Chocolate Box Letter 2021

[majorr]

Dear Author,

I love the tropes I've listed, but feel free to ignore them and the prompts if you have your own idea. I'd prefer if the fic didn't take place on or focus on Valentine's Day, but I'll be happy to read anything else you come up with. Some of these prompts lend themselves to longfic, but I’d be just as happy with a scene or ficlet from those ideas. That goes for 5 + 1 prompts too. I welcome longfic, ficlets, drabbles, and vignettes. I love surprises. Thank you for writing for me!

AO3: Major

General Likes: Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Slow Build, UST, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Jealousy, Possessiveness, Codependency, Loyalty, Get-Together or Established Relationship, Five Times, Storms, Canon Divergence, First Times, Stranded, Adventure, Wilderness Survival, Bed Sharing, Murder Mystery, Twenty-Four Hours to Live, Horror, Humor, Fluff, Apocalypse, Soulmate AU

Do Not Want: PWP, Mpreg, Incest, Weddings/Babies/Pregnancies, Genderswap, Non-Con, Unrequited Love, De-aging, Illness, AUs (except for the ones I prompt and canon divergence), Animal Harm/Death, Fishing/Hunting, Second Person POV

Crossover Fandom (Numb3rs/Sherlock)
Don Eppes/Molly Hooper
Fic

I love opposites, and these two have such different personalities and demeanors. I love the idea of serious, good-hearted but tough Don falling for such a sweet, gentle, smart but often socially awkward Molly. They regularly find themselves in scary or dangerous situations, so the idea of them finding happiness and safety with each other is really cute to me. I’m cool with it taking place at any time during or post-Numb3rs/Sherlock, and don’t worry about mismatched timelines. You can handwave anything like that as well as canon love interests.

I love Don’s relationship with Charlie and his dad, so I’d be fine with including them. I’m also fond of Molly’s friendship with Sherlock and like the idea of Molly & Amita or Megan or Larry.

Prompts:

• It would be adorable if Don was the one pining/with a crush/unsure how to get Molly to notice him and have Molly be the oblivious one for once.


• Molly moved to the US, and Don frequently finds himself working with the new medical examiner.


• Molly is a victim of a crime, and Don feels guilty for crossing a line when he develops feelings for her while working the case.


• I love the 5 + 1 format of all lengths, including drabble and vignette forms: 5 times Don was bummed mistakenly thinking Molly had a crush on Charlie and 1 time he perked up because he found out the crush was on him; 5 times Don started to fall for Molly Hooper and 1 time he fell completely; 5 times other people realized Don was in love with Molly and 1 time he realized it himself.


• Don is impatient with Molly on a case and thinks he’s blown it with her. He hasn’t.


• Don realizes the shy in-house medical examiner is more than just a colleague to him when she’s taken hostage and the panic he feels is far beyond professional.


• “Dad, Molly is just a friend, come on.”
  
  “A friend that you eat lunch with every day. But she eats dinner with someone else, I’ll give you that.”
  
  “Dinner? Who said anything about dinner? Who’s she having dinner with?”
  
  Alan is amused that his son is in such a state of denial about his own heart. He decides to fix Molly up with someone else at a family dinner to force Don to see it. (Jealous Don, I beg you.)


• Molly is assisting Sherlock on a case in America. Don finds Sherlock insufferable, but Molly is sweet. It’s been a hard year, and he’s surprised by just how much he wants something sweet in his life.


• Molly Hooper moves into the house next door to the Eppes family home. She’s alone in the country trying to make a fresh start and becomes a regular staple at family dinners. She stops coming when she misinterprets Don’s behavior as dislike for her. Alan does not take kindly to him spooking her away, unintentionally or not.


• Don doesn’t have feelings for Molly Hooper. He only gives her his jacket because it’s cold, and he’s polite. He doesn’t want more than friendship. He only blocks another man from asking her out because he can clock a deadbeat from a mile off. The possessive feeling that tightens his arm around her when she falls asleep against him one night… yeah, okay, that’s harder to explain.


• Colby has a tendency to flirt with Molly on cases. Don has a tendency to get pissed off about it. He doesn’t like her, it’s just not professional! ….Right.


• A cop/consultant/other agent is really rude to Molly, and it pisses Don off. He gets into it with the guy and comforts Molly when he gets rid of him.


• Don is amused and surprised when he accidentally gets Molly into hockey and falls in love with her watching the games together. Maybe he takes her to one, and some pivotal first happens: hand holding/first kiss/his arm around her shoulders, feelings realized or confessed.


• Don catches Molly crying when he walks into the morgue, and they have a moment.


• There's a body on a beach, and Molly, vacationing and in a swimsuit, wanders over with a keen observation that helps the case. Maybe she doesn't think to be self-conscious while she's in medical examiner mode but gets nervous after a minute. Bonus if Don gives her his suit jacket while she helps.

Daredevil (TV)
Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter/Julie Barnes
Fic

I love this ship from a couple of different angles with a little canon divergence to see where things could have gone for them if Julie had a longer run on the show. I love the idea of, with Julie’s help, Dex fighting his darker instincts and maintaining some level of careful control over his violent/sociopathic instincts. But I also love the idea that even with her help, he gives into that dark side of himself and the two of them fall down a twisted, codependent criminal path together (him for the things he does and her as an accessory for never turning him in). I’d rather Julie not lose her inherent “goodness” as he calls it if you go that route because I really love the dynamic of a bad guy loving/being deeply obsessed with someone kind/gentle/good-hearted and her struggling with both her moral compass and her inability to stop caring about him despite the evil things he does. Whichever road you’d prefer to write about, I’ll be excited to read it either way.

Prompts:

• Canon Divergence - Julie escapes the attack on her and calls Dex for help. He insists that she stay with him for her own protection when he realizes that Fisk tried to kill her to manipulate him.


• 5 + 1 - Five times Julie was able to stop Dex from going over the edge, and one time she encouraged him to kill someone to save both of their lives.


• From the episode 3x10 “Karen” in a scenario where Fisk never attacked Julie - Dex didn’t know Julie was at the church when he attacks Karen and Matt there. He has to give up on his mission and get her out of there when she accidentally gets badly hurt. Hurt/Comfort, angst, guilt/anger at himself, apologies, panic: that kind of thing.


• AU where Fisk doesn’t go after Julie until later in order to control/force Dex to do something for him, and Dex flips on him out of loyalty/protectiveness of Julie.


• Captivity - Fisk locks Dex and Julie up when he refuses to do something for him, and Julie is injured while they’re imprisoned. Dex has to care for her and keep her safe. I’d love her taking comfort from him with bed sharing or hiding behind him when their captor enters, depending on him for protection, that kind of thing.


• Julie surprises Dex by calling him in the middle of the night because she heard a noise and knows it’s ridiculous but is afraid it’s a ghost. Dex surprises Julie by showing up and volunteering to sleep on her couch so she can go back to sleep. Bonus if she falls asleep on the couch with him.


• During some point of danger when Dex’s loyalties are being tested between Fisk and Julie, she locks eyes with him and says, “I belong to you. I’m yours.” I love the idea of her giving him permission to “keep” her or be as possessive as he wants being the thing that tips him over fully against the threat and on her side and motivates him to get them out of whatever trouble they’re in.


• Another man hits on Julie in front of Dex, and she notices a dangerous shift in him. She takes his hand or moves under his arm or something to make the guy leave and redirect Dex’s attention. I love this especially in a pre-relationship scenario so he’d be caught off guard by her actions and by the strength of his possessiveness in response.


• Julie chooses to risk death at Dex’s side rather than escape a dangerous situation when she has the chance.


• Julie gets pissed at Dex when she discovers cameras in her apartment, but Dex’s anger (and possessiveness) far surpasses hers because he didn’t put those cameras there. Whoever did has a target on them now.


• Dex has to fight through an injury to protect Julie against an attacker, but they keep getting backed farther and farther against a wall with no easy escape.


• Julie and Dex get stranded somewhere, and after that they can’t go back to normal or function without each other.


• Dex assumes that Julie will abandon him, but Julie proves her loyalty to him in a moment when Daredevil or the police are closing in.


• Julie starts to fall for Dex when she notices how gentle he is with her when he's so rough or angry with everyone else.


• Julie gets hit by a car while riding her bike in the city. Dex overreacting to minor injuries or Julie feeling self-conscious about asking Dex to stay the night with her at the hospital or sleeping together on the narrow hospital bed or all of that.

Mighty Ducks
Adam Banks/Charlie Conway
Fic

I love these two and their friendship. Adam's struggles to live up to expectations and never quite feeling good enough even at the expense of his own health and Charlie being the heart of the team, being fiercely loyal to his ideals even at the expense of what's good for him was always compelling to me. Their friendship made it through all the conflicts, and there was genuine love and support there that I love. I would love to see pining thrown in or build-up to getting together. I'd love fic taking place during any of the movies, between the movies, or future fic to see what they're up to these days.

I love all of the Ducks and love the idea that they stayed best friends/family their whole lives, so feel free to include any of them or Bombay if you want to.

Prompts:

• The Ducks have a lot of group slumber parties. Whether they’re camping or staying at one of their houses, Charlie and Adam always seem to share a tent, a bed, or sleep with their sleeping bags next to each other.


• Mutual Pining - Both boys are crushing, confused, scared, trying to figure themselves out and unsure how or if they should reveal their feelings. Changing feelings, angst, youthful misunderstandings, all that good stuff.


• Angst, Grief, Guilt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort - Charlie is practicing with one of the Ducks (your choice) when they fall through the ice, and he’s unable to save them. How does Adam get him through that?


• 5 + 1 - Five times Adam was afraid Charlie would realize he was in love with him, and one time Charlie made it clear that his feelings were mutual.


• Outsider POV - Linda likes Charlie, but she realizes that Charlie and Adam are in love with each other before either of them do.


• AU - The district lines weren’t wrong. Adam was never a Duck. How did he and Charlie get close if Adam was always a Hawk?


• Charlie is failing two classes and won’t be eligible to be on the team anymore if he doesn’t get his grades up. All of the Ducks help, but no one takes helping Charlie and keeping him on the team as seriously as Adam.


• Charlie has dinner at Adam’s house, and Adam’s dad is insulting and rude to him (about having less money, being less talented of a player, his single mom, something demeaning), and it drives a rift between them when Adam doesn’t stand up for him. Maybe Charlie thinks he shares those opinions since he doesn’t say anything. I mostly want pining, regretful, desperate-to-be-forgiven Adam while he figures out how to stand up to his dad or make things right with Charlie.


• Charlie’s dad turns back up and things aren’t great at home. Adam makes it his job to keep him distracted and cheer him up: practice hard, rollerblading everywhere, sleepovers at his place. (I’d prefer no redemption story for the dad and it be more about the boys navigating a difficult situation together.)


• Charlie collapses on the ice during practice with the team. I’d prefer if it wasn’t any serious illness. Something like dehydration or exhaustion is fine. Adam’s panic/fear triggers him into realizing his feelings for Charlie when he can’t be roused and maybe gives his feelings away to the team too.


• It becomes a pattern for the Ducks to take it out on Adam when they have a problem with Charlie since they’re a package deal, which culminates in Charlie getting into it with everyone at once to defend Adam since it’s him they’re really mad at.


• Hand Holding - Object of pining (Charlie) keeps holding the hand of the pining character (Adam) and not mentioning it.


• Fusion with I Know What You Did Last Summer - The Ducks are out celebrating after a win and accidentally hit somebody with their car. I would love if you played this completely straight. I love horror and am fine with violence, gore, and character death(s). If you only wanted to write the opening scene with the celebration + car accident/panic about what to do and tag on an ambiguous ending, that would be cool too. I love when funny or more lighthearted canons get horror AUs.


• Something freaks the Ducks out. Pre-relationship, Adam grabs Charlie's hand where the rest of the group can't see, and Charlie doesn't comment, just squeezes his hand back.


• Future Fic - Adam shows up on Charlie's doorstep after quitting the NHL.

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
Catherine Morland/Henry Tilney
Fic

I am forever in love with these two. Or rather, I am forever in love with these two being in love with each other. The sweetness of their relationship is my weakness. Henry sweetly teasing Catherine or telling her a wild tale or spooking her in order to amuse/entertain/gently frighten her (in turn, amusing and entertaining himself)—and I'm happy. There's a gentleness between them and a beautiful compatibility that's warm and just makes me smile. I love Catherine's wild imagination, and I adore Henry and how kind he is to her. I would love all kinds of fic for this fandom: sweet moments, emotional turmoil, external conflict or emotional conflict followed by a happy ending. I'm always happy to spend time with these characters post-canon and see what they got up to.

Pre-relationship/Courting Prompts

• To mess with Henry, his brother tells Catherine that Henry mocks her or only puts up with her company. She’s naive enough to believe him, and Henry is confused when she starts avoiding him/not meeting his eyes/looks sad around him after that.


• In a group, Thorpe repeatedly and blatantly insults Catherine to her face, embarrassing her in front of everybody. This pisses Henry off.


• What if they didn’t go to Northanger and were still in Bath when Isabella and James’ engagement went off? Catherine gets in a loud public fight with Isabella that gets a lot of attention, and Henry has to intervene and extract her from the situation.


• There’s a serial killer in Bath while they’re there. Thorpe tries to convince Catherine that it’s Henry. Henry learns this and teases her about it but ultimately comforts/reassures her.


• While on a walk, Catherine slips and gets washed away in a stream that Henry thought would be safe to cross. Bonus if she can’t swim, and there’s panic/fear before being rescued.


• Henry catches Catherine as she's fainting.


• Henry's brother sees how hard Henry is falling and decides to go after Catherine for himself to screw with him.

Post-Canon Prompts

• Catherine gets badly injured somehow (nothing permanent, please), and Henry panics/worries/fusses. Maybe he has to pick her up and carry her to help. Maybe Catherine tries to be brave through the pain, and Henry is more upset about her being hurt than she is about it.


• 5 + 1 / Amnesia - Five times Henry pined for/was hurt by Catherine’s memory loss while she’s nervous/skittish around him, and one time she gets her memory back. Some ideas: Catherine declining to dance with him but dancing with a man she remembers from her youth, hiding in the evening because she’s afraid he’ll want her to share a bed with him, wanting to move to her family home because she’s afraid to live with a man she doesn’t remember.


• Trauma leads to Catherine being temporarily mute and unable to communicate effectively. Maybe she was a witness to something? Henry has to comfort her and slowly pull her out of it.


• Henry is surprised and bewildered when he realizes that Catherine is very angry with him, and he has no idea why. What did he do, or does she only think he did it?


• There’s a fire while they’re at the opera. Maybe they’re separated when it starts, and Henry has to find her through the smoke. I love Henry in worried/desperate mode.


• Catherine is publically humiliated by Henry's father, and she slips off somewhere to hide at the party/wherever they are.


• Their carriage breaks down in a snowstorm, and they get stuck there for the night. Henry has to keep Catherine warm and calm. Maybe he freaks out if she slips out while he's sleeping to use the restroom and he can't immediately find her in the blizzard.


• Fusion with The Strangers - Catherine having to deal with a home invasion from her worst nightmares would be great. Either the event itself, hurt (or emotional hurt)/comfort or aftermath fic. I love horror, and the historical setting would make the invaders with sacks over their heads even creepier to me.