Darkest Night 2021

[desertvixen]

I know I will enjoy whatever you write!

My general preferences are here.

My DNW: nominated character death (unless noted otherwise), cruelty to animals/children (can be mentioned if needed for story, but do not dwell on it in loving detail), graphic/explicit/sexual violence

I love a story that makes me think twice about climbing the stairs without turning ALL the lights on first.  I'm also into shiny veneers that hide dark secrets.  I like "skeletons in the closet".  I'm also down for characters dealing with things using black humor.

I am a huge fan of "seemingly unrelated group of people trapped somewhere and discover they a) have something in common and b) can't just leave" - see Clue, see And Then There Were None. Even if this is not the fandom we're matched on, I'm always down for a scenario that plays out like one of these movies/books.

Please feel free to get soap opera-ish! Half-siblings no one knew about! Illegitimate siblings you thought were just family friends! Psycho-half-siblings who want to kill you and take your life over! Convenient accidents! Crazy wills and marriages of convenience!  Year-long showers and cracked out "why not" seasons!  (Yes, I'm a huge Dallas fan.)

 I love urban legends - the vanishing hitchhiker in particular, but also "the call is coming from inside the house", "room for one more", and the psycho college killer one.  Return to Glennascaul scenarios are also good. 

 I also have a fascination for unsolved crimes/mysteries, people who've disappeared, and bodies with no names.  Yes, I loved Unsolved Mysteries.

To avoid a ridiculous letter, I’m going to talk about the freeforms up front:

Aftermath - Survivor Guilt: Love this for the should have done better/decided better feels!

Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting – More the competition, less the setting of Panem.

Alternate Universe - Mirror Universe: Think like the TOS mirror universe.  I didn’t care for the take on it they did in DS9 where it was like a BDSM extravaganza.

Castaways in Time – So I really loved Island in the Sea of Time, and am down for more of that.

Death - Going out Fighting – I don’t want them to actually die, but feel like they will right up to the part where they don’t.  Fairy Tail has a great scene of this with Gajeel/Levy. 

Dreams - Dreams bleeding into reality – Can the character tell that they’re dreaming/not?  I love the feeling of not being able to tell what is what.

Dreams – Nightmares – What if nightmares or what was nightmares are all good.

Magic: Sex to Power Magic – What it sounds like on the tin. 

Murder - Murder Mystery – You can play this one a little lighter or more comic, or go dark and atmospheric.  I love Clue, I love And Then There Were None.

One of Us is a Killer – For this one, I love the suspicion of everyone.  I definitely like if its either the obvious person or the least obvious person.

Plot - Dimension Hopping To Find A Timeline That Isn't Doomed – I’d prefer they find one, or at least have the hope of finding one.

Ruined Castles and Fortresses: Creepy and atmospheric go!  Works nicely with trapped together.

Trapped - Trapped with a Killer – Kind of like One of Us, but the killer doesn’t have to be a trusted member of the group.

Trapped - Trapped Together – Stuck together.  Will they be rescued? 

Urban Legend - Vanishing Hitchhiker – You know the story.  If you want to riff off one of my Phantom Passenger Wants a Ride Home stories, go for it.

Hurt/Comfort & Grief/Mourning – So these two are basically my safe tags for each fandom.  If nothing else is working for you, give one of them a spin.  Pretty much every fandom has something that would make one or both work.

Magic - Losing Control Over Magic/Powers – The loss of control, the fear that they will harm someone they care about, go.

Ghosts – Whether they’re real or imagined, I enjoy them.

Urban Legend - Room For One More – The elevator operator and the man with the coffin are the same.  Also “Twenty Two” if you’re a Twilight Zone fan. 

Vehicles - Broken down car in the middle of nowhere – This is basically a gateway to any number of creepy atmospheric stories, add some danger if you like

Vehicles - Car Accidents – Same as above.

Skeletons In The Closet – Metaphorical or real or both, these always interest me.

Alternate Universe - Characters are the Bad Guys – Flipping the canon on its head is always fun.

Effect - Character who dies in canon lives making everything worse – Doesn’t have to be catastrophe, but if you’ve ever read Q-Squared, you know what I’m after.

Murder - Victim Murders Perpetrators – A little dark justice.

Plot - discovering parent is the villain – I love the feelings of suspicion and betrayal here.

Urban Legend - Psycho Killer at College – You know, the killer in the hall, or it was on Sally Jessy Raphael that a college campus beginning with M would be attacked…. I’d prefer to have characters outwit the killer but be scared out of their minds up until then.

Blackmail – Goes right along with skeletons in the closet.

Effect - Be Careful What You Wish For – Pretty much what it says.

Trapped - Trapped in a Dream World – I like them to know they’re in the dream world, and figure out that they’re trapped.

Characters Cut Off From Home Planet – I think this could be very interesting.

Trapped - Trapped With Someone in Need of Medical Care – I like the helplessness aspect on this one.

Also just a last note, some fandoms I just have more thoughts about.  I'd love something for all of them.

 

 

Fairy Tail  

Gajeel Redfox/Levy McGarden (FT), Laxus Dreyar/Mirajane Strauss (FT), Elfman Strauss/Evergreen (FT)

Aftermath - Survivor Guilt, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Alternate Universe - Mirror Universe, Castaways in Time, Death - Going out Fighting, Dreams - Dreams bleeding into reality, Dreams – Nightmares, Magic: Sex to Power Magic, Murder - Murder Mystery, One of Us is a Killer, Plot - Dimension Hopping To Find A Timeline That Isn't Doomed, Ruined Castles and Fortresses, Trapped - Trapped with a Killer, Trapped - Trapped Together, Urban Legend - Vanishing Hitchhiker, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Magic - Losing Control Over Magic/Powers

More in letter but a darker story, but I would love a story playing off the doomed timeline we see in Grand Magic Games. Or if you want to go lighter, an atmospheric mystery, job gone wrong would be delightful. And sex to power magic has the possibility to be interesting. 

I believe we see the doomed GMG timeline in ep 125.  So many of these tags would play so well off that one little glimpse we get of other-Levy, like survivor guilt, nightmares, dreams bleeding into reality, dimension hopping.

AU – Hunger Games – What it says on the tin, or play off the S-Class trials in a more permanent disqualification.  Would prefer the ships be paired together.

Mirror Universe I want more “mirror” (like TOS) and less Edolas.

Castaways in Time would be cool if they were stuck in the past with dragons… 

Death – Going Out Fighting – I think this could be good (it’s a great canon Levy/Gajeel moment).  I don’t want them to actually die, but fear they are right up until they don’t.

Nightmares - I see Laxus as a good choice for this one, given some of his actions and his need to protect his family (and if you wanted to have Mira comfort him, I am totally down for that).  Gajeel would be good for it as well, though.

Magic – Losing Control – Laxus or Mira or Gajeel would be good for this one.  I like the idea of them fighting to keep control so they don’t hurt anyone else.

One of Us is a Killer - Ivan (Laxus' father) comes to mind.  Freed as the killer could be good too.        

Urban Legend - Vanishing Hitchhiker – I’d love a Fairy Tail take on this.  Maybe Mavis is a vanishing hitchhiker.

Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning – Feel free to apply to any of the couples.

Magic: Sex to Power Magic – This could be explosive with Laxus/Mira. 

Most of the prompts will work with any of them.  For Nightmares I would prefer either Laxus or Gajeel, and their skeletons in the closet.

 

Cherry Ames - Helen Wells & Julie Tatham 

Cherry Ames, Marie Swift, Lex Upham

Aftermath - Survivor Guilt, Dreams – Nightmares, Ghosts, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Murder - Murder Mystery, Sounds - Creepy Laughter, Trapped - Trapped Together, Trapped - Trapped with a Killer,  Urban Legend - Vanishing Hitchhiker, Urban Legend - Room For One More, Vehicles - Broken down car in the middle of nowhere, Vehicles - Car Accidents, Skeletons In The Closet

Couple ideas here: Perhaps a ghost story/urban legend set at Spencer Hospital when the gang returns after the war? Or a realistic Cherry dealing with issues from war (I would also be down for a more modern AU on this take)? Or a story where Cherry & Marie have a break down and end up at this creepy old house with a murder that they have to help solve?

All of the above is precisely what I expect from Cherry.

Murder Mystery – Starts out fun (like murder mystery party) and turns dark?  Maybe being held at an estate or something while Cherry is working there.  Haunted house would work well too. 

Maybe Cherry IS the ghost?

  

Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Super Mysteries - Franklin W. Dixon & Carolyn Keene 

Nancy Drew/Frank Hardy (ND/HB SM), Nancy Drew & Frank Hardy & Joe Hardy (ND/HB SM), Group: Joe Hardy/Iola Morton (ND/HB SM)

Alternate Universe - Characters are the Bad Guys, Effect - Character who dies in canon lives making everything worse, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Murder - Murder Mystery, Murder - Victim Murders Perpetrators, One of Us is a Killer, Plot - discovering parent is the villain, Skeletons In The Closet, Trapped - Trapped with a Killer, Urban Legend - Psycho Killer at College, Urban Legend - Vanishing Hitchhiker, Urban Legend - Room For One More, Vehicles - Broken down car in the middle of nowhere

Couple ideas here. An AU where the Drews and Hardys have a crime ring (feel free to involve the older generation, including Aunts Eloise and Gertrude) instead of being detectives? Or an AU where Iola doesn't get killed? (Or those could go together). Or the kids discovering Carson Drew is the villain (would prefer not Fenton Hardy). Trapped with a killer is always good, or slotting this crew into an urban legend. Or a case involving the broken down car and a creepy old house... 

I like playing around with the characters and making them sinister for this one.  Especially if they’re trying to convince Fenton that Carson is a baddie (or trying to convince Nancy).

 

 

Perry Mason (TV 1957) 

Della Street/Hamilton Burger (PM 1957)

Vehicles - Broken down car in the middle of nowhere, Urban Legend - Vanishing Hitchhiker, Trapped - Trapped Together, Skeletons In The Closet, Blackmail, Murder - Murder Mystery  

Feel free to involve this rare pair (I just find something about them compelling) in a creepy atmospheric evening. Broken down car and creepy old house? Someone's trying to blackmail Burger?

I definitely love the vibe of a stormy evening and a mystery for these two to solve all by themselves…and a little romance, a little discovery.  Perry can appear but I want the focus on these two.

 

 

Crossover Fandom 

Teela (MOTU: R) & He-Man | Adam (He-Man 1983), He-Man | Adam (He-Man 1983)/Castaspella (She-Ra 1985), Teela (MOTU: R) & She-Ra | Adora (She-Ra 1985), Romelle (Lion Force 1984) & Fala (Beast King Golion)

Plot - Dimension Hopping To Find A Timeline That Isn't Doomed, Death - Going out Fighting, Dreams – Nightmares, Dreams - Dreams bleeding into reality, Grief/Mourning, Ruined Castles and Fortresses, Ghosts

So if you've seen MOTU: Revelation, you know it's a lot darker. I love the idea of that Teela finding her way back into the 80s and trying to change things - or not changing things, with either pair. You can work He-Man/Casta in or go with more of a nightmare thing for them, perhaps some magic gone wrong.

For Romelle/Fala, similar plots apply. I think the two of them would be kindred spirits who share a bit.

My understanding is that MOTU: R is supposed to be a continuation of the He-Man cartoon, and I am here for that.    I’d love to see Teela dealing with that past (you can bring Andra and Evil-Lyn along, but focus on MOTU: R Teela.  Although encounters with herself could be good too… (Not selfcest, but trying to save herself from what comes later and having it work out, or not)

If you want to do He-Man/Casta standalone, something where they have to fight their way out of a nightmare/dream world would be excellent.  Or bring her through to Eternia.

For Romelle/Fala, I think it would be interesting because they both have a lot in common as fighters, and I think a dream or fight would be good.

 

 

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Netflix 2021) 

He-Man | Adam & Marlena (MOTU: R), Duncan | Man-at-Arms (MOTU: R), Sorceress of Castle Grayskull (MOTU: R), Teela (MOTU: R)

Alternate Universe - Mirror Universe, Castaways in Time, Dreams - Dreams bleeding into reality, Dreams – Nightmares, Effect - Be Careful What You Wish For, Effect - Character who dies in canon lives but it doesn't fix things, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Plot - Dimension Hopping To Find A Timeline That Isn't Doomed, Ruined Castles and Fortresses, Urban Legend - Vanishing Hitchhiker, Trapped - Trapped in a Dream World, Death - Going out Fighting

So this one is darker. Play with that and embrace it. More in letter to avoid spoilers!

I really wanted more about the interpersonal pieces.  We get the searing moment where Marlena reveals that she KNOWS Adam is He-Man, the moment where Randor learns (I would be totally down for introspection here).  I’d love to see Marlena interacting with Sorceress or Duncan, before or after – how does she feel about Adam being the Champion?

Or can we talk about the part where the Sorceress tells Teela that she brought them there so she could see her one last time and we kind of NEVER GO BACK TO THAT?  Go back to that.

Or feel free to crossover with the original He-Man or original She-Ra.  (Someone is already starting a fic where Teela, Andra and Evil-Lyn go to 1985 Etheria to find Adora and I am 5000% here for more of THAT!)

I’m not opposed to Teela/Andra but I don’t want the fics to focus on it – background or brief glimpses are fine but I don’t need 10K words of their relationship.  But I see and am here for the ship.

Go creepy and atmospheric, and I’m totally down for some dimension hopping.  Mirror universe could be really good too.

Or if you want to spin on his parent’s grief, I am here for that story too.

 

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983 Cartoon) 

Battle Cat | Cringer (MOTU 1983), He-Man | Adam (MOTU 1983), Marlena (MOTU 1983), Sorceress of Grayskull (MOTU 1983)

Urban Legend - Vanishing Hitchhiker, Urban Legend - Room For One More, Plot - Dimension Hopping To Find A Timeline That Isn't Doomed, Ruined Castles and Fortresses, Trapped - Trapped in a Haunted House, Trapped - Trapped in a Dream World, Death - Going out Fighting, Dreams - Dreams bleeding into reality, Dreams – Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Mirror Universe, Castaways in Time

Feel free to keep this one a little lighter, or go dark. I'd love a look at Eternian versions of the ULs, or He-Man being in a fight he might not be able to win. How does the Sorceress feel about what she's done to him?

Pretty much what it says here.  I’d love the dream world ideas, especially if you hint a little at Revelations.  Or looking for something darker, perhaps an ambitious plan of Skeletor's that works better than he imagined it would? Or apocalypse Eternia?  Dreams bleeding into reality – This one could be good for Marlena?

 

 

Original Work - Mixed 

Young Runaway Heir Hunted By Murderous Family/Girl Sleuth (OW-M), Woman Who Loves Growing Plants/Boyfriend Who Destroys Plants & Her Plants (OW-M), Female Vanishing Hitchhiker/Male Driver Determined to Solve Her Case (OW-M)

Betrayal, Dreams - Dreams bleeding into reality, Grief/Mourning, On the Run, Plot - discovering parent is the villain, Ruins - Living in Ruins, Skeletons In The Closet, Trapped - Trapped Together, Vehicles - Broken down car in the middle of nowhere  

Eerie, creepy, atmospheric - do your thing.

I waive my DNW for the boyfriend in the plant one, feel free to kill him. Strangled by plants?

Not much to add here, but if you let the plants kill the boyfriend, I'm good with the grandma's ivy just showing up.  For the heir/girl sleuth, I want that danger right behind them all the way, constant tension.  For the hitchhiker, I really like him picking her up and then getting drawn into the mystery.

 

Star Trek: The Next Generation 

Jean-Luc Picard/Beverly Crusher (TNG), Group: Jack Crusher/Beverly Crusher (TNG)

Alternate Universe - Mirror Universe, Plot - Dimension Hopping To Find A Timeline That Isn't Doomed, Urban Legend - Room For One More, Castaways in Time, Characters Cut Off From Home Planet, Plot - Character Who Dies In Canon Lives and Makes Everything Worse, Trapped - Trapped With Someone in Need of Medical Care

I was dithering but decided to go ahead and add this request. Feel free to include Walker Keel and/or Alynna Nechayev but I don't want the story to focus on them. I am also here for Jean-Luc/Jack/Beverly if you want to go that route.

If you've read Q-Squared, and want to go with something like that you are totally in the right headspace for "dies in canon" or "dimension hopping". 

For the mirror universe, I'd prefer a little more like TOS or Diane Duane's Dark Mirror, and less like the leather BDSM extravaganza of DS9. 

For Castaways/cut off, I'd really like to explore the idea of P/C as the parents on the ship. 

A TNG adaptation of the urban legend would be good. 

For trapped, I would prefer that either Beverly needs the medical care or that whichever male you pick is beyond what she can provide in their situation (and she knows it - if you go that route I am totally here for doomed introspection). Yes, I saw the arsenal of freedom.

Not much to add since I went so indepth here, but P/C is my first ship.  I still love them (and am actually going back through TNG now with my daughter since we’ve finished Babylon 5, and she’s already a big fan).  If you want to play off Yesterday’s Enterprise go right ahead!