Crossovering 2017
Jul. 30th, 2017 03:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
miramiraHi! Are you excited? I'm excited! Well, obviously; just look at the length of this letter. Please don't be intimidated, or put off by its rambling nature: I'm brainstorming as much for myself as for you. I love crossovers, I love this fest, and I'm looking forward to seeing whatever you write.
General Likes and Do Not Wants: I'm a big fan of plot (whether adventurous or introspective, although characters coming together to accomplish some kind of task is one of my favorite scenarios), witty dialogue, humor, worldbuilding (including exploring parts of canon that only get briefly referenced in the source material, or taking a cracky concept and finding a way to make it work in-universe), female characters getting to play a significant role (although I realize that might not be evident from several of these prompts), minor characters getting a chance to shine, and situations and choices that aren't always easy or straightforward to navigate.
My only real do not wants are graphic torture or darkfic of the sort designed to psychologically break down a character and leave them broken. I'm fine with character death or unhappy endings, but I'd like there to be some meaning or hope for the survivors.
Notes on Shipping: I will never be disappointed with a gen story, so please know that's always an option. If you do include sex, I prefer awkward first times to mind blowing orgasms, and I'd rather it be used to advance the plot or as comic relief than the main focus of the fic. My kinks don't typically go much past light bondage, but I do like seeing magic users or mad scientists getting creative with their abilities in terms of restraints or interesting sensations, or couples getting to swap bodies. I'm not a fan of noncon (if it's part of a character's canonical backstory, alluding to the fact it happened is fine), bodily fluids not typically associated with sex, or improbable biology like a/b/o or tentacles.
In terms of specific ships, sticking to canon couples is probably a good call, but I can be flexible unless Sansa is involved; I'm just not a fan of most of the popular pairing options for her. If you're looking to pair up minor/background characters or for crossover ship inspiration, I tend to prefer het or femslash to slash, but will happily read the latter. Incest is okay for Game of Thrones and Ender's Game, but I'd still like some kind of acknowledgment that these are not healthy relationships.
Phew. Okay, on to the actual nominations. Please don't take the relative amount of detail or number of prompts for a particular canon or section as a sign of how much I want something, and remember that optional details are optional. If you still need additional inspiration, feel free to check out past years' letters. Above all, have fun!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Discworld, Dragon Age, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Shades of Magic, Young Wizards
These are all fandoms where traveling between worlds is, if not canonical, at least not implausible, so you may already have an idea in mind for how you want to bring them together. Or if you're really stuck and none of the specific suggestions are helping, you can always just add Death, daemons, and/or the Lone Power. Or maybe you'd rather organize a convention/mutual gripe session for Chosen Ones, magic users, longsuffering mentors, or other common character types that tend to pop up across these fantasies?
Buffy + Discworld
I'm not sure Buffy would know what to make of Discworld vampires, especially the Black Ribbon Society. It'd still be fun to watch, though. Alternatively, maybe Giles and the witches have some kind of history, or Willow has an opportunity to learn from Granny. Or if you're looking for a fusion, maybe Polly from Monstrous Regiment is a Slayer who winds up unexpectedly attached to one of her targets?
Buffy + Dragon Age
Nothing will dissuade me from my belief that Kirkwall is a Hellmouth, and female Hawkes are Slayers. The rest of the party maps surprisingly well on to other characters from the series, too, if you'd rather do a Kirkwall High AU than add to the canon city's demon problem.
If that's not your favorite installment of the franchise, though, maybe you'd rather have Morrigan or Solas visit Sunnydale on their travels, or see how one of the Scoobies fares as Warden or Inquisitor. (I've already gotten terrific glimpses of Buffy and Xander in this universe, so someone new and unexpected would be great: maybe Jonathan or Andrew gets a chance to be the hero for real, or maybe Anya just confuses the hell out of everyone.)
Buffy + Harry Potter
I've already gotten an awesome "Giles's year teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts" story, but it's a concept with a lot of mileage. Or you could send the younger him to Hogwarts in time to cause trouble with the Marauders, or give the job to Willow instead. And of course, there's always putting Auror!Harry and Buffy on a case together.
Buffy + His Dark Materials
Getting a daemon back when you're an ensouled vampire must be a really weird experience. For that matter, was there something off about Buffy's when she came back from the dead?
Of course, if you're not into metaphysical questions, there's always sinister Magisterium/Watchers' Council and/or Initiative alliances, or Lyra the Vampire Slayer (and Roger her vampire friend). Or you could just introduce Giles to Mary Malone; I think they'd like each other.
Buffy + Shades of Magic
Lila the Vampire Slayer makes a disturbing amount of sense. (So does introducing her to Faith, in an "oh God oh God we're all going to die" kind of way.) Or maybe one of the Scoobies has to go to the Going Waters for something, with predictably disastrous results. And I'd be interested to see how the gang handles Holland if they have to go up against him for some reason.
Buffy + Young Wizards
There's always the Lone Power as Big Bad scenario (whether the Scoobies need to call on Nita and Kit's help is up to you). Or maybe Giles, Tom, and Carl met and trained together at some point. And I'd really like to see Dawn and Carmela bond over being the (not-so) mundane sibling.
Discworld + Dragon Age
Some kind of mash-up involving the Watch, the Kirkwall Guard, the Chargers, and/or the Templars would seem to make sense. And of course, there's always slotting someone in as hero: I'd be particularly interested in Vimes or Moist as Inquisitor, or Rincewind as the Warden, but feel free to go more ridiculous (Nobby?). Speaking of Vimes, I know Aveline talks about her father, but I still think she might be Vimes and Sibyl's universe-displaced daughter. Or if you just want to have Wynne and the witches hang out, or have Bethany train with them, that works, too.
Discworld + Harry Potter
I flatly refuse to believe that the Peverell brothers meeting Death was just a metaphor. (Also, Susan Bones? That can't be a coincidence.) Alternatively, some sort of Granny, Nanny, and McGonagall team-up would be amazing (just no Greebo/Minerva, please). I've also always loved the idea of Madam Pince and the Librarian having an L-Space facilitated friendship, or Carrot being somehow related to the Weasleys. And Rincewind can't be that much worse than the other Defense Against the Dark Arts professor candidates, right?
Discworld + His Dark Materials
The Auditors hate change. So does the Magisterium. The Auditors want to destroy everything that makes life interesting. So do the Spectres. There's a horrifyingly perfect connection/alliance in there somewhere.
Of course, you could also just imagine what happens when Serafina and Granny meet up. And L-Space seems like a useful discovery for a pair of young lovers in otherwise separated worlds.
Discworld + Shades of Magic
Rincewind the Antari strikes me as a hilariously terrible idea. So does hiring him as Kell and Rhy's magic tutor. Susan as their governess is probably not such a disaster waiting to happen, but could still be amusing. Or you could send Lila to Granny and Nanny for training.
Discworld + Young Wizards
I'm sure there's something you can do with this concept besides sit Death and/or Vetinari down for a chat with the Lone Power, but I'm having trouble coming up with it right now.
Dragon Age + Harry Potter
Sirius fell through the Veil, right? Not too hard to guess where he might have ended up. And it would be only fitting for Padfoot to have a run-in with the Dread Wolf there.
If you'd rather go with something more fusiony, it'd be interesting to see Hogwarts as a Circle. Also, Hawke would make a pretty good Marauder. And of course, Harry would make a decent Warden or Inquisitor. Although the latter might be more of a Neville. Or a Snape.
Dragon Age + His Dark Materials
The Chantry and the Magisterium seem like logical allies/substitutes for each other, depending on whether you're going the crossover/fusion route. Similarly, Asriel's quest to remake heaven suggests some interesting parallels with Solas - or Corypheus. And what happens if Will or Lyra discover an eluvian: do they try to use it to get back to each other?
Also, intercision seems like a horrifyingly convenient way to induce Tranquility - and also the kind of thing a desperate Chantry might consider if faced with a Blight of Spectres. Just saying.
Dragon Age + Shades of Magic
Isabela's either going to get along with Lila and/or Alucard like a house afire, or they'll hate each other on sight. Zevran, Varric, and Iron Bull will probably get along with everyone, though. And judging by Dorian, I'm not entirely convinced Red London isn't Tevinter minus the slaves. Speaking of which...Black London = Black City?
Dragon Age + Young Wizards
What if the Speech is a type of magic dwarves can use? At the very least, it seems like it'd open up a lot of possibilities for Dagna. And I'm pretty sure there's something to be done with the concept of Fen'Harel as an aspect of the Lone Power - or its biggest foe.
Harry Potter + His Dark Materials
Hogwarts seems like a logical place for Will and/or Mary to end up at some point post-canon. Or maybe you'd rather examine the differences in how magic works and is treated in both worlds, and where the points of divergence started. Also, see note above about intercision and Tranquility; substitute horcruxes for the latter. Or is it even possible to subdivide a soul that has a concrete form?
Harry Potter + Shades of Magic
What if, instead of meeting with the king, Kell's primary Grey London contact was the Minister for Magic, or the Headmaster of Hogwarts? Would things have gone any better? What if Lila was a Hogwarts graduate (or dropout), and knew she had magic from the start? Or what if Voldemort's quest for immortality took him through the different Londons?
Of course, you could always just give Kell Harry's life, or vice versa. Or maybe it turns out Kell's a long-lost Weasley relative.
Harry Potter + Young Wizards
Apart from Voldemort or the Peverells making a deal with the Lone Power, I feel like this is asking for more of a fusion setup than a crossover: Nita and Kit getting into trouble at Hogwarts, for instance, or Hermione pushing the limits of what her spellbook can do. Then again, maybe the fact the magic systems are so different is what leads to the different types of wizards encountering each other, and they have to find a way to make their magic work together to solve whatever the problem is.
His Dark Materials + Shades of Magic
So what does happen to a daemon when someone gets brought back from the dead and magically bonded to someone else's life force? Do Antari daemons have any special characteristics, or are there differences between daemons from other Londons? Is the Subtle Knife related to Antari abilities in any way, or do Kell and Will just have a lot to talk about if they ever run into each other?
His Dark Materials + Young Wizards
Lyra and Will's journey is effectively an Ordeal featuring a Choice. Would it have gone any differently if one or both of them did know that was what was going on - or if they'd had assistance that chose to keep them better informed - in spite of the prophecy? How might Nita and Kit handle a similar situation? Also, Mary Malone seems like she would make a really good Senior; maybe Tom and Carl can give her some pointers.
Shades of Magic + Young Wizards
Okay, so Rhy's not so good with Red London magic, but the Oath seems like it would be right up his alley. (Or maybe he can just take some lessons in turning not being a wizard to his advantage from Carmela.) Not so sure about Lila, though: what happens if the Lone Power gets to her first and offers her a different sort of adventure? For that matter, is the whole White/Black London mess the result of a bad Choice or two - and if so, is it something Nita, Kit, and the gang might be able to undo?
Allstate Insurance "Mayhem" Commercials, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog, Genghis Khan - Miike Snow, Girl Genius
It is a world ruled by SCIENCE! Where people occasionally break into song? And there are insurance mascots wandering abou...okay, fine, this one's a little random. But there is a (scientific) method to the madness, I promise.
Dr. Horrible, Genghis Khan, and/or Girl Genius
Fitting these together seems pretty self-explanatory, although whether they exist in the same continuity or someone does something stupid with portals to other universes is up to you. What I like about mad science properties in general is that nothing is so ridiculous it can't somehow be explained in context (including random musical/dance numbers); what I like about these in particular is that the characters have lives and dreams beyond what happens in the lab, even if they occasionally lose sight of that in the thrill of creation.
If you need some more specific prompts...maybe Billy's been assigned to evaluate someone for the Evil League of Evil, or Gold Nose captures Captain Hammer or OTHAR TRYGGVASSEN, GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER instead of Secret Agent Guy (who could be a colleague of Wooster's). Also, if you want to bring Penny back from the dead (with or without unpleasant side effects), I'm good with that.
Any/all of the above + Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
"Josh Chan must be destroyed" is as good a supervillain motivation as any. (It'd certainly be a good excuse to bond with Billy or the ex-wife in Genghis Khan.) Then again, maybe Friendtopia is one of the kingdoms Agatha has to visit on her quest to stop the Other. Or maybe the firm's just decided it needs to take on a new type of client to survive.
Science fandoms + Mayhem
A mad scientist's lair does seem like a pretty logical place to find Mayhem. Maybe he was even created in one. Then again, maybe he just hangs out in the same villain circles, or gets hired by the heroes to sabotage evildoing, or some combination of the two. Or maybe he's just the only Allstate rep who's willing to visit the dungeons when someone puts in a claim.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend + Mayhem
Let's face it, Rebecca's made worse romantic choices. Although I think Mayhem's real soulmate might be the Santa Ana Wind. (Can they at least be bros?)
Marvel Cinematic Universe, Quantum Leap, Star Trek Everything
A.K.A. slightly less mad science than the previous bracket. Which is a weird thing to say about canons where time travel and/or Tony Stark feature prominently, but here we are.
MCU + Quantum Leap
You could either go with Sam leaps into a superhero (bonus points if one of the science types figure out who he is and start geeking out over it, or for putting him in Bucky or Loki or someone else who's about to do something questionable), or have someone else do the leaping: Tony seems like the obvious candidate, especially with JARVIS serving as Al, but Steve or someone else who's got a particularly vested interest in reliving the past might be interesting.
MCU + Star Trek
Superheroes on a spaceship is always an option, as is having the Guardians of the Galaxy run up against the Federation (though Harry Mudd or the Ferengi might make for a more interesting encounter there), or a clash between Asgard or Thanos and the Q Continuum (or the Borg, or Dominion, or Pah-wraiths, or...pick your vaguely god-like entity here). Then again, assuming some of the MCU characters live long enough to see the Federation or the Empire evolve, it might be interesting just to get their take on that process. And there has to be some connection between Section 31 and SHIELD and/or Hydra; I just don't know what.
Quantum Leap + Star Trek
"Sam leaps into Archer" and/or "Sam is an ancestor of Archer's" is almost too obvious to mention, but certainly worth exploring (especially if Sam somehow manages to leap into both normal Archer and his Mirrorverse counterpart). So is him doing something to either exacerbate or fix the split between the regular and AOS timelines, or the main continuity and the Mirrorverse. Of course, if there's someone else you'd rather have him be or some other event you'd rather have him focus on, go for it. And I'd be perfectly happy with Al and the EMH just snarking at each other for a whole fic, so that's an option, too.
Star Trek AOS + TOS and/or Enterprise
Obviously you could just flesh out more of what happened in the lead-up to Nero splitting the timeline, or have the Kirks and more of their two crews meet than just Spock, or combine the two in some effort to fix the timelines that might or might not make things worse. As for Enterprise, there's still a lot to fill in between the finale and the start of Spock's career...including Scotty's ill-fated beagle experiment.
AOS + 24th Century Trek
I would put on a red shirt and volunteer for an away mission if it meant more fic exploring the Rebootverse a century later and how the changes to the main timeline affected it. Is there room for Picard's style of diplomacy in a Federation that's lost many of the strongest champions of that approach? Do the tactics against the Dominion change, or who's fighting on what side? Does Voyager even happen if Tuvok's not there, or has a much stronger motivation to get back to his people?
AOS + Mirrorverse
Was there a Nero in the Mirrorverse? What if he'd sidestepped instead of (or in addition to) traveling back in time, and wound up there instead: would he have tried to get back, gone ahead with the plan, or decided to use his superior tech in a bid to take over the place? Similarly, what if Krall's storyline had played out in the Mirrorverse instead? (I suppose you could pose the question for Khan as well, but I'd rather go with the original timeline take on him.)
Main Star Trek Continuity (including Mirrorverse)
You probably already have a pretty good idea what you want to do with this one. If possible, though, I'd like to see more mixing and matching between shows than just a day in Worf's life on DS9, or sending crews to the Mirrorverse who have been there before. If you're not sure, maybe you could go with a mentoring moment between the Enterprise or TOS crews and those who came after, or more of what happened after the Dominion War or Voyager arriving home. And there are always the what-ifs involving characters who were supposed to be part of other series but weren't, like Ro Laren and/or Nick Locarno winding up on Voyager.
Avatar: the Last Airbender, Avatar: Legend of Korra, Ender's Game, Game of Thrones, Hamilton, Vorkosigan Saga
Military and political conflict are pretty much the name of the game for these fandoms, though there's a fair bit of coming of age and trying to find one's place in society thrown in, if you're just looking for characters who might get something out of interacting with each other.
The other general theme you might want to keep in mind if you're struggling for inspiration is "who lives, who dies, who tells your story." Whether it's the Ember Island Players, the Essos theatrical troupe, a Speaker for the Dead, a folktale, or a key participant spinning their own dramatic rendition of how things went wrong, there's a lot of potential to explore how one canon might look as told from the perspective of another.
Avatar
I'm going to be treating both series as a unit for the most part in the other requests, so if this is the only thing you matched on, then time-travel shenanigans or the Avatar exploring past/future lives are probably the way to go. If you've got a different idea that incorporates both without basically just being a Korra-era story, though, go for it. (Not that I'd mind a Korra-era story, but I wouldn't blame you for wanting a bit more of a stretch.)
Avatar + Ender's Game
"Everything changed when the aliens attacked." Feel free to either explore what would happen if there was an extraterrestrial invasion during the time period(s) covered in canon, or carry the universe forward a century or three so the tech is equivalent to Ender's Game. What are Battle School games like with powers? Alternatively, what happens if Ender is the Avatar, or Peter has to go on Zuko's journey toward becoming a decent person?
Avatar + Game of Thrones
Azor Ahai = the Avatar seems like a logical place to start, whether you want to go with sending Aang or Korra to Westeros or just giving those powers to one of the preferred candidates. Or you could just expand the playing field of the game by throwing all the nations in both canons together and seeing what happens. I am very afraid of what might happen if Azula met Cersei, or if Stannis had Zaheer shaping his ideology instead of Melisandre, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see it.
Avatar + Hamilton
The Revolutionary War would no doubt have been very different with benders, especially if one happened to be the Avatar. Or maybe Alexander and company are rebels under the rule of the Fire Nation or Earth Empire. Or maybe Aang or Korra just somehow find a way to consult Washington on the challenges of leadership, or Iroh turns up somehow to offer tea and advice to someone.
Avatar + Vorkosigan Saga
Miles with Avatar (or just plain bender) abilities sounds fun, if dangerous. Maybe it's safer if he just makes friends with Aang or Korra and their respective crews...no, probably not, but that would still be fun, too. Or maybe his struggles in the Avatarverse come less from his physical limitations and more from the fact he doesn't have powers?
Ender's Game + Game of Thrones
Is the game of thrones any less cutthroat if you transfer it to Battle School? (Probably not.) I particularly like the idea of Tyrion in Ender's role, since that means Cersei and Jamie can be Peter and Valentine (or attempt to go up against them), but Jon, Dany, or someone else also works. Alternatively, is Ender better equipped to face the White Walkers than anyone in Westeros? Or if you just want to find a way for Petra and Brienne to train together, I'm down for that.
Ender's Game + Hamilton
Hamilton and friends in Battle School is probably easier to manage than an extremely precocious Revolutionary War general, though if you can pull the latter off, more power to you. Then again, maybe you just want to send in the Buggers to further mess up the fight for New York. Or if you just want to have Peter and Burr or Washington and someone in leadership sit down for a long chat, that works, too.
Ender's Game + Vorkosigan Saga
It's entirely plausible that Ender...sorry, Andrew and Valentine could have made their way into the Vorkosiverse through all their FTL travel, though whether they'd want to stop on Barrayar or somewhere else is an open question. Of course, you could always just send Miles (and Ivan? Mark? Byerly?) to Battle School, or put Ender (and Peter?) through the Academy, or see how Valentine might take to the mercenary life.
Game of Thrones + Hamilton
The Revolutionary War would've looked a lot different with dragons. Or with White Walkers showing up out of nowhere. Alternatively, maybe you want to see how Hamilton and company would fare under (or as) Westeros's various leaders. Or maybe the common people of Westeros just get sick of being other people's chess pieces and decide to stage a full-out revolt; whether Alexander and company have lived there all their lives and just come up with the idea on their own or bring it with them from our world is up to you.
Game of Thrones + Vorkosigan Saga
Let's face it: Miles and Tyrion were separated at birth. Unfortunately for Tyrion, since he'd have been a lot happier with Aral than Tywin. Come to think of it, most of the Game of Thrones characters would probably be happier in a setting where gender doesn't have to dictate most people's destiny (or where you can follow Lady Alys's example and make tradition work to your advantage), and there's room to spread out if you don't like the world you were born into.
Seriously, though, if you just want to write "Miles and Tyrion walk into a bar" and take it from there, I'm good with that.
Hamilton + Vorkosigan Saga
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore make a name for himself in a society where your caste determines what opportunities are available to you, and what kind of enemies does he wind up making along the way? Does he revolt, or does he seek his fortune elsewhere? Alternatively, how might the Revolutionary War go with a bit of Barrayan strategy on the colonials' side...or against it?
General Likes and Do Not Wants: I'm a big fan of plot (whether adventurous or introspective, although characters coming together to accomplish some kind of task is one of my favorite scenarios), witty dialogue, humor, worldbuilding (including exploring parts of canon that only get briefly referenced in the source material, or taking a cracky concept and finding a way to make it work in-universe), female characters getting to play a significant role (although I realize that might not be evident from several of these prompts), minor characters getting a chance to shine, and situations and choices that aren't always easy or straightforward to navigate.
My only real do not wants are graphic torture or darkfic of the sort designed to psychologically break down a character and leave them broken. I'm fine with character death or unhappy endings, but I'd like there to be some meaning or hope for the survivors.
Notes on Shipping: I will never be disappointed with a gen story, so please know that's always an option. If you do include sex, I prefer awkward first times to mind blowing orgasms, and I'd rather it be used to advance the plot or as comic relief than the main focus of the fic. My kinks don't typically go much past light bondage, but I do like seeing magic users or mad scientists getting creative with their abilities in terms of restraints or interesting sensations, or couples getting to swap bodies. I'm not a fan of noncon (if it's part of a character's canonical backstory, alluding to the fact it happened is fine), bodily fluids not typically associated with sex, or improbable biology like a/b/o or tentacles.
In terms of specific ships, sticking to canon couples is probably a good call, but I can be flexible unless Sansa is involved; I'm just not a fan of most of the popular pairing options for her. If you're looking to pair up minor/background characters or for crossover ship inspiration, I tend to prefer het or femslash to slash, but will happily read the latter. Incest is okay for Game of Thrones and Ender's Game, but I'd still like some kind of acknowledgment that these are not healthy relationships.
Phew. Okay, on to the actual nominations. Please don't take the relative amount of detail or number of prompts for a particular canon or section as a sign of how much I want something, and remember that optional details are optional. If you still need additional inspiration, feel free to check out past years' letters. Above all, have fun!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Discworld, Dragon Age, Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Shades of Magic, Young Wizards
These are all fandoms where traveling between worlds is, if not canonical, at least not implausible, so you may already have an idea in mind for how you want to bring them together. Or if you're really stuck and none of the specific suggestions are helping, you can always just add Death, daemons, and/or the Lone Power. Or maybe you'd rather organize a convention/mutual gripe session for Chosen Ones, magic users, longsuffering mentors, or other common character types that tend to pop up across these fantasies?
Buffy + Discworld
I'm not sure Buffy would know what to make of Discworld vampires, especially the Black Ribbon Society. It'd still be fun to watch, though. Alternatively, maybe Giles and the witches have some kind of history, or Willow has an opportunity to learn from Granny. Or if you're looking for a fusion, maybe Polly from Monstrous Regiment is a Slayer who winds up unexpectedly attached to one of her targets?
Buffy + Dragon Age
Nothing will dissuade me from my belief that Kirkwall is a Hellmouth, and female Hawkes are Slayers. The rest of the party maps surprisingly well on to other characters from the series, too, if you'd rather do a Kirkwall High AU than add to the canon city's demon problem.
If that's not your favorite installment of the franchise, though, maybe you'd rather have Morrigan or Solas visit Sunnydale on their travels, or see how one of the Scoobies fares as Warden or Inquisitor. (I've already gotten terrific glimpses of Buffy and Xander in this universe, so someone new and unexpected would be great: maybe Jonathan or Andrew gets a chance to be the hero for real, or maybe Anya just confuses the hell out of everyone.)
Buffy + Harry Potter
I've already gotten an awesome "Giles's year teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts" story, but it's a concept with a lot of mileage. Or you could send the younger him to Hogwarts in time to cause trouble with the Marauders, or give the job to Willow instead. And of course, there's always putting Auror!Harry and Buffy on a case together.
Buffy + His Dark Materials
Getting a daemon back when you're an ensouled vampire must be a really weird experience. For that matter, was there something off about Buffy's when she came back from the dead?
Of course, if you're not into metaphysical questions, there's always sinister Magisterium/Watchers' Council and/or Initiative alliances, or Lyra the Vampire Slayer (and Roger her vampire friend). Or you could just introduce Giles to Mary Malone; I think they'd like each other.
Buffy + Shades of Magic
Lila the Vampire Slayer makes a disturbing amount of sense. (So does introducing her to Faith, in an "oh God oh God we're all going to die" kind of way.) Or maybe one of the Scoobies has to go to the Going Waters for something, with predictably disastrous results. And I'd be interested to see how the gang handles Holland if they have to go up against him for some reason.
Buffy + Young Wizards
There's always the Lone Power as Big Bad scenario (whether the Scoobies need to call on Nita and Kit's help is up to you). Or maybe Giles, Tom, and Carl met and trained together at some point. And I'd really like to see Dawn and Carmela bond over being the (not-so) mundane sibling.
Discworld + Dragon Age
Some kind of mash-up involving the Watch, the Kirkwall Guard, the Chargers, and/or the Templars would seem to make sense. And of course, there's always slotting someone in as hero: I'd be particularly interested in Vimes or Moist as Inquisitor, or Rincewind as the Warden, but feel free to go more ridiculous (Nobby?). Speaking of Vimes, I know Aveline talks about her father, but I still think she might be Vimes and Sibyl's universe-displaced daughter. Or if you just want to have Wynne and the witches hang out, or have Bethany train with them, that works, too.
Discworld + Harry Potter
I flatly refuse to believe that the Peverell brothers meeting Death was just a metaphor. (Also, Susan Bones? That can't be a coincidence.) Alternatively, some sort of Granny, Nanny, and McGonagall team-up would be amazing (just no Greebo/Minerva, please). I've also always loved the idea of Madam Pince and the Librarian having an L-Space facilitated friendship, or Carrot being somehow related to the Weasleys. And Rincewind can't be that much worse than the other Defense Against the Dark Arts professor candidates, right?
Discworld + His Dark Materials
The Auditors hate change. So does the Magisterium. The Auditors want to destroy everything that makes life interesting. So do the Spectres. There's a horrifyingly perfect connection/alliance in there somewhere.
Of course, you could also just imagine what happens when Serafina and Granny meet up. And L-Space seems like a useful discovery for a pair of young lovers in otherwise separated worlds.
Discworld + Shades of Magic
Rincewind the Antari strikes me as a hilariously terrible idea. So does hiring him as Kell and Rhy's magic tutor. Susan as their governess is probably not such a disaster waiting to happen, but could still be amusing. Or you could send Lila to Granny and Nanny for training.
Discworld + Young Wizards
I'm sure there's something you can do with this concept besides sit Death and/or Vetinari down for a chat with the Lone Power, but I'm having trouble coming up with it right now.
Dragon Age + Harry Potter
Sirius fell through the Veil, right? Not too hard to guess where he might have ended up. And it would be only fitting for Padfoot to have a run-in with the Dread Wolf there.
If you'd rather go with something more fusiony, it'd be interesting to see Hogwarts as a Circle. Also, Hawke would make a pretty good Marauder. And of course, Harry would make a decent Warden or Inquisitor. Although the latter might be more of a Neville. Or a Snape.
Dragon Age + His Dark Materials
The Chantry and the Magisterium seem like logical allies/substitutes for each other, depending on whether you're going the crossover/fusion route. Similarly, Asriel's quest to remake heaven suggests some interesting parallels with Solas - or Corypheus. And what happens if Will or Lyra discover an eluvian: do they try to use it to get back to each other?
Also, intercision seems like a horrifyingly convenient way to induce Tranquility - and also the kind of thing a desperate Chantry might consider if faced with a Blight of Spectres. Just saying.
Dragon Age + Shades of Magic
Isabela's either going to get along with Lila and/or Alucard like a house afire, or they'll hate each other on sight. Zevran, Varric, and Iron Bull will probably get along with everyone, though. And judging by Dorian, I'm not entirely convinced Red London isn't Tevinter minus the slaves. Speaking of which...Black London = Black City?
Dragon Age + Young Wizards
What if the Speech is a type of magic dwarves can use? At the very least, it seems like it'd open up a lot of possibilities for Dagna. And I'm pretty sure there's something to be done with the concept of Fen'Harel as an aspect of the Lone Power - or its biggest foe.
Harry Potter + His Dark Materials
Hogwarts seems like a logical place for Will and/or Mary to end up at some point post-canon. Or maybe you'd rather examine the differences in how magic works and is treated in both worlds, and where the points of divergence started. Also, see note above about intercision and Tranquility; substitute horcruxes for the latter. Or is it even possible to subdivide a soul that has a concrete form?
Harry Potter + Shades of Magic
What if, instead of meeting with the king, Kell's primary Grey London contact was the Minister for Magic, or the Headmaster of Hogwarts? Would things have gone any better? What if Lila was a Hogwarts graduate (or dropout), and knew she had magic from the start? Or what if Voldemort's quest for immortality took him through the different Londons?
Of course, you could always just give Kell Harry's life, or vice versa. Or maybe it turns out Kell's a long-lost Weasley relative.
Harry Potter + Young Wizards
Apart from Voldemort or the Peverells making a deal with the Lone Power, I feel like this is asking for more of a fusion setup than a crossover: Nita and Kit getting into trouble at Hogwarts, for instance, or Hermione pushing the limits of what her spellbook can do. Then again, maybe the fact the magic systems are so different is what leads to the different types of wizards encountering each other, and they have to find a way to make their magic work together to solve whatever the problem is.
His Dark Materials + Shades of Magic
So what does happen to a daemon when someone gets brought back from the dead and magically bonded to someone else's life force? Do Antari daemons have any special characteristics, or are there differences between daemons from other Londons? Is the Subtle Knife related to Antari abilities in any way, or do Kell and Will just have a lot to talk about if they ever run into each other?
His Dark Materials + Young Wizards
Lyra and Will's journey is effectively an Ordeal featuring a Choice. Would it have gone any differently if one or both of them did know that was what was going on - or if they'd had assistance that chose to keep them better informed - in spite of the prophecy? How might Nita and Kit handle a similar situation? Also, Mary Malone seems like she would make a really good Senior; maybe Tom and Carl can give her some pointers.
Shades of Magic + Young Wizards
Okay, so Rhy's not so good with Red London magic, but the Oath seems like it would be right up his alley. (Or maybe he can just take some lessons in turning not being a wizard to his advantage from Carmela.) Not so sure about Lila, though: what happens if the Lone Power gets to her first and offers her a different sort of adventure? For that matter, is the whole White/Black London mess the result of a bad Choice or two - and if so, is it something Nita, Kit, and the gang might be able to undo?
Allstate Insurance "Mayhem" Commercials, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog, Genghis Khan - Miike Snow, Girl Genius
It is a world ruled by SCIENCE! Where people occasionally break into song? And there are insurance mascots wandering abou...okay, fine, this one's a little random. But there is a (scientific) method to the madness, I promise.
Dr. Horrible, Genghis Khan, and/or Girl Genius
Fitting these together seems pretty self-explanatory, although whether they exist in the same continuity or someone does something stupid with portals to other universes is up to you. What I like about mad science properties in general is that nothing is so ridiculous it can't somehow be explained in context (including random musical/dance numbers); what I like about these in particular is that the characters have lives and dreams beyond what happens in the lab, even if they occasionally lose sight of that in the thrill of creation.
If you need some more specific prompts...maybe Billy's been assigned to evaluate someone for the Evil League of Evil, or Gold Nose captures Captain Hammer or OTHAR TRYGGVASSEN, GENTLEMAN ADVENTURER instead of Secret Agent Guy (who could be a colleague of Wooster's). Also, if you want to bring Penny back from the dead (with or without unpleasant side effects), I'm good with that.
Any/all of the above + Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
"Josh Chan must be destroyed" is as good a supervillain motivation as any. (It'd certainly be a good excuse to bond with Billy or the ex-wife in Genghis Khan.) Then again, maybe Friendtopia is one of the kingdoms Agatha has to visit on her quest to stop the Other. Or maybe the firm's just decided it needs to take on a new type of client to survive.
Science fandoms + Mayhem
A mad scientist's lair does seem like a pretty logical place to find Mayhem. Maybe he was even created in one. Then again, maybe he just hangs out in the same villain circles, or gets hired by the heroes to sabotage evildoing, or some combination of the two. Or maybe he's just the only Allstate rep who's willing to visit the dungeons when someone puts in a claim.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend + Mayhem
Let's face it, Rebecca's made worse romantic choices. Although I think Mayhem's real soulmate might be the Santa Ana Wind. (Can they at least be bros?)
Marvel Cinematic Universe, Quantum Leap, Star Trek Everything
A.K.A. slightly less mad science than the previous bracket. Which is a weird thing to say about canons where time travel and/or Tony Stark feature prominently, but here we are.
MCU + Quantum Leap
You could either go with Sam leaps into a superhero (bonus points if one of the science types figure out who he is and start geeking out over it, or for putting him in Bucky or Loki or someone else who's about to do something questionable), or have someone else do the leaping: Tony seems like the obvious candidate, especially with JARVIS serving as Al, but Steve or someone else who's got a particularly vested interest in reliving the past might be interesting.
MCU + Star Trek
Superheroes on a spaceship is always an option, as is having the Guardians of the Galaxy run up against the Federation (though Harry Mudd or the Ferengi might make for a more interesting encounter there), or a clash between Asgard or Thanos and the Q Continuum (or the Borg, or Dominion, or Pah-wraiths, or...pick your vaguely god-like entity here). Then again, assuming some of the MCU characters live long enough to see the Federation or the Empire evolve, it might be interesting just to get their take on that process. And there has to be some connection between Section 31 and SHIELD and/or Hydra; I just don't know what.
Quantum Leap + Star Trek
"Sam leaps into Archer" and/or "Sam is an ancestor of Archer's" is almost too obvious to mention, but certainly worth exploring (especially if Sam somehow manages to leap into both normal Archer and his Mirrorverse counterpart). So is him doing something to either exacerbate or fix the split between the regular and AOS timelines, or the main continuity and the Mirrorverse. Of course, if there's someone else you'd rather have him be or some other event you'd rather have him focus on, go for it. And I'd be perfectly happy with Al and the EMH just snarking at each other for a whole fic, so that's an option, too.
Star Trek AOS + TOS and/or Enterprise
Obviously you could just flesh out more of what happened in the lead-up to Nero splitting the timeline, or have the Kirks and more of their two crews meet than just Spock, or combine the two in some effort to fix the timelines that might or might not make things worse. As for Enterprise, there's still a lot to fill in between the finale and the start of Spock's career...including Scotty's ill-fated beagle experiment.
AOS + 24th Century Trek
I would put on a red shirt and volunteer for an away mission if it meant more fic exploring the Rebootverse a century later and how the changes to the main timeline affected it. Is there room for Picard's style of diplomacy in a Federation that's lost many of the strongest champions of that approach? Do the tactics against the Dominion change, or who's fighting on what side? Does Voyager even happen if Tuvok's not there, or has a much stronger motivation to get back to his people?
AOS + Mirrorverse
Was there a Nero in the Mirrorverse? What if he'd sidestepped instead of (or in addition to) traveling back in time, and wound up there instead: would he have tried to get back, gone ahead with the plan, or decided to use his superior tech in a bid to take over the place? Similarly, what if Krall's storyline had played out in the Mirrorverse instead? (I suppose you could pose the question for Khan as well, but I'd rather go with the original timeline take on him.)
Main Star Trek Continuity (including Mirrorverse)
You probably already have a pretty good idea what you want to do with this one. If possible, though, I'd like to see more mixing and matching between shows than just a day in Worf's life on DS9, or sending crews to the Mirrorverse who have been there before. If you're not sure, maybe you could go with a mentoring moment between the Enterprise or TOS crews and those who came after, or more of what happened after the Dominion War or Voyager arriving home. And there are always the what-ifs involving characters who were supposed to be part of other series but weren't, like Ro Laren and/or Nick Locarno winding up on Voyager.
Avatar: the Last Airbender, Avatar: Legend of Korra, Ender's Game, Game of Thrones, Hamilton, Vorkosigan Saga
Military and political conflict are pretty much the name of the game for these fandoms, though there's a fair bit of coming of age and trying to find one's place in society thrown in, if you're just looking for characters who might get something out of interacting with each other.
The other general theme you might want to keep in mind if you're struggling for inspiration is "who lives, who dies, who tells your story." Whether it's the Ember Island Players, the Essos theatrical troupe, a Speaker for the Dead, a folktale, or a key participant spinning their own dramatic rendition of how things went wrong, there's a lot of potential to explore how one canon might look as told from the perspective of another.
Avatar
I'm going to be treating both series as a unit for the most part in the other requests, so if this is the only thing you matched on, then time-travel shenanigans or the Avatar exploring past/future lives are probably the way to go. If you've got a different idea that incorporates both without basically just being a Korra-era story, though, go for it. (Not that I'd mind a Korra-era story, but I wouldn't blame you for wanting a bit more of a stretch.)
Avatar + Ender's Game
"Everything changed when the aliens attacked." Feel free to either explore what would happen if there was an extraterrestrial invasion during the time period(s) covered in canon, or carry the universe forward a century or three so the tech is equivalent to Ender's Game. What are Battle School games like with powers? Alternatively, what happens if Ender is the Avatar, or Peter has to go on Zuko's journey toward becoming a decent person?
Avatar + Game of Thrones
Azor Ahai = the Avatar seems like a logical place to start, whether you want to go with sending Aang or Korra to Westeros or just giving those powers to one of the preferred candidates. Or you could just expand the playing field of the game by throwing all the nations in both canons together and seeing what happens. I am very afraid of what might happen if Azula met Cersei, or if Stannis had Zaheer shaping his ideology instead of Melisandre, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see it.
Avatar + Hamilton
The Revolutionary War would no doubt have been very different with benders, especially if one happened to be the Avatar. Or maybe Alexander and company are rebels under the rule of the Fire Nation or Earth Empire. Or maybe Aang or Korra just somehow find a way to consult Washington on the challenges of leadership, or Iroh turns up somehow to offer tea and advice to someone.
Avatar + Vorkosigan Saga
Miles with Avatar (or just plain bender) abilities sounds fun, if dangerous. Maybe it's safer if he just makes friends with Aang or Korra and their respective crews...no, probably not, but that would still be fun, too. Or maybe his struggles in the Avatarverse come less from his physical limitations and more from the fact he doesn't have powers?
Ender's Game + Game of Thrones
Is the game of thrones any less cutthroat if you transfer it to Battle School? (Probably not.) I particularly like the idea of Tyrion in Ender's role, since that means Cersei and Jamie can be Peter and Valentine (or attempt to go up against them), but Jon, Dany, or someone else also works. Alternatively, is Ender better equipped to face the White Walkers than anyone in Westeros? Or if you just want to find a way for Petra and Brienne to train together, I'm down for that.
Ender's Game + Hamilton
Hamilton and friends in Battle School is probably easier to manage than an extremely precocious Revolutionary War general, though if you can pull the latter off, more power to you. Then again, maybe you just want to send in the Buggers to further mess up the fight for New York. Or if you just want to have Peter and Burr or Washington and someone in leadership sit down for a long chat, that works, too.
Ender's Game + Vorkosigan Saga
It's entirely plausible that Ender...sorry, Andrew and Valentine could have made their way into the Vorkosiverse through all their FTL travel, though whether they'd want to stop on Barrayar or somewhere else is an open question. Of course, you could always just send Miles (and Ivan? Mark? Byerly?) to Battle School, or put Ender (and Peter?) through the Academy, or see how Valentine might take to the mercenary life.
Game of Thrones + Hamilton
The Revolutionary War would've looked a lot different with dragons. Or with White Walkers showing up out of nowhere. Alternatively, maybe you want to see how Hamilton and company would fare under (or as) Westeros's various leaders. Or maybe the common people of Westeros just get sick of being other people's chess pieces and decide to stage a full-out revolt; whether Alexander and company have lived there all their lives and just come up with the idea on their own or bring it with them from our world is up to you.
Game of Thrones + Vorkosigan Saga
Let's face it: Miles and Tyrion were separated at birth. Unfortunately for Tyrion, since he'd have been a lot happier with Aral than Tywin. Come to think of it, most of the Game of Thrones characters would probably be happier in a setting where gender doesn't have to dictate most people's destiny (or where you can follow Lady Alys's example and make tradition work to your advantage), and there's room to spread out if you don't like the world you were born into.
Seriously, though, if you just want to write "Miles and Tyrion walk into a bar" and take it from there, I'm good with that.
Hamilton + Vorkosigan Saga
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore make a name for himself in a society where your caste determines what opportunities are available to you, and what kind of enemies does he wind up making along the way? Does he revolt, or does he seek his fortune elsewhere? Alternatively, how might the Revolutionary War go with a bit of Barrayan strategy on the colonials' side...or against it?