Casefic Ex Letter 2025

[majorr]

Dear Detective,

I love the theme of this exchange and was so excited to see this was a thing! Coming up with prompts is fun for me, but I’m totally fine if you get your own idea. I love surprises, I love reading casefic and look forward to investigating whatever you come up with. Thank you so much for writing something for me!

AO3: Major

General Likes: Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Slow Build, UST, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Jealousy, Vulnerability, Possessiveness, Codependency, Loyalty, Family, Protectiveness, Get-Together or Established Relationship, 5 + 1, Storms, Canon Divergence, Stranded, Adventure, Wilderness Survival, Camping, Bed Sharing, Murder Mystery, Twenty-Four Hours to Live, Humor, Fluff, First Kiss, Hand Holding, Flirting, Banter, Bonding, Vignettes, Drabbles

Casefic Likes: Murder Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Missing Person, Investigating Urban Legends, Monster of the Week, Domestic Thriller Mystery, Locked Room Mystery, Amateur Sleuths, Falsely Accused of Crime

Do Not Want: PWP, Mpreg, Incest, Babies/Pregnancies, Genderswap, Non-Con, Unrequited Love, Poly, De-aging, AUs (Except Canon Divergence or When Prompted), Animal Harm/Death, Fishing/Hunting, Second Person POV

Heroes
Matt/Mohinder, Matt/Mohinder & Molly

I was a HUGE fan of M3 back in the day, and my love for that period has never died. That perfect era of Matt, Mohinder, and Molly living together and forming a little family. Matt and Mohinder falling in love, adopting and raising Molly together, dealing with their powers, trying to survive the complications and shadow organizations that come with being special, and being domestic and happy when they’re not having to fight for their lives or escape bad guys. My kingdom for a happy ending for these three. In my heart, they stayed together forever, were a happy family, and no one died, became evil, or turned into a bug man. (Please, no bug man stuff. I preferred Mohinder as the genius with no powers that used his smarts to help.) I love the idea of them building something happy and safe with each other, an anchor in their chaotic lives, love Mohinder calling Matt Matthew, and Molly trusting and depending on them, and Matt and Mohinder being tentative as they fall in love because their situation is fragile and they don’t want to mess it up. Other Heroes characters I love: Claire, HRG, Hiro, Ando, Gretchen, Peter, and Sylar.

Prompts:

• A case with an amnesia spin. Someone or something is targeting Matt and deleting select things from his memory. Like, one day Mohinder is shocked when Matt doesn’t know who he’s talking about when he brings up Janice (please let her be a firm ex at this point). The memory deletions pile up as he and Mohinder investigate who/what is doing this to him, and the more people and things that get erased, the more fearful Matt gets that the memory of Mohinder and Molly will be taken next.


• Matt and Mohinder go to a wedding as friends and are juuuust about to cross that line from ‘just two friends hanging out’ to ‘yeah we’re on a date’ at the reception when — gasp! — one of the other guests drops dead, and the night turns into a murder mystery. Whose wedding are they at? OCs they know from Molly’s school? Claire and Gretchen’s? Feel free to include anyone from Heroes to make this work.


• Needing to figure out how to survive while on a plane that is hijacked by someone with powers. Could the stakes get stake-ier? Which is harder: surviving or addressing their feelings before time runs out?


• Someone with Cupid-like powers hits Matt with an ‘arrow’ that suddenly has him fake crushing on an OMC or a male character from the show (Peter? Nathan?). Mohinder’s green-eyed jealousy monster agitation and determination to figure out how to reverse the effects grows the more lovesick Matt becomes for someone else. Does Matt have any control over what he says/does/the overtures he makes toward the object of his false affection, or is Mohinder having to wrangle Matt’s behavior while managing his own real feelings for Matt?


• Molly is afraid of a closet monster or monster under the bed. They think it’s stress causing her to be afraid at night, but it turns out that it’s somebody powered and creepy/beastly that appears under the bed of kids or in their closets.


• Matt telepathically picks up on something in Mohinder’s mind. He tries to control his powers enough to respect his privacy and stay out of his head, but his control isn’t perfect and the snatch he catches indicates that Mohinder has a secret. Matt sets out to find out what he’s hiding from him. Spoiler Alert: Mohinder has just been trying to hide that he’s in love with Matt because he isn’t sure Matt feels the same way.


• Matt, Mohinder, and Molly move into their first small house together with a yard, in a pleasant neighborhood, and the future looks bright. And then their neighbor is killed by someone with powers. I’d love if at this point in the world, powered people were public and on a national register, so Matt, the new powered neighbor is immediately a suspect. Mohinder finding this unjust and being protective of their family. Do they have the gall to suspect/question Molly as well since she’d also be registered? Solving the case before the police pin it on Matt.


• A mystery that starts in medias res. Matt and Mohinder are hiding a body in the woods or tossing it off a boat in the middle of the night. Who is it? Did Molly accidentally kill this person somehow and they’re covering for her? Did he attack them? Is this someone with powers or someone hunting people with powers?

The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Frodo Baggins/Samwise Gamgee, Gimli/Legolas Greenleaf

Frodo/Sam

My ultimate loyalty ship. I adore the devotion between them, the unbreakable bond, the incomparable shared trauma and history. I would love a cozy mystery for these two, something lighthearted or soft and low stakes pre or post war. The Shire is such a comfort setting for me, the gardens and clear skies and bodies of water, that sense of simple peace and contentment. Somewhere for them to rest and be at ease after everything they’ve been through or somewhere innocent and free if it’s before they set off with the ring. Friendship as a solid foundation for love, and the two of them finding some cozy mystery or another to occupy their time. Sam as an amateur sleuth solving Shire mysteries, and Frodo indulging his new investigative interests fondly. I think it could be really sweet. I love a good dose of angst, so it’s always welcome with a happy ending.

Prompts:

• Lighthearted - Sam’s new boyfriend breaks up with him when he thought things were going well, and Frodo decides to help him solve the mystery of what went wrong for closure. Spoiler Alert: The new boyfriend could tell that Sam and Frodo were in love with each other. Idiots in love solving the mystery of their own hearts. What do they do? Read letters between them? Retrace their steps and try to recall details of certain interactions when Sam noticed the ex acting unhappy all of a sudden?


• Post-War Amnesia Case - Someone or something has erased every memory of Frodo from Sam’s mind, and Frodo has to investigate who did it and how in order to reverse the damage and get him to remember him. It would be devastating to lose Sam in general, but after everything they’d been through together, to lose the one person who was with him through it all and gets it on a level no one else can, that would add so much extra pressure on Frodo and add to his determination to get his Sam back.


• Murder Mystery at Frodo and Sam’s wedding in the Shire. Was it an invited guest who died or a wedding crasher? It might be fun if it’s someone they don’t particularly like so it wouldn’t actually ruin the day, and it would be a good opportunity for some dark humor. Maybe Sam and Frodo can’t leave for their honeymoon until a suspect is apprehended. Does the Fellowship help them solve it?


• Frodo and Sam both go stag to someone else’s wedding and are juuuust about to cross that line from ‘just two friends hanging out’ to ‘yeah we’re on a date’ at the reception when — gasp! — one of the other guests drops dead, and the night turns into a murder mystery. Whose wedding are they at? Legolas and Gimli’s? OC hobbits? Feel free to include any characters from the Fellowship or wider Middle-earth to make it work.


• Sam gets a baked dessert as a gift from a secret admirer and goes to Frodo thinking that he sent it. But Frodo recognizes one of the berries on it is poisonous before Sam takes a bite. They have to figure out who actually sent it to try to kill Sam while also navigating the sensitive fact that Sam didn’t guess Frodo was his admirer out of nowhere. Feelings realizations and confessions while working a case.


• Sam’s little sister Marigold goes missing, and it seems like all of the Shire has set off on a search for her. Sam tries to tamp down his worry with annoyance at her probably running off and working everyone up for nothing, but Frodo notices the longer she’s not found that Sam is growing more fearful. Is she hurt somewhere? Stranded or trapped in something? Lost? Kid stuck in a well situation?


• Someone with a magic pendant with Cupid-like powers hits Sam with an ‘arrow’ that suddenly has him fake crushing on a handsome OMC. Frodo’s green-eyed monster unhappiness with the situation and determination to figure out how to reverse the effects grows the more magically lovesick Sam becomes for someone else. Does Sam have any control over what he says/does/the overtures he makes toward the object of his false affection, or is Frodo having to wrangle Sam’s behavior while managing his own very real feelings for Sam?


• Someone is found dead in the creek, all signs point to Sam being the killer, and he’s taken into custody. Frodo going batfrak protective of him, and the two of them solving the case before Sam is used as a scapegoat. Maybe he’s been sleepwalking from the stress/trauma after they get back from the war, and he wakes up standing over the body. Being caught like that would definitely look bad. Does Frodo decide it’s too dangerous and Sam is staying with him until his sleepwalking stops and the charges are dropped? Assuming he’s out on bail or whatever. Frodo would jump to pay that.

Gimli/Legolas

The journey with these guys! The literal one and the figurative one. I love the progression between them from ‘you suck’ to ‘anyway I’d die for you.’ Iconic. The trust, the loyalty, the humor, a bond forged in dangerous times that required courage and commitment: I love everything about them. I’m particularly fond of their friendship with Aragorn and love the Fellowship as a whole so any other characters needed for support are fine. I am always obsessed with any and all problems that arise with their cultural differences, so if you’re looking for an underlying issue or conflict for them to deal with throughout the case, misunderstandings in this direction that cause upset, confusion, heartbreak, or anger are something I always enjoy in fics about these two.

Prompts:

• While Legolas is attending to responsibilities for his father, he receives a letter from Gimli breaking up with him. Devastated and angry, he goes to confront Gimli to Gimli’s bafflement. He didn’t write the letter, but the handwriting looks the same. The impostor didn’t count on Legolas refusing to give Gimli up without a fight. Who is trying to break them up and to what end? An obsessed stalker? Someone who wants to inherit Gimli’s wealth and needs Legolas out of the way? Is it part of a larger assassination plot? If Legolas won’t go away quietly, will the impostor escalate to trying to kill him to get him out of the way instead?


• Twenty-Four Hours to Live Mystery - Gimli is afflicted with a Dwarf curse that makes it steadily more difficult to breathe until the cursed one eventually suffocates to death. Death occurs after one full day unless it is broken. Legolas has to find the dwarf responsible for putting it on Gimli and force him to lift it before it’s too late. Who did it and why?


• Post-War Amnesia Case - After some time apart, there is a Fellowship reunion (anywhere you want), and Gimli warmly greets everyone… except Legolas. He has no memory of this unwelcome elf. Someone or something has erased every memory of Legolas from Gimli’s mind, and Legolas has to investigate who did it and how in order to reverse the damage and get his love to remember him. Was it a dwarf with a grudge? Was it Thranduil not wanting his son to be with a dwarf? How does Legolas figure it out?


• Someone has stolen a large pile of riches from the Dwarves’ underground vault, and Gimli is tasked with discovering who the thief is and bringing them in for justice. Legolas is unhappy to learn that one of the items stolen is a beautiful stone… enchanted with the power to attack the mind of a dwarf enemy. They need to find the thief fast because he’s already started to use it against Gimli. Does it cause pain? Cause hallucinations? Possess actions?


• Monster of the Week type case - A new creature is stalking the area and dragging people away when they’re out alone, into the woods or water or underground, etc. Legolas and Gimli must find and destroy it before it takes anyone else or one of them. I love spooky searches, unsettling clues (does it leave fur or scales or weird saliva or blood?), panic when they realize the other is in trouble, banter that gets interrupted by screams or an attack or an unsettling clue. Does Gimli recklessly hunt it on his own and get hurt or require help? I don’t think Legolas would be pleased with that. Does Legolas become unnerved because it’s like nothing he’s come across before?


• A cozy mystery that takes place in the Shire while visiting Frodo and Sam. An established relationship low stakes lighthearted amateur sleuth(s) fic. Does Gimli investigate a Shire urban legend some hobbit kids tell him and get teased by Legolas for his superstition?


• Legolas and Gimli investigate a closed mine after there have been multiple reports of odd noises inside. I love Legolas struggling with being underground for long but being determined to stay at Gimli’s side and watch his back. What’s down there?


• Falsely Accused - Legolas takes Gimli to meet his father, and Gimli is promptly accused of theft and locked up in a cell. Is Thranduil framing him because he doesn’t approve? How does Legolas prove it and free Gimli? Does he insist on sleeping outside Gimli’s cell, or worse, force his way in with him, further infuriating his father?

Prodigal Son
Malcolm Bright/Edrisa Tanaka

The weirdness of these two is so wonderfully compatible. Their scientific curiosity curves into a ghoulish enthusiasm for the morbid, and I find it hilarious and delightful. They’re both also really competent at what they do. There was an eagerness and genuine interest in the exchange of information that made it feel like their work was collaborative rather than competitive. These two make a fun, morbid, very intelligent and capable partnership. Bright’s cleverness, Edrisa’s awkwardness, and their combined interest in figuring out puzzles that might repel other people was sweet and funny and made me root for them. Whether they’re working on an official case for work or they’re off on a side quest together, I miss these guys and would love to see them in the thick of another mystery.

Note: I love Bright’s relationship with his mother and sister, so they’re more than welcome, so is anyone from the team, and JT, in particular, is probably my favorite because I found all of his interactions with Bright and with Edrisa hilarious. The personality clash was a thing of beauty. Lmao

Prompts:

• They’re both attending a wedding with an escape room theme, and the ceremony turns into a locked room murder mystery. Are they both invited guests or did one of them (or both? lol) crash because it sounded fun. Then murder happens, and it hits a 10 on the RTMI chart for them.


• A handsome, charismatic man consults on a case and takes an earnest flirtatious interest in Edrisa. Bright becomes more and more annoyed by this as the case goes on, but his jealousy annoyance takes a turn towards a confused sort of misery when Edrisa goes from simply blushing to flirting back. Bright solves a murder and his own heart.


• Bright and Edrisa bump into each other at a tour of a haunted house (or hotel, building, carnival, etc.). They don’t turn up any ghosts, but their tour guide is murdered mid-tour. The night actually improves after that….


• Alternate Universe - Slavery - Edrisa hates the system but desperation drives her to purchase a slave advertised as clever or a puzzle solver at an auction. A close family member or friend was murdered, the police have blown off the investigation/messed it up/declared it an accident (or maybe it was a slave she knew but didn’t own and that’s why nobody cares), and she needs help figuring out what really happened, getting justice for the deceased, and can’t move on or let go until she does right by them. Is Bright surprised when she wants to use his mind and not his body? Up to you if she finds a way to free Bright after it’s solved or if they carry on as owner and slave with a dynamic far different from that of the dark system around them.


• Edrisa comes to Bright to ask him how and why his father has been sending her strange but relevant to her interests gifts. It’s news to Bright, and he is determined to find out. Protective Bright is curious because he has no idea what’s going on in his father’s head and angry because he suspects it might be some kind of threat. What’s actually going on?


• AU - Disgraced figure skater Malcolm Bright got canceled when it became public that his father was a serial killer, which means he notices when his one dedicated, enthusiastic fan who always shows up for him in the stands stops attending. Turns out that woman’s name is Edrisa Tanaka, and she’s been (wrongfully) accused of murder. He decides to use his long dormant detective skills to prove that his number one fan is not a killer. And whoops, clearing her name makes him catch feelings when the fondness he felt from her awkward support in the stands while everyone else booed warms when he gets to know her. Bonus if Edrisa can’t skate, and there’s a scene on the ice!


• AU - Prison - Bright is an inmate (up to you what he did and if he was wrongfully or correctly convicted) and Edrisa is the new doctor at the prison. Is the case clearing Bright’s name if he’s innocent? Was a guard or prisoner found dead? Is a prisoner threatening Edrisa, and Bright has to figure out who it is and stop them before they make good on the threat? Or is the mystery more mundane and lighthearted?


• A scientist bad guy injects people with something that causes love potion Cupid-like effects. (The science does not need to be real science-y, lol! I promise I’ll roll with it.) Edrisa is exposed to it from a dead body and it suddenly has her fake crushing on Gil or JT. Bright’s green-eyed jealousy monster discomfort and determination to figure out how to reverse the effects grows the more lovesick Edrisa becomes for someone else. Does Edrisa have any control over what she says/does/the overtures she makes toward the object of her false affection, or is Bright having to wrangle Edrisa’s behavior while managing the realization of his feelings for her?