Chocolate Box Letter
Jan. 3rd, 2022 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rainsometimesDear Chocolatier,
Here follows my requests for the Chocolate Box Exchange 2022 together with comments and a few prompts.
Regarding requested romantic/sexual relationships: I have no preference for top/bottom should you choose to write something explicit. The order of the names have no such significance.
AO3 Name: printfogey
Re prompts: I personally tend to like to toss out very brief prompts of just one or two words, since it's so fun to see how people can interpret those. It's also the kind of prompts I like the most to get myself. The prompts are of course extremely optional!
If you see a prompt for another fandom that gives you a great idea for the fandom you've offered, by all means feel free to use it!
I can be spoiler-phobic but that really only affects two fandoms in this line-up (Witch Hat Atelier and What Did You Eat Yesterday?).
Do Not Wants:
No non-canon character deaths; and for the shippy stuff, no watersports, scat, rimming, noncon, very overt humiliation, or breaking up the ship in favour of a different ship. (But a bittersweet ending is fine.) I don't mind dubcon unless it's the kind that skirts very close to noncon (like, blackmail or very strong manipulation).
Fic preferences in general: I love great shortfics/ficlets; if you have an idea for something concise, I very much encourage you to go for it! Of course if you feel like writing something longer, that's also fine. Go where your muse sends you!
Second person POV, epistolary fics, poetry and all kinds of styles are fine. I even have a nostalgic fondness for old-school script-style fics, even if it has been years since I saw one in the wild.
Art preferences: I'm not too fond of ultra-photorealistic art. Especially not for animanga characters but even for book/myth/fairytale characters, I prefer art that's at least slightly more stylized than that. Otherwise I have no strict preferences. I love black & white art as much as colour art, analog as much as digital, pared-down as much as detailed, loose and sketchy as much as firm and well-defined, cute and kawaii as much as rugged and grumpy, etc. My favourite fan artists vary a lot in style.
I guess if I have a preference, it's the sense that there's a lot going on behind the surface in a picture. I don't need the relationship between a given prompt (should the artist choose to use a prompt) and the art that results to be a clear-cut and straightforward one. It's exciting when there's an undertone of mystery...
Fandom #1: Gintama
Art &/or Fic: Either!
Relationship(s): Gintoki/Katsura; Katsura/Takasugi; Sakamoto/Takasugi; Sakamoto/Katsura; Gintoki/Katsura/Takasugi; JouiFour as one big relationship.
Rating preferred: Anything is fine
Prompts: Hangover, Back Alley, Miscommunication, Bitter Taste, Gold, Levelling Up, You Return That Right Now!
Comment: Gintoki/Katsura is my OTP in this fandom but I adore all these ships. There's just something about the Joui Four that makes every combo great. Modern AUs are fine, too! All kinds of AUs are good, in fact. The Joui Four are awesome!
I have read the whole manga so you can set the work whenever you like with no risk of spoiling me. Breaking the fourth wall is absolutely fine, it's Gintama! And same goes for anything else you can find in canon, like dick jokes or poop jokes or what have you. After all, "Gintama is filthy forever! is an official motto! ♥♥♥
Fandom #2: March Comes In Like A Lion (Sangatsu no Lion)
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: up to PG-15
Relationship(s): Rei/Nikaido; Rei & Nikaido, Akari/Shimada/Hayashida
Prompts for Rei/Nikaido, Rei & Nikaido: Struggle, Diving, Too Cold, Overnight, Shining, Jealousy, Speak, Glory, Flying, Pool
Prompts for Akari/Shimada/Hayashida: Rain, Masks, Lost In The Crowd, Roots, Forests, Spices, Warmth, Back To Back, Black And White
Comment: Nikaido is my favourite character in the manga and Rei/Nikaido is just a relationship I find very intriguing, whether platonic or romantic*. And Akari/Shimada/Hayashida just makes so much sense as an OT3, they all adore each other so much! (The way Shimada and Hayashida both think the other is better husband material... Well, maybe it's just best if you form a team, then!) I'm more or less up-to-date on the manga (I check for new scanlations several times a month) so again, you should be able to set the work whenever you like with no fear of spoilers.
*I really like how Nikaido basically comes into the canon acting like he's the main character of a boisterous shonen sports or adventure manga while Rei is the skillful but closed-off rival that Nikaido will have to win over to the Light Side of Shogi. Of course the more the canon goes on you see that their relationship has a lot of other nuances to it, with respect and jealousies and constant comparisons and being mutually aware of the pain and sadness the other person battles with but having an understanding not to talk about it, going back years...
Fandom 3#: One Piece
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Nami/Usopp; Luffy/Zoro/Nami/Usopp/Sanji (aka Merryshipping to use an old term); Zoro/Usopp, Sanji/Usopp
Prompts: Hot Bath, Forest, Strange Island, Starlit sky, This Is Harder Than It Looks, Dammit!, Hand Fetish; Dancing, Back Alley
Comment: I'm pretty up to date with the manga so you can set the work whenever you like. I can say that in general I like the pre-timeskip canon better than post-timeskip, but that is largely because we saw so much more of crew interaction and crew dynamics back then - moments when the crew just hangs out on the ship are great. Seeing more of those elements with the post-timeskip characters is also very good. In addition, I love situations where physically weaker crewmates get to save or look after the physically stronger ones, or whenever Nami gets to be a stonecold awesome navigator and meteorologist. It's very much fine to include other crewmates (or non-crew characters) than the ones requested.
In general I think the way I see Strawhats ships is that they're not so much "regular" relationships, their identity as crewmates is always stronger than any new identity as boyfriend or girlfriend could have. But that doesn't stop them from finding one another intensely attractive.
Fandom #4: Witch Hat Atelier
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: up to PG-15 (this includes magical body horror and the like)
Relationship(s): Agott & Coco; Agott & Coco & Riche & Tetia; Olruggio/Qifrey
Prompts for the gen relationships: Storm, Twilight, Stone, Path, Household Object, Wave, Spellmaking Error, Reunion
Prompts for Olruggio/Qifrey: Reunion, Persuasion, Don't You Dare Get Yourself Hurt Again, Illusion, Falling Together, Holding Tight
Comment: I'm following this lovely manga in French official translation, currently up to volume 9 (no spoilers beyond that point, please). Something I really love about this manga is the terrific sense of worldbuilding, the way it feels like you can really reside in that world. Any fic or art which can communicate a sense of place would be particularly welcome.
Fandom #5: What Did You Eat Yesterday?
Art &/or Fic: Art
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Kenji/Shiro
Prompts: Historical AU, Fantasy AU, First Date, First Kiss, Persuasion, Negotiation, Cosplay, Spices
Comment: Another favourite manga but if you're going with the live action version that's fine, too! I've read up to volume 17. I had a bit of a hard time coming up with prompts for it but feel free to go wild!
Fandom #6: Millennium Actress
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Chiyoko/Man With The Key; Genya & Chiyoko; Genya & Man With The Key
Prompts: Tea, Layers, Silk, Floating, Holding Tight, Dancing
Comment: (copied from sign-up) I saw this fandom nominated and I love the movie a lot but have honestly never thought of looking for fanworks for it. I would love to see any interpretation of the above relationships, in art or shortfic form or as poetry! Perhaps not a fandom where I'm looking for a longer fic but if inspiration strikes you, go with it all the same! This feels like a fandom suitable for both meditative reflexions on the nature of love, regret, time passing, film-making, Japanese history... AND explorations that play around with what's real and what's fictional, what really happened and what is just memories.
Fandom #7: Ranma 1/2
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes (hah)
Relationship(s): Ranma/Akane, Akane & Ukyo, Akane/Ukyo, Ranma/Ryoga/Akane
Prompts: Rhythm, New Year, In Your Eyes, New Fight Move, Spices, Back To Back, Lost In The Wilderness Together
Comment:
Fandom #8: Crossover Fandom (Narnia/Twelve Dancing Princesses)
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Polly Plummer/Eldest Princess
Prompts: Escape, Pirates, Confrontation, Initiation, Wine, Gold
Comment: (copied from sign-up) I would never have thought of this on my own but when I saw this crossover ship among the nominated ones, I was super intrigued. I've always liked Polly and the fairytale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses is very cool, I'd be delighted by anything that puts the two of them together.
Fandom #9: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Aphrodite/Persephone, Any female character/Hera, Apollo/Dionysos
Prompts: Wind, Echoes, Pool, Incense, Wine, Full Moon, Dawn
Comment: What I find the most alluring about myths and retellings of myths are the symbolic relationships of the goddesses and gods, the way they personify aspects of the world, and how that influences their personalities, relationships, and dynamics. They are not people, they do not truly act like a person would, but they have something people-ish about them at the same time as they are also these grand important forces is fascinating. I could not resist the ship of the goddess of love with the queen of the Underworld, nor the classical example of order vs chaos. On the other hand, Hera is someone I often feel gets shafted in the myths, and I would love to see her interacting with or contrasted with another female character (goddess, mortal, or in-between). Here I have no interest in modern AUs.
Here follows my requests for the Chocolate Box Exchange 2022 together with comments and a few prompts.
Regarding requested romantic/sexual relationships: I have no preference for top/bottom should you choose to write something explicit. The order of the names have no such significance.
AO3 Name: printfogey
Re prompts: I personally tend to like to toss out very brief prompts of just one or two words, since it's so fun to see how people can interpret those. It's also the kind of prompts I like the most to get myself. The prompts are of course extremely optional!
If you see a prompt for another fandom that gives you a great idea for the fandom you've offered, by all means feel free to use it!
I can be spoiler-phobic but that really only affects two fandoms in this line-up (Witch Hat Atelier and What Did You Eat Yesterday?).
Do Not Wants:
No non-canon character deaths; and for the shippy stuff, no watersports, scat, rimming, noncon, very overt humiliation, or breaking up the ship in favour of a different ship. (But a bittersweet ending is fine.) I don't mind dubcon unless it's the kind that skirts very close to noncon (like, blackmail or very strong manipulation).
Fic preferences in general: I love great shortfics/ficlets; if you have an idea for something concise, I very much encourage you to go for it! Of course if you feel like writing something longer, that's also fine. Go where your muse sends you!
Second person POV, epistolary fics, poetry and all kinds of styles are fine. I even have a nostalgic fondness for old-school script-style fics, even if it has been years since I saw one in the wild.
Art preferences: I'm not too fond of ultra-photorealistic art. Especially not for animanga characters but even for book/myth/fairytale characters, I prefer art that's at least slightly more stylized than that. Otherwise I have no strict preferences. I love black & white art as much as colour art, analog as much as digital, pared-down as much as detailed, loose and sketchy as much as firm and well-defined, cute and kawaii as much as rugged and grumpy, etc. My favourite fan artists vary a lot in style.
I guess if I have a preference, it's the sense that there's a lot going on behind the surface in a picture. I don't need the relationship between a given prompt (should the artist choose to use a prompt) and the art that results to be a clear-cut and straightforward one. It's exciting when there's an undertone of mystery...
Fandom #1: Gintama
Art &/or Fic: Either!
Relationship(s): Gintoki/Katsura; Katsura/Takasugi; Sakamoto/Takasugi; Sakamoto/Katsura; Gintoki/Katsura/Takasugi; JouiFour as one big relationship.
Rating preferred: Anything is fine
Prompts: Hangover, Back Alley, Miscommunication, Bitter Taste, Gold, Levelling Up, You Return That Right Now!
Comment: Gintoki/Katsura is my OTP in this fandom but I adore all these ships. There's just something about the Joui Four that makes every combo great. Modern AUs are fine, too! All kinds of AUs are good, in fact. The Joui Four are awesome!
I have read the whole manga so you can set the work whenever you like with no risk of spoiling me. Breaking the fourth wall is absolutely fine, it's Gintama! And same goes for anything else you can find in canon, like dick jokes or poop jokes or what have you. After all, "Gintama is filthy forever! is an official motto! ♥♥♥
Fandom #2: March Comes In Like A Lion (Sangatsu no Lion)
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: up to PG-15
Relationship(s): Rei/Nikaido; Rei & Nikaido, Akari/Shimada/Hayashida
Prompts for Rei/Nikaido, Rei & Nikaido: Struggle, Diving, Too Cold, Overnight, Shining, Jealousy, Speak, Glory, Flying, Pool
Prompts for Akari/Shimada/Hayashida: Rain, Masks, Lost In The Crowd, Roots, Forests, Spices, Warmth, Back To Back, Black And White
Comment: Nikaido is my favourite character in the manga and Rei/Nikaido is just a relationship I find very intriguing, whether platonic or romantic*. And Akari/Shimada/Hayashida just makes so much sense as an OT3, they all adore each other so much! (The way Shimada and Hayashida both think the other is better husband material... Well, maybe it's just best if you form a team, then!) I'm more or less up-to-date on the manga (I check for new scanlations several times a month) so again, you should be able to set the work whenever you like with no fear of spoilers.
*I really like how Nikaido basically comes into the canon acting like he's the main character of a boisterous shonen sports or adventure manga while Rei is the skillful but closed-off rival that Nikaido will have to win over to the Light Side of Shogi. Of course the more the canon goes on you see that their relationship has a lot of other nuances to it, with respect and jealousies and constant comparisons and being mutually aware of the pain and sadness the other person battles with but having an understanding not to talk about it, going back years...
Fandom 3#: One Piece
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Nami/Usopp; Luffy/Zoro/Nami/Usopp/Sanji (aka Merryshipping to use an old term); Zoro/Usopp, Sanji/Usopp
Prompts: Hot Bath, Forest, Strange Island, Starlit sky, This Is Harder Than It Looks, Dammit!, Hand Fetish; Dancing, Back Alley
Comment: I'm pretty up to date with the manga so you can set the work whenever you like. I can say that in general I like the pre-timeskip canon better than post-timeskip, but that is largely because we saw so much more of crew interaction and crew dynamics back then - moments when the crew just hangs out on the ship are great. Seeing more of those elements with the post-timeskip characters is also very good. In addition, I love situations where physically weaker crewmates get to save or look after the physically stronger ones, or whenever Nami gets to be a stonecold awesome navigator and meteorologist. It's very much fine to include other crewmates (or non-crew characters) than the ones requested.
In general I think the way I see Strawhats ships is that they're not so much "regular" relationships, their identity as crewmates is always stronger than any new identity as boyfriend or girlfriend could have. But that doesn't stop them from finding one another intensely attractive.
Fandom #4: Witch Hat Atelier
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: up to PG-15 (this includes magical body horror and the like)
Relationship(s): Agott & Coco; Agott & Coco & Riche & Tetia; Olruggio/Qifrey
Prompts for the gen relationships: Storm, Twilight, Stone, Path, Household Object, Wave, Spellmaking Error, Reunion
Prompts for Olruggio/Qifrey: Reunion, Persuasion, Don't You Dare Get Yourself Hurt Again, Illusion, Falling Together, Holding Tight
Comment: I'm following this lovely manga in French official translation, currently up to volume 9 (no spoilers beyond that point, please). Something I really love about this manga is the terrific sense of worldbuilding, the way it feels like you can really reside in that world. Any fic or art which can communicate a sense of place would be particularly welcome.
Fandom #5: What Did You Eat Yesterday?
Art &/or Fic: Art
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Kenji/Shiro
Prompts: Historical AU, Fantasy AU, First Date, First Kiss, Persuasion, Negotiation, Cosplay, Spices
Comment: Another favourite manga but if you're going with the live action version that's fine, too! I've read up to volume 17. I had a bit of a hard time coming up with prompts for it but feel free to go wild!
Fandom #6: Millennium Actress
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Chiyoko/Man With The Key; Genya & Chiyoko; Genya & Man With The Key
Prompts: Tea, Layers, Silk, Floating, Holding Tight, Dancing
Comment: (copied from sign-up) I saw this fandom nominated and I love the movie a lot but have honestly never thought of looking for fanworks for it. I would love to see any interpretation of the above relationships, in art or shortfic form or as poetry! Perhaps not a fandom where I'm looking for a longer fic but if inspiration strikes you, go with it all the same! This feels like a fandom suitable for both meditative reflexions on the nature of love, regret, time passing, film-making, Japanese history... AND explorations that play around with what's real and what's fictional, what really happened and what is just memories.
Fandom #7: Ranma 1/2
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes (hah)
Relationship(s): Ranma/Akane, Akane & Ukyo, Akane/Ukyo, Ranma/Ryoga/Akane
Prompts: Rhythm, New Year, In Your Eyes, New Fight Move, Spices, Back To Back, Lost In The Wilderness Together
Comment:
Fandom #8: Crossover Fandom (Narnia/Twelve Dancing Princesses)
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Polly Plummer/Eldest Princess
Prompts: Escape, Pirates, Confrontation, Initiation, Wine, Gold
Comment: (copied from sign-up) I would never have thought of this on my own but when I saw this crossover ship among the nominated ones, I was super intrigued. I've always liked Polly and the fairytale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses is very cool, I'd be delighted by anything that puts the two of them together.
Fandom #9: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Art &/or Fic: Either
Ratings preferred: Anything goes
Relationship(s): Aphrodite/Persephone, Any female character/Hera, Apollo/Dionysos
Prompts: Wind, Echoes, Pool, Incense, Wine, Full Moon, Dawn
Comment: What I find the most alluring about myths and retellings of myths are the symbolic relationships of the goddesses and gods, the way they personify aspects of the world, and how that influences their personalities, relationships, and dynamics. They are not people, they do not truly act like a person would, but they have something people-ish about them at the same time as they are also these grand important forces is fascinating. I could not resist the ship of the goddess of love with the queen of the Underworld, nor the classical example of order vs chaos. On the other hand, Hera is someone I often feel gets shafted in the myths, and I would love to see her interacting with or contrasted with another female character (goddess, mortal, or in-between). Here I have no interest in modern AUs.