AO3: straightforwardly

Table of Contents
★ General Likes
★ DNWs

Original Works
★ Queen Sister/Brother Who Put Her On The Throne
★ King Brother/Co-Ruler in All But Name Sister
★ Newly Crowned Queen Sister/Illegitimate Half-Brother Knight
★ Idealistic Princess Sister/Cynical Sister Who'll Sacrifice Anything For Her Sake
★ Crown Prince/His Bastard Brother Who Conspires With Him to Overthrow Their Father
★ Sorceress Sister/Sorceror Brother
★ Sorceress Sister/Her Ghost Brother
★ Sister Who Spent Years In A Portal Fantasy World/Her Brother Who Also Spent Years In That World
★ Sister Who Spent Years In A Portal Fantasy World/Her Sister Who Also Spent Years In That World
★ Brother Turned into an Eldritch Knight/Sister He Protects Who Wants to Rescue Him
★ Sis Who Writes Passionate Letters to Soldier Bro/Eldritch With Bro's Body Who Assumes They're Lovers

The Queens of Innis Lear
★ Gaela/Regan
★ Regan/Elia

Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters
★ Ishizu/Marik/Rishid

General Likes [↑]

blood, blood-drinking, blood kink.
canon settings.
canon divergence AUs.
castles, shrines, abandoned ruins, dark forests, haunted locations, places with a deep sense of atmosphere and/or history.
coffin sex. coffin cuddling. two living people having to spend time together in the same coffin for any reason.
competency & competency kink.
dysfunctional or otherwise complicated relationships, especially if the people involved genuinely care about one another.
fallen london-esque takes on the canon setting.
fevers, feverish confessions, fever sex.
ghosts ghosts ghosts GHOSTS.
hair kink, loving descriptions of long hair, hair brushing, hair petting.
hand-holding, casual touching, any focus on hands.
hurt/comfort, especially when it features:

catching someone as they collapse
characters not realizing how bad shape they’re in until they’ve collapsed
exhaustion
grief/mourning over what ends up being a temporary character death
loneliness
physically injured character having to comfort character who’s emotionally distressed by their being injured
silent suffering that’s forced out into the open
well-earned emotional breakdowns

mutual pining, especially if the characters retain their canon levels of competency.
outsider POV.
pet monsters, monsters that inexplicably decide that they like you, pet cats, cats that invite themselves into your life and never leave, pet snakes, foxes, bees & beekeeping.
tea and tea-drinking.
trapped together / huddling for warmth scenarios.
any time-related shenanigans: time travel, time loops, peggy sue, etc.
two people, only one flying sword.
unusual formats (e.g., epistolary, interactive fiction, non-linear storytelling, etc.)
winter/autumn settings and atmosphere (e.g., snow, autumn leaves, pumpkins, fog, tea, etc.)
worldbuilding.

Do Not Wants [↑]

eye injuries
zombies / any of the rotting undead
cannibalism, anything getting eaten alive
incestuous relationships being discovered by people outside of the relationship
rattlesnakes
pregnancy, requested characters having children, kidfic, small children & babies in general
first person POV (exception: I love epistolary!)
unrequested setting-change AUs, mundane AUs, a/b/o, sci-fi/IN SPACE settings, world war 2
identity headcanons
characters who are young in canon growing old and/or dying of old age
serial killers / kidnapping with the intent of later murder
sex acts involving characters under the age of fifteen (you don’t need to namedrop their age, but don’t refer to them as being younger than that or describe them in ways that would only apply to a child, & please don’t kink on them being underage)
come inflation, come eating, lactation, rimming, sounding
noncon between the characters of my requested ships

Original Works [↑]

For all of these requests, I would love anything with one or more of: (mutual) pining (especially if it’s eventually resolved), heaps of sexual tension, intense competency, fantasy politics, loyalty kink, hard work to the point of exhaustion, and/or codependency. I do love get-together fic, but established relationships are also excellent!

Queen Sister/Brother Who Put Her On The Throne
King Brother/Co-Ruler in All But Name Sister [↑]
I am basically always here for codependent, us-against-the-world siblings, but I am especially here for that when they’re royalty. For both of these relationships, I really love the idea of the both of them viewing themselves as a single unit who see their fates, ambitions, and power as being intrinsically combined with one another, regardless of who is “officially” the ruler.

For King Brother/Co-Ruler in All But Name Sister, I’m mostly interested in post-coronation fic (and preferably something set when they’ve already settled into ruling), but I’d be interested in both post-coronation and/or backstory for Queen Sister/Brother Who Put Her On The Throne.

It’s just such an interesting set-up! How does he manage it in the first place? My first thought was militarily/by force, as the above prompts might suggest, but maybe he goes the diplomatic/manipulative route? Is the Queen Sister the rightful heir or were there people he had to get out of the way first? Did he have his own claim to the throne that he waived away? I would love it if his dedication to the cause was something out of the ordinary and no one can quite understand why he fights so hard on her behalf. Maybe they’re a part of a horde of siblings or a family that has a long history of treachery and backstabbing—which makes their ironclad loyalty to one another all the more unexpected?

Also, this mental image never fails to delight me: The brother kneeling to her, hand-kissing, returning to her blood-splattered and victorious, crowning her (with a blood-stained crown).

Newly Crowned Queen Sister/Illegitimate Half-Brother Knight [↑]
When I saw this in the tagset, I had this moment of, ‘how in the world was I not the one who nominated this?’ It’s just so perfectly rtmi!

Is their (blood) relationship common knowledge? Or is it a secret that only they know? If it’s a secret, how long have they known? Their whole lives? Discovering it accidentally while growing up? Only recently? And do they know that the other knows?

Maybe the brother has known his whole life, but is under the assumption that his sister doesn’t know, only to discover that she does. Or maybe they’ve always known, with their relationship developing into an intense, loyalty-kink-driven affair where the sister feels like he’s the only one she can truly trust and rely on. Or maybe it’s more complicated than that—maybe the brother’s illegitimacy and the difference it caused in his and his sister’s upbringing has led to him feeling a complicated mess of bitter resentment and loyalty and love.

Idealistic Princess Sister/Cynical Sister Who'll Sacrifice Anything For Her Sake [↑]
I love the absolute devotion implied in this ship. It’s so good! I also really like how versatile it is—it can cover both small-scale and large-scale conflicts and both would be equally iddy and good.

What is the cynical sister sacrificing? Is she doing terrible things for her sister’s sake—dirtying her own hands so her sister doesn’t have to? Or is she sacrificing her own happiness? And why would it be necessary for cynical sister to sacrifice for the idealistic sister, anyway? Is she trying to get her on the throne? Protecting her from being used as a political tool/pawn by others? Or maybe she’s simply trying to ensure the idealistic sister’s happiness? And how does the idealistic sister feel when/if she finds out what her sister’s been doing?

Crown Prince/His Bastard Brother Who Conspires With Him to Overthrow Their Father [↑]
Nominator, whoever you are, ilu. Every time I look at this tag, I feel such a rush of excitement. There’s just so much implied plot and relationship dynamics, and I’m so incredibly intrigued! I think the most important question is: why are they conspiring together?

Is this another one of my codependent, “view themselves as a single unit with united ambitions” sort of scenarios? Or is this a situation born of opportunity, where their personal feelings for one another might be complicated or fraught, but their common goal brings them together? Maybe they’re siblings who hate each other, but just hate their father more—or maybe they hate each other just as much as they love one another. Were they raised together? Or did they meet for the first time as adults?

And why are they overthrowing their father, anyway? I made an assumption of personal hatred above, but I’m also here for other takes! For instance, a scenario where one of them loves their father, but thinks he’s a poor ruler, while the other brother hates or is indifferent to him could also be really interesting.

Sorceress Sister/Sorceror Brother [↑]
As always, I am very much here for codependent/us-against-the-world vibes in my sibling incest, but in this scenario I’m also very into the idea of them being bitter rivals in the arena of magic but who will still do absolutely anything for one another when push comes to shove. Especially if the rest of the world (including any potential enemies) take their rivalry at face value without realizing or recognizing the deep bond hidden beneath the outward bitterness—and especially if an enemy make a move against one of them while under the assumption that the other won’t defend them or care. Or maybe the enemy even attempts to get one of them to join in on the plot against their sibling and lives to regret it!

But, of course, a straightforward us-against-the-world, codependent set of a siblings is also always, always a delight for me. Another scenario that I’d be into is either the sister or brother dying and seeing the surviving sibling wracked by grief before eventually resorting to dangerous magic rituals to bring their sibling back.

Sorceress Sister/Her Ghost Brother [↑]
The same as the above, except now starring my love of ghosts and character death! Though, the brother doesn’t have to be a sorceror in this scenario—maybe he’s an assassin or warrior or bard, or whatever other job class strikes your fancy. As long as he had some sort of combat capabilities and was competent in his field, I’d be up for it.

I have this mental image of a sorceress high in her tower, surrounded by her books and magical implements, haunted by the ghost of her brother—and willingly so. I love the idea of a bond so intense that neither of them are willing to give it up, even after death. Maybe his death turned them even more codependent than they were before, with the sorceress isolating herself, unwilling to relinquish her brother and her brother’s company, while the brother is (potentially) unable to be seen by anyone else and only has her to depend on for company. Or maybe they originally had a loving, but still relatively normal relationship (though maybe still with flashes of repressed incestuous desire?), which his death and haunting transfoms into intense codependency a la the above.

Sister Who Spent Years In A Portal Fantasy World/Her Brother Who Also Spent Years In That World
Sister Who Spent Years In A Portal Fantasy World/Her Sister Who Also Spent Years In That World [↑]
This is definitely inspired by Narnia, but I decided to go with an OW nom for the broader access it gives to character types, relationship dynamics, and fantasy worldbuilding. And despite my name-dropping Narnia, they definitely don’t have to end up being royalty! That is, if you have an interesting plot that involves that, go for it, but what I’m personally most invested in seeing is them becoming competent as warriors/sorcerors/something along those lines and getting to the point where they’re powerful enough to have some sort of say in the world. The idea of them starting off from a position of weakness and growing powerful enough to be fixers and kingmakers is honestly just so delightful for my id.

Dealing with the fallout of what happens when they come home could be interesting! You can have it in the modern world, but I’d also be into them originally being from a historical setting. I’d want them to be longing for and missing this world they came of age in, with all of its differing norms, and struggling to adapt back to a world that they no longer fit into. I do definitely want them to be able to go home to that fantasy world in the end, though.

I’d also love a story centered around that return! The feelings of relief, the contrast between the oppression and constraint they felt in the mundane with the lifting of that weight when they come back… yeah, I’m very here for that. Especially if they celebrate by fucking against the first available surface (against a tree? a wall in an empty hallway?) the moment they have privacy—and especially if they also spent their time in the mundane world trying to resist being together.

As for their original time in the secondary fantasy world… I’d love to see them coming to this world together: growing, changing, suffering, struggling, and becoming stronger together while growing closer and closer all the while. I love the idea of their relationship turning more and more codependent because of the things they live through and how no one else can understand their situation like the other does. I definitely do want the incestuous feelings to only start after they’ve come to the secondary fantasy world, and preferably after they’ve already been in this world for some time.

I’d also really love something where they came to this world separately (or maybe were separated from one another at some point) and where, when they do reunite, they find themselves on opposite sides of a conflict. In that second scenario, I’d really love something where they do genuinely care about one another, but are also genuinely loyal to their side and care about the people and ideology that they’re fighting for. Reluctant enemies to lovers! Enemies who love each other but still have to fight! Enemies who fight but don’t want to actually hurt one another! Please give me all of the messy emotional complications, please.

Also, consider: mutual emotional comfort after witnessing multiple deaths. I’d be into so many different takes on this scenario, but one that comes to mind is this happening in a scenario where they’re on opposite sides, all or many of the people they’ve come to care about end up killing each other, and the two of them come together in the ashes of the conflict to seek comfort for their mutual grief.

Brother Turned into an Eldritch Knight/Sister He Protects Who Wants to Rescue Him [↑]
If you’ve read my OW commentary up until this point, it’s probably pretty clear that DEVOTION and LOYALTY and SIBLINGS DOING ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING FOR ONE ANOTHER are all things that I really, really love, so my being super-intrigued by this request shouldn’t be a surprise!

One thing I really like about it is the implied role-reversal—the brother’s been the one protecting her up until this point, but now it’s the sister’s turn to try to save him! (And maybe resolve the inappropriate feelings both of them having been dancing around / the brother’s been trying to ignore/avoid this whole time?) And what does rescuing him entail, anyway? Does she have to go through Tam Lin-style trials? Do a deep dive through a sorcerer’s archive? Something else? And does she succeed, or not? I’m good with both happy and bittersweet endings, just as long as the siblings are still together in some shape or form at the end.

Sis Who Writes Passionate Letters to Soldier Bro/Eldritch With Bro's Body Who Assumes They're Lovers [↑]
This is such an interesting concept! I’m super-here for the sister having already been genuinely in love with her soldier brother, but in a secret, kept it to herself sort of way. And then her brother comes home, and suddenly he’s fulfilling all of her deepest, darkest desires… Whether the original brother returned her feelings or only saw her in a platonic light is up to you—I’m here for both—but I’d love all of the identity porn and eldritch wrongness. (Or, if you’re writing from the eldritch being’s POV, all of the discomfort and awkwardness of navigating a situation where you don’t have all the facts!)

And what happened to the original brother, anyway? Did he die upon the battlefield and the eldritch being just took his body at the moment of his death? Was he devoured by the eldritch being? Or did he maybe make a (dying?) bargain with it? Do some echoes of him—emotions, snippets of memories—still linger in his body, or is he completely gone? And what effect does playing this role have on the eldritch being? Does he begin to be infected by humanity? A situation where he becomes an amalgamation of the original brother’s echoes and himself, or where he’s solely himself but begins to genuinely view the sister as both sister and lover would both be very cool.

And what’s the backstory between the two original siblings, anyways? Are they tragic orphans, with the sister having been left alone in their old family home when they went off to war? Or is the sister maybe a widow living in a cozy cottage? Or something else entirely—I’m really excited about this tag, and there are so many options.

The Queens of Innis Lear [↑]

a quick note on Regan/Connley: I really liked their relationship, and so really don’t want to see Connley being treated badly by the narrative or Regan’s feelings for him dismissed. AUs where they never got together, fic set after he’s died, simply not mentioning him one way or another, or both of Regan’s relationships coexisting are all fine ways to handle it.

Gaela/Regan [↑]
I have a lot of intense feelings about these two. Up in my original works section I talk about my love of sibling royalty who view themselves as “a single unit who see their fates, ambitions, and power as being intrinsically combined with one another”, and these two are the perfect example of that.

I’d love basically anything about Gaela and Regan plotting together and loving each other and needing each other. Just, anything about their codependent relationship. Pre-canon fic, missing scenes, canon-divergences, all of those things would be great.

One thing I’d love to see is an AU where Gaela and Regan’s plans succeed and they rule together. I’d be up for everything from something where everything goes exactly as plan and they rule in incandescent triumph to something where they scrabble together a bitter victory, maybe even pyrrhic victory, post-Connley’s death and Regan has to heal from everything that’s happened.

Or, I love ghosts, so maybe an AU where Regan survives and is haunted by Gaela’s spirit? In general, I’d also be very here for anything that includes Regan’s witchcraft / the magic of Innis Lear.

Regan/Elia [↑]
As much as I adored Gaela and Regan’s relationship with each other, I was also really fond of their relationships with Elia, and especially Regan and Elia’s relationship. Their mother’s death cast this line between them, with Regan and Gaela on one side and Elia on the other, but there’s still this genuine care between them despite being on different sides that I’m really into.

I’m also really into how, of the three sisters, Regan and Elia are the two with the deepest connections to the magic of Innis Lear, and would love to see anything that plays with that. In particular, Regan’s death was so stunningly memorable to me, and I’d love to see anything that plays with that. Maybe post-canon fic where Elia’s just haunted by Regan’s ghost/spirit because of the way she died/through the magic of Innis Lear?

Another thing that I’d be into a post-canon fic where Elia manages to prevent Regan’s death and is now stuck with a broken, grieving Regan. How does it develop from there? Does any healing occur, or does it devolve into a more unhealthy dynamic?

Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters [↑]

Ishizu/Marik/Rishid [↑]
Both dub and sub names are fine! I do prefer some of the characterization nuances from the sub/manga, but ultimately, I’m good with any version.

I’ve been crying over the Ishtar siblings for over fifteen years now and I don’t think I’m ever going to stop. I love Rishid staying at Marik’s side and doing everything he wants of him, regardless of what he personally thinks is right, and I love how determined Ishizu is to try and save Marik from himself. I’m never going to get over that moment when Ishizu tells Kaiba that if Marik can’t be saved, then she’s fully willing to stay on the island with him when it explodes. They both want to save him, and they’re both fully willing to die for him, and it’s amazing. And Marik’s reaction when Rishid falls! His obvious respect for Ishizu as a duelist, even when she’s aligned herself with his enemies!

Generally, I want to see all three of them together, but I’d also be happy with fic that focuses on only two of the three if it’s in the context of missing scenes / pre-canon fic. (E.g., Marik/Rishid during the years when Marik’s building his criminal empire, chance encounters between Ishizu/Rishid during those years, Ishizu/Marik while on the blimp, etc.)

I’m always here for post-canon fic. How do the three of them try make a new life for themselves, outside of the weight and bounds of tradition and prophecy and trauma? So much has changed since they were last all three together—how do they deal with those changes in both themselves and in one another?

I also really love the Duel Monsters, dueling, and the characters as duelists, so if you want to draw any of that into the fic, I’d be really here for it. I also have a headcanon that Marik’s into and/or good at deckbuilding, if you want to play with that!

Relationshipping 2020 Letter

Original Works [↑]

The Queens of Innis Lear [↑]

Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters [↑]

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