Age Gap Exchange: a Sutcliff opportunity

[chantefable]

Are you a Sutcliff fan who has long harbored a craving for an obscure rare pairing with an age difference? Seize the day and nominate your fandom & pairing of choice for agegapexchange until February 2. Here is the tagset.

Full Schedule:

Nominations: January 25th - February 2nd
Signups: February 5th - February 13th
Assignments out by no later than: February 17th
Assignments due by: March 30th
Works revealed: April 6th
Creators revealed: April 13th

Sutcliff sources have quite a few canonical pairings with an age difference. Marcus Flavius Aquila and Cottia, as well as Guern and Murna from Eagle of the Ninth book canon come to mind, as well as Marcus Flavius Aquila and Esca Mac Cunoval from Eagle of the Ninth TV series. But what about interesting combinations of lesser-known characters from Frontier Wolf that one might ship together? What about other Sutcliff canons? Discuss your preferences in the comments! What if your idea tickles someone else's fancy?

Carpe diem!

Comments

Frontier Wolf ships

[chantefable]

I have long been interested in the idea of Emperor Constans I, who appears in Frontier Wolf, and Alexios' Uncle Marius, the Dux. On the one hand, if we go into Historical RPF territory, Marius may not have been exactly the Emperor's type (who liked them rugged and barbarian, as attested by his numerous flock of handsome bodyguards), but on the other hand, that is what makes it so interesting. What does Uncle Marius think of the successful young Emperor?

I have also wondered about Alexios Flavius Aquila/Julius Gavros. Maybe something hurt/comfort set around chapter 15. ("The remains of the Third and First Ordos retreat to the headquarters of Julius Gavros's Second at Habitancum, where they arrive just in time to retreat with the garrison to the Southern Wall.")

And Ferradach Dhu/Shula. That pairing is practically a self-explanatory prompt. Wise chieftain chose the best-fitting (wise, strong, handsome) wife fit for a chieftain, but was forced to admit he was too frail already, and rather than marrying her himself, made his heir and son marry her. Ah, the political romance. I'd read 30k of this.

[carmarthen]

I want some Claudius Hieronymianus/basically anyone. Uncle Aquila is an obvious one, of course, but I'm open to other possibilities.

[chantefable]

I want Claudius Hieronymianus/basically anyone SO MUCH. It takes seven years of an age gap to qualify for this exchange, so if we headcanon Claudius as seven years older/younger than Aquila (with OMG bonus backstory and worldbuilding for what it means to their positions and careers respectively), it's all great.

But, yes, basically anyone:

Claudius Hieronymianus/Tribune Placidus (the perils of Roman HR, or, it's a hard job raising good tribunes for the political gain of your own party).

Claudius Hieronymianus/post-canon Marcus Aquila (let's recruit this young man who's trending with good PR for our platform!).

Claudius Hieronymianus/post-canon freedman!Esca (only a poor statesman does not see the advantage in good subtle relations with freedmen and peregrini... spies everywhere... handsome barbarians, feast your eyes... etc).

I have not given it enough thought but I am now open to possibilities. (I don't have any free nomination fandom slots left, though.)

[carmarthen]

IIRC in the book he's definitely at least 7 years younger than Uncle A - he was a tribune when Uncle A was a fairly high-up NCO, I think? One of the things I've been wanting for ages is a story about them being FWB in Egypt but other than "they do stuff together! and make out! later they look back fondly on those years and maybe hook up occasionally for nostalgia when CH is in Calleva!" I don't have any actual *ideas.*

I'm not sure CH deserves Placidus, but I could definitely get into a one-sided crush motivating some of Placidus's ill-aimed efforts to impress sempai.

[chantefable]

...I have this idea for a CH & A in Egypt fic that requires epic research into wtf was actually going on in Egypt and How Legions Work, so I've been putting it off for a long, long while. As you do.

But anything about older Uncle A longing to relocate to Britain where his younger flame is already happily established? And possibly surrounded by handsome younger men, in proper Roman relationships, while older Uncle A really wants him back? Yes.

I feel like Placidus being impulsive and Not of Good Judgement, while being CH protege and CH having a sort of exasperated fondness for him, oscillating between OMG how low can you go, how stupid can you be, and OMG will make a statesman out of you yet I need a political puppet for my cunning Roman spy service master plan may result in some... nice kinky mentor/protege stuff. Where Placidus both resents and admires CH, and CH both eyerolls and tries to put some sense in Placidus, and also sex.

[chantefable]

Also, I had some slots left in the crossovers, so I got in some Sutcliff, with CH, too:

✔ Aracos (A Circlet of Oak Leaves - Sutcliff)/Claudius Hieronimianus (Eagle of the Ninth - Sutcliff)
✔ Pilus Prior (The Fugitives - Sutcliff)/Servius Placidus (Eagle of the Ninth - Sutcliff)
✔ The Fugitive (The Fugitives - Sutcliff)/Esca Mac Cunoval (Eagle of the Ninth - Sutcliff)

This whole overlap of age difference and social status difference, and subverting thereof, could be very interesting in Sutcliffian Roman settings!