potentiality_26 | Fandom Snowflake Challenge: Days 12-13

Day 12

In your own space, create your own challenge.

Day 13

In your own space, set some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private.

Well, in the writing meme post I did at the end of December, I set myself the goal of posting at least 50 fics this year. And since I'm in total "But I don't want to edit this" mode with most of the stuff I've been working on, I thought by way of combining these two challenges I would open myself up for some short fic prompts.

I always enjoyed prompt memes on tumblr (like this one or this one) but stopped doing them for a while. I'd like to try again, so if anyone wants to send me a ship and a prompt from those lists, or one of your own devising, I'll try to write something less than 1k to order.

My main fandoms right now are Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Sherlock Holmes, Raffles and Callan, but check out the interests part of my profile for a more complete list. And you'd be safe with the top ships in any of those fandoms, but I'm also a multishipper willing to give most things a try.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

firestorm717

1.1-2) Let me know if you plan to write one of these! I'll take the other one :) since I need a short PWP to establish the characters' voices in my head.

1.8) OMG I would LOVE you for writing a Callan/Meres retirement fic! Callan would totally become the Equalizer, whereas Meres... somehow, I see him running a gambling syndicate like Maurice in Minder. (Or maybe that's just an excuse to put Anthony Valentine in tails <3. Incidentally, have you seen this still of Callan undercover in evening dress? It's really funny cause Ramsey!Hunter has to lend him a gong so Callan will fit in at the diplomatic reception XD. That must really stick in Callan's craw). He's still young and ambitious, and Callan has to keep him occupied so he doesn't find a nefarious outlet for his "true talents". The only question is, does Lonely eventually join them? That would totally blow their scheme apart...

As for the tragic side, I've got a lot of ideas for how that could unfold. Have you read/seen John le Carre's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold? I can imagine Callan/Zhverkov as similar to Leamas/Fiedler - Callan is sent in as a fake defector to frame the despicable Mundt, Zhverkov is his contact/debriefer, the two develop a mutual respect for each other and fall in love. Then, Colonel Hunter has Zhverkov framed, leaving Callan with the Sophie's choice of either killing Zhverkov himself or letting the Russians have him (and presumably torture him to death). Well, we know how that turned out.

Hunter might try to repeat this scenario with Callan/Meres when he realizes that they're becoming a problem. Rather than Meres keeping a leash on Callan, it's Callan who has convinced Meres to develop a modicum of conscience... or at least, disobedience. So he cooks up a plot to eliminate them both. Like I said, it could be a repeat, where Meres is framed as a traitor - a natural extension of Richmond's accusation. Or perhaps he puts Callan in the hot seat (wouldn't be the first time), thinking Meres is still more obedient and willing to hunt down his former lover. I mean, he's done it before, albeit reluctantly. Callan recognizes the plot from Callan/Zhverkov, but realizes he's now in Zhverkov's place and tries to warn Meres that it's a set-up... but of course, Hunter always has a backup plan...

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and make this a separate DW post, so I don't flood your comments.

I love your "Death of a Hunter" AU idea! It's brilliant! The baddies get a two for one deal, Ramsey gets twice the panic, and Callan/Meres get loads of angst with one being tortured while the other is forced to watch. How do you envision it ending? Will either Callan or Meres escape (possibly with the other sacrificing himself as a decoy)? Does Ramsey call in backup from the Colonel and/or other Sections?

2.2) I'm imagining one time, Hunter!Callan fucks Meres at his desk late at night, after everyone's left, but forgot to turn off the intercom so Liz overhears the entire thing when she returns for her umbrella... LOL.

2.4) Another possibility is Fake Dating + Green-Eyed Epigraphy: Meres is assigned to seduce a target, and Callan gets jealous. For more hilarity, have the target fall for Callan instead of Meres (hey, they like the rough-and-tumble soldier type!), setting up a Callan/Meres/target love triangle.

2.8) I can't wait to read it! :D

2.9) The 5+1 is a fantastic idea, haha. Love it, definitely add it to your list.

2.10) OMG Does this fandom ever beg for mental torture and maximum angst <3333 So thrilled to hear you have two WIPs in this vein! I've got an idea for Snell baiting Meres into admitting his feelings for Callan by threatening to inject Callan with stimulants after "Death of a Hunter", very likely killing him due to his injuries, in order to extract time-sensitive information that will help them track down his captors. Cue massive guilt trip and Meres breaking into the secure hospital where Callan is kept to protect him.

3.3) Ahahaha, holy shit, this would TOTALLY be a Twelfth Night reenactment! I cackled at your description of Lonely's reaction to Raffles XD He really would think Raffles was Meres, wouldn't he? Right up until the real Meres showed up and held Raffles at gunpoint. For added fun before that, there should be another partner rotation in which Callan/Raffles have to team up to rescue Lonely/Bunny. Callan asks why Raffles puts up with a useless burglar like Bunny, and Raffles shoots back that he can't see how Callan can work with a guy who reeks as much as Lonely.

Edited Date: 2019-01-17 05:50 pm (UTC)

From:

potentiality_26

1.1-2 Hmmm, I did have a thought for 2 this morning- but it very quickly started threatening to turn into something else. I have a hell of a time keeping PWPs from growing plots while I'm not looking; it's a wonder I've managed to control the one I'm nearly done with. So go for whichever works for you, I'd love to see either!

1.8 That's a lovely still, though Callan looks so uncomfortable lol. And Ramsey has a lot of decorations, doesn't he?

The retirement fic definitely going on my list! I think I would have them on the move for a while- for maximum road-trip fun- with Callan thinking a lot about what could happen if Meres gets bored of ~~him~~ the life and decides to pursue a less altruistic career path. Maybe they could end up with a nightclub or something like that. That would provide some good outfit opportunities. Also I haven't seen The Equalizer TV series yet, so my baseline right now is the movies with Denzel Washington, and in those the bad guys tend to go after the people McCall cares about pretty often. So then I was thinking about Meres semi-settled down running his nightclub/gambling hall/what have you, and Callan as the equalizer making enemies who assume Meres is his comparatively harmless lover and quickly regret that assumption. And Callan could send Lonely postcards or something to keep him happy, and then have him actually show up at the worst possible time.

I'll look forward to hearing more of the tragic version <3

Not sure where the "Death of a Hunter" AU will go just yet. I will try to find a way to do an everybody lives, though, since I'm fond of Ramsey.

2.2 Oh, yes, that's perfect. Oh Liz. Could totally incorporate that.

2.10 That sounds amazing!

3.3 Any amount of Lonely and Bunny working together would be great too. Even Bunny doesn't look innocent enough to cover for Lonely's sketchiness. Yes, this is definitely happening.

From:

firestorm717

Oh, I love your idea about the bad guys underestimating Meres ;) I bet Meres would enjoy toying with them before delivering a no-holds-barred beatdown. He'd probably complain if they didn't show up occasionally and accuse Callan of hogging all the fun. The road trip would be a lot of fun! Where do you imagine them traveling through? Once they get to a place they can settle down, I suspect Callan will insist they keep a low profile, try not to show their faces to many people. Callan could take a job as a bookkeeper or menial clerk again, and Meres... actually, I'm not sure what Meres would do. He's much better educated than Callan, and he can speak several languages, so perhaps he could work as an editor/translator at a small publishing company? Or he might worm his way into security at a local casino, where he'd keep an eye on the blackjack tables or something. That would keep him entertained for... oh, at most a week, LOL. Then, Meres would go looking for adventure, or adventure would come knocking on his door, as I imagine an organized crime syndicate entrenched in the city.

Another thing that they'd need to consider is income. I mean, McCall is implied to be independently wealthy, but Callan certainly isn't, and Meres can't live off his family inheritance anymore. They'd run through their stash of "fuck off" cash quickly. Callan would be like McCall, only charging a nominal fee for his Equalizer services, and then not even collecting half the time, much to Meres's continued annoyance XD. Every time Callan complains about Meres's dodgy nightclub/casino, Meres reminds Callan that he's basically the sugar daddy in this relationship, LOL. I foresee many a lover's quarrel ;)

From:

potentiality_26

I'm still working on the logistics of the road trip part, and the money, but I imagine Meres has a fair amount hidden away (despite his "expensive" tastes) because he's got to have noticed at this point that he's everyone's favorite person to pin treachery on and that one day they're probably going to make it stick. Still, he and Callan would indeed run out fairly quickly- leading to so much bickering about money lol.

I can definitely imagine Callan working as a bookkeeper again, and Meres running afoul of the mob with said dodgy nightclub/casino. Which means there could also be Callan being taken for the harmless boyfriend and kidnapped. Which means in turn that Meres, after having a grand old time being the damsel in distress several times before, finds out that he does not like having the shoe on the other foot At All (in other words, his behavior after Callan gets taken in "Death of a Hunter" x10).