Yuletide 2024 letter
Oct. 16th, 2024 09:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izayoi_no_mikotoAO3: ![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
izayoi_no_mikoto
Hello, Yuletide 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 (with pan-fandom notes):
·· All Hallow's Even | Hanakisou | Na mo Naki Tori no Tobu Yoake (Innocent Bird) | Shirogane no Ou | Shuuten Unknown | Silver Diamond
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!
I do have gifts enabled. Treats are never expected but always welcome!
I hope you have a good exchange, and again, thanks for writing for me!
As for my ships, I do love them! But generally speaking, I care more about the characters and their having an important relationship and less about what the precise nature of that relationship is. This means that:
And second, I'm not much interested in sexual content. I have zero problems with sex 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." In other words, don't worry about "is this shippy enough?" or "do I need to make this more obviously romantic and/or sexual?" Yes, it's enough! No, you don't! You're good!
Yes, I ship them!
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 is 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!
··A case report? Or the classified file that the Division keeps to explain Yuuji's, uh, everything?
··outsider POV from the perspective of their customers at Cafe Unknown
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.
Yes, I ship Hanashiro/Kuroto and also whatever you want to make of Kurotaka and Shirofukurou's relationship, and also I love any character individually and any gen combination whatsoever. And alternate versions of the Savior and Kuroto. And everyone else in thisbar sad, tragic world.
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. But all of them are trying in their own ways.
I'd also be interested in basically anything to do with worldbuilding! Give me Chihaya & Sai, or Kokuro & Kohana, or the Savior & Kuroto a hundred cycles laterwhen the birds have well and truly lost their sanity. Give me the birds in the lab, or how Kurotaka helped with previous experiments, or precisely how the birds were created. Give me the common mythology revolving around the wicked Kuroto, or tales about the Prophet White Feather, or festivals to celebrate the end of winter. There's so much to explore and dig into in the world of Hanakisou, and I would like any and all of it.
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.
Yes, I ship Shirasagi/Karasu and Koumori/Jesus, but I would also be very happy with any individual character or any gen combo!
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 (or not?), 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
··or pre-canon stuff for the main pair! What were Shirasagi's early days in the human world like, or his first time setting foot in a church? I get the sense that Karasu is a bit disenchanted with the whole God/angels/Heaven thing from the beginning; when did he first conceive of doubting God?
··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?!
··does Koumori spend the rest of eternity this way?
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.
I high-key love all the gen combinations, I low-key ship King/Right-Eye, and I would love to see any of these characters individually (e.g. backstory). 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 love King and Right-Eye as gen, ship, and literally everything in between.
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."
tl;dr: I love all three of them so, so much, you guys.
I'm also very interested in all three of them solo or their interactions with other characters. Where did Shirogane even come from, how did the whole "Shirogane Fenrir chooses the ruler of the country" thing even arise, who was his first monarch, on what criteria does he choose his rulers? How did King end up in Zoe's orbit to begin with, what was his relationship with other bodyguards not mentioned by name in the manga, what was his first meeting with Isel or Wolfgang? What was Right-Eye's life like as a mercenary before he became Right-Eye, did he have any culture shock when he first came to Quatredina, did he have any special memories as a kid with Balford?
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; Shirogane trying to keep King and Right-Eye 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 better.
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
··missing scenes on their journey through Amato! Discovering some strange new plant. Telling stories from their childhoods turns weird because... yeah, Rakan's the only one with a normal childhood. Rakan could totally just grow a plant to get them across this ravine/down this cliff/over this river, but Chigusa is sure it would be Perfectly Rational and Reasonable for him to just carry Rakan, right? right? right?
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!).
Hello, Yuletide 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 (with pan-fandom notes):
·· All Hallow's Even | Hanakisou | Na mo Naki Tori no Tobu Yoake (Innocent Bird) | Shirogane no Ou | Shuuten Unknown | Silver Diamond
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!
I do have gifts enabled. 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 enjoy both shipfic and gen! In fandoms where I've requested two characters, I would enjoy gen or ship of those two; in fandoms where I've requested Any, I would be equally happy with my stated ships, any of those characters solo, or any gen combination. I love all of these characters and I would genuinely love to receive fic of any of them!As for my ships, I do love them! But generally speaking, I care more about the characters and their having an important relationship and less about what the precise nature of that relationship is. This means that:
- As stated above, 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.
- And of course, more straightforward romance is great too! I ship them because I love them together.
And second, I'm not much interested in sexual content. I have zero problems with sex 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." In other words, don't worry about "is this shippy enough?" or "do I need to make this more obviously romantic and/or sexual?" Yes, it's enough! No, you don't! You're good!
GENERAL LIKES
Some of my likes include:- super-intense relationships (obsession/fixation, you are my most important person, you changed my entire world(view), 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, etc.)
- 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/fusions (the Kouga Yun manga)
- daemon/His Dark Materials AUs/fusions (the Philip Pullman novels)
- hanahaki
- soulmate AUs (of any variety!)
DNWs
I would rather not see any of the following:- AUs/crossovers/fusions, including mundane, genderswap, ageswap, gender- and identity-related headcanons, 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
- requested characters 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, meaning any type of in-universe document--letters, emails, newspaper articles, social media, etc.)
- interactive fiction
FANDOMS
A few pan-fandom notes:- Prompts are just possible jumping-off points; I am not particularly wed to any of them. 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, that's because 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/translated into English. I encourage you to use whatever English versions you want.
All Hallow's Even
Requested characters: Kodama Yuuji, Tsuge TadaoYes, I ship them!
These 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 is 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!
··A case report? Or the classified file that the Division keeps to explain Yuuji's, uh, everything?
··outsider POV from the perspective of their customers at Cafe Unknown
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
Requested characters: Any (Kuroto, Hanashiro, Kurotaka,Shirofukurou)Yes, I ship Hanashiro/Kuroto and also whatever you want to make of Kurotaka and Shirofukurou's relationship, and also I love any character individually and any gen combination whatsoever. And alternate versions of the Savior and Kuroto. And everyone else in this
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. But all of them are trying in their own ways.
I'd also be interested in basically anything to do with worldbuilding! Give me Chihaya & Sai, or Kokuro & Kohana, or the Savior & Kuroto a hundred cycles later
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
Requested characters: Any (Shirasagi, Karasu, Koumori, Jesus)Yes, I ship Shirasagi/Karasu and Koumori/Jesus, but I would also be very happy with any individual character or any gen combo!
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 (or not?), 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
··or pre-canon stuff for the main pair! What were Shirasagi's early days in the human world like, or his first time setting foot in a church? I get the sense that Karasu is a bit disenchanted with the whole God/angels/Heaven thing from the beginning; when did he first conceive of doubting God?
··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?!
··does Koumori spend the rest of eternity this way?
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
Requested characters: Any (King Quatredina, Right-Eye, Lord Shirogane Fenrir)I high-key love all the gen combinations, I low-key ship King/Right-Eye, and I would love to see any of these characters individually (e.g. backstory). 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 love King and Right-Eye as gen, ship, and literally everything in between.
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."
tl;dr: I love all three of them so, so much, you guys.
I'm also very interested in all three of them solo or their interactions with other characters. Where did Shirogane even come from, how did the whole "Shirogane Fenrir chooses the ruler of the country" thing even arise, who was his first monarch, on what criteria does he choose his rulers? How did King end up in Zoe's orbit to begin with, what was his relationship with other bodyguards not mentioned by name in the manga, what was his first meeting with Isel or Wolfgang? What was Right-Eye's life like as a mercenary before he became Right-Eye, did he have any culture shock when he first came to Quatredina, did he have any special memories as a kid with Balford?
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; Shirogane trying to keep King and Right-Eye out of trouble; why does Shirogane have to deal with these idiots?!
Shuuten Unknown
Requested characters: Sayatoki, YorumaI 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 better.
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
Requested characters: Rakan, 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
··missing scenes on their journey through Amato! Discovering some strange new plant. Telling stories from their childhoods turns weird because... yeah, Rakan's the only one with a normal childhood. Rakan could totally just grow a plant to get them across this ravine/down this cliff/over this river, but Chigusa is sure it would be Perfectly Rational and Reasonable for him to just carry Rakan, right? right? right?
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!).
