Fandom 5k 2024 Letter

[nemainofthewater]

Dearest Author,

Thank you so much for my gift in advance! Please know that I will absolutely adore anything that you gift me and though I am going to provide more likes/dislikes and some general prompts further down, please feel free to combine prompts, or ignore them completely if you get inspired in a different direction! I’m Nemainofthewater on AO3 and most other fandom spaces.

Please go wild – I will literally adore anything that you make me. I am also open for treats if anyone feels so inclined! If you want to do something experimental (a series of drabbles, interactive fiction, art, etc…) I will be delighted to see it!

 

 

Things I like:

-Found family! I really love team-as-family, slice of life type stories where everything may be difficult (or not!) but at least they have each other

-I love angst. Please put my blorbos through The Horrors ™  . I would prefer to have a glimmer of hope at the end, but honestly, I am also very happy for all knives all the time so long as appropriately tagged

-Adventures: I love case fics or adventures where the characters work together to solve a problem. It doesn’t have to be anything important! Problem solving is wonderful at all levels, whether it’s something large like overtaking an empire or small like hunting for the perfect cake. Bonus for characters displaying unexpected knowledge/skills, or just being good at their jobs and their team appreciating that

-some canon divergence AUs or role reversal (although on the whole I am not a fan of college/high school AUs). I really like time travel and time loops as well as ‘for want of a nail’ type stories. Modern day AUs are a little hit or miss for me; sometimes I love them and sometimes it really takes me out of the story? I am fond of the type of modern day AUs that preserve the fantastical elements (ie, cultivation in the modern world type thing!)

-characters who don’t take care of themselves being gently bullied into sleeping/eating/resting, or just generally just looking after themselves. I am a huge fan of the ‘perfect mask much work until I collapse’ type character, especially when there are others around to take care oof them before/when they eventually collapse.

-food or creating things as a love language (platonic or romantic)

-OT3s to solve love triangles

-people appreciating other people’s competencies!

-multimedia! (meta, articles, etc). Outsider POV is also something that I love and if you feel intrigued by adding that and/or any multimedia bits please indulge yourself!

-identity porn

-wingfic, especially wingfic that looks at the practical things associated with wings/the (pseudo)biology/the social implications…

-survival stories? I don’t know how to characterise this. Kind of the ‘trapped on a desert island’ kind of thing where everyone has to work together and bring out their various specialities and intelligence to build a home. The kind of domestic slice of life type thing only with having to literally establish their own settlement type thing

 

DNWs: high school/college AUs, texting fics, characters watching the show/read the book they’re from, PWP, sibling (biological or otherwise) incest, underage, character bashing (out of universe: it doesn’t count if characters don’t like each other in canon, for example), racism, sexism, homophobia, aphobia, transphobia

I have added some prompts for the fandoms, but the length or breadth of prompts has no bearing on how much I want a fandom – it’s very much what’s in my mind at the time of writing.

Above all, please create whatever pleases you and whatever you have fun making; I promise that I will love whatever I get!

I am very happy to have any other characters that you want to add into the story unless I’ve written out a fandom specific DNW about it.

 

 

Original Work

Female general looking for ruzhui husband/down-on-his-luck scholar

In case anyone was unfamiliar with the term, a ruzhui (or matrilocal) marriage was historically when a man would marry into a woman’s family (where they would live with the woman’s family, their children would get their mother’s family name) etc.

This would often happen if there was a powerful or noble family (or just a rich one) who only had daughters, who would then recruit a son-in-law (often a younger son from a poorer or lower status family) to marry into the family.

Potential prompts:

-what does this society look like? The pairing was in the context of imperial china, but I would be interested in seeing how this to be adapted to different settings!

-why would the scholar do this? is he happy to be married to the general? Is this something that they’ve discussed? Are there miscommunications?

-what is the female general’s social status? Is this an AU where women have a higher social status? Or is it more historical, and she is an exception?

Politically inconvenient politician/same-sex spouse awarded to them by the emperor

-I just think this is really funny. I’m happy to have this be Any/Any

-what makes a politician politically inconvenient?

-did the politician’s spouse know the politician beforehand? This has great potential for enemies to lovers OR alternately could it be a plot between the two lovers to get married?

Child from a rich family accidentally swapped at birth & Child they were swapped with

-I read a lot of webnovels, and either the child swapped at birth or the child they were swapped with tend to become this terrible caricature. Secretly an awful person all along type thing. I just want them to be friends! To bond over this traumatic experience that only they can really understand! I want all the found family!!!

Retired emperor & his subordinate trying to convince him to come back to work

-again this is just… so funny to me

-why did the emperor retire? Can emperors do that? If the subordinate does get him to come back to work, is it a coup?

-Is the emperor’s subordinate his successor????

-‘Your Majesty, please, I just want your input on these grain tariffs-’ and the retired Emperor is just… harvesting melons or something and going lalala I can’t hear you and by the way hold this melon for me.

Person who accidentally ascended to godhood & the worshipers they’re embarrassed to have

-imagine ascending to godhood for something Incredibly Embarrassing, but never mind you can get past this! Except it turns out you can’t, because your worshippers do the equivalent of whipping out your baby pics at every opportunity

Fandom Anti Who Gets Transmigrated Into Fandom They Hate/Problematic Villain; Fandom Anti Who Gets Transmigrated Into Problematic Fandom/Problematic Protagonist

-I just love this concept. This is one of the prompts I wouldn’t mind whatever setting; ngl it would be incredibly funny if the ‘problematic villain’ or ‘problematic protagonist’ is like, a barista who keeps using almond milk as a default in their lattes despite knowing the damage it does to the environment

Gentleman Thief Trying To Reform/Mentor Trying To Drag Him Back In (M/M)

-despite the M/M in the prompts, I would be equally happy with Any/Any

-similar vibes to the retired emperor above, I think this would be hilarious.

-does the mentor trying to drag him back in like, set up elaborate heists that are happening around the gentleman thief? Trying to tempt him back into the game?

Immortal Galactic Emperor/New Concubine Who Is Secretly His Reborn Ex-Teacher (M/M)

-again, amazing

-does the new concubine know that’s he’s the emperor’s reborn teacher? Does the emperor know? How do they find out?

-what is the setting? Is there an immortality/slowed ageing aspect going on here? Is the galactic emperor thrilled that he simultaneously gets to be the wise older figure AND the bratty student all at once?

-What does reborn even mean? Reborn as a baby? Consciousness uploaded into a new body? And AI? I would love to see an exploration of this!

Overworked Male General/Charming Male Courtier Who Is Good In Bed

-this hits all my ‘overworked character being forced to take care of themself’ likes

-but also omg the flirting potential!

 

 

 

Nirvana in Fire

Mei Changsu/&Lin Chen

-for once, Mei Changsu isn’t the one that needs to be looked after, Lin Chen is. Mei Changsu gets to be on the other side of the ‘friend/patient is being awful and won’t just sit down and heal, but insists on actually straining himself for reasons I feel are Inadequate, but he won’t listen to me’. Mei Changsu hates it. Lin Chen, when he isn’t trying to hide how awful he feels, is smug. Fei Liu is helpful. Whether this actually helps is up to you.

-A pre-canon jianghu adventure! Perhaps Lin Chen and MCS need to go undercover but Lin Chen isn’t taking it seriously? Maybe they get kidnapped, forcing the poor kidnapper listen to them bickering instead of being adequately intimidated by said kidnapping? Maybe there is a friendly rivalry between members of the Jiangzuo Alliance and Langya Hall and Mei Changsu and Lin Chen are both vicariously competing (and actually competing) through their subordinates? Id this the adventure where they find and save fei liu? Or does Fei Liu have to be ‘kidnapped’ only he’s very bad at it?

Lin Chen/&Jingyan

I am lowkey obsessed with the pair of them. I want them to meet onscreen, I want them to have messy emotions. One of them only knows and cares about MCS, one of them misses xiao-Shu and is starting to build a tentative friendship with MCS. I think it isn’t an overstatement to say that one of them is MCS’ best friend and one of them is xiao-Shu’s.

Do they get along? How do they fall into a relationship? Are they each finding the missing piece of their friend in the other? I am just feral about this relationship.

Lin Chen & Nihuang

I just want to see them interact more! I think they have the potential to be fascinating together, and I would love to see something exploring a potential relationship

-post canon, Nihuang decides to wander the jianghu for a time and leets in Chen. Where? Was it on purpose? What do they do? Are they brought closer by grief or do they blame each other?

-pre canon, Nihuang went to langya hall at literally any point. What happens?

Character: Lin Chen

-It would be hilarious if Langya Hall, being the source of all knowledge etc, also moonlit as a relationship advice column. I can’t imagine the amount of chaos that this could cause, and I can’t decide whether Lin Chen would be an amazing relationship guru or a terrible one (purposefully or not!)

-Oops Lin Chen has accidentally Ascended to godhood through no fault of his own (he hadn’t realised that the MacGuffin he was looking for did that). Now he’s on a mission to gain more followers and game the system to stop Mei Changsu from dying

Consort Jing & Lin Chen

-I just want to see them interact. Did Consort Jing know Lin Chen’s parents? Do they know each other professionally (as doctors?). I love consort Jing and firmly believe she should get more things to do and interact with more people.

-Lin Chen is Consort Jing’s young lover. Jingyan is horrified.

Mei Changsu/Xiao Jinghuan

God this is so spicy. So many power dynamics, so much more identity porn.

-Xiao Jinghuan wins. What does that mean for MCS?

-Jinghuan doesn’t win, but he doesn’t die. What does that mean for him? Is there a place for him in Jingyan’s court? Would he want one?

-canon compliant, except that they were in a relationship. What does that mean?

 

Love Between Fairy and Devil

Changheng/Dongfang Qingcang/Xiao Lanhua

I firmly believe in the power of OT3s to ‘solve’ love triangles

-AU where Changheng stays with the Moon Tribe while Danyin launches a coup in Shuiyuntian for him

-AU where Tai Sui got killed offscreen, XLH really did lose her memories, and changheng and she marry. DFQC is not leaving though. Even if now he has to stick around and take what crumbs of affection are left, he is not going to lose his love. Meanwhile, Changheng is having a Terrible time (wanting versus having) and DFQC is the only one who understands and loves XLH the way he does. XLH is trying to figure out who she is in this new world, and doesn’t know how to deal with living with two people who know her far better than she knows herself.

Ronghao/Changheng

-Would Ronghao and Changheng being together would have changed anything? Are some things inevitable?

-The way that Ronghao hates everyone, but Changheng was his friend, truly. The way that he sacrificed so much of his own power for Changheng. I am just rotating them in my brain.

Character: Ronghao

He is MY war crimes immortal with the heart of a mortal. I love him. He is such a terrible person. I would love to see more of him.

Ronghao/Xunfeng

This is mainly because I think it would be funny and/or incredibly angsty. The two left behind, only able to find a measure of peace together. Yet they are manipulating each other, and they know it. I would take anything

 

 

 

The Untamed

Lan Qiren/Wen Ruohan

I got really into this pairing through Nirejseki’s (amazing) fic on AO3 and now I can’t get enough. This pairing is so rare, I will adore anything I get, I am literally dying.

-How did they get together? Does their relationship change anything about the Sunshot Campaign? Doesn’t it?

-What do other people think about it? Do any of the younger generation know about them?

-AU where QHJ doesn’t go into seclusion and he has ISSUES with his younger brother’s relationship with WRH. Whether this is more heartwarming or creepy is up to you!

-I have a new appreciation for arranged marriage (once again I blame Nirejseki for this) and would love any iteration of that

-Any interactions are delicious, tbh

Lan Huan | Lan Xichen & Lan Qiren & Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji

I would love Lan family feels. Please feel free to mix and match characters here if it so pleases you.

 

 

 

Red Cliff

The first of the films can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbL4MucnZIg&t=27s

Zhou Yu | Zhou Gongjin/Zhuge Liang | Zhuge Kongming (Red Cliff); Zhou Yu | Zhou Gongjin/Zhuge Liang | Zhuge Kongming/Xiao Qiao (Red Cliff)

I came away from the film obsessed with Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, and Xiao Qiao. I am happy for anything, whether set during the films, alternate universe, or post canon. I am also happy for other Romance of the Three Kingdoms adjacent characters and canons to be brought in.

-So many frames of this film were just Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu staring intently at each other??? I want to see more of that.

-Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao have an excellent relationship; would they welcome someone else in? How does it happen?

-Just that scene with the foal in the stable for the entire fic, I would be so happy with that.

 

 

 

The Story of Kunning Palace

Jiang Xuening/Zhang Zhe/Xie Wei

Once again on my OT3s solve all love triangles hill.

-I am obsessed by the whole ‘I don’t like you but I appreciate what you do in court and that you’re important, so I’m putting my dislike aside to make sure you survive’

-jiang Xuening deserves two boyfriends, and tbh I think that she gets very different (and equally important) needs met from both of them

-casefic! Is there a lowstakes murder in the capital?

Jiang Xuening/Shen Zhiyi

-Shen Zhiyi, I love you. You fell in love with the same person twice in two lifetimes in two different guises.

-Shen Zhiyi really loves taking care of Jiang Xuening in the palace, of making sure that everyone knows that no one is to bully or harm her. What does that look like in the future?

 

 

 

The Blood of Youth

Character: Tang Lian; Lei Wujie & Sikong Qianluo & Tang Lian & Xiao Se | Xiao Chuhe & Ye Ruoyi; Sikong Qianluo & Tang Lian

Da-Shixiong, I love you and I will take anything. I also really love just all of the Youths, and the way that they’re basically a large pile of puppies scrapping and fighting and playing with each other.

Sikong Qianluo/Xiao Se | Xiao Chuhe/Wu Xin | Ye Anshi; Wu Xin/Xiao Se (Blood of Youth)

I don’t have much to say here except I love them and I think they would be obnoxious in a relationship, and I am here for it.

 

 

Crossover Fandom

Zhang Zhe (The Story of Kunning Palace) & Zhang Ping (A League of Nobleman)

They are very similar characters, both of them devoted to justice to the detriment of any political sense. I would like to see them interacting.

-are they related? Even if they aren’t, I bet that people think they are. Just random characters looking at one and being like, ‘oh, I’ve met your brothers, the family resemblance is strong’ while they’re like, ‘????’

General Shang Bei (Legend of Shen Li) & Meng Zhi (Nirvana in Fire)

They deserve to have a drink and commiserations together.

Chu Wanning (ErHa) & Shen Yuan (SVSSS)

I don’t know how this happened and how they’re meeting, but I would like to find out!

Feanor (Silmarillion) & Wei Wuxian (MDZS Novels)

The world is probably going to explode. And I want to see it.

Lin Chen (Nirvana in Fire) & Li Lianhua | Li Xiangyi (Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

Lin Chen looking straight at LLH and getting trauma from all the memories. He’s going to save this one no matter what after he couldn’t save MCs

 

Oh My General

Hu Qing/Ye Zhao/Zhao Yujin

Ok, but I just love them all.

Huli! Beloved, you’re so sad and how have you managed to get yourself into a situation where you’re the giving relationship advice to Yujin? Yujin on the other hand is so jealous, but also putting together dots that have no right being connected. I have no doubt that he sometimes lies in bed at night replaying that time Huli dipped him after saving him from falling off his horse. Meanwhile, Ye Zhao is just so excited to have a husband! So eager to be a good wife, yet not willing to compromise her duties as a general.

I love them all so much and I would love to see something exploring their dynamic as a trio, whether that is platonically or romantically.

Some prompts:

-What is Yujin was the one to marry into Ye Zhao’s household (potentially bringing his concubines with him…)

-Yujin is trying to set up Huli and Ye Zhao. Huli is trying to give romantic advice to Yujin. Ye Zhao has realised her husband likes Huli, and is willing to wingman (anything to make him happy!). Somehow their plans end up cancelling each other out… 

 

 

 

The Legend of Shen Li

SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES IN THIS SERIES OF PROMPTS

Shen Li/Xing Yun | Xing Zhi (Legend of Shen Li)

-I would love to see something set in their courtyard inhabiting days, whether that is in the early arc when Shen Li is a chicken and Xing Yun is a mortal, or post canon

-Does Xing Zhi get kidnapped? He could escape (probably) but isn’t it nicer to wait to be rescued? The kidnappers, on the other hand, are having a terrible time. Please take him back Bicang-wangye

-Xing Zhi is now just an immortal, but he used to be more. Many, many unscrupulous people want to take advantage of that

Shen Li & Shen Muyue | The demon emperor

I would love something looking at their relationship? I am here for complicated family dynamics, and I really love Shen Muyue as a character.

Character: Shen Li

I think she might be one of my favourite characters in cdrama, please tell me more about her. Put her in Situations™.

Character: Xing Zhi

He is so blorbo shaped. So full of potential angst. Please tell about watching all of his family fall to temptation or die for the good of the universe. Tell me what it was like going from being the baby to the only one left.