Candy Hearts Exchange Letter 2023

[ceruleantactician]

Dear Creator,

Thank you so much for creating for me. I look forward to whatever you come up with! I am CeruleanTactician on AO3 as well. All my prompts are just suggestions. If you have an idea that you think will be great, as long as it respects my DNWs, go for it. If you need any clarifications, please don’t hesitate to send a question through the exchange mods.

I have gifts enabled on my AO3 account and would be happy to receive both fic and art treats.

Table of Contents

DNWs

General Likes

Art Likes

Crossover Fandom - Bayban (Blake’s 7) & Peri Brown & Sixth Doctor (Doctor Who 1963)

Doctor Who - General prompts

Doctor Who (1963) - Any Doctor & Susan Foreman, Third Doctor & Jo Grant, Third Doctor & Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, Fifth Doctor & Nyssa of Traken, Fifth Doctor/Tegan Jovanka, Peri Brown & Sixth Doctor, Sixth Doctor & The Valeyard, Melanie Bush & Seventh Doctor, Seventh Doctor & Ace McShane, Susan Foreman/Ace McShane

Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio) - Sixth Doctor & Charley Pollard, Sixth Doctor/Charley Pollard, Seventh Doctor & Ace McShane & Thomas "Hex" Schofield, Eighth Doctor & Charley Pollard, Eighth Doctor/Charley Pollard, Eighth Doctor & Ace McShane, Ninth Doctor & Nyssa of Traken

Doctor Who (2005) - Amy Pond & River Song, Missy & Bill Potts, Twelfth Doctor & Missy & Bill Potts, Twelfth Doctor & Bill Potts

The Godfather (1972 1974 1990) - Michael Corleone & Tom Hagen, Sonny Corleone & Tom Hagen, Vito Corleone & Tom Hagen

DNWs

• Age-play/de-aging
• Animal abuse/death
• Bodily waste/bodily fluid mentions (Exception: blood, tears)
• Explicit sex (implied/referenced is fine)
• First person POV except for epistolary
• Rape/non-con
• Unrequested sexual/romantic relationships involving canon characters (Exception: any canon relationships)
• The Godfather-specific DNW: Winegardner spin-off novels material, especially how Tom dies and the character of Nick Geraci (The Puzo and Falco novels are fine if you would like to include material from them.)

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General Likes

• 5+1 Things
• Amnesia
• Angst
• Backstory
• Canon divergence AUs
• Casefic/mission fic
• Character/relationship studies
• Complicated but ultimately loving relationships
• Crack taken seriously
• Darkfic
• Dramatic irony
• Dreams and nightmares
• Epistolary and usual formats
• Family
• Fix-its
• Fluff
• Friendship
• Ghosts
• Horror and/or general spookiness
• Happy, hopeful or bittersweet endings
• Humor
• Hurt/comfort
• Loyalty and trust
• Missing scenes
• Mistaken identity
• Outsider POV
• Redemption
• Telepathy
• Tenderness
• Third and second person POVs
• Time travel and time loops
• Undercover
• Whump
• Worldbuilding

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Art Likes

• Character portraits
• Cooking or having/sharing a meal
• Cozy/domestic scenes
• Cute animals, characters interacting with cute animals
• Fairytale-inspired AUs
• Falling asleep on someone’s shoulder
• Fighting side by side
• Flowers and flower symbolism
• Forehead kisses, face touching, kiss on the cheek, kissing someone’s hand, etc.
• Formal wear
• Historical fashion, costumes
• Hugs, hand holding
• Humor
• Hurt/comfort
• In-universe art - wanted poster, photo album, photo in a wallet, etc.
• Nature scenes
• Sharing a bed
• Tarot and tarot inspired
• Undercover

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Crossover Fandom

Bayban (Blake’s 7) & Peri Brown & Sixth Doctor (Doctor Who 1963)

The idea of Bayban meeting Six & Peri is just so delightful to me. I feel like it could be a lot of fun. The more Colin Bakers the merrier!

• Bayban and the Doctor keep getting mistaken for each other and it’s causing problems. Or perhaps they have to pretend to be the other for Reasons, à la “The Enemy of the World.” All the while Peri is just trying to keep up with all of it.
• Peri finds herself working with/for Bayban. Maybe she mistakes him for the Doctor, thinking that he’s having some latent regeneration amnesia and has gotten himself into some trouble because of it. Or another scenario!

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Doctor Who

Here are some general Doctor Who prompts:

• Canon-typical adventures. Stories that capture the wonder/weirdness of the DW universe.
• Time travel-focused stories, weird time travel stuff, time loops, TARDIS malfunctions, etc.
• Downtime between adventures, lighthearted disagreements, not-so-lighthearted disagreements, banter, enjoying each other’s company on the TARDIS, on a trip.
• Hurt/comfort - I am a sucker for hurt/comfort and you honestly cannot go wrong with it. I am totally fine with hurt!Doctor or hurt!companion or both!
• Fae Time Lords, Eldritch Time Lords/Dr Nyarlathotep.
• Meetings between unexpected Doctors and companions.

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Doctor Who (1963)

Any Doctor & Susan Foreman

I would love to see more about the Doctor and Susan! I think that their relationship has a ton of unexplored potential. The Doctor has had many companions over the years, but only one granddaughter.

• I love the headcanon that the reason why the Doctor left Gallifrey was at least partially to protect Susan. I would love something exploring that.
• One of Susan and the Doctor’s early visits to Earth. Maybe something in the early days after they left Gallifrey, where Susan and the Doctor are still relatively unfamiliar with Earth culture/history. And maybe somehow Susan ends up being the more with more knowledge of what’s going on, and is able to clear up some misunderstandings.
• An AU where the Doctor ends up visiting Susan after over the years across his various incarnations, either surreptitiously or otherwise. Or maybe an AU where a different Doctor (other than Eight in the Big Finish audios) is the one to keep his promise to return to her after leaving her behind on Earth.
• A companion of your choice finds out that the Doctor has a granddaughter who he’s avoiding visiting, and demands that the Doctor go visit her.
• Perhaps at some point Susan decides life on Earth isn’t for her and starts traveling again after her husband passes. Which leads to an older and wiser Susan unexpectedly meeting her grandfather again, who has also changed in their time apart.

Third Doctor & Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart

I love how despite how much Three complains about the Brigadier he obviously has a lot of respect for him. And matter how exasperated the Brig can get, he has a lot of respect for the Doctor and is always willing to help him. I love that despite the genuine differences they have, the mutual trust and friendship that forms between them that lasts far beyond the Third Doctor.

• The Doctor and the Brigadier find themselves separated from the rest of UNIT in potentially hostile territory and have to rely on each other to survive. Perhaps during one of the periods where Three was without a usual companion, like between Liz and Jo or Jo and Sarah. How do they get out of this situation while only being able to rely on each other?
• The Brigadier finds himself accidentally brought along on another trip in the TARDIS some time after the Doctor gets his freedom back in The Three Doctors. He’s not pleased. I imagine that Jo (or Sarah) would try to cheer him up and get him to try to play along and have an adventure, but Alistair isn’t that good at being the typical companion…
• Three flies the TARDIS back to UNIT after another adventure, but, whoops, he’s off by a few years and runs into a very much retired Brigadier from sometime after “Battlefield”. What does Alistair think about seeing “his” Doctor again after all this time?

Third Doctor & Jo Grant

These two! Jo’s relationship with Three is so cute and I love it so much. He is so obviously so very fond of her, and that fondness can smooth over some of his more abrasive tendencies. And I love Jo’s bravery, kindness, and her dedication to the Doctor.

• Jo tries to cheer up the Doctor when he's moping about his exile. Alternatively: the Doctor notices Jo is upset about something and tries to cheer her up.
• Hurt/comfort! One of them gets really hurt and the other is forced both to help them and to deal with the feelings that seeing them hurt brings up.
• At her urging, the Doctor agrees to teach Jo some Venusian aikido. How does it go?
• Three and Jo have to go undercover somewhere to take down a bad guy’s operation.
• Jo meets “her” Doctor again years after she leaves UNIT to get married. What is it like for her to see him again? What is it like for Three to see Jo’s future?

Fifth Doctor & Nyssa of Traken

Castrovalva was my first Classic Who story, so Team Five always holds a special place in my heart. I especially love Five’s solo adventures with Nyssa in the Big Finish audios- Circular Time especially holds a special place in my heart. Your work doesn’t have to be in the period where they’re traveling alone together in between Time-Flight and Arc of Infinity, though it could be, so feel free to include Tegan, Adric or Turlough!

The relationship between Five and Nyssa has always been so interesting. They’re actually both very similar people- very knowledgeable and science focused, not always great with people skills but still very dedicated to helping others. In regards to Nyssa specifically, I love how despite losing everything, she still manages to be principled and compassionate. I also love her love of science and her relationship with Tegan.

• I would love to see anything that talks about Nyssa’s experiences with mourning her family and her planet and the Doctor trying to support her with this enormous loss. Maybe something with Nyssa trying to keep the memory of Traken alive, of dealing with grief of this magnitude, of dealing with cultural differences with her fellow traveling companions, or really anything.
• Hurt/comfort! One of them gets really hurt and the other is forced both to help them and to deal with the feelings that seeing them hurt brings up.
• Five and Nyssa have to go undercover somewhere to take down a bad guy’s operation.
• Accidental child acquisition. I feel like these two having to temporarily take care of a human or alien child would be amusing.

Fifth Doctor/Tegan Jovanka

Tegan is prickly and snarky but she obviously cares about the Doctor and grows to enjoy traveling with him before things go bad. And the Doctor is obviously fond of her as well. How does Tegan deal with developing feelings for a ridiculous, celery-wearing alien? How does the Doctor feel about developing feelings for his ill-tempered human companion?

• Fake dating/marriage. If you aren’t familiar with Time in Office, it’s a Big Finish audio story about the Doctor being called back to Gallifrey to serve as Lord President after he runs off in “The Five Doctors,” with Tegan and Leela along for the ride. In the audio, Leela (who is very excited about this idea) suggests that Tegan and the Doctor get married so Tegan doesn’t get her memory erased and sent back to Earth by Gallifreyan immigration authorities. So I am forever in love with a Time in Office AU where the Doctor and Tegan actually do get married for immigration purposes, although any other fake dating/marriage AU would be welcome!
• Hurt/comfort! One of them gets really hurt and the other is forced both to help them and to deal with the feelings that seeing them hurt brings up.
• Honestly, these guys just go through so much in canon. I like angst, but would also be more than happy with a cute, fluffy pining and get together fic.
• “The Power of the Doctor” was such beautiful closure to Five and Tegan’s story that I never imagined that we would get. I would love to see something post-”Power”, where perhaps Tegan has another encounter with her Doctor, either as AI or a ghost or some other form.

Peri Brown & Sixth Doctor

What I love about Sixie is despite all the bombasity and theatrics, he really does care about people, especially his friends. He and Peri are so fun and interesting together. Despite the rocky start to their relationship, I really do love Six & Peri as a duo. When their arguing doesn’t get too pointed, they are honestly one of the funniest Doctor Who duos. And there is obviously a deep mutual care that binds their friendship together even from the beginning.

As for Peri herself- I love how she is allowed to be frightened and snarky but also has a deep inner strength that never fails her when she knows that she’s doing the right thing. (“So what? I’m Perpugilliam Brown, and I can shout just as loud as you can!”)

• I would love something about their relationship in the early days after The Twin Dilemma and why Peri stays with the Doctor despite everything that happens.
• Hurt/comfort - Peri and the Doctor get into a bad situation and their reactions prove how much they care for each other.
• Peri and the Doctor have to go undercover somewhere to take down a bad guy’s operation.
• If you address the events of Mindwarp, I would prefer that Peri hadn’t died for real. Though if you are familiar with the Big Finish audios The Widow’s Assassin or Peri and the Piscon Paradox, either of those explanations would be good as well.

Sixth Doctor & The Valeyard

I’m ready to see the Doctor and the Valeyard bring new meaning to the term self-hatred. Really, I just want to see any excuse for these two to interact more. Feel free to include all of the weird EU explanations or headcanons about the origins of the Valeyard, or just keep it ambiguous.

• Perhaps some offscreen interactions between the Doctor and the Valeyard during The Trial of a Time Lord. Perhaps during a court recess? What does the Doctor think of the Valeyard and how early on does the Doctor start to pick up on how strangely personal the Valeyard’s vendetta against him seems?
• The Doctor and the Valeyard get stuck somewhere together and have to work together to survive. Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Will the Valeyard inevitably betray the Doctor? And can the Doctor manage to get a straight answer on the Valeyard’s origins.
• Worried about becoming the Valeyard in the future post-Trial and trying to figure out the truth behind his original, the Doctor is haunted (you can choose how literal this is) by the Valeyard.
• The Valeyard gets hurt. It’s probably his own fault, but the Doctor can’t just leave him to die, can he?

Melanie Bush & Seventh Doctor

I love both of Seven’s TV companions, but I would love to see Mel get some more appreciation! Mel is so fun and smart and enthusiastic but also aware of the dangers she’s facing while traveling with the Doctor. Her and Seven’s TV stories were fairly light (at least in comparison to Seven and Ace's), so I would love to see something darker for them, maybe a chance for Seven to be more calculating than he usually was in Season 24. (Canon-typical Season 24 light-hearted shenanigans are also good, I am also a card-carrying Season 24 apologist! Yes, even Time and the Rani!)

• What did Mel think of the Doctor’s new style and personality after his regeneration? How did she get used to him and how different he is from the Time Lord she knew? How did it change their relationship? And did she observe the Doctor slowly becoming more comfortable with his new persona?
• I am totally here for bad things happening to the Doctor and Mel. Write me a whump or hurt/comfort scenario and I will be very happy. Maybe a mission gone wrong? Maybe Seven’s manipulations backfire/lead them into a situation that’s too much for them to handle?
• I would absolutely love a Mel and the Doctor accidental/undercover as married/fake marriage comedy of errors story. Though I want their relationship to stay platonic, I would love a story where the trust and care Mel and the Doctor have for each other and the importance of their friendship is highlighted via the fake dating/marriage trope.
• Mel and the Doctor have to go undercover somewhere to take down a bad guy’s operation.
• The Doctor is unexpectedly reunited with Mel, and finds she’s been up to some surprising things after she left in Dragonfire…

Seventh Doctor & Ace McShane

Seven and Ace- what’s not to love about them? It’s a complicated and weird relationship but there's also genuinely so much care, loyalty and trust there. I love how Ace has A Lot Of Issues and the Doctor kind of helps her but sometimes also ends up traumatizing her further? I would love a story that also explores some of the issues in their relationship- the trust issues, the manipulations, Ace’s past traumas. A lighter story focused on their friendship would also be great as well.

• Post-Dragonfire, a still adjusting Ace learns that she won’t be abandoned at the first convenient moment and that she can trust the Doctor.
• I am totally here for bad things happening to the Doctor and Ace. Maybe a mission gone wrong? Maybe the TARDIS team finds an ancient evil/eldritch being like Fenric or the Gods of Ragnarok, but the evil ends too great for them? Maybe Seven’s manipulations backfire/lead them into a situation that’s too much for them to handle? Or Ace goes too far on a mission and ends up in over her head and the Doctor has to help her out?
• Hurt/comfort! One of them gets really hurt and the other is forced to deal with the feelings that brings up.
• Ace and the Doctor have to go undercover somewhere to take down a bad guy’s operation.
• AU where Ace leaves the Doctor on better terms. They stay in touch while Ace is at the Academy on Gallifrey.

Susan Foreman/Ace McShane

Ace meets a weird anxious alien girl who also happens to be the Doctor’s granddaughter. Susan meets a cool girl who likes to blow stuff up. What’s not to like? Feel free to have them either both be teens or both be adults in your fic, but no adult/underage relationship please!

• Susan and Ace meet sometime after they both leave the Doctor. Perhaps Ace is still traveling and makes it to the future Earth of Susan’s time? Or perhaps Ssuan decided to return to adventuring on her own at some point after the Doctor left her?
• Ace and Susan have to work together to save the day during a multi-Doctor story. I would love to see Ace being initially disbelieving at Susan being the granddaughter of the Doctor but in the end trying to help Susan build up her confidence.
• Due to some timey-wimeyness, Ace ends up going to the Time Lord Academy at the same time as a young Susan before she ran away with the Doctor. I imagine them both being somewhat outcasts- Susan for her strangeness and Ace for her humanness.
• I think once the Doctor got over his initial surprise, he would be really supportive.

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Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)

Sixth Doctor & or / Charley Pollard

I love their dynamic and all of the ways it’s different from her and Eight’s dynamic (and the ways that it’s similar!). I love the fact that Six knows that she’s lying to him but he grows to care for her anyways. I would love anything that plays with the fact that the usual Doctor-companion dynamic don't really apply to their relationship- in this case, Charley is the one who knows more and holds the cards, while Six is the one discovering new things about the mysterious person he's traveling with, sometimes unsure of who she is and what her motivations are.

• I would love to see some hurt/comfort for these two - I’m totally fine with hurt!Charley, hurt!Doctor, or even both of them hurt. I would love to see how the secrets Charley is keeping throughout most of their relationship cause a bad situation to get even more difficult - or maybe how they overcome that and care for each other in spite of the secrets that lie between them. If you want to go with hurt!Charley, I'm always here for the fact that whenever Charley is hurt/in danger, Six stops caring about finding out what she's hiding (and even sometimes starts calling her Charley!)
• I’m also totally here for Charley having some complicated one-sided feelings for Six- he’s not the man she fell in love with… but also he is??? All the while she’s dealing with her grief over Eight, But I’m also here for Sixie developing some feelings for her as well, despite the fact that he knows that she’s not telling him everything.
• A fix-it for the Mila and/or the Viryans situation. What if Six found out the truth about Charley under better circumstances or Charley managed to tell him the truth earlier? Even if they still end up parting, I would love for it to be under a kinder set of circumstances.

Seventh Doctor & Ace McShane & Thomas "Hex" Schofield

This trio has such a great dynamic in the audios, and they explore a lot of interesting concepts together. I love the relationship between them and how the addition of Hex changes the Ace-Doctor dynamic. Hex starts out as a relatively normal person on the outside of Ace and the Doctor’s weirdness but is also inexorably drawn into it. I love how Ace and Hex tease each other but also obviously care for each other a lot. And I love how much the Doctor cares for Ace and Hex, even if he isn’t always honest with them.

• I am totally here for bad things happening to Ace, Hex and the Doctor. Maybe a mission gone wrong? Maybe the TARDIS team finds an ancient evil/eldritch being like Fenric or the Gods of Ragnarok, but the evil ends too great for them? I would also be very happy to see another encounter with our old friend Nobody No-One. Or maybe Seven’s manipulations backfire/lead them into a situation that’s too much for them to handle?
• For any Hex-focused fic, I would love to see an exploration of how he fits into the Ace-Doctor dynamic. Perhaps Hex feels on the outside of Ace and the Doctor’s already established relationship? But then he gets in trouble and Ace and the Doctor prove how much they care about him.
• I love love love hurt/comfort stories. I would love to see Ace and Hex working together to help a hurt Doctor. Perhaps the Doctor gets hurt trying to protect Ace and Hex and tries to act confident and pretend to be invulnerable until he can’t anymore? One of the things about the Doctor is that he always seems invulnerable and one step ahead of everyone else… until he’s not. For hurt Ace and/or Hex, I would also love a guilty Doctor trying to protect his companions from further harm after they get hurt. Basically, I would love to see these three in a bad situation but using their skills and their care for each other to make the best of it.
• So, “Protect and Survive” was an incredible story… but I would have loved to see a more direct look at the aftermath of it! I know for story reasons that was impossible, but I would love to see an AU where there could be more of a reckoning for it. Accidentally abandoning your friends to suffer and repeatedly die in your Nuclear Armageddon Time Loop Hell Prison is not cool, Doctor!

Eighth Doctor & or / Charley Pollard

I really love these two! I love how Eight can be anything from sweet and energetic to more dark and moody. And Charley - I love her kindness and her positivity. I also love how much she enjoys adventuring and her and how her and the Doctor's bond remains unbreakable despite everything they go through in canon.

• Their early stuff is just so incredibly sweet. Despite the inherently doomed nature of any Doctor/Companion romance, I found myself really rooting for them in their early audios. Of course things got a lot darker after “Neverland”/”Zagreus”/”Scherzo”, but I would always love to see lighter moments from their earlier adventures. I'm also always up for quieter moments in between adventures on the TARDIS.
• I have noticed that Big Finish is quite big on hurt, but not that big on comfort, so I would love some hurt/comfort with these two. I’m totally fine with hurt!Charley, hurt!Doctor, or even both of them hurt
• I would also love to see Doctor Who take on a gothic romance kind of story. Maybe something with a vampire!Eight AU? (I feel like Charley would totally be into vampire!Eight…) A more silly/cracky take on this would also be great! Also feel free to go with any kind of fantasy/dark fantasy/fairytale AU.
• I would love love love to see an Eight and Charley reunion! Feel free to go in a fluffy direction with this, or an angsty direction. If angsty, I would love to see this combined with an Eight is the War Doctor AU. How would Charley react to seeing her Doctor put into this awful position? How would Eight react to seeing Charley again after all this time, during his darkest hour? Would Charley interact with the Time War in interesting ways, given her time-wimey history as a (former) living paradox?

Eighth Doctor & Ace McShane

It would probably be at least a little bit of a disaster, but I would love to see these two meet. So much of Eight’s character is a reaction to what he sees as he did wrong in his previous incarnation, and how he treated and sometimes used Ace is probably one of his biggest regrets. On Ace’s side, I would love a story where Ace has to deal with this new Doctor after parting ways with Seven under not the best terms and dealing with that mixture of grief and guilt.

• Ace and Eight meet for the first time and it takes an embarrassingly long amount of time for Ace to accept that this flighty Victorian cosplayer is the same man as her Doctor.
• All the while Ace is still dealing with mourning “her” Doctor and the fact that they will never be able to reconcile like Ace thought they would.
• Eight checks up on Ace while she’s at the Time Lord academy on Gallifrey.

Ninth Doctor & Nyssa of Traken

I love past companions encountering Nine and almost immediately being able to see that something is very off. And of course Nyssa would understand better than anyone what it’s like to be the last of your kind.

• Nyssa meets the Doctor again and almost immediately realizes that something terrible has happened to him. Would the Doctor be able to admit what happened to Gallifrey when talking to the one person in the universe who could understand what he’s going through?
• I would love it if the fact that post-Terminus Nyssa played a humanitarian role on a hospital ship during the Time War comes up (in the Big Finish audio A Heart on Both Sides) but you don’t need to include that if it doesn’t work for your story.

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Doctor Who (2005)

Amy Pond & River Song

I would love to see something about Amy and River! They never really had a chance to have a traditional mother and daughter relationship, but I love that they were able to have a relationship in their own way.

• River and Amy rebuild their relationship after the truth comes out about Mels/Melody.
• River reflecting on her complicated relationship with her mother.
• River takes Amy on a trip without Rory or the Doctor.
• River does something special for Amy for mother’s day.
• Amy and River find a way to keep in touch after The Angels Take Manhattan.

Twelfth Doctor & Bill Potts

Bill!!! Definitely one of the most relatable, down to Earth companions in the TARDIS to date. And Twelve was IMO at his best in Series 10. I fell in love with their relationship from that moment in The Pilot where he goes back in time to get pictures of her mother for her. He cares about her so much and their friendship really makes Series 10 for me.

• Bill trying to balance her normal life with her Weird Tutor Stuff.
• Bill goes to the Doctor for dating advice. The Doctor is not really that good at dating, or giving advice for normal problems. It’s an issue.
• Bill finds out about something strange from the Doctor’s past. Bonus points if it’s stuff regular Doctor Who viewers have context for, while Bill is just like ???
• Bill reflects on her relationship with the Doctor, during the events of The Doctor Falls or after when she’s with Heather.

Missy & Bill Potts, Twelfth Doctor & Missy & Bill Potts

Missy was such a great addition to the Series 10 TARDIS team, so I would love to see more of her with Bill and maybe also Twelve! Feel free to include Nardole as well if you’d like.

• It was a shame that Missy only got to participate in one adventure before things fell apart in World Enough and Time. More adventures set between The Eaters of the Light and World Enough and Time would be lovely.
• Bill and Missy become separated from the Doctor on an adventure and Bill has to figure out how much she can trust Missy. All the while Missy is acting like her usual self.
• The Doctor and Missy have a disagreement on a legitimate moral dilemma while on an adventure and Bill, very uncomfortably, finds herself agreeing with Missy.
• Missy having complicated feelings about her friendship with Bill while she was the Simm Master, during the events of World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls. Maybe as Missy she can acknowledge that her friendship with Bill wasn’t all manipulation…

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The Godfather (1972 1974 1990)

Michael Corleone & Tom Hagen

Tom, you’re my brother. / I always wanted to be thought of as a brother by you, Mikey, a real brother. - The Godfather Part II

Michael and Tom’s relationship is so interesting and complicated. They have very similar personalities, but Michael has that edge of ruthlessness that Tom can’t totally match. Still, even as Michael goes down a darker path in Part II, he always has Tom to count on for absolute loyalty, even if Michael isn’t always appreciative of that loyalty.

• Tom and Michael always seemed to understand each other better than the other brothers because of their similar personalities. I imagine that was true even when they were younger. What does Michael think of Tom after Sonny brings him home?
• Hurt/comfort after Michael gets his jaw broken by McCluskey in Part I. Or after Tom’s kidnapping. Or another H/C scenario of your choosing!
• Part II - Tom’s reaction to the attempted assassination on Michael.
• Why does Tom choose to stay with the Family despite Michael’s increasing paranoia and poor treatment of him towards the end of Part II? And what is his reaction to finding out that Michael had Fredo killed? How is their relationship rebuilt as Michael becomes more and more isolated (or how do they drift further apart)?

Sonny Corleone & Tom Hagen

“When Hagen had entered the room Sonny had come rushing to embrace him. Michael realized with a faint twinge of jealousy that in many ways Sonny and Tom Hagen were closer than he himself could ever be to his own brother.” - The Godfather novel.

I love that Sonny just found an orphan boy living on the streets and decided to take him home and ask his dad if he could keep him. And Tom responded, okay, I am going to be loyal to you for the rest of my life. They have one of, if not the closest bond in the Corleone family and I just love their relationship and have so many feelings about it.

• Any look at their childhood. How did the household react when the family first took Tom in? How did Tom get used to being a part of the family? How did Vito’s business affect their childhood? Did Sonny and Tom know at a young age that they wanted to be a part of it? Do they ever learn about why Vito came to America, his history with the murder of his family by the Mafia in Sicily?
• A look at Sonny and Tom’s early careers in the Family and how that shaped their relationship. For Sonny - How did he begin working for his father? What did Tom think of it (presumably he was still at university/law school at the time)? How did Sonny gain his reputation for having a short fuse and for violence? For Tom- how and why did he approach Vito to start working for the Family? How was he treated by other members of the Family - were some reluctant to trust him because of Tom’s non-Italian heritage? Did Sonny ever have to defend him? What legal work, shady or otherwise, did Tom do for the Family? How did he start to be considered for the consigliere position?
• As teens or young adults, Tom and Sonny go on a trip together. Can be a “business”-related or not. (Perhaps to Sicily?) How do the two interact when away from their family? What kind of trouble would they run into?
• Outsider POV on Sonny and Tom. Maybe from one of the Corleone button men, maybe from a civilian outsider. Maybe from a member of another Family, wondering about the history between the Don Corleone’s firstborn son and heir apparent and an Irish kid?
• Sonny comforting Tom after his kidnapping in Part I—maybe an AU where it got physical and Tom was tortured? Other hurt/comfort scenarios are welcome as well. I am always here whump and/or H/C.
• An AU where Sonny and Tom help Connie “deal with” her abusive husband. Interpret “deal with” as you like.
• An AU where Sonny avoids his death on the tollway. How do Sonny and Tom’s lives change?
• Tom mourning Sonny after his death. They were so close so I always imagine that Sonny’s death strongly affected him, even years later. I do like ghosts/stories with supernatural elements, so feel free to go in that direction if you’d like.

Vito Corleone & Tom Hagen

“Your boss is dead,” Sollozzo said. He paused, surprised at the tears that sprang to Hagen’s eyes. - The Godfather novel.

Vito is the closest thing Tom has to a father, even if he never takes on the role officially. I’d love something that focused on their relationship.

• So after Sonny brought Tom home, why did Vito agree to take him in? What was Vito’s thought process there?
• More on Tom’s perspective on Vito. It’s clear that he respects and loves him and thinks of him as a father. How and why did he approach Vito to start working for the Family instead of pursuing a career as a legitimate lawyer? How was he treated by other members of the Family - were some reluctant to trust him because of Tom’s non-Italian heritage? What legal work, shady or otherwise, did Tom do for the Family? How did he start to be considered for the consigliere position?
• As the Corleones’ lawyer and later consigliere, what kind of things did Vito ask Tom to do? What was a typical day like?
• Post-Sonny’s death. Mourning together.

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