Candy Hearts Exchange 2025 Letter
Jan. 5th, 2025 09:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eloquentaliasHelloooooo, this is AO3 user elo_quentalias’s letter for Candy Hearts. Given that this is a low minimum exchange I tried to keep this letter brief, but I wanted to at least communicate what I like about the relationships I'm requesting, so it feels a little ramble-y to me. Such is life. My approach to fic exchange letters is that if you have looked only at what I have in my AO3 signup and already have an idea you want to pursue, I want you to pursue that idea. My letter is meant only to give you guidance if you're a little lost.
Also, I promise that requesting many tags for ES! and few tags for my other fandoms does not mean I'm less excited about those fandoms. I have thought my requests through and will be thrilled with a fic for any one of these. There are just a lot of characters in Ensemble Stars. You understand.
In addition to all this, my AO3 account is open to gifts and I will be happy to receive treats if you feel like writing one. Anyways, onto the letter!
Do Not Wants
(*) This DNW does not apply to Misericorde, where Christianity is very relevant. I still do not want it in fic for the other canons I am requesting.
General Likes
Opt-Ins (a.k.a. content that is often DNWed that I am okay with)
Trans headcanons, kidfic/parenting as a focus
Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Ichijouji Ken/Motomiya Daisuke
Foundational ship, made me the fujoshi I am today, invented love, all that hyperbole the kids say. They are a super nostalgic ship for me, as you might imagine, and I'd be excited to get any fic at all about them. Something more-or-less immediately post-canon? Something where they're a bit more grown up and have to deal with all that entails? Either way, I am interested.
Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Morisawa Chiaki/Shinkai Kanata
Look, these two are so Made For Me you basically can't go wrong. Cute fluff about their day-to-day hangouts? Hell yes. Serious pining underneath their goofy silly attitudes that one or both can't quite bring themselves to say? Hell yes also. Leaning into the angst of their first/second years at Yumenosaki and all that entails? I love high drama in my ships, hell yes. I adore them, pick any era of ChiaKana and any scenario, as long as they are in love and doing the best they can do for each other I will be happy. If you'd like a specific starting point, I think about the conversation in Comet Show where Chiaki basically proposes being platonic life partners and Kanata's response is "hmmmmm, you're almost there" literally all the time.
Minase Konata & Shinkai Kanata
To the person who nominated this - thank you. Yes. I love Kanata and I love when Enstars goes soap opera mode, the "Kanata has a half-brother he only found out about recently" plot is absolute catnip to me. Whatever you have in mind for these two, I will be excited to read it. Pre-Stella Maris, covering the two of them actually meeting the first time? Kanata bringing Kona-chan to the mainland and being excited to show him things? Something about Kanata from Kona-chan's point of view? Whatever you go with, I'm all in.
Ran Nagisa/Saegusa Ibara
Love whatever these two have going on. They are both profoundly weird in ways that should be incompatible and yet hard-nosed capitalist Ibara has made his success in life highly dependant on a guy who loves to wander away and contemplate the age of rocks. Incredible stuff. I'm a sucker for classic "forcing Ibara away from the office for his own good" scenarios, or them having to do Idol Stuff that Ibara finds ridiculous. Speaking of putting Ibara in situations, I'd be down for some sickfic if that's your jam?
Mikejima Maguro/Tenma Mitsuru
Mikejima Maguro & Tenma Mitsuru
Both tags are here because I'm fine with these two being platonic or romantic, dealer's choice. You might be thinking "hey, isn't one of these characters stuck in the weird Enstars 'has no sprite so their dialogue is delivered through other characters' trap?" and while that is true: I am obsessed with Maguro anyways. I love that she conceives of herself as Evil and Malicious and then the budding friendship/relationship in her life is with Tenma Mitsuru, a funny little guy whose main interests are bread, running, & his friends. I'd be excited to see anything you choose to do with their dynamic, whether that's filling in the gaps between when they meet and when Parallel World happens or going further into the future.
Mikejima Madara & Mikejima Maguro
To reiterate if you did not read my previous request: I am totally obsessed with the Maguro crumbs we have gotten. If you want to write about her and Madara I would love to read about them. More Maguro Forever, imo. Madara is such an interestingly tragic character and the fracturing of his relationship with Maguro is so foundational to that tragedy - the extremes of their present day antagonism suggest there Was love there but now Maguro does not hold back in her actions against him, to sqy the least, and Madara doesn't mince words about her either. How did their dynamic work before everything happened? Does Maguro love and support their parents, or is part of her hatred of Madara jealousy that he got to leave them? For that matter, could Madara be envious that even if their parents are evil, they still care for Maguro while disowning him? Explore any one of these questions, or any other question you have about them, and I will be fascinated by your answers.
Amagi Hiiro & Oukawa Kohaku & Shiratori Aira
This is on the list because I am beyond excited that post-Matrix we got a little Hiiro and Kohaku connection after several real life years of Aira being friends with them separately - I'd love to see these three either being or becoming a trio of friends. Do the other two end up tagging along on Aira's fanboy activities? Does Hiiro drag his friends into the great outdoors to show off his village life kmowledge at some point? Is there anything Kohaku's really been wanting to do with friends his age that just hasn't happened yet? (You're welcome to add a little romantic tension any which way you'd like into this group, though I'd prefer something that still falls under the "gen" category in the end.)
Misericorde (Visual Novel)
Sister Hedwig & Any
I am so taken with Hedwig as a character - one of the things I love most about Misericorde is the specificity of her perspective and just how difficult it is for her to navigate the world. She's so often scared while at the same time being angry that she has to deal with being in a situation where it's possible to be scared, and I find the feelings rollercoaster of it all just fascinating. No matter what character you want to bounce her off of, I will be interested in seeing their dynamic. (A note on my canon knowledge: I have not played Part 2 as of this writing, but I have it and will have played it by the time fics are due. If something in Part 2 is inspiring you, make your fic as spoiler-y and specific to Part 2 as you please.)
スキップとローファー | Skip to Loafer (Manga)
Egashira Mika & Iwakura Mitsumi
These two are so exemplary of Skip and Loafer's charm, going from this realistically contentious and weird classmate connection to genuine friendship... I admit I have no prompts, if you're interested in writing them I want to see what you come up with. Something like a missing scene during one of their group hangouts in canon would be great, if you would like a jumping off point.
Kurume Makoto/Murashige Yuzuki
Kurume Makoto & Murashige Yuzuki
Both tags are here because I'm fine with these two being platonic or romantic, dealer's choice. In fact, if you went in hard on the ambiguity between those two relationship states here, I'd be pretty happy with that. Makoto and Yuzuki are just so sweet, they expect not to get along and then love each other so much. ;w; I'd love to see them spending time together separately from their other friends, or getting to know each other's interests. Another prompt: something set during the summer trip to Mitsumi's home, while everyone else is also having Love Talk and Revelations?
Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Azul Ashengrotto/Jade Leech
Them... What if boss/henchman BUT they're childhood friends BUT they insist the relationship between them is purely practical BUT the "henchman" does appear to want to eat his "boss" sometimes. What if they were like "well obviously I'm just using this person until I get bored" but it's been years and no boredom is in sight. Them!!! I'd love anything pre-canon, when they were still building the layers of their dynamic, though equally I would love anything during canon where they are running a school cafe like they're already middle aged businessmen. I'd love to see them getting away from the school a bit and getting into some Shenanigans on land, if you'd be so inclined.
Floyd Leech/Riddle Rosehearts
Floyd and Riddle are soooo cute to me, I love that Floyd's interest in Riddle is so sincere and Riddle is incapable of understanding this because he is a rules guy while Floyd is Floyd. Then because they live in Twisted-Wonderland, they're not purely cute and have genuine thorniness between them! What's not to love! I enjoy both "pre-relationship teasing" and "okay but how do they make a relationship actually Work" stories about them, if either of those approaches speak to you. I also love merperson stuff, if you can get Riddle to visit the ocean I will be thrilled.
Divus Crewel & Riddle Rosehearts
Just reading this tag has me fascinated - the dynamic between a "tough love" perfectionist teacher and an exemplary student whose personal journey is taking him to the idea that he might be his best self when he's Not being such an authoritarian... Really interesting. My only prompt is to take this tag and run with it.
Also, I promise that requesting many tags for ES! and few tags for my other fandoms does not mean I'm less excited about those fandoms. I have thought my requests through and will be thrilled with a fic for any one of these. There are just a lot of characters in Ensemble Stars. You understand.
In addition to all this, my AO3 account is open to gifts and I will be happy to receive treats if you feel like writing one. Anyways, onto the letter!
Do Not Wants
- Explicit sex scenes (sexual jokes/references, fade to black are always fine)
- Rape/non-con
- Homophobia/transphobia as a central plot element
- Infidelity
- Soulmate AUs
- Christmas/Christian themes (*)
- Completely hopeless endings
(*) This DNW does not apply to Misericorde, where Christianity is very relevant. I still do not want it in fic for the other canons I am requesting.
General Likes
- Canon divergence & role swaps
- Character studies with serious introspection
- Case fic
- Missing scenes
- Developing relationships/friendships
- Characters being part of a community
- Gen where characters who don’t interact in canon meet each other
- Wilderness survival situations
- Cohabiting shenanigans
- Food themes
- Dealing with the mundane in fantasy/sci-fi settings
- Quiet moments together
- Pre-relationship ~tension~
- Friends to lovers
- Secret identities and the drama that results from them
Opt-Ins (a.k.a. content that is often DNWed that I am okay with)
Trans headcanons, kidfic/parenting as a focus
Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Ichijouji Ken/Motomiya Daisuke
Foundational ship, made me the fujoshi I am today, invented love, all that hyperbole the kids say. They are a super nostalgic ship for me, as you might imagine, and I'd be excited to get any fic at all about them. Something more-or-less immediately post-canon? Something where they're a bit more grown up and have to deal with all that entails? Either way, I am interested.
Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Morisawa Chiaki/Shinkai Kanata
Look, these two are so Made For Me you basically can't go wrong. Cute fluff about their day-to-day hangouts? Hell yes. Serious pining underneath their goofy silly attitudes that one or both can't quite bring themselves to say? Hell yes also. Leaning into the angst of their first/second years at Yumenosaki and all that entails? I love high drama in my ships, hell yes. I adore them, pick any era of ChiaKana and any scenario, as long as they are in love and doing the best they can do for each other I will be happy. If you'd like a specific starting point, I think about the conversation in Comet Show where Chiaki basically proposes being platonic life partners and Kanata's response is "hmmmmm, you're almost there" literally all the time.
Minase Konata & Shinkai Kanata
To the person who nominated this - thank you. Yes. I love Kanata and I love when Enstars goes soap opera mode, the "Kanata has a half-brother he only found out about recently" plot is absolute catnip to me. Whatever you have in mind for these two, I will be excited to read it. Pre-Stella Maris, covering the two of them actually meeting the first time? Kanata bringing Kona-chan to the mainland and being excited to show him things? Something about Kanata from Kona-chan's point of view? Whatever you go with, I'm all in.
Ran Nagisa/Saegusa Ibara
Love whatever these two have going on. They are both profoundly weird in ways that should be incompatible and yet hard-nosed capitalist Ibara has made his success in life highly dependant on a guy who loves to wander away and contemplate the age of rocks. Incredible stuff. I'm a sucker for classic "forcing Ibara away from the office for his own good" scenarios, or them having to do Idol Stuff that Ibara finds ridiculous. Speaking of putting Ibara in situations, I'd be down for some sickfic if that's your jam?
Mikejima Maguro/Tenma Mitsuru
Mikejima Maguro & Tenma Mitsuru
Both tags are here because I'm fine with these two being platonic or romantic, dealer's choice. You might be thinking "hey, isn't one of these characters stuck in the weird Enstars 'has no sprite so their dialogue is delivered through other characters' trap?" and while that is true: I am obsessed with Maguro anyways. I love that she conceives of herself as Evil and Malicious and then the budding friendship/relationship in her life is with Tenma Mitsuru, a funny little guy whose main interests are bread, running, & his friends. I'd be excited to see anything you choose to do with their dynamic, whether that's filling in the gaps between when they meet and when Parallel World happens or going further into the future.
Mikejima Madara & Mikejima Maguro
To reiterate if you did not read my previous request: I am totally obsessed with the Maguro crumbs we have gotten. If you want to write about her and Madara I would love to read about them. More Maguro Forever, imo. Madara is such an interestingly tragic character and the fracturing of his relationship with Maguro is so foundational to that tragedy - the extremes of their present day antagonism suggest there Was love there but now Maguro does not hold back in her actions against him, to sqy the least, and Madara doesn't mince words about her either. How did their dynamic work before everything happened? Does Maguro love and support their parents, or is part of her hatred of Madara jealousy that he got to leave them? For that matter, could Madara be envious that even if their parents are evil, they still care for Maguro while disowning him? Explore any one of these questions, or any other question you have about them, and I will be fascinated by your answers.
Amagi Hiiro & Oukawa Kohaku & Shiratori Aira
This is on the list because I am beyond excited that post-Matrix we got a little Hiiro and Kohaku connection after several real life years of Aira being friends with them separately - I'd love to see these three either being or becoming a trio of friends. Do the other two end up tagging along on Aira's fanboy activities? Does Hiiro drag his friends into the great outdoors to show off his village life kmowledge at some point? Is there anything Kohaku's really been wanting to do with friends his age that just hasn't happened yet? (You're welcome to add a little romantic tension any which way you'd like into this group, though I'd prefer something that still falls under the "gen" category in the end.)
Misericorde (Visual Novel)
Sister Hedwig & Any
I am so taken with Hedwig as a character - one of the things I love most about Misericorde is the specificity of her perspective and just how difficult it is for her to navigate the world. She's so often scared while at the same time being angry that she has to deal with being in a situation where it's possible to be scared, and I find the feelings rollercoaster of it all just fascinating. No matter what character you want to bounce her off of, I will be interested in seeing their dynamic. (A note on my canon knowledge: I have not played Part 2 as of this writing, but I have it and will have played it by the time fics are due. If something in Part 2 is inspiring you, make your fic as spoiler-y and specific to Part 2 as you please.)
スキップとローファー | Skip to Loafer (Manga)
Egashira Mika & Iwakura Mitsumi
These two are so exemplary of Skip and Loafer's charm, going from this realistically contentious and weird classmate connection to genuine friendship... I admit I have no prompts, if you're interested in writing them I want to see what you come up with. Something like a missing scene during one of their group hangouts in canon would be great, if you would like a jumping off point.
Kurume Makoto/Murashige Yuzuki
Kurume Makoto & Murashige Yuzuki
Both tags are here because I'm fine with these two being platonic or romantic, dealer's choice. In fact, if you went in hard on the ambiguity between those two relationship states here, I'd be pretty happy with that. Makoto and Yuzuki are just so sweet, they expect not to get along and then love each other so much. ;w; I'd love to see them spending time together separately from their other friends, or getting to know each other's interests. Another prompt: something set during the summer trip to Mitsumi's home, while everyone else is also having Love Talk and Revelations?
Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Azul Ashengrotto/Jade Leech
Them... What if boss/henchman BUT they're childhood friends BUT they insist the relationship between them is purely practical BUT the "henchman" does appear to want to eat his "boss" sometimes. What if they were like "well obviously I'm just using this person until I get bored" but it's been years and no boredom is in sight. Them!!! I'd love anything pre-canon, when they were still building the layers of their dynamic, though equally I would love anything during canon where they are running a school cafe like they're already middle aged businessmen. I'd love to see them getting away from the school a bit and getting into some Shenanigans on land, if you'd be so inclined.
Floyd Leech/Riddle Rosehearts
Floyd and Riddle are soooo cute to me, I love that Floyd's interest in Riddle is so sincere and Riddle is incapable of understanding this because he is a rules guy while Floyd is Floyd. Then because they live in Twisted-Wonderland, they're not purely cute and have genuine thorniness between them! What's not to love! I enjoy both "pre-relationship teasing" and "okay but how do they make a relationship actually Work" stories about them, if either of those approaches speak to you. I also love merperson stuff, if you can get Riddle to visit the ocean I will be thrilled.
Divus Crewel & Riddle Rosehearts
Just reading this tag has me fascinated - the dynamic between a "tough love" perfectionist teacher and an exemplary student whose personal journey is taking him to the idea that he might be his best self when he's Not being such an authoritarian... Really interesting. My only prompt is to take this tag and run with it.
