Dear Rare Pair Fest Creator!
Jun. 28th, 2016 12:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redleaderficLikes: Hurt/Comfort, (LOVE h/c!) UST finally spilling over, first time/get together fics, unspoken feelings that stay unspoken but are blindingly obvious anyway, bedside vigils/general watching over someone, angst and uncertainty leading into happy endings, sneaking around, getting it on in the locker rooms after matches, road trips, spur of the moment bondage, wall sex. Kayfabe fic only, please!
AUs: Spies, superheroes, noir, WWE Immortals 'verse, medieval (yay, knights and jousts and fealty,) soulmates ("wrestling soulmates" is a thing! And especially soulmate AUs where being soulmates is a huge pain most of the time.)
DNWs: deathfic (unless undone by magic/time travel/etc.! Then bring it on!) non-con, A/B/O, D/s with lots of negotiation.
Art: I am very bad at prompting for art! I will genuinely like pretty much anything, from snuggling to Tyler sneaking selfies to posing for the TV cameras. Wrestling is very visual and I think most fic prompts translate pretty well to art – Finn and Bayley being cute with the shadow of the Demon lurking, Team Havoc looking badass on their bikes, Sami and Dean hanging out with their bitter exes in the background, Drago with his wings out, etc.
WWE/NXT
Finn Balor /Bayley
That month or so over the summer when these two were ship teasing the whole fandom was so much fun. For these two I’m into Finn’s darkness contrasting with Bayley’s essential goodness (NOT innocence – Bayley tends to be remarkably clear eyed about the jerks she’s surrounded by. Sometimes she’s even a good influence on them!) What is it like to be around Finn when the Demon’s out? Does Finn find it easier to control things when Bayley’s around, or does she stir the Demon up? Has Finn ever had problems coming down after fights when he’s tapped that darkness (London is probably especially good for this), and how would Bayley handle being around him like that? Is there a point where Bayley thinks the Demon stuff is just stagecraft and then has that “Oh. OH!” moment when she realizes it’s not?
Demon issues aside, these two both have a history of being betrayed by their friends and they’ve both been dealing with the disappointment of losing their titles – Bayley’s still chasing hers while Finn has already tried and failed. Over the past year the two of them have grown to be the face and heart of their respective divisions – they’re the prom king and queen on NXT, just with added streamers and tube men and demonic possessions. There’s no one else better suited to understanding just how lonely it can be at the top and how steep the fall can be once it comes.
Finn Balor/Shinsuke Nakamura
Just personality wise these two are a great contrast, introverted, soft-spoken Finn paired with walking charisma factory Shinsuke. These two have known each other forever so there’s a lot of time to play with, from Nakamura taking young Finn under his wing to what’s going on now, with the tables turned so that Finn is the established icon Nakamura has to overcome to reach his ultimate goal. There’s a ton of respect between them but there’s inevitably going to be some tension, too – Finn obviously doesn’t want to be used as a stepping stone no matter who’s doing the stepping. Outright stating that he’s challenging Finn because Finn is NXT’s icon implies that Nakamura would like to become that icon instead, and that has to sting. And on Nakamura’s part, he’s in the unfamiliar position of not only having to prove himself, but having to do it in a place where he’s shaky with the language and still acclimating to the culture. Finn is something familiar but he knows things with his old friend just can’t be the way they were back in Japan, no matter how much Nakamura would like them to be.
And of course the Demon is lurking. If the Demon is a presence in the story, what does IT think of Shinsuke Nakamura hitting NXT like a meteor? Does Nakamura sense a change in Finn since he left Japan? Or has he always sensed there was something different about Finn – was that what made him take Finn under his wing all those years ago?
Finn Balor/Samoa Joe
Things got SUPER petty and personal between these two fast, didn’t they? I’d really like fic from when these two were still friends but with hints of what’s to come or once everything’s exploded and they’re trying to kill each other. Finn and Joe clearly have veeeerrrrrry difference definitions of “friendship” and “brotherhood” and I love that at no point does Joe ever feel the slightly bit of remorse or think he’s not 100% in the right. The Demon probably would approve of Joe if it wasn’t right in Joe’s crosshairs. (I am fond of the idea that Joe actively likes the Demon as much or more that he likes Finn and tries to get the Demon to come out, even if he’s probably a little freaked out by it at the same time.)
Dean Ambrose/Sami Zayn
These two are pretty much summed up by that Sami Zayn “It’s too…sexual” GIF, aren’t they? They have such fun chemistry and Sami is such a great straight man for Dean’s oddness. They both tend toward the obsessive side and react to betrayal by becoming walking open wounds – I’ve always thought Dean projects a lot of his own trauma onto Sami, especially since the way he talks about Kevin can get very similar to how he talks about Seth. Sami doesn’t have to justify or explain anything he does to Dean because Dean gets it, even if Sami himself doesn’t always get why he keeps letting Kevin push his buttons so well.
Dean Ambrose/Antonio Cesaro
These two have so much history and I love when that’s allowed to spill out, like Dean calling him “Claudio” during tag matches and Cesaro calling him “Mox” during their Table for 3. Cesaro has probably known Dean longer than anyone in the WWE right now (definitely longer than Seth and Roman, who met him in FCW/NXT) and even if they weren’t always best friends during that getting to see a familiar face during all those lean years probably made things a little easier. And even just sticking to current WWE times, they have such a great, companionable FWB vibe – they seem like a complete opposites attract pairing (and are, to a certain extent!) but they know each other well enough after all this time for Cesaro to be able to tell when Dean’s crazy is a strategy and for Dean to know Cesaro has more rough edges than he puts on. They’ve put up with a lot of setbacks and frustration over the past year – and even know with Dean at the top of the mountain he knows Cesaro is one of the guys looking to knock him off, friends or no friends.
Dean Ambrose/Brock Lesnar
Gotta be honest, this is a straight up porn ship. These two are not friends, there are no soft feelings, they probably don’t even talk to each other but when Brock is doing everything he can to beat Dean down and Dean just keeps dragging himself up and asking for more the chemistry was electric. This is all Dean wanting things that are bad for him and Brock being more than willing to provide that. This is Dean egging Brock on, showing up at his hotel room because Brock didn’t finish the job in the ring, Brock chasing the med team out and taking advantage when Dean can’t fight back (and doesn’t actually want to), etc. These two are made for semi-consensual pain play and breath play. (and bonus if Dean’s friends start getting worried about him!)
Aiden English/Simon Gotch
I love the dynamic between these two. I’m a big fan of Time Lord/time traveler Simon but that’s not necessary. (But if you do want to go full on Doctor Who crossover, fell free! No one would be more aghast at the Doctor showing up to wreck things than poor Simon.) I’d love something with them meeting and getting together, whether back in the long past or just in NXT, or the two of them trying to find their place and stay true to themselves now that they’re on the main roster.
Shinsuke Nakamura/Tyler Breeze
Tyler got to be Nakamura’s opponent on a recent NXT house show loop and I’ve love a fic about how that came about. Shinsuke can almost certainly request his opponents for a tour like this – what made him pick Tyler? Or was this visit back to the old NXT stomping grounds Tyler’s idea? Had they met before? Tyler’s former modeling career did take him all over the world, after all.
And hey, the King of Strong Style and Prince Pretty – that’s a pretty good set up for an arranged marriage/royalty AU, right?
Tyler Breeze/Xavier Woods
These two are so much fun to watch up Up Up Down Down. The have fantastic banter and the obvious affection there is great (and I love Xavier calling Tyler “Prince” all the time.) I’d love some courting through video games, especially if poor Xavier realizes he’s falling for his buddy and doesn’t know what to do about that (maybe he stumbles over Tyler’s modeling portfolio and seeing him all glammed up makes Xavier feel things.:) Tyler went through a serious rough patch right after he was called up and Xavier could try to cheer him up and get seriously over his head, or the story could be set now with Xavier looking at Breezango and trying to bury the crush because obviously he’s got no shot.
And let’s be honest, Xavier NEEDS some friends right now. Some video games with Prince Pretty might be exactly what he needs to take his mind off his Wyatt troubles.
Christopher Daniels/A.J. Styles
This is a total AO3 glitch pairing but it’s great glitch pairing. AJ is finally where he always wanted but there are still big pieces missing - give me AJ trying to tempt his old friend to join him in taking over the WWE the way they always said they would, or phone sex/sexting on the road where Daniels gives him shit over “replacing” him with Jericho. Or maybe an Addiction match goes bad halfway across the country and a panicked AJ has to keep it together on the tour, where there’s a clear line between where his head needs to be and where his heart is.
WCW
Sting / Lex Luger
Look, Lex Luger in WCW is pretty much Satan. He could not have been a worse person if he were actually following a “How To Be The Worst” manual – so why was Sting always so sure about their friendship? What was going ON there? Make things as twisted and codependent as you want – these two are built on betrayal and shattered trust and Sting for some reason going back for more.
Kevin Nash / Scott Hall
The NWO was never better than when it was just Hall and Nash swaggering around and tossing Rey Mysterio around like a lawn dart. That era where they really were the Outsiders, just the two of them versus the entire old guard of WCW was the best and I’d love anything set there – an AU were things went differently (for better or worse!), missing scene fic of the two of them gloating or scheming or hiding from the WCW higher ups, them being menaced by Sting, etc. (I know Crow!Sting comes slightly later, but he’s so good a menacing.) Basically I’m not a big fan of Hogan, so if we either can politely pretend he’s not an issue or he’s busy being a pain in the ass, that would be great. I’d also be up for fic set much later, when the wheels are coming off the cart and everyone’s starting to realize it.
Brian Pillman / Steve Austin
The Hollywood Blondes were my favorites so of course WCW ruined everything. I love how even back then you can see the seeds of who both of them would become and I would pretty much love any fic where they’re being huge pains in the ass to everyone and making their own fun.
TNA
AJ Styles/Samoa Joe
Christopher Daniels/AJ Styles/Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe/Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels/A.J. Styles
Grouping everyone together here because while AJ/Daniels is one of my biggest OTPs, they only get over themselves and come together because of Joe. (Ask me how many times I rewound AJ lurking by the curtain at Genesis when Joe turned on Daniels, clearly full of emotions and not sure what to do with any of them.) Go crazy and write anything you want from any era: AJ and Daniels where they were enemies but still full of chemistry, during that shining time when they were teamed up, adrenaline getting the better of the three of them after one of their great X Division matches, everyone miserable and when TNA starts sliding downhill, dubconny AJ/Joe fic set during the month after Genesis, where Joe knows that AJ’s got a thing for Daniels and torments him about how great it felt to put him in the hospital, maybe Joe should go pay him a visit (or maybe that’s why he did it in the first place!) I like it when AJ surprises Daniels by not being quite as naïve as Chris expects and how good AJ was at bringing out Daniels’ better nature, at least for a little while.
(Fic set present day is probably cheating? But I would be all for that kind of cheating, especially since it would be informed by their TNA past, I wished they’d all glitched. AJ and Joe being in the same orbit again, AJ older and harder but still too trusting, while Joe is the same amoral wrecking ball he always was? That would be great. I’d love it if Daniels is there as this missing piece both of them (but AJ especially) still feel, and I’d especially love anything with Joe giving AJ shit for getting to the big show and promptly falling for the first veteran named Chris who gave him a hard time and called him “kid.” Seriously, AJ. And we know from the podcast AJ did with Austin that these three are still tight – I’d love something with that time-tested bond in the current day.)
Angélico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse Vélez
Glitch pairing, but it wasn’t always a sure thing that the Temple would be open for another season! Let’s have them trade the dystopian nightmare of the Temple for the dystopian nightmare of current day TNA! Is TNA also cursed? Does Angelico take some bookings there and the other two decide no one should go through that alone? Are they brought there by some unseen force? How long does Ivelisse take being called a “Knockout” before she snaps? This is a pure just for fun one, go nuts.
Tyler Breeze/Xavier Woods | Consequences Creed
I saved the greatest glitch for last! (And kept the piping because for once it’s appropriate!) We know from Breaking Ground that Tyler was on the cut list multiple times – maybe this is an AU where the unthinkable happened? TNA would definitely snatch him up and then Xavier has some decisions to make – he’s been in TNA, he knows exactly how things work there. Does he let Tyler face all that alone? Does he pick up on Tyler getting more miserable during their video game sessions and have trouble staying positive with that in the back of his mind? Maybe Bray gives Xavier a glimpse of a parallel universe where he stayed in TNA, or alters the timeline so he never did! (The villain!) Basically I’m up for anything from Tyler and Xavier finding an island of happiness in each other to a full on rewrite the world rescue mission.
Lucha Underground
Aerostar/Drago
When a dragon and a man from space fall in love! :D These two are all of my favorite things about rivals to friends/lovers. Feel free to go all out with Drago being an actual dragon and Areostar being from space, it’s canon at this point and opens up so much tropey scifi goodness. I love time travel and Aerostar is the perfect excuse for that, same with Drago and wingfic. Areostar’s on what’s clearly going to be a very dangerous quest, there are plenty of opportunities for Drago to get pulled into that and for things to go wrong (Dario’s petty on his best day, after all.) Or if you’d rather keep things at the temple, there’s always the missing scene of what happened after the Nunchuck Fight (how great was that!) or Aztec Warfare, not the mention the very likely victory celebration after they win the Trios titles!
Sexy Star/The Mack
These two are just so cute. I love how supportive Mack has been of Star and her Moth trauma. He looks at her like she’s the greatest thing he’s ever seen and it’s just the best. And Mack being in peril broke her out of PTSD attack! If that’s not true love I don’t know what is. They’re as close to fluff as it gets at the Temple and it’s nice to have something candy coated to balance out all the death and destruction.
Angélico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse Vélez
Team Havoc (or Team Ivelisse and probably Team Angelico if you asked his opinion on things) are my LU OT3 so I’d be happy with anything here. I love how they can’t get along for more than five minutes but are at their absolute best together. Set any time you like, during the first Trios tournament, after the win, during the hiatus, getting the belts back during S2, whenever, wherever. I really love the bickering that hides how they actually DO care about each other and would be all for situations that force them to deal with that.
Actual Angel!Angelico is always welcome! Especially if being angel creates a huge problem, there’s enough death magic and embodied gods running around to make that a complication instead of an asset. (also a good place for wingfic!) We don’t actually know what happened to him yet this season, just that he was “attacked,” so that’s a perfect opening for supernatural shenanigans.
AUs: Spies, superheroes, noir, WWE Immortals 'verse, medieval (yay, knights and jousts and fealty,) soulmates ("wrestling soulmates" is a thing! And especially soulmate AUs where being soulmates is a huge pain most of the time.)
DNWs: deathfic (unless undone by magic/time travel/etc.! Then bring it on!) non-con, A/B/O, D/s with lots of negotiation.
Art: I am very bad at prompting for art! I will genuinely like pretty much anything, from snuggling to Tyler sneaking selfies to posing for the TV cameras. Wrestling is very visual and I think most fic prompts translate pretty well to art – Finn and Bayley being cute with the shadow of the Demon lurking, Team Havoc looking badass on their bikes, Sami and Dean hanging out with their bitter exes in the background, Drago with his wings out, etc.
WWE/NXT
Finn Balor /Bayley
That month or so over the summer when these two were ship teasing the whole fandom was so much fun. For these two I’m into Finn’s darkness contrasting with Bayley’s essential goodness (NOT innocence – Bayley tends to be remarkably clear eyed about the jerks she’s surrounded by. Sometimes she’s even a good influence on them!) What is it like to be around Finn when the Demon’s out? Does Finn find it easier to control things when Bayley’s around, or does she stir the Demon up? Has Finn ever had problems coming down after fights when he’s tapped that darkness (London is probably especially good for this), and how would Bayley handle being around him like that? Is there a point where Bayley thinks the Demon stuff is just stagecraft and then has that “Oh. OH!” moment when she realizes it’s not?
Demon issues aside, these two both have a history of being betrayed by their friends and they’ve both been dealing with the disappointment of losing their titles – Bayley’s still chasing hers while Finn has already tried and failed. Over the past year the two of them have grown to be the face and heart of their respective divisions – they’re the prom king and queen on NXT, just with added streamers and tube men and demonic possessions. There’s no one else better suited to understanding just how lonely it can be at the top and how steep the fall can be once it comes.
Finn Balor/Shinsuke Nakamura
Just personality wise these two are a great contrast, introverted, soft-spoken Finn paired with walking charisma factory Shinsuke. These two have known each other forever so there’s a lot of time to play with, from Nakamura taking young Finn under his wing to what’s going on now, with the tables turned so that Finn is the established icon Nakamura has to overcome to reach his ultimate goal. There’s a ton of respect between them but there’s inevitably going to be some tension, too – Finn obviously doesn’t want to be used as a stepping stone no matter who’s doing the stepping. Outright stating that he’s challenging Finn because Finn is NXT’s icon implies that Nakamura would like to become that icon instead, and that has to sting. And on Nakamura’s part, he’s in the unfamiliar position of not only having to prove himself, but having to do it in a place where he’s shaky with the language and still acclimating to the culture. Finn is something familiar but he knows things with his old friend just can’t be the way they were back in Japan, no matter how much Nakamura would like them to be.
And of course the Demon is lurking. If the Demon is a presence in the story, what does IT think of Shinsuke Nakamura hitting NXT like a meteor? Does Nakamura sense a change in Finn since he left Japan? Or has he always sensed there was something different about Finn – was that what made him take Finn under his wing all those years ago?
Finn Balor/Samoa Joe
Things got SUPER petty and personal between these two fast, didn’t they? I’d really like fic from when these two were still friends but with hints of what’s to come or once everything’s exploded and they’re trying to kill each other. Finn and Joe clearly have veeeerrrrrry difference definitions of “friendship” and “brotherhood” and I love that at no point does Joe ever feel the slightly bit of remorse or think he’s not 100% in the right. The Demon probably would approve of Joe if it wasn’t right in Joe’s crosshairs. (I am fond of the idea that Joe actively likes the Demon as much or more that he likes Finn and tries to get the Demon to come out, even if he’s probably a little freaked out by it at the same time.)
Dean Ambrose/Sami Zayn
These two are pretty much summed up by that Sami Zayn “It’s too…sexual” GIF, aren’t they? They have such fun chemistry and Sami is such a great straight man for Dean’s oddness. They both tend toward the obsessive side and react to betrayal by becoming walking open wounds – I’ve always thought Dean projects a lot of his own trauma onto Sami, especially since the way he talks about Kevin can get very similar to how he talks about Seth. Sami doesn’t have to justify or explain anything he does to Dean because Dean gets it, even if Sami himself doesn’t always get why he keeps letting Kevin push his buttons so well.
Dean Ambrose/Antonio Cesaro
These two have so much history and I love when that’s allowed to spill out, like Dean calling him “Claudio” during tag matches and Cesaro calling him “Mox” during their Table for 3. Cesaro has probably known Dean longer than anyone in the WWE right now (definitely longer than Seth and Roman, who met him in FCW/NXT) and even if they weren’t always best friends during that getting to see a familiar face during all those lean years probably made things a little easier. And even just sticking to current WWE times, they have such a great, companionable FWB vibe – they seem like a complete opposites attract pairing (and are, to a certain extent!) but they know each other well enough after all this time for Cesaro to be able to tell when Dean’s crazy is a strategy and for Dean to know Cesaro has more rough edges than he puts on. They’ve put up with a lot of setbacks and frustration over the past year – and even know with Dean at the top of the mountain he knows Cesaro is one of the guys looking to knock him off, friends or no friends.
Dean Ambrose/Brock Lesnar
Gotta be honest, this is a straight up porn ship. These two are not friends, there are no soft feelings, they probably don’t even talk to each other but when Brock is doing everything he can to beat Dean down and Dean just keeps dragging himself up and asking for more the chemistry was electric. This is all Dean wanting things that are bad for him and Brock being more than willing to provide that. This is Dean egging Brock on, showing up at his hotel room because Brock didn’t finish the job in the ring, Brock chasing the med team out and taking advantage when Dean can’t fight back (and doesn’t actually want to), etc. These two are made for semi-consensual pain play and breath play. (and bonus if Dean’s friends start getting worried about him!)
Aiden English/Simon Gotch
I love the dynamic between these two. I’m a big fan of Time Lord/time traveler Simon but that’s not necessary. (But if you do want to go full on Doctor Who crossover, fell free! No one would be more aghast at the Doctor showing up to wreck things than poor Simon.) I’d love something with them meeting and getting together, whether back in the long past or just in NXT, or the two of them trying to find their place and stay true to themselves now that they’re on the main roster.
Shinsuke Nakamura/Tyler Breeze
Tyler got to be Nakamura’s opponent on a recent NXT house show loop and I’ve love a fic about how that came about. Shinsuke can almost certainly request his opponents for a tour like this – what made him pick Tyler? Or was this visit back to the old NXT stomping grounds Tyler’s idea? Had they met before? Tyler’s former modeling career did take him all over the world, after all.
And hey, the King of Strong Style and Prince Pretty – that’s a pretty good set up for an arranged marriage/royalty AU, right?
Tyler Breeze/Xavier Woods
These two are so much fun to watch up Up Up Down Down. The have fantastic banter and the obvious affection there is great (and I love Xavier calling Tyler “Prince” all the time.) I’d love some courting through video games, especially if poor Xavier realizes he’s falling for his buddy and doesn’t know what to do about that (maybe he stumbles over Tyler’s modeling portfolio and seeing him all glammed up makes Xavier feel things.:) Tyler went through a serious rough patch right after he was called up and Xavier could try to cheer him up and get seriously over his head, or the story could be set now with Xavier looking at Breezango and trying to bury the crush because obviously he’s got no shot.
And let’s be honest, Xavier NEEDS some friends right now. Some video games with Prince Pretty might be exactly what he needs to take his mind off his Wyatt troubles.
Christopher Daniels/A.J. Styles
This is a total AO3 glitch pairing but it’s great glitch pairing. AJ is finally where he always wanted but there are still big pieces missing - give me AJ trying to tempt his old friend to join him in taking over the WWE the way they always said they would, or phone sex/sexting on the road where Daniels gives him shit over “replacing” him with Jericho. Or maybe an Addiction match goes bad halfway across the country and a panicked AJ has to keep it together on the tour, where there’s a clear line between where his head needs to be and where his heart is.
WCW
Sting / Lex Luger
Look, Lex Luger in WCW is pretty much Satan. He could not have been a worse person if he were actually following a “How To Be The Worst” manual – so why was Sting always so sure about their friendship? What was going ON there? Make things as twisted and codependent as you want – these two are built on betrayal and shattered trust and Sting for some reason going back for more.
Kevin Nash / Scott Hall
The NWO was never better than when it was just Hall and Nash swaggering around and tossing Rey Mysterio around like a lawn dart. That era where they really were the Outsiders, just the two of them versus the entire old guard of WCW was the best and I’d love anything set there – an AU were things went differently (for better or worse!), missing scene fic of the two of them gloating or scheming or hiding from the WCW higher ups, them being menaced by Sting, etc. (I know Crow!Sting comes slightly later, but he’s so good a menacing.) Basically I’m not a big fan of Hogan, so if we either can politely pretend he’s not an issue or he’s busy being a pain in the ass, that would be great. I’d also be up for fic set much later, when the wheels are coming off the cart and everyone’s starting to realize it.
Brian Pillman / Steve Austin
The Hollywood Blondes were my favorites so of course WCW ruined everything. I love how even back then you can see the seeds of who both of them would become and I would pretty much love any fic where they’re being huge pains in the ass to everyone and making their own fun.
TNA
AJ Styles/Samoa Joe
Christopher Daniels/AJ Styles/Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe/Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels/A.J. Styles
Grouping everyone together here because while AJ/Daniels is one of my biggest OTPs, they only get over themselves and come together because of Joe. (Ask me how many times I rewound AJ lurking by the curtain at Genesis when Joe turned on Daniels, clearly full of emotions and not sure what to do with any of them.) Go crazy and write anything you want from any era: AJ and Daniels where they were enemies but still full of chemistry, during that shining time when they were teamed up, adrenaline getting the better of the three of them after one of their great X Division matches, everyone miserable and when TNA starts sliding downhill, dubconny AJ/Joe fic set during the month after Genesis, where Joe knows that AJ’s got a thing for Daniels and torments him about how great it felt to put him in the hospital, maybe Joe should go pay him a visit (or maybe that’s why he did it in the first place!) I like it when AJ surprises Daniels by not being quite as naïve as Chris expects and how good AJ was at bringing out Daniels’ better nature, at least for a little while.
(Fic set present day is probably cheating? But I would be all for that kind of cheating, especially since it would be informed by their TNA past, I wished they’d all glitched. AJ and Joe being in the same orbit again, AJ older and harder but still too trusting, while Joe is the same amoral wrecking ball he always was? That would be great. I’d love it if Daniels is there as this missing piece both of them (but AJ especially) still feel, and I’d especially love anything with Joe giving AJ shit for getting to the big show and promptly falling for the first veteran named Chris who gave him a hard time and called him “kid.” Seriously, AJ. And we know from the podcast AJ did with Austin that these three are still tight – I’d love something with that time-tested bond in the current day.)
Angélico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse Vélez
Glitch pairing, but it wasn’t always a sure thing that the Temple would be open for another season! Let’s have them trade the dystopian nightmare of the Temple for the dystopian nightmare of current day TNA! Is TNA also cursed? Does Angelico take some bookings there and the other two decide no one should go through that alone? Are they brought there by some unseen force? How long does Ivelisse take being called a “Knockout” before she snaps? This is a pure just for fun one, go nuts.
Tyler Breeze/Xavier Woods | Consequences Creed
I saved the greatest glitch for last! (And kept the piping because for once it’s appropriate!) We know from Breaking Ground that Tyler was on the cut list multiple times – maybe this is an AU where the unthinkable happened? TNA would definitely snatch him up and then Xavier has some decisions to make – he’s been in TNA, he knows exactly how things work there. Does he let Tyler face all that alone? Does he pick up on Tyler getting more miserable during their video game sessions and have trouble staying positive with that in the back of his mind? Maybe Bray gives Xavier a glimpse of a parallel universe where he stayed in TNA, or alters the timeline so he never did! (The villain!) Basically I’m up for anything from Tyler and Xavier finding an island of happiness in each other to a full on rewrite the world rescue mission.
Lucha Underground
Aerostar/Drago
When a dragon and a man from space fall in love! :D These two are all of my favorite things about rivals to friends/lovers. Feel free to go all out with Drago being an actual dragon and Areostar being from space, it’s canon at this point and opens up so much tropey scifi goodness. I love time travel and Aerostar is the perfect excuse for that, same with Drago and wingfic. Areostar’s on what’s clearly going to be a very dangerous quest, there are plenty of opportunities for Drago to get pulled into that and for things to go wrong (Dario’s petty on his best day, after all.) Or if you’d rather keep things at the temple, there’s always the missing scene of what happened after the Nunchuck Fight (how great was that!) or Aztec Warfare, not the mention the very likely victory celebration after they win the Trios titles!
Sexy Star/The Mack
These two are just so cute. I love how supportive Mack has been of Star and her Moth trauma. He looks at her like she’s the greatest thing he’s ever seen and it’s just the best. And Mack being in peril broke her out of PTSD attack! If that’s not true love I don’t know what is. They’re as close to fluff as it gets at the Temple and it’s nice to have something candy coated to balance out all the death and destruction.
Angélico/Son of Havoc/Ivelisse Vélez
Team Havoc (or Team Ivelisse and probably Team Angelico if you asked his opinion on things) are my LU OT3 so I’d be happy with anything here. I love how they can’t get along for more than five minutes but are at their absolute best together. Set any time you like, during the first Trios tournament, after the win, during the hiatus, getting the belts back during S2, whenever, wherever. I really love the bickering that hides how they actually DO care about each other and would be all for situations that force them to deal with that.
Actual Angel!Angelico is always welcome! Especially if being angel creates a huge problem, there’s enough death magic and embodied gods running around to make that a complication instead of an asset. (also a good place for wingfic!) We don’t actually know what happened to him yet this season, just that he was “attacked,” so that’s a perfect opening for supernatural shenanigans.
