Chocolate box letter
Dear chocolate box writer,
I’m not very good at writing this kind of letter, but I will do my best to be helpful. I’ll start by a general list of likes and dislikes, before I move on to specific fandoms. I like fics that are set in canon, but I also love thoughtful AUs/fusions/crossovers, where there’s a reflection on how the differences in background/situation would change the characters. On that topic, if you match me on more than one fandom, you should feel free to write a crossover/fusion with any of the fandoms I requested as long as the relationships I want are included.
H/C is my number one narrative kink, and I like a balance between the hurt and the comfort, or even a little more hurt than comfort. I don’t mind if the comfort is perfunctory, or if the hurt character resists the comfort. Actually, the best scenario for me is when the hurt character has to keep fighting/figuring out the situation while being hurt/sick/weakened/anything you can throw at them. Having to draw on inner resources in the face of adversity is the best for me. :) If you’re wondering which character to hurt in a given fandom, then it’s a safe bet to go with my favorite character, and if I have a clear favorite I will say it when I get to each fandom.
I prefer emotions to be understated rather than overblown, and in ship fic especially I prefer it if there is at same time some plot/worldbuilding/atmosphere element to go with it, as well as a sense that the characters have other things in their lives than their love interest. If the characters have friends/family that they care strongly about in canon, I like it if they are mentioned at least (unless the fic is really short, of course).
If there is any sex, I would prefer no extreme kink or fic that focuses on porn. Characters figuring out what they like at the beginning of a relationship can be fun, though. I also don’t mind underage-don’t be worried of offending me, I’m not easily offended!
DNW: character death (I don’t mind dark stuff, but I’d prefer some silver lining to go with that cloud); kid fic/marriage fic/babies forever after type of ending; rape/noncon (I don’t mind dubcon with some ships, I’ll specify which).
Now to the fandoms!
Kuroshitsuji: Ciel is my absolute favorite for this series, so you can’t go wrong with focusing a fic on him. What I like about him is that knife-edge balance between strength and vulnerability, and that’s what I would like to find in fic. Also, as a side note, I’m a staunch believer in the twin Ciels theory. If you don’t know what it is/know what it is but don’t like it, then no worries, forget I said anything. But if you do like the theory, then feel free to include it any way you want even if it isn’t central to the story.
For this fandom I always want more casefics and more mystery/horror tropes. When it comes to horror I prefer a psychological sort of horror rather than gore or body horror. Creepy atmospheres, situations that blur the boundaries between reality/dream, haunted houses, OCs that can’t be trusted. Ciel doing undercover work is always a delight for me, especially if he finds himself in a situation where he can’t rely on Sebastian.
Specifics for the relationships I requested:
Ciel/Lizzie or Ciel & Lizzie: the line is blurry between the two since they’re engaged, but that means I don’t need explicitly romantic stuff. I would like for Lizzie to have the occasion to reestablish some balance between them: figure out things she wants for herself, let herself be confident enough to criticize Ciel and realize her own strength. It would be nice to get a sense of what exactly she likes about him, and whether she would choose him if he wasn’t her fiancé (if you go with the twin Ciels theory, it could be awesome to have her choose our Ciel even if he isn’t the one she’s been engaged to since childhood). If you choose to go with something more shippy, it could be fun to see them fumble through explicitly romantic or even sexual situations. They’ve both been raised to be very proper, and Ciel is a very restrained character. Let him be flustered!
Ciel & Soma: I love their friendship so much! I love how Ciel is slowly relenting in the face of Soma’s very determined friendship. Any situation where Ciel has to show that he cares would be great, even if he doesn’t quite admit it to himself (actually, this is valid for all the other relationships). Also, how would Soma would react when faced with how cold and ruthless Ciel can be? He knows Ciel isn’t a pleasant person, but is he aware of how far Ciel is ready to go if the situation demands it? Ciel having to long-sufferingly introduce Soma to aspects of England he doesn’t know could also be fun.
Ciel & Finny: the Green Witch arc was kind of perfect in terms of the relationship between Ciel and Finny, but I’m greedy and I want more! Finny having to protect/take care of Ciel like he did in that arc would be awesome. Alternatively, Ciel having to comfort/reassure Finny (in a Ciel kind of way) in a spooky situation could be fun. Or you could explore their first meeting and/or the early days of Finny working for Ciel.
Ciel & Snake: like with Ciel and Finny, situations where Snake has to take care/protect Ciel or Ciel has to comfort Snake (because people are mocking him, he’s been rejected?) would be awesome. Other idea: how would Snake react if he learned the truth about what happened to the circus people?
Ciel & Edward: I would love if they were put in a situation where they have to work together to save the day or to a common goal, or found some common ground with each other that doesn’t include Lizzie. They’re cousins, after all, and not just future brothers-in-law. How do they think of each other, deep down?
Ciel/Elizabeth/Sieglinde: this OT3 has me more interested the more I think about it. I think Sieglinde could shake up and balance the Ciel/Lizzie dynamics in very interesting ways. When it comes to romantic/sexual stuff she’s a lot more forward than the other two, so she could be a great help in moving things along. How do they figure out and make their relationship work in Victorian society? I like that the three of them are all geniuses in their own way, so any situation where they have to combine their capacities would be great. Maybe Lizzie and Sieglinde find themselves involved in one of Ciel’s cases in some way? Also, I may be a big Ciel fan, but I also like my OT3 to be balanced, so the Lizzie/Sieglinde side shouldn’t be ignored or underdeveloped.
Critical Role: I love the ragtag of misfits vibe/found family vibe of this show, and I love this idea that several members of the cast have put forward that they’re more together than the sums of their parts. They don’t consider themselves heroes but they might be on their way to become legends. Percy is my favorite-like Ciel in Kuroshitsuji I love the combination between intelligence and moral ambiguity, although with Percy I also like his quest to become a better person with its ups and downs, and I love how much he loves Vox Machina. Whatever the relationship he’s included in, I feel like this is an important part of his character.
Things that would be nice to get: stories that reflect on the strong bonds between the party members, funny/awkward/impossible situations they find themselves in and somehow manage to get out of, explorations of the universe Matt has created and/or of the characters’ backstories. This is also the only fandom where I requested art as well as fic: illustrations of iconic moments between the characters whose relationship I’ve mentioned would be awesome, as well as scenes from the scenarios I’ve mentioned
For the relationships I requested:
Percy & Cassandra: I can't never get enough of their interactions on the show. I'd really like something that explores the complexity of their feelings: they're all each other have left as far as blood family goes, but they've both betrayed the other. They harbor a lot of guilt for what happened to their family and the fact that they survived and the rest of the de Rolos didn't. I also have this notion that they weren't each other's favorite siblings growing up, but now they're all that's left.
You could set the fic in the aftermath of episode 70 (not saying more because of spoilers!). I would have loved for Percy and Cassandra to have a one-on-one moment after those events. During the period between episode 35 and 36 at the end of the Briarwood arc is another interesting moment to set the fic, maybe as they try to figure out how to deal with their feelings of guilt and betrayal. Episodes from their childhood could be fun too, especially if it involved some of their other siblings.
Vex & Vax: For them I'd enjoy something pre Vox Machina when they were younger, especially something that takes place when the twins were growing up in Syngorn. Or VM find themselves confronted with someone from the twins’ murky past, or Vex and Vax have the occasion to reflect on how different it is to be able to rely on other people than their sibling, without it causing them to mean less to each other.
Percy & Vax or Percy/Vax: I like the push-and-pull aspect of their relationship, the trust issues mixed with genuine affection, and how difficult it is for them to understand each other. A fic that focuses on that last aspect could be interesting, or a situation where they have to rely on each other, or where they have to team up to help/save the others.
Percy & Anna Ripley or Percy/Anna: I would enjoy gen where they have to reluctantly work together toward a common goal (so basically, an AU), but you can also write fucked-up, angry sex, or dubcon (or include it into the "have to work together" scenario!), or include flashbacks to Percy's torture at Anna's hands (if you do, please don't be too graphic).
Lynes and Mathey series: Ned/Julian is a good example of what I meant by “understated emotions”, so the way their relationship is presented in canon works great for me. This canon has a lot of fun worldbuilding, so anything that explores this universe would be great. Casefic-y/mystery/spooky stuff is my jam, as stated earlier in the letter. Things taking place back when they were in school could be fun, even if it happens before things turned explicit between them (but not when they were at university, when they started to have issues), with a lot of unresolved (or resolved!) sexual tension. Or something that explores their communication issues. Miss Frost more than welcome, because I love her.
Harry Potter: I’ve had the oddest urge for Ron/Draco while I was perusing the tag set. They’re a great set-up for enemies to friends to lovers, which is a trope I enjoy as long as the “enemy” part isn’t downplayed. I’ve never really been part of the Harry Potter fandom so I’m not attached to any particular fanon/don’t have super set opinions on any part of the canon.
Things that would be nice to get: Situations where they’re forced to rely on each other would be fun: prisoners/on the run together; stories set during the war with Voldemort where Draco has become a spy (in other words, an AU); or they’re adults and have to work as Aurors together. I realize that all these sound like ideas for longer stories, but of course you may not have the time/inspiration for something long so don’t worry about it! Just a scene/snippet using any of these ideas would be great, or anything else you feel inspired for that includes Ron/Draco and doesn’t shy away from the antagonistic aspect of their canon relationship.
Sense8: Watching the Christmas special rekindled my love for the canon. When I watched the series and the very visual way the clusters’ bond is represented, I wondered how it could be translated in a written medium. What does it feel like, to be connected like they are? How do they perceive their own surroundings when they’re visiting one of the others? Can they read each other’s minds/feel each other’s emotions (one or the other? Both?). How does it affect their lives now that they’re aware of what is going on? I would also love stories that include the cluster’s non-sensate loved ones, where they learn what’s going on and have to come to terms with it. I should point out that I’m not a big fan of the in-cluster romantic relationships (Will/Riley and Kala/Wolfgang), so I would prefer mentions of them to be kept to a minimum.
Hernando/Lito/Daniela: Canon is fuzzy on the status of their relationship, so I’d like fic that explores it. So far there has always been some sort of urgency affecting their living arrangements (Dani’s ex, Lito coming out), so what happens when the dust settles? I particularly would like things to remain non-sexual between at least between Dani and Lito (I go back and forth on the topic of Hernando/Dani, so follow your heart!), but still be of a romantic nature. So I guess basically what I want is poly negotiations! Feel free to include other cluster members butting in, especially if Hernando and Daniela learn about the telepathic bond.
I realize as I reread this that it’s kind of obvious that Kuroshitsuji and Critical Role are my new shiny fandoms, but if you didn’t match me on any of them, don’t fret - I genuinely want all the things I requested.
I’m not very good at writing this kind of letter, but I will do my best to be helpful. I’ll start by a general list of likes and dislikes, before I move on to specific fandoms. I like fics that are set in canon, but I also love thoughtful AUs/fusions/crossovers, where there’s a reflection on how the differences in background/situation would change the characters. On that topic, if you match me on more than one fandom, you should feel free to write a crossover/fusion with any of the fandoms I requested as long as the relationships I want are included.
H/C is my number one narrative kink, and I like a balance between the hurt and the comfort, or even a little more hurt than comfort. I don’t mind if the comfort is perfunctory, or if the hurt character resists the comfort. Actually, the best scenario for me is when the hurt character has to keep fighting/figuring out the situation while being hurt/sick/weakened/anything you can throw at them. Having to draw on inner resources in the face of adversity is the best for me. :) If you’re wondering which character to hurt in a given fandom, then it’s a safe bet to go with my favorite character, and if I have a clear favorite I will say it when I get to each fandom.
I prefer emotions to be understated rather than overblown, and in ship fic especially I prefer it if there is at same time some plot/worldbuilding/atmosphere element to go with it, as well as a sense that the characters have other things in their lives than their love interest. If the characters have friends/family that they care strongly about in canon, I like it if they are mentioned at least (unless the fic is really short, of course).
If there is any sex, I would prefer no extreme kink or fic that focuses on porn. Characters figuring out what they like at the beginning of a relationship can be fun, though. I also don’t mind underage-don’t be worried of offending me, I’m not easily offended!
DNW: character death (I don’t mind dark stuff, but I’d prefer some silver lining to go with that cloud); kid fic/marriage fic/babies forever after type of ending; rape/noncon (I don’t mind dubcon with some ships, I’ll specify which).
Now to the fandoms!
Kuroshitsuji: Ciel is my absolute favorite for this series, so you can’t go wrong with focusing a fic on him. What I like about him is that knife-edge balance between strength and vulnerability, and that’s what I would like to find in fic. Also, as a side note, I’m a staunch believer in the twin Ciels theory. If you don’t know what it is/know what it is but don’t like it, then no worries, forget I said anything. But if you do like the theory, then feel free to include it any way you want even if it isn’t central to the story.
For this fandom I always want more casefics and more mystery/horror tropes. When it comes to horror I prefer a psychological sort of horror rather than gore or body horror. Creepy atmospheres, situations that blur the boundaries between reality/dream, haunted houses, OCs that can’t be trusted. Ciel doing undercover work is always a delight for me, especially if he finds himself in a situation where he can’t rely on Sebastian.
Specifics for the relationships I requested:
Ciel/Lizzie or Ciel & Lizzie: the line is blurry between the two since they’re engaged, but that means I don’t need explicitly romantic stuff. I would like for Lizzie to have the occasion to reestablish some balance between them: figure out things she wants for herself, let herself be confident enough to criticize Ciel and realize her own strength. It would be nice to get a sense of what exactly she likes about him, and whether she would choose him if he wasn’t her fiancé (if you go with the twin Ciels theory, it could be awesome to have her choose our Ciel even if he isn’t the one she’s been engaged to since childhood). If you choose to go with something more shippy, it could be fun to see them fumble through explicitly romantic or even sexual situations. They’ve both been raised to be very proper, and Ciel is a very restrained character. Let him be flustered!
Ciel & Soma: I love their friendship so much! I love how Ciel is slowly relenting in the face of Soma’s very determined friendship. Any situation where Ciel has to show that he cares would be great, even if he doesn’t quite admit it to himself (actually, this is valid for all the other relationships). Also, how would Soma would react when faced with how cold and ruthless Ciel can be? He knows Ciel isn’t a pleasant person, but is he aware of how far Ciel is ready to go if the situation demands it? Ciel having to long-sufferingly introduce Soma to aspects of England he doesn’t know could also be fun.
Ciel & Finny: the Green Witch arc was kind of perfect in terms of the relationship between Ciel and Finny, but I’m greedy and I want more! Finny having to protect/take care of Ciel like he did in that arc would be awesome. Alternatively, Ciel having to comfort/reassure Finny (in a Ciel kind of way) in a spooky situation could be fun. Or you could explore their first meeting and/or the early days of Finny working for Ciel.
Ciel & Snake: like with Ciel and Finny, situations where Snake has to take care/protect Ciel or Ciel has to comfort Snake (because people are mocking him, he’s been rejected?) would be awesome. Other idea: how would Snake react if he learned the truth about what happened to the circus people?
Ciel & Edward: I would love if they were put in a situation where they have to work together to save the day or to a common goal, or found some common ground with each other that doesn’t include Lizzie. They’re cousins, after all, and not just future brothers-in-law. How do they think of each other, deep down?
Ciel/Elizabeth/Sieglinde: this OT3 has me more interested the more I think about it. I think Sieglinde could shake up and balance the Ciel/Lizzie dynamics in very interesting ways. When it comes to romantic/sexual stuff she’s a lot more forward than the other two, so she could be a great help in moving things along. How do they figure out and make their relationship work in Victorian society? I like that the three of them are all geniuses in their own way, so any situation where they have to combine their capacities would be great. Maybe Lizzie and Sieglinde find themselves involved in one of Ciel’s cases in some way? Also, I may be a big Ciel fan, but I also like my OT3 to be balanced, so the Lizzie/Sieglinde side shouldn’t be ignored or underdeveloped.
Critical Role: I love the ragtag of misfits vibe/found family vibe of this show, and I love this idea that several members of the cast have put forward that they’re more together than the sums of their parts. They don’t consider themselves heroes but they might be on their way to become legends. Percy is my favorite-like Ciel in Kuroshitsuji I love the combination between intelligence and moral ambiguity, although with Percy I also like his quest to become a better person with its ups and downs, and I love how much he loves Vox Machina. Whatever the relationship he’s included in, I feel like this is an important part of his character.
Things that would be nice to get: stories that reflect on the strong bonds between the party members, funny/awkward/impossible situations they find themselves in and somehow manage to get out of, explorations of the universe Matt has created and/or of the characters’ backstories. This is also the only fandom where I requested art as well as fic: illustrations of iconic moments between the characters whose relationship I’ve mentioned would be awesome, as well as scenes from the scenarios I’ve mentioned
For the relationships I requested:
Percy & Cassandra: I can't never get enough of their interactions on the show. I'd really like something that explores the complexity of their feelings: they're all each other have left as far as blood family goes, but they've both betrayed the other. They harbor a lot of guilt for what happened to their family and the fact that they survived and the rest of the de Rolos didn't. I also have this notion that they weren't each other's favorite siblings growing up, but now they're all that's left.
You could set the fic in the aftermath of episode 70 (not saying more because of spoilers!). I would have loved for Percy and Cassandra to have a one-on-one moment after those events. During the period between episode 35 and 36 at the end of the Briarwood arc is another interesting moment to set the fic, maybe as they try to figure out how to deal with their feelings of guilt and betrayal. Episodes from their childhood could be fun too, especially if it involved some of their other siblings.
Vex & Vax: For them I'd enjoy something pre Vox Machina when they were younger, especially something that takes place when the twins were growing up in Syngorn. Or VM find themselves confronted with someone from the twins’ murky past, or Vex and Vax have the occasion to reflect on how different it is to be able to rely on other people than their sibling, without it causing them to mean less to each other.
Percy & Vax or Percy/Vax: I like the push-and-pull aspect of their relationship, the trust issues mixed with genuine affection, and how difficult it is for them to understand each other. A fic that focuses on that last aspect could be interesting, or a situation where they have to rely on each other, or where they have to team up to help/save the others.
Percy & Anna Ripley or Percy/Anna: I would enjoy gen where they have to reluctantly work together toward a common goal (so basically, an AU), but you can also write fucked-up, angry sex, or dubcon (or include it into the "have to work together" scenario!), or include flashbacks to Percy's torture at Anna's hands (if you do, please don't be too graphic).
Lynes and Mathey series: Ned/Julian is a good example of what I meant by “understated emotions”, so the way their relationship is presented in canon works great for me. This canon has a lot of fun worldbuilding, so anything that explores this universe would be great. Casefic-y/mystery/spooky stuff is my jam, as stated earlier in the letter. Things taking place back when they were in school could be fun, even if it happens before things turned explicit between them (but not when they were at university, when they started to have issues), with a lot of unresolved (or resolved!) sexual tension. Or something that explores their communication issues. Miss Frost more than welcome, because I love her.
Harry Potter: I’ve had the oddest urge for Ron/Draco while I was perusing the tag set. They’re a great set-up for enemies to friends to lovers, which is a trope I enjoy as long as the “enemy” part isn’t downplayed. I’ve never really been part of the Harry Potter fandom so I’m not attached to any particular fanon/don’t have super set opinions on any part of the canon.
Things that would be nice to get: Situations where they’re forced to rely on each other would be fun: prisoners/on the run together; stories set during the war with Voldemort where Draco has become a spy (in other words, an AU); or they’re adults and have to work as Aurors together. I realize that all these sound like ideas for longer stories, but of course you may not have the time/inspiration for something long so don’t worry about it! Just a scene/snippet using any of these ideas would be great, or anything else you feel inspired for that includes Ron/Draco and doesn’t shy away from the antagonistic aspect of their canon relationship.
Sense8: Watching the Christmas special rekindled my love for the canon. When I watched the series and the very visual way the clusters’ bond is represented, I wondered how it could be translated in a written medium. What does it feel like, to be connected like they are? How do they perceive their own surroundings when they’re visiting one of the others? Can they read each other’s minds/feel each other’s emotions (one or the other? Both?). How does it affect their lives now that they’re aware of what is going on? I would also love stories that include the cluster’s non-sensate loved ones, where they learn what’s going on and have to come to terms with it. I should point out that I’m not a big fan of the in-cluster romantic relationships (Will/Riley and Kala/Wolfgang), so I would prefer mentions of them to be kept to a minimum.
Hernando/Lito/Daniela: Canon is fuzzy on the status of their relationship, so I’d like fic that explores it. So far there has always been some sort of urgency affecting their living arrangements (Dani’s ex, Lito coming out), so what happens when the dust settles? I particularly would like things to remain non-sexual between at least between Dani and Lito (I go back and forth on the topic of Hernando/Dani, so follow your heart!), but still be of a romantic nature. So I guess basically what I want is poly negotiations! Feel free to include other cluster members butting in, especially if Hernando and Daniela learn about the telepathic bond.
I realize as I reread this that it’s kind of obvious that Kuroshitsuji and Critical Role are my new shiny fandoms, but if you didn’t match me on any of them, don’t fret - I genuinely want all the things I requested.