older Men. I just have so many feelings about Tommy 😭

back to top


MARVEL 616

Ben Reilly/Miles Warren

My boy Ben has so many mental health issues from all the shit he's been through, mainly at the hands of his 'father' Miles Warren. Miles quite literally tortured Ben to death over and over and over again simply because it had the possibility of helping him with his research, treating him like nothing more than a science experiment, but still expected Ben to be on his side. Miles used Ben (and Kaine!) so many times and felt like it was his right as their creator. Hell, for Kaine, Kaine even called Miles father and begged for him to keep him! Like hot damn, Warren could've done anything to him.

Plus, when you throw in Miles' obsession with Peter and Gwen, and how that led to him creating the clones in the first place—well lets just say that there were a hell of a lot of implications about what Miles got up to with the clones he made of the people he wished he could have. Kaine might've been an imperfect clone, but Ben and Clone Gwen were perfect mirrors, and there were more than plenty of implications about what Miles did to them...

Maxine Danger/Ben Reilly

The Beyond plotline was one of my all-time favorite things—I mean, what's not to LOVE about manipulation and memory erasing and bad guys controlling good guys? Ben was so desperate to be a hero, so desperate to belong, and Beyond knew exactly how to manipulate that. They played on each of his insecurities and watched his therapy sessions to adjust their approach to solidify their control even further, and then when he got a little too rebellious they just erased his memories to make him docile once more. Like oh my GOD how amazingly whumpy and perfect!! You gotta check out these two scenes to really grasp just how fucked up this all was: One, Two. Look at those and tell me you don't want Maxine & Beyond to utilize their control in even more fucked up ways XD

Otto Octavius/Ben Reilly

These two have such a wild fucking history it nearly blows my mind. They have at different times been allies, enemies, frenemies, two people who outright dispise each other, a pair who respect each other deeply, and everything in between. Ben manipulated Otto into working for him at one point, and Otto sacrificed Ben to some interdimensional beings, and Ben gave Otto a chance to be with the one he loves, and Otto helped Ben learn that Beyond was actually manipulating him, and they've tried to kill each other a couple times, and so basically they have a Wild Fucking History and I want more.

Mephisto/Ben Reilly

Ben first meets Mephisto in the mini-series Damnation, which is set in the time period of BR:SS I mentioned in Gabriel's section. Mephisto plays on all of Ben's insecurities to manipulate him into making a deal with him (and somewhere in the distance, Peter is screaming), all smooth charm and creepy smiles. And then, when Ben breaks their deal, Mephisto hunts Ben down and does his best to ruin Ben, turning all of Ben's allies against him and even getting Ben's brother Kaine to try to kill him! And when Kaine succeeds in doing so, Mephisto delightedly goes to collect Ben's soul XD So obviously, so much tasty angst here!!

Gabriel/Ben Reilly

The description of Ben & Gabriel's meeting from Gabriel's Wiki Page: "While on the search for the cure of a genetic disease afflicting a young girl named Abigail, Ben was directed to a place called the Diogenes Initiative, run by Gabriel with the mission of helping people. Gabriel approached him and revealed his nature as an Angel. He additionally revealed Ben his true form for a brief moment, causing Ben to break down in tears. After handing over a vial containing his own blood to Ben to cure Abigail, Gabriel teleported him outside the facility, and pondered that they might talk again in the future."

I fucking love this interaction, because Ben is so desperate to help Abigail and so wary to trust anyone, and he's never been a person of faith but seeing Gabriel's true form brought Ben to his knees crying. I can really see this event having an impact on Ben, especially if Gabriel were to follow through on his comment about them meeting again. Plus, at the end of the run, Gabriel observes Ben in the process of losing his mind and basically says that everything went according to plan so isn't THAT truly fucked up and ripe for fanfic.

Tony Stark/Ben Reilly

Ben's appearance in Tony's 2020 Iron Man run felt so random and yet the fact that that was the point made it delightful. Tony needed help to rescue Rhodey and so put together a team that was the weirdest group of characters currently being unused in comics, and they went off and had space adventures! They called themselves the God Fighters and all the banter and bonding and deep conversations they had really made me love the team, plus it was so nice to see Ben finding his own people that had nothing to do with Peter or Spider-Man. Ben with any member of that team would be super fun, but Tony especially!! Did not get nearly enough of interactions between the pair of them before Ben left to go be Spider-Man.

Clone Gwen Stacy/Ben Reilly

Ben and Clone Gwen were put through So Much Fucking Shit and I think they deserved more of a chance to bond over it. They both were created by a psycho obsessed with their originals, both were used and abused by a madman and then viewed by the world at large as less than everyone else because they're clones. The "reunion" they had during Clone Conspiracy gave me a taste of something I want so much more of (and it ended up not even being Clone Gwen, just someone else pretending to be her to get close to Ben, but there's a reason Ben accepted her into his circle so readily!! He missed Clone Gwen!!).

Kaine Parker/Ben Reilly
Peter Parker/Ben Reilly

Ben, Kaine, and Peter have had such a complicated relationship, filled with betrayal and grief and brotherhood and protectiveness and just such deep bonds that no one could ever really grasp except for them. Depending on the storyline (and what any of them has currently been through, mainly Ben with his multiple resurrections) they were either allies or enemies, but still constantly called each other brothers (even during all the attempted murder). They've all been at each others' throats, all tried to do terrible things to each other (well, Ben and Kaine have tried to do terrible things to each other and to Peter, meanwhile Peter would really just like everyone to get along and stop trying to frame him for murder). This could be healthy and sweet with them coming together and finally feeling accepted, or truly fucked up with all the death and murder and obsession that sometimes followed them so closely. All is gucci for me XD

Cassandra Mercury/Ben Reilly

I fucking love the Scarlet Spider run (hence why both Gabriel and Mephisto are also on this list), and the dynamic that forms between Ben and Cassandra had so much potential and then was so wasted. It started with hatred and attempted murder and then (after some more antagonism and attempted murder) became a real friendship with hints of it having the potential to be more. The fact that we never see her again after that run, after everything Ben did for her and everything they went through together, is a crime! Cassandra was such a fucking badass and hell if she was around she would've shut that Beyond shit down 😤

back to top


THE NIGHT MANAGER

Do yourself a favor if you haven't already seen this show, and go watch it. It's on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and Vudu, along with a couple other places to buy it, and is only 6 episodes. It is the best 6 hours you can spend, because when I tell you this show is genius, I mean it. The acting is off the charts, the characters are compelling, and the story is interesting as fuck. Who doesn't want to watch Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie go head to head? No one, and if you haven't seen it, you're missing out. I have rewatched it like 5 times.

The thing that really makes the series is the dynamic between Jonathan and Roper, which is sheer perfection. I was already predisposed to like it since I like both actors, but still my breath was taken away by it. By the levels and the secrecy and betrayal and genuine affection and respect buried amongst it all. Jonathan is with Roper to avenge someone he loved, but still he found himself for falling for Roper's charms, at least a little bit. He might've hated himself for it, but it went both ways!! Roper saying "It's a rare thing, Jonathan Pine, for me to trust a person. But you were special. Knew it the first time I saw you" ripped my heart out because of how much he means it. Roper doesn't trust people, but Jonathan slid right in like he was a missing puzzle piece finally returning. Roper wanted to give everything to Jonathan, wanted him to be a goddamn emperor of Rome with him, even gave Jonathan a chance to join him for real when he knew Jonathan was betraying him!!

And nothing, nothing, will ever compare to the moment when Jonathan blew all of Roper's shit up, thoroughly destroying him empire and costing him billions of dollars, and Roper looked at him and smiled and said "Oh, you beauty." I'm sorry but, like, how can anyone stay sane after seeing that??? Jonathan destroyed everything and Roper just thought he was spectacular!!!! Even winks at him later when they're taking him away!!

If you've come for coherent thoughts about how much I enjoy the show (how brilliant and subtle the plot is, how fascinating and damaged Jonathan is, how interesting Roper's empire and his inner circle are) I'm sorry but you won't get details from me, I'm incapable of talking about anything without devolving into freaking the fuck out over the bond between Roper and Jonathan. So you'll just have to watch the show for yourself to learn how wonderful everything else is 😌

back to top


DOCTOR WHO

Eleventh Doctor/Rose Tyler
The War Doctor/Rose Tyler
Fourteenth Doctor/Rose Tyler

Ok basically I just seriously love Rose Tyler and want to see her with the later Doctors. Rose is passionate and badass and so kind, even when faced with so much pain. I shipped her and the Doctor so hard and literally sobbed at the end of season 2 when she got stuck on Pete's World. I then cried again when she AGAIN got left on the beach (though at least this time she got to kiss a Doctor). Her entire Bad Wolf thing was SO FUCKING COOL and I was cheering when she turned up as Bad Wolf in the anniversary special. So yeah just give me some of my girl with doctors other than 9 and 10! I know he's not tagged but you're also welcome to do 12th Doctor instead of 11, War, or 14, if that strikes your fancy!

back to top


THE FOLLOWING

What is it about the dynamic between a violent criminal and the person hunting them that has me in a chokehold? No idea, but this show gives me that in spades and I thank them for it! Holy fuck is this show a good time—so eerie, so fucked up, so well acted. I love the way they slow reveal the history between the characters and the way it impacts the now, and shit they just portray obsession so damn well. All of the characters have it, good and bad—obviously Joe's followers are obsessed with him, and Joe with Ryan, but Ryan's equally obsessed, and Mike & all the rest become that way too. They're all such complicated, fun characters and I love this show to pieces.

And god the Joe/Ryan relationship! Is! Everything! These two have such gigantic divorced energy from the very first moment, which is wild to see portrayed while they're sitting across from each other in an interrogation cell 😂 As I said before these two are o b s e s s e d with each other, even if Ryan likes to pretend he's not as invested as Joe is. Watching their relationship develop over the course of the show from bitterness and self-loathing to severe attachment (and self-loathing lol) was fantastic. Ryan spending all of season 2 hunting Joe down despite everyone calling him crazy, and then oh my god can I even talk about season 3 without losing my shit? The fucked up bond between them reaches insane, amazing new heights. Ryan dreaming about them playing pool and Joe holding him and teaching him to kill I JUST CANNOT HANDLE THIS RATIONALLY. Then because apparently they didn't destroy me enough, they had to have Ryan hallucinating Joe and that is just...fuck am I ever obsessed.

back to top


BOURNE MOVIES

Eric Byer/Aaron Cross

This is my absolute fav underrated movie, and the dynamic between Aaron & Eric was so fascinating to me! Eric knew Aaron through his entire transformation from severely mentally challenged to hyper-intelligent loyal assassin, and it was so obvious that a lot of conditioning and brainwashing went on to make Aaron the man we met in the movie. Aaron was so desperate for a safe place to land, and Outcome was all too willing to use that to their advantage. Aaron had such a hard exterior but was so vulnerable underneath, and Eric played on that for sure. I love the "sin eater" scene so much, and the one where Eric is watching Aaron's first interview tape, and it showed how much History there was between them, made me so curious for so much more.

Aaron Cross/Marta Shearing

This pairing is so weirdly, perfectly sweet in the middle of an anxiety-filled, action-packed movie. It starts off so brisk, Aaron just needing to use Marta and Marta just along for the ride because Aaron's the only one who can keep her from being assassinated, and it quickly grows to deep affection and connection and it's just ahhhhhh it's so sweet. Despite Aaron being a hyperskilled killing machine, Marta was so protective of him, and being around him brought out her bravery and strengths in a way that might never have come forward otherwise. She took care of him when he was sick, and Aaron was so vulnerable telling her to leave him, but they were too bonded by then to ever leave each other. And then the ending, omg 🥺 "I was hoping we were lost" THEY'RE JUST TOO CUTE.

Jason Bourne/Aaron Cross
Jason Bourne/Aaron Cross/Marta Sheering

The fact that we didn't get a sequel movie with both Jason and Aaron in it was a straight up crime and I will never forgive them for in. It would just be so awesome!! Jason's actions directly resulted in the events of Bourne Legacy, and Jason learning all about it and tracking Aaron down could've so easily happened. Or maybe Jason was the one to help Aaron in TBL instead of Marta! Or maybe the pair of them had already known each other, or Jason was involved in training 'Kenny' when he joined Outcome, or basically anything. This crossover-that's-technically-not-a-crossover sparks so much joy in me. And then if you include Marta too, with her bravery and intelligence and deep loyalty, it becomes nothing but a winning pairing. Imagine how protective she would be of Aaron against Jason if Jason found them post-movie, or how afraid to have to deal with a second agent if Jason showed up during TBL. Just so many possibilities!!

Aaron Cross/Outcome 3
Aaron Cross/Outcome 3/Marta Sheering

The scenes between these two were so fun and so interesting, and imagining verses where Outcome 3 lives makes my brain buzz. 3 was so miserable, relegated to the freaking arctic because he dared to love somebody, and then he's forced out of his safe little bubble by this other Outcome agent who won't stop asking questions or breaking protocol. 3 and Aaron were so different and yet so freaking similar, and they had such potential!! And again, much like my pairing request directly above, including Marta in this ship would bring a great different element to it all. Can you imagine how Outcome 3 would fucking melt for Marta? He would be so far gone for her, he really would. And frankly I relate XD

I want to thank you for reading my Letter, and I hope you have a good time writing! I'm so looking forward to whatever you lovely folks come up with :) <3

back to top