Hockey Exchange Letter
Feb. 19th, 2016 08:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ionthesparrowHello friends, here we go...
General Stuff:
* I’m really, really easy to please, I swear. I’m excited about the idea of any kind of fic about any of the people/pairings I’ve requested. I also really enjoy reading stories that people enjoyed writing, so if you have a story in mind, or something you’ve wanted to write for awhile, or an idea that seizes you – run with that. The ideas and suggestions below are just for if you want them or need inspiration, okay?
* I love stories that experiment with storytelling or POV or structure, or that try something new. So if you have an idea you’ve been wanting to try out, but haven’t had the opportunity – go for it.
* I don’t, in general, have any “OTPs”, so feel free to re-interpret the pairings listed below however you like. I love gen and friendship stories AND sex/romance stories. Feel free to put characters in relationships with other people, give them histories, break them up, whatever.
* I’m really into the minor leagues, and stories about the minor leagues right now (as the pairings I’ve picked might suggest). So, while I would prefer stories that are set in a hockey-based universe, I am totally open to hockey AUs, as in: what-if AUs, what does hockey look like in the future? Or what if only one of them plays hockey? What does hockey look like in space? What does hockey look like + soul bonds? What does hockey look like + daemons? What does hockey look like + magic? (that said, what’s important to me in hockey stories is team and family and competition and personal growth – so if you really want to write a non-hockey AU and you can transfer those elements, I’ll be happy)
* I’m cool with real life family members and partners appearing in fic, I just ask that they’re treated respectfully and with sympathy
Things I tend to avoid in fic:
* Always-A-Girl AUs. PWPs. Stories that center around weddings or child-rearing
Pairing specific stuff!
Nick Bjugstad/Kyle Rau/Mike Matheson/Emily Pfalzer
the boys
and Emily
The first of these isn’t a pairing at all! It’s kind of like… two pairings, for the price of one. Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau are as close to an OTP as I get. Would you like to know about them? There is so much, start here:
And also here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and finally here.
here they are looking young and adorable
And then you have Mike Matheson and Emily Pflalzer, who are one of hockey’s greatest, most adorable power couples. Matheson is Kyle’s teammate on the AHL Portland Pirates (they live together!)
And they were called up to Florida at the same time (and then I died). But when Mike is not busy playing on his own team, he is a hardcore, supportive cheerleader of Emily in her career with the Buffalo Beauts.
(Also this, this is important)
the handsome couple
It’s a lot. I know. I would love a story about the four of them figuring out the dynamics of their relationship(s). Do Kyle & Mikey hook up while they’re both in Portland? Do Mikey & Emily support Kyle while he pines for Nick from afar? Does Nick have to navigate jealousy or insecurity about the fact that the three of them are in the northeast while he’s busy playing in the NHL in Florida? All four of them were in Florida for Kyle & Mikey’s NHL debut, what was that like?
Here's what Nick said for Kyle's NHL debut:
This is so much
Or, maybe you want to play with the universe a little bit? Maybe Kyle and Emily play in a co-ed league together. Or maybe Nick & Emily do. Or maybe Nick and Mikey are a full-time cheering section. Or the equipment guy and the stats savant. Or maybe someone has a career-ending injury. The possibilities are endless!
Basically, I’m interested in relationship dynamics. Pining, from both near and far. Life in the minor leagues. Poly negotiation. Rookie/call-up nerves. Prickly/pesty Kyle Rau. Super-supportive boyfriend Mikey Matheson. Possessive ray-of-sunshine Nick Bjugstad. Resident pint-sized badass Emily Pflazer.
What I’m not looking for is nonconsensual infidelity or explicit, PWP gang bangs. Sorry?
Shea Theodore/Brandon Montour
the great defensive hope of Anaheim
sleeper pick
These two are talented rookies on the San Diego Gulls – Anaheim’s affiliate. I like them because they’re two very talented kids on what was a struggling team (they’re getting better). They’re both Canadian, but with different backgrounds: WHL vs college hockey. But what originally inspired wanting fic about them, was this article about trains.
“I’ve never been on a train before” would be such a great first line. And THEN what happens? What are Shea and Brandon’s train adventures like? Is it a train between universes? Do they bond on the train? Is the train magic? Does the train enter a portal of space and time? Basically, the weirder the better.
Dylan Olsen/Connor Brickley
Dylan Olsen’s mental health is so important to me. His dad played minor league hockey. Dylan was traded. He’s struggled in the NHL for anxiety-related reasons, and he basically disappeared last season, before it was eventually revealed he took a sort of sabbatical to get himself together.
Dylan is so bad at taking pictures, but so soft and lovely
He’s spent most of this season down in the AHL, and I need to know how he’s doing. Is he okay? Is he making friends? Does he like Portland? Who is he bros with? Is he finding some kind of happiness?
Connor Brickley is a charming masshole bro.
here he is with a puppy named after Cam Neely, how can you resist that?
Connor Brickley has also bounced up and down between the AHL and NHL and battled injuries.
here he is with his two dads, Shawn Thornton and Derek Mackenzie
Connor Brickley can play the violin (or could, once). Connor Brickley loves dogs. Connor Brickley does nervous little dances on the bench before games. As such, I think he would be a perfect person to help Dylan settle. Bonus points for including light of my life, Kyle Rau. I would take all the teamfic about them. I would take first times or friendship. I would take any incarnation of a hockey universe you want to give me. Basically anything goes with this pairing, but I would love a happy (or at least optimistic) end for Dylan.
Dylan Olsen/Erik Gudbranson
Similar to above, except in this version, Dylan finds his happiness with Erik Gudbranson. He and Guddy were bros and frequent defensive partners during Dylan’s first stint with the Panthers. How does Erik handle Dylan disappearing? Or being sent down? Does his protective streak kick in?
There are a million pictures of Erik on the internet, because apparently Erik Gudbranson is an attractive man? Here is one:
for more, just google, I promise they’re out there.
They also had a very stoner-vibe together, and I have long joked that I want the story where they retire and start a hockey-themed weed dispensary. Do you want to write that story? I would love it if you wrote that story. But basically what I really want is Dylan finding some sort of happiness and stability, either in the NHL or the AHL, with Erik or long-distance. A million bonus points for Willie Mitchell providing mentorship, a home away from home and emotional support.
And, like above, super flexible as to what happens, as long as Dylan ends up happy or at least with things looking up.
Nick Shore/any Los Angeles King
the (not so) infamous Nick Shore
Okay, so the the long-running joke is that of all the rookies that LA has called up in the last couple years, Nick Shore is the least noteworthy. He doesn’t have the goal-scoring flash of Toffoli or Pearson. He doesn’t have Andreoff’s grit. He doesn’t have the promise of Mersch or make the terrifying mistakes that McNabb does (did. Mostly ‘did’ now, thank god)
But I love that. I love the idea of invisible Nick Shore finding a place for himself in LA. What does “the Shore boy” get up to in his off hours? Is he secretly really weird? I bet he is. Is he secretly a serial killer? MAYBE. You should feel free to write warm-and-fuzzy finding his place in the world TeamFic, and you should feel free to write super weird and dark stuff as well (is he Super Weird about his brother? I would be okay with that).
Basically I want to see Nick Shore stuggle. And maybe succeed? Hockey or not hockey AUs would be totally cool. Bringing other Kings in for team-centric fic always a plus. Seeming him worry about his place on the team would be great. Find out what it’s like to live with Tyler Toffoli, also great. Coming out or first times – always a plus.
Kyle Rau/any Portland Pirate
look at this dignified professional hockey player
Hi. Yes. I am Here For Kyle Rau. Because he’s a mouthy, tiny net-crashing pest on the ice, and a constantly-overwhelmed-looking quiet, shy soul off it. I have poured my head canon about what Kyle is like into the stories I’ve posted about him on AO3, but you should feel free to use as much or as little of that as you like.
I would love, love, love to see him settling into life in the minor leagues. Living outside of Minnesota for the first time. Making friends on the Pirates. Adjusting to being a pro player. Gen teamfic would be great, but you should feel free to pair him with someone on the team, too. Background or past or on-again-off-again Kyle/Nick Bjugstad is always welcome but not required. Coming out or first time are always a plus. Trying to meet expectations? Getting called up to Florida? Amazing.
Adrian Kempe/Paul Bissonnette
Okay, I’m going to paraphrase what I said when I requested this before – here goes:
When Adrian Kempe came over to play in North American for the Kings’ AHL affiliate Paul Bissonnette took him under his wing. And if you don’t think that’s great, I don’t know what to tell you.
Biz taught him all kinds of things, including apparently, how to chirp. Which is great. I find Biz fascinating, and especially his place on the Monarchs fascinating. When he was brought in, it was for very specific leadership-type reasons, and that’s sort of amazing and great to me. I also really love what he had to say in this Player’s Tribune piece, about how he feels about fighting for a teammate, and how he sees his role on a team.
So you know who Biz is, but if Adrian was quiet when he showed up in North America, he didn’t stay that way long. He is this kid:
yeah, he's that kid
He likes scoring goals. He likes hitting people. He likes talking shit on the ice. If you wanted to write a story where Biz feels guilty about crushing on a teenager who turns out to be not nearly as innocent as he believes? I would read the shit out of that story. If you wanted to write something about that debt/counterdebt of fighters protecting goal scorers. I would love that. Or vet/rookie power dynamic, and how that does or doesn’t spill over off the ice? That would be, um, great.
In conclusion, thank you so much for writing! I'm so excited to see what you come up with! <3
General Stuff:
* I’m really, really easy to please, I swear. I’m excited about the idea of any kind of fic about any of the people/pairings I’ve requested. I also really enjoy reading stories that people enjoyed writing, so if you have a story in mind, or something you’ve wanted to write for awhile, or an idea that seizes you – run with that. The ideas and suggestions below are just for if you want them or need inspiration, okay?
* I love stories that experiment with storytelling or POV or structure, or that try something new. So if you have an idea you’ve been wanting to try out, but haven’t had the opportunity – go for it.
* I don’t, in general, have any “OTPs”, so feel free to re-interpret the pairings listed below however you like. I love gen and friendship stories AND sex/romance stories. Feel free to put characters in relationships with other people, give them histories, break them up, whatever.
* I’m really into the minor leagues, and stories about the minor leagues right now (as the pairings I’ve picked might suggest). So, while I would prefer stories that are set in a hockey-based universe, I am totally open to hockey AUs, as in: what-if AUs, what does hockey look like in the future? Or what if only one of them plays hockey? What does hockey look like in space? What does hockey look like + soul bonds? What does hockey look like + daemons? What does hockey look like + magic? (that said, what’s important to me in hockey stories is team and family and competition and personal growth – so if you really want to write a non-hockey AU and you can transfer those elements, I’ll be happy)
* I’m cool with real life family members and partners appearing in fic, I just ask that they’re treated respectfully and with sympathy
Things I tend to avoid in fic:
* Always-A-Girl AUs. PWPs. Stories that center around weddings or child-rearing
Pairing specific stuff!
Nick Bjugstad/Kyle Rau/Mike Matheson/Emily Pfalzer
the boys
and Emily
The first of these isn’t a pairing at all! It’s kind of like… two pairings, for the price of one. Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau are as close to an OTP as I get. Would you like to know about them? There is so much, start here:
And also here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and finally here.
here they are looking young and adorable
And then you have Mike Matheson and Emily Pflalzer, who are one of hockey’s greatest, most adorable power couples. Matheson is Kyle’s teammate on the AHL Portland Pirates (they live together!)
And they were called up to Florida at the same time (and then I died). But when Mike is not busy playing on his own team, he is a hardcore, supportive cheerleader of Emily in her career with the Buffalo Beauts.
(Also this, this is important)
the handsome couple
It’s a lot. I know. I would love a story about the four of them figuring out the dynamics of their relationship(s). Do Kyle & Mikey hook up while they’re both in Portland? Do Mikey & Emily support Kyle while he pines for Nick from afar? Does Nick have to navigate jealousy or insecurity about the fact that the three of them are in the northeast while he’s busy playing in the NHL in Florida? All four of them were in Florida for Kyle & Mikey’s NHL debut, what was that like?
Here's what Nick said for Kyle's NHL debut:
This is so much
Or, maybe you want to play with the universe a little bit? Maybe Kyle and Emily play in a co-ed league together. Or maybe Nick & Emily do. Or maybe Nick and Mikey are a full-time cheering section. Or the equipment guy and the stats savant. Or maybe someone has a career-ending injury. The possibilities are endless!
Basically, I’m interested in relationship dynamics. Pining, from both near and far. Life in the minor leagues. Poly negotiation. Rookie/call-up nerves. Prickly/pesty Kyle Rau. Super-supportive boyfriend Mikey Matheson. Possessive ray-of-sunshine Nick Bjugstad. Resident pint-sized badass Emily Pflazer.
What I’m not looking for is nonconsensual infidelity or explicit, PWP gang bangs. Sorry?
Shea Theodore/Brandon Montour
the great defensive hope of Anaheim
sleeper pick
These two are talented rookies on the San Diego Gulls – Anaheim’s affiliate. I like them because they’re two very talented kids on what was a struggling team (they’re getting better). They’re both Canadian, but with different backgrounds: WHL vs college hockey. But what originally inspired wanting fic about them, was this article about trains.
“I’ve never been on a train before” would be such a great first line. And THEN what happens? What are Shea and Brandon’s train adventures like? Is it a train between universes? Do they bond on the train? Is the train magic? Does the train enter a portal of space and time? Basically, the weirder the better.
Dylan Olsen/Connor Brickley
Dylan Olsen’s mental health is so important to me. His dad played minor league hockey. Dylan was traded. He’s struggled in the NHL for anxiety-related reasons, and he basically disappeared last season, before it was eventually revealed he took a sort of sabbatical to get himself together.
Dylan is so bad at taking pictures, but so soft and lovely
He’s spent most of this season down in the AHL, and I need to know how he’s doing. Is he okay? Is he making friends? Does he like Portland? Who is he bros with? Is he finding some kind of happiness?
Connor Brickley is a charming masshole bro.
here he is with a puppy named after Cam Neely, how can you resist that?
Connor Brickley has also bounced up and down between the AHL and NHL and battled injuries.
here he is with his two dads, Shawn Thornton and Derek Mackenzie
Connor Brickley can play the violin (or could, once). Connor Brickley loves dogs. Connor Brickley does nervous little dances on the bench before games. As such, I think he would be a perfect person to help Dylan settle. Bonus points for including light of my life, Kyle Rau. I would take all the teamfic about them. I would take first times or friendship. I would take any incarnation of a hockey universe you want to give me. Basically anything goes with this pairing, but I would love a happy (or at least optimistic) end for Dylan.
Dylan Olsen/Erik Gudbranson
Similar to above, except in this version, Dylan finds his happiness with Erik Gudbranson. He and Guddy were bros and frequent defensive partners during Dylan’s first stint with the Panthers. How does Erik handle Dylan disappearing? Or being sent down? Does his protective streak kick in?
There are a million pictures of Erik on the internet, because apparently Erik Gudbranson is an attractive man? Here is one:
for more, just google, I promise they’re out there.
They also had a very stoner-vibe together, and I have long joked that I want the story where they retire and start a hockey-themed weed dispensary. Do you want to write that story? I would love it if you wrote that story. But basically what I really want is Dylan finding some sort of happiness and stability, either in the NHL or the AHL, with Erik or long-distance. A million bonus points for Willie Mitchell providing mentorship, a home away from home and emotional support.
And, like above, super flexible as to what happens, as long as Dylan ends up happy or at least with things looking up.
Nick Shore/any Los Angeles King
the (not so) infamous Nick Shore
Okay, so the the long-running joke is that of all the rookies that LA has called up in the last couple years, Nick Shore is the least noteworthy. He doesn’t have the goal-scoring flash of Toffoli or Pearson. He doesn’t have Andreoff’s grit. He doesn’t have the promise of Mersch or make the terrifying mistakes that McNabb does (did. Mostly ‘did’ now, thank god)
But I love that. I love the idea of invisible Nick Shore finding a place for himself in LA. What does “the Shore boy” get up to in his off hours? Is he secretly really weird? I bet he is. Is he secretly a serial killer? MAYBE. You should feel free to write warm-and-fuzzy finding his place in the world TeamFic, and you should feel free to write super weird and dark stuff as well (is he Super Weird about his brother? I would be okay with that).
Basically I want to see Nick Shore stuggle. And maybe succeed? Hockey or not hockey AUs would be totally cool. Bringing other Kings in for team-centric fic always a plus. Seeming him worry about his place on the team would be great. Find out what it’s like to live with Tyler Toffoli, also great. Coming out or first times – always a plus.
Kyle Rau/any Portland Pirate
look at this dignified professional hockey player
Hi. Yes. I am Here For Kyle Rau. Because he’s a mouthy, tiny net-crashing pest on the ice, and a constantly-overwhelmed-looking quiet, shy soul off it. I have poured my head canon about what Kyle is like into the stories I’ve posted about him on AO3, but you should feel free to use as much or as little of that as you like.
I would love, love, love to see him settling into life in the minor leagues. Living outside of Minnesota for the first time. Making friends on the Pirates. Adjusting to being a pro player. Gen teamfic would be great, but you should feel free to pair him with someone on the team, too. Background or past or on-again-off-again Kyle/Nick Bjugstad is always welcome but not required. Coming out or first time are always a plus. Trying to meet expectations? Getting called up to Florida? Amazing.
Adrian Kempe/Paul Bissonnette
Okay, I’m going to paraphrase what I said when I requested this before – here goes:
When Adrian Kempe came over to play in North American for the Kings’ AHL affiliate Paul Bissonnette took him under his wing. And if you don’t think that’s great, I don’t know what to tell you.
Biz taught him all kinds of things, including apparently, how to chirp. Which is great. I find Biz fascinating, and especially his place on the Monarchs fascinating. When he was brought in, it was for very specific leadership-type reasons, and that’s sort of amazing and great to me. I also really love what he had to say in this Player’s Tribune piece, about how he feels about fighting for a teammate, and how he sees his role on a team.
So you know who Biz is, but if Adrian was quiet when he showed up in North America, he didn’t stay that way long. He is this kid:
yeah, he's that kid
He likes scoring goals. He likes hitting people. He likes talking shit on the ice. If you wanted to write a story where Biz feels guilty about crushing on a teenager who turns out to be not nearly as innocent as he believes? I would read the shit out of that story. If you wanted to write something about that debt/counterdebt of fighters protecting goal scorers. I would love that. Or vet/rookie power dynamic, and how that does or doesn’t spill over off the ice? That would be, um, great.
In conclusion, thank you so much for writing! I'm so excited to see what you come up with! <3
