AU5k Letter

[sarunohadaki]

AU 5k 2024 Letter 

AO3: SarunoHadaki

Tumblr: SarunoH

Dear AU5k Author,

I am thrilled that you’ve been assigned to write for me and I look forward to reading what you have to write~

This letter has been cannibalized from ones past, which is why there are so many prompts in some places. (They were for longer-form works, but I hope this style of letter can still be helpful to you!) Please don’t feel a need to follow all of my prompts or to shove all of my likes into a fic as I know the list is pretty long. In fact, most sections of this letter are long by design to try and give you as many ideas for feeding into a fic. Feel free to pick and choose whatever works best for you! There’s a way to collapse different headers to make the letter more easy to navigate and I did my best to incorporate that here.

‼️ Some ship sections are untouched from previous letters and so might not be applicable for this exchange, which has existing AUs. But such are the hazards of cannibalising. ‼️

⭐ Recursive fic and fic inspired by my fic/its universe etc. are welcome! ⭐

♥️ Treats accepted! I also have treats turned on ♥️

Thank you again and happy writing!

Requesting:

Yes, No, or Maybe?
HSR Jing Yuan ships
HSR Jing Yuan/Yanqing
How I Attended An All-Guy's Mixer
Play it Cool Guys/How I Attended An All-Guy's Mixer
Genshin Heizou/Lyney
Genshin Scaramouche/Xiao
Genshin Scaramouche/Various 1
Genshin Scaramouche/Various 2

I Love

• M/M pairings
• Getting together fics
• AUs, especially modern
• Spouses/established relationships
• “Oh no they were both tops/bottoms” & switchy pairings
• Hurt/comfort, particularly emotional hurt and resulting in cuddles
• Character A catching injured B as they faint or lose balance
• Canon divergence, post-canon, and filling in missing/skipped scenes

DNWs

• Unrequested mash-ups of multiple AUs together
• Gunshots/shooting
• Pregnancy (the conceiving of a child part; unsuccessful attempt at impregnation for NSFW/breeding kink purposes is wholly welcome)
• De-aging/Age regression of characters
• Children
• All hurt, no comfort
• Rape with onlookers watching
• Scat, vomit
• Misgendering characters
• Homophobia
• Sethos
• Yunli



A and B are secretly married the whole time AND Pretending Not to Be Dating / Married AU

Okay but tell me this doesn't just completely scratch my id in the perfect way!!! Two character who you look at and go, Are they together, or are they just close…? Doing things like sharing the same wallet/bag, ordering together and sharing meals, always planning trips together or talking about mutual friends. BUT ALSO being unexpectedly independent about certain things, like taking trips apart from each other or sleeping in separate beds and, frustratingly of all, never straight-up vocalizing that they're in a relationship! I have a lot of pairings that I feel like they'd get married overnight and not tell anyone aside from their parents and the friend group isn't completely surprised, but still possibly a little scorned that they were never invited to an official ceremony because my blorbos have acted like a married couple since they first started dating, so the progression happened very naturally. Even though as a society I think there's less emphasis on needing to get married (which I agree with tbh), I think there's a certain symbolism to it that makes me really happy, and also a sort of intentionality to it. The characters don't have to wear the rings or be blessed in a formal ceremony for the marriage to be real and significant— I think it's enough for the characters to call each other husband/wife/partner/etc. and treating each other with that special love that attests to how well they know and understand each other!!
I also think it would be really cute if the pairing has to remind other people that they're married. Would Char A and B have different perspectives about telling other people— like maybe A is very proud of it and B is more shy and reserved and not as likely to say it aloud. Or maybe A and B are on the same wavelength about it, or so blasé that it's as simple as a casual, “Oh yeah, we've been married two years, duh.” The possibilities are endless!


Alignment Swap - Canon Good Guys are Villains and Vice Versa

I really love opportunities to see how a writer would take something that seems so core to a character and turn it on its head. What aspects of that character's personality or backstory would stay the same and what would change? Is there one pivotal moment where things could have gone wrong, such as a parental or mentor figure betraying or not returning for them, where that could have been the root of the character's problems? Or maybe a more dramatic overhaul would be necessary, like their mentor or family also being evil, thereby making this alignment swap a little easier to execute. I would love worldbuilding to this point and showing how elements or society of culture could change for this character to better suit this new alignment.
Scaramouche has been all over the spectrum in terms of his alignment, although always skewing more in the direction of evil, and I would be interested to read a fic where that changes! In this AU, I would prefer if the swap emphasized the more immediate characters in the story and my requested ship and did not restructure all of society, although you can absolutely take it to mean that, too. I love themes of redemption and overcoming/recovering from trauma but am also not against getting to see the trail of bodies or bruises that led to that trauma. For Scaramouche in particular, I like that he took his agency back in the way of joining the Harbingers because he wanted power to feel like he was needed and in control again. I would be fascinated by a portrayal of Scaramouche where he still has some of the kind nature he had when he was younger but with more intention and understanding of the human world. It would be interesting to see what kind of power he could hold and how he might be able to act more kindly without being as aloof as Wanderer. (Or maybe he remains just as aloof!)
Psychoanalyzing the blorbos and figuring out why they turned out the way they did and how things could have turned out differently is a super fun pastime. I think even characters like cheery Venti or the careful karmic-debt ridden Xiao could also wind up bad if they encountered the wrong circumstances.


Artist/Model

This is similar to Photographer/Model but I'm imagining something a little less intimate, like one of those figure drawing/painting study classes where there's one nude model who is tbh probably a student doing it for a little extra cash on the side vs a class of students set up in a circle around them with their easels and materials studiously drawing them for however long. I can't help but feel the eroticism in the concept when you consider it a slash pairing having to do it 🫣 Like, if Character A is the model and B is the student with the front-row seat who has a crush on them, how does B keep their composure? Are they incredibly happy that they get to spend an hour of that (or every) week studying their crush's naked body, or are they so embarrassed by all of it that they can't even bring themselves to relax and enjoy it? How do you remain respectful in a situation like that? Alternatively, what if the model is all too aware that that one student has a thing for them and in order to preserve their peace of mind, they intentionally pose a certain way to give that person a shitty, boring angle? Or even something simpler, like standing with their back facing them so they don't have to get embarrassed, too? Please also take this to a lewd place if you feel so inclined! I think my NSFW likes list well covers what I enjoy, and I think daydreaming about sexual encounters while drawing/painting the object of them right in front of you is a better starting point than any for that sort of fic! If the idea of painting or drawing someone nude is A Little Much, you could also transfer the same concept to a clothed person and I would have no gripes about it!


ATLA/Bender AU

Everybody loves a good little ATLA moment. What element are each of the characters, or are they non-benders? How do they use their powers uniquely or were they trained in a certain art/way so it's standardized? Are they the Most Specialist Character Ever so they have special skills nobody else has? What region is every character from and how did they meet? (With Genshin especially, I feel like it'd be easy to transfer the regions/elements over to ATLA elements.) I think it would be funny if instead of the cool-headed character being the waterbender and the hot-headed one being the firebender, etc., there was a goofy little subversion of stereotypes and the very elegant character is punching people and the hot-headed one has to chill to be able to waterbend or airbend effectively. Are one of the characters the avatar, and if so, who? I've always had some trouble writing this kind of AU because it's so overwhelming to even decide where to start, esp for a oneshot. So, some ideas:
- A story focused more on an existing team of characters traveling through the world on a quest with an Author's Note or starting few paragraphs giving exposition.
- Similarly, a group of 2-3 people are the Avatar's dedicated Crew and together they help the kingdom(s). Kind of like advisors!
- The Avatar has a more “conventional” upbringing in terms of training and mastering the elements. Tell me about a day in their life— or how everything goes wrong and they meet the people who are going to change the world with them.
- The Avatar has a fan (love interest) who is determined to help/meet them and it winds up being wholesome and extremely fulfilling (and maybe even plot-relevant in terms of this person being one of those who could help the Avatar master the element they have the most trouble with).


Ballet - Characters are Ballet Dancers AND Characters are Ballet Dancers

I'm absolutely obsessed with the idea of the characters having to pair up and not being… the most excited about it. Or having a gay breakdown where one half of the pairing thinks the other person is totally clocked out and not interested in dancing with them when it's completely the opposite and the character is just a gay mess who doesn't know how to focus around their crush. I love the terminology of ballet dancing— give me details about the sorts of moves they're doing! But also, breaking in pointe shoes, dressing up in super sexy leotards and coming to class piled up in a bunch of warm clothes that the take off layer by layer as they warm up enough from practice. I've learned a lot of little details about ballet from Eva Nys, who is a photographer with Master Ballet Company in Arizona. I also watch a lot of Lori Hernandez, who is a ballerina and content creator who talks about her experiences in ballet. (Yes, she does have ASMR vids of breaking in pointe shoes, too.) Also, because I am a BL lover through and through, I've read After School Etude, which is about the new plucky golden-retriever type being paired up with the assholish prodigy. Ugh, my heart! I love the idea that two guys would be paired together for class or whatever have you and one (or both) is trying their best to improve in order to impress the other! Also, competition between chars (one-sided or otherwise) and totally necessary private lessons! Or maybe just seeing each other in class and being impressed by the other's skill/physique/etc. and the relationship that could develop between the two.

Inspiration

I basically lived on this Youtube channel for a time: Eva Nys photography Life of Lori After School Etude


Bartender/Patron

Okay but look at how sexy these bars are. And bartenders in anime are never not handsome and sexy in their fits! Just picture them with a cocktail shaker!! I imagine Bartender/Patron goes a little something like the patron frequently going to the bar after work enough that they start building a friendship with the bartender enough that they know the other person's regular order. Or maybe the patron initially goes to try and get lucky with other people and the bartender's tired of their mug/happy to see them coming back all the time/pining frustratedly. I think my favorite dynamic would be an aloof bartender who's beginning to accept that this might be their fave regular and the patron who is super turned on by the bartender but doesn't really know what to do about it. (Or their advances keep getting ignored.)
I think it would be really cute if the patron got too tipsy one night to go home by themselves and the bartender helped them out! That could lead to a lot of other things, like someone's bed 👀! Feelings confession? Or does that only make the situation worse? What if the bartender had intentionally served the patron a drink they couldn't handle in the hopes of forcing the confession out of them, only for the plan to completely backfire? ALSO, the bartender could make the patron drinks with special meanings or significance, kind of like how flowers have different meanings/love messages! I'm also open to dubious consent/noncon NSFW things happening at any point in the process! (Though consensual sex too is, of course, totally welcome!)

Inspiration




Bodyswap AU

I'm less worried about the means with which the bodyswap happens and much more interested in hearing all about what the characters DO about it. Assuming the bodyswap has occurred between the requested pairing, were they in an established relationship before the swap or are these characters who don't know each other well or have only had a polite friendship with each other before the swap? If you'd like to amp the hilarity up to 100, neither character even knows who the other is and they have to find their own body to begin even figuring out how to reverse it. I think it would be funny if the main character initiated the bodyswap but the love interest only barely knows who the MC is and is very taken aback when they find themselves in the other's body. Or maybe the love interest is friends with the MC and Very Concerned and suddenly has a Lot of Feelings about being in their body. Exploring each other's bodies could lead to feelings realizations and probably discomfort at first. In the event they're already a Thing, what could the bodyswap reveal about each other? I feel like when I hear about this trope, it's assuming the pairing isn't together yet but I think there could be a special significance in it being between people who already know each other and think they know how to pretend to be the other person and how to do their job but then as they're going through the other person's life, they realize how tough it actually is and take a moment to reflect on how Cool their partner actually is for all the bullshit they put up with in their day-to-day life.
There's also an aspect of this where I think it would be very touching/therapeutic for certain characters for whom there might be body dysmorphia or an unhealthy relationship with their body and the possible relief or tension that would come with being apart from it. In situations where that is the case, I think the characters would swap back once the character with the self-hate learned to accept themselves (through make-up sex *cough cough*). For some (headcanon) trans characters with dysphoria, trading places with their cis partner could be euphoric or at the very least eye-opening. For the partner, it could also be an opportunity to learn more about the struggles their partner goes through. The idea of bodyswapping with a trans character doesn't have to be limited to only prompt ideas for established relationships, though— I would LOVE for strangers with the same arrangement to also swap.
(Spoilers ahead for Your Name)
I would also be remiss if I mentioned this AU without mentioning Your Name, where the characters who swap have no idea who the other is and live in completely different times (about 10 years apart) and build an affection for the other through living in their body. There's a montage in that movie of the two figuring out how the other lives their routine lives and I would have loved to have more time expounding upon their individual experiences and how they're different.


Camboy

I honestly don't know much about irl camboys but I would love a telling of a hot-ass character who does explicit things in front of the camera, especially if they're racier things like bondage, roleplay, incorporation of some crazy toys, whips, etc… It would be really fun/funny if the camboy in question puts on a lot of energy for the camera but then in real life is so tired out from the work of it or doesn't find relationships worth the the time so it turns out they're single and a virgin. Ways they might find their S/O in this universe: the camboy works a traditional job during the day and a coworker or customer recognizes them (and is hopefully low-key about it, but maybe not…). I think it would also be funny if there's a friend who has never looked for that sort of thing online then stumbles upon it or a mutual friend tells them that it's truly not that much of a secret that their friend is a camboy and this particular friend is the only one who hasn't figured it out yet 😭 poor friend left out of the loop… but then they look into it and catch feelings that could complicate how they act around the camboy, who probably notices that something has changed about them and wants to get to the bottom of it s they can continue to be friends. I think it would be hot if sex happens before the relationship has been established, or the camboy finds out in an embarrassing way that their friend has been following them online, maybe by recognizing a username in a chat one day when they're busy doing something very hot/embarrassing or maybe walking in on said friend in broad daylight one day while they're getting off on one of their videos! I think it would be cute if the camboy got very huffy about it and asked the friend why they didn't tell him they were watching— or if the camboy got smug/pleased about the fact that they're attractive enough to get the friend's attention like that. Although discomfort is also an obvious reaction to the news at first!


Canon injury has longer-term effects than shown in canon

I want them to Get Worse before they get better. A lot of the characters I like have a canonical injury event that I think could be expounded upon with more detail and introspection about why/how it happened and their feelings around the event (and also surrounding the person who is helping them recover— a perfect opportunity for feelings to blossom)! I think also there's an aspect of getting better/taking care of yourself/having the time you need to fully recover and process things that I really like about this tag. Especially because I'm at a place mentally lately where I don't feel my best and this is a good chance to live vicariously through characters who have the same struggles but I have the pleasure of seeing them get better and take better care of themselves, which honestly is what we always care about. On a broader note, there's some injuries that a character can't fully recover from that might leave them with a limp or loss in a eye or something like that, and I think a part of why I also requested this tag was because I feel like we could get more representation of such situations in stories. I would like to shed more light on this idea of a character not needing to be “fixed” or be perfectly healthy— imperfections are good! So many people in our world live with disabilities and I feel like more of that representation is so important and helpful for able-bodied people who never think about it or how they could do things differently to accommodate people who are different from them but still deserving of the same treatment and advantages.


Canonical universe works on telenovela (soap opera) tropes

I think it would be hilarious to pair this with a canon that is super serious all the time because then there's this complete disconnect between the characters and all the dramatic things that are happening to them 😂 It feels like when I used to play with dolls as a kid and I'd try to cram as many complications as I could into a single character, like them being infidelious, shoplifting, sabotaging someone's birthday, having mommy issues… just the whole shebang. I think this AU invites a lot of that sort of stuff into it. What I really want, though, is for one of those dramatic scenes where a character gets injured (preferably by falling down the stairs), then they wind up in the hospital. I would love it if the ludicrousness was amped up to 100 and all the characters in this universe act as though it's natural. It would also be very funny if it's kind of like an isekai situation— one character from the real world is aware that telenovelas exist and has that fourth-wall-breaking quality while the others live like this every day and this is just another Saturday for them but this time Susan has fallen down the stairs so they're taking their monthly visit to the hospital and it's only the isekai'd character who goes, “Doesn't anyone else think this is a little weird?”

Inspiration:

TV Tropes - Telenovela


Casefic/Detective AU

What draws me the most into these AUs are the premise of there being a problem and there being a very competent character capable of solving it. Pieces of media that have inspired my interest in this include things like the Poirot series and Sherlock Holmes, to nobody's surprise, and I would love anything that would lean into that with its tropes, characters, etc. In Genshin, too, there have been some more modern detective stories related to mysterious deaths and whatnot, especially in Fontaine, or with Heizou in Inazuma, things like that. I applaud anyone who is aiming to write this sort of thing considering I don't know if I have the logic for it personally, with having to be able to create some mystery without making it too obvious what happened. I don't think it would be my place to give advice specifically in how things shake out with the crime or detective-ness of the story in general since that will be for you to figure out but just know that I fully support you and am excited to figure out whodunnit! Extra props if it turns out the victim was actually killed/etc. from and accident and nobody specific is to blame. Perhaps a sadder route to take but also a fun little twist for readers who had a certain character picked out. I would also especially love it if there's an obvious red herring and the story becomes more about trying to prove they didn't do it than pinning the blame on someone else.


Celebrity/Fan

The celebrity can be any sort of celebrity— popstar, YouTuber/Twitch streamer, actor, artist, etc. I'm at a loss of which I like the sound of better— Fan meets celebrity out in the wild and recognizes them immediately versus actually doesn't and develops a friendly connection with them before realizing who the person is and having an absolute panic about it! I could totally imagine the celebrity trying to keep their identity covered in public and either failing or succeeding, based on the reaction of the fan. Or, instead of that as a first meet, maybe the fan and celebrity meet at an event like a signing, or on Tinder! I think it would be funny if they were neighbors or frequented the same location, like a grocery store, boba shop/café, gym, etc. Or perhaps they could run into each other at all these places and the fan has to insist that it's all a coincidence and I swear I'm not stalking you! I admit to being a fan of BL manga where the fan character would probably be an office worker in such a situation but I think it'd also be neat if they had a role working at one of the aforementioned places. I wouldn't mind if the fan held a role I mentioned in my other sections— florist, tattooist, bartender, TV host, etc. The concept of an office manager fangirling over a celebrity on their downtime is just too cute!
Though the celebrity probably never expected the fan to know them in a personal capacity and vice versa, it would be fun to explore how their relationship would develop into something more intimate. How much trust would it take for the celebrity to open up to this person, especially considering any possible negative experiences they've had with fans in the past? How might their perception of the relationship change over time to one more comfortable and romantic? And on the other side, how long would it take for the fan to grow from feeling like an infatuated teenager to someone who is realizing the relationship they have with the celebrity stretches beyond that to something much more committed and romantic, too? Would that development happen naturally or would it come with a lot of miscommunication and strife as they both work through their feelings and come to accept them?


Character has amnesia AND one or more characters have amnesia

This has definitely not ALREADY HAPPENED in some of my canons, no-no, lol! In such cases, this would be a request to please inflict a new amnesia upon a character, either in an, “Oh no, not again!” situation or a rewrite of the existing time it happened if situations were different. My favorite aspects of amnesia-addled characters are the angst and hurt/comfort, especially if it's in a situation where the afflicted character has had an established relationship (or even recently established!) where they have now forgotten their partner. For extra angst, the affected character remembers other things, like how to do their job or friendship with someone from their childhood who is not the love interest, so the partner's pain is even worse. It would be really cute if the partner taught the character how to love them all over again. Consider, also, a situation where the afflicted character develops a friendship/love for someone who was only an acquaintance or even an enemy. Someone the love interest once found super annoying and intolerable is now stripped of all their normal assholishness and is simply the most pathetic little guy that the love interest can't help but want to get closer to/take care of. Maybe the amnesia-addled character isn't completely helpless but rather polite or has a vastly different outlook or perspective on life/behaviors. I'd also love to see how the amnesia-addled character would react once they've gotten their memories back and how they cope with everything they'd been through. Would they be ashamed of their behavior? Accepting of it? Or simply wanting to put it all behind themselves, but that isn't at all possible considering how entrenched they are in this different relationship with love interest/partner?


Characters meet on a dating website

I'm gonna be so fr, I've tried dating apps and had a terrible time but I think there's a lot of potential for silly and goofy things to happen to characters in this scenario and I would like to see that explored! Things such as Character A having a completely different perspective on online dating, such as being hopeful it'll be successful and being new to the whole thing vs B who has been doing it for a while and complains that the people they meet never look like their photos and they never get past the first date (it's definitely not due to their terrible personality or anything) and it's all a whole waste of time. But then the pessimistic B starts chatting with A and they're so refreshing and against everything B knows/expects out of an online date, so they give it a try. I love misunderstandings and characters who act one day over text but then in-person are super shy or cold-shouldered for situations like this where it becomes awkward all over again and A/B are having to figure out what was so different about texting through screens versus meeting the person in real life and being kind of anxious about doing well. And also, of course, the obligatory, “Oh no, they're hot!” First meetings are one of those things where you can't help what your first impressions are like, whether they're positive or negative, and I think part of the story could be trying to overcome those feelings and characters pushing past the initial discomfort to realize that they really do enjoy each other's company and it was just because the other character is so attractive that they were having trouble thinking with them around, or maybe it was because one really wanted to impress the other with their personality/looks but along the way lost sight of themselves and the reason the other person even wanted to meet up with them in-person to begin with. I think that could be a really cute/sweet ending where the characters come to conclusions about their own feelings and are able to express them in person as easily as they were able to virtually!


Coffee shop meet ugly AU

Maybe A grabbed for the wrong drink and had to be correct by staff that that belongs to someone named Stacy. Maybe worker B was so flustered by something that they spilled a cup all over the counter and now is going through the embarrassing ordeal of having to clean it up. Maybe two characters met somewhere else and wanted to have their first date at a coffee shop and again, spills something or loses a whole croissant to the floor. What if worker B calls out A's name but they misheard them and called them something super embarrassing that actually sticks and becomes a nickname for them in the future? (And does A hate that, or are they totally into it and accepting of the goof?) I think there's a lot of fun in things not going the precise way you expect but seeing how the characters react and what their solutions to such problems are. I would definitely appreciate if the story expands beyond the scope of the coffee shop though to other locations and plot. I just think this would be a cute/fun place for characters to establish a connection and initiate all the goofiness that will lead to them getting together or improving their existing relationship.


Dan Heng was not imprisoned and lives on the Luofu

I'm interested in knowing what Dan Heng's life would have been like had he not been imprisoned and instead treated the same as other citizens on the Luofu. Or perhaps even like a Rapunzel in the tower situation where he's still restricted but has more mobility and gets to see sunlight and such, but just can't leave or has limited rights and freedoms. Would he still have joined the Astral Express? How would that have changed his relationship with Jing Yuan and the Vidyadharan people? Would they still consider him their High Elder or is that title still off-limits for him and instead he co-owns the title with Bailu or is instead just chilling? What if Jing Yuan found a different title for him that suited him better? He keeps the records on the express and is a bodyguard for them canonically, so maybe he could do something similar on the Luofu!


Dark fuck prince

Dark fuck prince is “that urge to make some blorbo into the tall, dark, handsome, smug, commanding/controlling Alpha Top Man, when often blorbo is Not That in canon.” — Definition provided by someone on the Exchanges after Dark server With that in mind, I truly think Scaramouche could achieve this if he wasn't stuck in such a twinky body. I live in a delusional land full of hope and dreams for a hot, sexy Scaramouche who still has all the evil charms of his Harbinger self but now also has the physical appearance to back it up. I feel like he's already halfway there to being a dark fuck prince, especially if you consider his relation to the Shogun, which in and of itself is a sort of royal title… if you squint hard enough and believe! I actually love stories where Scaramouche keeps the long hair and wears traditional kimono. Also love the idea of him wielding a sword in a past life instead of being a catalyst user! Look at what we could have had if they hadn't taken it from us!! (I say, gesturing to an electro sword-user Scaramouche with long hair and traditional wear who is very hot and could kill you!!)


Fantasy/Magic Royalty Palace Intrigue AU

This isn't an AU I typically spend a lot of time in, so I'll defer to you in terms of plot if you decide to write this AU. I will say, I chose it because I liked the sound of there being fancy ballroom dancing, knives at people's throats, trysts, and very large very fancy rooms full of important people. (Ideally, those people also happen to be some of my favorite blorbos.) Some common roles that I would expect to see in such a story: The court mage (very important!), princes, dukes, knights, royal advisors (definitely not evil), royal king/queen/ruler, etc. The most recent thing I have read with a sniff of this sort of air was Who Made Me a Princess? Which first started as a webcomic and then got published. In that case, the princess had a really cute relationship with the court's mage, and he provided her a lot of protection and aid throughout the plot, which I thought was very cute and made me love him very much. ALSO!! There was a very DILF of a man!! I don't know, I definitely love the outfits and support characters' wrongs as long as they do so sexily. Some characters look really hot in blood and enjoy being seeped in political drama and who am I to tell them to behave when they want so badly to engage in court drama? Some of these characters might also sneak away from dances to have secret romantic trysts and really hot sex in closets or bedchambers and I fully support the endeavor. It's all in the name of forging healthy interpersonal relationships with other members of the court/ambassadors/etc. And if it's to keep the court mage/prince/etc. etc. happy, then really, who has any right to deny them?


Figure Skating

Okay so you don't need to have watched Yuri On Ice!!! for this but I think it's a very bingeable and accessible piece of media for acquainting yourself with the sort of thing I would expect from this sort of AU. HOWEVER, I also watch some of Paola La on Youtube, who is always talking about real-life figure skating drama with things like skaters and their relationships with other competitors, their partners, coaches, etc. They talk about injuries, competitions and who won what, etc., etc. And I find it really fun and interesting despite it being… about real people, which can leave a sort of taste in your mouth if you're not about it. But I think exploring the politics of what it's like to live as a figure skater and the sort of challenges and complex relationship dynamics they're having to face every day is extremely interesting to me. I also love hearing about all the different moves and how much training it took for someone to get to where they are at a competition. It's naturally an environment full of tension and hope and failure, which makes for great storytelling, especially when you have someone you're really rooting for and wanting to win then practically chewing your fingernails off as you wait in suspense to see if they land that certain jump or whatever it is.
I would like the pairing to either be competitors or partners skating together. I think that's the best potential for there to be a lot of drama between the characters in terms of them both wanting to win and having to accept that that isn't really possible. But also, also having attraction for how the other skates on the ice, beautiful descriptions of what their body looks like and how it moves and dare I say horny thoughts associated with that?? And also, of course, that leading to feelings realization!! And then having to deal with said feelings!

Inspiration

Paola La




Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor

I think it would be really hot and cute to have a tattoo artist working next door to a flower shop. Yeah, yeah, the classic stuff like the tattoo artist sketching flowers/the person who works at the flower shop or the florist going into the tattoo parlor to ask about getting a tattoo. But what about if the tattoo artist was still a learning apprentice and using synthetic skins and paper to practice patterns? What if the flower shop person got free practice tattoos out of it, or the tattoo artist used, idk, leaves and plants like apples and squashes to practice their skills, too? I think it's those technical aspects that I find the most interesting. Sorry to say I don't know as much about plants, though I'd love to learn! The competency-porn liker within me is rearing its head! It would also be really fun if the tattoo artist and the flower shop person were actually very similar in aesthetics and the florist already has some tattoos/piercings but the tattooist is never around when they're uncovered or maybe it's because the florist only shows the style off when they're off working hours. Or maybe the florist never thought to hide anything and the tattooist is immediately smitten with how hot they are! Suddenly, they want to know as much as they can about the florist to catch their eye! On the inverse, the florist saving up cash to get a tattoo and making sure it's something time-consuming so they'd get plenty of oogling time w the tattooist. It'd be sad if they weren't so lucky with the first tattoo and it was only a 30-minute session that has them going, “That's it? It's already done? :-(” And the tattooist confused that they don't like it instead of it being an issue of wanting more time with them 😂


Host Club

Are both characters hosts at the same host club? Maybe one of them is a newcomer and the other one is showing them the ropes! I always love a situation where there's a bit of mentorship between characters— a perfect reason for them to interact and bond (and grow closer together as they work shifts together)! It would also be fun for the misunderstandings and jealousy that could come along with seeing someone A likes interacting with customers and being flirty with other people (for their job, mind you,) then that leads to them being so fed up with it that they either confess or get into an argument where B either does or does not understand at all what they did wrong and has to find a way to make amends! But I also think this would be a really fun AU for two characters who are complete strangers to one another and one is a frequent customer and the other works there. There's doubtless rules about clients and staff not dating, so how would they get around that? How long would it take for someone to admit to having feelings and then how would they handle them? I think it would be really interesting if the customer character stopped showing up to the establishment and the other got worried only for it to turn out that they were trying to distance themselves from it because they wanted to date the other person as friends, not as employee/client, if that makes sense. It would be even more hilarious, though, if during a visit, someone confessed their feelings then got so embarrassed they decided to never show their face again and the other has to go track them down to talk to them! In an established relationship, I think it'd be really cute if they both worked together and are flirting with other people for work but it's sort of a power play between them or perhaps even a kink thing… keep the relationship alive by competing in seeing who can make a patron blush harder! But the one who will really be enjoying themselves tonight is the other partner relegated to watching during the day!


Manga Artist

I have two manga/anime recommendations for the sort of character I'm imagining in my head. Nozaki from Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun and Fuji from How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer. A trope I've noticed between both of them is that the artist character keeps their mangaka identity a secret, aside from some close friends, one of which it is their job to help with the screentones and other admin duties! I think that's a natural way to bring two characters closer— the artist needs help with an upcoming deadline or the character who has a crush on them is trying to find a way to get closer to them, so they offer to help with the manga and then wind up at their house a lot for toootally innocent reasons. (I would definitely not be upset if it ended up more nefarious, though!) Although writing is a different medium, we're still artists, and I think there's a lot of potential to give these characters the same struggles/achievements in their artistic journey— things like trying to think up good dialog or struggling with something feeling like it's not working in the story and getting help from a friend or beta reader in finding out what exactly is missing from it. I also love the trope of the artist character enlisting someone else in help modeling for characters and drawing them, especially if it's for a specific kind of manga where the model in question might have to be semi-nude 👀 Something I definitely am excited to see would be what the dynamic between the ship is in this situation. Both of the media examples I mentioned at the beginning have a mangaka character who is more aloof and I honestly think it would be a little refreshing to have someone else who is a little more embarrassed about their craft/protective of it and how the other half of the pairing could foster their ability and encourage them to keep working at it. I also think it would be really cute if the other half of the pairing buys ever new edition of the manga and brags about it to their friends in front of the creator!

Inspiration




Marriage by Winning Ritual Combat To Gain Partner's Hand

What could be more erotic than willing to fight to prove your love?? Give me hot blorbos covered in blood with bodies at their feet (incapacitated or otherwise)! Is the partner impressed? Proud? Could that also lead into Kink Things?? Are there other aspects to the ritual, sort of like a trial situation where the character has to do a series of tests to prove their worthiness? The part of this concept I love the most is the intentionality of it— that this character wants to be married to this other guy so badly that they're willing to put their own life at risk for a chance to be with them. I would love it even more if this was completely optional and they didn't have to, but that would also mean that then they couldn't be married officially, so they do what any sane person would do and insists that they have to do it because that's how important that bond to them is. It would also be cute if there was a situation where this partner is a prince or something and so the whole town/city/what have you has shown up to see who is going to win this person's hand at marriage and their childhood friend/enemy/knight/etc. Unexpectedly shows up and is doing really well. Would that be a relief for the person on the awaiting end of this character's victory, or are they worried/upset about it and kind of wishing the whole ritual wasn't happening to begin with? Maybe this character who is going to be married to the victor of this ritual is like so many Disney princesses in movies and don't want to be married off to the wrong person. I think it's possible, however, for them to change their tune after seeing how capable said partner is in the battlefield and the expression of their commitment to the relationship that that represents.


Murder on the Orient Express fusion

I love the absolute vibes of a group of characters being restricted to such a tight space and the tension they feel at knowing they're (almost all) the killer. I would not mind if the cast was squeezed down to fewer characters, considering how difficult it is to write a full party, let alone make it a casefic sort of situation! I love the puzzling mystery of it all but also wouldn't mind a more unconventional approach that looks at the story from the perspective of one of the killers. Or maybe a situation where there is no detective but a bunch of laymen trying to figure out whodunnit together in a situation where there IS only a singular killer. (Though the detective character is quite iconic, and I would adore it to be played by any character who you feel would have the charisma or intellect to suit it! (SO, not necessarily the main character, though that is ALSO very good)) I understand why one of the unique aspects of the Orient Express is the huge twist that basically everyone was in on it and I love the shock value of that. More than anything, though, I love the Train Vibes. I love riding trains, from getting to see the scenery outside the window to the meal service and the cute rooms/bunks and walking between cars. It's all such a novel experience! Especially if it's a steam engine! How cool?! I think it would also be extremely amusing and fun to see how you would create connections between the murdered party/ies and the rest of the passengers. I give you free rein over choosing new occupations/relationships for characters if the canon ones aren't quite enough for what the story requires. Feel free to write it as crackfic-y or serious as you would like.

Inspiration




Musician AU — Pianist/Violinist

I have requested this one in the past as an original work to great success so I decided to bring it back. What if they accompany each other? Or are in an orchestra together? What is their relationship like? Are they compatible and have instant chemistry or could it not be farther, like oil and water? I think it would be cute if the pianist was famous but uninspired in their work and it was only through playing with the violinist randomly at an airport one time that they realized that playing can still be fun if it's with the right person. (That fic is here, btw). It'd be funny but heartwarming to have a violinist who turns their nose up at playing with anyone but sees how skilled and talented the pianist is and— whether they admit it or not— enjoys playing with them. I think it'd be cute if one of them was new to an existing orchestra and was either having trouble fitting in with the existing musicians or is standoffish and hard to get close to, but the other tries to anyway. POV: The new guy isn't an asshole, actually, they just don't know how to talk to people and by god the other person is going to force them out of their shell whether they like it or not. That would be adorable if the new musician is reserved unless it's to get into a bickering fight with the person about getting a part of the song wrong or something. That totally counts as chemistry!!!

Inspiration

TwoSetViolin - We Play Our Fans' Musical Compositions I used to be really obsessed with twoset violin on youtube and think their videos are very fun and cool! And they teach u a little bit about violin in the process, too! Put Your Emptiness to Melody by felcast


Photographer/Model

Really hot and a classic… I read a fic once where this concept was just completely smut, which don't get me wrong I LOVE, but I think there's also totally room here for something deeper and interesting. I'm really endeared by the idea of there being a model who is very frustrating to work with— either because they argue back or don't listen in the first place to commands— so when a new photographer is brought on, they're bracing for the worst. Do things turn out as messy as they expect them to or is there something different about the photographer that makes it so the model actually listens to them? I can see myself enjoying either option. On one hand, a lot of the ships I requested are the sort capable of a really good bickering back and forth where the arguments aren't always super serious and that's just their default state of being, kind of like a grumpy old married couple! But I also love ships that treat each other with a special care they don't extend to anyone else, especially in a situation like this where it's not as clear why. Although if I had to hazard a guess, it would be because the model has a crush on the photographer so that's why they're treating them so well, or maybe the model was just in a better mood that day and the photographer has the sort of personality that meshes well with the model. Or maybe it's something as simple as the photographer asking for the right poses and being so sure of themselves that the model doesn't find them annoying or whiny but competent and respectful!
For the steamy stuff again though, what about nude photos? I would love something cheesy like the photographer and model are taking some pics alone when the model notices the photographer is at half-mast (assuming it's a guy) and offering to take care of it for him! 😂 Who could resist the model's smoking hot body? Who wouldn't want a taste— or touch— of it?? I also won't talk your ear off about all the things they could do but rest assured I think my nsfw likes list has got you covered! I really like the idea of them getting up to something after-hours at the studio (whether that be in an actual office building or at the photographer's place)!


Pilot/Air Traffic Controller AND Pilot/Co-Pilot

I'm absolutely not expecting you to know all the lingo or how planes work or anything like that. But I would love some general vibes to the effect of, “Oh wow that person is so smart for being able to pilot a wholeass airplane (which, as a result is also very Hot and Sexy).” I'm not really sure if it's true but I've also heard that pilots (and stewardesses) get a lot of action at the places they have layovers at, that sort of thing. Since who WOULDNT want to fuck someone you know is making more money than you ever could (and is also hot in their uniform)? So these relationship pairings would be even more interesting if you had a pilot who was not interested in participating in that kind of game, perhaps to the confusion of the rest of the crew who thinks they're so handsome and could have whoever they want. I imagine these pairings as being an arrangement where the pilot flies a lot in a certain region and thus encounters a lot of the same crew— traffic controller or co-pilot alike. It starts off as a very professional relationship but both chars have amazing chemistry together and have more synergy than they have ever felt with another person before, so much so that whenever those two characters are paired together for a flight, the usually unsmiling pilot is all smiley and the rest of the flight crew wonder what's gotten into them. I think it'd be cute if the pilot was invited to a holiday party or something and got to spend some time with the air traffic controller/co-pilot outside of working hours and was having simply the happiest time of their life. (And then, if it permits, having a one-night stand that is a very slippery slope into a full-fledged committed relationship!)
As far as flying planes: I actually think this shit is so cool and I find the Youtube videos about it kind of addicting, actually, even though I know they're not for everyone. Because the sort of videos I'm interested in are… accident videos, lol! Although I'd also like to highlight a shorter video featuring an air traffic controller who probably has more sass than any I've heard from before. I've come to know pilots as being pretty serious people since their work is so mentally taxing and they don't have the time to be spent being chatty with their co-pilot or ATC while on the job, but I would love little quips and opportunities for the chars to connect on the off-hours and maybe catch up on all the latest gossip, flirt, or whatever the chars get up to when they're not doing a Very Hard Job that I find Very Impressive.

Inspiration

Mentour Pilot
Best and Funniest Air Traffic Control Conversations
Youtube heard me and this came out recently: Air Crash Investigator Answers Aviation Accident Questions | Tech Support | WIRED


Power/Ability Swap

How would this change what the character is capable of doing and what they can't? Does the new power or ability match their aesthetic? How might they use it differently so it continues to align with their personality and how they like to solve problems/etc.? If this is a situation where the character naturally developed this ability instead of the canon one for the sake of the swap, what canon reason or backstory supports them using it? Was it inherent or maybe a trainer taught them how, etc.? In a situation where the swap happens in the middle of the story (maybe from a curse/spell/etc.) how would the characters feel about having each other's powers and would they use them properly/improperly? I think it would be cute if the characters were left teaching each other how to do things. But knowing my pairings, they might end up bickering about it and not taking each other's advice, thus having to figure out on their own which ways work for them.


Prince/Royal Body Guard AU

I love myself a very handsome prince who is perhaps not very well-prepared for combat but is always getting into trouble and has a tendency to run off where their body guard can't reach. (And then the body guard is always disgruntled and wants to admonish them for getting into trouble again, and perhaps they do, because they have a good relationship like that, or maybe they don't because the prince would get Very Mad at being admonished by someone of Lower Status than them). Also, when I say body guard, I'm imagining something like the guards you see at the British royal palace (sans the funny hat). So, not full chainmail but definitely some sort of uniform with a sword at their hip. The sort of person who would accompany the prince to fancy meetings/balls/etc. I would love a story where the prince is sooo disinterested in fulfilling their duties but if they have to do it, they will find a way to make it fun for themselves, including doing such scandalous things as inviting the body guard to dance with them at formal events or making little comments to them during meetings. And I think it would be really cute if the prince had a moment where they felt neglected and the body guard comes in to hype them up and put their mind at ease. It'd be funny if the ruler tries to be matchmaker for the prince and a date ends up so catastrophically bad that it becomes apparently obvious that there is Something Going On (whether that be that the prince is gay and was paired with someone of the wrong sex, or the person they were dating was incompatible, or they were already harboring a crush for the body guard). I think it'd be interesting if the prince and body guard have known each other since they were young and the feelings realization comes much, much later when it's time for the prince to start thinking about their future and that's when the prince realizes they're not interested in anyone or the body guard is realizing they're overprotective of the prince in the presence of other people and don't want the prince to attend things like balls because of the jealousy that they're in ridiculous denial over.


Probabilities in the universe skew to 5+1 dynamics

The thing about this one is I'm assuming the characters living in this universe are aware of this quality of the world and so 5+1 are probably very important numbers, especially when seen together! But while things skew to 5+1 dynamics, I'm doubtful that those probabilities can apply to everything. I would be interested to learn how people can tell when something is part of that probability. Do they pay special attention to everything? Maybe this 5+1 thing is more likely to impact the most important aspects of a character's life, like 5 job applications or 5 times they tried to ask someone out on a date. I'm curious, too, if character are able to manufacture this probability or if it has to happen naturally. Like, what if I wanted something like, “Five times I go to the movies alone and one time I go with someone else”? Would that be possible, or would the universe just make that sixth instance the same as the rest since it was something I was too focused on to let it happen naturally? Just something to consider. I think it would be funny if there was a character trying to game for a particular outcome and something else ended up happening that was not in their plans. In the case of trying to get someone to go out on a date with them, for example, maybe people in this universe have developed a sixth sense for noticing when the 5+1 probabilities are happening and so this person who keeps getting asked out on dates is feeling really pressed/worried about what will happen when they reject the person for the sixth time! It would be funny if there's a character who is insistent on not dating and turns down rejections all the time but is always left in suspense hoping that they can continue to be right even as the universe looms over them with the prospect of the sixth time being different in some way!


Roleswap AU

This chuffs me so extremely because I would love to see how different characters would behave in the same position as their (potential) partner if the shoe were on the other foot. I would especially enjoy scenarios that aren't an exact swap— like perhaps the characters were still born in the same place but the way they got to the present time is completely different, so they would still have the same parents or family but the role has changed. How do they approach problems? What are they extremely good at, and what aspects of it are hard for them compared to the original person? And how does the pairing meet in this new universe? Has their alignment changed at all with the swap, as in someone who was good now has a darker history/past and how could that inform their behavior and how they treat other people? It's a unique struggle to try and figure out how a character could reasonably achieve the same role, and what things had to change. It's fun to see how their personality could remain at least somewhat the same despite the circumstances being so different. Who knows, maybe the roleswap has given them new traumas or taken some away! (I'm VERY interested in General!Dan Heng or Yanqing, Adeptus Scaramouche and Puppet Xiao, etc. Etc.)


Scaramouche doesn't join the Harbingers

I nommed this tag thinking that maybe the rest of the events in Tatarasuna still happen, but for whatever reason, Kabukimono doesn't join the Harbingers afterward. Maybe someone— idk, an archon or Dainsleif or the unknown god pulled a few strings and he wound up on a different path. I think it'd be interesting if, instead of turning to hatred in his grief, he became helpless and uncaring, and it's only thanks to some other found family that he got back up on his feet again. It would be funny if that group happened to be the adepti(!!) of Liyue or yokai of Inazuma, esp if either of those groups enable him to continue as he does with passivity or detachment from his emotions. So, in that situation, maybe he's still a socialized person, but not very expressive, like Shenhe. Another idea would be to have him continue to roam Teyvat and perhaps over time acquire information about the Harbingers and the other sects of Teyvat as he bides his time, hoping to still become an archon and have purpose again. Would there be any groups interested then in taking him under their wing, like the Knights of Favonius? Would there come to a point where the Kabukimono can't deny that he's developed feelings for humans again, and how would he cope with those feelings in a more mature/measured way? I really like the idea of him still becoming very powerful in his own right, perhaps of some sort of training he's undergone. Assuming that Kabukimono still doesn't realize the truth behind his betrayal until the dendro archon tells him, he wouldn't have any true reason to be going on a revenge quest. I could see him still joining the adepti/yokai/favonius/etc. with the intent of gaining more power to return to Inazuma and attempt becoming their archon, though perhaps there's other things he could also do with that power that would be more fulfilling. And for the sake of still giving him closure, would there be any way of still discovering the truth behind the Tatarasuna incident, perhaps from an outsider like Traveler or the Dendro archon? How might a love interest help him discover what's truly important in his life and re-sort his priorities in terms of what he should care about, if anything at all? Honestly, he needs to have one big cry.


Scaramouche is An Archon

Is he evil? Is he benevolent? I feel like if he had become archon from the beginning, Scaramouche would have turned out a completely different person. But if he obtained the title with Dottore's help in Sumeru (Canon Divergence), he'd probably be a complete nightmare of a person to deal with. And I love both options, tbh. You can make him archon however you think makes sense, but I tried to put my thoughts into two sections to narrow it down a bit:

Archon!Scaramouche Is A Cool Guy, Actually

Oh my god. The sass I imagine on this little asshole would be out of this world. But also could you imagine a Scaramouche with a gnosis? How proud and happy he would be about that? And how secure he would feel about his power and the trust he holds in his people? If good-aligned, I feel like he'd be the sort of archon to truly care about his people, enough to go to war for them and threaten to destroy anybody who dares to interfere with his country. I think it would be interesting if he was the archon of Inazuma and gotten control by basically taking the role from underneath Ei's nose without her really giving him permission. OR acquiring it when he was the Kabukimono and seeing how the found family he made in Tatarasuna would support him and basically set him up for success. It would be so fun to see a Harbinger try to sell delusions or turn Scaramouche's people against him only for them to be one hair away from death. Maybe Ei wakes from meditation at some point to the realization that the wrong person has taken control of Inazuma while she was gone but he's too deeply entrenched in society to remove. How would the people react if they found out he was a puppet? What would his relationship with the other archons be like? I would love to see how drastically different his relationship with Nahida would be. But as a good archon, maybe they'd be friends!

Archon!Scaramouche Is A Tyrannical Ruler

Absolutely toxic behavior. I imagine him knowing none of the people are happy about it but he tries to force them to like him anyway. Would he mellow out even a little bit once he's finally gotten what he's wanted, or would he only become more terrible/bloodthirsty? I'm assuming he would become the Dendro archon if following my canon divergence idea but I also think it'd be extremely fun/satisfying if he forced his way past Ei to become archon of Inazuma. Maybe there's a version of this story where he starts out a completely insufferable, selfish asshole then has his (totally nonexistent 🙄) heart changed by a love interest who is determined to show him that he could still have the potential to be a good person. It would be CRAZY if after Scaramouche becomes archon, he was granted access to all the knowledge Nahida has and he discovered the truth behind his “betrayal.” But because he'd become archon, I don't think he'd want to go to Irminsul and erase himself. I would love a scenario where he still learns that information and has to figure out what the fuck he's going to do about it. If Nahida is still sequestered in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, would that be a situation where he'd consider releasing her and relinquishing control?


Secret agents AU AND Spies AU

I was gifted this wonderful short original work about two spies who are allies in a war together and the one guy is trying to get back home to his not-yet-established-in-a-romantic-way partner. They both work such dangerous jobs and definitely don't get much time alone to do things like relax, let alone develop a romantic relationship with someone they might not ever be able to go home to, so I am definitely partial to the pairing being two spies (or secret agents!) working together or perhaps spies for opposing sides of a conflict, à la This Is How You Lose the Time War where the two characters send each other ciphered messages despite it obviously being against the law in their respective nations to have such contact with opposing forces. If they are on opposing sides, I would love some enemies to lovers (and hatefucking, if that's down your aisle). But ultimately, if it ends well, I will be happy! I also love situations where characters are willing to do whatever it takes for another person— that selfishness and utter commitment to someone else is so juicy, especially if it's a character who doesn't usually express their feelings and hasn't confessed their love, but is capable of expressing it through loyalty or physical affection, etc.

Inspiration

And I Am Coming Home To You by Andian


Shipped character no longer have an age gap

By “age gap,” I'm thinking this broadly means any difference in age at all but I think also it's totally fine to consider it a difference in age that is larger than something like five years. I would prefer if, in interpreting this tag, you aged up the younger half of the pairing to match the older character's age. I like this because it's a little less complicated than moving everyone's age around and it keeps one character generally untouched by the re-aging. I'm in my late 20s and I prefer characters who are also a little older, especially since I consume a lot of medias like Genshin and HSR that have characters who can live for thousands of years (but physically are in their 20s or 30s). I would also prefer if there's no in-universe explanation for this and instead we act as though It's Always Been This Way for our character(s). If both characters have a new, mutual age, I would definitely love if it were a little older! And lastly, for what it's wroth, I am not icked out by teenagers having sex or being in relationships, so underage relationships are ok with me, especially in a circumstance like this where they would be the same age anyway.


Soulmate AUs (All are inside here!!!)

• Marriage arranged because of matching soulmarks
• Soulbonds - Magically Handcuffed Together
• Soulmate AU - First words to each other written on skin
• Soulmate AU - Names written on skin
• Soulmate AU - Shared Dreams
• Soulmate AU - Soulmates feel each other's emotions the closer they are
The aspect of soulmate AUs that I love the most is this concept of there being a reasurrance in knowing that there is someone out there who completed you and yet there's still some uncertainty in not only how it will happen but what that dynamic will be like. The path to a good, loving relationship is not always clear or neat and easy, especially if these are characters who have never dated anyone else or have very little experience. I love the characters who are so wholly uninterested in meeting their soulmate and then end up being taken aback when the meeting happens and they're having to grapple with the Intimate Prospect of Being Loved. I honestly don't blame some of the characters who are more pessimistic/doubtful that a soulmate is going to make Everything Immediately Better because I do agree that some harder work is needed to make the relationship work, but soulmate marks or whatever else have you certainly find a way that is hopefully at a good moment in the character's life where maybe they need this other person especially.
For "messages on skin": I like messages that are unclear/not completely self-explanatory so you're left with some suspense as to how that will resolve into a relationship. Even better if one half of the ship has something very obvious— “My name is X and it's very nice to meet you” vs “Get out of my way” lol!


Sword Champion Yanqing

I'm so so excited for this idea!!!! I love Yanqing very very much and I would love a story exploring what he would be like having achieved all he wanted. I'm very proud of his achievements and capabilities and the ways that we've seen him grow throughout the story and I think perhaps this request is twofold— it's the enjoyment of getting to see my blorbo succeed and being very proud of that but also getting to live vicariously through that feeling of closure/accomplishment when you finally get something you've wanted for a long time. Meta-wise I really love his skills/abilities and the corresponding imagery to do with sparrows/flight/etc. I would love to see more exploration into his abilities and fighting style but ESPECIALLY his relationship with his swords and his perspective on what it means to be a fighter. When Yunli took his sword because it was unhappy with him, that made me concerned and left me wondering if it was because he's dissatisfied with where he is and wants to get better. Ideally, I'd like to see him treat his swords well and have names for them and things like that. I like to imagine Yanqing takes great care of his weapons and is very protective of them, or at least learns to be in a way that is beyond just ownership but also wanting to make sure they're okay. It would be cool if he developed the same sort of sense Yunli did of a weapon's emotions and how satisfied they are with their master and what Yanqing could do to improve that relationship.


Time Loop AND Time Loop - Character makes things worse before making them better

Was the time loop initiated by the character or did they wake up one day and it had happened overnight without them realizing? I like both options— either the intentionality of it happening somehow, maybe by wishing or magic, OR having it sprung on the character. If the character initiated it intentionally, maybe they were trying to travel back in time to fix something and fell into a time loop by accident. Maybe it was something small, like goofing up in front of a crush, or maybe it's a giant moment in the plot like the turning point of a battle or saving someone from death/a bad fate. I love when the love interest is immune to the reset and aware that the same day is repeating over and over. This is about the character making things worse, though, so I think it'd be funny if the love interest is getting increasingly sick of their shit or the character is handing everything from completely the wrong perspective. What if they fixed the thing they were worried about, but in its place a bigger problem occurs, like a different death or the destruction of a city or something? Also, what if it was not the perspective character who had created the loop but their love interest, and the main character is fucking everything up? Would that count as an unreliable narrator, or at least an ignorant one, I suppose? I really love the idea of subverting the trope and making it about the MC figuring out why the love interest is also unaffected by the loop while they continue to be extremely unhelpful about fixing it. Maybe it was all a ploy by the love interest to try and catch the MC's attention but they're too occupied by the loop to realize.


Time Travel Fix-It

I absolutely love the idea of one or multiple characters deciding to travel back in time to fix things. (Especially for ALL Scaramouche things.) How would a character who has Been Through The Horrors™️ react to being back in a time from before, when maybe there are people alive who aren't anymore, or someone who in the present treats the character badly were actually nice in the past before the Trauma. There's a lot of fun things you could do with a fix-it like this, especially if the character is trying to achieve a specific result and tons of other unexpected things change instead. (Because of course they do.) Did they already have a partner before the time travel, or did they acquire one through the time travel itself? Does there come a point where the character returns to the present and has to grapple with the consequences of their attempts to fix things, or do they stay in the past and continue on as normal? WHAT IF the character traveled back in time, fixed whatever they were going to fix, then travel back to the present and THAT'S when they find out that X Character is their partner now? And they have to figure out how they got from Point A to Point C because the Newly Acquired Partner was Not part of the plan and they honestly don't know how it happened.


TV Host/Guest

I don't watch much late-night television but I was watching some of Jimmy Fallon's Late Night Show and the way he talks to guests and thought, Yeah, I know some characters who could definitely have some fun with that. I thought especially how the congenial attitudes that are displayed on TV could extend backstage. Even just the way some hosts joke around with their guests and flatter them could totally be misconstrued as flirting more affectionately. Which, depending on the guest and their role, maybe they're used to it or maybe they misinterpret the treatment as attraction and read deeper into it. I think this is a hazard in many relationships depending on the level of physical affection both are used to and what each person considers “friendly” vs “romantic,” and I would sooo appreciate a character who struggles more with identifying that distinction (with or without some cause from neurodivergence and difficulty picking up social queues).
But enough about that. What is the guest on TV for? Are they an actor, celebrity, singer, or something else? Maybe an author?? (Trying to think of what other guests are on shows— uhh a famous chef! Some super smart political analyst or something!) What if the TV host is really charismatic (as they should be) and treat the guest all normally like anybody else while the guest is screaming internally inside? OR what if the opposite and the host is all confused about why they're so attracted to this guest when they've spoken to hundreds of people and they've never been this embarrassed? What if the host trips up on live TV, too, and would the guest pick up on the embarrassment or be a little more ignorant of the attraction? WHAT IF there's an afterparty after the show aired and the host and guest get frisky in a one-night stand and THEN they have feelings realization and what to do about that??


Unexpected bodyswap only reversible by sex

What more can I say aside from that's hot?? And also a little weird, but that's why I'm into it, and the characters could be, too. Most people would probably want to get it over with as quickly as possible just for the sake of having their bodies back, but what if the characters start to get into it? And it becomes about exploring each other's bodies— curiously discovering usually unseen birthmarks, taking the opportunity to learn what things the other person likes from the perspective of a different body. Is it possible for someone who usually enjoys anal play (or some other sexual act) to prefer something else in a different body because of the physical way that body reacts to the stimulus? Could you ever think of a better opportunity to explore different sensations than in a situation like this? I would find great enjoyment in a situation where Character A (in B's body) is exploring their own physical body and testing out new things/kink and B tells them what feels really good. Consider also A who only ever tops fucking themselves and that's how they find out they have a tight ass and then just… having to live with knowing that for the rest of their life! And maybe that could inform what sort of things they would want to explore sexually in the future, even after they've gotten their body back. I would love for a chaste character or a character who thinks they know exactly what they like to be surprised by B's reaction to the things they're doing to the body and the ways it arouses them.


Wanderer never deleted himself from Irminsul

I guess technically I should have named this “Scaramouche never deleted himself from Irminsul” but yknow we ball The aspect of this idea that interests me the most is having to come face to face with people who still recognize him despite him attempting to detach himself from his problems. I really hunger for Scaramouche's pain and seeing him confront the same emotions he's been denying for so long— the pain, remorse, resentment, self-hatred, all of it— it's a buffet of trauma! And I would like to have him sit in it and process it more carefully and intentionally than what canon gave us. I think every day would be a big struggle for him because he wouldn't get the same clean break he got in canon where everyone forgot who he was. In this AU, he would probably be filled with constant reminders, starting with the Harbingers who are still expecting him to return to Snezhnaya and him only willing to go if it means he can kill Dottore. I would prefer a story that is less revenge plot-y and more about his journey to working on himself (which, if that includes a little murder, you really can't blame anyone)! I would like there to be some inclusion of Nahida in this plot to Scaramouche handling the truth behind Niwa's “betrayal” and Scaramouche's subsequent bad life decisions, even if it's something minuscule or him just brushing her off and continuing to sulk in his room alone. Ship-wise, I think it would be interesting if the relationship was preexisting, perhaps not romantic and more platonic or sporadic enough for him to forget about it once forced to confront the truth behind his life for the past however-many-years. In that situation, what if the not-partner wanted to find out what had happened to him since he hadn't visited in a while, so they show up in Sumeru all worried? Would Scaramouche even still be here, or had he decided to “get some fresh air and think about things” only he still hasn't returned? Or, if Scaramouche is indeed still in Sumeru, I could easily imagine him holing himself up somewhere, not that differently from his humble beginnings in Shakkei Pavilion. I think it would be very fun and interesting to explore Scaramouche's character in terms of him doing some soul-searching (heh) and traveling the world for a time, whereupon he meets the other half of the pairing. I would find great joy in imagining his character somewhere between Scara and Wanderer— aloof, but still kind of an asshole, and also chronically depressed just because of how things have been for him. And him isolating himself before anyone has even told him to because now he's an outcast who isn't with the Fatui or the archons but some secret third thing. I would love any person headcanons about how this development could result in a new outfit, name, or the acquisition of a Vision once he has gotten himself pulled together a little more to be a functioning member of society again. I would take great joy in learning how he acquires his Vision— whether it's at a predictable time, like the culmination of some big break in his actualization of his new identity, or maybe it's a casual Saturday and he wakes up and it's Just There and he has to process once again that maybe he's not good or bad but something entirely different? Would he use the Vision and what would his outlook on it be like?


Wildlife photographer AU

I read one manga about a guy who travels to a rural part of Japan to photograph a rare bird and along the way gets invited to stay at a complete stranger's house because all the other places had been booked for the winter. While there wasn't as much emphasis in that story on the photographer and his work, I really enjoyed the concept of him traveling all the way out there for a particular animal then getting to photograph a bunch of different things along the way. It sounds like a very solitary role, so the fact that the creator of the story found a way for him to find some companionship made my heart warm. It scratches my id to imagine a pair of people who go out to places to photograph things together where the dynamic is more of a mentor/apprentice or assistant role, especially if the apprentice or assistant actually knows more or is obviously very talented in their own right. In my undergrad, I took a photojournalism class and I found all the big cameras and equipment all so impressive. I'd love to see more of that and learn what such large cameras could be used for. I'm assuming wide angles of animals very far away or something!
It could also be neat if photographer character A had some competition from B, who is on a similar assignment. I doubt there's much competition in real photography aside from maybe best photo of the year with Nat Geo, but I assume most of that comes down to skill and being lucky enough to capture the right shot. I think it'd be sweet if two different photographers kept bumping into each other and then finally gave up and agreed to go on an assignment together and ended up having a blast! And maybe they go off somewhere really secluded where you can see the stars or even the aurora borealis at night!

Inspiration




Witch Hat Atelier

**I'm assuming for the purposes of this au that canon chars like Qifrey don't appear Underwater palace! Sigils! Forbidden magic! Cute fits!! Trauma!!! There is so much I love about this canon, especially the worldbuilding. I love the magic and apprentice/master systems. I would prefer the characters be older students or adults, but it's up to you to decide what roles they should have. One of the aspects I appreciate most about the magic in particular is the ability to create new sigils, like Coco does. Though it's not required, I would be curious to see how a character's original backstory could be translated into WHA's universe, especially the traumas and pains that formed who they were in the original canon. Did the characters have any previous interaction with forbidden magic? What are their feelings/thoughts about it, and have they or would they ever consider using it? And if so, to what end? Who was their master and were they born into magic or were they a unique case like Coco, where the master or some other extenuating circumstance flung them into the world? Are they a prodigy in a specific part of magic, like Olruggio is with fire, or do they resent using magic and try to achieve things without it as much as they can? It would make me so happy to read about a character who arrived at the Great Hall somewhat unhappy about the predicament then came to enjoy it and even appreciate the opportunity to live among witches. I love a character who has a special skill or ability that is at first seen as mundane or unhelpful, like Coco's ability to draw straight lines, which then becomes starkly helpful in specific cases. I also loved the representation of disability— colorblindness, mobility aids, etc. Pray provide some of these details in your fic and I'd love you forever!!

Inspiration




General Likes/Prompts

• Worldbuilding
• Queer characters/headcanons (including gnc, polyamory, trans, nonbinary, demisexuality, aro, ace, etc.)
• Fluff, slice of life, curtain fics
• Angst
• Humor
• Drama
• Action
• Conflict
• Casefic
• Flashbacks
• Friendship
• Plot twists
• Miscommunication
• Misunderstandings
• Family/found family
• Subverting expectations
• Character studies/introspection
• Hurt/comfort
  • Broken leg which requires char to be bedridden while S/O treats them back to full recovery
  • Realizations of betrayal/things aren’t how char thought and having to come to terms w truth
  • Rejected by family/loved one
  • Angry words spoken in the heat of the moment replay in char’s head for days afterward
• Unusual formats (epistolary, first/second person POV, chatfic, etc.)
• 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.
• A year or season in the life of the pairing, covering things like Japanese tradition and holidays (The first shrine visit of the year, Valentine’s Day & White Day, Golden Week, celebrating the Autumn Equinox, Christmas, etc.) or personal celebrations/other activities (birthdays, camping, attending festivals in kimono (see clothing kink below), sleeping over at each other’s places, school field trips, midterms/finals/cram school, clubs, visiting used-book fairs, etc.) Please also see this Ghibli prompts list I made on tumblr for more inspo on the sort of imagery I really love.



Relationship/Romance Likes

• Rivals or enemies to lovers
• Childhood friends to lovers
• Power dynamics
• Soulmate AUs
  • One yearning for the other their whole life and the other trying their damndest to avoid them
  • Red string of fate that’s just two characters circling the globe looking for each other
  • Tattoo/marking AU where messages appear on the other’s body
  • Both are resistant to the idea but fall in love over time
  • Ability to share pain or sense each other’s emotions
• Mutual pining resulting in a relationship
• The soft ray of sunshine is the actual boss/tops in the relationship
• Shy character struggling to confess their feelings to the clueless crush
• Two touch-starved characters trading increasingly intimate touches in private
• Spoiling the partner who has suffered past abuse/trauma/just had a bad day
• Age gaps (underage w someone older, 500-year-old with a 2k-year-old, etc.)
• Pair of characters who are functional alone but lose all their braincells when together <3
• Character who has had a rough go at life learning how to love/trust friends and/or significant other 



NSFW Likes

• Praise kink
• Underage sex
• Switchy pairings
• Outercourse, anal sex, fingering, anal fisting
• Cockwarming
• Edging
• Size Kink - Top presses on bottom’s stomach to find out how deep they’ve penetrated
• Dub-con, non-con
  • “Weird how it still feels good, even when you don’t consent to it.” (Something one of my requested characters literally said once 👀)
• Make-up sex
• Free use in a monogamous relationship - partner's holes/mouth/cock are always available for use
• Pet names that are plays on the character’s name or “darling,” “love,” “fucker,” “bastard,” “whore”
• Breeding kink - as dirty talk without risk
  • Creampie, they fucked all night, cockwarming, etc.
• Male trans for trans (T4T)
  • Post-op or not for either party
  • PIV sex or pegging is so hot
  • Bussy, clit, cock, pussy, boy pussy, hole, cunt, etc. are wonderful
  • Top surgery scars 👀
  • Gender euphoria moments
• Drunk sex
  • Buzzed one fucking the brains out of the drunker one enthusiastically encouraging them to continue
  • Sloppy kisses and both barely conscious enough to even get close to orgasming
  • Finally acting on long-harbored feelings in possibly the worst way by doing it when neither will remember in the morning
• Leather
  • Zippers, leashes/harnesses, straps, gloves, pants showing off asses/bulge, shiny curves, esp in bondage situations (hogtied, blindfolded, rope bondage or using an article of clothing)
• Semi-public/public sex
  • Cockwarming and sitting on other’s lap at a dinner/party/etc.
  • Fingering under a table or standing close in a crowd/bent over something like a pool table/etc.
  • Having to stifle moans or thrusting motion, etc.
  • Getting caught (Shame or degradation kink? Voyeurism kink)
  • Fucking at home but it’s on ground floor with the window open
  • Third party on Zoom/phone call/etc. overhearing or seeing something
  • Similarly: “Easy access”/free use (Aka a character who’s down for whatever whenever)
  • Character skips underwear (+ is wearing a skirt) and goes to a public outing with partner
  • Flashing, suggestive gestures, hiked up clothing, etc.
  • Character who needs their partner yesterday
    • Pair this with breeding kink and my brain will explode
• Somnophilia
  • Between the thighs accidentally leads to penetration
  • Receiver wakes up in the middle; honestly ends up having a great time OR pretends they’re still asleep so the other keeps going
  • Spontaneous or some agreed-upon procedure for when it’s ok to fuck (whether that be a certain color underwear, explicit mention of it before going to bed, or just free range completely)
  • I like outercourse for this especially (thigh-fucking/humping, frottage, handjobs, blowjobs, etc.) and cockwarming
  • I’m fine with noncon and dubcon, so that element of it does not concern me terribly!
• Clothing kink
  • Sex with one partner fully clothed, the other naked
  • Character A is hot and they know it + find deliberate ways to drive B crazy about it
  • Wearing someone's clothes after them and the clothes are still warm
  • Waking up in the partner’s oversized shirt after raucous sex the night prior
  • Sock garters, vests, suits, shorts, garter belts, panties, ties, lingerie
  • The more expensive the article of clothing, the better
  • Lots of touching/reverence for what exposed skin is available or even kissing the aforementioned article of clothing/outfit
  • I really love the idea of there being this super expensive article of clothing that Character A wears because they know B will be pissed that they can’t tear it off without having to buy A a replacement
  • Keeping as much of the outfit on as possible OR a languid striptease until it’s just the one article left
  • Blowjobs, dirty talk, kisses, hands traveling underneath and around silk and other expensive shit

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Yes, No, or Maybe?
(Movie)

Kei Kunieda/Ushio Tsuzuki

Medium: Fic - Character
ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU
ALL: Pilot/Co-Pilot
ALL: Pilot/Air Traffic Controller
ALL: Prince/Royal Body Guard AU
ALL: Bodyswap AU
ALL: Roleswap AU
ALL: Ballet - Characters are Ballet Dancers
ALL: Soulmate AU - First words to each other written on skin
ALL: Bartender/Patron
ALL: Celebrity/Fan
ALL: Witch Hat Atelier AU
ALL: Musician AU - Pianist/Violinist
ALL: Host Club AU
ALL: Photographer/Model
ALL: Artist/Model AU
ALL: Unexpected Bodyswap only reversible by sex
ALL: Probabilities in Universe Skew to 5+1 Things Dynamic
All: Marriage Arranged Because of Matching Soulmarks
ALL: Wildlife Photographer AU
ALL: Camboy AU


❗Canon Promo Post❗

In my letter, I write “Kunieda Kei” to refer to Kei's announcer/public persona and “Kei” for the private personality he only displays to Ushio.

  

I love, love, LOVE the dynamic between Ushio and Kei. I love the way they bicker with each other and yearn for each other and complement each other. I love everything about Ushio and how real he feels to me, like a person I'd actually meet out on the street. On the other hand, something about Kei's double-sided nature and how hard he works to succeed and be liked by others makes him almost cartoony to me. I adore the dichotomy of his character and all of the complexities that come with that— how Kunieda Kei handles a situation vs the real Kei. How he's so handsome and adored then turns around and bad-mouths people! 😂 I can relate to him in some ways, which makes me happy.

I love situations where Kei or Ushio have to confront feelings or new situations the other is involved with. Where they learn things about each other. My favorite moments are those where Kei asks Ushio about his work and he opens up about it. I was reading one of the light novels recently (or an extra, actually,) and Ushio said there wasn't much point to telling Kei about his work because it would be hard to describe what goes on in his head. But I wanna know!! Kei rants about his job to Ushio all the time and Ushio loves to listen to it but I want there to be a day where it's about Ushio for once and he's the one monologuing XD (And while on the subject of jobs, I would love to know more about both of theirs, though absolutely Kei’s in particular. I have some friends in TV and the whole process wows and amazes me!)

I go feral over those rare, tender moments where Kei says how he's really feeling and Ushio accepts those feelings. Ushio knows deep down how Kei truly feels but I do enjoy those “all is lost” moments where Kei is forced to either be upfront and honest about something he's vulnerable about or he loses everything. And he always shows up at the final hour before it’s too late to patch things up with Ushio.

Some ideas:

• Kei is confronted with a situation where he has to address his relationship with Ushio to other people or is caught with Ushio in public
• A date (and sex) with Ushio and Kunieda Kei where Kei is in his sweet character the whole time. Maybe Ushio asked him to do it and after enough puppy-dog eyes Kei caved and now he’s regretting it when Ushio deliberately pushes his buttons or says things to try and provoke Kei into showing his true nature. Does Ushio find it weird? Maybe at the end of the night he feels bad for putting Kei through what he knows is an uncomfortable situation and Kei ends up getting him back somehow.
• In general I think it'd be fun to see more situations where Ushio helps Kunieda Kei stand up for himself when he has to be polite for his public image
• I love moments where Kei's and Ushio's work intersects or when one discovers the other's work around the city or at home (such as a project Ushio has been working on for the news station airs or Ushio sees Kei making a surprise appearance on a product at the grocery store or something).
• Literally any combination of the likes lists provided at the top but especially anything that puts Ushio in a position to tease Kei and bicker with him 🥺🥺
• Could you imagine getting dicked down in a studio after hours or Ushio indulging in humiliating Kei using one of Kei's fancy ties? 👀Kei wears suits all the time and I adore the thought of him wearing one mussed while Ushio does unspeakable things to him
• I would also love any NSFW content that puts Kei in less of a submissive/pillow princess sort of role and something more commanding. I ADORE it in the story, don’t get me wrong, but there’s very little focus on giving Ushio pleasure and he usually finds release in penetration but I think it’d be fun to see the roles reversed or the two competing more for roles in bed instead of Kei essentially laying back and letting it happen. And also, what is Ushio like in a submissive role? Is he shy or does he beg and cry? Would Kei lord it over his head?
• Ushio seems to run a bit of a jealous streak when it comes to Kunieda Kei and I would savor another situation like the one we got where Kei had lost his memory and the new sports announcer Tatsuki tried to make a pass at him. I like seeing Ushio fired up and protective of Kei. It would also be fun to see a situation where maybe Kunieda Kei encounters a classmate from his past who still harbors an old crush on him and Ushio has to be the one to tell them to back off since Kei is in his “public” persona and can't do it himself.
• In one of the shorts in “Off Air,” Kei and Ushio visited Kei's family for New Year's and I want more of that!! Kei told his parents they were dating and istg I almost fainted. But it was so short and I could definitely do with 10k more of Kei being Kei in front of not just Ushio but also his parents or Tatsuki! And also more of Ushio getting to know Kei’s family
• USHIO AND KEI LIVING TOGETHER!! Hello??? The domesticity of it all!!! At the very end of volume 3, they mention how it’d be a good idea to put up a separating curtain between Kei and Ushio’s apartments in the event that Ushio ever gets guests. Well, what happens when he gets guests? Does anyone question the fact that Kei lives next door? What if it’s Shitara-san, who is familiar with both of them? Even just in general, what does Tatsuki think of the development? How much does he make fun of Kei for it at work?
• I adored all the drama that came with the 3 volumes but the Off Air stuff is also so addicting to read. I LOVE the fluff and the lower stakes. (And the more frequent sex scenes, lol!) The author writes a lot of tropes I adore, like seeing how Ushio and Kei care for the other when he’s sick, the casualness of going home to Ushio’s bed or texting him whenever. Tatsuki teasing them and the little things they do for each other like indulge in favorite foods or trying to ask more personal questions every once in a blue moon to establish that deeper connection with each other. Makes me absolutely feral. Oh, Kei’s worried about Ushio and Ushio knows so he picks on Kei to show him he’s actually totally fine and there’s nothing to worry about? Oh, Ushio rents out a hotel room and takes Kei somewhere special because Ushio’s answer to stress is to do something spontaneous while Kei’s is to stick to routine? Oh, they casually tell each other “I love you?” You want my heart to melt!!!!!!! Just get married already, dammit!!

Freeform tags:

1. Marriage Proposal
2. Bad Sex
3. Angry sex as stress relief
4. Voice kink - aroused by discreet dirty talk while at a work event together
5. Kei tops and complains about it the whole time; Ushio is having the time of his life
6. Sex with Kei’s broadcast playing in the background
7. Ushio leaves hickeys Kei must cover when at work
8. Striptease
9. Kei’s tie used for bondage purposes
10. Sex so enthusiastic/rough it breaks a body part
11. Suit kink
12. A vibrator in Kei in public (and Ushio set him up to it)
13. Kei gets off on how possessive Ushio is
14. Being bratty or starting fights with Ushio as a coded way of asking to be dominated
15. Ushio edging Kei until he’s a sobbing mess
16. Asleep Ushio wakes to Kei fucking himself on his cock

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HSR Jing Yuan Ships

Dan Heng/Jing Yuan

Jing Yuan/Yanqing

Other tags you can include in addition to my requested freeforms:
ALL: Shipped characters no longer have an age gap
Any Soulmate tags from the tagset!
ALL: Pilot/Co-Pilot
ALL: Pilot/Air Traffic Controller
ALL: Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor AU
ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU
All: Murder on the Orient Express fusion
ALL: Soulmate AU - First words to each other written on skin
All: Time Travel Fix-It
All: Time Loop - Character makes things worse before making them better
ALL: Bartender/Patron
ALL: Celebrity/Fan
ALL: Witch Hat Atelier AU
ALL: Musician AU - Pianist/Violinist
ALL: Host Club AU
ALL: Character has an amnesia
HSR: Dan Heng was not imprisoned and lives on the Luofu
ALL: TV Host/Guest
ALL: Bodyswap AU
ALL: Roleswap AU
ALL: Ballet - Characters are Ballet Dancers
ALL: Prince/Royal Body Guard AU


Jing Yuan/Yanqing

- Yanqing as the rookie/junior in the dynamic but still having several one-ups on Jing Yuan (who doesn't mind in the slightest)
- Two guys who have just met but are surprisingly on the same wavelength about a lot of things
- Both characters looking forward to/seeking out opportunities to be in each other's presence

Dan Heng/Jing Yuan

- Dan Heng experiencing gradual feelings realization and then grappling with how to face Jing Yuan, esp in a setting where they frequently encounter each other
- Jing Yuan lowkey crushing on Dan Heng for a long time but hoping their growing intimacy is gradual enough to naturally progress in a relationship, to the point that Dan Heng doesn't even realize it's happened until he's already practically Jing Yuan's boyfriend (basically, everyone else knows they're dating before they do)



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Jing Yuan/Yanqing


HSR: Sword Champion Yanqing
ALL: Shipped characters no longer have an age gap
ALL: A and B are secretly married the whole time
ALL: Marriage by Winning Ritual Combat To Gain Partner's Hand
All: canon injury has longer-term effects than shown in canon
ALL: Canonical universe works on telenovela (soap opera) tropes
ALL: Soulmate AU - Soulmates feel each other's emotions when apart
ALL: Soulmate AU - Shared Dreams


I’m in love with Yanqing’s loyalty for Jing Yuan, going so far as to 1v2 Dan Heng and Blade because he believes in the law blah blah (I like to think the real reason is to prove himself to Jing Yuan)!! The way Jing Yuan cares for him, trains with him, even plays chess with him. How Jing Yuan knows that Yanqing is bound for greatness and is doing everything in his power to care for Yanqing and keep him safe despite knowing Yanqing’s already such a talented swordsman. (And not letting Yanqing get too over his head about everything). Jing Yuan in that one cutscene at Tingyun’s funeral ceremony with Yanqing supporting him because he was supposed to be recovering!!! HELLO? THE SOFTNESS! But also the thought that Yanqing probably didn’t leave his side as soon as he’d heard that Jing Yuan had been injured!

I think there’s a special eroticism in Jing Yuan or Yanqing loving the other platonically and realizing over time that the feeling has developed into romantic/sexual then going, Oh shit. As a couple, I enjoy there either being a real-world concern for what others will think and the societal acceptance of it (esp considering Yanqing’s age), but it can also be handwaved away or Yanqing can be aged up to avoid that drama altogether if it doesn’t suit your taste. I am not interested in hyperfocus on Yanqing’s youth or him being a child, though I think Jing Yuan as daddy could be hot for kink purposes. I do love there being a huge relief once Yanqing’s reached a certain age (or rank— *cough* Sword Champion— *cough*) and having sex about it. The relief of sex that has been long-awaited is so good and I want to read it!!

On the whole, I prefer sex that accentuates their differences— size difference, age difference, and power imbalance. I love when Yanqing is super prideful, loyal, and possessive. I think he’d certainly be understanding of the fact that Jing Yuan has had prior sexual experiences (because of course he has), but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t annoy Yanqing. I’d love to read a fic where Yanqing’s jealous/very self-aware of his inexperience and wants to do something to change it. I think Jing Yuan would enjoy humoring him at first before realizing that Yanqing has a way higher sex drive than him and a nonexistent refractory period. Then the shoe could absolutely be on the other foot and he’s left thinking, What have I gotten myself into?

• Canon divergence of Scalegorge Waterscape after Jing Yuan intervened in the fight between Yanqing and Blade and Dan Heng. Jing Yuan orders him to leave with the other Cloud Knights while he handles the looming danger. But Yanqing wants to be involved, he doesn’t want to leave, despite what injuries he might have. What would have happened had he stayed to fight? Would he have gotten in the way? What if, during the fight with Phantylia, Yanqing had been against Jing Yuan sacrificing himself and tossed himself into the middle of the danger instead, dramatically wounding Yanqing and putting everyone at more risk? Would Jing Yuan have been even more incensed, perhaps revealing a side of himself he shows to nobody else, or would he have kept his cool demeanor only to scold Yanqing behind closed doors later? What if Jing Yuan carried him back to the infirmary later and only then realized that the protection and fear Jing Yuan felt at losing Yanqing stretched beyond what he had first suspected and as it turns out it’s love?
• A story exploring Jing Yuan’s and Yanqing’s relationship as a general and student. “He broke the borisin's Devouring Wolf formation with Jing Yuan, beheading three Brood Lords. He also fought viciously against the wingweavers, ultimately sinking their almighty Cloudseizer Fleet.” What were these events like as they were happening? Did anyone sustain any injuries (sexily, with clothes that had to then be removed in order for bandages to be applied)? During their first war together, perhaps they started becoming more aware of the other’s presence and the way he held himself. It could be Yanqing’s first time not seeing Jing Yuan as his father but as a General or even simply a man (😳).
• For years, Yanqing has stood by Jing Yuan’s side with the assumption that things would always be that way. But when Jing Yuan leaves for a colloquy and doesn’t return with orders from the Xianzhou Alliance not to search for him, Yanqing’s fears are on high alert. Is the Alliance up to something? Is Jing Yuan in danger, or even worse, missing or dead? Yanqing only knows one thing— there’s not a doubt in his mind that he’ll search for Jing Yuan to the ends of the universe, even if it means disobeying the (possibly corrupted) Alliance and losing everything in the process, even the role of Sword Champion which he had sought for so long. If his General isn’t there to witness it, does it even matter?
• Jing Yuan has been at Yanqing’s side from the beginning. He’s been happy to fill the role of a surrogate father figure and teacher, but as years and people come and go from their lives, Yanqing is a constant presence in Jing Yuan’s mind. The graceful curve of his back has become accentuated with muscles where it had not been prior; his voice has dipped just a little, into something creamier; even clothing rests differently on Yanqing’s body, which both men have become more conscious of. Jing Yuan’s carefully conscious of the attraction growing steadily in the pit of his stomach. The confusing thing is he’s not sure whether it’s his imagination or if Yanqing is reciprocating his attraction with subtle flirting and sitting just close enough for surreptitious hands on thighs and exchanged glances that suggest he desires something more.

Freeform tags:

1. Yanqing topping
2. Yanqing praise kink
3. Jealous Yanqing leads to possessive sex
4. Mutually pining characters finally get together and have amazing sex
5. Protectiveness - Normally gentle Jing Yuan gets scarily protective when Yanqing is hurt
6. Drunk!Jing Yuan becomes excessively affectionate
7. Age gap- “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do this”
8. Underage - Planned to wait until younger turned 18 but...
9. "We'll just have sex one time to get it out of our systems" ... but it makes the longing worse
10. "Thank fuck you're alive!" emotions turn into frantic fucking
11. Bigger/stronger character enjoys being on the receiving end during sex
12. Clothed partner fucking/topping naked partner
13. Loyalty - kneeling and hand-kissing as signs of devotion
14. Loyalty kink - There is only one person worthy of my submission
15. Helping Jing Yuan out of difficult to remove clothing/sweaty armor
16. Established Relationship - Couple still absolutely stupid in love despite being together for ages
17. Experienced partner lets inexperienced one explore them
18. Held over the knee and fingered till overstimulated
19. Hurt/Comfort - Character A watching over in-a-coma character B leads to feelings realization
20. Intimacy - casual touch with the one person who knows you better than anyone

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How I Attended An All-Guy's Mixer

Hagi/Kohaku


ALL: Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor AU
ALL: Bodyswap AU
ALL: Bartender/Patron
ALL: Celebrity/Fan
ALL: Character has an amnesia
ALL: Ballet - Characters are Ballet Dancers
ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU
All: Murder on the Orient Express fusion
ALL: Musician AU - Pianist/Violinist
ALL: Pilot/Air Traffic Controller
ALL: Pilot/Co-Pilot
ALL: Prince/Royal Body Guard AU
ALL: Soulmate AU - First words to each other written on skin
ALL: Soulmate AU - Soulmates feel each other's emotions the closer they are
All: Time Loop - Character makes things worse before making them better
All: Time Travel Fix-It
ALL: TV Host/Guest
ALL: Witch Hat Atelier AU
ALL: Manga Artist AU
All: Figure skating AU



The thing I love about this pairing especially is Hagi's progression from not being interested in a relationship with Kohaku to realizing he's head-over-heels for her and even being so worried about it that he starts to overthink whether he's into her because of her masculine persona or because of her genuine self. I love that he's very intentional about his affection and making sure it's coming from the right place and not surface-level or caused by some other thing he didn't consider, like being gay. Their relationship gripped me the most when reading the manga because it really looks like they're both trying their best to understand the other person and wanting to have a good relationship with them. Especially as evidenced by the times Kohaku is upset or worried that she did something wrong because she wants to be on good terms with Hagi but she's too clueless to understand what exactly about her is getting him to riled up! I'm just glad that Hagi is trying his best to go about this in a good way, but even Kohaku isn't immune to embarrassment and hiding sometimes from those more difficult conversations. I love especially when that stems from not wanting to ruin what they have— but there's a special, wonderful feeling of relief when they both realize that the other has been on the same wavelength the whole time and that all this worry is for nothing! They like each other, and that's enough < 3

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Play it Cool, Guys/How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer

Hagi/Hayate


ALL: Bodyswap AU
ALL: Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor AU
ALL: Ballet - Characters are Ballet Dancers
ALL: Probabilities in Universe Skew to 5+1 Things Dynamic
ALL: Time Loop
ALL: Characters meet on a dating website
ALL: Coffee shop meet ugly AU
ALL: Bartender/Patron
ALL: Musician AU - Pianist/Violinist

- Both think the other is a cooler version of himself but as they get to know each other, they realize they're both dorks
- The Fact That You Look Like Me Kind of Freaks Me Out But We Keep Running into Eachother So Maybe This Is a Sign????
- Suddenly has acquired someone capable of covering for you if you ever have to miss a class/gathering/etc.
- Unfortunately mistaken as twin brothers 😞 (unless you're/they're into that?? 👀)


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Heizou/Lyney


ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU
ALL: One or more characters has amnesia
ALL: Prince/Royal Body Guard AU
ALL: TV Host/Guest
ALL: Bodyswap AU
ALL: Ballet - Characters are Ballet Dancers
All: Murder on the Orient Express fusion
ALL: Soulmate AU - Names Written on Skin
ALL: Soulbonds - Magically Handcuffed Together
ALL: Bartender/Patron
ALL: Witch Hat Atelier AU
ALL: Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor AU
ALL: Musician AU - Pianist/Violinist
ALL: Host Club AU
ALL: Detective AU
ALL: Pretending Not to Be Dating / Married AU
ALL: A and B are secretly married the whole time
ALL: Casefic
ALL: Secret agents AU
ALL: Spies AU



With a playlist!! 🎩🪄🔎https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ONXvrQKeD12c6MuZPZGEd?si=64508c04d650447f

Heiozu and Lyney are both charismatic characters with a public persona and trauma-filled pasts. I’m very interested in the way they both have insecurities about their work and things they can’t tell their family or friends because they don’t want to worry the ones who rely on them, so they put on a strong face instead. I feel like Heizou and Lyney would meet and instantly recognize that this is someone who understands the troubles the other has gone through. (Expert deduction and intuition!) But then would Heizou and Lyney find quick companionship with one another or would they be more afraid to be their true selves in front of another person who intimately understands the other’s vulnerabilities? Would they fall hard and fast, or be more wary around someone who he’s nervous about exposing too much to? If trust is something either of them are insecure about, I could easily find it taking some time for them to warm up to each other despite a natural chemistry.

Competency porn, competency porn, competency porn. I’m all about Heizou and Lyney being extremely skilled at their craft and using that knowledge in everything from social situations to investigating crimes. Give me complicated magic tricks, logic puzzles, analytical deductions, etc. Drop them in a scene and have them steal the show! I think it would be fun and interesting if Heizou and Lyney found themselves at the center of a case together. Is it a competition to see who can race to the solution of the case first, or are they working together? Please lay the flirting on thick. They’re two charming boys and I would simply melt into a puddle if blessed with a flirt-off between them, especially if they’re cocky and teasing about it with each other. There’s a very old 2005 movie called ​​Mr. & Mrs. Smith and I could totally see Heizou and Lyney having that sort of dynamic, too.

In an established relationship, I want to see them one-upping each other with bouquets of flowers, love letters, fancy dinner reservations, the whole nine yards. I think if either of them ever tried to buy wedding rings for a marriage proposal, he’d have to be super stealthy about it to not wind up being discovered by the other. Same goes for literally any surprises, although I do like to think Heizou still has the sharper intuition of the two. Between Lyney’s magic tricks and Heizou’s charm, I can only assume their sex is amazing. Who tops? Do they switch?

I am making a whole separate paragraph about this because yes I care about it that much. If there’s any way to put Lyney (or Lyney and Heizou) into a tight spot and give Lyney claustrophobia, I would adore you. I think he’s been through enough moments in canon to have developed a reasonable fear of tight/small spaces and I would LOVE to see that fear get WORSE. GIVE THAT BOY CLAUSTROPHOBIA I BEG!!! I LOVE this pairing especially for moments of vulnerability and panic attacks, freak outs, huge moments of needing comfort. (Which the other one can provide, obviously.) Especially because it’s a side of Lyney that Lyney himself doesn’t want other people to see, and that’s all the more reason for me to want to see it forced out into the open. (Same for Heizou and his traumatizing past.)

Some prompts:

• Heizou and Lyney met several years ago and have been maintaining a long-distance relationship but finally will be seeing each other in person again. The long itinerary they’ve planned barely has enough room for them to breathe between shows, cafés, sightseeing, and travel, but neither could be more excited. It all begins with a train ride through the scenic countryside. The only problem? Their trip is in jeopardy of being delayed due to a homicide case with the murderer among the passengers. In order to save their vacation and bring the criminal to justice, Heizou and Lyney must work together to uncover the facts and solve the case.
• Heizou must infiltrate a performance to solve a case and Lyney happens to be among the participants and is the only one who has sniffed out his true intentions. Does Lyney help him or hinder his progress for fear of it ruining his performance?
• At his boss’s behest, Heizou is encouraged to take a vacation after solving a difficult case, so he cashes out on a long-awaited trip to Fontaine. While there, he encounters Lyney, who winds up being an integral aspect of a case he (not surprisingly) finds himself at the center of.
  • Casefic idea: On the aquabus ride to Hotel Debord, Heizou reconnects with an old Inazuman couple where he had helped the wife reconnect with her husband, whom she’d filed a missing persons report for. As it turns out, to Heizou’s ignorance, the wife had killed the husband and remarried his twin in order to secure a certain amount of cash from the life insurance policy (or something). The brother and wife, hoping to make it fresh in a new country, decide to take their chances in Fontaine’s black market. There is a certain upcoming masked masquerade event the wife had secured tickets for and intend to make her debut. All the biggest figures in illicit affairs are expected to be there engaging in secret, underhanded dealings. Meanwhile, Navia is hoping to crack down on the same event and enlists Lyney’s help with promise of more information on the Primordial Sea if he agrees to help bust the party open. Navia has two tickets of her own, but Lyney, not wanting to put Lynette at risk, decides to go alone undercover as her to lower people’s guards. When Lyney meets Heizou one night outside the hotel, Lyney decides to offer the leftover ticket to Heizou despite his ignorance of the event, surmising that Heizou’s intuition will come in handy for what’s to come…
• AU where Heizou isn’t a detective and Lyney isn’t a performer but they meet in the middle as mutual schemers with big dreams of making big bank on a heist together (or competing for who can get there first).

Freeform Tags:

(Divided between sfw and nsfw cuz I kept yammering)

1. Characters acting in sync and having very good non-verbal communication
2. Emotionally constipated character realizes they are in love
3. Injured A shows up on B's doorstep saying "I didn't know where else to go"
4. The intentional aesthetic of a well-dressed dangerous man
5. Case Fic - Character(s) investigating a mystery
6. Allies of convenience to lovers
7. Chars kissing/making out to pretend they aren't investigating
8. Chars learning to trust emotional intimacy between them during physical intimacy
9. Chars scheming together
10. Undercover as married
11. Chars started flirting with each other “as a joke" but now they're not really joking
12. Chars talk about a shared special interest
13. Chars keeping secrets - I know that you know that I know
14. Clothing - Helping character out of difficult to remove clothing
15. Emotionally repressed characters have to work through having emotions
16. Intelligent characters enthusing over learning new things (especially from each other)
17. Looking through someone's book collection

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1. Claiming bites/bruises
2. Breathplay - Using a choke collar during sex to make receiver clench pleasurably
3. Public or semi-public sex - fingered under clothes in public
4. Undercover work used as excuse to have sex they've always wanted
5. Openly wearing/displaying sign (jewelry/clothing/tattoo/marks) of secret relationship
6. Sex in a semi-secluded place during a party with the possibility of discovery
7. Sex pollen between pining characters leads to confession and getting together
8. Taking advantage of masquerade ball to role-play sex with love interest as a “stranger”
9. Sexual partners agreeing to a period of no sex try to get the other to beg for sex first
10. Competence kink - A turned on by B using the skills/abilities A taught them
11. Competence Kink - Con artists lying stealing and heisting
12. Erotic glove removal
13. The erotic inconvenience of old-fashioned undergarments

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Scaramouche/Xiao



ALL: Fantasy/Magic Royalty and Palace Intrigue AU
ALL: One or more characters has amnesia
ALL: Pilot/Co-Pilot
ALL: Pilot/Air Traffic Controller
ALL: Prince/Royal Body Guard AU
ALL: TV Host/Guest
ALL: Bodyswap AU
ALL: Roleswap AU
ALL: ATLA/Bender AU
ALL: Ballet - Characters are Ballet Dancers
All: Murder on the Orient Express fusion
ALL: Soulmate AU - First words to each other written on skin
All: Time Travel Fix-It
ALL: Bartender/Patron
ALL: Celebrity/Fan
ALL: Witch Hat Atelier AU
ALL: Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor AU
ALL: Musician AU - Pianist/Violinist
ALL: Host Club AU
All: Time Travel - To Meet People Currently Dead


Scaramouche/Xiao



Please accept the above fanart I’ve made myself (and technically still haven’t finished) of my Genshin OTP!!!

Once I started learning more about Xiao, I started connecting dots between him and Scara and then found that I couldn’t stop. Wouldn’t it be interesting if the yaksha who thinks he doesn’t feel anything and the amnesia-addled wanderer who feels too much taught each other some things about their emotions? What if Xiao fell in love with that puppet when he had no memories, then that puppet went off and got his memories back? Or what if Xiao met that puppet when he was a bloodthirsty harbinger, or waaay farther back, before Scara even had his first name? What if Scaramouche met Xiao before Xiao was enslaved by a certain god? There’s so much potential for canon divergence!! There’s no singular way to write their dynamic because it all depends on when they meet and that possibility is addicting to me, so I’m always returning to them and wanting to experiment with new scenarios.

I want to see them fall in love across universes. Or fight and bicker like oil and water before both softening up to each other when they realize just how much the other has gone through. It would be difficult, though, given how antisocial they both are, which is why I’ve definitely written their dynamic as amnesia-addled Wanderer/Xiao before or the bad boy (Xiao) falling for the badder boy (Scaramouche) who is on an assignment for the Harbingers at the time and Scara falls in love with Xiao because he’s hot or some other surface-level thing before realizing the feelings run deeper than that XD (and Xiao, of course, just liking that he has some company and someone who doesn’t care about his karmic debt).

Modern AUs would be so much fun, too. I’m at that point with this pairing where even the most banal coffeeship AU could be interesting because it’s them. What is your Xiao like? How does he fall in love with Scaramouche or vice versa? I would be more than chuffed to see your answer.

Some modern ideas:

• Tattoo artist and florist? Hello???? ONE of them has tattoos and I would NOT mind if they were both coated in them, tbh. (And then they explore each other’s bodies to find the rest!!)
• The quiet classmate Xiao who all the other students are too scared to talk to but it turns out he’s just shy and the obnoxious Scaramouche who also has no friends imposes on Xiao and becomes friends with him because he’s lonely
• The handsome, famous photographer Xiao and the hot-headed model Scaramouche who everybody hates to work with because he’s so rude and prideful but for some reason Xiao has no trouble handling him

More ideas because they make me unwell:

• In general, I always go feral for a Xiao/Scaramouche dynamic where they give each other special treatment they don’t extend to anyone else
• Shogun!Scaramouche AU with royal vibes and lots of knives at people’s throats 👀 Maybe Xiao makes an attempt at Scaramouche’s life and he fails. I would love some hate sex thrown in somewhere. Underhanded dealings and secret trysts and fighting and all that!
• I have a lot of trouble realistically writing a pairing that is rude or mean to each other (particularly because I start feeling too bad for poor Xiao) but I would adore an enemies-to-lovers sort of situation where they’re at each other’s throats and making attempts on the other’s life 😂 (see above lol).
  • I want to make it clear that even though writing Xiao all banged up is hard for me, that’s why it’s hurt/comfort and it makes the comfort 1,000 times even more thrilling and cute!! (And actually, while I’m thinking about it, dracyphilia with a sobbing Xiao OR Wanderer has a sort of appeal to it!)
• The archon Morax is on an assignment to Inazuma and Xiao tags along for security. He intends to stick to Morax like glue and not go off, but one evening, Morax encourages him to take a tour of the islands while he’s in some meetings and Xiao comes across Tatarasuna where a certain puppet awaits…
• I have a few fics I’ve written of them (one, two, three) that I would love to have continuations of or be inspired for more fic. They’re all long (the third is a longfic) but I think they all encapsulate the sort of dynamic I love most from them
• I don’t really have a preference for which Scaramouche is paired with Xiao though I have a slight preference toward Wanderer for canonverse fic. I like a boi who has gone through The Horrors™ and already come out the other side. But Xiao being all soft with Kabukimono is adorable and Xiao hating the trauma-riddled Scaramouche is 🔥spicy 🔥. I also rarely ever see fic of the puppet’s transition from Kabukimono to Scaramouche (I just call that “Kunikuzushi”) or Kuronushi (of the Five Kasen from that poetry event/Irodori Festival that I missed) and would love to see more coverage of that time in Wanderer’s life!
• One day, a wanderer appears at Wangshu Inn declaring boldly that Xiao knows him. Xiao has never met the man before, but at the stranger’s is determined to prove him wrong.
• What if Xiao had an adeptal ability to travel back in time? Who would he meet? How could he change history?

Freeform Tags:

(Divided between sfw and nsfw cuz I kept yammering)

* These scenarios are for all of Scara’s incarnations so pls consider the names interchangeable

1. Your past is your past but your future is MINE
2. Adeptal ability to recover lost memories
3. Entering someone's dreams/nightmares
4. Xiao and Scara compete for most protective
5. Scara spoils Xiao with his leftovers to ensure he’s eating well
6. Nightmares that are memories
7. Xiao with karmic debt pain receives comfort and has needs tended to by loved one on bad pain day
8. Character falls from grace and finds out that he is far happier there
9. One is self-conscious about their scars; the other touches them for comfort and affection
10. Scara’s love language is killing Xiao’s enemies and dropping them at Xiao’s feet like a cat gifting dead mice
11. Xiao is delirious and calls for Scara even though Scara is right there
12. Xiao has horrible nightmares unless sleeping with Scara
13. Amnesia - Affected person assumes the other character is his significant other
14. Amnesia - Falling back in love all over again
15. Scara’s temporary amnesia leads to dependence on Xiao and unconditional love
16. Memory Restoration - Xiao overwhelmed and learning to accept years/decades/etc. of established relationship with Wanderer/Scara/etc.

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1. The bodysuit stays on during sex
2. Tattoo licking / tattoo kink
3. Needy Scara & touch-starved Xiao have carefully meaningful sex
4. Near-death during sex is Scara’s kink
5. Sex so gentle it makes Xiao cry
6. Oh no they’re both tops/bottoms
7. Cockwarming to sate separation anxiety
8. Body worship that lasts all night
9. Xiao smiling turns Scara on
10. Scara praise kink
11. Cunt boy Scara or Scara with no genitalia

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Scaramouche/Various 1

1: Scaramouche

Kaedehara Kazuha's Friend/Scaramouche

Albedo/Scaramouche

Scaramouche/Venti

Kaedehara Kazuha/Scaramouche

Scaramouche/Xiao


Medium: Fic - Character
GI: Scaramouche Is An Archon
ALL: Alignment Swap - Canon Good Guys are Villains and Vice Versa
ALL: Power/Ability Swap
ALL: Dark Fuck Prince



On the Subject of Scaramouche

I love canonverse and canon divergent fic for Scara especially. I love anything that involves Niwa and Tatarasuna, Nahida, his failed attempt to erase himself, his memory loss, and his ongoing redemption. For modern Scaramouches, I enjoy family histories where he has a biological sister and mother he despises, perhaps because he was put up for adoption or abandoned when he was very young and then raised by Nahida.

In relationships, I think his behavior depends entirely on what “incarnation” of him meets the partner(s). Kabu-chan is kind and trusting; Scaramouche probably aims for more of a booty call arrangement than anything he thinks will last (after all, humans all die anyway and are easy to use); Wanderer isn’t ready to trust again but is probably severely lonely. I think once he decides someone is worth his time, he commits everything to that person, just as he had with the little sick child from his past. (Which is also why I think he is very loyal to Nahida now, to a fault.) I love when he’s clingy and protective and, after enough time, capable of being vulnerable and admitting when he needs a good hug.

I love it when Scara/Kabu/Wanderer feel things and he’s at his most human. When he’s positioned beside characters who are human where he is the more expressive or emotional one. I love the dramatic irony of him saying, “No, I’m not human, I don’t love like a human loves” then turning around and loving deeply and with just as much intensity as anyone else out there. I love to see him laughing or crying or whatever and getting even more emotional about it because he’s not supposed to feel those things! And seeing his eventual acceptance of that.



Kabukimono: I would be really interested to read a story that takes advantage of the fact that had the people of Tatarasuna not taken him in, he could have become evil from the start. What if he cannibalized and murdered because he didn’t know what “right” or “wrong” even meant, just that human bodies are weird and different from his? But also, it sounds like he was such a cutie— learning sword dances, sipping gratuitous cups of tea in an attempt to fit in, truly falling in love with his found family. He was so soft and sweet and I adore him. …I will say, however, that I’m also charmed by the prospect of a loving partner teaching him how sex works, or even enlisting him in doing sexual acts without him fully understanding what they are, just knowing that it feels good. An infantilized/sexualized Kabu-chan dubconned or nonconned is A-OK to me.

Scaramouche: He’s a villanous little shit and I’m curious to know more about this period of his life but especially all the pain and trauma he must have endured from Il Dottore and the Abyss. I’m also very interested in that tail-end of his life, right before he erased himself. I love the deep, rich angst of him realizing exactly what he did and how there was no way he thought he could begin to make up for what he had done, so much so that erasing himself was the only way. As a harbinger, did he meet his lover during that time? What did he spend all of his unwaking hours doing? Were there ever moments where he missed how things used to be? What did he envision for his future godhood and would it really have made him happy? (No, probably not.)

Nameless wanderer: Probably my favorite when mixed with other iterations of himself. Give me canon-divergence where he restores his memories over a long time, bit by bit. Or travels through time. Or has reactions to people and places that he doesn’t understand and it scares him. I want him to go through the angst. I think he’s similar to Kabukimono in some regards, but more… domesticated, as it were, since he still has many years of socialization that he just doesn’t remember. Also, the angst his partner(s) must feel at seeing him and him not recognizing him. Ugh, it’s too good!



Hat Guy/Wanderer: Also such an angsty little guy. I love his relationship with Nahida and the way he participated in the Interdarshan Championship just for her. And him in the new summer event, too!! Him and little Durin are adorable and I’m beyond words happy and touched that he was given an opportunity to empathize with someone who just wanted friends and to be understood. To not be so lonely, just like him. He knows his past, but nobody else does. What does this mean for any relationships he’d had in the past? Or does he only meet his partner(s) post-erasure?

I don’t see canon Wanderer as all that cruel anymore as much as he is aloof. He knows he has a history of doing terrible things to undeserving people and I’d like to think he’s working on himself and this is still a prison sentence for him in some regards. He’s doing some community service! But I do still love moments where he’s portrayed with an attitude. He doesn’t waste his time on people or things he doesn’t care about; things are only worth doing for a reason.

Kaedehara Kazuha's Friend/Scaramouche

* I call Kaedehara Kazuha’s Friend Tomo in my prompts
- Inazuma’s new archon is Just A Little Twink and Tomo thinks he can take him in a fight— ends up taking him in a completely different way
- Local no-gooder attracts the attention of the electro archon and expectedly falls into favor with him because he’s an “interesting human”
- Killing the new archon’s dissenters is boring; it’s much funner to force them into undying loyalty that over time develops into a toxic relationship that definitely isn’t an indication of underlying romantic feelings or desire for deep human intimacy and love


Albedo/Scaramouche

- This is so awkward but we keep running into each other: Albedo and Scaramouche are together not because they want to be, per se, but because fate keeps drawing them into each other whether they like it or not - Alignment swap leads to Albedo being the one to corrupt Scaramouche; can you really blame a guy when corruption by Dragon is so cool and sexy?

Scaramouche/Venti

- Flamboyant Anemo twink is committed to pestering Scaramouche until he confesses his love; said twink might be waiting a while
- Anemo archon with cheery exterior has actually suffered decades of pain and loss; teaches Scaramouche how that doesn’t have to define him and it’s possible to grow from it and become a better person still capable of love
- Late-night drunk confessions & complaining reveal the two are alike in more ways than initially expected
- Venti rises to the occasion when it comes to Mondstadt being threatened by another potential archon war and shows Scaramouche the error of his ways through genuine human connection and a thorough psyop


Kaedehara Kazuha/Scaramouche

- Kaedehara clan member preserves the clan’s longstanding close relationship with the electro archon by?? Dating him??
- “I could make him better” vs “I could make him worse”: archon corrupted by trauma and trust issues refuses the aid of someone from the lineage of his best family friend, is shocked when he succumbs to kindness anyway
- Kazuha succeeds where Tomo had failed and beats the electro archon at a duel, which triggers a chain reaction of positive character development and looking inwardly to evaluate why Scara’s So Fucked Up and how to get better


Scaramouche/Xiao

- Geo archon’s delegation visits Scaramouche’s nation; Xiao is smitten by how handsome he is
- “Hey so since Morax is on his way out anyway why not give me a promotion I promise I’ll be sooo good at it” leads to Geo Archon Scaramouche (and the unwilling transferral of Xiao’s loyalty to him)
- “I know we’re on opposite sides of this war and everything but could you stop looking so handsome when I’m trying to shove this sword down your throat” feelings develop into “oh no I definitely would rather something else be down it instead”


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Scaramouche/Various 2

Albedo/Scaramouche

Albedo/Scaramouche/Xiao

Scaramouche/Xiao

Scaramouche/Venti


GI: Scaramouche doesn't join the Harbingers
GI: Wanderer never deleted himself from Irminsul
ALL: One or more characters has amnesia



Scaramouche/Xiao/Albedo



** Due to the nature of a polyam ship, I do also ship scarabedo, scaraxiao, and xiaobedo. Please feel free to mix them up however you choose, even in one-on-one smut scenes with the third char absent.

I’m very interested by this intersection of characters and the circumstances that could bring them together. I think it would be especially fun if Xiao/Albedo met the fruity puppet boy as Scaramouche or the nameless wanderer and thus consequently had very angsty memory problems regarding that whole situation. What if it was Scaramouche who had met them and he had to mourn their loss after surviving his attempt at suicide? What would it feel like to see Albedo or Xiao again when they don’t recognize him? Would Nahida know something’s up and try to help? I would love you if the fic had one or two chapters of all of them happy and in a good relationship before pulling the rug out from underneath everything with the Irminsul erasure and now Missing Memories.

Albedo, Xiao, and Scara are all immortal in some sense and that’s absolutely one of the reasons I ship them all together. Perhaps Xiao and Albedo have a semi-consistent rapport with one another but don’t check in frequently because relationships are so much work and they both have jobs. Meanwhile, Scara wanders between them whenever he feels like it and it isn’t until the Irminsul incident that Albedo and Xiao begin to feel like something is Off. I would love moments of angst and empathy between the three of them but also them being enablers of chaos, Doing Things That Would Kill Mortals, and overall inadvisable activities that are definitely more fun when done together.

I also love the potential for quiet moments between Albedo and Xiao where Albedo paints and Xiao simply enjoys his presence and they don’t have to say anything. For three immortal beings who all have complicated relationships with life, I think Albedo is probably the most equipped to handle emotions, which isn’t saying much, but his introspective nature could be especially appreciated by someone like Xiao who is so sensitive and still very much learning how to handle interpersonal relationships himself. I would love any opportunities for them to learn from each other or connect deeply with each other on the more “mortal” things they find so difficult.

Please consider also perusing my Scaramouche/Xiao section for more ideas.

• Xiao meets Hat Guy while on a visit to Sumeru with Zhongli. Xiao has never seen the person before, but something propels him to speak to the stranger, who wants nothing to do with him. Xiao can’t help but feel like he recognizes the person from somewhere before and that afternoon, Nahida suggests that he search for a Knight of Favonius in Mondstadt named Albedo who might be able to help him uncover the mystery. When Xiao meets Albedo, however, Albedo, too, is clueless to what the sensation could mean, but is nevertheless determined to help Xiao figure it out, even if it means a visit to the Akademiya or Inazuma to uncover secrets that Hat Guy seems to prefer to keep hidden. In the meantime, though, both Albedo and Xiao can’t deny the similar sensation between both of them, and Xiao and Albedo grapple with feelings of unexpected attraction and even longing.
• The trio decide to go on a trip together. What they perhaps forgot is that Scaramouche is a little shit, Xiao doesn’t like small/loud spaces, and Albedo keeps getting distracted by every random landscape he finds particularly pretty, leading to 2-hour detours for paintings. They are the chaos gremlins, though it’s absolutely a spectrum, and some characters are more guilty than others.
• Albedo and Xiao meet the kabukimono and watch his descent into becoming Scaramouche and hold an intervention before he’s able to erase himself using Irminsul. (Or, are there to pick up the pieces as he unravels and cope with what’s left of him after the dust settles.)
• An experiment of Albedo’s goes awry and the three of them swap bodies. Scaramouche has an attitude/refuses to speak to himself and all of them experience memory bleed/recalling memories that never happened to them but instead to their partners.
• Xiao and Albedo who have been in a long-term relationship with Hat Guy for many years are confronted with the realization that their first meeting with Hat Guy is in fact not their first and that there are decades/centuries of past interactions with him that neither of them remember. Extra angst points if Hat Guy was not the one who told them (intended to keep it a secret forever) and the rediscovered “new” memories include excessively traumatizing/vulnerable moments together.

Freeform tags:

SFW

1. That Bitch Eating Crackers is My Boyfriend (Scara)
2. Compersion
3. A/B, A/C, and B/C meet separately; experience shock at realization that they all know each other
4. Immortals having deep emotions and complicated relationships with morality
5. Character's previously unnoticed acts of service are discovered and appreciated by their partner(s)
6. Coming to terms with the fact that you will never be the same
7. Emotionally repressed but deeply in love character finally breaks and gives into feelings
8. Hair washing as part of intimacy/sex
9. What character (Albedo or Xiao) thinks is a funny anecdote horrifies their friends/loved ones
10. Lying serum (Scaramouche unable to tell the truth)
11. Touch-Repulsion - Xiao hates to be touched (and consequently learning how to accept being touched tenderly & lovingly by partners)

Amnesia

1. Affected person assumes the other character(s) are their significant others
2. Character reverts to a dramatically different previous version of themselves
3. Temporary amnesia leads to character fearing their loved ones

Body Swap

1. Bodyswap can only be reversed with sex
2. Bodyswapped characters pretend to be each other with varying success

Time Travel

1. Char A travels back in time and gets to meet all those who are dead in their time
2. Time traveler's foreknowledge leads to treating a difficult/scary person very kindly
3. Time traveling character has sex with past version of a loved one
4. Time travel fix-it results in two versions of Scaramouche in new timeline

NSFW

1. Char A fucks char B while they're still full of char C's come
2. Character A fucks char B while they fuck char C
3. Character very much wants to be ravished; gets in a little over their head
4. Licking cum out of partner's freshly fucked hole
5. The moment when today's tender sex makes yesterday's fucked-raw soreness bloom into pleasure-pain
6. Sleepy fondling in the middle of the night turns into messy sex
7. Naive character is shocked to discover their nemesis (Scara) wants to fuck them
8. Obsession expressed through extreme loyalty
9. Overstimulation - "One more orgasm and then I'll stop touching you" but they're lying
10. Possessiveness - Bites and Scratches and Bruises as Claiming
11. Touch-starved character having overwhelming tender long foreplay first time sex



Albedo/Scaramouche

- Knights of Favonius adopt kabukimono through repeated attempts to lure him in with promises of getting to fight things and drinking bitter tea
- Kabukimono wanders into Albedo's workshop and likes the prospect of companionship with another non-human entity; is suddenly living there permanently


Scaramouche/Xiao

- Adeptus finds Kabukiomo attempting to set fire to a hilichurl camp, proceeds to successfully convert him to a morally grey alignment through repeated interactions and fighting enemies as a bonding activity
- Kabukimono lets off steam by killing bad guys; is adopted by adepti for his commitment to Protecting Liyue(tm) and gets taught their arts


Scaramouche/Venti

- Temporary amnesia provides Scaramouche an opportunity to see the error of his ways/appreciate humans and human life without
- Venti repeatedly encounters Just a Little Guy while traveling through Mond on business and osmoses his sad backstory through discussions with other people; decides to bond with him
- Kabukimono is a Knight of Favonius with the intention of becoming strong enough to challenge an archon— doesn't anticipate becoming (boy)friends with one and the complications that poses to his plan


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