RMS Exchange letter
Jun. 11th, 2017 10:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tailcoatLetter for Labocat on AO3 for the Rare Male Slash Exchange - heavily in progress as I continue fighting the robot apocalypse
The theme of this letter is trope catnip. All of these canons and pairings have a number of tropes that I unabashedly love with my whole heart and am always drawn to, so I'll lay those out along with the pairing requests!
General things! This is just broad-view stuff; I'll note where applicable in specific sections if canons/ships can ignore something.
In General: I’m really happy with anything! And by anything, I really do mean just about anything; it’s hard to find something that I absolutely don’t like hard stop. I’m good with all ratings, from G to NC-17, and while I do consider this a shippy exchange, I'm okay with anything from pining and getting together to established relationships taking the backseat to a larger plot event. I also love all genres: fluff, action/adventure, hurt/comfort, canon, AU, pre/post-series, crossovers; if you have something in mind already, I’ll probably love it! I do prefer things to end on a happy or hopeful note, but I would never pass on or ask against angst and drama or even character injury.
Some tropes I adore that are relevant (non-comprehensive):
- hurt/comfort and whump
- alternate PoVs of scenes
- pre-canon backstory
- curtainfic/established relationship
- casefic
- fake relationship/arranged marriage/accidentally married/accidental confessions
- found family
- enemies/rivals to lovers (also friends to lovers)
- secret relationships/friendships
- reincarnation/fated/soulbonds
- trapped somewhere together
- loyalty
- magically bonded together (either physically or telepathically)
- redemption and corruption (obv doesn't have to be in the same story, but I am good with either route!)
- road trips
- the 90s anime onsen episode
My DNWs are very few and are unlikely to come up in these canons, but just in case: pregnancy/kids, miscommunication/misunderstanding as the central source of tension, non-canonical pronouns, and suicidal thoughts/actions from characters further than canon would go.
Really Optional Details That Are Entirely Optional (okay let’s just call them kinks): If you wanted to go a M/E route, and are comfortable writing any of the following, I really enjoy size difference, blindfolds, orgasm denial, messy/sloppy sex, intercrual, oral, semi-public sex (like in a closet or alley), sensory deprivation, breathplay, toys (especially hidden vibes), marking/possessiveness, body worship, slow, drawn-out sex that can really tie in with the aforementioned body worship, or awkward first times. I also like a lot of things that generally have to be requested and that most people aren’t comfortable with so they are Extra Optional: dubcon, vore/gore, tentacles and xenophilia, a/b/o, bloodplay, threesomes/moresomes, double penetration, and collars.
Also, past letters are fair game to check if I've requested a fandom before if you need more guidance, since I tend to skip around on what details I give where.
Shades of Magic
Requested: Kell/Holland, Kell/Rhy
Tropes I love about it: Soulbonds, bloodmagics, parallel worlds, historical fantasy,
flip side of the coin
I love the world of this canon so, so much, and even though the series ended, there's still so much room for exploration.
Kell/Holland - flip sides of the coin as Antari acquired by the monarch. Okay, no I really just still want all of the fic of what could've happened while Kell was in White London with the collar on and under Holland's control before Osaron pulled the body possession trick. Or Holland teaching Kell Antari spells or tricks, since Kell clearly didn't know all of them. What could've it been like if the Danes hadn't taken over and Red and White London had a more congenial relationship? I am also Very Mad that both of them had their Antari magic compromised by the end, so alternates or fix-it would be very welcome.
Kell/Rhy - That soulbond is still so ripe for plundering, and the possibility for Kell to have stayed behind and be on of Rhy's advisors still isn't a completely closed door for the future. Also the bit about Kell letting any chance of finding out his backstory go was such a cop-out, but I am a sucker for the "who you were doesn't matter, you are who you are" bit, but what if Rhy stumbled over old records or similar that gave clearer hints as to where Kell came from and how he ended up at the castle?
Natsume Yuujinchou
Requested: Matoba Seiji/Natsume Takashi
Tropes: Found family, soft melancholy
Specifically, this pairing is so ripe for a corruption arc. Matoba somehow convincing Natsume, through means either accidental or intentional, that his best way to keep his friends and family safe is to join the Matoba clan. As this would require either frog boiling or quite the coup, death and injury and dubcon are perfectly acceptable and welcome here. Or you could go lighter with a misguided courting attempt on Matoba's side, trying to show that he's willing to work together even if Natsume doesn't join outright.
The Penumbra Podcast
Requested: Juno Steel/Peter Nureyev
Tropes: space noir, detective vs. thief, dysfunctional duo, everyone's queer
I feel absolutely head over heels for this podcast during the robot apocalypse and just want to see it get so much love. I love the dynamic of a private eye/expert thief relationship anyway and Juno and Peter are just such a good set-up of it. I would love to see literally anything with them, from both of them upset and unable to forget or stop thinking about the other, even though they know they should after the Season 1 finale to a case they have to work together again, to Peter "helping" out at the agency and Juno absolutely unsure whether he's helping or hindering, and Rita is no help whatsoever in determining that.
Persona 5
Requested: Akechi/Akira, Yusuke/Akira, Iwai/Akira
Tropes: Phantom thieves, Persona games in general
General things that can apply to all pairings
- Shadows Made Them Do It - utilize any condition inflicted by shadows as you will! Especially given the conditions inflicted in the final battle based on the seven sins, there's a lot to play with here.
- Trapped In Mementos - for some reason, they're in Mementos on their own, either facing an uncomfortable truth about one or the other, or just in general danger.
- Tooling Around Tokyo - weekend expedition dates! There are so many fun places you can take your confidants, but also places that you just go on your own, utilize how you'd like!
In general, I am good with all genres or takes on the above or anything else - fluff is always sweet, but this is not a sweet game by any stretch of the imagination, so bittersweet and angst is totally fine too.
Akechi/Akira: I am a complete and utter sucker for the flip side of a coin and "what if" potentials. The fact that both of them are supposed to be Tricksters and are set up as basically the two boiled-down aspects of trickster gods is such trope catnip for me. I think Akechi had a lot of potential that wasn't explored by the game and was bitterly disappointed that the fallout of his role in Shido's palace isn't really able to be explored by the game and that he never gets to learn his role in the game. He's not blameless by any stretch of the imagination, and I actually like him cynical and nihilistic and trying to draw that out of Joker, who has also been ill-treated by the world. I think they left an intriguing door open by saying that he's disappeared in real life and hiding his death behind a wall. I'd love anything set at any time - before November, during November, during either period of hiding, or after the end of the game, taking any assumption about his status that you'd like.
Yusuke/Akira: I'll freely admit to liking this mostly because I think any attempt to date Yusuke would take a healthy amount of having to explain to him that they actually are dating and that Akira doesn't do this with all of his friends. I think the battle with Yusuke's self-esteem in terms of dating is an interesting hurdle, especially when paired with his ability to just roll with anything.
Iwai/Akira: I think it is a CRYING SHAME that the non-party confidants don't get better integrated into the main story. They go to all this trouble to have Sae comment on it and have the confidants admit they know by rank 10, and then, nothing. I know the gameplay reasons for it, but I would love to see it more integrated regardless. When did Iwai start to become suspicious? His worry when Akira disappeared (any time you'd like). The fact that Akira is part of the Iwai clan now! I love that Akira's dialogue options have a very definite code-switch when it comes to interacting with Iwai - it'd be interesting for Iwai to eventually meet Akira's friends, either as normal friends or as Phantom Thieves and someone to call out the facade, in one direction or the other. Also Kaoru definitely knows you're dating his dad.
Whyborne and Griffin
Requested: Whyborne/Griffin
Tropes: Historical fantasy, magical investigator husbands, Island of Misfit Toys Town
This is such a comfort canon for me, even with all the eldritch horrors, evil organizations, and impending doom. I love just how good both Whyborne and Griffin are and how while the cases are all rooted in eldritch horrors, they've also got a deep, human element that connects with both them and the reader. There's just so many great elements for found family (and even family reconciliation!) which I find especially great for how much the canon is echoing it too.
There's been a lot of heavy stuff going down in recent books, and Griffin's plans for romantic evenings always get foiled, so it would be really sweet to see either a low-stakes case or a nice day outing, especially since Whyborne has had to step up and be more commanding recently, which we know is Griffin's kryptonite. Really, anything would be wonderful!
Original Work
Requested: Court Mage/Knight, Catholic Priest/Demon, Gin Joint Bartender/Piano Player, Monster Hunter/Monster, Alien Conqueror/Human Slave, Criminal Boss/Captive Detective, God/Virgin Sacrifice, Spy/Enemy Spy, Shapeshifting Symbiotic Alien/Soldier, Magician/Magician's Assistant
First off, I want to say that I honestly love all of these for their base dynamic tropes, so literally anything you think up within the bounds of these relationships would be amazing - if you have a different idea from any direction I've listed here, please go for it! Part of the reason I like requesting Original Works for exchanges is to see what other people do with dynamics that I love and how they take them in directions I might not have thought of, but fall in love with! Literally, as long as it doesn't hit any of my DNWs, please run with what you've got! Established, establishing, or literally any point in whatever sort of relationship you want to go with is welcome!
Some vague question-prompts (please don't feel you have to stick to these if they don't spark anything! or to pick and choose bits of each if part appeals and part doesn't!) to get started:
Court Mage/Knight: They're in the same court, but are they really on the same side? Are they childhood friends with different tracks so one of them chose a career they might not have to be reunited? Are they stopping (or starting) a conspiracy? Does one of them look down on the other for their skillset and the other feels they have something to prove now? I'd love to see a non-European-tradition court or a modern court here!
Catholic Priest/Demon: Was this an accidental meeting or not? Is this something expected of the priest as part of his duties? Does the demon actually want any part of this at first? Have they actually been together for years and just how they roll?
Gin Joint Bartender/Piano Player: When did their relationship evolve into something more, or did they start the bar together? Do either of them drift off? Is the other party jealous or assured, because they always come back? Do the patrons know whenever things are good or bad because the drinks or the music changes? Assuming early 20th century, do they run a bar where they can be open about their relationship or just as protective of it as they are with their jobs?
Monster Hunter/Monster: Is this a family legacy? Is this hatred grown into desire for the chase/the one that got away? Have they ever actually seen what they're chasing before? Is this a star-crossed lovers situation?
Alien Conqueror/Human Slave: (sidenote that I am so okay with every kink that can come out of xeno or slavefic. yes, even that one. okay, maybe no prolapse.) Did the alien even want this human slave? Are they both expecting wildly different things from this relationship?
Criminal Boss/Captive Detective: Is the detective new in town and didn't know any better? Is this a long-standing rivalry where the detective has been chasing the boss for his whole career? Is there a revenge backstory? Is this just par for the course for them?
God/Virgin Sacrifice: Has the sacrifice been trained for this his whole life? Is he an enemy captive with no idea what to expect? Is the god used to this, or is this the first sacrifice he's received? Is he confused why they keep sending him virgins?
Spy/Enemy Spy: Do they have a long-standing rivalry? Were they totally unaware of the other's existence before this? Are they at a ball or party where neither of them can drop their cover or target flirtation but keep getting distracted/sabotaged by the other?
Shapeshifting Symbiotic Alien/Soldier: Is their interaction intentional/does the solider know the alien is symbiotic/is the lifeform trying to seduce the solider into being its host (and along those lines, realize how much the soldier knows and adjust its attempt accordingly)? Is the symbiosis physical or mental/does the symbiosis require internal or simply skin contact? What are the benefits the soldier gets out of it/how is the solider changed by it?
Magician/Magician's Assistant: Is this an expected part of the apprenticeship? Were they lovers first and master/assistant second? Does their magic affect their relationship or vice versa? Was the assistant picked because of particularly compatible magic, which trends to other compatibility?
The theme of this letter is trope catnip. All of these canons and pairings have a number of tropes that I unabashedly love with my whole heart and am always drawn to, so I'll lay those out along with the pairing requests!
General things! This is just broad-view stuff; I'll note where applicable in specific sections if canons/ships can ignore something.
In General: I’m really happy with anything! And by anything, I really do mean just about anything; it’s hard to find something that I absolutely don’t like hard stop. I’m good with all ratings, from G to NC-17, and while I do consider this a shippy exchange, I'm okay with anything from pining and getting together to established relationships taking the backseat to a larger plot event. I also love all genres: fluff, action/adventure, hurt/comfort, canon, AU, pre/post-series, crossovers; if you have something in mind already, I’ll probably love it! I do prefer things to end on a happy or hopeful note, but I would never pass on or ask against angst and drama or even character injury.
Some tropes I adore that are relevant (non-comprehensive):
- hurt/comfort and whump
- alternate PoVs of scenes
- pre-canon backstory
- curtainfic/established relationship
- casefic
- fake relationship/arranged marriage/accidentally married/accidental confessions
- found family
- enemies/rivals to lovers (also friends to lovers)
- secret relationships/friendships
- reincarnation/fated/soulbonds
- trapped somewhere together
- loyalty
- magically bonded together (either physically or telepathically)
- redemption and corruption (obv doesn't have to be in the same story, but I am good with either route!)
- road trips
- the 90s anime onsen episode
My DNWs are very few and are unlikely to come up in these canons, but just in case: pregnancy/kids, miscommunication/misunderstanding as the central source of tension, non-canonical pronouns, and suicidal thoughts/actions from characters further than canon would go.
Really Optional Details That Are Entirely Optional (okay let’s just call them kinks): If you wanted to go a M/E route, and are comfortable writing any of the following, I really enjoy size difference, blindfolds, orgasm denial, messy/sloppy sex, intercrual, oral, semi-public sex (like in a closet or alley), sensory deprivation, breathplay, toys (especially hidden vibes), marking/possessiveness, body worship, slow, drawn-out sex that can really tie in with the aforementioned body worship, or awkward first times. I also like a lot of things that generally have to be requested and that most people aren’t comfortable with so they are Extra Optional: dubcon, vore/gore, tentacles and xenophilia, a/b/o, bloodplay, threesomes/moresomes, double penetration, and collars.
Also, past letters are fair game to check if I've requested a fandom before if you need more guidance, since I tend to skip around on what details I give where.
Requested: Kell/Holland, Kell/Rhy
Tropes I love about it: Soulbonds, bloodmagics, parallel worlds, historical fantasy,
flip side of the coin
I love the world of this canon so, so much, and even though the series ended, there's still so much room for exploration.
Kell/Holland - flip sides of the coin as Antari acquired by the monarch. Okay, no I really just still want all of the fic of what could've happened while Kell was in White London with the collar on and under Holland's control before Osaron pulled the body possession trick. Or Holland teaching Kell Antari spells or tricks, since Kell clearly didn't know all of them. What could've it been like if the Danes hadn't taken over and Red and White London had a more congenial relationship? I am also Very Mad that both of them had their Antari magic compromised by the end, so alternates or fix-it would be very welcome.
Kell/Rhy - That soulbond is still so ripe for plundering, and the possibility for Kell to have stayed behind and be on of Rhy's advisors still isn't a completely closed door for the future. Also the bit about Kell letting any chance of finding out his backstory go was such a cop-out, but I am a sucker for the "who you were doesn't matter, you are who you are" bit, but what if Rhy stumbled over old records or similar that gave clearer hints as to where Kell came from and how he ended up at the castle?
Requested: Matoba Seiji/Natsume Takashi
Tropes: Found family, soft melancholy
Specifically, this pairing is so ripe for a corruption arc. Matoba somehow convincing Natsume, through means either accidental or intentional, that his best way to keep his friends and family safe is to join the Matoba clan. As this would require either frog boiling or quite the coup, death and injury and dubcon are perfectly acceptable and welcome here. Or you could go lighter with a misguided courting attempt on Matoba's side, trying to show that he's willing to work together even if Natsume doesn't join outright.
Requested: Juno Steel/Peter Nureyev
Tropes: space noir, detective vs. thief, dysfunctional duo, everyone's queer
I feel absolutely head over heels for this podcast during the robot apocalypse and just want to see it get so much love. I love the dynamic of a private eye/expert thief relationship anyway and Juno and Peter are just such a good set-up of it. I would love to see literally anything with them, from both of them upset and unable to forget or stop thinking about the other, even though they know they should after the Season 1 finale to a case they have to work together again, to Peter "helping" out at the agency and Juno absolutely unsure whether he's helping or hindering, and Rita is no help whatsoever in determining that.
Requested: Akechi/Akira, Yusuke/Akira, Iwai/Akira
Tropes: Phantom thieves, Persona games in general
General things that can apply to all pairings
- Shadows Made Them Do It - utilize any condition inflicted by shadows as you will! Especially given the conditions inflicted in the final battle based on the seven sins, there's a lot to play with here.
- Trapped In Mementos - for some reason, they're in Mementos on their own, either facing an uncomfortable truth about one or the other, or just in general danger.
- Tooling Around Tokyo - weekend expedition dates! There are so many fun places you can take your confidants, but also places that you just go on your own, utilize how you'd like!
In general, I am good with all genres or takes on the above or anything else - fluff is always sweet, but this is not a sweet game by any stretch of the imagination, so bittersweet and angst is totally fine too.
Akechi/Akira: I am a complete and utter sucker for the flip side of a coin and "what if" potentials. The fact that both of them are supposed to be Tricksters and are set up as basically the two boiled-down aspects of trickster gods is such trope catnip for me. I think Akechi had a lot of potential that wasn't explored by the game and was bitterly disappointed that the fallout of his role in Shido's palace isn't really able to be explored by the game and that he never gets to learn his role in the game. He's not blameless by any stretch of the imagination, and I actually like him cynical and nihilistic and trying to draw that out of Joker, who has also been ill-treated by the world. I think they left an intriguing door open by saying that he's disappeared in real life and hiding his death behind a wall. I'd love anything set at any time - before November, during November, during either period of hiding, or after the end of the game, taking any assumption about his status that you'd like.
Yusuke/Akira: I'll freely admit to liking this mostly because I think any attempt to date Yusuke would take a healthy amount of having to explain to him that they actually are dating and that Akira doesn't do this with all of his friends. I think the battle with Yusuke's self-esteem in terms of dating is an interesting hurdle, especially when paired with his ability to just roll with anything.
Iwai/Akira: I think it is a CRYING SHAME that the non-party confidants don't get better integrated into the main story. They go to all this trouble to have Sae comment on it and have the confidants admit they know by rank 10, and then, nothing. I know the gameplay reasons for it, but I would love to see it more integrated regardless. When did Iwai start to become suspicious? His worry when Akira disappeared (any time you'd like). The fact that Akira is part of the Iwai clan now! I love that Akira's dialogue options have a very definite code-switch when it comes to interacting with Iwai - it'd be interesting for Iwai to eventually meet Akira's friends, either as normal friends or as Phantom Thieves and someone to call out the facade, in one direction or the other. Also Kaoru definitely knows you're dating his dad.
Requested: Whyborne/Griffin
Tropes: Historical fantasy, magical investigator husbands, Island of Misfit Toys Town
This is such a comfort canon for me, even with all the eldritch horrors, evil organizations, and impending doom. I love just how good both Whyborne and Griffin are and how while the cases are all rooted in eldritch horrors, they've also got a deep, human element that connects with both them and the reader. There's just so many great elements for found family (and even family reconciliation!) which I find especially great for how much the canon is echoing it too.
There's been a lot of heavy stuff going down in recent books, and Griffin's plans for romantic evenings always get foiled, so it would be really sweet to see either a low-stakes case or a nice day outing, especially since Whyborne has had to step up and be more commanding recently, which we know is Griffin's kryptonite. Really, anything would be wonderful!
Requested: Court Mage/Knight, Catholic Priest/Demon, Gin Joint Bartender/Piano Player, Monster Hunter/Monster, Alien Conqueror/Human Slave, Criminal Boss/Captive Detective, God/Virgin Sacrifice, Spy/Enemy Spy, Shapeshifting Symbiotic Alien/Soldier, Magician/Magician's Assistant
First off, I want to say that I honestly love all of these for their base dynamic tropes, so literally anything you think up within the bounds of these relationships would be amazing - if you have a different idea from any direction I've listed here, please go for it! Part of the reason I like requesting Original Works for exchanges is to see what other people do with dynamics that I love and how they take them in directions I might not have thought of, but fall in love with! Literally, as long as it doesn't hit any of my DNWs, please run with what you've got! Established, establishing, or literally any point in whatever sort of relationship you want to go with is welcome!
Some vague question-prompts (please don't feel you have to stick to these if they don't spark anything! or to pick and choose bits of each if part appeals and part doesn't!) to get started:
Court Mage/Knight: They're in the same court, but are they really on the same side? Are they childhood friends with different tracks so one of them chose a career they might not have to be reunited? Are they stopping (or starting) a conspiracy? Does one of them look down on the other for their skillset and the other feels they have something to prove now? I'd love to see a non-European-tradition court or a modern court here!
Catholic Priest/Demon: Was this an accidental meeting or not? Is this something expected of the priest as part of his duties? Does the demon actually want any part of this at first? Have they actually been together for years and just how they roll?
Gin Joint Bartender/Piano Player: When did their relationship evolve into something more, or did they start the bar together? Do either of them drift off? Is the other party jealous or assured, because they always come back? Do the patrons know whenever things are good or bad because the drinks or the music changes? Assuming early 20th century, do they run a bar where they can be open about their relationship or just as protective of it as they are with their jobs?
Monster Hunter/Monster: Is this a family legacy? Is this hatred grown into desire for the chase/the one that got away? Have they ever actually seen what they're chasing before? Is this a star-crossed lovers situation?
Alien Conqueror/Human Slave: (sidenote that I am so okay with every kink that can come out of xeno or slavefic. yes, even that one. okay, maybe no prolapse.) Did the alien even want this human slave? Are they both expecting wildly different things from this relationship?
Criminal Boss/Captive Detective: Is the detective new in town and didn't know any better? Is this a long-standing rivalry where the detective has been chasing the boss for his whole career? Is there a revenge backstory? Is this just par for the course for them?
God/Virgin Sacrifice: Has the sacrifice been trained for this his whole life? Is he an enemy captive with no idea what to expect? Is the god used to this, or is this the first sacrifice he's received? Is he confused why they keep sending him virgins?
Spy/Enemy Spy: Do they have a long-standing rivalry? Were they totally unaware of the other's existence before this? Are they at a ball or party where neither of them can drop their cover or target flirtation but keep getting distracted/sabotaged by the other?
Shapeshifting Symbiotic Alien/Soldier: Is their interaction intentional/does the solider know the alien is symbiotic/is the lifeform trying to seduce the solider into being its host (and along those lines, realize how much the soldier knows and adjust its attempt accordingly)? Is the symbiosis physical or mental/does the symbiosis require internal or simply skin contact? What are the benefits the soldier gets out of it/how is the solider changed by it?
Magician/Magician's Assistant: Is this an expected part of the apprenticeship? Were they lovers first and master/assistant second? Does their magic affect their relationship or vice versa? Was the assistant picked because of particularly compatible magic, which trends to other compatibility?