Candy Hearts 2022 Letter
Dec. 29th, 2022 04:49 pmDear Candy Heart Sexer,
Thank you so much for writing for me! If you're here for treats, I'd be thrilled to get fic or art treats for current or past Chocolate Box requests. This letter is under construction and should be finished before assignments are out!
Crossover Fandom
Richard Swift (DC Comics) & Richard Swift (Stargirl)
Quite simply, I want both Shades to meet, get along wonderfully, and annoy everyone they've ever met. I love how much Stargirl Shade and Starman Shade have the same essence, even though the particulars are different, and I'd love to see them compare notes. Whatever multiverse weirdness gets them in one place is great (transported to the other's Earth? They share the same Shadowlands?), and anything from saving the world to having coffee and tea would be delightful. Bonus points for trash-talking whoever's the most intolerable at the moment (Sylvester Pemberton, Crocks, poor dear sweet dead David Knight), gushing about McNider and Jack and *~Jay Garrick~*, and everyone else's dawning horror at realizing there's two of them now. Also they can bang/threesome/foursome! No specific prompts for this one, just go wild.
DC Comics
DC Comics likes: Opal City, Shade being in love with Jay Garrick, Shade being horny for superheroes, Smudge, Starman supporting cast, the Shade's painted nails, the Shade's sexy shadow powers, Justice League International, JLI-typical ridiculousness, Booster/Beetle, Fire/Ice(/Guy), L-Ron, Jaime Reyes, the Questions, Secret Six (all flavors)
DC Comics DNWs: Shade/Hope, evil Max (see exception in prompts), dead Ted Kord, JLI never being Max's friend
Jack Knight/Richard Swift
From the first time the Shade showed up at Jack's place to annoy him, I was hooked. I love these two and how their roles as protectors of Opal grew into a real friendship. I adore how the Shade just decides Jack is going to be his mentee and friend, and that he accomplishes it by dumping his life story onto Jack. The Shade is one of my favorite DC characters, and I love how much he professes to be uncaring and heartless while he very clearly holds his friendships dear. And the way he talks about Jack versus the other Starmen, like he's been waiting for someone who loves Opal like him all his life...and then how he tells Jack "a rose is a rose is a rose" when he leaves the city and doesn't hold it against him. I love their shared love for old things and Opal and being pretentious, and how Jack has no time for the Shade's bullshit (but secretly he does) and how the Shade just throws more bullshit at him in response. For Jack/Sadie, I prefer it having not worked out or it just didn't happen. Their daughter can be with Sadie or not exist, whatever works.
Prompts:
The other Season 2 relationship I wish showed up in Season 3! I love how reformed supervillains are just magnetically attracted to Barbara (and not-so-reformed supervillains but we don't talk about Icicle). I love the Shade projecting the sister he abandoned onto her, and how he dramatically collapses on her couch for nefarious reasons but really does like her, and how Barbara is kind to him but won't take that much of his shit.
Jennie-Lynn Hayden & Richard Swift & Todd Rice
I am devastated we could have had an entire spinoff with the Shade mentoring these two but we live in the worst timeline. It is absolutely hilarious that Shade immediately becomes mortal enemies with the nicest person in the world by being incredibly annoying. And I would love to see Shade awkwardly mentoring another person with his powers (whose father he maybe sort of contributed to killing). I'd love to see Shade and Jennie bickering, Shade and Todd bonding, and Jennie and Todd figuring out how to be a family after so much time. I like Shade either more-or-less adopting them or Shade being more of an eccentric mentor figure who can't help meddling and growing attached.
Richard Swift/Todd Rice
I just want Todd to find out his hot shadow powers mentor is queer too and also to develop a crush on him. Most of the above prompts also apply here, just steer away from Shade as a father figure to either of them. I prefer fic set a few years in the future where they've known each other for longer, but canon age is also fine.
Thank you so much for writing for me! If you're here for treats, I'd be thrilled to get fic or art treats for current or past Chocolate Box requests. This letter is under construction and should be finished before assignments are out!
Stuff I love:
- Shipping! I am a ridiculous shipper at heart, so my favorite thing would be ship fic for the pairings I request; I love sexual tension, slow burn, pining, and lots of other stuff. Porn or no porn are both great--it's the ship more than the smut I'm into. I also love characters falling for others that they never would have expected, as is probably obvious from my ships. I love pining and hurt/comfort and cuddling to avoid hypothermia and all those wonderful fanfic tropes. Shippy pre-relationship stuff is also great!
- Identity porn! As defined by Fanlore, it's focusing on people who have secret identities which focus on the consequences of using multiple personas". So Character A is in disguise, interacting with Character B, who may or may not know who Character A really is, and there may be kissing. This has obvious implications for secret identities (bonus points if it's hero/villain), but anywhere you can fit it in I will love it. Relatedly, I'm always up for mask kink and identity reveals. I feel like this is nigh-impossible for any Shade ship but if you manage it, I'd be really impressed!
- Bad guys turning good! I love villains who discover that their worldview is wrong, especially by getting to know one of the good guys. I also love villains who aren't entirely bad, and good guys who can learn from them too.
- Dramatic reunions! I love seeing characters brought back from the dead (or not actually dead, or whatever plot device works) reunited with someone who's been mourning them. I really love if the living person had feelings for the other and regrets never confessing them.
- Lots of story types--adventure, what-ifs, canon continuations, everyone is mysteriously alive somehow, etc. Both happy and bittersweet/sad fics are great, as long as the angst isn't from the pairing's relationship not working out. Scenes or snippets from any of these are also great.
- Your own prompts! I throw out a few specific story prompts for each pairing, but I will be thrilled to read any ideas you have! My prompts tend to lean towards longer stories, but please don't feel like you have to follow them.
- Interactive fiction! (This is more relevant for longer minimum exchanges, but I keep this in just in case.) I like choice, parser, or any combination; my secret wish is dating sims for every canon. Character death, AU, and other pairings are fine for different endings in IF.
DNWs:
- Non-con. Dub-con is great.
- Character bashing, including canon love interests.
- Non-canon permanent major character death (except that Jack/Shade prompt).
- AUs of the setting instead of plot (mundane AUs, everyone is ponies, etc.)
- Unrequited love (one or both parties incorrectly thinking it's unrequited is great) & shooting down pairings I requested.
- Outsider POV.
- Non-requested crossovers (e.g. outside of DC universes). References to anything vaguely DC-related is great, especially throwing in comic details for TV fic and vice-versa.
Don't Like but not DNW-level:
- Established relationship fic. This isn't as set in stone as the others, but I love seeing my OTPs get together and/or have UST.
- Pure PWP--porn along with other stuff is great, but I'm more interested in the character interactions. (For treats, go wild!)
Crossover Fandom
Crossover likes: Shade/Jack, Shade/McNider, Shade/Jay, Laszlo/Nadja, Laszlo/Shade/Nadja, Laszlo/everyone, Guillermo/Nandor, / or & for requested pairings
Crossover DNWs: Shade/Hope, heavy embarrassment squick (WWDITS-typical ridiculousness is usually fine, just have Shade take it in stride)
Laszlo Cravensworth (WWDITS)/Richard Swift (Stargirl)
Laszlo Cravensworth (WWDITS)/Richard Swift (DC Comics)
I don't know whether they'd be bitter rivals, frenemies, best friends, or fuckbuddies, but I need the Shade and Laszlo to know each other. They are both absolutely ridiculous immortals who have abandoned England for Americaand have banged their way through history. They have almost certainly made old-timey gay porn together. Comic Shade has an adopted vampire daughter. Feel free to use either Shade and refer to any Shade pairings, canon or not (besides Shade/Hope).
Prompts:
Laszlo Cravensworth (WWDITS)/Richard Swift (Stargirl)
Laszlo Cravensworth (WWDITS)/Richard Swift (DC Comics)
I don't know whether they'd be bitter rivals, frenemies, best friends, or fuckbuddies, but I need the Shade and Laszlo to know each other. They are both absolutely ridiculous immortals who have abandoned England for America
Prompts:
- Laszlo and Richard Make A Porno. This would be especially hilarious with other Starman/Stargirl supporting characters finding this out and it is awful (and/or kind of hot). Jack finds it in an antique store? Fiddler finds it while he's draining the Shade's bank accounts?
- Shade and Nadja get along famously even if Shade and Laszlo are bitter enemies. Especially if Shade and Laszlo are bitter enemies. They can bond over having reincarnating boyfriends and scheming to get rid of that awful fucking hat!
- Shade and Lazslo discuss fatherhood! I cannot even fathom what a playdate between Young Colin Robinson and La Sangre would be so I need it. Jenny finding there is actually someone more annoying than the Shade: Laszlo and pretty much everyone he knows.
- The Shade having to deal with WWDITS-typical hijinks, especially if he inevitably gets dragged into whatever incredible bullshit is going on.
Richard Swift (DC Comics) & Richard Swift (Stargirl)
Quite simply, I want both Shades to meet, get along wonderfully, and annoy everyone they've ever met. I love how much Stargirl Shade and Starman Shade have the same essence, even though the particulars are different, and I'd love to see them compare notes. Whatever multiverse weirdness gets them in one place is great (transported to the other's Earth? They share the same Shadowlands?), and anything from saving the world to having coffee and tea would be delightful. Bonus points for trash-talking whoever's the most intolerable at the moment (Sylvester Pemberton, Crocks, poor dear sweet dead David Knight), gushing about McNider and Jack and *~Jay Garrick~*, and everyone else's dawning horror at realizing there's two of them now. Also they can bang/threesome/foursome! No specific prompts for this one, just go wild.
DC Comics
DC Comics likes: Opal City, Shade being in love with Jay Garrick, Shade being horny for superheroes, Smudge, Starman supporting cast, the Shade's painted nails, the Shade's sexy shadow powers, Justice League International, JLI-typical ridiculousness, Booster/Beetle, Fire/Ice(/Guy), L-Ron, Jaime Reyes, the Questions, Secret Six (all flavors)
DC Comics DNWs: Shade/Hope, evil Max (see exception in prompts), dead Ted Kord, JLI never being Max's friend
Jack Knight/Richard Swift
From the first time the Shade showed up at Jack's place to annoy him, I was hooked. I love these two and how their roles as protectors of Opal grew into a real friendship. I adore how the Shade just decides Jack is going to be his mentee and friend, and that he accomplishes it by dumping his life story onto Jack. The Shade is one of my favorite DC characters, and I love how much he professes to be uncaring and heartless while he very clearly holds his friendships dear. And the way he talks about Jack versus the other Starmen, like he's been waiting for someone who loves Opal like him all his life...and then how he tells Jack "a rose is a rose is a rose" when he leaves the city and doesn't hold it against him. I love their shared love for old things and Opal and being pretentious, and how Jack has no time for the Shade's bullshit (but secretly he does) and how the Shade just throws more bullshit at him in response. For Jack/Sadie, I prefer it having not worked out or it just didn't happen. Their daughter can be with Sadie or not exist, whatever works.
Prompts:
- Jack and Shade stay in touch after Jack leaves for San Francisco through writing letters and Shade occasionally stopping by. Jack and Sadie don't work out, and then the Shade keeps dropping hints that Jack could return to Opal City and still stay retired. It takes a while for Jack to realize that the Shade just likes his company, and even longer to realize how much he likes the Shade's.
- After reading enough of the Shade's journals, Jack starts to suspect he had a Thing for Jay Garrick. Does he ask the Shade about it, and does the Shade admit it? Does Mikaal have to teach Jack what bisexuality is? Does Jack subsequently realize some things about himself?
- The Shade is good with kids and dotes on Teddy and tells him stories of his father and grandfather and, well, Jack isn't made of stone. Extra points for Smudge (who is FINE) also doting and calling him Squire Teddy.
- Jack has to pretend to stop the Shade's villainy for whatever reason (for charity? drawing out some supervillain?) and the Shade is really into that.
- After Jack's death (at the end of a long and happy life), the Shade meets him on Jack's birthday, Talking With David style. The Shade didn't realize how much the loss would affect him, and he can finally tell him some things he never did in life. Or, long after Jack's death, he meets his reincarnation and old feelings/attraction that he never acted on flare up.
Maxwell Lord/J'onn J'onnz
I adore Justice League International, and I love Max's original characterization: a sleazy, sometimes sinister businessman who, in the end, chose to be good. And J'onn was proud of him for that! They worked wonderfully as the reasonable parental figures of this band of jokers (who, deep down, were just as ridiculous as the rest of them). I love their friendship, and how J'onn believes that he can be a good person even with sketchy powers and his questionable morals and a mind-controlling computer. Please no post-Infinite Crisis Max or the retcons that came along with it (like the JLI never really liking him) except if it's explicitly an alternate universe.
Prompts:
- Identity porn! Max meets a charming detective and finds himself treating him like an old friend from the beginning. And maybe he's flirting with him a little, it's just a bit of fun. Meanwhile, J'onn, in human disguise for whatever reason, is oddly flattered and it's not like he's flirting back, right?
- Sex pollen Chocos. Don't worry about this being too PWP, just...sex pollen Chocos. Max trying to be a gentleman (maybe) (a little) (not really) while J'onn is extremely interested in stripping Max. Well, it's practically his job as manager of the JLI to take one for the team!
- Max meets J'onn from another universe who seems to think he's a supervillain who killed Ted Kord. Which is ridiculous, obviously, but Max finds himself more unsettled than he's like to admit. How can he save this other Ted and prove to J'onn that he's not that person?
- Any and JLI-typical hijinks. Do Max and J'onn need to get married for tax purposes? Is there only one bed in the hotel because J'onn's Choco rampage destroyed the others? Do they have to hold a sexy carwash for fundraising?
A House of Many Doors
Stargirl
I like: mask kink, Abbas, like all the other crew, good Captain, Vanch or the Plague or both using his body, any gender Captain
I don't like: eating the apple, the Plague infecting other worlds/otherwise winning, COVID references
The setting of the House blows me away—all the different locations and factions and characters were so creative and well-written that I wanted every last drop of it. And then Dr. Vanch punched me right in the feelings. I was already predisposed towards plague doctors and found Vanch’s grumpy obsessiveness harming, but the reveal that he’d been infecting himself with the diseases he communicated with made him tragic. And the Plague! That choice hurt; I let the Plague take his body because I couldn’t see him forgiving the Captain for passing up the opportunity to eradicate it. (And then I took the Plague with me upon escaping and I didn’t think that through.) I’d love to see the Captain finding a way to save Vanch and control the Plague; I’d also love to see the Captain and the Plague in a person suit become weirdly close. Or just sexual tension before all that because I’m always up for a good-looking guy wearing a mask!
Prompts:
- The Captain convinces the Plague to let them talk to Vanch before making the decision to hand over his body, and both find themselves becoming very worked up over the conversation. Vanch is prepared to give his life up and can't understand why the Captain won't just do it, and the Captain doesn't want to lose him.
- After a good amount of UST, the Captain convinces Vanch that sex doesn't have to involve taking off any protective clothing. (Mask and glove kink! Mask and glove kink!!)
- Vanch is still conscious when the Plague has his body and finds a way to communicate with them or the Captain. If the Captain has befriended? the Plague, maybe they work out a bodysharing arrangement.
- After leaving the House, the Captain lands on a world that has a way to bring Vanch back without letting the Plague run rampant. How does Vanch feel coming back after being prepared to give his life? Does he look like his old self or do the diseases' effects on his body stay?
Can they smooch
Stargirl
Stargirl likes: Beth and Chuck being BFFs, the Crocks, the Whitemore-Dugan-Crock polycule, the Shade and the Crocks annoying each other, Barbara & Shade's friendship
Stargirl DNWs: the Crocks being dead, mixing Shade as Todd's parent with Shade/Todd
Stargirl DNWs: the Crocks being dead, mixing Shade as Todd's parent with Shade/Todd
Hearing that the Shade was in Stargirl and subsequently bingeing it got me back into DC Comics, which is both a blessing and a curse! I love the earnest fun of Stargirl, and I love this version of the Shade in all his overdramatic, benevolently sinister glory. About the only thing I didn't love in Stargirl was what happened to the Crocks, so all other plot points or ships (canon or fanon) are great to play with! I haven't read much Stargirl or Infinity Inc comics, but if you have, you can pull in anything from them or stick to show-only.
Charles McNider/Richard Swift
The Doctors Mid-Nite are both incredibly adorable, and the Shade’s friendship with Chuck is so sweet. I love that “deciding a superhero is my best friend and manifesting in their house” is the Shade’s modus operandi in TV as well as the comics, and McNider’s fondness for him is delightful. As for Chuck’s wife, I prefer her remarried, amicably separated after his return, or not mentioned.
Charles McNider/Richard Swift
The Doctors Mid-Nite are both incredibly adorable, and the Shade’s friendship with Chuck is so sweet. I love that “deciding a superhero is my best friend and manifesting in their house” is the Shade’s modus operandi in TV as well as the comics, and McNider’s fondness for him is delightful. As for Chuck’s wife, I prefer her remarried, amicably separated after his return, or not mentioned.
Prompts:
- Back in the old days, the Shade plays cat-and-mouse with McNider and flirts profusely, which Chuck does not notice. Sexy shadow powers!
- After some years have passed, the Shade realizes that McNider is alive in the Shadowlands and goes to rescue him (looking as cool and heroic as he can, of course). What would their reunion be like if the Shade wasn’t dramatically dying while surrounded by people? Bonus if Shade had been the one feeding Hooty.
- McNider comes to visit Beth at the Whitmore-Dugan house and finds Shade and the Crocks there (to everyone’s dismay). Does the Shade plot a way to make his intentions known to Chuck even in all the chaos? Does Barbara end up counseling the Shade’s relationship woes?
- Post-canon, both Shade and McNider are mentoring the new JSA; considering Shade officiates Beth's wedding, maybe he became closer to them by Just Happening to pop by while Chuck is teaching her Mid-Nitey things.
The other Season 2 relationship I wish showed up in Season 3! I love how reformed supervillains are just magnetically attracted to Barbara (and not-so-reformed supervillains but we don't talk about Icicle). I love the Shade projecting the sister he abandoned onto her, and how he dramatically collapses on her couch for nefarious reasons but really does like her, and how Barbara is kind to him but won't take that much of his shit.
- Richard and Paula vying for Barbara's attention, especially if Paula is trying to seduce her (while Crusher's doing the same to Pat) and Dickie just wants attention and gossip.
- Pat tells Barbara a little about what happened in the Shadowlands, and she convinces Shade to open up about his sister.
- In the comics, Shade mentions in his journals that he considers dogs to be proof of god's love and he can't get a dog because he couldn't bear their short lifespans. I want Shade visiting Barbara yes to visit her but also because he wants the excuse to dote over Buddy and tell him he's a good boy and bring him gourmet peanut butter from Opal.
Jennie-Lynn Hayden & Richard Swift & Todd Rice
I am devastated we could have had an entire spinoff with the Shade mentoring these two but we live in the worst timeline. It is absolutely hilarious that Shade immediately becomes mortal enemies with the nicest person in the world by being incredibly annoying. And I would love to see Shade awkwardly mentoring another person with his powers (whose father he maybe sort of contributed to killing). I'd love to see Shade and Jennie bickering, Shade and Todd bonding, and Jennie and Todd figuring out how to be a family after so much time. I like Shade either more-or-less adopting them or Shade being more of an eccentric mentor figure who can't help meddling and growing attached.
- Alan follows in the footsteps of all the others and comes back to life. His kids are okay! A supervillain is raising them! Somehow, Jennie and Todd prevent murder.
- Shade coming to terms with having children while dealing with guilt from his past life. He's failed his family before (and in the comics, he was married with children before he was turned immortal); does he really deserve to have another one?
- Todd finds out that he and the Shade are more similar than he thought when the Shade casually comes out to him (when Todd angsts about whether his father would accept him? when Shade mentions an ex-boyfriend?). This could go with Alan being gay from the comics and Shade being gay or bi.
Richard Swift/Todd Rice
I just want Todd to find out his hot shadow powers mentor is queer too and also to develop a crush on him. Most of the above prompts also apply here, just steer away from Shade as a father figure to either of them. I prefer fic set a few years in the future where they've known each other for longer, but canon age is also fine.
- Jennie realizes Todd is crushing on the Shade. Somehow, Todd prevents murder.
- Training shadow powers somehow turns into sexy uses of shadow powers.