Dear Hurt/Comfort Exchange Writer
Mar. 14th, 2022 12:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alley_skywalkerAO3 name: Alley_Skywalker
Dear Hurt/Comfort Exchange Writer,
First, I would like to say thank you for the time and effort that you are willing to put into writing for me! Length of fandom sections or the order the fandoms are in no way indication of how much I want fic for any given fandom; I would be ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED to receive fic in any of the fandoms I asked for. Optional details are optional, but if you're like me and like to have lots of info to work with, I've tried to provide some details on the sorts of things I like (and don't) and give prompts for each of my fandoms/ships.
GENERAL STUFF
Hurt/Comfort & This Exchange Specific Things
FANDOMS
Dear Hurt/Comfort Exchange Writer,
First, I would like to say thank you for the time and effort that you are willing to put into writing for me! Length of fandom sections or the order the fandoms are in no way indication of how much I want fic for any given fandom; I would be ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED to receive fic in any of the fandoms I asked for. Optional details are optional, but if you're like me and like to have lots of info to work with, I've tried to provide some details on the sorts of things I like (and don't) and give prompts for each of my fandoms/ships.
GENERAL STUFF
Hurt/Comfort & This Exchange Specific Things
- I love my comfort to have both physical and emotional manifestations (e.g. both hugs and practical help but also encouragement or words of endearment). Usually, when I refer to emotional h/c vs. physical h/c I'm talking about the main type of hurt that is being suffered by a character.
- Regardless of whether the tone is more fluffy/mushy or more angsty, I love for there to be lots of tenderness. I want them to touch each other, to cuddle, hold hands, kiss (if applicable). Even if they start out not really being able to do too much of this (have a contentious relationship, haven't admitted their feelings yet), I'd rather they get there eventually to some extent. Or for it to be a necessary aspect of the comfort (like in the case that bandages need to be changed or trying to keep someone's fever down with a wet cloth, etc.) I enjoy loving details of tender, physical aspects of the comfort - I think the specifc freeforms I chose are a good guide here.
- Feel free to sprinkle in endearments! Not cutesey pet names but like regular ones (darling, sweetheart, etc). To whatever extent seems even remotely realistic for the characters. That's a YMMV thing of course, but what I'm trying to say is that I don't mind if its a little more mushy/saccharine than might be typical for the characters - I enjoy my h/c to be very sweet.
- In that same vein, I love emotional h/c that involves reassurances from the comforting partner, maybe even sliding into praise!kink a bit, if it seems to fit the situation.
- "Practical comfort" is also very nice, though may not always reflect in the tags that I've chosen. E.g. some competency kink thrown in where the hurt character is not in the position to manage a responsibility atm or to get back at someone who hurt them and the comforter character takes care of that stuff for them - "don't worry I've got you."
- No heeling cock, PLEASE. Nothing where sex magically makes things better somehow. (Something where characters take comfort in each other over a shared hurt and that includes sex is fine, but not like..."oh we had sex! That makes things better!") (Really, I'd rather not have sex used as a primary solution to a hurt.)
Likes:
Genres/Themes (and such):
Likes:
- Outside of any ships I ask for specifically, I'm good with slash, het or fem for background ships!
- All ratings up to R.
- A focus on the romantic/emotional aspect of a relationship and some semblance of a plot/point rather than just sex.
- Mutual pining, especially if it's secretly requited pining and the parties think it's unrequited. (Unrequited pining is nice too.)
- Complicated relationship dynamics, love triangles, relationships that take some effort/time to work, loving each other but because [insert reasons here] not always being able to be together/communicate those feelings, etc in this vain.
- UST. Eventually resolved is probably better than not, however, not a must-have.
- Conversely from the above – romantic partners who just can’t help but adore each other.
- Kissing, hugging, holding hands, non-sexual physical contact in general.
- Praise kink (in the sense that there’s a lot of emotional investment in and getting-off on getting praised or otherwise acknowledged as worthwhile. Works especially well with characters who are deeply insecure. I’m generally fond of other related things, such as body worship, partners being encouraging during sex in a very sweet, reassuring way, etc).
- Threesomes/moresomes and polyamory, unless specifically requested/prompted.
- Incest (unless specifically requested or explicitly canon; this DNW does not include cousins).
- Parings with large age disparity (over 15 years) unless specifically requested.
- Minors under 16 in sexual/romantic relationships with adults; one-sided teenage crushes on adults are fine. I'd rather not read about teenagers under 16 having sex, even if both are 14/15, but romance/kissing and some groping and whatnot is fine; references to off-screen sexual experimentation/sex is fine if it's something that fits the characters/story.
- NC-17 and PWPs.
- Healing cock.
- BDSM, omegaverse, and most kink. (NOT included in this: foreplay; bantery/lighthearted roleplay for the purposes of foreplay; preferences for a certain sexual position, fascination with a partner’s physical trait, such as, e.g., preferring redheads or virgins or younger partners or being fascinated by someone’s shoulders; rough/aggressive/desperate sex or outside-of-bedroom inequalities that transfer into the bedroom, even though there may be pining down of wrists or some other element that could be considered a kink or part of BDSM; anything specifically listed as a “like”).
- Foot fetishes (I know I said liking specific body parts is fine, but this is the exception).
- Humiliation (both sexual and not).
- Non-con/rape (dub-con that leans toward/ends up as consensual is ok). For this exchange, rape is fine if it's baked into the requested freeform tag.
- Mpreg
Genres/Themes (and such):
Likes:
- Angst, drama. (Please don’t try to use this as a challenge to see how many angst/dark tropes you can fit into a single fic. I have no issue with dark themes, angst is my crack and things like character death don’t bother me, but if it feels like it’s just a marathon of horrible things happening…that’s a little too intense for me. Exceptions apply if a specific prompt calls for dark!fic or similar endless angst.)
- Humor is fun too, but I like it more as an element in the story rather than a story that sets out to be funny first and foremost.
- Hurt/comfort!!!
- LOYALTY KINK! Themes of loyalty and devotion in general. Protectiveness.
- Related to the above, I enjoy explorations of divided/conflicted loyalties in various contexts.
- Friendship, family (dynamics), platonic love.
- Backstories, especially childhood fics.
- Fluff, banter, cuddling/snuggling, kissing, general adorableness (and adoration!).
- Well-rounded characters, characters with emotions/sympathetic motives; the “other side of the story”.
- Politics, intrigue; plot (if you already happen to be that way inclined).
- Worldbuilding, especailly in fantasy and historical settings.
- Anything to do with urine or feces; graphic depictions/descriptions of characters vomiting.
- Very graphic depictions of infected wounds, puss or bodily fluids generally (blood, sweat are ok),
- Crack!fic, parody.
- AUs that subvert the universe or drastically change the setting (eg: setting a modern fandom as a fairytale, turning a historical fandom all Sci-Fi, Coffee Shop/College AUs, etc. This includes stuff like A/B/O and inserting magic/supernatural elements into a non-magic/supernatural universe).
- Crossovers
- Time travel.
- Apocalypse/post-apocalypse scenarios, regardless of whether done as an AU or some kind of post-canon possibility thing. (Exception for when this setting is explicitly canon.)
- Character bashing. (Especially with requested characters.)
- Horror; graphic gore.
- Torture that involves amputations/other permanent injuries and/or is a means of execution, e.g. drawing and quartering. (mentioning things that explicitly happened in canon is fine).
- (Mentions are fine if torture is something that happens in canon. BUT no deaths/executions by torture – eg: drawing and quartering – whatsoever.)
- Humiliation; any sort of glorification of bullying.
- Ccross-dressing; genderbending/genderswap; non-canonical genders and gender headcanons in general.
- Narrative implications that “sex = love” or that romantic partners HAVE to have sex to have a “valid” relationship or to be “really” in love with each other
FANDOMS
Game of Thrones
Fandom-specific DNWs
Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
I have so many feelings about this ship but also so many of them are really sad? Because, realistically, this relationship is kinda toxic. I’m not saying that in like a Purity Police way or anything, but just the power dynamics, and the fact that Robb is not above employing them when it suits him/when he’s ticked off, means that there is a lot of tension and angst and shit involved – it’s not just fluff and Cute ™. Also Alfie certainly chose to play this a Certain Way where Theon is basically making heart eyes at Robb the whole time. And Robb….never really reciprocates and is kinda cold/distant a lot? Like he sort of is generally reserved here, but it’s kinda jarring when Theon seems to desperately be giving his all – it reads a bit like unrequited love. Although! My favorite way to go here is that Robb is just kind of repressed/unable to deal with his feelings or whatever and never says the things he means/feels. Or maybe (if they’ve got a FWB type thing going) takes it for granted and just assumes that Theon knows his feelings, completely failing to understand that Theon does not actually expect for love and affection to be handed to him and does in fact need it spelled out.
Hurt Robb
TAGS: Carrying A Sick/Hurt/Exhausted Character To Bed, Comforter strokes sick/hurt character's hair, Forehead Kisses for comfort, Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever, Gently coaxing out-of-it sick/hurt character back to bed, Helping hurt character to dress/undress, Keeping Sick/Hurt Character Warm, Kissing away tears, Kissing the Pain Away, Lingering Weakness After Illness, Sharing a bed to keep a close eye on hurt character's well-being & needs, spoon feeding, Character goes quiet when unwell or in pain
A number of broad tags of tropes/elements I love in hurt/comfort and would especially love for this ship. I just love the whole concept of the repression of feelings between them bleeding out into abject tenderness in moments of distress. I’m not very fussy about the actual situation they get themselves into – I typically imagine it being something during the war, whether in a mild AU where there’s some timeline stretch or a more major one where things go majorly differently (e.g. Theon never going to Pyke) so they have more time to get into all kinds of mishaps, etc. But I'm down for any pre-canon situations you can think of too! Love (compelled or voluntary) vulnerability on Robb!
TAGS: Character hiding emotional distress gets caught crying, Character pretends to be fine in front of others; is openly vulnerable with caretaker, Comforter helps sick/hurt character hide their illness/injury from other characters
Robb, who’s got such a tight grip on his feelings and all, being forced into vulnerability and unable to hide it and maybe not even hiding it but seeking out that needed comfort from Theon specifically (which still needing/wanting to present a strong exterior to everyone else) is all really iddy to me!
TAGS: Comforting character whose loved one just died, Holding someone while they cry, A comforts B after B suddenly must take on difficult responsibilities
It’s really such a crime that this fandom does not have more h/c AUs where Theon is the one to comfort Robb after Ned’s execution (or just missing scenes where one episode of beating up a tree doesn’t completely help). But also like…Robb being overwhelmed by suddenly being the actual Lord of Winterfell and then immediately the King in the North and actually having anxiety come from that, even if it’s what he wants.
TAGS: A's unrequited pining found to be requited while B helps them recover from serious injury, B is comforted by A while pining, Mutual pining during slow recovery from near-fatal injury, Character B nurses Character A during their convalescence, Character A rescues character B from captivity & repeated rape; lovingly helps them recover, Delirious character asking for the one they're pining for, Feverish Confessions, Recovery - A nurses injured B back to health after B got tortured or raped, Waking from coma or deep sleep and realizing the beloved caretaker is near
I love this idea of one character whose pining for the other receiving care and comfort from the person they’re in love with and both desperately wanting/needing that comfort and realizing how hard it is to keep their feelings under control (and maybe ultimately failing to) when they’re in a more vulnerable state. (With someone who seems to have as difficult a time with communicating and processing feelings as Robb, this can all be extra fun!). The tension of wanting to have the person they’re in love with nearby but maybe at first being embarrassed by it or afraid they’ll let something slip, but then giving into that need. Also, you know, confessions when the hurt party is out of it and not in fact in control of what they’re saying is so iddy, plus the aftermath of everyone needing to deal with this once it happens. And like…scenarios where the caretaking tenderness and vulnerability forces the characters to realize their romantic feelings – it’s all excellent!
TAGS: Character A thinks they're about to die and voices their feelings for B; but oops A survives
Just basically love the idea of Robb never confessing his feelings because he’s afraid to/doesn’t think they’re returned/there’s more important things to do, but then he thinks he’s about to die so it’s now or never (and Theon’s just like…NOW you tell me?) but then…he survives and…maybe this confession just makes things faster and easier for them or maybe it complicates things.
TAGS: Emotional distress when given incorrect news that person they’re pining for is dead, Character struggles with “it should have been me” feelings
These kind of speak for themselves, but basically death angst but with a happy ending lol. Maybe an au where Theon goes to Pyke and Robb receives a raven some time later about the invasion of the North and maybe a false report that the ironborn have killed Theon for a traitor. Except then it turns out to be false and Theon had disappeared because he was coming back to Robb. But any other scenario is great too! Would extra love if Robb hasn’t confessed his feelings yet/they’re not together before the “death” happens.
TAGS: Emotional distress when partner is angry enough after a fight to not come home until morning
Sometimes, Robb says awful shit lol. Would love to see him regret that and worry about what he might have done/might have happened because of what he said, but then for the boys to make up in the end.
Hurt Theon
TAGS: Altered States - Character is out of it due to pain; Bedside Vigils; Carrying A Sick/Hurt/Exhausted Character To Bed; Carrying a sick/injured/unconscious character to safety; Cleaning/treating wounds; Forehead Kisses for comfort; Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever; Gently coaxing out-of-it sick/hurt character back to bed; Keeping Sick/Hurt Character Warm; Kissing the Pain Away; Refusing to Leave Hurt Character's Side; Sharing a bed to keep a close eye on hurt character's well-being & needs; Watching hurt/sick character sleep
These are some broad/generic hurt/comfort tags of tropes and elements that I’d love to see! I’m not very fussy about the actual situation they get themselves into – I typically imagine it being something during the war, whether in a mild AU where there’s some timeline stretch or a more major one where things go majorly differently (e.g. Theon never going to Pyke) so they have more time to get into all kinds of mishaps, etc. But it could be some kind of pre-war scenario as well! Also love an AU where Theon does go to Pyke but then ends up choosing Robb and comes back (probably bitter about having to throw away his future like that, but also unable abandon the guy he’s in love with), but is hurt during his escape/on the way back, and then Robb having to deal with the complications of political situation while also taking care of Theon and ah…bonus points for him pining extra hard the whole time, especially now that he’s realized how much Theon is willing to give up for him.
TAGS: Character A attempts to sacrifice themself for B; B gets very upset; Character A hurt protecting character B; Character A's loyalty is used to hurt A; Character B feels terrible; Comforter gets angry on comfortee’s behalf; Comforter Rains Down Retribution On Hurt Character's Behalf
These tags kinda get into the very iddy thing for me with this ship when Theon’s the hurt party, where Theon is absolutely very ride-or-die for Robb for a very long time (and in a universe where he never gets pushed over that edge/comes back it would probably only intensify) but Robb always kind of has a lot of his own thing going on/Theon isn’t as much of a priority for him. So I love seeing a bit of a role reversal on that, where Robb becomes very protective or he comes to realize/really pay attention to the sacrifices/a sacrifice Theon makes for him and is like “oh shit” about it and then tries really hard to reciprocate/to be worthy of that kind of loyalty/sacrifice/affection.
TAGS: Nearly losing someone reveals deeper feelings; Character A Confesses Feelings Because They Think Character B is Unconscious\
Tangentially related to the above, love Robb being oblivious about his won feelings until he almost loses Theon and/or not being able to admit to them, maybe because he doesn’t realize they’re returned/he’s repressed and ashamed, etc, except when he doesn’t think Theon can hear. (Except, oops!)
Both Hurt
TAGS: Comforter strokes sick/hurt character's hair; Comforting cuddling/snuggling; Forehead Kisses for comfort; Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever; Kissing away tears; Kissing the Pain Away
No specific prompts for these - these are just basically elements I love to see in any hurt/comfort scenario!
TAGS: Captured and tortured together & doing their best to help each other through it, Captured/imprisoned together,
Emotional distress when forced to watch character they’re pining for be tortured, Both Captured - Forced to Work Together to Escape
I love the idea of like…the ship having to provide care/comfort for each other after interrogation/torture or them being forced to watch each other’s interrogations or getting one of them to do/say something with the threat of hurting the other. My guess is this would be some kind of AU of Robb's war effort going...badly. Who they're captured by, when, how etc is up to you. I'm up for all sorts of canon-divergence AUs here. I just want them to have to rely on each other and provide comfort for each other and maybe finally confess some damn feelings :)
A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Fandom-specific DNWs
Not a DNW-related thing, but more a general Theon thing: for post-Ramsay fic that's set further out into the future (post-war, etc), I really-really love the fanon that Theon's hair eventually starts growing back in dark/black. (Let him have nice things ahhh!!)
Theon Greyjoy/Kyra (both hurt)
TAGS: Escaping from captivity/torture together
Basically...I would so love an AU where their escape attempt succeeds! There's plenty of opportunities for all kinds of nice hurt/comfort along the way, what with having to probably evade Ramsay and his men for quite a while, then needing to figure out what they will do next (especially an issue for Theon), both already having plenty of trauma, etc... Their canon relationship makes me so sad but I love all the potential it holds. I definitely see it as fully consensual until their last encounter where Theon loses control and ignores her withdrawn consent (not that Westeros has a concept of "withdrawn consent" most likely but...that's still clearly something they'd need to deal with somehow). The fact she still comes for him and then refuses to split up when they hear the dogs! Anyway, I'd love to see them get away, figure their shit out, and find some way to be happy in peace <3
Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
Theon Greyjoy & Robb Stark
Ok, so given their age difference in the books (some 4 and a half years) I especially like the more platonic older/younger brother dynamic for the book version of these two. How close they are in the books is a bit more ambiguous too. We never get Robb’s POV at all, though he clearly trusts Theon at least in a professional capacity, and Robb is the one person Theon regrets hurting with his defection to his family/from the Starks. (I mean, to be clear, I don’t think he owed the Starks anything, including Robb, but canonically Theon has regrets about it, specifically when it comes to Robb.) But a lot of what I said about them in the above GoT section applies here too (and a lot of the prompts/tag overlap as well), and I think the tensions between them/in their relationship are similar ultimately, even if book!Robb is younger and thus reads softer and Theon doesn’t give off quite as strong unrequited love vibes as in the show + just generally there being a shift in dynamic due to the age gap). I would be cool with both a purely platonic brotherly relationship between them or one with a more romantic slant.
Hurt Robb
TAGS: A comforts B after B suddenly must take on difficult responsibilities, A's unrequited pining found to be requited while B helps them recover from serious injury, B is comforted by A while pining, Captivity - A begs/flirts to draw captor away from molesting hurt!B (fails), Carrying A Sick/Hurt/Exhausted Character To Bed, Character A thinks they're about to die and voices their feelings for B; but oops A survives, Character B nurses Character A during their convalescence, Character goes quiet when unwell or in pain, Character hiding emotional distress gets caught crying, Character pretends to be fine in front of others; is openly vulnerable with caretaker, Comforter helps sick/hurt character hide their illness/injury from other characters, Comforter strokes sick/hurt character's hair, Comforting character whose loved one just died, Delirious character asking for the one they're pining for, Emotional distress when given incorrect news that person they're pining for is dead, Feverish Confessions, Forehead Kisses for comfort, Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever, Gently coaxing out-of-it sick/hurt character back to bed, Helping hurt character to dress/undress, Holding someone while they cry, Keeping Sick/Hurt Character Warm, Kissing away tears, Kissing the Pain Away, Mutual pining during slow recovery from near-fatal injury, Recovery - A nurses injured B back to health after B got tortured or raped, Sharing a bed to keep a close eye on hurt character's well-being & needs, spoon feeding, Waking from coma or deep sleep and realizing the beloved caretaker is near
These are duplicative of a bunch of tags in this ship's GoT section and my thoughts on them are about the same.
TAGS: after worst day of A’s life A pretends to fall asleep on B to get tenderness without having to talk, Character A wraps Character B gently in their coat, Comforter gets angry on comfortee’s behalf, Comforter Rains Down Retribution On Hurt Character's Behalf, Comforting cuddling/snuggling, Comforter helps the hurt character hide panic/fears
Some additional tags that aren't in the section for the show. These kind of had an extra either platonic or protective vibe to them. Book!Robb's moments of vulnerability would really play up the age and/or experience difference between him and Theon and that's kinda the vibes I'm getting here too.
TAGS: Character pining unrequitedly comforted by person they're pining for, Character thinks they aren't good enough for the object of their pining
Aghh not much to comment here, tbh. Would love to see some pining and insecurity on Robb's part. And maybe even the feelings aren't unacquainted, he just thinks they are, or maybe they are currently unrequited because this is Robb's first teenage crush, while Theon still sees him as a kid mostly.
TAGS: Torture - A forced to participate in Hurt!B's torture/rape
Would love some kind of Ironborn Win type AU (as improbable as that may be lol) where they capture Robb somehow (or someone else does and somehow the ironborn manage to trade for him or something, idk, the set up isn't as important here lol) and bring him back to the islands as a POW. And Theon has to watch/participate in the interrogation and pretend like he doesn't care. (I would really, really prefer that any forced "participation" Theon does isn't actually rape/sexual assault.) Also would love if Theon finds some way to actually help make things easier for Robb or even help him escape/they can reconcile re: Theon's defection.
Both Hurt
TAGS: Forehead Kisses for comfort; Kissing the Pain Away
No specific prompts for these - these are just basically bullet-proof h/c kinks!
TAGS: Comforting cuddling/snuggling, Platonic Bedsharing for Comfort, comfort after a nightmare, Waking up from nightmares while sharing a bed, Staying Up Together after a Nightmare
Of course these can be repurposed for romantic scenarios as well, but if you'd be willing to write me some childhood Theon & Robb that's waht these tags pinged me for! A couple of ideas:
Ned taking Theon to executions and making him squire is just fgbsdfhklgfh. So like…Ned taking Robb to his first execution when he’s maybe just a little older than Bran was his first time (so maybe 8) and then Theon has to go too and it’s also his first one. And they’re both really shaken, but for different reasons (Theon doesn’t have his laugh-about-everything-always defensive mechanisms worked out yet) and kinda take comfort in each other in a way.
Also always had this daydream of like...Theon going wondering around the castle one night after bedtime and runs into Robb on his way back who admits he'd had a nightmare and wanted to go to his parents but then felt too ashamed to crawl into their bad "like a baby" and asks Theon if they can hang out in his room. And Theon can't sleep so he's like fine, ok. Except Robb just promptly falls asleep in his bed because he feels safe there. Optional continuation that Theon doesn't kick him out and like decides they'll just sleep in the same bad. But this is his first year at Winterfell and he's still having frequent nightmares about the seige of Pyke; ends up waking up from one and waking up Robb.Theon prob refuses to admit to what just happened but he and Robb and up snuggling and comforting each other anyway...
TAG: Hostage Situations
I always enjoyed those Balon-rebels-early AUs that explore the inevitable dark side of Theon's hostage situation. Usually, it's Ned who has to do the execution and Robb has to choose to get involved or not one way or another – which is always cool, and probably fits especially well for a hurt/comfort exchange. Maybe they end up running away together! But for a level up in angst – what if there’s some situation where Robb would be expected to do it? (Maybe they're already at war/Ned has been executed or maybe Robb is acting Lord of Winterfell during the time that Ned is in King's Landing but before they go to war.) And then Robb has to make a decision. How this ends is totally up to you. Canonically, I think Robb would probably go through with it because something something honor, but that’s super sad and doesn't allow for much comfort, so I'd certainly love another ending and the fallout from that, But even if Robb doesn’t go through with it, how does that affect their relationship? Does it lead to a realization of feelings for each other/leads to confession of hidden feelings? Does it actually screw things up because Theon is pissed that Robb even considered it/thought Robb should have put an end to the hostage thing as soon as he became Lord of Winterfell? Like it’s such a psychologically taxing situation to be in and definitely traumatizing for Theon…
TAGS: Character Who Believes They'll Be Tortured/Killed Begs Mercy For Another, Both Captured - Forced to Work Together to Escape, Captured and tortured together & doing their best to help each other through it, Captured/imprisoned together, Emotional distress when forced to watch character they’re pining for be tortured
I love the idea of like…the ship having to provide care/comfort for each other after interrogation/torture or them being forced to watch each other’s interrogations or getting one of them to do/say something with the threat of hurting the other. My guess is this would be some kind of AU of Robb's war effort going...badly. Who they're captured by, when, how etc is up to you. I'm up for all sorts of canon-divergence AUs here. I love the idea of Theon going into protective mode as the one who's older, and maybe Robb initially accepts it because, as his mother told him, his bannermen/men in his service owe him protectiion, etc. But then of course he feels awful and becomes really protective himself. Whether this is purely platonic, romantic on both sides, or Robb pining one-sided and really wanting to show himself int he best light but then the situation just completely fucks him up, it's all delicious :D
Theon Greyjoy/Tristifer Botley
Theon Greyjoy/Tristifer Botley
The ship that seems to have come out of nowhere, but wouldn’t it be nice for Theon to have a happy ending with a nice ironborn boy? And you can't tell me Tris wasn't just made for some delicious pining, loyalty kink, and sweet hurt/comfort! (But...he really does need to get over Asha for his own good, so here's his chance lol.)
While I'm down for canon-compliant, post-canon fic for these two - either during the projected WoW/ADOS period or further out into the future, I also really enjoy various AU scenarios such as:
Hurt Tris
Both Hurt
TAGS: Carrying A Sick/Hurt/Exhausted Character To Bed, Carrying a sick/injured/unconscious character to safety, Forehead Kisses for comfort, Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever, Keeping Sick/Hurt Character Warm, Kissing the Pain Away, Watching hurt/sick character sleep, Mutually patching up injuries after battle
TAGS: Character A wraps Character B gently in their coat, Comforter strokes sick/hurt character's hair, Comforting cuddling/snuggling, Forehead Kisses for comfort, Gently coaxing out-of-it sick/hurt character back to bed, Kissing away tears, Character feels comforted by wearing loved one's clothes
I don’t have any specific prompts thoughts on these tags, they’re just really great generic tags, things I’d love to see in my hurt/comfort. I especially love the idea of Tris and Theon having a very physically touchy relationship in a comforting sort of way if that makes sense. Especially in something canon-compliant that’s post-ADWD where Theon isn’t always comfortable maybe with physical touch, but from Tris it’s always the exception as a sign of how safe he feels with him.
TAGS: A is self-conscious about their scars; B touches them for comfort and affection, Body worship as comfort, Body worship focusing on the scars and aftermath of trauma
This can be in any relevant AU situation really, but these tags especially pinged me as something nice for a post-ADWD set fic, because Theon takes on so much physical damage under Ramsay and he’s the sort to be at least a little self-conscious about it, given how much pride he’s always taken in a nice appearance (clothes, etc) and his lovemaking/being attractive as a lover. And having Tris assuage some of those anxieties would be really sweet.
TAGS: Comforter gets angry on comfortee’s behalf; Comforter Rains Down Retribution On Hurt Character's; Comforter Shows Incredible Loyalty to Hurt Character Behalf
I just…really love the idea of protective Tris! Especially with Theon, when Theon’s never really had anyone who would be ride-or-die for him, stand up for him no matter what. Loyalty was always expected of him from everyone, but never offered in return. So, again, whether for something canonverse or one of the above AU scenarios (or another one you’d like to explore) I’d love to see Theon finally have someone in his corner.
TAGS: A comes to care deeply for B and tries to get hurt B to trust and believe in them
This would be great for a slow burn or getting-together type fic! Something where Theon maybe starts off not really taking Tris seriously or has trust issues in general and Tris has to contend with that on top of whatever drama they’ve gotten themselves into.
TAGS: A comforts B after B suddenly must take on difficult responsibilities; Comforter helps hurt character through panic attack
With these I was especially thinking of some AU scenario where Theon is suddenly thrown into a situation of command and/or rule that he theoretically wanted but maybe wasn’t entirely prepared for. This could be interpreted loosely, such as in a scenario where Tris in one of the ironborn with Theon at Winterfell and becomes privy to Theon’s mounting mental breakdown as he realizes ruling there is going to be a lot harder than he expected. Or it could be a closer interpretation in scenario, where Balon dies suddenly and Theon has to either deal with a succession crisis or some other situation re: taking over after his father (whether it’s a never-was-a-hostage AU or Balon’s death happens at some point during ACOK prior to Theon becoming embroiled with the Winterfell conquest).
18th Century RPF
Christian August von Brockdorff & Andrey Vasilyevich Gudovich (both hurt)
Christian August von Brockdorff/Andrey Vasilyevich Gudovich (both hurt)
So here we go with the really obscure historical RPF lmao. The good part is that since both of them are such minor historical figures and so little is known about them, there’s a lot of leeway as to the details of their personalities :) Some background:
Brockdorff was the chamberlain of Peter III of Russia, from before he came to Russia, in his capacity as the Duke of Holstein. Brockdorff’s father and Peter’s father were friends (at the least, Brockdorff's father was in favor with Duke Karl Friedrich). A Lady Brockdorff was also prominent at the Kiel court at the time (though I’m not sure of her relation to Christian exactly). There are issues with establishing Brockdorff's age but for fanfic/RPF purposes I like to assume Brockdorff and Peter were about agemates. When Peter was taken to Russia at the age of 14, the man in charge of his education (something of a head tutor), Brümmer, came with him. Brümmer then advised Russian ministers that Brockdorff had such an influence on Peter that he should not be allowed into the country. (Brümmer considered it negative influence, but given the man’s tendency to be abusive and generally not give a damn about Peter’s best interests, his assessment is highly suspect. Catherine didn’t like Brockdorff either, but they had a personal rivalry going.) So when Brockdorff tried to follow Peter to Russia, he was turned away at the border. BUT finally (in about 1754-5) he found a way to get to the Petersburg court – he traveled incognito (allegedly as a glass merchant), and basically snuck into the country. In Petersburg, he got a warm reception from Peter and stayed in his existing position as chamberlain. He continued to have a lot of influence on Peter (which really irritated Catherine as they didn’t get along and Brockdorff constantly advised Peter to divorce her), and on Peter’s ascension to the throne, Brockdorff received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. His indluence began to fade around...mmm I'd say the very start of the 1960s, shortly after the rise of Peter's other favorite, Andrey Gudovich. Most of our information about Brockdorff comes from Catherine II's memoires. She considered him sneaky, politically savvy at best and a conniving intrigue-weaver at worst. There's no argument that Brockdorff strove to gain favor from Peter, then a Grand Duke, and to please him (going as far as sneaking a regiment of Holstein soldiers into Russia for the garrison of Peter's "toy" fortress). But there's also no proof that he was anything but genuinely loyalt to Peter.
Andrey Vasilyevich Gudovich (b. 1731, the elder brother of Ivan Godovich) was Peter III’s chamberlain and then, later, adjutant. He was one of Peter’s closest confidants and he was the man Peter entrusted with bringing news to Friedrich the Great that Peter intended to sue for peace and end the 7 Years War. During the coup, Gudovich stayed with Peter until the very end. When Peter was brought to Peterhof after his initial abdication, the only two people who accompanied him there (other than the convoy, ofc) were Liza Vorontsova (his mistress) and Gudovich. They were both arrested at Peterhof on their arrival and briefly imprisoned. At one point, after his arrest, Peter asked Catherine for permission to leave the country. He also asked to be allowed to take Liza and Gudovich with him. After everything, Gudovich was released and Catherine asked him if he wanted to re-enter the service/stay at court. He, however, resigned promptly and went abroad where he stayed for several years. On his return to Russia he lived at his country estate and only returned to court upon a summons, via a very touching note, from Paul I, Peter’s son. Even may years later (~30), Andrey's letters to his friends spoke of Peter IIi in a manner that always struck me as somewhat...mmm...awestruck? If not romantic. (Albeit, this is an inference drawn from a couple of scant instances but still.)
I think what I love the most with these two together are the (potential) contrasts between them. Brockdorff the serious, manipulative, ruthless and political one vs. Gudovich, the youthful, earnest, idealistic one. They’re devoted to their Prince and both favorites of said prince, and probably in a constant struggle for priority, but also forced to work together and get along at least for long enough to get things done. I’d love all the jostling, seething banter, gloating and one-upmanship! But…also…really awkward and suppressed UST and almost-pining. Brockdorff would totally be one of those men who would, to use a quote from a tv show, "feel his desire as hatred,” at least in the case where he considers the target of said desire to be unworthy of it. And I definitely have a headcanon of Andrei kind of…admiring Brockdorff in a way and wanting to be friends on some level but every move he makes is rebuffed and they clash ALL the time.
TAGS: Characters find love again after losing 'the one', Comfort-getting together while mourning the person they both loved, Drinking to Forget, Loyal character loses object of their devotion; doesn't know what to do with their life now, Struggling to love again after bereavement
Basically, what I'd really love to see and what all of these tags are getting at here is that I'd really love seem them both dealing with the fallout of the coup on a deeply emotional/personal level and (hopefully!) coming together in light of that. Whether they were both in love with Peter or only one of them was, or they were just very close as friends or whatever you'd like to imagine those relationships as and whatever specific slant their prior rivalry as Peter's favorites took, I really get off on the whole concept of these two people coming together initially through mutual grief (and loneliness, and need for support, and the realization that the other is one of the very few people is not the only person who knows how it all feels) and then slowly developing an attachment that grows beyond that as well.
Fandom-specific DNWs
- Fics set during Theon’s canonical captivity by Ramsay and AU situations where Theon is still captured by Ramsay, unless it’s a “captured together” scenario with Robb.
- Ramsay/Theon.
- The sort of Robb-survives-the-Red-Wedding AUs where everything in Theon’s storyline stays the same but Robb survives the Red Wedding and then they are brought back together when Robb takes back the North, etc along those lines. If he survives in some major AU where Theon doesn't defect/never goes to Pyke or Theon's storyline goes differently re: getting captured by Ramsay (e.g. he goes with Asha to Deepwood Motte or something) then that's fine.
- Reunited-in-the-afterlife fics for Theon/Robb.
- Theon begging Robb to take him back/get back together after a breakup/fight (normal apologizing for past hurtful actions is fine, though also, whatever mess they’re in I’d rather it not be/not be presented as all Theon’s fault).
Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
I have so many feelings about this ship but also so many of them are really sad? Because, realistically, this relationship is kinda toxic. I’m not saying that in like a Purity Police way or anything, but just the power dynamics, and the fact that Robb is not above employing them when it suits him/when he’s ticked off, means that there is a lot of tension and angst and shit involved – it’s not just fluff and Cute ™. Also Alfie certainly chose to play this a Certain Way where Theon is basically making heart eyes at Robb the whole time. And Robb….never really reciprocates and is kinda cold/distant a lot? Like he sort of is generally reserved here, but it’s kinda jarring when Theon seems to desperately be giving his all – it reads a bit like unrequited love. Although! My favorite way to go here is that Robb is just kind of repressed/unable to deal with his feelings or whatever and never says the things he means/feels. Or maybe (if they’ve got a FWB type thing going) takes it for granted and just assumes that Theon knows his feelings, completely failing to understand that Theon does not actually expect for love and affection to be handed to him and does in fact need it spelled out.
Hurt Robb
TAGS: Carrying A Sick/Hurt/Exhausted Character To Bed, Comforter strokes sick/hurt character's hair, Forehead Kisses for comfort, Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever, Gently coaxing out-of-it sick/hurt character back to bed, Helping hurt character to dress/undress, Keeping Sick/Hurt Character Warm, Kissing away tears, Kissing the Pain Away, Lingering Weakness After Illness, Sharing a bed to keep a close eye on hurt character's well-being & needs, spoon feeding, Character goes quiet when unwell or in pain
A number of broad tags of tropes/elements I love in hurt/comfort and would especially love for this ship. I just love the whole concept of the repression of feelings between them bleeding out into abject tenderness in moments of distress. I’m not very fussy about the actual situation they get themselves into – I typically imagine it being something during the war, whether in a mild AU where there’s some timeline stretch or a more major one where things go majorly differently (e.g. Theon never going to Pyke) so they have more time to get into all kinds of mishaps, etc. But I'm down for any pre-canon situations you can think of too! Love (compelled or voluntary) vulnerability on Robb!
TAGS: Character hiding emotional distress gets caught crying, Character pretends to be fine in front of others; is openly vulnerable with caretaker, Comforter helps sick/hurt character hide their illness/injury from other characters
Robb, who’s got such a tight grip on his feelings and all, being forced into vulnerability and unable to hide it and maybe not even hiding it but seeking out that needed comfort from Theon specifically (which still needing/wanting to present a strong exterior to everyone else) is all really iddy to me!
TAGS: Comforting character whose loved one just died, Holding someone while they cry, A comforts B after B suddenly must take on difficult responsibilities
It’s really such a crime that this fandom does not have more h/c AUs where Theon is the one to comfort Robb after Ned’s execution (or just missing scenes where one episode of beating up a tree doesn’t completely help). But also like…Robb being overwhelmed by suddenly being the actual Lord of Winterfell and then immediately the King in the North and actually having anxiety come from that, even if it’s what he wants.
TAGS: A's unrequited pining found to be requited while B helps them recover from serious injury, B is comforted by A while pining, Mutual pining during slow recovery from near-fatal injury, Character B nurses Character A during their convalescence, Character A rescues character B from captivity & repeated rape; lovingly helps them recover, Delirious character asking for the one they're pining for, Feverish Confessions, Recovery - A nurses injured B back to health after B got tortured or raped, Waking from coma or deep sleep and realizing the beloved caretaker is near
I love this idea of one character whose pining for the other receiving care and comfort from the person they’re in love with and both desperately wanting/needing that comfort and realizing how hard it is to keep their feelings under control (and maybe ultimately failing to) when they’re in a more vulnerable state. (With someone who seems to have as difficult a time with communicating and processing feelings as Robb, this can all be extra fun!). The tension of wanting to have the person they’re in love with nearby but maybe at first being embarrassed by it or afraid they’ll let something slip, but then giving into that need. Also, you know, confessions when the hurt party is out of it and not in fact in control of what they’re saying is so iddy, plus the aftermath of everyone needing to deal with this once it happens. And like…scenarios where the caretaking tenderness and vulnerability forces the characters to realize their romantic feelings – it’s all excellent!
TAGS: Character A thinks they're about to die and voices their feelings for B; but oops A survives
Just basically love the idea of Robb never confessing his feelings because he’s afraid to/doesn’t think they’re returned/there’s more important things to do, but then he thinks he’s about to die so it’s now or never (and Theon’s just like…NOW you tell me?) but then…he survives and…maybe this confession just makes things faster and easier for them or maybe it complicates things.
TAGS: Emotional distress when given incorrect news that person they’re pining for is dead, Character struggles with “it should have been me” feelings
These kind of speak for themselves, but basically death angst but with a happy ending lol. Maybe an au where Theon goes to Pyke and Robb receives a raven some time later about the invasion of the North and maybe a false report that the ironborn have killed Theon for a traitor. Except then it turns out to be false and Theon had disappeared because he was coming back to Robb. But any other scenario is great too! Would extra love if Robb hasn’t confessed his feelings yet/they’re not together before the “death” happens.
TAGS: Emotional distress when partner is angry enough after a fight to not come home until morning
Sometimes, Robb says awful shit lol. Would love to see him regret that and worry about what he might have done/might have happened because of what he said, but then for the boys to make up in the end.
Hurt Theon
TAGS: Altered States - Character is out of it due to pain; Bedside Vigils; Carrying A Sick/Hurt/Exhausted Character To Bed; Carrying a sick/injured/unconscious character to safety; Cleaning/treating wounds; Forehead Kisses for comfort; Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever; Gently coaxing out-of-it sick/hurt character back to bed; Keeping Sick/Hurt Character Warm; Kissing the Pain Away; Refusing to Leave Hurt Character's Side; Sharing a bed to keep a close eye on hurt character's well-being & needs; Watching hurt/sick character sleep
These are some broad/generic hurt/comfort tags of tropes and elements that I’d love to see! I’m not very fussy about the actual situation they get themselves into – I typically imagine it being something during the war, whether in a mild AU where there’s some timeline stretch or a more major one where things go majorly differently (e.g. Theon never going to Pyke) so they have more time to get into all kinds of mishaps, etc. But it could be some kind of pre-war scenario as well! Also love an AU where Theon does go to Pyke but then ends up choosing Robb and comes back (probably bitter about having to throw away his future like that, but also unable abandon the guy he’s in love with), but is hurt during his escape/on the way back, and then Robb having to deal with the complications of political situation while also taking care of Theon and ah…bonus points for him pining extra hard the whole time, especially now that he’s realized how much Theon is willing to give up for him.
TAGS: Character A attempts to sacrifice themself for B; B gets very upset; Character A hurt protecting character B; Character A's loyalty is used to hurt A; Character B feels terrible; Comforter gets angry on comfortee’s behalf; Comforter Rains Down Retribution On Hurt Character's Behalf
These tags kinda get into the very iddy thing for me with this ship when Theon’s the hurt party, where Theon is absolutely very ride-or-die for Robb for a very long time (and in a universe where he never gets pushed over that edge/comes back it would probably only intensify) but Robb always kind of has a lot of his own thing going on/Theon isn’t as much of a priority for him. So I love seeing a bit of a role reversal on that, where Robb becomes very protective or he comes to realize/really pay attention to the sacrifices/a sacrifice Theon makes for him and is like “oh shit” about it and then tries really hard to reciprocate/to be worthy of that kind of loyalty/sacrifice/affection.
TAGS: Nearly losing someone reveals deeper feelings; Character A Confesses Feelings Because They Think Character B is Unconscious\
Tangentially related to the above, love Robb being oblivious about his won feelings until he almost loses Theon and/or not being able to admit to them, maybe because he doesn’t realize they’re returned/he’s repressed and ashamed, etc, except when he doesn’t think Theon can hear. (Except, oops!)
Both Hurt
TAGS: Comforter strokes sick/hurt character's hair; Comforting cuddling/snuggling; Forehead Kisses for comfort; Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever; Kissing away tears; Kissing the Pain Away
No specific prompts for these - these are just basically elements I love to see in any hurt/comfort scenario!
TAGS: Captured and tortured together & doing their best to help each other through it, Captured/imprisoned together,
Emotional distress when forced to watch character they’re pining for be tortured, Both Captured - Forced to Work Together to Escape
I love the idea of like…the ship having to provide care/comfort for each other after interrogation/torture or them being forced to watch each other’s interrogations or getting one of them to do/say something with the threat of hurting the other. My guess is this would be some kind of AU of Robb's war effort going...badly. Who they're captured by, when, how etc is up to you. I'm up for all sorts of canon-divergence AUs here. I just want them to have to rely on each other and provide comfort for each other and maybe finally confess some damn feelings :)
A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Fandom-specific DNWs
- Fics set during Theon’s canonical captivity by Ramsay and AU situations where Theon is still captured by Ramsay, unless it’s a “captured together” scenario with Tris or Robb. The only request this DNW does not apply to is the Theon/Kyra one, since that one is necessarily set during their capture by Ramsay. There, I just don't want an overly significant amount of time spent on their captivity pre-escape (a little beforehand to set the scene is fine, but I'd want this to focus on what happens after/as they get away).
- Ramsay/Theon.
- The sort of Robb-survives-the-Red-Wedding AUs where everything in Theon’s storyline stays the same but Robb survives the Red Wedding and then they are brought back together when Robb takes back the North, etc along those lines. If he survives in some major AU where Theon doesn't defect/never goes to Pyke or Theon's storyline goes differently re: getting captured by Ramsay (e.g. he goes with Asha to Deepwood Motte or something) then that's fine.
- Reunited-in-the-afterlife fics for Theon/Robb.
- Theon begging Robb to take him back/get back together after a breakup/fight (normal apologizing for past hurtful actions is fine, though also, whatever mess they’re in I’d rather it not be/not be presented as all Theon’s fault).
Not a DNW-related thing, but more a general Theon thing: for post-Ramsay fic that's set further out into the future (post-war, etc), I really-really love the fanon that Theon's hair eventually starts growing back in dark/black. (Let him have nice things ahhh!!)
Theon Greyjoy/Kyra (both hurt)
TAGS: Escaping from captivity/torture together
Basically...I would so love an AU where their escape attempt succeeds! There's plenty of opportunities for all kinds of nice hurt/comfort along the way, what with having to probably evade Ramsay and his men for quite a while, then needing to figure out what they will do next (especially an issue for Theon), both already having plenty of trauma, etc... Their canon relationship makes me so sad but I love all the potential it holds. I definitely see it as fully consensual until their last encounter where Theon loses control and ignores her withdrawn consent (not that Westeros has a concept of "withdrawn consent" most likely but...that's still clearly something they'd need to deal with somehow). The fact she still comes for him and then refuses to split up when they hear the dogs! Anyway, I'd love to see them get away, figure their shit out, and find some way to be happy in peace <3
Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
Theon Greyjoy & Robb Stark
Ok, so given their age difference in the books (some 4 and a half years) I especially like the more platonic older/younger brother dynamic for the book version of these two. How close they are in the books is a bit more ambiguous too. We never get Robb’s POV at all, though he clearly trusts Theon at least in a professional capacity, and Robb is the one person Theon regrets hurting with his defection to his family/from the Starks. (I mean, to be clear, I don’t think he owed the Starks anything, including Robb, but canonically Theon has regrets about it, specifically when it comes to Robb.) But a lot of what I said about them in the above GoT section applies here too (and a lot of the prompts/tag overlap as well), and I think the tensions between them/in their relationship are similar ultimately, even if book!Robb is younger and thus reads softer and Theon doesn’t give off quite as strong unrequited love vibes as in the show + just generally there being a shift in dynamic due to the age gap). I would be cool with both a purely platonic brotherly relationship between them or one with a more romantic slant.
Hurt Robb
TAGS: A comforts B after B suddenly must take on difficult responsibilities, A's unrequited pining found to be requited while B helps them recover from serious injury, B is comforted by A while pining, Captivity - A begs/flirts to draw captor away from molesting hurt!B (fails), Carrying A Sick/Hurt/Exhausted Character To Bed, Character A thinks they're about to die and voices their feelings for B; but oops A survives, Character B nurses Character A during their convalescence, Character goes quiet when unwell or in pain, Character hiding emotional distress gets caught crying, Character pretends to be fine in front of others; is openly vulnerable with caretaker, Comforter helps sick/hurt character hide their illness/injury from other characters, Comforter strokes sick/hurt character's hair, Comforting character whose loved one just died, Delirious character asking for the one they're pining for, Emotional distress when given incorrect news that person they're pining for is dead, Feverish Confessions, Forehead Kisses for comfort, Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever, Gently coaxing out-of-it sick/hurt character back to bed, Helping hurt character to dress/undress, Holding someone while they cry, Keeping Sick/Hurt Character Warm, Kissing away tears, Kissing the Pain Away, Mutual pining during slow recovery from near-fatal injury, Recovery - A nurses injured B back to health after B got tortured or raped, Sharing a bed to keep a close eye on hurt character's well-being & needs, spoon feeding, Waking from coma or deep sleep and realizing the beloved caretaker is near
These are duplicative of a bunch of tags in this ship's GoT section and my thoughts on them are about the same.
TAGS: after worst day of A’s life A pretends to fall asleep on B to get tenderness without having to talk, Character A wraps Character B gently in their coat, Comforter gets angry on comfortee’s behalf, Comforter Rains Down Retribution On Hurt Character's Behalf, Comforting cuddling/snuggling, Comforter helps the hurt character hide panic/fears
Some additional tags that aren't in the section for the show. These kind of had an extra either platonic or protective vibe to them. Book!Robb's moments of vulnerability would really play up the age and/or experience difference between him and Theon and that's kinda the vibes I'm getting here too.
TAGS: Character pining unrequitedly comforted by person they're pining for, Character thinks they aren't good enough for the object of their pining
Aghh not much to comment here, tbh. Would love to see some pining and insecurity on Robb's part. And maybe even the feelings aren't unacquainted, he just thinks they are, or maybe they are currently unrequited because this is Robb's first teenage crush, while Theon still sees him as a kid mostly.
TAGS: Torture - A forced to participate in Hurt!B's torture/rape
Would love some kind of Ironborn Win type AU (as improbable as that may be lol) where they capture Robb somehow (or someone else does and somehow the ironborn manage to trade for him or something, idk, the set up isn't as important here lol) and bring him back to the islands as a POW. And Theon has to watch/participate in the interrogation and pretend like he doesn't care. (I would really, really prefer that any forced "participation" Theon does isn't actually rape/sexual assault.) Also would love if Theon finds some way to actually help make things easier for Robb or even help him escape/they can reconcile re: Theon's defection.
Both Hurt
TAGS: Forehead Kisses for comfort; Kissing the Pain Away
No specific prompts for these - these are just basically bullet-proof h/c kinks!
TAGS: Comforting cuddling/snuggling, Platonic Bedsharing for Comfort, comfort after a nightmare, Waking up from nightmares while sharing a bed, Staying Up Together after a Nightmare
Of course these can be repurposed for romantic scenarios as well, but if you'd be willing to write me some childhood Theon & Robb that's waht these tags pinged me for! A couple of ideas:
Ned taking Theon to executions and making him squire is just fgbsdfhklgfh. So like…Ned taking Robb to his first execution when he’s maybe just a little older than Bran was his first time (so maybe 8) and then Theon has to go too and it’s also his first one. And they’re both really shaken, but for different reasons (Theon doesn’t have his laugh-about-everything-always defensive mechanisms worked out yet) and kinda take comfort in each other in a way.
Also always had this daydream of like...Theon going wondering around the castle one night after bedtime and runs into Robb on his way back who admits he'd had a nightmare and wanted to go to his parents but then felt too ashamed to crawl into their bad "like a baby" and asks Theon if they can hang out in his room. And Theon can't sleep so he's like fine, ok. Except Robb just promptly falls asleep in his bed because he feels safe there. Optional continuation that Theon doesn't kick him out and like decides they'll just sleep in the same bad. But this is his first year at Winterfell and he's still having frequent nightmares about the seige of Pyke; ends up waking up from one and waking up Robb.Theon prob refuses to admit to what just happened but he and Robb and up snuggling and comforting each other anyway...
TAG: Hostage Situations
I always enjoyed those Balon-rebels-early AUs that explore the inevitable dark side of Theon's hostage situation. Usually, it's Ned who has to do the execution and Robb has to choose to get involved or not one way or another – which is always cool, and probably fits especially well for a hurt/comfort exchange. Maybe they end up running away together! But for a level up in angst – what if there’s some situation where Robb would be expected to do it? (Maybe they're already at war/Ned has been executed or maybe Robb is acting Lord of Winterfell during the time that Ned is in King's Landing but before they go to war.) And then Robb has to make a decision. How this ends is totally up to you. Canonically, I think Robb would probably go through with it because something something honor, but that’s super sad and doesn't allow for much comfort, so I'd certainly love another ending and the fallout from that, But even if Robb doesn’t go through with it, how does that affect their relationship? Does it lead to a realization of feelings for each other/leads to confession of hidden feelings? Does it actually screw things up because Theon is pissed that Robb even considered it/thought Robb should have put an end to the hostage thing as soon as he became Lord of Winterfell? Like it’s such a psychologically taxing situation to be in and definitely traumatizing for Theon…
TAGS: Character Who Believes They'll Be Tortured/Killed Begs Mercy For Another, Both Captured - Forced to Work Together to Escape, Captured and tortured together & doing their best to help each other through it, Captured/imprisoned together, Emotional distress when forced to watch character they’re pining for be tortured
I love the idea of like…the ship having to provide care/comfort for each other after interrogation/torture or them being forced to watch each other’s interrogations or getting one of them to do/say something with the threat of hurting the other. My guess is this would be some kind of AU of Robb's war effort going...badly. Who they're captured by, when, how etc is up to you. I'm up for all sorts of canon-divergence AUs here. I love the idea of Theon going into protective mode as the one who's older, and maybe Robb initially accepts it because, as his mother told him, his bannermen/men in his service owe him protectiion, etc. But then of course he feels awful and becomes really protective himself. Whether this is purely platonic, romantic on both sides, or Robb pining one-sided and really wanting to show himself int he best light but then the situation just completely fucks him up, it's all delicious :D
Theon Greyjoy/Tristifer Botley
Theon Greyjoy/Tristifer Botley
The ship that seems to have come out of nowhere, but wouldn’t it be nice for Theon to have a happy ending with a nice ironborn boy? And you can't tell me Tris wasn't just made for some delicious pining, loyalty kink, and sweet hurt/comfort! (But...he really does need to get over Asha for his own good, so here's his chance lol.)
While I'm down for canon-compliant, post-canon fic for these two - either during the projected WoW/ADOS period or further out into the future, I also really enjoy various AU scenarios such as:
- Theon makes somewhat better decisions after defecting from Robb to his family (a choice which, in and of itself I completely understand and support, let’s just say straight up) and either never takes Winterfell or takes Winterfell but leaves shortly after with Bran and Rickon as hostages… And then he has to deal with his internal conflicts and also earning his people’s/family’s trust even though he kind of resents having to, but Dagmer’s right that like…his ability to bond with them was disrupted by the time he was away. (Not that Balon is right or not a complete asshole.) Of course, this doesn't help anyone avoid war, politics, conflict, dangerous situations, etc...
- AU where Tris is one of the men of Theon’s crew when he goes raiding and takes Winterfell, and either Tris helps Theon make better choices/not spiral completely or Winterfell still falls and maybe they're captured together (by Ramsay?).
- Balon dies unexpectedly just prior to Theon’s arrival on Pyke and either Theon takes his place as heir (and does the alliance with Robb) or, hell, maybe Asha beats him in a Kingsmoot or whatever (although, I’m not sure how the kingsmoot would happen with a clear line of succession but whatever), but once she’s won, she’s less intent on alienating him than her father was, and decides to go along with the proposed alliance. Or! Maybe they don’t do the alliance and go to war with the North anyway but things pan our differently with Theon’s decision-making. So, Theon and Tris go to war together…
- AU where Theon is never taken hostage – because Balon wins the rebellion or because the rebellion never happens – and he and Tris grow up together. (I’ll say that I don’t think Theon’s relationship with his father, or Asha, would have been so strained if the hostage thing didn’t happen. I’d imagine him and Asha growing up pretty close and then with Balon…it would likely be complicated, given what kind of person Balon is, but far more within reasonable bounds than what we get in ACOK.) But just because the rebellion is won/doesn't happen as in canon, doesn't mean the iron islands wouldn't get dragged into some war/political drama still..
Hurt Tris
Both Hurt
TAGS: Carrying A Sick/Hurt/Exhausted Character To Bed, Carrying a sick/injured/unconscious character to safety, Forehead Kisses for comfort, Forehead kisses poorly disguised as checking fever, Keeping Sick/Hurt Character Warm, Kissing the Pain Away, Watching hurt/sick character sleep, Mutually patching up injuries after battle
I don’t have any specific prompts thoughts on these tags, they’re just really great generic tags, things I’d love to see in my hurt/comfort in pretty much any fitting scenario. With these two especially I die for the physical affection, especially once they’re together/have admitted to at least some feelings/etc.
TAGS: Both Captured - Forced to Work Together to Escape, Captured and tortured together & doing their best to help each other through it, Captured/imprisoned together, Emotional distress when forced to watch character they’re pining for be tortured
I love the idea of like…the ship having to provide care/comfort for each other after interrogation/torture or them being forced to watch each other’s interrogations or getting one of them to do/say something with the threat of hurting the other. This can be especially delicious if they’re in a pining stage or haven’t fully figured out their relationship yet. The way I’ve kind of been imagining this scenario for these two is if Tris is at Winterfell with Theon and they’re both captured by Ramsay after Winterfell falls. (Per my DNWs, I don’t want anything especially gruesome. I know Ramsay is Ramsay, but if you go with this scenario, maybe Roose actually orders him to tone things down some in this AU.) But it can be any scenario really – e.g. in an AU where Theon grows up on Pyke, maybe Balon’s rebellion still happens when Theon’s older and he and Tris get captured by one of the mainland houses. But really I’m open to any scenario here you’d like to write.
TAGS: attempted self-sacrifice, Character A attempts to sacrifice themself for B; B gets very upset, Character A hurt protecting character B, Character A's loyalty is used to hurt A; Character B feels terrible, Character Lets Themself Get Tortured or Abused to Protect Other Character, Character Who Believes They'll Be Tortured/Killed Begs Mercy For Another
I generally love themes of loyalty and self-sacrifice in many of my ships! I especially love Tris as the protective boyfriend, for one because he seems like that sort of person generally, and secondly because I love Theon finally having someone who would be ride-or-die for him. These can relate to a “captured together” scenario as above, or it could be some other situation. I also love the idea of Tris trying to do this heroic self-sacrifice and Theon finding out his intentions and being very “wtf” and flustered and maybe even guilty about it, because while he puts on a show of how much he deserves loyalty and stuff as much as any other liege lord does, he’s not actually that huge on the idea of people dying for him. Especially if it’s someone he’s started to have feelings for.
TAGS: Character A thinks they're about to die and voices their feelings for B; but oops A survives
Ahh I just love this idea of one of them thinking they’re going to die so they confess their feelings but then….nope. And the aftermath can be all kinds of awkward. If the person being confessed to didn’t return the confession, perhaps they’re up against a misunderstanding and the confessed-to partner doesn’t know how to not-awkwardly bring up they no, actually, they do feel the same it’s only…they were extremely overwhelmed/didn’t have the time to process the confession before the confessing party passed out/etc. If the confession is returned, I really get a kick out of the emotional turmoil where the person who was confessed to has to figure out their own feelings vis-à-vis did they say “I love you” back to comfort their dying friend or…did they actually mean it? (In this latter case, I’d def rather it be Tris who confessed and survived and Theon who’s trying to figure his shit out.)
TAGS: Character thinks they aren't good enough for the object of their pining
Tris pining and thinking that Theon wouldn’t return his feelings because his too cool for Tris/Tris could never live up to Robb’s memory/other self-worthy issues. And then he finally spits it out and Theon’s like…wow, you took so long I can’t believe it lol. I could def see this one as either very angsty or somewhat more lighthearted melodramatic.
TAGS: Character A wraps Character B gently in their coat, Comforter strokes sick/hurt character's hair, Comforting cuddling/snuggling, Forehead Kisses for comfort, Gently coaxing out-of-it sick/hurt character back to bed, Kissing away tears, Character feels comforted by wearing loved one's clothes
I don’t have any specific prompts thoughts on these tags, they’re just really great generic tags, things I’d love to see in my hurt/comfort. I especially love the idea of Tris and Theon having a very physically touchy relationship in a comforting sort of way if that makes sense. Especially in something canon-compliant that’s post-ADWD where Theon isn’t always comfortable maybe with physical touch, but from Tris it’s always the exception as a sign of how safe he feels with him.
TAGS: A is self-conscious about their scars; B touches them for comfort and affection, Body worship as comfort, Body worship focusing on the scars and aftermath of trauma
This can be in any relevant AU situation really, but these tags especially pinged me as something nice for a post-ADWD set fic, because Theon takes on so much physical damage under Ramsay and he’s the sort to be at least a little self-conscious about it, given how much pride he’s always taken in a nice appearance (clothes, etc) and his lovemaking/being attractive as a lover. And having Tris assuage some of those anxieties would be really sweet.
TAGS: Comforter gets angry on comfortee’s behalf; Comforter Rains Down Retribution On Hurt Character's; Comforter Shows Incredible Loyalty to Hurt Character Behalf
I just…really love the idea of protective Tris! Especially with Theon, when Theon’s never really had anyone who would be ride-or-die for him, stand up for him no matter what. Loyalty was always expected of him from everyone, but never offered in return. So, again, whether for something canonverse or one of the above AU scenarios (or another one you’d like to explore) I’d love to see Theon finally have someone in his corner.
TAGS: A comes to care deeply for B and tries to get hurt B to trust and believe in them
This would be great for a slow burn or getting-together type fic! Something where Theon maybe starts off not really taking Tris seriously or has trust issues in general and Tris has to contend with that on top of whatever drama they’ve gotten themselves into.
TAGS: A comforts B after B suddenly must take on difficult responsibilities; Comforter helps hurt character through panic attack
With these I was especially thinking of some AU scenario where Theon is suddenly thrown into a situation of command and/or rule that he theoretically wanted but maybe wasn’t entirely prepared for. This could be interpreted loosely, such as in a scenario where Tris in one of the ironborn with Theon at Winterfell and becomes privy to Theon’s mounting mental breakdown as he realizes ruling there is going to be a lot harder than he expected. Or it could be a closer interpretation in scenario, where Balon dies suddenly and Theon has to either deal with a succession crisis or some other situation re: taking over after his father (whether it’s a never-was-a-hostage AU or Balon’s death happens at some point during ACOK prior to Theon becoming embroiled with the Winterfell conquest).
18th Century RPF
Christian August von Brockdorff & Andrey Vasilyevich Gudovich (both hurt)
Christian August von Brockdorff/Andrey Vasilyevich Gudovich (both hurt)
So here we go with the really obscure historical RPF lmao. The good part is that since both of them are such minor historical figures and so little is known about them, there’s a lot of leeway as to the details of their personalities :) Some background:
Brockdorff was the chamberlain of Peter III of Russia, from before he came to Russia, in his capacity as the Duke of Holstein. Brockdorff’s father and Peter’s father were friends (at the least, Brockdorff's father was in favor with Duke Karl Friedrich). A Lady Brockdorff was also prominent at the Kiel court at the time (though I’m not sure of her relation to Christian exactly). There are issues with establishing Brockdorff's age but for fanfic/RPF purposes I like to assume Brockdorff and Peter were about agemates. When Peter was taken to Russia at the age of 14, the man in charge of his education (something of a head tutor), Brümmer, came with him. Brümmer then advised Russian ministers that Brockdorff had such an influence on Peter that he should not be allowed into the country. (Brümmer considered it negative influence, but given the man’s tendency to be abusive and generally not give a damn about Peter’s best interests, his assessment is highly suspect. Catherine didn’t like Brockdorff either, but they had a personal rivalry going.) So when Brockdorff tried to follow Peter to Russia, he was turned away at the border. BUT finally (in about 1754-5) he found a way to get to the Petersburg court – he traveled incognito (allegedly as a glass merchant), and basically snuck into the country. In Petersburg, he got a warm reception from Peter and stayed in his existing position as chamberlain. He continued to have a lot of influence on Peter (which really irritated Catherine as they didn’t get along and Brockdorff constantly advised Peter to divorce her), and on Peter’s ascension to the throne, Brockdorff received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. His indluence began to fade around...mmm I'd say the very start of the 1960s, shortly after the rise of Peter's other favorite, Andrey Gudovich. Most of our information about Brockdorff comes from Catherine II's memoires. She considered him sneaky, politically savvy at best and a conniving intrigue-weaver at worst. There's no argument that Brockdorff strove to gain favor from Peter, then a Grand Duke, and to please him (going as far as sneaking a regiment of Holstein soldiers into Russia for the garrison of Peter's "toy" fortress). But there's also no proof that he was anything but genuinely loyalt to Peter.
Andrey Vasilyevich Gudovich (b. 1731, the elder brother of Ivan Godovich) was Peter III’s chamberlain and then, later, adjutant. He was one of Peter’s closest confidants and he was the man Peter entrusted with bringing news to Friedrich the Great that Peter intended to sue for peace and end the 7 Years War. During the coup, Gudovich stayed with Peter until the very end. When Peter was brought to Peterhof after his initial abdication, the only two people who accompanied him there (other than the convoy, ofc) were Liza Vorontsova (his mistress) and Gudovich. They were both arrested at Peterhof on their arrival and briefly imprisoned. At one point, after his arrest, Peter asked Catherine for permission to leave the country. He also asked to be allowed to take Liza and Gudovich with him. After everything, Gudovich was released and Catherine asked him if he wanted to re-enter the service/stay at court. He, however, resigned promptly and went abroad where he stayed for several years. On his return to Russia he lived at his country estate and only returned to court upon a summons, via a very touching note, from Paul I, Peter’s son. Even may years later (~30), Andrey's letters to his friends spoke of Peter IIi in a manner that always struck me as somewhat...mmm...awestruck? If not romantic. (Albeit, this is an inference drawn from a couple of scant instances but still.)
I think what I love the most with these two together are the (potential) contrasts between them. Brockdorff the serious, manipulative, ruthless and political one vs. Gudovich, the youthful, earnest, idealistic one. They’re devoted to their Prince and both favorites of said prince, and probably in a constant struggle for priority, but also forced to work together and get along at least for long enough to get things done. I’d love all the jostling, seething banter, gloating and one-upmanship! But…also…really awkward and suppressed UST and almost-pining. Brockdorff would totally be one of those men who would, to use a quote from a tv show, "feel his desire as hatred,” at least in the case where he considers the target of said desire to be unworthy of it. And I definitely have a headcanon of Andrei kind of…admiring Brockdorff in a way and wanting to be friends on some level but every move he makes is rebuffed and they clash ALL the time.
TAGS: Characters find love again after losing 'the one', Comfort-getting together while mourning the person they both loved, Drinking to Forget, Loyal character loses object of their devotion; doesn't know what to do with their life now, Struggling to love again after bereavement
Basically, what I'd really love to see and what all of these tags are getting at here is that I'd really love seem them both dealing with the fallout of the coup on a deeply emotional/personal level and (hopefully!) coming together in light of that. Whether they were both in love with Peter or only one of them was, or they were just very close as friends or whatever you'd like to imagine those relationships as and whatever specific slant their prior rivalry as Peter's favorites took, I really get off on the whole concept of these two people coming together initially through mutual grief (and loneliness, and need for support, and the realization that the other is one of the very few people is not the only person who knows how it all feels) and then slowly developing an attachment that grows beyond that as well.
