The Vanishing Hitchhiker

Dear Author/Artist,

I just got into Tales a little over a year ago, and it has so many of the things I’ve loved about games over the years I wish I’d been playing it all along. I especially love the characters in this game, how we get to know them and how they get along with each other.

I've only played these games so any reference to them is fine: Vesperia, Zestiria, Berseria, both Xillias, Abyss, Crestoria. Early-game spoilers for Symphonia and Rays are fine; we might finish Symphonia by then but Rays is less likely. (I ran out of energy to request any Xillia, so just know that I love both parties, Elle, Rollo, Ivar, Wingul, Agria, Yurgen, and fresh mutton.)

I'm as out of sorts as everyone else is lately so this letter is a little... scattered. It's hard for me to remember all the things I like. Thanks for writing/drawing for me, I can't wait to enjoy it!

Art things I like: limited palettes, symbolism (floriography, tarot motifs, etc.), 

Vesperia

I’ve seen The First Strike and read a fan translation of The Empty Mask, so don’t worry about spoiling those.

Also, for any Raven pairing, I like soulmate AUs gone awry (whoops, guess the guy’s dead, too bad!).

DNW: Alexei/Schwann, Zagi

Estellise Sidos Heurassein/Rita Mordio

• What prompts can I even give you that aren’t literally canon? 
• It’s just so sweet how they’re both kind of naively feeling their way along even though they’re coming at the relationship with opposite attitudes of romance and cynicism
• Girlfriends in Halure! Wives in Halure! Flying Ristelle!
• Estelle writing books vs. Rita using them as weapons (she has dialogue with Kongwai in Crestoria where she’s just like “yeah just chuck the book at the enemy”). What if equipping Estelle’s novels works inexplicably well for her? (I dimly recall an ingame explanation of why weapons have stats and such; I have simply forgotten it.)

Mary Kaufman/LeBlanc

• There’s got to be more to a knight being on a first name basis with the leader of a guild than a skit hidden in the back of Nam Cobanda, right? Right? Help
• Kitchen Coliseum shenanigans! Is this how they met? Bonding over Flynn (or Chef Sparkle)’s awful cooking? Maybe they’re both into cooking/baking and end up having to cook together? Valentine’s Day~?
• There’s all sorts of other ways they could have met too. Conflict! Crisis! Diplomacy! Maybe even a book signing?
• Adecor and Boccos cheering their Lieutenant on! Brave Vesperia acting as exasperated go-betweens a la Abyss (with a happier ending, though)! Raven playing both sides! Or any of them finding out they're already a thing, what a surprise!

Raven/Flynn Scifo

• The most embarrassing crush, poor Flynn. At least Raven’s, uh, retired, so there’s no ethical concerns (since Flynn would care about that)
• Will Raven indulge/tease Flynn's interest in his alter ego? Hell, how much will Yuri make fun of them both? (A background pairing of Yuri with either or both of them is fine too.)
• Man, Raven's really jealous of all the ladies flocking (platonically) to Flynn. ...wait, Raven's really jealous of all the ladies flocking to Flynn. Uh-oh.
• Schwann Brigade and Brave Vesperia adorably/hilariously having to deal with this also applies here, as do cooking lessons and Valentine's/White Day, lol
• Also since they’re both bros with Repede, maybe he’s got a paw in this somehow

Zestiria

A soulmate AU involving true names would be hilarious for Rose pairings, SOREY... And one involving eye color or vision would be Interesting for Dezel.

I also love Lucas, Mayvin,

DNWs: anime continuity (I haven’t finished!), DLC-level arguments (main game-style teasing and bickering is fine), character/ship/game bashing (I have had Bad Times in other JRPG series fandoms already, please be kind)

Sorey/Sergei Strelka/Rose

• Never having the heart to tell Sergei they lied about being married is the cutest thing, these three dorks.
• If there's any actual pairings Sergei doesn’t know about, I’d like them to be Sorey/Mikleo, Rose/Dezel and/or Rose/Alisha. (Although having TWO invisible boyfriends in the mix is really, really, funny.) Or maybe he does find out about them, just add to the poly pile shenanigans.
• You can get a bit sad with this and have Sergei sweetly trying to console Rose on the loss of her husband and… nope, she still can’t tell him, just look at that face.

Dezel/Rose
Alisha Diphda/Rose

• I'm a multishipper so even some overlap is fine, please no bashing
• Rose has excellent taste in excellent people who wear excellent hats. Cooking! Commerce! Combat! Lighthearted shenanigans! Love and appreciate this Rose!
• Does Rose notice when someone has an obvious crush on her? Answer 1: "Yeah, of course." Answer 2: "What? Alisha's always like that." "What? Dezel's always like that." (I mean, they are...)
• I really like the idea of Dezel trying to set up Alisha and Rose. Like they go to someone’s wedding after the end of the game sometime and the wind just SLAMS the bouquet into Alisha’s lap. Or if he’s trying to set them up somehow while he’s still around everyone’s like “dude you’re projecting” “no I’m not!!!”. Up to you whether he is, but nobody believes him either way because he’s a tsundere dork. And if Alisha gets all respectful-to-seraphim about it he can be like no, stop listening to Edna (and get jabbed)
• References to Dezel’s old crush on Lafarga, or Alisha’s old crush on Maltran...? Or if those aren't sad enough, how Rose has been betrothed to royalty before...

Dezel/Eizen

• First of all, if there are any survivors after the two of them meet—
• I just have a lot of emotions about these cursed lads. The way Eizen chose to distance himself from his only family to protect her, while Dezel stubbornly clings to the closest thing he has to family to protect/avenge them himself… (Yeah, Dezel unwittingly forgot about his blessing, but would he have made a different choice if he’d known?)
• Pirate crew? Assassin crew? Hand-me-down clothes? Zaveid? The parallels……
• Filling sails with a traveler’s blessing, coin flips and commerce, rare books and rare bugs

Berseria

I love the whole party and also the therion squad.

DNW: canon-typical Boys Like This Weird Thing Because They Are Boys And This Weird Thing Is For Boys Because Boys Like This Weird Thing banter

Eizen/Benwick

• Benwick getting used to having an actual malak aboard, Eizen worrying about his growing fondness for the crew, relying on each other, celebrating a big haul (treasure or fish), dorks being dorks
• What happens when humans can’t see malakim anymore? How can you tell someone invisible you want them to stick around, or tell someone who can’t see you the same? Or maybe Benwick just has/acquires resonance, yay
• Edna assessing Benwick somehow, what are your Intentions toward my brother, poor Benwick
• Also please pet the sylphjay for me, do they know I love them

Velvet Crowe/Niko

• Please let poor Velvet find out dating girls is an option
• Like it’d be cute if realizing stuff about a girl leads to realizing stuff about Niko or vice versa. You can also have Velvet with… pretty much anyone/everyone in the party, even the guys (except Phi), it’s too hard for me to choose personally 
• Canon divergence is fine, or just a fond flashback, or even part of Melchior's shit. Heck go crazy with some cute AUs if you want, anything goes with end credit dreaming
• Aball is so pretty, damn I love autumn. Also, Taliesin kitties are real in my heart.
• If Velvet's family (or Seres...) are around being heartbreakingly sweet that's fine too 😢

Abyss

Soulmate AUs would be also “fun” for any pairing involving a replica, by which I mean very complicated and sad and/or a comedy of errors.
Game scenery I like, for art inspiration: Baticul cable cars, flowers, stained glass, all the musical architectural motifs, the Cheagle tree, Grand Chokmah palace looking like some vaporwave Encarta shit

DNW: requited Luke/Van (though I think Luke had a crush, once), bad breakups (other than Jade/Dist, that's just canon lol)

Tear Grants/Natalia Kimlasca-Lanvaldear

• I love how Tear just goes into “oh something cute or a pretty girl, uh huh, yes, this is what I will pay attention to now instead of listening” mode, very relatable and gay
• Natalia telling Tear she can also *wear* cute outfits instead of just admiring them was also very sweet, maybe she can encourage her more! (But I do prefer the rental swimsuit, continuing to wear her knife holsters is just...perfect?) Maybe they go on some ludicrous sidequests in the name of fashion, or have to help Florian with other plays
• Other fun bonding activities like an archery vs. throwing knives contest, helping Natalia learn how to cook (in Tear's bachelor chow kind of way),
• supporting each other after the final battle, letters (oh god remember Tear can’t write letters??? I love her), lullabies, diplomacy, visiting graves...

 Luke fon Fabre/Fon Master Ion

• When I started playing this game, I was like, “aw, Luke’s always kind of nice to Ion.” Then it got sad 🥳 Anyway it’s just sweet how Ion’s so kind to him immediately that Luke just can’t help paying him the same respect in return. And then later they share a certain bond the others can’t understand...
• maybe he manages to bring back Ion the way Van brought back Sync?
• *crying about replicas*

Jade Curtiss/Luke fon Fabre

• The way Luke reminds Jade how to care about other people, even as even Jade's own sister tried to warn Luke about his past? And how both of them had their own journeys to learning how their own actions affect those around them. And Jade's face! In the ending! and and
• I'm an incoherent mess about these two
• They can still both be obnoxious jackasses in their own way, though
• background Jade/Peony is good too, more of a friends-with-benefits thing though (not that that has to come up)

Crestoria
If other characters show up, I love all party members from the games I've played (listed at top), and all the playable Crestoria characters so far (except Makina). (I also like Veigue, Meredy, Keele, Kongwai, QQ, Decus, Philia, Zephyr, Jay, Arche, Leon, and Claus, probably? I hope? Someday?)

It's fun when the party breaks the fourth wall (especially poor dear sweet Orwin), and also fun when Estelle murders in the Arena (my Estelle, specifically). Outside the lighthearted stuff and fanservice, I also love the game's themes about guilt, justice, revenge and redemption, which would be really fun to explore with these dudes.

Jade Curtiss/Yuri Lowell

• These beautiful smug bastards made the White Day event annoying on purpose, sipping tea or wine or mimosas while watching wind teams get rekt by orc kongs (mine was Estelle, Raven, Kanonno, Velvet chucking QQ at the enemy like a spear, Sorey, and Magilou’s famous(?) squid & daikon)
• Fake dating to annoy people (though it might actually stay fake because they're them)
• Jade “playing along” with Yuri’s thing for knights, but he’s being all Jade about it (but Yuri is mocking/critiquing him right back)
• I've heard characters from other Tales games won't be transgressors here, what a wasted opportunity, wink. But at the same time, don't worry too much about the Crestoria setting here, we really don't know what to expect
• background pairings are fine too, I like Yuri/Raven, Jade/Luke, Jade/Peony, and Yuna/Penelope (just in case!), I just ran out of time to request them because my brain isn't cooperating.\
• (belated) Hah, they're amazing in Rays too, do what ya gotta

Dear Yuletide Writer,

I'm finally trying to do Yuletide, so forgive this letter's lack of polish, organization, coherence, or whatever—it's my first one! I hope you enjoy writing your assignment as much as I'll enjoy reading it. The general format I'm going to follow (once I get down to the fandoms) is:
• tell you how much of each canon there is to read/watch/play (or how little you actually need to)
• point out some of the things I especially love about the characters
• toss out some potential prompts, some of them just off the top of my head, but if you have ideas of your own I'd absolutely love to read them (and don't consider my prompts immutable, either—play off them! combine them!)
• (important!) additional commentary, including fandom-specific DNWs

You can try to scry some additional idea of my interests from my Tumblr; it's 99% reblogs and I'm not sure how helpful it'll be. My AO3 account is vanishinghitchhiker and may or may not be any more helpful.

My love for fandoms is largely character-driven; as much as I may love a world, for me it's the people in it who give it life and meaning. So don't stress about thinking up big galactic conspiracy subplots or something—I'll be happy as long as everyone's just being themselves, interacting and playing off each other. But I do still love conspiracies, mysteries, adventures, and convoluted plots that raise questions that need answered—they help me appreciate the characters! I've got a pretty smartass sense of humor with a healthy regard for gallows humor, so don't feel you have to skimp on the banter if you write something serious. Conversely, all these fandoms have a high tragic/bittersweet factor, so even if you take a happy ending prompt, I can appreciate if it's hard won (groundhog day would be interesting too—how do people remember all the things they like for these things?). When I ship something, it's all about emotional closeness and cuddles and love confessions and friends to lovers and all that sappy stuff. More explicit things are nice too, but I find it the most engaging when accompanied by a good dose of feels and/or amusingly in-character banter.

Mostly and most importantly, just have fun and don't worry; I'm pretty mellow and like a lot of things. I like any rating, any length, any tense and any person, and I don't typically find epithets and synonyms for "said" very obtrusive. I'm okay with poetry, illustrations, IF, and anything else you'd like to try, too!

DNWs: Incest, underage, noncon, food fetish and other kinks relating to the digestive process.
If you write dubcon, keep it on the tropey, resolving sexual tension side of things. Like sex pollen happening to people who already wanted each other but couldn't spit it out, that sort of thing.
These canons are fraught with misfortune, but don't kill off any main characters unless you're working with the canon timeline; there's still deaths aplenty.
Only write crossovers and AUs in the fandoms I've suggested them, please. If you're feeling the urge, you can cross over the fandoms in my letter, though I'm afraid I can't help you with prompts.
I guess, as a rule, keep violence and its aftermath canon appropriate? So for Star Wars, sometimes people lose limbs, but in a tidy way; Kino's no stranger to blood and gunfights but there's just going to be introspection and scenery porn afterward; horrible twisted things (and frequent impalings) can happen in Nier, but it's all ludicrous amounts of blood and flashy magic, not gory details; and Aliens...okay, Aliens has its share of chest-bursting, acid-spitting body horror, but with a healthy dose of atmosphere—it's horror, not a slasher. This isn't a total deal-breaker, but it is a pretty big pet peeve.

Anyway, before I dump you into my list of fandom details: thanks again, and may the story (or stories!) you receive be as well-written and enjoyable as the one I'm about to get! I believe in you—have a terrific Yuletide!


Fandom 1: Star Wars Legends: Outbound Flight - Timothy Zahn
Canon notes: One book, which should suffice for most of my prompts. There's an accompanying short story that reveals how well Thrawn can keep himself from being exiled without his brother's influence (spoiler: not very). Another novel, Survivor's Quest, was published first but is set fifty years later, and fills you in on the fate of Outbound Flight, Lorana's brother, and galactic politics, but consider it optional if you don't have the time. Other characters like Jorj, Thrawn, and Thrawn's increasingly concerning life choices show up in yet other books, but that's starting to get into trilogies and duologies, so hopefully you won't need any of those. Also, it is Star Wars, set in the prequel era, but a passing familiarity should get you through the book.

Characters: Lorana Jinzler
My favorite Star Wars character shows up in exactly two Legends books (and is illustrated once, shown above), because I make poor fandom decisions. It's refreshing to read about a Jedi struggling with issues that have nothing to do with the Dark Side (though I admit I have a ton of the EU left to read). Better still, though, is reading about someone whose feelings of inadequacy feel so organic and integral to the character, not just tacked on as a not-really flaw. It's not even cheaply "cured", in the end—plot happens and she simply ends up working too hard to do the right thing to worry about whether she's good enough or not. I've even accidentally grown fond of her brother, even though in Survivor's Quest Dean basically ends up with the same attitude about Lorana he so disdained in their parents. But that's a prompt for another day.
And since a couple of my prompts mention Thrass in particular: look at this wonderful Syndic just trying to protect (or rein in) his frustrating time bomb of a brother, even though Thrawn can outmaneuver anyone, even friends and family, pretty much at will (and just uses that ability to piss everyone off even more). But he's not a pushover, and even he's pretty fed up with Thrawn's machinations in the end, before fate intervenes. Despite Thrass' initial misgivings regarding human contact, he almost instantly takes the word of Lorana, a complete stranger (sure, Jorj vouches for Jedi in general, but Thrawn literally just got Force choked guys, come on). And despite the xenophobic, isolationist mores of the Ascendancy, he chooses to act in the name of compassion for a handful of people of another species, even at an ever increasing cost.

Prompts:
• Lorana/Thrass, because apparently one surefire way to make me ship a pairing is having them face down death holding hands. Giving them more time for a relationship would be ideal, but I'm going down with this ship anyway so you don't even have to go that route. Hell, track down one of those "x happens when you meet your soulmate" things (your timer ticks to zero! they say the words in your birthmark! you can see the color of their eyes!) and just fuck me up, if you want.
• Lorana's characterization as someone who's had to spend their entire life under the baleful influence of someone like Jorus C'baoth is spot on, and her uncertainty really resonates with me. I'm happy enough with any story that spends time with her thoughts and feelings. Did anyone ever try to reach out to her (like one of C'baoth's past padawans, for example), and what if they'd succeeded? Given enough time without him around, how would she grow as a person?
• Some thoughtful reflection on the influence siblings and their relationship can have on each other, comparing and contrasting Lorana and Dean and Thrass and Thrawn? And maybe even sly allusions to Luke and Leia or other siblings from the setting, if you're in a time paradox mood. I can barely even put into words what I mean here (I'm an only child), but I do wanna read it.
• I have also had vague notions about how Mara's thoughts about her past and the Emperor during Survivor's Quest could be an interesting parallel to the sort of thoughts Lorana might eventually have had about Master C'baoth.
• What if Dean were the Jedi and Lorana, the maintenance worker? Would Dean be a thorn in his Master's side, or fall to the Dark Side right along with him? And what if Lorana tagged along on Outbound Flight, out of concern for her brother or (most likely) pressure from their parents? Maybe things wouldn't go much differently, but it'd be interesting to see unfold.
• I know it makes their sacrifice all the more noble and all that, but the greatest tragedy is that nobody will ever truly know or appreciate what our unsung heroes did. Dean chooses to believe his sister did something nifty, but that's about it. Some closure on that would be nice: an intact flight recorder, or records buried deep in the Empire of the Hand's archives that mention Thrawn's brother who was last seen helping a Jedi hijack Outbound Flight... and no way did it take Jorj freakin' Car'das fifty years to find some guy. Why did he dawdle? Did he think he was sending Dean off to a happy reunion or something? Anyway, I'd love to see them properly memorialized somehow. Heck, throw Lorana's very own force ghost at Thrawn if you must.

Other notes: Background ships are fine; I see you, Thrawn/Jorj. It's so obvious even a Jedi might notice. No Master/Padawan stuff—C'baoth's enough of an asshole already, and Anakin's like twelve in this book.


Fandom 2: Aliens (1986)
Canon notes: This is the second movie of a franchise, but I reckon you can get away with just watching this one. The film before it (Alien) gives more insight on Ripley (and Jones') past encounter with aliens and androids (spoiler: not good); watch it too if you can. The film after it (Alien 3) kills off everyone who survived Aliens (except Jonesy), so watch that if you'd like to know precisely what you're fix-iting. (Bishop has some pretty good lines in it, too.) I don't know much about the video games or any movie that isn't in the quadrilogy set, but I'll roll with it if you refer to them—I do intend to catch up eventually.

Characters: Bishop
I love everyone in this bar, don't get me wrong, but Bishop is my favorite artificial person in any fandom. He won me over the same way he won Ripley over: he's thoughtful, quietly competent, and has an increasing knack for wry humor. He has subtle character moments that are easily missed, as easily missed as attempting to volunteer for something when Hudson is loudly freaking out ;). He's the one holding the flashlight when the marines are chasing down Newt (before Ripley grabs it from him, which is also a nice touch of characterization for her). When Vasquez gives Bishop a gun before he goes after the second dropship, he just sort of glances at it and then passes it to Ripley—I didn't even notice the first time I saw the movie, it happened so quickly. The look on his face after saying "I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid" is, according to his actor, the expression of someone realizing he may have just told a joke and isn't sure how it's going to come off. And by Alien 3, I think he's gotten the hang of using humor to defuse stressful situations—but with a kernel of truth, since he's an incredibly sincere character at heart.

Prompts:
• Ripley/Bishop. Ripleys tend to be quite shippable with synthetics, so I don't feel as weird about this ship as I might. They'd almost definitely feel pretty weird about it at first, though, and it'd have to be set after the movie, for better or worse. If you actually get far enough past their mutual consternation to go smutty here, I'd just like to leave you with the thought that Bishop is clearly good with his hands.
• Happily ever after fic for the Sulaco survivors, of course. Bonus points if they stop off and pick up Jonesy somehow. Found families are the best, so do what you like as long as it lets all their personalities shine. Slice of life, life on the lam, more bug hunting, taking down the Company, go for it, just so long as they're all together. And if want to save the lives of some of your favorite marines, too, no complaints here!
• Speaking of, fic about Bishop's experiences with the Colonial Marines would be fun, too. Who taught him the knife trick? What other adventures and shenanigans has he been a part of? How do different marines see him: part of the gang, one of the stiffs at the other lunch table, just a tool, good for a laugh, kind of creepy? What do he and Ferro think of each other's piloting skills?
•  All the Marines (except Hicks) were given the first name of their actor, mostly so there was a first initial to put on things like crew readouts... even Bishop. So how does a synthetic even get a first name, and why? Is it factory standard, Marine tradition, or something special? Any particular reason why his is Lance?
• If all my other prompts are too fluffy and fixit for you, you can darkfic it up here—this fandom is literally gigeresque. For example, androids can disagree with humans, but when it comes down to it they can't fight them—maybe nothing bad's even happened to Bishop himself, but maybe he's heard stories, or even threats. Or, like, is that "top of the line" thing in Alien 3 part of some planned obsolescence programming? I guess my ideas run more toward human-synthetic interaction and the Company being dicks, but xenomorphs can play too, of course.
• This prompt might be a little off-target, but what is up with Weyland making androids that look just like him (or his nigh identical ancestors), anyway? Does he have a fetish for himself? (Feel free to go into uncomfortable detail on that one, he's a pretty unsettling guy.) Did he just go "hey these bros need a friendly face to work with people, and who's friendlier than me"? (Probably everyone.) Is there a bit of creepy cloning/immortality research on the side, hence a family full of Lance Henriksen? Did he overstock on body double decoys in a fit of paranoia and need something profitable to do with them all? What is the deal?
• The previous prompt makes me realize WY would be big enough dicks to pull Bishop from the scrap heap and bring him back online for additional data, so... what if, somehow, he met Call? Or, since 200 years is a long time, at least the androids who built her. I'm a Metal Gear Solid fan, so the idea of him providing radio support (since that's basically all that's left of him) while Call does something badass also appeals.

Other notes: I don't ship Ripley/Hicks, for reasons independent of shipping Ripley/Bishop. I guess I just don't want to think of our little band of survivors as a typical nuclear family unit, or something. I blame all that space marine camaraderie.


Fandom 3: Kino no Tabi | Kino's Journey - Keiichi Sigsawa
Canon notes: I'll start with the thirteen-episode anime adapted from several early chapters of the light novel series, as it's probably the most accessible form of media. It's been officially subbed and dubbed into English with DVDs and everything, and is available free on Hulu (among other places). Feel free to just work off of that—you'll get the gist of Kino's journeys and origin, too. There's also a couple short stand-alone films you'd have to poke around the Internet for. As for the light novels themselves, only the first was officially translated into English, though fan translations have caught up nicely in recent years.
The original Japanese novel is where XXXXX's "name" comes from—she's the girl from the Land of Adults.

Characters: Any (Kino, Hermes, other Kino, XXXXX)
So Kino's definitely a poker-faced gunslinger, but one who loses sleep questioning their own personal ethics, and the morality of the world at large, and, since survival is paramount, filling hollow-tipped bullets with liquid explosives (though usually not all on the same night). It's the drive to understand the world and the people in it, even if there's nothing there to understand, that spurs Kino's exploration onward. Hermes is the perfect foil to draw out our protagonist: curious, outgoing, and stubborn. And even though he's a fount of mixed metaphors, he's no slouch on more technical matters (there's a story from one of the light novels where he demonstrates forensic knowledge—what, did he pick that up from Kino shooting enough people in front of him?). Other Kino's a bit of a cipher, since we only have a few days to get to know him, but he's sweet, and good with kids, and a slightly different traveler and person than our Kino is. And XXXXX, a young girl who just liked to sing, whose entire world ended because she learned too much. Though trauma and trials (and the teachings of one seriously badass old lady) have transformed her, she still wants to learn... and still, sometimes, sings.

Prompts:
• Someone gets stabbed, dies, and a minute later a motorrad starts talking—coincidence? I say hell no! Your prompt is haunted (well, possessed) Hermes. You can just imply it, or have a full-blown realization brought on by, I don't know, a Land of Tutelaries or something. Maybe he regains his memory. What if he doesn't? Who figures it out, and do they tell the other? How would this knowledge affect Kino and Hermes' relationship?
• Even more canon divergence focused on the Land of Adults. What if the traveler rode off on his new motorrad after all, and came back years later only to be checked into a hotel by an innkeeper who has a small habit of singing? What if the traveler was taken to the hospital to treat his wounds (after all, they're adults), and was assigned a job of his own? Would a Kino be able to rescue their counterpart, or even find them heading a revolution? What if Hermes needs a spare part, years later, and Kino happens to come across a little shop that sells just the right parts, run by a guy with glasses? Does he remember? Does he recognize XXXXX and call her by name?
• This fandom is sort of an exception to my usual weakness for characters: the overall atmosphere and the setting's potential are a large part of what's won my heart, too. I love the people and places Kino visits, and how strange, maybe awful, maybe beautiful, they can be. If you've got a weird worldbuilding idea kicking around in your head, maybe a good way to try it out is to let Kino and Hermes (and an appreciative reader) visit for a few days.
• Kino/Hermes, anyone? A bit unorthodox (just a bit), but I'd love to see someone make it work. For years, they've traveled together as partners and sole confidantes. They've already grown closer than their initial pact—with more time, could it grow even deeper? And, y'know, he's basically a giant vibrator.
• Looking for a treat or a last resort? Toss 'em in another canon's setting for a few days, they're used to this shit! Kino in the world of my other favorite anime, Kaiba, has increasingly amazing potential the more I think about it (only twelve episodes!). And Quantum Leap with Kino as the leaper and Hermes in the place of Al would be a helluva thing. Or Red Dwarf with Kino, Hermes the hologram, and... Riku, I suppose. Journey. Monument Valley. Drop me a line, I like a lot of things!
• Paranormal AU—probably more like a paranormal hunting AU considering Kino's skill set. I'm writing this letter around Halloween, after all—buck the Christmasfic trend! Like, say, who says a witch can't have a mechanical familiar? Or how about a noir AU? Buddy cop AU! This canon lends itself well to playing with genre, so it doesn't even have to be a full alternate universe, just another weird-ass country. Though that would still be pretty hard for a space AU. Well, use your best judgment.

Other notes: I don't ship Kino/Shizu. Actually I don't really ship Kino with anyone (though I've read Kino/Nimya and liked it), but I don't ship Kino/Shizu in particular. I also get a kick out of narratively obscuring Kino's gender (I've been doing it this entire time for no good reason), but that can get unwieldy so this isn't a particularly serious request. I mean, I guess it'd be pretty easy in second person, and as a lapsed Homestuck I wouldn't mind at all, but don't be pressured by a minor amusement on my part. And it doesn't really matter and it's probably better in general not to refer to them by name at all, but my headcanon is that those little red flowers are phlox/shibazakura.


Fandom 4: Nier Gestalt | Nier
Canon notes: Nier is a video game, for the PS3 or XBox 360. It's (mostly) an action RPG with four endings, but after the first full playthrough you only repeat post-timeskip parts of the game. If you like Let's Plays, here's an excellent text-based one by TheDarkId that's also quite thorough about the canon's backstory and bonus materials. There's plenty more setting details in the Japan-exclusive Grimoire Nier book, but fan translations are readily available—I highly recommend seeking it out.
Nier has...minor ties to the Drakengard series, and there are Let's Plays available for those too (also by that poor bastard, TheDarkId). Basically all you need to know: a bad end dropped magic on a world without magic; shit's fucked.

Characters: Any (Nier, Yonah, Grimoire Weiss, Kainé, Emil)
Nier is just this huge, amazing dork who will do any menial task for anyone who asks him, even the ones who make fun of him for it, all in the name of helping people out (and sometimes, a reward). I love the bittersweet irony of how Nier's all-abiding love for Yonah leads him away from home, to provide for her, to cure her, to save her...even though it means leaving her alone, wishing for more time with her father. Weiss is a floating bundle of pomposity and bluster, brim with snarky commentary and occasional digressions about scorpion kebabs and "really stupid conversations" with Emil. But when things get tough, you can still tell he really cares about his friends, even Kainé. And Kainé, who gives as good as she gets, who's got a fuckin' image to maintain here, helps out other lost, lonely kids, and swears up a storm while wearing the frilliest, skimpiest shit she can find. Emil's a wonderful balance of an upbeat attitude and coping with personal tragedy, and it's so sweet how highly he values his friends.

Prompts:
• My girlfriend and I ship Nier/Weiss because we make poor fandom choices, together. Make that work however you can, and go wherever you'd like: one-sided or mutual, make Weiss human somehow, Nier uses him as a pillow and wakes up with Weiss' markings pressed into his face, Yonah decides she has two dads now, Weiss determined to distract Nier from fishing once and for all, Kainé makes terrible paper cut jokes, Emil plans their wedding; whatever, we'll eat it up with a spoon. Poly with Kainé is good too; Nier's just going to have to find a way to shut up both their bickering at once. ;)
• Ending A mentions Yonah's favorite book is her magical storybook. She may not have known him for very long, but what book could be more magical than the Grimoire Weiss?
• Timeskip fic. How does everyone manage to keep going with Yonah missing and Kainé out of commission? Do Nier and Weiss get in any fights over someone disrespecting the library's new bas relief? Does Emil ever try to sneak into the library to say hi? Does anyone ever recognize the sculpture's "model" afterwards?
• Post Ending D. What will everyone do now, and what happens when they start to notice the inconsistencies in the memories? How do they remember the quest to cure/save Yonah now—did she find Weiss or did he find her? How did he and Kainé stand each other until Emil showed up? Who planted all these damn flowers? Who's going to run the library now, Yonah and Kainé? Weiss' pages are intact, just blank (and silent, and powerless); I wouldn't mind some sad writings about that. And reuniting everyone for the closest thing to a happy ending they can get is good too, of course.
• Slice of life! Yonah cooking, camping out with Emil, Kainé doing laundry, Weiss scaring fish, Nier drifting boars. It's the little things (and smartass comments about those things) that make you care about these characters and their world, so give me more of that, please.
• What other game genres are hidden away in Nier's world? Side quests are practically Animal Crossing, for example—fish records, flower hybrids, and good old-fashioned bringing stuff to questionably grateful people. (I would not say no to some degree of setting crossover where everyone is in debt to Popola up to their eyeballs and Devola bootlegs her own music.) Or what if combat in Facade is Ivalicean of the judgiest kind? No rhythm games unless you understand (via Drakengard) why that would be really, really, cruel.

Other notes: My personal interpretation of canon is that absolutely everyone, with varying degrees of ignorance, has made terrible decisions. If yours isn't the same that's cool, just write with care. I also count the stories from Grimoire Nier toward my reading of canon—things can get a little iffy timing-wise because the stories are written with Brother Nier in mind, but it all happened in there somewhere. Also, fuck Tyrann, just fuck that guy. Also also, I have not been purposely obscuring Kainé's gender, so please treat her with sensitivity, respect, and the correct pronouns while she's leaping around with giant sword things and calling people shithogs. And I love Fyra and the King, along with the people of Facade in general, so if you're waffling on a setting or extra characters, here's a small nudge.

Thank you!