Chocolate Box Exchange 2018 Letter
Jan. 6th, 2018 06:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kiralyThe air smells of cocoa and sugar, with hints of other scents - orange, vanilla, mint - occasionally rising to the surface. But there’s no sign of any of that, just a girl with a long braid sitting at a table, making a stack of paper hearts. She looks up, startled.
“Oh, hello! You must be the chocolatier. I have some suggestions for you,” she indicates the hearts, which have words like “fluff” and “kissing” scrawled on them, “But of course, you’re free to do what you like. I can’t wait to try your new confection!”
In other words, hello there, chocolatier! I’m Kiraly, and I’m so thrilled to have you write for me! I’m sure I’ll love whatever you come up with, so this letter is merely a list of suggestions to give you ideas. I hope you’ll find something to inspire you, but as long as you keep my DNWs in mind, feel free to do as you like! If you need more ideas, you can check out my previous letters. You can also find me on Tumblr as worldsentwined, or check out my AO3:![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Kiraly
General Likes:
Cute, fluffy stuff. It probably isn’t possible to write something too sweet, so feel free to pour the sugar on! I don’t mind a bit of angst, but it has to have a happy ending. For gen fics, I love to see characters building friendships, working together, going on adventures, getting into (and out of) trouble. Anything with characters out in nature is pretty great too. For shippy fics, I have a huge weakness for cuddling, (mild) hurt/comfort, and, uh...characters getting soaked and having to snuggle to warm up, haha. (Bonus points if there’s snow or ice involved, since it’s winter in my part of the world). Kisses are good (awkward or sweet or steamy). I’m also totally down for things like “characters have to share a bed for some reason” or other situations where the characters kind of get thrown together and then develop feelings for each other.
I’m not a big Valentine’s Day person, but I do enjoy the idea of over-the-top ridiculous punny cards, or one character going overboard with gifts to try to impress the other. So if you want to write or draw something related to that holiday, keep it silly and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.
I’ve requested art or fic for every fandom, so do whichever you prefer! For art, I really enjoy a wide variety of styles, from sketches to watercolors to digital pieces. I love bright, saturated colors if you decide to work in color, but I also love greyscale and black and white. Since it’s winter here, I’d love to see characters bundled up in warm clothes, or cuddling by a fireplace with a hot beverage, or having fun in the snow together. I think most of my fic prompts will work for art too, but if you don’t see anything you like, feel free to do your own thing. :)
Dislikes (Do Not Want):
Character death or maiming, including (for No End and SSSS) characters getting infected who do not do so in canon. (More on that in the fandom-specific sections). Violence beyond what is canon-typical. Abusive relationships. Sexual violence of any kind. Explicit sex (allusions to sex or situations that get kind of steamy are okay, just...keep it teen rated or lower, please). It’s also probably best to avoid AUs (unless otherwise specified) or unrequested crossovers.
Please do not include romantic pairings other than the ones I’ve requested, with the exception of background canon relationships.
Now, on to the fandoms!
City of Hunger
Requested Pairings: Tuuri Hotakainen/Sigrun Eide
This is a bit of a last-minute request, because although the whole COH world is super intriguing, we don’t know an awful lot about this canon yet. BUT since we just got twitter confirmation that a) this canon contains CYBORGS and b) ONNI AND LALLI ARE CYBORGS, I knew I had to request it.
It is my dearest wish to see Cyborg!Tuuri (and I’m getting increasingly worried that we haven’t even heard a whisper about her role in COH) so I’d love to see a story or a piece of art where she’s a cyborg. You could use the drawings of Onni and Lalli for reference, or go more extreme in the ways she’s been modified - bionic eye? Cyborg arm with cool attachments that she can retract? Cyborg Tuuri who’s somehow fused to the COH version of the CatTank? Go wild, I’d love to see what you come up with.
Since this is a Sigrun/Tuuri request, I’d love to see your ideas about how the two of them meet. Maybe Sigrun is some kind of mercenary, or an explorer who’s looking for people to accompany her on a mission? Maybe Tuuri is a cyborg technician (in both senses of the word - she is a cyborg and she works on cyborgs - and Sigrun comes into her shop for some reason. Basically if there are cyborgs involved somehow and we get to see these two interacting, I’ll be a happy camper. ^_^
In Other Lands
Requested Pairings: Elliot Schafer/Luke Sunborn, Golden-Hair-Scented-Like-Summer/Serene-Heart-In-The-Chaos-Of-Battle
In general, I’d love a story about either of these pairs (or all four of them!) after the events of the book. Where do they end up? What new challenges do they run into (and how do they make everything worse before it gets better?) Are there mermaids? And although I love the shippy stuff, if you want to focus more on the friendship between the group of them, that’s fine too.
Elliot/Luke: I love this pair so much! Elliot is a little sass-bucket and Luke is a ball of feelings wrapped in muscles and feathers. Their romance (or what counts as a romance, when one party is totally oblivious for most of it) is one of my favorite parts of the book. I think it’d be cool to see something from Luke’s perspective, especially during the events of the book. When did he first realize he loved Elliot? What was he thinking during Elliot’s various mad schemes (especially the whole thing with the school play)? On the other hand, it’d also be fun to see how the two of them grow into their relationship post-canon. I imagine there might be various bumps in the road as they figure out how to be boyfriends, so I’d love to see that explored. Alternatively, if you want to create something that’s entirely fluffy cuddling, I won’t say no to that either. ;)
Golden/Serene: So elven gender roles (and the hilarious contrast between them and human ones) are one of my favorite parts about this canon. Which makes me love Golden and Serene’s relationship even more, because we get to see Serene learn that maybe Golden isn’t such a delicate flower after all. So I’d love to see more interactions like that - Golden learning more about Serene’s life as a warrior, and constantly surprising her with the things he’s capable of (while still enjoying things like nice clothes and fancy hair).
No End
Requested Pairings: Jenna Reed & Tristan Khouri | Cotton, Jenna Reid & Jonah Reid | Wight, Jeremy Edison/Tristan Khouri | Cotton, Jonah Reid | Wight/Modra Blauschild
This romance comic set in a post-apocalyptic zombie world has eaten my heart! (Not...literally. Though there is some cannibalism). There is also, for some reason, NO fanfiction for it, at least not the last time I checked. So if you write something, I will automatically love it because it will exist! And of course I welcome fanart too, I can never see enough of my favorite characters.
Just a note regarding my death/infection DNW: I’m fine with the presence of existing Undead - Wight’s whole backstory and present condition is fine. I just don’t want to read about anyone else getting infected, please.
Jenn & Cotton: Jenn and Cotton are kind of my BroTP for this fandom, so seeing them interact and work together would be awesome! (Or like, Jenn chewing Cotton out about his TERRIBLE romantic decisions, either in the current setting or in the past after his fling with Wight). I also find their group dynamic from the beginning of the comic intriguing - since we get the impression that Wight just sort of follows along, Jenn and Cotton would really have had to work together to keep their little crew safe and hidden. So it’d be neat to see a fic that explores that, or that contrasts how the team functioned before meeting Benny and Modra with how it functions now.
Jenn & Wight: I’m honestly kind of floored by how close these two are - Jenn’s devotion to Wight in particular makes me all kinds of impressed. (Like, she was willing to die with him, instead of shooting him like she was supposed to. Holy crap.) I get the sense they were close in a different way before Wight’s infection, so a story set back when they were in the military (or even earlier, when they were kids) would be cool.
Jerry/Cotton: Oh my gosh, I ship these two SO MUCH it’s ridiculous. As much as I understand why things went the way they did in canon (*sigh* Benny why is your crush ruining everything) I love the thought of these two getting together eventually. I’d also be perfectly happy with a canon-divergent AU where something *did* happen that night they shared a bed, because the expression on Jerry’s face whenever he looked at Cotton during that scene was just precious. Feel free to explore the angsty side of that (Cotton’s guilt when he realizes he’s betrayed Benny’s trust, for instance) but just keep in mind that I prefer happy endings. (Also, I said no NSFW, but you can heavily imply that sex is happening if you don’t go into detail).
Wight/Modra: Aaaaah these two are too adorable! I love all their canon interactions, so I’d be perfectly happy with a fluffy story or drawing that includes more of the same. (The forehead kisses get me EVERY TIME.) So yes, please, any shippy thing you want to create with the two of them would be great! In addition to the kinds of interactions we see in canon, I’d love to see Modra combing/playing with Wight’s hair, or vice versa. I also think it’d be neat to get inside Wight’s head a little and see what he’s thinking about the relationship. Obviously he’s much different than he was the last time he dated, so a story about his thoughts on Modra - and maybe his inability to woo Modra in the ways he would have done with past lovers - would be neat. (Just a note that I’m kinda grossed out by his mouth situation, but also find it very sweet when Modra makes gestures that shows he doesn’t care about that. So...use that wisely, I guess? And I absolutely don’t want any attempt at activities that they couldn’t do in canon, like a mouth-to-mouth kiss).
A Redtail’s Dream
Requested Pairings: Jonna Kuikka & Joona Kuikka & Hannu Viitanen, Jonna Kuikka & Joona Kuikka & Jouko Kuikka, Jonna Kuikka/Riikka Skärsholm, Oona Kuikka & Puppy-Fox, Hannu Viitanen & Ville, Hannu Viitanen/Ville, Joona Kuikka/Hannu Viitanen, Pikku Jänis | Little Hare & Tuomi Kinnunen
I love the possibilities with this canon - we get glimpses of what life is like in Hokanniemi, but so much is left up to the imagination. I think it’d be especially interesting to see how Hannu and Ville adjust to normal life after their adventure, or the possibility of an SSSS crossover, where the characters from this story are faced with the Rash Apocalypse.
Hannu & or / Ville: I’m equally fine with these two as a romantic pair or platonic, so do what works for you. (Though no shippiness with Dog!Ville, please). In general, I love the thought of the two of them going through various “human training” ordeals. How does Ville learn to read? To wash dishes? Does he ever get over his fear of the vacuum cleaner? And then there are all the social aspects of being human, like personal boundaries (I bet Ville doesn’t have them) or holidays, or dancing, or...you get the idea. I also imagine it would take some time to get used to having different senses as a human, so feel free to explore that as well.
For the more supernatural side of things, it’d be cool to read a story in which Hannu and Ville continue to get pulled into the animal spirits’ drama, or start to notice other spirit-related things. I like to think that after their experience with the dream quest, they might be more sensitive to such things in the future.
Jonna/Riikka: I’d love a story about these two being cute together, going on dates or just enjoying each other’s company. Maybe how their families react to the news that they’re dating (I like any range between shocked surprise and “lol of course we’ve known all along”). Maybe how they got together in the first place - who asked who out? Was there pining? How do they make their relationship work when they both have other life/family obligations that keep them busy? Because Jonna is a bit of a goofball and Riikka is more serious, I’d love to see them embracing each other’s character quirks.
Oona & Puppy-Fox: Okay, I really just want to see something where these two meet and it turns out Puppy-Fox has met his match in an adorable (but slightly evil) little girl. It’d be especially great if Puppy-Fox attempted to play tricks on her and they all backfired on him.
Jonna & Joona & Juoko: (And feel free to include Oona, too!) The Kuikka family as a group just kind of fascinate me - I’m SO curious about how Jouko is a single dad raising his kids on his own but one of those kids is 18 years younger than the other two. I would love to see some exploration of that, whether you take the “Oona is a magical baby found in the woods” approach or the “Mama Kuikka left when Jonna and Joona were kids, came back when they were teens for a brief stint, had Oona and left again” theory or something else I haven’t thought of.
On the subject of Jouko, I feel like that man deserves a medal and also a vacation. So something where he gets a break (maybe the kids get off their lazy butts to do something nice for him?) would be excellent.
Jonna & Joona & Hannu: I am all about stories with these three (and any of their other friends) getting up to mischief as kids, or slightly different kinds of trouble as they get older. Bonus points if the joke is on Hannu, because I feel like the twins would be pretty merciless about teasing him.
Joona/Hannu: I like the idea of these two slowly moving from simple friendship to something more complicated, especially because Hannu is so bad at feelings. So a story about them getting together for the first time, or coming together in secret because Hannu doesn’t want to be public about their relationship, or even Hannu finally giving in and admitting that what’s going on between them is important to him - any or all of these would be lovely. (I feel like this ship works more easily pre-canon, when Hannu doesn’t have Ville as a human roommate, but if you want to have them sneaking around Ville and Hannu being angsty about Ville’s secret, I won’t stop you.)
Tuomi & Little Hare: There have been some pretty good fics about these two recently, and I love the idea of them meeting again post-canon. I subscribe to the headcanon that in an SSSS crossover the characters who had animal spirit companions in the dream world end up becoming mages, so a crossover story with Mage!Tuomi figuring out how to use his kantele for magic with Little Hare’s help would be neat. Or something where they meet over and over in dreams, or where Tuomi feels a connection to this hare he keeps meeting in the woods, or somehow Little Hare becomes human - there are lots of possibilities, so have fun!
Stand Still Stay Silent
Requested Pairings: Agneta/Sigrun Eide, Asbjørn Eide/Solveig Eide, Ensi Hotakainen & Tuuri Hotakainen, Ensi Hotakainen/Ukko-Pekka, Onni Hotakainen/Bjarni Árnason, Ragnar Árnason/Hildur Bjarnadóttir, Reynir Árnason/Onni Hotakainen, Tuuri Hotakainen/Sigrun Eide, Aksel Eide & Berit Eide, Aksel Eide/Sigrun Larsen, Ensi Hotakainen/Author of the Info Pages, Lalli Hotakainen & Onni Hotakainen & Tuuri Hotakainen, Lalli Hotakainen/Emil Västerström, Michael Madsen/Signe Sørensen, Reynir Árnason/Tuuri Hotakainen
A note about my “do not want” for death/infection with the Rash: In general, I don’t want to read a story about any requested characters getting infected with the Rash, though Prologue characters worrying that they’ve been infected (when it turns out they haven’t been) is fine. And I just...don’t want to read fic about Tuuri’s death. If you’re writing Y90 characters, I’d prefer you take one of the following approaches regarding Tuuri:
*Canon-divergent AU where she doesn’t get infected and does not die, or
*Something in the canon setting, but taking place before she is infected, or
*A fix-it fic that involves her coming back to life somehow.
Anyway, on to the pairings!
Agneta/Sigrun: Yeah, I’m officially on the Signeta train (pun absolutely intended). This is the best kind of rarepair - two ladies who have never met in canon, but whose hypothetical meeting would be totally awesome. I can see them meeting somehow in the course of their respective jobs (possibly Sigrun has to take the train somewhere) and hitting it off - or not hitting it off right away, but growing on each other. I also like the thought of the two of them going back to one of their homes and having to deal with cultural differences. Straight-laced, rule-following train lady being dropped in the midst of Norwegian Viking culture - it would be pretty great.
Aksel & Berit: I love how devoted Aksel is to his grandmother, and how determined he is to take care of her even though she’s perfectly capable of fending for herself. I get the impression she might be the only family he has, so I’d love a pre-canon story about Berit raising him. Or, after the Rash outbreak, seeing Berit teaching Aksel survival skills, and Aksel doing his best to protect her in this strange new dangerous world.
Aksel/Sigrun: I have a great weakness for these two, simply because Aksel is so earnest and Sigrun is, canonically, “kind of an ass”. I love stories where Aksel starts to toughen up, but never loses his compassion or kindness, and where Sigrun softens towards him while still being tough as nails when it comes to taking on the world. It’d be neat to see speculation about their relationship pre-canon, and also what happened post-canon to get them together.
Asbjørn/Solveig: I know we’ve barely seen these two interact in canon, but there’s so much potential for cool stories about them! They’re both generals, they clearly care about each other and Sigrun, and they have a lot of responsibility and status in their community. It would be neat to see stories of how they rose in the ranks to become generals, how their relationship has developed over time (were they always close? Were they ever rivals, or at odds with each other?) And once they became parents and had to chase an active child all over Dalsnes, how did that affect their marriage? I love the idea of them as a battle couple, or having a quiet moment when the fighting is done.
Emil/Lalli: I love the idea of Emil and Lalli figuring each other out despite all the obstacles in their way - language barriers, different backgrounds, magic/no magic. Neither of them seem like people who have had a lot of friends before, so finding friendship in each other - and then more than friendship - makes me happy. Cuddles, cookies, annoying the rest of the crew with public displays of affection (or trying to hide their relationship and failing). And again, any ideas about how they’d make things work post-canon (does Lalli move to Sweden? Does Emil actually manage to learn some Finnish so he can move to Keuruu? Do they both move somewhere else to be together?) would be lovely. I’m kind of a sucker for post-canon established relationship fics with these two, so feel free to run with something like that too. Also, with the current state of canon (EMIL/LALLI BODYSHARING AAAHHH) I'm even more intrigued to see these two interact, so anything involving that will be welcome.
Ensi/Author of the Info Pages: If you’ve read any of my Dreamworld Ladies fics, you’ll probably remember that my take on the Author of the Info Pages is an Icelandic mage named Rúna Snorradóttir who basically shows up at various points in Ensi’s life and annoys/falls in love with her. Ensi is...not always pleased by her presence, but she usually lets her stick around for a while. (I kind of headcanon Ensi as aromantic, so the falling in love is not mutual). So some story about the two of them would be great - future meetings in the dream world, Rúna’s reaction to finding out about Ensi’s one-night-stand with Ukko-Pekka, or the two of them meeting much later in life - any or all of these would be great.
Ensi/Ukko-Pekka: As I said above, I headcanon Ensi as more or less aromantic, so her approach to relationships would reflect that. Anyway, enter Ukko-Pekka, aka “Grandma’s one-night stand” aka “that guy who was Definitely Not A God Of Any Kind Where Did You Get That Idea” aka future Grandpa Hotakainen. I love the idea that Ukko-Pekka is actually the god Ukko, and as a result Ensi’s fling with him results in some Magical Shenanigans. But if you wanted to go a different route, it’d be neat to see his take on this lady who blows into his life like a hurricane, gets in his pants, and then goes on her way.
I also wouldn’t mind some kind of crackfic involving Ensi/Rúna/Ukko-Pekka somehow, if you want to give it a try.
Ensi & Tuuri: While I’m curious to know more about Ensi’s relationship with all of her grandchildren, I’m especially interested in her connection with her non-mage, non-immune granddaughter. I can see them having a hard time relating to each other, but Tuuri constantly trying to reach out. So maybe a story showing that, with a time when Ensi reached out too? Or the two of them discovering they have something in common after all, despite all their differences. I also imagine Ensi has some stories she could tell, if she wanted to, so maybe we could see Tuuri coaxing a story out of her.
Lalli & Onni & Tuuri: I have SO MANY Hotakainen family feels, it’s ridiculous. These three have a complicated relationship, and while we’re slowly getting pieces of their backstory, I’d love to see more. You could honestly pick an age, and I’d be happy to see a story or art about these three. Before the incident that sent them to Keuruu, during that flight, settling in to Keuruu while also dealing with the trauma of whatever happened, or later in life as they’re all settling into careers. The tension between Onni and Tuuri and their opposite opinions about leaving Keuruu. Lalli’s relationship to the other two, when he’s on a different schedule and only sort of lives in their world. The three of them supporting each other, in their own ways, as they deal with grief. (And if you want to go with something more in the time period of canon, a story about Onni and Lalli using their combined magery to free Tuuri from Tuonela would be great).
Michael/Signe: Oh my gosh, I love the chemistry these two have in their portion of the prologue. Signe’s sarcasm, Michael’s bad attitude, and the way they soften towards each other when Michael gets fired and Signe tries to cheer him up. I love the thought of them ending up on Michael’s family farm, growing closer as the world falls apart around them, and having to deal with family issues at the same time. Bonus points for anything involving Signe wearing one of Michael’s giant sweaters, because I’m weak for that. Also, they named their kid after a cat and I can’t get over that, so a story about the naming of Magnus (the human) would be cool too.
Onni/Bjarni: Okay, so these two haven’t met in canon and are unlikely to, but at some point my little shipper brain smashed them together and decided they’d be cute. I feel like they could bond over both having a non-immune sibling out in the dangerous Silent World (assuming an AU where Bjarni ends up in Mora, or where somehow they strike up a friendship over the radio?) I also feel like Bjarni’s “and that’s when I knew what death looks like” shows he’s had his share of dark times, so the two of them might comfort each other through nightmares or other issues caused by their past trauma.
And if you’re taking the art route, I would be absolutely delighted by any art of these two (especially kissing! Ahhh!) Because there’s so little fanart of Bjarni out there.
Ragnar/Hildur: Okay, we know nothing about these two except that they’re Reynir’s grandparents, but COME ON. Ragnar looks like he belongs on the cover of a Viking romance novel, and I am 1000% convinced that Hildur thinks so too and would be the one to write this. So that’s my idea: Hildur writing ridiculous pulp romance with a romantic lead who suspiciously resembles her husband. (There is a bit of fic about this already, but the fluff monster craves MORE! And if you choose to do art, the cover of one of Hildur’s books would delight me.)
Reynir/Onni: This ship has been growing on me lately. I really enjoy their various dreamworld encounters, and Onni’s constant grumpiness failing in the face of Reynir’s determined enthusiasm. It’d be fun to see more stories or art with them exploring the dreamworld, and also maybe coming together in real life once the expedition ends.
Reynir/Tuuri: I love these two a lot, but I have a really hard time thinking of prompts for them with the current canon events. So if you can think of a way to write them that’s sweet and fluffy and unlikely to make me sad, go for it! Or maybe a story where Reynir goes into Tuonela to fetch Tuuri, a la Orpheus, and manages to bring her out (successfully) could be neat.
Sigrun/Tuuri: I really enjoy shippy stuff with the two of them, but if you want to go gen that’s okay too. I love how they have a shared enthusiasm for adventure despite having completely different backgrounds. And I can definitely see Tuuri having a crush on Sigrun during the mission (“You’re so tall!”) and Sigrun growing steadily more impressed with Tuuri’s competence as time goes on. Post-canon, if you choose to go with a version of events where things work out okay for Tuuri, I’d love to see the two of them figuring out how a relationship will work given their different backgrounds.
And I think that’s it! Anonymous comments are enabled, and anon asks on my Tumblr, so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
“Oh, hello! You must be the chocolatier. I have some suggestions for you,” she indicates the hearts, which have words like “fluff” and “kissing” scrawled on them, “But of course, you’re free to do what you like. I can’t wait to try your new confection!”
In other words, hello there, chocolatier! I’m Kiraly, and I’m so thrilled to have you write for me! I’m sure I’ll love whatever you come up with, so this letter is merely a list of suggestions to give you ideas. I hope you’ll find something to inspire you, but as long as you keep my DNWs in mind, feel free to do as you like! If you need more ideas, you can check out my previous letters. You can also find me on Tumblr as worldsentwined, or check out my AO3:
General Likes:
Cute, fluffy stuff. It probably isn’t possible to write something too sweet, so feel free to pour the sugar on! I don’t mind a bit of angst, but it has to have a happy ending. For gen fics, I love to see characters building friendships, working together, going on adventures, getting into (and out of) trouble. Anything with characters out in nature is pretty great too. For shippy fics, I have a huge weakness for cuddling, (mild) hurt/comfort, and, uh...characters getting soaked and having to snuggle to warm up, haha. (Bonus points if there’s snow or ice involved, since it’s winter in my part of the world). Kisses are good (awkward or sweet or steamy). I’m also totally down for things like “characters have to share a bed for some reason” or other situations where the characters kind of get thrown together and then develop feelings for each other.
I’m not a big Valentine’s Day person, but I do enjoy the idea of over-the-top ridiculous punny cards, or one character going overboard with gifts to try to impress the other. So if you want to write or draw something related to that holiday, keep it silly and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.
I’ve requested art or fic for every fandom, so do whichever you prefer! For art, I really enjoy a wide variety of styles, from sketches to watercolors to digital pieces. I love bright, saturated colors if you decide to work in color, but I also love greyscale and black and white. Since it’s winter here, I’d love to see characters bundled up in warm clothes, or cuddling by a fireplace with a hot beverage, or having fun in the snow together. I think most of my fic prompts will work for art too, but if you don’t see anything you like, feel free to do your own thing. :)
Dislikes (Do Not Want):
Character death or maiming, including (for No End and SSSS) characters getting infected who do not do so in canon. (More on that in the fandom-specific sections). Violence beyond what is canon-typical. Abusive relationships. Sexual violence of any kind. Explicit sex (allusions to sex or situations that get kind of steamy are okay, just...keep it teen rated or lower, please). It’s also probably best to avoid AUs (unless otherwise specified) or unrequested crossovers.
Please do not include romantic pairings other than the ones I’ve requested, with the exception of background canon relationships.
Now, on to the fandoms!
City of Hunger
Requested Pairings: Tuuri Hotakainen/Sigrun Eide
This is a bit of a last-minute request, because although the whole COH world is super intriguing, we don’t know an awful lot about this canon yet. BUT since we just got twitter confirmation that a) this canon contains CYBORGS and b) ONNI AND LALLI ARE CYBORGS, I knew I had to request it.
It is my dearest wish to see Cyborg!Tuuri (and I’m getting increasingly worried that we haven’t even heard a whisper about her role in COH) so I’d love to see a story or a piece of art where she’s a cyborg. You could use the drawings of Onni and Lalli for reference, or go more extreme in the ways she’s been modified - bionic eye? Cyborg arm with cool attachments that she can retract? Cyborg Tuuri who’s somehow fused to the COH version of the CatTank? Go wild, I’d love to see what you come up with.
Since this is a Sigrun/Tuuri request, I’d love to see your ideas about how the two of them meet. Maybe Sigrun is some kind of mercenary, or an explorer who’s looking for people to accompany her on a mission? Maybe Tuuri is a cyborg technician (in both senses of the word - she is a cyborg and she works on cyborgs - and Sigrun comes into her shop for some reason. Basically if there are cyborgs involved somehow and we get to see these two interacting, I’ll be a happy camper. ^_^
In Other Lands
Requested Pairings: Elliot Schafer/Luke Sunborn, Golden-Hair-Scented-Like-Summer/Serene-Heart-In-The-Chaos-Of-Battle
In general, I’d love a story about either of these pairs (or all four of them!) after the events of the book. Where do they end up? What new challenges do they run into (and how do they make everything worse before it gets better?) Are there mermaids? And although I love the shippy stuff, if you want to focus more on the friendship between the group of them, that’s fine too.
Elliot/Luke: I love this pair so much! Elliot is a little sass-bucket and Luke is a ball of feelings wrapped in muscles and feathers. Their romance (or what counts as a romance, when one party is totally oblivious for most of it) is one of my favorite parts of the book. I think it’d be cool to see something from Luke’s perspective, especially during the events of the book. When did he first realize he loved Elliot? What was he thinking during Elliot’s various mad schemes (especially the whole thing with the school play)? On the other hand, it’d also be fun to see how the two of them grow into their relationship post-canon. I imagine there might be various bumps in the road as they figure out how to be boyfriends, so I’d love to see that explored. Alternatively, if you want to create something that’s entirely fluffy cuddling, I won’t say no to that either. ;)
Golden/Serene: So elven gender roles (and the hilarious contrast between them and human ones) are one of my favorite parts about this canon. Which makes me love Golden and Serene’s relationship even more, because we get to see Serene learn that maybe Golden isn’t such a delicate flower after all. So I’d love to see more interactions like that - Golden learning more about Serene’s life as a warrior, and constantly surprising her with the things he’s capable of (while still enjoying things like nice clothes and fancy hair).
No End
Requested Pairings: Jenna Reed & Tristan Khouri | Cotton, Jenna Reid & Jonah Reid | Wight, Jeremy Edison/Tristan Khouri | Cotton, Jonah Reid | Wight/Modra Blauschild
This romance comic set in a post-apocalyptic zombie world has eaten my heart! (Not...literally. Though there is some cannibalism). There is also, for some reason, NO fanfiction for it, at least not the last time I checked. So if you write something, I will automatically love it because it will exist! And of course I welcome fanart too, I can never see enough of my favorite characters.
Just a note regarding my death/infection DNW: I’m fine with the presence of existing Undead - Wight’s whole backstory and present condition is fine. I just don’t want to read about anyone else getting infected, please.
Jenn & Cotton: Jenn and Cotton are kind of my BroTP for this fandom, so seeing them interact and work together would be awesome! (Or like, Jenn chewing Cotton out about his TERRIBLE romantic decisions, either in the current setting or in the past after his fling with Wight). I also find their group dynamic from the beginning of the comic intriguing - since we get the impression that Wight just sort of follows along, Jenn and Cotton would really have had to work together to keep their little crew safe and hidden. So it’d be neat to see a fic that explores that, or that contrasts how the team functioned before meeting Benny and Modra with how it functions now.
Jenn & Wight: I’m honestly kind of floored by how close these two are - Jenn’s devotion to Wight in particular makes me all kinds of impressed. (Like, she was willing to die with him, instead of shooting him like she was supposed to. Holy crap.) I get the sense they were close in a different way before Wight’s infection, so a story set back when they were in the military (or even earlier, when they were kids) would be cool.
Jerry/Cotton: Oh my gosh, I ship these two SO MUCH it’s ridiculous. As much as I understand why things went the way they did in canon (*sigh* Benny why is your crush ruining everything) I love the thought of these two getting together eventually. I’d also be perfectly happy with a canon-divergent AU where something *did* happen that night they shared a bed, because the expression on Jerry’s face whenever he looked at Cotton during that scene was just precious. Feel free to explore the angsty side of that (Cotton’s guilt when he realizes he’s betrayed Benny’s trust, for instance) but just keep in mind that I prefer happy endings. (Also, I said no NSFW, but you can heavily imply that sex is happening if you don’t go into detail).
Wight/Modra: Aaaaah these two are too adorable! I love all their canon interactions, so I’d be perfectly happy with a fluffy story or drawing that includes more of the same. (The forehead kisses get me EVERY TIME.) So yes, please, any shippy thing you want to create with the two of them would be great! In addition to the kinds of interactions we see in canon, I’d love to see Modra combing/playing with Wight’s hair, or vice versa. I also think it’d be neat to get inside Wight’s head a little and see what he’s thinking about the relationship. Obviously he’s much different than he was the last time he dated, so a story about his thoughts on Modra - and maybe his inability to woo Modra in the ways he would have done with past lovers - would be neat. (Just a note that I’m kinda grossed out by his mouth situation, but also find it very sweet when Modra makes gestures that shows he doesn’t care about that. So...use that wisely, I guess? And I absolutely don’t want any attempt at activities that they couldn’t do in canon, like a mouth-to-mouth kiss).
A Redtail’s Dream
Requested Pairings: Jonna Kuikka & Joona Kuikka & Hannu Viitanen, Jonna Kuikka & Joona Kuikka & Jouko Kuikka, Jonna Kuikka/Riikka Skärsholm, Oona Kuikka & Puppy-Fox, Hannu Viitanen & Ville, Hannu Viitanen/Ville, Joona Kuikka/Hannu Viitanen, Pikku Jänis | Little Hare & Tuomi Kinnunen
I love the possibilities with this canon - we get glimpses of what life is like in Hokanniemi, but so much is left up to the imagination. I think it’d be especially interesting to see how Hannu and Ville adjust to normal life after their adventure, or the possibility of an SSSS crossover, where the characters from this story are faced with the Rash Apocalypse.
Hannu & or / Ville: I’m equally fine with these two as a romantic pair or platonic, so do what works for you. (Though no shippiness with Dog!Ville, please). In general, I love the thought of the two of them going through various “human training” ordeals. How does Ville learn to read? To wash dishes? Does he ever get over his fear of the vacuum cleaner? And then there are all the social aspects of being human, like personal boundaries (I bet Ville doesn’t have them) or holidays, or dancing, or...you get the idea. I also imagine it would take some time to get used to having different senses as a human, so feel free to explore that as well.
For the more supernatural side of things, it’d be cool to read a story in which Hannu and Ville continue to get pulled into the animal spirits’ drama, or start to notice other spirit-related things. I like to think that after their experience with the dream quest, they might be more sensitive to such things in the future.
Jonna/Riikka: I’d love a story about these two being cute together, going on dates or just enjoying each other’s company. Maybe how their families react to the news that they’re dating (I like any range between shocked surprise and “lol of course we’ve known all along”). Maybe how they got together in the first place - who asked who out? Was there pining? How do they make their relationship work when they both have other life/family obligations that keep them busy? Because Jonna is a bit of a goofball and Riikka is more serious, I’d love to see them embracing each other’s character quirks.
Oona & Puppy-Fox: Okay, I really just want to see something where these two meet and it turns out Puppy-Fox has met his match in an adorable (but slightly evil) little girl. It’d be especially great if Puppy-Fox attempted to play tricks on her and they all backfired on him.
Jonna & Joona & Juoko: (And feel free to include Oona, too!) The Kuikka family as a group just kind of fascinate me - I’m SO curious about how Jouko is a single dad raising his kids on his own but one of those kids is 18 years younger than the other two. I would love to see some exploration of that, whether you take the “Oona is a magical baby found in the woods” approach or the “Mama Kuikka left when Jonna and Joona were kids, came back when they were teens for a brief stint, had Oona and left again” theory or something else I haven’t thought of.
On the subject of Jouko, I feel like that man deserves a medal and also a vacation. So something where he gets a break (maybe the kids get off their lazy butts to do something nice for him?) would be excellent.
Jonna & Joona & Hannu: I am all about stories with these three (and any of their other friends) getting up to mischief as kids, or slightly different kinds of trouble as they get older. Bonus points if the joke is on Hannu, because I feel like the twins would be pretty merciless about teasing him.
Joona/Hannu: I like the idea of these two slowly moving from simple friendship to something more complicated, especially because Hannu is so bad at feelings. So a story about them getting together for the first time, or coming together in secret because Hannu doesn’t want to be public about their relationship, or even Hannu finally giving in and admitting that what’s going on between them is important to him - any or all of these would be lovely. (I feel like this ship works more easily pre-canon, when Hannu doesn’t have Ville as a human roommate, but if you want to have them sneaking around Ville and Hannu being angsty about Ville’s secret, I won’t stop you.)
Tuomi & Little Hare: There have been some pretty good fics about these two recently, and I love the idea of them meeting again post-canon. I subscribe to the headcanon that in an SSSS crossover the characters who had animal spirit companions in the dream world end up becoming mages, so a crossover story with Mage!Tuomi figuring out how to use his kantele for magic with Little Hare’s help would be neat. Or something where they meet over and over in dreams, or where Tuomi feels a connection to this hare he keeps meeting in the woods, or somehow Little Hare becomes human - there are lots of possibilities, so have fun!
Stand Still Stay Silent
Requested Pairings: Agneta/Sigrun Eide, Asbjørn Eide/Solveig Eide, Ensi Hotakainen & Tuuri Hotakainen, Ensi Hotakainen/Ukko-Pekka, Onni Hotakainen/Bjarni Árnason, Ragnar Árnason/Hildur Bjarnadóttir, Reynir Árnason/Onni Hotakainen, Tuuri Hotakainen/Sigrun Eide, Aksel Eide & Berit Eide, Aksel Eide/Sigrun Larsen, Ensi Hotakainen/Author of the Info Pages, Lalli Hotakainen & Onni Hotakainen & Tuuri Hotakainen, Lalli Hotakainen/Emil Västerström, Michael Madsen/Signe Sørensen, Reynir Árnason/Tuuri Hotakainen
A note about my “do not want” for death/infection with the Rash: In general, I don’t want to read a story about any requested characters getting infected with the Rash, though Prologue characters worrying that they’ve been infected (when it turns out they haven’t been) is fine. And I just...don’t want to read fic about Tuuri’s death. If you’re writing Y90 characters, I’d prefer you take one of the following approaches regarding Tuuri:
*Canon-divergent AU where she doesn’t get infected and does not die, or
*Something in the canon setting, but taking place before she is infected, or
*A fix-it fic that involves her coming back to life somehow.
Anyway, on to the pairings!
Agneta/Sigrun: Yeah, I’m officially on the Signeta train (pun absolutely intended). This is the best kind of rarepair - two ladies who have never met in canon, but whose hypothetical meeting would be totally awesome. I can see them meeting somehow in the course of their respective jobs (possibly Sigrun has to take the train somewhere) and hitting it off - or not hitting it off right away, but growing on each other. I also like the thought of the two of them going back to one of their homes and having to deal with cultural differences. Straight-laced, rule-following train lady being dropped in the midst of Norwegian Viking culture - it would be pretty great.
Aksel & Berit: I love how devoted Aksel is to his grandmother, and how determined he is to take care of her even though she’s perfectly capable of fending for herself. I get the impression she might be the only family he has, so I’d love a pre-canon story about Berit raising him. Or, after the Rash outbreak, seeing Berit teaching Aksel survival skills, and Aksel doing his best to protect her in this strange new dangerous world.
Aksel/Sigrun: I have a great weakness for these two, simply because Aksel is so earnest and Sigrun is, canonically, “kind of an ass”. I love stories where Aksel starts to toughen up, but never loses his compassion or kindness, and where Sigrun softens towards him while still being tough as nails when it comes to taking on the world. It’d be neat to see speculation about their relationship pre-canon, and also what happened post-canon to get them together.
Asbjørn/Solveig: I know we’ve barely seen these two interact in canon, but there’s so much potential for cool stories about them! They’re both generals, they clearly care about each other and Sigrun, and they have a lot of responsibility and status in their community. It would be neat to see stories of how they rose in the ranks to become generals, how their relationship has developed over time (were they always close? Were they ever rivals, or at odds with each other?) And once they became parents and had to chase an active child all over Dalsnes, how did that affect their marriage? I love the idea of them as a battle couple, or having a quiet moment when the fighting is done.
Emil/Lalli: I love the idea of Emil and Lalli figuring each other out despite all the obstacles in their way - language barriers, different backgrounds, magic/no magic. Neither of them seem like people who have had a lot of friends before, so finding friendship in each other - and then more than friendship - makes me happy. Cuddles, cookies, annoying the rest of the crew with public displays of affection (or trying to hide their relationship and failing). And again, any ideas about how they’d make things work post-canon (does Lalli move to Sweden? Does Emil actually manage to learn some Finnish so he can move to Keuruu? Do they both move somewhere else to be together?) would be lovely. I’m kind of a sucker for post-canon established relationship fics with these two, so feel free to run with something like that too. Also, with the current state of canon (EMIL/LALLI BODYSHARING AAAHHH) I'm even more intrigued to see these two interact, so anything involving that will be welcome.
Ensi/Author of the Info Pages: If you’ve read any of my Dreamworld Ladies fics, you’ll probably remember that my take on the Author of the Info Pages is an Icelandic mage named Rúna Snorradóttir who basically shows up at various points in Ensi’s life and annoys/falls in love with her. Ensi is...not always pleased by her presence, but she usually lets her stick around for a while. (I kind of headcanon Ensi as aromantic, so the falling in love is not mutual). So some story about the two of them would be great - future meetings in the dream world, Rúna’s reaction to finding out about Ensi’s one-night-stand with Ukko-Pekka, or the two of them meeting much later in life - any or all of these would be great.
Ensi/Ukko-Pekka: As I said above, I headcanon Ensi as more or less aromantic, so her approach to relationships would reflect that. Anyway, enter Ukko-Pekka, aka “Grandma’s one-night stand” aka “that guy who was Definitely Not A God Of Any Kind Where Did You Get That Idea” aka future Grandpa Hotakainen. I love the idea that Ukko-Pekka is actually the god Ukko, and as a result Ensi’s fling with him results in some Magical Shenanigans. But if you wanted to go a different route, it’d be neat to see his take on this lady who blows into his life like a hurricane, gets in his pants, and then goes on her way.
I also wouldn’t mind some kind of crackfic involving Ensi/Rúna/Ukko-Pekka somehow, if you want to give it a try.
Ensi & Tuuri: While I’m curious to know more about Ensi’s relationship with all of her grandchildren, I’m especially interested in her connection with her non-mage, non-immune granddaughter. I can see them having a hard time relating to each other, but Tuuri constantly trying to reach out. So maybe a story showing that, with a time when Ensi reached out too? Or the two of them discovering they have something in common after all, despite all their differences. I also imagine Ensi has some stories she could tell, if she wanted to, so maybe we could see Tuuri coaxing a story out of her.
Lalli & Onni & Tuuri: I have SO MANY Hotakainen family feels, it’s ridiculous. These three have a complicated relationship, and while we’re slowly getting pieces of their backstory, I’d love to see more. You could honestly pick an age, and I’d be happy to see a story or art about these three. Before the incident that sent them to Keuruu, during that flight, settling in to Keuruu while also dealing with the trauma of whatever happened, or later in life as they’re all settling into careers. The tension between Onni and Tuuri and their opposite opinions about leaving Keuruu. Lalli’s relationship to the other two, when he’s on a different schedule and only sort of lives in their world. The three of them supporting each other, in their own ways, as they deal with grief. (And if you want to go with something more in the time period of canon, a story about Onni and Lalli using their combined magery to free Tuuri from Tuonela would be great).
Michael/Signe: Oh my gosh, I love the chemistry these two have in their portion of the prologue. Signe’s sarcasm, Michael’s bad attitude, and the way they soften towards each other when Michael gets fired and Signe tries to cheer him up. I love the thought of them ending up on Michael’s family farm, growing closer as the world falls apart around them, and having to deal with family issues at the same time. Bonus points for anything involving Signe wearing one of Michael’s giant sweaters, because I’m weak for that. Also, they named their kid after a cat and I can’t get over that, so a story about the naming of Magnus (the human) would be cool too.
Onni/Bjarni: Okay, so these two haven’t met in canon and are unlikely to, but at some point my little shipper brain smashed them together and decided they’d be cute. I feel like they could bond over both having a non-immune sibling out in the dangerous Silent World (assuming an AU where Bjarni ends up in Mora, or where somehow they strike up a friendship over the radio?) I also feel like Bjarni’s “and that’s when I knew what death looks like” shows he’s had his share of dark times, so the two of them might comfort each other through nightmares or other issues caused by their past trauma.
And if you’re taking the art route, I would be absolutely delighted by any art of these two (especially kissing! Ahhh!) Because there’s so little fanart of Bjarni out there.
Ragnar/Hildur: Okay, we know nothing about these two except that they’re Reynir’s grandparents, but COME ON. Ragnar looks like he belongs on the cover of a Viking romance novel, and I am 1000% convinced that Hildur thinks so too and would be the one to write this. So that’s my idea: Hildur writing ridiculous pulp romance with a romantic lead who suspiciously resembles her husband. (There is a bit of fic about this already, but the fluff monster craves MORE! And if you choose to do art, the cover of one of Hildur’s books would delight me.)
Reynir/Onni: This ship has been growing on me lately. I really enjoy their various dreamworld encounters, and Onni’s constant grumpiness failing in the face of Reynir’s determined enthusiasm. It’d be fun to see more stories or art with them exploring the dreamworld, and also maybe coming together in real life once the expedition ends.
Reynir/Tuuri: I love these two a lot, but I have a really hard time thinking of prompts for them with the current canon events. So if you can think of a way to write them that’s sweet and fluffy and unlikely to make me sad, go for it! Or maybe a story where Reynir goes into Tuonela to fetch Tuuri, a la Orpheus, and manages to bring her out (successfully) could be neat.
Sigrun/Tuuri: I really enjoy shippy stuff with the two of them, but if you want to go gen that’s okay too. I love how they have a shared enthusiasm for adventure despite having completely different backgrounds. And I can definitely see Tuuri having a crush on Sigrun during the mission (“You’re so tall!”) and Sigrun growing steadily more impressed with Tuuri’s competence as time goes on. Post-canon, if you choose to go with a version of events where things work out okay for Tuuri, I’d love to see the two of them figuring out how a relationship will work given their different backgrounds.
And I think that’s it! Anonymous comments are enabled, and anon asks on my Tumblr, so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
