donutsweeper | Yuletide Letter

First off, thank you for writing for me! Secondly, I almost feel like I should apologize because I know a lot of authors despise gen, but I'd really appreciate it if, for these requests, you leaned in that direction (in the sense that romance is not the main subject of the story).

In general I like stories that focus on character development and interactions, hurt/comfort, missing scenes, and plotty adventures. Humor, snappy dialog or snark are all wonderful. Canon type violence is fine as is background romance.

Graphic violence and rape can be a trigger of mine, so I'd appreciate if you did not include either in a story written for me.

The Big Valley Heath Barkley, Victoria Barkley

Canon never told us exactly why or when Heath started calling Victoria "Mother." A story that focused on that would be wonderful, but any story about the relationship between these two would be absolutely fantastic.

Ah, my perennial request. I love Big Valley, especially the first season. For such an old show it has, in general, held up very well. I was always amazed how gracious Victoria was with Heath; she truly came to consider him one of her sons (as is completely obvious by the end of the first season and the episode "By Force or Violence"). I'd love to see any story about these two but in particular something that focused on their relationship as mother and son. What made her open her heart up to him in that way? Why did he go from calling her Ma'am (as we see in "Boots With My Father's Name" and others) to Mother (as we see later in the first season like in "The Guilt Of Matt Burnell" or "The Invaders")? Also, something I've always wondered about Heath in relation to taking the Barkley name and finding his place with them was how (or if) his new family and new mother affected his feelings towards his biological mother and the women who raised him.

Boiled down, I love this show and there is very little fic for it, anything you write for it, especially focused on Heath, would be appreciated although please do not have him romantically paired with Victoria.

Luckily S1 of Big Valley is also available at hulu because it doesn't air too often anymore. Even luckier, many, many episodes have been uploaded by this user on youtube.

Heartland (TV) Ty Borden, Jack Bartlett

I love how Ty has gone from a begrudgingly accepted responsibility to almost a son to Jack. I've really enjoyed seeing how their relationship has grown and flourished as the show has progressed and I'd love to see more of it.

When I discovered this show I voraciously tore through all the episodes Netflix had. Yes, it's got a bit of a cheesy, Hallmark issue-of-the-week feel to it sometimes, but there is such a sweet, underlying feel to the show it reeled me in. Mostly I found myself drawn to the gruff parental figure, Jack and the troubled teen, Ty, who'd been offered guardianship during his probation at Heartland by Jack's recently killed daughter, Marion. Jack had little interest in Ty when the show opened, but let him stay and through various trials and tribulations we see him slowly opening up to Ty, accepting him into the family and maybe even beginning to love him like a son. Even when Ty briefly leaves when his absentee father reappears, Jack stays in contact and comes to his rescue and brings him back home despite getting flack for it from Amy and Lou (in "Ghost Horse"). He's so proud of Ty in "Step By Step" when he discovers Ty managed to get his GED but then worries the weather traps Amy and a very ill Ty at a remote cabin. Jack's feelings for Ty truly come out after Ty and Scott's plane goes down and the family goes searching the wilderness for them ("Eye of the Wolf") and later, after Jack insists on accompanying Ty on a mission spread his father's ashes, Jack faces almost losing him after a serious motorcycle crash in "Aftermath".

Basically, I think Heartland is a very underrated show that has no fandom and basically no fic and Ty and Jack's relationship deserves to be delved into and I'm sure I'll love anything that's written about it although I ask to not write their relationship as sexual in nature.

Seasons 1-5 are up on Netflix streaming and huluplus.

Nero Wolfe - Rex Stout Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe

While one of the things I absolutely love about these stories is seeing the mysteries unfold through Archie's eyes, it would be really interesting to see one through Nero Wolfe's point of view instead. What does Wolfe think about sending Archie and the others off into danger on a regular basis? Does he get frustrated when they fail to return with the information he needs? How would he react to Archie getting hurt or missing a check-in? Gen please.

I love the Nero Wolfe (both the books and the A&E series starring Maury Chaykin and Timothy Hutton) mysteries. I love how Archie's street smarts mix with Nero's brilliance and result in them solving even the most befuddling of cases. Rex Stout created such incredibly detailed characters as well as an amazingly detailed world for them to interact within.

It is through Archie's eyes that we see Nero Wolfe and how he lives and works and manages his orchids and cases and Rex Stout used that POV to his advantage. Reveals were more dramatic because Archie (and thus the readers) were missing vital details that Nero had ferreted out without Archie's assistance. And sometimes characters' motivations and actions surprised us because we had first viewed them through the lens of Archie's interpretation of what they were doing (a technique best used, perhaps, in "A Family Affair").

I would really love to read a story where that technique is turned on its head and we see things through Wolfe's point of view instead. What are Wolfe's reasons for keeping Archie (sometimes deliberately) out of the loop of some investigations? What does he do when Archie is off investigating? How does he feel when Archie is hurt? (Archie got shot in "The Twisted Scarf" aka "Disguise For Murder" after all, but canon just glosses over the injury.) I would absolutely love to see what Wolfe's brand of comfort in a h/c story was.

I'd appreciate if you kept this story gen in nature, while I think there is a deep abiding respect and care (if not love) for one another, I just don't see Archie and Wolfe's relationship to be romantic in nature.

Your local library might have the books (and many are available online here) and you can find the A&E mysteries here or on DVDs via Netflix or perhaps your library.

The Thing From Another World (1951) Captain Pat Hendry

I love old school, black and white scifi/horror movies and 'The Things From Another World' is one of the best. One of the draws for me is the interaction between the characters, especially between Capt. Hendry and his flight crew as well as the Captain and Nikki. What happens after the movie ends? Do Pat and Nikki live happily ever after? Does he and his men get in trouble for blowing up the UFO and destroying the creature? Or did they fail to burn all of Dr. Carrington's experiments and there's a new alien to face? Inquiring minds want to know!

This movie, which is in the public domain so can be found and watched online completely legally (as well as via other means), is one of the best examples of old scifi/horror out there in my opinion. There's suspense, wonderful characters, snappy dialogue, and clever writing all tied into a cold war allegorical plotty movie. I really don't know what to ask for besides what was in my optional details other than to say I'd be thrilled with any more adventures of these characters so if you have any ideas other than what I've suggested, please run with them.