badritual | o_w_o letter 2021

Dear Creator,

If none of my ideas/prompts catch your attention, I'm totally fine with mixing and matching some of my tropes/likes/etc. to come up with a story!

I also may not have prompts for every pairing/group, but that doesn't mean I'm less invested or interested in those pairings/groups! Sometimes I just can't think of anything specific or feel like the pairing/group is a prompt in and of itself.

If you need some more ideas or clarification, feel free to reach out and I'll try to respond ASAP.

What I Love
DNWs
Stuff I Like
Mixed Gender Ships
F/F(/F+) Ships
M/M(/M+) Ships
Gen or Groups Without Ships
Other Ships

What I Love: I'm really into gothic romance/gothic horror/horror of any stripe. I adore difficult/complicated relationships, and questions with no easy answers. I also love ambiguous/happy for now/sad endings. I love things that make me think, and are not necessarily tied up with a neat pretty bow. That's not to say I don't enjoy a happy ending, this is mostly just meant to reassure you that if you don't think a HEA is workable I'm totally fine with that.

My main DNWs are listed below. Exceptions will be noted:

DNWs:
• domestic violence/abuse
• violence against animals/animal death
• A/B/O, BDSM, and kneeling 'verses
• mpreg
• watersports/scat
• horror that centers on mental institutions/hospitals/etc.
• re. possible underage: strongly prefer teen characters to be 16+

Stuff I Like:
In addition to the stuff in my sign-up here's some more stuff I'm into:
• gothic/gothic romance/horror/ghost stories!!!
• space gothic (i.e. Event Horizon and the Alien series)
• cosmic horror
• body horror
• monsters!!!
• bodyswap
• time travel/time loops/time fuckery
• pining
• mind-games/manipulation
• ghosts/hauntings/etc.
• miscommunication (within reason)
• poly/poly-v relationships
• enemies to lovers
• friends to lovers to enemies to lovers/friends to enemies to lovers
• unhealthy/codependent relationships
• relationships with a power imbalance (i.e. mentor/pupil, priest/parishioner, older partner/younger partner, queen/subject, etc.)
• power imbalances/power dynamics/power dynamics inverted (i.e. the pupil turns the tables, the younger partner has/takes the power in the relationship, etc.)
• characters facing/dealing with mortality (of their lives, their livelihoods, careers, etc.)
• amnesiafic
• epistolary/social media pastiche
• future fic
• casefic
• ensemble fic
• complicated relationships
• professional/career-related jealousy
• small town AUs (small town in the eerie suburban gothic sense, not cute quaint villages and whatnot)

Mixed Gender Ships

Pairings/groups:
Female Hockey Player/Male Hockey Player
Resourceful Selkie/Man Who Stole Her Skin
Cursed Prince/The Enchantress Who Cursed Him
Widowed Queen/Much Younger Prince Betrothed to Her Daughter
Monster assembled from corpses/Mad scientist trying to rebuild her dead lover
Widow Who Had Married Into A Gangster Family/Her Brother-In-Law
Scary Hulking Demoness/Guy Trying to Summon a Sexy Succubus but Learns he's Kinda into That
Lonely Widowed Mom/Manipulative Teenage Son
Pining Prince/Loyal Knight
Virgin High School Teacher/Bad Boy Student She Can't Keep Her Mind Off Of

^*In the case of prompts involving teens I'd prefer the teens to be 16+

Female Hockey Player/Male Hockey Player
I'd really love if the female hockey player is the one on the superstar track while the male player is the journeyman or the scrappy tough guy with a bad reputation.

Maybe the female player has a good-girl reputation she wants to shed by being seen with the bad-boy hockey player and she thinks getting caught with him by the tabloids will help her shed it. Or maybe he's the one with the reputation to protect and she's her national team's wild child.

Could they be national team rivals (US vs. Canada? Sweden vs. Finland? Czech Republic vs. Russia?) Or maybe they're on the same national team but battling each other for a share of the spotlight during the Olympics. Maybe she's the first female player to break into the NHL ranks in a regular season game. Maybe he's an injured male star rehabbing with his sister's college team and he meets a teammate of hers...

Are they both bi? Maybe at some point, they realize they've dated the same person/people.

I love a good bachelor auction story, as well as a "I need a date for this hockey gala and my teammate recommended you to me" story. Give me a meet-awkward, the more awkward the better!

I also can't resist a good fake marriage/relationship that becomes real, or didn't-realize-they-were-dating.

A prompt from a previous challenge
◊ The female and male hockey players, who were teammates as children, run into each other in [x city] during the Olympics. Is there jealousy and/or a rivalry? An effortless reunion? (I'm totally fine if you prefer to ignore real-world sexism/misogyny/etc. but I'd also appreciate a nuanced look at these issues through the lens of these characters too, if that's where the story takes you!)

Resourceful Selkie/Man Who Stole Her Skin
I really love the Korean fairytale The Woodcutter and the Nymph, which echoes the classic selkie tale (in China, I believe it's known as the Woodcutter and Fairy story). I enjoy all the versions of this story and the adaptations. I'd love if you wanted to incorporate elements of the Korean (or Chinese) fairytales somehow, or modernize the selkie story. A less literal adaptation is also welcome!

What about a modern take, and/or a feminist version? Why is the selkie resourceful; what does she do when faced with her predicament? Does she still marry and have children with the man who stole her skin? Does she find a way out?

Perhaps this fairy tale is more of a horror story... Does the selkie take her revenge?

I'll be happy with whatever you come up with, but those are just a few ideas to springboard off of if you wish!

Widowed Queen/Much Younger Prince Betrothed to Her Daughter
I'll be honest, I'd really love for things to be uncomfortably hot. And for the younger prince to be in a position of power over the widowed queen. Perhaps she needs this alliance through the marriage to her daughter, or maybe his nation/planet/etc. is more highly regarded than hers. Maybe she's marrying him to her daughter for protection...

So, what draws the two of them together? Does the queen seduce the prince? Does the prince pursue the queen? Maybe these two always wanted one another but knew their people would not accept a marriage between them and settled on the betrothal to the princess to be close to one another.

How much does the princess know? Is she completely in the dark, does she have an inkling, or is she fully aware? If she's not, what happens should she find out the truth?

Maybe the widowed queen was unhappy in her marriage and her daughter's young fiancé exposes her to sexual pleasure for the first time.

Honestly, I'm not really that picky with this prompt as along as it's hot and vaguely uncomfortable.

Widow Who Had Married Into A Gangster Family/Her Brother-In-Law
Did these two arrange her husband's death together? Did the brother-in-law kill his brother to get him out of the way? Perhaps the widow sublimates her grief into lust for her dead husband's lookalike brother.

I'd adore an enemies to reluctant lovers story.

Lonely Widowed Mom/Manipulative Teenage Son
Maybe the son has been manipulating the widowed mother for years and finally sees an opportunity with the father gone.

I'd love a focus on obsession/obsessive love on the part of both the widow and the son. The son is obsessed with the widow and the widow unknowingly (or perhaps subconsciously) encourages his obsession by clinging onto him in her bereavement.

Perhaps the widow willingly welcomes the son into her bed by telling herself it's innocent. Maybe she turns to the son for comfort that soon becomes inappropriate, but both find they're unable to or unwilling to put a stop to it.

Maybe the widow and her son are entangled in each other in an unhealthily emotional way, but not sexually... but outsiders see it as inappropriate and the scrutiny and pressure from the outside is what pushes the relationship over the edge.

I'm perfectly fine receiving stories with sexual coercion/manipulation, dubcon (rather than outright noncon), and some violence. On the kinkier side: the manipulative son mindbreaking the widow with sex/sexual pleasure (rather than violence and threats) and reminders of her dead husband (the son stepping into his father's vacant role perhaps?), and molding her into a totally compliant sex object would be...intriguing. 👀

I tend to see this prompt/pair as a tragedy and am open to stories with sad/unhappy endings.

Virgin High School Teacher/Bad Boy Student She Can't Keep Her Mind Off Of
I'd prefer the teacher to be a fair bit older but a completely sexually inexperienced virgin, while the bad boy student is known around the school for his sexual escapades and prowess.

I'd really love the bad boy student in a position of power over the virgin teacher. Maybe she keeps him back for detention for Reasons and he's the one who educates her rather than the other way around.

Is she prudish? Or just socially awkward? Maybe she's been sheltered for most of her life, or had other plans besides sex/marriage/etc. Hell, if you wanted she could even be a former nun.

Kink-wise... sex over the teacher's desk would be A+++++++.

F/F(/F+) Ships

Pairings/groups:
Virgin High School Teacher/Bad Girl Student She Can't Keep Her Mind Off Of
Mean Girl Cheerleader/Her Favorite Target
Mean Girl Cheerleader/Guidance Counselor Who Hates Her
Single Mom/Teen Daughter's Best Friend
Vengeful Spirit/Female Ghost Hunter
The Farmer's Neglected Wife/Newly Hired Farmhand
Instagram Influencer/Obsessive Stalker Fan
Modern-day Girl/Female Lead of Her Favorite Romance Novel
Queen/Her Most Trusted Assassin
Cold-hearted Queen/Her Confidante

^*In the case of prompts involving teens I'd prefer the teens to be 16+

Virgin High School Teacher/Bad Girl Student She Can't Keep Her Mind Off Of

Like the virgin teacher/bad boy student prompt, I'd love for the student to be sexually experienced while the teacher is a bit naïve and innocent.

Maybe the teacher's noticed the student's grades are slipping and takes it upon herself to help her...only to realize she's gotten in over her head.

Mean Girl Cheerleader/Her Favorite Target
The mean girl cheerleader has targeted the same lonely nerd (or whoever!) since elementary school. They're finally high school seniors now, surely they've outgrown the teasing and bullying...right? Wrong, now it's even worse! But why?

Mean Girl Cheerleader/Guidance Counselor Who Hates Her
The mean girl cheerleader is forced to meet with the guidance counselor when her behavior gets out of control. What sort of tricks does the guidance counselor employ to get her to behave?

Single Mom/Teen Daughter's Best Friend
The daughter's best friend has always wanted the single mom, and she finally has her chance when the daughter goes off to summer camp. What will the daughter's best friend do to finally get the single mom where she wants her?

Alternately: the single mom has been struggling with her growing attraction to her daughter's best friend. What causes her to finally snap and go for what she wants?

Vengeful Spirit/Female Ghost Hunter
Maybe the ghost hunter and the spirit have a history. Could the spirit be the ghost hunter's former partner? Or a ghost she tried to and failed to exorcise?

Eerie ghost sex is always a plus.

Instagram Influencer/Obsessive Stalker Fan
I'd love something in a thriller vein... maybe the influencer lets the stalker fan into her life for the ego boost, before realizing she's bitten off more than she can chew. Maybe the stalker fan starts grows obsessed with winning the object of their affection and does literally everything to capture her attention.

Queen/Her Most Trusted Assassin
What brings the queen and her most trusted assassin together? Have they been together for a while, or is this a new development? Is it transactional? A genuine relationship?

Perhaps the queen herself is being targeted and she and the assassin must work closely together to find out who's behind the threat...

M/M(/M+) Ships

Pairings/groups:
Superstar Rookie Baseball Player/Veteran Journeyman Baseball Player
Star Baseball Player/Rival Baseball Player
Inept Incubus/Savvy Prey
Nagging Stepfather/Adult Son Who's Had Enough
Black widow stepfather/stepson lusting after him
Lonely Widowed Dad/Manipulative Teenage Son
Victorian Teen Suffering From Mysterious Ailment/Male Nurse Hired to Care For Him
Single Dad Desperate For Money/Wealthy Dad of Son's Best Friend
Male Rock Star Who Sold His Soul to the Devil/The Devil Come to Collect His Due
Grieving Widower With Trust Issues/His Devoted Husband Who Came Back Wrong

^*In the case of prompts involving teens I'd prefer the teens to be 16+

Superstar Rookie Baseball Player/Veteran Journeyman Baseball Player
The veteran journeyman is in the final years of his career while the rookie superstar's career is rising to lofty heights. Maybe the veteran is a little jealous of his young teammate's popularity and endeavors to take him down a peg or two. Or maybe the rookie is an opponent who catches the journeyman's eye.

(A journeyman is a baseball player who's played for many different teams during his career, usually never for very long. I could see there being some jealousy between the two.)

Star Baseball Player/Rival Baseball Player
The star baseball player and his rival hook up during the All-Star Game/World Series/etc.

Is the rival as big a star as the star baseball player? Is there some jealousy between them? Are they as combative and competitive in bed as they are on the baseball diamond?

Nagging Stepfather/Adult Son Who's Had Enough
The adult son has always resented his stepfather. When his mom or dad dies, he comes back to help the stepfather with funeral arrangements. But things don't go according to plan.

Or maybe the stepfather invites the adult son over for a family gathering or to help around the house and the nagging finally gets to be too much (maybe the nagging was an excuse to get under the stepson's skin...)?

Black widow stepfather/stepson lusting after him
The black widow stepfather married the mother or father for their money, but didn't count on falling for the stepson. Does he lure the stepson into helping get rid of his spouse? Are there genuine feelings between them? Is someone manipulating the other... What if the stepson is manipulating the black widow stepfather into killing his parent?

Lonely Widowed Dad/Manipulative Teenage Son
The lonely widowed dad is just trying to be the best father to his son that he can possibly be... He's a good man who just wants to fulfill his late spouse's dying wishes and see that their son has a successful life. The manipulative teenage son sure makes it hard for him though. (Did the teenage son kill the other parent to have his father all to himself?)

Victorian Teen Suffering From Mysterious Ailment/Male Nurse Hired to Care For Him
The victorian teen has always suffered mysterious ailments. The male nurse things he has the cure (is the cure his dick?? a trip to the beach? this strange elixir??)

Male Rock Star Who Sold His Soul to the Devil/The Devil Come to Collect His Due
The male rock star knew the devil would finally come to collect. He's certain he can talk him out of it though, through sex... The devil knows the male rock star is going to try and con him out of taking his soul, he just plays along because why not?

Grieving Widower With Trust Issues/His Devoted Husband Who Came Back Wrong
I will literally take anything with this trope/pairing. Tragic gothic romance! Horror! Horror comedy! anything!

Gen or Groups Without Ships

Pairings/groups:
Monster Protecting a Town & Townsfolk
Monster Under the Bed & Discarded Toys & Missing Socks
Tentacled Alien Queen & Her Adopted Human Son
Catboy & Person Allergic to Cats
Female Spy & Her Double Agent Mentor
Cat-Hating Witch & Her New Familiar
Vegan Witch & Child She's Supposed to Eat
Father & Son & Cat that Son Convinced His Dad to Adopt
Littlest Ghost on their First Haunting
Annoyed Ghost & Their Mindless Walking Corpse & Necromancer having a bad first day on the job

I feel like this set of pairings/groups work as prompts on their own, and I'll gladly take whatever you come up with for them. If you do need more prompts or some suggestions please reach out to the mods!

Other Ships

Pairings/groups:
Lonely Sentient Spaceship/Cryogenically Frozen Crewmember It Thawed For Companionship
Sentient Dildo/Sexually Insatiable Woman
Sentient Dildo/Sexually Insatiable Man
Mad Scientist/Sex Robot That Mysteriously Gains Sentience
Sex Doll That's Magically Come to Life Mid-Sex/Doll's Shocked Owner
Ghost Trapped In Haunted Painting/Art Restorer Hired to Restore It
Monster That Lives In the Basement/Owner of the House
Person of a Doomed Timeline/The Same Person in a Better Timeline
Necromancer/Old Flame That Came Back Wrong (any/other)

I feel like this set of pairings/groups work as prompts on their own, and I'll gladly take whatever you come up with for them. If you do need more prompts or some suggestions please reach out to the mods!

Once again, I'd like to stress that my prompts/ideas are only suggestions! Don't feel constrained by them! Mix and match as you please, or come up with something completely on your own without my input. They're just meant as a general guide. I won't have prompts for every character/pair/group here but that doesn't mean I don't care to receive fic about them! I'll be happy with whatever you come up with for them!

You can check out my other dear author letters here and here for a better idea of the kind of tropes I like, if you want! If you need any clarification please reach out to me through the mods.

o_w_o letter 2021

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