Hi there Shortcuts Author! Here's my long form signup, with included scenarios and crossover likes and such.

For the gift you want to receive:

1. Three to five of your preferred characters or pairings

Joe Dawson, Methos, Amanda. No preferred pairings, and I don’t have any notps. I suppose I have a gentle preference for gen with stories involving Joe and Methos, and a femslash bent for Amanda, because the world needs more femslash and she’s totally game.

2. A listing of preferences you would like to see in your gift, if any.

I don’t have a deep knowledge of canon, since I’ve been out of the fandom for a very, very long time. I’m only familiar with the series so movie lore is lost on me. I like pre-canon backstories, myth- and worldbuilding, historical settings (give me age of sail and I’ll worship you forever), developing/forming relationships - deep character exploration, origin stories/early character development. I love crossovers, reveals, angst with a dash of humour, Immortal adventures in mundane life (hello driver’s license renewal), the honest ups and downs of real relationships, and clever fandom fusions. I also like psychological mindgame-type fics, if they don’t stray too far into straight-up torture/abuse.

3. Any dislikes or squicks you do not want to see in your gift.

Hard no: violence against children, or glorification of abuse/violence against women. Strong dislike: romantic relationships with power imbalance/incest vibes, sex shaming, love triangles, and jealousy.  Not a fan of curtainfic and super-sweet fluff.

Scenarios:

Whether it’s Joe, Methos in his Adam Pierson guise, or an OC, I’m fascinated by anything to do with the Watchers and their behind the scenes shenanigans and culture.

How did spyware and keylogging change the Watcher game? Who’s still working it old school and following Immortals around, and who’s kicked back with a Tile Mate planted on their assignment, generating reports from their iphone app data?

How many times were Immortals lost when they immigrated to different countries? How many Watchers had to drop everything, crowd onto a ship with their assignment while pretending not to know them even while living with them cheek and jowl, brave Atlantic crossings and typhus to then tail them through the wilds of America?

How did the Watchers keep their members close throughout history - Watcher appreciation events? Drawing room socials? Potlucks?  Bingo nights? Commemorative 10-year service pocket watches? How does a secret society keep their community alive, connected and strong?

How did Joe handle his assignment changes? What routines did he go through every time he was matched to a new Immortal? Did he miss the old ones, or compare new to old? How many baby Watchers did he mentor over the years, and who were his favourites, and his least favourites? Who really messed up, and whose messes did he have to go fix?

For the gift you are going to give someone else:

1. Any characters or pairings you refuse to write  I have no grasp at all on any movie characters. I’m game for anyone in the series, however. (I have an expert consultant on staff, and will do my homework if it’s a character I’m not familiar with).

2. Anything you refuse to write  Torture, darkfic, super-intricate canon-based stories. Otherwise, I’ll work with whatever to the best of my abilities.

Crossovers with:

1.    Hornblower (both books and miniseries)

Of the books I love Flying Colours and Commodore Hornblower the most. In the miniseries, I’m most fond of the Mutiny arc and the intrepid Hornblower and Bush Hotspur duo. My loves: Hornblower and his complicated relationship with success and failure, his catty social climbing and hot/cold relationship with Barbara, and his better-than-a-wife bond with Bill Bush.

2.    Temeraire

More age of sail, but with dragons! Lots of room to play with Immortals captaining long-lived dragons. Dragons covet treasures at the best of the times - what happens when they realized they could have captains that endured longer than the blink-and-you-miss-it lifespans of mortals? There’s a no-duelling rule for dragon captains because of the grief and angst it causes the dragons. How does that influence Challenges? Who dares Challenge an Immortal who’s got a cranky dragon waiting to eat you if you win?

3.    The Mentalist

Pre-canon Patrick Jane is a fascinating character, especially in the context of his itinerant carnival upbringing. There are so many places one might encounter an Immortal in that world, with their own magic tricks up their sleeves--ones he could never figure out.

Crossovers I'll write:  Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Mentalist, White Collar, Forever (TV), Hornblower (books and miniseries), Temeraire, Elementary, Leverage, Star Trek (TNG, DS9, and TOS), Lucifer (TV)

Elaboration post: My exchange letter from Crossovering is here, and has some more insight on my likes/dislikes/crossover fandoms.

Can you pinch hit: No