Hi, I’m
great_whatsit at AO3 and
queer-mac at Tumblr. First and foremost: THANK YOU! I am so lucky to be getting a gift from you, and I’m immensely grateful for the time and energy you're putting into this. Taking the time to do something like this is a huge deal.
In terms of the story, I’m pretty easy to please, and any rating, and combination of gender identities and bodies is cool with me. That said, I do have a few DNWs, mainly: extreme or explicit violence, non-con, A/B/O.
Things I love (but in no way require) in fic: found family, sex that is urgent, or awkward, or familiar and full of laughter (or all of the above), complicated power dynamics, quiet devotion, humor, bittersweet endings, day in the life snapshots, tragically stoic characters who only one other person understands (SWOON), damaged people who are trying, whether it's just to do as little harm as possible, or to heal themselves, even a little.
All of that said: everything that follows is mere suggestion, nothing more. I am already totally over the moon that anyone else shares any of these interests, and is willing to write me something about one of them. Anything you write will be incredible.
Request 1: Briarpatch
From my promo post on the fandom:
A gender-bent, 10 episode TV series based on Ross Thomas' 1984 novel of the same name. The book is about Benjamin Dill, a white DC operative going home to deal with his sister's murder and spending a lot of time with a childhood friend in the process. The TV show is about Allegra Dill, a mixed race, female DC operative going home to deal with her sister's murder and spending a lot of time with a childhood friend who adores her. Among other things. Rosario Dawson plays the main character and is perfect (her wardrobe is based on 1970s BIANCA JAGGER, for the love of god), and there are just epic tons of feelings (not all remotely good) to be dealt with, not only b/n Allegra and childhood pal (played by Jay R. Ferguson), but also b/n childhood pal and his partner in arms smuggling (played by a -- wait for it -- deliciously evil Alan Cumming) as well as between Allegra and a married TX Congressman with whom she has a delightfully unconventional sexual relationship. Oh, and also: Kim Dickinson is there as the ambitious chief of police, as are Allegra Edwards as a smart as shit camgirl whose partner is somehow involved in everything (maybe) and Edi Gathegi as Allegra's lawyer. The eighth episode is one of my favorite hours of TV of all time, and the show is just magnificent from start to finish.
I am completely obsessed with this show and am in desperate need of backstory for, like, everyone.
Jake and Allegra. While I strongly disagree with the canon fact that Jake never tried to kiss her in high school, I nevertheless love their relationship and want to know more about it. What was Allegra like in school? Was Jake always in awe of her, like he is in the present, or was their relationship different at first? What the hell was Jake like as a kid?
Jake and Brattle: just inject it directly into my veins. They are the reason I’ve watched E8 roughly a billion times: there’s so much in their reunion, including volumes of terrible history and more than a hint of sexual tension. I think Alan Cumming and Jay R. Ferguson are so phenomenal in that scene, and would love to know more about the history between the characters. What went on between them? How did they meet? How did Jake fall in so deeply that he got the tattoo?
Allegra and the Senator (I know he has a name, but in my head he’s always “the Senator”). Holy hell, do I love them -- and I’m desperate to know how they got started. What was Allegra doing in DC (like, really doing) before she got arrested and Cyrus bailed her out, and she fell into with the Senator, etc. TBH, any Allegra backstory will fill me with joy, throwing the Senator is there is just an added bonus.
Request 2: Mac McCorkle series, by Ross Thomas
From my promo post on the fandom:
This four-book series starts with Thomas' first book, The Cold War Swap, which came out in 1966 and won him the Edgar for best novel. It ends with Twilight at Mac's Place, published in 1990. Over the course of the 24 years the series incorporates, Mac and Mike Padillo, his partner in bar ownership and, also, a spy (it's never directly said, but it's clear he works for the CIA, usually unhappily), move from Bonn, Germany to DC together, encountering things like: exploding bars, escapes from East Germany, African leaders plotting their own assassinations, lots of kidnappings and, oh yeah, Padillo's "death". Mac and Padillo are the only consistent things in one another's lives, and their relationship is just as weird and comfortable and wry and secretly adoring as one would expect from the best of series about a couple of dudes who spend more than a quarter century quietly, utterly devoted to one another.
As an added bonus, Thomas is a phenomenal writer -- I strongly urge anyone who is remotely into smart detective-y stuff, particularly with Cold War commentary thrown in, to give the books a try. IMO the second (Cast a Yellow Shadow) is the best one, but they all have their virtues (the third, The Backup Men, is very much focused on Mac's and Padillo's relationship, even as it pretends it's about oil and assassination).
I love these books so, so much. I love that Mac and Padillo have been the only constants in one another’s lives for 25+ years. I love the quiet way Mac admires (and utterly adores) Padillio. I love how they trust one another, and how there’s never any need to warn the other to keep his mouth shut about whatever, b/c of course he’s going to keep his mouth shut, jeez. I also love this, from
The Backup Men:
“I’m Amanda Clarkmann; you must be the McCorkle that he keeps talking about.” She shook hands with me, a nice, firm friendly shake, and then she turned and kissed Padillo and it was a long, unabashed kiss which I watched and discovered what must have been a trace of voyeurism that I didn’t know existed. When it was over, Padillo said to me, “I’ve mentioned you a couple of times in passing.”
I mean my god.All of this is just a long way of saying: anything you write will be amazing, whether it’s slash or not, whether it’s backstory or not, whether it’s book-focused or not. If they’re there, I will love it.
Request 3: Cobra KaiThis show is like an earworm, except it’s in my brain -- I love it so much.
I just want basically anything Johnny Lawrence, whether it’s Daniel!smut (or Daniel and Amanda!smut cos, I mean, yes), or trying to sort out his shit with Daniel in the most gen way possible, or trying to be a dad to Miguel -- or at least not totally torch that relationship -- or even just learning to live with himself. Honestly, I just love fictional, damaged idiots who are trying, but still not confident enough to believe that they deserve things that aren’t shitty, and I will be thrilled by anything you offer that has this particular damaged idot at its center.
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