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y-u-l-e-t-i-d-e!
Thank you for offering any of these fandoms ♥
I always strive to make this as skim-friendly as possible. The tl;dr is that if you touch on anything I mention liking even slightly — and as I'm sure you'll realize, I have a lot of things that I like — I'll be elated. Please take my note at the top seriously; I look forward to December 25th finally arriving so that I can see what you've created for me!
THE GENTLEMEN | THE KING | NARZIß UND GOLDMUND
MATTHIAS ET MAXIME | SUCCESSION | TENET
- ⟡ Prompts are formatted to (hopefully!) work for the less-is-more & more-is-more creator alike. The top-level prompt are generalized, complete ideas &/or references. Know what you want to write just by reading this? Go for it.
- The comments, ideas, questions & specific references following the top-level trope exist just in case you want more to work with. If you come up with an idea that’s similar to a prompt, go for it! If ¾ of a prompt works for you, but the final ¼ doesn’t? Only work with the bit that does. I’d also love to see prompts combined or to have some of my general likes shape their direction.
likes!
⟡ Relationships! I'm into reading about how relationships work: their unique dynamics, how they support one another, how they relate to each other, how they interact [pre-, post-, & during-canon when “offscreen”]; where their wants and needs mesh up, as well as where they differ.
Established relationships are kind of my jam because I love seeing the and then? aspects of couples figuring things out & carrying on after they've gotten together; that's where the interesting stuff shows up for me: tthe day to day their lives & intricacies therein. How do they fit one another into their routines? What things do they do (or don't do) because they've got that other person in their lives? How does having a significant other muddle with their ethics or other commitments? How do they juggle contrasting priorities? How does the world — in general, or their specific social sphere — treat them & how do they navigate that?
That said, I enjoy get-togethers as much as the next stan & have rarely met one I didn't like!
⟡ Fucked-up, unhealthy relationships! Codependent relationships, obsessive relationships, & so on: you can be giving it all to me.
Them doing questionable things or neglecting themselves to make their partner happy; I love it when they put themselves or the other person in precarious situations just so they can have their desired outcome; letting the ends justify the means.
My favorites are when the characters know — be it fully or a suspicion — that what they're feeling, and the degree to which they're feeling it, isn't healthy, but they enjoy it so much they can't bring themselves to care. Them being equally, fuck-up-ed-ly invested in their relationship is what I live for.
I love when a character is willing to let the world burn should the world try to come between them & the person they love, or they're willing to set the world on fire if it means finally getting that person all for themselves.
⟡ I love codas, alternate canons, semi-alternate universes, & canon divergences, &/or slight changes to canon that don't end up changing much at all because fate always finds a way. My prompts typically range from plotty monstrosities to domestic slice-of-life details & I'd adore receiving either, or seeing you change what might fall into one camp into something that fits in the other.
⟡ Rather than miscommunication causing drama, I love it when bluntness & frankness cause that tension instead. Characters saying what they want or confessing they've done, point-blank, & then leaving it to the other character to decide if they can handle that; quiet characters taking their time and mulling over their choices before telling the other person what they want; different cultures or moral constructs & discovering unique ways to bridge/overcome them; as well as any other communication-based drama that you can think of that doesn't hinge on not having the full story or hearing the wrong thing at the worst time are always stories that engage me.
⟡ Stories that starts in the "middle"/in medias res of the overarching plot. I don't need a lot of world-building setups, especially if that's not something you're really into doing. If you've decided to take up one of my AU or divergent ideas, rest assured that I already know the basic background of what's going & you are welcome to go right on ahead with the action of the story, if that's what you want.
However, if half the fun of AUs & divergences involves delving deep into the universe & making yourself at home there, go wild!
I'd also want to say that I love, love, love genre mashups. Vampire Westerns, Werewolf RomComs, Slice of Life Action, Noir SciFi, Heist High Fantasy, Historical Dynamics Set in the Modern Era, Social Commentary Horror — a lot of my prompts probably get this across in & of themselves, but I'm that person who you can write weird, off-the-wall plots for any day of the week.
⸰ Here are my Two for One, Yuleporn, & Crueltide signups, which include additional prompts and likes! My Trick or Treat letter has a section of darkfic tropes that may also be useful.
⟡ Anything from G-rated schmoop to NC-17 sex is alright in my book.
Should you include a sex scene, here’s a general list of kinks/scenarios that I'm cool with:
age regression, age differences, underage, made-them-do-it, water sports (for marking/scenting and/or intimacy; less about being super into pee or humiliation), conditioning, frottage, gentleness, identity porn/anonymous sex, rough sex, marking, switching/no set sexual “roles”, possessiveness, power issues, abuse of power, dubcon, semi-public sex, sensory overload, sex addiction/compulsion, silence, d/s that’s focused on taking care/being cared for more than pain/humiliation, size differences and power dynamics — feel free to have the "smaller”/younger/more docile dude be more "dominant”/aggressive member of the relationship —, touching, slavefic, delayed emotional intimacy paired with very quick physical intimacy, captivity.⟡ Tropes that I never fail to love:
forced closeness, amnesia, viking au, gladiator/greek/roman au, tribe/barbarian/pre-history au, android aus, western/rancher/farmer aus, power differentials, trope inversions & subversions, soul mates/soul bonds, fake relationships, sugar daddy/transactional relationships, forced/arranged marriages, woke up married, bodyswaps with themselves from a different multiverse, gentleness, stuck in isolation together, sex before feelings, exploring physical disabilities (losing sight/hearing/the ability to a speak).
dislikes!
⟡ Deathfic as an ending. If they’re brought back to life via the supernatural, reincarnation, turned into a cyborg, etc — or the story continues in the afterlife, I'm good. As long as the story doesn't end with "[…] and they died, the end", you're fine. The death of non-requested characters or original characters are all fine, although a focus on this as the main driving force of the plot may hit my next item.
⟡ Whump/excessive angst wherein the majority of the fic is self-pity/sadness or miscommunications, and a tiny section at the end is happy/resolution. If from the outside, or as an observer, the events are sad but the character(s) experiencing them as their normal life are happy, content, &/or blind to it, then that's fine! I dislike when half or more of the fic focused on someone's sadness/angst and how they react or wallow in said angst.
⟡ Embarrassment/humiliation (kink or otherwise), painplay/torture kink, cheating/infidelity, high school/university au, yentas/matchmaking/meddling friends or family in general, unrequested polyamory, epistolary, crossdressing, noncon (wherein one half completely hates the sex; if they come to like it, a convenient mind break occurs, or anything similar — we're good!), genderswap/always-a-[opposite gender].
⟡ No preference between past and present tense, although I only prefer 3rd-Person Narration.
⟡ It is absolutely fine if you share none of my ships! All that I ask is (a) please that you don't write het with them & (b) if you go pure gen, please don't go out of your way to insist that any of my various ship options could never, ever happen.
⟡ Not a fan of crossovers unless requested, but fusions are my lifeblood.
Matthias et Maxime fused with Narziss und Goldmund, wherein Matt is all caught up is a little priest trying to stay on the righteous until Max shows up, inspiring all these feelings in him? Here for it. Very excited for the prospect of Succession & Tenet giving Stewie what he thinks is an antagonist, but really the they're is his most trusted confidant. The Gentlemen meeting The King, with Raymond having a rival in Fletcher (or a particularly worthy paramour in the Coach, etc) that is extremely motivated in trying to hook up with him would be particularly inspired!
The Gentlemen (2019)
Raymond Smith
This movie is a lot, but all of it's Ritchie-ness is why I was hyped in the first place, & it delivered on pretty much everything I expected.
Finally, in terms of random men in which I would like to see Raymond with: the sky pretty much is the limit. Have him finding himself long-suffering end of a crush of one of the Toddlers; Mickey (as long it's before Rosalind, after they split, or if she never existed); one of Mickey's other staff, or some OMC. The only character I wouldn't particularly like to see him with is Big Dave, but if you've got a killer idea, I'm open.
So — Raymond! It's like Ritchie did a poll of all of my favorite characters from his films & folded them into one perfect package. I love the relationship he had with basically all the men in the film. I love his competence, his cool nature, that he has this mysterious backstory that clearly has him with as much of a reputation & commands as much respect as Mickey, all while being a bit of a dandy.
Fletcher aggressively hitting on him at every turn & Ray's long-suffering acceptance of it is something I could read endlessly. What is the backstory there? Why is he so used to Fletcher & why is Fletcher so bold when it's clear he's a total chicken-shit otherwise? For the Coach, he clearly took to Raymond the moment they met, & their shared sense of intense loyalty makes me think that if they really teamed up, they'd be together forever. Finally, Dry-Eye has no respect or time for Mickey, but he never seemed to ever consider touching Ray — why? Why does Ray have respect & immunity from a guy who was willing to kill his own boss?
Something that I think Ritchie does well is not really telling you anything of importance about a character, & certainly not giving much backstory when he isn't in the mood for it, yet you instantly know what kind of person a character is & what their general deal is. With all four of these men, we get that in spades. I also love that no matter what ship you go for, there's that fact that Raymond's job seems to involve putting Mickey first; how would Fletcher/the Coach deal with that, and how would Dry-Eye feel about it specifically, given that they're rivals?
- ⟡ What is Raymond's background, exactly?
Was he a rough lad? Has he always been as posh as his current status suggests? Has he always hung around with men older than him?
How did he become a cannabis sommelier? Was he an actual sommelier that got enticed to the illegal side of things? Was it Mickey who recruited him, and how did that go? Did someone else bring Ray up?- Tell me all about the hookup that happened before Raymond knew who Fletcher was — and tell me, did Fletcher know who Ray was? — where truly nasty fucking went down & now Raymond just has to live with that night Fletcher is never going to let him live down.
- Older, a bit messy, dramatic, & who has an appreciation for his skills — if Mickey, Fletcher, & the Coach are anything to go by.
Young, a bit messy, dramatic, & who have their eye set on the whole world - if Dry-Eye, Aslan, or any of the other lads are anything to go by. - We see that he is well-versed at flirting with Fletcher, goes on collection missions for AWOL rich kids, & is deeply involved in the day to day operations of the business. Doesn't seem like it leaves much time for a love life — or does it so happen that the odd-jobs he runs for Mickey is actually how Raymond meets most of the men he likes?
- Dry-Eye wants Ray on his team now that Mickey is retiring. Coach wants Ray out of the game altogether. Fletcher is fine with Ray sticking with Mickey, as long as Ray comes home to him each night.
- It could be because Charlie Hunnam has chemistry with every man he stands next to, but Aslan seemed a bit into Ray. Give me his ghost haunting Raymond's house & taking particular care to show up when Ray is trying to wank.
- Fletcher giving Raymond an out not to be involved in it all, the Coach coming back for him — seems like Raymond's little universe is expanding every day!
Just about anyone is in or knows about the London crime scene knows it. More than a few gentlemen are trying to lock him down.- Or using any other Charlie Hunnam role as a fusion to help flesh out Raymond's backstory. How does that inform the ways that he might have met some of the men in his life?
- We know Fletcher likes getting a rise out of him over it. Meanwhile, does the Coach go along to keep Ray happy, or is he the sort that does his own thing & knows that Ray will get over it — eventually.
Or is his style a bit rougher than he lets on?- Or, Raymond starts going to the gym. For reasons, or so he tells himself.
Is Mickey still planning to get out? Is there anything for Ray to do help the Coach's operation? Does the Coach offer him a job, or does Ray just start...showing up & finding ways to be useful?
⟡ There's a reason that Fletcher is so familiar with Raymond.
⟡ Ray realized very quickly that the main part of his job in working for Mickey was keeping him alive.
⟡ Raymond's got himself a bit of a type. That is: there's a certain kind of man that's drawn to him.
⟡ What type of assignments does Mickey throw Ray's way?
⟡ All the types that try to lure Ray away from Mickey.
⟡ For all that older men love them some Raymond, he has a way with The Youth™ too.
⟡ That awfully big house can get lonely at times. Ray invites someone over to keep him company.
⟡ Raymond's only ever had himself, and then Mickey. It's strange to have someone else looking out for him.
⟡ Mickey 'gives' Fletcher to Ray as a thank-you to do with what he will.
⟡ Teasing aside, Raymond really would make a lovely husband.
⟡ Ray works as a freelance journalist so that he can keep his ear to the ground on any big stories that may be coming Mickey's way.
⟡ London's underground Chinese crime world hires Ray before Mickey gets a chance.
⟡ Ray as one of the lads that the Coach tries to get on the right side of things.
⟡ What if — hear me out — Ray is actually Nathan all grown up from Queer As Folk?
⟡Fletcher harassing Raymond. That's it. That's the prompt.
⟡ Ray likes things to be a certain way.
⟡ Ray's seduction technique. A mixed blend and some Barry White, he said?
⟡ Raymond dresses the way he does because he knows exactly what he looks like in a cardigan, thanks.
⟡ Mickey 'gives' Fletcher to Ray as a thank-you, to do with as he will.
⟡ Even though he said he was done, the Coach keeps stopping by Raymond's house.
⟡ What exactly was Raymond's plan for when Mickey was out of the game?
⬑
THE Dauphin & Prince Hal
Catch it here.
The work Pattinson did as The Dauphin is entirely driving this request, I will freely admit this up front.
The best way to encapsulate why I enjoyed this film & want this pairing can be traced back to why Rob said he signed on to do the movie in the first place:
I love how the choices that Pattinson & Chalamet made perfectly informed & mirrored the personalities of their characters. Even while Hal was his in his riotous youth phase, he possesses an above-it-all attitude that sold, in this version more than some others for me, that he was always going to return to his royal entitlement once the time game. I bought that he didn't actually want to, but the inevitability of fate driving him back to his birthright was heavy from the jump based on how Hal always seemed to be holding back even when he let loose.
"he knew it would be a juicy role that would give him the pleasure of taunting Timothée Chalamet"; "[he] hadn't quite figured out his character until he saw hair-and-makeup of Lily-Rose Depp, who was cast as a royal ingénue: 'I was like, "I want to play a princess, too'."; "he unfurled a French accent so deliciously over the top that his scenes became charged with a camp jolt. [...] 'I couldn't quite tell, is this ridiculous?' [...] after the first take, he found Joel Egerton doubled over in laughter. 'And then I thought, 'I love this! This is the best.'"
It is the best, & I want more of it.
By contrast, the Dauphin's humor at their stations in life, his embracing the camp spectacle of royalty as a concept & outright dragging Hal for being so deep into the hype of it all that Hal's actually burdened by it, was a great dichotomy that I would love to see explored more.
- ⟡ Hal & the Dauphin slept together during one of Hal & Falstaff's grand tours.
Does one of them remember it? Both? Neither? Would either of them admit it if they did?
"Have you heard what I said?" "I have. It was stirring." Hal & the Dauphin have different ways of flirting.
Bonus points if Hal is too serious for his own good, and is attempting to genuinely convey that he's down to fuck, but the Dauphin thinks his usual stellar game at baggin' dudes is striking out on Hal.
Or is he? Or is he — but Hal is starting to move on from Falstaff & catch real feelings for him, and he wishes he could tell if the Dauphin wants more.
Is it straightforward and between Hal & the Dauphin from the start?
Is the Dauphin supposed to marry Thomas, a proposal which bothers Hal to no end? Does he volunteer himself? Is it Thomas & the Dauphin that marry, and Hal can't stop himself from sleeping with his brother's husband? (Feel free to consider this an exception to my infidelity DNW.)
The Dauphin interacting with a child was extremely fascinating to me; since we're already allowing for same-sex marriage, feel free to make adopted linage be kosher & give them a Prince Henry VI to be their heir (for them to warp with what would have to be extremely different fathering styles).
Who wins? How does the European world restructure when one of the most prominent countries is subservient to the whims of the other? Does the other get to keep his autonomy and their arrangement is entirely personal?
The Dauphin & Hal end up as princes without a kingdom. Are they on the run? Where do they end up?
Is the public merciful & allows them to live — on the condition that the royal line dies with them? Are they committed to a monastery? Exiled into hermitage?
Is Hal sent to France as Henry IV's solution to that particular problem? Does he hate every moment or does the culture suit him much better?
Does the Dauphin get sent to England to try to get some self-discipline? Is the plan for the Dauphin & Thomas to become pals, but the Dauphin quickly ventures into the seedier parts of his new home & befriends the wastrel eldest instead? (Does he know who Hal is? Does Hal know he knows?)
Feel free to go full Call Me By Your Name, if that's where your mind went.
The Dauphin as a popular French prince, blessed with a culture that doesn't particularly care that he is gay and extremely eccentric; that appreciates all the ways he subverts royal culture enough not to have ill-will for him to be from the otherwise-hated royal class? Is he hated but has enough self-awareness to not be bothered by it?
Hal as an English royal that had to undergo an extensive PR rebranding campaign sponsored by both the government & his family to clean up some very, very messy antics during his youth; who is overly serious now & whom the public can't stand for the hypocrisy?
Is Hal bitter that the Dauphin has always been able to be himself without ending up on the wrong side of the tabloids? Are they exes? Have they never met before, but that never stops the Dauphin from giving Hal a hard time via social media, something which Hal has to stop himself from engaging with?
Hal being his overly serious self & going to war to get the Dauphin to marry him — and the Dauphin being amused & into it as a courting choice?
— or are they?
Is this a misunderstanding that the assumed-prostitute has run with? Or is it hookerfic played straight?
My mind instantly goes to a Louis/Lestat-esque Interview With The Vampire tortured husbands throughout the ages vibe; or perhaps a Godric/Eric True Blood dynamic wherein godric!Dauphin frees eric!Hal from the games of the mortal coil by turning him into a fellow king eternal? Werewolves also welcome, as well as an Old Guard fusion because why the hell not. ⬑
Men coming on pilgrimages to see Narziss' beauty! Does Narziss see this as a test of his faith, or does finding joy with his fellow priests serve as a way to commune with God & bring them closer to His word? Does Narziss come upon this decision on his own, or does Goldmund convince him? ⟡ "You sent me away, then?" "I had to. Because I loved you more than myself. I was only ever allowed to be your friend. I was never allowed to love you."
Happy ending for Narziss & Goldmund, because it's obligatory!
When does it happen? Does Narziss cross the line during their almost-kiss as teenagers & thus Goldmund never leaves? How does he find the meaning of life within the cloister's walls? How does he shake up their modest little school?
Does it happen during their reunion? Does being back with Narziss give Goldmund a second wind, or are his final days (I'm alright with him dying, as long as Narziss is a peace with it!) just made better for truly being with Narziss, thus leaving him without any regrets as he finally passes? ⟡ Structured, stable, & gorgeous — what more could you want in a man?
Please just give me someone recognizing that Narziss is a complete and utter catch & doing everything he can to woo him. He is the perfect embodiment of the Apollonian character!! ⟡ Alternate Canon set in a different time!
Given that it's pulled from Nietzche with it's character prototypes literally being from the Greeks & the start of ~western civilization, it's kind of a given that this story has an inherent timeless quality about, but I would love to see that explored.
Viking era priests, modern priests, priests of the Ancient world for an entirely different set of gods — pick a time and stick a pin in it.
Narziss is based on Apollo, so go full starcrossed lovers if you like! Is Goldmund his other half, or is it someone else? Will they have a happier fate? As the embodiment of the Dionysian spirit, are they two followers of different gods who, despite being so different & leading completely different lives based on their god's teachings, are drawn to one another?
Given how much of the modern world seems to adore Popes that are men of the world even as they old themselves to a level of piousness that keeps them apart from it. Have Narziss be the Pope who's love for the world finally drags the Church into the loving sanctuary Jesus preached.
Similarly, I adored The Young Pope and think a fusion with that would be amazing. Is Narziss Lenny, leading the way & shaking all the cobwebbs from the Chruch's closets, or is he Bernardo, closest advisor to the maverick Pope (Goldmund!?) who is trying to find a way to come to peace with his homosexuality & live a fulfilling life with love & the Church both? ⟡ Narziss goes out into the world!
Why?
Is it he that leaves instead of (or with?) Goldmund, not willing to give up love for religion? When does it happen? When they're teens? During their first reunion? Does Goldmund's death spur him to finally live his life?
How does he fare, out in the wide world? Does goes look after him, his most devout follower? Does he have to learn things the hard way, like Goldmund always needed? What sort of man does he end up with? A rich patron? A fellow Godfearing monk? A farmer?
⟡ Masochistic tendencies!
Narziss...went to the self-flagellation thing really quick, right??? If you want to have him explore that part of himself once he finally has a man he trusts to share it with. (Or, he finds a man to share it with & the feelings come later? Wonderful.)
The imagery of Narziss whipping himself while Goldmund finally lost his virginity was about as blatant as they could have been (and that goes double for Goldmund "walking in" on him as if it were a masturbation session), so please tell me how Narziss either learns to accept sexual love without feeling a need to punish himself, or how he sees pain with someone he loves as an acceptable shape for his sexuality to be in! ⟡ Age gap romance!
In any direction.
A young monk — like himself? or one that reminds him Goldmund? a happy mixture of the two? — comes to join the cloister & it's what finally has Narziss cracking. An older monk, recently joined up?
An older man, coming for salvation & captivated by how pure & stoic Narziss is? ⟡ The way that Goldmund is treated at the end of his life is too much for Narziss that he leaves the church. Still, taking care & giving comfort to people is his nature, so that never stops. Much to his surprise, a religious cult starts to develop around him.
How does Narziss feel about this? What is his gospel?
Is he a Christlike-figure that is accepting of homosexuality? Is he more like his namesake would suggest & fosters an Apollonian style sect that is about caring for one's soul while still caring for one another (...bodies included) here on Earth?
Does he try to rebuke his followers, only for them to see that as something that makes him more worthy of devotion? I have no trouble seeing Goldmund inserting himself into this narrative & turning Narziss' pure cult into something akin to Khlysts where you can sin all you like (or indeed, have an obligation to sin!) as long as no one is hurt, so that Narziss-as-god can love & forgive you. It's worked for him thus far, after all! ⟡ Rebirth.
An eternal favorite.
Goldmund is reborn not long after his death, & realizes that Narziss is it for him. I enjoy this trope with the person being reborn instantly knowing their past lives & eagerly awaiting to be of an age where they can find their soulmate, or a chance encounter making the memories come back. I'm also fond of ones where the reborn party never knows, but those who knew him in his past life instantly can tell that it's Goldmund again. So! How does Narziss take it when they finally reunite? Does he assume it's a bastard son of Goldmund's? Does the age difference bother him? How does Goldmund win him over?
Narziss reborn into a different time. The first time around, love wasn't in the cards for him. Does he finally meet his soulmate the second time around? What is he like? ⟡ Goldmund's actual bastard son seeks out & promptly falls in love with Narziss.
Goldmund is straight; Narziss has come to terms with this & allowed his love to transfer into that of one between brothers. He's made his peace.
Except — he is absolutely not prepared for Goldmund's son to come seeking him out, looking so much like his father, & that falls in love with him instantly?
If it isn't obvious from this prompt & the one above, I'm very much into the idea of middle-aged Narziss fending off a gorgeous, teenaged boy that has eyes for nothing but him. It's what the man deserves! ⟡ Narziss as an artist's muse.
Goldmund, or a Michaelangelo-type: I'd love for Narziss to catch the eye of some great sculptor or painter who starts producing heavily sought-after Saints, Jesus', you name it, that look like Narziss. ⟡ Old Guard fusion, which is officially my brand for 2020 I guess.- Narziss as an immortal, please!
Is his future-husband someone like Joe, waiting for him on a different spectrum of religion? Is he Muslim, or Jewish, Buddhist, Polytheistic, or some other religion/culture?
Is it Goldmund? How does Narziss realize it? Does Goldmund's death drive him to take his own life - only for both of them to realize that death isn't so simple?
Is it someone else? When does Narziss meet them? Is he essentially like Booker, waiting for his other half to come? ⟡ Fusions in general.
Look at any fandom I'm requested or written and go for it, honestly.
This film is sort of self-contained in a way that makes it possible to happen basically at any time.
Beautiful-blonde-boy-that-gets-into-trouble & dark-haired-hauntingly-gorgeous-gay-boy-that-always-saves-him is pretty universal in the fandom sense. Give me Narziss (& Goldmund, if you want!) in Merlin, Atlantis, Pilgrimage, The Social Network, or basically any canon that you think would be interesting to toss him into, with or without Goldmund. ⟡ Monk love!
I know I've prompted this in about five different forms but here is the generic one. Gay priests(/rabbis/imam/etc) are my brand & I will take them any way. If you have a specific flavor you prefer that I haven't already prompted, give it to me!- Do they go on that weekend trip to figure things out?
I'd love for Matt to follow Max to Australia. Does starting anew away from everyone they know & that baggage allow them to explore their feelings? What if it takes Matt a little while to get up the nerve to be with Max in Australia? Has Max moved on? How does Matt win him back - is he willing to wait, or does he finally make a move?
Do they stay and make a go of it home, navigating their family and friend's expectations?
Or are these two going to live up to their slow past? Do they only get together after Max returns to Canada? Is he single? Has Matt finally figured things out and gotten himself a boyfriend? Is he like Max, or does Matt have a thing for rich douchebags?
Their friends (especially Frank) all seem weary of how Matt treats Max, and that's just when they're in a platonic relationship. Will Matt have to prove himself to the guys once they figure out what's going on? - Pretend it happened! Pick whatever point you like and diverge, please!
Did Matt do it consciously? Was he trying to sabotage Max to keep him there? If so, why? What was his plan? Max's home life was awful; was Matt trying to get him to hit rock bottom so that he'd move in with Matt, or take a job, or something else? Had he tried giving Max a choice, which Max turned down, so now he wanted to force the issue by sabotaging the Australia move?
Was it something he did subconsciously? Did he give himself excuses for why he was waiting? Was he working up to going with Max himself, or asking him to stay, or trying to set up an opportunity that might make Max decide to stay himself? Is this typical of Matt; fucking Max over because it's what'll make Matt happy?-
Everyone but Matt & Max remembering that they actually kissed in high school. I'd be interested in seeing what actually happened back then. Wha would happen if that first kiss shook them as hard as their late-20s one did? What would their lives been like if they'd been high school sweethearts?
Alternatively, I'd kind of love a secret side to this film where they've been hooking up & breaking up on and off for years but keep it a secret from everyone they know. Is there always some kind of excuse — being high/drunk, feeling lonely, some kind of dare or forced situation like the film — or is it a torrid affair of their own making, like Jack & Ennis in Brokeback Mountain, only presumably without the very real threat of violence?
How does that recalibrate what they planned for themselves and each other? Max remembered that they'd kissed — is the reason his life is as stunted as it is because he's been waiting for Matt to finally get with the program?
Matt's clearly dealing with internalized homophobia, but his dynamic with McAfee made it seem like he's come close to going for it before, or at least that Max isn't his "exception" & he has an attraction to men in general, no matter what he seems to be telling himself. Has he always held himself back, but the thought of being with Max & that kiss what actually broke down his resolve to just ignore his bi/homosexuality?
This film does the whole "life-long friends at different points of their lives, but still figuring shit out in their own way" perfectly, and I love that they're edging towards thirtysomething rather than in their early twenties. I love that Matt's pretty much got his career sorted, but his being a manchild & repressing his sexuality/love towards Matt has kept him stunted emotionally & his personal life (even though it takes until the kiss to realize that's the reason why he self-sabotages). Matt secretly refusing to give Max the reference so that he can leave? Bro...
Max (and the rest of their friends) meanwhile doesn't seem an issue with his feelings in particular or homosexuality in general, but he still needs to work out his career & general life direction as he resignedly accepts that Matt won't let the two of them happen. I would love something that deals with them growing together; Matt being a decent (boy)friend to Max & everyone else in his life, Max actually getting his feet under him and developing a passion.
Go ahead have them be Indie Darlings — who are childhood friends!? or strangers playing childhood friends?! — who are paired for a New Queer Cinema hit — only to catch the ultimate case of feelings now that they've been given a chance to see what it could be like between them?
I'm here if you want to make it as messy as possible. Were they in love as kids/teens but one of them flaked out? Are there bitter feelings at play for why one or both of them isn't thrilled to be going down this road again?
The looks that Matt gives Max, whew. How long has Matt thought that Max was the most beautiful person in the world without connecting the dots for what that implies?
If you see them as staying platonic but Max hooking up with a dude (Frank? OMC) down the line, I'd really sort of love for them to have a messy, intimate friendship that is super tactile & where Matt is always just waiting for the boyfriend to give him a reason to go all over-invested, weirdly-intense best friend.
What does Max see that everyone else misses? Why is it that Max quite literally only tolerable — and even borders on sweet! — when it's just him & Max. Is it a defense mechanism? Does he just not give a fuck about anyone else's feelings but Max's?- So. Stewy was hurt that Kendall pulled out. I have so much I would love to see whatever you come up with based off his quote.
How many times has this happened before? How many great ideas has Stewy tried to pull Kendall in on, only for Kendall to back out? How many sex-drunk (or literal drunk) plans & promises has Kendall sold Stewy on? That he's tired of his family's shit. That they'll run off together? How many promises broken? Or did they actually happen, but then Kendall sobered up or his daddy came calling, and Stewy was left in the cold? - What does it look like!
Or, give me the story of Kendall breaking down here & telling Stewy what he did, & Stewy helping him fix it. Give me Stewy watching the press conference of Kendall turning on his dad & realizing this is finally it, the moment he's been waiting for, and running with it. - Everything bad that happens within the capitalistic system (or just within New York's business scene, if you prefer) is on Stewy.
Is he a kind of opposite-guardian angel attached to Kendall personally, or does he genuinely like Kendall (whatever that means) & that's why he's tasked himself with being the one that's always at his side? Is he intentionally ruining Kendall's life because it gives him pleasure, or is he actually orchestrating things so that Kendall has the best, most kind possible version of the bad outcomes that are destined to come his way? - Give me Kendall happy for five minutes & it's all because of Stewy. Having a good time, going on nice vacations — general bliss until his dad finds out!
It's a good thing Kendall had Stewy by his side during the drug haze of his college days...or is it? Unlimited bonus points for more-into-Stewy-than-Stewy-is-into-him pining!Kendall who gives anything and everything for his first real boyfriend outside of his family's influence. Maybe he knows that Stewy is a moochy asshole that comes from less than him and is milking the cash cow and he's already in too deep to care (and hopes that maybe Stewy will thaw to him)? Maybe he doesn't realize it at all and it hits him hard when he does? - Kendall getting clean? Getting married & having kids? Figuring out his life in general? Stewy can't have that. Kendall's at his best when he's at his lowest with no one but Stewy to turn to.
Give me Stewy keeping Kendall pathetic & alone with Stewy as the only one who loves him, who cares about him, who tries to help him. The end of Season Two where Kendall has burned all of his bridges and literally only has Stewy left in his corner? Stewy's never been harder in his goddamn life. If he's some kind of misery succubus & Kendall's pain is the best he's ever had? Well ok! - Give me a Season Three with Stewy helping Kendall take on the world.
I love this interview by Arian:
"Logan is like: 'okay here's the deal. I'm gonna give you three board seats, including Kendall's.' And all of a sudden, if you look, Stewy looks at Kendall being like what!? Like, looking at his friend and being like, 'you're giving up your board seat? That's stupid; what are you doing?' I mean, we don't have any lines about it, but there is a little - you see it like, 'what are you talking about? Why would you?' It's not him being like 'you idiot'; it's more like 'you're giving me your - why are you, my friend, losing out on this? What kind of bullshit is this'."
It goes on, but it's just so good and it's so obvious that Stewy's dream is just for he & Kendall to run their own company & have fun& fuckand Kendall keeps fucking it up in ways Stewy couldn't ever imagine, which sucks and really hurts him. - Based off Dan Levy & Kieran's Actors on Actors.
Give me the Roy's losing their money & ending up in Bumfuck Nowhere and how Stewy fits into that.
Is he a friend that visits or tries to keep Kendall/Roman/Greg/whoever's spirits up? Is he visiting to troll them? Is he actually a local; is he the Patrick to Kendall/Roman/whoever's David? - Actual slavery (AU where it's a thing? canon-compliant where it's just something the uber-rich do under our noses?) or he's-your-bitch, enjoy the new underling gamesmanship? I don't have a preference.
Logan is tired of Kendall and so he shifts him off to a new "master". The kid can't be a threat to his hold on the company if he's middle-management, right? Maybe with the Pierce deal done, Logan finds himself scrambling. He needs something to get Stewy & Sandy off his ass, and a little bit of digging tells him that Kendall might be his last trump card. - "Don't worry kids, it's not like you'll have to call me dad too or anything!" as his not-so-subtle way of letting them all know he's fucking Logan now. And they thought they had to watch their backs around Marcia!
- Anything for a friend in need! I mean, he would have done it anyway, because they're both hot as hell, but now Kendall owes him!
- It goes about as well as you'd expect.
Bonus points for Stewy being the chaos agent demon that's been assigned to him since birth that's been trying to make this happen all along. - Or, Stewy spending an entire summer with Roman's dick on tap, edging him with frantic makeouts with his family around the corner & generally ruining poor Roman for anyone else.
- Hi, huge fan of Neil dressing up as a rich git & then immediately after looking like a chic homeless person whenever he's debriefing with Protagonist? Is Protagonist unable to help himself from jumping on Neil the minute after he finishes his assignment(s)? This reader thinks yes. Alternatively, does Neil know that Protagonist likes him when he looks disheveled & so he reverts back to that aesthetic ASAP? This reader is still nodding.
- The trailer makes it clear that they're living their lives backwards. Is it a sort of thing where they know the result & have to backwards engineer how it came to be, somehow finding the exact point where they can make a difference? If so, & they're together, what is it like meeting someone & knowing they're the love of your life — the one person you can count on — but having no context for it?
Is it a learning curve? Does one of them buy in quicker than the other? Are they both all for it? - Very interesting. ....Alright, I'm asking for you to throw in some Batman elements, you've beaten it out of me! Is Neil's character a Bruce Wayne-type of figure? Is he bringing Protagonist into his world?
Is he a handler/Q-type to Protagonist's Bond? Are the over-the-top items he puts at Protagonist's fingers a flirting technique? Are Ives or Mahir his Gordon? Alfred?
Has he always been in this backwards spy world or does Protagonist bring him into it? - The plot of the film looks to be preventing WWIII. Which is very interesting! But also a lot. Give Neil some time to learn more about his friends & build the relationship they're going to need in order to actually save the world.
- I love a good they-met-before dynamic between eventual partners, especially when they seem to have fairly different personalities.
Secret organizations like this usually have a military pipeline — what if Neil & [Protagonist/Ives/Mahir] met there, & had a relationship?
Neil seems to be fairly well off. Did whoever-you-ship-him-with end it because he knew he was going to be joining up for whatever this program is? Was he surprised to have Neil come back into his life? Did he miss Neil & intentionally brings him into the program once he has the chance? - The man lusting after him wishes he didn't find both sides of him as attractive as he does.
Honestly, give me your spy romance for these Neil. Pick your favorite tropes and run with it.
Handler/Spy? Spies for rival organizations working at cross purposes? Spies for rival organizations that need to team up? A spy bringing in his civilian love interest to keep them safe — and being surprised at how well they take to it?
Undercover as dating, given all the identity-cons they all seem to run, also very welcome.
Does whatever organization that's behind time inversion have something to do with Incite's goal of controlling humankind? Is WW III going to come as a result of Hosts rising up? Is Neil a human? Are any ofthe other guys? Would they know if they weren't?
How would what we know of the Westworld mythos help fill in the blanks of this film? (If you have another Nolan family property that you'd like to do a fusion with, please run with that instead. The Dark Knight trilogy, perhaps?)
Protagonist joins up with some shady ass organization? Welp, sign Neil up too! Running into the face of death? Well, Protagonist is hauling ass in that direction, so what else is Neil supposed to do?
How does Protagonist feel about this? Amused? Concerned? Annoyed? Does he ever try to talk Neil out of it, or does he take it as his due at this point?If this isn't a Neil/Protagonist fic, how does the man who loves Neil feel about this? Is he with Neil despite it all? Is Neil's love a platonic one, & his partner has to live with that? Does he hate how Neil always goes running whenever Protagonist snaps his fingers even though Protagonist/Neil are broken up — or were perhaps never even together to begin with?
Keep as much as the Nolan aspects as you like, or use it as a chance to see RP & JDW put their beautiful faces together.
Protagonist & Neil as spies trying to take down the Klan. Protagonist as a (closeted?) NFL player with Neil as his rich, spy boyfriend? The two of them going mad while working as wickies (or lumberjacks)? Neil is so rich because he's a vampire (confession: I know nothing about Twilight)? There's magic, somehow (another confession: I don't care about Harry Potter; maybe this could be some flirty, aggressive Prestige-type magic)?
They're both artists & one another's muses (Pattinson as Dali in Little Ashes). Neil is a masochistic military man (Pattinson played T.E. Lawrence) & Protagonist knows all the right ways to get him out of his head. Neil is a French prince with a very shaky accent who wants Protagonist to be his Prince Consort once he becomes king. The two of them as explorers? They're prisoners serving a death sentence & that's why they're forced to live their lives inverted & risk it all to save the world?- You knew this was coming. The fact that he went through hell to help Kat, who he didn't know from Adam & genuinely didn't seem to have any kind of feelings for beyond empathy makes me completely disbelieving that he'd let Neil's death be the final passthrough of the mission.
Groundhogs day plots where Protagonist, Ives, &/or Mahir runs through the events of the film (or his whole life? Is that what Tenet's whole purpose is — to find a way to save the world & keep Neil alive?) to get the outcome he wants.
Anyway, take this as proof that my brain hurts & I am willing to accept a lot of handwavey, vague-to-confusing explanations for why Neil didn't have to stay dead! Also, Neil could have been playing dead and hadn't been shot at all, really. All I'm saying is, if Nolan was the sequel sort, this is the easiest retcon: some other guy took Neil's pack for reasons and that's that. It's not like we saw anyone's face!
Don't feel like you need to be really comprehensive in your hand-waving to give me a happy ending. I'll buy whatever you're selling. - This hits me so hard, especially their first and last scenes. Pattinson does work in how genuinely monumental this occasion is for them. He knows that this is the first time Protagonist has seen Neil & has to pretend like they aren't the most important people in one another's lives; like Protagonist isn't his best friend. The way he orders for Protagonist, knows his preferences — it's all so good.
And again, the end, where Protagonist realizes just how far Neil will go for him and there's genuine love shining in his eyes as he realizes this person he's just met has a whole history he doesn't know.
I would love something that plays with all of this. Protagonist first meeting Neil & being so in love but having to dial it back. Whatever midpoint they had where they were both equally invested. Neil falling more and more in love with each interaction/mission they pull, while Protagonist forgets more and more of him each time until we hit the start of the film.
For Ives, Mahir, or an OMC: I love the idea of Neil being their Protagonist. Does Neil know that he can trust them before they meet due his inversion runs? Does he drag these men in with him? When he snaps his fingers, they come running, just as he does for Protagonist. If the OMC doesn't know about Neil's spy antics, what is it like to have a man whisk you off your feet & be gone for random periods of time without ever really telling you why? - Fuck you, Christopher Nolan! Tell me what they got up to!! Give me the small ways in which they saved the world, bonding!!
Tell me how Neil met the other lads, recruited them, introduced them to his BFF Protagonist, the lot.
Protagonist knows where this all ends (if you keep this as Neil's death; if not, as I said above, feel free) — does he struggle not to let himself get too close, but can't help himself? Does Neil inject himself so thoroughly into Protagonist's life that Protagonist can't help it (what's happened, happened after all! What is fate if not reality?) or does Protagonist go all-in and savor every moment together because he knows their time is finite, especially since towards the end he won't have known what he lost until it's already gone?
I'm not a fan of Time Travelers Wife trope usually, but these two would probably be great for it. Give me Protagonist wanting to maximize his time with Neil & showing up at random points of his life. Give me teenager Neil falling in love/lust with this cool older man that always seems to be taking care of him. Have Protagonist give Neil a way to contact him in the future until they reach whatever point they meet for the first time, and them falling in love through temporal phone calls, or whatever!
Regarding the Neil is Max Grown-Up theory: I could take it or leave it! I don't think it really adds anything to the film & I think that Nolan would have kept the kid's name a secret until the end if that's what final twist he wanted to pull off, but the implied age gap between Neil & any of the potential love-interest!men in his life doesn't bother me & if that headcanon plays into the plot you'd like to write, go for it; my only request is that you please try to slide in a NEIL BACKWARDS IS LIEN LIKE MAXIMILIEN! joke/reveal because it's honestly my favorite thing about the theory. I love a good reach, author.
Who gave it to him? Tell me how & why; does [whoever gave it to him] also have something that it takes a while for him to remember(/know) that Neil gave to him? Unlimited bonus points if that's their (metaphorical or literal) version of a wedding ring.
Neil's recruitment!
Masters in Physics, he said? Is there a paradox in there because the reason Protagonist chose Neil is because he knew Neil would be perfect for it...based on Neil already having done the job in the future? Wow exactly did he recruit this rich(?) nerd(?) to his side? Or how did he help this nerd(?) so convincingly pass as a posh rich git?We know Protagonist loves a good undercover mission — did he pretend to be a peer? A professor? Go wild. Also, since it was "years from now", does that mean Protagonist was older? Lean into hunky, older John David Washington showing up to tell Neil that he needs him and Neil being like "...yes sir", because how else could it have gone, really?
Alternatively, was Neil a secret agent first, but Protagonist bringing him in made him feel like he wanted (or needed) to get a masters in just what in the hell they were dealing with so he could be the best possible handler for Protagonist? ⟡ "But you won't look too hard." "Yes I will" [stares pointedly at Protagonist]- Ives cannot stand Protagonist & I kind of love it. This is cowboy shit!!!!
Neil only ever seems to go against the plan when Protagonist is around. Ives definitely seems fine with taking out Protagonist, but it'll make Neil sad, so he's willing to give it a pass — for now. I'd be so here for Ives lusting after Neil, who can't seem to open his eyes & realize Ives is always there for him, or for Ives & Neil to be an item, thus Ives has to long-sufferingly put up with his friendship with that idiot cowboy Protagonist.
If Protagonist doesn't go back to save Neil during the second pass-through, Ives definitely would once he realizes what's come to pass. - Go with this however you want. Neil has an abusive husband & Protagonist has to get close to him, rather than Kat?
Neil is the physicist in the future who has figured out inversion, & Protagonist has to stop it somehow? How does he do it? Seems like getting a love life that takes you away from your work is an easy fix!
Or even a type of Inception fusion where Protagonist inverts to perform an extraction job on Neil's mind to come up with a reason to get him not to invent the inversion process. I'm not about to pretend the inversion sqaud isn't like the dreamsharing one. Maybe the plan is to intentionally have Neil to become obsessed with Protagonist instead of his work, maybe it's an unfortunate byproduct. (What if it's meant to be Protagonist, but he fixates on Ives or Mahir instead?) How does Protagonist feel about it? Guilty? Glad? Somewhere in between? - Maybe Protagonist decides that this world is too dead-set on ruining itself & wants to become a benevolent force controlling it all rather than leaving things to chance & always being on the offensive. How does Neil feel about this? Does he try to talk Protagonist out of it? Does he agree & they co-run the shadows of our society? Was Priya right and Protagonist is just one protagonist of many, so someone will step up to stop him? (Ives? Mahir? OMC?)
Is Neil the true protagonist of team "free will"; does he have to work against Protagonist — but their love for one another makes it more of a quasi-cold war wherein they both try to get one another to their side, rather than something where they're actually trying to take the other down?
Or — so it's a choice between the world ending & Neil living, is it? Well that's easy! Give me villain Protagonist (or Ives, Mahir, or OMC!) who is orchestrating a way for the world to end in a manner that keeps Neil safe. Does Neil know? Is he okay with it?
Even if you want to keep it light, I'm kind of fascinated by this network of quasi-time travelers that Neil & Protagonist managed to seemingly build up from scratch.
Another trope I eat up are love triangles that only involve two people (the best kind of identity porn, in my book!). Maybe Protagonist-from-the-future (the one Neil first met) is Antagonist, & the one we know in the film is Protagonist. Identity porn forcing Protagonist to be jealous of himself would be amazing, & so would Neil not knowing who he's dealing with, or which of the two versions he loves — if there's even a difference at all, on that front. ⟡ I would die for an Old Guard-fusion - Ives says no one who was in the splinter group can live. All three nod stoically & agree it needs to be done. Three gunshots go off — two bodies get up (Ives & Neil? Neil & Protagonist? only one body — Neil — & he drowns his sorrows in Mahir or OMCs arms!?) & realize they can't actually die.
What good (or bad — it depends on the century, after all!) do these two get up to with inversion and immortality on their side? Is WWIII something you care about when you & the man you love will survive whatever comes?
Alternatively: This is Cowboy Shit — The Western. Have Neil & the man of your choice be immortals who have been together a very long time. We know someone from the future picked Sator, but is there someone on the side of good that selected Neil & his beau way back when & has been supplying them with technology — or perhaps has been waiting for them to reach the modern era so they can get technology to them?
⟡ The Dauphin keeps sending Hal gifts.
⟡ Hal means for his talks with the Dauphin to be serious. Despite this, they always seem to dissolve into them fucking.
⟡ Communication Issues in general.
⟡ Hal has been in love with Falstaff forever, but it's one-sided. The Dauphin is happy to be a surrogate for that passion.
- ⟡ In an effort to end the war without any bloodshed, an arranged marriage is proposed.
⟡ The Dauphin counters Hal's offer of a one-on-one fight to decide the battle with one where the loser becomes the other's property.
⟡ Tired of two self-involved kings, England & France revolt and divest themselves of their royal class.
⟡ In a show of goodwill, [France/England] sends their prince to [England/France] to immerse in the culture & grow good sentiment between their two future kings.
⟡ A modern royal dichotomy.
⟡ Something along the lines of this fanvid?
⟡ One of them is a prostitute that the other frequently employs.
⟡ Vampirism.
Narziß Und Goldmund (2020)Narziss
Catch it here.
I had no idea an adaption for this book (which, full disclosure: I have not read in a good long while so please feel no pressure to even so much as skim the wiki synopsis) was even in the works & then the film dropped in March! I adore it! My only complaint, just as with the book, is that it needs more Narziss, which is essentially what all my prompts boil down to. Please, give me more of this soft, achingly perfect gay priest who only wants to take care of his hot friend & live his best life, author.
I love everything about the film's depiction of him. Sabin Tambrea has the perfect, otherworldly sort of face that absolutely deserves to be named after Narcissus, yet his piety is so truly genuine that his beauty always felt humble, just as the juxtaposition was always meant to imply.
I ship him with Goldmund, which is essentially a given. However, moreso in this film than I ever did with the book in the book, I felt as if the platonic nature of their friendship actually worked for me for the first time? Don't get me wrong: if you want to have them getting together as boys in monastic school (the age gap doesn't bother me, regardless of when you decide to have them fall in love) as boys or teens, or later in life after Goldmund has had his adventures? I'd love it.
But I'd also absolutely love for Narziss to have an OMC partner, or for some literal incarnation of an angel, saint, or even Jesus himself to have Narziss be their favorite to such a degree that they manifest themselves to him. The universal spirituality aspect of what Goldmund taps into is also something I really like, so any other mythical or religious figure falling for Narziss is totally on the table, as far as I'm concerned.
Since this seems to be a common theme with most of my fandoms this year, I will reiterate that I'm extremely flexible when it comes to names: Narziß, Narziss, Narcissus — use whatever spelling feels right to you.
- ⟡ Please lean into the fact that he is named after Narcissus & is so cute, seriously.
⬑
MATTHIAS ET MAXIME (2019)Matthias/Maxime
Catch it here or here.
As with much of Dolan's later films, the concept was a bit stronger than the execution, I'll fully own that. That said, the concept is just so good & I would love to see where you go with it.
I adored the depth of feeling between them & felt that for all the meandering and unneeded opaqueness of the plot, the emotions Matt & Max managed to convey are what make the film work. I have so many questions about why it's taken them so long to act out on their passion; why Matt seemed on the precipice of an affair with another man, and if that's happened before; and just what the future holds for them going forward.
The mood of this film is also just — great. Being annoyed by your friend's siblings, singing cheesy songs at the top of your lungs, not wanting your friends to leave you, realizing that you've outgrown some relationships in your life, literally packing up everything to go across the globe!
I ship them, but if you only want to focus on one of them sorting out their sexuality & ending up with someone other than the other (can't help but feel like Frank is totally in love with Max, no!?!) then this is me throughly giving you permission; feel free to alter one of these prompts to fit whatever m/m ship you came out of this film shipping.
(Bonus points for the use of the Inkstain nickname for Max by basically anyone, because it's so good.)
- ⟡ That ending though! What happens next?
⟡ Max begging for Matt to spend the weekend with him before he leaves so they can figure shit out!
⟡ When it turned out that Matt had the recommendation the entire time and was purposefully not giving it to Max! Bro.
⟡ "Have you two ever kissed before?" "Never while washing dishes."
⟡ What does it mean for them to realize their best friend (that you've kissed before) is the love of their life?
⟡ Anything dealing with how they (& their whole friend group) are essentially manchildren.
⟡ More scenes of them completely falling apart into one another. (And heated makeouts, thanks!)
⟡ Dolan casting himself as a lead is pretty much a meme at this point, so why not do an Actor AU?
⟡ Matt's worshipful touches & his obvious jealousy as far as Max is concerned.
⟡ Matt seems to specialize in ruining the mood and being an asshole, with Max as the only person who never seems to mind or calls him on it.
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Succession (TV 2018)Stewy Hosseini
Stewy is the worst, but given how genuinely awful everyone else is? I don't blame him, & keep up the good work of ruining these people's lives, sir.
Stewy is an enabler & a survivor. I love that he's looking out for #1 & doesn't seem to have any entanglements, yet he's still got a sense of loyalty. He was willing to help Kendall out — multiple times, seems like — yet he is a realist & understands that you can't help people who don't want to be helped. He lets Kendall ruin his own life & sticks by him, but he's not about to let that affect him as well.
I love that we don't really know all that much about him — does he come from money, and how much? From where? How did he and Kendall even really meet? Was it organic or did Stewy make it happen because befriending a Roy would be a great catch? That's what I love about him: you don't really know, and you can see it going either way. Stewy makes things happen, but he's also an opportunist.
I ship Stewy with basically anyone with a dick, as my prompts will show. The man just has the energy.
- ⟡ "How did he get you?" "I just reassessed." "There's a friend card here if you want to play it. You know that, right? There's a human thing standing in front of you. You can talk to me. We had the whole fucking world in our hands & you fucking walked, man. Why?" "Yeah I — I — I saw your plan and, uh, my dad's plan is better." "Uh-huh. Fuck you too. You pusillanimous piece of fucking fool's gold. Fucking silver-spoon fucking asshole."
⟡ The deal works out in Season One
⟡ Stewy as a demon or general agent of chaos, similar to Crawley in Good Omens, who lives to sow discord.
⟡ Their college days.
⟡ Stewy likes Kendall needing him.
⟡ Or, alternatively, actually-way-too-good-of-a-friend Stewy who is just waiting for Kendall to decide he's someone worth loving, so that Stewy can love him.
⟡ Schitt's Creek AU
⟡ Logan gives Kendall to Stewy to hold off the takeover/as a part of the deal
⟡ The siblings come over to Logan's for dinner one night to find Stewy sat at Logan's side.
⟡ Stewy messing around with Lawrence & his husband to help Kendall seal that particular deal.
⟡ Stewy going home to his OMC boyfriend who cannot believe the gossip Stewy always has on hand.
⟡ At some point during S2, Kendall hits rock bottom & decides to sell his soul. Stewy is the demon that takes him up on it.
⟡ Stewy spending the summer with the Roys while he & Kendall were in college & Roman was presumably in high school — and promptly discovering that Roman is a total sub.
⟡ Stewy being smart enough to realize this country is dumb enough to totally elect Connor, & so once Willa gets the hell out of Dodge he slides in there to become the First...Lord. (Just now realizing how odd First Lady is as a title in 2020...)
⟡ Stewy gets Greg high & they bond over not really caring for the Roys at all and somehow that's how Stewy finds himself married into the family.
⟡ Tom is hurt & bitter at Shiv having left him out in the cold. Stewy has never met a prenup he couldn't work in his favor, and he's always liked men like Tom who are eager to please & have baggage that Stewy can use to his advantage.
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Tenet (2020)Neil
Catch it in theaters or here.
NON-SPOILERY PROMPTS:I requested this earlier in the year with only the trailers as the "canon", and I am completely fine with anyone wanting to write this canon continuing to do so if they haven't had a chance to see it yet. Tenet really is beautiful & a true cinematic experience; I recommend seeing it in theaters if at all possible (& only if feel safe doing so), so don't force yourself to watch a cam on my account. Similarly, if you don't believe in torrenting & have only seen it once in-person, please don't worry about getting minor details wrong.
I'm 100%, completely here to see Neil with Protagonist — on the topic of his name, please feel free to go with Protagonist, either of John David's names, an original name, talk around it like the film does, or anything else; I'm not picky —, Ives (it's so clear that he cannot stand Protagonist & only puts up with it for Neil & Neil takes that as his due; a dynamic I'm here for), Mahir (another member of Neil's Boys™; I've been fond of Himesh since Eastenders so seeing him get some love or be involved in 'fixing' the film's timeline where Neil is concerned would be fun), or an OMC.
For new release canons like this, I understand that few of us have the benefit of knowing the intricate details as well as we would something that is easily re-consumable. (That said, I've seen it three times & have a cam, so if you want to throw in a million references, rest assured I will bask in every one.)
For those who haven't seen it yet, Tenet is very open, & the nature of it means that it's entirely possible to write whatever trailer-based headcanons you may have & they will work because 'canon divergence' to a film like this is not what it means in other canons.
So, this film! It was everything I wanted from start to finish, minus the fact that Neil & the Protagonist didn't have at least five sex scenes, minimum. What a waste, Christopher Nolan. Author, please feel free to fix that.
I'm requesting Neil on his own because, despite Nolan weaving such vibrant personalities for both he & the Protagonist without revealing anything about them, Neil's emotions & motivations are just — enchanting to me. Protagonist is the definition of competence & it's so utterly transparent that Neil has a kink for it, whether you ship it or not. I love his devotion & faith towards the the world despite knowing all that he does; that he's a bit of a troll & loves teasing the line of his knowledge & other's ignorance (being so cocky when he guesses Protagonist's drink order, saying that he'll explain the simple things first & launching into physics, his glee when he shares who is in charge of Tenet); that he has so many men so utterly dedicated to helping him out with a simple phone call; that his handler role within the group actually has him so far away from the usual handler/Q-type character: being in the range of fire for every mission, going undercover in general and typically being the 'face' of what they do — & speaking of Neil's fun jaunts as a rich bastard, I love how he goes from Bond back to literal off-duty Robert Pattinson the minute he's back with Protagonist.
I'll also happily toss my typical crossover aversion out the window if you'd like to pair him with men from other Nolan-family properties. I could see Logan Delos from Westworld falling madly in love with him, as well as the Tenet team benefiting from having links with the Dreamsharing underworld — Neil definitely seems like the sort of man to have Arthur, Eames, Saito, or even Robert Fischer catching feelings. Similarly, if you see Neil ending up with Bruce Wayne...I'm here for you, friend.
- ⟡ Neil being disheveled
⟡ Experiencing inverted love.
⟡ Neil's got resources.
⟡ Downtime.
⟡ Backstory
⟡ Neil is a bit of a weirdo, but that doesn't mean he isn't competent.
⟡ "Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real-time."
⟡ Slip everything into the Westworld-verse.
⟡ Neil's whole deal is that he loves Protagonist.
⟡ Fuse with their other roles!
SPOILERY REQUESTS:
⟡ Protagonist saves Neil
⟡ Experiencing inverted love: actually informed by the film edition.
⟡ "You have a future in the past. Years ago for me, years from now for you." "You've known me for years?! "For me, this is the end of a beautiful friendship." "But for me it's just the beginning." Oh, we get up to some stuff. You're gonna love it!"
⟡ Neil's little backpack charm
⟡ "I'll see you at the beginning, friend."
⟡ Neil is the key to preventing WWIII
⟡ Protagonist becomes Antagonist
⬑
no subject
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give me fic to readget their due!!