Exchange of Interest Letter 2021

[keita52]

Dear Creator:

I hope there’s something in here that sparks your imagination! You can create any rating for me, G to E. Please don’t hesitate to drop me an anonymous ask on Tumblr if you have questions or want clarification.

Do Not Wants (DNWs):

• Rape/Noncon
• Non-canon major character deaths
• Underage content
• Watersports/Scat
• Humiliation/Torture
• Mpreg
• A/B/O dynamics
• Mundane (e.g., no Machine/Samaritan) AU
• Different setting (e.g., they’re on a spaceship) AU
• Gore (Canon-typical violence is fine)
• Infidelity/cheating
• Daddy/mommy kink
• Character bashing
• Erasing canon trauma – e.g., please don’t remove Finch’s injuries, Shaw’s personality disorder, etc.

Likes:

• Humor and friendship, especially female friendship
• Respect and teamwork
• Mutual UST/pining that leads to the others using clue by fours to get them together, already
• Sexual tension bubbling over into their first time together
• Safe, sane, consensual BDSM- perhaps in the context of an established relationship trying something new
• Kink negotiation
• Alternate history / “What If” / Everyone Lives AUs

Requested Characters/Relationships

1. Root/Sameen Shaw – Just let them be happy together already. A Root Lives AU would be great, but I’d settle for even a single encounter outside of a simulation where they go to town on each other. Season 3, 4, 5, or post-canon – your choice, although I’ll tentatively register a preference for post-canon. I would also be interested to see what you come up with in the No Machine AU setting we saw at the end of S5.
2. The Machine/Root/Sameen Shaw – Tricky, but one that I would absolutely love to see. I’m sure that Shaw knows that she takes The Machine along with Root, but maybe she didn’t expect TM to be such an active participant in their sex life. Alternately, a Root Lives AU where Shaw builds her own relationship with TM; maybe TM chooses a different voice in that case (Finch? Reese?) or Shaw has to deal with TM and Root having the same voice.
3. John Reese & Sameen Shaw – Mayhem Twins going to town on bad guys. Gunfire, explosions – the works! Reese gently needling Shaw about her relationship with Root; Shaw turns the tables and teases him about (Finch, Zoe, Iris).
4. Hersh & Sameen Shaw – There's obviously a ton of history between these two and I'd love to see it explored more. Something from Hersh's POV as he watches Shaw becoming a part of Team Machine would be interesting; something from their training days would also be pretty interesting. I'm also into an AU where Hersh lives and joins TM and has to start taking orders from Shaw; perhaps because Shaw's the one to vouch for him and Finch says "fine, he's your problem now"?
5. Michael Cole & Sameen Shaw – Again, lots of history here! I'd love to see another of their missions before the one that goes south; alternatively, Cole lives and joins TM (at some point; it doesn't have to be immediately).
6. Kelli Lin/Sameen Shaw – Kelli Lin is the Olympic gymnast-turned-cat-burglar in 3x14, "Provenance". I love the little arc that she and Shaw go through here, and I'd love to see an interlude where they act on the attraction between them (even knowing it's temporary). Or perhaps they part as per canon and Kelli finds a reason to come back to NYC some day to visit Shaw?
7. Tomas Koroa/Sameen Shaw – Similar to above, Tomas Koroa is a thief that works with Shaw for an episode. Shaw is clearly tempted by him and his lifestyle; what if she leaves for a time to do a heist? This kind of sidesteps her being hunted/captured by Samaritan, so maybe that's too big of an AU for this exchange. (Still, it'd be interesting!) Other than that, maybe they take a few minutes to themselves during the episode. Shaw and Root are dancing around each other at this point, so maybe that's a consideration for Shaw.
8. Joss Carter/Zoe Morgan/Sameen Shaw – The ultimate backdrop for this relationship is 3x03, "Lady Killer", IMO, but honestly this could work at any point between Shaw coming on the scene and Carter's death. Alternately, I am always here for a Carter Lives AU! Maybe Joss/Zoe is an established pairing that decide to bring in Shaw; maybe their antics during Lady Killer bring the three of them together for the first time. 
9. Lionel Fusco & Sameen Shaw – I love the faux-antagonistic relationship they have, where they're publicly exasperated/annoyed with each other – but have each other's back when it counts. I'd love to see them at any point after Shaw joins TM - perhaps a scene after Shaw protects Lee/Carter dies where they try to hash out their complicated feelings about the situation. Or, since they both survive, something post-canon where Fusco reluctantly helps Shaw with whatever she decides to do with the numbers. 
10. Control & Harold Finch – They have a weird kind of detente with each other, highlighted when Control decides to try and protect Finch during the Vigilance trial. Like a lot of characters, she might have started out on the opposing side but actually has more in common with Team Machine than she thinks. Anything with these two – expansion of canon, or AU where she actually throws her lot in with Finch – would be very interesting to see!