desertvixen | OWO 2024 (Reply)

I am sorry this is so late - I left it off my to-do list and THOUGHT I had posted it! If you've already got soemething going, keep on rocking it!

My general preferences are here.

Treats are very welcome!

Gen (Single Characters or Groups Without Ships)

Blackmailer Hostess & Guests They Are Blackmailing (Gen)

Isolated Lighthouse Keeper Who Is Slowly Going Mad & His Assistant Fresh From the Mainland (Gen)

Passengers of a Luxury Ship & Ghosts who Pretend to be the Ships' Crew (Any&Any)

Real Hitchhiker & Phantom Driver who Picks them Up (Gen)

Solo: Vanishing Hitchhiker

Blackmailer Hostess & Guests They Are Blackmailing (Gen): So in my head I picture sort of a female Wadsworth from Clue/Miss Scarlet. I am good with either the hostess POV or a guest POV. Why are they being blackmailed? How are they paying?

Isolated Lighthouse Keeper Who Is Slowly Going Mad & His Assistant Fresh From the Mainland (Gen): I prefer the assistant be a young woman, possibly one who has really wanted this job and is reluctant to rock the boat (so to speak) even though she realizes he is absolutely losing it.

Passengers of a Luxury Ship & Ghosts who Pretend to be the Ships' Crew (Any&Any): Bonus points if the ghosts were once ship's crew? Perhaps a passenger is a relative of someone who survived the wreck that made the crew ghosts?

Real Hitchhiker & Phantom Driver who Picks them Up (Gen): The song "The Ride" is pretty much what I am looking for, or Telly Savalas' experience (in letter). Love the belated recognition that they rode with a phantom.

Solo: Vanishing Hitchhiker: I LOVE vanishing hitchhikers.

Blackmailer Hostess & Guests They Are Blackmailing (Gen): Think Clue. I'd be interested in gathering them all together, or maybe reflection on how/why she is blackmailing them. Yes, I love Clue, and getting the tables turned. Would be open to the hostess having a relationship with one of the male guests. Maybe they have already joined forces? How does a woman blackmailer change the vibe? Preparing/planning? I prefer for her to retain the upper hand. Does she rely on other women to gather her information?

Isolated Lighthouse Keeper/New Assistant: Does new assistant initially think they can cope with it? Here for slow realization that she is in danger, and concern that aid will not arrive in time.

Passengers of a Luxury Ship & Ghosts who Pretend to be the Ships' Crew (Any&Any): For this one, I sort of see the ghosts as having BEEN crew in their mortal states. I like the idea that they were crew (maybe on another ship) and are just sticking to what they know. Do they try to warn people of a disaster? Does anyone ever notice that they’re ghosts? Perhaps an older guest finds them a little too familiar.

Real Hitchhiker & Phantom Driver who Picks them Up (Gen): If you're familiar with the song The Ride, bingo. They don't need to be a musician but the ghost car intrigues me. Telly Savalas claimed to have had one of these encounters. Details vary, but here is one of the accounts and it’s the vibe I’m looking for:

It was late when he began his drive home from a friends house at Long Island to his own home in New York. He was also out of gas, but the lights from an all night cafe lit up the darkness. He managed to pull in, and having a coffee, asked the way to the nearest garage. He was told to take a path through the wood at the back of the cafe until he reached the freeway. Just about to set off on the daunting walk, a voice called out, asking if he wanted a lift. It was gratefully received and Telly got into the Cadilac of this good Samaritan.

It wasn't until he got to the gas station that he realised his wallet was missing and the man kindly gave him some money with Telly insisting on having his name and phone number. Harry Agannis wrote his name on a scrap of paper and Telly thanked him for all he had done.

When it came to contacting the man he spoke to his wife who told him the sad news that he had died. Telling her what had happened and how her husband had helped him, she said that was impossible as his death was not recent. He had been dead three years. The star was shocked, and then intrigued. He described the car which she agreed was the same as her husband's. The clothes, which she said he was buried in. Then there was the voice which was unusually high pitched. That could have accounted for the fact that Harry Agannis had taken his own life, shooting himself in the throat. Telly eventually met the widow and showed her the piece of paper on which the man had written. She was more than sure that it was her husband's handwriting. It was certainly an experience that Telly Savalas never forgot, and earned him a new friend in Mrs Agannis

I love places that aren’t always there and phantom cars that are solid for a much needed ride, and ghosts who help people out.

Solo: Vanishing Hitchhiker: Exactly what it sounds like. I love vanishing hitchhikers and the people they interact with, so have at it. I love the Twilight Zone episode The Hitchhiker, I love Resurrection Mary, I love the Phantom Passenger that Needs a Ride Home. Go for it! I’m also on board for reverse vanishing hitchhikers (the car/driver aren’t real) or the prophetic vanishing hitchhiker. I love the interactions and the revealing of the mystery to the driver.

I prefer all hitchhikers to be female, but feel free to swap out genders for drivers/parents.

Mixed Gender Ships

Clever Goldigger in Arranged Marriage/Apparently Dumb Husband With Dark Secret (F/M ) Desert Nomad/Oasis Spirit (M/F)

Emperor/Empress/Their Courtier They Are Trying to Seduce (M/F/M)

Female Librarian/Frequent patron (F/M)

Resident Of A Spooky Estate In The Middle Of Nowhere/Female Motorist Whose Car Breaks Down (M/F)

Ruling Queen/Prince from Another Nation She Hasn't Seen since Childhood (F/M)

Wallflower who wishes to be married/Rake who is her best friend's older brother (F/M) (OW)

Woman from Dysfunctional Family/Brother of her Best Friend with Good Family (F/M) Young

Runaway Heir Hunted By Murderous Family/Girl Sleuth (M/FFic

So on these, I am not opposed to a little steam!

Clever Goldigger in Arranged Marriage/Apparently Dumb Husband With Dark Secret: What is she hiding and how not-dumb is he?

Desert Nomad/Oasis Spirit: The lost explorer and the oasis spirit who saves his life.

Emperor/Empress/Their Courtier They Are Trying to Seduce: How hard is he fighting it? Which one of them wants him more/starts it?

Female Librarian/Frequent patron: Meet cute? Flirting with books? Slow burn?

Resident Of A Spooky Estate In The Middle Of Nowhere/Female Motorist Whose Car Breaks Down: So looking for a vibe where maybe she is scared of the resident when he is NOT what she should be scared of?

Ruling Queen/Prince from Another Nation She Hasn't Seen since Childhood: Can we say royal marriage?

Wallflower who wishes to be married/Rake who is her best friend's older brother: So I am a Bridgerton fan but not quite the vibe I'm looking for. I am here for she's been pining for him for awhile.

Woman from Dysfunctional Family/Brother of her Best Friend with Good Family: If you read Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet books, you know who this is. How do they finally hook up with each other and deal with each other's issues?

Young Runaway Heir Hunted By Murderous Family/Girl Sleuth: His life is in her hands. Maybe she's been hired by the family but realizes she's being played.

Clever Goldigger in Arranged Marriage/Apparently Dumb Husband With Dark Secret (F/M): Is she the one getting played? I am totally here for her thinking she’s getting one over on him and discovering he’s not as dumb as he looks/acts. Prefer that they are connecting nicely in bed.

Desert Nomad/Oasis Spirit (M/F): Is she trying to assist the nomad? I like the idea that the nomad must be worthy of finding the oasis. Maybe only worthy travelers can find the oasis? Maybe there is a price... Prefer nomad be male, oasis spirit female. Not much to add, but I’m definitely interested in the aspect where the oasis spirit controls who finds it. Can only someone who is worthy find it? Does it provide a refuge? I’m a desert person, so I appreciate descriptions and bringing out the beauty – maybe the oasis has a superbloom going on?

Emperor/Empress/Courtier: I am definitely here for their courtier not fighting it too hard. Would prefer Empress does initiating and I am here for oh no we got caught. Also here for the valiant attempt to resist and somewhat grudging surrender to pleasure.

Female Librarian/Frequent patron (F/M): Flirting and more thru books. Book recommendations. Leaving his number in the book he returns “late” and in-person because he does not want a fine. Wink wink nudge nudge. Meet cute with books. Librarian taking her hair down and him wearing glasses gets bonus points. And yes, I am totally open to more than meeting cute.

Resident/Motorist: The resident is good but just has a gothic/spooky/threatening vibe. Definitely here for evil being cloaked in handsomeness if motorist is fleeing something. Also here for mistrusting the wrong guy and realizing it almost too late.

Ruling Queen/Prince from Another Nation She Hasn't Seen since Childhood (F/M): Goes along with the gen req - why haven't they seen each other, and why are they seeing each other NOW? I think this would be fun and romantic – Maybe no one intends it to be romantic but it gets romantic fast? Dancing at a ball? Rival nations with a history? Why has it been so long since they saw each other? Was one of them not always a royal?

Mixed Gender Ships

Niece of Famous Explorer/Son of her Uncle's Rival (F/M)

Honor Student/Overdramatic Ideas Person/Person Who Makes Plans Work (F/M/M)

Harvest Goddess/King/Queen (F/M/F)

Charming Incredibly Competent Head Maid/Roguish Gamekeeper (F/M

I would definitely like a steamy element to this one!

Niece of Famous Explorer/Son of her Uncle's Rival: They can't stand each other and yet they keep ending up with their lips pressed together...

Honor Student/Overdramatic Ideas Person/Person Who Makes Plans Work: If you know Ouran High School Host Club, you know who I am thinking of. I love how they work things out.

Harvest Goddess/King/Queen: A sexy ritual somehow isn't just ritual...

Charming Incredibly Competent Head Maid/Roguish Gamekeeper: I see this as one where they have to work together to solve something on the estate but they just keep ending up together.

Niece/Son: Tensions flare? Trapped together? Sniping endlessly at each other until someone locks them in a room? If you’ve seen the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew TV show then you know the vibe – a pair of competent competitive interesting people who need to get a room, but it’s never so easy. I really like the rival explorers idea because it locks them into a somewhat closed society where they can’t get away from each other. Meanwhile, their fellow party members wish they would get a Clue (and a room. With only one bed.). Bonus points if someone does lock them in a room/trap them in a secret passage so the rest of them can have some peace and quiet.

Honor Student/Overdramatic Ideas Person/Person Who Makes Plans Work: I see A and C bonding together to keep B from causing too much trouble, and trade off on whose job it is to be “in charge” and who gets to say “this will be fun”.

Harvest Goddess/King/Queen (F/M/F): Does the goddess like the look of the king and come down? For the royalty and Harvest Goddess, I want all the lush details and wonder. I want something dealing with the whole ritual sex between king and queen as stand-in for harvest goddess to ensure a good harvest. It’s supposed to be symbolic, but what if the harvest goddess did actually come down? Whether or not anyone except the king and queen realizes that she is present is optional. I like the idea of the goddess actually coming down – perhaps she likes the look of the king or he reminds her of someone else? I’d prefer she be attracted to the king – perhaps a reminder of her own consort.

Charming Incredibly Competent Head Maid/Roguish Gamekeeper: I want to see both of them being competent in their own areas, working the puzzle from both ends, maybe getting trapped together. Again, Nancy Drew/Frank Hardy vibes. Rescuing each other perhaps?