Dear Rare Male Slash Exchange 2019 Creator
Jun. 1st, 2019 02:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pettycoatHello, and thank you so much for taking my prompt! I'm in a bit of an odd position because I don't consider myself a shipper and tend to prefer genfic, but I also love challenges like these because I like to see how other creators build and explore rare character dynamics, and I'm excited to see what you come up with. I'm easy to please and would be perfectly happy with anything outside my DNW list, but I do have a few prompts listed below if you're looking for inspiration. Consider these suggestions more than hard guidelines. If you had another idea in mind, go for it!
General likes: Missing scenes, unlikely romances, unlikely friendships, clashing ideals, opposites attract, bonding over shared experiences or interests, power struggles (only if they suit the characters and are explicitly depicted as unhealthy), mind games (ditto), horror, struggles with immortality, enemies to friends, enemies to lovers, slow burns, family fluff, families of choice, explorations of powers and abilities, canon-divergent AUs, role reversal AUs, time loops, bittersweet endings. I don't mind strictly happy or depressing endings, but I tend to be pickier with them since I think they need to be more consistent with the tone of the story. Fics where characters sit down and gradually connect through casual conversation are my absolute favorites. I'm perfectly fine with graphic violence and character death so long as they're appropriate for the story, but they certainly aren't a requirement.
DNW: Character bashing, OOC, alpha/beta/omega, scat, watersports, bestiality, grimdark, pining, demonizing canon love interests, romanticized abuse (serious depictions are fine), romanticized incest (see above), adult/minor pairings, stereotypical seme/uke dynamics, aphrodisiacs and altered mental states, soulmates, rape and non-con elements, werewolves, vampires, mundane and modern-day AUs, original characters in prominent roles, mpreg, kidfic, first-person perspective, second-person perspective, will they or won't they, crack humor, porn without plot. I don't mind graphic sex, but I prefer stories that focus on other aspects of a relationship.
Dark Souls
Solaire of Astora/Dark Sun Gwyndolin
I'll be perfectly honest, I put up this request because I don't think anything has ever been written for it, and I'd love to see someoneother than me be the first to take a stab at it. I know there's some controversy in the fandom over Gwyndolin's gender identity, but my personal interpretation has always been that he's a man who presented as a woman to please his abusive father, and I think there's plenty of canonical evidence that he disliked wearing the Reversal Ring and willingly removed it some time before Dark Souls 3, even if he also seemed to continue crossdressing up to the moment he was devoured by Aldrich. I don't think people who depict Gwyndolin as a transwoman are necessarily wrong, but I want to at least think of Gwyndolin as male-identifying for the purpose of this exchange, and I'd love to see a story exploring a possible relationship between these two. They seem like they could clash in such interesting ways. Sun vs. moon, cheerful optimist vs. brooding pessimist, one heads a covenant devoted to hunting and killing sinners while the other belongs to a covenant focused on helping people, I could go on. I would love love love it if you explored their link to Gwyn's firstborn since Solaire follows a covenant that worships him while Gwyndolin remains loyal to Gwyn, who cast his firstborn out with a vengeance. Perhaps you can explore a conflict where Gwyndolin falls in love but wants Solaire to link the flame out of misplaced loyalty for his father? Or maybe you can go for a situation where Solaire decides he's finally found his "sun" in the Dark Sun himself? (Cheesy, I know.) If you'd rather go a darker route, I think it would also be interesting to have a story where Gwyndolin manipulates Solaire into linking the flame, as he can be a pretty sinister and morally gray character. Either way, I'd prefer to have something written from Gwyndolin's point of view, as he's my favorite character in the series.
Final Fantasy X
I'm just going to write a catch-all entry for these ships since I think they're closely connected. The Auron/Braska/Jecht OT3 is my personal favorite, and I admittedly have a weakness for Auron/Braska, but I'd be happy with any of the four mentioned, frankly. The friendship between these three has always been my favorite part of Final Fantasy X, so if you choose to focus on a pairing rather than the OT3, I'd greatly appreciate it if you still integrated the third character into the story, even if they aren't featured as a romantic interest. I mainly want someone to explore the dynamics between these characters and how their journey brought them closer together. How is Jecht coping with waking up in a strange new world? How has Braska come to accept that he's going to die? What made Auron come to respect Jecht? What made Jecht decide to sacrifice himself? How many times did they have to pull Jecht back from his drunken shenanigans? Maybe Jecht and Braska confided in each other about their experience as fathers? (And if you do go that route, I'd prefer you not gloss over some of Jecht's more... questionable parenting decisions. I believe he did ultimately love Tidus, but I don't think that excuses the emotional abuse he inflicted on him.) I'd prefer to have fic set in the time of Braska's pilgrimage. I'd also love it if you included the creation of the Jecht spheres because Jecht's messages to Tidus are some of my favorite moments in the original game. Bonus points if you have something written from Braska's point of view, as I don't see that very often in fic, but I'll take something for any one of the three.
Kingdom Hearts
Luxord/Marluxia
I admit it, this prompt is a little self-indulgent. I wrote a Luxord/Marluxia oneshot a few years back, and I'd like to see more of it because I think they could have an interesting dynamic. (The shipper's delusion, I know.) Per my interpretation, both are sophisticated, soft-spoken gentlemen (at least on the surface) who can be incredibly dangerous and see every interaction as a game to be won. Marluxia's more ruthless about it, but I don't think it's impossible to show a more thoughtful and subdued side of him, especially now that we know what his Somebody was like. At the same time, I don't think Luxord is above manipulation even if I also think he's one of the least-evil members of Organization XIII. (Seriously, Luxord's friendly interactions with Roxas in 358/2 Days really made me come to love him as a character.) If you could explore his time powers in any fashion, I'd be very happy. It seems like such a waste that they never really do anything with them in canon. Maybe you can bring Lauriam into it somehow, whether Luxord happens to meet him through time manipulation or brings out what's left of him in Marluxia? I honestly think this ship could go either way when it comes to manipulative mind game ship vs. the more traditional acquaintances-to-lovers route, but Marluxia in any capacity doesn't seem like he'd have a simple storybook romance.
Marluxia/Xemnas
Boy, this ship could be so much fun in the hands of the right writer, but I have yet to see anyone who's managed to pull it off. (If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!) I love the idea of these two because I love the idea of two skilled manipulators trying to best each other through mind games (and maybe discovering that they've found their equal in each other). They both crave power and are immensely powerful in their own right, and I can't imagine their egos and selfishness would put them in a relationship anywhere close to healthy. If you do go for this prompt, I'd prefer you focus on psychological manipulation rather than sexual manipulation, as the latter leans a little too closely to non-con (and perhaps OOC) for my tastes. And if you feel like bringing their Somebodies into it (or at least whatever's left of them floating around in their warped little Nobody heads), I'm all for it! Mind game ships can be a blast to read so long as they're treated seriously. A build-up of genuine romance is fine, but I feel like it has to be earned, and I hate it when authors scrub away pages of abuse and manipulation just to force a "healthy" romantic ending.
Nier: Automata
9S/Eve
Another one of those smaller and slightly illogical ships that I not-so-secretly enjoy. I'd love to see fic that either focuses on 9S's time as Adam's prisoner (maybe Eve starts chatting with 9S because Adam has a habit of running off and leaving him alone?) or their time on the Ark in Ending D. Maybe even both, if the timeline allows it! Both 9S and Eve put on acts of innocence only to show their darker sides when the death of a loved one drives them to madness. I think so much can be done with that, and though I'd hesitate to call either character evil, I wish more fics explored their more violent sides, especially when YoRHa units like 9S were programmed to draw pleasure from combat and Eve was literally born out of violence. Mentions of Adam/Eve and/or 9S/2B are fine since I believe they're both canon, but I'd prefer you not shy away from the more unhealthy sides of these relationships, especially in the case of Adam/Eve. I strongly dislike it when authors romanticize incest, and I only like Adam/Eve in the sense that I like exploring unhealthy character dynamics. 9S/2B, though often quite cute, also has darker elements that I wish were explored more often if fanworks. You don't come out of being repeatedly murdered by your lover completely mentally unscathed. Even so, I think 9S/Eve can be wholesome in its own right. Maybe in exploring their darker sides, especially after everything they go through over the course of the earlier routes, the two come to appreciate the kinder, love-starved parts of themselves?
9S/4S
Consider this another request I put up because I don't think anyone has written anything for it. The Scanners are fun characters, and I think 4S is wildly underappreciated. For how little he and 9S interacted in canon, I think there's a lot more that could be done. I'd prefer fic set after 2B's death and written from 4S's perspective, perhaps with 4S gradually realizing just how far 9S has plunged off the deep end, but I'd also welcome fic set before the game. Or a mix of both, if you like! I do like 9S with a bit of darkness to him (see the 9S/Eve prompt for more info), so I'd prefer you not shy away from the tragedy that shapes his character in the later endings, even if I also think he's desperate to find love no matter how unstable he becomes.
General likes: Missing scenes, unlikely romances, unlikely friendships, clashing ideals, opposites attract, bonding over shared experiences or interests, power struggles (only if they suit the characters and are explicitly depicted as unhealthy), mind games (ditto), horror, struggles with immortality, enemies to friends, enemies to lovers, slow burns, family fluff, families of choice, explorations of powers and abilities, canon-divergent AUs, role reversal AUs, time loops, bittersweet endings. I don't mind strictly happy or depressing endings, but I tend to be pickier with them since I think they need to be more consistent with the tone of the story. Fics where characters sit down and gradually connect through casual conversation are my absolute favorites. I'm perfectly fine with graphic violence and character death so long as they're appropriate for the story, but they certainly aren't a requirement.
DNW: Character bashing, OOC, alpha/beta/omega, scat, watersports, bestiality, grimdark, pining, demonizing canon love interests, romanticized abuse (serious depictions are fine), romanticized incest (see above), adult/minor pairings, stereotypical seme/uke dynamics, aphrodisiacs and altered mental states, soulmates, rape and non-con elements, werewolves, vampires, mundane and modern-day AUs, original characters in prominent roles, mpreg, kidfic, first-person perspective, second-person perspective, will they or won't they, crack humor, porn without plot. I don't mind graphic sex, but I prefer stories that focus on other aspects of a relationship.
Dark Souls
Solaire of Astora/Dark Sun Gwyndolin
I'll be perfectly honest, I put up this request because I don't think anything has ever been written for it, and I'd love to see someone
Final Fantasy X
I'm just going to write a catch-all entry for these ships since I think they're closely connected. The Auron/Braska/Jecht OT3 is my personal favorite, and I admittedly have a weakness for Auron/Braska, but I'd be happy with any of the four mentioned, frankly. The friendship between these three has always been my favorite part of Final Fantasy X, so if you choose to focus on a pairing rather than the OT3, I'd greatly appreciate it if you still integrated the third character into the story, even if they aren't featured as a romantic interest. I mainly want someone to explore the dynamics between these characters and how their journey brought them closer together. How is Jecht coping with waking up in a strange new world? How has Braska come to accept that he's going to die? What made Auron come to respect Jecht? What made Jecht decide to sacrifice himself? How many times did they have to pull Jecht back from his drunken shenanigans? Maybe Jecht and Braska confided in each other about their experience as fathers? (And if you do go that route, I'd prefer you not gloss over some of Jecht's more... questionable parenting decisions. I believe he did ultimately love Tidus, but I don't think that excuses the emotional abuse he inflicted on him.) I'd prefer to have fic set in the time of Braska's pilgrimage. I'd also love it if you included the creation of the Jecht spheres because Jecht's messages to Tidus are some of my favorite moments in the original game. Bonus points if you have something written from Braska's point of view, as I don't see that very often in fic, but I'll take something for any one of the three.
Kingdom Hearts
Luxord/Marluxia
I admit it, this prompt is a little self-indulgent. I wrote a Luxord/Marluxia oneshot a few years back, and I'd like to see more of it because I think they could have an interesting dynamic. (The shipper's delusion, I know.) Per my interpretation, both are sophisticated, soft-spoken gentlemen (at least on the surface) who can be incredibly dangerous and see every interaction as a game to be won. Marluxia's more ruthless about it, but I don't think it's impossible to show a more thoughtful and subdued side of him, especially now that we know what his Somebody was like. At the same time, I don't think Luxord is above manipulation even if I also think he's one of the least-evil members of Organization XIII. (Seriously, Luxord's friendly interactions with Roxas in 358/2 Days really made me come to love him as a character.) If you could explore his time powers in any fashion, I'd be very happy. It seems like such a waste that they never really do anything with them in canon. Maybe you can bring Lauriam into it somehow, whether Luxord happens to meet him through time manipulation or brings out what's left of him in Marluxia? I honestly think this ship could go either way when it comes to manipulative mind game ship vs. the more traditional acquaintances-to-lovers route, but Marluxia in any capacity doesn't seem like he'd have a simple storybook romance.
Marluxia/Xemnas
Boy, this ship could be so much fun in the hands of the right writer, but I have yet to see anyone who's managed to pull it off. (If you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!) I love the idea of these two because I love the idea of two skilled manipulators trying to best each other through mind games (and maybe discovering that they've found their equal in each other). They both crave power and are immensely powerful in their own right, and I can't imagine their egos and selfishness would put them in a relationship anywhere close to healthy. If you do go for this prompt, I'd prefer you focus on psychological manipulation rather than sexual manipulation, as the latter leans a little too closely to non-con (and perhaps OOC) for my tastes. And if you feel like bringing their Somebodies into it (or at least whatever's left of them floating around in their warped little Nobody heads), I'm all for it! Mind game ships can be a blast to read so long as they're treated seriously. A build-up of genuine romance is fine, but I feel like it has to be earned, and I hate it when authors scrub away pages of abuse and manipulation just to force a "healthy" romantic ending.
Nier: Automata
9S/Eve
Another one of those smaller and slightly illogical ships that I not-so-secretly enjoy. I'd love to see fic that either focuses on 9S's time as Adam's prisoner (maybe Eve starts chatting with 9S because Adam has a habit of running off and leaving him alone?) or their time on the Ark in Ending D. Maybe even both, if the timeline allows it! Both 9S and Eve put on acts of innocence only to show their darker sides when the death of a loved one drives them to madness. I think so much can be done with that, and though I'd hesitate to call either character evil, I wish more fics explored their more violent sides, especially when YoRHa units like 9S were programmed to draw pleasure from combat and Eve was literally born out of violence. Mentions of Adam/Eve and/or 9S/2B are fine since I believe they're both canon, but I'd prefer you not shy away from the more unhealthy sides of these relationships, especially in the case of Adam/Eve. I strongly dislike it when authors romanticize incest, and I only like Adam/Eve in the sense that I like exploring unhealthy character dynamics. 9S/2B, though often quite cute, also has darker elements that I wish were explored more often if fanworks. You don't come out of being repeatedly murdered by your lover completely mentally unscathed. Even so, I think 9S/Eve can be wholesome in its own right. Maybe in exploring their darker sides, especially after everything they go through over the course of the earlier routes, the two come to appreciate the kinder, love-starved parts of themselves?
9S/4S
Consider this another request I put up because I don't think anyone has written anything for it. The Scanners are fun characters, and I think 4S is wildly underappreciated. For how little he and 9S interacted in canon, I think there's a lot more that could be done. I'd prefer fic set after 2B's death and written from 4S's perspective, perhaps with 4S gradually realizing just how far 9S has plunged off the deep end, but I'd also welcome fic set before the game. Or a mix of both, if you like! I do like 9S with a bit of darkness to him (see the 9S/Eve prompt for more info), so I'd prefer you not shy away from the tragedy that shapes his character in the later endings, even if I also think he's desperate to find love no matter how unstable he becomes.
