Sakura Exchange 2022 letter
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izayoi_no_mikoto
Hello, Sakura Exchange author, and thank you for writing for me!
This letter has been cannibalized from previous exchange letters; feel free to take a gander at those if you want more insight into the sorts of things I like (the masterlist is here, organized by exchange and fandom).
The structure of this letter is as follows:
General:
··Shipping & Relationships | General Likes | A Note on AUs | DNWs | Opt-ins
Fandoms:
··All Hallow's Even | Hanakisou | Na mo Naki Tori no Tobu Yoake (Innocent Bird) | Shirogane no Ou | Shuuten Unknown | Silver Diamond | Tennis no Oujisama (Prince of Tennis) | Togainu no Chi | Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's | Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
I hope you use this letter in the spirit it is intended: I don't want to be pushy or demanding, I just hope to give you some idea of the sorts of things I like and hopefully spark some inspiration. If it doesn't work for you, remember that optional details are optional. The prompts are ideas, not demands! Please feel free to take what works for you, discard the rest, and write something that you have fun with. The best gift is one that the author enjoyed writing!
As a note, I have gifts turned on. Treats are never expected but always welcome!
I hope you have a good exchange, and again, thanks for writing for me!
I love my ships! But generally speaking, I care more about the characters and their relationship and less about what, precisely, the nature of their relationship is. This means:
And second, I'm not much interested in sexual content. I have zero problems with sexual content being referenced or discussed, but I usually skip over smut, and even when it's not explicit, I typically hold to a less-is-more policy--if they're gazing meaningfully at each other from across the room, that's genuinely enough to get me all twitterpated. Relatedly, I don't need "traditional" signifiers of love or romance--I love it when characters think about love in ways and terms that don't use the word "love," or speak or show their love without using the words "I love you."
Some of my likes include:
While I tend to like fic that's more or less canon-compliant, I also very much enjoy the following types of AUs/fusions:
I would rather not see any of the following:
I wholeheartedly welcome the following:
Prompts are just possible jumping-off points. If you've got another idea, absolutely go for it!
I've written different amounts for different fandoms and relationships, but please do not think that if I've written more, it must mean I want it more. If I've requested it, I really want to see it!
Generally speaking, I consume my media in Japanese, and a lot of the time, I don't even know how various names and terms have been romanized and/or translated into English. I encourage you to use whatever versions you want.
These two combine so many things I love. Instant connection the first time they meet? Check. Only one of them remembers theirgrand love story previous life together? Check. "You are my berserk button"? Check. Eye trauma as a sign of love and self-sacrifice? Check. Building a relationship out of tragedy? Check. Actually, even a small, simple touch of a hand is SO MEANINGFUL? Check.
I was absolutely charmed by Tsuge--he's this weather-worn, soft-spoken, blandly pleasant middle-aged man, but he can MESS YOU UP. And Yuuji is a total failboat of a vampire--why drink blood when he can eat fresh-baked bread instead! I love their relationship and their interactions, everything from Yuuji's silly jealous streak to Tsuge's gentle teasing to their backstory that's basically just I WILL DO ALL THE THINGS FOR YOUR SAKE. I can't get over how Tsuge's mild-mannered smile just drops when Yuuji is in trouble, or how Yuuji would rather leave someone behind than be left behind but he's willing to be left behind as many times as it takes as long as Tsuge eventually comes back to him ;-;
Some prompts:
··Tsuge doesn't have his memories of the past, so he has to fall in love from scratch each time, and Yuuji can only wait and hope
··...or are there incarnations where Tsuge doesn't fall in love again? ;-;
··the reason Yuuji basically goes into hibernation when his partner isn't there is because he tried it the first time and living without him was unbearable
··all the bittersweet yearning as Tsuge is in quarantine for a month... or years... or the rest of his life
··someone who only sees Yuuji's minor jealous streak at the cafe might think it's one-sided, but that's because they haven't seen Tsuge when Yuuji is actually in danger
··their first case together for the Unusual Phenomena Division!
There's a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to Tsuge being a widower; that's fine to mention if you want. If you want to go into previous incarnations, feel free to do whatever you want with their names. Satonaka-kun is of course welcome, as are all other characters.
··Kurotaka/&Shirofukurou
··any and all possible gen combinations involving Kuroto & Hanashiro & Kurotaka & Shirofukurou (or, really, anyone else)
Okay, yes, I love the sad, beautiful winter and the awful crapsack of a world with its cruel worldbuilding and the lovely soundtrack and the plethora of tragic endings etc., but my heart belongs to these characters and all their fraught, tenuous, heartfelt, heartbreaking relationships. Kuroto has so much goodness and gentleness and desire to protect a world that has never cared one whit for him. Hanashiro is in some ways so young and so lost, and yet he's also ruthless when it comes to protecting what he cares about and accomplishing what he's set his mind to (I wonder where he learned that?). Kurotaka is so much mask and shield, playing at flippancy and casually teasing when in reality there's a storm underneath. Shirofukurou's single-mindedness is misguided and damaging and distancing at best, and yet it comes, I think, from a place that is half desire to do what is right and half fear.
And, of course, these damaged characters have relationships that are, uh, complicated. Hanashiro and Kuroto caring deeply about each other but trapped by their roles, forced by circumstance to hurt each other and themselves and those around them. Kurotaka raising Kuroto to look unflinchingly at a world that will kill him. Hanashiro and the love/hate he bears for Shirofukurou, who raised him with such care and such cruelty. Kurotaka and Shirofukurou being counterparts separated by a huge gulf, ostensibly the same in so many ways but vastly different in origin and purpose and outlook and mindset and character. There are just so many conflicting priorities, so many ways of understanding and viewing the world and their place in it, so many ways of caring that can't always be understood or aren't always accepted. No wonder so many things fall apart in so many ways. And yet, all the same, they do care. They do.
Some prompts:
··any and all post-bad end sorrow/guilt/pining/anger/etc. on anyone's part.
··pre-canon, Hanashiro and Kuroto spending time together like "let's just pretend this is normal and it isn't going to blow up in our faces someday, yep, no problem here"
··even when they both live, that's still a lot of trauma to work through and adjusting to the new world to do; a.k.a. "we got our happy ending, now what"
··Kurotaka vs. Shirofukurou: Round Three, or Twenty, or One Hundred
··time loop! Hanashiro loops because it's better than losing Kuroto. The birds go to war via time loops. All the time loops.
··where it goes (or doesn't go) from "hey there, beautiful, nice to meet you"; or, Kurotaka's life is divided into Before Shirofukurou and After Shirofukurou
··what if Kuroto had decided to go to war against the Savior?
I have both played the game and read the manga, so feel free to use either one. For the game, I'm happy with any route, including bad ends. Or feel free to diverge from canon into new endings, if that's your bag! All other characters also welcome.
··Koumori/Jesus
Come for the pretty angel and demon wings, stay for the angst and heresy. What can I say, this manga appeals to my little heathen heart. "God is not actually God, Heaven is corrupt, and Jesus is a cockatoo," yes please. I love how different characters present different perspectives on the concepts of religion and faith: Shirasagi's struggle to earn God's love, Karasu's increasingly existential doubt about the worth and goodness of God, Koumori's suffering and love being one and the same. My heart bleeds for all of them, because they all suffer in ways that are exquisitely, agonizingly tailored to their own circumstances, but at the same time, it's almost awesome to see the lengths to which they'll go for the sake of their love--the willingness to sacrifice everything, to move Heaven and Hell, to defy God. I love how Shirasagi and Karasu find something holy in each other even when the world gives them ever more cause to doubt, and I love how Koumori, despite his love being the source of so much pain, finds something worth fighting for in the love Shirasagi and Karasu share, and that in the end, his love is not for nothing.
On a smaller scale, little things I like include: how Shirasagi and Karasu talk to each other (watashi+tameguchi & ore+teineigo omg *dies*), how easily they slipped into domesticity (Karasu cooking!) and Koumori hanging out with birdie Jesus and sometimes petting his feathers <3
Some prompts:
··Shirasagi and Karasu building a simple, happy life together, going to church, doing good
··they meet Koumori post-canon!
··or they don't, but Koumori watches them from afar and is grateful, they got their happy ending, he has done something good (even if it also hurts, because why not his love, why not him)
··Koumori pining as he walks the earth for centuries, it's enough to drive a man to madness
··can we talk about crises of faith in general?
··actually, I am v. interested in the evolution of Koumori's love from "Judas standing before the scales" to the Koumori we see today
··general worldbuilding about the new Heaven? Shirasagi and Karasu got their happy ending, but what on earth/Heaven/Hell is going on with everyone else?!
I'm aware that Shirasagi and Karasu no doubt engage in all sorts of sweet, sweet lovemaking, I'm fine with that being a fact of their life, but please nothing explicit on the page. Similarly, I'm also aware that all sorts of sexybad things probably happened to Shirasagi in Hell, and I'm okay with it being mentioned/referenced, but please don't get too explicit and please don't make it the focus.
··any combination of King Quatredina & Right-Eye & Lord Shirogane Fenrir
I love the main trio so, so much. I love King's crass, arrogant exterior and his equally crass, arrogant but intensely caring interior (buried deep down), and how he doesn't act like a king "should" but still takes his position seriously in his own way. I love how Right-Eye started out being kind of brusque and not particularly polite to King, but the moment he becomes Right-Eye he's 150% gung-ho loyal and dedicated. I cannot get enough of their relationship--how they constantly try to protect each other from other people and also from themselves, how they'll do basically anything for each other, how they are unwavering and unyielding in their loyalty to each other, and also how utterly fail they are at communication. I abso-freaking-lutely adore Shirogane, too. I love his ability to be snarky or silly one moment and dead serious the next, and how he's willing to knock King down a peg and how he so very obviously has a soft spot for Right-Eye. I also like the contrast between "immensely destructive weapon capabilities, sole prerogative over who sits on the throne, holds all the real power in the country" and "a floppy wolf pelt who could be stolen away by a pelt-snatcher at any given point in time." I love all three of them so, so much.
Some prompts:
··someone gets abducted, someone else mounts a roaring rampage of rescue
··I will take a zillion versions of "Zoe returns and reclaims his crown, now what," literally a zillion
··Shirogane's origin story, or monarchs he's chosen in the past
··King arguing with his aides and advisorsabout Right-Eye
··political shenanigans--a spy in the palace, a brewing coup, Zephil declares war?
··how did Right-Eye get from Zephil to Quatredina in the first place?
··aaaaall the loyalty kink, literally all of it
··Right-Eye's identity is leaked; how do he and King handle the new upswell in suspicion?
··Shirogane and King trying to keep Right-Eye out of trouble; Shirogane and Right-Eye trying to keep King out of trouble; why does Shirogane have to deal with these idiots?!
I love Yoruma's slick-talking ways and how his charisma and charm are basically a defensive shield against a world he doesn't trust. I love Sayatoki's angst and self-recrimination about his past and also how he absolutely has no idea how to deal with people in general. I love how they both have slightly twisted views of morality and people and the world (they're doing their best, okay). But mostly, I love the slow burn of their relationship from "I do not trust this guy, I need to use him and then get rid of him" to "I literally cannot imagine living the rest of my life without him." Oh, man. The way they're thrown into their us-against-the-world circumstances, the way they discover there's so much out there in the world than they ever really knew, the way they unwittingly and unwillingly find themselves starting to care about each other until, at the end, their entire world views have shifted. I kind of love the awkwardness of their relationship, how they have no idea how to communicate or interact with people or even really cope with the fact that there's someone they genuinely care about in a meaningful way. They never wanted to get stuck together, but they go through so much with each other (and for each other) that when it's all over, they've changed each other for good, and for the good.
Some prompts:
··sleeping together used to be weird; now not sleeping together is weird
··Yoruma finally realizes that the Air Old Man voice in his head actually has a point
··they go out shopping or something stupidly domestic like that and don't realize how stupidly domestic they're being
··everyone realizes they're dating except for them. Actually everyone. Granny Medora et al. Their landlord. The butcher. The random person walking down the street. Everyone.
··awkward communication fails when trying to confess
··"I finally have someone I care about in my life, I can't risk that because of stupid emotions"
··how many years can you live together before finally admitting that you're not just roommates? (answer: a lot)
Silver Diamond is awesome on basically every metric. The fantasy worldbuilding is so creative, the art is gorgeous, the plot is a perfect save-the-world fantasy story, the wordplay is so clever and fascinating and plot-relevant holy cow. But mostly, I love the characters. Rakan and Chigusa are both just so fantastic. They're both so complex and multi-faceted? Rakan is sensible and clear-headed and down-to-earth, with a blazing determination and bravery that can border on reckless--when he's in, he's all in. I love the moment where he recognizes and acknowledges the fire he has inside him. And I adore Chigusa to an unspeakable degree. I love his growth from someone who sees things only in terms of threat/harmless/useful, to learning how to human, to the way he learns to care about Rakan and then, by extension, others. He charms me with his sincerity, and he is hilarious with his sometimes cluelessness and his sometimes obfuscating stupidity. And these two together, their relationship is so perfect. The ends they'll go to for each other, the way they trust each other and fight for each other--they've basically agreed to spend the rest of their lives together, come on.
Some prompts:
··Post-canon, Chigusa and Rakan go back to visit their friends in Amato, or friends come to visit them
··Rakan's high school friends: "You say he's your cousin? Okay, uh-huh, yeah, sure, we'll go with that"
··adventures in moving to the city for Rakan to go to university
··there's no need for love confessions when you're TELEPATHICALLY CONNECTED FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES
··domestic fluff and everyday adventures--this world is nothing but new experiences for Chigusa, and seeing it all through Chigusa's eyes is like a rediscovery for Rakan
··the Prince and Kinrei have some disturbing news: we've noticed something, the glowing sand, the plants are dying--
··Chigusa shamelessly wooing Rakan with a completely straight face all day, every day
I've read the whole series and the gaiden, so go crazy. Feel free to include whatever other characters you'd like (I love Narushige (and Kou!) and Touji, too!).
··Yagyuu Hiroshi/Niou Masaharu
··Atobe Keigo/Sanada Gen'ichirou
Tenipuri was one of my first fandoms, and I still have an enormous fondness for it. The Silver Pair just stole my heart. I love Shishido's brashness and stubbornness and dedication and determination, and I love Choutarou's gentleness and politeness and how it hides an incredible power and a spine of steel. And mostly I love them together--Choutarou's loyalty, and Shishido having a soft spot for him that's so big it can be seen from space, and how much they pour into tennis and into each other in order to forge one of the greatest doubles pairs in the incredibly competitive world of Japanese middle school tennis.
The Platinum Pair appeals to my wicked side!petenshi daa I like the contrasts between Yagyuu's apparent stuck-up personality, proper demeanor and polite language and Niou's lackadaisical, laid-back insolence, but I am all here for Yagyuu being just as sharp and clever and wicked on the inside as Niou is on the outside. I'm not all about "the Switch defines their life," but I do love what the Switch shows about their relationship--the incredible amount of understanding they have for each other, their willingness to wield their Rikkai ruthlessness in the psychological realm, their mutual dedication and determination, and how similar they despite being so different in other ways.
As for the Tango Pair, I'm sorry, I know it's anime filler and whatnot, but you cannot tell me that two people share tango soul music and expect me not to ship it. They're very different in a lot of ways--Atobe flashy where Sanada is staid, Atobe eloquent and self-aggrandizing where Sanada is taciturn and prone to proving his superiority by action--but they're also very similar in other ways--proud, determined, confident, ruthless, but also caring about those they let into their inner circle. Both of these guys are very difficult people to be around, and I think they would absolutely get on each other's nerves, but I also think they get each other in a way that not many people do. Talk about a power couple.
Some prompts:
··ALL THE TENNIS--a regular middle school tennis practice, or working out over the weekend just the two of them, or when they've gone pro, or just casual rallies after they've retired, or--
··playing singles will never feel quite right again
··it's only when they finally arrive at Life After Tennis that they realize just how important they are to each other
··hanahaki on the tennis court, SURPRISE
··they drifted apart after school, because middle school tennis teammates aren't forever, but then they meet again at a school reunion and....
··angst about the future, SHISHIDO'S GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL, THEY'LL NEVER PLAY TOGETHER AGAIN, THIS IS THE END, or Shishido wants to go pro and Choutarou doesn't, is this where their paths diverge, ANGST
··how did Shishido and Choutarou even start training together? And whose idea was the whole doubles thing, anyway?
··the Switch was supposed to be a fun one-off trick, why can't he stop thinking about it
··some people think that Yagyuu is a well-mannered young man and a good role model and Niou will listen to him, ahahahahahaha; or, some people are terrified that Niou is a bad influence who will corrupt good boy Yagyuu, ahahahahahaha
··if you want to go with actual soul music means they're soulmates, I am all here for that
··okay, if Sanada/Atobe actually became a thing, both of their teams would absolutely flip
··every time Atobe and Sanada meet on the pro circuit, it becomes A Thing
··or maybe start playing doubles together for real, this is ridiculous, we all know their tennis and how they play, there's no way this can work, how are they making this work
I haven't kept up with Shin Tenipuri, but I'm not particularly fussed about spoilers. I can do the original series in manga, anime, or musical form. Feel free to include whatever other characters you'd like, including those on other teams: my favorite teams are (predictably) Seigaku, Hyoutei, and Rikkai; on Hyoutei, I'm also fond of Hiyoshi; on Rikkai, I'm also fond of the rest of the Troika and Akaya.
Oh, man, this ship. They are the backbone of Togainu no Chi to me--Keisuke's decision to follow Akira to Toshima sets into motion so many pieces of the story and influences Akira's decisions, for good and for bad. Akira is my favorite character in the game--I love his stoicism, his determination, and also his ignorance/obliviousness about human relations and interactions. He holds himself aloof from others--not out of any ill will, per se, but he is not the most people-savvy person and he doesn't really know how to connect or interact or understand, and I like that about him, even when it does eventually become a proximate cause to the rupturing of his relationship with Keisuke. And Keisuke is a very close second favorite--his all-encompassing pining for Akira is delicious, and his devotion (obsession) and his inferiority complex (self-loathing) hurt in all the right ways. I love the arc of their relationship, from unequal to falling apart to destructive to (in some ends) rebuilt with greater understanding. Their friendship was genuine, but it was also extremely flawed, with failures to communicate and lies of omission and a lack of understanding and an unhealthy avoidance of conflict, and I think it was inevitable that they would splinter in some way. The messiness is part of the appeal, and I like it both when they work things out (with difficulties) and when it ends in tragedy.
Some prompts:
··once upon a time, Keisuke told himself that being Akira's friend was enough (spoiler: he was wrong)
··Keisuke detoxes after a bad ending and realizes oh no what have I done
··Keisuke dies, and too late Akira understands and has to somehow come to terms with everything (optional realization that he was in love, too)
··what was life at the orphanage like?
··they both get out alive, but that's just the beginning and even though they love each other things are such a mess (and is love alone even enough?)
··or, yes, love is enough to make it work, but that doesn't stop the PTSD and the ghosts and the memories
··Keisuke time loops trying to save Akira, but there's only one way to do it (a.k.a. the True Ending)
··one-sided soulmates. last words soulmarks. soulmates mean one is destined to kill the other. all the tragic soulmates plz
··uh, if you want to go Motomi/Akira where Akira has conflicted feelings and tries to make sense of everything that happened with Keisuke and Motomi is like "I once loved someone else, too," consider that an exception to my "no unrequested ships" DNW
Feel free to go for whatever ending you want (with references to other ships excluded). Discussion of/reference to sexual content is just fine, but please nothing explicit on the page. I'm not particularly interested in Vischio characters, although I don't mind them as background. I have no preferences for how to romanize Line/Rein/whatever.
I love both of these guys. Yuusei is just a genuinely good guy, stoic about his own weaknesses in a lot of ways but incredibly caring and strong and with an unwavering faith in the potential of people and the possibility of a better future and the determination to pursue it no matter what. And Bruno is a fascinating figure--Bruno the lovable dork, sweet and funny; Dark Glass the mysterious mentor, dedicated to Yuusei and his potential; Antinomy the single-minded determinator who had once given up, but finds through Yuusei the ability to believe in tomorrow and in humanity.
And I'm a sucker for characters who are instantly great friends, so I was charmed by their relationship from the very beginning. I love that Yuusei and the gang take Bruno in and accept him as one of their own, and that Bruno slides into Team 5D's so seamlessly (Jack's punching notwithstanding). I love how Yuusei and Bruno click and just *get* each other, I could watch them geek out together over D-Wheels all day every day. I love that even after the Antimony reveal, Yuusei refuses to believe that their friendship was a lie; I love that his faith was rewarded in Bruno's final moments. And that tragic ending hurts soooo good. On that note, I love the tragedy of their relationship, so I'm not particularly interested in fix-it fic where Bruno survives (unless you can turn it angsty or tragic in another way!).
Some prompts:
··Yuusei only realizes too late his own feelings; or, Yuusei isn't sure of his own feelings, but being denied the possibility of ever finding out where it might have gone is painful in its own right
··that thing where you realize that's your soulmate right before he dies, or after he dies
··for many reasons, amnesia means falling in love is a bad idea (spoiler: attempts to not fall in love ultimately fail)
··speaking of which, did Bruno actually only get his memory back at Arc Cradle?
··After losing Bruno, Yuusei truly did intend to die stopping Arc Cradle; what is he supposed to do now that he's survived?
··or a quiet (or not-so-quiet) moment together before it all goes down; geeking out in the garage, hanging with the rest of Team 5D's, talking about what happens after the WRGP
··if you want to get into the messiness of Antinomy first meeting Z-ONE playing the role of Yuusei and then meeting the real Yuusei, that's also good
I appreciate Bruno in all his iterations, including Antinomy, Johnny, Dark Glass, notactuallyamnesiac!Bruno, etc. Feel free to include other characters as you'd like (I'm particularly fond of Jack and Carly), but please keep Crow to small doses. I don't mind him appearing along with the rest of Team 5D's, but please don't make him the focus or main POV character of the fic.
Juudai is quite possibly my favorite shounen protagonist of all time. I love his optimistic, genki, hot-blooded gung-ho attitude at the beginning of the series; I love his descent into darkness; I love how he claws his way out of the darkness and fights to come to terms with what he's done, and I love how, by the end of the series, he's matured and become jaded and lost some of his blind idealism, but is ultimately still a good person who still believes in goodness and who tries to do good. I also adore Johan, for a lot of the same reasons that I love Juudai--he's positive, bright, brave, determined and true. He throws himself in whole-heartedly and without reservation. And I love their relationship most of all. They believe in each other, they understand each other, they go above and beyond for each other--the sacrifices they're willing to make for each other, the absolute trust they have in each other--they're kindred spirits, like they were meant to find each other.
Some prompts:
··their first reunion post-canon, accompanied by an emotional wave of oh no I'm so in love
··or, the gradual slide from friendship to more
··duels are a completely valid method of communication and also of expressing love
··Juudai's relationship with Yubel is something completely different, but that doesn't stop Johan from feeling like he's second-best
··Johan wants to be the one Juudai comes home to; or, Juudai wants Johan to be the one he can come home to; or both, both is good
··are we not going to have a conversation about how Yubel basically accused them of being in love? (answer: no, because it's unrequited and what's the point)
··long-distance relationships (are lonely? are easier when you have confidence in your feelings for each other?)
··they drift apart over time, even though they meant so much to each other back then ;-; (and then maybe drift back together <3)
··Johan understands why Juudai needs to roam the world, but that doesn't mean he likes it
··if we could just go back in time and avoid all the alternate dimension/Haou/Yubel stuff, that would be great (spoiler: it doesn't quite work according to plan)
··is there anything they would not do for each other? The next crisis proves: no, no there is not
Feel free to include whatever other characters you'd like (especially Winged Kuriboh and the Gem Beasts!). I would rather see Yubel acknowledged than ignored. I watched the anime in the original Japanese, and so I'd prefer to see fic about Juudai and Johan, not Jaden and Jesse.
Hello, Sakura Exchange author, and thank you for writing for me!
This letter has been cannibalized from previous exchange letters; feel free to take a gander at those if you want more insight into the sorts of things I like (the masterlist is here, organized by exchange and fandom).
The structure of this letter is as follows:
General:
··Shipping & Relationships | General Likes | A Note on AUs | DNWs | Opt-ins
Fandoms:
··All Hallow's Even | Hanakisou | Na mo Naki Tori no Tobu Yoake (Innocent Bird) | Shirogane no Ou | Shuuten Unknown | Silver Diamond | Tennis no Oujisama (Prince of Tennis) | Togainu no Chi | Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's | Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
I hope you use this letter in the spirit it is intended: I don't want to be pushy or demanding, I just hope to give you some idea of the sorts of things I like and hopefully spark some inspiration. If it doesn't work for you, remember that optional details are optional. The prompts are ideas, not demands! Please feel free to take what works for you, discard the rest, and write something that you have fun with. The best gift is one that the author enjoyed writing!
As a note, I have gifts turned on. Treats are never expected but always welcome!
I hope you have a good exchange, and again, thanks for writing for me!
SHIPPING AND RELATIONSHIPS
I love my ships! But generally speaking, I care more about the characters and their relationship and less about what, precisely, the nature of their relationship is. This means:
- I LOVE gen. If, for whatever reason, shipfic is not working for you, please rest assured that I would be 100% happy to receive gen of those same characters.
- Vague ambiguous relationships that muddy the waters and toe the line between romantic and platonic are awesome. If you agonize over whether to tag it A/B or A&B, no worries, that is excellent, I eat that stuff up with a spoon.
- My ship doesn't actually have to be together! I also love one-sided relationships--unrequited pining is my jam. I will also quite happily take pre-shippiness, where they just aren't together yet, or that thing where they're in love but they don't or can't get together because Reasons.
- Of course, more straightforward romance is good too! I ship them because I love them together.
And second, I'm not much interested in sexual content. I have zero problems with sexual content being referenced or discussed, but I usually skip over smut, and even when it's not explicit, I typically hold to a less-is-more policy--if they're gazing meaningfully at each other from across the room, that's genuinely enough to get me all twitterpated. Relatedly, I don't need "traditional" signifiers of love or romance--I love it when characters think about love in ways and terms that don't use the word "love," or speak or show their love without using the words "I love you."
GENERAL LIKES
Some of my likes include:
- super-intense relationships (obsession/fixation, you are my most important person, you changed my entire worldview, I would do anything for you)
- characters feeling a sense of connection (kindred spirits, no one else understands us like we do, I would recognize you anywhere)
- pining (mutual or unrequited), the more intense the better; Sehnsucht; that sense of wanting
- the entire spectrum of sadness (anything from a touch of bittersweetness to angst to outright tragedy)
- understated/low-key signs of affection
- little things causing big feelings
- non-sexual physical intimacy (hugging, holding hands, bumping foreheads, leaning on each other)
- sudden realization of feelings (one's own or someone else's)
- reunions/coming home (to someone)
- loyalty/self-sacrifice (for someone else, for a greater cause)
- between the scenes/missing scenes
- outsider POV
- wordplay, double meanings
- things understood only in retrospect, dramatic irony
- motifs, bookends, and other "theme" structures (5+1 times, etc.)
A NOTE ON AUS
While I tend to like fic that's more or less canon-compliant, I also very much enjoy the following types of AUs/fusions:
- canon divergence/for want of a nail
- time loops and Peggy Sue time travel
- Loveless AUs
- daemon/His Dark Materials AUs
- hanahaki
- soulmate AUs (of any variety!)
DNWs
I would rather not see any of the following:
- AUs/crossovers/fusions, including mundane, genderswap, ageswap, etc., EXCEPT those mentioned above
- explicit sexual content
- unrequested ships involving requested characters, including infidelity, threesomes/moresomes, and open or poly relationships
- anything involving pregnancy, childbirth, or non-canon young children
- non-canonical nicknames or pet names/terms of endearment
- first-person POV (epistolary is OK!)
- crackfic
OPT-INS
I wholeheartedly welcome the following:
- Character death
- Bad/tragic/downer endings
- Horror
- Violence/gore
- References to/discussion of sexual content
- References to/discussion of canon prior relationships
- A requested character not actually appearing in the fic (they can be out of the room/missing/dead/whatever, as long as they're still important to the story in some way)
- Second-person POV
- Epistolary (broadly defined, any type of in-universe document--letters, emails, newspaper articles, social media, etc.)
- Interactive fiction
FANDOMS
Prompts are just possible jumping-off points. If you've got another idea, absolutely go for it!
I've written different amounts for different fandoms and relationships, but please do not think that if I've written more, it must mean I want it more. If I've requested it, I really want to see it!
Generally speaking, I consume my media in Japanese, and a lot of the time, I don't even know how various names and terms have been romanized and/or translated into English. I encourage you to use whatever versions you want.
All Hallow's Even
··Tsuge Tadao/Kodama YuujiThese two combine so many things I love. Instant connection the first time they meet? Check. Only one of them remembers their
I was absolutely charmed by Tsuge--he's this weather-worn, soft-spoken, blandly pleasant middle-aged man, but he can MESS YOU UP. And Yuuji is a total failboat of a vampire--why drink blood when he can eat fresh-baked bread instead! I love their relationship and their interactions, everything from Yuuji's silly jealous streak to Tsuge's gentle teasing to their backstory that's basically just I WILL DO ALL THE THINGS FOR YOUR SAKE. I can't get over how Tsuge's mild-mannered smile just drops when Yuuji is in trouble, or how Yuuji would rather leave someone behind than be left behind but he's willing to be left behind as many times as it takes as long as Tsuge eventually comes back to him ;-;
Some prompts:
··Tsuge doesn't have his memories of the past, so he has to fall in love from scratch each time, and Yuuji can only wait and hope
··...or are there incarnations where Tsuge doesn't fall in love again? ;-;
··the reason Yuuji basically goes into hibernation when his partner isn't there is because he tried it the first time and living without him was unbearable
··all the bittersweet yearning as Tsuge is in quarantine for a month... or years... or the rest of his life
··someone who only sees Yuuji's minor jealous streak at the cafe might think it's one-sided, but that's because they haven't seen Tsuge when Yuuji is actually in danger
··their first case together for the Unusual Phenomena Division!
There's a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to Tsuge being a widower; that's fine to mention if you want. If you want to go into previous incarnations, feel free to do whatever you want with their names. Satonaka-kun is of course welcome, as are all other characters.
Hanakisou
··Kuroto/Hanashiro··Kurotaka/&Shirofukurou
··any and all possible gen combinations involving Kuroto & Hanashiro & Kurotaka & Shirofukurou (or, really, anyone else)
Okay, yes, I love the sad, beautiful winter and the awful crapsack of a world with its cruel worldbuilding and the lovely soundtrack and the plethora of tragic endings etc., but my heart belongs to these characters and all their fraught, tenuous, heartfelt, heartbreaking relationships. Kuroto has so much goodness and gentleness and desire to protect a world that has never cared one whit for him. Hanashiro is in some ways so young and so lost, and yet he's also ruthless when it comes to protecting what he cares about and accomplishing what he's set his mind to (I wonder where he learned that?). Kurotaka is so much mask and shield, playing at flippancy and casually teasing when in reality there's a storm underneath. Shirofukurou's single-mindedness is misguided and damaging and distancing at best, and yet it comes, I think, from a place that is half desire to do what is right and half fear.
And, of course, these damaged characters have relationships that are, uh, complicated. Hanashiro and Kuroto caring deeply about each other but trapped by their roles, forced by circumstance to hurt each other and themselves and those around them. Kurotaka raising Kuroto to look unflinchingly at a world that will kill him. Hanashiro and the love/hate he bears for Shirofukurou, who raised him with such care and such cruelty. Kurotaka and Shirofukurou being counterparts separated by a huge gulf, ostensibly the same in so many ways but vastly different in origin and purpose and outlook and mindset and character. There are just so many conflicting priorities, so many ways of understanding and viewing the world and their place in it, so many ways of caring that can't always be understood or aren't always accepted. No wonder so many things fall apart in so many ways. And yet, all the same, they do care. They do.
Some prompts:
··any and all post-bad end sorrow/guilt/pining/anger/etc. on anyone's part.
··pre-canon, Hanashiro and Kuroto spending time together like "let's just pretend this is normal and it isn't going to blow up in our faces someday, yep, no problem here"
··even when they both live, that's still a lot of trauma to work through and adjusting to the new world to do; a.k.a. "we got our happy ending, now what"
··Kurotaka vs. Shirofukurou: Round Three, or Twenty, or One Hundred
··time loop! Hanashiro loops because it's better than losing Kuroto. The birds go to war via time loops. All the time loops.
··where it goes (or doesn't go) from "hey there, beautiful, nice to meet you"; or, Kurotaka's life is divided into Before Shirofukurou and After Shirofukurou
··what if Kuroto had decided to go to war against the Savior?
I have both played the game and read the manga, so feel free to use either one. For the game, I'm happy with any route, including bad ends. Or feel free to diverge from canon into new endings, if that's your bag! All other characters also welcome.
Na mo Naki Tori no Tobu Yoake | Innocent Bird
··Shirasagi/Karasu··Koumori/Jesus
Come for the pretty angel and demon wings, stay for the angst and heresy. What can I say, this manga appeals to my little heathen heart. "God is not actually God, Heaven is corrupt, and Jesus is a cockatoo," yes please. I love how different characters present different perspectives on the concepts of religion and faith: Shirasagi's struggle to earn God's love, Karasu's increasingly existential doubt about the worth and goodness of God, Koumori's suffering and love being one and the same. My heart bleeds for all of them, because they all suffer in ways that are exquisitely, agonizingly tailored to their own circumstances, but at the same time, it's almost awesome to see the lengths to which they'll go for the sake of their love--the willingness to sacrifice everything, to move Heaven and Hell, to defy God. I love how Shirasagi and Karasu find something holy in each other even when the world gives them ever more cause to doubt, and I love how Koumori, despite his love being the source of so much pain, finds something worth fighting for in the love Shirasagi and Karasu share, and that in the end, his love is not for nothing.
On a smaller scale, little things I like include: how Shirasagi and Karasu talk to each other (watashi+tameguchi & ore+teineigo omg *dies*), how easily they slipped into domesticity (Karasu cooking!) and Koumori hanging out with birdie Jesus and sometimes petting his feathers <3
Some prompts:
··Shirasagi and Karasu building a simple, happy life together, going to church, doing good
··they meet Koumori post-canon!
··or they don't, but Koumori watches them from afar and is grateful, they got their happy ending, he has done something good (even if it also hurts, because why not his love, why not him)
··Koumori pining as he walks the earth for centuries, it's enough to drive a man to madness
··can we talk about crises of faith in general?
··actually, I am v. interested in the evolution of Koumori's love from "Judas standing before the scales" to the Koumori we see today
··general worldbuilding about the new Heaven? Shirasagi and Karasu got their happy ending, but what on earth/Heaven/Hell is going on with everyone else?!
I'm aware that Shirasagi and Karasu no doubt engage in all sorts of sweet, sweet lovemaking, I'm fine with that being a fact of their life, but please nothing explicit on the page. Similarly, I'm also aware that all sorts of sexybad things probably happened to Shirasagi in Hell, and I'm okay with it being mentioned/referenced, but please don't get too explicit and please don't make it the focus.
Shirogane no Ou
··King Quatredina/&Right-Eye··any combination of King Quatredina & Right-Eye & Lord Shirogane Fenrir
I love the main trio so, so much. I love King's crass, arrogant exterior and his equally crass, arrogant but intensely caring interior (buried deep down), and how he doesn't act like a king "should" but still takes his position seriously in his own way. I love how Right-Eye started out being kind of brusque and not particularly polite to King, but the moment he becomes Right-Eye he's 150% gung-ho loyal and dedicated. I cannot get enough of their relationship--how they constantly try to protect each other from other people and also from themselves, how they'll do basically anything for each other, how they are unwavering and unyielding in their loyalty to each other, and also how utterly fail they are at communication. I abso-freaking-lutely adore Shirogane, too. I love his ability to be snarky or silly one moment and dead serious the next, and how he's willing to knock King down a peg and how he so very obviously has a soft spot for Right-Eye. I also like the contrast between "immensely destructive weapon capabilities, sole prerogative over who sits on the throne, holds all the real power in the country" and "a floppy wolf pelt who could be stolen away by a pelt-snatcher at any given point in time." I love all three of them so, so much.
Some prompts:
··someone gets abducted, someone else mounts a roaring rampage of rescue
··I will take a zillion versions of "Zoe returns and reclaims his crown, now what," literally a zillion
··Shirogane's origin story, or monarchs he's chosen in the past
··King arguing with his aides and advisors
··political shenanigans--a spy in the palace, a brewing coup, Zephil declares war?
··how did Right-Eye get from Zephil to Quatredina in the first place?
··aaaaall the loyalty kink, literally all of it
··Right-Eye's identity is leaked; how do he and King handle the new upswell in suspicion?
··Shirogane and King trying to keep Right-Eye out of trouble; Shirogane and Right-Eye trying to keep King out of trouble; why does Shirogane have to deal with these idiots?!
Shuuten Unknown
··Yoruma/SayatokiI love Yoruma's slick-talking ways and how his charisma and charm are basically a defensive shield against a world he doesn't trust. I love Sayatoki's angst and self-recrimination about his past and also how he absolutely has no idea how to deal with people in general. I love how they both have slightly twisted views of morality and people and the world (they're doing their best, okay). But mostly, I love the slow burn of their relationship from "I do not trust this guy, I need to use him and then get rid of him" to "I literally cannot imagine living the rest of my life without him." Oh, man. The way they're thrown into their us-against-the-world circumstances, the way they discover there's so much out there in the world than they ever really knew, the way they unwittingly and unwillingly find themselves starting to care about each other until, at the end, their entire world views have shifted. I kind of love the awkwardness of their relationship, how they have no idea how to communicate or interact with people or even really cope with the fact that there's someone they genuinely care about in a meaningful way. They never wanted to get stuck together, but they go through so much with each other (and for each other) that when it's all over, they've changed each other for good, and for the good.
Some prompts:
··sleeping together used to be weird; now not sleeping together is weird
··Yoruma finally realizes that the Air Old Man voice in his head actually has a point
··they go out shopping or something stupidly domestic like that and don't realize how stupidly domestic they're being
··everyone realizes they're dating except for them. Actually everyone. Granny Medora et al. Their landlord. The butcher. The random person walking down the street. Everyone.
··awkward communication fails when trying to confess
··"I finally have someone I care about in my life, I can't risk that because of stupid emotions"
··how many years can you live together before finally admitting that you're not just roommates? (answer: a lot)
Silver Diamond
··Sawa Rakan/Senrou ChigusaSilver Diamond is awesome on basically every metric. The fantasy worldbuilding is so creative, the art is gorgeous, the plot is a perfect save-the-world fantasy story, the wordplay is so clever and fascinating and plot-relevant holy cow. But mostly, I love the characters. Rakan and Chigusa are both just so fantastic. They're both so complex and multi-faceted? Rakan is sensible and clear-headed and down-to-earth, with a blazing determination and bravery that can border on reckless--when he's in, he's all in. I love the moment where he recognizes and acknowledges the fire he has inside him. And I adore Chigusa to an unspeakable degree. I love his growth from someone who sees things only in terms of threat/harmless/useful, to learning how to human, to the way he learns to care about Rakan and then, by extension, others. He charms me with his sincerity, and he is hilarious with his sometimes cluelessness and his sometimes obfuscating stupidity. And these two together, their relationship is so perfect. The ends they'll go to for each other, the way they trust each other and fight for each other--they've basically agreed to spend the rest of their lives together, come on.
Some prompts:
··Post-canon, Chigusa and Rakan go back to visit their friends in Amato, or friends come to visit them
··Rakan's high school friends: "You say he's your cousin? Okay, uh-huh, yeah, sure, we'll go with that"
··adventures in moving to the city for Rakan to go to university
··there's no need for love confessions when you're TELEPATHICALLY CONNECTED FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES
··domestic fluff and everyday adventures--this world is nothing but new experiences for Chigusa, and seeing it all through Chigusa's eyes is like a rediscovery for Rakan
··the Prince and Kinrei have some disturbing news: we've noticed something, the glowing sand, the plants are dying--
··Chigusa shamelessly wooing Rakan with a completely straight face all day, every day
I've read the whole series and the gaiden, so go crazy. Feel free to include whatever other characters you'd like (I love Narushige (and Kou!) and Touji, too!).
Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
··Shishido Ryou/Ootori Choutarou··Yagyuu Hiroshi/Niou Masaharu
··Atobe Keigo/Sanada Gen'ichirou
Tenipuri was one of my first fandoms, and I still have an enormous fondness for it. The Silver Pair just stole my heart. I love Shishido's brashness and stubbornness and dedication and determination, and I love Choutarou's gentleness and politeness and how it hides an incredible power and a spine of steel. And mostly I love them together--Choutarou's loyalty, and Shishido having a soft spot for him that's so big it can be seen from space, and how much they pour into tennis and into each other in order to forge one of the greatest doubles pairs in the incredibly competitive world of Japanese middle school tennis.
The Platinum Pair appeals to my wicked side!
As for the Tango Pair, I'm sorry, I know it's anime filler and whatnot, but you cannot tell me that two people share tango soul music and expect me not to ship it. They're very different in a lot of ways--Atobe flashy where Sanada is staid, Atobe eloquent and self-aggrandizing where Sanada is taciturn and prone to proving his superiority by action--but they're also very similar in other ways--proud, determined, confident, ruthless, but also caring about those they let into their inner circle. Both of these guys are very difficult people to be around, and I think they would absolutely get on each other's nerves, but I also think they get each other in a way that not many people do. Talk about a power couple.
Some prompts:
··ALL THE TENNIS--a regular middle school tennis practice, or working out over the weekend just the two of them, or when they've gone pro, or just casual rallies after they've retired, or--
··playing singles will never feel quite right again
··it's only when they finally arrive at Life After Tennis that they realize just how important they are to each other
··hanahaki on the tennis court, SURPRISE
··they drifted apart after school, because middle school tennis teammates aren't forever, but then they meet again at a school reunion and....
··angst about the future, SHISHIDO'S GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL, THEY'LL NEVER PLAY TOGETHER AGAIN, THIS IS THE END, or Shishido wants to go pro and Choutarou doesn't, is this where their paths diverge, ANGST
··how did Shishido and Choutarou even start training together? And whose idea was the whole doubles thing, anyway?
··the Switch was supposed to be a fun one-off trick, why can't he stop thinking about it
··some people think that Yagyuu is a well-mannered young man and a good role model and Niou will listen to him, ahahahahahaha; or, some people are terrified that Niou is a bad influence who will corrupt good boy Yagyuu, ahahahahahaha
··if you want to go with actual soul music means they're soulmates, I am all here for that
··okay, if Sanada/Atobe actually became a thing, both of their teams would absolutely flip
··every time Atobe and Sanada meet on the pro circuit, it becomes A Thing
··or maybe start playing doubles together for real, this is ridiculous, we all know their tennis and how they play, there's no way this can work, how are they making this work
I haven't kept up with Shin Tenipuri, but I'm not particularly fussed about spoilers. I can do the original series in manga, anime, or musical form. Feel free to include whatever other characters you'd like, including those on other teams: my favorite teams are (predictably) Seigaku, Hyoutei, and Rikkai; on Hyoutei, I'm also fond of Hiyoshi; on Rikkai, I'm also fond of the rest of the Troika and Akaya.
Togainu no Chi
··Akira/KeisukeOh, man, this ship. They are the backbone of Togainu no Chi to me--Keisuke's decision to follow Akira to Toshima sets into motion so many pieces of the story and influences Akira's decisions, for good and for bad. Akira is my favorite character in the game--I love his stoicism, his determination, and also his ignorance/obliviousness about human relations and interactions. He holds himself aloof from others--not out of any ill will, per se, but he is not the most people-savvy person and he doesn't really know how to connect or interact or understand, and I like that about him, even when it does eventually become a proximate cause to the rupturing of his relationship with Keisuke. And Keisuke is a very close second favorite--his all-encompassing pining for Akira is delicious, and his devotion (obsession) and his inferiority complex (self-loathing) hurt in all the right ways. I love the arc of their relationship, from unequal to falling apart to destructive to (in some ends) rebuilt with greater understanding. Their friendship was genuine, but it was also extremely flawed, with failures to communicate and lies of omission and a lack of understanding and an unhealthy avoidance of conflict, and I think it was inevitable that they would splinter in some way. The messiness is part of the appeal, and I like it both when they work things out (with difficulties) and when it ends in tragedy.
Some prompts:
··once upon a time, Keisuke told himself that being Akira's friend was enough (spoiler: he was wrong)
··Keisuke detoxes after a bad ending and realizes oh no what have I done
··Keisuke dies, and too late Akira understands and has to somehow come to terms with everything (optional realization that he was in love, too)
··what was life at the orphanage like?
··they both get out alive, but that's just the beginning and even though they love each other things are such a mess (and is love alone even enough?)
··or, yes, love is enough to make it work, but that doesn't stop the PTSD and the ghosts and the memories
··Keisuke time loops trying to save Akira, but there's only one way to do it (a.k.a. the True Ending)
··one-sided soulmates. last words soulmarks. soulmates mean one is destined to kill the other. all the tragic soulmates plz
··uh, if you want to go Motomi/Akira where Akira has conflicted feelings and tries to make sense of everything that happened with Keisuke and Motomi is like "I once loved someone else, too," consider that an exception to my "no unrequested ships" DNW
Feel free to go for whatever ending you want (with references to other ships excluded). Discussion of/reference to sexual content is just fine, but please nothing explicit on the page. I'm not particularly interested in Vischio characters, although I don't mind them as background. I have no preferences for how to romanize Line/Rein/whatever.
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
··Bruno/Fudou YuuseiI love both of these guys. Yuusei is just a genuinely good guy, stoic about his own weaknesses in a lot of ways but incredibly caring and strong and with an unwavering faith in the potential of people and the possibility of a better future and the determination to pursue it no matter what. And Bruno is a fascinating figure--Bruno the lovable dork, sweet and funny; Dark Glass the mysterious mentor, dedicated to Yuusei and his potential; Antinomy the single-minded determinator who had once given up, but finds through Yuusei the ability to believe in tomorrow and in humanity.
And I'm a sucker for characters who are instantly great friends, so I was charmed by their relationship from the very beginning. I love that Yuusei and the gang take Bruno in and accept him as one of their own, and that Bruno slides into Team 5D's so seamlessly (Jack's punching notwithstanding). I love how Yuusei and Bruno click and just *get* each other, I could watch them geek out together over D-Wheels all day every day. I love that even after the Antimony reveal, Yuusei refuses to believe that their friendship was a lie; I love that his faith was rewarded in Bruno's final moments. And that tragic ending hurts soooo good. On that note, I love the tragedy of their relationship, so I'm not particularly interested in fix-it fic where Bruno survives (unless you can turn it angsty or tragic in another way!).
Some prompts:
··Yuusei only realizes too late his own feelings; or, Yuusei isn't sure of his own feelings, but being denied the possibility of ever finding out where it might have gone is painful in its own right
··that thing where you realize that's your soulmate right before he dies, or after he dies
··for many reasons, amnesia means falling in love is a bad idea (spoiler: attempts to not fall in love ultimately fail)
··speaking of which, did Bruno actually only get his memory back at Arc Cradle?
··After losing Bruno, Yuusei truly did intend to die stopping Arc Cradle; what is he supposed to do now that he's survived?
··or a quiet (or not-so-quiet) moment together before it all goes down; geeking out in the garage, hanging with the rest of Team 5D's, talking about what happens after the WRGP
··if you want to get into the messiness of Antinomy first meeting Z-ONE playing the role of Yuusei and then meeting the real Yuusei, that's also good
··okay, I don't actually want a totally happy ending, but: What if Bruno did jump on the back of Yuusei's bike back there in super lightspeed? (result: Arc Cradle Bad End)
··Now that Yuusei knows he's going to become a legend, his goal is not only to save the future, but also to build a legacy that Antinomy will one day read aboutI appreciate Bruno in all his iterations, including Antinomy, Johnny, Dark Glass, notactuallyamnesiac!Bruno, etc. Feel free to include other characters as you'd like (I'm particularly fond of Jack and Carly), but please keep Crow to small doses. I don't mind him appearing along with the rest of Team 5D's, but please don't make him the focus or main POV character of the fic.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
··Yuuki Juudai/Johan AndersenJuudai is quite possibly my favorite shounen protagonist of all time. I love his optimistic, genki, hot-blooded gung-ho attitude at the beginning of the series; I love his descent into darkness; I love how he claws his way out of the darkness and fights to come to terms with what he's done, and I love how, by the end of the series, he's matured and become jaded and lost some of his blind idealism, but is ultimately still a good person who still believes in goodness and who tries to do good. I also adore Johan, for a lot of the same reasons that I love Juudai--he's positive, bright, brave, determined and true. He throws himself in whole-heartedly and without reservation. And I love their relationship most of all. They believe in each other, they understand each other, they go above and beyond for each other--the sacrifices they're willing to make for each other, the absolute trust they have in each other--they're kindred spirits, like they were meant to find each other.
Some prompts:
··their first reunion post-canon, accompanied by an emotional wave of oh no I'm so in love
··or, the gradual slide from friendship to more
··duels are a completely valid method of communication and also of expressing love
··Juudai's relationship with Yubel is something completely different, but that doesn't stop Johan from feeling like he's second-best
··Johan wants to be the one Juudai comes home to; or, Juudai wants Johan to be the one he can come home to; or both, both is good
··are we not going to have a conversation about how Yubel basically accused them of being in love? (answer: no, because it's unrequited and what's the point)
··long-distance relationships (are lonely? are easier when you have confidence in your feelings for each other?)
··they drift apart over time, even though they meant so much to each other back then ;-; (and then maybe drift back together <3)
··Johan understands why Juudai needs to roam the world, but that doesn't mean he likes it
··if we could just go back in time and avoid all the alternate dimension/Haou/Yubel stuff, that would be great (spoiler: it doesn't quite work according to plan)
··is there anything they would not do for each other? The next crisis proves: no, no there is not
Feel free to include whatever other characters you'd like (especially Winged Kuriboh and the Gem Beasts!). I would rather see Yubel acknowledged than ignored. I watched the anime in the original Japanese, and so I'd prefer to see fic about Juudai and Johan, not Jaden and Jesse.
