firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Monday, January 6th, 2025 10:15 pm
Dear Author/Artist,

Thank you so much for writing or drawing for me!

This is a general-purpose, higher-detail list of likes and dislikes. This is focused on my likes in writing, and also contains my likes in art.

I am excited for anything you create. Likes, dislikes, etc that I include in letters, aside from my short list of DNWs, are optional. Prompts are just suggestions to help motivate or inspire you. Create whatever speaks to you and gets things working!

I put together this post to try to cover my general preferences, which I've found myself rewriting a lot for letters. It's basically a list of non-fandom-specific tags and ideas that I like or dislike, and it goes into more detail than the letters I write for exchanges. This is mostly a list of things I like! Please feel like this opens new avenues for you, rather than closing them off. Feel free to surprise me and bring in new dynamics that drive you as a creator. A lot of why I'm into exchanges is that I never quite know what I'm going to get, and the chance to be delighted by something new and interesting.

Hopefully this helps inspire you.

Thank you for writing or drawing for me :)

Likes )
NSFW Likes )
Go For It (common DNWs that I don't DNW) )
Things I tend to dislike, but aren't actually DNWs )
DNWs )
firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Friday, January 5th, 2024 01:39 am
Dear Author/Artist,

Thank you so much for writing or drawing for me!

This is a general-purpose, higher-detail list of likes and dislikes. This is focused on my likes in writing, and also contains my likes in art.

I am excited for anything you create. Stuff I include in letters, aside from my short list of DNWs, are optional. Prompts are just suggestions to help motivate or inspire you. Create whatever speaks to you and gets things working!

I put together this post to try to cover my general likes, which I've found myself rewriting a lot for letters. It's basically a list of tags and ideas that I like or dislike, and it goes into more detail than the letter I write for exchanges. This is mostly a list of things I like! Please feel like this opens new avenues for you, rather than closing them off. Feel free to surprise me and bring in new dynamics that drive you as a creator. A lot of why I'm into exchanges is that I never quite know what I'm going to get, and the chance to be delighted by something new and interesting.

Hopefully this helps inspire you.

Thank you for writing or drawing for me :)

Likes )
NSFW Likes )
Go For It (common DNWs that I don't DNW) )
Things I tend to dislike, but aren't actually DNWs )
DNWs )
firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Thursday, May 4th, 2023 06:08 pm

Dear Seasons of Drabbles Author,

Thanks for writing - I'm super pumped for this exchange! It'll be my first time taking part in a drabble exchange. I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3 and Tumblr.

I haven't taken part in a drabble exchange before, so I'm not sure what a letter for it should look like. The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

In addition to this letter, I also maintain an optional, general post about likes and dislikes if that's useful for you at all: https://firebatvillain.dreamwidth.org/3098.html

Things I like:

Happy stories, bittersweet stories, and stories that end with a spark of hope even if they are angry or sad. I like good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Probably one of my favorite ideas in fiction is the idea of heroism in the face of hopelessness, and love even if things seem sad.

A little mini scene or interaction, an ending or a beginning, that could be a canon-compliant off-screen scene or interaction - sounds fun! I also like AUs and alternate imaginings, if that can be crammed into a drabble, heheh.

I'm comfortable with and enjoy all levels of explicitness/maturity in fics and art.

Anyway - on to the important stuff!

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

In a drabble, my DNWs are authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, and extreme underage.

Regarding the monarchism thing: I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Rider in Fate/Zero, or Moriarty in A Study in Emerald, etc are excellent characters and enjoy works about them. I just would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

The inclusion of additional unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here - aside from the DNWs and the tags we mall of this is included to inspire, rather than constrain. I do not mind darkfic. I do not mind any of the archive warnings aside from what's listed in my DNWs.

Requested Fandoms:

Request 1: Rurouni Kenshin: Saitou Hajime, Himura Kenshin

I really enjoy Kenshin and Saitou as former manslayers trying to find their way in a new era, and anything in during the revolution or during canon would be interesting about either of them.

Here are a few optional prompts to get the creative gears turning:

  • Kenshin practices a new move, his own personal addition to Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.
  • Saitou contemplates the meaning of Aku Soku Zan - either during the revolution, or during canon
  • Kenshin and Saito meet during the revolution.

Request 2: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia - All Might

One of the most gripping things for me in the first 2.5 seasons of this show as All Might - I loved his arc. I found it very compelling to watch/read about a fading hero using the last dregs of his power and the myth of his invincibility to protect the world until the next generation could rise up to protect it on their own. We rarely get to see what's going on inside him, but the way he eventually learns to trust the next generation, and pass the torch to them, is just one aspect of this character I found gripping. I'd love to see anything focused on him.

Here are a few optional prompts if you're looking for inspiration:

  • A moment in the aftermath of the first time All Might defeated All For One, when he's in recovery or as he tries to be a hero again now that he's wounded.
  • All Might's thoughts on Togata Mirio as his successor - why it didn't happen, or perhaps in an AU where it did.
  • All Might, after the Kamino Arc, finds some time to be just himself and not a hero, pursuing additional hobbies, or finding a way to help more in an administrative role.
  • All Might's experience of teaching at UA during the first couple of seasons, and how being a teacher changes him and what the experience is like for him.

Request 3: A Song of Ice and Fire - Benjen Stark

A lot of what's interesting about Benjen happens before the events of the first book. He was the Stark in Winterfell during Robert's Rebellion - he saw his father, as well brother Brandon and his sister Lyanna die. Ned almost certainly entrusted the truth of Jon's parentage to Benjen, who may have known more about Lyanna running away than anyone else. I'd love a little snippet or scene about him!

Here are a few optional prompts if you're looking for a starting point:

  • Ned returns to Winterfell after the war, and Benjen learns the truth, and grieves.
  • Benjen, when he realizes Lyanna has run away with and/or been abducted by Prince Rhaegar.
  • Benjen comes to Winterfell sometime before canon to see his brother, his nieces and nephews, and Jon.
  • A scene of Benjen's experience at the tourney at Harrenhal, plotting with Lyanna or seeing something amiss.
Request 4: Suzume no Tojimari - Any Character

I found this movie so moving and fun, both emotionally stirring funny! I really fell in love with the characters, and we only get little glimpses of what happens to them after the events of the film. I'd love anything related to that, or any more of Daijin and Sadaijin. Something uplifting and fun, maybe?

Here are a few prompts if you're looking for inspiration:

  • Suzume and Chika meet up again later, perhaps on a break from school, or perhaps later on, and talk about boys or life.
  • Suzume is off to university in Kobe! She tops by to check in on Rumi.
  • Serizawa takes his car to get repaired.
  • Souta speaks with his grandfather after the events of the movie.
  • Tamaki has a date tonight, and Suzume is encouraging her.

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. I am sure I will like whatever you create. Drabbles are fun!

Thank you.


firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Saturday, April 15th, 2023 03:05 pm
Dear Author/Artist,

Thank you so much for writing or drawing for me!

This is a general-purpose, higher-detail list of likes and dislikes. This is focused on my likes in writing.

I am excited for anything you create. Stuff I include in letters, aside from my short list of DNWs, are optional. Prompts are just suggestions to help motivate or inspire you. Create whatever speaks to you and gets things working!

I put together this post to try to cover my general likes, which I've found myself rewriting a lot for letters. It's basically a list of tags and ideas that I like or dislike, and it goes into more detail than the letter I write for exchanges. This is mostly a list of things I like! Please feel like this opens new avenues for you, rather than closing them off. Feel free to surprise me and bring in new dynamics that drive you as a creator. A lot of why I'm into exchanges is that I never quite know what I'm going to get, and the chance to be delighted by something new and interesting.

Hopefully this helps inspire you.

Thank you for writing or drawing for me :)

Likes )
NSFW Likes )
Go For It (stuff that isn't really a like, but I'd be game for if it's what inspires you) )
Things I tend to dislike, but aren't actually DNWs )
DNWs )
firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Friday, April 14th, 2023 05:24 pm

Dear Sakura Exchange Creator,

Thanks for writing - I’m really excited for this exchange. This is my second year participating in it, and it's a real treat. I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3 and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

In addition to this letter, I also maintain an optional, general post about likes and dislikes if that's useful for you at all: https://firebatvillain.dreamwidth.org/3098.html

Things I like:

Happy stories, bittersweet stories, and stories that end with a spark of hope even if they are angry or sad. I like good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Probably one of my favorite ideas in fiction is the idea of heroism in the face of hopelessness, and love even if things seem sad.

I've often enjoyed canon-compliant off-screen fics that explore things! Some of my favorite stories of all time fit into the category of "AU - Canon Divergence" and I would say I am a common fan of "what if things were different in X way" type AUs. I do not usually enjoy modern or mundane AUs that much, but I've liked a few.

I like fics that have a lot of frantic energy about them, or with a focus on change. I am a fan of fics that are about characters being ruthless in pursuit of an ideal, and giving something up or even becoming worse as a result, because of how much they value their goal.

I'm comfortable with and enjoy all levels of explicitness/maturity in fics and art.

Anyway - on to the important stuff!

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

In fics, my DNWs are mpreg, authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, and extreme underage.

In art, my DNWS are mpreg, needles breaking skin, and extreme underage.

Regarding the monarchism thing: I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Rider in Fate/Zero, or Moriarty in A Study in Emerald, etc are excellent characters and enjoy works about them. I just would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

The inclusion of additional unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here - aside from the DNWs and the tags we mall of this is included to inspire, rather than constrain. I do not mind darkfic. I do not mind any of the archive warnings aside from what's listed in my DNWs.

Requested Fandoms:

Request 1: Fate/Zero - Fic or Art - Relationships: Irisviel/Saber|Artoria, Diarmuid|Lancer/Saber|Artoria, Diarmuid|Lancer & Saber|Artoria

So, I love tragedy! But I also love sweet things. I know there are a lot of ways you can take these relationships because of how bittersweet, or sometimes just bitter, things go canonically for Saber. Here's something I said another time I nominated these:

"Well I'll be the first to say that I think Saber's characterization in F/Z could have been a little better. BUT. I do appreciate the tragic nature of it, and the moments she has with Lancer and with Irisviel, before that was taken away from her. I love both these ships, both for their beauty and their tragedy (which perhaps is a theme for me), and any story about them, canon compliant or not, would be wonderful. Irisviel and Saber had a bit of time to spend together in Japan before the war, time that they were truly happy. And although Saber and Lancer only met on the battlefield, whether as foes or as allies, you could really sense the chemistry between them."

Here are a few prompts that might give you some inspiration, but feel free to take this in any direction:

  • Lancer and Saber get to have the honorable fight they were hoping for, without Kiritsugu intervening with the self-geas scroll. The fight could go in a way that's bittersweet or more hopeful.
  • Saber somehow fulfills her oath to take the grail, and is able to truly become a heroic spirit. She reunites with Lancer in the Throne of Heroes after the events of HGW 4 or 5.
  • The war goes differently, and Lancer and Saber get to face down the horrible end of the 4th HGW side by side, maybe facing off against Lancer or Berserker together, or maybe going up against the cursed grail
  • Irisviel and Saber get another date! Fuyuki city is a big town and they go to some interesting places, like the not-yet-destroyed bridge or the totally innocent temple. 
  • Somehow, it's after the war, and Irisviel and Saber are both around. Maybe reconstituted by cursed mud, or maybe things go wrong and Irisviel transforms back into her body and they're just waiting for the next war somehow. With each other!
  • A "pre-canon" type scene (or missing scene before Ep 2 would be a better way to put it) of them having a nice time together on the Einzbern estate before travelling to Japan.

Request 2: Rurouni Kenshin - Fic - Relationships: Himura Kenshin/Kamiya Kaoru, Himura Kenshin/Saitou Hajime, Himura Kenshin & Saitou Hajime

I first watched Rurouni Kenshin as a kid, 20 years ago. It was the Cartoon Network dub, with a lot of censorship, but I really liked it. I had a chance to rewatch a dubbed, uncensored version of it recently, and loved it. I've also seen Trust & Betrayal and found it very moving. I watched part of the sequel movie about Kenshin as an old guy but I didn't like that. So basically, I'm familiar with Tokyo Arc, Kyoto Arc, and Trust & Betrayal. I'm somewhat familiar with, but didn't like, Reflections.

On the rewatch, I really enjoyed this series, both because the subbed non-censored version is a bit more serious than the Cartoon Network version, and because I have a much better understanding of what the Meiji Era was than I did 20 years ago. The era of nobles and samurai and peasantry was ending, and a new era, of a possibly democratic nation-state, was struggling to be born. Kenshin being haunted by the ghosts of his past, but also being asked to come out of retirement for One Last Job, to try to protect the fragile, possibly corrupt Meiji government, as it tries to break the back of the feudal system, etc. Very gripping! Not things that I realized had significance as a kid.

I've requested the relationships that I found this most gripping in the story. I love that Kaoru has a warrior's spirit (as we saw in that episode where she broke the stunning attack from the manslayer to save Kenshin from killing) but is also someone who is part of the new era that Kenshin fought for. I think their interactions, their tenderness, and the devotion Kaoru has for Kenshin are really sweet and powerful. As for Kenshin and Saitou, in some sense that relationship takes things in the other direction entirely. One of my favorite scenes is when Saitou is "testing" Kenshin, but they both get caught up in the fight and end up mentally back in the revolution, as imperialist and shinsengumi fighters going at each other. My fav toxic relationship tbh, big "I can make him worse" energy! I love to see it. Though, we also know Saitou has a more tender side in there somewhere, he jokes around a bit and he even (in canon at least) has a wife! So there are different ways you could take this.

Here are a few optional prompts to get the creative gears turning:

  • Kenshin and Kaoru have a quiet moment alone during or after the events of the Kyoto arc, and can finally talk about the things left unsaid when Kenshin left Tokyo, and act on their feelings.
  • Kenshin and Kaoru are in Tokyo, and she shows him a technique she has mastered, the final technique of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū school. After a sparring match, they have an intimate moment.
  • Kenshin and Saitou discuss their reasons for supporting the Meiji government during a quiet moment, despite having left its service (Kenshin) or originally fighting for the Shogunate (Saitou).
  • Kenshin or Saitou think back on their days facing off each other during the revolution, and how different things are now that they're with each other - post Kyoto arc.

Request 3: Legend of the Galactic Heroes - Fic or Art - Relationships: Siegfried Kircheis/Reinhard von Lohengramm, Reinhard von Lohengramm & Yang Wenli, Reinhard von Lohengramm/Yang Wenli

I’ll admit to not having watched nuLOGH! I’m just here for those deleted scenes that you could imagine playing out as Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wenli clash in terms of ideals and minds, or what might have been with Kricheris and Reinhardt. This could happen any time between when they first meet on the field of battle to the end (or beyond)., and for Kircheis and Reinhardt, I'm happy with something set before Kircheis' canonical death, or an AU where he survives. The politics and ideas of this series are kind of A Lot so there’s no need to encapsulate it all, but I always found the conflict that drove the characters fascinating - and I’m not just talking about spaceships blowing up. Though if it's just something about spaceships blowing up, count me in for that, too. The battles and interactions that happen in this anime are great and anything that reminds me of that is also neat.

Here's a few prompts if you're looking for something to inspire you.

  • After the battle at Amlitzer, Yang fails to withdraw, and is captured by imperial forces. In the following proceedings, he meets Admiral Reinhard.
  • As the Treaty of Barlat is formed, Emperor Reinhard succeeds in offering Yang a position in the Imperial government - as an admiral or in some other role.
  • The assassination attempt against Reinhard goes as it went canonically, but Kircheis isn't killed, just badly injured. The two of them have a chance to talk, and maybe, admit some feelings - perhaps with Kircheis waking up a few days later after things went basically as they did in canon.
  • A quiet moment between Kircheis and Reinhard before Kircheis deploys to fight in the Imperial Civil War. An admission of feelings, or something even more, a last chance for them before a risky separation that Kircheis may not return from.

Poor Yang Wenli, all he wanted was to retire with a pension in a comfortable and free society. And poor Kircheis, who wanted Reinhard to be good, and to conquer the galaxy.

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. I am sure I will like whatever you create. 

Thank you.

firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Thursday, March 16th, 2023 04:31 pm

Dear Sufficiently Advanced Exchange Author/Artist,

Thanks for writing - I’m really excited for this exchange. I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3 and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

In addition to this letter, I also maintain an optional, general post about likes and dislikes if that's useful for you at all: https://firebatvillain.dreamwidth.org/3098.html

Things I like:

Happy stories, bittersweet stories, and stories that end with a spark of hope even if they are angry or sad. I like good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Probably one of my favorite ideas in fiction is the idea of heroism in the face of hopelessness, and love even if things seem sad.

I've often enjoyed canon-compliant off-screen fics that explore things! Some of my favorite stories of all time fit into the category of "AU - Canon Divergence" and I would say I am a common fan of "what if things were different in X way" type AUs. I do not usually enjoy modern or mundane AUs that much, but I've liked a few.

I like fics that have a lot of frantic energy about them, or with a focus on change. I am a fan of fics that are about characters being ruthless in pursuit of an ideal, and giving something up or even becoming worse as a result, because of how much they value their goal.

I am a big reader of fantasy and science fiction. I thought I'd include a bit about my history with them in this letter, though I don't know if it will be useful for you.

In terms of my history of science fiction and fantasy - I grew up on the classics. When I was a teenager, mom got her box of old sci fi novels out of the garage and gave them to me. I read a lot of science fiction published in the 60s, 70s, and 80s from this collection. I gobbled up Foundation, Ringworld, Startide Rising, Hyperion, The Forever War, and many other similar novels, as well as lots of pulp adventure. As an adult, I've started to read more contemporary science fiction, and am partial to tales like Ted Chiang's short stories, The Martian, A Fire Upon the Deep, Accelerando, Ancillary Justice, and many others. Exploring these worlds of speculation and imagination has always been awesome, particularly the way things can sometimes fit together or have a cool revelation.

In terms of fantasy, I'm a bit less well-read. I've read many classics like The Lord of the Rings, but I mostly read long-running series like Redwall, Xanth, and Discworld as a kid. As an adult, I've been branching into some more stand-alone novels, though I quite enjoyed ASOIAF (don't ask me about the show aaaaaaa). I'm not up to date on the newest cool fantasy novels... though I love The Masquerade Series! I think for me a lot of a fantasy novel is about exploring a whole new world, and so I've been always more interested in fantasy set in another world rather than urban fantasy. Though, since I've requested A Study in Emerald, I guess I can be tempted by this kind of thing as well. I think it still has the joy of discovery for me though.

Anyway - on to the important stuff!

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

In fics, my DNWs are mpreg, authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, and extreme underage.

In art, my DNWS are mpreg, needles breaking skin, and extreme underage.

Regarding the monarchism thing: I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Strahd in Curse of Strahd, or Moriarty in A Study in Emerald, etc are excellent characters and enjoy works about them. I just would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

The inclusion of unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here - aside from the DNWs and the tags we mall of this is included to inspire, rather than constrain. I do not mind darkfic. I do not mind any of the archive warnings aside from what's listed in my DNWs.

Requested Fandoms:

Request 1: The Diamond Age - Fic - Relationships: Any

I recently read The Diamond Age, and my brain is still buzzing with the ideas that were introduced in it! I think that as usual, Stephenson did much better with the first half of the novel than he did with the second half, but wow did I love that first half! The conflict with the Celestial Kingdom and the Coastal Republic was interesting, and I also think it's the kind of thing that made a lot more sense to write about and seemed even reasonable in the 90s that would strain credulity now that china has so much more high tech industry and accounts for such a larger share of GDP. I'm still left feeling like we missed out on some fun times that I'd like to see explored Further. I didn't like how things played out with Miranda where she just wanders off screen then right after we learn that if she didn't, she'll have found Nell - and we don't get to see their reunion after things are over! I absolutely love Judge Fang, and am sad we don't really see him in the second half of the novel, and particularly I find him + his subordinates to be very entertaining and have great comedy and personality chemistry on screen. I also would have liked to see more of Elizabeth, Fiona, and Nell growing up together, or what they did after the events of the novel. I'm particularly interested Elizabeth and Fiona, who seemed to have interesting stories of their own going on. If you matched with me on this, I'm sure you have some interesting ideas

If you're looking for some prompts to inspire you, here are some optional prompts:
  • What does Elizabeth get up to as part of the CryptNet phyle? They must be up to some other shenanigans and conspiracies. Perhaps something to do with cracking message encryption?
  • A story from the shared childhood of Elizabeth, Fiona, and Nell - maybe a time they were hanging out together prior to the detentions, and an adventure they had outside the usual bounds of school?
  • A story about Judge Fang, Lieutenant Chang, and Miss Pao's adventures as part of the Celestial Kingdom after they defect. What kind of justice they serve, involvement in the civil wars, and so on.
  • A story about Judge Fang and Dr. X's scheming and helping the orphaned girls who eventually join Nell. Aside from manufacturing the books, they must have provided many other things for them.
  • The tearful and much-needed reunion between Nell and Miranda after the events of the story. What's it like when they finally can talk to each other?

Request 2: A Study in Emerald - Neil Gaiman - Fic or Art - Relationships: Solo: Sherlock Holmes, Solo: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes & Jim Moriarty

I consider A Study in Emerald to have tremendous potential for fanworks (and it is, itself, a fanwork, as a crossover between the Cthulhu Mythos and Sherlock Holmes). I've enjoyed a lot of ASiE fics in the category of "a take on a classic story in this world" but I've also enjoyed when writers have gone their own route or tried to explore the aftermath of run-up to A Study in Emerald itself. The idea of a world haunted and ruled by the Great Old Ones, and the story of the Restorationists, fighting their power with only the tools of humanity in this dark alternate 1880s, is a lot of fun. So much is hinted at or referred to, but so little is revealed, in the original work. I'd love to see more, whether in the form of a fic or fanart of a scene.

If you're looking for some prompts to inspire you, here are some optional prompts:

  • John Watson's history in Afghanistan, and how he came to be in the service of the Restorationist Cause. In art, perhaps a scene of peril befalling him.
  • Holmes and Watson hunt for an eldritch treasure that could be crucial to the Restorationist cause, but are racing against royalist forces. In art, perhaps a scene of them unearthing a treasure or tome together, just ahead of horrible monsters.
  • Sherlock Holmes gets locked in a battle of wits with James Moriarty as the consulting detective begins a concerted effort to hunt Restorationists in Loindon.
  • Any adaptation of a Sherlock Holmes story with an appropriate twist to fit into this world!
  •  

Request 3: The Masquerade Series - Seth Dickinson - Fic - Relationships: Any

I'm leaving this one completely untagged character wise, just write or draw what you want! Here are some of my likes in case you need inspiration.

I love the Masquerade. The novels are dense with ideas and ideology and ways society might be structured. Power, control, betrayal, and thoughts - the idea of incrastic thinking, the qualms. I like the bits about power and how institutions work and I like the world that has been built and revealed to us over the course of the story. I spent these books wanting to see Tain Hu's name written across history and blood, and a thousand pages mourning her. I think I'd be happy with anything you wrote or drew in here, so I've got this tagged for anything. If you selected this as what you want to give, I'm guessing you had something in mind as well, so think of my thoughts here as just preferences and things I like, something that might inspire you or give you direction if you lack it, but otherwise, write something you'll love - I'm sure I'll love it too.

If you're looking for some prompts to inspire you, here are some optional prompts:
  • Apparitor and Baru have a heart-to-heart about Tain Hu, and what they knew of her (this could be quite unfriendly! lol)
  • Baru Cormorant and Shao Lune share a night together that is perhaps equally toxic as what we see in canon - and maybe quite fun for both
  • Xate Yawa hears of Baru's betrayal at Sieroch, and fears for her brother's life. She tries to save him, and her own position. Once she's a Cryptarch, everything can be repaid.
  • A scene from the Fools' Rebellion - Xata Yawa and Xate Olake consider the Traitor's Qualm and make their own moves to survive, and for Aurdwynn to survive.

Request 4: Mother of Learning by Nobody103 - Fic, or Art - Relationships: Kirielle & Nochka, Kirielle & Zorian, Solo: Kirielle

I know MoL is a real niche fandom, so I’m shooting in the dark here. My favorite character who I think needs more love is Kirelle. I really feel for her. There was so much in her life that she had to struggle against, and we only get a glimmer of the person she could be and the determination beneath the surface as she chafed beneath the oppressive expectations of the Kazinski parents. I’d love something about Kirielle making friends or finding a future, an AU where she's the looper brought in by accident somehow, or any little story about Kirielle. I also am interested in how her friendship with Nochka, or her sibling relationship with Zorian would be. Here are some optional prompts to consider if you're looking for inspiration:

  • Some years after the story ends, Kirielle moves to Cyoria to start at Cyoria's Royal Academy of Magical Arts
  • A story from within the loops: Kirielle and Nochka going on an adventure around town!
  • Kirielle and Zorian chat after the finale and Kirielle gets to know her brother better.

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. I am sure I will like whatever you create. 

Thank you.

firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Monday, January 23rd, 2023 03:15 pm

Dear Worldbuilding Exchange Author/Artist,

Thanks for writing - I’m really excited for this exchange. I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3 and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Things I like:

Happy stories, bittersweet stories, and stories that end with a spark of hope even if they are angry or sad. I like good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Probably one of my favorite ideas in fiction is the idea of heroism in the face of hopelessness, and love even if things seem sad.

I'm a fan of explorations of fandom meta, and I've often enjoyed canon-compliant off-screen fics that explore things! Some of my favorite stories of all time fit into the category of "AU - Canon Divergence" and I would say I am a common fan of "what if things were different in X way" type AUs. I do not usually enjoy modern or mundane AUs that much, but I've liked a few.

I like fics that have a lot of frantic energy about them, or with a focus on change. I am a fan of fics that are about characters being ruthless in pursuit of an ideal, and giving something up or even becoming worse as a result, because of how much they value their goal.

In terms of worldbuilding, I've really enjoyed some classics from previous iterations of this exchange. A lot of the time, we see little facets and surfaces of worldbuilding that poke into the plot and imply a larger superstructure that then gets explored in fanon. Sometimes that's things that are implied, like "something must happen to all the people who pass the genin exam but aren't taken on by a jounin-sensei" or things that are more direct, like "if Naruto has failed the test multiple times, many people probably take the test early." It's a lot of fun to write about stuff that the original creator never got around to fleshing out, but must exist, or things that the original creator maybe even didn't think about, but would probably be the case given what we know!

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

My DNWs are mpreg, authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, and extreme underage.

Regarding the monarchism thing: I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Strahd in Curse of Strahd, or Moriarty in A Study in Emerald, etc are excellent characters and enjoy works about them. I just would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

Unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here. I do not mind darkfic.

 

Requested Fandoms:

Request 1: Naruto - Fic, Art, or Meta - Characters: Uchiha Itachi, Orochimaru, Uchiha Fugaku, Shimura Danzou, Konoha Council. Worldbuilding: Root, Medical Science, Kekkai Genkai Transplantation, The Uchiha Massacre

I think one of the more interesting bits of the backstory we're revealed (in various amounts) was the runup to the Uchiha Massacre, and what we see of Danzou and Orochimaru's work with bloodlines. There are various treatments of this in canon and in fanfics (both those that are explicitly AU, and those that try to hew closer to canon). I'd like fic, art, or essay on some intersection of these topics! Here are a few prompts if you're looking for something to inspire you.

  • Fugaku and Itachi discuss the necessity of the coup, or the factors that, in Fugaku's opinion, necessitate it.
  • Orochimaru makes a new discovery into the transplantation of bloodlines, either before or after his defection from Konoha.
  • Danzou presents the case for increasing funding for Root to the Council.
  • Orochimaru installs/transplants Danzou's arm, and events leading up to or precipitating from that.
  •  

Request 2: A Study in Emerald - Neil Gaiman - Fic or Art - Characters: John Watson, Sherlock Holmes. Worldbuilding: The Rookery of St Giles

Request 3: A Study in Emerald - Neil Gaiman - Fic, Art, or Meta - Characters: Any/No Characters. Worldbuilding: The Great War, The British Raj, Royal Politics 

I consider A Study in Emerald to have tremendous potential for fanworks (and it is, itself, a fanwork, as a crossover between the Cthulhu Mythos and Sherlock Holmes). I've enjoyed a lot of ASiE fics in the category of "a take on a classic story in this world" but I've also enjoyed when writers have gone their own route or tried to explore the aftermath of run-up to A Study in Emerald itself. The idea of a world haunted and ruled by the Great Old Ones, and the story of the Restorationists, fighting their power with only the tools of humanity in this dark alternate 1880s, is a lot of fun. So much is hinted at or referred to, but so little is revealed, in the original work. I'd love to see more.

I've requested a fic/art about our heroes and the IRL-famous slum where they escape to right after canon as Request 2, but if you matched on Request 3, here are some prompts that may interest you:

  • Holmes and Watson hunt for an eldritch treasure that could be crucial to the Restorationist cause, but are racing against royalist forces.
  • Holmes and Watson are approached by another Restorationist who has the key to killing a famous noble, but before they can follow up, the Restorationist is captured by the police, raising the stakes. Or perhaps this is a matter of infighting within the royals themselves, and Queen Victoria is making a play against her continental relatives.
  • "The lamps are going out all over Europe, we shall not see them lit again in our life-time." The Star of Albion, Vol 43 No 156 was published 1 year before The Great War broke out in our world, decades after Moran wrote his piece. What does the world look like? And what does the Great War look like?
  • In this world, what does the British Raj look like? I would like to imagine the Restorationist movement is stronger there, or different, and the people fight against their imperialist and otherworldly oppressors.
  •  

Request 4: I Was a Teenage Exocolonist - Fic, Art, or Meta - Characters: Sol. Worldbuilding: The voyage through the wormhole, Future visions.

Request 5: I Was a Teenage Exocolonist - Fic, Art, or Meta - CharactersTang, Dys, SymWorldbuildingHolopalms and computing, The Seasons of Vertumna IV

I recently finished playing this game/VN extensively, and it was a blast! I liked the world it built and the characters we met along the way. Vertumna is a great, hostile, mysterious, and fun setting, and the plot element that allowed for replays was great. We get a lot of revelations through the many runs, but there's a lot more one could build off of. Whether that's related to the wormhole and Sol's connection to the future (and the faceless), the technology they bring with them, or the nature of Vertumna itself, there's a lot of neat stuff to think about. I also particularly liked the mystery and drama regarding Tang and Dys's relationship. Here are some prompts that may interest you:

  • We know that in some timelines, Sol takes action to save the Stratospheric during transit through the wormhole with the help of Congruence. What else might Sol have discovered with the aid of an AI while within the wormhole, and hints from the future?
  • Any exploration of Sol's future visions would also be cool, across timelines or within one, or even their own attempts to record and understand them.
  • Tang makes some advances to computing in the remnants of the Stratospheric in the second half of the game - and it unlocks some new options for the colonists?
  • Dys doesn't understand, fully, the computer-like artifacts he finds at the ridge, but he knows someone who can learn about them, and how they interact with the wormhole, or perhaps the gardeners.
  •  

Request 6: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Fic, Art, or Meta - Characters: Homura, Madoka, Original Magical Girl Character(s). Worldbuilding: Homura's World Post-Rebellion, Magical Girls who are adults, Historical Magical Girls

I'm a PMMM fan! It has been a while since I was in the fandom, but one thing I've always thought about were the worlds beyond what we got to see in the show. There are some implications we get about historical magical girls from quick shots of them (and from Kyuubey's words), and we have some hints about other magical girls, but in the main show it was unexplored. In terms of what I've seen, I've seen the show + Rebellion, but I've read summaries of the other PMMM content out there, as well as the delightful and gripping arguments about whether or not Homura did anything wrong. Here are some prompts to riff on if you're interested:

  • Joan of Arc gets a cameo in Episode 12, and her own spin-off - but what other historical figures might be magical girls? Anne Boleyn? Isabella II of Spain?  Did Margaret Thatcher use girl power when she- 
  • Homura creates a new world at the end of Rebellion, exhibiting the most important moral lesson of PMMM: always win. What happens next? Does Madoka become a magical girl in this new world? What manifestations of the supernatural are in it, and what does Homura do?
  • We don't see a lot of Magical Girls who are adults in PMMM. Part of that is the focus of the show, but maybe it could be the case that magical girls turn into witches before they get to be adults. Maybe some don't and advise the younger generation, though? 
 
Request 7: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game) - Fic, Art, or Meta - Characters: Any/None/OriginalWorldbuilding: In-universe legal systems

I'll admit - I'm basically requesting this because I saw it in the tagset and thought it looked super cool! The idea of the legal system in the D&D setting is very funny to me and I'm imagining all kinds of fun situations that might arise. I'd love anything in this category. A courtroom sketch, a case study, a scene from a dramatic moment in court or in doc review... If you're offering this and matched with me on it, I'm guessing you have some ideas of what you'd like to write, but I thought I'd throw in some prompts anyway... (feel free to change the names of these, as I was just having fun with them).

  • R v Greenhill Pass Kobolds: I like the idea of some kind of organized dungeon denizens asserting rights under human law and bringing suit against the crown for authorizing adventurers to attack them (or some other issue!)
  • The State of New Aesir v 153 and 1/2 dozen 50-yard rolls of cloth: A matter of unjust civil assert forfeiture levied against the legal plunder of adventurers? The righteous gains of a police raid of a smuggling den? Or something else?
  • John "Skeleton" Doe v The Dread Lich Strak'mus the Magnificent - How about an actual civil suit! John Doe in this case is the deceased, unnamed skeleton who has somehow gained (or perhaps always had?) sapience has found: he doesn't get a lunch break and he hasn't been paid in centuries!
 

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Aside from the DNWs, these prompts are all just suggestions that will hopefully inspire you. I am sure I will like whatever you create. 

Thank you.

firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Tuesday, January 17th, 2023 03:29 am

Dear May Day Exchange Creator,

Thanks for writing - I’m really excited for this exchange. I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3 and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Things I like:

Happy stories, bittersweet stories, and stories that end with a spark of hope even if they are angry or sad. I like good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Probably one of my favorite ideas in fiction is the idea of heroism in the face of hopelessness, and love even if things seem sad.

I'm a fan of explorations of fandom meta, and I've often enjoyed canon-compliant off-screen fics that explore things! Some of my favorite stories of all time fit into the category of "AU - Canon Divergence" and I would say I am a common fan of "what if things were different in X way" type AUs. I do not usually enjoy modern or mundane AUs that much, but I've liked a few.

I like fics that have a lot of frantic energy about them, or with a focus on change. I am a fan of fics that are about characters being ruthless in pursuit of an ideal, and giving something up or even becoming worse as a result, because of how much they value their goal.

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

My DNWs are mpreg, authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, and extreme underage.

Regarding the monarchism thing: I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Strahd in Curse of Strahd, or Moriarty in A Study in Emerald, etc are excellent characters and enjoy works about them. I just would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

Unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here. I do not mind darkfic.

Requested Fandoms:

Request 1:A Study in Emerald - Neil Gaiman - Irene Adler & Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson

I consider A Study in Emerald to have tremendous potential for fanworks (and it is, itself, a fanwork, as a crossover between the Cthulhu Mythos and Sherlock Holmes). I've enjoyed a lot of ASiE fics in the category of "a take on a classic story in this world" but I've also enjoyed when writers have gone their own route or tried to explore the aftermath of run-up to A Study in Emerald itself. The idea of a world haunted and ruled by the Great Old Ones, and the story of the Restorationists, fighting their power with only the tools of humanity in this dark alternate 1880s, is a lot of fun

Here's a few prompts if you're looking for something to inspire you.

  • Irene Adler is a fellow Restorationist who crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes after a scandal - or a killing of a noble, and they work together to kill again.
  • Sherlock Holmes investigates a hostile high society woman, Irene Adler, but finds she gets the best of him in a battle of wits.
  • Holmes and Watson hunt for an eldritch treasure that could be crucial to the Restorationist cause, but are racing against royalist forces.
  • Holmes and Watson are approached by another Restorationist who has the key to killing a famous noble, but before they can follow up, the Restorationist is captured by the police, raising the stakes.

 

Request 2: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia - All Might

One of the most gripping things for me in the first 2.5 seasons of this show as All Might - I loved his arc. I found it very compelling to watch/read about a fading hero using the last dregs of his power and the myth of his invincibility to protect the world until the next generation could rise up to protect it on their own. We rarely get to see what's going on inside him, but the way he eventually learns to trust the next generation, and pass the torch to them, is just one aspect of this character I found gripping. I'd love to see anything focused on him.

  • A story set in the aftermath of the first time All Might defeated All For One, when he's in recovery or as he tries to be a hero again now that he's wounded.
  • How things might have gone differently for All Might, and how he might have changed as a person or what he might have done, if he had went with Togata Mirio as his successor.
  • All Might, after the Kamino Arc, finds some time to be just himself and not a hero, pursuing additional hobbies, or finding a way to help more in an administrative role.
  • All Might's experience of teaching at UA during the first couple of seasons, and how being a teacher changes him and what the experience is like for him.
  •  

Request 3: Dungeons & Dragons - Ireena Kolyana, Ismark Kolyanovich, Strahd von Zarovich - various "&" combinations

I recently had the joy of running the entirety of the Curse of Strahd campaign for my group of players, and I found reading and DMing the module to be quite enjoyable. In the end, in our campaign, Strahd was defeated, and Ireena was able to lead a normal life. One thing I particularly found interesting was a period of time when I thought I'd have only two players, and prepared for them to play as Ireena and Ismark. I found the heroism and determination of these two characters to be interesting. And as for Strahd, I found his mixture of toxic possessiveness, but also despair and hopelessness (trapped in a demiplane that reflects his own flaws!) to be a lot of fun to RP as a GM. I'm guessing you have some ideas in mind if you offered this, so I'll toss up a couple of prompts, but please feel free to write what you had in mind.

  • Ismark and Ireena set out west from the Village of Barovia alone - without travelers from behind the Demiplane to help them, to get Ireena away to somewhere further from the castle.
  • Strahd, frustrated after so many reincarnations of his "beloved" somehow being doomed, begins trying more and more insane things to woo Ireena.
  • Ismark and Ireena begin digging into Strahd's history after discovering a diary he once wrote in the walled city of Krezk.
  • Ireena delves into the Amber Temple, in search of a power that would allow her to resist her unwanted suitor.

Request 4: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling - Draco Malfoy & Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy/Ron Weasley

Okay, I know what you're thinking. "Wow, I regret offering 'any' relationship for Harry Potter" - no, hear me out! This is awesome! If you think about it, isn't there way more dynamic chemistry, whether romantic or just rivalryish/friendish, between Draco and Ron, than between basically any two characters in canon? Sure, Draco nominally is rivals with Harry and is bloodist against Hermione, but who else has a rivalry on the tier that their dads get into a fight in a bookstore! There's good stuff here, whether it's as unexpected friends, or enemies who find their passion is more like love! Here are some prompts to get you started...

  • Draco and Ron get into what is nominally a competition to impress a romantic interest, but it turns out they're more into competing with each other than actually winning anyone's affection, and in the process, they realize they have a lot in common!
  • Draco and Ron keep running into each other and social events that they can't avoid, and are repeatedly embarrassed by their fathers, who they have to keep bailing out of embarrassing and bad situations.
  • Draco and Ron end up as part of the same, gasp, group project! They hate this! But for some reason, maybe they need to get along for some reason? Or maybe one of them is sabotaging it, biting his own nose to spite his face.
  • It's the wild west and Draco is an outlaw who just rode into Sheriff Weasley's town. But why is there something so entrancing about this devilishly charming fellow who has two wand holsters and is known to be the quickest draw in the west? Is it the 5,000 galleon bounty on his head, or is it something more?

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Aside from the DNWs, these are all just suggestions that will hopefully inspire you. I am sure I will like whatever you write. 

Thank you.


firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Thursday, January 5th, 2023 02:32 am

Dear Candy Hearts Exchange Creator,

Thanks for writing - I’m really excited for this exchange. I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3 and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Things I like:

Happy stories, bittersweet stories, and stories that end with a spark of hope even if they are angry or sad. I like good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Probably one of my favorite ideas in fiction is the idea of heroism in the face of hopelessness, and love even if things seem sad.

I'm a fan of explorations of fandom meta, and I've often enjoyed canon-compliant off-screen fics that explore things are great! Some of my favorite stories of all time fit into the category of "AU - Canon Divergence" and I would say I am a common fan of "what if things were different in X way" type AUs. I do not usually enjoy modern or mundane AUs that much, but I've liked a few.

I like fics that have a lot of frantic energy about them, or with a focus on change. I am a fan of fics that are about characters being ruthless in pursuit of an ideal, and giving something up or even becoming worse as a result, because of how much they value their goal.

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

My DNWs in writing are mpreg, authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, and extreme underage.

My DNWs in art are mpreg, needles, and underage.

Regarding the monarchism thing: I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Saber or Iskandar in Fate/Zero, Reinhard von Lohengramm from LoGH, etc is excellent. I just would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

Unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here. I do not mind darkfic.

Requested Fandoms:

Chainsaw Man (Anime & Manga) - Denji & Power

I love these two! There's so much... gremlin energy! They are so awful and also are so there for each other in their immature ways. They're a ton of fun and I always enjoy reading about them. I know some people ship it and I don't mind that, but for me the way their personalities bounce off of each other and the way they get into shenanigans (and serious things) together, and the small moments where they're even there for each other is excellent. Oxford's 2022 word of the year was "Goblin Mode" so feel free to let that guide the energy of these two,

Here's a few prompts if you're looking for something to inspire you.

  • Denji and Power find themselves saddled with a serious responsibility - looking after a team member's young child for the day.
  • Denji has a date coming up! He needs advice and a makeover, and to his dismay he is relying on Power for that.
  • Nyako has gone missing, and Power is looking for her! Denji is doing his best to help and they get into all kinds of hijinks as a result. 

 

Request 2: Fate/Zero - Irisviel/Saber

These two really deserved a chance, didn't they? I think of all the various tragedies of Fate/Zero, the fact that the best couple never got together and only really had that one date on the first day in Japan makes me sad. I'd like to see them happy! I'm sure you've got ideas if you've offered this, but if you'd like some inspiration, here are a few prompts. 

  • They get another date! Fuyuki city is a big town and they go to some interesting places, like the not-yet-destroyed bridge or the totally innocent temple. 
  • Somehow, it's after the war, and they're both around. Maybe reconstituted by cursed mud, or maybe things go wrong and Irisviel transforms back into her body and they're just waiting for the next war somehow. With each other!
  • A "pre-canon" type scene (or missing scene before Ep 2 would be a better way to put it) of them having a nice time together on the Einzbern estate before travelling to Japan.

Request 3: The Masquerade Series - Seth Dickinson - Xate Yawa & Xate Olake 

A lot of what happens between these two twins happens off screen, so to speak. An entire adult lifetime under Masquerade rule, plotting and planning, one visible, the other like a ghost, trying to push their plans forward, for themselves and for Aurdwynn. I think you could go for anything here and I'd enjoy it, and if you offered this you probably have some ideas in mind. Here are a few prompts if you'd like:

  • Xate Yawa hears of Baru's betrayal at Sieroch, and fears for her brother's life. She tries to save him, and her own position. Once she's a Cryptarch, everything can be repaid.
  • A scene from the Fools' Rebellion - Xata Yawa and Xate Olake consider the Traitor's Qualm and make their own moves to survive, and for Aurdwynn to survive.
  • Soon after Baru arrives in Aurdwynn for the first time, and Xate Olake has taken her measure, he meets with his sister to discuss their plans.

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Aside from the DNWs, these are all just suggestions that will hopefully inspire you. I am sure I will like whatever you write. 

Thank you.


firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Friday, October 21st, 2022 03:05 am

Dear Yuletide Author,

Thanks for writing - I’m really excited for this Yuletide. I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3 and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Things I like:

Happy stories, bittersweet stories, and stories that end with a spark of hope even if they are angry or sad. I like good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Probably one of my favorite ideas in fiction is the idea of heroism in the face of hopelessness.

I'm a fan of explorations of fandom meta, and I've often enjoyed canon-compliant off-screen fics that explore things are great! Some of my favorite stories of all time fit into the category of "AU - Canon Divergence" and I would say I am a common fan of "what if things were different in X way" type AUs. I do not usually enjoy modern or mundane AUs that much, but I've liked a few.

I like fics that have a lot of frantic energy about them, or with a focus on revolution or social change. I am a fan of fics that are about characters being ruthless in pursuit of an ideal, and giving something up or even becoming worse as a result.

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

My DNWs are mpreg, authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, and extreme underage.

Regarding the monarchism thing: I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Saber or Iskandar in Fate/Zero, Reinhard von Lohengramm from LoGH, etc is excellent. I just would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

Unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here. I do not mind darkfic.

Requested Fandoms:

Request 1: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes (Anime 1988) - Reinhard von Lohengramm, Yang Wenli

I’ll admit to not having watched nuLOGH! I’m just here for those deleted scenes that you could imagine playing out as Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wenli clash in terms of ideals and minds. This could happen any time between when they first meet on the field of battle to the end (or beyond). The politics and ideas of this series are kind of A Lot so there’s no need to encapsulate it all, but I always found the conflict between these two fascinating - and I’m not just talking about spaceships blowing up. Though if it's just something about spaceships blowing up, count me in for that, too. The battles and interactions that happen in this anime are great and anything that reminds me of that is also neat.

Here's a few prompts if you're looking for something to inspire you.

  • After the battle at Amlitzer, Yang fails to withdraw, and is captured by imperial forces. In the following proceedings, he meets Admiral Reinhard.
  • As the Treaty of Barlat is formed, Emperor Reinhard succeeds in offering Yang a position in the Imperial government - as an admiral or in some other role.
  • At the fortress Iserlohn, the last bastion of freedom, Yang Wenli receives a diplomatic party from Emperor Reinhard, in an attempt to defuse things before a battle between the two fleets.


Poor Yang Wenli, all he wanted was to retire with a pension in a comfortable and free society.

 

Request 2: かぐや様は告らせたい | Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai | Kaguya Wants to be Confessed To (Manga)  - Odajima Saburo, J Suzuki of Koenji, The Glutton Girl of Jinbocho, Tanuma Takahiko

These four characters are the Four Ramen Emperors of Tokyo and they represent one of my favorite side plots in Kaguya-Sama. Since the Manga is ahead of the Anime and has more content featuring them, I've nominated this under the Manga tag this year.

I encourage you to write whatever you want as long as it features at least one of the Four Ramen Emperors. You can use a subset of the characters rather than using all four if you prefer. Some prompts:

  • The Four Ramen Emperors gather in one place for the first time in a long time, and have a ramen related competition.
  • San of Shibuya, aka Odajima Saburo, runs into Fujiwara again, and comes to the aid (or perhaps, causing problems for) our heroes on account of feeling he owes Fujiwara a debt of gratitude.
  • The Immortal of Sugamo, aka Tanuma Takahiko, actually turns out to be related to Dr Tanuma Tsubasa, and Tanuma Shozo, and his family places him directly in the line of fire with the main plot.
  • The Glutton Girl of Jinbocho, reminded of her history with San of Shibuya, and feeling that perhaps their beliefs aren't in such conflict any more, meets with him again - will they rekindle their romance?

 

Request 3: Charles Henry Higgensworth III Amazon.com Reviews - Charles Henry Higgensworth III

In the incredibly unlikely event that you matched me on this fandom: you're awesome! Of course, you're awesome either way, but I think the odds of anyone even having heard of this fandom are pretty low. Still, it's yuletide. Rob Reid wrote these reviews over the span of a year and they tell the story of Higgensworth, his failing estate, his relationship with his wife and brother-in-law, etc. It's kind of the opposite of a "frame story" - each episode is actually an excuse to talk about the frame.

You can read them all here, in case you can't find them: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AHNQ2VDUI4RVUIV4M7QOUC3BNCLA/

So, what do I want out of this? Well, the reviews themselves are a bit hit or miss, with some being lame or just being mean about some kind of current event or celebrity, but some give us interesting glimpses into the life of Charles and his family. Anything that expands on that (whether formatted as an amazon.com review or not) would really be interesting to me!

Here are a few prompts if you're looking for some:

Request 4: Robot Series - Isaac Asimov - Susan Calvin, Greg Powell, Mike Donovan

This was one of my favorite novels (or I guess, collections of short stories) when I was a kid. Of course, my favorite character was Susan Calvin, who would often come in and address an impossible issue when Powell and Donovan couldn't work it out on their own. I don't mind Powell and Donovan either, though, they deserve a bit of respect. As for what I'm looking for, I think I'd be happy with anything about these characters, but I would love anything like the classic dilemma/mystery scenarios about robots we saw in I, Robot. Or, maybe these three just deserve a chance to get a drink after work sometime! Not that I think Calvin does a lot of drinking, heh.


Some prompts if you're looking for them:

  • A competitor has released a new brain they claim is even better than a Positronic brain, putting U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men in a tough spot.
  • Powell, Donovan, and Calvin are investigating traffic flow systems under direct positronic brain control, looking at strange efficiency losses and trying to figure out the cause
  • It's the company holiday party, and everything comes to a halt when the positronic brain running the building puts it into a lockdown, leaving Calvin the most capable person on scene to solve whatever happened.

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Avoiding the DNWs is significantly more important than any of this. Please consider this paragraph a blanket permission to ignore the specifics of my prompts, and do what makes something good, what inspires you, if that conflicts with these requests.

Thank you.

firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Tuesday, October 4th, 2022 03:09 am

Dear Solstice Informal Holiday Exchange Creator,

Thanks for writing or drawing! This is my first year participating in this exchange. I’m very excited about it! I hope you’re excited about it as well.

I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3, DW, and Tumblr.

Aside from DNWs, the stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Things I like:

Bittersweet moments, angry or sad endings with a spark of hope in them, and happy moments and endings. Good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. I don't have strong opinions on canon-compliance. I also love fics that are allegories for other things or where there’s some kind of idea or lesson that’s left unsaid.

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

In writing: Character bashing, mpreg.

In art: Character bashing, mpreg.

Some other notes:

Additional characters, ships, and ideas that I don’t mention in prompts are A-OK with me. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like that fits the tags, and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here, I’m just trying to help out.

Requests:

Request 1 – Fic – NarutoJiraiya & Orochimaru & Senju Tsunade (Naruto), Solo: Orochimaru

So I am basically an Orochimaru Liker. What can I say? I have a soft spot for evil scientists. I’d be interested to see anything with him that is an unusual portrayal outside of what he gets in fics where he’s a side character. He can be different, or less evil, or heck, even more evil, as long as he’s interesting and has some interiority about it. I’d also be interested in seeing the Sannin as friends and comrades.

Request 2 – Fic – 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia Solo: Bakugou Katsuki (BNHA)

I’m basically here for Bakugou. He’s so much fun, he’s so over the top, I love him. I also like how prickly he is and how there’s also some action going on underneath. I like to think that Sasuke walked so Bakugou could run. Yeah, I said it! Heh. Anyway, I like Bakugou most when he’s pushed out of his comfort zone and struggling, learning, or being vulnerable.

Request 3Fic or Art - The Lord of the Rings - All Media TypesGimli/Legolas (LOTR)

This is the ultimate bromance that’s actually a romance. I’ve had LOTR on the mind recently, and these two on the mind a lot. There’s no doubt in my mind that Gimli and Legolas truly loved each other, enough for them to sail west together, in defiance of all tradition and maybe even all hope. They’re so great. I really like their love being so transcendent that Gimli can go west with Legolas. (The fic doesn't need to include that). I like the idea of them journeying together after the books and having time together. I also like their adventures during the books themselves. I think they’ve earned some respite and a happy retirement together, and I’d like to see that, but I’d also be happy seeing anything set during the books that could shed light on these two.

Request 4 – Fic or Art – Star Wars - All Media Types Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars AMT)

I like playing with this ship in my mind and changing things around. As I am sure you have heard from many fans of the prequel era, as presented, the romance feels like a bit like getting hit by a pool noodle. I like forbidden love! I also like the idea of it being more forbidden for Anakin than for Padmé, who is older, more politically powerful, and free to date who she pleases. A different dynamic between them, or a chance for them to court somewhere that isn't Naboo, would be interesting to me. Any kind of AU, or how things could have gone differently, or re-imagining of their romance in a more hopeful way, also is up my alley. I want to imagine them growing old together, fighting alongside each other, and being less doomed

Thanks for reading through! Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Avoiding the DNWs is significantly more important than any of this. Please consider this paragraph a blanket permission to ignore my requests other than DNWs and the tags of the exchange format, and do what makes something good, what inspires you, if that conflicts with these requests. I believe that whatever you create for these tags, as long as you enjoyed creating it, I'll treasure it.

:)

firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Thursday, July 7th, 2022 03:46 am

Dear Press Start Exchange Creator,


Thanks for writing or drawing! This is my first year participating in this exchange. I’m very excited about it! I hope you’re excited about it as well. I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3, DW, and Tumblr.


Aside from DNWs, the stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Things I like:

Bittersweet moments, angry or sad endings with a spark of hope in them, and happy moments and endings. Good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. I don't have strong opinions on canon-compliance. I also love fics that are allegories for other things or where there’s some kind of idea or lesson that’s left unsaid. I'm comfortable with and enjoy all levels of explicitness/maturity in fics and art.

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

In writing: Character bashing, mpreg, and extreme underage.

In art: Character bashing, mpreg, and underage.

Some other notes:

Unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here. I do not mind darkfic.

Requests:

Request 1 - Fic or Art -  Aviary Attorney - Jayjay Falcon, Séverin Cocorico


For fic, I liked the interactions between Jayjay and Séverin, both in the initial phase of the game when they’re facing off as defender and prosecutor, and later on when Séverin’s life is on the line. A missing scene or epilogue (for the 4B ending) would be great! 


As for art, I’ve always found the most thrilling scene to be in Act 3, when they’re down in the catacombs, and Séverin is on trial at gunpoint, with Jayjay trying to defend him. Anything with these two would be great, though.


Request 2 - Fic -  聖剣伝説3 | Seiken Densetsu 3 | Trials of Mana - Hawkeye, Eagle


We don’t get a lot of time with Hawkeye and Eagle on screen in Seiken Densetsu 3. Right at the start of the journey, Belladonna kills him! I’d love to see a missing scene with these two, or an alternate story where Eagle lives, or a time Hawkeye reminisces on Eagle later, anything else about their friendship. Each of the characters is motivated by tragedy in some form or another, and the friendship between Hawkeye and Eagle is at the heart of Hawkeye’s.


Request 3 - Fic - Warhammer: Vermintide - Any


I’d love to see anything you’d like to write about the Ubersreik Five and/or their shadowy commander. The games themselves are masterful at revealing bits about the characters through dialogue, and we get the idea of the camaraderie they share and the trials they go through together, but of course most of this is is in the form of hints and winks and nudges. I’ll be happy with whatever you write, though if you’re looking for inspiration: I’ve always found the understanding of sorts that Bardin and Kerillian have to be pretty interesting, even if they’re always being a bit awful to each other.


Request 4 - Fic or Art - Advance Wars - Lash, Sonja


For fic, one thing that always struck me in AW2 is how Lash and Sonja inhabit a kind of similar role and a mindset. They see war as a game, and find strategy to be entertaining. Of course, this addressed a bit in A Mirror Darkly in the AW2 Yellow Comet campaign, but I’d like to see it expanded! How are they the same, and how are they different? What does Sonja or Lash think about this? Maybe a story that adds on to that? I don’t think Lash’s accusations are unfounded, either: Sonja definitely was using her soldiers as playing pieces to test the Orange Star COs in AW1, heh.


For art, anything with these two interacting, whether as enemies, as competitors, or as friends, would be interesting to me. Despite their differences, they’re two similar people and I think they’d have a lot to talk about, one way or another.





Thanks for reading through! Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Avoiding the DNWs is significantly more important than any of this. Please consider this paragraph a blanket permission to ignore my requests other than DNWs, and do what makes something good, what inspires you, if that conflicts with these requests. I believe that whatever you create for these relationships, as long as you liked creating it, I'll treasure it.


Thank you.

firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Friday, April 15th, 2022 06:49 pm

Dear Sakura Exchange Creator,

Thanks for writing or drawing! This is my first year participating in this exchange. I’m very excited about it! I hope you’re excited about it as well. I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3, DW, and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Things I like:

Bittersweet moments, angry or sad endings with a spark of hope in them, and happy moments and endings. Good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. I don't have strong opinions on canon-compliance. I also love fics that are allegories for other things or where there’s some kind of idea or lesson that’s left unsaid. I'm comfortable with and enjoy all levels of explicitness/maturity in fics and art.

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

In writing: Character bashing, mpreg, and extreme underage.
In art: Character bashing, mpreg, and underage.

Some other notes:

Unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here. I do not mind darkfic.

Requests:

Request 1 - Fic - Chainsaw Man (Manga) - Denji & Hayakawa Aki & Power (Chainsaw Man Manga)

I love the friendship and familial relationship that these three share, however much it was orchestrated or set into motion by Makima, I found it heartwarming and special. I wish they could have had more of that. Something about that... in whatever form you can write, I'd appreciate it.

Request 2 - Fic - Fate/Zero - Diarmuid Ua Duibhne | Lancer/Artoria Pendragon | Saber (F/Z), Irisviel von Einzbern/Artoria Pendragon | Saber (F/Z)

Well I'll be the first to say that I think Saber's characterization in F/Z could have been a little better. BUT. I do appreciate the tragic nature of it, and the moments she has with Lancer and with Irisviel, before that was taken away from her. I love both these ships, both for their beauty and their tragedy (which perhaps is a theme for me), and any story about them, canon compliant or not, would be wonderful. Irisviel and Saber had a bit of time to spend together in Japan before the war, time that they were truly happy. And although Saber and Lancer only met on the battlefield, whether as foes or as allies, you could really sense the chemistry between them.

Request 3 - Fic - Naruto - Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino (Naruto), Haruno Sakura/Nara Shikamaru (Naruto), Haruno Sakura & Tsunade (Naruto)

I am not a SasuSaku shipper, lol. I DO think that Ino and Sakura have more chemistry than Sasuke and Sakura, with their rivalry and friendship over the course of the story. Also, Sakura... you can do better than Sasuke... please. I also can appreciate a ShikaSaku ship, as I think these characters are both thoughtful types who can have some good interactions, and their personalities are different enough that there's a lot to explore there. Re: Sakura & Tsunade, I've always been interested in Sakura standing on her own two feet as a character - I am a perennial fan of the BAMF Haruno Sakura tag, so I'd love a story about Sakura's time learning from Tsunade.

Request 4 - Fic - 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… | My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime) - Sophia Ascart/Katarina Claes (My Next Life as a Villainess)

So, this is obviously the best ship. Yes, everyone loves Katarina, and she's the best, but also, who can claim that they crossed worlds and dimensions to follow her? Sophia isn't just Katerina's bestie, she was willing to follow her into the next life. This should have been the endgame! In the absence of something like that, just something about the love that took her into a new world would be great.

Request 5 - Art - Chainsaw Man (Manga) - Denji & Hayakawa Aki & Power (Chainsaw Man Manga)

I would just love to see these 3 happy together again, having fun on the town or getting up to shenanigans in their apartment. They deserve it.

Request 6 - Art - 乙女ゲームの破滅フラグしかない悪役令嬢に転生してしまった… | My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime
) - Sophia Ascart/Katarina Claes (My Next Life as a Villainess)

As I said in my fic prompt for this fandom, I think this is should have been the real endgame ship. Sophia... she could transmigrate across worlds for Katerina. That's the truest love! I want to see that longing and devotion, somehow.



Thanks for reading through! Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Avoiding the DNWs is significantly more important than any of this. Please consider this paragraph a blanket permission to ignore my requests other than DNWs, and do what makes something good, what inspires you, if that conflicts with these requests. I believe that whatever you create for these relationships, as long as you liked creating it, I'll treasure it.

Thank you.


firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Monday, October 18th, 2021 06:02 am

Dear Yuletide Author,

Thanks for writing - I’m really excited for this Yuletide. I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3, FFN, and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Things I like:

Bittersweet endings, angry or sad endings with a spark of hope in them, happy endings. Good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Meta, canon-compliant off-screen fics that explore things are great! So are non-canon-compliant fics that fiddle with the story and its premises. Any AU! I also love fics that are allegories for other things or where there’s some kind of idea or lesson that’s left unsaid. I’m cool with any seaworthy ship. I also like revolution! Death to kings! No gods no masters!

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

Mpreg, authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, and extreme underage.

I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Saber or Iskandar in Fate/Zero, Reinhard von Lohengramm from LoGH, etc is excellent. I just… would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

Unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here. I do not mind darkfic.

Requested Fandoms:

Mother of Learning - Kirielle

I know MoL is a real niche fandom, so I’m shooting in the dark here. If you happened to match with me on this fandom, I’m game for anything, though my favorite character who I think needs more love is Kirelle. I really feel for her. There was so much in her life that she had to struggle against, and we only get a glimmer of the person she could be and the determination beneath the surface as she chafed beneath the oppressive expectations of the Kazinski parents. I’d love something about Kirielle making friends or finding a future, an AU where she's the looper brought in by accient somehow, or any little story about Kirielle.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes - Reinhard von Lohengramm, Yang Wenli

I’ll admit to not having watched nuLOGH! I’m just here for those deleted scenes that you could imagine playing out as Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wenli clash in terms of ideals and minds. This could happen any time between when they first meet on the field of battle to the end (or beyond). The politics and ideas of this series are kind of A Lot so there’s no need to encapsulate it all, but I always found the conflict between these two fascinating - and I’m not just talking about spaceships blowing up.

Fate/Zero - Waver, Iskandar

I really like the emotional core of the relationship Waver and Rider develop over the course of the story. Fate/Zero is about tragedy that, once set in motion, seems inevitable, and you can't look away, knowing how bad it will go for everyone. Waver, at least, gets away clean, and even grows as a result of the events of the 4th HGW. If anyone can be said to have won it, it would be him. I want to see more of him and Rider interacting, or doing something together, in whatever context - during the war, during the run-up to it, or maybe even somehow beyond it, whether an AU or a missing scene or anything that might work. They deserve more time together.

The Masquerade Series - Any

I'm leaving this one completely untagged character wise, just write what you want! Here are some of my likes in case you need inspiration.

I love the Masquerade. The novels are dense with ideas and ideology and ways society might be structured. Power, control, betrayal, and thoughts - the idea of incrastic thinking, the qualms. I like the bits about power and how institutions work and I like the world that has been built and revealed to us over the course of the story. I spent two books wanting to see Tain Hu's name written across history and blood, and a thousand pages mourning her. If you want somewhere to start, show me anything about Baru, and how she loved Tain Hu, or even just Apparitor mourning and hating. I think I'd be happy with anything you wrote in here, so I've got this tagged for anything. If you selected this as what you want to give, I'm guessing you had something in mind as well, so think of my thoughts here as just preferences and things I like, something that might inspire you or give you direction if you lack it, but otherwise, write something you'll love - I'm sure I'll love it too.

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Avoiding the DNWs is significantly more important than any of this. Please consider this paragraph a blanket permission to ignore the specifics of my other requests, and do what makes something good, what inspires you, if that conflicts with these requests.

Thank you.

firebatvillain: Drawing of a hand in darkness, holding a ball of fire. (Default)
Friday, July 9th, 2021 04:45 am

Dear Exchange no Jutsu Author/Artist,

Thanks for writing or drawing! This is my first year participating in this exchange. I’m very excited about it! I hope you’re excited about it as well. I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3, DW, and Tumblr.

The stuff I’m including in this letter is optional, but I hope you consider them as you work. Whatever you make, I’ll appreciate it regardless, and I look forward to whatever comes. Prompts are just suggestions.

Fandoms

I’m comfortable with elements from any part of Naruto canon, including Boruto, though my interests lie in Naruto-era characters. I’ve read DoS but am not requesting anything from that since it has been a while since I last read it.

Things I like:

Bittersweet endings, angry or sad endings with a spark of hope in them, happy endings. Good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Meta, canon-compliant off-screen fics that explore things are great! So are non-canon-compliant fics that fiddle with the story and its premises. Any AU! I also love fics that are allegories for other things or where there’s some kind of idea or lesson that’s left unsaid. I’m cool with any seaworthy ship. I also like revolution! Death to kings! No gods no masters! Orochimaru did nothing wro-

Things I don’t like / DNWs:

In writing: Character bashing, mpreg, monarchist apologia, and extreme underage.
In art: Character bashing, mpreg, monarchist apologia, and underage.

Re: the monarchism thing, which I know is a weird preference for a Naruto fic where you have the Hokage, I’m 100% okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, who will be the Hokage one day, believe it! - all good by me. Mostly I prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Some other notes:

Unrequested characters, ships, and ideas are A-OK with me, as is explicit content. Please feel free to use whatever prompts you like and don’t feel constrained by my suggestions here. I do not mind darkfic.

Request 1 – Fic – Solo: Orochimaru

So, I’ll admit to being something of an Orochimaru fan. I love Orochimaru as a villain, or as an antihero, or as just a terrifying force to be afraid of. Give me an Orochimaru straining for immortality against the bonds of the village, or an Orochimaru triumphant within or outside of Konoha. He can be scary or hurt or misunderstood, as long as he’s snake-ey and ominous enough. It could be a character study, or just something showing off something from his past, present, or AU future. It could be up close and we could know what he’s thinking, or far away with him as an enigma. Of all the characters in the story, he’s one of the ones with the most agency, and it feels like of all the villains he’s the one who really gets away clean – or as clean as you can get. I like him when he’s tempting people or surprising people, or manipulating shinobi with his wiles. What a great character! If we matched on this, I’m sure I’ll like whatever you write.

A prompt: For some reason, any reason, Orochimaru is still in the village at the start of canon. Maybe his research was deemed too valuable for him to be a traitor, or maybe he managed to shift the blame onto Danzo, or something similar. How do things pan out for him after this? As a powerful Konoha ninja, he might be given opportunities to teach genin, or be in the right place at the right time during the night of the Kyuubi attack, or the Uchiha massacre. The Sand invasion would pan out differently, or not at all. Would he make a play to become Hokage after Minato’s death?

Request 2 – Fic – Solo: Sakura

I have always felt that Sakura was a bit under-served in canon. I am a regular browser of works in the BAMF Sakura tag, the best tag on all of Ao3. I want a fic where Sakura is an actual badass fleshed out character who kicks ass and competes with and outperforms the other members of Team Seven. Whether it’s because she’s some kind of amazing secret heir to a bloodline, or she’s so good at chakra control she can come up with new jutsu, or she’s just smarter and wants it more, I want her to be awesome. Sakura may not have the Sharingan or a tailed beast sealed into her (or does she??? in this AU???) but she’ll find a way. This could be dark and obsessive, or triumphant and proud. I just want to see her be strong.

A prompt: Sakura has an opportunity to turn to another mentor during the training period leading up to the Chunin Exam finals and makes the most of it. Maybe this could be another canon character we know of, or it could be Kabuto trying to get closer to Team 7 prior to the invasion, or she somehow acquires summons and they train her, or Inner Sakura does it – but somehow, she has an amazing month. Maybe after he experience in the Forest of Death she wants to really match up to Sasuke and Naruto, and even surpass them. And when the exam finals comes, she’s awesome.

A prompt: Sakura slips into obsession and pursuit of power after Sasuke defects. She wasn’t able to make him stop, and Naruto and Sasuke are both gone. She sets out on her own to try to bring him back, either with or without permission. Maybe she sees it as her failing he left, or she just believes her love should be able to conquered anything. Sometime following his defection, she leaves the village, becomes stronger in the process, whether she succeeds or fails in finding him or bringing him back.

Request 3 – Fic – Jiraiya & Orochimaru & Tsunade

I really would love to see other takes on the dynamics between the Sannin, who have decades of camaraderie, enmity, and angst between them prior to the start of canon. Whether they’re fighting Hanzo or doing other acts of heroism, these three were all teammates and war heroes. What was it like for them when they were genin and when they went on C-ranks? Or when they were trying to make chunin rank, or when war broke out over them in their teenage years? For things to fall apart as badly as they did by the time of canon, they must have once been friends, had each other’s backs, and has the small beginnings, maybe, of the tensions that would one day lead to the disaster that led to them all leaving Konoha, in one form or another.

A prompt: with the village at war, cracks begin to show. In the 3rd Shinobi World War, the Sannin are at the height of their power, stronger and more experienced than the last one, some having even trained genin teams of their own. What are they up to? It won’t be long now until Minato is made 4th Hokage, and Orochimaru eventually defects. Jiraiya has students of his own, and they may not be a team any more, with Tsunade having started her medical division. But in war, perhaps they come together again, and we can see that they’re not the same people they were 20 years ago during the last war.

Request 4 – Art – Solo: Sakura

Like in my Sakura fic request, this one is focused on how I feel Sakura could have been more badass and better treated in terms of power level in canon. I’d like a piece of Sakura-focused artwork that displays her courage, tenacity, or abilities in some way. She doesn’t need to be spewing a huge fireball or anything like that, but Sakura-as-a-warrior, Sakura as someone who can fight, Sakura as a capable combatant in her own right on par with Sasuke or Naruto – I’d love to see that.

Request 5 – Art – Jiraiya & Orochimaru & Tsunade

I’d love to see this old Team 7 back when they were still working together. Just hanging out on a training ground, or goofing around, is ideal. Bonus points for any snakes hanging out with them. Extra bonus points if Orochimaru isn’t in a bad mood!

 

 

Thanks for reading through! Hopefully this gives you some ideas. Avoiding the DNWs is significantly more important than any of this. Please consider this paragraph a blanket permission to ignore my requests, and do what makes something good, what inspires you, if that conflicts with these requests.

Thank you.