Heart Attack 2021

AO3: SarunoHadaki

Tumblr: Sarunohadaki, Sarushell (for Whumptober)

Fandoms requested (safeties underlined): Moominvalley | Starlight Brigade | Spiritfarer | Spirited Away | Penguin Highway | The Night is Short walk on Girl | Howl's Moving Castle
Dear author,
Hello! And so it begins. First off, thank you so much for embarking on writing a fic for me! And under such tight time restrictions, too! May this letter make that challenge just a little easier. I’m still new to exchanges, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to a mod if you have a question for me or anything like that. I wish my letter were short and simple, but some sections might be a little fat.

Opt-in thingies: I am fine with any POV or rating and am open to receiving art.

On the whole I would prefer not to have sexually explicit content be the entire focus of the gifted fic, but I am pretty lenient on what sort of sexual content I will consume if you want to include some. Darkfic writers are welcome to bring some deprived material into a fic for me, so long as it is matched with comfort or some palate cleanser afterward.

The main thing that will draw me into your story are the characters and prose. I love literary devices like metaphors, symbolism, or imagery. The little details in a fic sell me the most.

At the end of the day, if you enjoyed what you wrote, that is what matters most to me. I truly feel that when a person enjoys what they’re writing, it shines through in their fic. I have a lot of ideas of what I will like and I’m pretty easy to please.

DNW

Pregnancy

All hurt, no comfort

Rape with onlookers watching

Scat, vomit, watersports
**specifically to Moominvalley: no smut please!

I love:

AUs, especially modern

Spouses/established relationships

Hurt/comfort, particularly emotional hurt and resulting in cuddles

I like:

General Likes:

Queer characters/headcanons (including gnc, polyamory, trans, nonbinary, demisexuality, aro, ace, etc.)

Fluff, slice of life, curtain fics

Worldbuilding

Angst

Humor

Action

Conflict

Friendship

Misunderstandings

Family/found family

Subverting expectations

Character studies/introspection

Author writing something they know extremely well (bring me those random facts about frogs, any cool science, or the details of a job you worked).

Creative/refreshing new takes on overdone tropes such as “there was only one bed,” coffeeshop AU, etc. For example, I favor “I was pushed onto the floor in the middle of the night and slept on the couch” over “I woke up and we were cuddled close together.”

Relationship/Romance Likes:
M/M pairings
Mutual pining resulting in a relationship
The soft ray of sunshine is the actual boss/tops in the relationship
Spoiling the partner who has suffered past abuse/trauma/or just had a bad day
Character who has had a rough go at life learning how to love/trust friends and/or SO
Pair of characters who are functional alone but lose all their braincells when together <3
Getting together fics

·      Shy character struggling to confess their feelings to the clueless crush

Worldbuilding Likes:

Fantasy elements/magic

Backstories to locations and people

Logical reasoning for in-universe mechanics or features of a game

All those little details that really sell a place, such as unique features, geography, culture, etc.

Smut likes:
Consensual sex (either explicit or implicit through the character interactions and tone)
Non-penetrative sex/outercourse

·      Frot 💯*

·      Hand jobs

·      Dry humping

·      Intercrural sex

·      Intergluteal sex

·      Mutual masturbation

Anal sex
Anal fingering
First time

·      First-timer paired with an experienced partner (extra points if the experienced one is very soft/doting)

Subverting expectations on which character is into what — primarily, the smaller, “daintier” of the two tops; the innocent-looking one is kinkier; or a character being an unexpected virgin

*Frot, aka: rubbing penises together, which can be different than frottage. (Which is fine too, for the record)

 

MOOMINVALLEY (Cartoon 2019)

Requesting: Snufkin & Everyone, Moomintroll & Snufkin, Moomintroll/Snufkin

Whenever I am in a bad mood, I know that Moominvalley has my back. I love the vibe of the show and Snufkin is a staple favorite. He is perfect and I will stand by that forever!

I especially love the stories that involve elements of magic, mystery, and adventure. I don’t have any particular prompts for this, but anything involving the crew adventuring to new places or maybe even a place shrouded in mystery could be fun!

I don't know if it's ever been done before, but I know Moomin has tried to follow Snufkin when he leaves for the winter. Could we have a fic where Moomin tries but actually succeeds? What would life be like for what I can only imagine is a pretty lethargic moomin in a new place with his (boy) friend? How would Snufkin react to being followed, and where do they end up? How do they spend the whole season together?

STARLIGHT BRIGADE (Music Video) [SAFETY]

Requesting: Strive & Strive’s Father, Starlight Brigade Team & Strive, Worldbuilding & None, Strive & None

I am absolutely in love with this music video. The music, the characters, the little plot… it’s all so fantastical and fun. The fact that the main protagonist is a cute blue alien meant I fell fast and hard. Anything involving Strive will put the biggest smile on my face.

The designs for Starlight Brigade were inspired by Moebius, which I am not familiar with, but I got huge Nausicaä of the Valley vibes from the video, and in one Twitter post, an artist mentioned some sources of inspiration for the artwork. There’s a bit of art here, here, and here.

Altogether, Strive’s universe is an amazing mixture of sci-fi and fantasy elements and I’m really curious to see how those blend together. I dumped a bunch of questions below, which I will admit looks intimidating, but is intended to spark ideas, not overwhelm you :-)

Worldbuilding ideas:

—   Culture: What do they eat? Do they have any seasonal traditions or customs? (Me being me, what about courting rituals?) What are Strive’s people’s beliefs/faith, if they have any? Any social nuances that could land you in hot water if you say the wrong thing or make the wrong gesture?

—   Geography: How large is this planet? Does it rain? Is it more of a tundra situation, or are there grasslands/forests in other places? What’s the population of Strive’s hometown and are they the only people on this planet, or do they have trade routes with other groups? Does tourism exist?

—   Biology: They bleed purple blood, as evidenced by Strive’s one injury. What’s up with that? Why are their ears so floof? Why is their skin blue, with some characters having two-toned skin (two shades of blue, one lighter)? Do they age like humans, or do they have a Yoda situation where it takes a long time to age?

—   Magic: It looks like a lot of people have gemstones in their chests. Is it some sort of custom to get one then, as we saw Strive do as a child? Are these gemstones somehow connected to the fading light that was recovered?

—   Misc.: How did these people survive on this desolate land? Maybe some creative thinking was at play there. What other races are there in the universe? Is there sunlight here or only the aurora borealis-eqsue lights?

Shipping:

I would like something that gives Strive a love interest, but I'm not interested in any of the canon characters, so I’d like if you used an OC. Maybe it’s someone from Strive’s home planet? Or does Strive meet someone new while out on his travels? I would give you so many bonus points if this love interest were cute, charismatic, or male.

—   What do you call your partner in their universe?

—   What is their culture’s idea of a perfect date?

—   Is this culture monogamous, polyamorous, or something else/a mix?

—   How do you flirt with someone from Strive’s planet? What’s considered a cute compliment?

NSFW:

I want to know how someone would not only woo this blue alien, but make love to him, too. We don’t really know Strive’s gender outside of him using he/him pronouns, so who’s not to say there’s a colony of androgynous or nonbinary aliens living their best lives?

What kind of equipment does Strive have? Is it the same old human stuff or is there something more alien about it, such as him being intersex, having a higher/lower sex drive, being able to have multiple orgasms/having a short recovery period, etc.? Do these organ(s) self-lubricate, menstruate, or give off a scent?

Does Strive even know how to have sex? (See: “I like first time fics!”) Or was the “bird and the bees” thing not something talked about?

SPIRITFARER (Video Game)

Requesting: Gwen/Stella, Gustav & Stella, Astrid & Stella, Atul & Stella

It is amazing to see how each person has a connection with someone else in this game. All of us touch another person’s life in one way or another; it’s just one large, interconnected web that we’re wading through our whole lives. I would love more conversations between all the spirits or deeper explorations into their lives and their universe.
 

—   I am extremely interested in seeing more of Stella’s past life based on Lily’s conversations and the images Stella sees at the shrines. (Which are also the same images Stella sees with Hades, which you can see here.) Some suggestions:

o   Stella and her relationship with Hades (Hades remarks in their first encounter, “You’ve kept your distance, but you knew I was there, hidden in every shadow, skulking in every silence.” He paints her to be so expressive, yet in the game she doesn’t quite feel that way to me? Is Stella suppressing her feelings, is Hades really perceptive, or is the game really bad at showing off this side of her? Is it possible to get more of Stella’s introspective monologue that proves Hades’s words to be true?

o   More fleshed out scenes of Stella in her past life, with my particular interest being the end of her life

§  What is it like working as a palliative care nurse? What kind of pressure must Stella have been under, and what was her relationship with death like? (See: Hades)

§  What is it like to travel the world?

§  What was Stella’s relationship with Lily like? What about her parents, Abdul, Gwen?

§  A collection of drabbles highlighting Stella’s past life

·      Since it’s only 100 words, poetry might work too?

—   Any of the spirit’s backstories (literally anything. Alice, Summer and Rose, Bruce and Mickey, Astrid, etc.)

A lot of this list is asking you to pull from the character’s “other lives,” so to speak, but there’s so much you could do the in-universe game, too:
 

 

—   Hurt/comfort fic of Stella feeling overwhelmed by her job as a spiritfarer after ferrying another soul to the Everdoor and being consoled by someone. (My first picks are Atul, Gwen, or Gustav but really anyone could do this part. Although it would probably be goofy or awkward if Elena or Bruce & Mickey did it.)

—   Poetry, epistolary fic, or a travel brochure-style fic describing the beauty of the world Spiritfarer is set in. (Does that world have a name?)

—   Or keep it simple and write more of a novelization of a day in Stella’s life!

—   Anything featuring Stella's personality/a character study of her and her relationship with others

SPIRITED AWAY (Movie) [SAFETY]

Requesting: Worldbuilding & None, Haku & Chihiro, Haku/Chihiro, Haku & Zeniiba, Haku & Yubaaba, Haku & none

My favorite scenes in this movie are Chihiro and Haku traveling through the bushes of flowers and the train on the water. I am in love with the otherworldly elements of the story and Sen/Chihiro’s strong character. This is so obviously one of those stories whose plot pivots on the decisions and voice of the protagonist, which I love. She drives the plot forward.

I would love to see something post-canon with Chihiro and Haku, perhaps of her searching for him when she’s older or vice versa. I would adore a fic from the perspective of Chihiro as she enters high school or even grows into a young woman. Is it boring waiting for Haku to encounter her again? Does she ever wish she could be Sen again? Does she still find ways to interact with the spirit world? It would be wonderful if the spirit world were somehow still connected to Chihiro.

Alternatively, what happens to Haku after the events of the movie? Does he want to see Chihiro again, and why? Is it possible for a river spirit to fall in love with a human or is it a forbidden romance? If Haku could return to being a human, would he want that? (I am biased in that I would love a human Haku!)

I am less interested in straight-up romance and more interested in friendship or friends to lovers (slowburn, anyone?). I would also love to see the other characters from the movie make an appearance here!

PENGUIN HIGHWAY (Movie 2018) [SAFETY]

Requesting: Hamamoto & Uchida, Aoyama & Hamamoto, Aoyama/Hamamoto, Aoyama & Uchida, Aoyama & Lady

Penguin Highway is a movie, but it’s also a book, one that I read and enjoyed a lot. I loved Aoyama’s first-person narration and how know-it-all he sounded at times, although some people… didn’t like that as much.

I also adored how the whole universe feels just like ours, yet the author managed to make it feel unique simply by incorporating one magical lady. I will admit I was frustrated that there was never an explanation for the strange things that she created at the end of the story. Really? She’s just going to disappear and that’s it?! We really need more post-canon fic attempting to explain the Sea and penguins, please!

Aoyama as a character is also interesting to me. He’s only a kid in the story, but he’s growing up so fast. At one point, he says, “I already know who I’m going to marry.” I almost feel like he’s a prodigy with how he talks and thinks, and not only that, but he wants to be an adult so badly. I would love a fic where he is an adult, and maybe some more magical things happen to him that he has to deal with. Another mystery, perhaps?

Or maybe when Aoyama becomes an adult, he finally searches for the lady like he said he would. What would he find? Extra points go to writing Aoyama not only as extremely intelligent, but also with a soft, emotional side, and one that is in touch with his feelings or desires.

As for romance, Aoyama comes off as aromantic to me, and I welcome all sorts of lgbt representation. I struggle to picture him in a relationship with anyone, but I have a hunch that he had a crush on the lady (which is a little strange, not going to lie). Anyway, I would welcome any story that features this character with magical realism. I feel like there is so much potential in exploring more magic like the kind we saw in the movie.

THE NIGHT IS SHORT WALK ON GIRL (Movie 2017) [SAFETY]

Requesting: Senpai/Black-Haired Beauty, Don Underwear/The Director, Black-Haired Beauty and Suda Noriko, Noriko Suda/Don Underwear

This movie is like a multicolored scarf, with various threads running through it to form one complete piece. I am in absolute love with how the different elements of the story all run into each other. The more times you re-watch the movie, the more the (intricate) pieces click in ways they hadn’t before. I should know — the first time I discovered it, I immediately re-watched it two more times then bought the book.

At the end of the movie, the black-haired beauty agrees to go on a date with Senpai. How does the date go? What is senpai or the black-haired beauty like as a partner? Even more importantly, what kind of shenanigans do they eventually run into?

It cannot be understated how much I also adore Don Underwear, the director, and Noriko Suda. I am not interested in love triangles — I would much prefer polyamory or an open relationship for Don Underwear and his amours. (Also, Chief-in-Chief Underpants is Don Underwear’s name in the book, if that feels less icky to you than “Don Underwear,” as it certainly does for me.)

I will take a brief second here to state the director is my favorite character ever, with the black-haired beauty second. If you could find places to gush about the director’s beauty, I would be behind you 100%. It’s also canon that he crossdresses, so feel free to include that.

I would also love to see cameos from other characters such as Rihaku, Hanuki, Higuchi, and Todou.

Here are some lingering prompts for a story:

— Senpai and the black-haired beauty go on a date. Some things go right. Many go terribly wrong.

— Senpai has some lingering insecurities about dating the black-haired beauty, but she won’t stand for it.

— The black-haired beauty and senpai are hopelessly green when it comes to relationships. They each look for their own ways to feel more “ready” for a relationship. In the end, of course, it just comes naturally when you’re with the right person, with no need to worry about whether you “fit” together or not!

— The director’s garnered some more attention since the club festival and Don Underwear’s jealous, though he doesn’t initially register that’s what the feeling is called. It becomes a lot more obvious the longer they spend time together that Don Underwear has a crush.

— Similar to the god of used books and the god of colds, other spirits latch themselves onto the black-haired beauty. Senpai’s the unfortunate one caught in the spirits’ mischief.

HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE [SAFETY]

Requesting: Sophie & Markl, Markl & Howl, Sophie/Howl, Calcifer & Sophie, Calcifer & Sophie & Howl, Calcifer & Howl

I love Howl with a passion that burns just as brightly as Calcifer. Of all Studio Ghibli movies, this one is my favorite. My favorite parts of the movie are Sophie watching child Howl capture Calcifer and that time Sophie woke in the middle of the night and visited Howl in the cave stuffed with trinkets. (A gif of that scene is here, accompanied by the song “Cave of Mind.”)

That scene alone was enough to make me love the movie. I was so worried for Howl, so afraid of what had happened to him, that seeing him fly away with Sophie screaming after him only to discover it was all a dream was emotionally jolting. I felt duped by the movie for stringing me along this dramatic scene!

My other favorite scenes were those of mystery, action, and dramaticism. (Explains why I like Howl so much, huh?) I love scenes where you think, “this can’t possibly get any worse!” And then it does.

I would love a post-canon fic exploring Sophie’s and Howl’s relationship. How do you pin down Howl and have a long-term relationship with him? Is it even possible? They looked pretty happy at the end of the movie, but we know that Howl is a bit of a player given how he treated the Witch of the Waste. Now, I love established relationships, but establishing relationships, especially for Howl and Sophie, is of great interest to me.

I’d also love anything that explores Sophie’s next plans in life, as she was working at a hat shop before, with seemingly no huge aspirations. What about now? What are her biggest interests? I would love to see how her life meshes with Howl’s given their differences. I have not read the book, but I also would greatly welcome magical Sophie if there’s a way to tie that in.

I think there’s a lot I could say about Sophie’s character that I find interesting, particularly her independence and moral compass. I wonder if she might be like me in that it is easier to live on your own because to live with someone like Howl requires patience you simply don’t have. You have to learn how to adjust to living with someone else and, as we saw from the scene with the dyes and the bathroom, stepping on your partner’s toes can result in some pretty nasty consequences.

As far as action or bad guys go, what if there is more to the war than the movie suggests? Just because Turnip Prince was discovered again does not assure that everything will be fixed immediately. And Calcifer is free now, which could cause its own problems if he gets out of hand. Oh, and I don’t know about you, but Howl probably has some explaining to do with his multiple identities. There’s a lot of potential for worldbuilding and I welcome all kinds of interesting details or even political motivations/royal family mischief.

Thank you for reading! ❤️