FIAB Letter 2023 - linndechir

[linndechir]

Dear FIAB writer,

I'm signing up twice for this exchange again! This is the letter for my main account linndechir and includes my requests for Ghost of Tsushima, Mob City, Vampire the Masquerade: Parliament of Knives and The Witcher 3. You can find the letter for my other  signup (Cyberpunk 2077, Far Cry 5, Fast & Furious and Mass Effect) here.

So thank you for writing for me and having a look at this letter. I've got some general likes and dislikes listed - those are the important parts, really. They're followed by a list of kinks I like, should you feel inclined to write porn, and some fandom-specific prompts, but if those don't work for you - as long as you include a thing or two that I like and don't include my DNWs, I'm sure I will love whatever you write for me. :D

As a general rule, I enjoy all ratings; I like darker, angstier fic and more light-hearted stories, although neither completely conflictless fluff nor completely bleak darkfic without a ray of hope are quite my thing. I'm always happy about porn, but it's not a must. I like shorter fics and plotty longfic.

The fandoms are listed alphabetically. The length of the fandom-specific sections doesn't indicate an order of preference; I just had more ideas and prompts for some of them.

I use the same name on AO3 and tumblr as here. Treats are always welcome. :)



Do Not Wants:

• character death of characters I like (random side characters or antagonists dying is fine)
• serious illnesses, permanent injuries (blood and wounds that will heal again are fine)
• completely tragic/bleak endings
• animal death/cruelty
• genderbend of any kind, mpreg, A/B/O, characters being werewolves/vampires/anything than what they are in canon
• non-canon gender identities/sexual orientations (e.g. writing characters as trans or asexual), except for writing characters as gay or bi
• unrequested ships (including canon ships) *
• unrequested crossovers or fusions
• complete AUs (canon divergence is fine, but no high school AUs, coffee shop AUs, in space AUs, groundhog day AUs etc.)
• unnecessary epithets, please use characters' names/pronouns unless their name isn't known to the POV character (or unless the characters think of each other by e.g. their title rather than their name)
• 1st and 2nd person fic (unless canon is in 1st person, then it's fine)
• for porn: detailed kink negotiation, safewords for scenes that don't involve consent play (and even then I'm not really into safewords); scat, watersports, coming in pants, crossdressing, feminisation, infantilisation (daddy kink and calling characters "boy/girl" is fine, just not characters behaving or being treated like actual kids), small dicks, erectile dysfunction; for het: femdom, pegging, focus on cunnilingus

* I'm fine with mentions of characters' past relationships with OCs (and obviously with things like random OC couples in casefic or mentioning people's parents). However, I don't want these ships to play a central role: a character thinking back of how they tried out this kink before with some guy they hooked up with five years ago, or briefly thinking that they used to date this guy who hated it when they did X? Totally fine. A character spending half the fic thinking about or interacting with their ex? Not something I'm interested in.

Canon-specific: Brief mentions of Geralt's past relationships with Yennefer and Triss (or other people) for The Witcher are fine, but I don't want those relationships (or thinking about those relationships) to play a huge role in the fic. If I've requested several ships in a fandom, I'm fine with them appearing in the same fic.

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Things I like to read about:

• first time/getting together: slow burn, pining, UST finally getting resolved, but also antagonistic hate sex or casual hookups that are only later followed by feelings (emotional pining while already having sex is great)
• developing relationships: relationship conflicts after the characters got together, trying to figure out how to make things work, some things maybe not working at first, temporary breakups, basically anything that doesn't assume that first time sex -> perfect relationship
• porn, especially porn with feelings/porn that says something about their relationship (see list below for kinks I like)
• enemies to lovers, partners to lovers
• reluctant allies grudgingly starting to like each other
• non-verbal expressions of affection, unusual romantic gestures that fit the characters
• familiarity, intimacy, characters getting to know each other better (their habits, their hangups etc.)
• pre-canon/background stories, first meetings/first impressions (especially if we didn't see those in canon)
• post-canon fic
• canon divergence
• casefic
• moral dilemmas, characters having to question/go against their principles, situations in which there is no clear right or wrong
• loyalty, devotion, trust, but also trust/commitment issues
• obsessive, codependent, complicated relationships
• unhealthy relationships that should be a trainwreck, but work for the characters involved
• obsessive/intense family relationships
• us-against-the-world
• villains in love, bad guys who would literally burn down the rest of the world for each other, horrible people being sweet to each other and awful to everyone else
• jealousy, possessiveness
• age differences
• misunderstandings (as long as there's a good reason for them)
• competence, characters being smart and skilled and good at what they do; characters with different skill sets complementing each other
• hurt/comfort (after injuries/exhaustion, not so much with illness)
• angst: self-doubts, guilt, shame, internalised homophobia, nightmares, fears, self-destructive tendencies, alcohol abuse ...
• period-typical attitudes towards sex, sexuality, class, morality, religion etc. (I obviously don't expect 100% historical accuracy, but I like reading about characters from different societies having different values and principles from our own - this also applies to fictional societies)
• infidelity (not between my requested ships, but one half of my ship cheating on their previous partner with the other half of my ship)
• meaningful name uses (e.g. characters who always call each other by their last name or title switching to using first names)
• outside POVs, different POVs than in canon (more "usual" POVs are great, too)
• sleep-related themes: waking each other from nightmares, falling asleep on each other's shoulder etc.
• soulbonds (but no soulmates, please)
• undercover as enemies (or undercover as a couple) - as long as the set-up fits the setting/characters
• I like darker elements (violence, murder, noncon/dubcon, manipulation, depression, whatever fits your plot and isn't on my DNW list), but I'd prefer a happy or semi-happy ending. Feel free to make me bawl my eyes out, but please cheer me up again afterwards.

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Kinks I like to read about:

• anal, blowjobs, PIV for het, fingering, intercrural, frottage, rimming & felching are all great
• asphyxiation/choking/breathplay (this is my kink holy grail that makes everything else hotter to me; even just throat-touching without choking is great)
• switching
• biting, bruising, marking; possessive sex
• rough/angry sex, hate sex, fighting/sparring leading to sex, adrenaline-fuelled post-battle and "thank fuck we/you're alive" sex
• dressed sex, dressed/naked, clothes kink (suits, uniforms, gloves, boots; shirt with rolled up sleeves + waistcoat etc.), neat characters being dishevelled for once, casual characters cleaning up nicely
• D/s (I prefer casually developing kink to minutely negotiated, formalised BDSM; if anything under-negotiated kink is a plus for me)
• kink discovery/exploration
• strength kink; body worship; men's body hair (on chest, arms, thighs, butt; not so much on back and shoulders)
• stubble/beard burn
• hand kink; fisting; finger sucking
• large/thick cocks (not absurdly huge, but bigger than average); size kink
• bondage: leather cuffs, ropes, restraints, chains, collars
• face slapping, spanking, flogging, riding crops
• gun play, knife play, blood play
• consent play
• dirty talk (both the praising and the humiliating/condescending kind), voice/accent kink
• praise kink
• banter, teasing
• hard, desperate kissing with lots of biting
• barebacking (including the ill-advised, unplanned, unnegotiated we-really-shouldn't-have-done-that-but-it-was-so-hot kind - I'm not into serious STD scares, though; if there is an "oh fuck, what did we just do?" aftermath, please have both characters be certain that they're healthy)
• come play (licking come off fingers/skin, felching, feeding each other come, kissing after blowjobs/felching ...)
• come as lube, spit as lube (including the top spitting on the bottom's ass), blood as lube (preferably blood from battle wounds or knifeplay cuts or the like)
• blood play in general, especially for vampire ships
• messiness (sweat, come play, dishevelled hair/clothes)
• overstimulation; characters being overwhelmed, begging for more, becoming speechless ...
• shaving (face or body), especially with straight razors/knives
• sex on tables, against walls, on the floor, on a chair, in the shower ... (sex in beds is great, too)
• masturbation/fantasising about the other before getting together
• incest kink (i.e. characters who are related kinking on it - calling each other father/brother/son etc. in bed, fucking in front of mirrors because they get off on their physical similarities ...)
• competence kink, admiration
• kneeling, hand kissing, physical expressions of loyalty/fealty
• scars and their history
• oral fixation (while smoking, drinking, talking ...)
• sharing cigarettes, clothes, food ...
• shame in sexual desires (whether about being attracted to another man at all, being attracted to this specific person for whatever reason, wanting to bottom, wanting to suck dick, wanting to hurt their partner, wanting to be hurt by their partner ...)

Ghost of Tsushima
Lord Shimura/Jin Sakai

This is such a wonderful game! I will admit that a big part of why I picked it up is because I heard that it had an amazing uncle/nephew ship and ... wow, it didn't disappoint. I mean, I loved the entire game - the gorgeous landscapes, the great gameplay, the exploration, the absolutely heartbreaking story, all those themes of identity and duty and suffering for the sake of duty - but that relationship was really the heart of it all and I loved it so much. It's devastatingly sad, but it's still so obvious right up until the end that they love each other deeply even while things deteriorate more and more between them, that they don't really have anyone but each other, and that they desperately wish they could be on the same side again, but everything between them has just become so hopeless by the end. They made me cry several times throughout the game.

I really adored Jin while playing the game - that mix between his gentler side (how sweet he is with his horses, the flute playing, the overall protectiveness towards everyone) and his utterly ruthless, murderous side. How much he loves and respects his uncle, but is still willing to go against him when he thinks it's right. I'm also such a sucker for conflicting duties and people basically breaking themselves because they try to do what's right, and sometimes doing what's right means breaking all your principles and everything you were taught and losing the person you love most in the world. All these themes of duty and what is and isn't acceptable in the face of overwhelming odds fascinate me and I'd love to see that picked up in fic, too.

I also love Shimura, though, because even though he is rigid to the point of being unreasonable, he also isn't wrong sometimes - Jin's methods do in fact backfire on him at times, and the things you do to win a war are things you can't undo once the war is over and you need to restore peace again. I love complicated relationships in which neither party is completely right or wrong. And the really heartbreaking thing about them is that there was probably some sort of compromise to be found that would have been better for everyone involved, but instead they were both convinced that their way was right and the other one was being blind and unreasonable.

I'd be up for pre-canon fic or something set during canon or any kind of post-canon AU - as much as I adore the absolute tragedy of canon, I'm still desperate for any fix-it in which they somehow find back to each other and things turn out less bleak than in canon. I'd love to see a 'verse in which Jin does in fact get to go home after everything is over, even if he still has to deal with all the things he's done and all the damage his relationship with Shimura has taken. Feel free to go about that however you like, with as much detail or handwaving as you prefer. I'd just rather not get post-canon fic in which Jin stays the Ghost forever and is just lonely and miserable while getting hunted. I'd prefer to leave that level of depressing in canon. ;D

If you go pre-canon, I'm fine with underage down to about 15, as long as Jin is very enthusiastic and into everything that's happening.

• all the guilty pining and desires that they're trying to repress - Jin who knows his uncle would be so disappointed in him, Shimura who's supposed to take care of his nephew and not desire him ... endless pining and UST and charged moments, whether they have no idea their feelings are returned or (worse) they realise the feelings are mutual but still can't act on them
• maybe part of the reason Shimura is this obsessed with honour and Never Breaking The Rules is because he has some very dishonourable thougths about his nephew, and if you start just doing whatever you want, well, who knows where that might lead ...
• apparently it wasn't unusual for samurai and their wards to have a sexual relationship - now of course Shimura thinks he can't just do that with his nephew, but maybe there are still some ... lessons? kisses, jerking off together, things they can pass off as plausible deniability, while both wishing they could do more than that
• or: Shimura takes Jin to a sex worker to teach him about sex, since he isn't going to fuck him himself; but they're both far more interested in each other than in the person they're meant to fuck together (longing looks and fleeting touches on the third party's body and Jin asking Shimura to show him what to do ...)
• or maybe Shimura wasn't at all interested in Jin when he was younger, but once he's grown up, an adult and a great warrior and everything Shimura had ever hoped he'd become, it just hits him how much he loves and desires him - I'm always here for a good "oh no, why is he suddenly hot" moment
• Jin thinking about how much he'd love to go bathing in a hot spring with his uncle makes me want fic about just that, pre-canon, post-canon, whenever, just let them relax together
• speaking of relaxing: going on a ride together, Shimura listening to Jin play the flute, just generally spending time together and enjoying each other's company (especially if it's post-canon when things are Complicated, but they still want to be around each other)
• reunion sex after Jin rescues Shimura and they escape from the castle - they were worried about each other, blood runs hot, they both thought they'd lost each other ... and it leads to them finally acting on all that UST they always did their best to ignore (and if that maybe contributes to things becoming Difficult between them afterwards because Shimura insists they can't possibly do that again while Jin wants them to ... I'd be into that)
• I'm obsessed with that slap - it's obvious Shimura has never hit Jin before and is absolutely horrified by himself; so maybe an AU exploration of what might happen afterwards - maybe Jin does let Shimura apologise, maybe they end up fighting each other a bit, maybe they end up all over each other in different ways
• Jin-as-the-Ghost sneaking into Shimura's castle after act 2 to talk to him, and maybe Shimura can say things to him, or do things to him, that he never managed to say to Jin while he was thinking of him as his nephew or his son
• under whatever circumstances: Jin sneaking into Shimura's bed at night and them having sex without ever talking about it, and in the morning they both pretend nothing happened (and maybe eventually something happens that forces them to acknowledge what they've been doing)
• AU in which Shimura does adopt Jin as his son, just to make them both feel even more guilty about their attraction (and I'm all for Shimura calling him "my son" in bed)
• AU in which the shogun figures the Ghost can be useful and offers Jin a pardon for all his Ghost crimes if he goes to Iki and cleans up the Mongol problem there - he expects Jin to die conveniently, but instead Jin comes back and actually gets his life back. I'd love to see Jin and Shimura having to deal with the fallout of their decisions, of their arguments and disagreements, but also getting a second chance at the life they would have had otherwise; Shimura learning to see Jin as an equal rather than his ward who'll always just follow his orders would also be very interesting
• related: Jin still suffering from the Eagle's poison when he returns to Shimura, with all the hallucinations and fears, and Shimura helping him through that
• also related to Iki Island: I'd love some conversations about Jin's father and Jin maybe understanding Shimura's point of view better now that he knows how ruthless his father was
• I'm generally fascinated by Jin's and Shimura's relationship to Jin's father, so anything exploring that (and also the fact that Shimura was clearly already very involved in Jin's life while his parents were alive) would be interesting
• any kind of flashbacks to Jin's childhood/youth and Shimura's involvement and how their relationship changed over the years
• the scene of Jin kneeling in front of Shimura and telling him he lives to serve him continues to live in my head, so - all the displays of loyalty and fealty and submission, whether it's early on when Jin unambiguously means it or later on as part of some messed up kind of reconciliation or in an attempt to pretend that things are still as easy between them as they used to be (maybe Jin will disobey him again in the morning, but at night, he'll do anything Shimura demands)
• AU in which Shimura has to go on the run with Jin for a while - maybe there are fewer loyal soldiers left than expected, or they have to get to them first, or they were cut off from their main camp; anything that forces Shimura to go along with Jin's in-game life for a bit, from the not-quite-honourable tactics to sleeping curled up together in barns or in the woods ...
• canon ends the way it does (though with Shimura surviving), but the Ghost eventually does something or other that earns him the shogun's forgiveness and gets him his life back (maybe by saving the life of someone important?) - I'd love for Jin and Shimura to be reunited at a time when they'd already thought that was impossible for them, and Jin having a hard time adjusting to his old life again, while Shimura had some time to reconsider his own opinions, too
• if the adoption offer happened under somewhat more peaceful circumstances: it's all Jin ever wanted, but at the same time, he feels like he can't accept because being in love with your father feels even worse than being in love with your uncle - so he might have to confess all that to Shimura if he plans to reject his offer ... maybe things go from there because Shimura isn't as shocked and disgusted as Jin expected
• all the mutual body worship, touching each other's scars and muscles, sword-calloused hands, hair etc.
• sparring/training sex? :D whether it's adrenaline-fuelled and sweaty and a bit rough or slowly building UST kind while Shimura corrects Jin's stance (or post-canon, Jin might be the one teaching Shimura a new move or two)
• I love that Shimura clearly didn't hurt Jin while raising him (or he wouldn't have been so shocked by the slap), so maybe they're also very gentle and loving with each other once they start having sex ... but Jin actually wouldn't mind a bit of roughness and has to coax Shimura into it
• the more fucked up version of this: Jin does feel guilty for some of the things he's done and even though he's convinced they were necessary, he still wants Shimura to punish him for them in bed - cue some carthartic spanking/whipping/dominance/rough sex (if you want to combine this with the displays of loyalty mentioned above, yes please)

Mob City
Sid Rothman/Ned Stax

I was so obsessed with this show and this ship back when Mob City came out all those years ago, and I've recently been obsessed with it again. Sid and Ned are my absolute favourites and I love their dynamic in canon - the antagonistic snarking, Sid clearly having a blast teasing Ned and trying to make him uncomfortable, Ned being utterly unfazed and not scared of Sid (the casual way he touches him! who the fuck touches Sid Rothman like that!), the fact that they do in fact work well together when they aren't sniping at each other. I love that they're both incredibly smart and good at their respective jobs, and pretty ruthless when it comes down to it. I really enjoy Ned's ambition and clever plans, and Sid's terrifying charisma and his devotion to Ben.

I'm open to a lot of things for this! I like rough, antagonistic bad idea hookups before or during canon - I love Ned reluctantly being into how dangerous and violent Sid is and kinking on that despite himself; Sid wanting to fuck Ben's pretty lawyer and being kind of surprised that Ned is interested (even if Ned is probably trying to hide that); lots of power play and Ned's masochism and Sid's sadism being surprisingly compatible. But I'd also be up for established relationship fic or just generally anything more romantic where they move from just fucking casually to developing a more intense emotional connection. Either is good! Or anything in between.

I also really love Ben, btw, and Ben and Sid's relationship. I usually imagine them as platonic, but if you want to include background Ben/Sid in a romantic way (and they both fuck other people as well), that would be great, too! Either way Ben might have an Opinion on his best friend fucking his new fixer because I also enjoy that Ben and Ned clearly like each other.

• something early on about them getting to know each other - the antagonistic rivalry, but also some growing, grudging respect (I'd especially love to see Ned's reaction to meeting the Sid Rothman he probably already heard a lot about back in New York, and maybe being surprised that he's clever and eloquent and cultured and not just a very dangerous thug)
• Sid flirting with Ned just to unsettle him and being surprised that 1) Ned doesn't seem all that unsettled, 2) Ned might be interested?
• conversely, Ned flirting back because he thinks Sid is just doing this to get under his skin and absolutely not expecting Sid to do anything about it
• their flirting escalating - Sid getting into Ned's personal space, more and more casual touching with plausible deniability, but they both know something is going on, Sid maybe caging Ned in and threatening him a bit ...
• Ned having a kink for how dangerous and violent Sid is - staring at his hands when his knuckles are bruised, watching him beat information out of a guy some time, maybe even being the one to tell Sid to hurt someone if Ben put Ned in charge of some operation
• anything that has them working together, especially if they still snark at each other a lot while they do it - I love that Ned is utterly ruthless even if he usually looks for non-violent solutions first, so I figure he'd love having a very reliable weapon like Sid at his disposal
• Sid doesn't strike me as someone who usually cares much about pesky things as consent, but this is Ben's favourite new fixer and he can't just do what he wants with him ... but it turns out Ned actually <i>wants</i> Sid to be exactly as rough as Sid wants to be anyway
• generally super into the idea of both of them liking rough sex, Ned wanting Sid to hurt him, fucking against walls and on stairs and on the floor and over various pieces of furniture, maybe with some consent play, maybe with a lot of slapping and choking ... (Ned being very serious about Sid not messing up his face, though, because he doesn't want to have to explain that)
• Ned probably has some internalised homophobia going on, not to mention he'd worry about letting his mob employers/colleagues find out that he's into men (I'd absolutely be up for Ned never actually having slept with another guy before, but Sid is just very stubbornly not taking no for an answer) - Sid playing on his fears would also be fun
• very sexy, very bad idea sneaking around - fucking in backrooms at the Clover, in an extra bedroom at Ben's house ... bonus if Ned tells Sid to stop because this is infuriatingly careless, but he's just too into it to leave
• fallout from the finale! I feel like there's no way in hell Sid would let Joe live (and I doubt it'll take him long to figure out it was Joe), and he might well kill Jasmine, too, unless she left town and never came back - I'd love to see Ned's reaction to all that, especially if he's conflicted because he did owe Joe his life, but Joe also 100% brought this on himself (and Ned seems to like Ben a lot, I figure he isn't exactly happy about his death in general)
• Sid is going to be a mess after losing Ben, considering he seems to have lived his entire life for Ben - maybe Ned is there to pick up the pieces, initially just to keep a very valuable asset from shooting himself in the head, but maybe over time he finds that he actually got attached to Sid and cares about him?
• the two of them growing closer while working together to handle Mickey's bullshit after Ben's death - again, I love them being a good team, and I love Sid slowly finding something to live for again
• related: I'd love Sid sloooowly transfering all that loyalty he had for Ben to Ned (because it's sure as hell not going to be Mickey he'll be devoted to), and Ned being just slightly awed when he realises that's what's going on
• I also love the contrast of Sid having loved someone else before (whether he and Ben were friends or lovers) while Ned has been by himself for most of his life and is not used to loving anyone/being loved by someone
• my personal favourite long-term scenario for them: they both eventually grow so sick of Mickey that Sid offers to kill Mickey for Ned and help Ned take over the mob (because nothing says "I love you" like handing your lover your dead best friend's throne, right? :D)
• I usually prefer Sid topping/being in charge when they fuck, but if they have a long-term relationship, I'd also love some switching, especially if Sid never does that (or only ever did that with Ben if they were sleeping together), but he wants to try it with Ned
• Ned listening to Sid play the violin (especially if it's late at night, after sex, maybe even early on when they aren't particularly close yet and it feels oddly intimate)
• I love that scene of Sid very neatly dressing that mannequin, which makes me want Sid loving to dress Ned in the morning almost as much as he likes to undress him at night - maybe he just does it for fun or as some kind of power play in the beginning, but it becomes some sort of ritual for them?
• Ben finding out about Sid sleeping with Ned - he probably knows Sid sleeps with guys, but he'd disapprove of Sid messing with their lawyer (and be very surprised that Ned is actually into Sid) - Ned on the other hand would be utterly mortified that Ben knows (I'd prefer for this not to end in a complete disaster for Ned)
• everything about this show is so stylish! the suits (when they're not teal and orange ...), the cars, the sunglasses, everyone's swagger! I always enjoy mentions of that
• Ned's smoking is downright pornographic - how about Sid having a bit of a fixation on it, or post-coital smoking, or Sid trying to smoke less but always smoking more when he's around Ned ...

Vampire: The Masquerade - Parliament of Knives (Choice of Games)

Arundel/Robert Ward

So this is a text-only Vampire game that I played through twice in one week and will probably play again - it's filled with so much complex scheming and vampire politics and various NPCs all having their own nefarious goals that I keep discovering new stuff! Absolutely brilliant. But of course what really got me was the canon vampire ship with lots of Opposites Attract and canonical blood bonding and saying the most romantic shit about each other and a tragic breakup followed by missing each other and moving heaven and earth for each other and finding back to each other and aaaaaaaaaaah, they're perfect.

I really love how different they are in so many ways - Arundel who seems so utterly controlled and commanding and aloof, what with people talking a lot about how hard he is to read, who isn't exactly a horrible guy for a vampire prince, but still utterly ruthless and who rules with an iron fist and will destroy anyone who dares to fuck with him, whereas Ward is a pretty cheerful guy who loves to show off and make a scene and tries to talk people around to his point of view, while also having a huge temper if you piss him off. And at the same time they clearly had a shared, common dream and were willing to work together and listen to each other, and there's just something so beautiful about that. I also love that they weren't even together for THAT long (considering how old they both are, 20-30 years isn't that much), so they clearly must have fallen hard and fast for each other despite their age and experience. And they're just so devoted to each other! Actually blood-bonded, considering that both of them clearly know the other's Disciplines.

There are so many things I love about them: they worked together, but both still clearly have their oqn principles. Despite leaving him, Ward came back THE MOMENT he thought Arundel had called him. Then he goes to tear up half the city looking for him. The fact that they trusted each other enough to bond. Everyone in Ottawa knowing that there was CLEARLY something going on between them and everybody being horribly jealous because apparently everyone is in love with Arundel (I don't blame them for that). Ward still having such unshakeable faith in Arundel and being so sure that everything will be fine if Arundel comes back. And still calling him "boss"! The huge size difference between them! The age difference! The class difference! Literally everything about their reunion scene - Arundel saying several times how much it messed him up that Ward wasn't with him, all but admitting he needs him, the bit where he asked Ward to be "his lifeline" so he wouldn't lose himself. And then the fact that if all goes well, Ward finally decides to come back to him and stay with him this time. They love each other so much and so much in canon happens just because of that! And I want literally everything about their relationship. :D

Apart from that, I also adore Qui. Super lawful and loyal and extremely hot badass? Of course I love him. And I love that he's every bit as devoted to Arundel as Ward is, to the point where they both seem to be jealous of each other (Ward complaining about Qui having "too much influence" over Arundel, Qui hating Ward in a way that seems a lot more personal than just "Anarch blowing up my city"). I have some shippy prompts featuring him below, but if you want to include Qui in a non-shippy way - whether it's him and Arundel being great partners or him and Ward sniping at each other - I'd love that, too. Qui is a delight.

• anything about the beginning of their relationship! Ward was supposedly really excited to come to Ottawa and join the Camarilla there, so how did that go? did he and Arundel like each other right away? did Arundel immediately see him as an important partner to make all his coexistence dreams come true? did they have lots of arguments and discussions and fell for each other that way?
• around that time: I do enjoy the Camarilla with all their convoluted rules and traditions, and that early on Ward prooobably didn't rebel too much against it yet ... I'm just saying, he should kneel for Arundel and maybe kiss his hand/ring
• what exactly drew them to each other? they're both the kind of person the other one usually wouldn't like - an irreverent, passionate rebel and an unreadable, power-hungry control freak - so what made this different? what did they do that made the other one go "oh, he's NOT what I expected at all"?
• did they meet for the first time then or did they know each other before? they've both been in Canada for a long time, so it wouldn't be unthinkable that they've met in the past - maybe during some Sabbat raid, maybe when Arundel visited another city ... did they already talk then? did they maybe have a passionate one-night-stand they both almost forgot until they met again?
• so vampires in this setting are often not hugely interested in sex, right? especially the older they get. I could see Arundel (or both of them!) being not used anymore to caring much about sex, and I love him being absolutely blindsided by the fact that he just wants to fuck Ward's brains out in a very human way. (to clarify: I do absolutely want them to be sexually attracted to each other, but maybe it isn't lust at first sight, but only happens over time; or it is lust at first sight, but that's very unusual for them)
• but also: considering that sex and blood-drinking are pretty closely linked and they probably didn't want to risk a blood bond immediately, I imagine they had UST for quite some time - give me all the almost-kisses, the pining, the passionate arguments where they back each other into corners, sharing humans they both drink from at the same time while making intense eye contact ...
• sex while trying to refrain from biting each other, possibly featuring fun things like Arundel Dominating Ward into not biting him or Ward using all that supernatural strength to hold him down by his throat
• that being said, I also want all the passionate blood-drinking, whether they do it on purpose or whether they snap and lose control and then worry about the consequences later; but also the completely unrestrained blood drinking once they're bonded anyway and can just bite each other to their heart's content (thigh biting? :DDD)
• what if they were only bonded twice before canon because they both valued their independence too much for that third time? maybe Arundel insists on a full bond when Ward comes back because he doesn't want him to leave again
• but also, what if they were in fact fully bonded all those YEARS they were apart and it fucked them up because they kept yearning for each other
• anything post-breakup: Ward in New York on a small rampage, perfectly-stoic-and-controlled Arundel being so "inconsolable" that people noticed ... - I love that both of them dealt SO BADLY with their breakup
• did they not see each other at all during those years after Ward left? did Arundel have spies to keep an eye on him? did he ever go see him - whether to ask him again to come back or just because he missed him so badly? I really enjoy the pain and tragedy of their lengthy breakup that they both probably assumed was for good; I'd just also want them getting back together after all that
• post-canon fic! I'd love to see whatever conversations lead to Ward deciding to stay as Arundel's second-in-command rather than leave again, what made him decide to give their cooperation another chance, what exactly their Camarilla-and-Anarchs-coexistence will look like. I'd also love to see them talk some more about the Beckoning and Arundel's torture basement, and maybe Arundel having some difficulties trusting him completely again after Ward already left him once (and how will Ward convince him that he won't leave him again?)
• while I absolutely adore the ending in which Ward comes to the villa to save Arundel and would love fic about that, I also enjoy the one where Qui saves him and Ward and Arundel only meet again right before the Council fight - how would that change things? how much of what Arundel tells him in the villa when Ward sees the corpses would he tell him if he didn't have to? or rather when will he tell him? how would poor Ward handle the fact that the irritating Sheriff he can't stand is the one who saved his beloved Prince? (Ward trying to be grudgingly polite to Qui while Qui still hates him cracks me up, okay)
• rough sex! vampires in general are tough, but between the size kink and the combination of Ventrue Fortitude + Brujah Potence, these two are clearly made to fuck each other so hard they'd break anyone else's bones (especially once they share blood and both get stronger and tougher); maybe with bonus size kink because Ward is HUGE?
• sexy fun times with Dominate, especially if Ward has extremely conflicted feelings about literally wanting Arundel to take away his free will for a little bit
• in general, I'd love both of them having some hangups about submitting to each other - Arundel because he's a Ventrue Prince and if anything people should kneel for him, Ward because he loves his freedom and usually doesn't like arrogant assholes who try to boss him around, and yet they both really like the other one giving them orders (tldr: switching would be great)
• fighting side by side and competence kink! whether it's pre-canon, fighting the Sabbat together, or dealing with the Archon's allies and with Arundel's expansion plans post-canon, I just want them to kick ass together and admire each other's power and then maybe fuck in the blood of their many, very dead enemies
• arguments leading to sex - I imagine they find each other as infuriating sometimes as much as they find each other irresistible, so I bet once they were together, at least some of their passionate disagreements ended with one of them bent over the nearest surface :D

Arundel/Qui

Quiiiii. I admit that during my first playthrough, I missed out on a lot of Ward-related content because I was too busy following Qui around like a puppy who just wanted his approval. What a fantastic character. I love that mix of stubborn determination and loyalty with his more playful, adrenaline-hungry side - yes, he's faithfully served Arundel for 30+ years and will do anything to find him, but his idea of a fun night out is to raid a hide-out full of weapon-smuggling bikers and get his dinner that way. I'm also fascinated by his background story - being raised by a Tremere mentor who taught him a lot, but also just used him; getting tortured horribly by that Tzimisce who even "warped his soul", but the result being that he gets a more "normal" un-life than probably any other Nosferatu ever ... Speaking of, I love that he doesn't seem to get along very well with his own clan, which seems pretty unusual for a Nosferatu. But he and Bouchard clearly don't like each other, and Qui seems to only care about his position as Sheriff, not about any scheming to further his own or his clan's position. And I mean, there's the fact that his portrait is RIDICULOUSLY hot. They didn't need to make him that hot, but they did and I appreciate that.

And I just adore how utterly devoted he is to Arundel - he's been by his side since Arundel became Prince, and they knew each other a bit before that, too, so Qui has had a long time to develop all that respect and admiration for him, and Arundel has had just as long to rely on Qui and actually learn to trust him. I love Qui doing everything to find him even when everyone already tells him to give up. I also love that, despite his devotion, he doesn't seem afraid to speak his mind around Arundel and disagree with him, even if he'll back off when Arundel puts his foot down. Arundel clearly relies on him a lot, but I get the feeling in canon that he still keeps him at a distance (especially compared to how he behaves around Ward) - I'd love to see their relationship develop in a more mutual direction, with Arundel realising that he wants Qui to be more than just his loyal dog Sheriff.

Note: I also love Arundel/Ward, so I'd prefer fic that doesn't 1) kill off Ward, 2) go on about them totally never ever getting back together. I'd prefer something set before Arundel and Ward get together, or set after Ward left town, or maybe it's sort of a semi-open relationship so both ships can coexist ... I'm good with a lot of things, just please don't tell me how totally 100% over Ward Arundel is (I'm perfectly okay with Qui hating Ward and talking shit about him, though).

• tell me aaaaaall about the beginnings of their relationship - did they have much to do with each other yet before Arundel became Prince? or was it just after Arundel's predecessor got herself killed and Arundel rebuilt his Domain with Qui by his side? either way I'd love to see that slowly growing mutual respect and cooperation
• canon does mention that they were the only survivors of the Sabbat raid that killed Arundel's predecessor, so anything about that would be cool - fighting together, life saving, Arundel becoming Prince shortly after that and deciding to keep Qui around ...
• maybe early on, Arundel bonded Qui to himself - just once, no need to overdo it, just a little bit of blood once a year to ensure his loyalty ... some nice UST blood drinking? maybe he eventually stopped because he genuinely trusted Qui and Qui was honoured by that, but he actually also missed the intimacy of their yearly ritual of getting to drink from his Prince?
• Qui's loyalty is such a rare thing among Kindred, so anything about that - maybe some time another Kindred approached Qui and tried to turn him against Arundel, and Qui dragged him staked to his Prince?
• related: aaaaaall the Kneeling and hand-kissing and fealty gestures and Qui just being perfectly okay with all of that
• Qui having a more-or-less platonic crush on Arundel, or at least being very okay with their relationship being platonic even if he's attracted to him, until Ward shows up and Qui realises that Arundel isn't in fact above human feelings like love and attraction - and suddenly Qui's pining intensifies because now he can't stop thinking about Arundel having sex with Ward and what if Arundel was also interested in him ...
• Qui comforting Arundel after Ward leaves him and things go from there - maybe they have rough, bad idea rebound sex that's just supposed to make Arundel feel better, but they keep doing it and they catch feelings ...
• Arundel, for all his forward-thinking ideas, is still a bit of a posh snob - what if he finds the idea of fucking and/or drinking from a Nosferatu disgusting, and ... something needs to happen to make him see Qui in a different light? I enjoy a good "oh no, he's hot" realisation - maybe when they fight people together or when Qui demonstrates his loyalty for him and kneels for him afterwards or maybe after Qui saved his life ...
• just like with Ward, I'd love Qui having to deal with the 'verse in which Ward is the one who saves Arundel's life (though of course I also adore Qui being the one to save him)
• Qui is also extremely tall, so ... size kink! I so like Arundel being a tall, broad-shouldered guy himself, but apparently being into men who tower over him
• Qui's hair is gorgeous and it should get grabbed and pulled a lot - while he's blowing Arundel, or drinking from him, or fucking him ...
• I like the idea of Qui usually not being very subby (he dated his ghoul, he clearly has some control issues), but Arundel with all that effortless dominance of his just bringing it out in him and Qui being very, very happy to serve and please him
• but also: Qui fucking Arundel senseless once they've been doing that for a while
• I find Qui's bloody scar extremely sexy; it should get kissed and licked and caressed and nibbled on
• very specific prompt: one of Arundel's ideas to stave off the Beckoning is to drink Qui's blood once or twice to bond himself to him - he would have done it with Ward, but since Ward left him ... Cue Qui being extremely honoured, extremely turned on, probably feeling bad for letting his pining get out of hand when he's just supposed to help his Prince, and Arundel maybe finally seeing Qui in a different light ... maybe there's bloody fucking eventually, maybe they both resist the UST because they don't want to do it just because of the blood bond, and they only fuck once Arundel finds a different solution with his shady torture experiments (or once he binds himself to Ward instead) and they let the bond fade, but realise the attraction is still there
• this is supremely fucked up, but ... Arundel asking Qui to make himself look like Ward before he sleeps with him - maybe Qui does it, or maybe that is the one thing he actually refuses to do (and maybe instead he proceeds to distract Arundel from his faithless lover who left him in a different way) [and yes, I know that's not quite how that ability works anyway, it'd be impossible to do without Ward there, but hey, maybe that's Qui's excuse not to do it, or maybe you can just handwave the exact rules if you want him to do it]

Robert Ward/Qui

This may be a less obvious ship than the other two, but I just really enjoy a good bit of antagonism that has the potential to become more than just antagonism. And I adore them both and wish canon had actually given us more direct interactions between them.

I enjoy that they're such extremely different people (the rebel Anarch and the very lawful Sheriff) who are not only both devoted to Arundel, but also utterly convinced that he's a great Prince who rules well and is generally right about things, even if they may disagree with him at times. And they clearly just cannot STAND each other (Qui spending half of canon hunting Ward; Ward talking about Qui being a "prick" and literally hoping he dies at one point), and they also both have some jealousy going on (I'm FASCINATED by Ward complaining that Qui always had "too much influence over Arundel" because Arundel doesn't strike me as an easily influenced guy). So there's a lot of antagonism there, but I also feel like they both care enough about Arundel to at least try to get along. Somewhat. While still being jealous of each other. And maybe in time they might learn to like each other? Or at least their arguments grow a bit less serious and a little bit more friendly?

I do think they have some potential to develop a better relationship - they certainly both seem a lot more adventurous and more inclined to do things for fun than Arundel, so maybe they can bond over that. That being said, I'd also enjoy a fic that's nothing but hate sex and arguments, so don't feel obliged to write something more emotionally intense than that if you don't want to.

• did they dislike each other from the start (due to their personality/viewpoint differences) or did they actually get along at first? I'd love to get a glimpse at their first meetings
• if there was a time when they got along better, if only because Qui was trying to be supportive of Arundel's decisions, did they hook up before Ward got with Arundel (or afterwards, if Arundel didn't mind)? I'd love some working-together-leading-to-a-spontaneous-hookup sort of situation, whether it's more friendly or more antagonistic
• pre-canon hate sex, possibly while they're both pining for Arundel
• but maybe also early bonding moments over having a lot of respect for him, or while working together to deal with some Sabbat problems or inter-Camarilla rebels
• they're both very big, strong guys, so I'm very much here for rough sex with lots of manhandling and neither of them being used to someone else being able to match their strength and to hold them down or lift them (wall sex? yes)
• starting to work together post-canon because they do both want to make Arundel's vision reality and they slowly realise they actually get along at times - Ward would probably enjoy Qui's idea of a fun night out a lot, and I can see him starting to go hunting with Qui because Arundel is just no fun in that regard and simply has his servants bring him mortals to eat
• I'd generally like Ward getting to see a different side of Qui than just the dutiful, obedient Sheriff upholding the system - which he is, obviously, but that's not ALL there is to him
• what if Qui only finds Sam's murderer post-canon and Ward happens to be with him at the time? that'd be a good opportunity for Ward to see that Qui has emotions and all that ;)
• like I said above, I'd love either of them having to deal with the fact that the other one saved his beloved Prince, especially if that newfound respect is one-sided at first - whether it's Ward grudgingly accepting that Qui is utterly loyal and not just out for himself, or Qui grudgingly realising that Ward does still love Arundel and is trying to make it work again; either way I'd find it really funny if one of them tries to be nicer and the other one is not having it for the longest time
• an AU version of canon in which Ward and Qui very, very grudgingly work together to find Arundel - maybe Qui finds proof much earlier that the Anarchs are convenient fall guys for Corliss' schemes and seeks out Ward; maybe Ward approaches Qui because he figures if anyone can help him find Arundel, it's his 1) extremely competent, 2) extremely devoted Sheriff; either way the whole thing makes them realise that they can actually get along (and it might even lead to them hooking up while looking for Arundel)
• Nosferatu have that neat little ability where they can calm someone's Beast, right? sooo Ward in a Frenzy and Qui actually bothering to calm him instead of just trying to stake him to shut him up - especially if it's at a time when they really don't like each other, Ward would probably appreciate that immensely
• usually I assume that Ward and Arundel get back together pretty quickly post-canon, but what if Arundel is actually reluctant because he worries about Ward leaving him again, so Ward piiiines and spends time with Qui for any of the reasons in the other prompts, and one thing leads to another from there

Arundel/Robert Ward/Qui

What if ... all of those ships together? :D Everything I've said about the individual ships here still applies. I'd assume in a threeway situation, Arundel and Ward would get together first with Qui joining them at some point later, but if you have an idea for Arundel and Qui getting together really early on in Arundel's reign and it's Ward who arrives later, I'd also love to read that! Or if you want to write Ward and Qui starting to fuck while both pining for Arundel and they only realise later on that Arundel is also interested, that would also be perfect.

• I'd love this starting out very messy, with lots of jealousy and resentment and uncertainty because Arundel wants them both and they both love him enough to accept that, but they also really don't fucking like each other and aren't happy about having to share (though I'd prefer if they eventually figured out ways to make the situation work for all of them)
• did Ward and Qui actually get along at first? was there maybe even a threeway situation pre-canon and the reason Qui hates Ward so much is because he saw from up close just how much Ward broke Arundel's heart when he left him?
• Qui has been pining quietly for Arundel for a while by the time Ward shows up and Arundel falls for him hard, and Qui is kind of bitter because he assumed Arundel was above such things as love or attraction - I love Qui being intensely jealous of Ward and also seriously questioning Arundel's taste, I'd just also love him to get with them eventually :D
• maybe Arundel always saw Qui as just his loyal Sheriff, dependable and valuable, but somewhat beneath him - and it's only post-canon, after Qui saved his life AND starts taking on even bigger responsibilities in his Domain that Arundel starts seeing him as more of an equal (well, -ish, it's still Arundel) - hell, maybe it's Ward's fault for teasing Arundel about Qui clearly having a thing for him, and that gives Arundel ideas
• Qui and Arundel get together after Ward leaves - maybe initially it's just a bad idea rebound sort of thing, Arundel doing something a bit rash to distract himself and/or because he figures it'd hurt Ward if he knew, but it turns out he likes Qui so much more than he realised ... and when Ward finally comes back, well, Arundel does still love him deeply, but he also cares about Qui and Ward will just have to share
• related to my "Arundel bonding himself to Qui" prompt above - Ward would be insanely jealous if he found out about that, and I'd love to see some ramifications (especially if Arundel really wants to renew his blood bond with Ward, and poor Qui feels very discarded and maybe Arundel will have to remind him he wants to keep him, too)
• it's not a thing in the lore, I know, but if you want to handwave that and have all three of them bonded somehow (though preferably not quite Vaulderie-style, I think they'd have issues with that), I'd find that immensely hot and enjoyable - or maybe it's just Arundel who's somehow mutually bonded to both of them in handwavey ways [if you want to write something plotty: maybe they need to do some research or they need some magical artefact or spell to make this possible]
• different getting together scenario, but: Ward and Qui starting to work together more post-canon because they do both want to make Arundel's vision reality (and because Ward would probably enjoy Qui's idea of a fun night out a lot), and over time they get along better ... and it's actually them who develop UST while Arundel doesn't even consider sleeping with Qui yet (and Ward won't simply cheat, but he might suggest sleeping with Qui in front of Arundel, or the two of them servicing Arundel together ...)
• Ward and Qui trying to one-up each other in bed with Arundel, who's really just enjoying the attention (up to and including all the size kink and strength kink and manhandling him and fucking him so hard they'd break him if not for all that Fortitude and so, so much blood involved :D)
• an AU version of canon in which Ward and Qui very, very grudgingly work together to find Arundel - maybe Qui finds proof much earlier that the Anarchs are convenient fall guys for Corliss' schemes and seeks out Ward; maybe Ward approaches Qui because he figures if anyone can help him find Arundel, it's his 1) extremely competent, 2) extremely devoted Sheriff; either way the whole thing makes them realise that they do both love Arundel about equally and can possibly even tolerate each other for his sake, whether they actually sleep with each other while Arundel is still gone or whether it only leads to a threeway type of thing once Arundel is back and very surprised that Ward and Qui are suddenly quite friendly (possibly in a very acerbic way, but at least not seriously hating each other anymore)
• usually I assume that Ward and Arundel get back together pretty quickly post-canon, but what if Arundel is actually reluctant because he worries about Ward leaving him again, so Ward piiiines and spends time with Qui for any of the reasons in the other prompts, and one thing leads to another from there - Arundel might very well get jealous and realise that he does in fact want Ward back (and if he comes with Qui attached these days, why not)

The Witcher (game verse)
Geralt/Ciri

I'll never be over how much I love these two. Moving heaven and hell to save each other! The fact that Ciri seems completely incapable of talking to Geralt without touching him. The way they LOOK at each other. Mutual protectiveness, lying and killing for each other, fighting together, witcher!Ciri hitting the road with Geralt (I'm not really into Empress!Ciri).

For the record, I'm familiar with the show, but haven't read the books; but I'm fine with working in elements from either canon if you want to - I'd just prefer game canon when there are contradictions. As for canon ships, I'd prefer if we could treat all of Geralt's past canon ships as "I guess they happened, but they're over now and he's over them" (especially for Geralt/Yennefer, I really like the Last Wish side quest ending with him realising that, without the djinn, he just isn't that crazy about her). They can get mentioned, but I'd prefer if they didn't play a huge role.

Het-specific DNW: please no femdom or pegging. I also don't particularly enjoy reading about cunnilingus - brief mentions of it happening are fine, but I'd rather not have it be the main event or described in lengthy detail. And I hate the word "folds". Most of my prompts are for post (or during) canon fic, but should you have a great idea for something set earlier, go ahead - underage is perfectly fine down to about 15.

• post-canon fic, when they're witchering together or maybe settled down in Toussaint and just working when they feel like it
• sparring, fighting together, Geralt teaching her, mutual life-saving, patching each other up after battles ...
• lots of guilty pining and UST and trying to be in denial about it because they shouldn't be into each other, and anyway there's no way the other one feels the same, except it becomes harder and harder to be in denial and eventually all that UST explodes in their faces and they fuck and angst some more but eventually live happily ever after ...
• they're so touchy-feely in canon, so more of that please - less and less plausible deniability, touching that feels less and less platonic ...
• "Oh No They're Hot" moments: mostly Geralt having a moment of "oh no, she grew up and is hot now", but I'd also be up for grown-up Ciri only realising that her father figure is hot as fuck when they meet again
• Ciri pursuing what she wants because Geralt would just pine stoically and never do anything, so Ciri has to get him to break somehow (can be something sweeter and fluffier, can be her shamelessly teasing him until he breaks)
• maybe on top of everything else, Geralt assumes Ciri isn't into men because she's only ever expressed interest in women (I'd be very much here for Ciri never having slept with a guy until Geralt)
• what if Ciri doesn't come back immediately after the finale and Geralt assumes she died? he tries to move on, maybe goes to Toussaint and tries to start anew there, but he's absolutely devastated ... and then it turns out there was just some portal wonkiness and Ciri is back
• for porn: size kink, wall sex, manhandling - I have simple needs when it comes to het porn, and that's a big guy absolutely wrecking a much smaller woman against whatever surface is available and her loving every minute of it (probably after Ciri teased him so badly he's going a bit crazy)
• also: scar kink, sparring leading to sex, hurt/comfort wound tending leading to sex, bathing leading to sex, Geralt with his decades of experience blowing Ciri's mind ...
• I'm not usually into marriage fic, buuuut ... since they're pretending Ciri is dead ... what if people in Toussaint simply assume the young woman who moved in with Geralt is his new wife? and Geralt wants to correct them, but Ciri thinks it's a great cover! so now they're fake-married and Ciri will absolutely milk that for what it's worth to touch him in public while the UST gets worse ... (I love the whole Toussaint side cast, btw, especially Damien, so feel free to have them show up)

And that's it! I hope that something in this letter works for you, a prompt you find interesting or a trope you enjoy writing. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with, no matter which fandom we matched on! :D

Thank you!
linndechir