All in the Family letter
Dear author,
Thank you for creating for me! Family relationships, and sibling relationships in particular (as is probably obvious from my list of requested relationships), are what I’m all about, so I’m really excited about this exchange. I like fics that are set in canon, but I also love thoughtful AUs/fusions/crossovers, where there’s a reflection on how the differences in background/situation would change the characters. On that topic, if you match me on more than one fandom, you should feel free to write a crossover/fusion with any of the fandoms I requested as long as the relationships I want are included.
H/C is my number one narrative kink, and I like a balance between the hurt and the comfort, or even a little more hurt than comfort. I don’t mind if the comfort is perfunctory, or if the hurt character resists the comfort. Actually, the best scenario for me is when the hurt character has to keep fighting/figuring out the situation while being hurt/sick/weakened/anything you can throw at them. Having to draw on inner resources in the face of adversity is the best for me. :) I prefer emotions to be understated rather than overblown, and in ship fic especially I prefer it if there is at same time some plot/worldbuilding/atmosphere element to go with it, as well as a sense that the characters have other things in their lives than their love interest.
If there is any sex for the very few romantic ships that I requested, I would prefer no extreme kink or fic that focuses on porn. Characters figuring out what they like at the beginning of a relationship can be fun, though. I also don’t mind underage.
A note about fanvids before we dive in, since I ask for them in a few fandoms: I don’t mine dialogues in the vid if they don’t become too overwhelming, but I hate for the lyrics of the songs to be written in. I’m not fussy about the music choice, so I’ll leave it to your judgment. Not too many filters or effects is best.
DNW: character bashing; parent/child or sibling incest (but cousin incest is okay); character death (I don’t mind dark stuff, but I’d prefer some silver lining to go with that cloud); kid fic/marriage fic/babies forever after type of ending; rape/noncon; gore.
Now to the fandoms!
Kuroshitsuji: Ciel is my absolute favorite for this series, so you can’t go wrong with focusing a fic on him. What I like about him is that knife-edge balance between strength and vulnerability, and that’s what I would like to find in fic. Also, as a side note, I’m a staunch believer in the twin Ciels theory. If you don’t know what it is/know what it is but don’t like it, then no worries, forget I said anything. But if you do like the theory, then feel free to include it any way you want even if it isn’t central to the story.
For this fandom I always want more casefics and more mystery/horror tropes. When it comes to horror I prefer a psychological sort of horror rather than gore or body horror. Creepy atmospheres, situations that blur the boundaries between reality/dream, haunted houses, OCs that can’t be trusted.
Specifics for the relationships I requested:
Ciel/Lizzie or Ciel & Lizzie: the line is blurry between the two since they’re engaged, but that means I don’t need explicitly romantic stuff. I would like for Lizzie to have the occasion to reestablish some balance between them: figure out things she wants for herself, let herself be confident enough to criticize Ciel and realize her own strength. It would be nice to get a sense of what exactly she likes about him, and whether she would choose him if he wasn’t her fiancé (if you go with the twin Ciels theory, it could be awesome to have her choose our Ciel even if he isn’t the one she’s been engaged to since childhood). If you choose to go with something shippier, it could be fun to see them fumble through explicitly romantic or even sexual situations. They’ve both been raised to be very proper, and Ciel is a very restrained character. Let him be flustered! I also have that scenario in mind that I find appealing: Lizzie practicing fencing with Ciel, and Ciel practicing chess with her, both of them sharing their respective strength with the other.
Ciel & Edward: I would love if they were put in a situation where they have to work together to save the day or to a common goal, or found some common ground with each other that doesn’t include Lizzie. They’re cousins, after all, and not just future brothers-in-law. How do they think of each other, deep down? More stuff happening at Weston could be interesting.
Ciel/Elizabeth/Sieglinde: this OT3 has me more interested the more I think about it. I think Sieglinde could shake up and balance the Ciel/Lizzie dynamics in very interesting ways. When it comes to romantic/sexual stuff she’s a lot more forward than the other two, so she could be a great help in moving things along. How do they figure out and make their relationship work in Victorian society? I like that the three of them are all geniuses in their own way, so any situation where they have to combine their capacities would be great. Maybe Lizzie and Sieglinde find themselves involved in one of Ciel’s cases in some way? Also, I may be a big Ciel fan, but I also like my OT3 to be balanced, so the Lizzie/Sieglinde side shouldn’t be ignored or underdeveloped.
Critical Role: I love the ragtag of misfits vibe/found family vibe of this show, and I love this idea that several members of the cast have put forward that they’re more together than the sums of their parts. They don’t consider themselves heroes but they might be on their way to become legends. I like how they close ranks whenever one of them is threatened or looked down on, how they’re unwaveringly supportive of each other even as they bicker and mess with each other, so any scenario that includes that would be fun for me.
Things that would be nice to get: stories that reflect on the strong bonds between the party members, funny/awkward/impossible situations they find themselves in and somehow manage to get out of, explorations of the universe Matt has created and/or of the characters’ backstories, a look at the beginning of Vox Machina and how they started thinking about each other as family. For the purpose of this I would prefer Tary not to be included - I don’t feel he is a “full-fledged member” yet. :)
I requested art and vid as fic: illustrations of iconic moments between the characters whose relationship I’ve mentioned would be awesome, as well as scenes from the scenarios I’ve mentioned. For vids, I know this is a tall order for this fandom, but I’m really fascinated by the different ways there are to vid this fandom, from the use of art works to clips from the show itself.
Percy & Cassandra: I can't never get enough of their interactions on the show. I'd really like something that explores the complexity of their feelings: they're all each other have left as far as blood family goes, but they've both betrayed the other. They harbor a lot of guilt for what happened to their family and the fact that they survived and the rest of the de Rolos didn't. I also have this notion that they weren't each other's favorite siblings growing up, but now they're all that's left.
You could set the fic in the aftermath of episode 70. I would have loved for Percy and Cassandra to have a one-on-one moment after those events. During the period between episode 35 and 36 at the end of the Briarwood arc is another interesting moment to set the fic, maybe as they try to figure out how to deal with their feelings of guilt and betrayal. Episodes from their childhood could be fun too, especially if it involved some of their other siblings.
Vex & Vax: For them I'd enjoy something pre Vox Machina when they were younger, especially something that takes place when the twins were growing up in Syngorn. Or VM find themselves confronted with someone from the twins’ murky past, or Vex and Vax have the occasion to reflect on how different it is to be able to rely on other people than their sibling, without it causing them to mean less to each other.
Shades of Magic: I just finished reading this series and Kell & Rhy’s relationship was what I was the most invested in. Their bond in particular fascinates me: I like the physicality of it, with the constant mention of the second heartbeat they both feel.
Any fic that explores that bond is something I would love: how much do they feel from each other? Can it be pleasure or is it only pain? Can they really feel each other’s emotions or is it rather that they can feel the physical manifestation of those emotions (and therefore could mistake one emotion for another?). How do they live with it in the long term, and how does it affect their relationships with others (like Rhy’s relationship with Allucard). How do they handle Kell’s new affliction (remember, I like h/c!)? I have to say that I didn’t like Lila and Kell/Lila much, but as I included in my DNW, I hate character bashing, so I really would rather she was off doing her own thing and maybe she and Kell split up amiably.
Alternatively, episodes from them growing up together could be fun too: maybe something about the aftermath of Rhy getting kidnapped when they were kids? I’d also like to see how their relationship developed to the point that Kell strongly feels that Rhy is his brother, while not being so sure where he stands with the king and the queen.
Bokura no Kiseki: Ah, the tragedy of Glen and Bart! I’d like moments of them growing up together, being more or less raised by Glen’s mother (who I assume also nursed Bart), and how they manage to keep their bond solid even with their different statuses and their older brother’s disdain of Glen. Or something set just before/during/after Glen went to war. Also, I love Hiroki and would love for her to be included and for the fic to be set in present times either completely or partially. It would be heartbreaking, but I would enjoy a fic of her slowly getting back her memories of her past life, and especially memories of Bart, up to the memory of Bart dying (or at least what she thought was Bart dying). Or you could go the fix-it road and write me “Bart got reincarnated after all!” fluff.
Nirvana in Fire: I’m still gathering the broken pieces of my heart after watching this show, so please be light on the angst for this one (as much as possible without anyone being OOC, of course).
Jingyan/MCS: unsurprisingly my OTP for the show. I’m interested in many AUs for this show: all the “Jingyan finds out sooner” AUs (even sooner than Mei Changsu coming to the capital), and I would like something a little more emotional than what we got on the show, because that left me wanting (not even a hug? Come on!), but as much as I liked the pining on the show, I now want more of Jingyan and MCS working together with Jingyan holding all the cards. Or maybe a role!reversal AU? Like Jingyan was the one accused of treason and presumed dead, and Lin Shu was left behind (but is still a good strategist, because that can’t have come from nowhere). And, there’s already a lot of it in fandom but I wouldn’t mind more fix-it of the “MCS didn’t really die at the end” variety.
Consort Jing & Jingyan and Consort Jing & MCS: I love Consort Jing so, so much. I love how genuinely warm and kind she is while being so smart and not someone you can walk over. Jingyan is so light and relaxed with her, and anything including their relationship would make me happy. And more of her relationship with MCS would also be good, because they obviously care a lot about each other but we didn’t get to see them interact a lot on the show. Maybe more scheming that has all three characters on board?
Jingrui & Yujin: I love them and their friendship so much, and I love how much warmth they bring to the show. Any one of these scenarios would appeal to me: Yujin trying to comfort Jingrui after Jingrui had the Worst Birthday Ever; their reunion when Jingrui came back at the end of the show (we were robbed!); them adventuring together post-canon; something from their childhood, with maybe younger Lin Shu and Jingyan thrown into the mix.
The Demon’s Lexicon: This canon gave me a complex, co-dependent sibling relationship as well as a sweet and fluffy one, and I will forever be thankful for it.
Alan & Nick: all I want for this canon is some Alan’s POV; could be pre-canon, during his and Nick’s childhood, or during the canon, or post-canon. Basically, how did this normal kid managed to adapt to having a demon for a brother and how did it change the way he relates to other people. Funny, angsty, whatever floats your boat - but if you can manage a bit of both that would be lovely. :) Also, it doesn’t fit the challenge parameters, but I love me some Nick & Jamie’s friendship so if you can throw it in there that’s always great.
Mae & Jamie: I love how supportive they are of each other, and I think of them as the fluffy pendant to Alan and Nick. Again, pre-canon or post canon or during canon, I’m not too fussy. Maybe more on what was happening with Jamie during the third book? Or post-canon, how do they both adapt to their new roles as leaders, and how do they work together for it?
Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood/manga): I insist on this specific version of canon, because I feel that Ed and Al’s relationship has a different tone in the 2003 anime, and (contrary to a lot of people it seems), I prefer their relationship in the manga/Brotherhood anime. I love that they work as a team and that they complete each other’s thought process easily, and that despite the differences in their personalities they’re on the same page when it comes to their values and their vision of the world. Casefic-y stuff is always fun, whether it is pre-canon or at the beginning of canon. Outsider POV is something I’m always interested in. Or if you go post-canon, I would love something epistolary where they exchange their thoughts and experiences with each other during their travels (it’s a headcanon of mine that they wrote to each other so much during that time period that their letters became basically like a journal of sorts).
Thank you for creating for me! Family relationships, and sibling relationships in particular (as is probably obvious from my list of requested relationships), are what I’m all about, so I’m really excited about this exchange. I like fics that are set in canon, but I also love thoughtful AUs/fusions/crossovers, where there’s a reflection on how the differences in background/situation would change the characters. On that topic, if you match me on more than one fandom, you should feel free to write a crossover/fusion with any of the fandoms I requested as long as the relationships I want are included.
H/C is my number one narrative kink, and I like a balance between the hurt and the comfort, or even a little more hurt than comfort. I don’t mind if the comfort is perfunctory, or if the hurt character resists the comfort. Actually, the best scenario for me is when the hurt character has to keep fighting/figuring out the situation while being hurt/sick/weakened/anything you can throw at them. Having to draw on inner resources in the face of adversity is the best for me. :) I prefer emotions to be understated rather than overblown, and in ship fic especially I prefer it if there is at same time some plot/worldbuilding/atmosphere element to go with it, as well as a sense that the characters have other things in their lives than their love interest.
If there is any sex for the very few romantic ships that I requested, I would prefer no extreme kink or fic that focuses on porn. Characters figuring out what they like at the beginning of a relationship can be fun, though. I also don’t mind underage.
A note about fanvids before we dive in, since I ask for them in a few fandoms: I don’t mine dialogues in the vid if they don’t become too overwhelming, but I hate for the lyrics of the songs to be written in. I’m not fussy about the music choice, so I’ll leave it to your judgment. Not too many filters or effects is best.
DNW: character bashing; parent/child or sibling incest (but cousin incest is okay); character death (I don’t mind dark stuff, but I’d prefer some silver lining to go with that cloud); kid fic/marriage fic/babies forever after type of ending; rape/noncon; gore.
Now to the fandoms!
Kuroshitsuji: Ciel is my absolute favorite for this series, so you can’t go wrong with focusing a fic on him. What I like about him is that knife-edge balance between strength and vulnerability, and that’s what I would like to find in fic. Also, as a side note, I’m a staunch believer in the twin Ciels theory. If you don’t know what it is/know what it is but don’t like it, then no worries, forget I said anything. But if you do like the theory, then feel free to include it any way you want even if it isn’t central to the story.
For this fandom I always want more casefics and more mystery/horror tropes. When it comes to horror I prefer a psychological sort of horror rather than gore or body horror. Creepy atmospheres, situations that blur the boundaries between reality/dream, haunted houses, OCs that can’t be trusted.
Specifics for the relationships I requested:
Ciel/Lizzie or Ciel & Lizzie: the line is blurry between the two since they’re engaged, but that means I don’t need explicitly romantic stuff. I would like for Lizzie to have the occasion to reestablish some balance between them: figure out things she wants for herself, let herself be confident enough to criticize Ciel and realize her own strength. It would be nice to get a sense of what exactly she likes about him, and whether she would choose him if he wasn’t her fiancé (if you go with the twin Ciels theory, it could be awesome to have her choose our Ciel even if he isn’t the one she’s been engaged to since childhood). If you choose to go with something shippier, it could be fun to see them fumble through explicitly romantic or even sexual situations. They’ve both been raised to be very proper, and Ciel is a very restrained character. Let him be flustered! I also have that scenario in mind that I find appealing: Lizzie practicing fencing with Ciel, and Ciel practicing chess with her, both of them sharing their respective strength with the other.
Ciel & Edward: I would love if they were put in a situation where they have to work together to save the day or to a common goal, or found some common ground with each other that doesn’t include Lizzie. They’re cousins, after all, and not just future brothers-in-law. How do they think of each other, deep down? More stuff happening at Weston could be interesting.
Ciel/Elizabeth/Sieglinde: this OT3 has me more interested the more I think about it. I think Sieglinde could shake up and balance the Ciel/Lizzie dynamics in very interesting ways. When it comes to romantic/sexual stuff she’s a lot more forward than the other two, so she could be a great help in moving things along. How do they figure out and make their relationship work in Victorian society? I like that the three of them are all geniuses in their own way, so any situation where they have to combine their capacities would be great. Maybe Lizzie and Sieglinde find themselves involved in one of Ciel’s cases in some way? Also, I may be a big Ciel fan, but I also like my OT3 to be balanced, so the Lizzie/Sieglinde side shouldn’t be ignored or underdeveloped.
Critical Role: I love the ragtag of misfits vibe/found family vibe of this show, and I love this idea that several members of the cast have put forward that they’re more together than the sums of their parts. They don’t consider themselves heroes but they might be on their way to become legends. I like how they close ranks whenever one of them is threatened or looked down on, how they’re unwaveringly supportive of each other even as they bicker and mess with each other, so any scenario that includes that would be fun for me.
Things that would be nice to get: stories that reflect on the strong bonds between the party members, funny/awkward/impossible situations they find themselves in and somehow manage to get out of, explorations of the universe Matt has created and/or of the characters’ backstories, a look at the beginning of Vox Machina and how they started thinking about each other as family. For the purpose of this I would prefer Tary not to be included - I don’t feel he is a “full-fledged member” yet. :)
I requested art and vid as fic: illustrations of iconic moments between the characters whose relationship I’ve mentioned would be awesome, as well as scenes from the scenarios I’ve mentioned. For vids, I know this is a tall order for this fandom, but I’m really fascinated by the different ways there are to vid this fandom, from the use of art works to clips from the show itself.
Percy & Cassandra: I can't never get enough of their interactions on the show. I'd really like something that explores the complexity of their feelings: they're all each other have left as far as blood family goes, but they've both betrayed the other. They harbor a lot of guilt for what happened to their family and the fact that they survived and the rest of the de Rolos didn't. I also have this notion that they weren't each other's favorite siblings growing up, but now they're all that's left.
You could set the fic in the aftermath of episode 70. I would have loved for Percy and Cassandra to have a one-on-one moment after those events. During the period between episode 35 and 36 at the end of the Briarwood arc is another interesting moment to set the fic, maybe as they try to figure out how to deal with their feelings of guilt and betrayal. Episodes from their childhood could be fun too, especially if it involved some of their other siblings.
Vex & Vax: For them I'd enjoy something pre Vox Machina when they were younger, especially something that takes place when the twins were growing up in Syngorn. Or VM find themselves confronted with someone from the twins’ murky past, or Vex and Vax have the occasion to reflect on how different it is to be able to rely on other people than their sibling, without it causing them to mean less to each other.
Shades of Magic: I just finished reading this series and Kell & Rhy’s relationship was what I was the most invested in. Their bond in particular fascinates me: I like the physicality of it, with the constant mention of the second heartbeat they both feel.
Any fic that explores that bond is something I would love: how much do they feel from each other? Can it be pleasure or is it only pain? Can they really feel each other’s emotions or is it rather that they can feel the physical manifestation of those emotions (and therefore could mistake one emotion for another?). How do they live with it in the long term, and how does it affect their relationships with others (like Rhy’s relationship with Allucard). How do they handle Kell’s new affliction (remember, I like h/c!)? I have to say that I didn’t like Lila and Kell/Lila much, but as I included in my DNW, I hate character bashing, so I really would rather she was off doing her own thing and maybe she and Kell split up amiably.
Alternatively, episodes from them growing up together could be fun too: maybe something about the aftermath of Rhy getting kidnapped when they were kids? I’d also like to see how their relationship developed to the point that Kell strongly feels that Rhy is his brother, while not being so sure where he stands with the king and the queen.
Bokura no Kiseki: Ah, the tragedy of Glen and Bart! I’d like moments of them growing up together, being more or less raised by Glen’s mother (who I assume also nursed Bart), and how they manage to keep their bond solid even with their different statuses and their older brother’s disdain of Glen. Or something set just before/during/after Glen went to war. Also, I love Hiroki and would love for her to be included and for the fic to be set in present times either completely or partially. It would be heartbreaking, but I would enjoy a fic of her slowly getting back her memories of her past life, and especially memories of Bart, up to the memory of Bart dying (or at least what she thought was Bart dying). Or you could go the fix-it road and write me “Bart got reincarnated after all!” fluff.
Nirvana in Fire: I’m still gathering the broken pieces of my heart after watching this show, so please be light on the angst for this one (as much as possible without anyone being OOC, of course).
Jingyan/MCS: unsurprisingly my OTP for the show. I’m interested in many AUs for this show: all the “Jingyan finds out sooner” AUs (even sooner than Mei Changsu coming to the capital), and I would like something a little more emotional than what we got on the show, because that left me wanting (not even a hug? Come on!), but as much as I liked the pining on the show, I now want more of Jingyan and MCS working together with Jingyan holding all the cards. Or maybe a role!reversal AU? Like Jingyan was the one accused of treason and presumed dead, and Lin Shu was left behind (but is still a good strategist, because that can’t have come from nowhere). And, there’s already a lot of it in fandom but I wouldn’t mind more fix-it of the “MCS didn’t really die at the end” variety.
Consort Jing & Jingyan and Consort Jing & MCS: I love Consort Jing so, so much. I love how genuinely warm and kind she is while being so smart and not someone you can walk over. Jingyan is so light and relaxed with her, and anything including their relationship would make me happy. And more of her relationship with MCS would also be good, because they obviously care a lot about each other but we didn’t get to see them interact a lot on the show. Maybe more scheming that has all three characters on board?
Jingrui & Yujin: I love them and their friendship so much, and I love how much warmth they bring to the show. Any one of these scenarios would appeal to me: Yujin trying to comfort Jingrui after Jingrui had the Worst Birthday Ever; their reunion when Jingrui came back at the end of the show (we were robbed!); them adventuring together post-canon; something from their childhood, with maybe younger Lin Shu and Jingyan thrown into the mix.
The Demon’s Lexicon: This canon gave me a complex, co-dependent sibling relationship as well as a sweet and fluffy one, and I will forever be thankful for it.
Alan & Nick: all I want for this canon is some Alan’s POV; could be pre-canon, during his and Nick’s childhood, or during the canon, or post-canon. Basically, how did this normal kid managed to adapt to having a demon for a brother and how did it change the way he relates to other people. Funny, angsty, whatever floats your boat - but if you can manage a bit of both that would be lovely. :) Also, it doesn’t fit the challenge parameters, but I love me some Nick & Jamie’s friendship so if you can throw it in there that’s always great.
Mae & Jamie: I love how supportive they are of each other, and I think of them as the fluffy pendant to Alan and Nick. Again, pre-canon or post canon or during canon, I’m not too fussy. Maybe more on what was happening with Jamie during the third book? Or post-canon, how do they both adapt to their new roles as leaders, and how do they work together for it?
Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood/manga): I insist on this specific version of canon, because I feel that Ed and Al’s relationship has a different tone in the 2003 anime, and (contrary to a lot of people it seems), I prefer their relationship in the manga/Brotherhood anime. I love that they work as a team and that they complete each other’s thought process easily, and that despite the differences in their personalities they’re on the same page when it comes to their values and their vision of the world. Casefic-y stuff is always fun, whether it is pre-canon or at the beginning of canon. Outsider POV is something I’m always interested in. Or if you go post-canon, I would love something epistolary where they exchange their thoughts and experiences with each other during their travels (it’s a headcanon of mine that they wrote to each other so much during that time period that their letters became basically like a journal of sorts).