Dear MCU AU Fest writer,

[subjunctive]

Thank you so much for writing for me! I really love AUs as a trope, both alternate settings and canon divergences, because it's such a great way to explore different possibilities for characters and relationships.

Something approaching canon characterization is important to me, though: even if they're not in exactly the same situation as in canon, hopefully the characters have the same motivations and personality. For example, even if they're not Asgardians, Loki and Thor should always be adopted siblings who grew up together and have lots of angst and family drama. Even if she's not an astrophysicist and works at an, idk, garden center, Jane Foster should be some kind of work-obsessed expert with crackpot theories.

General likes: forced proximity, curtain fic/domestic fic, hurt/comfort, apocalypse/post-apocalyptic fic, post-apocalyptic curtainfic (lol), open endings, family dynamics, traveling and/or road trips, sex pollen, Groundhog Day stories, slow burns, stories about friendship, friends-to-lovers, friends-to-FWB-to-lovers, teamfic, and ethical quandaries. Plus all of the AUs I've listed, lol.

General dislikes: straight-up non-con/rape, kid fic/next gen/pregnancy fic, on-screen wedding ceremonies or marriage proposals, soulmates/True Love, and sexual appearances by non-sexual bodily fluids (non-sexual appearances are fine, if that makes sense).

I have zero preferences about ratings; fics I read regularly run the gamut from G to E. I would be happy to receive porn with or without plot. I'm cool with violence and horror, too. I'm a sucker for all character studies.

For any fusion prompts, I don't expect the plot of the original to dominate, so don't worry if you can't make that work. I would be more than happy for any fics to be set in the Curse Workers/Inception worlds with original plots and characterizations.

Feel free to combine any of my prompts or play with them some. Consider them jumping off points, not strict mandates. :)

My letter is organized by pairing.


Jane Foster/Loki
I really love this pairing when it's antagonistic, snarky, and/or dark. Plus, a mutual curiosity and intelligence paired with Jane's disregard for consequences sounds like it could yield some fun. Not so much interested in fluff here, although you could definitely do something healthier/stabler with alternate setting prompts or something set pre-Avengers. Any prompts that take The Avengers into account, maybe not so much (I have a hard time buying post-Avengers reformed Loki). In the latter case a relationship full of spite, hate, and mutual loathing-cum-attraction (not to mention self-loathing) would be awesome. In general, I love when they're forced into some proximity to each other and when Loki's plots concerning her don't turn out quite the way he expects.

Please don't Thor-bash or make jokes about how dumb he is. I heart Thor even while shipping Jane with other people.

AU - Curse Workers Fusion: Feel free to play around with this world, which I think is really inventive and interesting. Loki reminds me of Cassel quite a bit, but there are some significant differences too, especially w/r/t their respective family issues (and I don't think Jane is very much like Lila), so make whatever changes or develop an original plot/situation as you like.

AU - Post-Apocalypse: Jane and Loki at the end of the world! I love that they're stuck with each other and their complicated history but they're literally the last people they have to talk to. Canon background, please? Prefer no zombies, but contagion, Ragnarok, Thanos, everyone simply disappeared mysteriously, etc, all fine.

Canon AU - Characters Met Differently: How about Loki decided to pay her that visit? Without ending in the implied rape/torture/murder/however you interpreted that; but seduction is A+, especially if it's more difficult than he anticipated, not because of Thor, but because he's misjudged her in some way. Or invent some other way for them to meet pre-Thor 2.

Canon AU - Loki Fell To Earth: Whether he's trying to redeem himself or get revenge, it's all good to me. Daily life shenanigans, adventure fic, science-y stuff, road trips.

Canon AU - Time Travel: Either of them decides to time/dimension-hop to avert or cause disaster, or for some other plot. Or it happens by accident.



Loki/Melinda May
This was just an example I pulled out of my ass when I needed two characters who hadn't appeared together in canon. But then I was like ... I'd definitely read that. Melinda is badass, and she's much less risible than, say, Sif--very cool and collected--and in canon she and Loki would totally be playing each other; in alternate settings, some kind of reluctant allies or antagonistic partnership would be perfect.

AU - Inception fusion: I'd be happy with anything from casefic to character study to dreaming-related stuff, wherever your interests lie.

AU - Spies & Secret Agents: Partners working on an op or undercover, or maybe opposing sides/countries/organizations. Or how they pass the time on boring stakeouts.

AU - Yakuza: Maybe him as an undercover spy/detective, or both of them trying to bring down the organization.

Canon AU - Loki Fell To Earth: And encountered May somehow. ??? PROFIT.

Canon AU - Agents of SHIELD Team Formed Differently/Not Formed: Like in a Loki-fell-to-Earth situation, maybe she is assigned his case in lieu of joining the team.

Canon AU - Loki Didn't Let Go: And travels to earth and encounters May somehow! (LOL) Maybe it's his turn to be banished a la Thor, or his punishment is to assist Midgard (while having his own plans and motivations of course...).

Canon AU - Role Reversal: I'm thinking a Loki/Thor reversal where Loki was banished instead or some similar situation. OR a role reversal between May/Natasha, where May is the agent who works with the Avengers. I'm not sure she can do the vulnerability bit as well as Natasha, but I'm betting she could ensnare him pretty well in other ways.

Canon AU - Time Travel: Either of them decides to time/dimension-hop to avert or cause disaster, or for some other plot. Or it happens by accident.



Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov
I really liked their interactions in The Avengers and would love to see more of them. They were pretty tense and wary but feeling each other out in a way that said to me they could get along. I love that they both have "monsters" of their own from the past in common and can relate to each other on that level. Unlike some of the other pairings I've requested, I tend to see this one as healthy and stable (even if they have issues, like intimacy issues, to work past).

AU - Post-Apocalypse: How much do I love apocalypsefic? So much. Just prefer no zombies; anything else is OK. Would prefer for this to have canon background, even if you've set up the AU so they've never met or met differently.

Canon AU - Bruce Banner Imprisoned by Military: Maybe she's his favorite (or least favorite) agent to visit him, or she's his partner when they let him out on a mission, or she's the one who teaches him about calm (and handling your rage).

Canon AU - Loki Mindcontrolled Other Characters: Either or both of them would be fine - but recovery preferred over in-the-moment (although both in the same fic is equally good).

Canon AU - Loki Wins in The Avengers: Some kind of underground movement/resistance, maybe. How does Bruce/the Hulk deal with that? Could be crossed over with the mind control prompt if you want.

Canon AU - Characters Met Differently: Maybe Natasha is the handler on his case and brings him in (or tries to - maybe lets him go?).



Bruce Banner/Jane Foster
Bruce comes off so mild-mannered, but there's a quiet intensity to him, while Jane is curious and headstrong and throws caution to the wind but is easily derailed and goes totally blushy at a kiss on her hand. So I think it would be interesting to put them in a room together and see what comes out, plus their mutual love of science. Again, definitely a more positive relationship for me, although if you like you could convince me otherwise. (I'm easy like that.)

AU - Post-Apocalypse: How much do I love apocalypsefic? So much. Just prefer no zombies; anything else is OK. Would prefer canon background/Bruce as the Hulk, so change other story elements as needed to make an AU.

AU - Superhero High School: Something cute? Nerdy teenagers, science experiments, make outs under the bleachers, I will probably love it. How Jane got in I'm not sure - maybe being a certain level of genius is considered a power, or she goes to the genius school across the lake.

Canon AU - Loki Mindcontrolled Other Characters: Either or both of them would be fine - but recovery preferred over in-the-moment (although both in the same fic is equally good).

Canon AU - Loki Wins in The Avengers: Some kind of underground movement/resistance, maybe. How does Bruce/the Hulk deal with that? How does Jane fit in? (Feel free to include/not include Thor as you see fit. The only thing I don't want is Thor-bashing, or jokes about how dumb Thor is.)

AU - Steampunk: Something adventuresome and fun. Would prefer Bruce to still be the Hulk, even if through a different accident. Maybe Jane as some kind of crackpot inventor?

Canon AU - Bruce Banner Imprisoned by Military: Maybe they have to work together on some kind of project because they need both of these intellects (feel free to include Tony or any other Marvel super genius here). Maybe she wants to break him out. He might be conflicted though - doesn't want to be imprisoned, but still thinks it might be safer (and/or is Stockholmed).


I would also read anything, for any pairing, set in this gifset AU. I would also GIVE anything to read it.